http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:55:33 GMT http://bandzoogle.com http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=2594954 Hello there friends! It's been quite awhile since my last post and for that I apologize! Sometimes it feels like there are a MILLION things to spend time on and much of my life has been spent relocating to Reno, NV. My wife got a job teaching kindergarten here and we have been living here for about a month. So far I am really enjoying living here and it's nice to not deal with some of the things that big-city life presents. Less traffic, small-town kindness, and a sense of pride in the community has charmed me so far. I am in the process of building a studio of students and have been going to Bluegrass and Irish jams where I've met some kind-hearted souls who are only welcoming! It's always interesting to change where you live. I've done it many times over the years and always with good reason whether it's for schooling or professional reasons. It provides the opportunity to reinvent yourself and to start fresh. I've also begun the process of working on my next solo album which I intend to call, "A Million LIttle Love Songs." This past year has been full of love and bliss as Alexa and I are not yet one year married. We are having a blast falling deeper in love every day and are committed to a life of love, support, and happiness as well as supporting each other's dreams. This will be an unashamed love album and I'm enjoying singing and playing the songs every day to prepare for recording. I have also been practicing a lot of Classical Violin and enjoying keeping company with Brahms, Bach, Tchaikowsky, Mozart, and Beethoven.....some of my favorite musical heroes! Speaking of musical heroes...I had the INCREDIBLE honor of playing 5 shows with the one and only Phil Lesh who is the bass player of the Grateful Dead. Any of you who know me are aware of my love for that band and I could hardly believe that he called me to join him and 5 other musicians in the Bay Area at his new venue, Terrapin Crossroads. It's a great place with a pro staff who made me feel welcome and at home. I got to sing some of my favorite Grateful Dead songs and many of my friends came to see the shows which all sold out and were high energy! It blew me away to stand next to Phil on stage and I learned so much from him. I hope to have the opportunity to share the stage with him again someday! Hot Buttered Rum has a show at the new Sweetwater in Mill Valley, CA coming up this weekend which is partly owned by another Grateful Dead member, Bob Weir. Perhaps he'll come see us! I look forward to walking around my old hometown and hope to see some friends from high school and beyond.... I'll be sure to write more often now that I'm settled in here in Reno. Here's to adventure, courage, and pursuit of your dreams! Love, Aaron
It's been quite awhile since my last post and for that I apologize! Sometimes it feels like there are a MILLION things to spend time on and much of my life has been spent relocating to Reno, NV. My wife got a job teaching kindergarten here and we have been living here for about a month. So far I am really enjoying living here and it's nice to not deal with some of the things that big-city life presents. Less traffic, small-town kindness, and a sense of pride in the community has charmed me so far. I am in the process of building a studio of students and have been going to Bluegrass and Irish jams where I've met some kind-hearted souls who are only welcoming!
It's always interesting to change where you live. I've done it many times over the years and always with good reason whether it's for schooling or professional reasons. It provides the opportunity to reinvent yourself and to start fresh.
I've also begun the process of working on my next solo album which I intend to call, "A Million LIttle Love Songs." This past year has been full of love and bliss as Alexa and I are not yet one year married. We are having a blast falling deeper in love every day and are committed to a life of love, support, and happiness as well as supporting each other's dreams. This will be an unashamed love album and I'm enjoying singing and playing the songs every day to prepare for recording.
I have also been practicing a lot of Classical Violin and enjoying keeping company with Brahms, Bach, Tchaikowsky, Mozart, and Beethoven.....some of my favorite musical heroes!

Speaking of musical heroes...I had the INCREDIBLE honor of playing 5 shows with the one and only Phil Lesh who is the bass player of the Grateful Dead. Any of you who know me are aware of my love for that band and I could hardly believe that he called me to join him and 5 other musicians in the Bay Area at his new venue, Terrapin Crossroads. It's a great place with a pro staff who made me feel welcome and at home. I got to sing some of my favorite Grateful Dead songs and many of my friends came to see the shows which all sold out and were high energy! It blew me away to stand next to Phil on stage and I learned so much from him. I hope to have the opportunity to share the stage with him again someday!

Hot Buttered Rum has a show at the new Sweetwater in Mill Valley, CA coming up this weekend which is partly owned by another Grateful Dead member, Bob Weir. Perhaps he'll come see us! I look forward to walking around my old hometown and hope to see some friends from high school and beyond....

I'll be sure to write more often now that I'm settled in here in Reno. Here's to adventure, courage, and pursuit of your dreams!

Love,
Aaron
]]> Wed, 05 Sep 2012 23:55:33 GMT FDE5FC097851FF4C2B0AA4C90A28FF4B http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=2131829  Hello friends! I just got back from Summer Camp...no really....I did!  The great band, moe, throws quite the party every year outside of Peoria, IL. 25000 people show up to celebrate the beginning of Summer and Hot Buttered Rum was honored to be there for our fourth time. We flew there the day of our first set, which was at 2:30 in the morning! Not my favorite time to be making music but I have to admit, this was our best set of the festival. The weather got into the 90's during the day so the relatively cool 73 degrees was welcome to the multitude of people who made their way to our stage that evening. We played til about 4 am and then went back to the hotel for a few hours of needed sleep! The next day we performed on another stage at 1 pm and this was a dusty dance party in the sun. The hour-long set went by too fast and afterwards I talked to some cool folks from all over the country including the bay area. We then performed a short set in support of our friends at Conscious Alliance; a non-profit that helps supply food to people who need it and we once went to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in North Dakota to donate food. This set was in a shady tent and we sat down which gave the music a nice informal feel. This set was followed immediately with an Everyone Orchestra set conducted by the great Matt Butler. I included some new pictures from the stage of this performance. It was so fun making music with some guys from moe, Umphrey's McGee, Sierra Leone Refugee All-stars, and more! Matt does a great job of creating moments for each musician to shine and support. I love festival season and this weekend we are headed to the great state of Arkansas and the Wakarusa Festival. It used to be in Kansas but now it's high in the Ozark Mountains where bugs exist that you can't believe are real! This festival is HUGE and the lineup covers a great deal of genres. I'm excited to see my friends in the Emmitt-Nershi band, The Infamous Stringdusters, Del McCoury, New Monsoon, Railroad Earth....the list goes on! I feel so fortunate to play at these festivals and am as much a fan as anyone else buying a ticket. I hope to see some new music as well that I may never have heard before! Next week it's off to Vegas-Flagstaff-Green River Utah....yep, Summer is here! Love to all! Aaron
I just got back from Summer Camp...no really....I did! 
The great band, moe, throws quite the party every year outside of Peoria, IL. 25000 people show up to celebrate the beginning of Summer and Hot Buttered Rum was honored to be there for our fourth time. We flew there the day of our first set, which was at 2:30 in the morning! Not my favorite time to be making music but I have to admit, this was our best set of the festival. The weather got into the 90's during the day so the relatively cool 73 degrees was welcome to the multitude of people who made their way to our stage that evening. We played til about 4 am and then went back to the hotel for a few hours of needed sleep!
The next day we performed on another stage at 1 pm and this was a dusty dance party in the sun. The hour-long set went by too fast and afterwards I talked to some cool folks from all over the country including the bay area. We then performed a short set in support of our friends at Conscious Alliance; a non-profit that helps supply food to people who need it and we once went to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in North Dakota to donate food. This set was in a shady tent and we sat down which gave the music a nice informal feel. This set was followed immediately with an Everyone Orchestra set conducted by the great Matt Butler. I included some new pictures from the stage of this performance. It was so fun making music with some guys from moe, Umphrey's McGee, Sierra Leone Refugee All-stars, and more! Matt does a great job of creating moments for each musician to shine and support.
I love festival season and this weekend we are headed to the great state of Arkansas and the Wakarusa Festival. It used to be in Kansas but now it's high in the Ozark Mountains where bugs exist that you can't believe are real! This festival is HUGE and the lineup covers a great deal of genres. I'm excited to see my friends in the Emmitt-Nershi band, The Infamous Stringdusters, Del McCoury, New Monsoon, Railroad Earth....the list goes on! I feel so fortunate to play at these festivals and am as much a fan as anyone else buying a ticket. I hope to see some new music as well that I may never have heard before!
Next week it's off to Vegas-Flagstaff-Green River Utah....yep, Summer is here!
Love to all!
Aaron


]]> Thu, 31 May 2012 22:40:50 GMT 7D6C77FF9F0AB459EB9A194AD6DD7BDA http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1926542 Whew! It's been a whirlwind of activity these past few weeks.... Recent touring has seen Hot Buttered Rum all over the West and taken us to the great states of Georgia and Florida. A two-week tour with the Chicago band, Cornmeal, started in Denver. It was the biggest show of the whole tour on night one! We love our Colorado crew and the evening set the tone for the whole tour. Everywhere we stopped there were people there to welcome us with open arms. We stopped at Mystic Hot Springs in Southern Utah and played an intimate show after an epic soak on a red rock hillside. Two nights in Salt Lake City showed us that the live music scene is strong in that community. We were hosted by a kind couple who served an amazing dinner to some weary musicians and pumped up locals, ready to throw down! Portland proved once again that Hot Buttered Rum and Cornmeal are bands whose music is appreciated and respected. I love that city and I had some amazing Lebanese food with my wife and the woman who married us! Love you Annie!! Bellingham was maybe the sleeper show of the run. A raging Sunday night with a bunch of crazy caped Canadians who made it feel like a weekend blowout! Our friend runs an ice cream shop called Mallards, truly great ice cream, and she brought 6 pints down to the venue. Nothing like a post-show ice cream orgy!! Other tour highlights include free dumplings after the Bend show, another early-week dance party! A sold-out Arcata show that got the California leg of the tour going... A memorable show at the Great American Music Hall that made me proud to be from the Bay Area. The music fans here are so passionate and help push us to new musical boundaries. The tour closed in Lake Tahoe and we had our best show there to date! It was a snowy drive home but the Sierras were looking beautiful... A few days later... We flew to Atlanta! The Spirit of Suwannee Springfest was the next stop. This is a phenomenal festival and the lineup had some of our best friends! Emmitt-Nershi band, Greensky Bluegrass, Larry Keel, Elephant Revival, and more...We played two sets and the fine folks in the Southeast sopped us up! Really good reception to our vibe and I felt so lucky to be able to play music for so many first-timers. We drove back to Atlanta and played a show at a club called Olde Smith's Bar. It went well and we teamed up with Elephant Revival and The Old Cavalry for a rockin' triple-bill. Hope we can get back to the area soon! I'm writing you now from my apartment in the East Bay and am getting ready for a couple local events. This Saturday, Hot Buttered Rum is playing in Felton, near Santa Cruz, at a club called Don Quixote's. Another great band is joining us called The Brothers Comatose. We teamed up with them before and enjoyed their sound immensely! hotbutteredrum.net for info. Then next Friday, Kinky Buddha will be joined by the Sleeping Giants in San Francisco with special guest Nat Keefe at the Brick and Mortar. This is a benefit for the Belize Barrier Reef. aaronredner.com for more info. No rest for us though...a two-week run through the Northeast and the Midwest in April is on the horizon....Whew!! Love to all! Aaron Recent touring has seen Hot Buttered Rum all over the West and taken us to the great states of Georgia and Florida.
A two-week tour with the Chicago band, Cornmeal, started in Denver. It was the biggest show of the whole tour on night one! We love our
Colorado crew and the evening set the tone for the whole tour. Everywhere we stopped there were people there to welcome us with open arms.
We stopped at Mystic Hot Springs in Southern Utah and played an intimate show after an epic soak on a red rock hillside.
Two nights in Salt Lake City showed us that the live music scene is strong in that community. We were hosted by a kind couple who served an
amazing dinner to some weary musicians and pumped up locals, ready to throw down!
Portland proved once again that Hot Buttered Rum and Cornmeal are bands whose music is appreciated and respected. I love that city and
I had some amazing Lebanese food with my wife and the woman who married us! Love you Annie!!
Bellingham was maybe the sleeper show of the run. A raging Sunday night with a bunch of crazy caped Canadians who made it feel like a
weekend blowout! Our friend runs an ice cream shop called Mallards, truly great ice cream, and she brought 6 pints down to the venue. Nothing like
a post-show ice cream orgy!!
Other tour highlights include free dumplings after the Bend show, another early-week dance party! A sold-out Arcata show that got the California leg of the tour going...
A memorable show at the Great American Music Hall that made me proud to be from the Bay Area. The music fans here are so passionate and help push us to new musical
boundaries. The tour closed in Lake Tahoe and we had our best show there to date! It was a snowy drive home but the Sierras were looking beautiful...
A few days later...
We flew to Atlanta! The Spirit of Suwannee Springfest was the next stop. This is a phenomenal festival and the lineup had some of our best friends! Emmitt-Nershi band, Greensky Bluegrass, Larry Keel, Elephant Revival, and more...We played two sets and the fine folks in the Southeast sopped us up! Really good reception to our vibe and I felt so lucky to be able to play music for so many first-timers. We drove back to Atlanta and played a show at a club called Olde Smith's Bar. It went well and we teamed up with Elephant Revival and The Old Cavalry for a rockin' triple-bill. Hope we can get back to the area soon!
I'm writing you now from my apartment in the East Bay and am getting ready for a couple local events.
This Saturday, Hot Buttered Rum is playing in Felton, near Santa Cruz, at a club called Don Quixote's. Another great band is joining us called The Brothers Comatose. We teamed up with them before and enjoyed their sound immensely! hotbutteredrum.net for info.
Then next Friday, Kinky Buddha will be joined by the Sleeping Giants in San Francisco with special guest Nat Keefe at the Brick and Mortar. This is a benefit for the Belize Barrier Reef. aaronredner.com for more info.
No rest for us though...a two-week run through the Northeast and the Midwest in April is on the horizon....Whew!!

Love to all!
Aaron

]]> Thu, 29 Mar 2012 22:26:44 GMT 53F118940CED0AD706090A0D5BA386D9 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1742004  HI Friends!  It's an exciting month for Hot Buttered Rum as we find ourselves in the studio to record our fourth studio album! I'm loving the songs we've chosen and we are cruising along. We are guided by our producer, Steve Berlin, who is a highly-esteemed musician/producer and who is helping keep everything on track and sounding great! Our engineer is named Eric and therefore, Erik Yates from HBR is now called "Yates" to avoid any confusion!  Such an interesting process, making a recording like this...Rare in life to analyze yourself so thoroughly and it is a great lesson in humility and acceptance of your own strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is playing and singing their hearts out and I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the result!  We had an excellent show in Sacramento earlier this month with a fun band called The Brothers Comatose. Check 'em out! It was perfect timing to play a show right before going into the studio as it has given the project more of  a "live sound" than some of our other Cd's.  We will be playing a private gig for a great organization called Bread and Roses coming up on the 29th at the New Bridge Foundation in Berkeley. Love to play for people needing musical inspiration and joy in their lives! We are also gearing up for a show at an Eco-Farm conference in Carmel as well as a fun-packed weekend in February (10-11) in Guerneville and Grass Valley, two hidden California gems that we hope you can come to! We'll be playing some new material and updated tunes that will be such a blast to perform!  Love to all of you and here's to a year of health and happiness! Aaron
 It's an exciting month for Hot Buttered Rum as we find ourselves in the studio to record our fourth studio album! I'm loving the songs we've chosen and we are cruising along. We are guided by our producer, Steve Berlin, who is a highly-esteemed musician/producer and who is helping keep everything on track and sounding great! Our engineer is named Eric and therefore, Erik Yates from HBR is now called "Yates" to avoid any confusion! 
Such an interesting process, making a recording like this...Rare in life to analyze yourself so thoroughly and it is a great lesson in humility and acceptance of your own strengths and weaknesses. Everyone is playing and singing their hearts out and I'm sure you'll be satisfied with the result! 
We had an excellent show in Sacramento earlier this month with a fun band called The Brothers Comatose. Check 'em out! It was perfect timing to play a show right before going into the studio as it has given the project more of  a "live sound" than some of our other Cd's. 
We will be playing a private gig for a great organization called Bread and Roses coming up on the 29th at the New Bridge Foundation in Berkeley. Love to play for people needing musical inspiration and joy in their lives! We are also gearing up for a show at an Eco-Farm conference in Carmel as well as a fun-packed weekend in February (10-11) in Guerneville and Grass Valley, two hidden California gems that we hope you can come to! We'll be playing some new material and updated tunes that will be such a blast to perform! 
Love to all of you and here's to a year of health and happiness!
Aaron
]]> Thu, 26 Jan 2012 05:28:50 GMT B0278FE6C974576B8C4B459389FB4854 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1687871 Happy New Year everyone! Such an exciting time to be alive! Hot Buttered Rum had a great New Year's Eve show with our brothers in New Monsoon, I just got back from an amazing honeymoon, the band is about to record our best album ever, and the world begins hurtling towards a huge Mayan-fueled exhale this December. It's such an interesting time before you go into the studio to record a significant project. You want to sound spontaneous and fresh when faced with the microphone but you also want to do the prep work to feel like you're going into it with your best stuff! We're going to be produced by the great Steve Berlin who has worked with many of our heroes! The next couple weeks are going to be spent deciding what ends up on the album. We are lucky enough to have a plethora of songs and it's a great process to refine our sound. There's a bunch of touring on the horizon including a show in Sacramento on 1/14 at Harlows, a tour through Idaho and Montana, Wintergrass in Seattle, and a huge tour with Cornmeal all over the West! If you'd like to hear some brand-new-out-of-the-oven songs, come on down to the Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax this Saturday! I'll be joined by Erik and Nat for a singer-in-the-round style show. I hope your year is full of inspiration and joy! Aaron If you'd like to hear some brand-new-out-of-the-oven songs, come on down to the Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax this Saturday! I'll be joined by Erik and Nat for a singer-in-the-round style show. I hope your year is full of inspiration and joy!
Aaron
]]> Fri, 06 Jan 2012 11:21:28 GMT 175194355C30B1CCD306E2A192F41F00 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1530850 Thanks a million to all the amazing people who came to the shows these past couple of weeks!! We had the best of times with our dear brothers in Greensky Bluegrass. We've played together here and there through the years so the familiarity helped forge a further bond that I'm sure will bear musical fruit in the near future..... Every show had it's highlights and I really enjoyed splitting the 2 bands up into 2 new mixed bands. Music is always a place for strangers to become friends and this was no exception. I loved playing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland and the Showbox in Seattle where we had our biggest shows ever! Such an honor to play in venues where I've seen my heroes hold court. Now I'm home for the Thanksgiving holiday and intend to rest and write songs. Two of my favorite pasttimes! Wanted to also let you know about a cool show Kinky Buddha is playing at the Hopmonk Tavern on Saturday, November 26th. We will be opening for John Kimock's new project that will include Eric Levy and Bobby Vega! Show starts at 9 pm. Happy Holidays!! Every show had it's highlights and I really enjoyed splitting the 2 bands up into 2 new mixed bands. Music is always a place for strangers to become friends and this was no exception. I loved playing at the Crystal Ballroom in Portland and the Showbox in Seattle where we had our biggest shows ever! Such an honor to play in venues where I've seen my heroes hold court.
Now I'm home for the Thanksgiving holiday and intend to rest and write songs. Two of my favorite pasttimes!
Wanted to also let you know about a cool show Kinky Buddha is playing at the Hopmonk Tavern on Saturday, November 26th. We will be opening for
John Kimock's new project that will include Eric Levy and Bobby Vega! Show starts at 9 pm.
Happy Holidays!!
]]> Tue, 22 Nov 2011 04:05:00 GMT 40024AF11DDEE929CB3A9BF53344848F http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1452558  Hi friends!! Sorry if I've been a bit out of touch but it's been a busy month...I had the honor of marrying Alexa last Sunday and it was a magical day indeed! Such joy! I am the luckiest man in the world and together we move forward... It really is something special to be surrounded by family and friends from each aspect of your life who come together for the sole purpose of union. I love and cherish my new extended family as they have so graciously accepted me into their mix. After the wedding weekend, we spent a couple days soaking in hot springs which was a nice way to start out. Hot Buttered Rum had a gig outside of Chico in a beautiful setting on Friday. We got to play 2 sets which is always great in a festival setting under the trees and the moonlight and high up in the mountains. The next day, Alexa and I found an amazing farmers market in Chico where we stocked up on veggies and fresh Alaskan salmon before driving up to a friend's cabin in Lake Tahoe. I'll tell ya...Autumn in Lake Tahoe on a gorgeous day is hard to beat! There were very few people as well which made it even more enjoyable! Our place was right across from the Log Cabin breakfast joint in King's Beach; which is one of my favorites! We went for a spectacular hike up through Sugar Bowl and Mt. Judah. The pics were fun from way up there! We did truly find Autumn; which is what we were looking for.... Here's to love and inspiration!   Aaron  Hi friends!!
Sorry if I've been a bit out of touch but it's been a busy month...I had the honor of marrying Alexa last Sunday and it was a magical day indeed! Such joy!
I am the luckiest man in the world and together we move forward...
It really is something special to be surrounded by family and friends from each aspect of your life who come together for the sole purpose of union. I love and cherish my new extended family as they have so graciously accepted me into their mix.
After the wedding weekend, we spent a couple days soaking in hot springs which was a nice way to start out. Hot Buttered Rum had a gig outside of Chico in a beautiful setting on Friday. We got to play 2 sets which is always great in a festival setting under the trees and the moonlight and high up in the mountains. The next day, Alexa and I found an amazing farmers market in Chico where we stocked up on veggies and fresh Alaskan salmon before driving up to a friend's cabin in Lake Tahoe. I'll tell ya...Autumn in Lake Tahoe on a gorgeous day is hard to beat! There were very few people as well which made it even more enjoyable! Our place was right across from the Log Cabin breakfast joint in King's Beach; which is one of my favorites! We went for a spectacular hike up through Sugar Bowl and Mt. Judah. The pics were fun from way up there!
We did truly find Autumn; which is what we were looking for....
Here's to love and inspiration!  
Aaron 



]]> Tue, 01 Nov 2011 02:48:55 GMT C2DC1500375048796AF5021DA1158A48 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1287230  Hi Friends!! I'm finally home after a short trip to the Midwest. It has been quite a summer of festivals and club dates. This past tour was our only visit to the Midwest this year so it was great to visit some old friends and enjoy some of that Midwest hospitality.  A couple of real standout moments of the past month....Nedfest! Such a great time in Nederland, CO where they throw quite the yearly party. I remember reading about this festival when I first started playing with Hot Buttered Rum and thinking to myself that someday I hoped to be there. It's a great combination of smalltown community-vibe mixed with a very high level of musicianship. Other bands there included Cornmeal, Leftover Salmon, ALO, a bunch of the String Cheese guys, Jeff Austin, Split Lip Rayfield, and more! We had a great set and Billy Nershi sat in with us on a couple of tunes. I got to sit in with Cornmeal and jam with my soul-sistah, Allie Kral. David Grisman was there as well and it's always an honor to be on the same bill as that legend.... Next highlight...STRAWBERRY! If you have never been to the Strawberry music festival in the Yosemite area, you're missing out! It happens twice a year and we played the Labor Day incarnation. It was wonderful to see some musical friends there such as Nathan Moore and Tim and Nicki Bluhm. The festival has one main stage and we headlined the Thursday night, an honor I will never forget. I remember going to this festival as a fan and thinking how amazing it must be to play a night time set there. We played very well and had the audience on their feet at the end. Really hoping we get asked back to this institution and that we can stay a little longer next time. We went to the Monte Rio Festival on the Russian River where we played a well-received set for the grateful hippies there. I got to talk to another hero on this day, Melvin Seals. He's one of my favorite musicians on the scene and it still trips me out that he recognizes me when we see each other! In the middle of the set, the band suddenly shifted keys and I had NO idea what was going on! Nat started to talk and let me in on the joke....it was the beginning of my bachelor party! Some of my best friends in the world were secretly called in and after the show we went back to our hotel. The next day we played a round of golf, and floated the Russian River! It was a blast and my manager, Barney Kilpatrick was in town as well which made it extra special as he lives in Atlanta and we rarely see him.  While we were on the river, he cooked up an authentic New Orleans feast that was totally delicious!! The next day was my only day at home before heading out to the Midwest for tour where we learned the lesson that HBR isn't quite as popular as the Green Bay Packers yet : )   I'm a huge football fan and it was fun to watch the opening game of the season that had the Pack hanging on to beat the Saints in a game that reminded me why I love the game.  Now I'm home and spending time preparing for my upcoming wedding....lotsa details but so excited to officially unite with my beloved. Tomorrow I'm going to look for my outfit! Very exciting indeed! Hope the love is flowing for you too wherever you may be...... Peace, Aaron p.s. Kinky Buddha will be playing a show at the Ashkenaz in Berkeley on September 29th. We are part of a triple bill with  Tippy Canoe and Audiafauna. Show starts at 8:30 and we go last.  ashkenaz.com I'm finally home after a short trip to the Midwest. It has been quite a summer of festivals and club dates. This past tour was our only visit to the Midwest this year so it was great to visit some old friends and enjoy some of that Midwest hospitality. 
A couple of real standout moments of the past month....Nedfest! Such a great time in Nederland, CO where they throw quite the yearly party. I remember reading about this festival when I first started playing with Hot Buttered Rum and thinking to myself that someday I hoped to be there. It's a great combination of smalltown community-vibe mixed with a very high level of musicianship. Other bands there included Cornmeal, Leftover Salmon, ALO, a bunch of the String Cheese guys, Jeff Austin, Split Lip Rayfield, and more! We had a great set and Billy Nershi sat in with us on a couple of tunes. I got to sit in with Cornmeal and jam with my soul-sistah, Allie Kral. David Grisman was there as well and it's always an honor to be on the same bill as that legend....
Next highlight...STRAWBERRY! If you have never been to the Strawberry music festival in the Yosemite area, you're missing out! It happens twice a year and we played the Labor Day incarnation. It was wonderful to see some musical friends there such as Nathan Moore and Tim and Nicki Bluhm. The festival has one main stage and we headlined the Thursday night, an honor I will never forget. I remember going to this festival as a fan and thinking how amazing it must be to play a night time set there. We played very well and had the audience on their feet at the end. Really hoping we get asked back to this institution and that we can stay a little longer next time. We went to the Monte Rio Festival on the Russian River where we played a well-received set for the grateful hippies there. I got to talk to another hero on this day, Melvin Seals. He's one of my favorite musicians on the scene and it still trips me out that he recognizes me when we see each other!
In the middle of the set, the band suddenly shifted keys and I had NO idea what was going on! Nat started to talk and let me in on the joke....it was the beginning of my bachelor party! Some of my best friends in the world were secretly called in and after the show we went back to our hotel. The next day we played a round of golf, and floated the Russian River! It was a blast and my manager, Barney Kilpatrick was in town as well which made it extra special as he lives in Atlanta and we rarely see him. 
While we were on the river, he cooked up an authentic New Orleans feast that was totally delicious!! The next day was my only day at home before heading out to the Midwest for tour where we learned the lesson that HBR isn't quite as popular as the Green Bay Packers yet : )  
I'm a huge football fan and it was fun to watch the opening game of the season that had the Pack hanging on to beat the Saints in a game that reminded me why I love the game. 
Now I'm home and spending time preparing for my upcoming wedding....lotsa details but so excited to officially unite with my beloved. Tomorrow I'm going to look for my outfit! Very exciting indeed! Hope the love is flowing for you too wherever you may be......
Peace,
Aaron

p.s. Kinky Buddha will be playing a show at the Ashkenaz in Berkeley on September 29th. We are part of a triple bill with  Tippy Canoe and Audiafauna. Show starts at 8:30 and we go last.  ashkenaz.com
]]> Tue, 13 Sep 2011 09:25:00 GMT F7F5056B4DC4905ED160ECEE4DECABF4 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1157290 Hello friends! It's been a great month! I celebrated my 40th birthday with some friends at the SF Giants game and an amazing dinner with my parents and Alexa. I'm a big believer in the "birthday week" mentality and made sure every day had a special activity or conversation. We also had an amazing time at the All Good Festival in West Virginia! HBR opened the mainstage and were welcomed by a huge crowd of enthusiastic young people! Backstage was a great place to hang out where musician/heroes were walking around everywhere! I posted some pics for you if you want to check it out.... This past weekend was a California adventure that took us from Oakland to Groveland to Lake Tahoe. Some of my favorite places and each show went great! It's an exciting time in Hot Buttered Rum world! Next weekend it's on to Caspar, just north of Mendocino....yep....summer touring rules!! Another show I'm looking forward to is at the Starry Plough on August 11th. Kinky Buddha will be joined by Kate Gaffney and Eli Jebediah from Poor Man's Whiskey who has started a new band called Huckle. Show starts at 9 and is 6-10 $ on a sliding scale. Hope you're taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine! Aaron It's been a great month! I celebrated my 40th birthday with some friends at the SF Giants game and an amazing dinner with my parents and Alexa. I'm a big believer in the "birthday week" mentality and made sure every day had a special activity or conversation.
We also had an amazing time at the All Good Festival in West Virginia! HBR opened the mainstage and were welcomed by a huge crowd of enthusiastic young people! Backstage was a great place to hang out where musician/heroes were walking around everywhere!
I posted some pics for you if you want to check it out....
This past weekend was a California adventure that took us from Oakland to Groveland to Lake Tahoe. Some of my favorite places and each show went great! It's an exciting time in Hot Buttered Rum world! Next weekend it's on to Caspar, just north of Mendocino....yep....summer touring rules!!
Another show I'm looking forward to is at the Starry Plough on August 11th. Kinky Buddha will be joined by Kate Gaffney and Eli Jebediah from Poor Man's Whiskey who has started a new band called Huckle. Show starts at 9 and is 6-10 $ on a sliding scale.
Hope you're taking advantage of the beautiful sunshine!
Aaron
]]> Thu, 04 Aug 2011 04:14:08 GMT CB45767DC7AA1155F79DDDF0229AAF1F http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1082863 Wow, it's so beautiful outside! I'm someone who can find beauty in the rainiest day but there's something about gliding around in flip flops that is unrivalled! I spent the July 4th weekend camping on the Sonoma Coast with Alexa, my soon-to-be-wife, and it was delicious being next to nature's air-conditioner, the Pacific Ocean. I slept so well with the sound of the waves calming my ears and days were spent hiking in forests and doing yoga amongst rock formations above the ocean. California is truly an amazing place. Now I'm back home and ready for a week of rehearsals and shows. Tomorrow, July 6th, Kinky Buddha is performing at the Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax and I'm unveiling some new songs that I'm excited about! It's been a fertile time for songwriting and some of Hot Buttered Rum's new tunes will get their Bay Area debut at the Marin JCC this Saturday, July 9th. Great show for the whole family for sure with an early start time! The following weekend we are travelling to West Virginia for the All Good Festival, a fan-favorite, followed by a festival in Iowa called Camp Euphoria which I'm sure will be a serious throwdown! Hope you're all staying cool out there and embracing sun screen! : ) Love, Aaron is unrivalled! I spent the July 4th weekend camping on the Sonoma Coast with Alexa, my soon-to-be-wife, and it was delicious being next to
nature's air-conditioner, the Pacific Ocean. I slept so well with the sound of the waves calming my ears and days were spent hiking in forests and
doing yoga amongst rock formations above the ocean. California is truly an amazing place.
Now I'm back home and ready for a week of rehearsals and shows. Tomorrow, July 6th, Kinky Buddha is performing at the Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax
and I'm unveiling some new songs that I'm excited about! It's been a fertile time for songwriting and some of Hot Buttered Rum's new tunes will get their Bay Area
debut at the Marin JCC this Saturday, July 9th. Great show for the whole family for sure with an early start time!
The following weekend we are travelling to West Virginia for the All Good Festival, a fan-favorite, followed by a festival in Iowa called Camp Euphoria which I'm
sure will be a serious throwdown!
Hope you're all staying cool out there and embracing sun screen! : )
Love,
Aaron
]]> Tue, 05 Jul 2011 21:59:38 GMT C1455A1722D913DBBFB6210BB0A44ED9 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=1015959 Can I get a Yeeeeeee Haawwwwww?? This past weekend was spent in the great state of Arkansas where Hot Buttered Rum found itself at the Wakarusa festival high up in the Ozarks. Mulberry Mountain is the name of the location and we've been there a few times now. We flew into Little Rock through Las Vegas and were napping in our hotel by 4 pm. Our set that night was to begin at 1 am and it was 95 degrees with high humidity when we arrived. It was great, however, when we pulled into the Wakarusa gates around 8, and after obtaining our credentials, we drove our cars through the hippie masses to find a parking spot by our stage. This was our first REALLY big festival (30,000 people?) of the season and there was serious excitement in the air. Great bands were playing all over the place and I was glad to have only packed my cross-trainers because I walked for miles! In the few hours I was there I enjoyed the backstage hospitality and snagged a few pairs of guitar strings while I was at it : ) I heard some of Sound Tribe Sector Nine's set which drew a huge crowd and My Morning Jacket who threw their hair in the wind and sang their hearts out. Poor Man's Whiskey played before us so it was nice to rock out to our buddies with some of their girlfriends! Nat sat in with them and when our set came around, we had a big dance party on stage with a big crew of our homies during LImbs Akimbo. It's always fun to play the festival sets under the lights when you can barely see the audience but can feel the heat! It ended up being a late night and our heads hit the pillow around 4 am! The next day was spent resting in the sweet air conditioning of the hotel room. The last time I was in Arkansas I made a vow to make a Trader Joe's trip and pack my suitcase with "just add hot water" stuff. Glad I did! Nothing but chain fast food around the interstate and I enjoyed my teriyaki soup and healthy trail mix! That night we had a set at 9 and it was prime time! The sound man said it was the biggest crowd of the weekend on that stage and we had an hour set that packed a serious punch! One tune that hit hard was the Grateful Dead tune, Bertha. Huge singalong! We were all inspired after hearing artists like Mumford and Sons, Ben Harper, Scythian, and more! Nat and Erik ended up picking tunes with the Mumford guys and had a great connection. It'd be fun to tour with those blokes! Sunday was a long, multi-legged flight through Dallas and Albuquerque. Poor Man's Whiskey was on our plane and at one of the layovers, instruments came out and a tune was played on the airplane! It was hilarious to watch people get on the plane and react to the sound of a banjo. After a whirlwind couple of days, it was nice to relax at home and not move! Tomorrow I'm rehearsing for the upcoming Fairfax festival in downtown Fairfax. Kinky Buddha is playing at 2:45 and I'm putting together a fun setlist meant to get the people moving and singing! I'm honored to have the opportunity to sing in one of my favorite towns in the world! After the set's over, we're moving down to the Sleeping Lady which is a block away. We'll play another show starting at 6 pm and it's all free! I'm writing a lot of songs these days and it's great to have such wonderful musicians to play with. I hope to see my Bay Area friends there! Peace and love to all!! Aaron
This past weekend was spent in the great state of Arkansas where Hot Buttered Rum found itself at the Wakarusa festival high up in the Ozarks.
Mulberry Mountain is the name of the location and we've been there a few times now. We flew into Little Rock through Las Vegas and were napping in our hotel
by 4 pm. Our set that night was to begin at 1 am and it was 95 degrees with high humidity when we arrived. It was great, however, when we pulled into the Wakarusa gates around 8, and after obtaining our credentials, we drove our cars through the hippie masses to find a parking spot by our stage.
This was our first REALLY big festival (30,000 people?) of the season and there was serious excitement in the air. Great bands were playing all over the place and I was glad to have only packed my cross-trainers because I walked for miles! In the few hours I was there I enjoyed the backstage hospitality and snagged a few pairs of guitar strings while I was at it : )
I heard some of Sound Tribe Sector Nine's set which drew a huge crowd and My Morning Jacket who threw their hair in the wind and sang their hearts out.
Poor Man's Whiskey played before us so it was nice to rock out to our buddies with some of their girlfriends! Nat sat in with them and when our set came around, we had
a big dance party on stage with a big crew of our homies during LImbs Akimbo. It's always fun to play the festival sets under the lights when you can barely see the audience but can feel the heat! It ended up being a late night and our heads hit the pillow around 4 am!
The next day was spent resting in the sweet air conditioning of the hotel room. The last time I was in Arkansas I made a vow to make a Trader Joe's trip and pack my suitcase with "just add hot water" stuff. Glad I did! Nothing but chain fast food around the interstate and I enjoyed my teriyaki soup and healthy trail mix!
That night we had a set at 9 and it was prime time! The sound man said it was the biggest crowd of the weekend on that stage and we had an hour set that packed a serious punch! One tune that hit hard was the Grateful Dead tune, Bertha. Huge singalong! We were all inspired after hearing artists like Mumford and Sons, Ben Harper, Scythian, and more! Nat and Erik ended up picking tunes with the Mumford guys and had a great connection. It'd be fun to tour with those blokes!
Sunday was a long, multi-legged flight through Dallas and Albuquerque. Poor Man's Whiskey was on our plane and at one of the layovers, instruments came out and a tune was played on the airplane! It was hilarious to watch people get on the plane and react to the sound of a banjo.
After a whirlwind couple of days, it was nice to relax at home and not move! Tomorrow I'm rehearsing for the upcoming Fairfax festival in downtown Fairfax. Kinky Buddha is playing at 2:45 and I'm putting together a fun setlist meant to get the people moving and singing! I'm honored to have the opportunity to sing in one of my favorite towns in the world! After the set's over, we're moving down to the Sleeping Lady which is a block away. We'll play another show starting at 6 pm and it's all free! I'm writing a lot of songs these days and it's great to have such wonderful musicians to play with. I hope to see my Bay Area friends there!
Peace and love to all!!
Aaron
]]> Tue, 07 Jun 2011 07:18:24 GMT A5D35A7BC3EE04632F817834C6B77468 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=999878 Hi Friends!! I'm in Moab, Utah and it's a sunny, blustery day where walking down the street can be a challenge. Sunglasses advised cause the particles are swirling!! Hot Buttered Rum had a festival set last night at a festival called Desert Rocks, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. You take a dirt road for a few miles off the highway and end up in an area full of rock formations, beautiful desert flowers, and a few thousand people ready to throw down for the Memorial Day weekend. This is our third time playing here and this has been the best weather by far. Last time we were here there was a flash flood! We hit the stage about 9:30 and the environment was perfect for a meaningful festival set on a great sound system. We played a few of our newer tunes such as Bells on Waves and Every Side of the Coin and the place was jumping and celebrating the whole time. So much fun. Wonderful volunteers and staff were everywhere and I look forward to playing the September Powellapalooza festival in Arizona, headed up by the same bunch. I headed back to our hotel and got some MUCH needed rest. Especially since our set tonight starts at 2:40 AM!! Sheesh....I'll have to embrace my inner desert warrior and enjoy howling at the stars from a serious power spot with all my freaky friends! The day before found us in Colorado Springs at a festival called Meadowgrass in Colorado Springs. We met at the airport before the set, all coming from different places. On the way, the back hatch of the car flew open. Lucas expertly guided the car to the side of the highway and our instruments (thank God!) didn't slide out by some miracle. The festival was very family-oriented and when we were soundchecking there were about 8 little kids (mostly girls) all making fun of us and laughing. Total hoot! The band before us was a great Cajun band and we recruited their amazing washboard player for a few tunes. He crushed it and the audience really enjoyed his energy with us. We slept in a cool cabin that had bunkbed rooms and we each got our own! I'll tell ya', it's rare to have your own room in this business and it's a true luxury when it happens. I'm getting excited about my upcoming gig at the Fairfax festival on June 12th in beautiful downtown Fairfax. Kinky Buddha plays at 2:45 PM. We also just got confirmed to play at the Sleeping Lady in town that night from 6-9 PM. I'll be joined by Chris Haugen, Bryan Horne, Ben Jacobs, and Denielle Basom and we're psyched to make music for y'all! Be sure to check out the photos page for new pics! Time for a nap, Aaron
I'm in Moab, Utah and it's a sunny, blustery day where walking down the street can be a challenge. Sunglasses advised cause the particles are swirling!!
Hot Buttered Rum had a festival set last night at a festival called Desert Rocks, which is quickly becoming a fan favorite. You take a dirt road for a few miles off the highway and end up in an area full of rock formations, beautiful desert flowers, and a few thousand people ready to throw down for the Memorial Day weekend. This is our third time playing
here and this has been the best weather by far. Last time we were here there was a flash flood!
We hit the stage about 9:30 and the environment was perfect for a meaningful festival set on a great sound system. We played a few of our newer tunes such as Bells on Waves and Every Side of the Coin and the place was jumping and celebrating the whole time. So much fun. Wonderful volunteers and staff were everywhere and I look forward to playing the September Powellapalooza festival in Arizona, headed up by the same bunch. I headed back to our hotel and got some MUCH needed rest. Especially since our set tonight starts at 2:40 AM!! Sheesh....I'll have to embrace my inner desert warrior and enjoy howling at the stars from a serious power spot with all my freaky friends!
The day before found us in Colorado Springs at a festival called Meadowgrass in Colorado Springs. We met at the airport before the set, all coming from different places. On the way, the back hatch of the car flew open. Lucas expertly guided the car to the side of the highway and our instruments (thank God!) didn't slide out by some miracle.
The festival was very family-oriented and when we were soundchecking there were about 8 little kids (mostly girls) all making fun of us and laughing. Total hoot!
The band before us was a great Cajun band and we recruited their amazing washboard player for a few tunes. He crushed it and the audience really enjoyed his energy with us. We slept in a cool cabin that had bunkbed rooms and we each got our own! I'll tell ya', it's rare to have your own room in this business and it's a true luxury when it happens.

I'm getting excited about my upcoming gig at the Fairfax festival on June 12th in beautiful downtown Fairfax. Kinky Buddha plays at 2:45 PM. We also just got confirmed to play at the Sleeping Lady in town that night from 6-9 PM. I'll be joined by Chris Haugen, Bryan Horne, Ben Jacobs, and Denielle Basom and we're psyched to make music for y'all!

Be sure to check out the photos page for new pics!
Time for a nap,
Aaron
]]> Mon, 30 May 2011 00:47:32 GMT BDFC554F7D08DA2244C31CA580393324 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=938457 Hello Friends! I'm sitting at home after a great rehearsal with Nat Keefe and Erik Yates. We are putting together three more songs for the Hot Buttered Rum repertoire and once again I think you'll enjoy the fruits of our labor. Nat's adding a tune called The Fall of Rome that has a Gregorian Chant vocal arrangement and sounds like something the Fleet Foxes would play to my ears. Erik's tune is called Let the Love Come Through Me. It has a rootsy, sexy, soulful feel and will become a tune for people to sing along. My tune is called Blue Moon Stars and is more of a Country ballad. I played this one by myself in Eugene on our recent tour of the Northwest and am liking it mucho! Our tour to the Northwest started in Arcata at the Humboldt Brewing Company. The venue is great and the area is lucky to have such a quality location for people to play as well as a helpful staff who kept smiles going the whole night. It felt great to be playing music again with the Butter Boys and we had some friends in the crowd who had travelled great distances to be there. Gracias amigos! Next we headed to Ashland. I love going to that town and always walk around like crazy to soak in the Southern Oregon atmosphere. We played at a funky place called Cultureworks that doubled as an organic vegetarian restaurant. This show stood out for me musically and I really noticed how much we all enjoyed the light show put on by John Davies. It was our first tour with a lighting director in a long time. I especially like it when the lights go down in between songs to help frame the emotional experience. Portland was our next stop and the Wonder Ballroom has served as host for Hot Buttered Rum many times. As usual, some of our best friends in the world were there and it made it special for me. My fiancee, Alexa, came up for the show and her mom was in the audience as well. Fun to rock out for the in-law to be! The green room was rocking after the show with the members of Fruition who came that night. My favorite part of the evening was when our great buddy Matt Butler came out and played a few songs with us. Thanks maestro! On to Seattle and a show at the Tractor Tavern. We'd done numerous 2 night stands at the venue and this Friday night was just ridiculous! Easily sold out and many had come to hear their local hero, Danny Barnes, who played in a duo formation with a great drummer. John really made the stage look good which was highlighted by the skull of a steer! The end of the show was a challenge. All tour we committed to playing unplugged, acoustic at the lip of the stage after a show. This venue was a bit to rowdy and our 3 song encore was enjoyed by the first 5 or 6 rows : ) And finally....Eugene! I love going to Eugene because it makes me feel like I'm in college again. It's a great college town and I always walk around and go to some yummy coffee shop or get some happy hour sushi! We played at the WOW hall and once again the floor filled with some of the best dancers we see anywhere in the country. People are very open at these shows and it encourages us on stage to improvise more freely. I stayed with a good friend after the show and caught up on things. The next morning I had a great little breakfast and got in the van headed back for California. We stopped at our favorite gas station in the country, the Biofuel Oasis, and cruised 9 hours back to the East Bay. Now we have some time off before a couple shows that are going to be amazing! The first is May 6 at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. This show will feature two Hot Buttered Rum side projects: Kinky Buddha, and Bryan Horne and the Jawdroppers. Kinky Buddha is my side project and includes the great Chris Haugen on guitar, Ben Jacobs on keyboards, Denielle Basom on vocals, and Bryan Horne on bass. The set will consist of my original songs, some Grateful Dead covers, Irish fiddle, and Classical violin, as well as songs by the other band members. Bryan Horne and the Jawdroppers will feature Nat Keefe, Erik Yates, and Lucas Carlton and I may join in the fun :) This show will be include brand new songs and some broken down combos of the players. Bring your requests too, who know what other guest will come too!! Yes, you don't want to miss this special night. May 7th is in Point Reyes and will be a Hot Buttered Rum show at the Dance Palace. We did a 2 night run here last year and man, there's nothing like driving out to Point Reyes Station, going for a hike, eating a locally grown meal, and coming down to boogie at this family friendly venue. Bring your moms! I highly recommend getting a place to stay out there if possible so you don't need to leave that night! There's some camping nearby as well. We may plan a potluck so stay tuned! Thanks again for all your love and support and we're just out there trying to make ya' proud! Love, Aaron I'm sitting at home after a great rehearsal with Nat Keefe and Erik Yates. We are putting together three more songs for the Hot Buttered Rum repertoire and once again I think you'll enjoy the fruits of our labor. Nat's adding a tune called The Fall of Rome that has a Gregorian Chant vocal arrangement and sounds like something the Fleet Foxes would play to my ears. Erik's tune is called Let the Love Come Through Me. It has a rootsy, sexy, soulful feel and will become a tune for people to sing along. My tune is called Blue Moon Stars and is more of a Country ballad. I played this one by myself in Eugene on our recent tour of the Northwest and am liking it mucho!

Our tour to the Northwest started in Arcata at the Humboldt Brewing Company. The venue is great and the area is lucky to have such a quality location for people to play as well as a helpful staff who kept smiles going the whole night. It felt great to be playing music again with the Butter Boys and we had some friends in the crowd who had travelled great distances to be there. Gracias amigos!

Next we headed to Ashland. I love going to that town and always walk around like crazy to soak in the Southern Oregon atmosphere. We played at a funky place called Cultureworks that doubled as an organic vegetarian restaurant. This show stood out for me musically and I really noticed how much we all enjoyed the light show put on by John Davies. It was our first tour with a lighting director in a long time. I especially like it when the lights go down in between songs to help frame the emotional experience.

Portland was our next stop and the Wonder Ballroom has served as host for Hot Buttered Rum many times. As usual, some of our best friends in the world were there and it made it special for me. My fiancee, Alexa, came up for the show and her mom was in the audience as well. Fun to rock out for the in-law to be! The green room was rocking after the show with the members of Fruition who came that night. My favorite part of the evening was when our great buddy Matt Butler came out and played a few songs with us. Thanks maestro!

On to Seattle and a show at the Tractor Tavern. We'd done numerous 2 night stands at the venue and this Friday night was just ridiculous! Easily sold out and many had come to hear their local hero, Danny Barnes, who played in a duo formation with a great drummer. John really made the stage look good which was highlighted by the skull of a steer!
The end of the show was a challenge. All tour we committed to playing unplugged, acoustic at the lip of the stage after a show. This venue was a bit to rowdy and our 3 song encore was enjoyed by the first 5 or 6 rows : )

And finally....Eugene! I love going to Eugene because it makes me feel like I'm in college again. It's a great college town and I always walk around and go to some yummy coffee shop or get some happy hour sushi! We played at the WOW hall and once again the floor filled with some of the best dancers we see anywhere in the country. People are very open at these shows and it encourages us on stage to improvise more freely. I stayed with a good friend after the show and caught up on things. The next morning I had a great little breakfast and got in the van headed back for California. We stopped at our favorite gas station in the country, the Biofuel Oasis, and cruised 9 hours back to the East Bay.

Now we have some time off before a couple shows that are going to be amazing! The first is May 6 at the Starry Plough in Berkeley. This show will feature two Hot Buttered Rum side projects: Kinky Buddha, and Bryan Horne and the Jawdroppers. Kinky Buddha is my side project and includes the great Chris Haugen on guitar, Ben Jacobs on keyboards, Denielle Basom on vocals, and Bryan Horne on bass. The set will consist of my original songs, some Grateful Dead covers, Irish fiddle, and Classical violin, as well as songs by the other band members.
Bryan Horne and the Jawdroppers will feature Nat Keefe, Erik Yates, and Lucas Carlton and I may join in the fun :) This show will be include brand new songs and some broken down combos of the players. Bring your requests too, who know what other guest will come too!! Yes, you don't want to miss this special night.

May 7th is in Point Reyes and will be a Hot Buttered Rum show at the Dance Palace. We did a 2 night run here last year and man, there's nothing like driving out to Point Reyes Station, going for a hike, eating a locally grown meal, and coming down to boogie at this family friendly venue. Bring your moms! I highly recommend getting a place to stay out there if possible so you don't need to leave that night! There's some camping nearby as well. We may plan a potluck so stay tuned!

Thanks again for all your love and support and we're just out there trying to make ya' proud!

Love,
Aaron
]]> Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:03:46 GMT 1A50FB5ED24276499BEA24DD0D2112C8 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=898477  Good Day!!       I'm sitting in Albany the day before heading up to the Northwest with the band. First show is in Arcata and we are going through Oregon and up to Seattle. It really is one of my favorite touring routes as it is not only beautiful (especially in Spring!) but we have so many friends along the way who are gonna make each show a special event! We are bringing a lighting director which will enhance the tour greatly! John did a great job at the Great American Music Hall and I hope you get to experience his artistry. Armando will be along as well as our sound engineer so be sure to buy him a shot of tequila, he'll appreciate it! Our recent show at the Great American was memorable indeed! Our special guests added so much and the atmoshere was electric all night. I feel so grateful for the support shown to us and I hope we made you proud! Having Wavy Gravy start the night off like only he can was an honor and you can find pictures of the evening at aaronredner.com. Many fans came out in capes and glitter and set the tone early. The venue passed out colorful beads to help the party atmosphere. It was so good to feel the hometown-crowd energy and HBR feels like it's on track to do big things this year!  We've been getting some new songs up and running during the past week and I can't wait to give birth to them in the next few days. It's always the most exciting thing for me to get new music in the rotation that reflects how life feels now and comes from my heart. Here's a clip from the recent show, hope to see y'all soon!!    www.youtube.com/user/jackcroswell Love,  Aaron
      I'm sitting in Albany the day before heading up to the Northwest with the band. First show is in Arcata and we are going through Oregon and up to Seattle. It really is one of my favorite touring routes as it is not only beautiful (especially in Spring!) but we have so many friends along the way who are gonna make each show a special event!
We are bringing a lighting director which will enhance the tour greatly! John did a great job at the Great American Music Hall and I hope you get to experience his artistry.
Armando will be along as well as our sound engineer so be sure to buy him a shot of tequila, he'll appreciate it!
Our recent show at the Great American was memorable indeed! Our special guests added so much and the atmoshere was electric all night. I feel so grateful for the support shown to us and I hope we made you proud! Having Wavy Gravy start the night off like only he can was an honor and you can find pictures of the evening at aaronredner.com.
Many fans came out in capes and glitter and set the tone early. The venue passed out colorful beads to help the party atmosphere.
It was so good to feel the hometown-crowd energy and HBR feels like it's on track to do big things this year! 
We've been getting some new songs up and running during the past week and I can't wait to give birth to them in the next few days. It's always the most exciting thing for me to get new music in the rotation that reflects how life feels now and comes from my heart.
Here's a clip from the recent show, hope to see y'all soon!!    www.youtube.com/user/jackcroswell
Love, 
Aaron


]]> Tue, 12 Apr 2011 00:09:15 GMT EE90748A1F9DF6610438477A789551D2 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=851607 Hello Everyone! I'm feeling upbeat today because I'm getting ready to go on a week-long tour tomorrow. The tour will take us through Arizona and Southern California before looping back home to the Bay Area. The timing seems right to go back to those areas and I'm excited to connect with some old friends in each town. It's especially fun because we have some new material to play and that always fires me up! I had an interesting weekend. I was asked to be a special guest at Paul Kantner's 70th birthday celebration that took place over 2 days in Mill Valley, CA. There were guests from the Jefferson Airplane/Starship/Hot Tuna worlds and a ton of happy hippies rocking out to music from their youth. I've included a few photos of the event. I always enjoy hearing Pete Sears play bass. The man is amazing. Slick Aguilar is an excellent guitar player and of course it was an honor to share the stage with Paul Kantner! We shared a few words and I asked him to tell me a story about Papa John Creach who was a fiddle player that jammed with Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna. The singers were all great and Cathy Richardson really stole the show. She played Janis Joplin on Broadway in the musical: Love, Janis. She blew the place up with her version of Grace Slick vocals and Janis Joplin. Big Brother and the Holding Company were there and together they sounded like...well...like you'd hope they would! Stellar. I learned alot watching some Papa Creach videos and got some very positive feedback from the folks in the house who knew him well. I also got to play a song with Tim and Nicki Bluhm. 3rd Week in the Chelsea. A pretty melody penned by Jorma Kaukonen. Here is a clip of that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crnZ7VB0zVI. I also received some video of my recent performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Enjoy! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwQSthm-Q2o  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ChjpDLI9x8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XiAWgkZW74&feature=related Well I need to get packing for my trip tomorrow! If you're in the Southwest I look forward to playing for you. If you're in the Bay Area, remember the date April 2. Hot Buttered Rum is performing at the Great American Music Hall with a bunch of guests and Ten Mile Tide opening! All the best, Aaron I had an interesting weekend. I was asked to be a special guest at Paul Kantner's 70th birthday celebration that took place over 2 days in Mill Valley, CA. There were guests from the Jefferson Airplane/Starship/Hot Tuna worlds and a ton of happy hippies rocking out to music from their youth. I've included a few photos of the event. I always enjoy hearing Pete Sears play bass. The man is amazing. Slick Aguilar is an excellent guitar player and of course it was an honor to share the stage with Paul Kantner! We shared a few words and I asked him to tell me a story about Papa John Creach who was a fiddle player that jammed with Jefferson Starship and Hot Tuna. The singers were all great and Cathy Richardson really stole the show. She played Janis Joplin on Broadway in the musical: Love, Janis. She blew the place up with her version of Grace Slick vocals and Janis Joplin. Big Brother and the Holding Company were there and together they sounded like...well...like you'd hope they would! Stellar. I learned alot watching some Papa Creach videos and got some very positive feedback from the folks in the house who knew him well. I also got to play a song with Tim and Nicki Bluhm. 3rd Week in the Chelsea. A pretty melody penned by Jorma Kaukonen. Here is a clip of that. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crnZ7VB0zVI.
I also received some video of my recent performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Enjoy!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwQSthm-Q2o
•  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ChjpDLI9x8
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XiAWgkZW74&feature=related

Well I need to get packing for my trip tomorrow! If you're in the Southwest I look forward to playing for you. If you're in the Bay Area, remember the date April 2. Hot Buttered Rum is performing at the Great American Music Hall with a bunch of guests and Ten Mile Tide opening!
All the best,
Aaron
]]> Wed, 23 Mar 2011 01:25:00 GMT 9CB6372761C560E4FD44EDBDA7CD0616 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=836140 Good Morning! I'm back in Albany after a nice little 3 day tour that took Hot Buttered Rum to Chico and Sparks, NV. Chico has always had some welcoming fans and this show was no exception. It had been over a year since our last visit to the area and not a few fans reminded me of that fact. After this show, I think we'll be returning in the not-so-distant future. We brought a lighting director with us and he helped enhance the show experience for all. I'm excited because he'll be joining us at the upcoming Great American Music Hall show on April 2 in San Francisco. I enjoy it when a song is framed with appropriate lighting that helps flush out the character of the music and goes to darkness at the end to punctuate the finality. The band played great in Chico and I'm pretty sure a recording will surface. It's been great integrating Lucas into the mix and his drumming skills compliment our songs. Lots of friends of the band who've been around for years are giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the direction the music is going and the crowd response (to me) is always the ultimate litmus test. We're definitely achieving lift-off every night! After the Chico show we drove WAYYY up in the hills and into a valley where a friend hosted us for 2 nights. The house was gorgeous and completely hand-made. Perfect place to wake up for a day of exercise, practice, and band rehearsal. We made some great headway on 3 new tunes and I think you'll see as many as 6 new songs on our upcoming tour in Arizona and Southern California. The tune of mine is called Every Side of the Coin and it's an upbeat dance tune about living life as a dreamer and a realist. That night we had a great little birthday party for a local who came to the house with some friends. We played a few tunes and had a delicious pot-luck meal. I love me a good pot-luck! Everyone bringing their love to the table and feeling good about giving and receiving.... Saturday morning had us driving to Sparks which is right next to Reno. The drive on East 32 was AMAZING! I'd never seen that part of California between Chico and Susanville and I was blown away! Still alot of snow up there too. The venue in Sparks is called Great Basin Brewery. They treat us wonderfully up there and the gig is fun because of the good vibes that greet us there and remain til the end of the show. We were all staying down the street so the show got a bit loose...: ) The crowd was insane the whole time and I feel great about returning to the Tahoe/Reno area soon to maintain our friendships there. On a different note....Japan....whoa dude....seriously... What can we do when Mother Nature makes a firm decision? We try and prepare and Japan was as prepared as anyone is in the world. Living in the Bay Area we face that same reality every day. I suppose every region of the world has it's own potential natural disasters and it's important to enjoy the peace and calm when you have it. Love and loss are forever intertwined and it's their polarity that give them their strength... I spent some of yesterday cleaning and taking pictures of our beloved bus, Seana. She's seen us around the country numerous times and I'll always have the fondest of memories. We are trying to sell her now as our touring schedule is different from the 4-6 week tours we so often did. I posted some pics of her on the photo page of my website. This weekend I'm going to be at the Paul Kantner 70th Birthday Bash in Mill Valley at the 142 Throckmorton Theater. I've been asked as a special guest on violin and am really looking forward to meeting some Rock legends! I wasn't very familiar with Papa John Creach and have been digging into his material and style. Very educational. Great combination of Blues, Jazz, and Rock violin playing. Always ready to cop a few more licks from anyone at anytime! After that it's off to tour with Head for the Hills throught Arizona and California! Bound to be memorable and it all leads up to the Great American show with James Nash, Dan Lebowitz, and Kate Gaffney with Ten Mile Tide opening the show. Huge grins guaranteed!! Love to all, Aaron Chico has always had some welcoming fans and this show was no exception. It had been over a year since our last visit to the area and not a few fans reminded me of that fact. After this show, I think we'll be returning in the not-so-distant future. We brought a lighting director with us and he helped enhance the show experience for all. I'm excited because he'll be joining us at the upcoming Great American Music Hall show on April 2 in San Francisco. I enjoy it when a song is framed with appropriate lighting that helps flush out the character of the music and goes to darkness at the end to punctuate the finality. The band played great in Chico and I'm pretty sure a recording will surface. It's been great integrating Lucas into the mix and his drumming skills compliment our songs. Lots of friends of the band who've been around for years are giving an enthusiastic thumbs-up to the direction the music is going and the crowd response (to me) is always the ultimate litmus test. We're definitely achieving lift-off every night!
After the Chico show we drove WAYYY up in the hills and into a valley where a friend hosted us for 2 nights. The house was gorgeous and completely hand-made. Perfect place to wake up for a day of exercise, practice, and band rehearsal. We made some great headway on 3 new tunes and I think you'll see as many as 6 new songs on our upcoming tour in Arizona and Southern California. The tune of mine is called Every Side of the Coin and it's an upbeat dance tune about living life as a dreamer and a realist.
That night we had a great little birthday party for a local who came to the house with some friends. We played a few tunes and had a delicious pot-luck meal. I love me a good pot-luck! Everyone bringing their love to the table and feeling good about giving and receiving....
Saturday morning had us driving to Sparks which is right next to Reno. The drive on East 32 was AMAZING! I'd never seen that part of California between Chico and Susanville and I was blown away! Still alot of snow up there too. The venue in Sparks is called Great Basin Brewery. They treat us wonderfully up there and the gig is fun because of the good vibes that greet us there and remain til the end of the show. We were all staying down the street so the show got a bit loose...: )
The crowd was insane the whole time and I feel great about returning to the Tahoe/Reno area soon to maintain our friendships there.
On a different note....Japan....whoa dude....seriously... What can we do when Mother Nature makes a firm decision? We try and prepare and Japan was as prepared as anyone is in the world. Living in the Bay Area we face that same reality every day. I suppose every region of the world has it's own potential natural disasters and it's important to enjoy the peace and calm when you have it. Love and loss are forever intertwined and it's their polarity that give them their strength...
I spent some of yesterday cleaning and taking pictures of our beloved bus, Seana. She's seen us around the country numerous times and I'll always have the fondest of memories. We are trying to sell her now as our touring schedule is different from the 4-6 week tours we so often did. I posted some pics of her on the photo page of my website.

This weekend I'm going to be at the Paul Kantner 70th Birthday Bash in Mill Valley at the 142 Throckmorton Theater. I've been asked as a special guest on violin and am really looking forward to meeting some Rock legends! I wasn't very familiar with Papa John Creach and have been digging into his material and style. Very educational. Great combination of Blues, Jazz, and Rock violin playing. Always ready to cop a few more licks from anyone at anytime!
After that it's off to tour with Head for the Hills throught Arizona and California! Bound to be memorable and it all leads up to the Great American show with James Nash, Dan Lebowitz, and Kate Gaffney with Ten Mile Tide opening the show. Huge grins guaranteed!!

Love to all,
Aaron

]]> Wed, 16 Mar 2011 22:24:44 GMT 9023AD3C588E0E0D46F41A592C9B1BF6 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=810345 HI Friends!! It's been a great start to the new year and I'm feeling like a surfer just starting to get tubed! Momentum is building and it seems the right thing to do is to relax, stay focused and calm, be disciplined, and to kick ass on stage! I just got back from a week on the road with Hot Buttered Rum and was pleasantly surprised with the energy the crowds brought every night. We started off in Jackson Hole, WY. It was a long drive from Salt Lake City and the weather was not cooperating! The van took it slow up the Wyoming highways and the Mangy Moose was a welcome sight once we arrived. A warm meal and a nap was followed by a Thursday night show that had great spirit and left the fans sreaming for more...partially because the soundman decided to turn on the house music after our second set; not allowing us to play the 2 song encore we had planned! The next morning was extremely painful because it was a GORGEOUS day and the skiing was going to be unbelievable! This would set the tone for the tour and I was tearing up as we pulled away because I haven't skiied in a few years and this would have been truly epic as could be learned from the gleaming faces approaching the mountain as we left.  Friday night was a show in Salt Lake City at the State Room, our first time playing this particular venue. Salt Lake has been a fickle market for HBR. We've done some big outdoor festival plays to wonderful acclaim and had some decent shows at venues in town, but nothing even close to the show we had that night! Easily sold-out, great room, the show RAGED, and the tour felt special at this point. Nat has a lot of Salt Lake family and many of them came to support, including his grandpa, Buzz, who got a shout-out and a loud round of applause from his fans. Buzz is 92 and has sat in with our band a few times. That evening we stayed overnight in a trippy warehouse that was part Burning Man, part slasher film in the making! Our generous host gave us the code to get in and we all found couches to crash on. Very industrial, indeed! The next morning we woke up early; ready for our long drive to Steamboat. The forecast was for rough snow storms! Ended up being ok and we were extremely thankful for the clear roads and beautiful scenery through Colorado. Steamboat Springs was our Saturday night play. You always hope that Saturdays are the "fastball-down-the-middle" shows; especially when you're in a world-class ski town on a beautiful evening as it was that night. Driving into town (from ANY direction) one sees sign after sign advertising F.M. Light and Sons, est. 1905. Who would get brainwashed from such an overt bombardment of messaging...sheeshh!! Well....um...we would, that's who! 3 of the guys bought Cowboy boots for themselves AND they're significant others (I guaruntee that when they gave the boots to them, some solid action ensued! ) and I bought a touristy shirt for my lady. I actually got boots from them 2 years before and they're easily my favorite footwear! The venue is called the Ghost Ranch Saloon and the vibe is nuevo-cowboy saloon with shabby sheik leanings. Pretty cool, huh? I included a picture of a stuffed cougar over the stage. Speaking of, this show would have been a great show to play Cougar as the clientele would have dug it! The show was fitting for the scene and we played songs like Be Kind Boys, and Honkytonk Tequila as well as some Baby-Boomer covers like Cripple Creek and Keep on Rockin' in the Free World. Drinks were brought to the stage from fans and it was a good thing they gave us lodging downstairs! No one had to drive and we...uh...took advantage of that! Super-fun show that kept us feeling encouraged as we had a drive to Fort Collins the next morning. I had a great walk in Steamboat before our drive. I walked along the river in town and watched the fly-fishermen (and women?) as they waded the freezing temps. I thought about how it is so interesting that different people have such different ways of spending their time in this world. A nice cappucino in a groovy bookstore and I was ready to throw down in the Front Range. The drive was once again spectacular along the Poudre River. It goes by the Mishawaka Amphitheater where we've had some memorable times. After a long sound check and a quick dinner, our friends in Whitewater Ramble opened the show at the Aggie Theater. The band has come a long way and continues to rock the house every time I see them. My good friend, Adam Galbum is the fiddler for the band and has been singing some original material as well as some fun covers. Most of HBR sat in with them at the end of their set. The green room was a blast with so many musicians hanging out. There was a woman twirling neon hoola hoops and bringing other magical energy to the atmosphere. She performed with Whitewater as well and even came up on our set during Desert Rat. I like playing when their is a dancer on stage. It totally affects what I play and makes me think of phrasing in a more fluid and circular manner. Our set was enhanced greatly by the light show that night! The Whitewater guys took over the lighting rig and created a cohesive and playful feel to the show. It's nice to have the lights go down after a song at the right time. It adds a sense of closure and birth. We had Adam up for a few songs and that always means some fiddling excitement! It ended up being another late night and we didn't get to our hotels til close to 3 am. When I'm off the road, I like to go to bed around 11 and wake up at 7....um...not how it is on the road but you learn to adapt and chart energy to perform well at the appropriate hour. Coffee helps too : ) The next day started with a trip to the tire store as the van needed a couple new tires in the back. I went to a coffee shop (rhymes with Flarshucks) for an hour and listened to some Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. I've been asked to participate in an upcoming show celebrating the 70th birthday of Paul Kantner! I'm studying the great Papa John Creach and will be playing a few tunes with the house band (which I'm sure will be stellar!) that he was involved with. Pretty sure the show is sold-out already too so it should be a blast! After some caffeine and oatmeal, we drove up to Breckenridge, CO. Another phenomenal ski resort that we wouldn't get to ski. Boooo!! Weather was perfect. Painful. Anyways....(can you say two-night run next time!?) I honestly didn't have much expectation for turn out on this Monday night but I was proven wrong...big-time! A band named the Gypsy Lumberjacks, from Minnesota, opened the show. Solid band and they actually kinda looked like their names! By the time we started our set at 11:30 the room was totally packed and seething and ready to @#$ing rock! When you walk onto a stage that small with people that close and it's that crazy....sweaty fun will always ensue! We played one long set and I was blown away by how many people stayed so late! I totally would have left by 1, seriously, and I love Hot Buttered Rum! : ) Afterwards we had a good hang with our old bus driver, Andy Cotton, who is now Transit Supervisor in Breckenridge. Our last sound man, Josh Osmond is now working full-time with Furthur as a monitor engineer. HBR has a good track record with our employees! Another late, late night and we had to wake up at 7:30 to make it to the airport for a flight home! Now I am home and fighting a bit of a cold. I think my body just got tired from all the altitude change (Breck is at 9200 feet!) and the slamming shows! We have the week off and then head to Chico and Sparks for what will be exciting shows for sure! Chico is legendary for the music fans there.... Safe travels everyone and may peace be with you always! Aaron
It's been a great start to the new year and I'm feeling like a surfer just starting to get tubed! Momentum is building and it seems the right thing to do is to relax, stay focused and calm, be disciplined, and to kick ass on stage! I just got back from a week on the road with Hot Buttered Rum and was pleasantly surprised with the energy the crowds brought every night.
We started off in Jackson Hole, WY. It was a long drive from Salt Lake City and the weather was not cooperating! The van took it slow up the Wyoming highways and the Mangy Moose was a welcome sight once we arrived. A warm meal and a nap was followed by a Thursday night show that had great spirit and left the fans sreaming for more...partially because the soundman decided to turn on the house music after our second set; not allowing us to play the 2 song encore we had planned! The next morning was extremely painful because it was a GORGEOUS day and the skiing was going to be unbelievable! This would set the tone for the tour and I was tearing up as we pulled away because I haven't skiied in a few years and this would have been truly epic as could be learned from the gleaming faces approaching the mountain as we left. 

Friday night was a show in Salt Lake City at the State Room, our first time playing this particular venue. Salt Lake has been a fickle market for HBR. We've done some big outdoor festival plays to wonderful acclaim and had some decent shows at venues in town, but nothing even close to the show we had that night! Easily sold-out, great room, the show RAGED, and the tour felt special at this point. Nat has a lot of Salt Lake family and many of them came to support, including his grandpa, Buzz, who got a shout-out and a loud round of applause from his fans. Buzz is 92 and has sat in with our band a few times. That evening we stayed overnight in a trippy warehouse that was part Burning Man, part slasher film in the making! Our generous host gave us the code to get in and we all found couches to crash on. Very industrial, indeed! The next morning we woke up early; ready for our long drive to Steamboat. The forecast was for rough snow storms! Ended up being ok and we were extremely thankful for the clear roads and beautiful scenery through Colorado.

Steamboat Springs was our Saturday night play. You always hope that Saturdays are the "fastball-down-the-middle" shows; especially when you're in a world-class ski town on a beautiful evening as it was that night. Driving into town (from ANY direction) one sees sign after sign advertising F.M. Light and Sons, est. 1905. Who would get brainwashed from such an overt bombardment of messaging...sheeshh!! Well....um...we would, that's who! 3 of the guys bought Cowboy boots for themselves AND they're significant others (I guaruntee that when they gave the boots to them, some solid action ensued! ) and I bought a touristy shirt for my lady. I actually got boots from them 2 years before and they're easily my favorite footwear!
The venue is called the Ghost Ranch Saloon and the vibe is nuevo-cowboy saloon with shabby sheik leanings. Pretty cool, huh? I included a picture of a stuffed cougar over the stage. Speaking of, this show would have been a great show to play Cougar as the clientele would have dug it! The show was fitting for the scene and we played songs like Be Kind Boys, and Honkytonk Tequila as well as some Baby-Boomer covers like Cripple Creek and Keep on Rockin' in the Free World. Drinks were brought to the stage from fans and it was a good thing they gave us lodging downstairs! No one had to drive and we...uh...took advantage of that! Super-fun show that kept us feeling encouraged as we had a drive to Fort Collins the next morning.

I had a great walk in Steamboat before our drive. I walked along the river in town and watched the fly-fishermen (and women?) as they waded the freezing temps. I thought about how it is so interesting that different people have such different ways of spending their time in this world. A nice cappucino in a groovy bookstore and I was ready to throw down in the Front Range. The drive was once again spectacular along the Poudre River. It goes by the Mishawaka Amphitheater where we've had some memorable times. After a long sound check and a quick dinner, our friends in Whitewater Ramble opened the show at the Aggie Theater. The band has come a long way and continues to rock the house every time I see them. My good friend, Adam Galbum is the fiddler for the band and has been singing some original material as well as some fun covers. Most of HBR sat in with them at the end of their set. The green room was a blast with so many musicians hanging out. There was a woman twirling neon hoola hoops and bringing other magical energy to the atmosphere. She performed with Whitewater as well and even came up on our set during Desert Rat. I like playing when their is a dancer on stage. It totally affects what I play and makes me think of phrasing in a more fluid and circular manner.
Our set was enhanced greatly by the light show that night! The Whitewater guys took over the lighting rig and created a cohesive and playful feel to the show. It's nice to have the lights go down after a song at the right time. It adds a sense of closure and birth. We had Adam up for a few songs and that always means some fiddling excitement! It ended up being another late night and we didn't get to our hotels til close to 3 am. When I'm off the road, I like to go to bed around 11 and wake up at 7....um...not how it is on the road but you learn to adapt and chart energy to perform well at the appropriate hour. Coffee helps too : )

The next day started with a trip to the tire store as the van needed a couple new tires in the back. I went to a coffee shop (rhymes with Flarshucks) for an hour and listened to some Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. I've been asked to participate in an upcoming show celebrating the 70th birthday of Paul Kantner! I'm studying the great Papa John Creach and will be playing a few tunes with the house band (which I'm sure will be stellar!) that he was involved with. Pretty sure the show is sold-out already too so it should be a blast!
After some caffeine and oatmeal, we drove up to Breckenridge, CO. Another phenomenal ski resort that we wouldn't get to ski. Boooo!! Weather was perfect. Painful. Anyways....(can you say two-night run next time!?) I honestly didn't have much expectation for turn out on this Monday night but I was proven wrong...big-time! A band named the Gypsy Lumberjacks, from Minnesota, opened the show. Solid band and they actually kinda looked like their names! By the time we started our set at 11:30 the room was totally packed and seething and ready to @#$ing rock! When you walk onto a stage that small with people that close and it's that crazy....sweaty fun will always ensue! We played one long set and I was blown away by how many people stayed so late! I totally would have left by 1, seriously, and I love Hot Buttered Rum! : )
Afterwards we had a good hang with our old bus driver, Andy Cotton, who is now Transit Supervisor in Breckenridge. Our last sound man, Josh Osmond is now working full-time with Furthur as a monitor engineer. HBR has a good track record with our employees! Another late, late night and we had to wake up at 7:30 to make it to the airport for a flight home!
Now I am home and fighting a bit of a cold. I think my body just got tired from all the altitude change (Breck is at 9200 feet!) and the slamming shows!
We have the week off and then head to Chico and Sparks for what will be exciting shows for sure! Chico is legendary for the music fans there....
Safe travels everyone and may peace be with you always!
Aaron
]]> Sat, 05 Mar 2011 02:57:43 GMT ACC1A2CC6417044DAFA00237CE2919E8 http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=732497 Good Morning Friends.... It's the end of January and it goes on...So much on my mind (and plate) these days and it seems more than ever I need to find the stillness and simple joy that exists on a rainy Sunday morning. I'm just about finished with my yearly collage and I like the self-imposed deadline of February 1 to have it up on the wall. Every year I have a bunch of magazines lying around. I take out a good pair of scissors and cut out whatever image or phrase catches my eye. After collecting more than enough material I then glue them onto a poster board and end up with an inspiring collection of messages intended to remind me of my priorities. My Hot Buttered bandmates are either in Africa or Europe and we will reunite for a series of shows in February and March. It will be exciting to play music together after all of our different experiences. Some great festivals await us this Summer and that is extremely motivating. I always feel with HBR that context is everything in terms of how the band is perceived. We always play our best in the "bigger" situations and I hope we can find a way to get in front of as many people as possible. Not because of some sort of desire for fame----- more because I've seen first-hand the happiness the band brings to people...especially people who have never seen us play before. That is what keeps me fired-up to play shows...the opportunity to connect with new people and to share the light in a place of celebration. 2011 has proved to be transformative for me. The biggest even so far, however.....is....I got engaged to be married! I won't bore you with a sappy story but what I will tell you is that I've never been happier in my life. I've posted a few pics on the photos page if you'd like to meet Alexa. Yes, one of those times in life where the cheesy pop song or well-placed tv commercial can actually make you cry in 5 seconds. I've always been a strong proponent for the power of love and appreciate all the beautiful stories people are sharing with us of how they met and married. Seems there isn't just one way it's done.....know what I mean? At breakfast the other day, a beautiful African-American woman in her mid to late 50s sat alone at the table next to mine. I asked her if she was married and she told us of her deceased husband. It was quite emotional and heartwarming to hear her advice. That advice was to enjoy life now while you're young and healthy and happy. Remember to slow down each day and just enjoy being together. Another day found us getting advice from a group of goddesses our parents age who were collected to pay respect to one of Alexa's life teachers who was visiting from Pennsylvania. The overriding tone was....have lots of hot sex!! I love it! They sounded like a bunch of post-teen frat boys, I swear! It's interesting...I've been to probably 200-300 weddings because of the fact I used to play TONS of them in a string quartet formation in different parts of the country. Definitely different to be planning your own wedding. It goes without saying that I'm loving performing these days because my heart is so open. Guess it's a good time to ask me a favor!! On another note---- Kinky Buddha! Yep, had my first couple shows under that name in January. Those shows were with James Nash, Ben Jacobs, Bryan Horne, and Denielle Basom. All great musicians who brought their enthusiasm to the concerts and we got fabulous feedback from fans and club owners. The music centered on songs from my CD, City by the Bay and we added some covers we've always wanted to do. James sang a couple songs and totally rocked the house like usual. It was my first time playing with Ben and he is a very tasteful keyboard player with a keen sense of humor that pokes it's head out all night. Denielle brought great female energy and a strong bluesy voice to the mix and is quickly gaining her own fanbase. This Saturday, February 5th, Kinky Buddha will be playing at the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax at 9 p.m. This gig came in last minute and will have a bit of a different line-up. Chris Haugen will be playing guitar and will join me, Bryan Horne, and Ben Jacobs. Cover is 7$ This is a hometown gig and I look forward to seeing my Marin friends again! I've been playing more guitar in this group and love it so much! Finishing up coffee number 2 here on a Sunday with the wind whipping around outside. Actually kinda welcome as it's been ridiculousy warm and sunny in the Bay Area. Sorry to my friends in Wisconsin (go Steelers!) but good luck with those icy driveways! As we roll into February I will continue to try and learn from each moment, and to find the stillness that houses my truest bliss. I will continue to seek inspiration from those who are living exactly as they dreamed and who share their art effortlessly and with a gentle smile steeped in modesty. I will continue to write and sing from my heart no matter who or how many are watching. I will continue to believe that one can change and learn all the way throughout one's life in a positive way that benefits all. I believe I may need another cup of coffee! Have a great day! Aaron I'm just about finished with my yearly collage and I like the self-imposed deadline of February 1 to have it up on the wall. Every year I have a bunch of magazines lying around. I take out a good pair of scissors and cut out whatever image or phrase catches my eye. After collecting more than enough material I then glue them onto a poster board and end up with an inspiring collection of messages intended to remind me of my priorities.
My Hot Buttered bandmates are either in Africa or Europe and we will reunite for a series of shows in February and March. It will be exciting to play music together after all of our different experiences. Some great festivals await us this Summer and that is extremely motivating. I always feel with HBR that context is everything in terms of how the band is perceived. We always play our best in the "bigger" situations and I hope we can find a way to get in front of as many people as possible. Not because of some sort of desire for fame----- more because I've seen first-hand the happiness the band brings to people...especially people who have never seen us play before. That is what keeps me fired-up to play shows...the opportunity to connect with new people and to share the light in a place of celebration.
2011 has proved to be transformative for me. The biggest even so far, however.....is....I got engaged to be married! I won't bore you with a sappy story but what I will tell you is that I've never been happier in my life. I've posted a few pics on the photos page if you'd like to meet Alexa. Yes, one of those times in life where the cheesy pop song or well-placed tv commercial can actually make you cry in 5 seconds. I've always been a strong proponent for the power of love and appreciate all the beautiful stories people are sharing with us of how they met and married. Seems there isn't just one way it's done.....know what I mean? At breakfast the other day, a beautiful African-American woman in her mid to late 50s sat alone at the table next to mine. I asked her if she was married and she told us of her deceased husband. It was quite emotional and heartwarming to hear her advice. That advice was to enjoy life now while you're young and healthy and happy. Remember to slow down each day and just enjoy being together.
Another day found us getting advice from a group of goddesses our parents age who were collected to pay respect to one of Alexa's life teachers who was visiting from Pennsylvania. The overriding tone was....have lots of hot sex!! I love it! They sounded like a bunch of post-teen frat boys, I swear!
It's interesting...I've been to probably 200-300 weddings because of the fact I used to play TONS of them in a string quartet formation in different parts of the country. Definitely different to be planning your own wedding. It goes without saying that I'm loving performing these days because my heart is so open. Guess it's a good time to ask me a favor!!

On another note---- Kinky Buddha! Yep, had my first couple shows under that name in January. Those shows were with James Nash, Ben Jacobs, Bryan Horne, and Denielle Basom. All great musicians who brought their enthusiasm to the concerts and we got fabulous feedback from fans and club owners. The music centered on songs from my CD, City by the Bay and we added some covers we've always wanted to do. James sang a couple songs and totally rocked the house like usual. It was my first time playing with Ben and he is a very tasteful keyboard player with a keen sense of humor that pokes it's head out all night. Denielle brought great female energy and a strong bluesy voice to the mix and is quickly gaining her own fanbase.
This Saturday, February 5th, Kinky Buddha will be playing at the Sleeping Lady in Fairfax at 9 p.m. This gig came in last minute and will have a bit of a different line-up.
Chris Haugen will be playing guitar and will join me, Bryan Horne, and Ben Jacobs. Cover is 7$ This is a hometown gig and I look forward to seeing my Marin friends again!
I've been playing more guitar in this group and love it so much!

Finishing up coffee number 2 here on a Sunday with the wind whipping around outside. Actually kinda welcome as it's been ridiculousy warm and sunny in the Bay Area. Sorry to my friends in Wisconsin (go Steelers!) but good luck with those icy driveways!
As we roll into February I will continue to try and learn from each moment, and to find the stillness that houses my truest bliss. I will continue to seek inspiration from those who are living exactly as they dreamed and who share their art effortlessly and with a gentle smile steeped in modesty. I will continue to write and sing from my heart no matter who or how many are watching. I will continue to believe that one can change and learn all the way throughout one's life in a positive way that benefits all.
I believe I may need another cup of coffee!
Have a great day!
Aaron
]]> Mon, 31 Jan 2011 01:40:08 GMT F09A058F00B3D5369619F862F7FB57FF http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=691865 Happy New Year to all! Here's to using this time to feel as reset and clean slate as ever. What a great opportunity to clarify your vision of what your life can be and to identify what your soul needs to continue it's evolution. We all feel the power of numerology when the clock reads 1/01/11. I was born in 1971. When I became old enough to understand what the sci-fi future was; let's just say it feels like I'm living in the future right now-- every day something blows my mind and it's only coming in quicker waves. I flew from Boston to San Francisco last night on Virgin Air. They really play the "in-the-future" vibe and I have to admit I enjoy the personal tv sets they provide. Amazing how you just sit in this dimly lit room for 6 hours and end up on the other side of the country..... This year has begun with some physical pain for me. My left shoulder has some sort of malady. I've been told to rest it and do the usual regimen of ice, stretching, and pain-killers. It's during these times I get frustrated with the health care system. I long for a situation where a holistic analyst takes all your symptoms and creates a healing plan that integrates elements from a variety of systems such as chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, chinese medicine, massage, and the finest technology Western medicine has to offer....don't you?? Being injured has it's plus sides though; it slows you down and there's always something to think about or plan for and that's where I also have gratitude for technology. It's how I'm talking to you right now and I'm so happy to be able to do so! I really feel that this is a great time to create community and support systems for people all around the world. I love being able to easily reach out to my friends in multiple ways. I have a couple exciting gigs coming up I'd like to tell you about. For a long time now I've been talking about not liking the name "Aaron Redner and Friends" for shows I play with different people. I like the paradigm used by Conor Oberst and Sam Beam  who you may know better as Bright Eyes and Iron and Wine. This allows me to play shows with a rotating cast of people but when you see the name Kinky Buddha, you know it's going to consist mainly of my original material. I suspect you'll see formations of the band ranging from as a duo to a full rock-band experience. I'm working on a logo with a friend soon... The debut of this band will be on January 19th at the Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax and on January 21st at the Connecticut Yankee in San Francisco. The group will consist of myself, James Nash from The Waybacks, Bryan Horne of Hot Buttered Rum, Ben Jacobs on keys who you may have seen with Kate Gaffney, and Denielle Basom who is a great female singer who will kick it up a notch! The shows will feature songs from my CD, City by the Bay, and some new original material as well as some covers led by me and others in the band. Hope to see you there : ) Here's to using this time to feel as reset and clean slate as ever. What a great opportunity to clarify your vision of what your life can be and to identify what your soul needs to continue it's evolution. We all feel the power of numerology when the clock reads 1/01/11. I was born in 1971. When I became old enough to understand what the sci-fi future was; let's just say it feels like I'm living in the future right now-- every day something blows my mind and it's only coming in quicker waves.
I flew from Boston to San Francisco last night on Virgin Air. They really play the "in-the-future" vibe and I have to admit I enjoy the personal tv sets they provide. Amazing how you just sit in this dimly lit room for 6 hours and end up on the other side of the country.....

This year has begun with some physical pain for me. My left shoulder has some sort of malady. I've been told to rest it and do the usual regimen of ice, stretching, and pain-killers. It's during these times I get frustrated with the health care system. I long for a situation where a holistic analyst takes all your symptoms and creates a healing plan that integrates elements from a variety of systems such as chiropractic, acupuncture, physical therapy, chinese medicine, massage, and the finest technology Western medicine has to offer....don't you??
Being injured has it's plus sides though; it slows you down and there's always something to think about or plan for and that's where I also have gratitude for technology. It's how I'm talking to you right now and I'm so happy to be able to do so! I really feel that this is a great time to create community and support systems for people all around the world. I love being able to easily reach out to my friends in multiple ways.
I have a couple exciting gigs coming up I'd like to tell you about.
For a long time now I've been talking about not liking the name "Aaron Redner and Friends" for shows I play with different people. I like the paradigm used by Conor Oberst and Sam Beam  who you may know better as Bright Eyes and Iron and Wine. This allows me to play shows with a rotating cast of people but when you see the name Kinky Buddha, you know it's going to consist mainly of my original material. I suspect you'll see formations of the band ranging from as a duo to a full rock-band experience. I'm working on a logo with a friend soon...
The debut of this band will be on January 19th at the Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax and on January 21st at the Connecticut Yankee in San Francisco. The group will consist of myself, James Nash from The Waybacks, Bryan Horne of Hot Buttered Rum, Ben Jacobs on keys who you may have seen with Kate Gaffney, and Denielle Basom who is a great female singer who will kick it up a notch! The shows will feature songs from my CD, City by the Bay, and some new original material as well as some covers led by me and others in the band. Hope to see you there : )
]]> Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:34:45 GMT B651DC6A3B5D4FCE4F45F5F5823F62BB http://aaronredner.com/home.cfm?feature=1644970&postid=597414 Hello friends! It's a beautiful, chilly day here in the East Bay and I woke up feeling grateful. This past weekend saw the manifestation of a dream and I hope it sends me in the direction of more similar moments. I performed the Mendelssohn violin concerto twice and it went very well! I'm proud of the orchestra for giving their best performances during the shows themselves and I'm proud of myself for giving my all, staying calm, and being present while playing the gorgeous music written by a man 150 years ago. So many friends came out and it was wonderful to see some Uncles and Aunts and friends of parents and parents of friends and more... There was some good video done and I'll do my best to post some clips. A famous teacher once said that when feeling nervous or scared about an event, tell yourself, "time to grow, time to grow!" I feel like I've grown and was able to smile at fear. Tonight I'm playing with Bryan Horne and a couple other guys at a great place called Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax. The place is owned by good friends and it's a great place to play a mellow show, eat good food, drink stellar beer, and just hang out! Thanksgiving, of course, is tomorrow and I plan to eat a meal with people I love, take a nice walk, and relax. I have a few days here in the Bay and then embark on a strenous 2 week tour of the MIdwest with Erik and Nat as the Hot Buttered Rum Acoustic Trio. I enjoy playing in that formation and have lots of new songs I'm ready to bring to the stage. I also need to start working on some Neil Young tunes for our New Years run in Fairfax at 19 Broadway. I'm also preparing to film the Cougar video in December. More on that to come.... Be well this holiday and remember to tell someone they're wonderful when they least expect it! : ) Love and thanks, Aaron It's a beautiful, chilly day here in the East Bay and I woke up feeling grateful. This past weekend saw the manifestation of a dream and I hope it sends me in the direction of more similar moments. I performed the Mendelssohn violin concerto twice and it went very well! I'm proud of the orchestra for giving their best performances during the shows themselves and I'm proud of myself for giving my all, staying calm, and being present while playing the gorgeous music written by a man 150 years ago.
So many friends came out and it was wonderful to see some Uncles and Aunts and friends of parents and parents of friends and more...
There was some good video done and I'll do my best to post some clips. A famous teacher once said that when feeling nervous or scared about an event, tell yourself, "time to grow, time to grow!" I feel like I've grown and was able to smile at fear.
Tonight I'm playing with Bryan Horne and a couple other guys at a great place called Iron Springs Brewery in Fairfax. The place is owned by good friends and it's a great place to play a mellow show, eat good food, drink stellar beer, and just hang out! Thanksgiving, of course, is tomorrow and I plan to eat a meal with people I love, take a nice walk, and relax. I have a few days here in the Bay and then embark on a strenous 2 week tour of the MIdwest with Erik and Nat as the Hot Buttered Rum Acoustic Trio. I enjoy playing in that formation and have lots of new songs I'm ready to bring to the stage. I also need to start working on some Neil Young tunes for our New Years run in Fairfax at 19 Broadway.
I'm also preparing to film the Cougar video in December. More on that to come....
Be well this holiday and remember to tell someone they're wonderful when they least expect it! : )
Love and thanks,
Aaron
]]> Wed, 24 Nov 2010 21:36:59 GMT 311F9D850AAD5EB0E4FA81DFCEC949DE