Cup of Loneliness

December travels upcoming

2011-11-29T12:19:00.000-08:00

Been quiet on the Speer front of late, after roaming around quite a bit the 1st half of the year, but we will be dusting off our boots and getting out on the road for a long weekend of sorts in middle December. Gonna hit some towns we have never ventured to before so that is great. Big thanks to Joe Fletcher for asking us to out with him for this jaunt. The beautiful Brown Bird will also be appearing at all 4 of these gigs so be ready for killer songsmiths all night long!

Dec 15 2011
The Middle East w/ Brown Bird, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons
Cambridge, MA

Dec 16 2011
Cafe 9 w/ Brown Bird, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons
New Haven, CT

Dec 17 2011
The Met w/ Brown Bird, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons
Providence, RI

Dec 18 2011
Union Pool w/ Brown Bird, Joe Fletcher & the Wrong Reasons
Brooklyn, NY

Blazing through the South!

2011-07-05T13:59:00.000-07:00

Yes yes another journey to the territories so dear to our hearts, the sunny south. Come catch us in the coming weeks as we dust off some old favorites from the After Hours LP, play the new scorchers and continue our presentation of the finest roots mind melt around...

July 19 2011
5th Dimension w/ Weyes Blood, Lexie Mountain
Baltimore, MD

July 20 2011
King's Barcade w/ Eugene Chadbourne, Shadow World Duo
Raleigh, NC

July 21 2011
The Get Down w/ The Skurvies, Homeless Gospel Choir
Asheville, NC

July 22 2011
529 w/ Six Shot Revival, Part of the Problem
Atlanta, GA

July 23 2011
Farm 255 w/ Bubbly Mommy Gun
Athens, GA

July 24 2011
Pilot Light w/ Rugaru
Knoxville, TN

July 25 2011
Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar w/ Old Calf
Charlottesville, VA

July 26 2011
The Burners at St. Bernards w/ Brother JT
Bethlehem, PA

Moving Pictures

2011-06-02T15:04:00.001-07:00

Here's a video we put together using some old favorite flicks about the great state of Louisiana; the track is from our latest release Leaving the Commonwealth

D. Charles Speer & The Helix - Le Grand Cochon from Thrill Jockey Records on Vimeo.

also a live clip from the Speer solo trio in effect in Brooklyn back in March. I'll also be putting up a piece from our spring tour with Pigeons in the coming days, likely something of the fully electric nature...

Helix tour kicks off soon!

2011-05-09T08:20:00.000-07:00

Here's the full extent, really glad to have an old bud Zach Cale along for the fun. See you folks in the heartland...

May 12 2011 The Velvet Lounge w/ Zachary Cale, Borborites Washington, D.C.

May 13 2011 Howlers w/ Zachary Cale, Secret Tombs Pittsburgh, PA

May 14 2011 Jackfest at Oberlin College Oberlin, OH

May 15 2011 Frank's Power Plant w/ Zachary Cale Milwaukee, WI

May 16 2011 Monks Caffee Pub w/ Zachary Cale Dubuque, IA

May 17 2011 Medusa w/ Zachary Cale, Paul Metzger Minneapolis, MN

May 18 2011 White Lightning Warehouse w/ Zachary Cale, Douglas Nye Iowa City, IA

May 19 2011 Empty Bottle w/ Zachary Cale, blink, Helen Money Chicago, IL

May 20 2011 PJ's Lager House w/ Zachary Cale Detroit, MI

May 21 2011 The Summit w/ Zachary Cale, Shivering Timbers, Royal Pines Columbus, OH

May 22 2011 Betty's Grill w/ Zachary Cale, William Tyler Nashville, TN

May 23 2011 Nightlight w/ Zachary Cale Chapel Hill, NC

May 24 2011 The Cellar w/ Zachary Cale, Black Twig Pickers Blacksburg, VA

May 25 2011 Golden West Cafe w/ Zachary Cale Baltimore, MD

May 27 2011 Highwire Gallery w/ Zachary Cale, Boogie Witch Philadelphia, PA

Interview at Bomb Magazine's site

2011-04-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Back from a wonderful tour with Pigeons, many thanks to Clark and Wednesday for asking us to go out on the road with them. Many new friends and connections made, old friends loved, thanks to all for coming out to the gigs. Here's an interview/video mix I did via email from the road. Enjoy!

Upcoming tour with Pigeons

2011-03-11T11:33:00.000-08:00

Really pleased to be hitting the road with Pigeons at the end of the month, they will be showcasing a new rhythm section and some stellar new songs. Speer will be presenting material from the new solo record and some old faves in a special trio format. Check out the scope below...

Mar 23 2011
Kung Fu Necktie w/ Chris Forsythe, Pigeons, Vapour Theories
Philadelphia, PA

Mar 24 2011
Cous Cous w/ Pigeons
Richmond, VA

Mar 25 2011
Gillie's Late Night w/ Pigeons
Blacksburg, VA (early-ish show done by 11 PM)

Mar 26 2011
Nightlight w/ Pigeons, Spider Bags
Chapel Hill, NC
8th anniversary show for the Nightlight

Mar 27 2011
Broadway's w/ Pigeons, Nathaniel & Kale
Asheville, NC

Mar 28 2011
Go Bar w/ Pigeons, Green Gerry, Jeff Tobias
Athens, GA

Mar 29 2011
Highland Inn Ballroom w/ Pigeons, Bon Vivants
Atlanta, GA

Mar 30 2011
The Handle Bar w/ Pigeons, Heavy Kid
Pensacola, FL

Mar 31 2011
The Den w/ Pigeons, LadyBabyMiss & the Tigermen
New Orleans, LA

April 1 2011
Heart's Desire House 1521 Live Oak Dr.
Tallahassee, FL

April 2 2011
The Buccaneer Lounge w/ Pigeons, Modern Convenience
Memphis, TN

April 3 2011
Betty's Grill w/ Pigeons
Nashville, TN

April 4 2011
House Party at M.A. Turner's w/ Pigeons, Cross
Lexington, KY

April 5 2011
The Black Sparrow w/ Pigeons
Lafayette, IN

April 6 2011
The Shop w/ Pigeons, Ursa Major
Pittsburgh, PA

Live in March : NYC and beyond

2011-02-28T21:40:00.000-08:00

Busy month upcoming with a bunch of shows to support the new solo record. Killer bills all through each night and spread out all over Brooklyn and Manhattan, no reason not to come check one out! Also featuring a new ensemble for these gigs with Margot Bianca on keys and guitar and Spencer Herbst on percussions. Here are our local plans for these blustery days.

March 6th Barbes Brooklyn w/ Zachary Cale
Early show - music starts at 7 pm sharp Speer at 8pm

March 13th Mercury Lounge w/ Endless Boogie, Arbouretum
Solo record release show - another early slot we play at 7pm

March 19th Ding Dong Lounge Uptown w/ Ed Askew, Gary Higgins
Gary Higgins has a new record coming out - should be available here

March 22nd Bruar Falls Brooklyn w/ Steve Gunn, William Tyler
Another awesome bill - do not miss Willie T!

The next night we leave for a tour with Pigeons down through the southeast. We'll be seeing all ya'll real soon.

New Solo Record Hits March 15th

2011-01-30T19:36:00.000-08:00

Super excited to have this music see the light of day, thanks to Bettina for being into it. Culled from home recordings of the last 5+ years, this album is the bouzouki-centric sonic meltdown you've been looking for. Paste on cover featuring skeletons from the family closet. Never have the Ides of March been so pleasurable.

More details at Thrill Jockey

Killer night of film and music

2010-11-02T18:45:00.000-07:00

Cult movie fave Cisco Pike is being featured in a rare screening at the Walter Reade Theater Tuesday November 9th at Lincoln Center. We are very honored to have been asked to be the entertainers following the screening. Thanks to Matt Werth of Viva Radio for the hookup! More info here

EP Release Show

2010-06-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

Ready to blaze yr tipi?

It's summer - who needs walls?

Ragged and Right out on Thrill Jockey 6/15

2010-05-30T08:42:00.001-07:00

We are super excited for the release of the EP we recorded w/ Jack Rose back in summer 2008. This was one of the best sessions I've ever been a part of, and I think the vibes are deep and apparent to all...
Check it out!

Listen to the Master's Radio

2010-05-25T22:37:00.000-07:00

Interview, solo live performance and tribute to the late Doctor Ragtime on NPR's syndicated show World Cafe. David Dye was very welcoming and a great host. Thanks to him and everyone at WPXN.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127114061

No BS here

2010-03-22T11:43:00.000-07:00

Created in a massive outpouring to commemorate the memory of Jack Rose, this compilation is something I am honored to be a part though I certainly wish it had never been necessary...it includes awesome work from all over the underground, please check it out.

http://www.fina-music.com/catalog/index.html?id=104712

A Concerted Effort

2010-01-18T22:35:00.000-08:00

Join us

http://www.settingsuns.org/luckinthevalley/

Some These Days I'll Be Gone

2009-12-11T14:05:00.000-08:00

Jack Rose never sat me down for a lesson per se but he showed more me about being a music maker than anyone ever will. His permanent stance to make shit happen, to lay down the goods plain and powerfully, to rip the air around your ears – these were his unwavering tenets. His boundless praise (when you passed into the rarefied air of Jack’s approval) for his gigmates and friends was a real engine for development and invigoration in an underground scene that counted on him to be a lion. Who else could fashion a real and respected career by being an acoustic instrumentalist during our times of celebrity twit baggage? There could be but one and he’s gone. Burns like hell for us. Jack shook it loose, now he’s roaming free and feeling all.

The first time I remember hanging with Jack was in the early days of this decade. Enos Slaughter went down to do a gig with him at the Philly Record Exchange, just a casual gig on the back patio, but it was great as I first got to feel the fire and passion of Jack as a person. Our set was passable, but his was burning, even though he was in the early stages of becoming a solo performer. We hung around the store drinking beer and listening to blasted boogie rock of Harmonica Dan’s choice, gawking at horrid looking Savoy Brown gatefold portraits. Then we retired back to his home, where we debated the validity of 40s and 50s string band music (i.e. bluegrass), the power of Ali Akbar Khan vs. Robbie Basho, and multiple other musical tangents. Jack went a bit overboard that night, and I remembered Laurie getting him to shut it down and go to bed, and caring for him in the morning. That was actually the only time I can remember Jack feeling bad physically in my experience. Over the years he seemed to take on a manner of invincibility that many were awed by, and which made his sudden passing all the more shocking.

Jack’s irrepressible energy was really one of his hallmarks. One time in October 2003, No Neck played on the same bill as him at the De Stijl festival. My head was a bit fried from the night before in Madison, as some of us had a mushroom dessert before our gig w/ Trad Gras Och Stenar. Jack was backstage in Minneapolis just blitzing me with a rundown of the records he had been able to snag while out on this jaunt, and the axis of my tongue, brain and ears just couldn’t keep up. I was just murmuring “wow” and thinking this dude is a powerhouse. I loved to talk to Jack about records and we certainly had many areas of shared interest and knowledge; he was really into the fact I had all of the OJL LPs except the Byways of Jazz one, but he also never failed to mention that exception was one of the best in the series. He was voracious when it came to the music he loved, and with him it was always about more than collecting “pieces”, but rather accessing the ecstatic truth of years gone by and what we can take away from these precious gems. I loved it when he would get excited talking about Tony Joe White and seemingly begin praising the wartime Prime Minister of Japan Tojo. He was one of the best at internalizing a tradition or style, taking the mechanisms of sound, and combining it with his own emotional complex and tendencies: thereby he was able to create a fully vibrant music, that was in line with his beloved historical touchstones, but never anything less than the work of his own unique voice.

I feel very fortunate to have been able to spend an increasing amount of time with Jack over the past few years, and also get to know some other great musicians in his ever growing camp, like Glenn, Mike, Nathan, Isak, Max, Dan, Chris and Willie. He really was such a propulsive force, willing not only himself but his fellow musicians to higher heights. He had really embraced some of my recent efforts to a degree that almost shocked and bewildered me. One night he took me aside and said that Laurie was really into a solo LP I had put out, assuring me that this was perhaps the highest praise possible in his eyes. His all encompassing love and respect for Laurie was a beauty to behold and the absolute standard for devotion. He was fiercely loyal to his friends as well, and was beyond fair at gigs we played with him, insisting on splitting the pay, when it was clear that he was responsible for bringing 90% of the people through the door. When the Speer band was on tour with him in spring of 2008, we had such a blast together - eating incredible chicken fried steak in Iowa and hot browns and goetta in Kentucky, meeting youthful hope for the future in St. Louis in the form of Turner Williams, listening to “Scorpio Woman” by Mordecai Jones 10 times in a row while rolling into Pittsburgh, and of course slaying people onstage everywhere. In the aftermath of the tour, back home in Philly over some pork italianos, we all agreed that it was one of our favorite tour experiences ever. We cut some tracks with him in the studio over that summer, adhering to Jack’s non overdub approach to great results, though I was a bit worried having never cut keeper vocals and instrumental tracks simultaneously before. But with Jack’s fervor and a couple of fine beverages spurring us on, we laid down the law and did it up righteous like. 2009 was busy for both us, and our schedules did not coincide as often as the year before. When I last spoke to Jack on December 1^st, he was so positive and damn pleased with everything he had set up around him, the future was exceedingly bright. I hung up the phone smiling as usual after talking to him and promised myself to make sure to see that fella much more often next year. Needless to say, this shall not come to pass. But I will always love Jack in my heart and will keep him forever in my mind whenever I pick up an instrument.

They say that funerals are for the living. Laurie deserves more love and support than we can possibly give her, because she gave so much to Jack, and really made it possible for all of us to share in their love and strength. Jack’s family and friends will be able to begin a farewell that will never really end, because there was still so much left undone. Jack was bursting with life, a cat who celebrated vibration, the sprawling mess that is the world, and the jubilant ways we careen through it. One thing I know for sure is that Jack Rose is for the living. Always was – always will be.

Good times in Virginny

2009-11-27T18:14:00.000-08:00

Ah, the fresh mountain air, plank cabin floors and plenty of Elmer T. Lee, the perfect recipe for a great night indeed. Here are some clips from a fine house party hosted by Marcus and Mary, one with the Speer band and another of the Twig pickers leading us in an aching fiddle lament...

in a weary land

Record release party 11/17

2009-11-10T21:34:00.000-08:00

If you are down near the Tri-city area in NC, make sure to check out our record release on November 17th at the Nightlight in Chapel Hill. Cory Rayborn of Three Lobed has secured a dinosaur cake for prehistoric power and the bill is packed with killer vibes, with Dan Melchior and Hiss Golden Messenger appearing. It will be a night to remember (if you still can after the fact)

Distillation is complete!

2009-11-09T19:22:00.000-08:00

At long last the new D. Charles Speer album is an actuality. Fresh off the press at RTI, the LP will be in your hands sooner than you think. Preorders are nearly closed but you can still grab the bonus live CD Of Snow Smoked Moose for a mere $2.50 more. Check 3 lobed's site for details.

http://www.threelobed.com/tlr/tlr072.html

East Coast tour 11/12 - 11/19

2009-11-02T22:50:00.000-08:00

Here's the lowdown for getting down...

Nov 11 2009
@ Helderberg House
w/ Connie Acher & Burnt Hills
96 Sycamore St, Albany, New York

Nov 12 2009
@ Sierra Grill
w/ Matt Krefting Band & Jp05
Northampton, Massachusetts
$2

Nov 13 2009
@ The Apohadion
w/ Turn Down Day, Baab Ceegur
107 Hanover St., Portland, Maine
$6

Nov 15 2009
@ Union Pool
w/Pony Bones, Zachary Cale & Prince Rupert's Drops
Brooklyn, New York
$7

Nov 16 2009
@ Windup Space
w/ Lights, Arbouretum
Baltimore, Maryland
$6

Nov 17 2009
@ Nightlight
w/ Dan Melchior und Das Menace & Hiss Golden Messenger
Distillation Record Release Party
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
$5

Nov 18 2009
Cabin party
w/ Black Twig Pickers, Cross featuring M.A. Turner
710 Toms Creek Rd, Blacksburg, Virginia

Nov 19 2009
@ Kung Fu Necktie
w/ Strapping Fieldhands & Megajam Booze Band
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
$10