Street Heart Event!

Give It To Me Rusty is honored to play this Homeless Benefit and Art Sale next Friday, September 12th at The Hillman City Collaboratory. It's an incredible event for a great cause. Check out Street-Heart to see the list of artists and their impressive portraits. Artists include Sara Snedeker and Ryan Henry Ward to name a few! Support art, support the homeless in Seattle. Stop in on your way home from work, we'll be on at 6!

SEATTLE VA

Great to play at the Seattle Veterans Hospital today; Amazing stories and new friends. It was an honor! Thanks to Michele Frix and Christine Raymaker for joining us!

RUSTY AT THE WING LUKE MUSEUM

Join us next month for two live performances at the Wing Luke Asian Museum to celebrate the opening of "Uprooted and Invisible: Seeing Asian American Homelessness". 

The exhibit focuses on homelessness and finding a sense of home. Optional food, clothing and toy donations will be accepted. Please see attached flyer for full details!

PIONEER SQUARE RECORDINGS

Release Day!

Pioneer Square Recordings is officially out TODAY!**

You can pick up a copy at Sonic Boom and Easy Street Records.

Order a copy direct from us ON BANDCAMP

Purchase on

**Thanks to everyone who packed Conor Byrne on Saturday night and picked up an advanced copy of the record. Apologies to anyone who got turned away, stay tuned for our next show.

Rusty CD Release Party!

We've finally made it, discs have arrived! They are beautifully designed by Noah Dassel, with eye-popping colors, gritty texture, and a 12-page booklet including the individual stories and project bio.

COME OUT AND SUPPORT US AT OUR CD RELEASE CONCERT!

It's January 28th at Conor Byrne in Ballard. 9:30 pm, 21+

The full band includes Paul Kikuchi(Orkestar Zirconium), Steve Okimoto(Dudley Manlove), Ed Brooks(who mastered the album), and Katie Blackstock (Widower, Mark Pickerel).

Opening are The Brambles and Jon Pontrello (of the Moondoggies).

Thanks for everyone's help and encouragement
making this album come to life,
Aaron and Noah

Mayor McGinn Endorses Give It To Me Rusty

" Give It To Me Rusty’s songs capture the strength, resilience and heart of Seattle's homeless population. Their mission reminds us of the importance of sharing our stories and the belief that we can pull each other up, one person at a time, through the simple act of listening. Give It To Me Rusty is a valuable addition to the Seattle community. " ~ Mayor McGinn, 2011

Thank You To All Our Kickstarter Supporters!

Recording at Avast! was a dream come true. To be backed by Paul Kikuchi (Drums) and Steve Okimoto ( Stand-Up and Electric Bass) only added to our good fortune. We can't wait to share the results, which have only gotten better with Pepper Proud (vocals) , Country Dave (pedal steel), Ollie Glatzer (viola) and Erin Verna (cello) contributing their talents.

A big thank you to Lucas Carlyle for capturing the sounds beautifully.

Give It To Me Rusty makes an Album!

Only moments ago, Rusty launched it's first fundraising project. We are looking to produce a full-length album of our songs with the homeless and we need your help! Please visit our fundraising webpage on Kickstarter!

Homeless Benefit Concert

Give It To Me Rusty is combining forces with Mayor Mike McGinn, Real Change, The Union Gospel Mission, Jason Dawdson of the Maldives, and other local acts for the First Annual "Songs of Sustenance" concert at Seattle's Town Hall. Here are the details:

When:

November 14th @ 7:30pm

Where:

Seattle Town Hall

Who:

Mayor Mike McGinn, Jason Dawdson of the Maldives, Give It To Me Rusty, Stenobot, and voices from the homeless community

Admission:

Free admission ~ (suggested donation)

We hope you can come!

Rusty on the Radio!!!

Give It To Me Rusty performed an hour-long show this month, Monday the 24th, on Hollow Earth Radio, a progressive, community-based internet radio station! Amber, host of the that hour's ST Rainbow series, got right into the grit, asking the tough questions; Rusty delivered.

Was a great show full of live performance and stories from the street. Click here to listen to the show in it's entirety. ((( RUSTY ON THE RADIO )))

On a very important side note, Hollow Earth Radio is relocating from the current attic space in Wallingford to it's new Columbia City Station. This amazing group of people bring NW-Focused music and found sound to the people and they NEED OUR HELP! Please watch this video to learn how you can contribute::: ((( Hollow Earth Radio )))

HOLLOW EARTH RADIO IN-STUDIO

Give It To Me Rusty will be performing live on Hollow Earth Radio this Monday, May 24th at 8 p.m.!

They stream online from their house in Greenwood. You can find them here. Go to the listen tab, choose your platform and tune in to the radio, just like the good ole days. Huddle up with some tea and brownies while we regale you with stories from the street, some funny, some sad, but all very true and very real. We'll play songs and play some of the recordings we've made. Also, Mingus O'Bannon, who is shooting the documentary on our project will be on hand to share a bit about his involvement.

Thanks be to Hollow Earth!

Shooting A Documentary!

The past year has shown much Rusty activity. We have played this year's Empty Bowls Event, Miro Tea (for our second annual benefit, which garnered food, clothes and over $250 for Sacred Heart Shelter), Bop St. Records, Ould Triangle, The Ballard Mine and continued to write and create with Seattle's homeless population.
In recent weeks we have also begun filming a documentary about our process and project with Mingus O'Bannon. We met Mingus while playing the open mics he hosts at Molly MacGuire's in Ballard. After our set he approached us about playing his Friday night showcase at The Ould Triangle in Greenwood. Following our Ould Triangle set he proposed the idea of a documentary, which had already been kicking around in our heads for sometime. It seemed providence that someone with drive, energy and a compassionate understanding for our subject matter approached us to produce the documentary we had been dreaming of. We have begun shooting and already had some very positive musical moments, including the chance to play Curtis, who we met last November, his song for the first time. It was a powerful moment and we were glad Mingus was there to be a part of it and capture it.
We will keep you all informed and up-to-date. Our goal is to start small and go from there - discovering the meaning and focus along the way.

Benefit Show, Ballard Artwalk, December 13th

Give It To Me Rusty will be playing with Julia Massey and some other mystery musicians on Decemeber 13th at Miro Tea (google map) in Ballard. The night runs fom 6 to 10 pm and we will be on about 7. Paul Kikuchi from Orkestar Zirkonium will be joining us on drums. 

It is part of Ballard's second Saturday Artwalk and will be a benefit for The Orion Center and the U-District Youth Center. 

Brooklyn

Last night we played a midnight set at Goodbye Blue Monday in Bushwick, a section of Brooklyn. Getting down there about 11, we quickly felt that it may not be the safest neighborhood to be walking around in. There was a desolate, empty feel. I don't know what the New York equivalent of tumbleweed would be, but we heard the lonesome cowboy whistle echo off the grey buildings of industry.

GOOD BYE BLUE MONDAY (THE GUTS)

After walking a few chilly blocks we found the tattered venue emblazoned with signs and posters(but not seeing the venue name itself). We walked in and were home. Every wall painted differently, mostly by hand. A wall of radios and records and books. A bar to the left. Red Stripe and Black Tea.

THRUOUTIN: PUMPIN' MAD BEATS

We only caught the act that came on before us, thruoutin , who threw down some sick glitchy beats and distorted bass lines via the ole' laptop computer whilst singing over top.

We decided to forgo microphones for our performance, as we are quickly realizing that the roots of our project is street performance and being stuck to microphones stifles our ability to move around with unamplified guitars.

GIVE IT TO ME RUSTY // I~TOWN BROTHERS UNITE

We also had the great privilege of having the I Town Brothers sit in with us. A tap dance and piano duo hailing from Brooklyn (originally Indianola, Wash), they practiced with us for about 15 minutes earlier in the day and proceeded to tear it up and inject our set with their energy. Jack Ramsey ripped into the sweetly out-of-tune piano while Sam Weinstock kept us in time and delivered some phenomenal tap solos.

GOODBYE BLUE MONDAY, HELLO GIVE IT TO ME RUSTY

ZIG FOGGERTY TAKES A SOLO

It was one of our coolest shows yet because of the new musical cocktail and the decadent venue.

KELLY, ERIC, & NOAH

Thanks to Eric Beug for snappin our pics and Kelly for bringing the dance inspirations for the night.

ASHVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA: the paris of the south

SOMEWHERE SOUTH OF HERE

we rolled into ashville late wednesday night after a solid 10 hour drive from new orleans. after accidentally pulling into what we later learned was known as the "rebel compound" (complete with confederate flag, four trailers, and a converted 50 gallon industrial container marked 'cans' to accommodate the waste for the copious amount of beer guzzled on the site) we pulled into the hippy ranch, a single wide trailer just across the street from the compound.

AMY GIRL WHIPS OUT A PEACE SIGN

"well, are you going to get your bags?" this from amy, the ranch owner. 70 decor, tasteful and fully commited: faux wood paneling, light fixtures complete with gold chains, formica table and matching booth. we sipped tea and talked with amy. she, an artist, originally from ny, moved to ashville to make art collaboratively with a friend. the hippy ranch now hosts monthly art parties. amy later told us that she was also involved with the hosting organization SERVAS, a little like COUCHSURFING, but, as amy described it, with more of an emphasis on showing folks around and really taking them under wing.

a little busking downtown and playing for sweet amy were the only instances of music making in ashville. think zig and i needed a little break after the many back-to-back sleepless nights in new orleans. i think we're still recovering.

RASCAL BLINDS SLAYS A SOLO

RASCAL BLINDS BETWEEN RIFFS

BABY FATS VISITS AN OLD FRIEND

KICK IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT: LIVE & RAW @ THE HIPPY RANCH

New Orleans

Well NOLA, its vibrancy and people, sucked us in for an extra day. As Noah said, "it was like being an addict, with the city as your vice." We decided to stay longer and bomb out to Asheville in one 12 hour day, running on 3 hrs sleep. We packed every moment with street strumming, burlesque shows, beignets, and hanging with Aaron's cousin Julie, her husband Damion and their friend Shae. Some fantastic folks that showed us how to do New Orleans right.........staying up til 6.....meeting a ton of people. ....dancing three nights in a row.....seeing some fanstastic dixie/rag/swing jazz by the Jazz Vipers, with special guest Uncle Lionel by simply stumbling into the right club at the right time. As it was said by someone from New Orleans, "Let's live it up, cause in New Orleans we all know we're gonna die."

Circle Bar Show and Bathroom Art

Absinthe and Aviators in The French Quarter

New O. Peeps! Cousin Julie, Damion, and Shae + the Jazz Vipers

EVA AND AXEL'S PORCH - G.I.T.M.R. CRASH/jam PAD & BEDTIME

AUSTIN - 11/08/08 ~ HOUSE SHOW

erik fossmo ~ the austin viking, a transplant from minnesota of some years. we met at FLIPNOTICS,  a sweet little cave of a coffee bar out on barton spring road, pressed up against the hill. we got to talking, mentioned that we were looking for a place to play that saturday night, and erik said he'd make some calls. 

only hours later, erik had miraculously found a venue (a friend's house) and a four band line-up. 

things just snap together so easily in this town. we have found austonites to be some of the warmest, kindest, most giving folks on the face of the planet. (just earlier that day, CAROLINE, a juice bar barrista, gave us, famished and tired from walking the city, a ride to a local burger place, this after her friend offered us sips of her smoothie. 

we don't even know these folks. 

feels kind of like a community, even though it's a big city. people still look you in the eye and say 'what's up'. 

***

the show:: took the taxi to the venue ~ (people here, bless their lone-star hearts, don't know how to drive. no turn signals, u-turns into oncoming traffic & bicyclists, signature texas wavering merges). 

we played in someone's living room, people chilling on the couch, on the floor. pushed the mics aside and started playing. different from the last gig, folks here were paying attention. on the last song, we directed the crowd outside, played "lost train" in the streets. 

comparing this house show to one she had thrown in seattle eva nothed that the house show in austin "was about the music, not something else". 

definitely feels like a music town.   

OTHER BANDS ON THE HOUSE-SHOW TICKET:::

CHANGE AND THE MOVEMENT

BEARKAT

LOBLOLLY BOY

BUSKING

BUSKING

oh busking, the act of getting out on the streets with your instrument and singing for your meal.
thursday night, first thursday here in austin, a little like the arts walk in seattle (just less art, more craft). out to south congress street.

31.77, a pixy stick, some smiling faces, and a citation. not bad for a couple hours of music.