Here's a really nice review of our new cd "Live"...and we swear we didn't pay him off to write it!!

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I first caught sight of 89 Mojo last summer at Racine's Harbor Fest. Within minutes of their set beginning, the small crowd in front of the stage swelled from dozens to hundreds. Duly impressed, I watched open-mouthed as the guys ripped through a scorching 80's medley, igniting the crowd. 

When "89 Mojo Live" arrived, it was nearly a week before I got my hands on it. Apparently, others at The Kenosha News had experienced something similar to what I did at Harbor Fest last summer.

"Goodnight Miss Loneliness" kicks of the disc with a bit of midwestern power pop and an unforgettable chorus. Propelled by the tasteful twin-guitar attack of Grant June and Chad Plageman, this tune deserves to be a massive radio hit. The following tune, "Another Girl," is equally as wonderful. To put it simply, these guys write great radio singles.

Fronting the band, vocalist Al Schroeder does an amazing job of singing in tune, despite "Live" having been recorded in a sports bar. This is no small feat. The supporting harmonies are also very strong.

The band's secret weapon, however, is the rhythm section of Dom Pedicone and Brian Otwaska. Pedicone's bass holds down the bottom end, yet punches through the mix like another lead guitar. As for Otwaska, this guy is a veritable steam engine, propelling the show yet never getting in the way of the song.

A whopping total of nineteen tracks, combined with 89 Mojo's endless live energy, make this disc a real winner. As a bonus you even get "Wish," a studio recording of their original holiday tune. Drop by their website, order this disc and thank me later.

We're pretty lucky that we usually have fun at every show, making each one special.  (And that is solely because we have cool, fun people that come out to see us...thank you for that, by the way.)   Then there are the "once-in-a-lifetime" shows - ones that you vividly remember years later, and remain in some special place in your heart.  Getting to open up for a national act is always very cool, but when they are one of your favorite bands ever...well, then, it just doesn't get any better than that!  If you don't know who Roger Clyne is - search them out and please give them a listen.  Trust me in that you'll thank us for it.  Unbelievably great songwriting...and many of the tunes are about drinking, Mexico, or drinking in Mexico - but all touch more on the bigger picture of life and love.  Catchy story songs with incredible words, backed up by one of the best live rock 'n roll bands you'll ever see.

Here's a few words taken from their bio:
"Clyne's songwriting is often compared to the greats of rock and Americana music and on the band's March 2007 album, "No More Beautiful World", he weaves the song mastery that ensures that words are never wasted.

A legion of fans help propel the band's popularity with sold-out shows and coveted Top 10 entries in Billboard charts for all of their albums. In fact, RCPM is the only independent band to have had five consecutive albums debut in the top 10 of Billboard's Internet Sales chart, including several #1 entries. Frontman Roger Clyne is also well-known as singer/songwriter for the The Refreshments, a late-90s rock band whose cult-classic album "Fizzy Fuzzy, Big & Buzzy" produced the hit singles Banditos and Down Together. Clyne also wrote and performed the twangy theme song for FOX's animated hit, "King of The Hill." In addition to their headline shows, they have opened for John Fogerty, Willie Nelson, Barenaked Ladies, Live, Blues Traveler and Sammy Hagar, among others."

Check out this video for one of their new songs - it's pretty cool because it shows clips of their amazing live shows.

And there's a whole slew of other videos for them on You Tube, for those of you with a little time on your hands.  Can you tell we're just a little fired up about this one?!

Hi everyone ~

Just wanted to say thank you to all of you for your support. Whether our full band electric shows or our acoustic shows. You've all been wonderful and we appreciate each and every one of you!

We are almost ready to do a final mix on our upcoming live disc. Hopefully everyone will enjoy it as much as we enjoyed doing it for you. Should be a nice mix of tunes from all five disc's.

Hope to see all that can make it to our next show at The Cove. Great place. Plus it's nice to play, drink and then sleep at their hotel. Dom and I are counting the days until we can hit their golf course too! Sweeeet.......

Everyone take care and as always, we look forward to performing for you soon.

Al

First off, a very sincere Merry Christmas to you all. We wish you good health, happiness, and a bit of that magic that this time of year brings a 5 year old. And, while we're dreaming, how 'bout a little peace on earth? No, not in the "wolrldwide peace forever" sense - that's just crazy talk. Just one day is all we're asking. One day...lets see how that works out, and we can always go from there.

What would WE like for Christmas?? Well, we're really glad you asked. We would love to see you all at our Coin's show on Dec. 30th. Here's three reasons why:
1) We're doing a live recording! If all goes well, the cd should be released in a couple months. Come and be heard on it!
2) It's Chad's last show. We're gonna miss him, and he's gonna miss you.
3) It's the "Pre-New Year's Eve" Party, otherwise called "the practice round" - complete with a midnight countdown...and lots 'o drinkin'...

More reasons to follow. Showtime is 9pm (with a little acoustic set to begin the night). Please try to make it, and we won't ever bother you again. Well, not at least until next year!

Once again - happy holidays. Be safe and warm -

We love you.

Grant, Dom, Al, Brian, and Chad

Hey all,
 
Hope everyone is staying warm and all prepped up for the Holidays!
 
Tonight we will be at Bobby Rocket in Lyons, WI. www.bobbyrocketsbar.com  click this for directions and other info. This will be our second time in here. The first time was a blast, and not a far drive at all from K-town (35 minutes??). Really great place to see a band.
 
Coming up:
Nov 22nd we will be at Denny's Den for a pre Thanksgiving bash! We will be playing from 9-12, with the first set being acoustic and the second set an electric alcohol induced, dance on the bar, drink Sambuca, love fest. It will probobly get nuts in here, I know, I work here!
 
3 days later we are at Coins on Nov 25th. Really excited about this one! It's been since Rock The Block since we've played at Coins last......beginning of May before that! Don't miss this.
 
Dec. 9th Private Party   Dec. 16th Wilmot Ski Lodge  Dec. 30th back at Coins for a New Years Eve practice run.
 
Come out, Dancing with the Stars is over now, you have more free time!
 
This band is kinda like a family. We've had a few people come and go from the nest. When someone has to go in another direction, it's always difficult. Although Chad may not be on stage with us, he will always be part of the family.      The following is a message Chad wanted me to send along......
 
 
 
Dear 89 Mojo Faithful,
This letter is one that I've dreaded writing for quite awhile now, but one that needed to eventually be committed to paper and posted to the website.  About six weeks ago I shared with the guys that I've made the decision to step away from the band.  It was a decision that came after a lot of thought, many sleepless nights, and a lot of prayer.(and to think.....I'm pretty sure they were just about done with the "hazing period")  As many of you know I joined the band about a year and a half ago shortly after the Mojo crew rocked it out at Summerfest.  The decision for me to explore joining the band came after some great conversation following that Summerfest show over a few Leinie's Berry Weiss taps.  You see, Grant and Dom have been two of my best friends since the early 1990's.  We've always enjoyed playing music together but never had the opportunity to share the stage.  I knew that if playing out with these guys was half as fun as many of the late night living room acoustic jam sessions we've had over the past 15 years that I'd certainly be in for the ride of my life. Grant and Dom were willing to give me a shot, and Al and Brian were open to the idea and welcomed me not as the new guy, but as if I had been a lifelong friend.  At my first rehearsal in Brian's basement we cranked through Another Girl and The Driving Song and I knew this was going to be something special.  To this day those are still two of my favorite songs to play live because they always bring me back to that special day when I was first able to make music with these guys.
My decision to leave the band came for one reason only.  Distance.  I've shared with many of you that I've met over the past year that I live and work in Madison.  I'm a happily married guy with three incredible children.  I knew when I was onstage playing with my best friends that I was at the peak of one thing in my life that really made me happy.  Unfortunately, when I was driving back to Madison by myself and crawling into bed at 4 or 5 am after a show, I felt pretty alone.  Playing in a rock band presents some interesting challenges sometimes, driving two hours one way to play in a rock band presents a few more.  I often wondered what might happen to my family if I were to fall asleep at the wheel.  I stuggled to keep my eyes open on Sundays, the one day a week that I really valued as our "family day".  In the context of those two things, the decision to leave was fairly easy.  Based on the relationship I have with Brian, Grant, Al and Dom and the faithful friends that continue to come to our shows it was the most difficult decision of my life.  Frankly, I'm still not 100% certain that it's the right decision.  Time will surely tell.  I do know that if I lived in Kenosha or Racine that I surely wouldn't be writing this letter.
I will continue to write and make music with some songwriter friends I have here in Madison.  I hope to do some songwriting with the guys in the band as well.  Hopefully those efforts will show up down the road somewhere, sometime. 
I can't begin to express the heartfelt thanks I have to the loyal 89 Mojo fans that show up every time we play.  Thank you for welcoming me as one of your own.

Thanks also to the incredible 89 Mojo Crew behind the scenes that make this thing run.  Dommer, Timmay, Dizzle, Pete, and Jack......I appreciate what you guys do more than you'll ever know.
And to Grant, Brian, Al, and Dom.....please accept my most heartfelt "thank you".  Your friendship and willingness to bring me into your brotherhood is a gift I'll forever cherish and never be able to repay.  The memories I've had on stage with you guys is something I will carry with me always.  Your passion for your craft and unrelenting desire to make people happy through music is beyond comparison.  Anyone that's ever seen this band live knows you do it for a pure love of music and people and nothing more.
My last show as a member of 89 Mojo will be December 30th.  I'd love to be able to say good-bye to all of the good friends I've met along  the way during our next few shows, but doubt that I'll get the chance to personally thank everyone.  Know that I'll miss this incredible community. It's still amazing to me to see the magic when a few hundred people gather on a Saturday night to enjoy some cocktails and laughs around an amazing band. 
Take Care.  I'll miss this more than you can imagine.

Chad

The greatest 10 days of the year - Summerfest - is coming up quick.  Hundreds of great local, regional and national bands spread out on over 10 stages.  Listed in our top 8 are a few of our favorite local/unsigned bands that you may or may not have heard of - and all will be performing at this year's "big gig".  We urge you to give an ear to some of their tunes, and if you're in the Milwaukee area from June 29 to July 9, check them out.  Take care, and enjoy the summer!

Mojo

Check out our websites for future gigs www.89mojo.com

Drop us a note on our message board http://89mojoboard.proboards27.com/

We've got some new shows lined up in the new year, one of which finally brings us back to Madison!  This is also where our new member Chad lives - and he gives high marks to this place.  We'll be spending a wonderful Wednesday night at the Dry Bean!  (www.thedrybean.com)  This is no ordinary club; it can pack in hundreds of people, and we're told there'll be at least 300 there when we play...which, again, is on a WEDNESDAY!  They also serve a great dinner earlier in the night, so spend a couple of those fresh vacation days you'll be getting and help support us at this new club.  We'll be spending the night, so you can party with us afterward!

Dom and Grant just got back from a crazy trip out to San Antonio.  They shouldn't have brought a camera.  Here's why:  www.89mojo.com/photos-group-26.html

Coming up, we'll be at Coin's the Saturday after Thanksgiving, which is always a great night out since everyone's home for the holiday.  Also, we'll be at McAuliffe's Pub in Racine on Dec. 17th.  This show will be special for a few reasons:  we'll be doing many more originals than usual, a little acoustic set, & playing a Christmas song or two.  Also, it'll likely be our last show of the year, so lets make it something special!

We thank you all for your friendship and support, and truly hope each of your Thanksgiving's are blessed with happiness and good health.

Wow...nothing we can say here that hasn't been said or told by the pictures and video of the disaster. All we can do are small little things, but when everyone does just a little something, it becomes one massive effort of support and love. Here are two sites where you can help:
www.redcross.org
www.stormaid.com
Also, if you'd like to get something back for your effort, CD Baby's doing a great thing; they've asked thousands of bands to donate the profits of any discs they sell to go to the relief effort. Starting tomorrow, there should be a big list with all the bands that have signed on. And trust me, they have some truly great artists. And 89 Mojo is one of the bands participating as well. So, if you don't have one of our discs yet, now's a wonderful (& guilt-free) time to do it.    www.cdbaby.com
http://cdbaby.com/cd/89mojo2

And, for those who pray every now & then, I'm sure those are extremely welcomed as well.


On to something more upbeat. Rock the Block was an incredible success! Every club involved was packed, and I'm told that at least $12,000 was raised for the Boys & Girls Club of Kenosha. What can be better than an awesome night of live music - all within walking distance - and it all going for a worthy cause? Not much, I say, not much. Dom and his wife Katie deserve many thanks for being the driving force behind the whole thing. I truly think it will become the annual event that everyone looks forward to each summer.

Next up - Beloit on the 17th. Music, drinks, some laughs, and maybe a little lambada ("the forbidden dance") - stop on out if ya' can.

Peace & love -

Grant
89 Mojo