Tag Archives: shayfer james

Tuesday 4/28 with Shayfer James

 

Update: Unfortunately, this show had to be cancelled due to Shayfer losing his voice from an upper respiratory infection. I will let you know if there’s a reschedule date.

031915 Pete's Candy Store

Shayfer James and I are playing The Way Station in Brooklyn.

The venue is Dr. Who themed and the show is free. What more do you need to know?

Tuesday, April 28th 
with Shayfer James 
The Way Station
683 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn NY
10:30pm
FREE

Last Week Recap

And what a week it was!

Four gigs. Each unique in their own way.

Bowery Electric

First, a solo acoustic show at Bowery Electric. Sunday, March 15th. This place had a great vibe and an even better sound system and sound guy.

Bowery Electric 031515

Performing at Bowery Electric. 3/15/15

 

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Setlist. Bowery Electric. 3/15/15

Pete’s Candy Store

Second, a duo performance with singer/songwriter Shayfer James at the picturesque Pete’s Candy Store in Brooklyn, NY.

031915 Pete's Candy Store

Pete’s Candy Store with Shayfer James. 3/18/15.

031815-Pete's with Drums

My view from behind the kit. Pete’s Candy Store. 3/18/15.

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Setlist. Pete’s Candy Store. 3/18/15.

Northern Soul

Third, I played with Christina Alessi and the Toll Collectors at Northern Soul in Hoboken, NJ. It’s always a blast to play with these guys. This was such a great show!

Toll_Collectors_031915

Christina and the Toll Collectors. Northern Soul. 3/19/15.

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Jonathan Andrew and I rocking out. Northern Soul. 3/19/15.

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Christina and the Toll Collectors. Setlist. 3/19/15.

Espresso Joe’s Guitar Pull

I finished up the week with a unique show on Saturday, March 21st – A Guitar Pull sponsored by blowupradio.com. I had a fantastic time getting to meet and share the stage with David Bronson and Mike Regrets.

We took turns playing songs, talking about writing, recording, and everything in between. I always enjoy playing at Espresso Joe’s. Not only because they hosted my photography for a month back in November, but because the audience is top notch. They sit, listen, and pay attention to the show for the entire duration. It’s such a joy to see places like this still exist and I’m always so happy to play there.

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Performing at Espresso Joe’s. 3/21/15.

Pete’s Candy Store with Shayfer James

Shayfer James Pete's Candy Store

 

Join me in Williamsburg tomorrow for a performance with Shayfer James. I’m super excited to be playing a show with this talented singer/songwriter/pianist. It’ll just be a duo. Shayfer on piano and voice. Myself on the drums. Hope you can join us.

Wednesday, March 18th  
with Shayfer James
Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street, Brooklyn, NY
9:30pm
FREE

Last Performance with Shayfer at Rockwood

Tomorrow evening is your last chance to see me perform with Shayfer James as part of his residency at Rockwood Music Hall this month. It’s been a fun few weeks and I’ve had a great time playing with him and Jeremy. Hope to see you there!

Tuesday, April 22nd
playing drums for Shayfer James
Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 1
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
11pm
FREE!

Shayfer and Jeremy

 

Rockwood Setlist 4/8/14

Here’s the setlist from last week’s show with Shayfer James at Rockwood Music Hall. You’ll notice that the setlist is sitting on top of an old Rogers snare drum that is part of the house drum kit at Stage 1. Such a nice kit! Join us this Tuesday for the next performance.

Tuesday, April 15th 
playing drums for Shayfer James
Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 1
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
11pm
FREE!

Rockwood Setlist 040814

 

Residency at Rockwood Music Hall Starts Tomorrow

Rockwood Music Hall 2-24-14

I’m looking forward to playing drums with Shayfer James at Rockwood Music Hall (Stage 1) every Tuesday this month. It all begins tomorrow. I hope to see you there.

Tuesday, April 8th 
playing drums for Shayfer James
Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 1
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
11pm
FREE!

Tuesday, April 15th 
playing drums for Shayfer James
Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 1
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
11pm
FREE!

Tuesday, April 22nd 
playing drums for Shayfer James
Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 1
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
11pm
FREE!

Tuesday, April 29th 
playing drums for Shayfer James
Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 1
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
11pm
FREE!

5 Tips for Learning an Artist’s Set in One Week

Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you need to learn another artist’s songs quickly? I found myself there recently, when artist Shayfer James‘ drummer broke his arm. Shayfer had an important gig in a week and needed someone to fill in right away.

A few weeks have passed since the gig. Through reflection, I thought about five things that really helped to expedite the learning process. I’m posting them here in case they are helpful to you, too. Though they are written from a drummer’s perspective, some tips may apply no matter which instrument you play.

    1. All’s well that ends well.
      Learn the ending first. Does the song end with a hit, a rit., or a fade out? If it’s a fade out on the recording, how does it end in a live setting? Above all else, nail the ending.
    2. Know thy entrance.
      How does each song begin? Do you start it? Does someone else? If someone else starts it, are they relying on you to set the tempo? If so, learn the tempos cold.
      A tip: Look at the playlist of songs on your device. Without hitting the play button, quiz yourself on the entrances, tempos, and overall song style for each song. As you’re learning, test yourself by clicking the play button. Repeat until you no longer need to hit play.
    3. Gradually release yourself from the recordings.
      Listening to an artist’s studio recordings can be a double-edged sword. It’s good because you’ll hear all the parts clearly, but it’s bad for the very same reason. You’ll get used to everything you hear in the recording, which may not match up to the live performance. For instance, you might subconsciously cue off an auxiliary string part while you’re listening. Then when you’re in the first rehearsal – where there are no string parts being performed – you notice you’re getting lost in the song! How could this have happened? You were listening so closely to the recording that you missed the forest for the trees!
      The cure is to gradually ween yourself off the recordings. Stop playing the songs in your earbuds and start playing them in your brain. As you start to do this, it will reveal new gaps in your understanding. As you find these gaps, go back to the recording to fill them. Then, play back the song in your brain one more time to let it sink in.
    4. Know the quirky bits.
      If you’re playing with a good musician, he/she is going to have a unique style.
      Think: What are the signature elements that occur in their songs? Does he like to use lots of starts and stops? If so, learn those cold. Does she tend to gradually build each song into a climax? In that case, be sure you are paying extra attention to your dynamics.
      Each artist will be different, but the key is to figure out those signature elements. Then, figure out the parts of your playing style that best complement those elements. Adjust as needed, but stay grounded in reality. With only one week to learn the tunes, you won’t be able to duplicate every last fill in the recorded performance. Nor should you have to. No one in the audience will be looking for that anyway. If you complement the artist’s unique style, you’ve done a good job.
    5. When it comes time to perform, don’t think about any of the tips above.
      Sure, obsess like crazy leading up to the gig. But when it’s time to perform, focus on connecting with the other musicians on stage. Focus on creating a good experience for your audience. No one is looking for an exact replication of the recording. They want an experience. And the experience you provide by creating a true connection with the musicians on stage will far exceed an error-free performance that may be technically perfect but does not connect on any other level.

Hope you found these helpful!

Rockwood Music Hall Recap

I must admit, I was a bit nervous about having only about a week to learn an entire set’s worth of material. But I’m happy to say that Monday’s gig at Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 was pretty great.

First, the crew lowered the piano from the ceiling. Then we took the stage. Here we are. Shayfer, Josh, Jeremy.

Rockwood Music Hall 2-24-14

 

Here’s the setlist/whiskey.

Shayfer Setlist 2-24-14

Overall, a successful night.

If you haven’t yet, please go check out Shayfer’s music over at www.shayferjames.com.

 

Monday with Shayfer James at Rockwood Music Hall

I’m looking forward to playing Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 2 (the bigger stage!) with Shayfer James in just a few days! His drummer recently injured his arm in a snowboarding accident so I’m stepping in behind the kit for this gig. I’ve spent the last week learning his tunes and it all seems to be coming together quite nicely for Monday night’s performance. I hope you can make it!

Monday, February 24th
playing drums for Shayfer James
Rockwood Music Hall – Stage 2
196 Allen Street
New York, NY
10pm
FREE! 

Feel free to check out Shayfer’s music hereShayfer James