#Sharkmuffin

PET POLITICSRandy Ojeda of Cigar City Proves Every Manager Needs a Little Mojo

Randy Ojeda is the laid-back guy wearing glasses and a baseball cap at all the rock shows, whose warm presence is most acutely felt as he entices you to grab a beer with him even though you just met. He's is an easy-going, music-loving people person through and through. But Randy is also a shrewd...

Natalie Kirch

PET POLITICSAna Becker gets CATTY with Bruce Kittowitz and a New Band

Ana Asnes Becker has been a staple in the Brooklyn music scene for quite some time now. Like many of our interviewees, Ana is quite Renaissance woman: beauty, brains, a big personality, and loads of talent. A few years ago, she left her job at The Wall Street Journal to pursue her music career full...

Natalie Kirch

NEWS ROUNDUPWebster Hall Reopening, R. Kelly Arrested, and MORE

Webster Hall is Reopening! It's always sad when an iconic New York venue closes, but Webster Hall's story has a happy update. The 130-year-old venue was shuttered in August 2017 for renovations when longtime owners the Ballingers sold it to AEG. That means Bowery Presents will be handling bookings,...

Lindsey Rhoades

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETTouring Across the Pond

Sharkmuffin charms Robert Plant The story goes that Jimi Hendrix was unknown in the States before he traveled to the U.K. It was only after his time across the pond that he returned as our beloved shredding icon. It can happen to you too! His spirit is still there, and Sharkmuffin may have...

Tarra Thiessen

INTERVIEWWomen That Rock @ Brooklyn Bazaar

Last week on Friday the 13th at Brooklyn Bazaar, Women That Rock put together their first GIG LIKE A GYRL summer extravaganza showcasing women in punk rock and other DIY music scenes, women of color and LGBTQ+ artists and musicians. The stacked lineup included GYMSHORTS, Sharkmuffin, Sister Munch,...

Tarra Thiessen

SXSW 2018Rock or Die V with Little Dickman Records

Chris and Amy Dickman of Jersey Shore Indie label Little Dickman Records have been taking good care of bands in Austin for five years now. Their unofficial events showcase badass touring bands from all over the country as well as the bands with releases on their label. We talked to them about how...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETSurviving SXSW

I’ve been called a masochist for going to Austin, TX's South By South West festival so many years in a row. SXSW 2018 will be my eighth return trip and this year I’ll be an official artist with all three of my projects - Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends and Kino Kimino - totaling 17 sets in five days....

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETTour Promo

Caro reads about her next tour date in Rolling Stone. Photo by Jose Berrio While I was dancing around my middle school bedroom screaming into a hairbrush dreaming of my future rock stardom, I had no idea how many spreadsheets and e-mails I would have to send to make it happen. Even after you’ve...

Tarra Thiessen

AF 2017 IN REVIEWHardest Working DIY Bands on Tour in 2017

Vanessa Silberman (LA) Over 200 shows Vanessa Silberman is nothing less than a super human. She has been on the road since January, totaling about ten tours solo, as a two piece with LA transplant via Madison drummer Dave Boson, and as a three piece (the Vanessa Silverman Band) featuring Reed...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETBest DIY Promoters, Collectives, and Venues of 2017

Ex-Girlfriends tour routes by Tine Hill After spending 21 weeks on tour in 2017 with four bands (playing in Sharkmuffin, Ex-Girlfriends, Kino Kimino and tour mama-gering for The Big Drops) in three different countries, here are my picks for the best promoters, collectives and venues that I’ve been...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETBooking Basics

Booking a tour is basically planning a road trip with the goal of playing music every night and (hopefully) making enough money for gas to your next destination. Booking your first tour is a grind, so it’s helpful to have higher purpose that is fun and motivating. Bands usually plan a tour to...

Tarra Thiessen

CHECK THE SPREADSHEETAttitude is Everything

Hello! Thank you for checking the monthly DIY tour guide. I play on tour with three Brooklyn-based bands and have been on the road for at least a week each month this year (aside from one). Going on tour is a goal of many bands and in today's super connected world it is easier than ever to attain....

Tarra Thiessen