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Check out the Masslive.com site for a peek at what went down last Saturday at The Brass Cat. Video courtesy of Kevin Smith.
A quick acknowledgement to all those who contributed to a fulfilling week for us as musicmakers, be ye named here or not, we felt you if you were there. The duo performance Wednesday at The Apollo Grill was made possible by loyal supporters in Casey Douglas(Apollo Grill owner), Mark Schwaber (Night Owl Records), Kevin Smith (National Carpet drummer and videotaper extraordinaire), and a smattering of friends and family. Kate and I had a stupendous time, and are grateful for the very generous donations of those who came. Last night at The Brass Cat featured a marathon double set with the full band. Thanks again to Kevin for sitting/standing through the whole thing with his camera, and documenting a memorable set highlighted by Signor Poverello's (that would be my Pop) gracing of the stage, making a guest vocal appearance on a song of his we've been playing for a while now, "Archways." Being the night before Father's Day (Hallmark holiday or not) offered an extra dose of sentimental value, and I'm glad we had a chance to honor a huge musical influence in my life in the most fitting way possible. With my beautiful mother Marla and sister Bethany looking on, it was...how do you say...che bella. As always, the Brass Cat crew, staff and patrons alike, were warm in there welcomes and a pleasure to play for. A very inspiring week, peeps. Thank you so much. [Jesse Lee/RDX]
I just realized what's going on in terms of red door exchange at this present moment, many moments after the the last edition, when it was proclaiming our first tour as about to happen, and since then much has shifted, as with the turning of the season and various moon cycles and light changes i suppose, but of that more later, maybe...of now:
There are four stages of RDX growth and expansion that you are invited to bear witness. Without risking bloating expectations, I would call the process of the four stages "experimental," in the sense of the how the music is being written, and how the music is represented at its current stage of development. I am not narcisstic enough to assume one's interest in the former, but as for the latter I hear that people like to go out to shows and drink and socialize and whatnot, and so the latter is yours for the taking, if you so choose. Stage 1 is complete. Happened a few Saturdays ago when the band wasn't available to play our show at The Brass Cat, and I filled an opening slot solo. [For those of you not in attendance, be sure to check out the bands that played with us: The Modern Loss and Uniform. Uniform came all the way up from New Jersey to fill-in for us, and they made quite an impression, punctuating a night ripe for the picking, made so by yours truly and the high energy Modern Loss.] Stage 2 is at your fingertips. Kate joins me with voice and some pianon for a few songs this Tuesday May 16th at Bishop's Lounge, check the shows page. Stage three is anticipated to be the culmination of the solo/duo performance at The Apollo Grill in Easthampton MA, with more new songs and instrumentations thereof. Then, on June 17th at the legendary Brass Cat, the full band returns for its first show in months. There's lots to catch wind of, we've been busy doing the same. Check the shows page for info, and find the time to come see us if you can. Love ya... [Jesse Lee]
There. Website revamped to a large degree. Check the media, press, lyrics, and most importantly the shows page, as we are heading down to Florida next week on our first ever tour. It's a nine-day, eight-show affair, the longest we could do given time constraints with work and such, but its a perfect little peach of a first tour. Wish us snowfree travel, free meals, and patience, and come see us at one of our stops if you can. Hope to get a blog going while on the road, check back for that next week. [Jesse Lee]
Additions to website are coming, and will be posted upon their gradual completions, starting right now with the lyrics page at last containing lyrics to the songs on our album. Things like pictures are on their way, as well as a more thorough statement of where we're at and where we're going. Thanks for checking in. [Jesse]
The album is now available at CD Baby via the merch page.
The flyer you just saw on the enter page refers to a benefit concert organized by the students of the South Amherst Campust of Amherst High School, as part of their Social Issues curriculum this year. Come out to support not only the victims of the earthquake, but also these young people making some sort of effort to do something for someone else in an age of self-absorption, apathy, and general complacency. Your presence, hopefully contributing to a multitude, will let them know that it is not entirely worthless to be at least occasionally selfless, that their efforts don't go unnoticed, that people do respond to philanthropic thinking. For advance tickets, please email SAC staff member Ian here.
~ GRAZI ~
The Brass Cat
Mark Schwaber and Jen Campbell, Night Owl Records
Mike Lavalle
Richard Lavalle
Eddie Downey III (drum tech, cymbols)
Eric Poulin
Matt Hebert
Sam Silvain
Jay Flanzbaum
Katherinne Knight
Nicole Proulx
Matt Cullen
Mike Dunphy (wheels)
Brox
Jack Lucey (wheels)
The Pietroniro Family
The Wyzik Family
The Elliott Family
The Stephens Family
Ryan Thompson
Josiah Cuneo
Norm DeMoura
Nicole Goldstein
Ed Moret
The Roos Family
Tim Peters
Mike Nastri
Chris Butler
Kenny Ray
Aric Nunes
Greg K. (mooger fooger consultant)
Zachary Sandler (knob twisting)
Joshua Sandler (nachos, vomit)
Mark Zaki (for saving lives)
Pistol Pete
Pape Bathie Pouye (magical chicken)
Nora Stephens
Thorsten Thielow
J. Johnson
Kevin Johnston (Gray Area Graphics)
James Heflin
Michael Kusek
Richard Foncesca
The River WRSI 93.9
The Fallout Shelter, WUML
Brian Anastasi WMUA
Jose Ayerve
Guy & Vana Trudeau and Family
Brendan Leith
Daniel Pietroniro
Aaron Wyzik
Paul Buckley (Lunch Records)
Tim
Patrick Byrne
John B.
Baci
Dr. Kim Sims
Eleanor Pietroniro
Bob Ostrowski
Brian Oakes
Dave Mikuta
Bruce Tull
Jeff Tull
Rachel Maddow
Tom Leonard
Pete Miscikoski (The Chestnut)
Sloppy Joe Leroux
Brenda Street Crew (Casey, Billy, Jeff, Carrie, Sully, Pat, Graps, etc.)
Davin McGuire
Chad, Chuck, and all of the Sico family
Andrea Thompson
Lisa Ray
Jason Simon
Jeff Breeze
Monkeys with Typewriters
Harold Gelinas
The Sicilianos
Michelob Mike
Aldo (Doc) Ala
Exiquio Talavera
Chris Youngren
Chris Taylor
Casey (Apollo Grill)
Will Cluster
Don McCaulay
The Hook, Brooklyn
Matt Dube
The Hot Posse
Kevin O’Connell
WRNX
Melodram
Lo Fine
Ware River Club
Spouse
Feign Pathos
National Carpet
Harper
Drunk Stuntmen
The Figments
Cerberus Shoal
Ray Mason
Fancy Trash
Ghosts of Blake
Gokhbi System
Harris
Taxpayer
Last Thursday went off without a hitch, the biggest concern having been the albums arriving in time for the "CD Release." Perhaps you're familiar with the old adage we completely disobeyed: Don't schedule a "CD Release Show" until you have the CD's. Record label executives beware: we are lazy and incompetent bandpersons.
The most delightful aspects of the evening were having Harper and National Carpet on hand to rock the house prior to RDX, and having an outpouring of support from so many that have supported us all along. A giant THANK YOU list is being compiled and will be posted ever-so-soon.
One thing that was strange was watching my brain work in its usual way while we're on stage, looking around and expecting the positive reaction to be people bouncing off the walls like I was, and not seeing it, in a cavern of my mind was stored a superficial thought of failure, and later that night, 3am to be exact, it surfaced and I was flashbacked to the stage, watching the people facing us, and I recalled a different reality: 100% pure and unadulterated auditory and visual attention. The space at the Iron Horse is conducive to such, and less so to jumping around (as is a late weeknight), and it took me until after the night was more or less over to realize that people responded by providing their ears and eyes and, dare I say, souls for the evening. You listened. We were filled up. Thank you.
As the start page to this site indicated, the celebration continues. Check the shows page for more details. If you are unable to make it to any of our upcoming dates, but are interested in the album, we will have them available at CD Baby shortly, and they are already available at Turn it Up in Northampton MA, and Night Owl Records in Easthampton. Furthermore, Red Door Exchange is the November adopted band of month on WRSI, 93.9 The River. They are playing selections from the album, which you can call to request anytime at 413-586-8939.
Lastly, this site will be experiencing updates over the course of the next while. Stay tuned.
Archived News: 2004 2005
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