A few of the many awesome photos taken by JessyLou D’Aprile of Louography at the Mongrel Jews show at Columbia City Theater this past weekend. By far the swankiest venue we’ve ever played, hence bringing in a bassist and fiddler!

I can’t even believe we’re on this bill. This show is going to be frickin’ fantastic. The Columbia City Theater has definitely been on our list of venues to play, maybe, someday, if we’re lucky.

Buy your tickets now so the venue is suitably impressed!

Is it just me, or does this line-up sound extra Bordertown-y? I know the show will!

The Mongrel Jews’ first-ever in-person interview is now live at AnotherPassion.com!

I was a freelance music journalist for over five years, and this is the first time I’ve done an interview from this side of the microphone. It was surreal, and wonderful…I don’t remember saying half that stuff, and there are certain things I feel came off differently in stark text than they did when I said them. Them’s the breaks, I suppose!

Photo courtesy Lillian Cohen-Moore, AnotherPassion.com.

Mere hours ago, my band’s Kickstarter was over $1,000 away from completion, and I began to despair. Now, we have exceeded our goal.

I thank the stars for everyone who has donated or raised their bid over the last day, and brought the end to my panicked worries that we would not succeed*, but especially to Jrd, who had the presence of mind to donate the right amount to bring us exactly to our goal. Our fans are amazing.

Now is the time where I mention that we set our goal as modestly as possible, and that if you still wish to pre-order the album through Kickstarter, additional funds will not go amiss. Additional funds will mean things like an extra song to be recorded, or that the wages we pay the musicians, designers, and producers who will help make the album a reality can be closer to what these talented individuals deserve.

*Technically this also brings the beginning of my panicked worries that our album will not be good enough to justify this generosity, but let us not dwell on that just yet.

Over the past week, I have been in a constant state of worry: either I fear we won’t make our goal, or I fear we WILL, but won’t be able to make an album good enough to justify taking so much money from people.

Kickstarter is a huge help to independent musicians, but it’s not magic.

Even if you don’t have the funds or inclination to donate yourself, boosting the signal by reblogging or tweeting would be incredibly helpful (the shorturl is http://kck.st/whOv4N).

I just don’t understand how nobody has jumped on this particular reward for my band’s Kickstarter campaign. It’s such a deal!

The Best Pickles is an awesome podcast about living at the bottom of the music industry, because, as we all know, “The best pickles come from the bottom of the barrel.” It’s hosted by two awesome guys who’ve been performing and touring for decades, and are in some of my favorite Seattle bands (Steel Tigers of Death and Kids on Fire).

In episode 14, they say some really nice things about my band, The Mongrel Jews, including that we “eat a stage,” which I can comfortably say is the best thing anyone has ever said about my little band.

whoa wait are you Jewish?

Yes, I am Jewish. All the members of The Mongrel Jews were at least raised Jewish.

I am curious about the “whoa wait.” Was it a whoa wait of surprise and delight, like “Oh man, this cool person on Tumblr is Jewish!” or a whoa wait of suspicion, like “Hold the phone, your band is called the Mongrel Jews? Is that like…ok?”

UPDATE WITH RESPONSE!

foreveradancer answered your question:

it was a “whoa wait” of surprise and delight. I’m Jewish too, and I just think it’s kind of cool to see other people on Tumblr who are. :)

At 11 backers we had 11%, and now at 36 backers we have 36%.

The best number, and then a double chai. This can only bode well.