The Family Circus Tour March/April 2015 - Los Angeles to Seattle!
From ancient monasteries in Armenia to music festivals in America, France, Germany & Switzerland, Bet Williams and John Hodian have been creating and performing music together for over 20 years. With both the world music ensemble “Epiphany Project” and the alt-rock-pop-blues based “Bet Williams Band” the music these two artists create is a vast quilt of influences and inspirations. As their success grew overseas, the duo (originally from New York) settled in Berlin 5 years ago where they have built a strong cult following throughout Europe. Now Bet and John will be bringing music from both their bands to venues (and living rooms) up and down the west coast of America for a series of intimate concerts. This U.S. tour will be particularly special as they will be performing with their 11 year old son, Jack, on drums and percussion.
“A unique hybrid of world music, art song, Americana and avant-garde folk; utterly 'uncategorizable' but always transcendentally beautiful.” - Washington Post.
HOSTING A CONCERT:
We are thrilled that you may want to host a Bet Williams/John Hodian Family Circus Band concert.
Our first Family Circus Tour was last spring - all across America - from New York to Los Angeles. We spent time with friends, met some wonderful new people and generally had a blast playing music and seeing the country. So this year we're bringing the show back to America but we're going to focus on the West Coast. March 26th through April 18th.
This is a great way to get caught up with Bet and John and find out what they have been up to musically as they will be performing music from all of their bands (Bet Williams Band, Epiphany Project and even music from John's Armenian "Naghash Ensemble"). The band will be Bet on guitar and voice, John on piano and 11 year old Jack Hodian on drums and percussion.
There are 2 ways to host a concert. If you, or someone you, know has the space (a room that will seat at least 30 people or more) you can have the concert at your place. We will bring everything we need including a small sound system. Or....if you manage or have a connection to a local music venue and can arrange for us to play there we can go a more professional route provided certain conditions are met. Just for an example of venue possibilities, on the last tour we played at a vineyard, several theaters, art centers and churches, a variety of living rooms, a porch and in a swimming pool.
A few things you should consider before deciding to host a concert:
Hosting a concert is a lot of fun and a great way to combine a social occasion with some really interesting music. It is a cross between a concert and a small party and is a way to share music you love with your friends. The idea is that you invite as many of your friends and family as is comfortable, provide some refreshments (anything from small snacks to a full buffet..maybe a pot luck?) and we play for an hour or two (usually two 45 minute sets) and then a small party afterwards.
An ideal size for a house concert is between 30-100 people. Do you think you can get at least 30 people to attend? Usually this is not a problem but “promotion” will be one of your main concerns in hosting a house concert. How will you let people know about the concert? Facebook is an ideal medium for getting the word out, but email, telephone calls and enthusiastic word of mouth are important too.
We have an easily customizable email invitation that you can use. Just put in the date we have decided on as well as your contact information and email it to as many of your friends as you'd like. It contains links to our website where people can see and hear the band. The invitation has a place to R.S.V.P. so you have some idea of how many people will be attending. This way you will know how much more “advertising” you need to do to draw a crowd. If you decide to take a more professional stance we have some great Family Circus tour posters that can be customized for your date and location.
Some Other Things To Think About:
We are not loud (no heavy bass, no electric guitar) but we will be making some sound. Make sure we will be in a space that your neighbors either won’t hear or won’t mind. Best idea is to invite them!
Will there be chairs for everyone? Some people don’t mind sitting on the floor but not everybody is able or willing to “get down”.
Decide whether children are allowed. On the one hand we love children and love playing for them, on the other hand too many children (of a certain age and certain disposition) can be a distraction. We don’t have a firm policy on this at all, it is just something to consider. After all we'll have our son!
We will need about a couple of hours before hand to set-up and do a “sound check”.
We will need a place to stay for the night. We are not too picky and we’re fine staying in your home or the home of one of your guests. If neither of those options are possible perhaps you can help us make arrangements at a local hotel.
What day do you want to host the house concert? Most people want to have a house concert on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday as that is when they have free time and expect to get a better turn out. However we will only be in America for a few weeks and there are only so many weekends to go around. Plus, people often have other obligations for those days so consider having your house concert on an “off” day (Monday-Thursday).
We will be on the West Coast between March 25-April 15. We will be driving from Los Angeles up to Seattle. Routing is always tricky so hopefully you will have some flexibility when it comes to “setting a date”.
We love to play and would probably do it for free, but it is also how we make our living. We recommend a suggested donation something in the range of $15 to $25. This should be put on your invitation so people know what to expect. You can let people know that all proceeds will go directly to the artist. Another idea is to just hire us outright and then offer the concert for free if you are in a position to do that.
So that’s it. If you are interested or if there is any other information you want to discuss just email us at:
Let us know a good time to talk and we can arrange a phone conversation (don't forget we are 9 hours later than you).
If you want more information or to hear some music on Bet Williams just go HERE
For Epiphany Project go HERE
Let’s talk soon!
Bet Williams & John Hodian (and Jack)
Here's a link to our blog from the April 2014 Tour
MORE ABOUT THE MUSIC:
BET WILLIAMS, JOHN HODIAN and JACK HODIAN!
With influences ranging from Qawwali devotional songs to Appalachian Folk, acoustic blues and Tuvan throat singing, singer/songwriter Bet Williams uses her voice in an endless number of unusual ways. John Hodian’s piano playing features haunting melodies, intricate rhythms, and a soulful intensity that reflect his Armenian roots as well as his formal composition training and affinity for improvisation. Jack Hodian has studied drums with some of the best drummers in the world and has musicality beyond his years.
Epiphany Project has been described as “A unique hybrid of world music, art song, Americana and avant-garde folk; utterly "uncategorizable' but always transcendentally beautiful.” by the Washington Post. Their music is a blend of ancient and modern cultures and musical styles, but the earthy, trance-like rhythms and chant melodies make it seem strangely familiar.
Bet Williams is a fearless vocalist and dynamic performer whose music combines intelligent lyrics and infectious hooks. She has been lauded as “A blues-roots, new folk, tone poet with a highly charismatic stage presence and an astonishing four-octave range voice.” by National Public Radio. With a gift for storytelling and spontaneous humor, her stage performances can go from the profound and poetic to wild and spontaneous, at times bordering on performance art.
Here is a chance to hear music from both Bet Williams Band & Epiphany Project along with an excerpt from John’s magnum opus “Naghash” based on texts by a 15th century Armenian mystic poet and priest.