 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
NATHANIEL SEER NEWS
Tuesday July 22, 2008
Hello again my friends. The gas fund drive is well underway and I have had a few donations start to trickle in. Thanks so much to those that have contributed.
And, just so you know how serious I am about getting this music to you my various friends around the U.S., and so that you know I am not taking the donation money for a stay at the Hampton, please enjoy the pics below of my Toyota Corolla RV conversion.
And if you can spare $4 (roughly the cost of one gallon of gas) click on the donation button below to become a benefactor of independent music. Thank you for your support.
Saturday July 19, 2008
Hello dear friends. As you no doubt realize, gas prices are sick. And even though I travel in a highly gas-efficient Toyota Corolla, the cost of fueling is still the greatest obstacle for touring. So, for all those who dig what I do, and want to see me keep doing it, I am placing a donation button on this site and on my myspace profile. Help keep the Corolla rolling, and me singing, in your town. Donate a gallon of gas today. And of course, check the shows page to see when I will be performing near you.
Saturday May 31, 2008
on tour. check it out on the shows page. word.
N
Tuesday May 14, 2008
howdy all. tomorrow night, thursday may 15th at 10pm, a performance performed by me will be aired on WBGU-TV out of bolling green ohio.
also, i will be heading out again on tour this summer with my band. check the shows page.
talk to you soon,
N
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
hello my friends. this wednesday, march 5th, i will be performing on WFHB-91.3-FM here in good ole bloomington, in. tune in around 9pm or so for the show. if you live in some other corner of the world, you can tune in via the web by going to:
http://www.wfhb.org/streamcast.php
also, this saturday march 8th i will be performing in findlay, oh at coffee amici and the following saturday march 15 i will be getting into a "Folk Fight" in knoxville, tn.
i hope to see you soon,
N
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
howdy all. wanted let everyone know that i will be on the radio this weekend on WBOI-FM-89.1 in FT. Wayne, IN. but everyone else with the internet can listen by following this link:
publicbroadcasting.net/niprfm/ppr/niprfm.m3u
the show is this Saturday, January 26@9pm.
N
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
happy new year my dear friends. just back from tour and i am very pleased with how it went. even though i was sick for the better part of the trip, we met some wonderful new people and were reaquainted with some old faces.
this weekend on saturday january 12 i will be performing at a house show in chicago. it will be webcast live. you can watch that evening starting at 9pm by going to http://ustream.tv/channel/scripts-hangout. hope to see many of you watching.
talk to you soon,
N
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
hello everyone. just a little message now to remind you that i will be out on tour starting the end of this month. check the shows page to see if i will be performing near you.
also, please order your copy or download of my new album "Songs of Hate" from Chestnut Tree Records. as you can tell by the title, it is the perfect holiday gift.
talk to you soon,
N
Saturday, December 1, 2007
the day has finally come, my new record "Songs of Hate" is out. do you want your own copy, but can't come to a show? no problem, just go to:
you can purchase your very own copy and they will mail it to you immediately. or download it directly from Chestnut Tree Records to avoid the hastles of the postal system.
tonight i go to Findlay, OH to perform at a taping for WBGU-TV's "Music's Brewin'" program which takes place at the most wonderful place in the whole world, Coffee Amici.
N
Friday, November 23, 2007
so in one week, on december 1, 2007 my new album "songs of hate" will be released on Chestnut Tree Records. find out more about my new label by going to:
i am very excited to finally have this new album available for you.
also, this winter i will be going out for a short tour east. check the shows page to see where. not all the dates are up yet, but will be soon.
N
Thursday, October 25, 2007
"songs of hate" my second offering, will release december 1, 2007.
you can learn more and hear a song from the record by visiting:
thank you and enjoy,
N
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
i am happy to announce that i am moving to Chestnut Tree Records. i will be releasing my second record on that label later this fall. my first record can still be purchased through Higher Step Records.
if you get curious and have a free moment, check us out at: www.chestnuttreerecords.com
and be our myspace friend at: www.myspace.com/chestnuttreerecords
talk to you soon
N
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
hello dear friends. just a little update now to let you know that i am scheduling shows once again. my second album is now finally recorded. i am excited that fall is upon us. and of course, i miss all of you. see you soon i hope.
N
PS: Myself and my band have been drawn for Nuvo's Barfly Comic. Thanks to Wayne Bertsch the artist, who did and amazing job. Check it out here.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Hello again,
My perception of the last couple weeks has been split. While in the thick of our travels, I felt as though time was sucked away by the swift currents of the maelstrom. Now that we have arrived safely home, I feel that many long years have passed since we were last here; since meeting all of you gorgeous peoples of America. Though I know I would be wrong, I should like to imagine that those we came to know on this tour, however briefly, are in fact the true America. If the entire country lived as these few, we would exist in a wholly hospitable society. In other words: thank you all for being so awesome.
For all those interested in the tale of our quest, I will attempt to, with some brevity, distill the day to day happenings of the tour here. For those that might be considering a tour of their own, scan through this little offering for some pointers on where to play and where to avoid at all costs.
Oh, and to all those bands who insist on traveling with the 15 passenger van/trailer combo, keep in my mind that we did it, 4 people and gear, in a 2001 Toyota Corolla with a car top carrier. Word!
May 31st—We started our tour in Bloomington at Uncle Festers. It was a rough set and just the thing to shake off all our pre-tour jitters. We shared the stage with Ben Laatsch and Airtight Garage. Ben played guitar for our band and is also a very good singer/songwriter. He opened many of the shows on this tour. Airtight Garage played one of the best sets of rock that I have seen in a long while. My wife plays bass in that band and they were nice enough to lend her to me for this tour.
June 1st—This was the first out-of-town show. We played at the Allegre's house in Ft. Wayne with Ben Laatsch, our good friends The Sparrowses, and Kyle Morris. Mary's dad also sang a few tunes a cappella. There was a sort of magic in this evening. The perfect send off really. Thanks to Drew and Mary and all those who came out, you set a positive tone that lasted the rest of the tour.
June 2nd—We woke at the Allegre's (thanks for the place to stay) and headed for Chicago where we played Mojoe's Hot House with The Sparrowses, Al Schorsch and In Miniature. This is a good venue with a cool owner; many thanks to Michael. The bass player for In Miniature, Phillip, hosted us at his apartment before the show for dinner. He cooked for us and provided wine and cakes and hummus and many other delicious snacks. We all agreed that Phillip should be canonized. I took a nap on his porch before the show. It was the perfect lazy afternoon. After the show we traveled east again to The Sparrowses' lake front cottage.
June 3rd—A morning of coffee and walking by the lake before driving back to Ft. Wayne to play the Three Rivers Co-op for our lunch and a little gas money. This was a good stop because later that night we played a very defunct show in Dayton, OH. We were supposed to play the Nite Owl but that venue was having liquor license issues, so the show was moved last minute to some other place called Walnut Hills where very few people showed up and the owner was kind of a penis. These things happen and we didn't let it get us down. Maybe next time, Dayton. Luckily, Erika's friend Kenneth gave us a place to stay. We cooked dinner and drank Coors Light. Thanks to Kenneth and his lady Wendy for having us.
June 4th—After leaving Kenneth's early so he could get to work, we went to the U.S. Air Force Museum in Dayton. Four weary musicians walking around some of the most complex systems of death and destruction. In this place, very much designed to invoke feelings national pride, it became quite clear to us that maybe humanity could have been spending our time and energy on more worth while causes (true, not an original realization, however certainly one that more of us should be having). After that we motored on toward Cleveland, OH to play the Barking Spider (it means fart). Thanks to owner Martin for having us in your bar, for the bungee cables and generally being very cool. This place felt like home to us. That night I broke the key to our car top carrier, hence the bungee cables needed. We drove on after the show for a while looking for a Motel 6. Ben and Joe kept me awake with some freestyle hip-hop from the back seat. I would have fallen asleep at the wheel, but I couldn't stop laughing.
June 5th—Refreshed from good Motel 6 sleep, we drove into Mentor, OH where we found a great Mexican restaurant, El Rodeo. After breakfast we found a locksmith that was able to take the two parts of our broken key and make about a thousand copies which we hid in various corners of our bodies. Dirty. With our car top carrier locked down, we kept on our way to Rochester, NY. We played Boulder Coffee Co. and then stayed for the hip-hop open mic. It was quite rad. Our good friend Julia joined us at this point on the tour. This was good for us because we like her, she bought us some Motel 6, and gave Ben a good outlet for his energies.
June 6th—For breakfast we finished off the salad and peaches that Julia brought for us, and then got under way to Ithaca, NY. This was a beautiful drive, only to be trumped the next week by the drive through West Virginia. Ithaca is located at the lower tip of a finger lake, which we could see out the left hand side of the car for most of the trip down. Once in Ithaca, we did some laundry and got our exercise climbing the hills and exploring. Ithaca reminded us of Bloomington, only taller. We played The ABC Café where we met two wonderful, angelic people. Tree and Dawn, who found us a place to stay with their friend Nancy, gave us a Buddha for good luck in our travels and sent os on our way with very warm feelings that sustained us for the rest of the trip; thank you so much. We hope to see you again and repay your kindnesses.
June 7th—On our way out of Ithaca we found a good organic grocery and stocked up on delicious co-op food before heading down for the big, mean old city. NYC is a cool enough place, yet I do not think we will return there on our next tour. The money it takes just to get into New York is fairly prohibitive. Then you have to pay for parking, if your skilled enough to even find any. Oh, and bring your anger if you plan on driving there. Poor Julia got side swiped while trying to follow my aggressive driving through Manhattan. We played Parkside Lounge. A cool bar with pool and foosball, but like most places in the Big Apple, not terribly warm or giving to us no-name, yet talented out-of-town artists. It's the nature of the place I suppose. None-the-less we enjoyed seeing our friends there; hanging out with Gray Blue at Welcome to the Johnson's (where he was generous enough to buy the PBR) and staying the night in Brooklyn at Jon Autry's house. Thanks to Jon for his hospitality.
June 8th—We woke with some anxiety about the car and all our stuff which we had to park some 4 blocks away, however no evil had been done to us during the night. After getting breakfast all together we sadly parted ways with Julia who had to return to Providence. We drove on down I-95 to Bowie, MD to play the Old Bowie Town Grille with ILYaimi. Thanks to them and to Bob the owner for a great night. We played to a packed room of attentive, genuinely good people, many of whom were old friends from the College Perk crowd. I nearly cried tears of true happiness over all of you showing up to see us play. It was a nice contrast to NYC. So, way to go suburban Maryland! That night we stayed with our friend Nancy at her parent's lovely home in Haymarket, VA. Thanks to them for their generosity.
June 9th—This was a day of relaxing at Nancy's parent's house. Then we drove into the district to play The Grog and Tankard. Let me just say to all who might be considering that venue: don't. You get nothing at this place, including any of the door money. Unless of course you can bring in a minimum of 15 people, then you get a small percentage of the door. They will ask people at the door who they are there to see, so innocent bystanders won't be counted for your band. This bar is there only to make money off the bands, and more power to them. Its all a part of the game. However, be warned that you will be supporting a venue that doesn't support you. After the show Ben went to see Califone, for free, and Joe went out on the town with Andrew, Nancy, and Kate who were our only friends to come out that night. Thanks guys. Erika and I went to the Lincoln Memorial to eat some fresh raspberries from Whole Foods while watching tourists. Washington D.C. at night is beautiful.
June 10th—After staying another night with Nancy, we braved the Alleghany Mountains of West Virginia, though we were very concerned that the Corolla was broken. It was Sunday and there was nothing we could do for it anyway. Fortunately we made it with no problem. We arrived in Thomas, WV to play the Purple Fiddle with our new friend Misha. We ate a delicious meal, which the place provided, and then joined some of the locals for an invigorating game of ultimate frisbee. Then we played the show, went to a cool party and slept at the bed and breakfast that The Purple Fiddle put us up in. It was heaven on earth and we were reluctant to leave. Play there, or just go there if ever you can.
June 11th—We headed to Morgantown, WV after having breakfast at The Purple Fiddle. We had the car looked over while Joe and Ben busied themselves for the afternoon at coffee shops and movie theaters. The car was fine, thank god, and we played a cool show with our friends Billy Matheny and David Bello at 123 Pleasant St. Paul the sound guy is great as well is Sean the Bartender. He hooks it up. Billy took us back to his apartment for the night and showed us a good time. Thanks Billy.
June 12th—We rose early and spent the day in Charleston, WV. At first, we did not have a good impression of this town. The expensive parking and shooting deaths soured us on the place. However, Dave the bartender turned around our perceptions and we really loved playing at Sam's Uptown Café. They took very good care of us. With our bellies full and money in our pockets we spent another night at the Motel 6. It was grand.
June 13th—After an ill-advised breakfast at Bob Evans we traveled south to Johnson City, TN to play the Acoustic Coffeehouse; a cool little joint that broadcasts its concerts on internet radio. We met some very nice people, Ben scored a free pizza and we did some laundry in the Laundromat next door. It felt like the end of tour, because the next day we returned to the Midwest to play our last three shows. We spent yet one more night at the Motel 6 then drove to Louisville, KY.
June 14th—We were joined at Lisa's Oak St. Lounge by our friends Ben Traughber and Parade Schedule. It was one of our favorite line-ups of the tour. The bar was very cool and we had a lot of fun. After the show we drove to Cincinnati to stay the night at my dad's house. Free food and cable, woot!
June 15th—So this was the "big" show of the tour. We were all a little nervous to be playing the Ballroom at the Southgate House in Newport, KY but in the end it was a blast. We played with Entheos, Michael Oberst, Twisted Wood and Subvinyl. There were a lot of people at this show, so thanks to all who came out. Thanks to Allison from Entheos for having us on the bill.
June 16th—We enjoyed a little more free cable at my dad's place then headed for Indianapolis. Our dear friends Kit and Shae had a tasty meal waiting for us when we arrived and it was great to visit with them before going down to my favorite Indy bar; Locals Only. Thanks to Dave and Michelle for being awesome. We played with Hey Hey Melodica, The Last Domino and Denver band, Meese. Everyone played a great set and was really cool. Except Meese. In true "rock star" fashion they didn't show up until time for their set. Instead of hanging out with the rest of us, they sat outside in their van maintaining the circle jerk that is fueling their own little flash in the great pan of mediocrity. If nothing else, this tour has taught us this: humility before the kindnesses of others brings true fortune.
Of all the tours that I have taken, this was by far the best. We met so many wonderful people, played some of the coolest venues and witnessed true beauty. In regards to the business of Nathaniel Seer, we actually made money. Not much, but breaking even was the original goal. This may seem ridiculous, but our last tour ended far in the red. Progress feels good.
Thank you to Ben Laatsch for playing guitar, Joe Stone for playing drums and my lovely wife Erika for playing bass. Thanks also for everything else you guys contributed; a list too long for this already very long message.
I would be remiss if I did not further point out that any success that can be measured for this tour, is completely due to the generosity of others. We were very well taken care of on this trip. This whole thing would not work for us, or for any performer, without the help of others. If you don't know this, learn it. If you knew this once but have forgotten, then remember it. Then, once this knowledge is secure inside you, act accordingly.
Thank you to all who are our benefactors. I hope, either directly or by way of karma we might be able to one day repay you.
Talk to you soon,
N
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Hello friends,
Tour is upon us, and we are very excited to be visiting so many of the wonderful cities, towns and villages that have treated us with so much hospitality in the past. It has been nearly a year since our last extended outing to the east coast, and we are missing so many of you. I will be bringing my songs to your favorite dives and drinking haunts, and this time with a great accompanying ensemble. Ben Laatsch, a fantastic songwriter himself, will be playing guitar. Joe Stone, formerly of TremFu and one of the most hilarious dudes ever, will be playing drums. And finally, and certainly not least of all, my lovely wife will be playing bass to round out our little band. Visit the shows page for the up-to-date schedule.
This will be the final tour to support my first record "the killing task." I will have copies with me of course, and you can also find it online through itunes and other such outlets. I will have my first t-shirt for sale on this tour. I don't have a picture to show you, but Ben Laatsch, if he was here right now, would tell you that it is "Bad Ass!!" I will also be selling a lyric book containing all of the songs I have written up to now. I don't like to publish the lyrics in the liner notes for my albums but many of you have asked me for them. So, it is with great pleasure that I make them available to you now. The book is artfully decorated with illustrations by Davy Jay Sparrow from The Sparrowses.
So come out, and bring a friend or a dozen friends if you like. Spread the word, and I will be forever grateful to you. We are always in need of a comfortable floor to stretch out on for the night, and for that we will be in your debt. We are, in addition to decent musicians, very nice people. We can wash your dishes and any other light house work you might have for us.
See you all very soon,
N
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
well, if you didn't already know, i am going out on tour this june. just a few days left to fill and the schedule will be complete. visit the shows page to see where i will be and when so you can join in on the rock!
this time around i will have a kick ass backing ensemble consisting of my friend and fellow songwriting compatriot BEN LAATSCH, as well as my lovely wife and one other person to be named later.
also, my first t-shirt will be available for purchase at the shows along with my album and a cool new book of lyrics including songs yet to be released. i am merching it up, so come out and cough it up.
finally, we will be sharing the stage with many excellent musicians along the way. some of them are linked to my myspace profile. go there and check out some great music. www.myspace.com/nathanielseer
see you out there,
N
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
right now its morning. i am making hard boiled eggs and coffee. ten minutes for cooking the eggs. 25 seconds for grinding the coffee; it will be quite strong this way. i am also making some toast with apple butter. if you have never tried apple butter, and are simply frightened of the consequences, i urge you to take this risk. you won't be sorry. i am listening to the news. lately i have been a little more than obsessed with conspiracy theories. well, one theory inparticular. and without dirtying you with the details of who, what and why ("how" is hardly ever important), i would like to say, that while many who participate in such excersises of blind, thankless faith might strike you as insane, please consider this phenomenon among all other modes of religion. there is no more "evidence" that g-d exists, than there is proof that darkly dressed, homegrown operatives planned and executed a devastating, fiery attack on their own countrymen. however, what makes a good faith is not unflinching loyalty to the belief. as i would say to any christian, i would say to those who persist in this religion of conspiracy: take the fundamentals of your faith, and consider them as if totally false. a faith untested, is no faith at all. faith is a choice that must be made every morning, preferably in the sober presence of toast, eggs and coffee. making this choice only once, in the youth of our minds, in a sublime fervor, is reckless. whats at stake (unlke with apple butter) is not worth the risk.
did you know that you can purchase my record "The Killing Task" on itunes, rhapsody and many other online outlets? its true. you can also order a hard copy direct from the record label, www.higherstep.com.
you may also buy a copy of my record directly from me the next time i am in your town playing a show. check the shows page to see when i will be near by.
talk to you soon,
N
Thursday, February 1, 2007
happy february to you. and happy new year. again i start this little news/blog section over, with the hope that it will be pleasant for you to read. but for now, not much to report. i am playing many shows for you, and working many hours to finish up the second record. be my myspace friend. i update that more. www.myspace.com/nathanielseer.
talk to you soon. see you soon.
N