Bring your friends and family down and get down with the Updstart kids! Watchoo know about that?

Howdy…well, I thought it was about time I got my butt in gear to do another “Toe Knee” show…has it really been since March?  Crazy.  This time, however, I thought I would try something a bit different.  In the past, I’ve put together bands of great friends/musicians to support me onstage.  As fun as that has been, I realized that I was (on some level) trying to “hide” behind their great musicianship.  I think I secretly hoped that you, the listener, would pay attention to their tasteful playing and not my singing.  I thought it was time that I put myself out there, though, and take the plunge.

I couldn’t be completely alone, however…well, I guess I could have, but I thought it might be more fun to have the lovely and talented Jennifer Talton join me for the evening.  She’ll be taking the lead on some songs, as will I.  And we’ll be harmonizing and doing all the fun things duo acts do.  We’ll bounce around between piano and acoustic guitar too…why not?  I’m really excited, honestly.  Most of the songs will be new ones that the world outside my apartment has never heard.  I feel good about them; I think my writing is maturing and getting more focused.  And Jenn is an amazing singer…I love her interpretations of them too.

So…the debut of “Beauty and the Knee” at Viento y Agua in Long Beach on Thursday, August 12.  I hope you will join us.

Thanks.

You heard right kids! The Upstart kids are playing it up and making noise again at one of our favorite spots in OC, Mozambique, in Laguna Beach.

1740 s Pacific Coast hwy
Laguna beach,
949–715-7100

Start Time is 8:45pm
Entry is free. 21+

Hope to see you all there!

Amazing Chinese food at Genghis if you’ve never tried it!

To celebrate the evening, I put a new song entitled “the World Is Getting Smaller Everyday” up on the “Media” section of toekneesongs.com. I recorded it entirely in my old apartment and played all the instruments…a little disclaimer before you check it out!

Thanks for reading. Hope to see you on Tuesday.

best,
toe knee

Howdy Blahg readerz around the globe.  Hope life is well wherever you are.  Jenn and I stayed in Laguna Beach this weekend at La Casa del Camino. We had a great time. If you are ever in the area, hungry, and looking for a great dining experience… GO EAT at “C’est La Vie” on the PCH. We had an amazing dinner and dessert there Saturday night while overlooking the ocean. To start off the meal, the waitress brought a small glass of wine for us to sample. And throughout the meal, the chef sent out different things for us to sample, including a Lobster bisque and orange sorbet. I ordered the trout and Jenn had a pasta. Both were delicious and served with an artistic elegance I’ve rarely experienced. The dessert was heavenly too…I seriously haven’t been this blown away by any restaurant in recent memory.

Had to get that out there, now.… I wanted to invite you to an evening of Toe Knee music at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 16 at 9 pm. I’m still ironing out a few details regarding the set, but expect a couple new tunes, some old ones of course, who knows. It will be a good ole time I’m certain. Hope you can make it. Until the next blahg, key pawn raw kin.

The great challenge is deciding how to organize one’s collection. Well, honestly, for me organizing nearly anything is a daunting task. I’ve always loved the scene in High Fidelity when Dick asks Rob (John Cusack) how his vast record collection is organized, and he replies, “autobiographical.” I’ve used the autobiographical system for years myself. My girlfriend asked me how I could ever begin to find things. I didn’t have a great answer. I don’t know, but I could nearly always tell you the story surrounding that particular album; what else I was listening to, what I was driving, who I was dating, where I was living…all that. Maybe I get a little nostalgic for these things, and worried that a whole generation of downloaders will miss out on that important aspect of music loving and listening.

Anyway…I went with a genre based system of organization for the CDs. Alphabetical is very commendable, and would have been cool…I just couldn’t find the strength to go down that road. I guess it’s still autobiographical, though; moved into a new place, dug the CDs out of the box, well organized girlfriend moves in…and the story continues on…now by genre, of course.

A student recently asked me to write about my five favorite venues to see live music in LA for the school newspaper.  I had a good time writing it, and thought you might enjoy sharing your top picks also.

1.  Largo — Great music.  Great ambiance.  I liked the old location on Fairfax a little better (it was more intimate), but the new theater on La Cienega is great too.  Jon Brion on Friday nights is a must see.

2.    The Mint – Classic.  This place has been a live music venue since 1937!  Many great performers have graced its stage over the years and they still have great shows every week.

3.    The Baked Potato – Get yourself a baked potato smothered in cheese and enjoy the show!  It’s great that nerdy jazz fusion music still has a home in LA.

4.    The Mayan Theater — Thought I’d include a larger theater in the list.  Built in 1927, so you got the history factor.  Plus, it’s so “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom” in there…I’m always waiting for the wall to open up and that big rock to come try and squash me.

5.    The Lighthouse – In Hermosa Beach.  Looking at my list, I realize that I’m rather nostalgic, and partial toward historically significant venues.  But anyway…the Lighthouse was the home of West Coast Jazz in the 50’s and 60’s.  Although it’s not the great jazz or artistically significant venue it once was, they still have live music.  It’s a cool spot just a few steps from the sand for well-dressed Sunday brunchers and beach bums alike…oh so California.

My RIP’s – these are venues I enjoyed that have closed since I’ve lived here:

The Temple Bar, the Jazz Bakery, the old Catalina’s Bar and Grill, and the Knitting Factory.