New Name and a New Year!

Hiya folks...

Just a quick update. As of our last rehearsal (Tuesday December 18th), we have decided on a new name. While Jesse and I dreaded getting back into the "name game" in an attempt to come up with a moniker we all liked, we were relieved when Matt came in with a few really good suggestions. One of which we all actually agreed upon....

And so as of now we are TOBELA!

We will be taking the next week and a half off to celebrate the holidays and spend time with loved ones, but we will return at the beginning of next year with new recordings, shows and a whole lot more!!!!

Happy Holidays and we'll see ya soon.....

Still lookin' for a few good musicians...

Y'all know of any??

Change is in the air...

And so, one chapter closes and another begins.

It's been a while since I've posted so I'll cover a couple things during the course of this post.
First, Jesse and I wrapped up our tenure as an acoustic duo with our final performance commencing the night of Friday, October 26th at the Nomad Cafe in Oakland. Quite an intimate venue with good acoustics and as such we performed sans microphones. It was an enjoyable show performed for some of our friends whom had showed up to support us along with passers-by stopping in for a cuppa joe or a tea. The other act on the bill, a great singer/songwriter simply known as Nomad, was a treat to watch and was extremely kind and respectful in sticking around for the duration of our set. Here is a photo of Jesse and I playing taken via camera phone as well as a photo with Nomad (on the far left) and KC Turner (on the right) who runs the Novato open mic and is a wonderful singer/songwriter as well.

Also, we have been lucky enough to find another band mate in a fantastic singer/songwriter/guitarist named Matt Wilson. We have been rehearsing and writing with him for the past few weeks and plan to record and play out extensively in the near future.
Now Jesse and I can get back to doing what we do best instrumentally...be the rhythm section!

Onward and upward....

The show must go on

In the past month Jesse and I have auditioned several musicians in our continued effort to piece together a band. As of now we have still not found the missing pieces. This is not to say those we auditioned were not great musicians and/or songwriters, they were, it just comes down to finding the right fit. Our search continues.....

Meanwhile, Jesse and I will be wrapping up the remaining performances I scheduled in singer/songwriter mode as a duo. The first of the last two shows commenced last Friday, September 21st, where we once again returned to the Red Victorian Hotel. At 8 o'clock we took the stage to an almost full house. It was a far cry from our past two performances as folks filed in while we played and were not only receptive but audibly appreciative of our performance.

We had a blast and look forward to more shows and putting a great band together.
Stay tuned....

Moving Forward....

In an effort to not interrupt any momentum Jesse and I may have created, we decided to make proper demos of some of our songs in an effort to attract potential bandmates. We spent the evening of the 23rd and all of Sunday the 26th laying down rhythm guitar tracks, lead and backing vocals and a rhythm section where I provide the bass and Jesse the drums/percussion. Jesse mixed them down on his computer the night of the 27th and we proceded to post the 4 tracks on a previously existing myspace page for what was to be my solo project "Mercy Flirts". Luckily, I've found Jesse and no longer have to fly solo, however, we have yet to come up with a proper new name. For now you can enjoy the new tunes at www.myspace.com/mercyflirts.


Some new members and shows may be on the horizon so stay tuned.......

Long and Winding first post...

Here's the deal folks...this is going to be an exceptionally long first post as I started this blog to keep a record of the progression of my new direction in music and have not as of yet posted anything. So, sit back, relax and enjoy this recap of the past few months.

After my last group folded in November of last year I really didn't want to start another band. I just didn't need the headaches, y'know? However, when you are a musician it's in your blood and not something which is easily cast aside. Flash forward to April of this year. I had compiled a repertoire of new songs and decided to try my hand as a singer/songwriter. I set up a few low key gigs with some folks I knew who ran showcases and open mics out of small cafes, coffee houses and bed and breakfasts such as the Red Victorian Hotel in San Francisco. Ronnie, the fella who puts on the "Red Vic Sessions" and a fine musician himself, was gracious enough to slide me in a few weeks after I contacted him about the May 25th 2007 session. I grew increasingly nervous as I realized I had never performed anywhere alone. I had always been a part of a group or the very least a duo. You can be the judge as to whether my anxiety was visible:

Following this show I decided it was time to get back on the horse and make the attempt to assemble a new band. I became a regular of the online classifieds site Craigslist and promptly found a bass player in 41-year-old veteran of the San Francisco scene Dave Kardes. We began rehearsing in his apartment while we searched for other members. Craigslist, convenient as it may be, is such a crapshoot. We went through at least 10 or 15 auditions and quickly came to the conclusion that, in an effort to not waste our time, we would need to hear samples of would-be band members before having them over to jam. Period.

As we searched for potential bandmates several shows rapidly approached which I had set up while under the assumption I was going to perform as a singer/songwriter. One such show was on the night of July 10th at the Brainwash Cafe in San Francisco. Dave was still unfamiliar (and audibly uncomfortable) with the material but was a trooper and performed the entire 45 minute set with me from beginning to end. Luckily some friends and coworkers of mine had turned up for the show. If not for them we would have played to a virtually empty house. Considering the caliber of our performance that night I actually wouldn't have minded that. Here is a photo from that night (I apologize in advance for the low quality):

Soon after the Brainwash show we found a talented drummer in Jesse Richardson, a fantastic singer/songwriter in his own right. Jesse had a jazz background but was now interested in the roots rock/americana genre and almost immediately added some very interesting dynamics to the group. Not long after he had joined, though, Dave's personal issues began to manifest in an apathy for the group which did not sit well with Jesse or myself. However we had another show approaching and had to overlook these irritations for the time being. See what I mean? Headaches.

We played as a trio the night of August 3rd at the Red Victorian Hotel. The "Red Vic Sessions" are really aimed toward the singer/songwriter or folk combo set and once this loud three piece rock band (us) started cranking out the tunes at 10:30 p.m. we pretty much cleared the room. The fact that we couldn't really hear each other didn't help matters much either. C'est la vie. Here are some shots from the show:

Recently I reconnected with a couple of former bandmates who now happen to have a roots rock band of their own. With an EP due out this fall they have scheduled shows all over the Bay Area to promote it. We were invited to play with them the night of August 16th at the Uptown Club in Oakland. We went on at 11 and once again played to a mostly empty room, save for two of my friends and the sound man. Sad thing is the Uptown club actually has a great sound set-up and in effect the show was probably our best sounding to date. Due to growing animosity it was at that point Jesse and I decided to politely ask Dave to step down.

Jesse and I are now working on new songs and rebuilding the group. We do have several shows scheduled sporadically over the next couple months and for now are just looking forward to playing and creating new music in a drama free work environment.

I believe that about brings us up to speed. Keep checking back as I will try to post more regularly possibly even with soundbites in the near future.

Keep on rocking in the free world.......