The Cherry Blog

2011 Hiatus Show

2011-09-12T19:11:36Z

It's funny how quickly everything can change.

It seems like only yesterday I got this idea in my head that I couldn't shake. I wanted to form a band and little bit by little bit it came together. I remember that first phone call with Celeste. She's been my friend, confidant and partner-in-musical hijinx since the very beginning. I promised her we wouldn't gig or travel too much and that she'd never have to play songs like "Sweet Home Alabama," "Brown-Eyed Girl" and "Mustang Sally." I've done a good job of keeping my word too!

I found Jason one night when I went to see a musical my friend Joy had been cast in. I thought he was cool, extremely easy on the eye and I really liked his singing voice. When I found out he played guitar, that was just the icing on the cake. We soon had ourselves quite the charismatic guitarist & singer.

I started emailing with Rich online after I saw his profile on Bandmix, which referred me to his website. I'm pretty sure that was a combination of fate and luck as he's been an integral part of the mix since pretty much the beginning too. Before we even met, he was quick to offer advice and support. I knew he had a place here. He's one of the most talented people I've ever met, with the biggest heart.

And JD... I can't say enough about JD. When we were in a lurch for decent sound equipment, he stepped in and became our "official sound guy" asking for little in return. Every day he wears so many hats. He has his own band "Aftershock" that he built from the ground up, works each week 40+ hours in a management position at Cisco, and finds a way to keep his family well and happy. However, he still found time to work with us and became an integral part of our team. When we began a search for a new drummer, he volunteered and unanimously we snatched him up. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone more dedicated and professional with such a kind spirit than JD.

But with that said, it is with a heavy heart that I make the following announcements:

JD has decided to take a break from music to focus on other aspects of his life. He is stepping down from the drum chair here at Cherry. We adore him and as much as we wish he were staying, we understand how the demands and priorities of life change.

I'm (AJ) going to Esthetician School (I'll be graduating in July). The majority of my classes will take place from October until December, so the band will be going on a temporary hiatus until the first of the year. Working full-time and going to night-school leave little time for anything else.

Wish us well. You'll be seeing us out when our busy schedules permit.

Don't hesitate to say "Hello."

Our last show before the hiatus will be September 24th, 2011 at Sparians Bowling Boutique & Bistro.
This will be JD's last show with us. Let's give him a proper sendoff!
It's also our last show of 2011. Come out and show your support.

NOTE: Since this will be a landmark show for us, video & photography are strongly encouraged.

Update: Jason is also a new Dad! Congratulate him if you get a chance. He and his lovely wife have just welcomed a brand new baby boy into the world!

The times are changing and much is happening, but we're lucky to have what we do and we're even luckier to have been able to have shared it with you!

You Are Here...

2011-08-12T14:45:23Z

When I first started getting into the "band scene" I remember looking up from the audience at many of the well-respected cover bands and thinking "I wonder what it would be like to be able to be THERE." I never thought I would be able to find the number of capable musicians it takes to form a band who would not have completely conflicting schedules. It just seemed like such work, so for a long time I never tried. It was just a thought I kept in the back of my head while I sang my little heart out in a studio with John Custer.

He used to tell me I was a "well-kept secret." It never dawned on me the power of those words... until I met musician after muscian... Something inside me just awakened.

Now I look back and I can remember coming to venues like The Brewery, Amra's, Napper Tandy's, Tir Na nOg, 42nd Street... and now Wild Wing Cafe. I used to wonder what it would take to get there.

And now I look back in wonder and amazement at how far we've come.

WE ARE HERE!!!

Updates & Photo Shoot

2011-04-18T02:29:00Z

A few months ago I posted about two of our members being involved with other area musical endeavors. This is no longer correct. I have since quit my "full time" status with The Lawn Darts.

When I'd joined them in January, it was nice to perform and not have to worry with any coordinating or management duties. (Anyone who knows me knows that I pay great attention to every detail... and that sometimes takes a lot out of you when you need to shine in the spotlight as well.) As time went on, the dates on my calendar began to fill with Lawn Dart gigs. There was no room left to book Cherry (or do much else for that matter) so I quit in order to better focus my attention. I wish them well. It was an absolute pleasure playing with them for the beginning of this year. They're sweet guys and extremely talented, but in order for me to function, I had to drop back and cut out some extra-curriculars.
Now I am 100% Cherry-centric once again. I couldn't be happier!!!

Also, last Sunday we had a photo shoot with photographer M. Eric Honeycutt of VegaBlue Studios.

Since I'm probably going to post quite a few of them on our website, emails, and promotional materials, I'll leave you with a little teaser...

Behind the scenes...

And a LOT of goofin' around...

Here's a little preview...

Fun, painless shoot with good friends and a little chillaxin' afterwards. Couldn't be better!

Check out our NEW LOOK! Let us know what you think. And we'll SEE YOU SOON!

Cherry Kisses!!

Drum Roll Please...

2011-03-16T18:05:00Z

In the last 2 weeks we searched high and low, far and wide and met some most excellent people along the way. However, in our quest for Cherry's new drummer, we found that what we needed was already there.

As most of you know, Jeremy "JD" Davis, Aftershock's founder and drummer has been making us sound good for quite a while now. When we decided to hold auditions, JD provided his practice drum set for all auditioners. When he decided to throw his name in the hat, everything just seemed to come full circle.

Please join us in welcoming JD to the Cherry stage. He was already a member of our band family, but now we're extremely proud to have him providing the beats to move your feet!

Dance on over to the next Cherry show and say Hi.

More More MORE!!!

2011-03-11T15:59:00Z

Yes, the rumours are true...

Recently, two of our members, AJ & Rich began sharing their talents with two other well-known cover bands. This will by no means take away from the Cherry experience, instead it will give you more opportunities to see them doing what they do best... entertaining you.

When he's not performing with Cherry, Rich can be seen sharing the stage with our friends Aftershock.

And when AJ isn't performing with Cherry, she can be seen sharing the stage with our friends The Lawn Darts.

These bands are a part of our musical family and we all pitch in to help each other whenever we can. Aftershock's JD is our trusted sound technician and you will often find Cherry's own Jason behind the sound board at many Lawn Dart shows.

We're delighted that you all support live music in this area.
We're also delighted to support each other.
Come out and see us, wherever we may be!

Brushes with Greatness

2010-10-15T17:48:00Z

The headliners when Cherry played the Live It Up on Hillsborough Street (Hillsborough Street Grand Re-Opening Celebration) gig were a band called Crowfield. They sound-checked right before us. Shortly thereafter, I directed them to the nearest breakfast place in close proximity to Guitar Center (they needed to make a guitar string run). Really nice guys. Their drummer and I share an affinity for breakfast foods served any time of day.

This morning I received an email from Sixthman about their upcoming VH1 Best Cruise Ever! The first band on the list of newly added artists was (you guessed it) Crowfield! They'll be performing on the VH1 Best Cruise Ever (April 28 – May 2, 2011) with Train, Lifehouse, Colbie Callait, The Script, and Matt Kearney.

Best of luck to you guys! It was a pleasure for Cherry to share the stage with you!

Cherry Kisses!

Come Join the Party!

2010-06-29T14:11:31Z

It's been a while since I've written about everything going on in Cherryland, so here's a little blog to catch you up.

We had a great show at Ruckus-Cary (affectionately referred to as R2). It was amazing to see so many of you there. The crowd spilled onto the sidewalk outside of the patio. A wonderful energy was in the air. Many local musicians were in attendance, supporting local music. (Special thanks to the Davis family for sporting their newly-acquired Cherry t-shirts. You guys ROCK!) I even saw friends from my high school that had moved across the country. Katherine and Pruitt, you looked fantastic, by the way...

At one point, I looked out over the crowd and it hit me.
I used to throw huge parties and invite everyone I knew... people who would otherwise never have met. They were from work, theatre, modeling, music... all of my different worlds... I was always being asked when the next party was because so many new connections were made.

This show was no different. The sea of faces, some familiar, some not... some my friends, some regular Ruckus patrons, some friends of bandmates... all together, having a great time. It was exactly as it should be.

I used to regret the fact that I hadn't thrown a party in a long time. I missed it very much. But after witnessing the meshing of all the distinctly different personalities in such harmony... I feel fortunate that I get to continue that same tradition in this brand new way. I can't believe it never occurred to me.

Cherry is so fortunate to have the best fans. If you haven't yet, you should come out and meet them.
Come join the party!
You'll be glad you did.
And you'll be asking when the next one is.

Cherry Kisses!

This Quote Just Made My Day

2010-06-28T21:55:00Z

“The man for me is the cherry on the pie. But I’m the pie and my pie is good all by itself. Even if I don’t have a cherry.”

—	~ Halle Berry

Extraordinary

2010-04-23T14:28:00Z

Recently, someone asked,"You guys perform the song Extraordinary by Liz Phair. Although it's a great song, it's not mainstream popular like most of the stuff on your set list. What made you select it?"

I am extraordinary if you'd ever get to know me. I mean, Have we met?
*Just kidding*
Yeah, not really...

The short answer would be that it suits my voice and that everyone in the band has a good time playing it.
But the reason I chose it does come with its own funny story...

I personally became quite fond of the song because it reminded me of a conversation I had with an old ex of mine.
It's why I almost crack up when I sing the words Average Everyday Sane Psycho.

HIM: All of my ex-girlfriends are psycho.
ME: Okay... so what do you think of me?
HIM: You're the coolest chick I ever dated.
ME: But if we ever break up, will you call me psycho too?
HIM: YEP.
ME: And you really don't think that the problem here could be you?

Ch-ch-ch CHANGES!

2010-04-15T01:52:00Z

Although it may not appear so on the surface, a lot of things have been happening in our Cherry-colored world.
We're like little ducks, perfectly calm on top of the water, with little feet kicking up a storm underneath.

We took a little hiatus to regroup, take vacations, and ultimately do a little soul-searching.
In the process we did a little restructuring within the ranks.

We lost a member and gained a member.

We'd like to take this opportunity to thank Iain Watt, who learned our entire set list in about 2 rehearsals, for his unrelenting enthusiasm and love of music. He really allowed us all to see the world through Cherry-colored glasses again.

Thank you Iain, for being the nicest guy and most quiet member of Cherry.

At first we were all afraid we were offending you at rehearsals, until we introduced you to Jenny-Jenny, our faithful tambourine goddess and the Irish Car Bomb drinking contests began.

Although we sometimes had to get you to repeat yourself mutliple times, we will miss your charming Irish accent.

Slight change of subject...

Our last gig was at Tir Na nOg on March 26th. I had quite a few people approach me about the Bluebird & Cherry necklace I was wearing.

This little piece of jewelry was made by one of my favorite Etsy sellers, Emily Pericht of Pittsburgh, PA.

She does a lot of vintage tattoo designs. Rings, Bracelets, Earrings, Necklaces...
They're all very colorful, fun, and inexpensive. She also does custom orders.

You can check her out by clicking the banner below or going here:
http://www.etsy.com/shop/artallnight

(When our trusted photographer friends get around to posting photos and video, there will be photos of what it actually looks like on, in case you missed it and are interested.)

And now to announce Cherry's newest member...

This is Scott. He can play the hell outta some drums. You're gonna meet him very soon.

If you're lucky.

Cherry Kisses!!!

AJ