Rob Christensen: News

Don't forget I'll be doing a solo show / public practice session at St. Elmo's Coffee Pub in Alexandria, VA next Wednesday, August 27. It'll be a mixture of old songs and new. Be there or be square!

The Home Made Hit Show podcast mentioned last week is now out! It's episode number 123 and features a 36 minute interview by the wonderful Dave Kriddle. We talk about home recording, songwriting, and my involvement with Tape Op magazine and the Pot Luck Recording Conference. It also includes three of my songs! You can hear it or download it via the link below.

Dave and show founder Tony Butterworth are doing a great thing by showcasing music by truly independent songwriters and home recordists. I'm very honored to be the subject of an entire episode ("I'm not worthy!", to quote some old friends).

All music fans owe it to themselves to subscribe to the Home Made Hit Show. You can find it on iTunes or at www.homemadehitshow.com. And check out the show's forum at http://forum.homemadehitshow.com/.

As promised, free downloads are now available. The boys and girls have put up two songs from each studio album for you to download and keep forever. More goodies are coming!

In other news, Rob was interviewed recently by Dave Kriddle from the Home Made Hits Show podcast. They'll be playing a few songs to go along with the interview. We'll let you know when it's available!

Though I'd assumed at this point it wasn't going to happen, when I got to New York today there was an email waiting for me asking if I still wanted to play at Googie's Lounge Saturday night. Naturally, I accepted the date, so I'm on at 10:30 pm this Saturday, May 3, at Googie's Lounge (above the Living Room), 154 Ludlow, New York. The website is www.livingroomny.com. Hope to see you there!

*** Free For All – Rob Christensen Music News – Spring 2008 ***

Hello –

I hope you’re having a good Spring. I’m sure glad the winter is over!

I wanted to let you know about a couple of shows coming up. The first is next Sunday, April 27, at The Cave, in Chapel Hill, NC. I’ll be opening for Sound of Singles, and the show is set to start at 9:00 pm. Go to www.caverntavern.com for details.

The second is on Wednesday, May 14, when I’ll be playing a show with New York’s Matt Keating at St. Elmo’s Coffee Pub in Alexandria, VA. This show is set to go from 8 pm to 10 pm. Go to www.stelmoscoffeepub.com for more details.
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There’s also a slim chance that I’ll be playing at the Living Room in New York City on Saturday, May 3. Check back to my website or MySpace page for more news as soon as I have it.

I’ve got five new songs on the set list for the North Carolina show. If they go well I’ll play them again in Alexandria.

As for the rest of the year, I plan on mostly concentrating on writing and recording the next album. If the occasional show opportunity arises I’m not going to say no, but there are no tour plans or anything. That said, I do plan on coming out to California in October. While I’m there I hope to play a show in Arcata or Eureka. I’ll send out another of these notices as October gets closer to let you know what’s happening.

For several months now, my MySpace page has had the headline, “$5.99 CD sale ending soon.” At this point I’ve decided to keep my CDs at $5.99. In this economy, and with the changes in the music business, I think it’s the right thing to do. So help out an independent artist and buy a CD or two (or three or four…).

Finally, I’m putting together a free 8-song sampler CD. Three of the songs will be acoustic versions of older songs, while the rest will be tracks from my CDs. I’ll make everything on it available for download via my website and myspace. If you want a CD copy, send me a buck and a half for postage and I’ll mail you a copy.

For more news, song downloads, CD’s, and other wonderful things, please visit www.robchristensen.com and www.myspace.com/robchristensen.com.

Have a great spring and summer and write if you can!

Cheers!

The weekend trip to New York was fun, productive, and a bit tiring. I'd hoped to have this summary up by now, but between the lack of sleep and the cold I caught, it wasn't going to happen.

After catching up and relaxing on Friday, my pal Sash and I spent a few hours Saturday in Manhattan. We hit the 48th Street music stores – Manny's, Sam Ash, etc. – and played guitars & looked at things that we can't afford. From there it was down to Times Square and the Virgin MegaStore. That's a place where I could spend loads of money, but I kept it to one CD – a live Dylan session from '62. Sash was impressed by how busy the place was. After hearing all of the doom and gloom about the record industry he was pleasantly surprised at how many people were spending an evening in a record store.

After that we ventured over to Hell's Kitchen for burritos, then headed back to Queens for a solo-acoustic recording session. I did six songs. At least one of them will be on my upcoming free (Free!) sampler CD. Four were new songs that I'm working up for the next album. I tried a couple of those in different keys and slight changes with arrangements.

Sunday evening Lemonheads was spent at the Lemonheads show. Mr. Dando and his band are on tour performing their near-perfect 1993 album, It's A Shame About Ray. Opening, as I mentioned in the last entry, was Second Dan, who are friends of Sasha. I guess I can sort of count them as friends, too, as we first met at a studio opening party in New York last fall. Before the show we hung out a little bit, talking guitars and such. They played a good rockin' set with plenty of energy and warmed the crowed up real good for the main event. Obviously, Ray is a favorite of mine, so it was a real treat to see and hear the Lemonheads perform it in person, especially in a small venue like the Bowery Ballroom. I believe I even got a little teary-eyed seeing my fellow Gen-X'ers swaying along to "Buddy". All in all a fun night and a good capper to a great weekend.

Monday it was back to the daily grind – an 11 am bus back down to DC and home to the day (night) job in the bookstore (which is actually really quite fun).
Until next time…

Hey Everyone –
Some of you who’ve visited RobChristensen.com recently may have noticed that a couple dates snuck on to the Calendar last week. Yep, there are a couple of shows coming up. In April I’ll be down in North Carolina to play with Sound of Singles in Chapel Hill. In May I’ll be at home in the DC area, Alexandria, to play a show with Matt Keating. See the Calendar page for details. Hope to see you there!
Right now I’m in New York staying with my friend Sasha. We’re going to do a bit of recording – he recorded the acoustic tunes on the “fan club” CD from last Christmas. We’re going to do sparse versions of a few new songs and some solo versions of a couple of old favorites that hopefully will go on a new “Book Me” promo CD. Anything that ends up on that CD will also be available on MySpace, and probably on my website, too.
Sunday night we’re going to see the Lemonheads perform “It’s A Shame About Ray”. That was an important album for me when it came out and this will be a treat. A couple of his pals (who I met last year) are in the opening band, so we’ll likely get to hang out after the show. Should be interesting!

Hello!

Hope this new year is treating you well so far!
The boys & girls from Sweet Science have finally put up pictures from last year's activities, including the Tape Op Conference, New York City shows, and more! Go to the Photographs page and have a look!

We've also got the links page working right. The 2002 Tape Op Conference Video link should take you to the right place now.

Hey Everyone!

I just can't believe that it's that time of year again. Time does fly! Only ten days until Christmas!

I see that I never gave a recap of the November shows. The Living Room show in New York City was fun, but still a little shaky. A small but enthusiastic crowd came up for the last half and were a lot of fun. They even called me back for an encore, which was very cool. As far as the 'shaky' goes, I'm still shaking off some of the rust that accumulated over the few years I didn't play live. It'll come.

The Arlington show with Matt Keating was much better. I played what I felt was my best show since I've been playing live again. Everything pretty much felt 'on'. Matt was absolutley fabulous and a treat to watch, and the folks at the Galaxy Hut were very nice and hospitable.

That's about it. I hope you all have a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!

Cheers!

I'm excited to announce that I've got two shows on tap for the first weekend in November. On Saturday, November 3, I'll be back in New York at Googie's Lounge, above the Living Room. And on Monday, November 5, I'll be at the Galaxy Hut in Arlington, VA sharing a bill with New York's great Matt Keating. If you're in either area, I urge you come on down! See the 'Calendar' page for more details.

Howdy!

The weekend-before-last's two day tour was a lot of fun, albeit a little exhausting.

The Chapel Hill show featured the debut performance of King Of Dogs, a male-female duo that was quite charming, and Gerald John's Sound of Singles record release party for "Sound of Singles Sings Seger". Everybody was fantastic and the evening was a lot of fun. Special thanks goes to Gerald for inviting me to play, and to the folks at the Night Light for being so nice.

Early the next morning I jetted up to New York to play Googie's Lounge, the upstairs portion of the Living Room. That show also featured some excellent players in Greg Koons, Carolyn AlRoy, and Matt Keating. Declan Bennett, a member of the Broadway cast of Rent, closed the show, but unfortunately we were all too tired to stick around for more than a couple of songs. Anyway, New York was great - I felt like I played well, at least until my hand went numb, which was probably a result of not consciously straightening my arm between songs. The numbness didn't happen until the last couple of songs, so overall it was a successful night, I think. Regardless, it was a blast to play in New York. Special thanks here to Carolyn for setting up the show and to Matt for suggesting me to Carolyn.

Hey everyone! Here's my latest email newsletter that I send out whenever there's something to report. If you'd like to subscribe, drip me a line at heyrob@robchristensen.com.

*** Free For All - Rob Christensen Music News (& stuff) - September
2007 ***

Hey Everybody!

First, if you already received this a couple days ago, please accept
my apologies. I really don't think my first try at sending this got
though to anyone, so I'm trying again. Anyways...

It's been ages -- years (!!!) -- since I've sent one of these things
out. So, if you were a Free For All recipient back in 1999-2002, I
hope this letter finds you well. If this is your first Free For All,
Greetings! I most likely put you on the list because either you've
purchased an album, you're someone I met at the Tape Op Conferences,
you're someone I went to school with, or you are a new friend or
acquaintance. If you're receiving this in error or otherwise don't
want your e-mailbox cluttered by this occasional newsletter, let me
know and I'll be happy remove your name from the list.

What's been happening during the last few years? While live
performing & music-making was pretty much set aside, I have kept busy
with the following:

• From 2003-2006 I went back to school at Humboldt State University
and obtained an Elementary Teaching Credential.
• I've moderated several discussion panels about home recording at
Tape Op Magazine Conferences, where I've met lots of wonderful &
fascinating musicians, engineers, and producers.
• I recorded & released my fourth studio CD, Roses For Sharon, in
2005.
• In 2006 I moved to Washington, DC.
• I've traveled all around the U.S.
• And I've managed to play live a few times, notably here in
Washington and in Tucson, AZ.

The main reason I'm sending this out, other than to make contact, is
to let you know that there are a couple of shows coming up soon. On
Friday, September 7, I'll be playing at the Nightlight in Chapel
Hill, NC, at a record release party for Sound of Singles' new "Seger
Sessions," which features Bob Seger tunes. Then on Saturday,
September 8, I'll be jetting up to New York to play upstairs at The
Living Room (!!!) in Googie's Lounge. There I'll be playing with Greg
Koons, Carolyn Alroy, Matt Keating, and Declan Bennett. I'm really
excited about the NYC show -- I've never played in New York before
and I feel extraordinarily fortunate to be able to perform in a place
as cool as The Living Room. (Extra-Special thanks to Matt Keating and
Carolyn Alroy, who made it happen.) As has been the norm the last few
years, it'll be a solo-acoustic show. I'll be playing songs from all
four albums. If you're in either area, come on out. I'd love to see
you!

There may be other shows this fall and winter. However, my main plan
during this time is to hunker down and make another record. (If any
of you know any label folks or have any suggestions, please let me
know). After that I'm looking at hitting the road, at least a little
and maybe a lot, during 2008. I'm especially looking forward to
playing in former homes Northern California and Portland, Oregon.
It's a ways off, but if you'd be interested in touring together or
sharing a show, drop me a line.

In other news, tracks are available for sale / download on my MySpace
page via SnoCap. At this point I'm still trying to decide how I want
to structure the SnoCap shop. I'd like to be able to offer entire
albums, but it may end up being a 'selected tracks' type of store. Of
course, you can always buy the CD's (cheap!) or download from iTunes.

Finally, I'm always on the lookout for other folks to play with here
in the DC area. If you like to play in the folk-rock / indie vein,
email me. A rather long list of my likes and influences can be found
on my MySpace page, www.myspace.com/robchristensen.

Here's some informational links:

Main website: www.robchristensen.com
MySpace: www.myspace.com/robchristensen
iTunes:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewArtist?artistId=30726016
CD's are also available from CDBaby:
http://cdbaby.com/all/robchristensen
The Living Room, New York: www.livingroomny.com
The Nightlight, Chapel Hill: www.nightlightclub.com

Sound of Singles: http://www.myspace.com/soundofsingles
Matt Keating: http://mattkeating.com/
Carolyn Alroy: http://www.carolynalroy.com

That's it for now. Drop me a line, I'd love to hear from you.

Cheers!
Rob

Hi Everybody

It’s been a busy summer since the Tape Op Conference in June. I’ve had the opportunity to see several great shows – Neko Case (twice) with Eric Bachman, Allen Toussaint, and Lucy Wainwright-Roche.

There are a couple of shows coming up soon. On Friday, September 7, I’ll be playing at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill, NC, at a record release party for Sound of Singles’ new “Seger Sessions.” Then on Saturday I’ll be in New York at The Living Room, upstairs at Googie’s Lounge. There I’ll be playing on a bill with Matt Keating, Carolyn Alroy, Greg Koons, and Declan Bennett. As has been the norm the last few years, it’ll be a solo-acoustic show and I plan on playing songs from all four albums. See the Calendar page for details. Hope you can make it!

I’ve been doing a little bit of recording recently. Nothing too serious at this point. Just trying to shake off the rust. I’ve laid down a few things that may be used in some form in the future, perhaps on a Christmas Single (more on that when and if something comes of it). As we move into fall I’ll move into some serious recording for the next album.

Finally, tracks are available for sale / download on my MySpace page via SnoCap. At this point, I’m still trying to decide how I want to structure the SnoCap shop. I’d like to be able to offer entire albums, but it may end up being a ‘selected tracks’ type of store. Of course, you can always by the CD’s (cheap!) or download from iTunes.

Until next time…

Hey Everyone! Here's what's been happening:


Tape Op Conference -
Just got back from the 2007 Tape Op Conference in Tucson. These things are always fun and educational and this year was no exception. Saw a lot of old friends, saw some great bands (Calexico, DeVotchka, and John Vanderslice from poolside! Plus Mitch Easter, Jon Rauhouse, and Gina Noell!), and met some great folks. This year I once again moderated the Home Recording Workshop. The panalists were Darron Burke, Nick Urata, Howe Gelb, Jon Rauhouse, Phil Lipman, and Steve Fisk. Quite a bunch of folks. I feel honored to be able to discuss recording with people like this.

Live -
It looks like I've got a show down in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on September 9. Details will be up on the calendar page soon.
In the next few weeks I'm going to be booking shows for the late summer and fall. I'm available on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights, so if you'd like me to play or have any ideas on where to play, please let me know via email at heyrob@robchristensen.com.

Cheers!

Got a few pieces of news for y'all -

I'll be playing my first full solo show in five years (!!!) on April 13th (that's a Friday) at Border's Books - located at the corner of 18th and L, NW, in Washington DC. I'm really looking forward to getting back out there in front of folks. Several songs from "Roses For Sharon" have never been played live, plus I'll probably have a new tune or two to play. Be there or be square!

I've started a blog over at BlogSpot where I hope to talk about the various things going on in my life and in my head. I figure the posts will be a little more random than is appropriate for this little news forum, so over there I go. Passengers are welcome!

I'm a big fan of Continuum Books' 33 1/3 seris, in which each book is written about a specific record. I'm currently reading Ric Menck's book on "The Notorious Byrd Brothers", one of my favorite albums, and I've already finished their books on Bowie's "Low", the Beatles' "Let It Be", the Kinks' "Village Green", Neil Young's "Harvest", and several more. I've also submitted a proposal to them to write a book on XTC's "Skylarking", as it's creation is a story that's very interesting to me. I hope my proposal is accepted. Cross your fingers for me!

www.rpmchallenge.com has issued a challenge to the musicians of the world to write and record an album - at least 10 songs, 35 minutes - during the 28 days of February. I signed up for this crazy little contest with great hopes. My day job is also been very busy. Do you think I've written any songs? Maybe next year.

Finally, it looks like I'll be moderating the Home Recording workshop at the 2007 Tape Op (magazine) Conference. As you may know, I've moderated the last four workshops and had a terrific time. I'm thrilled to be doing it again! Check back at this space to see who my esteemed panalists are this year!

I’ve had a very busy last few months. So busy I haven’t had time to write anything down. So why have I been too busy to update for my friends? Well, beside the fact that I often have update lapses, here’s what’s been going on:

1. School –

As you’re probably aware I’ve been spending the last few years nestled in my birthplace of Humboldt County, in Northern California, earning my Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education and getting a Teaching Credential. I earned the BA in May of 2005, and this last year I’ve been working toward the Credential by student teaching and attending various post-graduate classes. And let me tell you, this year was a bear! Especially the last six months. No extra time for anything. But it was also fun in a lot of ways. I mean, you get to be with kids all day, and that’s pretty cool. You can even play songs for them every once in a while.
Now, when I started back at this school thing, I was kinda sick of playing the music game and figured I was ready to settle into a stable career, and a stable life, and have my summers and other vacations off for “hobbies” like playing music. Which still sounds good, and it’s something I may still do, but at this point I’m not so sure…

2. Tape Op Conference –

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: An extended weekend hanging out with music makers. Summer camp for music recording geeks. Every year has been great, inspiring, educational, and fun. These conferences have made me think seriously about being a small recording studio owner and helping to aid other folks into shaping their music, in addition to my own career as a performer and recording artist. So we’ll see what the future brings...
Anyway, this year’s conference was wonderful as usual. The location this time around was Tucson, Arizona, at the (perhaps too) fabulous El Conquistador resort – very swanky. I ran two home recording discussion workshops this time around and had some incredible panelists, including Brian Berg (of 44 Long), skater / musician Ray Barbee, Ireland’s Mark O’Connor, and Nik Frietas, among others. Let me tell you, Nik is one to watch. The workshops seemed to go well and good information was exchanged. Other conference highlights were the potluck studio, “My Favorite Mix Moments,” and especially “Records that made me want to record” which was capped by Mark Rubel’s stirring tribute to Ray Charles’ recording of “Georgia On My Mind.”
Unfortunately, I didn’t get that many pictures this year, but I do have photos of both of my workshops as well as me and Mark O’Connor hobnobbing with Joey Waronker They’ll be up on the website’s picture page very soon.

3. Tape Op Con Hootenanny -

I’ve been saying for the last couple of years that when I was done with college that I’d return to live performing. What I didn’t realize was that I’d be performing the day after college was officially over. But thanks to good friend and Tape Op founder Larry Crane, I was asked to play a songwriter’s hootenanny at this year’s conference at Tucson’s Club Congress. The hoot featured Leigh Marble, Brian Berg, Nancy Hess, Ben London, and myself. We all sat on the Congress’s wonderful little stage and traded songs, one after another. Both Brian and Nancy mentioned ahead of time that they were nervous because they hadn’t played in a year. You can imagine how I felt – I haven’t performed in four years. And guess what? I had to start it off. First I did “Thirteen Weeks”, which felt sloppy and off-key. Then the rest of the folks played some marvelous songs – no wonder we (they?) were billed as some of the country’s best songwriters – which made me feel more inadequate. Next I did “Hollywood’s Dreams”, which felt a little better. That was followed by a slowly strummed “These Days”, by which time I felt I’d shaken off the rust. After songs from everyone else again, I closed with “September Knows”, which felt really good. It was a great night and I felt very honored to be sharing the stage with folks of that caliber.
Also performing at the Congress for Tape Op Con were American Music Club, Cracker, M. Ward, Nik Frietas, Jay Bennett, Rebecca Gates, Norfolk and Western, and several others. It was a great weekend!

4. Moved to Washington, DC

Yep, now I live in Washington, DC. If you know me or have kept up with the website or these pages, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise to you. I’ve been planning a move east for years. I’m in an apartment on the Northeast side of town. The rent’s cheap but the neighborhood is less than desirable, but it’s improving fast. I’ve got my studio set up and I hope to start recording soon.
Now that I’m out of college I need to get me a day job. I’m not sure what I’m going to do, but I’m sure it’ll have something to do with teaching, or maybe retail. I certainly have tons of experience doing retail.
I’m also hoping to get back to playing live. I figure I’ll knock off the rust by playing some open mics. That’ll be a good way to meet other musicians around town, too, as I’d love to play with other people.

5. Complete Catalog Available on iTunes

Yep, everything’s available now, so you can download from all four studio albums, from the live album, and even from the rarities and outtakes album. I would’ve never thought that there’d be so many versions of “Opera Alley” out there! Links to all of the albums are on my website, or, if they aren’t there now, they will be soon! Download away and help me keep from working for The Man!
Funny thing, by the way – my top song on iTunes is “Alison Day”, an outtake from Smile Slightly that was finally released on the rarities album. Go figure.

6. The Future

So what does the future hold? Well, here are some things I’d like to happen I the next few years:
· A return to regular live performing - I miss playing live. I’d like to have a band – one that’s flexible. That is, if one person can’t make it, we can still perform. If the drummer’s gone, the bass player and guitar player and I can do an acoustic show. If the bass player’s out, either the other guitar player can play bass or the drummer can play congas and the two guitar players can do, again, an acoustic show. You get the idea.
· Playing with other folks – there’s nothing like playing with other people when it comes to improving your musical skills. I’d love to just jam with other people. To just sit back and exchange tunes. I haven’t done enough of that. Washington D.C. folks, are you listening?
· Touring all over - I’d love to play in Europe, Australia, Japan, and all over the U.S. and Canada. One of these days, I will. And I’ll see you there.
· Moving to the Shenandoah Valley – It’s a beautiful area. Fewer “big city” problems, yet seemingly very healthy musically. As I mentioned, I’m thinking of opening a recording studio there in a couple of years. I think the area is ripe for it. James Madison University is growing like crazy, and universities bring musicians and bands. And those musicians and bands will need places to record.
· Producing other musicians and helping them with their records – This goes hand in hand with having a studio, of course.
· Properly mastering my entire recorded output and getting it out on “real” CDs – This will happen in the next few years. So buy your artist-assembled CD-Rs now, they’ll be collector’s items soon!

Guess that’s about it for now. Come back real soon!

Hey Everyone!
I'm working on a big entry that'll catch you up on everything, but for now I just wanted to let you know that we've got the new Washington DC address on the Contact page, more iTunes links on the CDs For Sale Page, and that the show in Tucson was fun and seemingly went pretty well. Bye for now! Rob

I'm excited to have been invited to perform at TapeOpCon2006's Artist Showcase, to be held at Club Congress in Tucson. I'll be sharing the stage in an "all-star hootananny" (their words) with Leigh Marble, Nancy Hess, and more. It's funny - I made a promise to myself that I'd get back to playing live when I was done with college, but I didn't think I'd be playing literally the day after I was done, and with such esteemed company. Hope to see you there!
Got to http://www.hotelcongress.com/tapeop/ for details.

Been fighting a cold for the last several weeks. Thats what you get when you start spending time with a lot of kids, as I am student teaching. My voice is a thin and raspy and has been for a while. Ive totally lost my falsetto I cant do any high woo sounds. Im assuming itll get better, but the Doc said he was a little concerned. If it doesnt, I guess Ill have to re-think my whole approach to singing. Ill cross that bridge when I come to it.

MySpace is pretty cool. Ive connected with folks I havent talked to in ages. I see that the Curious Hair have a real catchy tune on their page called Wannabe Beat, Newcastle have a CD I didnt know about, and lots of other people have been keeping busy making music.

Again, Ive got to say Big Sincere Thanks to everyone whos been downloading my songs from iTunes and other services. Its amazing just how far the internet can reach.

Guess thats about it. I really dont have much music news. My schoolwork has taken up most of my time and will continue to do so over the next several weeks. Less than two months until its over, though! Yay!