Hi everybody! This is Erik from the Po'Boys. We've been basically neglecting this blog thingy since Nick came up with the idea to start one. But here's my attempt at getting into it. The 'Boys have been very busy this summer. As you can imagine, when you live in a region covered under a thick layer of ice for half the year, when the sun comes out, the people want to dance and have a good time. That's where we come in!
It's been a great summer for us both as a band and as individual musicians. We just finished playing the Rochester International Jazz Fest. This was the first time we have been able to truly play on an international stage in front of an international audience and we didn't disappoint. Neither did the people who came out in droves! Between our two set we must've had at least 5,000 people crammed on our tiny street corner to hear some good old funky brass! We can't be more appreciative to John Nugent or the rest of the great guys at the Jazz Fest for taking such good care of us and giving us a chance to shine. And of course, without our fans this would've never been a success and we're so appreciative of great people like you who let us go and do our thing!
As for individuals in the band. Well everybody up and graduated the Eastman School of Music this spring (with exception to me...the 'baby' who will be in school another 2 years). Mike, Chris Teal and Nick Finzer all walked the stage. Nick got his BM in Jazz Performance, and Mike and Chris both got Masters Degrees in Jazz and Contemporary Media. TJ is about ready to wrap up his Doctoral work and will soon be the first tuba player to receive a doctorate in over 10 years at ESM.
In addition to all this, Dubblestuff, Nick, Chris Teal, and Mike Frederick's other band/project, are set to release their newest album with a new lineup of characters. If you've never heard Dubblestuff, you've gotta hear these guys. I call them 'sophisticated funk' and they're amazing. You'll have your chance at the Corn Hill Arts Festival. Don't miss it! More info about Dubblestuff here. Buy their CD at Corn Hill!!
We have several more shows this summer all over New York and plans are in the works now for a pretty ambitious Fall Tour through New York and Pennsylvania. We're also developing a new website with the big help of Beth Sumner of Otaku Lab. And of course I'd be remiss to forget mentioning Blank Media, the newly-launched project of the Po'Boys Art Team and those great folks responsible for our new logos and merchandise line!
That's enough blabbering for now. I should do this more often so I don't have to waste your time with all this stuff. Thanks for reading and for supporting us as always!
Enjoy the pic from RIJF. The crowd was great and the vibe was good!
-ej
