Just in time for the deadline, I recorded and submitted my entry for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest 2019. Recorded live at my home, here’s a performance of my original song, “Knocking Down My Front Door.” If the video does not embed below, here’s a direct link to watch it on YouTube. https://youtu.be/5AVC9huNZiA
Thanks for watching!
I had a fantastic time with Christina Alessi & the Toll Collectors playing for the first time at the Fox and Crow in Jersey City, NJ on Friday, February 15, 2019. This was a great little room to play with such an attentive audience.
Jamie Rose opened the night and rocked it.
Here was the Toll Collectors setlist.
And because the room was so attentive, we decided to play a Crosby, Stills, and Nash cover, “Helplessly Hoping.” It really showed off the vocal harmonies of Christina, Maribyrd, and Jon, who unfortunately got cut from the visuals in video below. I even got to play a little piano. Check out the video below or click on this link to watch it on YouTube – https://youtu.be/u55FXXeptjk.
I hope your new year is off to a good start and I hope you are braving this cold weather in a warm cozy place.
It’s funny, ever since I started working in educational publishing I’ve met people of extraordinary talents and who have an artistic pursuit outside of the day job. Maybe it’s the nature of the jobs in the industry – writers, designers, coders, creators. We are committed to some form of creation all day and then somehow we still have a need to create outside of the confines of the office.
At least once a year, my company likes to celebrate this. We have an Art, Music, and Poetry Expo where we hang artwork, eat, drink, rent a stage, and have a show. Poetry readings, musical performance, dance… it started a couple of years ago and now it’s become a Thing.
So here’s a video of my performance. I played an original and a cover: “Knocking Down My Front Door” and “Happier” by Marshmello and Bastille. Hope you enjoy it!
If you can’t see the embed below, use this link to watch and share: https://youtu.be/NvjG-DWZH2Y
Back in October – which btw feels like yesterday – I played at the Gallery opening of NonLinearKnitting Studios. This is a really terrific spot in Jersey City. I’m excited with what is happening with art and music in this space! Here’s a video of me performing, Howlin’. Enjoy.
If you can’t see the embed above, you can get to it via this link: https://youtu.be/TO6mMyBPFzw
I had a fantastic time playing for attentive listeners at the opening of the NonLinear Knitting Studio Gallery. If These Walls Could Talk was a celebration of local art and music and it was a pleasure to play.
In the spirit of the show’s name, I covered Tom Petty’s, “Walls No. 3.” Here is a clip of it from Instagram. (BTW, you can follow me on Instagram @joshbicknell.)
If the embed doesn’t work above, you can watch it on Instagram here.
Here was the full setlist.
Great times! Can’t wait to go back to this studio for the next event.
I love watching NPR’s Tiny Desk Concerts. They are an awesome way to watch bands you love perform stripped down versions of their songs. They are also awesome for discovering new music!
A few years ago, NPR decided to launch a yearly Tiny Desk Contest, where emerging artists could record their own music in front of a desk. Last year, I recorded a stripped down version of my song, “Howlin.” This year, it’s a stripped down version of “A New Start,” complete with a live vocal loop during the bridge. Hope you enjoy it!
Occasionally, my work life and musical life overlap. This is one of those times! Please enjoy, live from my place of employment, my cover of Tom Petty’s “Free Fallin’.” Complete with vocal loops!
On Thursday, May 4th, I had the privilege of entertaining the front room at Maxwell’s Tavern in Hoboken, NJ. Ty Tuschen joined me for two sets and also ran his GoPro during the gig! Check out this video, which features a unique acoustic interpretation of Disclosure’s (feat. Sam Smith) “Latch.”
If the embed doesn’t appear below, here’s a direct and shareable link: https://youtu.be/LrCjUuawN5g
Here’s my entry into NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest! It’s an acoustic version of my song “Howlin’.” Hope you enjoy it!
If the embedded video doesn’t appear above, here’s the link: https://youtu.be/dQZyqC9tCe4
Check out this peek into our rehearsal for tonight’s show at Tierney’s in Montclair, NJ. This is a cover of Joe Cocker’s, “The Letter.” Enjoy!
If the embedded video does not appear below, you can check it out here.