Hello All-

We received some great news a short while ago and wanted to share it with you. "Positively Thomas" from our California Son cd is on the American Idol Underground pop chart where it currently holds down the # 22 spot! Thats quite a feat considering it was at #74 just last week! So in music industry parlance "Positively Thomas" is #22 with a bullett! How it got there, no one quite knows. Maybe Fantasia or Kelly got hold of it and passed it over to Simons desk. Those crazy kids.

Anyhow, were thrilled to see it on the chart and want it to climb even higher and for that we need your help. Simply go to www.idolunderground.com and enter Tripsitter into the search field. Then you can hear us, rate us (5 stars out of 5, natch) roll us, lick us, put us in your mouth, light us up and take a hit of one of the more demented songs about a homicidal British kid youll ever hear this side of Pink Floyd.

So there you go. Thanks again for all your support and as always...

Thanks for listening.

The Management

Gather 'round children,

We've just completed our version of George Harrison's classic track "Wah-Wah" from the legendary "All Things Must Pass" album. This will be included on the upcoming Jealousy Records release, "He Was Fab 2" (yes, there was a 1). We've given our friends here on myspace the opportunity to download this new recording for FREE!!! That's right folks, George Harrison and Tripsitter.. Two great tastes that taste great together. For more info, head over to www.tripsitter.com

As always, thanks for listening.

Tripsitter

To the other members of Tripsitter,

     I have been with this group of guys for 3 years now... my god it goes quickly... and to them I would just like to say thank you.  Like any band we've had our ups and downs, our squabbles, personality conflicts, but I look back on what we have achieved and I am amazed.  What group of talented bastards. 

Thank you Jeff for inviting me into the group, for believing in me, for your tireless efforts on the marketing forefront, and for you continuing vision of what the band might be.  Your mastery of arrangement and vocal talent is mind boggling.

Thank you John for your incredible songwriting talent, I am continually astounded by your words, your ideas.  I think that your voice is unmatched in popular music, and hope that someday you get the recognition you deserve as a musician, as a philosopher and as a human.

Thank you Matt for your never-ending patience and dillegence on producing us, and keeping us in time.  You are  so often the voice of reason, the foundation that keeps us together.  I wish that I could say I understand how much thankless time and effort goes into recording, mixing all aspects of production of which I am completely ignorant.  Know that I for one realize that we wouldn't be anywhere without your tireless efforts in the studio.  We owe so much.

Thank you Rusty for always keeping us smiling.  I think that we are just beginning to see the genius that is in your mind.  When you open the floodgates I think that the world is in for a big surprise.  Thank you also for your hard work, I admire your work ethic, I don't think that a day has gone by that I haven't heard you practicing.

     Why are there so many things that are impossible to say in person?  You would think that after 3 years we would be able to speak our minds, thell each other our thoughts without fear or apprehension.  I apologize to you, I know that sometimes I can be a moody bitch who is no fun to work with, but I would like to make a pledge of trust.  I love and trust you all.  I believe in this group, I love this group and I think with a little faith and trust in each other... there is nothing we can't do.

Thank you

Jared

 

Tripsitter is proud to announce that "California Son" has been named one of the top ten albums of 2005 by the geat indie music magazine The Big Takeover and the Decatur, Illinois Herald & Review! Wanna see for yerself?? Read on...

#2. Tripsitter California Son

My drummer gave me a copy of this record because of my love of Gerry Rafferty. These guys probably owe more to The Left Banke than Rafferty, but whatever it is it's pretty great.

-Adam Symons, The Big Takeover Top 10, Jan. 15, 2006

 

#4. Tripsitter, "California Son" - The best album The Beach Boys haven't made in years. In fact, they're so Beach Boys-y, they've sung for Brian Wilson and with Al Jardine. A keyboard-based, vocal-harmony heavy effort with some sophisticated music and arrangements. But that doesn't mean it's not fun.

-Tim Cain, Decatur Herald & Review Top Ten of 2005

WWW.TRIPSITTER.COM EXCLUSIVE!

 We've just completed our version of George Harrison's 1971 classic "Wah-Wah" from the legendary "All Things Must Pass" album. This recording is to be included on the upcoming tribute release "He Was Fab 2" on Jealousy Records.

This song is available ONLY at www.tripsitter.com where it will automatically start playing upon entering the site. Be sure to drop by the message board to let us know what you think of the new tune or just to say hello.

Saturday, May 28, 2005

The Best Week Ever Current mood: accomplished Crazy times, Crazy times…It’s amazing the way one thing leads to another.  It was over a year ago that Tripsitter opened for America at the House of Blues here in Las Vegas.  Looking back on it, I would definitely say that was one of our better shows, but I never would have foreseen the way events would unfold.  In the audience that night was Billy Hinsche of the Beach Boys.  Billy was there back in the mid 80’s when I saw my first real concert – Chicago and the Beach Boys at the Hollywood Bowl.  Billy liked us, and kept in touch with Jeff.  A few months later, he sat in with us at a show.  Fast forward to this spring, Billy hooked us up to perform at the Beach Boys Landmark Dedication in Hawthorne, where we sang “And Your Dream Comes True” in front of Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Bob Flanagan of the Four Freshmen, and pretty much a whole ton of really great people.  The following night we got to perform 5 of our originals plus a cover of “Their Hearts Were Full of Spring” at a special concert in Anaheim headlined by David Marks (original Beach Boy) along with an all star band.  People flipped out when they heard us!  It was unbelievable the response that we got from these Beach Boys fans!  It’s amazing to finally gain acceptance outside of our immediate circle of friends/fans.  As great as that was, I couldn’t stop to enjoy it because I had still to prepare for an even bigger event – backing up Al Jardine at the Rampart on Thursday!  Again Billy Hinsche hooked us up with the greatest opportunity we could have ever imagined.  We had to learn close to 30 Beach Boys songs in less than a month, and then within 24 hours meet Al, rehearse once, and finally take the stage in front of nearly 700 people (some of them fanatical BB fans).  That show was the highlight of my career so far.  I think I’m still in shock, still floating almost.  I can vaguely remember things that have happened in the day and a half since that show, like my next door neighbor accusing my girlfriend and I of throwing cat poop in his bushes, having to call the cops on him when he started waving one of those metal sprinkler wrench things around, and seeing Star Wars Episode III (which definitely ranks right up there with Episode V and Episode I).  But I’m still riding the wave, so to speak.  Lexi and I snagged the coolest souvenir from Thursday night, it’s a huge promo poster of “The Endless Summer Band starring Al Jardine” that was displayed in the casino.  I think when times are really good, it’s just imperative that you take the time to soak it all in, reflect on it, and milk it for all it’s worth!  Damn it feels good to be a gangsta! Matt

3/28/05 I woke this morning and began my day the same way I ususally do: "Let's Go Crazy" blaring it's preaching wake-up call ("Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called...LIFE"), repeated snooze button whapping followed by a groan, a stretch. I made my morning cup of tea and sat down to read my email. A message from a good friend greeted me. I opened it and found a news release on the death of Crowed House drummer Paul Hester. He was found in a park in Melbourne, Australia. His death was ruled a suicide and, just like that, the drummer for one of pop musics' most talented bands is no longer around. Very sad news to wake up to. The passing of Paul Hester isn't going to set the music world a-buzz. There most likely won't be any special tribute concerts, not in the U.S. anyway. But there will be plenty of people around the world tonight spinning their Crowded House records (paying extra special attention to the drums), lifting a glass and quietly toasting the memory of a friend. I think that's a pretty good substitute for a tribute concert. And I believe that's what I'll be doing tonight too. I really loved this band and I wish I didn't have to wake up to that news. Crowded House's music is a big influence on a lot of us in Tripsitter and on behalf of the band I want to say goodbye and rest in peace. One more thing: would the talented people of the world please stop killing themselves?!? You may not think anyone cares, but we do. We end up missing all of the things you've given us and all of the things you'll never have the chance to give. The dead can release themselves but what about the rest of us? The living are left behind to gather in chat rooms and in bars and in cars on dark streets to wonder why and speculate what might have been. I, for one, am sick of doing that. I know the tortured artist thing is still all the rage, but it's bullshit. Get help. Talk to someone. Walk outside and look at the sun and then for just one second stop and think about who you'll be leaving behind when you go. Think about the people who love what you do. Did you ever stop to think that your work was the one thing that made it possible for someone else to get up in the morning? It just might be your words or music or art or... plumbing, for that matter, that keeps someone going. And then think about that person and how he might feel when he gets up in the morning to check his email and discovers what has happened to you. If that doesn't get you through at least one more day, I don't know what to say. -jon

3/25/05 Hi. Lately we've had a few people ask us how we came up with the name Tripsitter. So to satisfy inquiring minds herewith is an explanation of the term and why it was chosen. Tripsitter is a slang term from what some would refer to as the "drug culture". It's the name given to the person who stays sober while another person is on their psychedelic trip. The term is derived from the Spanish word curandero. As some of you know, many cultures make use of different pyschdelic substances in religious or spiritual ceremonies or experiences. In the Native American "vision quest" for example, peyote is sometimes used to take the seeker to a higher psychic or spiritual plane. In South America it's often mushrooms. In western culture the substance of choice in generally LSD. The curandero is akin to a shaman. He/she is the guide for the spiritual seeker. The curandero is one who has been to the far reaches of the spiritual and/or psychic realm and knows the nature of that world better than the person who is seeking enlightenment. The curandero, or in our case the Tripsitter, does not generally indulge in the substance that the intrepid seeker has taken but instead stays "straight" in order to provide guidance and insight and sometimes a sense of security and well-being to the person on the psychic journey. I suppose you could say that the tripsitter is one who acts as both a guide through the spirit world and an anchor to the physical world. It's important to note that the curandero is not simply a casual or recreational drug user. Rather, she is a deeply spiritual, wise and experienced guide who knows the subtleties of the drug being ingested as well as the shadows that can lie at the heart of any journey into the deeper reaches of the self. He is one who has seen the other side of reality and knows (up to a point) what may be waiting out there. The tripsitter may take on many roles while escorting someone through the psycho-spiritual world: guide, anchor, teacher, confessor, safety net, friend. It's not a position to be taken lightly. So how did Tripsitter end up being Tripsitter? Well, it's a long story. The band had been through several names and we were at the end of our proverbial rope. We were sitting around at Hope Ranch (our base of operations) after rehearsal trying yet again to find an appropriate name for our fledgling group. Slips of paper, scribbled napkins, coasters, anything that could be written on were filled with possible band names. We discussed, debated (bands never argue, you see) poured over, rummaged and toiled over idea after idea. Finally, out of nowhere there appeared a man on a flaming pie who said to me....wait a minute, wrong band. Sorry. In a last ditch attempt to come up with some kind of identifying moniker for musics' Next Big Thing I jumped to the computer and put Al Gore's internet to use. Out of habit I went to one of my favorite sites, www.erowid.com and began surfing around. I came upon a story about a peyote trip someone had taken and there was introduced to the concept of the Curandero (who's meaning we all understand, yes?). I followed a couple of links and soon found myself reading another article which used the term Tripsitter. After reading and re-reading the decsription of this word and what it meant and how it was used I realized that I was in a room with at least two people who could be considered Tripsitters in the true sense of the word. It just seemed to fit. One has to understand the psycho-spiritual make up of the band at that time to grasp how inspired a discovery this was. A good three-fifths of Tripsitter had been...out there. To varying degrees, we had seen what's behind the doors. We'd been to the places your parents, priests and politictians don't want you to go. We had both deeply disturbing and profoundly moving experiences in these other places. But there were different people around then and in fairness, I think I have to point out that not everyone wants or needs to use a substance to achieve a higher or more open state of understanding. In fact most spiritual masters will tell you that you can reach even higher conciousness without using a drug. I agree and I have great respect for that. I just think there are several options available and the choice is up to the individual. That said, I want to be clear: as an artist one of my goals is to learn, (by whatever means) understand and tell the truth as I know it. I think that when a person signs on for this kind of work they accept that as part of the job. It's what you're here to do if you've chosen to put your views and opinions out there. If you're going to do this, you might as well say something, right? Right. I'd bet that more than a couple of us in Tripsitter consider ourselves messengers of some kind, though. The messages can and certainly will vary; there are five very different people in this group. But you see, there are secrets to be shared, mysteries to be solved, and truths to be told by each of us and if you want to hear them, all you have to do is listen. Ready? Let's go... -Jon