NYC - Sun.June.28

J & L-

Alright, alright. Our NYC show was awesome!! What a way to finish off the US leg of our "Enjoy Your Day Job" summer tour. We were lucky to be joined on stage by our friend and amazing violinist, Calum Pasqua (check him out at http://www.calumpasqua.com/). He just released his new album In Conversation, and it is spectacular. He added such a new dynamic to our songs that we will do everything in our power to make sure he appears on our next album. Even if we gotta kidnap him ; )

So, we got a chance to stay in NYC for a few days before and after the show. We mostly ate, which is what one does in NY-dim sum in Chinatown, a bit of shopping for cool stuff, and plenty of catching up with old friends and family. And so Sunday night came...

We got to 169Bar in the Lower East Side a bit earlier than we would for regular shows because we didn't know where the hell it was. Google maps was being elusive, but we managed after a train ride and a cab ride to locate the lil'place. Found it and went off to eat a bite before showtime. Found a cool little Israli place down the block and had a great chicken and cous-cous dish, but not too much. Can't get too full before playing or you end up feeling like a blimp about to burst. Our set time was pushed back an hour.

With the help of Nicole Trucchio among others, the place got pretty packed, which made the house happy, which in turn made them treat us very well. A happy house (read packed) is good for a band. They actually treat you like artists and not dogs!

We did a smoking 40-45 min set, accentuated by Calum's beautiful violin. We found ourselves listening to him take solos and fills and came close to missing our own cues a few times. A really magical night. And now Calahoney is Hollywood endorsed. Figuratively speaking...Luis Guzman, who has has major and small roles in just about every movie out there, was sitting at the bar the whole time with his friend Eddie, and they really liked the tunes. So much so, that at the end of our set, they were one of the first to come up and compliment us and buy CD's. It was a cool and surreal. The guy was just hanging out that night and got the Calahoney treat to the ears. NYC, what can you say? Funny thing was that he broke out the "You guys are going places" line to which I answered, "Yeah, London!"

And that's were we just landed. Here for 3 dates, and a slew of open mics. This summer has been pretty good to Calahoney so far, and we have not doubt it will continue. We hope. Next show, The Fiddler's Elbow, London, UK. Until then...

Cheers

Calahoney

PHILADELPHIA - Wed.June.24

J-
Philly Goose Egg!!! That's all I've got to say about our bombing out in Philly. The tour has been going so well, I guess it was bound to happen. Oh well, it went a bit like this:

We got stuck in serious traffic going from DC to Philly and it put us seriously behind schedule. A stress to start. But, no worries right? We make it out to Philly near 8:30 pm and rush to check into the hotel, get changed, and rush to Fergie's Pub on Sansom St. for a 10pm show. Damn. After parking and unloading at the WRONG hotel (who knew there'd be two of the same hotels 5 blocks from each other) we find the right hotel and run in and out on the way to the venue.

We get there and the house has no idea that we're even supposed to play. Great. But, they were accommodating and I guess used to working with that promoter, so they said we could play. But we had to wait until the act that was on got off. The kicker is that the act that was on was this huge comedy act from Philly that had the crowd in stitches. Now, I'm as open minded as the next guy, but I am also intelligent enough to know that the crowd that goes to laugh their ass off is not necessarily ready to hear Calahoney's brand of heart-wrenchers right after. It's ok, we completely understand. We just wish the promoter had understood the same thing before booking us.

The comedy act had a packed house out there and as soon as they were done, the crowd dissipates. And the ones who stayed around, were talking louder than we were playing. Fair enough. We started playing a few songs and then out of nowhere the bartender starts shutting down the place. Jeeeezzz. We played five songs and decided to start enjoying libations of choice instead to put out the flames. I guess in retrospect, we had little to do with it, but that shit still sucked!

So we ended up enjoying Philadelphia to the most. Got to wake up and hang out and eat a great cheesesteak! And Philly is a great city for art. Truly beautiful and other than the show itself, a great stop.

Oh well. We got NYC on Sunday and then off to London next week. Better to get the dud show out of the way before we take off : )

See you all in NYC!!

Calahoney

CHAPEL HILL - Fri.June.19

J-
Played outside tonight in the Carolina summer and felt it! It was sweltering!! Holy Humidity...but it was beautiful out there. As we set up, there were some lightning bugs flying around and we expected to be in for a treat as we played. But, no. They sort of went away as the night went on. I think it was the lights that scared them away.

The day itself set up pretty easy. Drove into Chapel Hill around 4pm, checked into the motel, grabbed a bite to eat, and off to Caffe Driade to set up and play. It all went rather quickly. Like other coffeehouse gigs this one also started off a bit slow, but the crowd filled in nicely towards the end of the night. Highlight of the show for us? My father (who drove up for the show) screaming obscenities into his cellphone in the middle of us doing Sweet Jane! I don't even know what he was cussing about, but damn if I didn't end up laughing about it. Later!

We played three short sets, making sure to rehydrate in between each. I really like Brooklyn Lager! We introduced a new song into the set titled Curtain Call, a nice little dittie about breaking it off. Ah, so sweet. It went over well and I think that it will be a great record when we record it late fall.

The night went on without a hitch and we we're eating a slice of pizza down the street shortly after that before returning to the hotel for cold, refreshing showers. Ice cold! Caffe Draide is a beautiful place nestled in the woods and with an amazing tree-lined back drop. Highly recomended for it's beauty and it's great beers.

Tomorrow off to Virginia. Long drive, so...good night. See you then.

Cheers
Calahoney

ROCKINGHAM - Wed.June.17

.

J-

We stopped to visit Pops in Rockingham, NC; small town, crazy people :) After a long haul in the car we met him at Hudson Bros Deli in bustling downtown Rockingham (sic). Not so long story short, the bartender/manager, Robin, asked us what we were doing in town, and we told her we were just passing through while playing some music this summer. She said we should set up and play that night; said we'd make some money from tips and merch sales. Laura and I thought about it and decided nothing comes from nothing and said that we could always use some extra funds to keep the gas tank full. So we set up...

Have you ever seen that movie Roadhouse with Patrick Swayze? Where the band playes behind chicken wire?? Ahaha, well it wasn't that rowdy, but it was sure loud. And fun. We ended up trying to play anything we could think of that was fast and loud (and for Calahoney that's a feat in itself!) We played blues, sped up some of our jams, and made sure to sing any of our songs twice if they mention drinking. We had a blast, while free drinks just kept coming up at us bought by different tables. Truly a crazy night. The crowd was loud, but somehow managed to listen and enjoy the songs. They wouldn't let us get off the stage. After too many encores, we closed the whole night with a cover of Bonnie Rait's I Can't Make You Love Me, which we haven't played in forever and I basicaly feeling out the chords as we went along. We ended up making a killing off of tips and CD sales. The house made a killing and kicked some extra bucks our way too. Now, yes, we all know it's not about the money, but...hey, we gotta get to the next stop and eat ;)

That stop is Chapel Hill on Fri night. See ya' there

Cheers
Calahoney

DAZE OFF!!!

L-

Ahhh. Finally some down time. After having 3 shows in 4 days it was time to unwind. We left The Hutchinson B&B and headed to Woodstock to spend time with the Atlanta fam and chill out in, what Josue likes to call, 'the coolest place on Earth'. Uncle Eddie is the keeper of all things cool and collectible. From a vinyl collection that would make your mouth water to signed boxing gloves n guitars. Beatles, , Hendrix have a staring role, but so do The Simpsons and Star Trek paraphernalia. This is a no holds barred collection of just about everything you can imagine and it is just a great place to chill and get a good ole education in music. Many a beer and randomly selected records later, I was left contemplating how there was so much that went into the experience of listening to music that has been lost in this download crazed, I Pod wielding world. To hold the record sleeve of a Beatles album and carefully pull out the record, feel the weight of it in you hands, and gingerly place it ever so carefully on the turn table... then sit back and listen to the pops and hisses, gulp down a cold local brew, and check out the pics and lyrics and the album, I don't know... it was just one of those experiences you have bathed in florescent bar light glow down in the basement aka 'The coolest place on Earth'.

J- Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers!!! Gives a good definition on how one should feel during a summer, traveling around, playing music, being lucky. 5-2, 4-3!

ATLANTA Sun.June.14

J- (Thanks to Bill H for the Pics!)
Played at Smith's Olde Bar near Mid-town Atlanta tonight. Great room with an awesome sound system!

We left Savannah at around 10am and let me tell you, Savannah and Atlanta are not as close to each other as one might think. Solid 4 hr drive, with an accident on the highway to boot 10 miles out of Atlanta that would have added another hour to our travel time had Laura not been quick to map an alternate route. She's quick, that one! Made it to Atl in time to eat, decompress, and sneak in a 30 min nap before heading off to load in and sound check.

As a small, independent act playing on a Sunday night is a gamble; hell playing any night other than Fri or Sat can be a gamble. Wait a minute...playing any night is a gamble for us while we're touring. Who the hell are we? CALAHONEY! That's right, baby! OK, back to the original train of thought...playing on a Sunday night is a gamble because you never know who will come out to the show; not everyone is off touring and able to stay up on a Sunday night like we are ; ) but we knew that going in and we just wanted to play a good set for good people. And we did!

We started of the set with a A Smile To Wear and Whiskey Girl. Strong starters and they both set the tone of our style for those who don't really know our music. We played a strong 55 min set of which in the middle, I drew blood from my index finger 'cause I was shredding sooooo hard! Ahaha! It's definitely one of the more pride inducing moments in the life of a guitarist when you play until your fingers bleed. We ended with our version of Crazy and the crowd goes wild. Fun night with good drinks and great friends.

So a tidbit about Smith's...the place is a true musician's venue. A rock-n-roll house with a great vibe. And to top it off, you get a case of 16oz Naty Lights on ice!! Now if that's not rockin' I don't know what is. Laura has become partial to Jack on ice, NO MIXER! She's taking to this road quite well.

We got a few days with family and then get ready for Chapell Hill this Friday. Until then, Naty Lights all the way...

Cheers
Calahoney

SAVANNAH Sat.June.13

Sentient Bean
J-
Savannah is a beautiful place. Lots of parks and open spaces, and while walking around one can't help but feel the historic city vibe. We got to town a bit early and got a chance to walk around the Downtown Historic District, which basically is the home of SCAD. SCAD is a ruthless gang of criminals that hide between the bricks of the old city looking for unsuspecting visitors to pillage!! Just Kidding! SCAD is the Savannah College of Art and Design, one of the most regarded schools of design in the country, and it gives the downtown area it's artistic vibe.

But on with the show...We got to the Sentient Bean early enough to chill and eat before setting up. Very nice place with a simple and useful stage and layout. Easy load in and sound check (hell it's real easy when it's just one guitar and two vox lines!). We sound checked and waited, and waited...only this time not as long. We zoomed through our first set, realizing how beautiful some of our songs sound when we almost whisper them in an empty hall. Haha.

The crowd filled in towards the end of our first set and we decided to take a VERY SHORT break between the sets in order to keep the ears in the seats. I mean we basically ran to the bathroom, to a swig of water, and jumped back on stage to do another 50 min set. The set was accented for me by one instance where Laura turns to me and asked 'What song is this?' after I had started the intro In Style, a song off of our first release! We both laughed about it after the show; after the crowd bought a decent amount of merchandise and wished us well.

There's a bit of a theme running in coffeehouse shows- empty at the beginning, then lively at the end. I think it's the fact that they drink coffee; because at most bars where they sell alcohol, the crowd starts off lively and by the end of the night, they're falling all over each other. Roadhouse style! ahahaha!

Sentient Bean is a great place though. Awesome vibe. Full vegetarian menu. And super friendly staff! We hope to return and play there again soon. If you go to Savannah, find the Sentient Bean on the E. Park Ave and order the Zesto Pesto sandwich!!! The most amazing vegetarian sandwich I've ever had!! I can't divulge it's contents, but damn, order this sandwich!!

Off to Atlanta for a show tonight!! See ya' then.

Calahoney

MIAMI Thu.June.11 (Pics by Lou Lozada!!)

J-
Played the world famous Tobacco Road last night and it was a great night. First off, we want to dedicate the show to the underage crew that tried to get in to the show and couldn't! So to Sorraya, Jess, Ryan, and Saralee, hurry up and get older so you can enjoy the show! I tried to find a way in for you guys, but the doorman was a major ball-buster!

So we got on stage around 10 and had a great set. Laura killed it on the cover that we did of Sweet Jane and on our original Waving from the Whims; I was listening so intently to Laura because I love the song and what she does with it. The crowd was silent as the grave while we played, which we completely appreciate and, being that it's Miami, completely did not expect. It's Miami; mute people talk loud out here! We had an really good hour set ready, but it was cut a tad short by the promoter because for some reason, he forgot some other act that had also been booked. So we cut 2 songs off the set and when he told us we only had one song left, we played two! I basically took us from Hell Don't Want Us Anymore right into a crack-head fast version of Gillian Welch's I Wanna Sing that Rock 'n Roll. It's a good song that gives us a chance to showcase our penchant for harmonizing. Our harmonies are one of our key features and we nailed them last night.

We got off the stage and tried to stay quiet while the next act got on, and for the most part we did while sharing some good drinks with everyone there. I was double fisted at one point, thanks to some friends. Check out this musician, Fernando Perdomo, from Dreaming in Stereo. He is an incredible musician and performer.

A quick note about Tobacco Road: Legend has it that they have the oldest liquor license in Miami. The number on it is actually "1". So, it's got mad vibe. We'll play there again, but next time we'll play it with a whole band sometime in late fall or early spring when the new songs get written.

Next stop: Savannah after a travel day!

Cheers,
Calahoney

TAMPA Fri.June.5

J-

Well, we started this whole ordeal in Tampa last Friday, and it was a funny and strange start to the whole thing. We get to Tampa around 2pm and don't need to load-in until 8pm. So we went and saw some of my family that lives in the area and ate a bunch of good Puerto Rican food. Delicious!

We get to Sacred Gounds on E. Busch Blvd. and it's not what we expected. Not that we expeced anything, having never been there before, but just unexpected. The place turned out great, let me say! We set up to an empty coffee shop that sells just that coffee and tea (which means no "libations". My family will be pissed!) and after the quick set up, we sit and wait. And wait. And wait...Not a soul in sight. We prepare ourselves to play to an empty house, when suddenly a few people start trickling in, and then some more, and still some more.

By the start of our second set, the house is fairly full and the best part is that they are listening! It's a much better feeling if they listen : ) At the end of the night, we sell enough merch to cover the trip and the next one!!! And made a few new friends/fans while at it! Laura and I are in a great mood at the end of the night (we had a nipper of scotch in the car. hehehe! so sneaky) and end up having a great start to our summer tour schedule.

As far as the place, Sacred Grounds in Tampa is cool as hell! Far flung on the fringes of the left, both warm and welcoming. They also have some pretty good coffee and tea, try the "Banshee." If you go, spend some time reading the fridge behind the bar; it's plastered with hilarious bumper stickers, like our favorite, "Democrats do it better, because who ever heard of a good piece of 'elephant'!" That should pretty much sum up Sacred Grounds...

Cheers and see you at Tobacco Road, Miami

Calahoney

The 'Enjoy Your Day Job' Summer Tour 2009...

OK. So summer 2009 is here and we are off to start our summer tour. We hope to be able to include as much of our summer experience as possible, and probably for our own benefit (as memories tend to fail and fade) and partly for whoever really would even care to read such dribblings.

So why call the tour the "Enjoy Your Day Job" tour? Well, because- #1 we have day jobs and -#2most people have days jobs!!! And the way things are going in the world of art, it seems that more and more artist need day jobs. That's not to say we won't be willing to quit our day jobs (ahahaha), but that day is not today and in fact, people can still find ways to have artistic outlets and keep day jobs at the same time. So until the day we don't need the day job anymore, we'll keep them. Just warn our bosses that "...ANYDAY, baby, ANYDAY!!!!"

We want to thank you for your continued support and hope you will find a few minutes this summer to see what we're up to and were we're at. No worries if you can't...really...not (sniff) offended at all...

Cheers,
Calahoney