Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Final AWBand concert of 2011 this Friday night in Lombard IL.

AWBand December Newz Letter
This is it! 

Over the last year The AWBand have been writing, re-writing, throwing away, and recording music for our forthcoming album.  Seventeen songs were demoed last year; we’ve ditched seven of them and developed the 10 chosen ones.   The evolution period consisted of writing and demoing ideas, working out the ideas as a band, and then utilizing the input and guidance from our Producer Johnny K.   Batting ideas back and forth, recording, critiquing, and then recording it again.   It’s been a very inspiring and humbling ride.  An exercise in restraint mixed with the drive to conquer new directions.  

The AWBand has performed only fifteen concerts in 2011.  Finding out how the audience responds to these songs in a live setting.  We’ve had the pleasure of playing in front of fans and friends at Double Door, Brauerhouse and Ace Bar.  We’ve also had the experience of testing these songs on a larger stage opening for Lucky Boys Confusion in Champaign last Fall.  Additionally, we’ve had the opportunity to perform these songs on the road when I did a solo set at Summerfest in Milwaukee and with the band at High Noon Saloon in Madison.   

Now it’s done. 

The songs are in stone. The album is moving forward and will be ready for release sometime Spring 2012.  

We do have one last show this year before we take a few months hiatus performing live and focus on finishing the album. 

Come Support Local Music and I’d Love to Hear Your Feedback!

This Friday Dec. 16th 9PM
Final Concert of 2011

Live at
The Brauerhouse- Lombard IL

The Aaron Williams Band
3 in Counting
Ryan Mumby and the One Hundred Year Rain
 
https://www.facebook.com/rachelbechtold#!/events/238075866259924/

We wish you everyone a happy holidays and we'll see you Friday!
--
The Aaron Williams Band


Thursday, September 29, 2011

AWBand and RMBand live at The Cubby Bear in Chicago on Friday night!!!!

This Friday September 30th
Live From Cubby Bear in Wrigleyville
The AWBand have recruited you to show your support this Friday at Cubby Bear.  Want to be in our documentary?  Want to be the first to hear the brand new songs and give us feedback?  Want to hear two of the best Nashville rock bands without going to Nashville? Please read more about this amazing night and why YOU should be there!  

11:30PM     The Aaron Williams Band
Grammy nominated producer Johnny K and The AWBand have spent the last few months writing, re-writing, and recording new music for the upcoming release.  Our producer will be attending The Cubby Bear this Friday to hear the newly worked out songs performed live onstage.   It would be awesome to have my friends and family there to help show our world famous producer that The AWBand are world famous material.

Jet Dragon Productions will follow and film The AWBand through our journey making the new album.  The documentary will be a part of a special edition CD released in conjunction with the new album next spring.  Jet Dragon will film us in the studio, rehearsals, and live onstage and will begin filming at The Cubby Bear, want to be a part of our Documentary?  Come support this show, the audience will be a huge party of the filming. 

Finally, we pay tribute to one of our favorite bands that broke up this week….R.E.M. Come sing along to one of our favorite REM songs that we will perform on Friday.

10PM           Ryan Michaels Band
RMB hail from Nashville TN and are experiencing some serious success with their new album “Life is for the Living.”  The single of the same name is spinning in multiple markets in the US and the inspiring video has thousands of hits on Youtube.  The band were recently rewarded with two winning trophies at this year’s Nashville Independent Music Awards for “Best Pop Rock Band” and “Best Live Rock Performers.”  With the amount of music pumping out of Nashville this reward is a serious accomplishment, come see what the fuss is all about!

9PM             Mike Mentzer
Mike Mentzer is a pop/rock singer-songwriter from Chicago, Illinois. Catchy and well-crafted, Mentzer’s music connects with listeners from many different places and perspectives. Influenced heavily by travel and the people and places he has experienced around the world, Mentzer composes pop songs with care and precision not often heard.
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Facebook Event Page:   https://www.facebook.com/awband#!/event.php?eid=158516964236342

This is the last major show this year for the AWBand, please come out and support this concert! For your love and support of our music, we thank you! 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Double Door: Comments, Setlist, and Video. 5 new songs exposed.

Thank you for all the support it was amazing for all of us.  Glen Ellyn really came through for both The AWBand and 3IC, YES!  Chicago also came through, it was great to see some old friends and make new ones.  As always, I really enjoyed the set of Ryan Michaels Band.  They always tear it up and set a great mood for the evening.  Stellar Road performed some of their best tunes on Saturday; love the song “Shipwrecked.”    3 in Counting ended the night with their “CD release” show and I had fun sitting in on “Castaway”.  If I must say so myself, I don’t think AWBand did to bad either, the energy was there!  Thanks to Blackjack Sass, Rob Wimmers, and Tim Jones for a job well done.  All around good times, front to back.  Thanks for showing your support on the coldest day so far this winter, we can’t say it enough!  Those of you who didn’t make it, you missed out. However, our CD release this summer will prove to be huge as well, so I’ll keep you posted.
 Now the Setlist.
* Never Played Before and being demoed for new album
+ PLayed before but being demoed for new album 
- From the Everwinding Road
1.     Promise Land*
2.     Lemon Yellow Strings+
3.     Runaway+
4.     My Seashore*
5.     Action and Luck-
6.     Livin-
7.     You Wreck Me / Tom Petty
8.     Lightning Bolt*
 The AWBand: Covering Tom Petty’s “You Wreck Me” live at Double Door 01/22/11

Thursday, January 20, 2011

5 reasons to see The Aaron Williams Band live at Double Door this Saturday!!

Double Door- This Saturday Jan 22nd

A personal note.  I am beginning work on my next album with Grammy nominated Chicagoan Johnny K in less than a month.  Over the past 15 years, I have played this important show and that.  No doubt, all where an important building block, leading to something better.  The AWBand are going to have four big shows in Chicago this year, all more important than any other show I’ve played.  This Saturday is the first one.  Not just because of the music video shoot or my producer checking me out for the first time.  Most importantly, because I want to make an amazing album and want to get off on the best foot possible.  I am very excited about the new group of songs and I am looking forward to playing them for the first time on Saturday. 

I know it’s hard. Many of you have babies or kids, a job that kicks ur ass, or live 40 miles from the city.  We aren’t 21 anymore, believe me I know.  However, for those of you who come out once and while or never, we strongly erg you to make the effort for this one.  If we draw our usually 75 – 100 people on Saturday we will look good.  If we get 150 -200 fans through the door, we will look great!   This can’t happen without YOU.  Let this Saturday be the night you’ve been saying to yourself “I’ll make one of Aaron’s shows someday.” 

5 Reasons to visit Double Door Saturday Night

FIVE- The venue. Double Door is a Chicago staple for rock music.  The stage has been graced by so many huge names in music, and they all got their start there in Chicago.  Wicker Park is in the Westside right off of 90/94. Parking is much less of a hassle than in the Loop.

FOUR- The Music Video. We are shooting a music video for our single “Lightning Bolt.”  Be great to have some familiar faces rocking out and adding to the energy.  The support from friends and family really makes the shows more exciting.  What to be in a music video?  You never had a better chance.

THREE- The Producer. My producer Johnny K will be watching me play live for the first time. Johnny K has worked with Plain White T’s, Stain, and Three Doors Down.  His next project is The Aaron Williams Band.  We want to deliver one rocking show to him! 

TWO- The Bands.  3 in Counting’s CD release show for their first album “At the Edge”.  3IC have been great friends of the AWBand.  We have shared the stage a few times in 2010. Also, Mike and I have been doing the A&M Acoustic Duo in our home town of Glen Ellyn for about a year now.  They start around 12:15.  Ryan Michaels Band are driving up from Nashville TN to open the show. If you remember I opened for RMBand in Nashville last November for their CD release show.  Get there at 9PM to catch Ryan Michaels Band.  Stellar Road will play at 11PM.  The last time Stellar Road and AWBand shared the stage in Chicago was at Double Door in 2004.  Stellar Road are a great band from Southside burbs and are an absolutely great show.  They have opened for Bon Jovi, Nickleback, and Goo Goo Dolls and are gaining a huge fallowing.   All bands are great!

One- Most of you who are reading this know me.  We are prepared for a big night.  Those of you who are questionable because of “life” in the way.   Try and make this Saturday happen.  Having a huge fan base there to support will create a nice vibe and tone for the rest of the year.  That said, the pressure is on for this Saturday night and for the year 2011.  Double Door is the beginning step to the whole picture.   The band has fresh material to deliver and prepared for a big show Saturday night, and a huge year.   This is a fresh beginning on many levels.  See you there!

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The AWBand signs publishing deal with WMG in LA, begin work on next album with Grammy Nominated Producer, and to film music video at Double Door Jan 22nd.

As many of you know, the last year has been rather dry for The Aaron Williams Band.  Other than a short Fall tour opening for friends through Chicago (Red Wanting Blue), Madison (Lucas Cates Band), Milwaukee (Stellar Road), and Nashville (Ryan Michaels Band) we have kept things rather low key.  There is a very exciting reason for this extended hibernation…….earlier this year we signed a publishing deal with WMG label in Burbank California and are signed to begin recording our next album with Grammy Nominated Producer Johnny K. I have been working towards this opportunity my entire life. The fact that my career has been brought to this level is an absolute dream come true.   

Johnny K’s production has kicked started international success for Plain White T’s, Stain, and Three Doors Down.  Johnny was nominated for a Grammy by producing the Plain White T’s international hit album “Big Bad World” that included the hit song “Hey There Delilah” and also, Three Doors Down self-titled album with the hit “Kryptonite.”  Who was he up against?  Rick Rubin for Red Album (Weezer), Nigel Godrich for In Rainbows (Radiohead), and Danger Mouse The Odd Couple (Gnarls Barkley).  Johnny K is a brilliant producer and I couldn’t be more excited about the great fortune my career in music has taken.

Johnny K in the Suntimes:

My big show at Double Door on Jan 22nd is a very important date….because…..My A&R Rep will be there from LA, Johnny K will be there, my music video will be shot, and the concert will be recorded for a live release.  My label and producer are curious where my band stands at in my home town and this will determine a lot for my career. So the support of my fans and friends is very important and desperately needed.  I also will be debuting many of the new songs at Double Door.  I hope I can count on your support.  Also playing are Stellar Road, 3 in Counting, and Ryan Michael’s Band.  Visit the link below to RSVP to this event on facebook. 



2011 has all the ingredients of an amazing year and it couldn’t have happened without the support of my friends, family, and fans.  THANK YOU SO MUCH and Happy New Year!!  See you at Double Door!

“Hard work and persistence creates a golden land ahead with all kinds of unforeseen events that wait lurking to surprise you, and it makes one glad to be alive to see what was created!"
-Jack Kerouac