Live Los Furios Video

Here's a clip from Los Furios' most recent gig at Vancouver FanClub for X-Mas in Skaville #11

No Island poster

I decided to wade into some new territory and try my hand at designing the gig poster for No Island's next show. Pretty proud of it for a first attempt. I've dabbled in GIMP a little bit in the past but have never really done much in the way of graphic design/digital art/photo manipulation/whatever you would call this, so I'm pretty happy with the result.

New No Island show announced

I am very excited to say that my main band No Island will soon be returning to the stage on January 4th after spending some time off writing. The new songs are sounding fantastic, and I'm very excited to debut them at what is certainly going to be an incredible show all around.

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/181848982021576

Furios Gig Update

Next Los Furios show is now Friday November 1st, not the 2nd. Facebook event page here.

Furios Gigs

No Island isn't gigging much at the moment because we are busy working hard on a bunch of new songs for our future album (and they sound freaking awesome!). Perhaps some shows will sneak their way into our schedule soon.


Los Furios, on the other hand, does have a few dates on the calendar:

Nov. 2 *Nov. 1* at the B-Ex (1143 Kingsway) in Vancouver
Nov. 29 in Victoria (venue TBA)
Dec. 13 at Vancouver Fan Club
Jan. 28 with The Toasters at The Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver

Back in Town

I've been back in Vancouver for a few weeks. Played a super fun homecoming show with No Island at the Media Club with Dubai and Criminal Caterpillar, and then jumped right back into the groove again with Los Furios a week later at Fortune Sound Club with the Hellbound Hepcats and Creepshow. 

I've been doing a few clinics recently while figuring out my teaching schedule for the season. Looking forward to the new year with my students, old and new.

No Island is in the process of writing new material for our future album. Very exited for all the new songs to come!

No Island's Big Tour

No Island's Cross-Canada Tour has been announced. Two months on the road playing our way from coast to coast and back again. I won't be updating my personal site while on tour, so be sure to check out http://blog.no-island.com/ and www.twitter.com/NoIslandBand for updates.

ILB's Last Show Ever

Relating to my previous post... here's a link to details for The Ivy League Brawlers' farewell show at Fortune Sound Club: https://www.facebook.com/events/600440806646844

ILB no more

Today, the Ivy League Brawlers announced that they will be folding up the band and calling it quits. It's an unfortunate development, but probably for the best. To be completely transparent, I had actually already stepped down from the band a couple of months ago. I had a blast with the Brawlers and learned a lot from them, but all good things must come to an end. The band's official release concerning the situation sums it up perfectly:

"Hello Brawlers and Brawlettes, your friendly neighbourhood ILB here with a big (but not necessarily good) announcement.

The Ivy League Brawlers have decided to call it quits as a band.
With time comes change, and for the 8 of us, that change has come in the form of new commitments, different priorities, and big life decisions.After 5 exciting years together as a band, we've experienced a lot together, played some amazing shows, and accomplished a lot, but now we've come to a point where our focus as individuals is elsewhere. Know that we're all still great friends, there's no animosity between members, no huge arguments, nothing like that. We've just decided that, since the 8 of us are all getting to a time and place in our lives where we can't commit as much time to this band as we'd like to, it's better to quit now and go out gracefully than to let it fizzle out and die.

That being said, we've still got some stokeworthy news! We're going to be playing a final farewell show JUNE 29TH AT FORTUNE SOUNDCLUB with our great friends Criminal Caterpillar and Fall Fair Car. This is gonna be a great show, and more importantly, it'll be the last time you can see us play live! So come on out and say goodbye to us in person, share some memories, or just cry in our arms.We'll be playing some old favourites, some new favourites, and even a couple songs that you may have never even heard. If you don't come to this show then you'll never be able to hear those songs again, so that's an incentive, right? Stay on the lookout for the event page for that show that will have all the details.

Equally if not even more exciting: We've been recording a FINAL EP for you guys to listen to after we're gone. This is a collection of some of our newer songs, stuff we've been working on after we got tired of playing Argyle Album songs all the time. We're doing it almost entirely DIY so it's slow going, but it's gonna be good! With any luck that will be available in time for the farewell show. So keep your eyes open for that.

This band has been a huge part of all of our lives, 5 years playing with one group is a huge undertaking and we've all learned a lot playing with ILB. It'll be sad to see it go, but we're not disappearing off the face of the earth. Here's a little insight into what the members of ILB will be doing after:Anuar, our sexy lead singer, will be continuing to sing with local choirs, groups, and is going to continue his acting career.Tom, our leading guitar man, will continue working on various music projects that “will hopefully see the light of day in the near future.”CJ, bassist extraordinaire, is going to finish school and then continue playing music in and around Vancouver.Nikko, the rumbling drum man, will continue playing with Dark Sun Profits (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Sun-Profits/129254880462467?fref=ts) and will definitely still be playing around town.Mat, the mohawked wonder, might be joining forces with a certain well known Vancouver band, but we don't want to spoil it, so just keep your eyes and ears peeled. Also, he's going to continue working with the musicians he's met through ILB.Jimmy, sax man with the ears, will continue playing and touring with his band No Island (www.facebook.com/noislandband) and Los Furios (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Furios/189330161139990?fref=ts) as well as teaching lessons to little kids that want to grow up to be a rockstar just like him.Quinn “Quinn” Quinn, will be finishing school and then is hoping to travel across the world before coming back to Vancouver to continue playing music with the people he's met through ILB.Mike, that guy with the huge sax, will continue playing with his groups Big EviL (facebook.com/bigevilmusic), VaudeVille Vagabonds (http://www.mythmaker.ca/vvv.html) , Edarem (https://www.facebook.com/edaremband?fref=ts), and a bunch of other groups around Vancouver. 

Thank you all so much for supporting us for 5 years, you made this band what it was, we couldn't have done any of it without the support of our fans. You guys made it fun to play this music, and you drove us to keep going for long after any other band with 8 members would normally go for.

So thank you all so much, and we'll see you on the dance floor one last time on the 29th!- Ivy League Brawlers"That being said, we've still got some stokeworthy news! We're going to be playing a final farewell show JUNE 29TH AT FORTUNE SOUNDCLUB with our great friends Criminal Caterpillar and Fall Fair Car. This is gonna be a great show, and more importantly, it'll be the last time you can see us play live! So come on out and say goodbye to us in person, share some memories, or just cry in our arms.We'll be playing some old favourites, some new favourites, and even a couple songs that you may have never even heard. If you don't come to this show then you'll never be able to hear those songs again, so that's an incentive, right? Stay on the lookout for the event page for that show that will have all the details.Equally if not even more exciting: We've been recording a FINAL EP for you guys to listen to after we're gone. This is a collection of some of our newer songs, stuff we've been working on after we got tired of playing Argyle Album songs all the time. We're doing it almost entirely DIY so it's slow going, but it's gonna be good! With any luck that will be available in time for the farewell show. So keep your eyes open for that.This band has been a huge part of all of our lives, 5 years playing with one group is a huge undertaking and we've all learned a lot playing with ILB. It'll be sad to see it go, but we're not disappearing off the face of the earth. Here's a little insight into what the members of ILB will be doing after: Anuar, our sexy lead singer, will be continuing to sing with local choirs, groups, and is going to continue his acting career.Tom, our leading guitar man, will continue working on various music projects that “will hopefully see the light of day in the near future.”CJ, bassist extraordinaire, is going to finish school and then continue playing music in and around Vancouver.Nikko, the rumbling drum man, will continue playing with Dark Sun Profits (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dark-Sun-Profits/129254880462467?fref=ts) and will definitely still be playing around town.Mat, the mohawked wonder, might be joining forces with a certain well known Vancouver band, but we don't want to spoil it, so just keep your eyes and ears peeled. Also, he's going to continue working with the musicians he's met through ILB.Jimmy, sax man with the ears, will continue playing and touring with his band No Island (www.facebook.com/noislandband) and Los Furios (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Los-Furios/189330161139990?fref=ts) as well as teaching lessons to little kids that want to grow up to be a rockstar just like him.Quinn “Quinn” Quinn, will be finishing school and then is hoping to travel across the world before coming back to Vancouver to continue playing music with the people he's met through ILB.Mike, that guy with the huge sax, will continue playing with his groups Big EviL (facebook.com/bigevilmusic), VaudeVille Vagabonds (http://www.mythmaker.ca/vvv.html) , Edarem (https://www.facebook.com/edaremband?fref=ts), and a bunch of other groups around Vancouver.Thank you all so much for supporting us for 5 years, you made this band what it was, we couldn't have done any of it without the support of our fans. You guys made it fun to play this music, and you drove us to keep going for long after any other band with 8 members would normally go for.
So thank you all so much, and we'll see you on the dance floor one last time on the 29th!- Ivy League Brawlers"

Post-Mexico Update

Wow, what a trip. The people in Mexico are amazing. The appreciation for music there is overwhelming. In comparison, it seems like people take live music for granted in Canada.

Check out http://www.youtube.com/user/jmjazzman for videos.

Mexico Tour with Los Furios

In three days I'll be departing for Mexico with Los Furios to play 5 shows (I think...) in and around the Mexico City area, including a couple of shows that by all account look like they will be the biggest shows in my life so far.

Needless to say, I'm quite excited.

New No Island songs/videos/recordings

No Island has released a new pair of songs recorded live in the studio.









Download the songs for free here:
http://music.no-island.com/album/off-the-floor-live

Los Furios Triple Set May 11

Los Furios. May 11. Vancouver Fanclub

https://www.facebook.com/events/566140350093123

New Alto!

After struggling with a student-level alto sax for the past year and a half, I finally have been fortunate enough to find myself able to acquire a new one. This isn't just a better horn, but pretty well my dream horn: a silver Yamaha Custom Z in near-mint condition. It's powerful, free-blowing, has a tone that I quite like, and is a nice match with my silver YTS62 tenor to boot. Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked. I've been needing a horn like this for a long time now.

No Island media

It's been a busy few weeks for No Island. We played a charity gala for GirlsCAN, a student party at The University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, and a super fun show at The Savage Beagle in Whistler. Somewhere in there, we managed to squeeze in an early morning photo shoot too!

We have a video project in the works too, so stay tuned for that!

No Island at UFV April 5th, Los Furios in Mexico

It's been a while since I last posted. Things have been very busy, especially with No Island. Check out www.facebook.com/NoIslandBand for recent photos.

We have another show coming up for Big Bangs 2013 at Aftermath Public House at the University of the Fraser Valley. Facebook event page is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/226332687491951

In other news, Los Furios will be playing a in Mexico in May. More details to come.

Busy Month Ahead...

No Island is back with a bang, with shows coming up in Vancouver, Victoria, Sun Peaks, Rossland, and Whistler, and more!

ILB opening for The Slackers tonight.

Should have posted about this before. Playing a big ska show at the Korean Hall (1320 East Hastings) tonight with The Ivy League Brawlers opening for The Slackers. The show is all ages with drink sales available for the adult folk. The EWI may be on hand.

ILB EP Update

I am pleased to announce that on Sunday I finished recording the last of my parts for The Ivy League Brawler's impending digital EP. One of the tracks features the super fun (and super difficult) E.W.I., or Electronic Wind Instrument. Now that I think about it, this was the first time I've ever really recorded with this device. We ended up trying a number of different things with it in the studio, so I'm curious to hear what makes the final cut and how it gets mixed into the track.

No Island News

In less than a month, No Island will be officially re-launching with our new line-up and a ton of new music. We're hitting The Railway Club in Vancouver on March 8th and Lucky Bar in Victoria on March 9th. The following weekend, we're doing a mini tour of some local ski resorts. It's going to be a fun month.

Facebook event page: https://www.facebook.com/events/341304375979124/

Here's a little taste:

New Los Furios Single, Gigs

Los Furios recorded a new song called "Bad Waters" in December and released it last Friday at The Rickshaw Theatre. It was a super fun show, and I was glad to be back on the stage again for the first time since early December. The crowd was super energetic and never stopped dancing. I also really enjoyed having the chance to hang out before the show with Chris Murray and chat with him during dinner. He had some pretty incredible stories from his travels all over the world.

Los Furios will be playing on Tuesday February 5th at The Savage Beagle in Whistler, and Friday February 8th at Micky's Irish Public House in Coquitlam.
 

The New Face of No Island

Welcome Max Ley (drums) and Jay Esplana (bass) to the band!

January Gigs

Click through for Facebook event pages.

+ 2012 in Review

Wow, what an exciting and rewarding year it's been! If my math is correct, in 2012 I played 65 shows (71 if you count playing in 2 bands at the same show) with 8 different groups (9 if you count a solo gig...), and participated in 10 different recording sessions. Jazz, rock, reggae, R&B, punk, Motown, electro-funk (or, something...), and even a bit of choral music were all in the picture. Additionally, I graduated with my music degree, embarked on my very first tour, had 2 EPs released, and taught a ton of lessons and clinics.

Some of my personal musical highlights of 2012 include:

• Playing with all 3 of my rock bands on the same night (at 2 different shows).
• Performing twice with Criminal Caterpillar. It is always an honour and a pleasure playing with bands which I am not a member of.
• My Graduation Recital in the Birch Theatre at Capilano University. Or more specifically, just the fact that I graduated.
• Performing with the Capilano University A Band at The Banff Centre.
• My experiences with Los Furios: recording and releasing an EP, playing the big outdoor stage at the Victoria Ska Fest, being featured on Urban Rush, opening for The English Beat.
• My first ever, self-booked, and entirely successful tour of western Canada with No Island.
• Finding regular and rewarding work as a private music teacher.
• The return of The Ivy League Brawlers at the end of the year, particularly the 2 gigs they shared with Los Furios. Those shows were insane, and they were magic.
• A new digital EP with No Island, our first release since our debut CD.

It's been a great year full of amazing new experiences and awesome times. Here's hoping that 2013 might be even more grand.

+ New EP from No Island

(from blog.no-island.com)

Our new digital-only mini-release is here!

The Waiting Game EP is a sample of how No Island's sound developed during 2012, and serves as a teaser for our new full-length album to be recorded in 2013.

This EP is a pay-what-you-can download. If you are unable or unwilling to pay, we are still offering this music freely for you to enjoy and share. If you like what you hear and want to support us in our music-making efforts, you can do one or several of the following things to help us out:

• You can tell your friends about us, and share our music with them.
• You can choose to pay what you can for downloading this EP. Whatever you think these 3 songs are worth. Every cent we receive will go towards future recording.
• You can come see one of our live shows. We would love to meet you and entertain you in person. We usually play in and around Vancouver, BC, but be sure to check our schedule for tour dates (especially in the summer).
• You can like/follow us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Tumblr, Instagram, or our blog for updates and bonus content.
• You can also take the social media thing to the next level and share a link to us and/or our music on there.

Thank you for every little bit of your support, and enjoy the music!

 - No Island

+ December Update

Been pretty busy lately. Here's an update.

Xmas in Skaville show was one hell of an event. Super fun, great energy, awesome performances. It was one of those amazing nights that I continue to live for as a performing musician.

Los Furios is going into the studio again tomorrow with Doug Fury to record a new single, "Bad Waters". We've been playing this song at a few of our shows lately and it's been getting a good response. The Furios also have a big show coming up January 25th at The Rickshaw opening for Chris Murray with Heads Hang Heavy and The Bone Daddies.

The Ivy League Brawlers have a show booked the night after the Rickshaw gig, opening for Jesus Krysler at The Fairview Pub. The Brawlers are also plotting to make some new recordings in the new year. We've been long overdue for this... the band's sound and songwriting have changed a lot since our first album, which was recorded before our new lead singer Anuar and myself joined the band.

And speaking of new recordings, No Island will finally be releasing our new digital mini-EP "The Waiting Game" any day now. This will be our first release since our debut album, and showcases the band's most recent sonic developments while serving as a bit of a teaser for our new full-length album that we will begin recording in the new year.

Click here for more details: http://blog.no-island.com/2012/12/new-release-out-soon.html

+ Xmas in Skaville Double-Bill

My next show is December 8 at the Shark Club in Vancouver with both The Ivy League Brawlers and Los Furios. I played at this 8th incarnation of this show with the Brawlers and the 9th one last year with the Furios, and I'm definitely looking forward to doing another one with both this year. Doors at 9pm!

Facebook event page:
www.facebook.com/events/545563695469239

+ November Update

I never had a chance to post about the ILB/CrimCat collaboration at the Railway Club earlier this month. The Brawlers horn section got together for a final rehearsal earlier on the day of the show to essentially decide if we would be able to pull it off. This was a pretty big decision, as we absolutely wanted to make it happen, but music that Eric writes and arranges for Criminal Caterpillar is quite complex, and we didn't want to be taking up time and space during their set unless we knew we were going to pull it off perfectly.

Fortunately, the rehearsal went super well, and we went ahead with the collab. It was super fun to share the stage with CrimCat once more, and I would be glad to relive that experience again any time int he future.

The Brawlers' set went super well. It was a high-energy party with a crazy fun atmosphere, and elicited one of the best responses I've ever seen during my time with this band. There were many who said it was the best ILB show they had ever seen. The only thing that detracted from the evening for me is that I somehow managed to damage the neck of my saxophone late in the set. I have no recollection of what happened, all I knew was that during the last song before the encore, my horn stopped working. Fortunately it was extremely minor damage that was easily fixed the following monday when I took it in to Massullo Music, but it had me rather worried because any damage to the neck of a saxophone can easily irreversibly alter how it plays, or even render the instrument entirely unplayable.

Fortunately, all is well now and I was able to use my horn for a house party No Island played on Friday night for the birthday party of a very good friend of the band. Unfortunately we were down a member because our bass player Sara had been injured during a workout session just a couple days before, but the 4 of us played a rockin' set and had the whole house dancing until the night grew late. It didn't hurt that our go-to bass sub Malcolm Wanless (of Criminal Caterpillar) was also in attendance, and he was happy to fill in on a few tunes that he'd played with us in the past.

No Island's Movember fundraising efforts have been going well. To date, we've raised over $300, and we'll continue collecting and growing until the end of the month. To donate: http://ca.movember.com/team/702841

+ Movember

This November, I have been participating in Movember with the rest of No Island. It is an awareness and fundraising campaign for men's health, particularly Prostate Cancer. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to affect Canadian men. One in seven men will be diagnosed with the disease in their lifetime.

The awareness part of this campaign comes by growing a moustache (which provides a good way to start the conversation, such as "Why are you attempting to grow that hideous moustache?"), and the fundraising part comes by encouraging everyone to make a donation to the official Movember charity page. You can contribute to Mo Island's team fundraising effort here: http://ca.movember.com/team/702841. Even a small donation is greatly appreciated for this worthy cause. Why not chip in $5 and think of it as buying a fancy Starbucks drink for a good friend? Except instead of a friend, it's a Cancer-fighting moustache. And instead of coffee, it's research.

If you want to check out our mo-farming progress, hit up http://blog.no-island.com.