April 16, 2004

KirkSmith.net -- Issue #1

You’re about to read your very first kirksmith.net newsletter. And new things are good. So without further delay. . .

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
IN THIS ISSUE:
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1. Suddenly Bright Out in stores May 5th
2. Suddenly Bright Out CD Release Party!
3. Upcoming Shows
4. The Clumsy Dragon wins AATE award
5. Some Other Stuff

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1. SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT - IN STORES MAY 5TH
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Kirk’s new record, SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT, will be in stores May 5th. In Austin you’ll find it at Waterloo, Thirty-Three Degrees, and Cheapo.

It’s still totally simple to buy it directly from us: http://www.kirksmith.net/store_cds_suddenlybrightout.shtml

Or from CD Baby: http://www.cdbaby.com/kirksmith

But for those of you who HAVE to have a copy (or 6) today, any one of the three stores above will be happy and able to serve you! Of course you can almost always buy the CD at shows too. See below for upcoming dates.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
2. SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT – CD RELEASE PARTY
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
If you’ve ever been to a party thrown by the superlative team of Juliana Gilchrist and Eryn Gettys then you know what I’m about to say, so just skip ahead and we’ll see you at Club DeVille.

If you haven’t, I’ll just say this: spidermonkey. No one knows exactly WHY their events feel so unbelievably inspired, but we do know that they both dig a real gone time. And that, don’t you know, is contagious. Figure on some tasty treats from GINA’S KITCHEN, a delicious cocktail or two mixed up fresh by the crack staff of Club DeVille, and more than enough full moon lit night sky, out on patio, beneath the beautiful limestone cliffs.

Kirk will play an early solo set at 8, and then shake it like a polaroid picture with the likes of Dave Robinson (drums - The Scabs), George Reiff (bass – Black Crowes' Chris Robinson), and Ken Burchenal (Guitar – The Deluge/Despair).

WHEN: Saturday May 8th at 8 pm.

WHERE: Club DeVille
900 Red River (Corner of Red River and 9th street)
Austin, TX
(512) 457-0900

TICKETS:
You don’t need them. But you do need to convince the doorman you’re at least 21.

OTHER USEFUL INFO:
http://www.kirksmith.net/

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
3. UPCOMING SHOWS
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Saturday, April 24th
10PM @ The Vortex.
2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX
(512) 478-5282

Saturday, May 1st
10PM @ The Vortex
2307 Manor Rd. Austin, TX
(512) 478-5282

Saturday, May 8th
8PM @ Club DeVille
900 Red River St. Austin, TX
(512) 457-0900

**********************************
4. THE CLUMSY DRAGON wins AATE Award
**********************************
THE CLUMSY DRAGON, a fracalicious new musical Kirk wrote with children’s book author Lauren Collier Swindler, won the American Alliance for Theatre and Education Unpublished Play Award. The play’ll be presented at the national conference in Salt Lake City in July.

While Kirk would like to take both the credit, and the cash for the win, the fact that he never won the AATE award, not even once, with any play he wrote by himself is ample evidence that the real triumph belongs to his collaborator. Congratulations Ms. Swindler.

In a bit of good fortune that may or may not be associated with the play winning an award, there’s a well-heeled company in Austin considering the play for a fall production. And let’s just say we got a real good feeling about this one.

***********************
5. SOME OTHER STUFF
***********************
OK. We realize that many of you don’t make records for a living (not that anyone around here does) so we’ll keep to the basics here. There’s a little step in the recording process, right near the end, called mixing. Now mixing can be a real tricky business. It doesn’t have to be, but it can be. With some artists, like Bruce Springsteen with the E Street Band for example, mixing might be as simple as turning up the vocal a little so you can hear those great lyrics over the drums, but Kirk, clearly, is not one of those artists.

Mixing Kirk’s record, according to engineer Lars Goransson, “was like taking a big bowl of batter, separating out the flour from the eggs, the salt from the butter, the sugar from the baking powder and the water – measuring it all into brand new proportions, and then remixing it and making a cake, or some shortbread, or something really hard to make.”

Kirk claims it wasn’t exactly like that, “Lars always exaggerates. But I don’t think he really said that anyway, he never uses metaphors. Besides, he wouldn’t make a cake, even for me. He’d just buy one.” Whatever the case, what we really want to do is congratulate Lars on winning the Austin Music Award for Producer of the Year. Congratulations Lars!

“Anyhow, it’s George who’s the baker.” Kirk interjects, referring to bass player George Reiff who is, in fact, a first-class baker and played a couple of tracks on SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT. “Tracks that were easy to mix, incidentally.” replies Lars. OK boys. Just relax. I gotta finish the newsletter here and then I’ll take you both out for a nice long walk, or some Thai food or something.

By the way, reviews for SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT are starting to trickle in. We got one yesterday maintaining that, “The atmospheric indie rock-ness of “All Our Own Way” reverberates around you and beckons you to take a real close look. But don’t be scared, the inside guts are quite beautiful indeed.” Now we never trust Rolling Stone, and you probably shouldn’t either, especially when it’s so easy to snag a copy and listen for yourself. http://www.kirksmith.net/

Lastly, check out Ausin Script Works’ “Out of Ink Festival”. April 15,16,17,18. 8 new 10-minute plays by Skipper Chong Warson, Rebecca Beegle, Dan Dietz, Kirk Lynn and others. Info at: http://www.scriptworks.org/index.shtml

And that is that!

Finis

We love you.

Best Wishes,
Your friends at kirksmith.net