Deborah Crooks: News/Journal

I've had some last minute additions to the July calendar including this coming Saturday's performance on KALX LIVE 90.7FM. I'll be going on around 9pm for a 45 minute set followed by an interview. Tune in! KALX RADIO 90.7 FM July 24, 2010 9:00pm

Meanwhile, reviews continue to come in for "It's All Up to You" the latest compares it to Izzy Stradlin. What do you think: From ZME Music: "As opposed to some of Crooks’ more obvious peers - the likes of Sheryl Crowe, and perhaps a tired Alanis Morissette - what [Izzy] Stradlin’s record shares with It’s All Up To You is an easy, summer road-trip, I’ve-listened-to-a-lot-of-Rolling-Stones-and-I’m-not-afraid-to-show-it kind of vibe...."

Best Buy has started selling musical instruments and has a nice program giving indie artists a turn on their instore stages. I played a set at the Best Buy in Chelsea last week to a fittingly cosmopolitan crowd as well as some NYC friends. While in NY, I also had fortune to check out some other musical pals who were playing in the Big Apple, caught up with two of my favorite SF-NYC transplants, poet Karen Hildebrand and composer Peter Whitehead, then headed to Philly for some yoga rebooting. While I was reacquainting myself with Urdhva Dhanurasana, Consequence of Sound was reviewing my EP: "It’s All Up To You separates itself from the mainstream country pack and moves in a whole variety of unexpected directions..." to read more, go to Consequence of Sound.

I had a great time playing the past two weekends @the Songwriter's Unplugged series @ Yoshi's SF & a Drew Pearce produced house concert Sausalito. The location of the latter took the cake.Thank yous to our hosts, audience & my band mates: yes life is good. Nusi Decker took some shots of our swell mansion venue.

I'm psyched to open for the amazing ambeR Rubarth, Sunday, June 6. She's just back from Europe and the setting couldn't be better for an afternoon show.The show is happening, to quote host Drew Pearce, "at the outrageously beautiful and stately home of Cindi and Todd Osborn in Sausalito."

The doors open at 4 pm. Music starts around 4:15 pm. Advance reservations are $10 via Paypal donation on the Pearce Creative Events page.  It's $15 day of show/ at the door. We hope you can join us.  It will be special.

Space is limited and advance reservations are highly recommended. For more details, RSVP to pearcecreative@gmail.com.

 Lilith Fair , the pioneering women-led music festival that Sara Mclachlan founded in the 1990s, is back! And they're giving locals a chance to take a turn on the Lilith Stage at each stop. Of course I'd love to play and I can't do it without your vote. I appreciate if you my chances by voting at Ourstage between now and May 21. Here's how: 1. Sign up at http://Ourstage.com with a Fan account 2. Go to http://www.ourstage.com/profile/deborahcrooks/and CLICK THE "FAN" TAB 3. Click the Green Tab that says "MAKE THIS MY FAVORITE ARTIST" 4. Click the "JUDGE" TAB on Top 5. On the right select "LILITH FAIR CONTEST" 6. Choose "LILITH FAIR : San Francisco/Los Angeles/San Diego 7. Listen to at least 15 seconds of each song. Choose your favorite. Continue until you reach "FALLING - DEBORAH CROOKS" Choose it as your favorite "BY FAR" and put it at the TOP of the list. Many thanks!

The new tunes have been starting to get some rotation. Thank you KC Radio, GoGirls Music Radio and Radio Crystal Blue for showing some love to "It's All Up to You." You can also buy the new disc at Cd Baby

I'm excited to celebrate the completion of my EP "It's All Up to You" at The Red Devil lounge on April 11. I'm happy, too, to be sharing the bill with two of my favorite Bay Area bands, Grace Woods and Festizio. Come!  Tickets $7 pre-show/$10 day of show. Doors open 8pm

Old friends, new friends, many miles, crazy road sitings, snow (!), roadside 'salad bar,' and now, Las Vegas. Jury is out on what 14 days on the road have done to my brain! If you're in California, please come find out:

Friday, March 26th, 2010

The Quarter Note

I'm appearing several times during SXSW, including a Great Idea Tour stop at lululemon Austin on W. 6th St. (3/18, 1-3pm) , a panel at the SXSW Convention (3/19 @ 12:30pm) and the GoGirls Invasion of SXSW @Austin Java Parkway (3/19@4:30). Say hey if you're @sxsw!

• Check the Great Idea Tour website (www.thegreatideatour.com) and Facebook page as we're en route from CA to TX & back. Yahoo!

The tour begins & I'll have the Ep with me. Come along!

If all goes as planned, the new Ep "It's All Up to You" will be available first week of March. Stay tuned! I'm really excited about the work I did with the band and producer Ben Bernstein and the opportunity The Bay Bridged gave me via its recording grant program to record at Tiny Telephone. Meanwhile, I've posted a new song on my page "Let's Move" (also streaming). Let me know what you think. Now taking preorders $10.99 each via Paypal. 

Jean Mazzei and I recently chatted with Brian Ball about The Great Idea Tour we're launching March 11 at lululemon athletica in Burlingame. Hear more about it! WOMEN'S RADIO INTERVIEW

I'll be at the MacWorld Music Studio again on 2/13 @ 11am. Hear a preview of the new Cd then I'm sending to mastering on Tuesday ...In the meantime, you can find my last Cd Adding Water to the Ashes on iTunes.

Amidst all this, the Great Idea Tour is shaping up. Raw Revolution just joined our sponsor list. Yum!

Some nifty new items in the store, including Great Idea Tshirts and water bottles. Check it out!

I'll be talking about making and recording songs at the upcoming MacWorld in San Francisco.

Visit the Music Studio at MacWorld February 11 and 13th. I'll have an engineer and a bandmate or two with me as we demonstrate how we use Mac tools on the trail to taking a song from inspiration to actualization.

The end of January sees a return to the Northwest which includes a nice gig at Skylark Lounge and a Lululemon Store warm-up for upcoming Great Idea Tour:

Sunday, January 24th, 2010
Skylark Cafe, 8pm
3803 Delridge Way SW
Seattle Washington 98106
 
Sunday, January 24th, 2010
Lulu Lemon - Pacific Place
In-store Appearance - 3-5pm
600 Pine St.
Seattle Washington 98101

This week is almost all about recording after a fun swing down the Central Coast this weekend (special thanks to Slo Down Pub in Arroyo Grande as well as Leah & Mat). I've been working on the tracks I did with the band (shout out to Mike Stevens, Tim Perdue & Kwame Copeland, ole!) at Ex'pressions last month with Ben Bernstein at Petting Zoo Studio in preparation for my Bay Bridged Recording Grant sessions at Tiny Telephone later this week. Vocals, some piano by John Mazzei and a bit more guitar from Alex Walsh and it will be time to mix the first batch of songs. Yay!

Amid all this I'll be at the monthly Songsalive! showcase at Velo Rouge Cafe hosted by Katie Garibaldi. Come on by Thursday night Jan. 7 for some live, acoustic action.

Speaking of which, have you checked out The Great Idea Tour?

Life is full! Sending love & appreciation,  Deborah

I'm playing as part of a New Year's Eve celebration at Le Meridian Hotel. 333 Battery St. San Francisco.

LINE-UP:
9 pm Deborah Crooks Band
10 pm Voodoo Saints
11 pm Two Headed Turtle

ADVANCE TICKETS $12/$15 door

Crooks/Walsh Blues, aka me and Alex Walsh play Angelica's Bistro this Saturday, December 12 at 6pm. Dinner seating starts at 5pm
"Angelicas Entertainment is a rare venue that offers a wonderful bohemian setting and makes you feel that you are in 1930’s with a European flare. The main club room is where we are performing and has limited seating. Please call 650-365-3226 to make your dinner reservation!"

I'm excited and grateful to have received a Bay Bridged Grant for recording time at Tiny Telephone! So I'm headed back into the studio with a batch of new songs to begin-at-the-beginning-again with some sessions this month and next. Interested in supporting this venture further? Write me at deborahrcrooks@gmail.com to find out how you can help me fledge this new bird. More news in my newsletter

A couple more thank yous this Thanksgiving week: Thanks all who supported the Go Girls Music Fest at Cafe Du Nord. We had a great time and were happy to raise funds for an important cause.

Thank you www.Talenthouse.com for selecting me as one of 6 featured artist on the @Talenthouse site this week http://bit.ly/TalentH

Thanks for reading and listening. Now go enjoy the pie!

Mark your calendar for November 17. I'm part of a swell line-up of San Francisco artists playing Go Girls Music Fest SF, a benefit show for Mary's House, at Cafe Du Nord.

GoGirlsMusicFest celebrates its 10th anniversary tour this year, and GoGirlsMusic.com founder Madalyn Sklar and her team have selected a new beneficiary of the event's proceeds - the nation's maternity homes.

The San Francico Event will be held on November 17 at 8 pm at Cafe Du Nord and will feature performances by area artists Monica Pasqual, Tiffany Petrossi, Deborah Crooks, Valerie Orth & Blue Rabbit.
Admission is $12.

Get your tickets HERE.

I did my first road trip with my best friend Sally and her mom when I was 10 years old. We drove to Texas to deliver, and kept going to New Orleans, listening to Boz Scaggs 'Silk Degrees' ad infinitum as well as Willie & Waylin and whatever radio station we could find. My eyes bugged out at the sight of saxophone players in the street and I ate hush puppies wherever I could find them. The trip was pivotal in more ways than one and decades later I'm still addicted to hitting the road or taking off on a plane as well as good music. The Indie Abundance Tour™ earlier this month was reminder of that fact and I'm busy planning a new tour in 2010 that will traverse much of the terrain I traveled as a 10-year-old, only this time I'll be playing. It's a few months off, but I welcome your gig suggestions and other music-friendly tips for touring the Southwest. Send me a tip @ deborahrcrooks@gmail.com & your mailing address and I'll send you a treat from one of my sponsors. Thanks!In the meantime, I'm so excited to go see Boz Scaggs on Thursday night here in SF. With Buddy Miller, woo-hoo.

Thanks to everyone who came to El Rio last Sunday. It was a sweet afternoon on the patio. The Indie Abundance™ tour featuring myself, Emily Bonn & Chantelle Tibbs in now in Eugene en route to Tacoma. Hee Haw. Check the calendar for all the latest