The Gonzo Symphonic Presents:
The Band, The Bards, The Blog!
-
1st Quarter Newsletter.
* Upcoming Shows
* Studio Time
* Science
Hello Friends:It’s the new year and now in the second month the novelty of its newishness is faded — what we’re left with is the next goal, the next feat, the next hurdle. It is not enough just to live, you must have something to live for. We know what we’re here to do and with each accomplishment we set our eyes toward the future. That being said, it’s no surprise that we’re heading back into the studio to bring you our first full-length album. It won’t be all at once so check back for updates and any singles we throw out along the way, but if it seems like we’re taking our sweet time it’s because we are. We care about what we do and we want it to reflect in what we put out for you all to listen to. We’re incredibly grateful for the community we live in as well, allowing us to meet and work with all kinds of strange and wonderful people that help make all of this possible. More than anything, we want this to be a shout out to them. You have our backs, and we’ve got yours.
For this debut album we have a sit-down later this month with Jordan Sproles in Wake Forest at his Hangar Productions studio. Before the Wednesday Night Jam at the Berkeley Cafe went belly-up he could be found hammering out improv piano melodies and backing up the house band from week to week. Since then he has been beefing up his converted airplane hangar into a solid recording facility. He has been taking on more work and we’re really happy to know him now before his rates go up to meet demand! It’s good working with another fellow rustic and going down gravel roads to get to a studio - the scenery and the room for creativity is ideal. That might have something to do with us choosing where we live too but the combination of little things that make working with Jordan a pleasure add up to one great experience. It’s important to seek out the environment that facilitates your best efforts - “If only…” doesn’t make up for a bad finished product.
We’ll be recording the first set within a month, but won’t get your hopes up with a solid release date until we’re in the mixing and mastering phase of things. Trust that it will be every thing you hoped it would be AND a bag of potato chips.
Okay, we lied about the potato chips.
Catch Us Live!
Future Shows:
Fri. Feb. 8 (02/08)The Pour House
224 South Blount Street
Raleigh 8pm
[$10 Donation]
Fri. Feb. 15 (02/15)
The Chop Shop
399 East 35th Street
Charlotte 9pm
[No Cover]
Thurs. Mar. 28 (03/28)
Slim’s Downtown
227 South Wilmington Street
Raleigh 9pm
[No cover]
Say what!?!
Myspace still exists?!?
We recently redid some of our online profiles and Myspace has apparently undergone an overhaul. Whether under, over or off to the side we wanted to make sure we reach out to all our fans on the old profile and get you guys over to the new one before they clear house. Head on over to the New Myspace and if you don’t have an account go ahead and sign up again. It’ll remind you of your teenage years and Gym Class Heroes rapping about New Friend Requests.
1 Ticket — 2 Stages:
A Benefit for Ian Bruce: The sound man at Tir Na Nog, Robert Bruce, has a son named Ian who’s had a rough 3 years already and in order to overcome bladder and kidney problems will need to undergo some serious surgery. The Pour House Music Hall and Tir Na Nog have joined forces with Younger Brother Productions to bring you 10 local bands and all of the proceeds go to little Ian’s hospital bills. I’m sure everyone remembers a time they wouldn’t have gotten to where they were going without help from others who had no reason to pitch in but did anyway. Friday, February 8th - TPH and TNN will open their doors at 8pm and one $10 ticket will get you into both venues.
If you would like to donate directly a Pay-Pal account has been set up: hereCopyright © 2011 The Gonzo Symphonic Presents:, All rights reserved. -
Oops We Did It Again.
* Fall Updates
* Workaholics
* Photos!
Hello Friends:
Autumn is back and for Raleigh locals this means a bout of bipolarous temperature fluctuations that make you regret forgetting your hoodie and not wearing shorts. It’s going to be hot by 3pm but I’m more than 6 months out of suck-it-up shape when it comes to the morning cold. I want to wait until the very last possible second to wake up and leave my blanketed cave of warmth and brave the cold for the benefit of the four-legged one, then it’s the day’s list of various working shifts and to-do lists and by afternoon I’m sweating and shedding layers (that then I must keep track of and not lose) only to try and locate them again when the night cools off and turns brisk. That’s when you really want pants. Those with sinus problems and suffering from seasonal colds hate it, but I can’t help but love it.
Sentimentality aside…sorry for not writing last month’s newsletter.
The Gonzo house has undergone renovations again. The jam space fits nicely into a smaller portion of the room so that there’s more room for the crowd when we throw down and it makes unloading easier after shows because we’re not stepping on all the spread-out gear in the wee hours of the morning. It feels like a huge portion of our gig time is spent hauling gear (roadie interns? yes? anyone?) but we do it because we care about delivering quality music and that takes time spent refining songs and also refining how you play those songs and with what instrument technologies. We’re cracking down on the next batch of songs ready for recording and release for the immediate future and are quite happy to have Drew Smith (Left Outlet) on board beefing up his production muscle. His extensive knowledge of music from a plethora of time periods has helped uncover bands we sound like and can be influenced by in refining our craft.
It’s a balancing act between gigging enough to keep our fanbase growing and taking time to write and refine new material — as such, it may be all quiet on the Gonzo front for a little while. We’ve gotten down to the nuts and bolts of songwriting and the effect on the songs themselves has been nothing short of sensational. We even took an old favorite for our live audiences and completely reconstructed it with a whole new feel. We’ll have at least one show during the holiday season so check back every once in a while, but rest assured we’ll do our best to let you know about it too. We can’t wait to show you all the love and dedication that goes into our work. There may not be much to report as far as the newsletter goes so don’t be surprised if the frequency drops down to every-other-month. Quality over quantity!
Lastly, we’re reverting back to the old design template. The other one was cool but this one still has the best layout. One thing we’re keeping is the link to forward this newsletter to EVERYONE YOU KNOW!!!! No seriously — do it.
Have a friend you think might be interested? Forward this to them.
Keep It Current!
Bands You Should Know:We’re not the only career band in the area — here’s a few local acts you should listen to:
Left Outlet
Raleigh, NC
Facebook
Reverbnation
Bandcamp
MUMU TUTU
Raleigh, NC
Facebook
Reverbnation
Myspace
My Life My Curse
Rocky Mount, NC
Facebook
Reverbnation
Outside SOUL
Raleigh, NC
Facebook
Reverbnation
Gear Talk!!
Sound Nerdiness Maximus
Some of the most crucial people behind the scenes in any music community are those who care enough about their passions to become scientists in the field. I’m talking about the men and women who build, repair and restore instruments and amps so that the music never has to stop. The folks at Superfine Ampworks are a Raleigh treasure and have the repair waiting list to prove it. Last report was an approximated 10-week turnaround but the results are worth the wait. We have them to thank for Dylan’s amp repairs. They fixed it in less than 10 minutes but still wanted to keep it and find what caused the problem to begin with. Like we said…scientists in the field, being thorough about their work. Solid.
Sean Junqueira:
Iconic Images: If you don’t know the name, learn it and look out. Mr. Junqueira has been rapidly acquiring more work to test his mettle and spends his time shooting anything he can. That combination of passion and structure can create an environment where artists develop and experience the most personal growth — just look at his portfolio. Junqueira avoids the pretend-i’m-not-here approach and actively engages his subjects so they feel comfortable enough to open up even with the camera in the room, which is a talent few have. He has worked for Midtown Magazine, done two split-gallery exhibits, got a killer tan shooting car and auto shows last summer, and most recently did a shoot for yours truly! We loved his professionalism and that it in no way limited his creativity and resourcefulness. We’re very excited to share his work with you and recommend the Black and White catalog for its sheer depth of emotion. His contact info is:
Sean Junqueira
(210) 837-3789
JunqueiraS@yahoo.com
Portfolio (Courtesy of SmugMug)Add on Reverbnation | Like on Facebook | Friend on Myspace
Copyright © 2011 The Gonzo Symphonic Presents:, All rights reserved. -
By Decree
of
Seizure Augustus
Hello Friends:
”Take heart, designers. The journey will be long, but our cause is just.” is the demo text for the new template we’re working with for our newsletter. Totally not what I expected to see browsing through layouts but it has a certain ring of truth to it - for aren’t we the designers of our own lives?
One person in particular has taken that to heart and fashions for himself one hell of a party every year. Mark O’Slotnick has attained a mastery of creating a good time out at the Cozy Log Cabin deep within the Hippy Hideaway. Cindercat headlined that Friday to open the weekend long camp-out and yours truly brought it on home in the wee hours of Sunday morning after a surprising lineup change and headlining Saturday night. It was an honor to share the stage with so much local talent and we can’t wait to see everyone again next year. We are blessed to make friends everywhere we go.
Sat. Aug 25 (08/25)
Cookout + Jam
GSP Headquarters
3305 Trenton Road
Raleigh 7 PM
[FREE]Sat. Sept 15 (09/15)SPARKcon
White Collar Crime
319 West Davie Street
Raleigh 9 PM
[FREE]
No, not the delicious fast food chain we love so dearly here in NC — I’m still talking about the pre-jam cookout. We’re trying out hardest to arrange for a bonfire if it would stop raining long enough for us to mow the grass and prepare the fire pit. Bring a lawnchair, a drum and supplies to make S’mores!! It’s gonna be a blast.
Have a friend you think might be interested? Forward this to them.
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July. Done.
* Cozy Log Cabin Party
* SPARKcon
* Reviews?
Hello Friends:So…you’d think I learned my lesson last month but here I am the last day of July typing like a madman to make sure I meet my deadline for you guys. A musician’s life can go from very fast-paced, to slow, to even faster-paced in waves of productivity and opportunity. We’re still working on our next big recording project - it’s too early to give away crucial details but The Dissipator Pt. 1 is going to knock your socks off. Dylan is taking on more vocal challenges by singing the part of Horace the Dissipator, the title character. You’ve already heard Ben singing the part of the Gitan in the preview track available at Bandcamp and streamed at Reverbnation. If you all want to know another teaser…Josh has a microphone behind his kit now too (three-part hamony, say what?).
There’s a flurry of updating social medias and such as well - our newest pictures have been uploaded to Reverbnation and Facebook. Speaking of pictures - check out the Tumblr exclusive photos of Martyn showing off his crazy double-Moog rig! He and Ben travelled up to the Moog Music Factory in Asheville, NC to test out the newest Moog processers and noodle on the Moog guitar. A quick tour of the facilities and a peek at the local outdoor concert that Friday and it was a day! There’s old footage that was stumbled upon during our latest home renovation - Josh painting a Gonzo Fish inspired scene on one of our walls before it got painted over. It’s gone through a few incarnations since Ben originally painted the original Gonzo Fish on Josh’s bass drum but it makes a comeback in the new headline graphic for the newsletter. For you Tumblr viewers, come see us at a show soon - it may make it to becoming a stage banner for us. :)
Catch Us Live!
At SPARKcon:
Sat. Sept. 15 (9/15)White Collar CrimeWe’re excited to be performing with Crystal Bright and the Silver Hands. You should be excited too.
319 West Davie Street
Raleigh 10pm
[ALL LOCAL- ALL FREE!]
A Review!!
One critic’s opinion.
We’ve been trying to put together a better press kit and sent out a call for quotes and reviews. We’ll put the best ones up on our Reverbnation page but for now we’d love to share with you a wonderful quote from Martin Smith over at The Blotter.“What is a Gonzo Symphonic? It’s a collage of good pieces-parts from Seventies AOR, Eighties New Wave, and Prog-Rock without the seriousness: complex tunes with just the right amount of pop sunshine; enough crazy lyrics to discuss at endless late-night parties; good old-fashioned synthesizers spiraling joyfully off into Head-Trip-Land; and the sort of bass riffs that can infiltrate your spine and get it moving of its own accord. Smart guys making good music simply because, by Gonzo, it’s fun.”— Marty Smith, The Blotter Magazine
Cozy
Log
Cabin
Let there be music to fill the air: We’ve got a spectacular 2-hour festival show for the people of Pittsboro this Saturday at Mark O’Slotnick’s Cozy Log Cabin Party. The party starts Friday and goes all through Sunday so you know the party will be in full swing when the second day of music gets rolling!
¸.•☆°*”˜
☻/
/▌
/ \
GONNA B A HOT TIME AT THE COZY CABIN ! ! !
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
FRIDAY Night:
CinderCat & JuJuGuru
SATURDAY:
Barefoot Summer Band
Gonzo Symphonic Presents
Fireside String Band
~* Pig Pickin” & Veggie PotLuck Feast *~
Kitty Box and the Johnnys
Pittsboro’s own Sarah Shook
DoomBunny
Mysti & Special Guest Re-Union Appearances
SUNDAY: Pancakes & Accoustic Jams w/ Jesse & friends
Bring your towel too ~ swimming pool & sprinklers being set-up
Whootieeeee-daleee-daloooo-daleee
(͡๏̯͡๏)(͡๏̯͡~)
( , ,)( , ,)
WHOOOooo000oooOOOooo00000ooo
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
(◕‿◕)Copyright © 2011 The Gonzo Symphonic Presents:, All rights reserved.
-
WHOOPS!!
* We missed May!
* We missed you!
* We’re sorry!
* Hugs?
Hello Friends:If you overlooked the “If you are receiving this message” preamble, or are a Tumblr viewer of our online newsletter and don’t see the preamble, again let us apologize PROFUSELY for our negligent behavior last month. We’re like the bad baby-sitter that was outside smoking cigarettes and talking on the cellphone while the kids were inside drawing on the walls with permanent marker. We might have picked the lock to the liquor cabinet and helped ourselves to some of your whiskey too. Some friends may have come over for a little bit…at least until the cops were called…nothing got broken though! Except our hearts with how sorry we are… You believe us when we say that right? Right??
The kids say nothing happened and we were the best babysitters ever?
Well of course all that was just a joke!! Hahahaha, do you think we’d EVER steal from your liquor cabinet? But your whiskey has a distinct apple juice flavor now??
Wheird.Well it is what it is, and we’re writing to you (and trying extra hard to be funny, so LAUGH DAMMIT!) now and want to let you know what’s been going on over here at Fort Gonzo. There has been a flurry of active technical exploration as Ben and Martyn rounded out their rigs and Dylan debuted his new amp. The VOX AC-15 let Dylan pull back on the power his Crate stack had without losing the volume while at lower levels. We’re not playing arenas yet so it’s a perfect balance to kick ass in an electric ballroom sized room. Martyn just picked up the brand-spanking-new MOOG Taurus 3. Real organists play the foot pedals so why not Martyn, right? Finding a flight case for that in stock is not easy though! Another gadget added to the synth rig is a stompbox sized organic analog “Utopia Synth” put out by King Capitol Punishment, now known as Skychord Electronics and manufacturing out of Portland, OR. It’s four square wave oscillators are entirely too much fun to play with. Ben has been mainly tweaking his vocal effects processors and getting the impedence levels right and adding the Electroharmonix Bass Big Muff π (Pi) and a Seymour Duncan Paranormal Direct Box. He’s considering the possibility of cracking his combo amp open and slaving a 1x15 (or 1x18 if a nice one at a reasonable price reveals itself) into the setup but that’s a project for another time. It was just nice to get his amp on casters so we didn’t have to carry it the whole way everywhere.
We had a blast seeing everyone that came out to the Shakedown Street showcase! We’ve met a lot of new faces lately at various gigs and the guys from Chappo at the Local 506 gig were very entertaining to see live (that song from the iPad commercial is ridiculously catchy) and their use of the Kaoss Pad was awesome! Volume 11 Tavern surprised us with a special tour of the facilities and the recording studio there is top-notch indeed. A drive out to the outskirts of Wake Forest took us to the recently renovated Hangar Studios, where a groovy 6-String Bass and Baritone Guitar duet went down. An intimate jam here at the barn and making the rounds in downtown Raleigh have kept us out and about but most of the time has been spent working on a couple new songs coming down the pipe. A first full-length album is inevitable (Mister Anderson) but with these latest additions the realization of it has really brought some excellent energy to the task. We’re all very excited to perform them for you, and if you were at the Shakedown Street showcase you got to hear us jam on the one closest to completion.
We’re still going to keep it low-key for a bit but you can catch us at a couple upcoming gigs - more to follow:
Thurs. July 12 (07/12)
Volume 11 Tavern
658 Maywood Avenue
Raleigh 9pm
$[TBA]Sat. Aug. 4 (08/04)
Cozy Log Cabin Party
Mark’O’s Cozy Log Cabin
Raleigh [TBA]
$[TBA]
EP Available:
So you bought the EP already: Did you know that purchasing the downloadable album from Bandcamp includes a never-released seventh song recorded during our session at Big Toe Studios? There’s also another song from the upcoming Dissapator Cycle you can purchase for $1! If you’re living on a dollar-menu budget though we can help you out - just hit one of us up and we can send you the link to download the bonus material.
SPARKcon 2012!
Call for Talent:If you remember SPARKcon related content from around this time last year then it comes as no surprise that we give a shoutout to those fine individuals at Visual Art Exchange for rising to the challenge and bring our city it’s 7th weekend-long mishmash of everything that is good and wonderful about the creative arts. Yes, I mean that in the full-of-wonder sense. Raleigh is home to some of the most talented people we’ve had the honor of meeting - hanging out, performing and working alongside to create the kind of community that artists can find creative nourishment in. Ben is back on board for his second year volunteering under the musicSPARK banner - if you have any questions about what SPARKcon is and how you can get involved please don’t hesitate to contact him directly at 919.404.9BEN (That’s 919.404.9236 - yes it’s a bit cheesy but it IS easy to remember that way) through his Google Voice phone number so it goes to his cell phone and email instantly.
If you are a local musician in a band/ensemble or a solo artist please please check out the link provided here which will direct your browser to the musicSPARK call for talent.
http://www.sparkcon.com/sparks/musicspark/entry/
Everything you’ll need to submit is listed on the page and will help you get an idea of when you could play during this three-day celebration of awesome!
This year’s event footprint is blooming around the Warehouse District - the city has already arranged for the streets to be blocked off and the roads themselves will be covered with art!!!
Crazy awesome.
GEAR TALK!!
Sound Nerdiness Maximus
Like we mentioned up in the main portion of this month’s newsletter - there’s been some advances in technology around here, and a little drooling along the way to boot. Ben has been moonlighting at Sam Ash - Raleigh in the guitar department for a few months now if you haven’t seen him zipping around with his red glasses b/c he’s actually got to read little print all day and stare at a computer screen to determine whether that number is an 8 or a 0…is there such a think as font size 3? Some really cool instruments have been traded in and found new homes through our used purchase deals - vintage gear and custom jobs alike that can’t be ordered from the manufacturer. Working there is dangerous business for a musician that cares about the sound quality of their life’s work.
If you need something specific, need your gig backup kit replenished or have something you’ve been drooling over that you need an extra set of eyes (or four) to find, or even want to perform on the big stage right there in the store (yeah, they have that too) give Ben a shout for that too. If you can’t reach him through the Google Voice number try asking for him at the Sam Ash Raleigh store phone number 919.855.9581.
Bonus information you probably didn’t know: Sam Ash is still privately owned and operated by Ash family members and they care a lot about the musician community. In years past Sam Ash Music has personally donated swag to local events like SPARKcon, battle-of-the-band competitions, and gift prizes for fundraising efforts. One big family of musicians.Add on Reverbnation | Like on Facebook | Friend on Myspace
Copyright © 2011 The Gonzo Symphonic Presents:, All rights reserved. -
April Updates:
* It’s about time for a house jam!
* The GSP is now on Bandcamp!
* Upcoming Shows
Hello Friends:Seems like just yesterday I was writing the March newsletter - good thing none of us are serious bloggers…once a month is more than enough for me. Time flies when you’re busy and busy we have been as we refine material for The Fall EP to be recorded later this year. You may hear a new song or two along the way that have nothing to do with this effort, we can’t help but have fun with hot jams even if they’re slightly off-task. Goals are important but the taking the scenic route is always more rewarding.
Speaking of hot jams, it’s truly about time for another house jam. Martyn’s got a motorcycle trip mid-May after our brief string of shows so we’ll be rabble-rousing the weekend after as a welcome home (and other pending celebratory reasons) — so grab your favorite noisemaker and head on over Saturday, May 19th. As always, music starts around 9:30ish and keeps going so long as there are willing and dedicated individuals channeling the groove.
We’re keeping it pretty low-key while we work, so catch us at one of our upcoming shows or come on over to the house for the jam. If you wanna get in on the jams, introduce yourself to us at one of our live shows and we’ll tell you how to get here. Don’t need to put our home address on the internet for everyone to see.
Bandcamp:
Bonus Material Included: We’ve been trying to keep it a secret and for the most part we kept our lips sealed about recording a 7th track during our time with Cameron Dye at Big Toe Studios. We promised ourselves that when we made the EP available online we’d include it as a bonus track. That means that even if you’ve gotten one of the physical CDs and downloaded our first song release from the upcoming Fall EP, there’s another track that you can’t find anywhere else (except by coming to one of the live shows of course). That’s right, if you buy the entire EP for $5 over at Bandcamp you get ‘The Famous Almost’ as a thank you for your continued support. Tammy with the what?
Non-HTML download link:
thegonzosymphonicpresents.bandcamp.com
Catch Us Live
Future Shows:
Wed. April 25 (04/25)
The Cave
452 1/2 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill 10pm
[Free]/[Donation]
Wed. May 2 (05/02)
Volume 11 Tavern
658 Maywood Avenue
Raleigh 10pm
[Free]
Sat. May 5 (05/05)
Boogie Holler
4510 Orange Grove Road
Hillsborough 12pm
[Donation]Add on Reverbnation | Like on Facebook | Friend on Myspace
Copyright © 2011 The Gonzo Symphonic Presents:, All rights reserved. -
The Ideas of March!
* The Fall in Spring?
* The Pour House
* aMAYzing days
Hello Friends:The first day of Spring hit and it’s been an interesting mix of rain and pollen - my allergies, however, are not interested in the slightest. Nor is there any humor to be found in the irony that the 2012 Farmer’s Almanac still has some weekends listed in March for cold, rainy and possibly snowy weather — all generally considered to be unpleasant. Afterwards we can look forward to when the pollen will really hit and the dusting of pollen thusfar will turn into a veritable desert of evil caking itself into every crevice of the outside world. And your car.
We’ve got a show coming up at March 29th but a good chunk of our Spring season will be spent locking down the ideas we’ve been pulling together for the first installment of The Dissipator Cycle. The first-of-four EPs will be called The Fall and we hope to have it fully recorded and ready to launch by the time Autumn actually rolls around. Regulars at our shows already know one of the songs and you can hear it too at http://thegonzosymphonicpresents.bandcamp.com - The Fall EP will be the beginning of a great journey and we’d love you to join us.
Catch us in May for some fresh live shows!
Beltane Boogie!
Ben: Last year’s Beltane Boogie was, by far, the best birthday bash ever thrown in my honor.
Martyn: That was May Day.
Ben: May Day? No, no no - BIRTHday. Seriously, we’re doing it again this year right?
Martyn: May 5th.
Ben: My birthday’s not May 5th.
Martyn: But the Beltane Boogie is.
Ben: So last year…was a coincidence? What’re we doing for my birthday then??
Martyn: [laughs]You’ll have to wait and see now won’t you?
It looks like we have a new mystery upon us!!
Tune in next month for clues!
Don’t miss the Boogie!!!
Catch Us Live
Future Shows:Thur. Mar. 29 (03/29)
The Pour House
224 South Blount Street
Raleigh 9pm
[$7 Cover]
Wed. April 25 (04/25)
The Cave
452 1/2 W Franklin St
Chapel Hill 10pm
[Free]
Wed. May 2 (05/02)
Volume 11 Tavern
658 Maywood Avenue
Raleigh 10pm
[Free]
Sat. May 5 (05/05)
Boogie Holler
4510 Orange Grove Road
Hillsborough 12pm
[Donation]
03-29-12:
The Pour House: Working with Matt and Jess from Once and Future Kings, we’ve put together a show you absolutely should not miss. We just heard from Jeremy that The Shape for Memory will not be able to perform that night but we wish them well in their current side projects! The legendary Pour House will be opening up it’s doors at 8pm with our surprise opener taking the stage at 9pm. Tickets are $7 - you must bring your ID to get in…Pour House rules.
so let’s recap =)
(Thurs.) March 29th
The Pour House
224 South Blount St.
Raleigh, NC
$7 tickets
8pm doors
9pm show
Call for Info:
(919) 821-1120
Bring IDCopyright © 2011 The Gonzo Symphonic Presents:, All rights reserved.
