Erik Karlsson Music

7/08/08 - Just a quick HELLO from me. I have a raft of new shows that are finding their way to the calendar so be sure to check those out and mark your own calendars. The new CD is coming along nicely and, drum roll please, here is the first attempt at a track list: Come to San Francisco, East Texas Pines, Fly, Girl on the Run, Long Train, Radio Days, The World Wasn't Ready for You, Trying to Fill the Great Big Empty, Walls, What Comes Next, El Paso, In This Chair, Whatcha Goin' to Do? Note that these aren't in the order they'll be on the new CD...and I may slip one more surprise piece in - but this is what I'm working on right now. I AM looking for a fiddle player who might want to donate some tracks to the cause since I've decide that my fiddle ability is still far too raw to include on a serious release.

6/14/08 - I'm on the radio! Ok...its NET radio, but radio nonetheless. Check out www.kccafe.net in order to hear an interesting mix of KC artists on this web radio station. It takes a little getting used to - not having a program style since you'll hear rock, country, folk and just about anything else on this station as long as the musicians have a tie-in with Kansas City. Eventually, the eclectic mix makes for fun listening. Be sure to request my tunes from the request page.

Also of note, I have rejoined the band 7 Mysteries as their rhythm guitarist once more. Events in my life have changed enough that I knew I could dedicate the time to it again. So I'm rock/popping out with them once more. Hopefully, we'll soon have some shows where everyone can come out and see us.

2/7/08 - THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT #2!!! More than 30 years ago, I found myself mesmerized by the music of a guy named Harry Chapin. Before "Air Guitar" had a name, I was performing to teeming crowds in my imagination, strumming a make-believe guitar and singing along to the tunes on Harry's album Verities and Balderdash. Later, I'd find out that Harry believed in doing what he could to fight hunger the world over. Half the shows he performed were benefits for hunger relief. He was always aghast that as a world, we had enough food to feed the population many times-over, but still, people went hungry.

Recently, I think Harry's ghost must have given me a bit of a prod. After all, I have a good day job and have no worries about where my next meal is coming from. But there are those in our communities who do have this worry. And thus, I decided to 1) Give my music away 2) Take any proceeds I do make in tips and CD sales and donate 100% of them to the local hunger relief organization Harvesters Community Food Network. Like Harry, I don't plan on making a big fuss...I'm not going to spend lots of time haranguing folks at shows or try to do any "guilt trip" messages. That's not what this is all about. If you like my music, then drop a tip in the jar at my shows or buy my CD, even though you can download it for free. Everyone comes out a winner.

2/4/08 - THE BIG ANNOUNCEMENT #1!!! Forty-Something is now a free download on the Music page! As noted in my previous post, I am doing this music thing because it is part of me...I simply love it. So to try to squeeze money out of it began to feel a little weird. Another of my favorite artists, David Wilcox, said it well in his song Sex and Music when he compared the two and stated, "When you start doing it for money, that's when the innocence ends." I want the innocence to remain - so its a free-for all! I plan on putting much more music up here as I create it so there will be a collection of stuff for the download fiends in all of us. Mind you, I will continue to make CD's available for those who wish to have something solid or who don't prefer to download their music. Also, stay tuned as I plan on having another special announcement very soon regarding why I will still be selling CD's and putting out a tip jar at my shows.

2/3/08 - Ah, the new year has already been fluttering past! I have been writing a few new tunes and have been recording a handful as well. I am about to do some major reworking of the web site Music page to include more than just a handful of songs in the jukebox, as well as allow for full downloads of all the songs I can scrape together. Am I mad, you may wonder? Not really - I just want to get my music into the hands of those who want to listen to it and as Josh Ritter says in his wonderful song Summer's Gone, "I'm singing for the love of it — have mercy on the man who sings to be adored." Plus, I'm mulling some ideas regarding any money I do collect from making music - and I'll let you in on those items soon as well once I have all the ducks in a row.

10/27/07 - Things are about to get busy. Have you seen the schedule I have for November? And that doesn't include the performances with the band 7 Mysteries! So there'll be lots of chances to see me now that the weather has taken a nice turn for the cooler. It makes going to coffeehouses that much more enjoyable - a chill in the air and the hot steam rising from a tasty cup of coffee, along with that brilliant aroma. Wow. I think I'll go get a cup right now. If you'd like me to remind you of when I'm playing around town, be sure to send me a message to get on my mailing list. There's a link to do so over there to the right under the Contact section.

I've also been writing a ton of new stuff lately and I want to make it available. So I decided to take a hint from Trent Reznor, Harvey Danger and Radiohead - my next collection of music is going to be freely downloadable here on this site. I'm working up the song list so that I can begin the recording process...and if you have read anything in the past on this page, you know that getting the songs into a state so they're ready for public consumption can take some time - but for now, that's the plan. And remember, Forty-Something was released on the Creative Commons license - so if you know someone with the CD, it is perfectly legal to make a copy.

8/26/07 - Thanks everyone who was able to come by and see me at Main Street and Westport coffeehouses this weekend. The shows were quite good, and I was able to make some decent recordings at the Westport event, so those will make it onto the site here eventually for download. Those two shows close out my summer but since these last two shows really felt so good, I will be working to get more shows as the winter approaches. I've also put some direct links to the SoundClick videos I've done on the Music page so you can see me perform live! I'll keep you posted on where I'm playing through this site as well as through my MySpace site as things come available.

8/11/07 - Here's a treat for those of you who have made the effort to come all the way to this web site. About a month ago, I performed at a private house concert and I did some recording during that event. Here are a couple of tunes from that event that you can download to your heart's content. Enjoy! Forty-Something & Reno

8/06/07 - With a wave of my hand, my CD has made it onto CD Baby with a real UPC symbol on it and everything. Wow. Its almost like being a real musician.

Of course, this means that if you want to buy the CD online, it will cost you a little more than if you come to a show - but that gives you a reason to get to one of my shows! AND remember if you purchased one of my EP's entitled Beauty & Impermanence, you can get the CD for HALF OFF at any show. Just show the EP, and I'll give you the discount...that's just like getting the EP for free!

If you'd like to go check out the CD Baby installation of my CD, go to that Buy Now link over there to the right.