NEW YORK (Top40 Charts/ Project 4 Records) - Ari Hest will celebrate the 3/10 release of his new studio CD, 'Twelve Mondays,' with two sold-out concerts at Joe's Pub in NYC, March 13th and 14th. On March 7th, Hest will preview the CD via a private, XM Live Satellite concert performance, at Living Room in NYC.
'Twelve Mondays' features re-worked versions of 12 fan-selected songs, culled from Ari's recently-completed, unprecedented '52' project, during which he wrote, recorded, produced and released one new song per week, for 52 weeks in a row.
Stream selections from 'Twelve Mondays' here: https://www.brickwallmgmt.com/arihest/ .
Recently featured on XM's THE LOFT (with re-broadcasts set for 3/2 and 3/9,) Hest's new music has also been praised in USA TODAY and PERFORMING SONGWRITER Magazine, and will appear in the new issue of ACOUSTIC GUITAR Magazine. The BOSTON GLOBE praised him as 'a prolific songwriter and a captivating live performer.' Hest recently performed two songs from the new album on NBC-TV's WEEKEND TODAY SHOW IN NY, and his interview/segment may be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dqv5K1eT4HQ
'Twelve Mondays' showcases the diversity of Hest's songwriting - from the haunting, mini-masterpiece 'Broken Voices' to the USA TODAY 'Listen Up Music Pick' 'The Weight,' which was praised as a "poignant, acoustic reverie..." - From the wistful travelogue 'Ride The Brake' to the radio-friendly 'Dead End Driving,' it's a remarkable mix that's distinguished by the intelligence, nuance and range of Hest's material. Add to that the fact that these songs were written amid the week-to-week gauntlet of '52', and it's all the more impressive. It's a renegade path that reveals the 'New Music Industry' at its best, and allows Hest's impressive work to find the audience he wants it to find.
In fact, PERFORMING SONGWRITER Magazine characterized '52' as 'a daunting, almost impossible task,' as they profiled Ari Hest in their Year-End special on Independent Artists who have taken creative control over their careers.
In addition to their interview feature, Performing Songwriter Editors have selected songs from '52' as among their BEST RELEASES OF 2008, praising: 'Ari Hest achieved the extraordinary in 2008 by writing a song every week that listeners could download from his website. The best part: His songs are high-caliber and deeply heartfelt."
On 'Twelve Mondays', Ari Hest finally has the luxury to re-visit the fans' favorite tracks, and re-work, re-sing and/or re-mix them in the form of a studio album that captures a more defined sound. Regardless, his ambitious '52' project was an artistic and entrepreneurial triumph, stretching the boundaries of his past work, and delivering him to a new terrain frequented by the likes of Patty Griffin, Marc Cohn, Aimee Mann and Damien Rice. In fact, under constant pressure to create, Hest delivered a surprisingly strong body of music, finding a home somewhere on the path where Elliot Smith meets Peter Gabriel.
A nationwide tour will coincide with the release of 'Twelve Mondays'. The March leg of dates, many of which will feature opener Tim Brantley, follows below.
Mar-12-09 Boston, MA Cafe 939 Berklee
Mar-13-09 New York, NY Joe's Pub
Mar-14-09 New York, NY Joe's Pub
Mar-15-09 Philadelphia, PA Tin Angel
Mar-17-09 Pittsburgh, PA Club Cafe
Mar-18-09 Cleveland, OH HOB - Cambridge Room
Mar-19-09 Ann Arbor, MI The Ark
Mar-21-09 Chicago, IL Schuba's - early & late shows
Mar-22-09 Danville, IL Gino's Place (day)
Mar-22-09 Indianapolis, IN Kessler House Concert Series (night)
Mar-23-09 Indianapolis, IN Kessler House Concert Series
Mar-24-09 Knoxville, TN Preservation Pub
Mar-25-09 Chattanooga, TN Rhythm & Brews
Mar-26-09 Nashville, TN Douglas Corner
Mar-27-09 Decatur, GA Eddie's Attic
Mar-28-09 Charlotte, NC Evening Muse
Mar-29-09 Athens, GA Melting Pot
Mar-30-09 Abbeville, SC Abbeville County Career Center
The April leg has recently been confirmed as well:
April 1 Denver, CO The Soiled Dove
April 3 Dallas, TX Rock House Films
April 4 Huntsville, AL Ave L
April 5 Houston, TX Mucky Ducks
April 9 Las Vegas, NV Acoustic Strip
April 10 San Diego, CA Y-1
April 11 Los Angeles, CA Hotel Cafe
April 12 San Francisco, CA Cafe DuNord
April 13 Monterey, CA Monterey Live
April 15 Sacramento, CA Marylin's on K
April 17 Portland, OR The Cave
April 18 Bellingham, WA Green Frog
April 22 Seattle, WA The Triple Door
April 24 Teaneck, NJ Mexicali
April 25 Vienna, VA Jammin Java
April 26 Easton, PA Coffee East
