Grateful for all the Marsching, onward to April somehow

Releasing an album is very much like planning a wedding. 

Basically, "I spent a whole bunch of money on, and committed a bunch of time to, this thing. Now I'm having a party! And you, nice people, are invited!"

Nice people: "Yay!"

Me: "However, to come, you must pay $12 advance or $15 at the door."

Nice people, somehow, miraculously: "Yay!"

It was a dream of a night, and I'm so damned grateful for it all!

So many thanks to Felicia Cooper, Andy Caush, MJ Marsh, Matt Patrick, Josh Kaplan, Samantha Baker Harris, Jeffrey Nolan + Hawken Paul, Phantom Chorus Theatre, the Bryant Lake Bowl, Adam Iverson, Jeremy and Loanna, and you you you! Sometimes, it takes a village.

It was overwhelming and wonderful, and the most amazing folks were there. <3 =

Oh! And part of this album release video party is ACTUAL VIDEOS!

Here is Calico by Penny and the Bandits 
From the album Apocalypse Disco
Video concept, puppet creation, performance by Felicia Cooper

Edited by Jen Scott
Written and performed by Jen Scott
Drums by Josh Kaplan
Additional instrumentation and vocals by Matt Patrick and Jen Scott
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matt Patrick at the Library Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Here is The Haunting of the Living by Penny and the Bandits 
From the album Apocalypse Disco
Video concept, creation, performance, and editing by Phantom Chorus Theatre

Written and performed by Jen Scott
Drums by Josh Kaplan
Additional instrumentation and vocals by Matt Patrick and Jen Scott
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matt Patrick at the Library Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Here is Ghost of Whitman by Penny and the Bandits 
From the album Apocalypse Disco
Video concept and performance by Hawken Paul and Jeffrey Nolan.

Edited by Jen Scott
Written and performed by Jen Scott
Drums by Josh Kaplan
Additional instrumentation and vocals by Matt Patrick and Jen Scott
Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Matt Patrick at the Library Studio in Minneapolis, MN.

Part of all this releasing is making sure the captioned versions are also up, getting them in all the spaces, etc. I AM DOING IT. 

AND HERE'S THE ALBUM! (Adam Iverson is incredible. Please hire him. And Matt Patrick at the Library Studios. And Josh Kaplan. Good heavens.)

Here it is on Spotify. It's also on Soundcloud, Apple Music, and I'll send you a CD if you like!

I'm a very lucky jerk. 

Besides the PARTY, another highlight was playing for the PayGap Comedy Series. So dang lovely, and so many thanks to Carolyn Poole for being always an amazing charming dream. So grateful!

AND HEAR HER STORIES! It's the show's 3rd birthday; this year was so so so good. 

And so... April?

Oh man. 

I'm at the Guthrie teaching a spring break camp. Report to follow. 

I'm up with the Unnamed Jill Bernard Project at HUGE Theater, Thursdays April 11th & 18th. 

BRING YOUR KIDS! on April 13th, featuring special guests Z Puppets Rosenschnoz!

And Table Salt Production's Fiction, Sunday April 28th, 7 p.m. at the Bryant Lake Bowl. 

Whattayado with an album? Do you pass it to radio stations? (Check. I'll email some CDs too.) Do you contact music bloggers? Do you harass venues? Do you make more lyrics videos? Do you try and get a grip on your social media things? Do you figure out how to play your songs on guitar, so you're a fuller sound when you play out solo? Whattabout a backing track? To quote: 

Seriously, Trixie. 

But you you you. You're all great, and I'm so grateful for you. 

Dude appreciation post

I got to hang out at Star Studio at Children's Hospital with the Dude and play games and it is always the best dang time. 

The Dude is so so good at what he does: not only running/producing silly and sweet entertainment, but also taking you under his very chill wing as a guest. So many thanks to Star Studio and COMPAS for the delight!

MARSCH

 Happy whatever season this is! Things that started in January are in their 8 week-ish roll down...

 - I finished up 8 weeks with Episcopal Church Homes in St. Paul. 

 - I'm teaching an 8 week 301 at HUGE... We have two (?!) classes left? THEY ARE DREAMS!

 - I'm teaching a 10 week Intro to Improv at CTC... We have three (!?) classes left? They are IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. 

 - Two different shows are also wrapping up at HUGE. So much love for Give the Drummer Some and we get to Adorable at HUGE Wednesday one-last-time tomorrow. Both of these shows have been heart-filling in all the ways. So many thanks to the cast of GTDS for open, supportive, loving, roll around on the floors and so many thanks to Butch for making the loveliest scenes with the loveliest of trying lost souls. I'm so gd grateful. 

 - Also, Butch and I got to join James Rone on Saturday Feb. 24th for the sweetest of shows at Strike. James - - we're so grateful to be your friends. 

 - I made little promo videos and images for the two HUGE shows, and am unreasonably proud. 

And then MARCH kicks in!

 - I started with some 8th graders at Sunny Hollow Montessori in St. Paul, through COMPAS. They are ridiculous, and also learning about soul-rocking things. Like Portuguese. And the role of the American government in the mid-80s. 8TH GRADE IS DARK, y'all. We will do improv, maybe some sketch, and BE CONFUSING TO ALL. 

 - I'm still down at Ecumen in Mankato, and monthly at Amira in Forest Lake, both through COMPAS. 

 - Hear Her Stories returns! I get to curate and host this storytelling performance, produced by Mill City Museum. Saturday March 23rd, 7 p.m. show. Please join us!

 - Bring Your Kids rollllllllllls. Saturday March 9th at 4 p.m. at HUGE is our next one and it will be SO. SERIOUS*. 

March is for birthday parties (not mine, but some nuclear family members) and MUSIC. 

 - I'll be playing music at the Pay Gap Comedy Series at Malcolm Yards on Wednesday March 6th! 

 - ALBUM RELEASE VIDEO PARTY!! AHHHH! The exact opposite of monetizing your hobbies! My 'band' is Penny and the Bandits. The album is called Apocalypse Disco. The drummer is Josh Kaplan. The producer is Matt Patrick (of the Library!).. 

The party is on Wednesday March 27th at the Bryant Lake Bowl, 7 p.m.! It is an Album Release Video Party, as I've commissioned three different groups** to create music videos for three of my songs. I'm so excited. Live music by Andy Caush and Penny and the Bandits; videos by Felicia Cooper, Phantom Chorus, and Jeffrey Nolan + Hawken Paul. All hosted by the incredible MJ Matheson. 

Whewwww! Finally, ADORABLE TURNED 15! WE'RE SO OLD!

*This is a lie. It will be very silly. 

**March is also for video editing. 

FEBRUARY... Who actually pronounces the R?

Happy February! It is (creepily) beautiful here: bright blue sky, temperature in the 40s. Everyone's out enjoying the global warming, but also well aware that this ain't right. 

January projects have begun!

 - COMPAS: A memoir class at Episcopal Homes in St Paul, Amira in Forest Lake, and Ecumen in Mankato. Still lovely! It turns out, if you ask a certain group if they remember their first crush, you will get NAMES. What a silly and beautiful thing. 

 - Amplifying Voice 301 class at HUGE Theater is a dream!!

 - Improv for 6-8th grades at Children's Theatre Company is very silly. Truly. Silly. 

 - Give the Drummer Some, 9 p.m. Fridays at HUGE Theater until the end of February. This is a joy. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AUDIENCE THINKS, but, honestly, we're having a great time. It's all patterns and crawling on each other, and we're the luckiest ducks.  

 - Adorable, 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays at HUGE Theater until the end of February. So much gratitude to Butch for playing this with me. It's so so so much fun, and I love it. Hopefully, we can start making the festival rounds... Neither of us live with toddlers anymore. WHAT IS POSSIBLE!?

 - BRING YOUR KIDS! Next one is Saturday Feb. 10th!! We sold out January, and would love to rock dreamy February...  

Things that also needs to get done while doing the above things?

 - PROMOTION! Wuf. I finally got things together, and have been making little weekly videos for these shows. You can find my tiny and weird video collection here. 

 - CREATION! Matt Patrick of the Library Studio has the final mixes of my first album done! LET'S GO! 

 - APPLICATION! Many things to apply to. (Maybe not many, but it feels like many.) Also, many things to tend to. It's not spring yet, despite all the feels. I've been tending by way of pruning: getting rid of old socks, donating things that were purchased with unrealized good intentions. Make space make space make space, even down to my Google storage. What's filling vs. serving? THIS SOUNDS VERY FANCY, and not as potentially either panic-driven or cut throat as it sometimes feels. 

 - Also, community. There's been some sad and wonderful moments of community. Attended a celebration of life, and am thinking how grateful that we've memorized each others' laughs.

 - Also, community: got to be a part of a group of chaperones, taking 25 fifth graders across town on Metrotransit on a very cold day. Successful highjinks!!  

Onward and hoping things are good with you. <3 

Adorable from Jan 31st. 

Pure silly! A picture from the January Bring Your Kids 

2024! 2024!

 Oh heyyyyyyy.... 

Firstly, HAPPY NEW YEARS! Hoping the holidays have treated you and yours well. Lead with love. There's so much going on. 

December, along with 2023, is wrapping up (time being a construct, and all that.) 

This is me, post-pretending to be a bank president. 

- Bring Your Kids was a hoot! (next one on Jan. 13th!) 

- Family Dinner's last 2023 performance was last night, and was so so lovely. 

 - Glorious Human's ran gloriously at HUGE Wednesdays!

 - Unexpected friends came to Gigi's, and I had an unexpected dance squad!

 - I got a commercial! I'm so grateful. Fresh Produce of Sioux Falls took such care of me, and so many thanks to Meredith here in the Cities. :) 

- The sharing at Lyngblomsten went great. If interested, feel free to take a peek here. So many thanks to all involved, and to COMPAS! 

 So much of what I do runs on a school schedule: everything begins the weird ramp up to either May or December! January brings... 

 - Improv at CTC for 6th - 8th graders! Send your aged children!

 - A number of teaching projects with COMPAS begin... 

 - A new quarter at HUGE...

 - BRING YOUR KIDS! at HUGE! Saturday Jan. 13th, 4 p.m. show. 

 - Butch and I are ADORABLE! Please catch us at HUGE Wednesdays through February. <3 

 - Give the Drummer Some returns! Please watch us be everything, Fridays at 9 p.m. through February at HUGE Theater.  

 - And potentially other stuff. And maybe snacks.  

Y'ever look back at a year, and go something like, "I've been doing the same stuff for years"... Which isn't exactly true. And is actually, also, okay. Beyond okay - - it's sort of what one aims for, in many ways. And it's been really cool and great! (lots of stories, lots of singing, lots of performing, lots of silliness.. and so grateful for it all!) 

Look how fancy we are!

And... is there another way to stretch or grow or experiment? What's good, what's useful, what's healthy? What leads to excitement? What supports your community? How do you grow where you've planted? How do you help others grow? How do you continue to reach? Can you ask yourself bigger questions? Also, don't you have a physical body that should be walking more? Don't you have a house to order up? Do we subscribe to too many instagrams and substacks?  

 - Tend to your house (small and big) 

 - Attract, don't chase 

 - Let's reach and trial/experiment

- Work with joy on your puzzles

 - Listen to yourself (especially when you've been shown what's the deal.)

People have said way smarter things than what's above, but it's a start. 

Hoping you and yours are safe and healthy, and the new years/mid-winter continues to shift and fulcrum-point to new and good. 

Love!

December, said in a haunting way

 Hi!

November put the wraps on a couple of things! Including one that started in June of this year!

I've been lucky enough to work with folks at Lyngblomsten Apartments, specifically a group of hard of hearing and deaf ladies, and they just had their storytelling performance today! IT WAS SO LOVELY! I am so grateful for each and every one of them, for Holly, Annette, Sue, Marlaine (previously of COMPAS) for setting the whole experiment up, and for Asher who came to watch! Thank you! 

November also marked the opening of Cold Planet Warm Heart for Fortune Fool's Theater. People said nice things; the cast was fantastic. Huzzah!

Bring Your Kids had it's HUGE Theater debut and sold out!!! GASP! Here's our amazing house band (double-gasp) Mug Cup Can Straw!

You know that feeling one gets when a big project rolls up, and then suddenly, you no longer have the excuse you did a mere day ago? Indeed. 

Other things that wrapped up... Improvathon was a delight: thank you all who donated to HUGE! I played the White Squirrel bar as part of the St Paul Songwriter Rounds, which was awesome, and also surreal (my little punk ukulele will continue to punk, whether or not it wants to or not. Also, go see the Tennessee Stiffs, goddammit.) Glorious Humans continues into December with the silliest. Literally. The silliest. 

December December! 2023! WHUT. 

I'm in Family Dinner at HUGE. Saturdays Dec. 16th & 30th, 7:30 p.m. show

Bring Your Kids rides again at HUGE! Saturday Dec. 9th, 4 p.m. show, $5 kids/$10 adults. 

Glorious Humans present Anthology. Wednesdays through the end of December, 7:30 p.m.. HUGE

The online musical improv class I've been taking through Open Your Mouth and Sing in Brighton UK is having our performance on Monday Dec. 11th, 12 p.m. Zoom link here!

And I get to play Gigi's with RJ Vocal on Friday Dec. 8th, 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.. Bring a friend, have a snacks, and relax to it all. 

There's a little bit of teaching, a little bit of rehearsal, and a little bit of potentially driving to Sioux Falls for a gig -- fingers crossed. Then it's off to visit very lucky holiday things and everything sort of restarts in its own way. 2024 2024. I was born in 1975, so it's all sort of mind-blowing, by the numbers alone.  

LOOK AT THIS ALBUM COVER AND VISCERALLY REACT I DID. It's... beautiful. 

<3

November, if a bit late

 Hi! We made it. 

October was taken up by directing a musical for Fortune Fools Theater and it opened last night! Lucky to have worked on it, and happy to have it in others' hands. The cast is so so good! The crew is amaze-balls. I hope it's the best run. 

I didn't schedule much, performance-wise, for October (cuz #musical),  EXCEPT for MONSTERPALOOZA at the Bryant Lake Bowl with the Rev. Matt Kessen, which was a goddamn delight. So many thanks to Matt, Duck Washington, and Elora Riley for making it so. 

For COMPAS, I finished up a Memory Café for the Jewish Children and Family Services (just wonderful), a one-off improv workshop for Dakota County Libraries (they were so good!), the shortest ice-breaker for MSS... All very lucky. I'm still working with an awesome group of Deaf Ladies at Lyngblomsten Apartments: they'll be doing a storytelling sharing at the end of the month. 

I got to go back into the studio for a bit: this sort of recording is the longest game, but so excited. 

I love October, and I'm sad to see it go, weirdly. It was a very responsible and busy month, some lessons were learned, and WE DID IT! And... we need some make-up October please. 

November, performance things pick up!

HUGE stuff! Family Dinner returns to HUGE! Right now, I'm scheduled to be in November 11th, 18th, 26th, and December 16th. Glorious Humans presents Anthology at HUGE Wednesdays through December, and Bring Your Kids makes it HUGE debut on November Saturday 11th! New stage! New excitement! Hold onto your butts, indeed!

Improv-A-Thon is HAPPENING! Please support Adorable (Butch and me) and Five Music Videos (my solo improv silliness) in raising funds for the best damn long-form improv theater around. Adorable at 10 a.m., Five Music Video at 11 a.m., Thursday Nov. 16th  at HUGE. 

I recorded a bit for the Out Cold horror podcast; the listening party is Wednesday Nov. 9th at Soft Cult Studio. #fancy

And finally, I'll be at the White Squirrel for Twin Cities Songwriters Rounds on Sunday Nov. 12th. 

Exciting! Cool stuff! Weird! Ope!

Something cool: Balls Cabaret returns (look at the old facebook pandemic times of it all)! The long-running open mic INSTITUTION, run by absolute angel Leslie Ball, begins again. Strike Theater, 2 p.m., Sundays... I'm so delighted. Many happy returns, Balls. <3 <3 <3