Sofa Salon at Berlin Music Week

Tags

Ben Salter, Berlin, Berlin Music Week, Elyas Khan, festival, First We Take Berlin, house concert, Kreuzberg, MELT!, MELT! Booking, Miranda Gjerstad, private, reservation, Sam Wareing, September 2013, September 4, September 5, showcase, singer-songwriter, Sofa Salon, Sweet Jean

UPDATE: We are nearly booked out. E-mail for the last available places for Sofa Salon/First We Take Berlin/Berlin Music Week.

First We Take Berlin and A Headful of Bees Presents
Sofa Salon for Berlin Music Week

Sofa Salon is again delighted to host two showcases for Berlin Music Week. This year, MELT! Booking is running the First We Take Berlin showcase program and I’ve assembled four of the most interesting and world class singer-songwriter acts from around the world.

Guests need to email berlinsofasalon [aet] googlemail.com to reserve their place and get the address. Guests with a First We Take Berlin pass will have free entry. As usual, Sofa Salon guests pay 8€ for the highest quality live and intimate music experience.

Here’s the lineup. Here’s the Fb event for those of you so inclined.

MITTWOCH 4. SEPTEMBER SWEET JEAN (AU) + MIRANDA GJERSTAD (SE)
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SWEET JEAN is Sime Nugent and Alice Keath. Since forming in late 2010, Sweet Jean have built a reputation for their evocative songwriting, razor-sharp harmonies, and stirring live performances. The AU Review said Sweet Jean “can break your heart one minute and mend it the next. The duo has a natural ability to transport their audience to the heart of their songs.” Sweet Jean’s debut album Dear Departure was released on July 4 2013.
WEB: http://sweetjeanmusic.com/

MIRANDA GJERSTAD
At the age of 16, Miranda Gjerstad started to make a name for herself in the Swedish music scene. After moving to Berlin in 2009, she began a long term collaboration with Berliner epic indie rock duo Lonski & Classen and released the single Danger in November 2012. With her pumporgan, a powerful voice, direct songwriting and cabaret-inspired performances she has been seen playing at parties in the dark woods, in rock clubs and theaters, wearing glittering clown costumes and feathers.
WEB: http://mirandamiranda.bandcamp.com/

DONNERSTAG 5. SEPTEMBER BEN SALTER (AU) + ELYAS KHAN (UK)
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BEN SALTER rose to acclaim as an incredibly prolific songwriter and collaborator in two very different Brisbane bands, the punk rock Giants of Science and Country Rock supergroup The Gin Club. His clever lyrics span history, human frailty and good times sung in an honest and authentic Australian urban voice. His debut solo album The Cat was co-produced with another great Australian songewriter, Gareth Liddiard of The Drones. This is his second long tour of Europe.
WEB: http://www.bensalter.com.au/

ELYAS KHAN is a creative powerhouse who mixes the gorgeous Quuali-inspired singing of his Pakistani-British heritage with the acid guitar and art-synth processing of his NYC years.
Now based in Berlin with his fourth album to be released in France and Germany in 2013, his incredible musical freedom makes for an intense, ecstatic live experience.
WEB: www.elyaskhan.com

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Sofa Salon April 2012

Thanks for dropping by the Sofa Salon website and checking out my upcoming shows. As always, doors at 19:00 and reservations are vital! Email berlinsofasalon@gmail.com to secure your seat. If you want to invite friends, the facebook event listing is here.

This month, I continue to explore the work of the many amazing women musicians resident in Berlin. The show is on Friday April 27 and features a solo set by Holly Mae Haddock from Holly Mae and The Painted Room and a set by Susanna Berivan.

FRIDAY APRIL 27

Holly Mae and the Painted Room is a literate art-folk project that draws inspiration from myth and fairytale, heavy on swooning, sparkling production and harmonies.

Susanna Berivan is a smoky, delicate sounding chanteuse pinning her Delta Folk/Blues songs with a downhome guitar style.

SOFA SALON PODCAST NUMBER 4

Every month, I make a podcast featuring the upcoming Sofa Salon performers plus singer-songwriters and poets from around the world whose work I’m digging right now. I host it on SoundCloud and you can stream or download the podcast which features performances from Holly Mae and The Painted Room, Susanna Berivan, Ned Collette, Julitha Ryan, Miranda Gjerstad and Gaby Bila-Günther:

Sofa Salon Podcast 4: April 2012 by SofaSalon

UPCOMING SALONS

MAI 11		Wasp Summer ‘Close as a Slow Dance’ album launch
Many of you only know me as the hostess of Sofa Salon, but I am about to release my debut solo album under my nom-de-Kunst Wasp Summer. It’s also my birthday, so Sofa Salon is hosting its first Album Launch Party!

MAI 12		Sean Nicholas McMahon + A Seated Craft
As Sofa Salon continues the tradition of being a Berlin home for Australian independent music, we present two Australians: Sean Nicholas McMahon and his plaintive Alt.Country/Folk sounds. He comes from acclaimed Melbourne roots band Downhills Home. A Seated Craft is the warm, gossamer music of Alexia Peniguel. The underlying melancholy in her emotive music is leavened by its great, delicate beauty. JUNI 16 Sofa Salon SAND Journal Summer Party Sofa Salon again joins with SAND Journal, Berlin’s English-language literary magazine, to create a day-long festival of incredible Scandinavian music and spoken word. We will be holding this in a secret new venue somewhere in Berlin.   JULI 6 Lapingra (It) + guests Italian toycore band Lapingra is a collaboration between two quirky musicians with shared passion for Barbie, bake-a-cakes, Björk, Disney soundtracks and Bauhaus. Their album uses toy instruments to bake oven-fresh and original songs. SUMMER AND BEYOND: AUGUST 18 Ben Salter (Aus) + Ned Collette (Aus) This night features two of Australia’s critically acclaimed songwriters and their brand new albums. Ben Salter came from Brisbane bands Giants Of Science and alt.country collective The Gin Club and co-producing his debut solo album The Cat with members of The Drones. Ned Collette is a past host and performer at Sofa Salon and brings us literate musings from his album with his Australian band Wirewalker, 2. SEPTEMBER 1 Ian Fisher (USA) + guest His American folk visions and acerbic wit fall somewhere in the vicinity of Woody Guthrie, or Elvis Costello, Ian Fisher brings us stripped-back versions of songs from his new Ian Fisher & The Past album.

Sofa Salon March 2012

Hallo and welcome back to Sofa Salon. I have my very own domain name now: www.sofasalon.de and, as of this morning, there are over 600 of you subscribed to the mailing list and facebook page. 600! Thank you friends of Sofa Salon. Your enthusiasm and attendance makes this little moveable stage possible for me and all the artists.

Here’s the Sofa Salon podcast for March 2012, featuring this month’s artists Miss Kenichi and Eric Eckhart plus great tracks from Roland Satterwhite, Sean M. Whelan & Isnod and The Gypsy Curse.

On to this month’s Sofa Salon. This month, we have a new host and her living room in Wedding. Email berlinsofasalon {aet} googlemail.com for reservations. 6€ eintritt. Einlass 19:00. Musik 20:00.

Friday 23 March: Miss Kenichi (DE) + Eric Eckhart (USA/Ire)

Miss Kenichi, born a trucker’s kid in a secluded little town in the woods of south-east Germany, makes a kind of parched and dreamy Americana with a husky voice that slips in under your defences.
Joining Miss Kenichi is Eric Eckhart, a West Virginian by way of Ireland, who played the very first Sofa Salon and returns to us with a pocketful of big, warm folk-pop songs.

Miss Kenichi: Arrived

Eric Eckhart: Lost

Upcoming Sofa Salons:

Friday 27 April: Holly Mae and the Painted Room (US) + guests

Saturday 12 May: Sean Nicholas McMahon (Aus) + A Seated Craft (Aus) + guest

Saturday 23 June: SAND Summer Sofa Salon Summer Festival
Friday 6 July: Lapingra (It) + guests

Salons Februar – Juli 2012

Welcome back to Sofa Salon. Last month’s collaboration with Bremen agency Songs & Whispers was an amazing night. Thank you to Gillian Grassie for her songs and her generosity in sharing her harp with the audience, Adam Donen for the poetry and candlelight and Heiko and team at Songs & Whispers.

Have a listen to the new Sofa Salon podcast featuring February’s performers plus independent poetry and music from around the world including David Creese, Sharon van Etten and Jenny Hval. 

Regards,

Sam 

Friday 24 February: Gosia Winter (Aus) + Cera Impala (US) + Claudia Emmingham ( DE)

Three powerful performers, Berlin ladies all. Gosia Winter, a Polish-Australian songwriter and guitarist with a playful avant-pop style with the sensuality of 30’s jazz and the soul of Slavic folk, Cera Impala, a charismatic stalwart of Berlin’s bluegrass/americana scene who sounds like Mama Cass and Michelle Phillips with a wicked sense of humour, and Claudia Emmingham, a bi-lingual poet whose found her voice and bone-dry performance style in Berlin’s spoken word scene.

Einlass 19:00. Eintritt 6€. Email reservations to berlinsofasalon [ at ] googlemail.com

Friday 23 March: Miss Kenichi (DE) + guests

Miss Kenichi, born a trucker’s kid in a secluded little town in the woods of south-east Germany, makes a kind of parched and dreamy Americana with a husky voice that slips in under your defences.

With another musical guest and poet to be announced.

Friday 27 April: Phia (Aus) + Holly Mae and the Painted Room (US) + guests

Phia is the playful DIY-art-pop music project of Australian-in-Berlin multi-instrumentalist songwriter Sophia Exiner, think Regina Spektor or New Buffalo playing in a kitchen full of musical instruments. Holly Mae and The Painted Room is a literate art-folk project that draws inspiration from myths, fairtales and Greek tragedy, heavy on swooning, sparking sounds and harmonies.

Saturday 12 May: Sean Nicholas McMahon (Aus) + A Seated Craft (Aus) + guest

Continuing the Sofa Salon tradition of being a Berlin home for Australian independent music, we’re pleased to present Sean Nicholas McMahon and his plaintive Alt.Country/Folk songs. He comes from acclaimed Melbourne band Downhills Home. A Seated Craft is the warm, gossamer music of Alexia Peniguel. The underlying melancholy in her emotive music is leavened by its great, delicate beauty.

Saturday 23 June: SAND Summer Sofa Salon Summer Festival

Sofa Salon again joins with SAND Journal, Berlin’s English-language literary magazine, to create a day-long festival of incredible music and spoken word. We will be holding this somewhere extraordinary.

Friday 6 July: Lapingra (It) + guests

Italian toycore band Lapingra is a collaboration between two quirky musicians with shared passion for Barbie, bake-a-cakes, Björk, Disney soundtracks and Bauhaus. Their album uses toy instruments to bake oven-fresh and original songs.

Sofa Salon review

Popwolf has posted a lovely review (in Deutch) of the Sofa Salon that The Alma Church Choir and Lina Paul played on November 6. 2010.

Thank you Popwolf for our second ever review. For reference, the first is here.

Stay tuned for exciting news on 2011 lineups. I have some AMAZING performers gracing the Sofa Salon wohnzimmer konzerte and the monthly Sofa Salon showcases at Joe’s Bar in Prenzlauer Berg. This year will be bigger and better.

Also, a new email address to contact me: berlinsofasalon@googlemail.com. GMX has too much spam, sadly.

Regards,
Ms. Sam

News and Gigs / News und Konzerte

Hallo,

ENG:

It’s been a while since the fabulous Sofa Sessions gigs for the Moabit Kulturtag back in July. People are still talking about the wonderful performances and atmosphere.

In the meantime, I’ve had many Wasp Summer/Mesalina gigs to play and a name issue to resolve. I was really surprised to find there has been another wohnzimmer concert series called Sofa Sessions running in Berlin (great minds an’ that). The convenor asked that I cease and desist using the name.

So the new name for my living room concert events is the Sofa Salon. Same amazing mix of music and poetry. Same lovely living room.

Therefore, the Sofa Salon would like to announce the next gig in the series:

Mark Steiner (NOR) + Emilie Zoey Baker (AUS) + guests
Tuesday 21 September, 19:30-22:00
Sofa Salon HQ, Berlin-Tiergarten

Book your spot via sofasessions@gmx.de
DEU:

Es ist eine lange Zeit gewesen, seit Juli’s Sofa Sessions für die Kulturtage Moabit. Die Leute sind noch im Gespräch über die erstaunlichen Leistungen und Atmosphäre.

In der Zwischenzeit habe ich viele Wasp Summer/Mesalina Gigs hatte. Ich hatte auch einen Namen Problem zu beheben.

Ich war überrascht, es hat ein weiteres Wohnzimmer Konzertreihe in Berlin berufen worden Sofa Sessions. Große Geister denken genauso. Der Convenor gebeten, dass ich nicht mehr aufhören und mit dem Namen.

So der neue Name für mein Wohnzimmer Konzertveranstaltungen ist das Sofa Salon. Gleiche erstaunliche Mischung aus Musik und Poesie. Gleiche schönes Wohnzimmer.

Daher würde der Sofa Salon wie auf den nächsten Gig in der Serie anzukündigen:

Mark Steiner (NOR) + Emilie Zoey Baker (AUS) + guests
Tuesday 21 September, 19:30-22:00
Sofa Salon HQ, Berlin-Tiergarten

Buchen deine platz durch sofasessions@gmx.de

Info on Mark Steiner:
Norwegian-based Mark Steiner possesses a rich, sophisticated troubadour voice which conjures images of smoky European bars in his dark, lush, swampy songs overflowing with lust and sadness.

“Anyone who even has a passing interest in brooding, dark, underground rock… should start paying attention to Mark Steiner.” – Rip It Up Magazine (Australia)

“Mark Steiner sounds like an optimal mixture of Nick Cave, Stuart Staples and cult figure Kim Salmon… He’s an artist who stands out with heaps of honesty and authority. Broken is Mark Steiner’s step up to the musical elite of rock…” – Nordlys (Norway)

Information on Emilie Zoey Baker:
Emilie is one of Australia’s foremost slam poets: feisty, feminist, playful, worldly-wise. She comes to Berlin as a guest of the Internationales Literatur Fest Berlin 2010 for the Internationale SLAM!Revue.