Juli's Jingles

If I was born in a different era, I think I'd be a Jingle Writer. You know, back in the day when one could be a Jingle Writer. I've posted my collection of Jingles up on Soundcloud in the past, and today woke up wishing for another Jingle commission, cuz it's so damn fun to whip up a tune according to weird specs. I've done one for a friends cake shop, one for a friend's Improv group (Comic Book Live), a parody of Rocky Raccoon for Guardians of the Galaxy, a song about the Great Park in Irvine commissioned by the former mayor, "What's in the Box" for the Imagination Foundation's Global Cardboard Challenge, and of course one for the short doc Caine's Arcade. 

Some of the hardest laughing that has happened during recording sessions, between Joey Maramba and I, has happened while recording these Jingles. Maybe that's why I want to do more?? :-) 

xo

Juli

There's Pepper in the Birdseed! (New Song!)

This is a cute lil' song that I got to do with the legendary Jim Kweskin, written by Roxanne Chicoine for her new children's book "There's Pepper in the Birdseed" in which a well-meaning bird lover causes a flap with her feathered friends because there's pepper in the birdseed!

Check out the flip book video below, and you can get the Book on Amazon (Free MP3 Download with Book!) and share it with some little person you love. :-) 

xoxo Juli

The Missing Moby Dick Song

Lost at Sea. Found by Me. (*and Joey)

Holy moly, people. Crazy stuff happens when Joey Maramba and I get to spend time in the studio. Crazy stuff like finding a weird scribbled piece of paper documenting a song that I had written years ago while we were working on the Moby Dick album, which I had then lost and completely forgotten about, only to find it the other day, jam on it with Joey, and record it with drummer Nick Stone in a wild session that introduced a whole new sound and feel to the (already immense) Evangenitals arsenal. And guess what?! Even if you're not a Patron of my Arts on Patreon, you can STILL hear this new gem of an Ode to Love and Death At Sea for FREE on my Patreon page by following this link:

CLICK HERE TO HEAR THE LOST TUNE

Come for the Song, Stay for the Solace: 

If, after enjoying this sonic assault, you are so moved, you can then make the enormously wise decision to BECOME a patron on Patreon. By pledging a sum as minuscule as a single dollar* you will gain access to all of the other gems that we have been hiding on there, such as ukulele versions of Evangenitals songs from Denver hotel rooms, phone memo recordings of song ideas, as well as fully produced unreleased tracks from our upcoming album and stick figure drawings. (Yes. the stick figure drawings are the best.) 

https://www.patreon.com/julicrockett

You may be aware that funding for the Arts is being utterly eviscerated as I type these words, and even more so as you read them (if you made it this far) and if you did, you are indeed the YOU that I am talking to! You are the kind of you that I need to do what we The Evangenitals need to do, and that is to make music, to combat the hideous onslaught of awfulness with sheer, unrepentant, uncontainable, sonic joy grenades. We call them albums. Help us make a ridiculously gigantic one, and listen along as we do, by becoming a Arts Patron today. 

Learn More About This Amazing Opportunity!

But Juli (you may be asking) WHY should I become a Patron on Patreon??? Well, do you like things such as.. 

Good Feelings 

Here we are doing a Violent Femmes cover in an AirBnB in Portland, Oregon, home of our label Fluff and Gravy Records. And WHERE did it get posted first? On Patreon, that's where!

Free Albums

When we recorded our live acoustic set for American Parlor Songbook (which became an EP) who do you think got a free download of that record before it was released? The Patrons, that's who! Because the Patrons get EVERYTHING first. Because we love them.

The Dirty Dirt

Random, intimate, fantastic things are posted on the Patreon, like phone memos of lame song ideas and embarrassing school photos. We invite patrons to Skype with us, watch studio performance, get free tix to shows, and we'll even play at your house sometime. There's all kinds of perks, IF you are a Patron. Check 'em out and become one of the few, the proud, the patrons, today.

You can set your contribution level, as well as a monthly cap, so you will never be charged more than expected. You can cancel or change your pledge at any time. And you can go to sleep at night knowing that YOU are helping to bring the good work of the Evangenitals to humanity at large, and more largely, and let's admit it... the world needs us right now. 

BECOME A PATRON TODAY. NO REGRETS.

New Video: Good Feeling (in the Living Room)

It was cold. It was rainy. Our friends in LA were marching. The people of Portland were demonstrating. We were playing a house party and our hearts were hurting. We closed our show with the cover of the Violent Femmes "Good Feeling" which we've been FEELING, alright. It felt right, for the moment, for our hearts, for our hopes. So, we quickly recorded this cover in the living room of our temporary digs for your hearts and ears and friends. Hope you enjoy, share, cry, hug, march, organize, scream, sing along... whatever you need to do. We love you. 

Save the Coffee Gallery Backstage!

Passing along this important plea from Bob Stane of the Coffee Gallery in Altadena. This is a singular, wonderful little venue that should be supported! Please give what you can! 

Please read every word. Important message from: BOB STANE & The Coffee Gallery Backstage

HELP US KEEP THE LIGHTS ON

Bob Stane asks: So many of you thank me for “all that you do” every night at The Coffeee Gallery Backstage and ask if there is anything you can do for me and the venue. Now there is. I must ask for funds to relieve me of the trauma that has befallen me from outside sources.

For a handful of years now a benevolent benefactor has been paying the electric bills for the Coffee Gallery Backstage. Alas, all good things must come to an end, and now we must repay this debt. Why, you ask, is this so? Well friends, remember the ugly incident with the Alcohol Beverage Control folks, who accused us of using children to press grapes and make wine in our cellar? As ridiculous as the accusations of the Backstage selling alcohol were , defending the real and very serious criminal charges filed against us cost us many thousands of dollars. We thought the common practice allowed by restaurants everywhere, "Bring your own bottle" was legal and so we participated. Much to our chagrin we were hit with $5,000 worth of fines, court costs and attorney's fees after a “sting” by the ABC. A lot of unnecessary legal punishment that went on for an endless and anguishing year. Two misdemeanor charges were ultimately pled down to a lesser charge, but many, many dollars were wasted. We, like everyone else in the food and beverage business, thought it was legal for customers to bring in their own wine. Not so, common knowledge was wrong.

To make matters worse, new owners of the building where the Backstage percolates its many charms DOUBLED our rent beginning in January of 2015. Our finances have been stretched to the limit ever since.

Last but not least, a long standing problem with our email server came to a head. We were no longer allowed to send out our e-mail blasts due to California's anti-spam laws. This necessitated the whopping cost of retaining and setting up a bulk-email server so I could continue sending you e-mail notices of upcoming shows. Much money and even more anguish. Setting it up was an extremely costly nightmare. Many, many hours of our mighty Webmaster's time was invested in this project.

The problem is, and was, that the costs sapped our operating capital, making it difficult to catch up and pay everything on time month after month. An evil downward spiral of costs. We need to reboot to a manageable level. This is where you enter from Stage Right. We can easily get there with your help. 
As unhappy as it makes us, we find we must turn to our loyal friends and patrons to help us to stay afloat, vibrant and keep the lights on.

Instead of going through Go Fund Me or Kickstarter I am stating my case directly to you as a patron of the Arts. I know you want The Coffee Gallery Backstage to be healthy and do what we do. With vigor. For you and for our acts. We need $15,000 to set us on the right path, pay off our debts and relieve me of the stress, tension, angst, trauma, and anxiety I have been going though, monthly, for the last several years as I struggle to keep us afloat. I need get to “zero.” It is time for me to get back to the creativity of finding the best acts in the nation/world for your enjoyment. You have been wonderful and I hope you feel the same way about me and The Coffee Gallery Backstage.

You might want to think of this as supporting an acoustic showroom that is unique in all of America.. Or supporting something that is wildly worthwhile. 
THIS IS A SERIOUS REQUEST. And I hope a “one time only.” Please give what you can. I hope it will be the last time I need to ask. Big or little, it is a gift from your musical heart. Remember, this is “good” music. You know what I mean. Help an endangered species.

I will, as a “thank you,” send you a GIFT CERTIFICATE equal to, at least 10% of your donation (rounded off). A $5.00 admission certificate for a $25 donation. A $10 certificate for a $50 gift of musical mercy, $20 for a gift of $100 and $50 certificate for $500. And on and on. You will, also, get a letter of thanks and appreciation which will be genuine and heartfelt.

Thank you. Bob Stane, The Coffee Gallery Backstage (forever).

Send a check to : (make the check payable to me, Bob Stane)

Mail To: BOB STANE

COFFEE GALLERY BACKSTAGE

2029 N. Lake Ave

Altadena, Ca. 91001

OR

Donate with Paypal

(Credit Card, Checking account or Paypal Account)

Information: (626) 798-6236 or email Bob at bstane@earthlink.net

A Whole Lot of ART Going On....

There's a whole lot of ART going on in Evangenitals-land.

TONIGHT I'm playing music with the legendary Jim Kweskin at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena. Joined by the extraordinary Benedikt Brydern and Marquis Howell II, I'm beyond honored to be sharing the stage with these badasses. We'll be doing a review of folk history, some jazz standards, and original Crockett-compositions you may recognize from the Evangenitals repertoire. Show info: http://www.coffeegallery.com/showsat.htm

Next week in theater land, the workshop production I'm directing (and performing in) -- "Some Cars" by Deborah Meadows -- runs Thursday October 29th-Monday November 2nd at MorYork Gallery in Highland Park. It shows in a pairing with Marc Jensen's "Convention" and is produced by Padua Playwrights. RSVP on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/562448183902462/

And then, and here's your bona fide Evangenitals news... WE'RE PLAYING PALM SPRING PRIDE! We'll be on the Main Stage after the parade on Sunday November 8th at 1pm!!! This is the stuff of legends. We're opening for GayC/DC. 

So, you'll be hearing more from us, my friends. We are here. We are here. 

xoxo
Juli & the Evangenitals

Jim Kweskin and Juli Crockett at the Coffee Gallery Backstage

This week in tangentially related Evangenitals news.... 

Bob Stane says: "JIM KWESKIN & JULI CROCKETT with Benny Brydern & Marquis Howell... what a line up of stars!! Even the “side men” instrumentalists are renowned and tour the world. Both of great wit and skill. What stagecraft!!

Saturday October 24th at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena! 

Jim Kweskin is probably best known as a singer and bandleader, but he also created one of the bedrock guitar styles of the folk revival, adapting the ragtime-blues fingerpicking of artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Pink Anderson to the more complex chords of pop and jazz. Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band was the original "Americana" band, playing everything from classic blues to hillbilly country, ragtime, jazz, and rock 'n' roll. Kweskin has maintained a remarkably consistent musical vision since his jug band days, continuing to explore traditional folk and blues with the sophisticated sensibility of a jazz musician and traditional jazz with the communal simplicity of a folk artist.

Alabama-born Juli Crockett is a bona fide Renaissance woman: singer, songwriter, playwright, theater director, undefeated professional boxer and amateur champion, ordained minister, Doctor of Philosophy, and leader of the alt-country/Avant Americana genre-defying band The Evangenitals, as well as the Crockett Sisters. (They’re the same band – you choose which name you prefer) -- Jim says, “Juli writes great songs”.

The teaming of Jim Kweskin and Juli Crockett is the happy collision of classic and contemporary Americana music. Together, Kweskin and Crockett performances are celebrations of virtuoso musicianship seasoned with humor and exuberance. They will be joined by super fiddle player Benny Brydern (Hot Club Quartette) and swinging bassist Marquis Howell (Hobo Jazz). Both are regulars with Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys).

Jim and Juli have a great time singing both old jazzy, folky favorites mixed in with Juli's original (and occasionally irreverent) compositions. Take a wild ride through history and into the future of folk with Kweskin and Crockett.

Call and reserve your seat now! 

(626) 798-6236

In my cave...

Methinks the walls of my writing shed are a pretty good representation of what the inside of my brain looks like....

Cynthia Hopkins.

Photo of Cynthia Hopkins by Kirsty Mogensen

I've been on a real Gloria Deluxe bender this week. If you don't know of performance artist Cynthia Hopkins and her band (the band is Gloria Deluxe), I highly recommend getting acquainted. She's on my "favorite living artists in the known universe" short list. Lisa and I are big, BIG fans of her, her band, and her theater work. 

We first saw Must Don't Whip 'Um at REDCAT, back in 2007. Then, in 2009, through a wild series of coincidences, we ended up seeing Accidental Nostalgia in Edinburgh, Scotland while we were at the Fringe Festival. We met the band and director DJ Mendel, jammed with the band, and even had badass fiddler Phillipa Thompson sit in with us at our last gig in town. Ridiculous good times. DJ has been a friend ever since, and even made a music video for us. [So Sweet]. 

Lisa Dee had the opportunity to see The Success of Failure (or the Failure of Success) while at a work thing in New York, and we caught This Clement World back at REDCAT in 2013. You could say we've been following her all over the world. It would seem so.

Seeing Cynthia Hopkins' work has been an important guidepost for me in the inevitable impending collision of my theater and band lives. She's a fucking inspiration. It's pretty heartbreaking when even an artist that I would consider to have "made it" (i.e. she makes incredible, highly lauded work, gets major grants, etc) can't "make it" financially in the art world (her non-profit company folded due to lack of funding, something her latest work: A Living Documentary addresses, i.e. how in the fuck is an artist supposed to LIVE???)

So, if you don't know her, get to know her. 

This is her Soundcloud: 

She has a YouTube channel: 

And she's sung in Coney Island with Bonnie Prince Billy. So there. 

p.s. I'm about 98% certain that the Evangenitals are gonna have to cover this song: