Founders, June 26, 2010

Set list:


Didn't Take Long
Insult to Injury
All You've Got
Look Me Up Sometime
The One That Got Away
Kitty Hijinks
Venango County
Crosstown
When You Were Mine
My Machine
Carolina Breeze
Love's Alright
All Again


Big night of music at Founders, as Charles the Osprey released their album Consider. In addition to that, Ozenza and Noblesville also performed. Gotta say that Didn't Take Long is growing and changing before our eyes, as the band hones in a new track. It just sounds better and better each time they play it. When You Were Mine made another super-fun appearance. The sound at Founders can be hit or miss, but tonight it was on for their set. I stood at the back at the merch stand for the set, and it was as good a mix as I've heard at Founders. Great as well to see Outo Bol come out as a never nude. 

UPDATED JUNE 28, 2010

Check this out with some of the Chance Jones folks playing backup. Too sweet!

Mulligan's Pub, Grand Rapids, June 18

Set list:


Bo Diddley (soundcheck tease)
Insult to Injury
Nobody's Baby
Kitty Hijinks
My Machine
When You Were Mine
Crosstown
All You've Got
The One That Got Away
Look Me Up Sometime
Didn't Take Long
All Again
Giant Bee Sting (encore)


For as hot and humid as it was yesterday, Mulligan's was pretty comfortable. Yeah, it was warm in the back room where the show was, but not unbearably hot. Think about that next time you're worried about a show after a hot day. 


I wouldn't count Bo Diddley as an actual band song or cover, just some messing around while setting up. Giant Bee Sting, however, was an actual encore. I'm kinda like a "Johnny-come-lately" with the band, as they formed and developed for nearly 2 years before I started the blog and became a die hard. But I don't ever remember an honest-to-goodness encore where the audience called them back for more. I've seen the audience try to get them to come back, but because of circumstances beyond their control they couldn't. So how was it? Seriously, Giant Bee Sting was blistering. It was a rawk moment. 

Prospecto Music Showcase and Sonic Experience

Well, I teased it in my last post on upcoming live shows, and here it is. The Prospecto Music Showcase and Sonic Experience is coming to Grand Rapids September 23-25. This is a multiple venue, multiple act event in Grand Rapids featuring many of your favorite acts, including Chance Jones (presumably one of your favorite acts...)

Preliminary indications have CJ opening for The Presidents of the United States of America on Saturday, September 24, but I don't know if that is carved in stone yet. I'm not sure of a venue, either, but you know where to look when that information becomes available. My guess would be the Intersection if it holds that they open for tPOTUSA.

Who is playing:

• AB Coconut and Brown
• Apostles
• Birds of Avalon
• Bowery
• Bump
• Cain Marko
• Chance Jones
• Charles the Osprey
• Christopher Andrus
• Dirty Americans
• Dosh
• Easy Action
• El Ten Eleven
• Flosstradamus
• Frame by Frame
• Gray Theory
• Head
• Igby Iris
• Juleus
• Karisa Wilson
• Lazy Genius
• Love Fossil
• Mahoney
• Moto
• Nathan Kalish & the Wildfire
• Ozenza
• Pascal Circus
• Peninsulas
• Presidents of the USA
• Sixty Second Crush
• Smoking Popes
• Sweet Cobra
• The Baths
• Hard Lessons
• Thieves' Cant
• Total Blams
• Walden Pond
• Wonder Caverns
• Wormburner
• Young Widows

What venues?

Intersection

• Founders
• HopCat
• Sazerac Lounge
• Louies and
  The Rocket Lounge
• Billy's Lounge
• Kuzzins Lounge
• Mulligans Pub

New Album Update: The Portland Sessions

Well, Chance gave me the skinny on the Portland Sessions from back in April. Here are the facts, Jack.


Track list:

All For Maria

I’m Your Fool

Here It From Me*

Didn’t Take Long*

Baby Don’t Be Leaving So Soon*

This Town*

Monkey See, Monkey Do*

Vacation Clothes*

Of these 8 tracks, reference mixes were made for the six with asterisks in late April.  You might notice some older track names on there, including the often spoken of All For Maria, This Town, and Baby Don't Be Leaving So Soon. Didn't Take Long debuted last month as a full band live track, and is kind of becoming a regular. This Town was on the first Chance Jones album (2003), and while I've never heard it, Bol says that Monkey See, Monkey Do is one from the olden days. Chance is the only member of the band to perform on the demos, while a set of session musicians helped to round out the sound. 

What's next? Well, the producer of these tracks will be coming to town next month to work with the band on another round of demos, and Chance says that the next set will be another new batch of tracks. Meanwhile, the band is continuing to add their own majestic magical powers to the demos and give it that "Chance Jones" sound that we all know and love. Still too early to talk about release dates and labels, although "2011" is the current best estimate. Those of you "Letter 11" true believers, hold on. It's still in the works, as are a few other releases. 

New Live Dates

A host of new live dates have been scheduled for the summer. Check it out:


The Plug It Up! Benefit at Billy's will be July 11. There are a ton of great bands who are going to be there, like:
SuperDre
La Famiglia
Juleus
AB & Coconut Brown
Gray Theory
Nathan Kalish and the Wildfire
Cain Marko
The Fainting Generals
Head


Pretty good, right? I mean, how can you not go? Plus it benefits the restoration of marine life in the Gulf coast affected by the oil spill. Glad to see that local artists are taking action to help out and raise funds. Come join and help out by rocking out. 


Next up, is the Frederik Meijer Gardens Show August 17 with the Fainting Generals. Thanks to Ralston Bowles and the Tuesday Night Music Club for helping to put this on.


Finally, September 11 will be the Bars of Gold album release party at Founders. This is a Friction Records release, and the mighty Ghost Heart will also be performing at this show. 


There are whispers of a larger show coming in September, but that's not for me to confirm or deny at this point. Should be fun if it comes together, though! 

Local First Festival, Grand Rapids, June 12

Set List:

Make It In The City
Love's Alright
Love Still Wild
Alone with Him
Going to see Michelle
Kitty Hijinks
When You Were Mine
The One That Got Away
Nobody's Baby
My Machine
All You've Got
Didn't Take Long
Venango County
All Again

Fun afternoon for your humble narrator, as the whole family was able to attend the show. Lil got to go to Festival last week, but she missed Miss Sapphire something fierce. Good thing they were able to catch up today. 

Really, really great festival put on by Local First. Amazing vendors like Founders, Sandmann's, Marge's Donut Den, GRPD Pizza, among others, plus how can you ever go wrong with AB! and Chance Jones back-to-back? Do you know what? You can't, and that's just science, man. 

Tight set list, great audio, and some new and rare gems made for a great afternoon in the sun. It might have been played in the interim, but I haven't heard When You Were Mine since December, and this was the first time I've heard Didn't Take Long with Miss Sapphire. My wife Heather had goosebumps from her backing vocals on that one. She even showed them to me. They were on her arm. 

Enjoy the cell phone pics. Looked like there were 4-5 pros there taking shots. I imagine some will pop up on Facebook. If so, I'll update this post with them. 

Celadon Performance Scratched

For those who were hoping to attend the acoustic performance at Celadon tomorrow, Chance will not be appearing. No hard feelings or worries, or anything like that. Just too much going on.

Please go see Karissa play, though! It should be a great night of music for all involved.

Fox17 Morning Show, Grand Rapids, June 9

Set List:

Hoping You'd Be Here

Bol on maracas, Chance on the acoustic. Shot live at Founders to hype the Local First Festival on Saturday.

Perhaps later today there'll be a video online for us to embed here.

UPDATE: Embed below. Thanks to Kerry at Fox17 for the link.

 

Up next: Celadon

Just got word that there is a solo acoustic show on Thursday night 7:30 at Celadon. Methinks Beth Forrest has no reason to miss this.

Wealthy Elementary, East Grand Rapids, June 7

Set list:

Natalie
Venango County
All Again

Thanks to Juliet for the picture. Note the visitor's badge on the jacket. 

Does this count as a show? Sure. I was there to tag the set list, and there was a captive audience of 70 or so 10 year olds. Yeah, we'll count it.

Chance came in to Wealthy Elementary this afternoon shortly after 1 pm and answered a few questions from my class of 4th graders. We have a student named Natalie, so of course we were treated to an acoustic version of it. It sounded great, and the kids loved it.

At 1:30 we headed down to the library to meet up with the other 2 fourth grade classes, and Chance continued to answer questions from the students and staff. Intermingled between the Q and A were acoustic performances of Venango County and All Again. Both were raucous sing-alongs. All Again being especially cute as the kids were trying through-out the song to find a place to jump in and sing "All Again." The dam broke at the end of the song, and heads swayed and arms were linked. But the spirit of the song rang true; I'm sure we'll do it all again next year.

After the performance wrapped up we were treated to what must definitely be the most disorganized stage presentation of Coraline ever. An emergency 24-hour intermission was declared, and the Chance Jones autograph session began as the kids headed out to recess.

I'd like to thank Josh for taking time out of his day off (on a beautiful Monday afternoon no less!) to come and be with my students. They certainly enjoyed it, and I already have ideas on how to make it great for next year.

Festival, Grand Rapids, June 4

Set list:

The One That Got Away
Crosstown
Carolina Breeze
Didn't Take Long
All You've Got
Kitty Hijinks
All Again

Nice night under the tent at Festival, as the rain held off. A new (old) crowd checked out the band, and a few regulars were seen in the vicinity. The evening also brought the second live appearance of Didn't Take Long, one of the new tracks that was demoed out in Portland. Miss Sapphire was tempting fate in Arizona, so the boys were off to fend for themselves. Looks like the full band will reassemble next Saturday for the Local First Festival, following the always great A.B. & Coconut Brown.