Anders and Cloud Badge will be playing shows in the Northeast the first week of January. You can go here for more details
Anders will be playing the GARP at Codfish Hollow in Maquoketa, Iowa on Saturday, September 10, 2016. Also appearing is Guided By Voices, Steve Gunn, Magaret Glaspy, and many others. You can go HERE for more information and tickets.
This month marks the 20 year anniversary of the release of my first album, Man of Sin.
In the mid 90s I was in Portland, OR, working at McMenamins Mission Theater as a projectionist, bartender and grill jockey. I had made a number of recordings in “real” studios, but was never happy with any of the results — too little time, too little control, too “nice” sounding, too much money. By that time I had discovered Guided By Voices, Sebadoh, and other so called “lo-fi” bands. Elliot Smith was in PDX and his first solo record came out around that time, too. I wasn’t really interested in lo-fi for its own sake, but the idea of making my own record without time constraints on the cheap was surely appealing (workers controlling the means of production!)
In the winter and spring of 1994 I had a small one bedroom apartment at a building on the corner of 19th and Irving in NW Portland (The Worthington!) that looked out towards downtown Portland. The comforting smell of the Henry Weinhard brewery wafted through the neighborhood on many days. Across the breezeway there was an attractive young woman who often sat in the window at her typewriter, shades open wide, naked as a jaybird, pecking away at the keys. Inspiring, to say the least.
I set up my little recording rig (4-track, yo!) in the living room and set to work recording songs. I played all of the instruments myself, except for a couple of cool bass lines that my friend Bob MacKay performed. I don’t remember much about the actual recordings. There was no auto tune or punching in or multiple takes. Things happened pretty fast. If I needed more than 4 tracks I would bounce down a sub-mix and then continue overdubbing (hey, The Beatles did it!) I played the drums right there in the apartment. I never got any complaints.
Later in 1994 I made my way down to LA and met John Cole who was working at Bug Music. He listened to a cassette (!) of Man of Sin that day and offered to sign me to an administration deal for my publishing. He started sending the album around to various labels.
At the same time my friend Jud Ehrbar was in Rhode Island making recordings with his friend Jeff Gatland. Jud and I would send cassettes back and forth to each other with our latest songs. By 1995 Jud and Jeff had signed to Zero Hour records as Space Needle and released Voyager. I spoke to a lot of different people at labels big and small and decided to go with ZH.
Man of Sin was released on February 20, 1996. I listened to the record last night (on vinyl!). I hadn’t listened to it in years. I don’t have a favorite record — all of my records have been pretty different on many levels — but Man of Sin is definitely a sentimental fave. It’s the one that got things rolling for me and the reason that I met a lot of good people over the years, many of whom I still work with and love.
Anders
Tickets available here.
Anders will be on tour in late April into early May. All dates below are house shows except where noted. You can go here for more info and links to buy tickets.
4/24 – Buffalo, NY
4/25 – Chicago, IL
4/27 – Rock Island, IL @ Rozz Tox
4/28 – Madison, WI
4/30 – Charles City, IA
5/1 – St Louis, MO
5/2 – Springfield, MO
5/3 – Louisville, KY
5/4 – Atlanta, GA
5/5 – Brevard, NC
5/6 – Durham, NC
5/7 – Arlington, VA @ IOTA
5/8 – Baltimore, MD
5/9 – New York, NY @ HiFi Bar
5/10 – Philadelphia, PA
Anders is playing a couple of shows with Jay Farrar on Friday and Saturday, March 6 & 7, 2015 at AMP by Strathmore in N. Bethesda, MD. You can go here for more info.
We’re looking for people to host Anders Parker Living Room Shows in late April and early May!
Anders will be playing these special solo shows in fan’s living rooms… no stage, no sound system.
We’ll make this as easy as possible for the hosts. All you have to do is let us borrow your living room, barn, tent, cabin, or porch for about 3 hours and check names off the guest list at the door as people arrive. In return you’ll get 5 additional free tickets for friends and our eternal gratitude.
We’re looking for hosts in the cities listed below and in surrounding areas. If you are near any of these cities and are interested in hosting please reach out!
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS MARCH 2
4/24 Fri – Buffalo, NY
4/25 Sat -Chicago, IL
4/26 Sun -Chicago, IL
4/27 Mon – Davenport, IA
4/28 Tue – Madison, WI
4/29 Wed- Milwaukee, WI
4/30 Thu- Charles City, IA
5/1 Fri- St Louis, MO
5/2 Sat – Springfield, MO
5/3 Sun – Knoxville, TN or Louisville, KY
5/4 Mon – Atlanta, GA
5/5 Tue – Brevard, NC
5/6 Wed – Durham/Raleigh/Saxapahaw, NC
5/7 Thu – Washington, DC
5/8 Fri – Baltimore, MD
5/9 Sat – New York, NY
5/10 Sun – Providence, RI or Boston, MA
For more information you can go HERE.
IMPORTANT!
1. email anders@living-room-shows.com this info:
– a. Your address.
– b. A few photos of your living room.
– c. Please put “Anders Parker Living Room Show” and the name of your city in the subject line.
2. Sit tight and we’ll get back to you after the submissions deadline if we can confirm a show at your place.
Thanks for your help!
After we have the dates and locations sorted out we will announce the shows and tickets will go on sale at undertowtickets.com.
Hello friends, we’re having a big end of the year sale down at the company store.
All vinyl is $15!
All full length CDs are $10!
All CD EPs are $6!
The Varnaline CD reissue is now just $30 for three albums and an EP!
As always, shipping costs are included in the price of the merchandise. Order now in time for the holidays…
*Sale is on until December 31, 2014.
