Hi! I very much hope you’re well!
And now –
SCAMBOT 2/INKLING ON BANDCAMP THIS FRIDAY, AUGUST 4
This coming Friday is the first Bandcamp Friday for a few months, and we’ll be expanding our Bandcamp catalog with the addition of (tympani roll……..) the Scambot 2 and Inkling albums from 2016! Well I guess I already said that in the headline, so I probably didn’t need the tympani.
This will be the first time that the album Inkling has been available for streaming online anywhere ever ever! Both albums also include the usual exhaustive booklets and liner notes.
These titles will now join our old pals Scambot 1, Songs & Stories Inspired by Scambot 1, and the Scambot Holiday Special in our Bandcamp inventory of exciting Scambot-oriented material.
As it happens, and if you’re feeling particularly Scambotty, I recently did a deep think-slash-talk about the entire Scambot saga with my bud Chris Siebold for his YouTube channel, and you can see it right dang here if you’ve a mind to.
As you may recall, Bandcamp Friday is the day when Bandcamp doesn’t take a percentage of income from downloads and all the proceeds go to artists/labels. We at Exowax Recordings appreciate Bandcamp doing this (and you for choosing to buy this Friday)!
DREAMSONIC HAS ENDED AND THE PROGJECT TOUR IS ABOUT TO BEGIN
The Dreamsonic 2023 tour of North America ended a few nights ago (I played in Devin Townsend’s band on this tour, we were the middle act between Animals As Leaders and Dream Theater).
It’s not easy to express what a powerful experience it was for me, both musically onstage every night and also as a member of a traveling community. It was heavy in unexpected ways and the bond that formed among all the bands and crews was strong. And it was just amazing fun. I want to express extreme gratitude to everyone who was a part of it, came to a show, or helped to make the whole thing happen.
(I had a mailing list at the merch table during Dreamsonic and as a result, this is the first Keneallist a number of you will have ever received. Welcome, and thank you for signing up!)
I got to spend two entire days at home and I loved those days a lot. Now I’m sitting on Joe Travers’ couch in LA and today was the first day of rehearsal (or at least the first one I was able to attend) of the new lineup of ProgJect, and I’m really thrilled to report that we’ve got something special to offer at these upcoming shows. We’re playing in the USA starting in a few days and stretching into October a ways.
New dates are being negotiated, but this here is the tour schedule as it currently sits, twirls its computer chair around and reaches for a Cheeto.
ProgJect for the upcoming tour consists of Jonathan Mover, Ryo Okumoto, Marc Bonilla and our new bassist, the most eminent and wonderful Ric Fierabracci. I showed up at rehearsal today expecting it to sound good, but man it went way beyond good, this band is sounding just ridiculous. Mover says things are looking good for us to make it to Europe in 2024, which is exciting news.
Meanwhile, I didn’t think it would be possible for me to be as jazzed as I am to be going immediately out on the road, after having just spent seven weeks touring, but the vibe of the band has filled me with a legitmate glee to get out and play this classic progressive music for people. Hope you can make it out, you US residents you!
BUT THERE IS YET MORE DEVIN TO COME
If you have looken at the ProgJect tour itinerary of which I have just spaken, you’ll note a gap of some girth between Aug. 13 and 24. That gap exists because I have to leave the ProgJect tour for that moment, fly over to the UK, and play with Devin Townsend at the ArcTanGent Festival in Bristol.
The festival takes place Aug. 16-19 at the idyllic Fernhill Farm; we’re headlining on Saturday the 19th. is very highly regarded (it’s won awards and is warmly spoken of by festival cognoscenti) and my senses are abuzz with anticipation to perform there. Look here’s the lineup, and all the other information you need is at that site too.
When I’m done there I get on another plane and get back to the rest of the ProgJect dates in the US. I’m a ramblin’ guy!
And then in November we’ve got four Devin dates in Australia. Been a number of years since my last visit to Australia (I was with Satriani at that time) and I’ve loved it there since first visiting it with Steve Vai in the ‘90s. Here are ticket links for the Australian dates as well as ArcTanGent.
A BOUQUET OF LINKS
Quickly now, because I need to sleep!:
1 There was a good piece with me in the June 2023 issue of Vintage Guitar magazine.
At this page there’s a short video of me playing some of “Celery” to promote the article, and this here’s a link to a pdf of the article.
2 I played on Steve McAllister’s beautiful new album I Hope You Are Okay. Here is a wonderful review of it, and here is where to get it. Dave Gregory plays on it too and it is marvelous, intelligent pop music.
3 I played on Mats Oberg’s stunning new release Visa från Inneröra. I appear on his delightful composition “Dream Loops.” Mats’ genius is of course on full display and his writing and playing is just as awe-inspiring as ever. It’s a privilege to be on his new album, which you can sure find here.
4 Jeez, speaking of privileges: Anthony Garone asked me if I would join him in interviewing Derek Shulman, Kerry Minnear, Gary Green and John Weathers of Gentle Giant, on the occasion of the release of Steven Wilson’s remix of the glorious Interview album. There really aren’t words to capture how eagerly I accepted that invitation.
What a true honor, and what a truly spectacular band to whom I’ll always be grateful, and you can watch our discussion here.
5 The immensely charming Hammond Chamberlain has interviewed me once again for his excellent Beyond the Playlist podcast.
6 Listen to this podcast also! It’s an interview I did alongside the legendary Art Tripp while at 2022’s Zappanale, supplemented by a lot of really good music.
7 I did an interview with the boxing website The Ringside Report! I’ve never boxed but they must know that I’m a boxer at heart. Read the interview, during which we discuss nothing about boxing, here. It’s actually a really good little interview, I dug the questions.
8 And final! A review of The Thing That Knowledge Can’t Eat from good Pete Pardo at Sea of Tranquility.
AND NOW TO BED
Actually, first I’m gonna post a couple of phone videos I took during the Dreamsonic tour to my Patreon page, and THEN to bed. Either way, good night!
Love,
