Happy Holidays!!

Hi there TLT faithful!! My name is Sean Larrabee and I am happy to introduce myself as the new drummer for the Tony Lee Thomas band. I was lucky enough to meet Tony through some good friends (Sam and Tyler Herrick) back at my home on Nantucket, MA this past September. I filled in for a gig at the Muse Night Club, and then began a whirlwind of traveling and music making. The last few months have been fantastic! I look forward to keeping everyone updated on this winter’s shows, and our work on a new album! We will be visiting some new venues in the coming months and I hope to see you there! Until then check back for updates!

Regards,

Sean

HEATWAVE!

The summer has hit us with a heatwave but the heat dosen’t keep us from performing. Live at the Lake on August 5th was a great show. Thanks to all the thousands of people that came out to see us. Then there was the Powwow

We just came back from a cookout at Walter Reed Medical Center where we met some really great people. We also just taped a special for PCTV. It’s all very exciting!

But there’s no rest for the wicked so with that in mind come on out and share an evening with us… we’ll be at Rumpy’s this weekend, The Crowne Plaza on 8/28, The Dreamaway on 8/29, and we’ve got the 11th Annual Wormtown Music Festival coming up on 9/18-9/20! Remember to check the calendar as we are always adding new events and chances for you to check us out. Don’t miss the opportunity.

Summer Heat

Thanks for checking back. August 5th, Jason, Justin, Krishna and I played the Live at the Lake and were joined by Scottie Guberman and Tim Sears. There was boating, dancing, rockin’ and even some hula-hooping by the fans. With family and friends all abound it was a fantastic day on Onota Lake.
Tonight we are playing at the 4th Annual Pow Wow. Isn’t technology amazing. Thanks to www.ustream.tv even my fans who couldn’t make it out to Stephentown were able to watch us live.

After we sang “Midnight Rider”, Justin, Krishna, Jason, and I were joined by my little sister, Olive, for our version of “Comeback”. We dedicated “Wishing Well” to Sgt. Mark Ecker II and all of our service men and women. We ended with “Sister Song” and left them all wanting more.

If you can come check us out we will be at the Woodstock Walk for Peace this weekend, Card Lake Inn on August 13th, The Sky Box on the 14th, then we’re off to Walter Reed Medical Center for our Benefit Cookout. We always have more dates in the works so keep checking the calendar.

Happy Summer!

After endless rain, it seems that summer has (maybe?) finally arrived here in the Berkshires. The good news is that TLT doesn’t have to deal with all this precipitation, as our favorite band is deep in the midst of their Southern summer tour.

But before we talk about that, let’s take a look back at June …

The month kicked off on Friday, June 5, when the band had a gig at the Underground (formerly Muddy McGee’s, or, for older — way older, like me — Berkshirites, the Branding Iron in the bottom of the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield. The young and upscale crowd gave our rock stars some good love that night! The next night they were off to Becket, and my personal favorite venue, the Dream Away Lodge. Check it out the next time they play there, if you haven’t yet. You have to experience the Dream Away to know what I mean.

The following Friday, June 12, Tony kicked off the Crowne Plaza’s Friday @ 5 series, which features live music, food and drinks on the pool level of the hotel. This was a return performance from last summer. This time, however, our determined musicians were not out in the blazing summer sun!

On June 19, the band was back at Flavours at the Econo Lodge on the Pittsfield-Lenox Road in Lenox. I wonder if there was any chandelier swinging that night? On the 20th, Tony and the guys performed at the annual Relay for Life at Onota Lake and then were off to Rumpy’s in Lenox, our new favorite bar.

But it deserves mention that before Tony headed out on his tour, he also contributed to the Lenox Library’s annual Beatles Day on June 28. Although Tony missed it because of his tour, he organized the bands for the concert held the second half of that day. The Lenox Library is a private organization, so events like this are crucial to its existence. Leave it to our Tony to always stand up for the little guy! And on a side note, did you know “Rocky Raccoon” was the first song he learned to play on guitar? Just a piece of trivia for ya …

June 27 saw his first tour date, at the Beachcomber Pavilion on Cape May in New Jersey. Cape May is just south of Wildwood — perhaps the boys had a chance to walk that endless boardwalk and check out the cool amusements there.

The beginning of July was crazy busy for them, as they hit Virginia Beach on July 1; Cape Hatteras KOA in Rodanthe, N.C., on July 2; Sweetwater Brewing Company in Atlanta, Ga., on July 3; and then rang in Independence Day at the Hilton Head Harbor Resort and Marina in South Carolina. Phew! Makes me exhausted just to think of all that driving. I hope they aren’t leaving too long of a string of broken Southern hearts in their wake …

Ahead for the band is the annual appearance at WoodyFest in Okemah, Oklahoma, on Saturday, July 11, and then it’s back to Virginia Beach on July 18. But they’ll be heading back north shortly after that so that they can celebrate their triumphant return at Rumpy’s in Lenox on Saturday, July 25. Don’t miss that one! And we also have their annual Live on the Lake gig to look forward to on Aug. 5.

It’s been a busy first half of the summer for TLT, but there’s plenty of summer yet ahead. Make sure you mark your calendars with your TLT dates, and check back here often for updates to the calendar. See you soon!

♪ Judi Fairweather ♪

Where did spring go?

Where did April and May go? I seem to have gotten caught in a spring time warp and lost two months somehow. The last thing I knew, I was posting news to you at the beginning of April, and now here it is the beginning of June. My apologies for letting my headlong rush through the Berkshire spring get the best of me.

I haven’t been the only crazed one. It’s been a busy couple of months for our favorite rock star. The month started off on April 2 with a gig at the Hazard Grille in Enfield, Ct. The very next night, Tony was back in the Berkshires playing my favorite way — solo and acoustic — at Rumpy’s Tavern at the Village Inn in Lenox to help Troy, the best bartender around, celebrate his birthday. Even bass player Jason Maley stopped on down. It was a party to remember (or perhaps try to remember?). On the 16th, Tony was off the McNally’s Grill and Pub in Westminster, Mass., for the singer/songwriter showcase. On April 24, it was another Berkshire County appearance at the new up-and-coming venue The Alley in North Adams.

Disappointment followed … a gig at The A in Pittsfield for May 2 was canceled — seems the venue double booked. I know I for one was looking forward to hearing Tony there! But the month rushed ahead. On May 9, Tony returned to Firefly in Lenox to perform at the Richie duPont benefit for Berkshire Theatre Festival. Richie was a young promising actor when he was killed in a house fire at the tender age of 24 in 2005. His friends decided to create a scholarship in his name to allow deserving elementary school students to attend the BTF Plays! summer camp. In one of those “it’s scary how connected we are” moments, my 10-year-old was just awarded a duPont scholarship on May 28  .

Tony again gave back to his community on May 16, when appeared at Flavours for the Here at Home event to benefit veterans on Armed Forces Day. You just gotta love his willingness to do all these benefits.

There was no rest for Tony on Memorial Day weekend. May 22 saw him at the Sky Box in Southwick as well as at Camp Kee-wanee, where he appeared in the seventh annual Wormtown Strange Creek campout. The very next night he returned to our new favorite bar, Rumpy’s. He closed May out on the 30th with a gig at Black Eyed Sally’s in Harford, Ct.

June brings some mystery. He will appear Friday, June 5, at the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield, and then Saturday, June 6, at the coolest venue in Berkshire County, the Dream Away Lodge in Becket. After that, his calendar is mysteriously silent. I have heard some whispers, some rumors, but nothing solid to report to you. If I can find out what he’s got cookin’ — and I think it’s big — you’ll be the first to know.

So get out to see Tony the weekend of June 5. I know he’ll be glad to see you, as always!

♫ Judi Fairweather ♫

Welcome Spring!

Like the first crocuses pushing up bravely from the ground, I too have ventured out of my winter hibernation. And man, it’s been a long one! But just because I retreat in the winter, that doesn’t imply that TLT does the same. For Tony, it’s long days on the mountain giving boarding lessons followed by long nights of rehearsals, songwriting and performing, and this winter was no different.

The last time I checked it with you, it was just the beginning of December. A lot has happened since then! December saw a combo TLT/Naked performance at The Colony in Woodstock, as well as the ever-popular New Year’s Eve blowout at Jiminy Peak, despite the horridly frigid temperatures. To kick off the New Year, Tony performed alongside Tom Ingersoll and other singer/songwriters at Dewey Memorial Hall in Sheffield on Jan. 3.

February brings Valentine’s Day, and Tony showed his fans a little love by spending the night with them at Flavours in Lenox. That was also the debut of Justin Nackoul, formerly of the Longview Gunslingers, with the band. A memorable evening to be sure! February also brought Tony a chance to perform with an acoustic version of Domino Theory at Pittsfield’s latest happenin’ hip spot, Mission Bar + Tapas, on Feb. 19. Then it was down to Theodore’s, the famous blues club in the heart of Springfield, on Feb. 21. On Feb. 28, it was back on the road again for an encore opportunity at The Sky Box in Southwick.

On March 6, Tony had the opportunity to play for his little sister’s alma mater, Miss Hall’s School, in a free, private concert. And then it was off to win the hearts of all those yellow roses in Austin, Texas — Tony served as both a panelist and performer at the South by Southwest Music Conference and Festival on March 18. The end of the month saw spring break as you’ve never seen it — at Killington Ski Resort in Vermont. TLT and spring skiing — it doesn’t get any better than that.

So here we are in April, and there’s a lot going on this month. May dates are filling up quickly, and there’s already something booked for June! This month, look for Tony at the Hazard Grille on April 2, Rumpy’s Tavern at the Village Inn in Lenox on April 3 (where Tony will be helping Troy celebrate his birthday) and the Crowne Plaza in Pittsfield on April 4. Do you get the idea that things are picking up quickly? But that’s not it for the month. Yet to come are McNally’s in Westminster for a singer/songwriter showcase on April 16 and The Alley in North Adams on April 24.

But as you know, new dates are added all the time, so don’t go by what is listed above or you risk missing something! Make sure to check Tony’s calendar regularly so that you know the latest dates. Oh, and if you are on Facebook, make sure to add Tony as a friend there, too! (And you can certainly add me as well, if you want to, of course.)

I look forward to catching you up with the news monthly again. Enjoy this spring weather and get psyched for the tour months ahead! Talk to you soon …

♫ Judi Fairweather ♫

2007 – A Brave New World

Happy New Year Y’all!!!

I thought it was about time I let everyone in on what’s been happening . . . it has been a busy transition into the New Year. We kicked it off right at Jiminy Peak where I debut the TLTrio . . . Jason Maley on Bass, Matty Boulais on Drums, and of course, yours truly. The energy was contagious that night at Christiansen’s Tavern (the Round House) as it was packed with folks from all over the world. We jammed all night, and at 11:30 we watched 30 torch bearers snake down the mountain like a fire wyrm, until the stroke of midnight, when the floor began to shake underneath all the stompin’ feet. Thanks Dody, for having us, we can’t wait to come back in February! And a huge thanks goes out to Donnie and Cozeen, my partners in crime, who have helped me continuously since the CD Release Party. You all might remember Donnie was the menacing gargantuan at the door in December, and Cozy was behind the merch table. If you see these guys around, shake their hands and know that they are the most selfless and kind people I have ever met, and I am pround to call them the foundation of my dysfunctional family.

We’ve also had some exciting develpoments in the way of contests. Emergenza out at Fat Cat’s in Springfield was a tremendous success. The Tony Lee Thomas Band will be advancing to Round 2 of the contest, to take place back at Fat Cat’s in May! On top of that, we made some great new friends out there – Evenspeak, 4th Demension, you guys rocked the house. Can’t wait to do some shows together, everyone should check these kick ass bands out online, and go see some live shows too. So, keep your eyes peeled for the tickets and details of the next round in the Emergenza Festival – we will definately need your support to continue advancing. Thanks to Vin and Shawn, who did a fantastic job managing and running sound. Thanks also to Chad Lillie who joined our motley bunch out there all day to document our adventure on film. Watch out for video of what was a fantastic ride!

Back in December, I entered 4 songs in the International Songwriting Contest; featuring judges like Tom Waits, Amy Ray, Macy Gray, and many, many more. I submitted Baker’s Dozen in the Singer/Songwriter category, Chapters in Folk, For Vanessa in Rock, and Chess Game in Americana (I think). I was pleased to find yesterday, that out of 14,000 song entries, ALL FOUR of my submissions have advanced to the next round! I can’t believe it. They will be announcing the semi-finalists on February 1st, so keep your fingers crossed!

Finally, I began writing my next album this month with Robbie Baier from Soultube Music. We had such an undeniable chemistry in the studio for Supernova, we are both excited about our combined efforts on the ground level of composition. The feel of the album will be a departure from jamming electric rock, and will be an expedition into the realm of folk. Acoustic ballads and poetry abound, I am looking forward to learning a great deal from this accomplished and talented musician/writer/engineer/producer – thank you Robbie!!

Lots more on the way, and many more shows this year, so hit the Calendar page in your electronic travels – hope to see you out there!

TLT