November Ketchup

Thanksgiving weekend in the Berkshires, DIY show with Murphy Beds in Brooklyn, Ciao Ciao 2024

Writing one of these newsletters feels a bit like pulling Excalibur from a mossy stone, without the benefit of physical exercise. I’m always happy when it’s done, and the process itself generally isn’t as painful as the anticipation.

I’m mostly terrified of A.I. and I have a particular aversion to power sucking “data centers.” Most centers in fact, like Guitar Center, or Rent-A-Center to name a few. But I couldn’t find a flying autumnal ketchup bottle up to my exacting specifications, so here it is, thanks A.I.!

There’s a few shows I feel a special urgency to mention, because if nobody comes to them, well, I’ll certainly have to consider a change of careers. And after such time as the consideration has run its course, I’ll likely keep on doing the exact same thing, expecting a different outcome. Here are a few shows I really want you to know about:

• Saturday, 11/30 - Becket, MA - Dreamaway Lodge - 8pm - playing solo, or hopefully with some friends in a really nice old historic (19th c.) farmhouse restaurant, bar, venue, inn, way up in the high berkshires. leave the leftover turkey at home, bring a light jacket and some cash.

• Thursday, 12/5 - Brooklyn, NY - St. Paul’s Catholic Church - 190 Court St., Cobble Hill - The Murphy Beds (Eamon O’Leary and Jefferson Hamer) and Liz Hanley - tickets on Eventbrite - here’s a poster:

Eamon and I have been touring a bit this fall, down south to Knoxville and Louisville; out west to Portland and Yachats, Oregon. It’s time we brought it all back home and joined up with our best pal Liz Hanley (whose brill new record “Paint This Life” features the Beds as her backing band) for a two set show in the new event space beneath St. Paul’s in Cobble Hill. It’s a bring your own selves, and booze, kind of night, that should get underway around 7:30, with two sets of music to follow starting around 8:00.

Before I heat up the room anymore with a major Murphy Beds tour announcement, here’s a couple more Jefferson shows in the New York area:

• Sunday, 12/1 - Night School - Athens, NY - Jefferson Hamer with Nate Gebhard - 7:00pm - nate plays drums, jefferson plays electric guitar. nate tends bar, jefferson eats pizza.

• Wednesday, 12/4 - McCarren Parkhouse - Greenpoint, Brooklyn - Molly Parden, Jefferson Hamer, Mary-Elaine Jenkins - triple threat, songwriters by the park. i’d better get scribbling.

And for my next trick, another poster!

The Murphy Beds are very happy to open for the wonderful Andrew Marlin (Watchhouse, Mighty Poplar) and his Stringband for five nights across the northeast. Can you see the poster? Do I need to type out these dates? All I can say is that I’m damned skippy to play Levon Helm Studios on my birthday (no candy or thickly frosted cakes, please). I’d say the best way to get tickets for these shows would be through Andrew’s website, although feel free to visit the Murphy Beds website while you’re at it, and hey could you believe, I also have a website?

Running low on steam here… aside from these top priority announcements, I might mention that I’m moving my production and engineering side-hustle into a new recording studio in Long Island City, Queens, NYC, called Epiphany. Like most of life, it’s under construction, and only semi-functional. There’ll be plenty more on this to come (follow the studio instagram if you’re interested), but for now you can delight in the knowledge that myself, Tommi, and Franky will all be very happy to assist you and your pals’ recording needs in a sonically sound, naturally lit urban environment. No dungeons here. Did someone say “roof deck?”

Looking ahead… will hopefully continue to have employment (and sanity) in 2025, but before we hope for too much, here’s a peek around the bend:

• Friday, 12/27 - Bennington, VT - Bennington Theater - Reed Foehl Band with Putnam Murdock, Jefferson Hamer, Jeff Berlin

• Saturday, 12/28 - Portland, ME - St. Lawrence Arts Center - Reed Foehl Band with Putnam Murdock, Jefferson Hamer, Jeff Berlin

• Saturday, 1/11/2025 - Brooklyn, NY - Voices in the Heights - Jefferson Hamer & Zoe Guigueno, and Robinson & Rohe

That’s enough for today. I don’t generally make a big thing about Irish sessions around NYC, but it’s something I do a lot of when I’m home, as well as, uhh… other stuff. So if you’re interested in the other stuff, I guess the “stories” are where to go, you know, the stories. Or just write to me and I’ll try to write back. And that picture just above, taken by Adam Jason last summer with the overalls (dungarees they call them in Liverpool), ballcap, and beard? Don’t worry Mom. I don’t look like that anymore. I’m a shaver now.

Your friend,

Jefferson