FRIENDS....this is the SEVENTH Aaron Starkey Music Newsletter!

i'm gonna cut to the chase and then get into the WORDS: presale..Gibraltar..first time since 2019 - get it before it goes public and increases in price...

here: https://link.dice.fm/h1bdca403449

ok..lets chat:

It's also the two days before Bumbershoot, which is a project I've been active in for the last few years. It's a remarkable event as it sits at the intersection of Seattle's history, art, music, and cultural institutions. The group of folks that have worked it and really, run it, spans decades, and spans the different orgs that have stewarded the festival 53 years! crazy. lot of love by the folks on the ground that make this happen. It's worth a visit.

and btw...if you're getting this for the first time..well, sorry you missed the first six...! (let me know if you don't want 'em in your inbox!)

SO...WHAT IS AARON doing? HOW is Aaron doing?

Well..since you asked!

I will lead with the fact that my neck is doing better, not 100%, but 70%? I did a shot in ye olde c7 and will probably do one in the c6. for now though, it's made things more manageable. So THAT's uplifting news for me. and you perhaps?

We also managed to survive the tsunami that hit (hit?) Hawaii a few weeks back. It was an interesting 6 hours between when the alerts blew up everyone's cell phone, watching the local news (shoutout to the Dr. Charles "Chip" McCreery is the local Director of the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center...jeannie and I were captivated by his rational, scientifically based vibe), and wondering if literally, our hotel was going to be washed away. fairly thrilling until it wasn't. Do not recommend.

Anyways: let's talk music!

Long ago, in 2012, not only was my kid born, but a band was launched that was inspired by my love of post punk, television, pj harvey, spoon, and dinosaur jr. A sound where the piano and the electric guitar would meet and fight for space and authority and arrive and a place of mutual benefit. That band was Gibraltar.

As all bands do, there was line up churn, and some folks came and went, some only around for the writing genesis of the project (looking at you Ryan) and others, for extended periods of writing and playing (hi Jeff "the kid" Gall, Barb "the viper" Hunter and Holly "no nickname for me please" Waits)...let's call that the "early-middle age years"? Following a few tours (and hotel hangs with pools) some folks came and others stayed and a new crop of hopeful Gibraltar folks arrived on the scene. Dain on drums for a year? Gwen on Bass for a record, Lesli "fucking" Woods for a hot minute, and then the final iteration of Nick "jawn" Biscardi (i made that nickname up right now btw), Moe P, Holly and myself. And this is where the story starts to wrap up, kinda....

In the year preceding the pandemic, like all bands did at the time, we, with great hope and aspiration, recorded a brand new record. We did it in a big style. Went into Studio Litho with Mr. Matt "the record king of north seattle" Bayles, we brought in horns (Hi Nate and Sari!). overdubs with johnny nails at crackle and pop, and the best in mastering services by Ed at resonant mastering....and we did our sweaty best to make a record we'd love. So much so that we printed 500 quality (and I don't mean cheap!) vinyl records...that have patiently been sitting on a shelf in my garage every since while we all tried to survive (and our still recovering from at some level) a pandemic, insurrection, and general upheaval in our collective lives.

Kids got older, kids were born, relationships ended, new relationships found, jobs lost and jobs gained...and yet these records rested in their boxes, neatly numbered, in my garage.

So friends, here we are:

You're the first to know and the first to be invited to get a presale ticket for our album release show on Oct 17th at the Sunset Tavern with: Stag and Meat Hair (an improv project by members of Deep Sea Diver)

like i said earlier...get your advance, cheaper than it'll be when we announce ticket here: https://link.dice.fm/h1bdca403449

Friends, it's going to be cathartic, and loud, and i'll forget some lyrics, and a part or two. Holly, Nick, Moe and I will crack some bad jokes and it'll like better than before and also very strange and old and fresh all at the same time.,

I invite you to this most likely very last performance of songs from this record, and a select number of songs from the catalog. Not saying it's the last time, but it's the last time for long time.

it would be a lovely show of support if you picked these up in advance!

Ok, thanks for playing along and I hope this wasn't too annoying!!

If you've read this far...I invite you to write me a question and I'll try and answer it in my next email! I like questions!

Aaron

PS: the answer to a question from last time is: My fav led zeppelin record is, with 40 years of listening under my belt is Led Zeppelin I and here is why. the guitars are raw, the songs kick ass, and it doesn't feel as produced. Those are analytical reasons though, formed through lots of listening (of lots of music) and making music. The album still feels like it has a purpose. The songs aren't holding back, they are saying "i have something you need to hear". I like the rip off blues jams...the breaks in good times, bad times are fucking incredible. just riffage for days. so it's one record that i can still hear now and not feel like it's tired or over played.

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You are getting this email because we have played music together...or you've come to a show...or we've done music business type before...or we're buddies...or you have expressed a deep, longing desire to stay connected to what I'm up to musically. #desire

if you don't want it...please reply back and you'll never get it again!