I hope you’re staying cool this incredibly hot Summer. I’ve spent most of the last two months convincing my hands that they knew how to play keyboards so I could do some dates with the Fab Faux performing all of Let It Be and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. There were some incredibly frustrating moments while sitting at the piano several hours a day, but it felt great to push myself and wind up pulling it off.

Now I’m reminding my hands how MY songs go. Got some places and dates where I’ll be pulling that off. Check it . . .

SATURDAY, 8.14.10
STEEL CITY
PHOENIXVILLE, PA

Wow, it’s like I made a conscious decision to not play shows in Philly or something. I haven’t been to Steel City since last October! Well, let’s fix that immediately. I’ll be back on Saturday, 8.14.10 at 8:30p. A mystery guest will open. I’m trying to save you a seat, but tickets are going fast, so you may want to order today.

The Recap:
Saturday, 8.14.10 - 8:30p
JIM BOGGIA
Steel City Coffeehouse
203 Bridge Street - Phoenixville, PA
610-933-4043

All Ages. $16 Adv. / $18 DoS.

Get yer tix.

FRIDAY, 8.27.10

That’s really all I can say right now. More details to come, but you just might want to keep that box on your calendar open.

HEY HEY, UK
I’MA COMIN’ YER WAY . . .

. . . It’s better to book gigs, if you like to play.
Hey, hey UK.

You can stop reading this in a Neil Young voice now.

Yes, it’s time for what is becoming my annual trip to the UK. I’m headed out October 13th and coming back to the States on November 7th. I’m in the process of getting all the dates together, but I’m also wondering if there’s any folks in Blighty that would like to have me entertain in their very own home.

House concerts have become a pretty big thing here in the States and I know they’re starting to catch on over there. Wanna be a trendsetter? Here are some details on how it all works. You can reply to this email or contact Jack Leitenberg at okaybabe@aol.com if you’re interested or have questions.

In any event, more details on the UK tour soon. As always, I am really excited to come over and play.

How’s your Summer going so far? I’ve had a couple afternoons to sit in Rittenhouse Square playing my new ukulele, but mostly been spending my time trawling through my closet/archives transferring and backing up, working in the studio picking performances and mixing them for a live album I hope to have out by the Fall and spending LOTS of time shedding for some upcoming shows I’m playing with the Fab Faux. Yes, my right hand CAN play the piano solo to ‘Lovely Rita’, thanks for asking. No, my left hand CAN’T play along at the same time . . . YET. But it will by next month.

I’m also preparing for my next trip over to the UK for shows in October. Right now, the trip is looking to be from around the 13th of October through November 3rd. If you’re in the UK and would like to arrange for a house concert during that time, please reply to this email and we can work it out (I can play that with both hands already).

SATURDAY, 6.26.10 - 7:30P
MUSICAL LAIRS HOUSE CONCERT SERIES
ST. DAVIDS, PA

This is it. My annual visit to the gorgeous home of the Breck’s in St. Davids for Lee Bower’s Musical Lairs House Concert Series. Traditionally in July, this year we’re squeezing it in at the end of June because the anticipation was just too much to take.

What can I tell you about this show that I haven’t already said the last eight years? Ah, just go into your saved emails folder and read it all again. Really? You don’t save these? I’m hurt. Well, it’s a grand setting with a grand piano and I make a grand entrance. You should come.

Contact Lee Bowers at leebowers@comcast.net for reservations and directions. I’ll type that again in a minute (actually, I’ll probably cut and paste now that I know you don’t save these).

The Recap:
Saturday, 6.26.10 - 7:30p
JIM BOGGIA
Musical Lairs House Concert Series
The Breck’s - St. Davids, PA
Suggested contribution to the artist $20, and some finger food to share at the break.
All ages.

Contact Lee Bowers at leebowers@comcast.net for reservations and directions (see?).

Ok, most people might call it “my closet”. Heck, even I call it “my closet” sometimes as it is, technically, a closet (though since I rent, I suppose there’s some possibility for an honest difference of opinion as to the whole “my” part of it, but we’re splitting hairs now).

WAIT - don’t just skip down to the part about the show. I’ll pick it up a bit.

The point is, the vault/my closet holds what I like to call “my archives” but, again, you might like to call it an overwhelming amount of audio, video, photos and press clippings on tapes, CD-ROMs, minidiscs, hard drives, 3.5 inch floppy discs and even more esoteric media formats that I have amassed during my disturbingly large number of years making music. There’s also at least one metal kazoo (the plastic ones suck).

Since the beginning of the year I’ve been going through it, attempting to identify, date, label and catalogue as much of it as I can, then digitizing it and putting it all in an absurdly over-organized, quickly-filling 1TB hard drive. You down with OCD? Yeah, you know me.

But why am I telling you all of this? Is it because I was under the misguided impression that you were all fascinated by even the most insignificant details of my life?

No (though that’s probably why I’m on Twitter).

Oh right, I was picking it up a bit. Sorry.

Anyway, it’s a big, BIG project that I’ve wanted to tackle for a long, LONG time and I’ve decided that this is the year. You’ll be hearing about it from time-to-time as I push my way through it and turn up things I think you might be interested in.

Which FINALLY brings me to:

RARE (AND NOT-SO-RARE) BOGGIA LPS NOW AVAILABLE VIA BANDCAMP

I’ve come across a lot of the original source material for not only my three “official” albums, but most of those other quirky, homemade, limited-release albums as well. By original source material, I mean the full-fidelity, CD-quality audio files (AIFFs, for you technically-minded folk), as opposed to the tiny, crappy-sounding mp3s that I’ve had on my iTunes as my only copies for so long.

At the same time, I’ve found this great site called Bandcamp, which sells downloads but uses full-fidelity, CD-quality audio files (AIFFs, for you technically-minded folk), as opposed to the tiny, crappy-sounding mp3s other sites use for their source material. They give you the ability to download songs in all sorts of formats that sound A LOT better than what you can get on iTunes (even mp3s, which they offer at 320k quality, over twice as good as what you get on iTunes). Are you one of those people cool enough to know about and use FLAC-format? I’m not, but if you are - they have it, and lots more (Ogg Vorbis, anyone? I’m not even making that up).

They also pack the files with lots of extra stuff like:

• Lyrics - Yes, lyrics. I don’t even print those in the CD booklets!
• Credits - Ever wonder who played electric sitar on ‘Bubblegum 45s’? These files will tell you!
• Liner Notes - You mean, the meandering, nearly-incomprehensible stuff I write about the albums? Yes, that’s the stuff!
• Original Promo Emails - You didn’t save the uproariously funny email I wrote heralding the release of ‘JPGR’? Now you can laugh again!

The three studio LPs are there, but also ‘Transistorized 220′ ‘JPGR’ ‘4 Sketches’ ‘Transistorized 220 - Volume 2′ and ‘The Abbey Road Session’. I’m still looking for high-quality versions of ‘Tragical Blistery Lure’ and the Oxfam record. I’m sure they’ll turn up and when they do, I’ll post ‘em. I’m also working on getting a lot of the things I released on the podcast together (can you say ‘Somebody to Love’?).

I’ve had a lot of fun finding this stuff and hearing it again in high quality for the first time in years. There were moments hearing a lot of this music where I was actually able to listen to it like I wasn’t the guy who made it and it sounded damn fine to me. I really hope you’ll enjoy it, too.

The Recap:
JIM BOGGIA on BANDCAMP
Click the link and you’ll be taken to the index page. From there, click on the individual albums and enjoy!

FRIDAY, JUNE 11, 2010
THE NIGHT CAT
EASTON, MD

Stepping out of my closet for a trip down to Easton, MD to play the Night Cat this Friday (6.11.10) at 8p. A comfy room with good sound and Bryan Russo opens, to boot.

The Recap:
Friday, 6.11.10 - 8p
JIM BOGGIA
The Night Cat
5 Goldsborough Street - Easton, MD
$15. All Ages.

Bryan Russo opens.

Wow, it’s been a while, huh? 2010 has just been speeding along and I’ve been mostly doing things behind-the-scenes in preparation for some big stuff coming up, including a live album that I hope you’ll want to check out.

Getting back to playing some shows that AREN’T in folks living rooms, though I have to say, the living room shows have been great. Went down to Austin, TX for back-to-back house concerts at the end of April that were spectacular.

Also putting together some more unusual ideas that I want to try, which leads me to . . .

GET ON TWITTER AND FOLLOW ME (NO, REALLY.)

Hey, follow me on Twitter, okay?

I know. You’re not on Twitter. You don’t get Twitter. You don’t like Twitter. Twitter said nasty stuff about your Mom. I know. But I’m asking you to get over that.

I’m going to start doing some things on Twitter like ticket giveaways, CD and mp3 giveaways, spontaneous performances and more. I’ve been looking into this for a while and it really does seem like Twitter is the best way to do this. And I want you to be a part of it. So, whaddaya say?

Click here for my Twitter page and follow me or signup for an account (and then, obviously, follow me).

UPCOMING SHOWS

THURSDAY, 5.13.10 - 8P
INFINITY HALL
NORFOLK, CT

No snowstorm to entomb me in Philadelphia this time. Coming back to the beautiful Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT to open up for Eileen Jewell. So much better than if I were opening up for Jewel, who is awful.

The Recap:
Thursday, 5.13.10 - 8p
JIM BOGGIA
Infinity Hall
Route 44, 20 Greenwoods Road - Norfolk, CT
ALL AGES. $15, $25, $30.

Opening for Eileen Jewell.

Get yer tix.

FRIDAY, 5.14.10 - 9:30P
LIZARD LOUNGE
CAMBRIDGE, MA

The answer to everyone who keeps asking “When are you going to play Boston again?” is: this Friday (5.14.10) at 9:30p. I am the supposed headliner, as part of an extravaganza of sound that also includes Oranjuly, John Brodeur and Ryan Schmidt. So much better than if I were the headliner for Jewel, who is awful.

The Recap:
Friday, 5.14.10 - 9:30p
JIM BOGGIA
Lizard Lounge
1667 Massachusetts Avenue
21+. $6 (at the door).

With Oranjuly, John Brodeur and Ryan Schmidt.

FRIDAY, 5.21.10 - 8P
PSALM SALON
PHILADELPHIA, PA

Yes, it’s true. I’m playing my first Philly show in about 6 months. It will be a good one. Psalm Salon is an intimate venue that straddles the line between a house concert and a small theatre. Nate Rylan from the band Early Ape is opening and he’s got the goods, too. Should be a great night all-around. My guess is this will sell-out, so I recommend you get your tix in advance.

The Recap:
Friday, 5.21.10 - 8p
JIM BOGGIA
Psalm Salon
5841 Overbrook Avenue - Philadelphia, PA
ALL-AGES (BYOB 21+). $16 Adv. / $20 DoS.

Nate Rylan from Early Ape opens.

Get yer tix.

HOUSE CONCERT OPENINGS IN JUNE

Been thinking about having a house concert but wasn’t sure when to do it? Let me suggest June. There’s still a couple of dates open for a show in your very own living room next month.

Sound intriguing? Then click here for all the details. C’mon, we’ll have a great time.

YOUR LIVING ROOM IS LONELY.

The very thought of it makes me sad. I grew up in homes with living rooms, I have a lot of great childhood memories involving living rooms and have an emotional, empathetic, some might say “psychic” connection with living rooms.

It’s true. I am The Living Room Whisperer.

I can help ease your living room’s pain. The therapy I offer is called “The House Concert” and here’s how it works:

• You find an evening on the calendar that’s free for both you and your living room. Therapy seems to work best on Saturday nights, but some living rooms have special needs - I’m flexible, however I can best help is the path I take.

• You invite 30 or so of your living room’s friends to drop by (there’s no upper limit on the number, just make your living room feel filled with usefulness, but not overburdened). You can also invite people your living room hasn’t met yet - it will help instill a sense of excitement that aids in the healing process.

• I come to meet with your living room before its friends arrive. This gives me time to bond with your living room and figure out the best way to alleviate its suffering. I may set up a small PA to help transmit “positive vibrations” into the space.

• Folks arrive. Conversation fills your living room. It listens in as people reconnect or meet for the very first time. Your living room begins to feel a sense of purpose, its spirits lift.

• Everyone settles in and I begin the first “Music Dispersement” portion of the therapy. This lasts approximately 45 minutes and may also include funny anecdotes. Your living room’s friends periodically clap or laugh, in a display meant to make your living room feel appreciated and, dare I say, loved.

• There’s a short intermission. During that time, people enjoy light refreshments. You can prepare these, or have your living room’s friends bring them along - your living room will be cool with it either way.

• A second “Music Dispersement” treatment is then applied. This follows the same general guidelines as the first, but may have a looser, more spontaneous feel as I step it up a notch to make your living room feel relaxed and joyous.

• The evening ends with me talking to people, signing CDs, posing for pictures and generally bringing your living room a sense of what we in the therapeutic field call “closure”.

By the end of the evening, you will have enjoyed an evening of great music without causing your living room separation anxiety. Your living room’s friends will look at your living room in a new and wonderful way, raising its self-esteem and you will have memories that you will see whenever you enter your living room from then on.

I’ve been doing House Concert Therapy for years and I can tell you - it works.

You can choose to pay for it yourself, or ask your living room’s friends to pitch in. They love your living room and a good night out - they’ll be happy to help.

Sound good? If so, contact Jack Leitenberg at okaybabe@aol.com and let him know what date you have in mind.

I hope to use my gift of healing to help as many lonely living rooms in 2010 as I can. Help me help you(r living room).

Sorry if I’m a bit late with my year commencement well-wishes, but I was busy struggling with whether we are or are not kicking off a new decade, and it left me emotionally paralyzed. I then had to decide whether I was going to go with “two-thousand ten”, “two-thousand and ten” or “twenty-ten” and that was another week-and-a-half that I couldn’t write to you.

But I’m back now and I hope your year, which may or may not be the beginning of a new decade, has started off well (whatever you’re calling it).

As for me, I rang in the New Year watching fireworks over the San Francisco Bay, spent time with loved ones, played a lot more ukulele than guitar and began work behind-the-scenes on some projects that should wind up sprinkled throughout the coming year.

There’s not a lot of activity on the upcoming shows front, though I do have one to tell you about in a second (or a paragraph) or two. The current lack of shows is intentional, and I’ve made a decision to take a break from playing any shows for the next several months in the Philly/NY/NJ corridor. I know, I know - but just think about it in a philosophical, Pete Seeger, Byrds-ian kind of way and I promise you it will be alright. The good news is that for those of you who have been clamoring the past couple of years for me to come to your non-Philly/NY/NJ town (I’m looking at YOU, Atlanta), this should give me some time to do it.

In the works already are an early Summer trek up the West Coast, a return to the UK/Europe in Autumn and my first tour of Japan near the end of the year.

If you’re in the Philly/NJ/NY area and it’s just freaking you out more than you can handle to think of going so long without some live Jim Boggia-based performance art, why not consider hosting a house concert? Details are here.

SATURDAY, 2.06.10 - 8P
INFINITY HALL
NORFOLK, CT

Starting 2010 (two-oh-one-oh) where 2009 (twenty-aught-nine) ended, at the very cool Infinity Hall. I’m taking part in a night the folks who run Infinity Hall are calling “Emerging Artists” with Seth Glier and Glen Roth. Mike Frank will take a night off from joining other bands to play keys and, I’m guessing, drive rather than subject himself to being a passenger with me behind the wheel.

I hope those of you that I got to meet at December’s show with Sarah Borges and the Broken Singles will come back to hear a longer set and help kick off Boggiamania in CT. Without you, there’s very little “mania” and just an unsettlingly disproportionate amount of “Boggia.” Only you can prevent forrest fires.

The Recap:
Saturday, 2.06.10 - 8p
JIM BOGGIA
Infinity Hall
20 Greenwoods Rd W - Norfolk, CT
866.666.6306

‘Emerging Artists’ with Seth Glier and Glen Roth. Mike Frank on keys.

Get Tix

Big thanks to John Anthony for putting together a wonderful document of the 11-piece band at last year’s ‘Misadventures in Stereo’ record release party at World Cafe Live in Philly. Multi-cam video, multi-track audio.

Why are you still reading this? Watch this NOW.

I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving filled with family, friends and food.

Speaking of food, my December 2nd show at Careme’s in Mays Landing, NJ is SOLD OUT.

It’s true. If you don’t already have tickets to this 4-course gourmet meal/concert combo, it’s too late. The kitchen is closed.

But please consider these other fine serving suggestions:

FRIDAY, 12.04.09 - 8P
KENNETT FLASH
KENNETT SQUARE, PA

Definitely the last official Philly/NJ/NY show this year. Possibly the last for some time.

Definitely would love to see you. Possibly you’ll want to come.

The Recap:
Friday, 12.04.09 - 8p
JIM BOGGIA
Kennett Flash
102 Sycamore Alley - Kennett Square, PA
484.732.8295
$15 Adv. / $18 DoS
ALL AGES, BYOB 21+.

Tom Hamilton of American Babies opens, so get yourself out early.

Buy tix

SATURDAY, 12.12.09 - 8P
OPENING FOR SARAH BORGES AT INFINITY HALL
NORFOLK, CT

I don’t know much about this Sarah Borges, but she covers an NRBQ tune on her latest album, so I think I want to find out more. We can explore the mystery together at the beautiful Infinity Hall.

I’m driving up. It’s been a while. You may want to find an alternate form of transportation.

The Recap:
Saturday, 12.12.09 - 8p
JIM BOGGIA (opening for Sarah Borges)
Infinity Hall
20 Greenwoods Rd W - Norfolk, CT
866.666.6306
$15
ALL-AGES

Buy Tix

It’s happened again. The rug has been pulled out from under us all and we’ve been plunged into afternoon darkness for months to come. All in the name of letting us plant our crops, or some such anachronistic nonsense. Seems some countries are actually considering entering into modern times and scrapping “standard” time altogether. I say let’s join them. Who’s with me? DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME RULES! YOU CAN’T MAKE PROGRESS BY FALLING BACK!

Well, if it has to be nighttime starting at 4p, I guess that gives us time to put on a few evening shows. Here’s what’s coming up:

TUESDAY, 11.24.09 - 8P
SOUTHPAW
BROOKLYN, NY

Hey, I hear what you’re saying: “Um, Brooklyn, Jim? Have you grown an ironic mustache that curls up at the edges? Did you buy a new pair of skinny jeans? Are you fronting a band and standing at the microphone playing a floor tom instead of guitar?” Well, as it turns out, the answer to each of these questions is “No”, which means I’m actually quite nervous about playing in Brooklyn being absolutely devoid of any hipster armor whatsoever.

Southpaw is actually a great room. It is also a BIG room. So, sincerely, if you can make it out and bring some folks or even send that performance artist friend you knew in college out to the show, I would be “geeked” or “stoked” or “?” - let’s go with truly appreciative.

The Recap:
Tuesday, 11.24.09 - 8p
JIM BOGGIA
Southpaw
125 Fifth Avenue - Brooklyn, NY
$10. 18+.

The monthly ‘Acoustically Related’ night hosted by Sari Schorr. Doors at 8p. Show at 8:30p. Leslie Mendelson and Benyaro open. More info here .

Just getting back from my Philly to Paris to London to Paris to Saint Etienne to Fribourg to Zurich to Paris to London to Amsterdam to Paris to Philly tour with (and without) Zach Djanikian.

It was a tremendous experience and we had a great time and played some wonderful shows. A big, huge thank you to everyone who came out to the shows, hosted us, help set up the gigs and assisted in putting the tour together. I hope to go back to a lot of the places in late Spring/early Summer next year.

But what about the US? Well, now that you mention it, I’ve barely had time to pet all the cats and now it’s time for a show here at home.

FRIDAY, 10.16.09 - 8:30P
STEEL CITY
PHOENIXVILLE, PA

No better place for a homecoming than Steel City. After playing in so many new places it will be a treat to come back to the comfort of a familiar place and familiar faces in the crowd. It will also be nice to play a show in clothes I haven’t worn 5 other times in the same week. Because of this, you don’t need to hesitate in trying to snag the front row seats (sorry, audience at the Tennessee Jazz Club in Paris - it wasn’t personal).

The Recap:
Friday, 10.16.09 - 8:30p
JIM BOGGIA
Steel City
203 Bridge St
Phoenixville, PA 19460-5408
(610) 933-4043

$18 Adv. / $20 DoS. ALL-AGES. BYOB.