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Jesse LaMonaca's Left Coast Sunshine Tour - a Solo Journey to Australia
Jesse LaMonaca recently documented his first solo tour to Australia, using a Canon T2i, an out-stretched arm and the helping hands of friends. The story is told in three short episodes, with a bonus video of a live performance by JL and The Dime Novels at Lost Ark Studio recording a song that Jesse wrote while on the tour called "Other Side Of The World."
Episode 1 - San Diego to Sydney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0QKiCzYUc&feature=youtu.be
Episode 2 - Western Australia to Melbourne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnMT8cYfn7U&feature=youtu.be
Episode 3 - Back to Sydney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnLkA8bSHKg&feature=youtu.be
Other Side Of The World LIVE @Lost Ark Studio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr8UJFIL09s
Singer-songwriter Jesse LaMonaca fronted the band Elroy wile living in NYC. His journey as a solo artist began in Philadelphia and has taken him to Sweden and now out to the sunny West Coast.
“I’m originally from Philly, but I had moved to Sweden to be with a Swedish girl I met,” says LaMonaca. “I lived there for about a year and put a band together and was just starting to get things going when, unfortunately, things fell apart. As often happens with love...I was forced to leave everything I had in Sweden. I came to San Diego with just my guitar and some clothes.”
After LaMonaca’s 2007 arrival in Pacific Beach, he founded his Americana soul outfit, the Dime Novels. “I met the band, we got a San Diego Music Award nomination for Best Americana Album for our debut album, got some local love in the press and on the radio. I recently sat with Tim Pyles and played a few songs live on FM 94.9, all in just two and a half years. So glad I ended up here. San Diego has been so kind. I am very lucky.”
LaMonaca's self-booked tour of Australia was financed via donations through kickstarter.com.
“You set the amount of money you need and choose how long to raise it. If you don’t raise that amount in time, you get none of the money, and people who pledge don’t get charged until the time is up. The money end is handled by Amazon.com…I needed about $2000 to cover the planes, trains, and automobiles, so I set a goal of $2200 to be raised in 30 days. By the end of the month, I had over 30 backers who pledged a total that reached that goal, and then some.”
To earn donations, which ranged from $10 to $375, LaMonaca offered incentives. “For ten dollars or more, I mailed a handwritten postcard from Australia. For $125 or more, I would sit down with them, have a chat, and play a few songs for you live via webcam.”
The tour included dates in Sydney, Fremantle, Margaret River, Perth, and Melbourne. His debut Aussie show was at Bar Me in Sydney. “The night was not only fun but also a success. I was supposed to play for 40 minutes, and they kept me going for one and a half hours… I sold some CDs and T-shirts. They even have a little VIP wall upstairs they asked me to sign.”
At the Sail and Anchor in Freementle, “The room was digging it big-time, so I didn’t stop for a break for two and a half hours. So much fun. Rowdy crowd that cheered and tipped.”
He even met up with friends from San Diego, including former local open mic host Isaac Cheong. “It’s funny how small the world is. Here on the opposite side of the world, there was a woman in Margaret River the other night who had seen [my band] play back in San Diego.”
His final Aussie date was at the Opera Bar in Sydney.
And non-musical endeavors while in the land down under? “I ate kangaroo. And I liked it.”
WHAT’S IN YOUR MUSIC PLAYER? 1. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs. “Just bought it, and I already love it.” 2. Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild Soundtrack. “This a great driving album, and it got me hooked on these songs.” 3. Powderfinger, Odyssey Number Five. “I get a nice nostalgic fix from hearing these tunes; they remind me of when I lived in New York City.” 4. Black Keys, The Big Come Up. “This album fires me up, and keeps me musically motivated.” 5. Willie Nelson, Greatest Hits and Some That Will Be. “I’ve been listening to this album on vinyl, cassette, and then CD throughout my whole life.”
WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE? 1. “Own a 1967 Mustang.” 2. “Go on a safari.” 3. “Build my own cabin.” 4. “Become a father.” 5. “Teach my dog Rosco to roll over like I shot him when I point my finger at him and say ‘Bam.’”
ANY ONSTAGE INJURIES? “A little blood here and there, a jammed pinky finger, and a bruise on my leg the size of a basketball from beating it with the tambourine. Nothing major.”
BEST VOICE IN THE BIZ? “I would say it’s a toss up; Paul McCartney, ‘cause he really hasn’t lost anything on those pipes that can belt clean or dirty, or Eddie Vedder, who uses his distinctive voice as a true musical instrument.”
MOST EMBARRASSING CD IN YOUR COLLECTION? “Pink, Funhouse. Yeah, that’s right, I said it.”
AWESOME BAND NAME? “And You Will Know Us By the Trail Of Dead is a pretty sweet name. Kind of grabs you right from the get-go, doesn’t it?”
FAVORITE CONCERT? “My Morning Jacket at the SDSU Open Air Theatre, in September 2008. I had just moved to San Diego a few months prior, and I wasn’t feeling much like playing music, or doing anything at all. This show turned that around, inspiring me in a way no other concert has.”
EVER BEEN A CRIME VICTIM? “Someone broke into my truck not too long ago, but thankfully mere ‘things’ can be replaced pretty easily.”
SONG THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR LIFE? “For awhile now, I’ve felt like every word of Johnny Cash’s ‘I Still Miss Someone.’ I miss those arms that held me when all the love was there I wonder if she’s sorry for leavin’ what we’d begun there’s someone for me somewhere and I still miss someone.”
ANY PHOBIAS? “I fear expired foods.”
IF YOU COULD CHOOSE YOUR NICKNAME? “Harmonica LaMonaca, but I would have to practice like crazy to make this name worthwhile.”
THREE THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? 1. “I climbed Mt. Rainier and, if I had my way, I’d live in a tiny mountain town.” 2. “I lived in Sweden for a time.” 3. “I worked as an actor for a few years. My first gig was in The Sixth Sense, the restaurant scene, where I’m the out-of-focus server holding an ashtray and walking across the back of the room.”
Jesse LaMonaca's Left Coast Sunshine Tour - a Solo Journey to Australia
Jesse LaMonaca recently documented his first solo tour to Australia, using a Canon T2i, an out-stretched arm and the helping hands of friends. The story is told in three short episodes, with a bonus video of a live performance by JL and The Dime Novels at Lost Ark Studio recording a song that Jesse wrote while on the tour called "Other Side Of The World."
Episode 1 - San Diego to Sydney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0QKiCzYUc&feature=youtu.be
Episode 2 - Western Australia to Melbourne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HnMT8cYfn7U&feature=youtu.be
Episode 3 - Back to Sydney http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnLkA8bSHKg&feature=youtu.be
Other Side Of The World LIVE @Lost Ark Studio http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fr8UJFIL09s
Singer-songwriter Jesse LaMonaca fronted the band Elroy wile living in NYC. His journey as a solo artist began in Philadelphia and has taken him to Sweden and now out to the sunny West Coast.
“I’m originally from Philly, but I had moved to Sweden to be with a Swedish girl I met,” says LaMonaca. “I lived there for about a year and put a band together and was just starting to get things going when, unfortunately, things fell apart. As often happens with love...I was forced to leave everything I had in Sweden. I came to San Diego with just my guitar and some clothes.”
After LaMonaca’s 2007 arrival in Pacific Beach, he founded his Americana soul outfit, the Dime Novels. “I met the band, we got a San Diego Music Award nomination for Best Americana Album for our debut album, got some local love in the press and on the radio. I recently sat with Tim Pyles and played a few songs live on FM 94.9, all in just two and a half years. So glad I ended up here. San Diego has been so kind. I am very lucky.”
LaMonaca's self-booked tour of Australia was financed via donations through kickstarter.com.
“You set the amount of money you need and choose how long to raise it. If you don’t raise that amount in time, you get none of the money, and people who pledge don’t get charged until the time is up. The money end is handled by Amazon.com…I needed about $2000 to cover the planes, trains, and automobiles, so I set a goal of $2200 to be raised in 30 days. By the end of the month, I had over 30 backers who pledged a total that reached that goal, and then some.”
To earn donations, which ranged from $10 to $375, LaMonaca offered incentives. “For ten dollars or more, I mailed a handwritten postcard from Australia. For $125 or more, I would sit down with them, have a chat, and play a few songs for you live via webcam.”
The tour included dates in Sydney, Fremantle, Margaret River, Perth, and Melbourne. His debut Aussie show was at Bar Me in Sydney. “The night was not only fun but also a success. I was supposed to play for 40 minutes, and they kept me going for one and a half hours… I sold some CDs and T-shirts. They even have a little VIP wall upstairs they asked me to sign.”
At the Sail and Anchor in Freementle, “The room was digging it big-time, so I didn’t stop for a break for two and a half hours. So much fun. Rowdy crowd that cheered and tipped.”
He even met up with friends from San Diego, including former local open mic host Isaac Cheong. “It’s funny how small the world is. Here on the opposite side of the world, there was a woman in Margaret River the other night who had seen [my band] play back in San Diego.”
His final Aussie date was at the Opera Bar in Sydney.
And non-musical endeavors while in the land down under? “I ate kangaroo. And I liked it.”
WHAT’S IN YOUR MUSIC PLAYER? 1. Arcade Fire, The Suburbs. “Just bought it, and I already love it.” 2. Eddie Vedder, Into the Wild Soundtrack. “This a great driving album, and it got me hooked on these songs.” 3. Powderfinger, Odyssey Number Five. “I get a nice nostalgic fix from hearing these tunes; they remind me of when I lived in New York City.” 4. Black Keys, The Big Come Up. “This album fires me up, and keeps me musically motivated.” 5. Willie Nelson, Greatest Hits and Some That Will Be. “I’ve been listening to this album on vinyl, cassette, and then CD throughout my whole life.”
WHAT’S ON YOUR BUCKET LIST TO DO BEFORE YOU DIE? 1. “Own a 1967 Mustang.” 2. “Go on a safari.” 3. “Build my own cabin.” 4. “Become a father.” 5. “Teach my dog Rosco to roll over like I shot him when I point my finger at him and say ‘Bam.’”
ANY ONSTAGE INJURIES? “A little blood here and there, a jammed pinky finger, and a bruise on my leg the size of a basketball from beating it with the tambourine. Nothing major.”
BEST VOICE IN THE BIZ? “I would say it’s a toss up; Paul McCartney, ‘cause he really hasn’t lost anything on those pipes that can belt clean or dirty, or Eddie Vedder, who uses his distinctive voice as a true musical instrument.”
MOST EMBARRASSING CD IN YOUR COLLECTION? “Pink, Funhouse. Yeah, that’s right, I said it.”
AWESOME BAND NAME? “And You Will Know Us By the Trail Of Dead is a pretty sweet name. Kind of grabs you right from the get-go, doesn’t it?”
FAVORITE CONCERT? “My Morning Jacket at the SDSU Open Air Theatre, in September 2008. I had just moved to San Diego a few months prior, and I wasn’t feeling much like playing music, or doing anything at all. This show turned that around, inspiring me in a way no other concert has.”
EVER BEEN A CRIME VICTIM? “Someone broke into my truck not too long ago, but thankfully mere ‘things’ can be replaced pretty easily.”
SONG THAT BEST DESCRIBES YOUR LIFE? “For awhile now, I’ve felt like every word of Johnny Cash’s ‘I Still Miss Someone.’ I miss those arms that held me when all the love was there I wonder if she’s sorry for leavin’ what we’d begun there’s someone for me somewhere and I still miss someone.”
ANY PHOBIAS? “I fear expired foods.”
IF YOU COULD CHOOSE YOUR NICKNAME? “Harmonica LaMonaca, but I would have to practice like crazy to make this name worthwhile.”
THREE THINGS WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU? 1. “I climbed Mt. Rainier and, if I had my way, I’d live in a tiny mountain town.” 2. “I lived in Sweden for a time.” 3. “I worked as an actor for a few years. My first gig was in The Sixth Sense, the restaurant scene, where I’m the out-of-focus server holding an ashtray and walking across the back of the room.”