June 2013 News
The new CD is again under way – I resumed some recording on my old Fostex system and finished master tracks to 2 new songs, “Breathe” and “April Fool”. Still no completion date yet, though, because…
… I’ve been busy with GIGS. In addition to my regular gig at Mentobe Cafe as host of their open mic, I recently began hosting a second open mic in West Bloomfield at the Leaf & Berry. This is a “tea and frozen yogurt lounge”, with regular music and entertainment happenings there. The open mic takes place every Monday from 8-11.
The other new project is a 4-piece acoustic band known as “In Harmony’s Way”, which comprises Sharon Tse, Amy Fong-Kretzmer, and Paul Kretzmer. We all met last year (Sharon and Amy are cousins who had recently been re-united), played some songs together for fun, and continued doing so for some local venues. We’ve got some terrific harmonies and great musical arrangements, and are having a blast performing together. Hope you can catch us soon!
For all the gigs, click on the Calendar tab above.
Gigs, gigs, gigs…
5/1/12
The spring and summer are shaping up in a hurry. I’m doing my best to hold off on the usual bouts of respiratory distress that tend to hit during the transitional seasons, but the goofy Michigan weather hasn’t been making it easy for me. I’m going ahead with bookings for the next few weeks, including a few showcases with my friends from Songwriters Anonymous, an evening of standards tunes with Joel Palmer and Co., a duo show with Bob Young of the Delta Twins, and several shows with my partner-in-crime, Sharon Tse (who, herself, is busy with the recording of her first-ever CD with an amazing band). Details for all confirmed shows can be found on the gigs page.
New CD..?
In response to the oft-asked question: “Dude, where’s the new CD…?”….
I began recording CD #5 back in 2005, shortly after the release of “Land Of The Living”. I was on a good clip for a little while, but met with a series of setbacks – most significantly, the failure of the hard drive in my Fostex VS16 recorder. I had purchased that system just prior to the advent of USB and Firewire-based drives, and thus had no backup. In addition to the tracks of the new CD, the track masters for the last three CDs were lost. (The MIXED masters still reside on my computer and are properly backed up, mind you – but there will never be a “dance remix” of “Refrigerator Science Projects”, for example. This is probably a good thing, actually.) Lesson learned: Never invest in a recording system that cannot be backed up.
Since then, I’ve invested in Apple’s Logic Pro software, and (after a lengthy learning curve) have resumed recording. If all continues to go well, the new CD should be out sometime this year. Many of the songs that were recorded with the old system (along with – finally- “Suicide Squirrel”) will be included. A few songs will have to be started from scratch, but I have basic keyboard tracks from which to work. No title yet – stay tuned.
Next up….
For those of you who haven’t seen me in a while, the most regular place to do so is a cozy little cafe in downtown Farmington called the Mentobe Cafe, right next to the Farmington Civic Theater. I started hosting their open mic last year, and have had a wonderful time running sound and meeting some terrific performers. The open mic runs on the early side, from 6 pm to about 8:30 (perfect for certain hosts who took the advice of “Keep yer day job..!” to heart. 
) There’s no cover, but tips are appreciated.
Greetings from B.F.E…!!!
Well, it’s not where I left it…
Since the last time I had a website under my own name, so much has happened: changes in my career, changes in my personal life, changes in my home, changes in my recording studio… you get the theme. But the best change is that I’m actually spending the time MAKING music that I’ve always wanted to – and making that music accessible to you.
With that in mind, I’m honored to introduce the new johnfinan.com website. There’s a complete listing here of my upcoming gigs, solo and otherwise. You can find all the information about my recordings, including complete lyrics and the stories behind the songs. For business and gig contacts, there’s a downloadable press kit. And there’s a lot of media to peruse- a collection of photos, videos, and a sampling of songs from all 4 CDs.
I would be remiss not to give a shout-out to the inestimable Annie Capps, whose hard work and gorgeous graphic design are reflected here. Some of you might have heard she’s also a musician- she’s pretty good at that, too. (…he said, with extreme understatement.)
I hope you enjoy your time spent here.
-John Finan
2/7/2012, Studio BFE