Stoking the star maker machinery...behind the popular song.

BEFORE you continue to the blog post, I just wanted to direct you to a FREE download of "Don't Write Your Goodbyes" (Acoustic Piano Version), which I'm making available for download just for the Holidays. Check it out: DON'T WRITE YOUR GOODBYES (Acoustic Piano) !!!
***


It's been a long time since I have blogged ... either that, or so much has happened that I've felt guilty for not keeping the blogging world updated to it. Though I confess, I don't know what kind of audience I have here. I.E., I'm not exactly in my teenage Xanga-blogging days. ;)

Anyway, before I recount other things I just want to let you guys know that there is a big announcement to come soon! I don't want to mention it officially just yet, because it's currently still in the works, but keep checking back in the next few day, k? If you came to the release show on Friday, then you know exactly what it is!

... wow, where to begin?
I have to confess, so many shows have happened this season that it's kind of a whirlwind remembering them all. Not to say they weren't memorable, but they are overwhelming to try and recall. The one that really sticks out in my mind, though, was speaking at Carnegie Mellon. I went into it unsure if my message would really get across to the students. I had to talk about what I did as a musician, and encourage the undergrads to pursue unconventional passions. I'm pretty sure I blabbered for a while, and wasn't completely comfortable until I had my guitar in front of me (I ended up singing/playing unplugged!), but I got such a strong response back... students with artistic or musical talent who were always told not to pursue it because it wasn't "practical", or their parents continually told them they could never go far with it, to the point that they'd internalized it and stopped believing in their own talent. I remember feeling that way a lot growing up too... it's the constant challenge for Asian-American families, especially immigrant families like mine, where survival mentality is deeply ingrained.

Not to say there isn't legitimacy to the argument. Of course pursuing the arts is harder than many other fields. But for me, it never made much sense to work hard towards a "fall back plan" when you weren't even giving real effort to the number one plan. You know? For me, currently managing a full-time job while doing music, the danger is to devote little time to the art - something I'm always grappling with. Juggling a job motivates me to keep working at music, just to compensate for the hours lost. It's not ideal... obviously, I'd like to be doing music full-time. But I've got to be practical. I don't come from a family with a lot of money. I'm never happy with living off my parents. So... I make it work. But one thing's for certain... I don't think I can ever give it up.

Anyway, if any of the CMU students happen to run into this blog, thanks for being a great audience that day (and forgiving w/ my blabbering!) I am currently writing your song. :)


Me with some CMU students!

--

Also, for the Tufts U. gig in mid-November, I was lucky enough to have my trusty videographer from Boston, Eric, on-hand to tape quite a bit of that show. So... I wanted to share another video... it's a jam I did w/ one of the opening bands, The Cellar Doors. They were really awesome - a Tufts band, all music majors - with an eclectic sound: violin, djembe, guitar, nylon-string guitar, synths and other fun percussives. I had them jam with me to an older tune, "Meaningless Conversation."



--

After spending just 11 hours in Boston for that show, I hopped a plane back home to play with my band at Wuzz Up Cafe in Bergenfield. My mom, her friends, other family friends, church people, friends of friends of friends came out and made the show really nice, casual, homey. I'm pretty sure I just crashed that weekend... that's really all I could do after sleep deprivation and those wonderfully draining shows.

I just had my release show this past Friday as well! I'll post photos of that up... it's still a bit too new. We had ube cake to Celebrate and it was deeeelish:

Last night I opened for Kitchie Nadal @ The Knitting Factory's new BK location. WOW what a sound system in that place. I'll happily play it again... even if it's like 2 a.m. on a Wednesday night. Just to marvel at the acoustics.

Anyway... me and the band have a show in Princeton on Saturday and then that's it for 2009. Still, my to-do-before-2010 list is quite extensive. I'm not sure how I'll get it all done. Crossing fingers... think good thoughts for me!


<3

FRIDAY and SUNDAY: Official CD Release Party & The Knitting Factory!

Now that November is pretty much at an end, and the busiest leg of the tour behind me, I'm able to take a little breather. BUT, there's still time to party. The CD Release Party, of course! :) These next shows are back in NYC... check them out if you're in town!

8 pm Friday, Dec. 11
"Second Skin" Official CD Release Party!
Sidewalk Cafe - 94 Avenue A, NYC
Tip jar (and cake!)

----

6 pm Sunday, Dec. 13
Tao Po? Benefit Concert w/ Kitchie Nadal and other guests
The Knitting Factory, Brooklyn
361 Metropolitan Ave., Brooklyn
Suggested donation: $20
http://organichumanity.org

"Love or Fate" at Tufts University, 11.19.09

My friend Eric shot a lot of the show at Tufts last Thursday, and this is a song called "Love or Fate" that didn't quite make the cut to the album. However, I really enjoy performing it when I find the right kind of crowd. It's a bit different from many other songs I write - one of the reasons it didn't make the album - but I really love singing it. Sorry about the banter, but at least you get to hear the background story!


<3 Alfa


PS: Eric put up 7 videos from the Tufts show. Check them out in his channel, here!http://www.youtube.com/user/25AMDG

Deja Vu in Ann Arbor

It was kind of strange being back in Ann Arbor. I'd only spent 2 months last time I was there in '06, but everything kind of came flooding back in the few hours I got to spend wandering the campus with an old friend of mine, Justin, who I'd met back in 2002 in Governor's School and is in Michigan Law now. He had been responsible for booking me at Amherst College 4.5 years ago, and that was the last time we'd seen each other.

Anyway, playing the U. Michigan show was a lot of fun, and everyone was so friendly, gracious and helpful with all the logistical stuff. I spent 30 hours there but it felt so much shorter. It doesn't help when the departure flight required waking up at 4 in the morning - but there you have it! It's late right now, so I will post the few pictures I took another day.

I've got a busy week ahead of me! Fordham U. is on Friday, followed by an 8 a.m. flight to Pittsburgh on Saturday, to speak at Carnegie Mellon. Yes - Speak. You don't understand how nervous that prospect makes me. Give me a guitar and a microphone and it's not a big deal... speaking, in front of a 100 people? Oy, pass me a Motrin. :P

Seriously excited, though. I love challenges, and I guess this is just one of them. I'm supposed to speak about pursuing music for 45 minutes... but part of that will be performing and the other part... I haven't decided yet, but I hope to make it interactive. Goodness knows who'd wanna hear ME drone on for 45 min! =)

Family is trickling into town starting Friday night, from Ohio, Arkansas, Trinidad, et al. I'm sorry that my schedule is as busy as it is while they're around, but I'm going to try to spend as much time with them as I can. At least they'll be around for the Hometown Band Show on the 20th! Wahoo!

More thoughts for now... but I leave you with a quote from a song in my head:

"Tension is to be loved when it is like a passing note to a beautiful, beautiful chord."

- Sixpence None the Richer.

The quiet after, and before.

Last weekend was a blur, but a blast all the same. And what a blast it was!

Last Sat., I got to speak at a workshop all about being an indie artist, and then played two songs during their variety show. Plus I got to meet some new fans of the music - probably the coolest part. :)

Here's my performance of "Love as Tragedy: A Play in 3 Acts" at U. of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana.

This is my manager, Jon, after hijacking my camera while I was taking a shower in the hotel room, haha...
This is Manny Garcia - an excellent singer/songwriter from Chicago who reminds me of Michael Buble... sigh. :) I think he's perusing my echinacea pills (I had to bring it to help keep my sickness down, as I was really under the weather all weekend). The next dawn I flew out to Baltimore to catch a benefit show in Fort Washington, MD, hosted by an old songwriter friend, Rod Garcia (wow, a lot of Garcias last weekend, I'm realizing!). The show was to benefit the victims of the recent typhoons and floods in the Philippines.

It was really neat meeting Charmaine Clamor, an acclaimed jazz singer, who was gracious and friendly and such a talent. Check her out if you can.

And this is Gina, who came up to me before the show and told me she'd figured out the piano parts to "Supergirl" and pretty much memorized all the tracks on "Second Skin." She just really rocks, so she gets a shoutout! :)

Here's me with the guys from Lucky 28, a DC-area band. Their sound brings me back to the 70's - think BeeGee's meets Bread. They're fans of my music too, which is really cool to get from others involved in the same art.

Anyway, it's been a relatively calmer week. Had a chance to rehearse with Laura, Jon and Dave (btw the band just joined Twitter! Add them at www.twitter.com/alfamadeustweet!) and got to update the website a bit (www.alfa-music.com). I also played a private show on Friday night for a bunch of partners at a law firm... I can't say much about it for obvious reasons, but enough to say, it was definitely more fun than I thought. I can only hope to get some inspiration from it... law puns are welcome.

Gearing up for this weekend.

No doubt this upcoming weekend is going to be crazy! I'm really excited, at the same time that I am quite dreading the inevitable tiredness that's usually coupled with such craziness. What I mean is, I have back-to-back shows on Saturday and Sunday... and they happen to be 600 miles apart.

Yep. I'm officially crazy.

But I have to say, I'm totally stoked! Saturday I'm flying out super early to perform at the FACT Conference in U. of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. I'm also speaking at one of their workshops during the day, so that should be fun. What I don't look forward to, however, is sitting in the hotel room all by myself.. Oh well, maybe I'll get a good song out of it!

Sunday I'm flying out, again early, to Baltimore for a show in Fort Washington to benefit the victims of the typhoons in the Philippines. Rod Garcia, a fantastic singer/songwriter friend of mine who lives down there, organizes this yearly concert and it's my second year playing. It's always fantastic. It also happens that my grandfather's favorite Filipina jazz singer, Charmaine Clamor, is going to be singing. So I'll be sharing the stage with her... needless to say, autographs and photos will be in order.

:)

Okay... time to rest up for that long weekend! Talk to y'all soon.

Raspberry beret!

So about two weeks ago I performed down in Jersey City for a benefit held by some of the high schoolers at High Tech High School for Love146, an anti-child trafficking organization. There were many highlights to that show, thanks to a great audience (even despite the rain) and possibly the coolest fan present I've ever gotten... this here beret (or "raspberry beret" for all you Prince fans), crocheted by a lovely girl named Shannon who had recently listened to "Second Skin." The awesomeness of this is infinite...

I sometimes have moments when I wonder if my music is reaching out to anyone at all, and then I get something like this - made with so much love, care and consideration - and I tell myself to just shut my yap and be happy I can spread good vibes with my songs.
--------
Speaking of good vibes, I just can't get the new Regina Spektor album out of my head. I've had it for less than a week and I feel so close to every song on her new record. Particularly this one:



What a head-spinning few weeks it has been for me.
This album somehow calms me down, seems to put things in perspective and at the same time ignite something that makes me want to fight hard to continue seeing the beauty in everything. What I mean is, I turned 24 this past weekend, and I've always had issues accepting age... and I guess this album reminds me to just go with the flow, and see the good parts of growing older. You know?

On a tangent, this is why we should never give up the full-album format. I know people like to release singles these days, because of iTunes and that whole mp3 format... but at least for us singer/songwriters, we should keep the album because it makes such a statement about our music, our lyrics, our entire being. And what is a singer/songwriter if she or he is not simply trying to pinpoint life as it is?

Notes from The Bitter End and apologies...

Hey everyone! I know I've been terrible with updates, and so much has happened by way of gigging and booking more gigs in the last few weeks, I've been remiss to get back to ol' Blogger to keep you posted.

Maybe this will help make up for it?

Also, photos from the show are in the "Photos" section of the Facebook Fanpage: facebook.alfa-music.com.








Thanks to Dave Dodds, Jon McElroy, Laura Dadap, Alex Sovronsky and my sister Faye Garcia for a job well done that night!!!

We had another gig in New Hope, PA shortly after (Sept. 30), and I played two shows out in Jersey City last weekend, including a wonderful benefit show for Love146 sponsored by high schoolers from High Tech High School. Coming up on Friday, I'll be opening for Matt Santry at TCNJ! Check him out here: myspace.com/mattsantry.

The Early Birthday Show @ The Bitter End

First, and foremost, here's the poster I spent a while working on (have I ever told you that I stink at Adobe??) to promote the Bitter End show on September 22nd.

For whatever reason, I'm getting jitters about this show, so do spread the flyer around if you can! Me, Jon the bassist and Dave the drummer could use all the support we can get. Somehow, band shows still make me kind of nervous. I guess I've just been solo-ing it for so long...

Oh, and since I am not scheduled to play in NY around my Birthday, which is October 11, then I guess this sort of becomes my early b-day celebration.

Maybe we'll have CAKE too???

Good friends Laura Dadap and Alex Sovronsky should be making appearances too, if that is enticing at all!

-------

Secondly, I've been thinking about moving out to L.A. sometime next year. Yes, seriously. Thoughts?

Stop Child Trafficking Now

Last night's performance at "Walk the Talk" for Stop Child Trafficking Now was an eye-opening experience for me. I know there are a number of great organizations working towards eradicating child trafficking globally, but I think SCTN has a truly far-reaching approach to their work. Instead of attacking on the supply side - getting the girls and the pimps off the street, which is often temporary because of sheer numbers - SCTN attacks from the demand side. Now I don't know the specifics too well, but the idea is to work on prosecuting pedophiles and getting them into jail. Apparently, they can be prosecuted for 20 years to life for having sex with a minor - the problem is just that we aren't getting enough of these people arrested and jailed. Once arresting pedophiles becomes the norm, we can actually have a shot at curbing demand for child sex and we can shrink the market for this awful practice.


Please take a moment to check out Stop Child Trafficking Now's website and see what it's all about for yourselves. There's no reason any innocent child should have to be put through this atrocity: sctnow.org.


Also, somewhat in conjunction with this... I wanted to share the latest from Jeremy Manongdo (aka Passion). It's not dealing with child trafficking directly, but was just a shot of inspiration for me...a reminder to stop looking at ourselves and putting weight on our petty problems, but to start looking outward and gearing our lives towards others. I know this has been a challenge for me, but listening to this gave me motivation to change my perspective on this... life, music, everything:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jGLFBpeTKg.


Thanks. :)

Kollaboration Acoustic Re-cap and Tomorrow Night @ "Walk the Talk"

By some strange alignment of the stars, or something else other-worldly, I came out of Kollaboration Acoustic 3 tying for the Grand Prize along with Mike Isberto. If you've been following me on Twitter or Facebook, you may know this already, but since this blog format allows me to ramble any way I please, I just have to express how totally surprising this outcome was for me. I recall prepping myself thinking that all that mattered was I sold some CD's, maybe made a few new fans and got to network with some other artists (who, by the way, were ALL fantastic! All tremendously friendly, making this East Coaster feel very welcome). So when they announced me as the other winner, I kind of did this: I looked to the audience - searching for someone to explain this descrepancy to me - and then put my hand to my mouth in an instinctive gasp, not really sure what just happened.


I played "Supergirl," which was my instinctive choice. Though I did reconsider the week before. Which song might I have played? I don't think I want to say. :)




Anyway, there is a lot more about my West Coast trip, but I'll save that for another post.

Tomorrow night, I am playing at "Walk the Talk," a fundraiser for Stop Child Trafficking Now. This is an event I'm really psyched to be a part of. Check out the event on Facebook here: http://bit.ly/4ILPP.


The night starts 6:30 pm at the Sage Theatre (711 Seventh Ave., NYC). Child trafficking is a cause that seems to always come back to me. I don't know if it's because the issue is so relevant to Southeastern Asia - though it truly IS in more places than people realize - or just because the thought of this horrendous practice is absolutely disgusting to me. Either way, I hope you'll come out and support this event! There will be a few other singer/songwriters and some video clips, plus the $15 admission includes a drink (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Hope to see you there!

Proud to be a Lefty!

Happy International Left-Handers Day, everyone!

Here's an article I wrote for The Record: Southpaws group refuses to be left out

Kollaboration Acoustic 3 VIDEO!!!

Here's the promotional video for Kollaboration Acoustic 3 in L.A.! Can you spot me? :)




Kudos to the guy who was awesome enough to sing the chorus with me and my sister! (4:21) =)

August, Ahhh August!

So many things going on this month, so if you haven't checked it out already, check out the show schedule on the newly re-designed website!

Looking forward to my second trip out to L.A. this summer... 

Cheers and goodnight! This kid's tired.  

Filming for Kollaboration L.A.

Remember how we had to do that promo video for Kollaboration NY?  You know, this one? So I have the wonderful opportunity to be able to re-live the Kollaboration experience again, this time with the folks orga

nizing Kollaboration Acoustic 3 in L.A. at the end of August.  Of course, the promo video is needed and sin

ce I'm all the way out here, it's posed a little bit of a challenge for me.  After helping the gang record an acoustic version of MJ's "Heal the World" (I played some keys and sang a few lines), I had to videotape my part and have it sent over to their side of the country.  Yeah, not an easy task?

Thanks to the help of Dave Shaw and his cameraman Mike, we managed to get a few shots in order. A few were interesting (see below, from my sister's sneaky Blackberry camera)...and there were some pretty views of NYC from the Western side of the river:

A Last Minute Addition...

So, if there was any doubt that this would turn out to be a gig-crazy August, I've just been informed that my performance at the NY Songwriter's Circle is confirmed for August 4th.  The musical madness continues!

:) All kidding aside, I'm glad that August will be full-swing of gigs!  It'll be back to that onstage rush, at least for the month.  Will you come and join? 

This week's NY shows are as follows:

8 p.m. Tues., August 4th

NY Songwriters Circle @ The Bitter End

147 Bleecker St. | $5

(more info here)

6:30 p.m. Fri., August 7

American Folk Art Museum (Free Music Fridays!)

45 W. 53rd St. | Free

(more info here)

------------------

Copies of the album will be available, if you haven't already picked it up from iTunes or Amazon... or all those other digital distributors.  Thanks for supporting independent music!

xoxo 

Alfa

SAVE THE DATE... September 22 ! ! !

The "Second Skin" Record Release Party!!!

8 p.m. Tuesday, September 22
The Bitter End
147 Bleecker St.
NYC

Featuring moi, Dave Dodds on Drums, Jon McElroy on Bass, Bret on Guitar and special guests to be announced... !!!


Pencil it in - better yet - SHARPIE that !

Less than 2 MORE DAYS on OurStage.com's JetBlue Competition!! :)

*UPDATE*: Hey guys! There's less than 2 DAYS left in the competition! I'm currently at #19 and I could use all the help I can get staying in the Top 20! Please sign up and listen to the songs while you can! More details below. :)

Hey Friends!

I've entered my song, "Home To Me" into OurStage.com's JetBlue Live at T5 competition! The Top 20 Artists chosen will have a chance to duke it out for a spot on Terminal 5's stage.

This would be, as you can imagine, SUCH an amazing stage to play on. Please visit http://www.ourstage.com/contests/3140-jetblue---live-from-t5 and log in (it's free.99) to vote! Here's the catch, though: You won't be able to vote for one particular song. You have to rank the songs they give you, four at a time. There are over 400 songs submitted and mine is currently #23. I'll need to stay in the Top 20 by the time the competition is over in two weeks in order to have a shot at playing Terminal 5. So, after you log in, click "Judge" on the top panel and then enter the JetBlue Live at T5 competition. When "Home to Me" gets onto your player, please rank it #1, so the ranking can go up on the song!

It's a great way to kill idle time while at work and hear some great new music in the process. Please note that all songs are required to be acoustic and not have drums on the track.

Thanks so much for reading this far, and for your help!

xoxo
Alfa

ISABELLE - Lyrics and Video

Leave a Comment on the Video HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7xo0u_O8W0

It's been a long time coming, but a friend had long requested this song be posted along with the full version of the story and the lyrics. I guess I've recounted this many times at shows, but I will say it here. Isabelle was my "grand-mere" when I lived in Switzerland for a time. She was a widow who had loved her husband very much, and bided her time living the simple (but sweet) Swiss life...tending her garden, cooking, keeping house. In many ways I felt that I was her preoccupation, to make life a little more fulfilling. She truly was a grand-mere - she made sure I had everything I needed for long trips, she made breakfast every day and even put together dinner parties for my friends (one for Thanksgiving, too, which they don't even celebrate), she taught me French and took great pains to help me perfect the language after dinner every night, she drove me to places every once in a while, and if I didn't tell her where I would be, she would sometimes get frustrated with me. She took me to art museums and theatre events with friends, sometimes even driving hours to get to an exhibit - Basel, Lausanne, Geneva. 

Sometimes I would catch her staring out of her window, over the vineyards and towards the Jura mountains, stroking her one-eyed cat Pepette's fur while nursing a cup of mint thesan that rested on the coffee table. I knew in these moments that she was missing her husband. And even though her children sometimes visited and she had adorable grandkids, she didn't feel complete without him. 

Anyway, that whole story is part of the inspiration for this song. I tried to capture that melancholic sentimentality and that feeling that life had somehow passed someone by, though not necessarily in a negative light... but just that this is how life is many times, and that it's wasn't easy for me to feel connected to her life because of my age and because I haven't been through much of what she had. Somehow, I guess, writing this song was a cathartic way to try and make up for that disconnect.

"Isabelle" (by Alfa Garcia. Copyright 2008.)

Isabelle waits by the window, her eyes meet the sky in the afternoon glow.

She sees the sun even before it comes when the mountains give it away.

Down past the street is a church and a vineyard

when she was a child she'd run through.

Now she sits still while I play on piano

the sun no longer moves.

Isabelle, tell me again.

Oh, I remember your stories so well.

How could I ever know?

For you the world lives on in echos.

Often I'd find her asleep in the garden

the one-eyed cat slept by her feet.

And in a moment she'd rise and the old woman watched

The sun took my hair, she'd say

"Colors are what make a girl, and this world is so fragile so hold on for life.

You have the heart of a child." And I understood then that she was mine.

Isabelle, tell me again.

Oh, I remember your stories so well.

How could I ever know?

For you the world lives on in echos.

Here where the sun meets the sky

I can hear your lullabye...

"Cherie, toujours je t'aime. Pourquoi il n'y a rien de toi?

Je reste toute seule

La nuit et l'aube

c'est moi sans autre... jusqu'a la fin du monde..."

Isabelle, tell me again.

Oh, I remember your stories so well.

How could I ever know?

For you the world lives on in echos.

------------------------------------------------------------------

Two Album Reviews and "Second Skin" from Crash Mansion!

Hey guys!

I'm SO excited, humbled and honored at these positive reviews of "Second Skin."  

This one is by Ted Reyes, for the New York Indie Music Examiner

AND

This one is by Eugene Song at the Born in Chinese blog.

Please note that you can pick up your advanced copies at the Merch Page at the soon-to-be-renovated website. 

Finally, a little amuse-bouche... ;)  Here's a video from my performance this past Independence Day at Crash Mansion. I did this one solo... 

Enjoy... and get your romance on!

Sun and rain and walking on airplane wings.

June came and went, and there were 8 days of sun and many days of rain... it was a challenging month for me, as I settled back after a week of West Coast freedom and realized that the gap between work life (aka the Day Job) and music life (aka the Better Job) is really a gaping hole waiting for internal combustion.

I had the chance to speak with an old friend and somewhat successful songwriter/performer last week over dinner at the Stage Door Diner in midtown. He told me what I have increasingly come to feel, but of which I am still admittedly afraid. All that's left for me to do, he said, is take that leap. Do music full-time, or at least, make it the dominant part of every day. It's been on my mind ever since and I've gotten the opinions of a few folks. Everyone's been supportive. I guess the doubt really comes down to just me.

It isn't easy coming from the background, family and experiences I come from and just let go. I know they're no excuses. But it's like the "principle of wing-walking" that my IR professor used to bring up in class (as I recall, he gave me the lowest grade I ever got on a final in college). If, ever, you were to find yourself on the wing of an airplane, maybe you could tell me if this one's accurate. . . but it goes to say that the "principle of wing-walking" is the reason why people don't change course immediately; why they are afraid to make the next step and would rather stand still, where it feels remotely secure. The funny thing is, if you're walking on an airplane wing, you're not secure at all, are you? :)

The good news is, I'm starting to pick up my guitar and just play again...so maybe those creative juices are coming back after a year.
The bad news is my voice has never been 100% since I got back... so I'm up against a challenge on this one.

Just a little sumthin' sumthin'...

To possibly brighten your Friday. . . 

Be sure to post a comment HERE!

Oooh... what does THIS do?

Alfa Garcia

Create Your Badge

Kollaboration NY this weekend!

Hey Friends!

Many of you might have heard by now that Kollaboration N.Y. is coming to town this weekend!

This is a very cool "meeting of the artists" in the Asian American community of NY, there is also a West Coast counterpart in L.A. that has been going on for some time. As far as I know, they haven't had one in NY for a bit of time now... 

Anywho, some performers competing include Magnetic North, Kevin So, Taiyo Na, Marie Choi and more.  I will also be performing along with the gang...we will be singing our rendition of "Closer" (video below). 

You might remember I spent some time in March and April getting together with some of these artists (along with Vudoo Soul, G*LEE, the filmmaker David Shaw and the co-producers of Kollaboration Kym Pham and Jinny Jung) to put together the promotional video.

It has pretty much gone viral on YouTube, and I thought it was only appropriate  to post it on here just before the event this weekend. Please check it out and support the show!  

You can also get to the link HERE to get more hits on the YouTube Video and post comments!

KOLLABORATION N.Y.

8 p.m. Saturday 6.27.09

NYU Skirball Center

559 LaGuardia Place, Manhattan

For more info, visit kollaborationnewyork.org

Best. Gig. Ever.

Or maybe in the top 3. . . I give leeway for my faulty memory.

So let me tell you how today's gig at the Make Music NY Festival in Jackson Heights ended up being one of the coolest gigs I've ever played. It was a big surprise, considering I almost didn't do this show because of the intermittent rain and some issues with organizing (i.e., I was told the backline would be "electricity."  Since when was "electricity" a backline?!) 

After playing a half-hour set on Grand St. in NYC, we headed over the Williamsburg Bridge and instantly saw the massive grey-tone rain clouds forming in the distance. Knowing my luck, I almost knew that localized storm cloud was hanging over the very spot I was to perform. And it was no surprise that when me and Jon got to the place we were supposed to play, there was absolutely nobody there. Just a makeshift tent for rain covering, and a tiny two-prong extension cord that jutted out of Italian Farms, the storefront generously providing the electricity for us.  The problem with a two-prong is that my amp is three-prong...and then there was the issue of plugging Jon's amp in. I considered just bouncing from the gig altogether. No one was there, and according to one local, the other guys who were supposed to play earlier bailed on their set because of rain.  

Thank God for my sister, who said I should suck it up and figure out a way to play...even if it meant playing without plugging in (true blue busking style!).  I meandered into Italian Farms and met with the nicest woman ever, Mary, who went out of her way to find a three-prong extension cord that would reach far enough to go around the front door of her store, around the corner and out to the performance tent. Then she got someone else from the store to help her find a surge protector, so we could plug in the bass

 amp.  Seriously, she was a miracle worker, because in a few minutes' time, we were already setting up and the passersby were stopping to see what was happening. 

The set went super awesomely. The crowd was so receptive, and I have to say, it was the perfect kind of sidewalk to play on. Not too big that folks could just duck out of your way and keep walking, and in an area with a good amount of traffic. And the faces were young, old, diverse... the beauty of Queens, I guess. 

Well, then the rain began to pour.  Some folks 

left, but surprisingly most stayed, opened their umbrellas, and some even stood in the rain to hear us play.  I invited them to come into the tent, seeing that the rain was getting worse. And they did! It had turned into a very cozy, uber-intimate kind of show.  

This would happen twice- and the second time, the crowd was so squeezed in that me and Jon had to play our instruments nearly upright (see picture) to make enough room. I also love the expression of the little kids, just looking slightly drenched, but still interested in the music. 

What was also cool, was seeing cars slow down at the intersection and roll their windows down to hear the music. Someone in an SUV was even videotaping the set as the car crawled slowly forward. I felt like I knew the audience members better than most other audiences I've had... which is truly an amazing thing. They were super appreciative and enthusiastic about the music, and we had some great feedback. We also had the guitar case out, so these little kids would come and drop dollar bills from their parents into the case. SUPER cute!

We were eventually forced to stop, because the rain was drenching through the outlets and we didn't feel like getting electrocuted. While we packed our things and made a mad dash for the car, I told my sister how amazed I was at how everything had turned out, that if it weren't for her egging me on about not letting a small thing get in the way of playing, I would never have had that experience, nor would I have the chance to spread the music to others.  

So... there it is. Best gig ever.  Or . . . top 3. :) 

~ Clips from D.C. ~

Here's a video of "Footnote", as performed down in the D.C. area back in April. Thanks to Kelly who did this footage from what looked to be a phone-video camera. [see more here: youtube.com/randumbutts] 

Pretty sweet! She didn't have a tripod so disregard the shakiness if you can. Jon is on bass and Derek Lee (of the Speaks) on drums.

And here's "Supergirl"...along with intermittent orders of Filipino food. :) Never a bad thing.

WFDU Recap!

Saturday morning my sister and I headed down to WFDU at Fairleigh Dickinson, to do a radio interview with Evan Toth, an awesome singer/songwriter who performs frequently around these parts and is the Radio Jockey for "Good Music" (it runs 9 a.m. to noon on Saturdays).

I got to chit-chat about the album and have a couple tracks played: "Supergirl", "Love as Tragedy: A Play in 3 Acts", "Isabelle" and "Second Skin." Then we did some CD giveaways which was pretty cool. It's kind of neat how people call in when they hear you on the radio... without people calling in, how else would you know anyone was listening, right?
Going to find some time to get videos on my YouTube from the Seattle and L.A. trips and also from this radio appearance. I am positively terrible at keeping up with this multi-media stuff. My sister is definitely a big help... with her gentle reminders and her tech-savvy. :)  . . . and her post-radio iced tea!

UPDATE: 

Check out a quick clip from that interview below!  

"Los Angeles, I'm Yours"

Finally have a chance to sit at a computer and update. After a fun show and a few fun days of sight-seeing in Seattle, me and my friend Joyce came down to L.A. to check out the scene.

I had a pleasant surprise when I got into town - check out this article written by Antoinette Bueno at Balita newspaper here in L.A. Super excited about this one!

Yesterday I had the pleasure of appearing on "Kababayan LA" (a Fil-Am local TV show), to promote the upcoming shows. Amazingly, some folks who saw the show actually came to last night's show at Second Street Jazz! I'll see if I can get that clip online to post here.

The Second Street Jazz show was excellent! Had the pleasure of meeting a lot of the local artists and listening to some fantastic music (Joyce Lee, Jinah Kim, Devlin Murphy and Dawen Wang played).

Tonight is my final West Coast show

9 p.m.
Blue Dahlia Cafe
738 E. 3rd St.
Los Angeles
Free (tip jar!)
-------

Also, if you guys are on Facebook, you'll notice I've been keeping everyone up-to-date with mobile pictures (I'm still obsessed with my new Blackberry) and status updates, so friend me there if you'd like! You can also check out the Facebook FanPage or join the Facebook group.



Alfa

Ah what a fun show! An old acquaintance came down from British Columbia and a handful of friends now living in the Seattle area came by with friends of their own. It was such good times to be had, and a perfectly intimate venue to share my music to... Off to sleep now! Xoxo

On the plane to Seattle! Updates when we get get there. :)

Interview with Boston Progress

So I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Boston Progress, the online website and community for independent Asian American musicians. Check it out here: http://www.bprlive.org/2009/05/21/alfas-second-skin/#more-2213

:)


Much love...

alfa

Dying for your aeroplane to take me in its wings.

Last weekend I had the pleasure of playing at my cousin's wedding. It was a request he'd made to me almost a year ago.


"Alfa," he said. "You're going to sing at my wedding, right?"
"Uh, with my guitar?"
"Yeah."
"Um, ok," I hesitated. "But you know that I have like, literally one love song, right?"
"Yeah, it's cool. We just want you to play," he replied.
So the set list included such anti-love songs as "Love as Tragedy" and "The Lament", but hey... I think it was well-received. I revived "Washington Square" and that seemed to go well. I'm looking forward to taking it out West with me.
So the sojourn begins to Seattle in a few days...
I am still running around trying to do the preparations, feeling a little apprehensive. But I think it'll all be better when I get the first shipment of "Second Skin" tomorrow.

YES! Finally here! Even though it's been more than half a year since most of the songs were recorded (the last track was recorded a just few months ago), it still feels so new. I'm still a little anxious to hear what people think, since it's been undisclosed for so long. What better way to make a splash then go out West (where they don't really know me yet), right? The great Wild West. When I get back, I'm going to see about getting it online. . .

Oh, ANNNDD there's a new shipment of t-shirts coming in. So you can start ordering now at
merch.alfa-music.com.

Drum roll please....

The official cover of "Second Skin", the album:





Yeahhhh... :)

This was thanks to the genius of photographer Virginia Kamenitzer (who took my blog photo at right) and graphic designer Billy Becerra. Holla!

And here's a shot of the back:

Master Your Moods

This is from an e-mail from a fan down in the D.C. area. I thought I'd share (and I'm editing to protect identities here):
Thank you for including me on your list. I thought my daughter was your biggest fan, but sorry I lied about it, just couldn't admit in front of you, I am your biggest fan. Stay positive; master your moods, live by your commitments, not your emotions. Obey God and live all the consequences to Him. I can see success is coming you way.


"Master your moods."

What a piece of advice, eh? That's definitely something to think about, and to work hard at. Particularly for songwriters, who often thrive on mood changes, it's hard not to think that managing our moods would be like ... stifling the flame, ya know?

Anyway, just food for thought. Going to sleep with Ceviche, margarita and guacamole in my tummy...

CAPA Festival!

It was a rainy day, and we had a bit of a bumpy start driving in for the CAPA Festival, but the set was a lot of fun for us and (I think!) for the crowd that braved the damp weather to check it out. We had our stuff huddled under a tent and umbrellas - Jon's upright bass, Dave's wooden kit, my guitar and keys. It was definitely a long haul, but we got through the day! That's all that matters, right? Plus there was some good food and good people. I was pretty happy to get home and dry off though! :) Now I'm just vegging... video and pics below!




It was a day full of challenges, and more than one group prayer was uttered among me, Jon, Dave, my sister, my bf and Jon's girlfriend... but the bright side is I did get to slip a copy of the album to Alan from Sesame Street, who co-hosted the first portion of the performances. He was SUPER nice and very gracious about it. :) Dave's a big fan so he was all for getting that CD to him. We sold CD's and got some mailing list sign-ups so that was all good in the hood.



Pics below!





Saving the equipment from the rain!

Jon on Bass.

Dave on Drums.

New Song on MySpace!

Okkkayy, so it's official. "Love as Tragedy: A Play in Three Acts" is on the MySpace! Check it, homeslices: www.myspace.com/alfa. 

Lyrics here:

Love as Tragedy: A Play in 3 Acts

Act One was brilliant, we played our parts so convincing

and I still remember the lines.

You had me going on first dates and I fell

like Icarus falling away from the sun.

Chorus:

Now that it's all over and done, I notice

you just needed someone to play your damsel

Now that I can see things a little clearer

I feel sorry for the next girl

and you will always see, you'll always see love as tragedy.

You will always see, you'll always see love as tragedy.

Act Two was gripping, she came out of nowhere

Storm in a teacup, the irony bare.

And you seemed so honest, playing your part so convincing

but she is speaking my lines.

Chorus Interlude

Now that it's all over and done, I notice
you just needed someone to play your damsel
Now that I can see things a little clearer
I feel sorry for the next girl...

Now that it's all over and done, I notice
you just needed someone to play your damsel
Now that I can see things a little clearer
I feel sorry for the next girl
and you will always see, you'll always see love as tragedy.
You will always see, you'll always see love as tragedy.

So don't let me sit through another minute

'Cause Act Three's the part that I couldn't get right.

And you'll be persistent, 'til somebody gets it

but I don't intend to find out tonight.

Copyright Alfa Garcia. 2008. All rights reserved.

Virginia debrief and CAPA Festival this weekend!

Talk about one heckuva hectic weekend in D.C.! After the initial 20 minutes of our road trip down, my sister, our friend Mariah and I took our first stop at the Bergenfield Dunkin' Donuts (oh what a distance!) then continued onward until about 12:30 at night. Our hotel was in Old Town Alexandria, what turned out to be a really gorgeous place (see photo), especially with all the sun this weekend. I wanted to spend more time gallivanting, but sadly couldn't!

We squeezed in time to sight-see where we could, but the sweltering heat made it hard to have energy to do too much. I had rehearsal with Derek Lee of The Speaks and my bassist Jon McElroy, who came down on Saturday.



We met up with an old friend, Beisa, and her boyfriend Ricky and had some Lebanese food in Arlington after rehearsal. I then had to get to Maryland for a quick rehearsal with Rod Garcia's band for two songs that I was playing violin for.

The thunderstorms began shortly thereafter so we headed back to the hotel. Jon was having issues with the place he was staying at, so he ended up crashing on the pull-out couch in our suite. He had the sheer honor of hearing me cough, spit and sneeze all night from the ridiculous allergy attacks I was suffering. . . wish someone had told me the pollen count would be sky high in D.C.!
Anyway, Sunday we had lunch at a seafood place by the Alexandria waterfront called The Wharf where my sister and I devoured some raw oysters (YUMMM). Jon and I skipped out early to catch soundcheck at the venue, Manila Cafe - Springfield, VA.


The show went really well, and I managed to sell some pre-release copies of the new CD. Rod seemed to be doing a lot better after his stroke. The crowd was super friendly and attentive, and Derek rocked out on the drums, despite having just one 2.5-hour rehearsal the day before. I knew he would rock it!


(L to R: Playing with Derek and Jon...Rod Garcia, Rick Brigham, me and sis, Jitter Garcia, Matt Magnaye and Rocky Garcia)

We bounced out of there soon, but not before catching up with some friends from the area who we hadn't seen in months. I sadly drove the whole way home, even though I was pretty exhausted from the show. Oh well! At least I managed to catch some shut-eye...

Coming up next!

CAPA Asian American Heritage Festival
This Sunday - May 3
Dag Hammarskjold Plaza
47th Street between First and Second Avenues, Manhattan
Noon to 6 p.m. (my set at 3:40 to 4 p.m.)

:) My last show in the area for at least another month and a half...

Alfa

PS: Check out some updates on my West Coast dates on the MySpace.

New songs on MySpace?

Oh and one last thing. . . most importantly, actually . . . I'm looking for a fourth (and possibly 5th) song to post on MySpace. If any of you have been to a show recently and have a favorite... please let me know what you'd like me to put up.

I know only a few people have heard the recordings so far, so I know it might be a longshot to ask if people have favorites yet. :) But thought I'd be democratic anyway.


<3
A

The Virginia Show... totally on!

So Rod Garcia (visit him here: http://rodshacienda.com), who suffered a stroke last weekend, is pushing through with this weekend's show. Hope he can recover 100% so the night doesn't become too difficult for him. He did, however, extend my set to a full 45 minutes. So... I'll probably be throwing in some solo stuff. :)

I also found out that I'll be playing my Seattle show with Washington-based singer/songwriter Micah Thompson... I have yet to get his MySpace page, but I'll be sure to share that as soon as I do.

Anyway, sorry I haven't been posting pics recently. I've been meaning to share a cool video of Michael Dadap rocking out on the ukelele... but alas, me and technology are (as my producer likes to say), "like fire and water."

Speaking of technology - and to continue this rambling streak - check out this fun article about Twitter on Pitchfork: http://pitchfork.com/features/puritan-blister/7642-puritan-blister-43. Everyone from the NYTimes to the paper where I work seems to be talking and pondering on Twitter, trying to figure what to think and how to accept it. I think this article, by William Bowers, expresses the mixed emotions and thoughts that I've been having about it...

The Virginia Show... maybe postponed?

Got a bit of sad news here... my good friend and wonderful songwriter/musician Rod Garcia, who I was set to perform with next week (April 26) in Springfield, VA had a stroke a few days ago. He's just been released from the hospital and sounds like he's in better spirits, but he may have to postpone the show - understandably.

I had been really excited to play this, also because another good friend, Derek Lee - drummer for a great band that just finished off their Philippines tour, The Speaks - was supposed to play with me. Hopefully we'll be able to jam another time...

In the meantime, I'm going to see if there are coffeeshops or other places to play down there, since we might still take the VA trip after all.

On a lighter note, I'm glad (and honestly a little surprised) to see seven followers on this blog! Woo! :) Thanks for caring enough about my music and my life to want to stop by and listen in for a bit...


Alfa

PS: I am going to be reproducing the new album soon, at least so I have something to show for during the May shows in NY, Seattle and LA... stay tuned! Plus, looks like I may be playing 2 shows out in LA...
:)

Arario Gallery, 4.9.09

It was a little crazy, but I managed through the short set at Arario Gallery, an Asian art gallery in Chelsea. A USC-based group called NetKAL put together a fancy networking function and my new friend Jinny Jung, who co-chairs Kollaboration, invited me to play. My friend G*Lee also DJ'd the event and I got to see some of the Kollab gang again. Hollaaa! :) 

The place was littered with drunk high-rollers by the time I took the stage, and sadly I didn't have my quarter-inch cable (rookie mistake ... oy), so I had to contend with a microphone on my guitar. How positively amateur! 

Kindly, many of the folks standing closeby were supportive, and clapped

 on for a second song, even when I was ready to leave it at one. Good times at the end of the day, and some fancy art too!  Check it...

Two pieces by Hyung Koo Kang.

After the Bitter End...

It was a fun night at The Bitter End. Super big thank you to the great folks who dropped in, including friends from Kollaboration, VuDoo Soul who took a bus down from Boston to surprise me (and then proceed to request the "Pi Song" for the encore), some co-workers, old college buddies, my producer, friends of Alex Sovronsky the violinist/melodica player, some family members and even some friends I had made on assignment for my work - they were sweet enough to bring me a bouquet of flowers! 

I was feeling slightly off during my between-song banters... I'm not really sure why. May have had something to do with how busy this day was (had to go to church in Queens and then teach a violin lesson before driving down to Manhattan) as well as a slight wardrobe malfunction ... but my voice was feeling good and Alex and I had fun up there, which is what matters the most!

I also got to play a mellow piano version of "Don't Write Your Goodbyes", which is usually in the fast-paced band format (see MySpace).

Next one... Dag Hammarskold Plaza for the CAPA Festival!

**************************

I always told myself I'd chase rainbows until the end

hover over oceans until I reached land

save tomorrows at the palm of my hand

somehow I never thought

that endings sometimes come too soon

or demons overtake simple tunes

that it's remarkable how wheels can grow

to move even when the heart stops. 

 - Alfa | 4.6.09