Cousin Jake: News

Hiya, Family members!  Well, this week we're doing the long haul thing from Old Forge to Dresden on Friday & Saturday.  We'll be starting the weekend of Bike Week at Thunder In The Forge, and then >

Hope you all feel like taking that gorgeous trip up to Slickers on Friday night and rocking out with us.  And keep an eye on the calendar page, folk, because there's new gigs popping up every week!  We've got some hot gigs in the works and you'll see them there when they're confirmed.  Watch for us at the Inner Harbor! 

Greetings, family!  Yer cousin is stacking on the gigs and we'll be rocking all summer for you.This week, 4/24 we'll be performing at the Oneida Lake South Shore Association, a benefit for Dan "Sully" Sullivan, to raise money for his heart surgeryCome on out, it's a great hall and it will be a great time for a good cause. And that's just the first in a long list of upcoming shows, from Rochester to Old Forge to East Pharsalia! (No, really.)We're expecting to perform at the Inner Harbor again this summer, and we hope all you hog riders will be coming out to see us open for Blackfoot!We're going to Thunder in the Forge again this summer, and hope you'll all be making the gorgeous trip thru the Adirondacks.And for those who prefer to do your rocking in the local joints, we had a great time at Beginnings II and we'll be back there again soon. Thanks to all our Family who came out!Yer cousin loves each and every one of you! (I know, that already sounds wrong to me, too.)& Keep an eye on our calendar page, visit often and feel free to leave remarks in the guestbook.

Yeah, it's not bragging if it's true, folks. 

Bob and his coworkers at the day job from Lockheed once again not only rocked out in the Landmark Theater for the 2010 Rockin' the Red Cross, they WON!  Defense Mechanism took first place out of thirteen competitors and blew away the judges and the audience alike, walking home with the trophy and an as-yet to be determined gig in the summer.  No small credit goes to Bob's singing talent - ONE MORE CONFIRMATION that Cousin Jake will ROCK YOU! 

Meantime, our calendar is filling fast.  We're booking from April thru August, and September is warming up on the griddle.  Keep an eye on our calendar page for all the latest and greatest!  We'll have more than a few gigs at bars open to the general public among all those events and long-distance gigs, fear not. 

EVERYONE - here's a copy of an email sent out Monday night by Deb Tafel of Bikers United.  Here's where we see just what the biker community can do! 

As I'm sure you have all heard, Andy's Cycle Shop (Tawdy's building) is being torn down.  The final word is it is being torn down tomorrow afternoon (Tuesday).  They need our help with removing all his stuff before that happens. Tractor trailers are being brought in, bodies are needed to lift and carry things out of the building.  If you can be of assistance, stop down (State Street) anytime tonight or tomorrow they are starting at 7:00/7:30 am. Anyone with generators and cords, they are very much needed because the power has been cut off. Thanks for your help Bikers United

Yep indeed, we have some new photos on the webpage from the Bikers United Winter Heat event, go ahead and have a look (you'll have to page through the first batch, there's a link).  IF ANYONE HAS MORE PICS they'd like to share, not necessarily of us but the goings-on, too, by all means send them to the website.  We'll post 'em if we like 'em and we'll give credit where we can! 

There's plenty coming up this month, so keep an eye on our calendar page.  We'll be playing Mondo's benefit the 21st, Bob is going to strut on the Landmark stage again for the Red Cross Fundraiser the 26th, and then we'll be rockin' some more at Beginning II!  Make sure you're there to boogie! 

Meantime, keep rockin', everybody, and we'll see you out there! 

Heh heh heh, so go to our photo page and have a look at the shots from the Nightstalkers' MC party.  And if anyone else has fun photos of the goings on, feel free to forward them to cousinjake@a-znet.com and we'll put 'em up (if they're fun enough!). 

And don't forget to keep an eye on the calendar, we're adding gigs every week.  If there's somewhere you want us to play, tell the folks at the joint to talk to Dave!  We'll rock their socks off! 

 

And it's not a good habit - we keep offering apologies!  Yes, by Finagle's Law (The perversity of the universe tends toward a maximum.) we managed to get our gig at Joe's Runway 28 not only posted on our website but also all three local papers with calendars - the Post, the SNT and Table Hopping - just before the bar closed.  Thankfully, this was not our fault; hells, it wasn't even the bar owner's fault.  The problem was he didn't own the building.  If you've ever rented from a very interesting landlord, you can do the math real quick. 

SO - for anyone who planned to stop down and help us rock the joint, thanks and our apologies.  For those still hoping, we have more gigs on the way - just have a look at the calendar page! 

AND we want to thank everyone at the party Saturday and especially our hosts, the Nightstalkers MC, for having us out at Beginning II for a great time.  We're hoping for photos of the party so we can post some on our webpage - say, if YOU took some good shots, email the good stuff to Dave (cousinjake@a-znet.com) and we'll immortalize them on the Interwebs.  Doesn't just have to be band photos, all the goings-on could be way cool to put up.  At least one of Strings jamming with the band would be very cool to have!  Thanks, folk! 

AND happy Martin Luther King day to one and all, and remember that rights aren't something you get handed to you, they're something you have to defend. 

Hey there, Family members!  Sorry we didn't post our gig for last Saturday night at Big Bay, but it was birthday parties and we weren't told whether or not it was a surprise.  So, as the general said when the troops disappeared, we opted for discretion.  BUT, thanks for the great time, all you partygoers, we had a terrific time and Bob managed to sing despite his relentlessly goopy lungs.  As for all you guys that Dave told to tell him to go to the doctor, bite me.  The voice is still there.  Any more green tea and the poor schmuck will turn Japanese.  :) 

But don't forget this coming weekend - check our calendar for TWO - count 'em! - TWO gigs on Friday and Saturday.  Clean the cobwebs off the snowshoes and get ready to stomp. 

 

Family, we all in Cousin Jake just want to thank you for another terrific year of playing for you all.  We had a heck of a year, covered a lot of distance, and played quite a few big events, including the Taste of Rochester, the Inner Harbor, Budweiser Amphitheater, and Empire Court at the State Fair.  Bob won a best vocalist award at the Rockin' the Red Cross event.  Our new CD came out this year, FLYING MACHINE, and we've been happy to see lots of interest and sell plenty of copies (and now it's posted on CDBaby for online buyers).  Every audience we play is important to us and every show we give it our best.  Thanks for coming out and we hope we'll see you again soon (hold January 15th for Joe's Runway 28 in Mattydale)!  Remember, if it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing.  Have a groovy new year! 

Hey, there, brethren and cistern!  OK, so my terminology is poor, but I just want to thank all my fellow IUE local 320 members for a terrific time at the holiday party, particularly Mike Labulis and Bob Walter for asking us back.  We had a great time playing for you and I hope you had at least as much fun as we did.    I'm guessing that was the case since we got asked to play an extra set!  Not to mention the guy who practically somersaulted on the dance floor (we're sure he did that on purpose!)  and everyone who was singing along.  And to all our Family members, have a safe and happy holiday season and we'll see you all soon! 

---

 

The chill, that is.  Yer Cousin is booking up for the rest of the year and beyond, so keep an eye on our calendar page.  Of course, if you need some extra heat in your life, we'll be happy to play for YOU, too - in which case, check the contact page from our list of links for how to call Dave!    Give us a yell and we can rock your world! 

---

We're also getting word about a benefit on DEC. 6th at Mac's Bad Art Bar to which we've been invited to play, more as we find out details; and we may just be stopping by Buke's Xmas party to jam, you never can tell...   :) 

As the alleged poem goes: Spring has sprung, Fall has fell, Winter's here and it's as cold as a witch's thorax in a brass brassiere. Well, it's getting chilly and the hogs are mostly back in the garages, but don't let that make you think we're not playing! Keep us in mind for your Fall equinox dance, your Xmas party, or your any-old-excuse-to-rock-out party. There will be parties, there will be events, there are plenty of watering holes we could be playing at if all you fans go ask the barkeep "Why the !*&^#! aren't you hiring Cousin Jake?!? Have you lost your MIND??!?!"

Hey, family members and all the crazies digging the DIRT - we just want to thank Vinnie, Donnie, Frank, Mike, Michelle, Bobco, and everyone who made us feel welcome at Super Dirt Week and the VOODOO LOUNGE, and all the hearty partying going on. What a riot! We had as much fun as ever and special thanks to all the fans thoughtful enough to put a dollar or two in the "hat" when it went around, and bought CD's and shirts. Despite the below 40 weather and the smoke inhalation (no, not the good kind, yah mon) we were rockin' hot as we could. It was a fine time and we look forward already to next year!

Hey, folks, we got some good lines from Mark Bialczak on his Listen UP blog, go have a looksee: http://blog.syracuse.com/listenup/2009/10/rev_it_up_with_cousin_jake_at.html Thanks, man! We're trying our best to bring it at every show - of course, we're copping out for tonight (Friday) at DIRT week because the weather will be a little too Syracuse-like. So wouldn't you just know we'd get press about it?!?! Vinnie called us and suggested we not get rained out, wait til Saturday and nicer conditions. So we will, but we'll ROCK twice as hard!

Greetings, Family members! Here we have the text of a review of our CD, FLYING MACHINE, taken from UpstateLIVE magazine, Vol. 2, Issue 6.

Cousin Jake - Flying Machine
By Greg Jackson

During my meet up with Cousin Jake at IslandFest 2009 before their opening set with Kashmir, guitarist Dave Cook dropped copies of their three CD’s on me. Not having heard them previously, I only had their live performance to go by and that left me with great anticipation to hear how the songs translated to the studio. Cousin Jake lit up the Budweiser Amphitheater that night with their blues/rock originals, and a very interesting combination of covers illustrating their influences and musical tastes. From Robin Trower's "Little Bit Of Sympathy" to Dave’s rendition of [Jimi Hendrix’s] "The Star Spangled Banner/Purple Haze" it's pretty easy to tell the guitar school he attended.
Cousin Jake features the guitar pyrotechnics and vocals of Dave Cook, lead vocals and bass by Bob Volk, and Donny Gillett on drums and vocals. The latter two join(ed) up with Dave in 2006 to round out the three man line-up. Dave, a founding member, has been part of for 16 years. In this style each position had better be pretty strong and Cousin Jake is no exception to this rule. Live, each man takes his turn at the front of the mix. Donny's steady timing rolls along with Bob's rumbling bass lines giving Dave plenty of space to cut his six string prowess loose. Bob's strong vocals and stage presence balance nicely as he urges the crowd to join in and sing along while Dave drives the whole unit with his dynamic runs. Their moniker is "Rock and Roll That Relates"; after listening to 'Flying Machine" live, then on CD, I whole-heartedly agree.
"Flying Machine" is the latest release from the veteran Syracuse band, pre-mastered by Steve Schad at Oak Palace Recording Studio and recorded and mastered at Hertel Recording Studios. The opening track, "Easy Man" sets the tone for the entire CD with Dave's crunching power chords soaring into a quick lead section, then softening behind Bob's vocal intro. This piece leaves you wondering just how easy this man is, especially after Dave’s furious solo section combined with Bob’s reading of the lyric seemingly changing personality from verse to chorus. The rave-up title track I liked better live, like most of the selections here they thrive with the visual energy of Cousin Jake, although Donny's backing vocals really shine in the studio given the proper mix. Track three, "Misery" reveals another of Cousin Jake's influences, down and dirty southern rock reminiscent of a slightly harder Marshall Tucker when Dave cuts the slide loose and Bob's vocal turns to a growl. Number four, "Play Or Die" opens with Dave channeling his internal Trower/Hendrix, both through his lightning licks and soulful vocal. If you need to flex your influences Mr. Cook surely chooses a few right from the top of the all-time list. "Getting Stranger", the fifth cut cuts to the heart of a rock and roll relationship leaving enough room for your imagination to decide if it’s a girl or a bandmate they’re talking about. The dissonant chord structure and thunderous rhythm section twists the concept deeper into dysfunction, definitely my favorite track! “Lay With Me” closes this six song offering showing off Cousin Jake’s softer side. Bob's convincing lyric, Dave’s weeping pedal work and Donny’s tasteful touch put a nice finish on this, the third CD from Cousin Jake.
A great listen from these Syracuse veterans! Definitely a must-have for fans of guitar-driven blues rock and one to keep handy for those classic road trips. Check out Cousin Jake live and pick up a CD or two, you won’t be disappointed!
You can follow the band at www.cousinjake.com or contact them at cousinjake@a-znet.com.

To quote our last email: Thanks to all the folks who came out in Camden and heard us, and especially to Dave Silliman who is trying to do good for the whole town and provide some fun and food for anyone who is stopping by. REALLY good chicken and amazing burgers, Dave! And some damn fine produce at the farm market, too. There's nothing like a tomato as big as your head.

Keep in touch with us, folks! We encourage everyone who signs the guestbook to leave an email address, and we'll keep you posted with upcoming gigs, band news, gossip and more - but not those bad email jokes ALL YOUR OTHER FRIENDS send you. if we're drunk enough we'll attach a smiley, but that's as bad as it gets. Honest.

Well, family members, big thanks to everybody who came out to the State Fair and boogied with us at Heroes & Legends Cafe! We definitely had a great time and it was terrific seeing the place packed. But we're just starting a big week with Labor Day - take a look at the calendar page to see we're playing Wednesday and Saturday this week, too!
Here's a little idea you can store away for next year - when it comes time for the New Times to take votes for best Rock Band in Syracuse, it's time for everyone to vote for COUSIN JAKE! It's time to get the media to acknowledge the power, baby! (Not TOO egotistical, are we???) But, like they say - it ain't braggin' if it's true.

Hey, folks, thanks to everyone who turned out at the Inner Harbor show and caught our set - Rick & Amanda, the guys from Smart Alec, our family members (literally), and even Joanne Demma who INSISTED I tell her whether we were playing and THEN barely got there to catch our last couple songs, harrumph, harrumph, thanks for coming. Man, what fun!
The day was not promising when it was annoying rain all day, grey and depressing, but right before 5:00 the sky cleared for a gorgeous view over the lake and excellent conditions for bands to jam - and jam we did! Kudos to both Tipp Hillbillies and Los Blancos for great performances, and we got a few cheers ourselves.
And of course, the headliners, Little Feat, well, we're not worthy. They were superb as always, even though they were missing their longtime drummer Ritchie Hayward due to a fight with liver cancer. They not only mentioned fundraising but had a giant card (which I never found?!?!!?!) for everyone to sign. But the show was killer - even mixing in jamming covers (Get Up, Stand Up) with such classics as Skin It Back and Spanish Moon (HEY - which one of you guys borrowed my copy of "Representing the Mambo"???). These guys have inspired more jam bands since LONG before the term was coined than damn near anyone - if you didn't go, beat yourselves with the nearest flail!
We had a REALLY good time, folks, thank you all.

Hey, family members! We had some odd bits happening in online postings touting the Inner Harbor show, mentioning other bands (Tipp Hillbillies, Los Blancos) as performing before Little Feat at the Inner Harbor, but no mention of Yer Cousin. Well, this was just an oversight, because we ARE playing the 26th, but the Hillbillies are going on before us. FEAR NOT! Our apologies for not yelling loud or fast enough to get all the info to all the sources of news.
But hey, remember not only to come down and rock out at the Inner Harbor, but save some of your State Fair tickets for the last day, because we'll be doing two shows at the Heroes & Legends cafe' Labor Day afternoon and evening. We'll do our later set right before Kenny Wayne Shephard hits the big stage, too.
We've got more gigs rolling in for the fall, so keep an eye on the gig calendar and remember to mouth off in our guestbook, too!

Well, we sure had a great day on Saturday. Harry Short managed to throw together a great bike event in Hannibal, and we want to thank him and everyone at the American Legion for a well-organized event and making it easy for us to entertain the crowd - who seemed to be having a very good time - thanks, folks! And of course, thanks to everyone who talked to us about booking other dates, bought CD's or t-shirts, and just plain showed up to honor our many veterans and men and women in active service to our country.

And after a fast scramble to pack up we ran down to Baldwinsville to Papermill Island, and blasted out another show opening for Kashmir, a great bunch of guys as well as an impressive act. The Budweiser Amphitheater is a truly fine summer venue for performers and audience members alike. Thanks again to everyone who came out, those who complimented our show, the ladies from the members of Kashmir who graciously allowed us to stash CD's and t-shirts in their booth, the stage crew who were just terrific (seriously, thanks guys!), and Mike Chiamotti (forgive my crap spelling!) who has such faith in us AND offered to hire us to play the NYS Fair again this year at Heroes & Legends!
We absolutely had a great day!

Well, family members, it's already been a hectic schedule for us but we're just getting warmed up here. We have two monster shows coming up - opening for Kashmir at the Budweiser Amphitheater on Papermill Island (Lock 24) in Baldwinsville, and we just found out we're opening for LITTLE FEAT at the Inner Harbor later this month! Meanwhile we have this week's show at Quaker Steak and more going on every weekend for a while. Keep an eye on our calendar page!!
And don't forget, don't just slink off into the night, sign the guestbook and be loud and proud. And get yourself a copy of FLYING MACHINE, our new CD with new original songs that will rock your socks off.

Hiya, folk! We've been having a very busy month and we're having a blast in the process. Thanks to everyone who stopped out to the Mapleview Inn, and to the very nice folks out in Westmoreland who invited us to their home for their party. And of course, to all the lunatics who partied out at Andy's Marina party, what a great time! You guys really know how to party properly - or should we say improperly!?!

In case you heard the rumors, yeah, Bob went to the doc and found out his three-week cold left some damage on his throat, but if you heard him sing last Saturday at Andy's, you know it's not slowing him down any. We're still rocking hot, hard and heavy for y'all. Don't forget to email Dave and order your NEW CD - Flying Machine, a mere $10 with free shipping and handling. We're already gearing up to put out a whole new disc late this year, so you know the train kept a rollin'!

Keep checking our calendar page for upcoming gigs, and come on out to join the party!

Wow, family members! It's true - there's a new Cousin Jake CD titled FLYING MACHINE and it features all new original material. The titles include "Easy Man", "Flying Machine", "Misery", "Play Or Die", "Gettin' Stranger" and "Lay With Me". It's a monster and should be in your disc collection!! You can order copies from Dave right here on the website. WAAHHOOO!!!

Just have to say thanks to all the people who were at County Line Choppers and at Quaker Steak, for the applause and enthusiasm. You're why we're doing this stuff, folks!! We had a great time and hope you did, too.

We want to remind everyone that the new CD IS COMING and we hope to debut it very soon. It'll have all new songs co written by Dave and Bob and featuring the new lineup of Dave, Bob and Don. It will kick ass.

Everybody in the southern regions - we'll be in Ithaca on Saturday, check the calendar!

Yes, family members, it's true.  At this year's Red Cross fundraiser at the Landmark Theater, Bob's employer (Lockheed Martin) entered their band, Defense Mechanism among 14 contenders in the Rockin' The Red Cross Battle Of The Bands.  The judges included critic Mark Bialczak of the Post-Standard, and local performers John Celi and Letizia.  Bob was voted BEST MALE LEAD VOCALIST in the show.

So now you all know one more reason to come out and see COUSIN JAKE!! ;)