Patrick Thomas | Archive

Louisiana 1927 Video and Jazz Fest wrap-up

No Comments 18 May 2011

My lady and I took a trip down to NOLA for Jazz Fest 2011. This was my third time down to New Orleans in a couple years. We were luck enough to visit for an extended stay with Hotels & Highways. Its become one of few cities that I could really see myself living in.


As always, one of the first stops is Cafe Du Monde for Beignets and Coffee.  When I finished, I looked like I'd been to an all-night coke party.  Powdered sugar was everywhere, but much like all-night coke parties, I was feeling quite pleased with myself. 
We went straight from there to the open market where I heard an incredible band playing in an outdoor cafe.  The group included no member younger than fifty and without any apparent strain or effort they still supplied more soul to Randy Newman's song Louisiana 1927 than I've ever heard before.  I shouldn't have been surprised in NOLA, but it took me off guard to hear such sweet sounds from the lunch hour cover band.
Even after Mint Juleps, Abita Beers and wonderful food, nothing could get that song out of my head so I decided that night to learn the song the second I got home.  We played it on Saturday night (5/14/11) at Rockwood Music Hall and then Matt Aronoff and I decided to record a little video for y'all. 

I would be a fool not to pass along some of my faves from Jazz Fest.  In the Marginy we caught a very late night set from Eric Lindell at a great bar called DBA. I loved his playing voice and stage presence, but the rhythm section blew me away.  The drummer had such a heavy foot (in a good way) and he locked in so well with the bass player that you would think they were twins.
At the fest itself, we caught sets from Ellis Marsalis, Rebirth Brass Band, Michael Franti and many more.  Sadly, Kid Rock (who I've heard puts on a good show, but JAZZ FEST???) was making a ton of noise on the main stage and was killing a little of the Big Easy mood.  The last two acts we watched were Robert Randolph and the Neville Bros.
I have always wanted to see Robert Randolph.  My old band PTT used to listen to his live CD in the van all the time. Every picture I ever saw, he had a huge smile on his face, and I was happy to walk away with my expectations met.  He played an amazing version of Purple Haze with Sonny Landreth .  My mind was blown!  The day closed out with Aaron Neville and his brothers singing Sam Cooke's, "A Change is Gonna Come."  Couldn't of asked for anything more touching to end our day.  Not that I'm an old geezer, but it blows me away that I can find the performance on youtube.

Finally, I must mention the biggest surprise of Jazz Fest.  The food! This is real N'Awlins food lined up right next to each other.  If just the food booth went on tour, I would attend every summer in New York.  Catfish Almondine!!!!!!


I'm hoping to be adding some more of these videos and blogs to the page.  Hopefully, future videos will be of better quality than this one, but you gotta start somewhere.  As we said in the video, if you have a state themed cover or any request, just send it my way.  patrickthomasmusic@gmail.com
If you just want to download the mp3, feel free to click here. Louisiana 1927 (I hope to get this link working asap!!! In the meantime, email me and I'll email you the mp3.  Deal?)


                
                
				

				
				
				
		
										
					News, Videos
					Want to see/hear Hotels & Highways? We need your help!
					No Comments 16 November 2010
		
					
                                            
							                Ok. We rescued a puppy. We call him Ozzy, mostly named after Fozzy the Bear.  He has been sitting quietly on my lap as I mix the latest and greatest from our BRAND NEW BAND Hotels & Highways.  More about this in a second, but first…
I am playing in Chicago, IL on Saturday night at 9:30 with Tim Blane (get tickets here) The following Saturday, we are working off the turkey in NYC, by playing Tom Petty’s Wildflowers at Rockwood (8pm). 
Ok, now the biggest of the big news.  Ozzy, the prince of darkness and I have been slaving away in the laboratory polishing up the already incredible sounding album “Lost River” by the band Hotels and Highways.  The band is made up of Syd, Lisa Piccirillo and myself.  We are currently running a fundraising campaign on Kickstarter.com to help pay for extra production on the album and subsidize touring costs, so that come Spring of ’11, people across this great nation will hear the songs we are so proud of. 
If the answer to any of the following questions is yes, you should probably help reach our goal by donating now.
1. Would you buy the album when it comes out in the spring? (You’ll be getting a copy if you donate anyway…)
2. Have you recently asked me when I’m coming to play your home state/city? (Well, there’s a good chance we’ll be swinging by.)
3. Are you a human being? (Really? You are? Amazing! I guess you’ll have to click the link below.)
Some links
-Kickstarter Find out about the project and what you get when you donate.
-Music What do we sound like? Find out here.
-Video Check out this awesome sneak peak from our friends at Seawall productions.
Our very first day we got 25% of our goal funded and less than a week in we are at 40%. Holy Bologna!  Now, I want to challenge my fellow midwesterners to prove to the world that we too, love music!  So far, I have only seen a couple Michiganders on the tote board (thanks Jeff and Casey.) Where you at?
Any way you slice it, I pumped!!!!  Now back to the puppy and the music.
Patrick

Feel free to ask anything…

patrickthomasmusic@gmail.com
 
		            
					
				
				

				
				

                
                
				

				
				
				
		
										
					News
					Hotels & Highways
					No Comments 10 September 2010
		
					
                                            
							                We are thrilled to announce tour dates for a new project that we’re calling Hotels and Highways. Syd and I wrote a couple of songs back in 2008 under that name. Since that time we’ve dreamed of having an opportunity to get together and have some uninterrupted time to devote to writing new material and taking it on the road. So this fall, that’s what we’re doing and we couldn’t be more thrilled to have Lisa Piccirillo joining us.
We’re spending 10 days on a lake in Upstate New York working on brand new material. We have no idea what to expect from the writing we’ll be doing, we’re just going in ready to create with the tape running and praying some good ideas find us! If we come up with something, we’ll release it!
Right afterwards we’re hitting the road with new material, songs from our own catalogs, and a few covers.
We’re going to be sharing the stage with Lowell Thompson in Burlington and Margaret Glaspy in Boston.
And — we want to stop in YOUR living room! We have a couple of days reserved specifically for house concerts. If you’ve never given a house concert before it’s really very simple: You provide a common space big enough to fit your guests. Invite your friends & family and ask for a suggested donation at the door. We all get together in the common space and play some music. We drink. We snack. We socialize.
We’re really excited about these shows, and can’t wait to see you all out there!
If you have any questions about the shows or want to host a house concert email syd@co-opsounds.com
HOTELS AND HIGHWAYS TOUR DATES

(click for to RSVP to our facebook event)
10/1 – Burlington – Parima Thai w/ Lowell Thompson

10/2 – Boston – Lizard Lounge w/ Margaret Glaspy

10/3 – 10/5 **seeking house concerts in New England**

10/6 – **seeking house concerts in Philly/PA/New Jersey**

10/8 – NYC, Rockwood Music Hall
 
		            
					
				
				

				
				

                
                
				

				
				
				
		
										
					News
					New Music News from Yours Truly!
					No Comments 20 January 2010
		
					
                                            
							                Bonjour,
Patrick Thomas here. You may remember me from such moments in your life as ______________. (Insert personal memory here.)
I am very excited to be playing Thursday 9/9 at 9.  It would have been even cooler if I have performed last year or possibly bodacious in the year 9 AD, but since my time machine is in the shop, I’m going to settle for pretty rad.
Friend of the Co-Op and all around gentleman Taylor Carson is releasing his new album Defending The Name at 10 and I feel honored to be sharing the stage with him Thursday.  Please come out and show some love.  
In new music news, I’m very excited to announce that the old songwriting squad that we called Hotels & Highways is teaming up again this month.  In 2008 Syd and I wrote a few songs together and now we will be teaming up with fellow Co-Op artist Lisa Piccirillo to share a house for a couple weeks and get Folked up!  Unless we write punk anthems, but either way, we’ll be doing a stretch of shows on the East Coast to celebrate whatever it is that we achieve.  We will be sending something more official out soon with into further details and asking for volunteers for house concerts, but for now, mark these dates down!
10/1 – Burlington – Parima Thai w/ Lowell Thompson

10/2 – Boston – Lizard Lounge w/ Margaret Glaspy

10/8 – NYC, Rockwood Music Hall
Still here,
Patrick
 
		            
					
				
				

				
				

                
                
				

				
				
				
		
										
					News, Song of the Month
					Giving My Christmas
					No Comments 05 January 2010
		
					
                                            
							                My favorite Christmas tunes are the sad sounding ones so I tried from the beginning to recreate that vibe. However, Christmas can be a bummer if you’re not in the mood for it. At its heart, this song is about helping someone that doesn’t want to take part in the pomp and circumstance that seems to walk hand in hand with the holidays. I imagined that the best way to assist is to get them as far from decking the halls as possible and if it turns a bit romantic… so be it!
Happy Holidays!  I hope you’re in the mood.

 
		            
					
				
				

				
				

                
                
				

				
				
				
		
										
					News
					Want Me Song of the Month, October!
					No Comments 13 October 2009
		
					
                                            
							                How is your autumn treating you?  I am doing well and feeling fortunate.  Mostly because I’m giving y’all another song, but here’s another reason…
I went to my friends Jeff and Nisa’s wedding last month in beautiful northern Michigan.  Due to a pre-ceremony coin toss early in the day, it was determined that I would be the designated driver for the 70 mile drive from Bay Harbor to Traverse City after the wedding.

At 2:30 am we were just a few miles from town.  First, I saw the 45 mph speed limit and then I saw the cop car waiting.  I slowed down from 60 to 50 (following the 10% rule), but that wasn’t enough to prevent the fuzz from pulling me over immediately.
As the officer came to talk to me I was really worried.  Sure, I was sober, but I did not want to get out of the car to prove it.
During the wedding’s “Imaginary Double Dutch” session, I (over-succesfullly) attempted the David Lee Roth air splits to Van Halen’s Jump! At the apex of my leap, I blew my pants completely apart.  I’ve heard of spitting a seam, but this looked like my pants had been hit by lightning!  I’ve never been more grafteful for clean boxers.  I’m sure the rest of the party feels the same way!
Luckily, the cop let me off with a “verbal warning”, without making me touch my toes and risk further legal trouble for indecent exposure.
I feel even more fortunate to share what may possibly be my favorite song to date with the world.  Click on the puppy to the right and check out “Want Me”. I released this on Friday and am very grateful to those who have donated already!
For those of you posting this link on your facebook and blogs, you have no idea what a difference that makes.  Let me know if you have any ideas on how to spread the word.  I’m always open to suggestions.
Cider and donuts to you all!