Upcoming Show: Jennifer O'Connor - October 19; Cafe Montmartre; 9PM

Jennifer O'Connor's most recent album "Here With Me" has received critical raves!

She is seemingly always on the road, most recently for a spell on the west coast with Damien Jurado. Next she will head homeward (she now calls Brooklyn, NY home) for some east coast dates, leading to the midwest, and then back to the east coast, veering south for some dates supporting Amy Ray!
"Here With Me" is out now on Matador Records!

Check out her TOUR DATES and more links below!

New website!
http://jenniferoconnor.net/

“O’Connor’s greatest strength as a songwriter is her surgical choice of detail, her ability to render a moment both terribly personal and easily relatable by picking just the right minutia to focus on.” PopMatters (8/10) 

"(O'Connor's} unflinching lyrics and stunningly strong voice leap from distressing folk ballads to buzzing rock with ease...Here With Me peers into romance with the bittersweet dexterity of Elliott Smith and Aimee Mann." SPIN
http://www.myspace.com/jenniferoconnor

October 13 Philadelphia, PA M Room

October 14 Pittsburgh, PA Howler's Coyote Cafe w/David Dondero

October 15 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern

October 16 Pontiac, MI The Pike Room w/The New Year

October 17 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle w/The New Year

October 18 Milwaukee, WI YNOT2 

October 19 Madison, WI Cafe Montmartre

October 21 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry

October 23 Columbia, MO The Blue Fugue w/The Black Fortys

October 24 St. Louis, MO Off Broadway

October 25 Lexington, KY Al's Bar

October 26 Covington, KY Molly Malone's w/Joseph Arthur & The Lonely Astronauts

November 02 Buffalo, NY The Tralf Music Hall w/Amy Ray

November 04 Toronto, ON CA Mod Club Theatre w/Amy Ray

November 05 Burlington, VT Higher Ground S. w/Amy Ray

November 07 Sommerville, MA Somerville Theatre w/Amy Ray

November 15 Richmond, VA Capitol Alehouse w/Amy Ray

November 18 Virginia Beach, VA The Jewish Mother

November 19 Carrboro, NC Cat's Cradle w/Amy Ray

November 21 Asheville, NC Orange Peel w/Amy Ray

November 22 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse w/Amy Ray

More Jennifer O'Connor Links

Spin.com - Artist of the Day!  8/22/08

http://spin.com/articles/jennifer-oconnor

Daytrotter Session:

http://daytrotter.com/article/1398/jennifer-oconnor

Stereogum premiere for her video "Always in Your Mind"

http://stereogum.com/archives/video/new-jennifer-oconnor-video-always-in-your-mind_015921.html#more

NPR song of the day 8/11/08

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93493805

NY Times "Popcast" on 7/30

http://www.nytimes.com/ref/multimedia/podcasts.html

See videos of James McNew interviewing Jennifer here:

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/?p=2139

http://www.matadorrecords.com/matablog/?p=2191

Quick Review - Eef Barzelay

I had such a good time at the Eef Barzaley show the other night. His powerful performance in the living room like intimacy of Cafe Montmarte made this a “show of the year” contender for me. The sound at Momo was quite good – apparently Eef had truly been striving to get “everything perfect” as he wryly and ironically suggested.

You should know that anytime a band introduction includes the phrase “we’re from Nashville” then odds are you are in for an excellent show. Eef claimed that they were all “failed musicians” - but this would be the type of “failed musician” that you should strive to see at every opportunity. Nashville is much like New Orleans – a musical mecca and therefore very competitive. Tough on musicians no doubt, but as a listener – it’s just awesome because every little bar has a band playing that is loaded with talent.

Eef brought it to the Momo on Thursday night. He played to a comfortably full house of appreciative listeners. Alex and I joined together in hoping that this would be one of the fantastic nights when the audience gets engaged and quiets down appropriately– and I was quite satisfied.

After the show, Eef was offering a package for $30 including his new CD – Lose Big – two cool Clem Snide CDs (Early Home Recordings Volume 1 and Have a Good Night: Live Recordings 1999 – 2005), AND a very cool poster from Clem Snide’s End of Love Tour 2005. As you can imagine, I jumped on this bonanza – and Eef signed my CD which I still find adds sentimental value to my show memorabilia.

If you get a chance to see Eef Barzelay and his Band on tour, do not let it slip by you. . . You won’t be disappointed.

- Mister Bill