Mayday Pitbull Benefit Success

Phoenix, AZ

The The Mayday Pit Bull Rescue benefit couldn’t have gone better. It was held at a first-rate venue:The Compound Grill (which is home of the McDowell Mountain Music Festival)

President Jennifer Mazzocchi desired the event to be more of an entertaining, music-centered concert than a quasi-political presentation. I took that to heart, dug down deep to have fun on the stage, and played one of my livelier sets. It meant a lot, because they were so welcoming and gave such great hospitality. They refused to let me pay for anything, from meals, to hotel, to a visit to the Musical Instrument Museum. With that in mind, it was a big relief that turnout was fantastic and generous in terms of revenue. (The last thing I want to do is cost them.)

Ironically, I made more money playing “for free” than I ever make gigging here in Hollywood. How? I sold a ton of CD’s. (Almost all were The Song Clearance ’cause it contains Pit Bull Blues.) When I play a benefit, I like to donate part of the profit, but Jennifer insisted that support was abundant on this particular evening.

Speaking of Pit Bull Blues, my set was planned with a short interlude of before & after videos of rescued dogs (which was both heart-breaking and uplifting.) I would play the song to introduce the video–and again as my closer. This breaks one of my 3 rules: Never play a song twice in a show. But I obliged with delight by busting out a ukulele version. I even raised the key so that women could sing along.

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Laurel Canyon Back Porch Variety Hour gets legs(?)

I loaded slide shows up on YouTube to go with the 12 segments of our Laurel Canyon Back Porch Variety Hour.

I promise, we have no intention of pulling the wool over anyone’s eyes. We’re just having fun, keeping the juices flowing. It’s a chance for me to put out some whimsical material, for Amy to do some whimsical singing, and for our production-mate John Grimshaw to practice voice over & editing. (Plus, he wrote the show’s best song: “Call Me Darlin’”)

Well, wouldn’t you know it? The LCBPVH ended up with a listing on the Old Time Radio web site. And the whole “cast” gets mentioned. Ozark Otis, TC Ragstix, Tracy Dixon, Bill Heathrow, Sammy Levine…

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Laurel Canyon Back Porch Variety Hour

It’s the Laurel Canyon Back Porch Variety Hour!

Yes, I was honored and humbled to be a part of this event, hosted by Bill Heathrow & Sammy Levine. Nostalgic western sounds, corny country humor, Hokie Okie presentation. A real hootenanny! (Whether it’s a put-on or the real deal, I’ll never know, but I don’t think it matters.)

I shared the stage with TC Ragstix, Amy Wray, Tracy Dixon, and those crazy bastards from Ozark Otis & the Oxnard Eight.

We played a few of my new songs, and one by the great Duke Wray. We’re keeping our creative hands busy between projects, and having fun.

Check it out!(Click the play button at the bottom left of the photo.)

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Northwest Indie Music puts “Villain” in top 10 of 2011

I’m glad I still qualify as a Northwest Musician, so I could be reviewed by a young man named Andrew Fickes of Northwest Indie Music.

Andrew says: “Villain” is hands down among the top 10 releases of 2011.”

Villain has been reviewed more than any I’ve released so far. Most of the reviews are kind, some glowing. None, so far, are blanket pannings. But I am truly glad that Andrew likes it, because he’s one of the few critics who pays deep attention to the story-writing. Most critics talk about the “sound.” They refer to content only in passing. And this, in some way, tips off the lack of time and attention lent to the material. Read more »

Shipe #1 ahead of Radiohead!?

I have Lord Litter to thank for spreading my music around Germany. The result: “Love Belongs to Everyone” hit #1 on Radio Marabu Hot Rotation, in the company of Radiohead and R.E.M. (I’m stoked, because I am fans of both, leaning in either direction–folkrock & artrock. It is to the credit of my producer and friend Ehren Ebbage that this song is suitable for such company.

Shipe chasing Greg Allman

I just hit the Top 10 on Dirt Roads 88.1 The Escape (Michigan), right behind Mavis Staples and Greg Allman. I’m hitting a lot of other playlists around the country, but I had to mention this one, because I’m a layman in the Church of Allman.

In fact, just yesterday I was practicing my hot blues ukulele riffs along with The Allman Anthology.

Shipe pays-to-play: Voodoo Lounge Tix on sale

Friends, I’m selling my own tickets for Thursday, March 31st @ House of Blues Voodoo Lounge (9:00 pm). (I promise to be more than ten bucks worth that night.) You can get them here:

Name for will-call:

This is my first episode of pay-to-play. But it’s a fairly soft version of the practice, as far as I can tell. I’m on the hook for 17 tickets, which isn’t so bad. And I figure you gotta try everything once, right?

Shipe CD Release! AOL Spinner listening party & Viper Room Lounge!

Villiain is released February 1st! CD Release show at Viper Room Lounge show tonight (Monday). Plus, check out the AOL Spinner Listening Party.

Calling all benefactors

I just put out an APB, the content of which is roughly:

The big official National release of Villain is at hand. Glowing reviews with comparisons to Elvis Costello, John Hiatt, Jeff Buckley, Damien Rice, and both Joshes Ritter and Rouse. WOW. (See the PRESS page)

A modest Viper Room Acoustic Lounge set on Monday marks the occasion.

Please allow me these two humble requests as I reach out for help.

1) Donations: My national promo campaign nears its end. If you’d like to help me out with the bill–in exchange for Shipe gifts–please click the DONATE page above.

(This is usually done by artists prior to album releases, as pre-sells. I am backwards.)

2) New SHIPE web spots are popping up, where fan reviews and comments are truly golden. Especially at Last FM which is a standard resource for music critics. Fans are shaping the Biz more than ever. So, anywhere you find a Shipe entry, please lend your layman’s touch to the content.

Thank you so much. I shall continue to work my hardest in 2011 to please and entertain.

Best Shipe ‘Villain’ review

Rich Quinlan from Jersey Beat is one of those critics who obviously listens to an album several times before carefully penning a review. I’m grateful, ’cause the result was a very generous piece on Villain. I got some excerpts right here:

“…you will undoubtedly fall into the velvet embrace of John Shipe’s Villain… lush collection of highly descriptive tales of love and woe… There will be undoubted debate about which effort truly stands out.
‘Love Belong to Everyone’ is a warm, luxurious effort… The bouncy ‘Another Disaster’ and wrenching “No Use Crying Over a Spilt Life” make a tremendous one-two combination… John Hiatt and Jeff Buckley fans will instantly gravitate to this, particularly the witty and intelligent lyrical play of ‘What Right Do We Have to Fall in Love?’ and the powerful piano ballad ‘Dead Kite’. …atmospherically beautiful and harmonically sensual; a rich combination of musical dexterity and lyrical erudition. This is a striking record worthy of immediate attention.”

Click here for entire review.

Thanks Rich. Means a lot coming from such a fine music writer.