Pictures from The Big Time!

Dear Friends,
We gents had a positively delightful time opening for the Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, & John Mellencamp tour this weekend in Ohio.  The crowds in Dayton & Cleveland were wonderfully receptive to our music.  Special thanks to TMGB quartet members Matt Downing (on tenor guitar) and Brian Kantor (on the drums) who brought the good stuff despite limited rehearsal.  

Attn Ohioans who may have just discovered through the Dylan shows!  The Gents return to your fine state next month!  See us up close and personal.  These venues’ll be a bit more intimate than this weekend’s ballpark shows.   Details at www.thetwogentlemen.com.

Tue. Aug 11 – Beachland Ballroom – Cleveland, OH
Wed. Aug 12 – Victorian’s Midnight Cafe – Columbus, OH
Thu. Aug 13 – Southgate House – Newport, KY
Fri. Aug 14 – Casa Cantina – Athens, OH 

And now, some pictures of our brief visit to the big time.

The Line-up in Dayton, OH – July 10, 2009.

The TMGB Quartet (looking vaguely 1970s) before the show.

The crowd in Dayton.  I like people who show up on time for concerts.

The Gents do not shy away from self-promotion or amateur signage.

A view from the crowd.  And what a pleasant crowd it was.

A nice photo from activedayton.com.

Backstage with Willie Nelson’s guitar. 

We met Congressman and Prez Candidate Fightin’ Dennis Kucinich backstage in Cleveland.  He introduced himself and declared that he thought we were pretty good.  We offered to write a campaign song free of charge whenever he needs one.  But, I’m not sure if congressmen can accept that sort of gift.  Chatted with Willie for a bit, too.  He requested some TMGB CDs and we obliged.  What a nice fella!  I’m never washing my hand again.

We meet up with the tour once more this summer, July 31st in Orange Beach, AL.  

Yours very truly,
Andy Bean
The Two Man Gentlemen Band 

 

 

Opening for BOB DYLAN, WILLIE NELSON, & JOHN MELLENCAMP!

Dear Friends!
Big news!  The Two Man Gentlemen Band is joining this summer’s Bob Dylan, Willie Nelson, & John Mellencamp tour for three dates in July!  No, really.  We open these shows:

July 10 - Fifth Third Field - Dayton, OH
July 11 - Classic Park - Eastlake, OH
July 31 - Amphitheater at the Wharf - Orange Beach, AL

We’ll be playing as a quartet for these shows.  Our good pals, The Wiyos, open the rest of the tour.  A very very special thank you to our friends at the Charisma Artist Agency for all they did to make this happen. Vaudevillian banjo music hits the mainstream!  

Incredulously,
Andy Bean
The Two Man Gentlemen Band

Something that makes The Gentlemen very Happy.

Well done, Justin!

Andy Bean
The Two Man Gentlemen Band
www.thetwogentlemen.com

Song Topic Contest Winner!

Dear Internet,
Voting has closed in our first ever Choose the Subject of a TMGB Song contest!  We are proud to announce that the winner is Making Two-Man Music (316 votes out of 1,042)!  Congratulations to Julie in Berks County, PA for suggesting the winning topic.  The Gentlemen shall begin work on a song about this, a topic that is near and dear to our hearts.

Honorable mention: The Clap from Becky in Chicago (288 votes out of 1,042), which was on pace to win until we gentlemen de-railed its chances by officially backing Making Two Man Music.  Once The Councilman’s case clears up, we may consider writing a topic about this two.

The Big Losers: It saddens us that the two last place topics were suggested by pals of ours.  We thought that Bygamy (from Simon in London, 33 votes out of 1,042) and Coin Collecting from (Anthony in Ft. Wayne, IN, 34 votes out of 1,042) deserved more support.  Sorry, boys.

Yours very truly,
Andy Bean
The Two Man Gentlemen Band

Goodbye, England!

Dear Friends,
The Gentlemen depart tomorrow morning for the Festival de Jazz de Almodovar in Almodovar, Portugal.  Allow us to share a few more photos with you from our time in England.  But, first a word for the British peoples…

Dear British peoples: You have welcomed The Gentlemen with open arms, open ears, and seasoned livers.  For this we shall be eternally grateful.  We intend to repay your kindness and good cheer with repeated visits to your fine land.  A special thank you to everyone who put on TMGB shows, housed us, bought us drinks, and showed us a fine time.  You know who you are!  Thanks!

And now, more photos…

The Gentlemen holding hands at the Folk on the Pier festival.  May 10th in Cromer, Norfolk.
(Photo by Jon Grace-Cox)

The Councilman’s shadow in Liverpool.
(Photo by Maesecouogne)

The Gents at View 2 Gallery in Liverpool, across the street from the site of the famed Cavern club, and directly adjacent to the slightly less famous John Lennon Pizzeria. Special thanks to Sidney Bailey’s No Good Punchin’ Clowns (an incarnation of Blue Demon) for bringing the good stuff (great tunes, well-dressed ladies, and hair-product tips) to the show.  I loves you boys.
(Photo by Jim Fallows)

Warming up backstage at The Barbican in London before the Ralph Stanley show.  It was a bit peculiar to have a backstage dressing room since our performance took place in the theater lobby.  But, we made the most of it by eating food, warming up, meeting Ralph Stanley (who declared it “OK” that my banjo only has 4-strings), and styling my hair….

Andy Bean endorses Murrays Superior Hair Dressing Pomade.

The Councilman puts on his evening wear for a final drink at the hotel bar, London.

Andy Bean did NOT drink all these drinks.  The glasses were already on the table.  I promise.

Farewell, England!  We’ll miss you.

Yours most graciously,
Andy Bean
for The Two Man Gentlemen Band

Be a part of our LIVE ALBUM audience! Limited Space!

Dear Internet,
Hello again from London!  The Gents are recording an album of our “greatest hits” (and a few new tunes) in front of a live audience THUR, JUNE 18th in the New York City studios of Serious Business Records.  We want YOU, loyal blog visitor, to be a part of the audience!  We only have space for 40 people (in pairs of 2) in the studio.  So, here’s what you need to do to get in.

1) Be one of the first 20 people to e-mail us at twogentlemen@gmail.com with subject: LIVE ALBUM.
2) In this e-mail, you must promise that you AND A GUEST can indeed attend the taping on THUR, JUNE 18th at a time TBD.  The guest part is important.  We’ll feel sad and pathetic doing a live album for only 20 people.
3) You must consent to paying $10 per person ($20 per pair) to help out with studio costs.
4) Agree to be a loud, rowdy, and boisterous concert attendee, especially when it comes to shouting along and cheering at the end of songs.

If you are one of the lucky first 20, you & your guest…
1) Will be filled with FREE BOOZE before the show courtesy of The Gents.
2) Will be personally thanked, by name, in the album credits.
3) Will be able to request songs to appear on the album!
4) Will receive a FREE copy of the record upon its release!

We look forward to hearing from you, friends!  But be quick about it!  This message goes out to our entire NYC mailing list in two days!

Kindest Regards,
Andy Bean, Banjoist
The Two Man Gentlemen Band
www.thetwogentlemen.com

A Plea for “Making Two Man Music!”

Dear Internet,
Only one week of voting remains in the Choose the Subject of a Two Man Gentlemen Band Contest.  It appears to be a dead heat between “The Clap” and “Making Two Man Music.”

We would like to take this opportunity to throw our support, officially, behind “Making Two Man Music.”  We encourage all who are yet to vote to support it as well.

Why the 11th hour electioneering, you ask?  Suffice it to say that a song about the clap might hit a bit too close to home for The Councilman.

Yours, most compassionately,
Andy Bean
The Two Man Gentlemen Band
www.thetwogentlemen.com

England: Week #3

Dear Friends,
Our rather frantic UK schedule (29 shows in 28 days) is making our clothes and faces a bit more wrinkled than usual.  But it hasn’t affected our music-making, or two-man frolicking negatively.  I present to you some choice images of The Gentlemen at play here in merry old England.

Dress-up time after hours at a London house concert.

The Gents pose before the famous Blackpool Tower.  The policeman’s cloak I purchased in Southampton has proved very useful for fending off rain and for looking silly.

The Councilman enjoys his first pint by the sea in Worth Matravers, Dorset.  All travelers to the area should visit the Square and Compass.

Andy Bean leads the way to the sea.

Gentlemen vs. The Camera Timer.

More to come friends!

Yours very truly,
Andy Bean
The Two Man Gentlemen Band

England: Week #2

Dear Internet,
Might I share with you a few more pictures and tales from our lives as migrant musical workers here in the UK?

First, for all who doubt that the good Lord smiles upon The Gentlemen and their endeavors, I present to you this evidence.  Last evening, The Councilman and I arrived at our gig in Gillingham, Kent (a bit late after getting hopelessly lost in the Medway Towns) only to discover that The Councilman had left his giant rental double bass 45 min away in our hotel room.  How does a man forget a 6 foot tall, 50 pound instrument?  Such are the effects on the brain of 10 days of English ale. (It should be noted that I remembered both of my instruments).

My, goodness, we thought?  Shall the Councilman be relegated to harmony singing and awkward stage standing this evening?  My heavens!

My heavens, indeed, we soon discovered.  For what sat upon the stage waiting for us when we entered the pub?  A double bass, and a functional one at that, sitting waiting to be plucked.  As we have never in our touring lives ever know a venue to have a double bass on hand, we determined at that moment that The Two Man Gentlemen Band is indeed the luckiest two man band going.  Nothing can stop us, methinks, even our own ineptitudes!

And now some photos…

Andy Bean presents…. Stonehenge!

The Councilman rides the London Tube with Bass!

Rowdy fans in Southampton!

The Councilman & The North Sea – Cromer, Norfolk.

More to come soon!  (They’re throwing us out of our hotel right now).

Yours, lovingly,
Andy Bean
The Two Man Gentlemen Band

Hello from England!

Dear Friends,
The Councilman and I wish to share with you a few photos of The Gentlemen in England.  Here we are at the Rochester Sweeps Festival in Rochester, Kent & by the seashore in Broadstairs.  Enjoy!

The Councilman sips from his tankard in front of Rochester Castle

The Councilman sips from his tankard on High St

Andy Bean swaps hats with a real Englishman!

Andy Bean takes a nap backstage.

The Gentlemen visit the seashore in Broadstairs.

Yours very truly,
Andy Bean & Fuller Condon
The Two Man Gentlemen Band