Is America Ready?

If you're a musical artist and have performed for the public, you've probably had an audience member come up to you after a show and suggest you try out for the The X Factor or America's Got Talent. We sure have. And after receiving several of these remarks, you begin to wonder if it's worth a shot- I mean, what do we have to lose?

America's Got Talent, here we come! The band will give it a go at open casting calls this week in LA. Wish us luck! And if you see us the next season, we'd gladly accept the support. Check out our audition video at YouTube-Dave and The Cousins.

Upcoming Schedule

Here's our schedule for the months of November & December:

November

November 2   (Fri)    Crush & Brew - Dave performs solo w/Joel Reese
November 3   (Sat)   Third Street Promenade - Santa Monica
November 10  (Sat)   Private event
November 11  (Sun)  Europa Village - Dave performs solo
November 15  (Thur) America's Got Talent audition
November 17  (Sat)   Inscription's Children's Clinic Health Fair
November 30  (Fri)    Crush & Brew

December

December 2   (Sun)   Keyways Winery
December 8   (Sat)    Third Street Promenade - Santa Monica
December 9   (Sun)   Leoness Winery
December 16 (Sun)   Leoness Winery - Dave solo

Growing Up

(...random picture from our trip to Newport this summer).  Summer has come and gone.

Growing up is not easy business... that's right.  "Growing Up" is the latest song written by Dave.  We've got more than a handful of new songs to be included on our next Dave and The Cousins album.  Our band is slowly and humbly growing. 

We played at Cal State LA today for the Asia's Got Talent event and recorded the song impromptu in an empty theater before our performance.  Check out our video on our Youtube Channel.

Full Circle

Hi folks,

Hope all has been green and dandy on your side! Wanted to fill you in on what's been happening with the band. Here we go!

The couples Dave & Lois abandoned DATC (of course, all out of good will) for 2 weeks to be of medical, an most likely, musical assistance to folks in the province of Cavite, Phillipines.

D & L in matching scrubs

L giving a round of high-fives

Here on the home front, Christina and Grace have been holding down the fort doing nothing other than working, enjoying relaxation and jammin' to music!

Ok, so back in January of this year, Dave first debuted his album  Where the Wind Blows with the entire band at The Crowd hosted by Exodus 3. We're excited to announce that the band will once again be The Crowd once again at Welcome Week 2012 @ University of California, Irvine next Tuesday night, September 25. If you're around town, come and check us out!

Upcoming Schedule

Here's our schedule for the months of September & October:

September

September 1   (Sat)  Third St, Santa Monica

September 8   (Sat)  Keyways Winery (1:30-5:30pm)

September 9   (Sun)  Leoness Cellars (2:00-5:00pm)

September 23 (Sun)  Keyways Winery (1:30-5:30pm)

September 25 (Tue)  E3 Crowd Event, UC Irvine
September 29 (Sat)  Third St, Santa Monica

October
October 6       (Sat)  Third St, Santa Monica
October 19     (Fri)   Crush & Brew, Temecula
October 30     (Tue)  Asia's Got Talent, Cal State LA

From Newport to Newport- A mini journey to the roots

The voyage eastward has opened our eyes to the history and traditions of our beloved country, largely through the means of folk music. The moment we landed at Providence, Rhode Island, we shuffled our way to Boston. We started our two-day, sporadic tour of Boston at the Common. We visited the sites of Park Street Church, Granary Burying Ground (the resting place for many notable Revolutionary War-era patriots, including signers of the Declaration of Independence), The Boston Massacre, the home of Paul Revere, and Faneuil Hall. Walking through these sites, you could almost feel the passion and intensity of revolutionary past. Seeing the aged-grounds of history brought to life the dedication and sacrifice of many patriots. We were in awe of how much historical depth we were seeing with our own eyes from the brick buildings and cobble-stone alleyways in Boston to the lighthouses along the Rhode Island coast. Below are several pictures from our tour.

The Paul Revere House

Built 1680

Owned by Paul Revere 1770-1800

 Faneuil Hall

Built 1724

Served as the first town hall in Boston and during

the years leading up to the American Revolution.

Lyrics to the patriotic song 'America'

in Park Street Church

To top off our trip, we attended a two-day folk music revival at Newport Folk Festival in Newport, Rhode Island. And let me just tell you, our toupes were blown right off! From the earthy melodies of Brown Bird, the rootsy-richness of Spirit Family Reunion, to the heart-warming performance of 'This Land is Your Land' by the Guthrie Family Reunion (descendents of legendary American singer-songwriter and folk musician Woodie Guthrie), we soaked in the creative folk juices like a dry sponge laying out on the dry summer roads of Temecula...

So, after the weekend of musical mayhem, we asked ourselves: What is folk music and what does it mean to us?

First off, folk music is a traditional musical style used to story-tell the emotional and visual observations of the life of a community. In other words, it's a way to express one's life into a simple rhythm and melody that is understandable to the neighbor. In this modern day, it causes the  listener to pause from the hustle and bustle of his or her metropolis to get back to the roots of life. Folk is story-telling at its purest, raw and unfiltered.

For the band, the wider exposure to this genre has opened a door to connecting the rich heritage of our Korean background to the equally rich heritage of our cherished country of the United States of America. Being Korean-Americans, we'd like to interweave our ethnic identities into the music we create and perform in hopes of taking our listeners on an emotional, historical, and educational journey to the past and present. The trip has been a stepping stone for us as a band. It'll be interesting to see where we go from here.

Thanks for tuning in and happy folkin'.

Newport Folk Festival 2012

View of the Newport Bay

The Band

ORIGINAL we try to be, yes indeed.

This is one of the latest songs we've been singing out on Third Street. Some of you who have recently seen us out in Santa Monica may just recognize it.

"Little Longer"- Dave and The Cousins

Off to Rhode Island!

In two days, the band will be heading out to Rhode Island for the Newport Folk Festival at Fort Adams State Park! On the weekend of July 28th and 29th, folk, blues, country, bluegrass and folk rock musicians, from across the country and afar will gather to jam away for their beloved fans, including us!

Check out the heart-stopping lineup for this year:

For the past 6 months, we've been saving up our tips from Third Street to pay for our long-awaited adventure to the heart of folk. So, we'd like to shout out a very big THANK YOU to our gracious tippers!

During our stay on the other side of the country, we'll also be checking out Boston so stay tuned for photos of the beautiful East coast.

Happy folkin' ya'll!

An Unforgettable Night @ Kollaboration 2012!

In the green room with the youngest contestant, Ms. Kaitlin Obien

The band with Kollaboration 2012 winner, Nate Tao

The band with friend and comedian, Jimmy Ouyang

The band with Kollaboration founder, PK and special guest performer, David Choi

Last night, was one of the most exhilarating experiences we've had as a band! Thanks to Kollaboration, Dave and The Cousins had the great opportunity to perform on the same stage at the Ford Amphitheatre with amazing artists Nate Tao, Kaitlin Obien, Brooke Taylor, Jeremy Crooks, Ms. Laney, and St. Andrew. At the end of the night, our friend Nate Tao walked away as the winner of Kollaboration Los Angeles 2012 and Ms. Laney as the winner of the Verizon Audience Choice Award! We want to congratulate them on their win and wish them the best of luck in their endeavors! 

As for Dave and the Cousins, new friendships were made and plenty of special moments were shared. Just to think that our many months of focused practice, sweat-work (literally, as it's no picnic performing for hours underneath the blazing sun on Third Street...) and endless traveling culminated to this moment made the night a memorable one. We sang our hearts out and enjoyed every moment of it! 

We once again want to thank our awesome family and friends for your continual support in our journey as a band! We've come a long way in the few months together and are eager and excited to continue our adventure. The fun has only just begun :)

     

Kollab Kountdown D-3

Only three more days to go and we will be competing in the biggest Asian-American talent competition in the US - Kollaboration Los Angeles at the Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood.  Do you ever pull yourself out of reality and realize just how crazy life really is?  That's us.  Six months ago, our band got together and submitted our video to Kollaboration LA, just for fun.  We never thought we'd actually be in the Top 8.  Here we are five days before the competition realizing... we... are... performing... in... HOLLYWOOD... at the FORD AMPITHEATRE.  Mind blown.  And on top of that... we are on a billboard.  Speechless.

What: Kollaboration Los Angeles
Where: Ford Amphitheatre, Hollywood, CA
When: Friday, July 13 - 8:30 PM (doors open at 6:30PM for picnic style hang out, BYOB)

Purchase tickets at Fordtheatres.org with coupon code: DAVEANDTHECOUSINS

We will be selling CDs for $10 with a free Dave and The Cousins sticker, specially designed by our friend and designer Lois Sang... not to be confused with our band member, Lois Cho.

If you haven't checked out our YouTube Channel yet, here's a sneak peek into the Ford Amphitheatre. Our band got a free tour of the place when we went to go check out the billboard.

Upcoming Schedule for July

Being a family band means that a wedding can take out a huge chunk of our time.  For the first time, Dave and The Cousins had the chance to perform for our large extended family and especially for our grandparents who are so dear to our hearts.  We are now back in full force for the summer.  Check out our upcoming shows!

June 30 (10AM, 2PM & 4PM) - Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
July  1  (3PM) - LabelGMO event, Huntington Beach Fire Rings
July  7 (10AM, 2PM & 4PM) - Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
July  8 (2-5PM) - Lorimar Wine Country, Temecula
July 15 (2-5PM) - Leoness Cellars, Temecula
   All of these shows are free! Come check us out, say hi, drop us a tip, buy a CD. 

July 13 (6:30PM) - KOLLABORATION LA Competition (Tickets $15) BUY NOW
   We really need your support on this one.  We are in the TOP 8 Finalists for Kollaboration LA, a music competition promoting Asian Pacific Americans in the entertainment industry. BUT you don't have to be Asian to attend. ;) Come out, vote and show your support. Winner gets $1000, the chance to compete nationally, and is featured on a show on MNET America.
    Doors open at 6:30PM if you want to bring a picnic (alcohol is permitted). Think mini Hollywood Bowl.  Show starts at 8:30PM.  General tickets $15 and VIP seating $40.  Buy before July 6 for the early bird pricing.  Use our link to purchase by Friday June 29th and you just may see our faces on a billboard on the Hollywood freeway!! BUY NOW

July 22 (10AM, 2PM & 4PM) - Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
July 24-30 Band trip to Boston/Providence/Newport for the Newport Folk Festival, Rhode Island

Wooden Apple and a Bird Box

Friday night the band sang at The Light benefit concert and shuffled our way to Santa Monica the next morning.  This Saturday was the first time we had a request from a 2 year old!  She may very well be our youngest fan.  We also upgraded our tip box with a wooden apple as our paper weight.

These last three photos were taken by our friend and Santa Monica local, Peter Yu.

This coming Saturday, the band will be in Orange, CA at the Orange Homegrown Farmer's Market and at Keyways Winery on Sunday.

Folk Alley

FOLK ALLEY open mic featured artist of the month...s! April & May. Just happened to be perusing through the world wide web, and stumbled across this.

The Asian Folkers - Episode 1

The Asian Folkers

I shouldn't write too much because we're gonna post a video about our experience this past weekend, but we visited the Kollaboration office and met with Christine, the associate producer.  She has been one of our main contacts and very helpful during this whole process.  We are rowdy-ing up the troops for your support! Only one and a half more months until the competition.
 

Then, the band is heading off to the Newport Folk Festival.  Our band's first "field trip". The first episode of "The Asian Folkers" (our own little reality show) will be up on our Vimeo channel. Stay tuned!

UPCOMING SHOWS

June  1 (6:45PM) - The Light Benefit Concert, La Mirada UMC, La Mirada

June  2 (10AM & 4PM) - Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
June  9 (9AM - 12PM) - Orange Home Grown, Orange
June 10 (1:30-5:30PM) - Keyways Winery, Temecula
June 23 (10AM & 4PM) - Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
July  7 (10AM & 4PM) - Third Street Promenade, Santa Monica
   All of these shows are free! Come check us out, say hi, drop us a tip, buy a CD. 

July 13 (8:30PM) - KOLLABORATION LA Competition (Tickets $15) BUY NOW
   We really need your support on this one.  We are in the TOP 8 Finalists for Kollaboration LA, a music competition promoting Asian Americans in the entertainment industry. BUT you don't have to be Asian to attend. ;) Come out, vote and show your support. Winner gets $1000, the chance to compete nationally, and is featured on a show on MNET America.
    Doors open at 6:30PM if you want to bring a picnic and a hot date (alcohol is permitted). Think mini Hollywood Bowl. General tickets $15 and VIP seating $40. Buy before July 6 for the early bird pricing.  Use our link!! BUY NOW
 
  We've got some great ideas brewing right now. Will keep you posted. It's confirmed. Our new mini album, aka EP, will be available as a FREE download on NoiseTrade within the next week. We are working on the album art. If you would like to purchase a hard copy, we can also make that happen. Keep your eyes open.

Hello? Is anyone out there?

Sometimes I wonder if anyone is reading this blog. Maybe down the road, when we've hit it big, our loyal fans will come back and read these early posts. Dream big my friends. Dream big.

On a side note, I have a beautiful story for you. Today, I ran into a listener from our Sangria Serenade gig. That day, she brought her elderly mother with her to the winery and stayed for a couple hours. She told me today that her mother rarely leaves the house, let alone her room. Her son insists that his grandmother needs to socialize and get out of the house more often. So, she brought her to our performance. They enjoyed a glass of wine. The grandmother inquired about "the handsome young man up there" and when she found out the young lady singing beside her was his wife, she laughed, "Oh, they're just babies!" She enjoyed her time so much that she asked to come out if we're playing again. The end.

Sangria Serenade

The photos pretty much say it all. Music and sangrias, what can go wrong? Keyways Winery invited us to play during their Sunday afternoon Sangria Serenade. It was a new experience for us since we are new to playing covers, but I'd say it was a success. I'm posting videos on YouTube as we speak. This week we're working on the details of our EP. We will be mixing away. Keep your eyes out this month for our free download.

Can you say adorable?

We were emailed this week after our performance on Third Street with a video submission from a young fan's parents. We've said it before and we'll say it again, KIDS LOVE OUR MUSIC. This is visual proof. For a 22 month old, Quinn's got some good moves, wouldn't you say? Her dad Aaron said, "She asks us to play your CD which she refers to as 'Dave Cho' or 'Cho Cho'." Awesome.

Crapshoot

Our talented friend Sherman Lee came out to join us for the full day yesterday. Three 2 hour sets on Third Street in a span of 10 hours.

On our downtime, we got to listen to the likes of Eric Kufs and Keywest for the first time. Great music out there! If you haven't come out before, it's quite the experience.

At the end of the day, we were interviewed by a production company about a potential show following street performers. "It's a crapshoot" - who knows what'll happen. That pretty much sums up our experience as a band. We don't know where our band will take us, but we're enjoying the connections we've been making and the people we've been meeting.

Our next gig is a world away from Santa Monica, nonetheless exciting for us as we sing at Keyways Winery on May 6. If you're looking to relax on a Sunday afternoon with wine, friends, and music, come join us.

We hope to release our new EP as Dave and The Cousins as a free download sometime in May. Keep an eye out!

The Usual

Yes, we've been on a short hiatus, but we are back on Third St Promenade this Saturday. 10-12 and 4-6. Same bat time, same bat channel. POW! BOOM! WAZAA!

Check, check, check, and check!

What a wicked weekend!  Knocked out four shows in two days. We spent Saturday morning in Orange at the Orange Home Grown farmer's market with some gorgeous produce and vendors. I got some dates and dried persimmons... yum. We'll be back again on June 9th.  The kids at the market were our biggest fans, dancing for the majority of our performance. 

In the evening, we trekked on over to the Inland Empire for three shows opening for Dat Phan at ACES Comedy Club in Murrieta and got to watch Dat's hilarious stand-up for the first time.  Keep an eye out for upcoming shows.  He's everywhere!  Although it was a sober weekend at ACES, the audience was really responsive... ah, that's why they were so attentive!  Well, ACES will now be serving a variety of drinks this coming weekend.  So go, drink and be merry.

Attitude of Gratitude

Third Street holds such a dear spot in our hearts.  Being a new band with limited resources, we have received much support from random passersby in the last few months, some who have become good friends.  If you've heard the lyrics we sing, our music is positive and uplifting.  We like to think that's the reason why our music seems to draw a crowd that is warm, thoughtful, and encouraging as well.  Thank you to those who have offered a kind word after our performance, dropped us a tip, bought our CD, grooved to the beat, flashed us a smile, and sent us videos or photos... keep 'em coming! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Here's a video submission of "Grandma Used to Say" from a Santa Monica local.  Check out PeterOnVoyage's YouTube Channel for more videos of us on Third Street.

14 Hours of Dave and The Cousins

Yesterday was a long and crazy day for Dave and The Cousins.  Starting with our time on Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, we had a string of surprise visitors including family and friends.  Then, the day ended with an impromptu photoshoot at LACMA.  Here are some pictures from our day.

Credits go out to the Santa Monica locals and our visitors who contributed to the photography and videography (thanks Peter, Claudio, Dahyun, Jessica, Lena, Sherman, John & Michelle), and our cousins Jiea & JP who let us crash their engagement photoshoot.