Lovemando - Guitar, Vocals
Jerry the Priest - Trombone, Guitar, Vocals
Annabelle Cabrera - Violin
Quentin Josephy - Afro-Cuban Percussion
Milo Martin - Poetry
Anne & Jeff Grimaldo of Naked With Shoes - Dance
Poli Marichal - Shadow puppets
Stefan Fabry & Mitra Martin - Tango Dancers
Amy Kaps - Visual/Spatial Performance
Everybody Nose clown troupe
Influences
Practically everything but polka! Jazz, rock, blues, tango, bossa nova, glam, punk, French chanson, and more........................
FAVORITE BANDS WITH ACCORDIONS, BANDONEONS, ETC.:
Gotan Project, Bajofondo Tango Club, Astor Piazzola, Beirut, Arcade Fire, Nouvelle Vague, Les Negresses Vertes, The Pogues, Tom Waites, Nick Cave, Vagabond Opera, Alec K Redfearn and the Eyesores, Cat Hair Ensemble, Fishtank Ensemble, Jessica Fichot, Mrs. Brown's Lovely Daughter, Jason Webley, Radio Fantastique, Jeffrey Butzer, Squeeze-bot, Stars of Aviation, Alarm Will Sound........................
FAVORITE SINGERS:
Jesca Hoop, Billie Holliday, Ella Fitzgerald, Marilyn Monroe, Astrud Gilberto, Chet Baker, Brigitte Bardot, Catherine Deneuve, Jane Birkin, Sia (of Zero 7), Camille (of Nouvelle Vague), Holly Golightly, Mama Cass, Nico, Cat Power, Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth), Sabina Sciubba (of Brazilian Girls), Alison Goldfrapp (of Goldfrapp)........................
OTHER FAVORITE MUSICIANS/BANDS: Serge Gainsbourg, Django Reinhardt, Thelonious Monk, Antonio Carlos Jobim, Air, Beck, The Like, The White Stripes, The Lost & Wandering Jazz & Blues Band, Mulatu Astatki, Sigur Ros, Stereolab, Dengue Fever.
Sounds Like
Comments at performances include: "eclectic", "cinematic", "erotic", "weird but good".
Elegant, but edgy, Mrs. Hobbs is a sultry cabaret singer and accordion player. Mixing and mashing up jazz, rock, glam, tango, punk, gypsy, classical and minimalist influences, her songs are filled with "mood": melancholic, sensuous, humorous. Whether performing original songs or what has been said to be the best interpretations of others' songs, Mrs. Hobbs is changing people's ideas of what accordion music can be.
Mrs. Hobbs came into being in early 2005. Of course, she always had a love of music, having sung in the high school chorus, been a DJ at her college radio station, lived with musicians in a boat community in France (ah! la vie de bohème!), and sung lullabies to her daughter, but she had never played an instrument until then.
She taught herself the accordion and started playing around Los Angeles at venues such as Bordello Bar, The Rainbow Bar & Grill, Highways Performance Space, Club Ding-A-Ling, The Mbar, The Talking Stick, The UnUrban, The Abbot Kinney Festival, Robin’s Sculpture Garden, James Gray Gallery, and Elizabeth Paige Smith Atelier.
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Why the accordion?
A clear plastic toy accordion was first espied in 2005 and subsequently purchased by "zee artiste", after which a real adult version was acquired.
There is the feeling of strapping it on and holding it to one's chest, the breathing of the accordion upon squeezing, the movement of the bellows.
There are the sounds that resonate, the richness of the tones, the deep bass notes, the high sighs, the fullness of sound, and even sometimes a whisper.
Then there were the years spent in France seeing accordion players in the streets that undoubtably played a part in the love of the accordion....................
In another life she's also a visual artist and designer (all the "album covers" are designed by her)....................
Hi! I've been practicing my accordion and trying to master my one song, ha, - its coming along but just wanted to tell you that its inspiring hearing your songs! thankyou!
Imagine runnin' inter you last night after all this time! Somethin' muster been crossed in a good way! Haw haw! Just wanted ter say that I enjoyed it immensely an' it wuz good ter do a lil catchin' up... with the emphasis on lil... we absconded rather rapidly due ter the fact that my friend's purse had been snatched by some sumbitch out side who then leapt inter a waitin' automobile. The gall, ter ruin someone's evenin' like that, eh? Go figure.
You must be aware that people are going to read your gig post "Mrs. Hobbs, Naked With Shoes, . . ." to imply that you will be nude on stage rather than that you are performing before a BAND called "Naked with Shoes". So . . . I hope you're not surprised when you get a GIGANTIC turnout.
It would be diff'rent if'n I weren't stealin' innernet signal from the neighbors, haw haw, an' those darn folks have the nerve ter turn it off ever so often!!! Can you believe the nerve? Haw haw!
Hi Mrs. Hobbs! Thanks for including us in your circle of friends! Like your songs! It was cool getting to see you perform at the Talking Stick last night! We wish you and your music all the best, and we hope that you enjoy our music too! Please let us know what you think! Have a great week, and take care! (*^_^*)
Blessings, Melissa, Kelli, and Gabrielle RAMEKEGA
P.S. We have our gigs schedule up, so we hope you can make it to either one of the shows!
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