Tobela

Pics from our Velo Rouge show

2008-09-29T22:37:00.000-07:00

As promised! There will be more posted on our myspace page because thanks to our photographer friend Will Davidson we have a shitload of photos from the show! Enjoy!

Here is the lovely Velo Rouge itself

Where's Manuel?

Is that the fabled keyboardist lurking?

There he is! What a sexy bastard!

Not sure what I'm pointing at but apparently it amused us all...

Full recap to follow. Tonight, however, I'm going to bed! Sweet dreams y'all.

Velo Rouge

2008-09-28T14:57:00.001-07:00

Our show this past Friday, September 26th, at the Velo Rouge Cafe was a blast! Full recap and photos to follow very soon. This should tide you over until then:

Hope y'all are havin' a great weekend!

Update 9/21/08

2008-09-21T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry 'bout the lack of posts lately folks. We've been hard at work practicing and getting our keyboardist Manuel up to speed with our entire set. Might I just add the man's doing a phenomenal job!

We have a few shows coming up and a recording session for our first EP in the works, but for the time being I'd like to point you toward our new official website http://www.tobelamusic.com! There you can hear samples of our tunes, read about the band and find out about upcoming live shows.

Til next time here's the flyer for our show next week...

As promised...

2008-08-07T23:25:00.000-07:00

...here is a massive update!

First off a recap of the show last Saturday as we headlined The Red Victorian Hotel. Upon arrival we realized that the promoter/organizer of the show, Bill, was not only absent from the event but had also failed to mention the fact that the Red Vic has no house P.A. So, at 7:30 (a half hour before we were to go on) Matt, his brother in-law Jeff and myself raced to our practice studio to pick up the P.A. we use there, though it did not belong to us. Due to Matt's skillful daredevil driving, and Jesse staying behind to set up whatever gear we already had at the venue, we were back in just enough to time to set everything up and start the show only 10 minutes late.

We had a great crowd and our 2 45-minute sets went over quite well. Seems as though we are always able to attract at least a few folks casually walking by. These days we are frequently asked about CD's to purchase. Hopefully those will come soon...

Here are some pics from the show taken by my lovely friend Joy Han:

This is either really passionate singing or I really had to go to the bathroom half way through the set. I can't remember which...

And here is one of the least hetero pics I've ever taken:

Next on the Agenda is we have at long last found a fantastic keyboardist in Manuel Camacho! Praise Allah! We have been bringing him up to speed on our 15+ originals and I have to say the man is a trooper...as well as a fabulous musician! He brings so much to our sound and will be joining us on stage for the first time next Thursday, August 14th at the SNOB Wine Bar.

Which brings us to the last item on this post...SHOWS! As mentioned above we will be playing the SNOB Wine Bar next week. We also have a slew of upcoming shows including Velo Rouge on August 29th and The Nomad Cafe on Halloween! Keep up to date with all of our live dates at our myspace page, www.myspace.com/tobela!

I reckon that's all fer now...

Massive news update coming...

2008-08-03T14:43:00.001-07:00

Including upcoming shows and a new member! I'll also have pics and a full recap of our last show so y'all come back in a few days, y'hear?

Just as a teaser, here is the promo flyer created by Matt for our latest show:

Return to the Red Vic

2008-06-07T17:20:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks....been a little over a month here between posts. Matt, Jesse and I have been quite busy writing and recording new material as well as making a push to book several gigs in the next couple of months.

One of which commenced yesterday, Friday June 6th, when we played once again for the "Red Vic Sessions" at the Red Victorian Hotel in San Francisco. We went on around 8 and played a tight 40-minute set to a number of friends and new "fans". Overall it was a very pleasing experience which only renewed our belief that we actually are a unique band and the response all around was nothing but positive. In fact, once we finished we were approached by the owner who enjoyed our set so much that he offered us our own headlining show on a Saturday night. Pretty cool huh?

Then we went drinking. Luckily there are no photos of that :) j/k...kinda....

Here are some pics from the show taken by Ronnie Cato (the fella who organizes the sessions and a great singer/songwriter himself).

I'll try to post more in the next few weeks as shows and other news develops. See ya soon....

Catch up

2008-05-01T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hiya folks!

Sorry it's been sooo long since the last post. Matt, Jesse and I have been bustin' our asses for the past month or so trying to finalize the demos we recorded and workin' on our set for the charity show we played this past Saturday, April 26th, up in Placerville.

By way of Matt's step mom (in law), Tobela was asked to play at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society benefit show this past weekend. As we figured it would be a great way to pop our performing cherry we gladly obliged. We played about a 50 minute set out in the gorgeous sunshine and while there was no pay (I mean, c'mon...it's a benefit!) we were very graciously given great BBQ and beer. Quite a bit of the performance was captured on video by Matt's wife Jodi and I hope to post some of the clips, either here and/or on our myspace page, soon.

For anyone interested here was our set list (lead vocals in parenthesis):

Simple Things (Matt)
Brighter Day (Matt)
Wait (Jesse)
Oh Angeline! (Alex)
Another Day (Matt)
Brighter Kind of Life (Alex)
Better Things to Do (Jesse) - which we forgot to play!!!
Mellow Mood (Matt) - Bob Marley cover
Standing in Line (Alex) and for our encore....
Cats (Jesse)

The crowd seemed to really enjoy themselves and we even had a couple of invites to do other shows up there. All in all it was quite a fun day....

More news (including a possible new member....again) coming soon!!

We're not lazy....

2008-04-02T22:49:00.000-07:00

This is how we actually practice....

Kidding of course. On the contrary we've actually been hard at work on new demos, a tight set list, booking gigs and securing a new member....hopefully. As it has been a while between posts I just wanted to throw an update your way and let y'all (whoever might actually read this blog) know that we're alive and kickin' and about to start makin' with the rock!

Be sure to check our myspace page (www.myspace.com/tobela) soon for new songs, updated show schedules and much more!

We'll see y'all soon!

On the horizon...

2008-01-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

...is a lot of shows, new recordings and a whole lot more!

This past Tuesday, January 15th, Tobela took to the stage for the first time for an "open stage" (basically an open mic for bands) hosted at The Rock-it Room. We only played about two songs and while the instrument mix was less than stellar, our 3-part harmonies actually came off quite well. Here's a pic from the show:

We have already been offered several other shows and there will be a lot to more to come in the next few months. Stay tuned....

New Name and a New Year!

2007-12-21T15:52:00.000-08:00

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...

2007-12-16T15:32:00.000-08:00

Y'all know of any??

Change is in the air...

2007-12-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

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

2007-09-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

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....

2007-08-30T20:01:00.000-07:00

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...

2007-08-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

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.......