Monthly Archives: September 2016

Alex Johnson Included In Album Featuring Julian Lennon, Dan Ackroyd, Alan White, Janis Ian and More!

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I am delighted to announce that a track that I composed music for and provided spoken word was included in the new album by Action Moves People United (AMPU) which was released on Sep 21 (World Peace Day). The selection entitled “A Dream Of Peace” features words by Prof Ed McCarthy and Renee Ruwe. The guitar accompaniment and spoken word was recorded by Brian Sargent at Aberrant Sound in Wrentham, MA this past spring (with piano/keyboards added by Paul Martuano). It was edited and mixed by Rupam Sarmah. 

I’m really proud to have been asked to be part of this project and encourage you to check out more of what AMPU does. 

See and like the AMPU Facebook page here and read more about the project below.

action-moves-people-united-cover

OVER 300 INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS CONTRIBUTE from over 30 countries featuring Dan Aykroyd, Julian Lennon, Kathy Sledge, Alan White, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Patrick Moraz, Annie Haslam, Janis Ian, Martin Barre, Colin Andrews, Lillias White, and many other artists!

Action Moves People United, a World Peace Project with UNESCO – U.S. Federation of UNESCO Clubs & Associations, is produced by Grammy® Winner Kevin Mackie, award winning producer Krista Wallhagen, and Guinness World Record® holder musician and award winning filmmaker Rupam Sarmah.

Through media initiatives, in collaboration with artists, authors, and organizations from all around the world, AMPU’s mission of establishing a peaceful planet and a healthy biosphere will be an ongoing commitment. One of the goals for the project is to pair up artists who live in opposing countries for collaborations that go beyond politics, religion and borders.

The team has produced a musical spoken word album that will exchange ideas, stories, and information focused on bringing about World Peace through individual responsibility, Education, and helping each other. The goal of the project is to raise awareness of environmental and humanitarian crisis and find actionable solutions.

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) strives to promote peace and security among nations through education, science, and culture.

“I pray for the moment of mass consciousness when we all wake up and bring peace into our own hearts and souls. It’s a challenge and it’s going to take every one of us to make it happen,” says Dan Aykroyd.

The double CD album with 45 tracks of Musical Spoken Word and Songs will be officially released on Sept 21, 2016. The album is available for digital download on iTunes, Amazon, and other stores worldwide. Please visit the site for details: www.ActionMovesPeopleUnited.org

Five (mostly) Free Shows In Two Weekends To Close Out Summer And Welcome Fall!

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Hi gang,

Well, you can tell from the orange backed logo header that the fall must be upon us. It’s “crisp” in the mornings now. Which is another way of saying it’s time to swap out the flip flops for wool slippers when picking up the morning paper from the driveway. Sad to see but an eventuality here where we live. 

But we’re not going to let the mercury in the thermometer tell us it’s not time to keep making the rock and roll. No, siree. We have two big weekends of shows to close out September and welcome the official end of summer. 

Firstly I’d like to thank Sheryl Hunter from the Greenfield Recorder for publishing a great piece on the evolution of the band in the run up to our show at The Root Cellar a couple of weeks ago. It helped bring in some folks to see us and a great band from Philly, Flux Capacitor. Go see them if you get a chance. You can read a great review of the show here which includes audio and video of our new song, “Love Is All Around You” as well. 

Transperformance was a blast as usual. Thanks to the Northampton Arts Councilfor having us take part again. It was so much fun taking on Foo Fighters for fifteen minutes. Click on the links to see our take on “Times Like These” (filmed by Dann Vasquez) and “Everlong” (filmed by Maria Bull) if you like. 

But there are still big shows to come. 

Tonight, 9/16 we will be playing at La Boca in Middletown, CT, which is home to Wesleyan University and not far from Hartford at all. This will be our first appearance there so if anyone has friends in the area please share this email with them. We’d love to pack that room. The show is free and runs from 10pm-1am. 

Tomorrow, 9/17 we will be at The Basement in downtown Northampton, MA. We’ll have a great band from Boston opening the show, Try. Check out their Facebook page here and watch/listen to their song, “Barcelona” right here.  We’re excited to have them on the bill. Come out early and give them a warm Northampton welcome if you can. They start at 8pm and we go on at 9pm. The show is absolutely free (though tips are appreciated). 

Next weekend we have three shows planned. 

Friday, 9/23 we will be making a stop at The Skinny Pancake in Hanover, NH. We played their Burlington, VT location a while back and it was a great time. Come on out and celebrate the opening of their newest spot. This show is also absolutely free and all ages. We’ll start at 8:30 and play two sets!

Saturday, 9/24 we head to Orange, MA to be part of the “Festival That Stinks.” That’s right, the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Fest has us on their music schedule and we couldn’t be more thrilled if you gave us a garlic hot fudge sundae (available, I believe, at the festival). We will play at 2:15 and we are happy to say that Shokazoba (featuring Colorway’s own Matt and Riley on bass and drums) play at 3:30. Should be a great time. The festival is $5 for adults and kids 12 and under are free. The fest runs both Sat and Sunday and they have a weekend pass for $8. 

Finally, on Sunday, 9/25, weather permitting, we will be gracing the deck of one of Brattleboro, VT’s best place for food, drinks and music, Whetstone Station. With a breathtaking view of the Connecticut River this should be one of Colorway’s most scenic gigs ever! The show runs 5-8pm, is completely free and is all ages.  Just a note: as described, if there is rain forecast the show will be cancelled and rescheduled. Please check our website for any changes. 

Well, that’s it for a while. We have a big gig in October opening up for Television’s Richard Lloyd on 10/6 but I’ll send out another email after these five gigs roll on out.  

Thanks very much for reading this far, for believing in the power of music, for supporting independent artists and for rocking in the free world. And if you can’t make it to any of these shows but have some friends that would we would be ever so grateful if you forwarded this on to them. 

We’ll see you at the shows,

~FAJ

Here are all the specifics:
 

Friday, September 16, Colorway Performs at La Boca, Middletown, CT (Hartford Area)

Come on out to see us play at this very cool venue right near the Wesleyan campus (20 mins from Hartford). 
Amazing food and drinks. We’ll play all night for ya. 

When: Fri, 9/16
Where: La Boca
337 Main St Middletown, CT 06457
Directions
Phone: (860) 347-4777
Time: 10pm-1am
Cost: FREE!
21+

Join the Facebook Event here!

Dinner menu and full bar for your enjoyment.

http://www.labocamexican.com

 

Saturday, September 17, Colorway Performs at The Basement, Northampton, MA

We are excited to be bringing a great band from Boston, Try, to open this show.

Try is–in their own words–“a hybrid of rock and electronica” and we’re hoping to get a good early crowd out to see their first Northampton appearance. Check them out on Facebook here.

When: Saturday, September 17
Where: The Basement
21 Center St. 
Northampton, MA (adjacent to the new police station parking garage which you can park in for this show)
Directions here
Phone: (413) 387-6345
What time: 8-10:30pm
21+
How much: FREE (tips appreciated)
The Basement has a full bar for your enjoyment.

Join the Facebook Event Page here. 

More info and full Basement schedule here.

More about Try:

Virtuoso slide guitarist Niles Elliott and songwriter Dylan Edmunds met and began collaborating during their freshman year of college (2013-14) at Berklee College of Music. A year later, Dylan’s brother, Conner, arrived at Berklee and joined the collaboration. The three of them began writing and rehearsing in search of a sound they could call their own. With specialties in sound design, midi programming, and pop production, TRY’s style is maturing into a hybrid of Rock and Electronica. 

Friday, September 23, Colorway Performs at The Skinny Pancake, Hanover, NH

Come check out two full sets of music at Hanover, New Hampshire’s newest place for live entertainment. 

When: Friday, 9/23
Where: The Skinny Pancake
3 Lebanon St
Hanover, NH, 03755
Directions
Phone: (603) 277-9115
Time: 8:30-10:15
Cost: Free!!
All Ages!!

Join the Facebook Event Page here. 

Full menu of amazing food and drinks (hard and soft) available all day/night

 

Saturday, September, 24, Colorway Performs at The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival!

Really excited to be part of this special festival celebrating one of the most intoxicating foods ever: garlic! Two full days of food, music and art at the North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival. 

Colorway plays 2:15-3:15 and immediately following our set stay put for local afro beat legends, Shokazoba, featuring Riley and Matt on drums and bass. Not to be missed!

When: Saturday, September 24
Where: Forster’s Farm
60 Chestnut Hill Road
Orange, Massachusetts
Directions
Time: 2:15-3:15 (fest runs Sat and Sun noon to 5pm)
Cost: $5 for adults, kids 12 and under free
Weekend pass $8
All Ages!!
Check them out on Facebook!

Sunday, September 25, Colorway Performs at Whetstone Station, Brattleboro, VT (on the deck!)

Weather permitting*, Colorway will be performing two full sets on the deck of Brattleboro’s best restaurant, Whetstone Station. The venue is located right off of downtown and right on the banks of the Connecticut River. Don’t miss this very special performance. Whetstone Station has amazing food, craft beers, a full bar and so much more. 

When: Sunday, 9/25
Where: Whetstone Station
36 Bridge St
Brattleboro, VT
Directions
Phone: (802) 490-2354
Time: 5-8pm
Cost: Free
All Ages!

See their full lineup of music right here.

Full menu here.

Join the Facebook Event Page here. 

*Note: in case of inclement weather show will be cancelled and rescheduled.

 

PS:

Remember, the new album is available at www.colorwaymusic.com on CD and 180gram vinyl, as well as at www.colorway.bandcamp.com for the digital download. And to celebrate a year of The Black Sky Sequined, through the month of May everything in the store is 20% off. But you can also pick it up an any one of these great Valley establishments. Support your local musician and support you local music store.

Turn it Up
5 Pleasant St
Northampton, MA

Platterpus Records
28 Cottage St
Easthampton, MA

Cup and Top Cafe (CD only)
1 North Maple St
Florence, MA

Electric Eye Records
52 Main St Suite 6
Florence, MA

Mystery Train Records
178A North Pleasant St
Amherst, MA

“No music, no life.”
 
 

Great Article In The Greenfield Recorder By Sheryl Hunter

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Many thanks to Sheryl Hunter at the Greenfield Recorder for the great piece and for always being so supportive of what we do.

Originally published in the Greenfield Recorder 9/1/16

Sounds Local: Change Isn’t Slowing Colorway Down

It’s been a busy year for the pop -rock band Colorway. Since releasing its sophomore album, “The Blue Sky Sequined,” in May of 2015, the Northampton-based band has been steadily building its audience and performing throughout the northeast.

Colorway, which is led by guitarist/singer/songwriter F. Alex Johnson, underwent a major lineup change soon after the album’s release when original members bassist Dave Hayes and drummer JJ O’Connell departed and were replaced by bassist Matt Clegg and drummer Riley Godleski.

Johnson has been a regular on the Valley music scene since the early 1990s. He spent many years playing guitar for the popular alt-country band Drunk Stuntmen and has been a longtime member of the backing band for the Young at Heart Chorus. And for those of you interested in open mics, we should also mention that he recently began hosting a successful open mic every Wednesday night at Brew Practitioners in Florence. His bandmates, Godleski and Clegg, also have years of experience playing in various local bands, and in addition to their work with Colorway, they are both members of the afro-pop band Shokazoba.

A lineup change like this could slow some bands down, but that hasn’t been the case with Colorway.

“I’ve been excited to have this new band,” said Johnson in a recent phone interview.

 

“We played our first gig together a year ago, then we spent the winter and spring regrouping and teaching the new guys the songs. From there the focus was on getting some good gigs,” he said.

And the band has played some good gigs in cities like Boston and Providence, in addition to some high profile shows here in the Valley.

“We got to open up for Foreigner at the Calvin and it was huge sold out show and we rocked it,” said Johnson. “We also had a great experience opening for for Delta Deep (featuring Phil Collen of Def Leppard) at the Iron Horse and playing the Green River Festival was awesome.” 

“We are trying our best to bust into other markets, and we are lucky to live in an area where we are close to places like Boston, New York and other cities,” he added.

However, during the month of September, Colorway has a series of shows that will keep them close to home. This weekend, on Saturday, Sept. 3, at 8 p.m. they will serve as the opening act for Flux Capacitor at the Root Cellar in Greenfield. On Saturday, Sept. 17, the band will be at the Basement in Northampton, on Saturday, Sept. 25, at The North Quabbin Garlic and Arts Festival in Orange and on Sunday, Sept. 25, you can catch them on the deck at Whetstone Station in Brattleboro.

Johnson is particularly excited about the Root Cellar show this weekend, as the band will have the opportunity play a brand new venue and to open up for Flux Capacitor.

Flux Capacitor is a trio of brothers from the Philadelphia area, who blend guitar, bass synths, organs, drums and percussion to create a very unique brand of jam heavy psychedelic rock. The trio’s music includes traces of rock, improvisation and electronica. Every shows features what the band calls “encounters” that are filled with improvisation, musical segues, spontaneous covers and teases, to create a one of a kind experience. Flux Capacitor is fast making a name for itself on the national music scene and is currently on a U.S. tour in support of its latest release, “Monolith..” 

“Flux Capacitor is definitely a band on the upswing,” said Johnson about opening for the group. “They played Bonnaroo this past year and the Peach Festival. We are looking forward to hearing them, plus I am a huge Back to the Future fan,” he added with a laugh” 

“It’s going to be fun, and we are hoping we can tap into a new market of people, sort of the jam crowd.” He added, “As much as I like to think of this band as a pop/rock band or at least that’s kind of the way we started, we are doing a lot of extended stuff, taking the guitar to a whole new level and trying to really make this more about the musical journey as much as the story that the songs tell.” 

Johnson, who is a very accomplished guitar player, said that with the new lineup he is really trying to build the sound around the guitar. And he was encouraged to hear are recent story on WNPR where they claimed that the guitar is enjoying a bit of a resurgence, after being pushed back in favor of electronic instruments.

“It’s kind of nice to see, because I’ve always been doing this and I’m waiting for people to pay attention again and it sounds like they are and that’s a good thing,” said Johnson.

With the new lineup settled in, Johnson is starting to write music for the next Colorway album all while keeping the focus on growing the band’s fan base.

“This new group has been about getting to know to play with people who I am not familiar with their style and vice versa,” said Johnson, “in addition to trying to write new music and expand our market to other areas where people love music around here.” 

Tickets for the Colorway/Flux Capacitor show are $5 in advance and $8 at the door. Tickets are available at: www.rootcellarbar.com. Music begins at 9 p.m. The Root Cellar is located on Fiske Avenue in Greenfield. For information on Colorway’s other upcoming shows, visit: www.colorwaymusic.com 

The Wheelhouse 

Tonight kicks of a series of shows at the Wheelhouse, the club located at the bottom floor of the Arts Block in Greenfield. The subterranean venue, as they call it, is a cozy little room with the kind of vibe that you’d expect to experience in a classic rock club. The Arts Block, which is now under new ownership, is officially relaunching the room with these shows that are being presented by The Buzz, A Honey Pot Production. The show tonight will feature the power duo Wydyde and progressive rock/jazz band, Hot Dirt. The series continues with The Mary Jane Jones on Sept. 8, Sean McMahon, Seth Newton and Casey Opal on Sept. 15 and Fat Bradley on Sept. 22.

Doors open at 8:30 p.m. and music begins at 9:30 p.m. Admission is $5. The Arts Block is located at 289 Main St. Patrons are asked to use the Arts Block back alley entrance.

The Arts Block has a new website that has more information on these shows and other upcoming events, including information on purchasing tickets. Visit the Arts Block at: www.theartsblock.com 

Sheryl Hunter is a music writer who lives in Easthampton. Her work has appeared in various regional and national magazines. You can contact her at soundslocal@yahoo.com