Our Album, Child of My Sorrow, is out today

We're pleased to share our album, Child of My Sorrow, with you all.

You can stream the album and buy it on multiple formats (digital download, CD + download, cassette + download) via our Bandcamp page. You can stream it on Spotify, Apple Music and other like services.

Let us know what you think. You can reach us on social media and at: band at thechairmandances dot com

Philly-area people: our release show is this Saturday at Boot & Saddle. We tour in a few weeks. Below is our schedule thus far.

Hope this finds you all well.

-Eric

Upcoming Performances
9/8 - Release Show at Boot & Saddle - Philadelphia, PA
9/19 - Sofar Sounds - New York, New York
9/20 - Savoy Taproom - Albany, NY
9/21 - Thin Man Brewing - Buffalo, NY
9/22 - Mike’s Tavern - Reading, PA
10/4 - The Sidebar - Baltimore, MD
10/5 - [TBD]
10/6 - The Electric Maid - Washington, DC

Dear Chairman Dances enthusiasts,

I’m playing a solo set at Philly’s Elixr Coffee on Friday, 10/27. I go on first at 9 p.m., then my friend Michele Ward will read poetry; musician Dane Galloway will close the evening. I anticipate performing mostly new material, however, if you have a request, send it along. I’m happy to oblige.
 
According to the show promoter, there will be “free coffee and pastries and possibly free cider.” This is big news, as Elixr’s coffee is excellent, though 9 p.m. is a dangerous time to be drinking it; you may want to stick with the pastries and cider. The show is free with a suggested donation of $5. If you don’t have money, don’t worry about the donation.
 
Things have been fairly quiet here, which has given me the opportunity to write and consider and rewrite. Nevertheless, there have been some exciting public moments of late. The band was featured on the BBC, with the host of its alternative channel calling us his “new favorite band,” which is fairly incredible. A few months back, we played a secret show at a literary society. A video of part of that performance is forthcoming.
 
OK. Take care, everyone. Hope to see some of you at Elixr.

Some shots from our trip to DC. (Thanks to everyone who came out and to Kent, Claire, and Harrison for putting the show together. Also, FYI: the butterfly exhibit at the National Museum of Natural History is excellent.)

NYC-area friends: we’ll be in Manhattan on Feb. 26 for a show/event that will be novel and fun and gratifying because a) there will be free snacks and b) our set will run in tandem with a talk about El Salvador given by Timothy Wotring, who runs the blog Black Flag Theology.

More details about the event can be found via the facebook event. The basics are below.

Where: Broadway Presbyterian Church, 601 West 114th Street,10025

When: 8 p.m.

Cost: Nope

Transit options

Subway: Take the 1 train to 116th Street-Columbia University, and walk downtown two blocks.

Bus: Neighborhood bus routes include the M4, M5, M11, M60, and M104.

 

Happy new year, all. As you thumb through your 2017 calendar, you may wish to add:

Saturday, February 18 - The Chairman Dances at Boot & Saddle (Philadelphia): Facebook Event

Friday, March 10 - The Chairman Dances at Empathic Sorcery Collective (Washington, D.C.): Facebook Event

More winter shows are in the works. We'll announce a (probably solo) NYC show (to happen in the coming weeks) soon. I might forget to write here, so check social media.

Additionally, we're thrilled that our album was included in two "Best of 2016" lists. Thanks a bunch to Wake the Deaf and Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP), especially its show Local Mythologies, for bestowing on us the honors. Means a lot.

The Chairman Dances
The Chairman Dances

 

 

 

Eric here. Like so many, I'm still grieving for my country, its children, the vulnerable and perhaps especially those made (more) vulnerable by the election results. I'm not in the mood to talk about art. About a week ago, I was feeling good. A Canadian radio program called and we did an interview, the second half hour of which was devoted to the dissidents included on our album.

There are white supremacists in my neighborhood flying a German flag above their Trump/Pence sign. To them I say, while I respect all humans, including yourselves, I will be louder than you. I will turn up my amplifier so loud that you won’t be able to hear yourselves think your bigoted thoughts. We will paint over your Nazi graffiti and we will paint our heroes, and they will guide us.

Opening for Rhett Miller (of the 0ld 97s), etc.

A few bits of disparate news:

WE\ARE\MIRRORS penned this nice review of our song for Fannie Lou Hamer.

We're opening (as a two-piece) for the great Rhett Miller, of Old 97s fame, at World Cafe Live this December 12 [link]. I've been a fan of Rhett's music for a long, long time. This will be fun.

Lastly, how's my DJ voice? We made our first ever Station ID for the University of Wisconsin’s WIPZ.