Sketchy EP #1 now on sale through the mail: Just send between $5-10, whatever you can afford, to: OLD Records, 2017-A Emerson St., Berkeley, CA 94703. Checks payable to Jonah Matranga, please.
Now, onto the long version.... Checking in from Oregon, where I'm
attempting to rest for a couple days. But here I am on my laptop : ) At
least my cell phone is out of range. So, I'll keep this (sorta) short.
Damn, I need to catch up over on the board too. Speaking of the board; for
those that don't know, the URL changed, now it's at
http://www.onelinedrawing.com/guestbook. Head on over to visit, if'n ya
like. That place rules. As usual, all the info in the e, and more, will be
over at the site, but here's for here:
Before the future, a bit about the recent past: The East Coast tour at the
end of July was a ramshackle, chaotic, great thing, with the majority of
shows in houses, and then maybe the best show in a record store, and the
biggest show (also really good) with a bunch of great bands (Promise Ring,
The Sheila Divine, Elliott, 6 Going On Seven, I'm missing one...). Just 10
days packed full of shows. It's an interesting thing to be able to play two
shows in one day and not end up utterly unhealthy exhausted. Anyway, it was
great. Huge, lasting thanks to everyone that helped me, in every way.
Then it was back to the West, for a tré LA show with Milla Jovovich. Though
the show was odd, it was a good day overall beacuse I took neat pics with
my friend Travis and hung with Johanna, the most excellent booking agent at
Luna Park that's trying to help me do this. Also, Milla was really, truly
nice, and that's always refreshing, when someone handles fame well. Should
be the last show upstairs at Luna for a while, though, barring some crazy
bill. Look for new and different (ALL AGES, fer chrissakes!) LA shows soon.
Oh, the Noe Valley show with Matt! My friend Matt Nathanson and I rented
out the Noe Valley Ministry in SF, and the show sold out (and it wasn't
just friends and family : ), which was really gratifying. Lael Alderman
came down from the NW to play too; it was a good night of music. Simple, no
big stories, but really great.
So, the future: Given how fun all that was, I'm trying to throw together a couple more tours like the East; the first is in a couple weeks, in and around Chicago, Detroit, Ohio-ish, from the Aug31-Sept9. There's one confirmed show, at the Fireside (Chicago) on the 1st, that should be great. For details, other dates, or ESPECIALLY if you have ideas about other dates, please visit the site.
Then I'm going back to the East, mainly for the CMJ Festival in NYC. I'm playing the Crank!/Revelation show, on Saturday Sept18, at a place called Westbeth. Why am I playing that show? Well, because it will be fun, but.... More on that soon : ) Anyway, I'll be doing shows around that, from Sept13-23, roughly. Again, ideas are welcome and wanted. Just post. THEN, on Sept28-Oct14, it's looking more and more like I'll be heading off for the UK. Still awaiting a final itinerary, but there's time. Beyond all that, I'm gonna make it to the NW before the weather turns, I swear it, and as it cools I'll brave the Southland, and of course there will be lots of West Coast dates throughout.
In the very near future, I play in Santa Barbara this Friday, at The Yucatan. It's six bucks and all ages, sounds good to me. Then this Sunday I play at Sonoma State University, and since I don't have the info in front of me, I'll have to get that out later this week, or just check the site on Wednesday. On Sun29, I play an allages matinee at Old Ironsides, in Sacto. There has been some confusion about this in the past, so... it's ALL AGES. Anyone can come. 5, 50, 14-41, whatever : ) So tell your friends and let's rock it.
Basically, this whole thing continues to be impossibly fun. I've sold quite a handful of the Sketchy EP, just through shows and the mail, and there are plans to get it into stores in a couple months. Meanhwile, you're still welocome to buy them from me : ) I got a great writeup in CMJ Magazine, and lots of other cool reviews that I'll link to from the site, for anyone that likes that sort of thing. There are new songs shaping, and lots of other things shaping too, always just a little to vague for now, but that's okay.
Well, this wasn't short at all : ) But it felt nice. Keep in touch, I will too - Jonah
--a onelinedrawing is when
you start drawing and don't
pick up the pencil 'til you're
done-- www.onelinedrawing.com