Alex Wong: The Man, The Myth, The Duizendpoot

[Michele]

Despite the subject line, there's no centipede behavior to be exhibited during Alex's upcoming solo shows in New York. These will be just him and a guitar.

JUNE 2ND 11PM ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL 196 ALLEN ST
JUNE 30TH 10PM CAFFE VIVALDI, 32 JONES STREET
JULY 7TH 11 PM ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
JULY 22ND 10 PM CAFFE VIVALDI

[aaparallel]

Despite the subject line, there's no centipede behavior to be exhibited during Alex's upcoming solo shows in New York. These will be just him and a guitar.

JUNE 2ND 11PM ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL 196 ALLEN ST
JUNE 29TH 10PM CAFFE VIVALDI, 32 JONES STREET
JULY 7TH 11 PM ROCKWOOD MUSIC HALL
JULY 22ND 10 PM CAFFE VIVALDI

Got an e-mail from Facebook today that Alex had changed the name of his event from "Alex's FIRST Solo Show" to "Alex's First Solo Show." Gotta love the Wong. I hope he totally kills at these upcoming solo shows and brings his act to the bay area.

[terraphim86]

I "remixed" the two versions of "In The Creases" just to see if I could, and I'm rather pleased with how it turned out. http://bit.ly/9NoFBl I hope no one hates me for this.

[stapper2]

This is very cool. Thanks for sharing! I was just thinking recently of the variety of renditions of "In the Creases" I've seen depending on what instruments/persons are there. I am impressed with how well things fit together in your remix. Did this take you a long time to do?

[terraphim86]

It took about three hours, in the deep hours of the night. My insomnia is both a curse and a blessing....

[Fred]

Any updates with Alex's upcoming shows? Thanks in advance.

He's in NYC tomorrow night as part of a holiday benefit show. I may go, depending on my workload (it's a weeknight, of course).

His schedule is on his myspace page: http://www.myspace.com/highceilingsmusic/shows. I don't see anything in your immediate neighborhood.

BTW welcome to the forum, please keep posting!

[Michele]

Alex just sent an end-and-beginning-of-year update to his mailing list, which you can see and subscribe to here. He has a 2010 recap on his blog, and also another fundraising effort for City Harvest.

As I mentioned in October, Alex has a new glockenspiel. And so it looks like he's decided to pass beloved Bianca on to new adventures. Get the details and e-mail him to bid.

I would have loved to have witnessed Bianca sent off at one last Vienna Teng or Paper Raincoat show, but who knows? Maybe the auction winner will be someone we'll see playing her sometime!

[Fred]

I finally had a chance to see Alex play solo. It was in a duo show with Jesse Terry at Temple Tikvah in New Hyde Park, Long Island, NY on Saturday, September 10, 2011; Carley Tanchon opened. During the headline portion of the show, rather than playing together, Alex and Jesse swapped solos (they harmonized a little). Each got five. Alex gave great, stripped-down performances of 4 familiar songs and a new one, accompanying himself on keyboard or acoustic guitar. No centipede behavior, or percussion at all, in this show. No looping either, unless I missed it; there was a box on the floor, but I don't think he used it. (Alex handled the sound tech duties for all 3 performers, and there were technical issues with a guitar, so he may have had his hands full.) This was my first exposure to Alex without Vienna or Amber, and I was impressed. So was the audience, who sat in rapt attention through his quiet, thoughtful songs, and then gave him enthusiastic applause. Seeing him solo allowed me to appreciate how good his songs, and his interpretations, really are. I'm glad I finally had the opportunity. There should be many more chances, as long as he isn't playing Rockwood at 11:00 PM on a weekday!

Are You Listening?
Brooklyn Blurs
Patiently (new song - he said premiere)
Make it Home
Help Is On the Way

Oh, one more thing. Watch for Carley Tanchon if she comes to your neighborhood.

[Michele]

Thanks for the report, Fred! Glad you got to go even on such short notice!

[Fred]

Thanks for the report, Fred! Glad you got to go even on such short notice!

It was total luck. I had been out to shows 2 nites running (including an uncharacteristic weeknight) and intended to stay in. But first I had to get up @ 5:30 AM to take my daughter to Brooklyn to take the ACT test because we didn't register her in time to take it locally. After I dropped her off I went to my office (also Bklyn) with the intention of working but was so zoned out from getting up too early that all I could do was Facebook. And there was Alex's post. I'm sure there's a lesson in there somewhere.

[Ang Mo]

I had an idea as I was driving along the Oregon Coast listening to this song by Lee Hazlewood who sings it with Suzi Jane Hokum (aka Nancy Sinatra) and it struck me that it would be a perfect song for Alex and Vienna to sing together. It is called The Girls in Paris and I will post a link so Alex and Vienna can get to practicing on this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJdIz59vyu4&feature=related
and I also think they could cover this one called SAND
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGfD2j9M1dA which he did with Nancy Sinatra on this version but the recording is not as clear as what is on my CD. Lee Hazelwood is somebody I never heard of, although I had listened to his songs without knowing it. His most famous,
These Boots are made for Walkin was a number one hit for Nancy Sinatra. My younger brother, eleven years younger introduced me to this artist on the trip and gave me the CD as a gift. It is really good. His range covers folk, country, rock, blues, jazz, lounge, etc. He seemed to be an everyman in his musical tastes. His obituary is quite interesting of how he explained to Nancy Sinatra how to sing These Boots are made for Walkin Here is the obituary http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/2007/aug/06/guardianobituaries.obituaries

[aaparallel]

Alex's solo CD is coming out on February 14th. If you haven't, watch the preview. Wait for the cameo by the Wong family's 80 year old (well, he's at least 40) tortoise, E.T.

[aaparallel]

Alex's solo record is coming out soon! Album preview shows with Ward Williams on cello/guitar and Kevin Rice on a secret percussion contraption, Saturday, May 5, 5 PM in San Francisco and Tuesday, May 8, 8:45 PM at Hotel Cafe. RSVP for the SF CD preview show at kc@kcturnermusic.com. Attendees will receive a limited edition sampler of the new music! Tell your friends!

[Fred]

Alex's solo CD is coming out on February 14th. If you haven't, watch the preview. Wait for the cameo by the Wong family's 80 year old (well, he's at least 40) tortoise, E.T.

Alex's solo record is finally coming out! Saturday, May 5, 7 PM. Bay Area: RSVP for the SF CD release show at kc@kcturnermusic.com.

He's been in labor for quite a while. I guess he can blame the producer.

[aaparallel]

Alex recently released the first single from his forthcoming album, A City On A Lake, and it's beautiful! If you haven't, RSVP for his SF show by e-mailing kc@kcturnermusic.com!