Join the Club

Hey everyone,
I'm thinking about how fast the summer has flown by now that we're less than a month from leaving for the UK tour. As many of you know we've started the Josh Harty Road Club where you can join the tour for the UK/European leg as well as the following year in the States. Just head to the Membership Page and check out the subscription levels and all the benefits that go along with them.
Also, if you're planning on coming to the Farewell for Awhile Show at the High Noon Saloon in Madison, WI next Wednesday, September 12 you should know that membership has its perks....FREE TICKETS at level two in the Road Club.

Alright, there you have it for now and I'll check back in with you soon.
take care
Josh

Homeless. . . by choice.

It's official. We have recently moved out of our apartment and will be hitting the road in a few short weeks!  In October and November we’ll be heading to Europe for our second overseas tour. Check out the tour schedule on the website and please relay the info to all your European friends/family/ancestors. When we return from Europe in December we’ll move into a refurbished Previa van and start our year-long tour of the US.

Starting in the Southeast, we are planning to spend approximately 2 months in and around several major cities, including Atlanta, New York, Boston, Los Angeles, Austin and Seattle. The idea is to get to know the music scene in each region of the country, while playing at as many venues as possible and meeting as many musicians and music-lovers as we can.

Here’s where you come in. We hope to see all of your smiling faces on this trip, but before we even set out we must plan financially and logistically. How can you get involved? Well I’m glad you asked. Here are a few options:

1.     Donate.  Any amount is helpful. Just click the paypal "donate" button

2.     Stay in touch.  During our travels, we’ll be keeping extensive blog postings, videos, photo journals, etc. Some of it will be available to everyone via Facebook and the website (www.joshharty.com). But if you want the real behind-the-scenes look at life on the road (if you’ve ever wanted to be a roadie for your favorite band and have all the best stories to tell friends at the next cookout) consider membership in the new “Josh Harty Sub-Continental Road Club” at one of these levels:

a.     $15/month (or save 10% & get 6 months for $81):

-Free hand printed poster when you sign up(while supplies last)

-Weekly email with videos, photos and updates

-Access to our Podcast featuring stories from the road, live songs

            and more!

b.     $20/month (or save 15% & get 6 months for $102):

-EVERYTHING from the previous level plus

-Monthly digital mixed tapes featuring music from our friends and    favorites

-2 free tickets to any show around the country

c.      $25/month (or save 20% & get 6 months for $120):

-EVERYTHING from the previous 2 levels plus

-Free t-shirt when you sign up

-Bi-weekly postcards from the road

d.     Name Your Own Price:

-We’re open to suggestions!

 (check out the Membership page to sign up!)

3.     Host a house concert. In the last year, these have become our favorite types of show to play because they’re intimate, always fun and we get to meet new people. So if you have at least 15-20 friends who like music, and a space big enough to accommodate them, we can put on a great show and make you the coolest kid on the block! Not sure you’re house concert material? Trust me, it’s easier than you think. Basically a pot-luck party with music. If you’re curious, here’s a great resource on house concert basics: http://www.concertsinyourhome.com/

4.     Host a couple of professional road-weary travelers. That’s us! We’ll be looking for places to stay all over the country.  So if you have an extra bed, couch, beach house, loft apartment in Manhattan. . . we’d love to stay for as long as you’ll have us. And in exchange we’ll cook for you!

Hope to see you on the road!

take care,

Josh

Careful...we've been thinking, again.

Welcome back to Madison for a Friday night with no show or rehearsal and not too much planned. That would be not too much planned in the short term...very short term. I say this because we spent a great deal of time this week planning out the next 12-14 months. It looks as though this may be one of the last times until my late thirties that I'll have the opportunity to sit and wonder "what will I be doing tonight". In fact, in no way should I be sitting here wondering what I'll be doing tonight. On page 2, paragraph 3, line 6 of our manifesto to conquer the hearts and ears of music fans across the globe it states exactly what I should be doing on the evening of June 22, 2012. However, in the line 5 of said page it also states that I should write a blog entry and update the website and like Meatloaf so wisely once said..."Two Out of Three Ain't Bad".

This will be where I let you all in on a few parts of the scheme, or plan, as it will now be referred. As many of you know we've been traveling a great deal the last couple years. We've been across the USA countless times... mostly in the winter time with blizzards and sub zero temperatures, or the summer time with monsoon like rains, raging flash floods, and tornado warnings. We've had shows in almost all of the continental United States with the exception of a few of the southwestern ones. We've been to England, Ireland, Scotland, the Netherlands, and even to our "just a little northern neighbor" Canada. We've grown to dislike the company of semi trucks on small mountain pass roads and found that the TSA can never quite be satisfied with only ruining your day a little bit. We've learned how a grumpy New Jersey traffic cop doesn't care that you're not from Newark and didn't know to not take a right turn on a green light from Main St. onto Broad St. but did care to issue a $106 citation for performing the maneuver. Also, we've grown to know that it's best to carry a cooler and to pack a weeks worth of lunch and not indulge in the fine truck stop deli delight also known as a microwave burrito. So with all of this knowledge and an acute ability to way the pros and cons of the decision at hand, we've decided to move out of the Chandelier Shack (our apt.). In just a few short months,  this show is going full time.

Well....in October we'll leave for a two month follow up tour of the previously wild and successful "Josh Harty Storms the UK and the Subcontinent Tour". The last tour was absolutely great and this time amidst the assistance of an already groomed relationship with the English Breakfast and a firm grip on roundabouts the Wisco invasion is heading back to the British Isles, the Netherlands, and wait.....drumrollllllllll.....Spain.  After this excursion we'll then embark on a 12 month residency tour of the USA. What this means is that we'll move into a chosen city/region and plant roots, make friends, get established, and play as many shows to as many people as humanly possible for 2 months and then move on to the next destination. We'll begin in and around Atlanta, GA in late December and then head to New York City and New England. After that, Austin, Los Angeles, Portland, Vancouver, and as many other points we haven't yet thought possible. For this, we whole heartedly welcome any and all suggestions anyone has as to where you think we should go. We'll likely already have gone crazy so feel free to leave that suggestion out.

Now I don't want to spoil the excitement or not leave you wanting more so I'll leave further details for later. I would also say that this whole thing past, present, and future is owed to everyone that loves music and supports those playing music, and for your previous and continued support I am immeasurably grateful.

take care,
Josh

So here's the tour recap according to what we remember on location, in Snohomish, WA. We're currently making a breakfast which consists of potatoes, brussel sprouts, and bacon trying to prepare for the inevitable drive to Boise, ID. We'll start with May 25th in Fargo, ND at Ecce Yoga and Art.
Ecce is a wonderful yoga studio and art gallery in downtown Fargo just steps away from my old apartment. Downtown is also much cleaner than it was when I lived there and hosts a much nicer, and wider, variety of activities than it once did. As it wouldn't be a Fargo show without Brooks West, he joined me for the show and we had a great time. I'll post a few photos from the show as soon as I get them.
This tour marked the first time in about 5 years I'd gone on tour without my manager, the first in 12 that I'd taken a road trip with my dad, and the first in 18 years that I'd had a music adventure with my dad.  Our first stop was was Lemon, SD...not for a show but to check out the petrified wood museum...pretty awesome. We continued to Billings, MT where I hooked up with Parker Brown, Trevor Krieger, and Clay Green for a show at the Yellowstone Valley Brewery. As you may know, these are also the guys I recorded "Nowhere" with a couple years ago. As always it was great to play at the YSVB and great to make music with great guys. The next night we moved on to Missoula, though this time, just me, Trevor, and Parker. Here's a video of rehearsal at Trevor's house...note the random Dylan and Olivia appearances.



Missoula at the Top Hat was fantastic. Trevor and Parker were on the show and I'd be lying if I were to say it wasn't pretty awesome. After the show we had tacos from a taco truck around the corner, punched Trevors car until the headlight started working, and went back to the cabin we were staying at on Bonners Avenue.
The following night, ironically, was in Bonner's Ferry, ID at the Pearl Theatre. Up until 2 years ago it was still a church.
Spokane was my first rooftop show and a benefit for KYRS. Great show and one of the best polenta dishes I've ever had.
Let's see.....a few days off and then Portland at the Alberta Street Pub. I've often wondered what happens to the show bills that are put up in the men's room and left for two years. Now I know. Note my hit song.

We'll finish the trip in the morning. We've moved on since the beginning of the blog post and are in a motel room in Baker City, OR having some avocado and some trail mix.
Talk to you soon
Josh

Moonshine & Thunderstorms

Went "down south" this weekend to a part of the country I really hadn't spent much time in- Oklahoma and Missouri. Turns out, we had pretty bad timing. During the entire drive from St. Louis to Tulsa it rained so much I could barely see the road ahead. Then when we finally arrived in Tulsa, the sky was an eerie yellow color and we were told that we were under tornado warnings for the next two days. Of course, this is tornado alley. . .
After a house concert in Tulsa, we headed back through Missouri and had the privilege to play at a wonderful place- the Copper Run Moonshine Distillery. Well, they don't just make moonshine. . . they also make their own rum, vodka and aged whiskey. Delicious. Their Sunday afternoon shows are apparently very popular, being one of the only bars in the area open on Sunday (Bible Belt). The unrelenting rain made a nice backdrop to the music, and the bbq ribs being smoked outside filled the whole place with delicious scents. Luckily, after the show the rain finally ceased and our gracious host, Jim, made a bonfire. We enjoyed some of their fine cocktails (my favorites were the fresh mint mojito and the moonshine margarita) before turning in.
Of course, the next morning as we prepared to drive home to Wisconsin, the sun finally came out.

 getting a tour of the distillery

Northeast Re-cap

Well, another tour has come and gone. Sorry for the lack of posts lately, it always slips my mind when I'm on the road. . .
We spent the last 2 weeks in the Northeast part of the country- mostly Massachusetts and New York. Starting off the tour was a show at the Nelson Odeon just outside of Syracuse.  I had the luck to play there last fall with Peter Mulvey and was very excited to headline a show there this time. The Odeon was created from a refurbished old country grange hall. It's got more character and charm than just about any venue in the country, and the owners, Jeff and Linda are incredibly hospitable!

Next we cruised through Massachusetts, stopping for a night in Northampton, and settled in Boston. Unfortunately, a show fell through in Connecticut at the last minute, but fortunately we had some extra time in Boston. The weather was fantastic so we spent a lot of time walking around the city, and even got some beach time on Cape Cod!

Boston Common

Cape Cod
Our final stop was NYC.. . the big apple. . . the city that never sleeps. . .well, you know.

We spent 5 nights with friends in Brooklyn. . . Bushwick to be exact. It's an "up and coming" neighborhood. I ended up playing 3 shows in the city, including a very fun house concert and a last minute gig in Prospect Heights with my old friend, Jon Ladeau. On the last night, we met up with Katie Powderly from Madison and played a gig at the Living Room in Manhattan.

All-in-all it was a great tour and I got to catch up with a lot of old friends. My only regret is that we stopped for lunch in Newark on our way out of NYC . . . got pulled over and issued 3 tickets by a very grumpy, uncompromising cop! Oh well, something had to go wrong.

take care,

Josh

Liverpool:The City

The day after Grateful Fred’s we wandered around Liverpool. Colin brought us to the train station to leave our bags, which was the first time since the tour began that I’d left my guitar out of sight…well, since the flight over where it was handed to a flight attendant on the plane and still ended up getting in a scrape somehow. But this time, the baggage attendant I handed it to looked like a former rugby player with a keen eye for an instrument and remarked that by the looks of the case, it didn’t need to be tossed around anymore. He then cleared a spot by his desk and left it there. I was sure nobody would mess with him or consequently, the guitar.

I got my watch fixed, and we had the local dish called scouse which is also what you’re called(Scouse) if you’re from Liverpool. It’s much like goulash topped with red beets or red cabbage. It was amazing but I’m having a tough time deciding which I like better, it or a jacket potato. After a bit more rain and a trip through the Tate Modern at the Albert Docks we headed to the Cavern Club.

Yes, the Cavern Club. Well, it’s actually a remake in the same location. The original was demolished in 1973 to make way for an Underground ventilation tube, which was never built, but the new has been built exactly like the original. I didn’t really think too much about it as I was walking down the steps since I’d heard anyone who wants to can pay to play there these days. However, as soon as I saw the stage with the Vox amps and the Ludwig drum kit, I caught the Beetle bug a bit.  Really, it looks just like the black and white photos…but in color.

We stayed with Peter and Gabi, of the Good Intentions, that night and had a great meal with them.  We stayed up late talking about music, recording, traveling, and even Toby Keith. I’m sure you can assume the direction of conversation related to the latter.  There may have been wine involved but I can neither confirm nor deconfirm that. 

The following morning Peter informed me that we should take a drive. We piled into the car, drove a few blocks and pulled over at Paul’s house. MaCartney that is. 

 Drove a bit further to Penny Lane.

Made a stop at John’s place.

 Quick stop at the church hall where the previously mentioned dudes met, and then saw Eleanor Rigby’s grave. 

Oh, and a place you may have heard of called Strawberry Fields.

 Yes, a real tour and very cool. Thanks so much Peter and Gabi.