Booked: Heather Waters

Every once in a rare moment of time, you stumble across singers who still surrounding noise simply by raising their voice. Their power doesn’t lie in their ability to outshout competition (although a talent for generating superhuman volume a la Little Feat’s Shaun Murphy is certainly impressive). It’s in their gift for connection. They grab listeners’ ears and compel them to pay attention by resolutely turning inward and excavating all the passion and poetry they find churning within themselves. Heather Waters has that gift.
--Pasadena Weekly

Touring the Midwest with her soulfully moving style, singer/songwriter HEATHER WATERS will be performing at the BloomBox House Concert Series next month. With a voice that’s been said to "rise out of the American soil, melancholy yet resilient, immediate yet timeless," Waters, accompanied by Chuck Lee Bramlet on acoustic guitar, is sure to deliver a convincing, powerful performance.

A Chicago native, Waters left the Windy City and set out for Boston’s singer/songwriter community, where her seamless blend of blues, bluegrass and traditional country caught the attention of veteran Bonnie Raitt bassist, Hutch Hutchinson, who went on to produce her debut EP. After touring the East Coast, she moved onto Nashville where she sang backup harmonies on Delbert McClinton’s 2002 Grammy-nominated album. Heather continued to find herself singing alongside many accomplished musicians, including the famed Emmylou Harris. Leaving the South and transplanting to Los Angeles, where she currently resides, Heather flourished as an artist and independently recorded her first full-length cd “Shadow of You.” Waters’ second cd “Propeller” is scheduled to be released next month and boasts even deeper R&B grooves and some righteous gospel fervor.

Receiving airplay across the United States, as well as in Finland, Italy, France, The Netherlands, and Belgium, Waters’ music has drawn rave reviews from media outlets nationwide. The Boston Globe wrote that Heather “couldn’t hit a sour note if she tried; the L.A. Daily News touted Waters as having “a sigh-catching voice as evocative as Emmylou Harris',” and Performing Songwriter said, “The dark, smoky twang of her vocals complements the compositions, which are mellow - sometimes downright mournful - but always satisfying;”

The BloomBox House Concert Series is pleased to announce Heather’s upcoming, must-see performance on Saturday, October 3rd at 6:00 PM (view Evite).

Visit Heather's site.

Booked: Tracy Kash Thomas

2008 Detroit Music Award Nominee for:

*Outstanding Jazz Vocalist
*Outstanding Modern Jazz Band
*Outstanding Jazz Composer


TracyTracy Kash Thomas began her musical life as a classical musician and is an accomplished flutist. Add her impeccable songwriting, arranging and production talents to the mix and it is easy to see why she is an established musician’s musician in her native Detroit, where she currently lives, as well as in her previous hometown, New York City. Her unique brand of jazz and jazz-influenced rock/pop, thrills live audiences as well as her growing radio following.

In addition to her numerous award nominations, some of Tracy's original compositions made the semi-finals in the prestigious 2005 UK Songwriting Contest. In fact, Ian Anderson, of Jethro Tull fame, enamored of her classical bent and rock sensibility, invited her on stage as a guest flutist at his 2003 State Theater concert.

Tracy helped found, and is a member of, Lorelei¸ an all women a cappella ensemble with a large following in Michigan. They were featured at the 2006 Superbowl in Detroit. Her extensive media exposure in New York and Detroit, includes the nationally broadcast Mitch Albom Show, and she has done considerable radio and television jingle work nationwide.
Tracy can be heard on the 1999 release of gravelly popular NYC great, Alan Andrews, entitled Cleaned and Pressed. The Tracy Kash Debut album, Some Strong Potion, was released in February, 2000.

Her latest CD, There and Back Again, was released in July 2006.

We hope you will join us for Tracy Kash Thomas at the BloomBox House Concert Series on Saturday, February 28th at 6:00 PM (view Evite)..

Visit Tracy's site.

Review: Heather Waters

Rarely have we seen an artist perform with such emotion. The connection between voice, lyric and melody was so moving. The best way to experience it is to watch the video below...

Watch a video of her performing at the house concert.

Booked: Rachanee

Life-changing revelations can come at odd moments. For singer/songwriter Rachanee, it was during a job interview.

Unable to choose between pursuing a career in music or a career in photojournalism, her mentor and interviewer Nancy suggested she flip a coin to decide which one to focus on for a year. "But," Nancy warned Rachanee, "picking one means completely giving up the other. So if it comes up photography, you stop writing songs, you quit the band, you put away your guitar... are you ready?"

Rachanee replied, "Don't flip the coin." And that one little decision sparked the pursuit of a dream.

Though Rachanee just came on the independent music scene in 2003, she hasn't been idle. That year, she released her EP "Chosen Path," which she wrote, distributed and co-produced. In 2004 she released her first full-length LP, "Ordinary Girl." Her sophomore album, "3 am," was released in May of 2007.

She has been featured in the Lansing (MI) State Journal, in the Noise (a Lansing, Michigan weekly newspaper), on WILX-TV 10 in Lansing, and on WXYZ Channel 7 in Detroit, MI. Songs from her 2004 release "Ordinary Girl" are being featured on College, AAA, and Christian radio stations around the country. The title track, "Ordinary Girl," debuted at #11 on KTLF in Colorado and went to #1 for three consecutive weeks on WPFF in Michigan and Wisconsin.

"Here with Me" from Rachanee's debut album "Ordinary Girl" was named Best Contemporary Christian Song for the 2006 Independent Music Awards. Another song from her debut album, "From Here," placed second in the 2006 Great Lakes Songwriting Contest. And Rachanee’s latest release, “3 am,” was also a finalist for Best Contemporary Christian Album in the 2008 Independent Music Awards, while one of the new album's featured songs, "Leap of Faith," was a finalist in the 2007 USA Songwriting Competition.

Rachanee's music has a guitar-driven folk/rock feel, and her heartfelt lyrics appeal to any audience. She is comfortable in any venue, having played in various bookstores, churches, clubs, bars and coffeehouses around the country. Touring constantly to support her two releases, she plays live either solo or as part of a duo, with her husband on percussion.

It is with great pleasure that we announce Rachanee's upcoming performance at the BloomBox House Concert Series on Saturday, June 21st at 6:00 PM (view Evite).

Visit Rachanee's site.

Booked: Heather Waters

Every once in a rare moment of time, you stumble across singers who still surrounding noise simply by raising their voice. Their power doesn’t lie in their ability to outshout competition (although a talent for generating superhuman volume a la Little Feat’s Shaun Murphy is certainly impressive). It’s in their gift for connection. They grab listeners’ ears and compel them to pay attention by resolutely turning inward and excavating all the passion and poetry they find churning within themselves. Heather Waters has that gift.
--Pasadena Weekly

Touring the Midwest with her soulfully moving style, singer/songwriter HEATHER WATERS will be performing at the BloomBox House Concert Series next month. With a voice that’s been said to "rise out of the American soil, melancholy yet resilient, immediate yet timeless," Waters, accompanied by her songwriting partner Rich McCulley on acoustic guitar, is sure to deliver a convincing, powerful performance.

A Chicago native, Waters left the Windy City and set out for Boston’s singer/songwriter community, where her seamless blend of blues, bluegrass and traditional country caught the attention of veteran Bonnie Raitt bassist, Hutch Hutchinson, who went on to produce her debut EP. After touring the East Coast, she moved onto Nashville where she sang backup harmonies on Delbert McClinton’s 2002 Grammy-nominated album. Heather continued to find herself singing alongside many accomplished musicians, including the famed Emmylou Harris. Leaving the South and transplanting to Los Angeles, where she currently resides, Heather flourished as an artist and independently recorded her first full-length cd “Shadow of You.” Waters’ second cd “Propeller” is scheduled to be released next month and boasts even deeper R&B grooves and some righteous gospel fervor.

Receiving airplay across the United States, as well as in Finland, Italy, France, The Netherlands, and Belgium, Waters’ music has drawn rave reviews from media outlets nationwide. The Boston Globe wrote that Heather “couldn’t hit a sour note if she tried; the L.A. Daily News touted Waters as having “a sigh-catching voice as evocative as Emmylou Harris',” and Performing Songwriter said, “The dark, smoky twang of her vocals complements the compositions, which are mellow - sometimes downright mournful - but always satisfying;”

The BloomBox House Concert Series is pleased to announce Heather’s upcoming, must-see performance on Saturday, April 19th at 6:00 PM (view Evite).

Visit Heather's site.

REVIEW: Greg Trooper / Jim&Jody Bustamante

Well, what can we say!! 'Troop' was on top of his game!  Combining top-shelf songwriting with his own brand of humor was a winning combination!  Oh, and let's not forget a bit of yodeling!!!  And in a house concert first - an encore by request, which actually turned into a duet with a loyal fan come all the way from Milwaukee just to see Greg!  Check out a few videos of Greg from the event at YouTube.com/AngryLaughter (thanks to Sam Tang).

Warming up the place before Greg took the stage - Jim and Jody Bustamante.  Long-time friends were superb.  They were so cool and played so well, we all thought for sure they must be in the midst of world tour, having polished their craft.  So we didn't know if we should believe them when they said they don't play very often at all.  And talk about harmonies - you have to hear it to believe the way their voices blend.

Photos: Robert Bracher

Booked: Greg Trooper

BloomBox House Concerts is please to announce Greg Trooper!

Rarely has there been a more aptly named singer/songwriter than Greg Trooper. Over three decades, the New Jersey native has soldiered on through the victories and setbacks unique to a career dedicated to music, proving through gestures large and small that he's one of our best. It's evident in the company he keeps, the critics who praise his recordings, the fans who invest in his shows and the artists who learn his songs, wishing they'd written them. It is most evident in what Amazon.com calls his "catalog of superbly crafted albums." This impressive discography testifies for an artist who has always served the song and the music above all other things.

Trooper has made an impact on the music scenes in all the places he's lived since leaving home after high school: Austin, Texas, Lawrence, Kansas, New York and Nashville. His albums have demonstrated creative vision as well as a collaborator's heart. Americana star Buddy Miller produced 1998's 'Popular Demons' album, while soul legend Dan Penn steered 2005's extraordinary 'Make It Through This World'. In the studio and on the road, Trooper's colleagues have come from roots music's most rarified circles: Larry Campbell (Dylan), Garry Tallent (Bruce Springsteen), Kenneth Blevins (John Hiatt), as well as headliners like Maura O'Connell and Bill Lloyd. His songs have been recorded by Vince Gill, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg and Robert Earl Keen, among others. - Craig Havighurst

Greg will appear at the BloomBox House Concert on Saturday, February 16th at 6:00 PM (view Evite).
Visit Greg's site.

FLASH!

Friends Jim and Jody Bustamante will be providing an extra treat by performing a few of their songs and covers before Greg takes the stage.

Jim and Jody have been a singing, song-writing duo for more than twenty years. They met in college when he joined the Chapel music group that Jody was leading. Their songs cover a wide range of themes in a wide range of styles-lullabies, love songs, friends, travels, introspective reflections cleverly integrated into folk, light rock, country, or easy listening genres.

But why so diverse? Why so scattered? Why not one direction? How can you hope to attract and hold an audience if you cannot be simply and easily categorized into one convenient genre?

"When the Muse steps into my consciousness and whispers the wordless wonting of the universe, I am compelled to articulate the message, which words alone cannot adequately express. The music, the rhythm, the mood are all essential to the completeness of the transcendent truth that has found its medium here in me at this point in time."

Take a listen to Jim and Jody's music!

Review: AngryLaughter & Friends

WHAT A FUN TIME!! We all had a blast at the holiday concert! All the performers where absolutely fantastic! Aileen, Atasi, Barb, AngryLaughter - all did a great job. All should be proud. We've posted some videos on the AngryLaughter YouTube sight. Visit us over there to see clips of the concert filmed by Tony Bustamante in HD video. Thanks also to Sam Tang for photos. Visit his site at TangTech on SmugMug.

Booked: AngryLaughter & Friends!

HOLIDAY HOUSE CONCERT
Join us for this BloomBox holiday event that promises to be a fun day of music and holiday cheer!

AngryLaughter (Roland, Lisa, Mark) will perform original music and covers. Friends Aileen, Bruce, Rich and Barb will each share some original songs as well as their favorite covers too.

There will be original music along with covers. And warm up your voices with some holiday sing-a-alongs as well as your bellies with some spiced mulled wine and other refreshments!

All tips/donations (not required) will be given to local charities so please come and share some of your good fortune with the needy.


This holiday festival will take place on Saturday, December 8th at 6:30 PM (view Evite).

AngryLaugter blends insightful lyrics with acoustic and classic rock influenced music, sometimes venturing into punk and other musical forms. The band is readying the release of its debut CD titled One Way Street. The title song reached #1 on the Independent Artists Internet Radio Classic Rock Chart in 2007.
You can read more about AngryLaughter and sample their music at www.AngryLaughter.com.

Aileen Eilert plays under the name Rogue Poet and writes beautiful songs about every day life and feelings that we all have inside us but can't always get out. Visit Rogue Poet to hear samples of Aileen's music.

Barb Olson's voice will immediately remind you of her once alter-ego Stevie Nicks. Her songs are introspective and often have that haunting quality that makes you think....

If you haven't already received an invitation to this exciting musical event, please send an e-mail to angrylaughter@comcast.net with your interest and we will be sure to send you an invite!!! What a great way to ring in the holiday season!

Photos - Bob Bracher, Sam Tang

Review: Melissa Kay McCarthy

WOW! How can a girl so young have a lifetime of stories already? Melissa captivated the audience with her tales of stalkers in Alaska, teaching the hearing impaired, and adventures in Wisconsin. Her perfect accompianment on her Martin was a perfect match for her storytelling singing.

Visit the site for more photos from the event:
TangTech Photography
(see site for email to get a password to the gallery.)

Photo - Sam Tang

Review: BluePrint Music

Photo - Sam Tang
Thank you all who attended and help make the first Bloombox House Concert a fantastic success! And, of course, thank you to Blueprintmusic for two super sets brimming with beautiful Bluegrass, amazing Americana and a unique range of artful acoustic originals plus some killer covers peppered with an array of instrument switcheroos to work in some belting banjo, mandolin, detuned guitar and even some unexpected but unique tribal drums to give every song a fresh texture that complimented the unforgettable cello, string bass and fiddle. They all started strong and built up to a sweet yet haunting finale with Ghosts and Eskimos.

Kate's vocals were keen and captivating. She sang softly and sweetly subtle and soulful at times and then powerfully and perfectly pure at others. Kate easily elicited and evoked the emotions and refound the feelings first felt when her lyrics were originally put to paper. Doug and Kate's songwriting skills... -Review by Sam Tang

Visit these two sites for more photos from the event:
TangTech Photography
(see site for email to get a password to the gallery.)
4HimPhotography

In The Works...

Pete Townshend and Rachel Fuller play Barnes & Noble - Chicago 2006
We're not getting our hopes up just yet, but we are trying to book this man. He did say that next time in Chicago, he'd be happy to stop over. The main sticking point is having space for the 17 guitar cases he travels with......
Ok, ok....you knew it had to be coming.....and for those of you who don't know us...no musical event of ours ever happens without a reference to The Man!

Anyone else you'd like us to try to book? Let us know!

Booked: Melissa Kay McCarthy

Singer/songwriter Melissa Kay McCarthy of LaCrosse, Wisconsin has just released her first CD, When I'm Gone, and will be performing in Bloomingdale, Illinois! Hosted by the BloomBox House Concert Series, this event will take place on Saturday, September 15th at 3:00 PM (view Evite).
Melissa's music is reflective of her own life experiences, and her performances are both insightful as well as entertaining! You can read more about this flourishing artist at www.melissakaymccarthy.com.

Melissa's set is about 2 hours in length, and she usually takes a short break. If you haven't already received an invitation to this exciting musical event, please send an e-mail to angrylaughter@comcast.net with your interest and we will be sure to send you an invite!! What a great way to welcome Fall and spend a weekend afternoon!!

Booked: Blueprintmusic

BloomBox House Concerts is proud to host the first of its concert series featuring Blueprintmusic, on Friday, July 27th at 7:00 PM (view Evite). Described as having a "bluegrass chamber" and "progressive folk" sound, Indianapolis-based Blueprintmusic combines a variety talents, instruments and musical genres. They currently have 2 released CDs, which will be available for purchase at the concert. You can check the band out at www.myspace.com/blueprintmusic1.

The band plans to play two 45-minute sets with a break for food, drink and laughter.

If you haven't already received an invitation to this musical event, please send an e-mail to angrylaughter@comcast.net with your interest and we will be sure to send you invite!!

And heres a review of their "Ghosts and Eskimos" CD from Sing Out Magazine....

"They look like a bluegrass band- there's a banjo, fiddle, dobro and other trappings- but you won't find any songs about mama or whiskey. There's no twang in Kate Lamont's soulful vocals and Doug Sauter's guitar and banjo playing is certainly the result of some Bela Fleck/Michael Hedges gene merge. His instrumentation is as complex as the most intricate jazz but far more accessible and melodic. Lamont's poetic lyrics paint stirring images in songs like "Stars for the Sun," a number that also includes dreamy multi-part harmonies and Sauter's amazing banjo work. There's an eerie feeling in the lyrics of the title cut, a tune in 6/8 that features banjo, cello and Lamont's evocative vocals. Banjo and cello? I swear, I am not making this up and yes, it's astoundingly beautiful. "Keep My Memory" features a percussive guitar in an open tuning with a tasty acoustic bass pining it down. A couple of the songs do have a more standard bluegrass arrangement, including "All My Life" about making life choices: "Logan" is a lively piece about a nice guy. I would have liked lyrics in the liner notes but it's a small complaint. Production so clean it leaps out of the stereo. Who are they? A bluegrass October Project? A jazzed up Alison Krauss and Union Station? I give up. Just go buy this CD!"- Sing Out Magazine