september 28, 2008
Coming up next Friday, October 10th, is a show at Smiley's Saloon in the wonderfully mystical town of Bolinas, California. Escape the city, come hang out with you mother. Enjoy the beach. See the blog for more information.
may 26, 2008
Coming up next Thursday, June 5, is a sure to be a wonderful show supporting Annie Bacon (dear friend and fellow il gato member) at her first official show. The show will be at Amnesia and we will also be joined by local luminary Jessie DeNatale. See the blog for more information.
april 7, 2008
We were just added as the featured guest of KALX Live this Saturday night at 9. We will perform a set of music and then be a part of a brief interview. See the blog for more information.
february 22, 2008
Hello, il gato is on hiatus to practice and demo and record. We will have occassional appearances. Call us the Loch Ness monsters of the San Franciscan music world. We need the time, though. We are trying to record our "In The Aeroplane Over The Sea".
Please wish us well. We will need it.
february 20, 2008
So, I got added to a show at the new venue, Retox Lounge in the Dogpatch. There is word the inside looks exactly like the interior of a large plane. I will be supporting the unestimable Chinatown Bakeries, Ash Reiter & Beat Beat Whisper. I will go on early and be performing solo. Live a little, come out!
Big thanks to the wonderful Sonic Living for the poster. Automatically generated. Get out!
january 10, 2008
There is a show coming up at The Hotel Utah which should be quite enjoyable. It is also the last show I actively booked before I take a little hiatus while trying to prepare to record the first professional, studio-based il gato album. Presently, I have home-recorded my debut demo album, "conversationmusic" (which is available for purchase), but this will be the first album incorporating the full collective and loop pedal. I have high hopes. And I just bought a melodica.
For this show, expect a more stripped-down performance, some new instruments, and joining us will be my old cronies Coloring, the indie-folk-country Lesser Lights, and This Union Standard (performing with Harbours as This Union Sidecar).
december 3, 2007
The show at Outta Sight was alot of fun, though I flubbed my one chance to perform the holiday classic I penned ("You're the Turkey" - see other songs page for words), and the show at The Make-Out Room was the new and improved il gato coming out party. It was pretty special.
One coming show is part of a monthly musical celebration at Club Waziema called City Sessions. Something interesting about this show is that even though now Waziema is mostly known as an Ethiopian restaurant, back in the day Billie Holiday, Ike & Tina Turner, and a young Devendra Banhart all played there. The show is Tuesday, December 11th.
Most importantly, though, we have a show coming up at The Hotel Utah on Thursday, December 20th. We will be joined by the venerable San Francisco institution Chinatown Bakeries, the wonderful prairiedog, the new-to-me Messes and also my parents who will be in town for the holidays from Gainesville, Florida (home of Tom Petty and Gatorade).
We have been trying out a few new songs and just really touched on the inner acoustic/goth/trip-hop soul of one. Sure to be interesting. Currently our line-up is banjo, trumpet, drums, acoustic guitar, harmonica, and loop pedal, but I think we will be joined by mandolin and an additional guitar for the Hotel Utah show. We hope you can join us.
november 19, 2007
Two shows coming up this week: one is a solo performance featuring two songs and the second has the full band (banjo, trumpet, drums, acoustic guitar, harmonica, loop pedal) and is a full show as support for Benjamin Winter.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21st : OUTTTA SIGHT - The Holiday Showcase
Edinburgh Castle
I will be performing two songs, including an original Holiday composition
called "You're the Turkey" (about laboratory mice, the Da Vinci code, the
Native Americans, corn casserole and more).
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23rd : THE MAKE-OUT ROOM w/ Benjamin Winter
7:30 - 9:30
So, this could be great as the The Make-Out Room has early shows so the
floor can break into a dance party afterwards. This also is great for you
early to bed folks as we literally go on almost exactly at 7:30. Awesome,
right! It would be most excellent if you can join us.
Also, more shows to come in December.
october 14, 2007
So, apologies to those who were going to be able to make it to the Hotel Utah on this Friday, October 19th. It seems I am being replaced by a most worthy adversary: Mr. Frank Black of The Pixies. The show should be great if you get a chance to mosey on down to the Hotel Utah. Frank Black, Waz (Pete Yorn's guitarist) and Lissie (from L.A.).
Hopefully I will have a show there soon and there are a number of other shows on the horizon, I will pass word along as soon as the shows are confirmed. The practices lately have been excellent with a drummer, banjo, trumpet, acoustic guitar and loop pedal. Something special is brewing.
In the meantime I just saw a most wonderful show featuring Alaska in Winter (who had a highly deconstructivist performance and nice electronic meets the new Balkan-Indie rock genre sound), Colleen (a French woman making elegiac, Phillip Glass-style sound creations. Stunningly beautiful.) and Beirut, who are such an enjoyable band to see live. They left this theater usually reserved for lectures and operas of the highest regard with images of a 17th century Bavarian beer hall. Thanks to them.
I also caught some of the amazing San Franciscan tradition "Hardly Strictly Bluegrass" and saw Jeff Tweedy solo and acoustic. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. He and Connor Oberst are both in contention for Bob Dylan of our time; however, as noted by the upcoming "I'm Not There", Dylan surely had a number of personas. I have only seen a few clips, but one of the best actresses of our time, Cate Blanchett, nails "Don't Look Back" era Dylan to the tiniest detail. It really is uncanny.
Additionally, please check out the sounds page as I posted a live show from the Hotel Utah from several months back which includes pretty much all new songs and a raucous cover of The Arcade Fire's "Wake Up". Please check it out.
september 14, 2007
So, I am working on some new songs and trying to get some other new material up to a demo album quality so I can go record at an official studio. Because of this I will probably not be having alot of shows around these San Franciscan parts. But, ideally, also because of this I will then be able to have alot more shows both here and abroad.
My first album (hear songs on the sounds page) is still available. The CD was recorded, produced and designed by me. The packaging was designed via rubber stamps I had made and there are only a limited amount of personally numbered albums left. I am asking $10 for the album (plus postage and handling - $2). If interested please contact me through my myspace page. Thanks alot.
august 12, 2007
Hello, I kinda am super excited about the upcoming show at Amnesia. First of all, it feels like there is something in the air and I am going to do my best to grab on to it and go for the ride. Second, come on, it's at Amnesia, Amnesia! One of my ideal places to play in the city, right behind the Swedish American Music Hall. I like intimate, and this is intimate, and bathed in seductive red light. Third, the two opening acts are pretty special. The first act, Coloring, are just forming and are really quite good. Go listen to the songs and the claps. Claps! The other act, Molloy, is a nice individual I met and when I went to go see them they not only had a violin, but a melodica. A melodica! And il gato, jeez, something else! This time they will be composed of accordion, banjo, loop pedal, funky beats, static and trumpet. Trumpet!
thursday, august 23rd, 2007
amnesia (between 19th and 20th on valencia)
9:00 pm/ $5
9ish: Coloring
9:45ish: Molloy
10:30ish: il gato
july 8, 2007
hey, i just got added to this great local show, Penny Arcade SF: A Semi-acoustic Monthly series. it happens every month, and generally is based at the Make-Out Room. the show starts at 9, and the il gato collective take the stage around 9:30 (we are the second of four acts). the cost is $6, see the flyer on the home page for more info. we will be joined by The Aerosols, Sonya Cotton and Propel.
additionally, there is even some more exciting news just around the corner, just you wait!
june 29, 2007
there are so many wonderful new things to update about.
first of all, i am super-psyched to present a sure to be stellar show at The Hotel Utah Saloon. if you haven't been to the Hotel Utah, it is an old saloon located in the SOMA district of San Francisco and fully has the ambiance to match it's history. most of the interior is made out of wood and then it has a balcony so close to the stage it feels as if you can just reach out and touch the musicians's head (don't however).
i am going to be joined at this show by the wonderful ian bjornstad (and his beartown mates: husband/wife duo howie cockrill and kate cosby). ian plays a gypsy folk meets elvis costello hybrid. others have mentioned the indie rock band 'destroyer'. regardless fresh from pursuing the wiles of the world on national/international tours as john vanderslice's keyboardist, we have him gracing our fine city again. additionally we have a band called caves who are an interesting pscyedellic/folk band playing a stripped-down set for this show. and the il gato set is going to feature an accordion, banjo, mandolin, bass, loop pedal and more suprises, and, get this, end with a sing/clap along. you really don't want to miss it!
il gato
ian bjornstad
caves
tuesday, july 10, 2007 / 9pm
the hotel utah saloon (4th street and Bryant Street)
also, there is an il gato show (with a more stripped-down accompaniment) on July 12 as part of The Red Vic Sessions (on Haight Street, by Cole). i will be performing at 7:15.
additionally, there is now a new video up, and a larger verson of an old video. please check out the sights page.
also, please revisit the sounds page for live performances as well as post-show audio regarding the il gato experience.
april 21, 2007
i want to send the most heartful thanks to all tens of tens of you who made it out to the CD release party. it was an overwhelming success both for the heart of my music and the music of my heart. all of your kind words are what keeps me going when i think about the daunting task ahead. hopefully, there will be more moments soon to spend time.
also, there should be another video (much more proper, yet lo-fi, music video available extremely soon), please check back. and, hey, even a mailing list? is that too crazy? much love, il gato
march 10, 2007
i am starting to book shows here and there so if one should have the opportunity to make it out to one of these shows, then one should most definitely take advantage of said opportunity.
see shows page.
february 14, 2007
there is but one final pesky issue with the CD i just recorded and hopefully that will be resolved with great fortitude and forthrightness and all those others. additionally, i am starting to try and book shows and try to get my music out more in the world and away from the permanence of recording.
i have been experimenting with a loop pedal lately and i must say it is revolutionizing my concept and ability with my performance. i am beyond ecstatic about it. if i didn't already have a current crush, the BOSS Loopstation would most definitely fill the role.
july 6, 2006
there is finally actual news! i have performed a few shows here and there, but now i am working on an album. a rough, demo album, but a bona-fide album.
it is exciting.
i don't know how many songs are going to wind up on it, but i like what i have done so far. it is kinda dark, kinda euphoric. recording at home on not expensive equipment really limits your options, and makes you be resourceful. it is an exciting challenge, but also makes one focus on only the sounds that sound the best in the format.
luckily for me i like rough.
and with a pallette that includes a barritone trumpet that was run-over by a car, $20 walkie-talkies, my middle school band trumpet complete with Jimmy 'Z and peace symbol stickets, and a $2 drum bought at a garage sale one has to be kind of inventive. hopefully i have succeeded in some way.
anyways, after my return from my hometown of gainesville, florida i will be updating and dramaticaly changing the website, finishing packaging, and mastering the album and by mid-september we might have an album on our hands...whoah, exciting!