Spring Announcements (and good news for those who it may concern.)

UPDATE: Hey folks. Full-band, telecaster rock-and-roll trio show at the OPOLIS in Norman this Friday, opening up for the Pennsylvania folk-rock band, the Districts. Check their music out on youtube, their song Funeral Beds is pretty sweet.

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Winter was a wild cycle of work and weather conditions that didn't always play nice together, but we made it. It's been a gradual warmth leaning towards the spring months. Lots has been going on, so let me fill you in while I piece the fragments together:

SXSW never fails to be an absolute whirlwind of bands and food trucks for me. 6th street becomes inundated with hip folks and street performers alike while (nearly) every club had something to offer for your ear. I traveled down to Austin playing Wurlitzer and guitar for the Damn Quails again and each show went super, especially our show at the Saxon Pub. Their new line-up has stepped up and made the band even more accessible and enjoyable across genres (still rock and roll as ever, though!) All and all, the tour was excellent. Thanks to everyone who came out and yelled with us.

Although, while I was experiencing the heightened senses and super-stimulation, there was a terrible accident and many people were hurt down on 10th and Red River because of a drunk driver, a stolen car, and a disregard for safety and life. My heart goes out to anyone who was affected and I hope those taken find peace.

On the lighter note, I heard some wonderful singer-songwriters down south, including Chris Porter and Bonnie Whitmore. Having some drinks with my friend John, I walked into the Big Bang (a pub located right in the eye of storm of 6th) and had a chance to hear these folks. Chris sings a hell of a song and Bonnie plays a mean bass guitar. Check them out if you get a chance. Will Johnson of Centromatic produced Chris' new record, and hot damn, it's a winner.

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Thank you to Fowler Volkswagon  and the national team for using "What Do You Think" on their new commercial, featuring puppet work by Shanna Paddock and design by David Bizarro! The commercial premiered during last week's The Walking Dead on AMC. It's adorable and fun and I was glad the creative team decided to use one of my songs. Stay tuned for it, it's still running!

Samantha Crain and I performed at Sheri's Living Room for a full audience in special house concert recently and it went exceptionally well. The crowd was attentive, the room was special in many ways, and we had Doug Schwarz taking photography. Here is a capture from the evening!

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The days grow closer to departure day to record my first full-length record at Tiny Telephones in San Francisco. With mad-scientist Jacob Winik engineering at the helm and Oklahoma powerhouse John Moreland producing, these songs will be able to breathe in brand new ways I can't even imagine. I am excited as can be and without many more words.

Tour dates will be posted soon.

Thanks for all the good will and your attention span to read this.

regards (or more appropriately, cheers,)

john calvin

Finishing the beginning of the year with a set of special shows!

Hello again, folks! While working towards writing the LP (being recorded in late spring!) John has been playing full-time, full-throttle, gearing up the new songs to be pressed and spun. Mr. Jordan Herrera (of Young Readers) has returned from a long tour and both John and Jordan have been performing select duo sets on certain dates! Keep up with the showdates calendar to stay updated on these performances.

Poolboy, John's surf-punk project with Michael Loveland and Sean Barker (both of Early Beat,) have pressed a set of limited edition cassette tapes of "Soda Kids EP" on Grabbing Clouds out of Chicago, see your record stores in OKC and Chicago for one of your own. Furthermore, Poolboy will also be pressing "Soda Kids EP" on limited pink haze vinyl with Squonk Records out of Norman, OK. Release is slated for February. Come thrash around with us.

The end of this month, John will be opening solo for John Fullbright for the OKMozart Concert Series in Bartlesville, OK, at Frank and Lola's. Unfortunately, this has already sold out, but the day before, John and full string band, including Kyle Reid (of the Chariots,) Jon Knudson (The Northern Lights, Whiskey Myers) and Jordan Herrera (Young Readers), will be performing an entire night of new and old music at Frank and Lola's. Please come enjoy a night of song and drink with these folks!

Until next time, folks. All the love.

John Calvin and family

End of 2013: Perform in the Winter, Studio in the Spring!!

Hey, folks! Hope the fall turned out well and that you are staying warm in these freezing rains and banshee winds. Staying busy as always, John has been playing shows backing John Moreland in the Dustbowl Souls in Oklahoma, and also, with the Damn Quails across Texas and Colorado. Along with recording guitars with swing band, Kyle Reid and the Low-Swinging Chariots, and hip-hop group, Addverse Effects, he assisted in the release of Poolboy's 7" "Soda Kids EP" on drums.

With saved time and head to the grindstone, he will be playing a handful of solo shows this winter across Oklahoma to get everyone prepared for his first full-length LP, slated to be out in summer.

You can catch John with his talented band of wild bandits in the new year:

January 9th: The Deli in Norman, OK (w/ Sixty-Nine Dollar Guitar)

January 17th: Tres Cantina in Norman, OK (solo)

January 24th: The Vanguard in Tulsa, OK (w/ ADMIRALS)

January 25th: Frank and Lola's in Bartlesville, OK (full band)

January 26th: Frank and Lola's n Bartlesville, OK (w/ John Fullbright)

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John has booked studio time in late April to start work on the LP at Tiny Telephones in San Francisco, CA. The record will be recorded fully analog with engineer Jacob Winik at the console, with the assistance of some of his best friends backing him, including guitarist Kyle Reid. More news about the LP soon!

Until next time, lovely people of the world.