My new Rains Pedal Steel !

I am blown away by this amazing instrument !

Oct 26 to nov 1

Then on sunday the 29th Its Sean Kershaw at Hank's ! Real music in a real dive for real people. Real drunk people. It gets going around 10:00 and is always fun.

Tuesday the 31st I'm back at the
Knitting Factory with The Glaciers. This should be starting late around midnight down in the old office. This is a real good indie rock band with some great songs and great players.

Weds the 1st I'm at Sunny's in Red Hook with Smokey hormel's western band. This is a great local yokal scene. Its like Floyd's barber shop with a old time swing band playing in the corner. If it seems like everybody knows each other there its because they do. It gets rolling around 9:30.

The picture is of my steel teacher Buddy Charleton when I visited him last week.

Oct 17th 55 Bar

I'm playing with some great musicians at the 55 Bar tonight.
7:00 to 9:00

Jonathon Haffner: Alto
Drew Gress: Bass
Dan Weiss : Drums

I'll be playing Pedal steel


55 Christopher St. (Sixth/Seventh Avenue) New York ( 212 ) 929-9883

There is no cover.

I'm doing this gig on a travel day towards the end of my tour with Hem. Flying in from Toronto in the morning. I'll be crispy to say the least.

------------------
Bob

On tour with Hem

I've been out on the road for a few weeks with Hem. The shows have been great. Whatever it is that happens that makes playing music a real joy happens consistantly with these guys. For most of the tour we have been traveling with a clarinet, harp and violin player. Its really working. If you make it to a gig make sure you say hello.

celibrity sighting in Portland !

Bango and Yucco !

Some local NYC gigs this fall

I'm doing as many gigs as I can around town in the weeks coming up.

Weds sept 6
Dawn Landes at Mo Pitkins 8:00
Sunday sept 17 Shotgun Shack 12:00 noon at Atlantic Antic. Its a Brooklyn street fair.
2:00 with Jan Bell and the Cheap Dates in Riverside Park and then its Hank's later unless something screws up.

Sept 21 8:00 I'll be playing with Sunny's wife Tuna at Sunny's in Red Hook.
Sept 23 its Hem at Irving Plaza. If you haven't seen Hem yet you gotta check it out. Its some sort of Jewish holiday so it should be easy to get tickets for this one.

I may fly in to play a gig at the 55 Bar on oct 17th. Its the 7:00 to 9:00 slot. It with this new music band that just got going called "A Thousand Oaks" unless we come up with a better name before then. Pretty killing players doing something unique. Jonathon Haffner: Alto, Chris Lightcap: Bass,Dan Weiss: Drums and they let me tag along and play my Pedal steel.

Smokey's Western Combo will be back at it once the dust clears also. We may try to pinch off a little gig if I get 2 consecutive free hours while I'm in LA with Hem on the 13th of sept.

Hem Fall Tour

Here are some of the dates for the Hem fall tour.
We just put out a new CD called Funnel Cloud and I think its our best yet. I'm really proud of it. We are touring with a full band and sometimes very full band.

September 09/06 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
September 10/06 Seattle, WA Tractor Tavern
September 12/06 San Francisco, CA Great American Music Hall
September 14/06 Los Angeles, CA Troubadour
September 15/06 San Diego, CA House Of Blues Side Stage
September 20/06 Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
September 23/06 New York, NY Irving Plaza
September 25/06 St Louis, MO Blueberry Hill
September 26/06 Chicago, IL Martyr's
September 27/06 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theatre
September 28/06 Madison, WI Cafe Montmartre
September 30/06 Cleveland, OH Beachland Tavern
October 01/06 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre
October 02/06 Ann Arbour, MI The Ark
October 04/06 Atlanta, GA Smith's Olde Bar
October 06/06 Nashville, TN 3rd & Lindsley
October 07/06 Birmingham, AL Workplay Theater
October 09/06 Louisville KY - Phoenix Hill Tavern
October 11/06 Asheville NC - Grey Eagle OR Orange Peel
October 13/06 Pittsburgh PA - Mr Smalls
October 14/06 Annapolis MD - Ramshead matinee
October 16/06 Toronto ON - Horseshoe Tavern
October 18/06 Philadelphia PA - World Cafe Live
October 20/06 Falls Church VA - The State Theatre

Monday Sept 4th

I'm Playing with "A Thousand Oaks" at Barbes at 10:00 monday night. Its a new music improv band with:

Jonathon Haffner: Alto
Chris Lightcap: Bass
Dan Weiss: Drums
Bob Hoffnar: Pedal steel

Come on down and hear something different !

aug 27 to sept 3rd

Tonight 8/27 its Hank's ! I'll be playing with Sean Kershaw country music with no cover and free sausages from 9:30 till 1:00. But wait there's more ! From 6:00 till 9:30 I'm playing with Shotgun Shack. If you can get over to Hank's and you are into Waylon style country this is a band worth checking out.

8/28 10:00 Smokey's Western Combo atBarbes . This is great band playing in one of the best listening rooms in Brooklyn.
Then at midnight I'll be at the Ear Inn down on spring st in Manhattan with Dawn Landes . Another great old bar.

Then weds Smokey is playing again at Sunny's around 9:30. It should be a big night there.
More of a walk through the band to get to the bathroom sort of scene.

9/2 Its Drazy Hoops in Madison Wi. Some big festival by a radio station there. I hope its not outdoors. I get cranky with all my stuff blowing around or being scorched by the sun or having my hands cramp up from the cold.

9/3 back at Hanks for the late set if I make it in time.

In a week or so its On the Road with Hem !

Reese test

#1
#2
#3

aug 14th to the 20th

On monday the 14th I'm playing with Dawn Landes at Bar Nine
807 9th Ave + 53rd St

with Jason Lawrence on snare drum!

opening for Greg Garing
*free to get in

On tues the 15th 7:00 I'll be playing at 68 Jay st with Jonathon Haffner alto. This is a great little bar scene in Dumbo. No cover and a bunch of out steel music.

Weds 16th its Sunny's in Red Hook, Conover and Beard, around 9:30 Its The Smokey Hormel Western Band. This is a fantastic scene.

Hey Otto !

OTTO click here !

valentino

aug 7 to the 13th

This an action shot of me in action rockin with Matt Keating



Tuesday aug 8th I may be doing something at 48 Jay st in dumbo with Jonathon Haffner around 9:00. I'll update this when I find out whats happening.UPDATE ! Not happening.
We will be playing at the Brooklyn Bridge Park in Dumbo at noon on saturday though.

Weds the 9th I'll be at Sunny's bar in Red Hook. This is the Smokey Hormel western band. Its a great scene over there. Maybe the best bar in the world. Anyway, it is within a couple blocks of my apt which ups its status quite a bit in my book. The music and musicians are some of the best I have ever dealt with. Plus Lucy the dog will be there. We get going around 9:30 and play a couple sets. No cover.

253 Conover st 718-625-8211

Sat the 12th I'm playing with Jan Bell and the Cheap Dates. 1:00 in the afternoon at the Brooklyn Bridge park.

Sunday the 13th back at Hank's ! I'll be playing with Sean Kershaw country music with no cover and free sausages from 9:30 till 1:00. But wait there's more ! From 6:00 till 9:30 I'm playing with Shotgun Shack. If you can get over to Hank's and you are into Waylon style country this is a band worth checking out.

July 25th to aug 6th

Sorry I have been remiss in my gig blog. I've been busy moving up the street to a new place in Red Hook and running from one thing to the next.

Anyhoo, here is some live gigs coming up:

July 25 9:30 Sean Kershaw at Rodeo Bar . The band is getting to be pretty darn good. I've been having a bunch of fun with them. Its free.

July 26 9:30 its Smokey Hormel's Western band at Sunny's (253 Conover St 11231) in Red Hook. This is a warm up gig for our big show at Tonic the next day.

July 27th at 8:00 The big show at Tonic with Smokey's band.
Smokey Hormel's Western Band
$8
After his recent work in LA, playing guitar on The Dixie Chicks: Taking The Long Way and Johnny Cash: American 5, Smokey Hormel returns to Tonic with a Western Swing Band. He will be playing songs from the repertoire of Bob Wills, Milton Brown, Spade Cooley and of course, Mr. Cash. With Bob Hoffnar (electric steel guitar), George Rush (upright bass), Andrew Borger (drums) & Doug Wieselman (clarinet).

I'll be playing my old Fender Stringmaster on this one.

July 30th Then its sunday sunday sunday ! But wait, I won't be at hanks. This is weird I know but I will be in Canada with Hem. More info on the Fan site

Aug 2nd back to Sunny's (253 Conover St 11231) in Red Hook with Smokey.

Here is a gem from Youtube:


Aug 3rd its Matt Keating 9:45pm. Club Midway - 25 Avenue B between 2nd and 3rd Streets The last show at Joe's pub was a great one.

Aug 4th 8:00 I'm playing Barbes with Queen Esther . She is a great singer. I go to hear her sing even if I'm not in the band. After us is the Moonlighters at 10;00. Besides the great singing and tunes you have Mike Neer playing an old national tricone slide. The guy is a wizard.

Aug 5th 8:00 at Barbes its THE JONATHON HAFFNER QUARTET with Bob Hoffnar pedal steel; Jonathon Haffner - alto; Chris Lightcap - Bass and Dan Weiss - drums. This will be a new music/jazz sort of gig. I'm excited about his one. The players are amazing and we may even rehearse !

Aug 6th 10:00 The Stone With the Jonathon Haffner Quartet again. We may take it a bit more out and add some players for this one. I'll update as the info comes in.

But wait aug 6th is a sunday ! What the heck is going on here ? I'll be at Hank's for one of the gigs depending on when I can make it.

July 11th at Mo Pitkins

My band The Mood Illusion will be playing at Mo Pitkins on tuesday night from 10:00 till midnight which happens to be my birthday. There is a $5 cover.

The line up is:

Jonathon Haffner: Alto
George Rush: Bass
Sunny Jain: Drums
Me on pedalsteel

We will have a superstar of epic status singing with us> The amazing Samoa ! Yes, the original Bee Gee from the Pyramid days.

Mo Pitkins
34 ave A
NYC

7/2 to 7/9

7/2 hey it sunday again ! Did you ever see the movie "ground hog day" ? Its sorta like that only without the love interest part. So its Hank's ! I'll be playing with Sean Kershaw country music with no cover and free sausages from 9:30 till 1:00

7/6 I'm playing with Jan Bell and the cheap dates at 68 Jay st in Dumbo. Nice local scene.
7/7 I'm playing with Matt Keating at Joe's pub. Its $7.00 beer night so there should be a good crowd !

7/9 hey it sunday again ! Did you ever see the movie "ground hog day" ? Its sorta like that only without the love interest part. So its Hank's ! I'll be playing with Sean Kershaw country music with no cover and free sausages from 9:30 till 1:00. But wait there's more ! From 6:00 till 9:30 I'm playing with Shotgun Shack. If you can get over to Hank's and you are into Waylon style country this is a band worth checking out.

6/17 till 6/30

6/17 I'm playing a couple parties that day and night in Queens with Sean Kershaw and Shotgun Shack
6/18 its sunday so itsHank's with Shotgun Shack at 6:00 then more honky tonk mayhem with the The New Jack Ramblers from 9:00 till 1:00.
6/20 10:00 its the himalayas at Zebulon. This a big wild free for all. It can be truly inspiring.
6/21 Max Greene at the Pussy Cat lounge. You get into the stipper bar downstairs for free if you come to the show ! Full band rock gig...Tony Mason on drums, Bob Hoffnar on pedal steel and Andy Hess on bass...c'mon down!
Greenwich St. @ Rector, New York, NY 10001

6/30 My band The Mood Illusion is back at Sunny's in Red Hook.

Hem in june with a little bit of Hank's and Mood Illusion on the side.

Here is a sced of the next couple weeks or so when I am on a short tour with Hem. Check the website for details and make sure you say hello if you come by.










May 30/06 Chicago, IL Double Door
June 01/06 Bloomington, IN Buskirk-Chumley Theater
June 02/06 Nashville, TN Exit In
June 03/06 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
June 05/06 Charlotte, NC Visulite Theater
June 06/06 Asheville, NC Grey Eagle
June 07/06 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
June 08/06 Washington, DC Birchmere
June 12/06 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
June 13/06 Philadelphia, PA Theater of Living Arts
June 14/06 New York, NY Society for Ethical Culture

Also I have some gigs with my own band "The Mood Illusion" sandwiched in there.

June 9 at Pete's Candy Store in Brooklyn starting at 8:00.
June 10th at Waterfront Alehouse in Brooklyn from 11:00 till 2:00.

The band will be:
Jonathon Haffner: alto
George Rush: String Bass
Bob Hoffnar: pedal steel guitar
Tommy Crane : Drums

Lest we forget:
June 11th is all Hank's with Shotgun Shack from 6:00 to 9:30 and then Sean Kershaw till 1:00.

I'll post the rest of June when the dust settles. The western swing band with Smokey Hormel is turning into something real special. Lots of great music seems to be bubbeling up from everywhere these days.

I bought a pickup making business !

I'll announce this here because nobody reads my blog anyway and it looks like it will take me till mid july to get it together. JIm Pitman makes my favorite pickups for pedal steel. Humbucking but with an open full sound. He doesn't have time to build them now so he sold me the winding machine and spent a couple days training me how to do it his way. There are about a zillion little details and each one is critical so I have my work cut out for me. When i'm ready to go and fully confident of the quality I'll put up a web page and and get things going. I'm not looking to mass produce these things at all. If I can make a pickup or 2 once a week and get them to people who like them I'll be happy.

The rest of May 2006

The picture is of a Hem recording session. Greg Pliska is the arranger and conductor.

5/15 Monday night I'll be in LA at the Knitting Factory with Hem.
5/17 Wednesday night at 9:00 back in Red hook at Sunny's bar (253 Conover St) playing Western Swing with Smokey Hormel on my old Stringmaster. This is a very laid back perfect scene.
5/20 I'll be at The Mercury Lounge with Don Dilego . Well worth checking out.
5/21 Its nothing but Hank's ! from 6:00 to 9:30 with
Shotgun Shack and then on into the abis with Sean Kershaw till 1:00. Free sausages ! Cheap beer ! Drunk dancing people ! Whoo Hooo !
5/23 The Mood Illusion strikes again at The Lakeside Lounge ! My evolving into who knows what little band. Samoa the Joe Walsh of lower east side art music may sing a few with us.
5/24 Another weds playing western swing with Smokey at Sunny's.
5/28 Hank's !
5/29 I'm off on a short tour with Hem.