Band Called Catch at Tonic Room

What better day to have a BCC show than on World Whisky Day: May 18th! Join us for a nice long set and a nice long pour of Whisky at one of our favorite intimate rooms to play in Chicago: Tonic Room.

Doors at 8:00pm, we’ll play around 9.

Band Called Catch at Martyrs – Record Release and 10 Year Anniversary!

Can you believe it’s been 10 years since Band Called Catch played our first show? Man-o-man how time flys… This calls for a party and we’re excited to also be releasing a new record! We’re so honored to share this night with such a great lineup! The night kicks off with an acoustic set from Laura Glyda, followed by our friends Buffalo Rose, then the one and only Todd Kessler. Things keep going with the talented Friends of the Bog, followed by an hour set from Band Called Catch! THEN – STICK AROUND as many of the performers throughout the evening join forces for a closing night sing-along tribute set we’re calling the “kaleidoscope jam!”

ALSO! Past members from BCC will also be joining us on stage like Eli Plasencia, Ian Kelly Davis, Darcy Wood and more TBA! It’s gonna be some crazy good fun.

Tickets are $10 at the door.

Small Time, Big Time

It’s been a long time since I’ve written in this space, but it won’t be too long before the next entry… More about that later.

This year has been the most active in my life as a musician. If you’ve checked up on my gig calendar (one part of this site I’ve kept up with, for the most part) you’ve seen that most weeks I’ve fit in 2-3, sometimes 5+ gigs in a week while working a 9-5. It’s not the easiest schedule, but pursuit of passion and happiness… It does pay off sometimes.

This year I’ve played the regular clubs in Chicago, I’ve played basements and bars, I’ve played the Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park, and last night I played to a sold out crowd at the House of Blues. Through years of studying music, and jazz, I never in my wildest dreams envisioned a night where I would look out on around 1,000 people bopping up and down and watching the stage with awe (maybe a little inflated). 45 minutes of adrenaline, smiles, and one of the highest highs I’ve experienced on stage.

One of the most surreal, and quite frankly weirdest experiences from the evening was after I left the stage. Gear packed, I headed to the main floor to find my girlfriend, and had about 10 people recognize me from the stage, asking to take pictures, deliver compliments, and seem entirely too enthused about meeting me, TK, from an opening band. Attention from girls who I would have never sought out, guys who wanted to know about how long I’ve studied… Maybe I’ve become a bit jaded about being a local “jobbing” musician in Chicago. I’ve played sold out shows at venues like Lincoln Hall here, walked off stage to grab a beer and had nobody even give a second glance. It was flattering.

Friday night I played a storefront theater, Saturday morning I taught a saxophone lesson, Saturday night I was playing House of Blues.

Big thanks to Band Called Catch for having me, letting me write some horn parts, and jump around like a fool. A dream I didn’t know I had was realized last night. Amazing.

With that, on to my next adventure, which will be travel! On Wednesday I’ll be heading to SE Asia for two months, saxophone in hand, looking for gigs, collaborators, and taking the opportunity to reset after a hectic 2014. In this blog of sorts I’ll be posting musings, photos, videos, and generally anything on my mind.

I don’t know what I’ll be saying, but I hope to keep you informed weekly on what it’s like to be more adventurous, take risks, and throw caution to the wind. Revisiting spots I love, seeking out new adventures, it will all be right here.

An Artists Life

Part of the goal of this website is to let you get to know me a little bit better, from my music to other things.  I plan on categorizing everything a bit differently in the future, but for now, here are my active projects, and links to what I do:

My active projects:

Pink Monkey – www.pinkmonkeyband.com

– My avant-garde jazz trio.

Four Star Brass Band – www.fourstarbrassband.com

– New Orleans style brass band.

Band Called Catch – www.bandcalledcatch.com

– Folk/Pop. You’ll catch us in Chicago, New York, or on MTV.

Previous Projects (or, bands on hiatus):The New Balance – https://www.facebook.com/thenewbalance

-The best Soul music in Chicago.

Harris and The Mood – https://www.facebook.com/harrisandthemood

– I had the great privileged of hanging/sitting in with these guys at the end of 2013.

Heisenberg Uncertainty Players – http://huplayers.com/

– I was privileged enough to be a founding member of this band.  While I’m no longer with them, I go see them as often as I can, and so should you.

Countless other projects/sessions/sit-ins that I could list, but those are the main ones for now.  I’ll get a calendar up here shortly.