Current mood:
excited
VINYL RELEASE PARTY @ JOHNNY BRENDAS, DEC 18th, 9pm, $10
with
BIRDIE BUSCH
&
ZACH DJANIKIAN
At the over-ripened age of 28, Ross Bellenoit has found himself bubbling and bursting with creative works of song and dance. He writes songs of pith and mercy to the whim of whatever genre agrees with his insight. Swinging, wine-glass grooves or stinking, rock and roll shouting matches can live peacefully with each other in a set. Bellenoit writes catchy tunes that both Cole Porter and Elvis Costello could approve/sneer at, and yet never agree with each other. Lyrical subjects range from hope (universal) to apocalypse (personal), but written with such cleverness and beauty that you'll want to hear them over and over again.
Having spent the better part of seven years developing his career as an all-around sideman (ace guitarist, even more ace setlist writer, incredibly ace vibe setter), he has learned much from the master songwriters that he cut his teeth with. Philadelphia's own Amos Lee, Birdie Busch, Devin Greenwood and John Francis are just a handful of the many tune-smiths he has collaborated with. Having learned (and occasionally unlearned) his lessons, he is now setting out into the world on his very own ship made of song. Pay attention: you just might hear something worth hearing.
On December 18th, 2010, Johnny Brendas (the wonderful center for all things musically awesome) will host the release party for his 12 inch vinyl release. That's right. VINYL! And, as a bonus for the non-turntable-owning-few, the vinyl comes with a Digital Download card, so you can have a legitimate "ones and zeros" version of the record for your iTunes and such.
Joining this musical event will be some really incredible artists of whom I have had the extreme pleasure of collaborating with for these many years. Opening the evening will be the incredible tunesmith, Zach Djanikian, whose works of song recall the elegance of Paul Simon, the daring of Joni Mitchell and the audacious soulfulness of Stevie Wonder. Next up will be Birdie Busch, and if you haven't heard her (which is close to impossible, if you live in Philly), now is the time. Her music is a reminder of everything that is good in the world. Even the bad stuff. Her live sets are always ones to remember. Mr. Ross Bellenoit will be closing out the evening with a fiery set featuring works from the record and brand new ones, as well...
"...It's worth noting that Bellenoit, AKA Rolling Thunder, is a musician who leaves cocky guitar guys in the audience squeezing their girlfriends a bit tighter on their way out the door. Bellenoit's skills are a local legend."
- PLAY MAGAZINE, Tara Murtha