New Music

Dear friends,

I’m happy to announce a new single. Hear it via the linked buttons below.

“Small Comforts” is the title track from our album of the same name, out 1/27. The record is a 32-minute suite.

The single was inspired by William Carlos Williams’ “To a Poor Old Woman”, a brief poem about the pleasures of eating plums. Using its own language, the song reimagines Williams’ work, expanding its scope to include both the beauty and elusiveness of comfort.

Below are lyrics in verse and wonderful cover artwork, for this single specifically, from Heather Swenson.

Do enjoy these small comforts.

-Eric

Scenes from our last show

Will with the amp he's always deserved

cute chairkid (Comly tribe)

Had a great sunset show! (Co-singer Ashley not pictured, sadly) Looking forward to performing at Fall Fest in West Reading on 9/17. We'll be on the 6th Ave. stage from 1:20 – 2:00 p.m.

Happy to announce 2 upcoming, free outdoor shows. 9/3, we'll perform as part of Philly's Parks on Tap at Penn Treaty Park. We go on at 7. This is the sunset chairman gig of your dreams: orange sky, flowing river, flowing beer, beneficent breeze.

9/17, we'll be in West Reading for their annual, excellent Fall Fest. We perform on the main stage (6th Ave.) at 1:20. The city streets are cordoned off to cars for this event; the people (pedestrians) reign, as they ought.

Some scenes from the last leg of tour, in order, roughly. Many thanks to all the awesome/good looking people involved: listeners, show organizers, fellow musicians, cafe/bar workers, etc.

The band

We had a great time in Camp Hill! Next up are shows in Reading, PA (7/22 @ Mike's Tavern), Steubenville, OH (7/23 @ Leonardo’s Coffee), and West Reading, PA (7/26 @ Nitro Bar).

What a show last week! Looking ahead, this Sat. (7/9), we’ll perform outdoors at Camp Hill Pres church at 4 p.m. Feel free to bring beverages to this summer party show extravaganza.

Come see us live! We're starting off a string of shows in Philly, performing w/ the great Half-handed Cloud (part of the venerable Asthmatic Kitty Records). A Facebook event for the Philly show is here: https://fb.me/e/4Mx5h0n3Z. It’ll be an early gig: music happens from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. John (read: Half-handed Cloud) lives in Finland and doesn’t often perform in America. He’s worth making a trip to see! As are we ;).

You can find details for all our upcoming shows here.

So pleased to be in America Magazine. [Article here] Our conversation took me to not one but two cities. Very cosmopolitan, I know.

The Chairman Dances - "silent night"

Today we're sharing our version of "silent night"!

Last year, my friend Abi asked me to record the song for a zoom xmas celebration. We were happy with the results, thus I'm now—a year later—sending it out into the world to accompany you during this ever-darkening season.

The cover art (below) is a square version of my friend Mickey Haist, Jr.’s painting "Nativity".

Live photos of Ashley, Ben’s bass, and my midsection, by Jonathan Brown.

ADDITIONALLY, stay tuned for a small musical offering (something I'm proud of) in one (1) week.

Here are Dan and Ben, many years ago, at a show put together by our bandmate Ashley. The great Jonathan Brown photographed the event. I plan to share more photos in the coming weeks. Need to spread them out, lest you swoon so hard at my bandmates, you break your neck. (We realize this is an ongoing hazard associated with this website. Do know your health and safety are our top priority.)

#health #safety #fullyinsured #thechairmandances

Had the best show! Photos in order: 1) Us (wasn't angry, not sure what's going on w/ my face) 2) super group/friends thequietcampaign being great 3) Beer from venue fridge 4) Post it from our day-of-show rehearsal/text message thread

A new favorite still from our music video, made by Patrick Nugent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3ceCdm5bac

Patrick shared this reflection about the work:

Image by Doring and Cranach (the elder), based on Durer's woodcuts

Had the best time performing at Brewery ARS!

Thanks to everyone who came out to our release show at Ortlieb’s! It was great seeing you, great collaborating with Bobby Pharaoh. We'll be at Brewery ARS a week from today (9/17), performing just outside their open garage door. (Music from 8 to about 8:45.)

Our Philly release show is Friday at Ortlieb's! We'd love to see you there.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-chairman-dances-spelling-reform-weekend-athlete-tickets-163526850211?aff=ebdsoporgprofile

Proof of vaccination is required (a picture of your card is fine). I took a Covid test as a precaution (came back negative). Feeling good the only Corona variant there will be Corona Light.

Poster by O Horvath

New Music Video

Enjoy this incredible video for “I pulled the sheet back…”, made by our friend Patrick Nugent. It stars an alcoholic kaiju (blobby monster) who’s trying to put their life together. They are empathic and sweet and only slightly more of a mess than most of us. You will love them. Feel like it’s necessary to say: this kaiju (like the song’s character) is religious. We’re not mocking their visions! I’m religious (and a leftist—you probably know both of these things by now.)

Below are some of my favorite stills from the video.

"Contrasts between the Elizabethan and Restoration theatres are numerous and striking. The Elizabethan theatre had been a theatre of the people.... [The] Restoration audience was perhaps the most thoroughly aristocratic audience the theatre has ever known."

-Whiting