44/7 House Concerts

September 18 featuring THE JING (the jenny thing)3

2010-09-14T12:50:00.000-07:00

"The Jenny Thing was a true college band. Not only did the group's music echo the U.K.-dominated sounds of late-'80s campus radio stations, but the band actually formed at a college, originating at U.C. Berkeley, CA. While many other American alternative acts began sporting flannel and spewing heavy metal riffs, the Jenny Thing remained loyal to their new wave roots, unabashedly revealing their Cure, Smiths, and New Order fixations."

~The All Music Guide

This Saturday, September 18th: "The Jing" (aka the Jenny Thing 3) will be playing a short, acoustic-based set at a house concert in Alameda at about 8pm.

SEATING IS VERY LIMITED, so if you're interested and able to attend, please contact Mike (www.facebook.com/venom17) or Matt (www.facebook.com/matteaston) directly for details, and let us know how many people you'd like to bring. PLEASE DO THIS BEFORE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th!!

Please note that this is a house concert (as well as Mike's birthday!) and not a get-drunk-fall-down-frat party. Thanks in advance for showing respect towards the homeowners.

Hope to see you there!

September 11, 2010 Special Celebration featuring EDWINA MAYE PHILLIPS and GUESTS

2010-08-29T09:14:00.001-07:00

Special House Concert/Birthday/Book Release Celebration

Edwina Maye Phillips has been performing since the age of five. She cut general ed classes in high school and only attended her five music classes, thus earning a few musical medals and trophies, but no scholastic honors. She's never regretted it.

A four-octave soprano, Edwina also toured with her church choir and Diablo Valley College's Chamber Ensemble before finding an early niche in rock and roll. She's performed with several bands throughout the years, released a CD (Erised/Desire, 2002) and is currently the lead singer for the funk group, Pasiphik. Edwina's vocals have been described as "Sarah McLachlan wishing she were Trent Reznor." This description makes Edwina happy.

As the founder of Rockermoms Against Childhood Diseases (www.rockermomsacd.com), a not-for-profit group that organizes and hosts benefit concerts to raise funds for the fight against childhood diseases, Phillips has her hands full on a daily basis, but truly loves what she does. Edwina is married and has three of the coolest sons, ever. Yes, she is biased.

When she's not singing, or working as a certified massage therapist/health educator, Edwina loves to write. Her first novel, BOUNCE, has just been released and is based on her year as a San Francisco nightclub bouncer. This 44/7 House Concert is also her book release party and birthday celebration.

Join us, kick back, relax and enjoy yourself. Edwina plans to.

July 24, 2010 featuring SHOHEI KOBAYASHI

2010-07-17T15:30:00.000-07:00

Shohei (pronounced Show-hey) Kobayashi is an 18-going-on-19, singing and songwriting college student with no relation to the Kobayashi of hot dog eating fame.

For several years as a kid, Shohei listened to his father play classical guitar around the house, eventually influencing him to pick up his first guitar in late 2004 and begin teaching himself how to play.

Fast forward about five years. Shohei has released two original full-length CDs, "Hopefully..." (2007) and "Waterways" (2009). He focuses a lot of his songwriting energy on his chord progressions as he works hard to make sure his guitar is speaking as much as his words. His attention to the more musical details of his songs is something he partly attributes to his involvement as a rhythm guitarist and background singer for a hip-hop jazz rock group while in high school. Meanwhile on the lyrical front, he finds it difficult sometimes to string together pretty words in a poetic fashion - a creative deficiency that he hopes translates to being simply honest. His growth in high school as a member of a school songwriters club, his experience on stage with the band, and his studies of both Jeff Buckley's and Glen Hansard's very expressive performances all come together when he walks on stage and tries his best to sing his heart out. The sound that comes through can be closely described as soulful folk/pop/soft rock with traces of Buckley, heart-driven falsetto bridges, and playful whistling.

Strumming the same guitar he has had since he started, he is beginning to collect songs for his next release. Although he still listens to Jeff Buckley from time to time, his influences have broadened a bit more since then; he currently listens to a combination of Dave Smallen, Bon Iver, Fleet Foxes, Bob Dylan, The Swell Season, John Mayer, Leonard Cohen, and John Prine.

For more information (or to leave comments about this silly self-written biography), email him at ShoheiMusic@gmail.com

Editor's note: We think it's a great biography and we can't wait to hear Shohei play again!

May 15, 2010 featuring IAN TATTENHAM

2010-05-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

We're happy to have Ian join us once again!

Here is a review from the last concert...
Ian Tattenham 4/3/2010

There's something, dare we say, magical that happens when Ian picks up a guitar. We're not talking about the kind of magic that conjures up knights and dragons and fairies. We're talking about the kind of magic that weaves itself around you and eases you back into your chair; the kind of magic that dispels your worries and makes it perfectly fine to sit still and let the music sweep you wherever it wishes.

Guitars love Ian the way muscle cars love great mechanics. In his hands, you can hear them saying, Yeah, this is how I was meant to be played! Ian takes all genres and makes them his own, from Nine Inch Nails to Sarah McLaughlin, and all points in between. His originals are simple, complex, sweet and spicy all at once. His vocals are polished and his range will keep surprising you.

A mixture of Jack Johnson and John Frusciante on steroids, we have to concur with several audience members about Ian's sound:

"Ian's music is what acoustic guys on the radio would sound like if they had balls." Magic, indeed.

May 1, 2010 SPIRITS IN THE BASEMENT

2010-04-21T23:07:00.000-07:00

The east bay's own “coalition with a mission,” Spirits in the Basement is a fast-growing group of artists and musicians whose goal is to fight the negative image of Hip Hop artists perpetuated by mainstream media. The members of Spirits are diverse and stay true to their old-school roots and influences, which include Public Enemy, Tom Waits, Nine Inch Nails and The Wu Tang Clan. Spirits often hosts and performs in fundraising events, including recent donor drives.

Spirits in the Basement is performing a more quiet and intimate set in a tribute to the Late Nujabes, held at the next 44/7 house concert on May 1st. The show starts at 7:30 with special guest performers:

Juda J
BeMe
PUSH
and Sug (AKA KOB)

Admission is a suggested donation of $10, but if you don't have $10, whatever you can spare for the artists would be greatly appreciated. Anyone who does pitch in a donation of $10 or higher will receive a ticket to see Spirits in the Basement open for Sunspot Jonz and Aceyalone at the Shattuck Downlow on May 13th!

Check them out at:

www.myspace.com/batemanisdwerx

April 17, 2010 featuring KEITH SHEPPARD

2010-04-06T15:02:00.000-07:00

Keith Sheppard, of Sheppard's Krook got started playing piano in bars and coffee houses in and around Berkeley, CA in 1987 after starting college at the University of CA at Berkeley. He concentrated on playing instrumentally, until he discovered that he could actually carry a tune. After playing solo at open mics and coffee houses, he decided it was time to start a band to make things more interesting.

An acoustic rock/jazz/pop trio, featuring drummer, Ron Gainer, and bassist, Blair Reese, Sheppard's Krook has been compared to bands like the Dave Matthews band, the John Butler Trio and the Goo Goo Dolls, just to name a few, but they have a sound uniquely their own. Led by Keith's powerful, unique vocals and backed by a tight rhythm section, the sound of Sheppard's Krook cannot be easily classified and appeals to people from many different cultures, ages and backgrounds.

We're excited to share the polished groove of Keith Sheppard with you!

Visit www.sheppardskrook.com to listen to various songs posted.

April 3, 2010 featuring IAN TATTENHAM

2010-03-23T02:11:00.000-07:00

The Little A/V Cathedral is excited to launch its series of house concerts with an incomparable artist, Ian Tattenham.

Ian Tattenham is a singer songwriter who performs his original songs using a variety of acoustic instruments which include 6-String, 12-String, and 4-String Tenor Guitars.

Over the last decade he has focused on developing his unique style of acoustic playing and singing with songwriting that showcases his love for; the naturally beautiful sounds of his instrument, harmonics, complex rhythms, the incorporation of open strings, drone counterpoints to melodic chords, and dynamic songs that range from the energetic to laid-back.

Having grown up in the vibrant music scene of the East Bay during the late 80’s and early 90’s playing various styles of music ranging from blues, funk, rock, punk, grunge, ska, and jazz, Ian found that his passion was in crafting original songs.

Ian attended San Jose State University where he studied songwriting, jazz improvisation, and music theory. As a little kid Ian frequently picked up his Father’s guitars, began guitar lessons at the age of 13, formed a band in High School and began playing at gigs opening for other local bands including schoolmates Green Day.

Based in Pleasant Hill, CA. Ian has self produced and released an all acoustic album February 2010 entitled “Don’t give in” available on iTunes, Lala.com, MySpace Music, and Amazon.com. Visit www.myspace.com/iantatt to listen to various songs posted.