Jamie Kent

Well we’ve just landed home after three weeks on the road! Our Basically Unplugged Tour was really amazing on so many levels. Things flew by, and yet felt like we were on the road for months. Since there are so many great moments to share, I’m going to break things up into a few posts- one from each week I think. With that in mind, here are some priceless moments from week 1 of our tour!

1. Chicago. Before our show, we spent the afternoon wandering around the windy city, and discovered that hot dogs are actually meant to be topped with tomatoes, pickles, onions, jalapenos, mustard, and celery salt. A near religious experience? I’d say so. We also made a trip to the Lincoln Park Zoo, and hung out with some lions, tigers, and beavers (go Babson!). Check out the two pictures below; one is of the Chicago style hot dog, and the other is an…interesting…moment that happened while at the zoo. I apologize in advance.

2. Des Moines. Who knew that this small city in Iowa was so cool? Well, Tim Boucher (our trusty piano player), that’s who. He was actually born and raised in Des Moines, so we decided it would be awesome to have a homecoming show for him while on tour. Apart from the show, which was fantastic, we visited the capitol building where Tim’s mom and aunt work. We then got the VIP treatment and were led up to the super restricted very top of the building to overlook the whole city. Unbelievable picture below.

3. Nevada, Missouri. Anybody ever heard of it? Well we hadn’t either until we decided to pull off the highway to use the bathroom and stumbled into one of the greatest moments yet on tour. After using the facilities of a tiny diner, we noticed a bar just down the road called “Boomer’s Roadhouse”; naturally we decided that it would be a great idea to stop in and check out the scene in Nevada, Missouri. Little did we know that Boomer’s was hosting its first ever rock and roll jam, and moments later we found ourselves on stage with three local musicians busting out some Johnny Cash and Ray Charles. That’s the kind of moment that fuels me, and why I love being on the road.

4. SXSW. Yes, it is as crazy as everyone describes. Music everywhere, people everywhere. A beautiful sensory overload, one might say. We had two great showcases, and then played a few sets on the street, which was probably the most exciting part of it all. During our first set on 6th street, we sold 10 CDs…in 10 minutes! And who said CDs were dead?

Check back in the next few days for the best moments, pictures, and videos from week 2! If you can imagine, things got even hotter…

Thank you all for your amazing support. Without you, this tour really wouldn’t have been possible.

With love and mischief,
Jamie

Hello hello!

Well, March is officially here, which means a few things…
1. Winter is almost over
2. Winter is almost over
3. March Madness is in the air.

While college basketball is always fun, this year’s March Madness is going to be crazy- Jamie Kent & The Options style.

21-city US Tour!!

21 cities, 20 shows, SXSW, and a new EP. Madness? Absolutely. This Saturday we kick off our biggest tour yet at The Middle East Upstairs in Cambridge MA, and head west from there! This is definitely our biggest boston show yet, and will certainly be an overload of awesome. Doors are at 8pm, and there’s a good chance it will be a sell out, so get there on time! Then fast forward one month, and you’ll find us finishing up the tour at our biggest Northampton show yet. On Saturday April 9th we headline the legendary Iron Horse Music Hall at 10pm, and this as well, should be an overload of awesome. Grab your tickets early HERE, as this may be a sell out as well! If you happen to be living outside of MA and want to catch a show during the rest of the tour, check out the “Shows” section of my website for the FULL list!

Tour Support

So as many of you know, touring has become outrageously expensive these days. That said, we’ve been very fortunate to receive some amazing support from our fans. Recently, we secured a great deal of tour support from our Headlining Tour Sponsor, the wonderful institution that is Babson College. As the #1 school for entrepreneurship in the world, Babson has decided to back a great deal of our tour, in support of my entrepreneurial ambitions on the business side of my music (i.e. The Collective). For that, I truly can’t thank them enough. Beyond Babson, we have also had 10 amazing fans send in contributions to our tour, which helps SO much. You know who you are, and you kick serious ass. That said, with gas and food prices rising over the past month, our budget is still a bit under, and we just need to raise $300 more to break even!If you’re willing to donate anything over $10, we’ll send you…

1. A signed copy of our limited release “Basically Unplugged EP”!
2. A signed copy of our tour poster!!
3. Three exclusive live recordings from the road!!!
4. A thank you video featuring your name!!!!

Simply click DONATE HERE, fill in that sexy little form, and visualize me doing an awesome goofy dance of happiness…

Hit the road Jack

While planning a tour can be a bit stressful, just thinking about seeing you all on the road puts a huge smile on my face and excitement in my heart.

Thank you again for your joining the ride, it’s going to be a great one!

Love,
Jamie & The Options

Hey ya’ll!

I write from a friends couch in Atlanta, after just playing a fantastic show with The Options at Eddie’s Attic in Decatur GA. This tour has really been an amazing experience so far, and we are just over halfway done. It’s been an absolute pleasure sharing both the stage and the road with the amazingly talented Tim Boucher (keys/melodica) and Rhees Williams (upright bass). We were all a bit worried coming into the trip, never having spent this much time together, but it’s really been a ton of fun. Fortunately we all find each other hilarious, and that always seems to keep things light hearted and fun. There’s really too many stories to share right now, especially at 3am, so I figured I’d leave you with two videos that might give you a little taste of what this tour has been like so far. The first is a “behind the scenes” clip from our hotel in Harrisburg PA, and the other is live from our show at the IOTA club in Arlington VA…

Fast Tube by Casper

Fast Tube by Casper

All I can say at this point, is that I love my job.

Over and out,
Jamie

Hello hello!

I wrote the bulk of this email this past afternoon, during that unbelievably gorgeous fall day we just had. I’m pretty sure it was the kind of day that makes you want to frolic through fields of foliage (…not that I did or anything…), and that’s why I held off posting this until now. Who wants to read email on a day like that? Anyway, I’ve got some fantastic news for you all, so sit back, crack those knuckles, and read on!

The Trio Tour is here…!

Over the past two months I’ve been working hard to book a tour for us down the east coast, and well, now it is official! 14 days, 12 shows, 8 states, and 3 of the sexiest Options you can imagine. We’ll be touring as an acoustic trio featuring Rhees Williams on upright bass/vocals, Tim Boucher on keys/melodica/guitar/vocals, and yours truly holdin down the melodies/guitar/ukulele. Let me tell you, this trio is tight, and the shows are going to be pretty awesome. November 3rd (TONIGHT!!) will be our tour kick off party in Cambridge MA at the Middle East Upstairs (9pm). This is set to be an amazing night, and we’ll be bringing the full rockin band for this one to send us off with a bang! So be sure to grab your dancing shoes and come say hi! That said, here are the rest of the dates…

11.03.2010, The Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge MA, 9pm (Tour kick-off show!)

11.08.2010, World Cafe Live, Philadelphia PA, 7pm (Philly Rising O.M.N)

11.09.2010, Messiah College, Reconciliation House, Grantham PA, TBA

11.10.2010, IOTA Club and Cafe, Arlington VA, 8pm

11.11.2010, The Greenleaf, Guilford College, 6pm

11.12.2010, Jessee’s, Chapel Hill NC, 8pm

11.15.2010, Eddie’s Attic, Decatur GA, 10:30pm

11.16.2010, The Soundry, Vienna VA, 8pm

11.17.2010, Wonderland Ballroom, Washington DC, 8:30pm

11.18.2010, Spike Hill, Brooklyn NYC, 8:30pm

11.19.2010, The Farm Bar & Grill, Essex MA, 9pm

11.20.2010, Pearl St. Nightclub, Northampton MA, TBA (Northampton Survival Center Benefit show!)

I’ve also attached a sexy tour poster with the dates on it. Let me know what you think of it and if you want to get your hands on one, just let me know and I’ll send one along.

More importantly, we will also be posting some great videos from the road, so keep your eyes peeled throughout the month of November for some very cool (and likely mischievous) stuff.

Tour Support

In an effort to offset some of the costs of this tour (gas, food, lodging, etc…) we thought we’d reach out to you the fans for support. This past weekend I held a Tour Support Tag Sale to raise money for the tour, and gathered just about $500 selling amazing things from our attic! We’ve also received amazing donations from two Partners in The Collective to bring our total to $700. Now we just need to find another $300, and our costs will be covered!! If you think you might be willing to help us out along this journey, I can’t tell you how much we’d appreciate it. In return, we would send you an autographed copy of the tour poster, exclusive downloads from our live shows on the road, and we might even write a thank you song to the fans who donate…

Anyway, if you think you might be down to help, simply click “Support the tour!”, fill out the first form there, follow the yellow brick road, and the rest will be history!

Thanks again to all of you for your amazing love and support. I’ll leave you this month with a sweet (free) live recording from our recent show at Pearl St. Nightclub with Barefoot Truth!

With love and foliage,

Jamie

Hello hello!

I write you this month on the eve of some great shows, and as always, with some very cool updates! For those of you new to the club, welcome aboard the Jamie Kent express, it’s going to be a wild ride. For those of you who know the ropes, thanks again for listening, reading, and continuing to support despite my occasional ramble.

Big Big show(s)…

To start things off, I thought I’d let you know that we’ve got one of our biggest shows yet THIS Friday, October 1st, at the Pearl St. Nightclub in Northampton MA (7:30pm). We’re going to be opening up for a fantastic band called Barefoot Truth at this legendary club, and let me just say, it’s going to kick some serious ass. Their shows usually sell out, but if we bring a solid crowd ourselves, we’ll have a great chance of getting another show of this caliber, and that’s absolutely huge for us right now. That said, I’ve got a very limited number of discounted tickets ($10, instead of $15 at the door), so if you’re interested, let me know asap and I’ll make sure to hook you up.

Beyond that, we’re keeping as busy as always with shows planned already through December! Check out what’s happening below:

9.30.2010, Burrito Rojo’s, Turner’s Falls MA, 8pm (w/ David Wax Museum)

10.01.2010, Pearl St. Nightclub, Northampton MA, 8pm (w/ Barefoot Truth)…More info!

10.02.2010, Harry’s Harvest Ball, Starkes ME, 3pm…More info!

10.09.2010, Maximum Capacity, Chicopee MA, TBA

10.14.2010, Rockwood Music Hall, NYC, 12am (late night trio set!)…More info!

10.15.2010, Fuel House Coffee Co, Vineland NJ, 7:15pm…More info!

10.17.2010, First Churches, Northampton MA, Voices for Jane Benefit Concert, 7pm

10.19.2010, Bishops Lounge, Northampton MA, 10pm (Open Mic Feature w/ The Primate Fiasco)

10.25.2010, Valley Homegrown TV Feature, Greenfield MA, 6pm…More info!

10.29.2010, Finz Seafood, Salem MA, 9pm (Halloween weekend show!)

11.03.2010, The Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge MA, 9pm (Tour kick-off show!)

11.05.2010, Silk City Taproom, Florence MA, 9pm

11.09.2010, TBA, Harrisburg PA, TBA

11.12.2010, Jessee’s, Chapel Hill NC, TBA

11.17.2010, Wonderland Ballroom, Washington DC, 8pm

11.20.2010, Pearl St. Nightclub, Northampton MA, TBA (Northampton Homeless Shelter Benefit show!)

12.02.2010-12.04.2010, Babson College, 8pm (BDE House Band)

November Tour

As you can see, we’re going to be touring down the east coast from November 6th – November 20th! We’ll be traveling as an acoustic trio (guitar, upright bass, and keys), and it will be our first trip as a band out of the northeast! I can’t tell you how excited we are. In fact, I may have already stocked up on peanut butter and jelly for our breakfast…lunch…and dinner. That said, we’re still looking to fill in a few more dates with colleges, private house concerts, etc…so if you have any ideas for us, definitely let me know!

Shot Glasses

That’s all I really need to say, right? Brand new, customized, sexy, and only $2. Grab one at our next show, then christen it with me and The Options…:)

Grand’ Band Slam 2010 Results

In my last email I mentioned that we were nominated by the Valley Advocate in their yearly “Grand Band Slam”. This is a huge honor around these parts, and well, guess what? We won!!! Thanks to each and every one of your votes, Jamie Kent & The Options brought home this year’s title in the “Jazz” category! Jazz you say? Probably not the first thing you think of when you hear our music, but a pretty cool testament to our sound I’d say. How many pop/rock bands have the ability to win in a jazz category? Check out the full results/article here: http://www.valleyadvocate.com/article.cfm?aid=12480

Well anyway, I think that’s about it for now. Once again, thank you so much for your love and support these days. It truly is what motivates us to keep rockin and a rollin. Can’t wait to see you soon.

With tons of love,
Jamie

Hello hello!

I write you this time with some really awesome news. Over the past month or so you might have noticed my not so subtle hints that a mischievous event of epic proportions was in store. In today’s music industry I truly believe you need to do crazy and creative things to stand out from the rest, and so that’s just what we did this last week.

There are a 171 Starbucks carrying music in Manhattan alone. This past weekend, myself and a group of amazing fans/friends took NYC by storm and secretly planted my CDs in every one of those locations. We then filmed the process, the reaction, and the little bits of mischief throughout the day, and turned it into a kick-ass music video! We also introduced NYC to it’s newest super-hero, “The Mischief Man”. So much hard work and preparation went into this event, and I must say that I’m really proud of how it turned out. Want to see it??? Drum roll please….

Fast Tube by Casper

Now I’m still crossing my fingers that Starbucks doesn’t sue me, but I suppose if they did, it might generate some real nice press.

Either way, I truly believe this has the potential to take off virally; both because it’s pretty darn funny, and because we totally pulled of a huge prank on one of the biggest corporations in the world. That said, it’s only going to go viral with your help. So if you dig it, if it made you laugh, PLEASE share it with all your friends through email, facebook, twitter, etc…I can’t tell you how much of a help that would be. Seriously.

Thanks again for all your help and support so far. I wouldn’t be able to pull off any of this without you all.

With love, mischief, and hopes of seeing you real soon,

Jamie

Why hello there!

How is everyone handling this wild summer heat? I actually kind of like it…Seems to make everyone move a bit slower, and I think that’s always a good thing.

In the case that you need to take a break from the Air Conditioned life and hear some rockin live music, I thought I’d update you all on my summer tour! I’ve added some awesome dates to the lineup, so definitely check out this list and come get your dance on with us:

7.08.2010, Surfside 5, Salisbury Beach MA, 9pm (duo w/ Jules Belmont)

7.13.2010, Side Street Cafe, Florence MA, 6pm (duo w/ Zack Danziger)

7.16.2010, Empire BrewFest, Syracuse NY, 7:00pm

7.22.2010, The Middle East Upstairs, Cambridge MA, 8pm

7.30.2010, The Elevens, Northampton MA, 7pm (duo opening for Storybox!)

7.31.2010-8.2.2010, Mischief Mania, NYC (email mischief@jamiekent.com to get involved!)

8.05.2010, The Living Room, NYC, 8:30pm

8.12.2010, Up or Down the Rocks, Hartford CT, 10:30pm

8.20.2010, Tommy Doyle’s, Hyannis MA, 10pm

8.27.2010, Topside Grill, Gloucester MA, 9pm (solo show)

8.28.2010, The Academy of Music, Northampton MA, TBA (solo show opening for Roger Salloom!)

8.31.2010, From Day One Festival (Babson College), TBA

9.03.2010, Finz Seafood, Salem MA, 9pm (solo show)

9.04.2010, The People’s Pint, Greenfield MA, 10pm

Also, as I’ve hinted at in the last couple of emails, I’ve got some mischief a brewin in NYC over the last weekend in July. I can’t let the cat out of the bag quite yet, but if you email me, I might be easily persuaded to give you the rundown …Also, if you happen to know of anyone that works/writes for any newspapers, magazines, etc…definitely let me know. And if you were willing to connect us, well, I would probably give you a Partnership in The Collective…

Well folks, I’ll keep this one short and sweet. And I’ll leave you with a link to Part I of the Brownie Whoopie Pie Experience. There might be three parts. And this might have happened during our trip to Harry’s Hoe Down (our first music festival!): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BZXaibJJTKc

With love, gratitude, and thoughts of jumping in cool bodies of water,

Jamie

Howdy folks!

A lot of great stuff is happening, and I felt like I just had to share it with you.

First off, in case you’ve forgotten, THIS Saturday April 17th is my NYC CD Release party at the legendary Bitter End (147 Bleecker St). We hit the stage at 8pm, and it’s seriously going to rock. I don’t have a huge presence in NYC yet, so if any of you are living in the area or need an excuse to visit the city for the weekend, I could really use the support! I promise it will be worth it.

Secondly, I was recently interviewed by “The Get It Done Guy” and it has just aired on his hugely popular podcast and website! It’s all about starting a movement and focuses on The Collective and what I’m trying to do to create such a movement around my music and performances. Check out the podcast and full interview below and let me know what you think!

The Get-it-Done Guy podcast based on me:
http://getitdone.quickanddirtytips.com/how-to-start-a-project.aspx
The Jamie Kent full interview page:
http://www.steverrobbins.com/getitdoneguy/128-jamie-kent/

Thirdly, I’ve added some really fantastic shows to the lineup for the coming weeks/months. Two of the best ones for you to keep on the radar are:
1. Monday May 3rd, The Middle East (upstairs), Cambridge MA, 9:30pm
2. Saturday May 15th, The Iron Horse Music Hall, Northampton MA, 7:00pm (opening for Raul Midon, protégé of Stevie Wonder)

If you’re interested in tickets for the May 15th show, I’ve got them cheaper than online (no service fees and such), so just shoot me an email!

As always, keep checking around my website for new shows, blog posts, pictures, etc…and if you want to pick up a digital copy of the album, it’s now available on iTunes!! Wohoooo (you can’t see right now, but I’m doing the digital dance).

Lastly, and most importantly, thank you again for all of your love and support; I couldn’t be doing this without you.

Your friendly neighborhood mischief man,
Jamie

Hey all!

So as you know, my Northampton CD show is scheduled for Friday April 2nd at the APE Gallery in Northampton (7pm). As you might also know, it’s going to be crazy. I am collaborating with local artists Chris Millette, Perry Huntoon, and many others to not only transform the gallery space into your “childhood home on acid”, but to paint the night of in response to the music! In order to paint the night of, the artists needed to build the foundation of the mural first and lay down the foundation of mural (2 hours just isn’t enough time to paint a 4′x8′ mural!). As I type this, the artists are in the studio at my house painting away! Want to see how it’s lookin? Check it out…

Notice how there are a ton of wild shapes in the mural? Well Chris, Perry, and Jamie (yes, there are two Jamies involved, definitely a sign) cut all of those pieces from plywood and screwed them onto the frame to create that canvas. At the end of the night on April 2nd these pieces will then be given away to all you sexy concert goers as a memento of the night and the experience! There may not be enough for everyone though, so we’re still trying to figure out how to fix that problem. Perhaps everyone who buys a CD gets a piece? Let me know what you think and if you have any ideas!

Alright, back to work!

Over and out,
Jamie

Howdy folks,

So I thought I’d make a quick post with some pics for you all which I’ve been slacking on posting! So about a month ago, I played an acoustic set at Babson College and there were some really cool shots taken by Samuel Johns there. Check em out…

A few weeks later I played an acoustic set at the famed Webster Hall in NYC! It was an awesome show, and fortunately my friend Veronique Lee grabbed a couple cool photos and a video or two. I’ve posted one of the videos under the “Videos” tab, so check that out and let me know what you think. I thought I’d just toss the photos here…

Anyway, that’s it for now! Let me know what you think of these shots and feel free to tag them on facebook or any of those crazy sites

Lots of love,
Jamie