will play 4 beer

Thanks to Restore Old Town Greenwood for the opportunity to jangle our guitars out back behind Planetary Brewing Company. An extra special thanks for the growlers of java stout that we took home! Cheers!

thank you

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Kyrie Eleison 10 last night! We had so much fun sharing our songs with everyone. Special thanks to CGC and everyone who stayed late to help pack up our gear and put everything back in its place.

ten long years later

Ten long years ago, I unleashed into the world a collection of songs titled Kyrie Eleison. Some of these songs had been percolating for a bit, but most of them were written in the wake of a season that ran deep with grief and turmoil. 

In February of Twenty Ought Six, after years of attempting pregnancy with zero success, MJ had been heralded the message that she was at long last carrying new life deep within her belly. On the very same day, I was delivered the gut-wrenching request to leave the church where I had served as youth ministry equipper for three and a half years. No longer would we serve in the church family where we made friends and loved kids whose lives MJ and I poured ourselves into. Grieving this impending divorce and wrought with anger, I agreed to finish out the month in my position at the church during which time we had our one ray of sunshine snuffed out. After only two weeks, we suffered our first miscarriage. It was an emotional fustercluck that left us reeling for months if not years. 

The months that followed would find MJ and I withdrawing from friends and the church at large. We retreated into the trees and coasted along the clouds. He hopped along islands where no one knew us but ourselves. We gave up the solitude of our home to house loved ones. We spent time with friends and family who were suffering pain of varying kinds. This season also found me articulating in sound and lyric the frustration, anger, and sadness that plagued me from the moment I'd received each punch in the gut. These were emotions immediately felt and translated to song. Together with a handful of songs that had been simmering for months already, they work as a narrative that serve to remind me of the hope that wins out despite the many many shortcomings of humanity.

November Twenty Sixteen marks ten years since I performed live with some friends in celebration of this record's release. Two of those friends, my cousin Jason and my friend Ryan along with Jason's son Tyler and Ryan's brother Jordan will be joining me at the very church that set me free for a performance of Kyrie Eleison in its entirety. I'm thrilled to be revisiting these songs and telling the stories of their inception. It's pretty incredible to be looking at them from ten years on the other side. We've done a whole lot of healing and forgiving and growing as human beings since then. We've still got a long way to go. So why harbor animosity? We have the choice to move forward with one another: Strangers becoming friends, friends changing the world.

Joel Rockey & Friends Perform Kyrie Eleison

Friday, November 11 at 7pm

Center Grove Church

Greenwood, IN

Melting faces from the threshold of narnia (or what happened at oktoberfest)

The past several weeks, i've had the gift of enjoying a handful of opportunities to share my songs before beautiful strangers/new friends. One such opportunity happened upon me this past saturday at the home of some friends who put on an incredible house party complete with tasty spirits, crackling bon fire, and live musics of all types (regna racer, kendall lugwig, tied to tigers, dan snodgrass, your's truly). The songsmiths performed in a corner of the living room in front of an arched wooden door and lamp post as a cloud of christmas lights floated overhead. It was quite narnian in a variety of ways.

Twas a night of magic and memories.

Thanks, fellow humans.

Goodnight mister tumnus, wherever you are.

Live beards in a fountain

Good grief, y'all. I'll be playing an opening set at Do317 Lounge in fountain square on thursday night before Pearl and the Beard take to the stage. Come on over, dudes and chicks.

Live bears

There will be some live music performed in bloomington monday night. Some such music will be performed at bear's place around 8 in the pm. Three bones gets you in the door. You'll be sonically assaulted by the likes of myself, taylor peters (aka regna racer), and a dude from the windy city who goes by the handle of matthew frantz. Here's hoping something magic happens.

Indy refugee at the earth house

Ladies and dudes, the Earth House is closing shop, but our little project instigated by the rad ms. katie basbagill  known as INDY REFUGEE will be opening and closing our exhibit at the Earth House this saturday night, y'all.

Along with the gorgeous photographs of our beautiful refugee friends, you can enjoy music by Old Thyme Eskimo and yours truly. Did i mention snacks? Oh yes, there will be snacks.

Check some press on the event: NUVO News

If you're in indy on saturday night, please come out for this one night event as we bid a fond adieu to the Earth House. Check the deets here, you lovely people you: FACEBOOK EVENT

Future endeavors and goings-on

Gangstas and gangstresses, we've been up to good and no good as of late. A whole lot of this and that. I can't say much for the other, but nonetheless. More printing, more frosting, more songing, and more muppets are all upons. In fact, there was a recent get-down-and-boogie-fest with the incorrigible Elegant Bachelors (seen here). Times were had. They were good. Now, not to be outdone by ourselves, the hootenanny to end all hootenannies is being realized in ways both epic and awesome...

Yes.

As for the rest of the happenings and goings-on, why, i'll just let Baby Jane give you the run-down...

The following is a paid political advertisement

How was our night you ask? Tacos by roscoe's and a small reunion of former stonegate personnel made it mighty fine indeed. A triple shout out to our girl wendy!

Late nights are when olivia gets to chill with daddy. And by chill I mean chug a couple ounces of soy peppered with a healthy dose of burps and bellyaches. It's hard to resist when she burns a hole through your soul with those baby blues. Consider my heart fondue.

Activity for the home viewers:
Congratulations to mr. andrew who was the only participant and therefore by default the winner of the last create-your-own-adventure montage. His winnings were not, however, unmerited. His story will be published in a future post. Mrs. fields is waiting for you sir.

Here's this weeks create-your-own-adventure montage. The winner receives a surprise. Step up to the plate y'all and tell us what's goin on in this series of dramatic photographs...

We interupt your regularly scheduled blog posting for this important bulletin:

Don't forget to come out to the second annual indieana handicraft exchange at the harrison center for the arts in downtown indianapolis this friday and saturday. Your own joel rockey will be sharing a set of handmade songs, tee shirts and digital music discs on saturday morning at 11:15 am. The harrison center for the arts is located on the corner of 16th and delaware in beautiful downtown indy.

Later in the evening, my pal katie basbagill has an opening reception for a showing of her photographic work at B-Java. More live tunes.

In other news:

Just over the horizon is the fabled return of a rockey home companion's beloved podcast known affectionately as the aural supplement. To satisfy your appetites in the following days, I will be posting links to previous episodes for downloading and trading with your friends.

Podcast Archive: Episode 9:
The ground grows colder by the hour as we construct our masks and ask to devour the candy corn cobs turning to dust in the wake of Autumn's final gust. Chilled to the bone, guest host Senor Hector LaVeta tempts the recesses of your ears with hallowed tones of excitable stones being thrown in the dark of night.

MP3 Download: Episode 9

Cheers!

Maimed by rock and roll

I'm pleased to say that I had the incredible joy of finding myself front row once again... center stage at that.. at another brilliant wilco show. 'Twas my first experience at the outdoor stage at White river state park. It was beautiful night of meeting with friends, making new ones, feeling the cool breeze of the river upon our face and swarms of gnats up our noses while Tweedy and company blazed through a full set and two encores of songs summoned deep from the Wilco catalog. Opened with Via Chicago, played half their last album, ripped through a killer version of I'm the Man Who Loves You, Casino Queen made an appearance, Hoodoo Voodoo! Are you kidding me? Nope. I'm not! Nels Cline and Pat Sansone faced off in a vicious duel of electric noodling.

...and do you remember the mountain bed?

p.s. Despite the title of this entry, "sunken treasure" was not played during the previously mentioned show.

Borrowed revisited

photos courtesy of a girl named eddie

Something borrowed

February 29th, 2008 from 6pm to 9pm Ben Flack, Hannah Goeden, Joel Rockey, Kyle Siegel and Scott Hensley will be performing at The Strange Brew Coffee House located at 4800 West Smith Valley Road in Greenwood, Indiana 46142.

The event is in support of friend and local film maker Shawna Brummett and her film 'Borrowed Time' which begins production this summer. We will also be auctioning off artwork by young artist Nash Sweney and giving away give certificates to a couple lucky guests.

Please come out and show your support for local independent art, music and film at one of the finest independent coffee houses in central indiana.

www.borrowedtimemovie.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/joelrockeymusic
www.myspace.com/kjsacoutic
www.myspace.com/scotthensleymusic
www.thestrangebrew.net

Pickin' strummin' whistlin' hummin'

Cosmic brothers joel rockey and scott hensley reunite to bring their hand-crafted songlings to the acoustically pleasing rafters of southminster’s sanctuary.

Being for the benefit of the sold project

Recently, I have been acquainted with some folks who are part of an endeavor called The SOLD Project. A group of twenty-somethings spent the summer in South East Asia to shoot a film in hopes of will creating awareness amongst our generation about the world of sex slavery. I am honored to have been asked to perform at a benefit at the Harrison Center for the Arts onOctober 19th which hopes to generate support for this project. The music kicks off at 7:00pm and the cost is ten US dollars. All proceeds will go toward the SOLD Project. Other artists performing will be My Hidden Track, Jascha, Tom Loschiavo and Those Young Lions. Come out and enjoy these local artists and support this movement to bring awareness and eradication to this atrocious crime against humanity which enslaves millions of children today.

Tailgates and substitutes

I remember reading somewhere recently that a proper bloggers should never use a title for a post which has nothing to do with the content of the post itself. Don't get me wrong, blogger etiquette is one area where I hope to grow and thrive one day. However, I'll leave it to the home viewers to decide for themselves how the words of this post's title fit in with the content of this piece of blogosphere...

Photos courtesy of co-pilot and the mustard room collaborator Jason Rockey.

Hope to see y'all at the next go-round.

Folksplodin' like an atomic chicken

Get the kids outta bed and grab some nickels! We're havin' a FOLKSPLOSION!

SHIRTLESS BIDDLES. FLYING J & THE PILOTS. SCOTT HENSLEY.
Three acts. One night. Zero calories.

FOLKSPLOSION SPECIAL: Bring your own screen-printable t-shirt for your own one-of-a-kind Folksplosion! Logo T-Shirt

It's all happing at THE STRANGE BREW COFFEE HOUSE this FRIDAY!
Friday, August 17th, 2007 | 7pm to 9pm
The Strange Brew Coffee House
4800 W. Smith Valley Road
Greenwood, Indiana

Funkin' up the bean cup

On Saturday night, Flying J & The Pilots performed with two thirds of Shirtless Biddles at The Bean Cup Coffee Shop in Indianapolis. This was the first time the Biddles and Pilots shared a venue and we are looking forward to this collision of acoustic musical acts happening often in the future. For those of you who missed it, your next chance to catch the Pilots and Biddles together will be at The Strange Brew Coffee Shop in Greenwood, Indiana on June 29th, 2007. Be thar!

Pilots, beans and biddles

Another night of booty-shakin' soul-awakin' musical frivolity is on the horizon. Flying J & the Pilots will be joining Shirtless Biddles at The Bean Cup (8908 South Saint Peter Street, Indianapolis, Indiana 46227) this Saturday, April 28th at 7pm. The Bean Cup is a new coffee shop just north of the Greenwood Park Mall off of County Line Road. Saint Peter Street sits right between the Sparkling Image car wash and the building previously occupied by Guitars & More.

If you happen to be in the area, hop on over and support some local musicians and a new locally owned coffee house.

Download
MP3: Flying J & the Pilots :: Thru and Thru
MP3: Shirtless Biddles :: Mamie

Grab your nickels

Hey kids, Joel Rockey is once again bringing his unique brand of song craft and frivolity to The Strange Brew Coffee House in Greenwood, Indiana. Save up your nickels and dimes and come on out for a fine cup of coffee while this local yokel spins some yarns for young and old alike. Here's what the beautiful folks at The Brew had to say about the last show [...]

Download:
MP3: Joel Rockey w/ Rebel Robot :: Joyaway (live at the strange brew 1/05/07)

An evening with the brothers Finn

Wednesday morning... it's been a personally challenging week after making some hard decisions... I've been encouraged as well as challenged by people I love... I'm still not sure... HOWEVER...

As soon as I discovered about a week ago that the brothers Finn--Neil and Tim--were going to be at the Vogue in Broad Ripple, I wanted to seize the opportunity to see these incredible songwriters live. Tim, the eldest of the brothers started the band Split Enz in their native New Zealand in the early Seventies. His younger brother Neil joined the group for a season and later founded the band Crowded House. Probably unlike most fans, I didn't really discover the Finns until I picked up their 1996 "solo" project Finn. I was immediately drawn to the songs. They seemed at once beautifully makeshift and brilliant. Thus began my exploration into the discography of the Finn Brothers.

In the Fall of 2004, the Finns released the beautiful collaboration Everyone Is Here. As I had hoped to do, I took the opportunity to see them live at the Vogue last night and it may indeed have been the most incredibly enjoyable live music experience I have ever had. The music was wonderful... The boys' banter with one another and the intimate crowd was warm and hilarious. They performed several songs from the new album as well as some their work from the Split Enz & Crowded House days such as "World Where You Live", "It's Only Natural", "Six Months in a Leaky Boat" and "What's the Matter with You". My wife who is a 6th grade teacher was quite tired through much of the show. I'm so glad that she joined me though and that we both got to see and hear the Finn Brothers perform an brilliant live set and an outstanding encore!