I don't have a permanent band right now, but people that often sit in at my shows include:
Bernie Jungle (drums/percussion), Jason Kleinberg (cardboard fiddle), Val Esway (harmony vocals), Dave Jess (bass) and Lucio Menegon (guitar, lap steel).
Influences
Influences? Holy Shit! How much space do I get? Do I have to sound like them to count them as an influence? I hope not: here goes: Paddlefoot!, Warm Wires, the Beatles, Richard Thompson/Fairport Convention, Captain Beefheart, Zappa, the Byrds, Dylan, Elvis Costello, Velvet Undergound, Militant Children's Hour (for shit's sake, check out MCH's myspace page for starters), XTC, Sammy Davis Jr.!!!!!!, They Might Be Giants, Liquid Tongue, David Lindley, X (favorite band in high school), Johnny Cash (first "non-kiddie" record I ever heard was "Story Songs of the Trains and Rivers" on the Sun label...first record I EVER heard was "The Tinker and The Elves" story on red see-through vinyl) Talking Heads, Simon and Garfunkel, Ed's Redeeming Qualities....OK this is just stupid. I'm gonna stop. Every fucking band I've ever heard is an influence. Especially the ones I hated (that influences one just as much, no?)
Joe Rut was born, and then later started playing guitar and writing songs. Joe loves donuts, although he understands they are killing him. Most donut shops have crappy coffee, and most good coffee shops don't have actual donuts. Joe finds this sad. Joe lives in Oakland, CA, likes to write about himself in the third person, and was bi-polar when bi-polar wasn't cool.
In addition to his solo performances, Joe has been happy to collaborate with other humans over the years including, experimental guitarist Henry Kaiser, The Spikedrivers (bluegrass), 86 (Velvet Underground Jug Music), Loretta Lynch (weird-ass country), and Lucio "The Reverend Screaming Fingers" Menegon (as the experimental/ambient guitar duo Lumper/Splitter).
Joe has been fortunate enough to play with these fine people in swell places such as UK's Glastonbury Music Festival, The Fillmore in San Francisco (opening for Richard Thompson), Burning Man, the Shoreline and Sleep Train Amphitheaters and an empty parking lot in Berkeley. All of these places were fun, but the only one that had a decent donut was Glastonbury. The Brits know how to make a donut.
Joe is a member of the Immersion Composition Society, a group of upstanding citizens dedicated to QUANTITY songwriting. An obsessive tinkerer, Joe builds original instruments out of found objects and contact microphones, which he plays in addition to guitar, lap steel, mandolin, ukelele, charango, bass, drums, and Hammond organ. Joe still thinks College Music Journal (CMJ) sucks for replacing Loretta Lynch's legitimately charting (KALX) first CD with it's own pay-to-play compilation in the charts, even though they feebly claim it was a clerical error.
Joe. Eating a dozen raised,glazed yeast donuts in your honor, listening to "AM Land", hoping our musical paths will cross again someday. Peace and Joy to you my fine fellow.
Hello. Just dropping by to let you know about our show tonight at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. We're playing with Beatbeat Whisper and Emily Jane White. The show is presented by the Bay Bridged and Ipickmynoseblog. Hope to see you there!
Tonight!! Saturday, February 9th at the Starry Plough (3101 Shattuck Avenue)
Beatbeat Whisper
Or, the Whale
Emily Jane White
YOakland - Woot. Friday, February 8th, 9:00 PM. Blake's on Telegraph - 2367 Telegraph Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704. The Federalists CD Release party. Young Has Beens support! The Audiophiles open! This one's going to sell out... Click below to grab your tickets now! I ate a piece of my pillow! Dingiddy dangiddy dong!
Hi There. Just stopping by to let you know that we're having a very early X-MAS/ukkah pary at the Rickshaw Stop with Port O'Brien and the Cave Singers tomorrow night Dec. 6th. We go on first! Hope to see you there!
i've already gotten 1 of these in the mail 500 buck GC TO MAC.Ys and plan on ordering more while this is still going on. ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS ENTER YOUR EMAIL AND SHIPPING INFO.. then the trick is to click yes on one of the offers and close your browser./ It takes about 45 seconds. COPY/PASTE LINK BELOW
Greetings from THE BLEU CANADIANS, Joe Rut!!!! We hope all is well. Please support "Canuck & Roll"!!!! Our drummer, Clarence Owen "The Hitman" Steinhart, and yourself, should form a dance troupe after watching you two dance during and towards the end of The Festival Of Fitness.
