- November 30th - The Marlborough Theater in Brighton with Sweet Sweet Lies, 9pm
- 4 Princes Street, Brighton, BN2 1RD, Tel: 07782 278 521
- December 3rd - The Labour Club in Northampton with friends Line & a Dot and Winston Echo, 8pm
- 97 Charles St., Northampton, NN1 3BG
December 4th - Klinker at Cross Kings, 8pm-11pm
- 126 York Way, Kings Cross, N1 OAX
December 5th - Windmill Brixton, 10pm
- 22 Blenheim Gardens, London, SW2 5BZ, Tel: 020 8671 0700
Dec. 3rd show in Northampton with Line & a Dot and Winston Echo. We're trying very hard not to lose our shit with excitement over this one. Debutantes get pretty excited.
Love,
Love,
Letter from Neil to Agnieszka about The Debutante Hour
Dear Agnieszka,
Hope this note finds you and your son in good health and happy. And especially that you are happy because your art work is selling well enough to earn a living at it.
Another artist I am friendly with who hopes to earn a living at her art is the Korean-American singer-songwriter Susan Hwang, who lives near me in Brooklyn. Susan has a day job that pays the bills while she performs at night --very well--whenever she can. Anyway, I just now got an email from Susan that she will be performing with her wonderful band The Debutante Hour TONIGHT, Wednesday, in Krakow. I know that this is last minute, and that Krakow is not Warsaw, that they are some 250 kilometers apart. But maybe by some miracle you just happen to be in Krakow or decide you want to go there. The Debutante Hour is a wonderful cabaret band led by Susan and her good friend Maria Sonevytsky. Maria is a Ukrainian-American who is spending a year in her ancestral homeland doing the research for her Ph.D in ethnomusicology. Their songs are very clever and very funny. It is well worth paying attention to hear their words. I am copying below a description of a performance I recommended in January, before Maria left NYC for her music research in Ukraine. I can assure you that if you go to hear them you will smile a lot and have fun, so bring friends and let them enjoy them also! And if you do go hear them, by all means, introduce yourself to Susan, who is a friendly person and would be ecstatic to meet someone I sent to see her at a performance in Europe.
I see that they are also performing June 13 in Lviv, which used to be in Poland but now is in Ukraine. With every good wish. And hoping there will be other opportunities to see each other face to face.
Neil Feldman, Publisher and Editor
Not Only Brooklyn Arts & Events
Not Only Brooklyn Arts & Events
Labels: europe, funny songs, Krakow, Lviv, music, Neil Feldman, NOB, The Debutante Hour
Debutantes reunited!
The Debutante Hour reunites in Berlin! We're playing at ZMF on May 29th (10pm) and L.U.X. on May 30th.
May 29th at ZMF, 10pm, http://www.zurmoebelfabrik.de/,
ZMF
ZURMOEBELFABRIK e.V.
Galerie, Verein und Kulturnetzwerk
Brunnenstrasse 10
10178 Berlin
May 30th at LUX, http://www.lux-berlin.net/
L.U.X
Leiseste Unterhaltung Xberg
Schlesische Str. 41
We've also got a show in Lviv in Maria's home country. This is on June 13th at Les Kurbas Theater: http://www.kurbas.lviv.ua/about_a_theater
Love,
The Debutante Hour reunites in Berlin! We're playing at ZMF on May 29th (10pm) and L.U.X. on May 30th.
May 29th at ZMF, 10pm, http://www.zurmoebelfabrik.de/,
ZMF
ZURMOEBELFABRIK e.V.
Galerie, Verein und Kulturnetzwerk
Brunnenstrasse 10
10178 Berlin
May 30th at LUX, http://www.lux-berlin.net/
L.U.X
Leiseste Unterhaltung Xberg
Schlesische Str. 41
We've also got a show in Lviv in Maria's home country. This is on June 13th at Les Kurbas Theater: http://www.kurbas.lviv.ua/about_a_theater
Love,
Dear Susan,
I actually think that line about Aretha Franklin is pretty classic. Sometimes stabbing probably does feel good. I myself have never tried it. I am going to learn You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman) and report on how that feels.
Today, I spent almost 2 hours watching a really crappy American movie - Step Up? have you ever heard of it? It is like a made-for-TV version of that dance movie with Julia Stiles where hip-hop is revolution in a ballet school - when I could have been working on the Debutante Hour podcast. Now I am home and not feeling even slightly clever. The good news is that I have been having a lot of gender trouble here in Ukraine that I would love to talk out with you publicly. Or semi-publicly, since I expect that maybe 5-10 people who are close friends are the target audience for our podcast. I think it will be easy to target them.
I think my first solo gig in Simferopol is going to be on International Women"s Day on March 8th, when I am supposed to sing some Crimean Tatar songs (and I think I will throw in an old time tune) at the University. I will let you know exactly how humiliating it is.
By the way, I was so glad to hear that you head-butted the microphone at Goodbye Blue Monday. People like to see a little aggression on stage. And debutantes, you know, have got to be aggressive. You are keeping it real, my friend.
Love,
I actually think that line about Aretha Franklin is pretty classic. Sometimes stabbing probably does feel good. I myself have never tried it. I am going to learn You Make Me Feel (Like a Natural Woman) and report on how that feels.
Today, I spent almost 2 hours watching a really crappy American movie - Step Up? have you ever heard of it? It is like a made-for-TV version of that dance movie with Julia Stiles where hip-hop is revolution in a ballet school - when I could have been working on the Debutante Hour podcast. Now I am home and not feeling even slightly clever. The good news is that I have been having a lot of gender trouble here in Ukraine that I would love to talk out with you publicly. Or semi-publicly, since I expect that maybe 5-10 people who are close friends are the target audience for our podcast. I think it will be easy to target them.
I think my first solo gig in Simferopol is going to be on International Women"s Day on March 8th, when I am supposed to sing some Crimean Tatar songs (and I think I will throw in an old time tune) at the University. I will let you know exactly how humiliating it is.
By the way, I was so glad to hear that you head-butted the microphone at Goodbye Blue Monday. People like to see a little aggression on stage. And debutantes, you know, have got to be aggressive. You are keeping it real, my friend.
Love,
Dear Maria,
I had my first solo gig the other night. It was like a smorgasborg of humiliation. I totally bit it. Low standards never got lower. I was so nervous, I just did what sometimes happens which is I open my mouth and then all kinds of shit just comes flying out. I told so many bad jokes. I couldn't stop. It was some kind of reflex, verbal spasm. Example - "So that was my attempt at Aretha Franklin. I mean, how can you possibly sing Aretha after Aretha's sung Aretha, but people do that, right? So I decided I'd take a stab at it, because sometimes, stabbing feels good." What the hell was that???
And then, I not only started having verbal spasms, but physical ones. My right leg decided, right in the middle of a slow quiet song about lost love, to be epileptic. I reached over and pressed the sustain pedal and my whole leg just had a seizure. I'm singing, "What'll I do... when you... are far away..." and my whole leg just started shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't make it stop. It shook for a good 4 minutes. A good, mortifying 4 minutes. See, that's what I'll do when you're far away. I'll lose control of my bodily functions.
That's not all. During the next song, the mic was too close to my face. But my hands were occupied, what with playing the piano and all, so I shoved the mic over with my forehead. Maria, I head-butted the microphone in the middle of a song. I couldn't believe it right after I had just done it. I apologized right after the song was over for just having head-butted on stage. I explained to the audience that it was because I don't have 3 hands. "Oh, the things I've done because I don't have three hands," I added. And then I realized I had just done another one of those things you're probably better off never doing - apologizing to an audience. No one wants to hear that. It's like apologizing during sex. The last thing you want to hear while in the throes is, "Oops. Sorry about that." That just never adds to anything. And probably deflates what little you had going for you. So now I can say I've learned from experience on both accounts.
You see?? You see what happens when you're in Ukraine? And I'm going to do it again. I'm doing it again this week. And the week after that. It's like oh, my plate is empty... can I have a little more humiliation please? Seconds. Thirds. I don't know what my problem is.
Making fools of ourselves in front of unsuspecting Japanese people was funner to do with you than playing for unsuspecting Brooklyn youth by myself. But I'm going to do it. Because Debutantes never quit. They just put on more eye-liner.
Love,
I had my first solo gig the other night. It was like a smorgasborg of humiliation. I totally bit it. Low standards never got lower. I was so nervous, I just did what sometimes happens which is I open my mouth and then all kinds of shit just comes flying out. I told so many bad jokes. I couldn't stop. It was some kind of reflex, verbal spasm. Example - "So that was my attempt at Aretha Franklin. I mean, how can you possibly sing Aretha after Aretha's sung Aretha, but people do that, right? So I decided I'd take a stab at it, because sometimes, stabbing feels good." What the hell was that???
And then, I not only started having verbal spasms, but physical ones. My right leg decided, right in the middle of a slow quiet song about lost love, to be epileptic. I reached over and pressed the sustain pedal and my whole leg just had a seizure. I'm singing, "What'll I do... when you... are far away..." and my whole leg just started shaking uncontrollably. I couldn't make it stop. It shook for a good 4 minutes. A good, mortifying 4 minutes. See, that's what I'll do when you're far away. I'll lose control of my bodily functions.
That's not all. During the next song, the mic was too close to my face. But my hands were occupied, what with playing the piano and all, so I shoved the mic over with my forehead. Maria, I head-butted the microphone in the middle of a song. I couldn't believe it right after I had just done it. I apologized right after the song was over for just having head-butted on stage. I explained to the audience that it was because I don't have 3 hands. "Oh, the things I've done because I don't have three hands," I added. And then I realized I had just done another one of those things you're probably better off never doing - apologizing to an audience. No one wants to hear that. It's like apologizing during sex. The last thing you want to hear while in the throes is, "Oops. Sorry about that." That just never adds to anything. And probably deflates what little you had going for you. So now I can say I've learned from experience on both accounts.
You see?? You see what happens when you're in Ukraine? And I'm going to do it again. I'm doing it again this week. And the week after that. It's like oh, my plate is empty... can I have a little more humiliation please? Seconds. Thirds. I don't know what my problem is.
Making fools of ourselves in front of unsuspecting Japanese people was funner to do with you than playing for unsuspecting Brooklyn youth by myself. But I'm going to do it. Because Debutantes never quit. They just put on more eye-liner.
Love,
Things you can blame on jet lag
This outfit
Arriving 15 minutes late to your own gig
Unshaven armpits
Public napping
Public drooling
This outfit
Love,
This outfit
Arriving 15 minutes late to your own gig
Unshaven armpits
Public napping
Public drooling
This outfit
Love,
December 28, 2007
Friends!
We recorded four new songs in a debutante rush hour and they're now up for your enjoyment on myspace! Check us out. So many thanks to Vin Scialla for dealing with us and making reasonable recordings in almost no time. (We're pushy debutantes, you know?)
Thanks to all those who came out to the DC show, thanks to those who helped burn CDs last night, thanks thanks thanks. 2008 is nigh, people! We'll be ringing it in with our accordions in Seoul!
Happy New Year,
Friends!
We recorded four new songs in a debutante rush hour and they're now up for your enjoyment on myspace! Check us out. So many thanks to Vin Scialla for dealing with us and making reasonable recordings in almost no time. (We're pushy debutantes, you know?)
Thanks to all those who came out to the DC show, thanks to those who helped burn CDs last night, thanks thanks thanks. 2008 is nigh, people! We'll be ringing it in with our accordions in Seoul!
Happy New Year,
December 16, 2007
Hello there,
The Debutante Hour is making our Washington DC debut next weekend on Sat. the 22nd. We're going to dress up for this one. If you happen to be around, please come. Or tell people you like who will be there to please come, but tell them they're cordially invited, because it's true. They are. It's a free show with Thintap Woodsap and Stormy Laughter (flyer).
Now, this is exciting: we've put up two recordings made this morning in under an hour with the aid of Susan's tazer. They're on our myspace. Better still, we spent all day yesterday recording at the Little Red Schoolhouse with Vin, and we'll be ready with our four-song demo around Dec. 26th. Just in time for after Christmas!
Also, we'll be heading off to Asia on Dec. 27th so tell all your friends in Seoul and Tokyo and Kyoto about us.
Thanks to everyone for coming out to Freddy's the other night - wasn't that fun? Make sure to come for our farewell Debutante Ball at the Ukrainian National Home on Jan. 24th.
Love,
Hello there,
The Debutante Hour is making our Washington DC debut next weekend on Sat. the 22nd. We're going to dress up for this one. If you happen to be around, please come. Or tell people you like who will be there to please come, but tell them they're cordially invited, because it's true. They are. It's a free show with Thintap Woodsap and Stormy Laughter (flyer).
Now, this is exciting: we've put up two recordings made this morning in under an hour with the aid of Susan's tazer. They're on our myspace. Better still, we spent all day yesterday recording at the Little Red Schoolhouse with Vin, and we'll be ready with our four-song demo around Dec. 26th. Just in time for after Christmas!
Also, we'll be heading off to Asia on Dec. 27th so tell all your friends in Seoul and Tokyo and Kyoto about us.
Thanks to everyone for coming out to Freddy's the other night - wasn't that fun? Make sure to come for our farewell Debutante Ball at the Ukrainian National Home on Jan. 24th.
Love,
