Thank you thank you thank you for being a friend and fan of The Evangenitals.
In an effort to show a smidgen of our ridiculously rampant gratitude for your spiritual and sensual support of our music mayhem, I have added a couple more tracks to our profile at ReverbNation that are FREE! Free to be downloaded and enjoyed for many, many Thanksgivings to come by our loyal and wondrous mailing list members. That could be you!
Truly, honestly, deeply, and passionately.... THANK YOU for helping us to do what we love. This whole thing wouldn't work without you. You give us the strength, faith, and frenzy to climb mountains, sail the seas, fly through the air, and keep on keeping on doing this crazy little thing called sonic love.
Much love,
Juli & the Evangenitals
Can't get enough of that Evangenitals stuff?
Check out our recently updated and improved website:
As parts of our dear US and World populations seemingly spiral into a crazed muck of extremism, hatred, and fear... I realize that the act of being in an all-love, all-loving, good time gang called the EVANGENITALSbecomes more and more of a passionate political statement.
We the Evangenitals have, I admit, gone over the possibility of changing our name to something more "mainstream" or less "challenging" a few times in the 7+ years we've been making our special brand of music. We've been called the "Best Band Name Ever" by quite a few reviewers, and the "Worst Band Name Ever" a few times, too. Our name alone has opened many doors, and closed some. It has certainly always gotten SOME reaction out of folks when they hear it, and folks tend to remember it.
In all these years I've yet to come up with another simple term, phrase, or slogan that covers the sentiment that is the seed and the guiding principle of our art and our action -- and that is, in short:
An expansive, relentless love of everyone and everything, from the sublime to the profane.
A joyous getting down with the all of it all, with no topic being too taboo.
A fiercely beautiful, holy, and kick ass irreverence for Being.
(If you'd like to read a really extensive telling of our feelings about the band and the origin of the band name, you can do so here: http://148.ca/fab/indie/evange.html)
At the end of the day... We are the Evangenitals. I accept this and understand it more and more at every show we play, for every fan we meet, and with every heart we touch that feels its confirmation in our mission.
I feel blessed and honored to be in this world with you, at this time, and am committed to making it a fucking joy ride.
We are excited to be going into the studio this weekend to be recording more music with which to infect the hearts and minds of the people.
We encourage and welcome you to do all you can to help spread the good news of the Evangenitals far and wide.
Let all the fearful, ignorant, poor souls not bathing in the light of love know that they can run but they can't hide. We will find them, and we will love them anyway... till their black hearts bleed sunshine. We are coming.
Juli & Lisa recently did an enormous email interview with the folks at SRN Mediaworks in Canada (a Canadian radio broadcasting company) and the FULL interview (3 pages long!) is available online for all to see. Dig in and learn some of the deep dark secrets of the origins and destiny of The Evangenitals!
(be warned: an ad will take over the screen about 3 seconds into reading... just hit "skip" in the top right corner... unless it's something that you're really interested in... then by all means, enjoy!)
Juli has written her first jingle, you can download it for free
A dear 'ol friend from high school, the talented Jennifer Johnson Klein of "Sugar Entice and Everything Nice" custom cakes, asked for a sweet song about cake... and Juli supplied!
Check out her site for some ear candy from Juli (with additional help from Michael Feldman on piano) at: www.sugarentice.net
You can also download the track "Dream Cake" from the Evangenitals ReverbNation.com profile for FREE if you're an Evangenitals mailing list member. Ahhhh... the benefits of membership!
I just just found the awesome Steve Diet Goedde photo of the Evangenitals from our EVERLOVIN' cover shoot on some Spanish language blog in a mash-up of other re-staging's of the infamous Last Supper of my predecessor in the great lineage of JC's.
In the final version, you can see another great JC (Old Californio's Jason Chesney, at one time sometimes-bassist for the Evangenitals) in the portrait in the background of our pic... but he hadn't been photo-chopped in yet in this version.
We ended up making a quick video for the song "Sun is Shining" on the day we shot this photo. We had invited a whole bunch of Evangenitals extended family members to the shoot that day, and the one's that could make it were (from left to right)
Don Short (harmonica on Everlovin) Dave "Salad" Salardino (mandolin, drums, member of Ukefink) Patrick Ian Moore (flier artist, improv, occasional percussion) Misha Birmele (graphic artist, album art & logo designer) Lisa Dee (co-founder of the Evangenitals, vocals, percussion, guitar) Juli Crockett (lead singer, songwriter, founder of the Evangenitals) George Bernardo (drummer, now with Cash'd Out) Brett Lyda (lead guitar, producer, now working on solo album & film editor) Wanni Yu (brett's girlfriend, total sweetheart, hooked us up with some sweet gigs!) Zoe Moss (accordion, designer of the Evangenitals unicron logo) Jeff Jones (original bass player)
Attention Los Angeles! The Evangenitals are playing TWO SHOWS this weekend with a BRAND NEW BASS PLAYER!!!! (don't panic... Keith is alright! Details coming soon in the Evangenitals Blog!)
A play that I, Juli Crockett, wrote and directed called "The Dawn of Quixote: Chapter the First" has been invited into the OFFICIAL program of the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland!
The play features Shaughn Buchholz (Scrubs) as Quixote, Christopher Goodson (Cold Case) as Sancho, and opera singer Lisa Dee (Killsonic, Evangenitals) as Dulcinea. Live original score is performed by The Evangenitals!!!
Two solid weeks of daytime shows, from August 8th-22nd, are already booked and listed in the official festival program, and the Evangenitals are already booked for night-time gigs & radio spots in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and other locales in the UK ... now we simply need to GET to SCOTLAND!
YOU CAN HELP!!! We've started a fundraising campaign over on Kickstarter.com (powered by Amazon) where you can pledge to support us in our QUIXOTIC QUEST! Check out our video infomercial, amazing prizes, and more information about the cast and show here:
While our TOTAL fundraising goal is over $40,000, the focus of the Kickstarter Fundraising Drive is to raise funds for the transportation of our cast, the band, scenery/costumes, and instruments. Other expenses include, room and board while in Edinburgh, construction of scenery, props, and costumes, and covering the basic needs of 9 brave souls willing to take 3 weeks out of their lives to make ART in EDINBURGH! !
WE WILL ONLY receive these donations on Kickstarter IF we hit our $9999 minimum goal... and we only have 48 days in which to do it.... so please help us get there!
So much going on in Evangenitals-land, and yet it feels like we've been in hiding. WTF? Here's the update:
The radio-play version of "History of Water" - written and directed by Juli Crockett (that's me!), featuring Shaughn Buchholz, Patrick Ian Moore, Andrea LeBlanc, and Lisa Dee (of the Evangenitals!) with live score provided by Henry Bermudez, Keith Lubow, and David Hurlin (of the Evangenitals!) is re-airing on KPFK 90.7FM on Saturday April 18th at 7am. No worries if you're not an early-bird... the show will be available via the good 'ol internet in the KPFK archives for 3 months after airing.
In other news, the OPERA that I've been directing at California Institute of the Arts (R Murray Schafer's Audio/Visual Poem "Loving") will be performed on April 22nd, 24th, and 25th. Click HERE for show info.
After that, I'm off on a mini-tour of the great Northwest with the world's premier Johnny Cash tribute band CASH'D OUT doing my June Carter thang for the end of April and the 1st bit of May.
AND THEN...
The Evangenitals will be emerging from our cocoon of recording and web designing to reveal the beautiful psychedelic butterfly into which we've bloomed! You can look forward to new music, a new website, exciting new shows, and extravagant new fashion statements this Spring. And a European Tour this Summer!?!!? (Details forthcoming in the next Newsletter!)
On that special night the Evangenitals consisted of: Juli Crockett on vox and rhythm guitar, Henry Bermudez on lead guitar, Lisa Dee on vox and tambourine, George Bernardo on drums, David Hurlin on tabla, and special guest Doug Lunn on bass.
This shall hopefully tide you over for a little while as we finish mixing our NEW album! :-)
And if you haven't done so yet, please click on the links to join our Facebook GROUP & Facebook FAN PAGE!
As we near the end of '08 and the beginning of the greatest year to date in Evangenitals history ('09, baby!) I wanted to tell you all how much we love you.
Yes, we love YOU. A lot. :-)
I hope you are having a good holiday season and enjoying it in the way you like. Salted, peppered, fried, grilled, sweet, spicy, bold, beautiful... whatever your preference is. Yum!
As we don't have your mailing address, we thought we'd send you web presents this year, and all next year long, in the form of BLOGS!
** And I'm writing a new blog about all the insane books I'm reading while working on my PhD dissertation in Philosophy! http://onebookoneweek.blogspot.com
We The Evangenitals are excited about the coming of '09 -- we've got a new album on the horizon, some exciting developments in the booking & management departments, and the loving feelings just keep getting bigger and better and more more more.
We all felt pretty blessed to be able to spend Christmas Eve playing music together at the home of two of our biggest fans (Jain and Eliot Sekular), and we are REALLY excited about closing out the year with a show at Mr T's Bowl on December 30th!
It's our Eve of New Year's Eve party and we're pulling out all the stops with new songs, new instrumentation, the biggest ensemble so far, and boundless optimism as we trudge nearer to 2012! :-)
For the past few months, The Evangenitals have been making a steady habit of playing at Mr T's Bowl in Highland Park and the consistency is working a number on my heart strings. I really do love that joint. Mr T's Bowl is where the Evangenitals first stepped on the stage (at Arlo's Open Mic night) and sung our first tender tunes in public. It's where we got our first "big break" (booked to headline at El Cid by promoter Michael Anderson), and it's where we've met, made, and converted some of the most dedicated Evangenitals friends and fans imaginable.
In the olden days, all of the Evangenitals (there were only 3 of us at that time) used to live in Highland Park, IN THE SAME APARTMENT BUILDING, which made band practice a breeze & Mr T's Bowl was just a few blocks up the street. Almost every night of the week, you could find one or more of the Evangenitals at the Bowl, either playing the open mic, on the night's lineup, or supporting our friend's bands like The Natural Disasters, Fascinoma, Unpoppable, Killsonic, Cousin Junebug, Eagle and Talon, Cat Hair Ensemble, Artichoke, Ukefink, Hidden... it was a real family affair.
Then manifest destiny kicked in and we started venturing West, exploring new neighborhoods and venues all over Los Angeles, from the Derby in Los Feliz to the Knitting Factory where we opened for Trainwreck. We were regulars at Highland Grounds for a bit before it closed down, and even made it all the way to the ocean to play at O'Brien's Pub in Santa Monica. Everywhere we have played has it's charms, though none of 'em have the same home-baked feeling of Mr T's Bowl.
Well, some months ago, the booker of the bowl, Gus, decided that the Evangenitals had drifted away from our 'ol home base for far too long and it was time to get back to our roots. We, roots-loving folks that we are, were in total agreement and made a commitment to play the first Wednesday of every month. It has been good, and I hope we keep on going into '09 with it.
If you don't know the joint, not only is Mr T's Bowl an infamous and important staple in the Los Angeles music scene ("Beck used to play there!" is one of the more popular pieces of evidence toward it's cool/less factor)... the sound man, Arlo, is one of the best in the business, and plays some of the greatest in-between-acts tunes imaginable. For example, after we closed out our set last night with a rousing version of Gasoline (I even did a cartwheel into the audience, it was THAT rousing!) he turned on John Coltrane's version of "My Favorite Things".
Hells yells! :-)
So, as the year begins to come to a close, it seems that I'm having a kind of nostalgia that goes both backward and forward, simultaneously. I'm loving where the band has been, all the adventures we've had (like the epic Road to Oprah tour with The 1 Second Film!) and I'm REALLY excited about the FUTURE!
I adore the current incarnation of the Evangenitals, the ways in which we are growing, evolving, changing, the new music we are making, the revisioning of old songs, the addition of new instrumentation and players, and especially the LOVE that keeps bubbling up, flowing through me, and spouting out like a big 'ol fountain of joy. I dig it. And it seems I'm not the ONLY one that is digging it... word on the street is that we are pretty cool.
I just found these videos of the Evangenitals at the Eagle Rock Music Festival on YouTube. The sound is pretty awful, however, if you play the album you can watch us prance about and get the feeling of a real, live Evangenitals show. :-)
Holy Moly! We're heading out to West Hollywood TONIGHT - Wednesday October 22nd!
The Evangenitals are making our first appearance at the Rainbow Bar and Grill, debuting new songs and spreading the alt-country hillbilly love punk rock revolution in sonic form on the West side of town!
Yes, we're a little nervous to be treading our tender steps out into Glam Rock central, so it would be AMAZING if you could be there to support us! Seriously, we need your love and bodily presence. There is such a thing as "minimum draw" on the West Side of town. Help!
Cover charge is $10, but if you mention THE EVANGENITALS it's only $7!!! Hell yeah! Savings!
For those of you who are far, far from Los Angeles, Brettsky just posted a new blast-from-the-past video of the Evangenitals playing at Universal Citywalk for your cyber-enjoyment:
Please watch, rate, comment, and all that good stuff. Weeee! :-)
Much Love, Juli & the Evangenitals
Monday, September 29, 2008
I'm going to try to keep this simple, as there's no way for me to keep it very short cuz this is likely one of the BUSIEST weeks in Evangenitals history! We hope you can share some of it with us. :-)
Evidence of the Union of All Things Betwixt Heaven and Earth in Trinity: A Visual Essay
by Juli Crockett
Exhibit A: The Triangulum Nebula
Exhibit B: The Jellyfish
Exhibit C: A latex glove found on the streets of Downtown Los Angeles
Mind Body Spirit Sky Land Sea Waking Sleeping Dreaming
Hypothesis, Antithesis, Thesis
This is This
I am That
The End.
Friday, August 01, 2008
Here's what any friend of the Evangenitals should know about this weekend:
FRIDAY AUGUST 1ST: BIRTH
Many years ago on this very day, the Evangenitals lead singer Juli Crockett was BORN. And on THIS DAY the universe will celebrate Julio's birthing date with a TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE!!!
Evangenitals Juli Crockett and George Bernardo will be playing with their *other* band CASH'D OUT, the world's premier Johnny Cash tribute band, at LIFE on Wilshire. George will be banging on the drums and Juli will be doing all the June Carter parts.... and yes, she will be wearing a DRESS!!!
LIFE on Wilshire 6311 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles, CA 90035
SUNDAY AUGUST 3RD: IMPROV
Hammerspace Improv & The Evangenitals TOGETHER! Hammerspace is an experimental long-form improv-comedy group featuring Patrick Ian Moore, Juli Crockett, and friends. (If you reading this message, I hope you know who the Evangenitals are!) Together, we are an arts/entertainment extravaganza that you’re going to love, and we’re going to love you right back! We've got bubbles, slides, new songs, and crazy Improvisers backing us on this special night. Come-n-get-it, fresh of the mind-griddle. Hammerspace @ 9pm, Evangenitals @ 10pm
Tre Stage 1523 N. La Brea Ave Los Angeles, CA 90028
We are testing out a new form TONIGHT at the Tre Stage in Hollywood - Improv and Evangenitals music TOGETHER. I'll be performing in both of them, I'm terrified, and I'd love for you to be there! :-)
First up in my Improv group Hammerspace at 9pm, perform long-form improv based on whatever suggestions and deep questions you give us. (http://www.myspace.com/hammerspace_improv)
Then, at 10pm the Evangenitals will start to develop our new stage show BEFORE YOUR EYES in this theatrical and intimate setting! We will be taking audience suggestions as well, so bring your keen directorial instincts and help us shape the future of the Evangenitals! (http://www.myspace.com/evangenitals)
Both of these artistic pursuits work better when there is actually an audience present, so I hope that you may be able to make time in your busy life to come and see our maiden voyage of this new combination!
It all happens TONIGHT - Sunday July 27th - 9pm Hammerspace 10pm Evangenitals
@
Tre Stage 1523 N LaBrea Ave (between Sunset & Hollywood on LaBrea, upstairs from the 'ol Lava Lounge) Hollywood, CA 90028 ALL AGES $6
(all proceeds go to the theater & the artists! keep art alive!)
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Greetings my friends!
Feeling alone in Los Angeles? Or not? Whatever the case I have amazing news…
Hammerspace Improv and The Evangenitals are doing shows… together… and we are doing it all for you (if you live in the Greater Los Angeles area)!
Sunday July 27 and Sunday August 3 you can catch an hour of long-form Hammerspace improvised shows followed by a full hour of fresh-baked music from The Evangenitals.
Hammerspace Improv is my Experimental Long-Form Improvisational Comedy team. The Evangenitals are my Hillbilly-Love-Punk Rock Music Revolution. Together they are sure to create an evening of entertainment like no other! I'm also bringing bubbles and a slide-projector... so prepare for a journey into sound and light!
The fun starts at 9pm on Sunday July 27th at: Tre Stage at The Berubians Theatre in Hollywood (upstairs from the Lava Lounge) 1523 N. La Bre Ave. Hollywood, CA 90028 (between Sunset and Hollywood Blvd.).
It’s only $6 to get in and you'll get a complimentary beverage! Bring a date. Bring your friends. It’s fun, funny, and it has never been done before!
Playing with the Evangenitals at the Nocturnal Bar in Santa Monica during our Klezmer remix of the infamous song "THE HOLE" which I absolutely love, I was hitting the drums hard. Juli Crockett was belting out her chant "Hole Hole Hole Hole" on the quarter notes and i was smashing my cymbal in accordance with her ferocious chanting. It was a pure stretch of symbiotic rapture, the whole band writhing in a collective exorcism.
In spite of how loud or violent with Joy it got I remained relaxed. I realized that by keeping pure relaxation, the kind of relaxation you feel when you're not playing, by holding that as the foundation of the drumming, then you can explore volume and its various pleasures both quiet and loud to a point.
The Evangenitals have just been called upon to fill in on a fun-filled bill of musical mayhem tomorrow night - Thursday July 3rd - at THE SCENE in Glendale.
We will be going on at 11pm sharp and playing a dynamic set of highs and lows in an effort to represent in musical form the vast terrain of the human soul, constantly craving the open independence of her cosmic sea while clinging to the safety of her earthy shores. Ah, paradoxus!
For our out of town friends, please check out the new look of our website and let us know what you think: http://www.evangenitals.com
