I haven’t been making music lately because of this play I’m in. It’s HAVE YOU SEEN ALICE? at Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood. This is a crazy circus of a play, extremely tragicomic and full of eye-popping elements. It’s NOT for kids. I appear in a variety of supporting roles, including one on stilts! A first for me.

If you’re an adventurous theatregoer, it’s 90 minutes you’ll never forget. Tickets and info are here.
I believe you can get half-price tickets at Stubdog.com and LAStageAlliance.com.

And here’s our first review…we are Pick of the Week in the upcoming issue of the LA WEEKLY. Wahoo!

See you between now and December 17!

Your extremely tall pal,
Phil Ward

If you need to see something on Facebook in order to prove it’s real (because nothing’s real if it’s not on Facebook, is it?), click here for the event page.

Your next question is probably “What will I do on Tuesday Oct 11, as I’m trying to recover from the erotic weekend?” I’m happy to report that I’ll be back at Matt Denny’s Ale House in Arcadia, performing at J.C. Hyke’s beautiful Songwriter Serenade series, still rolling on after almost a year! I’ll play a couple of songs, I’m bringing my pal Luke Walton to play a song, and about a zillion other cool artists will be there too. Free. Buy food and drink or don’t, up to you.

Where: 145 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia, 91006
When: Oct 11, 7 to 9:30
Details at jchyke.com

And finally, I’m tickled to tell you that for the first time in a couple of years, a new video has been posted on my YouTube channel, PhilWardComedy. It’s one of my appearances as a musical guest in the show Up Late With Adam Fisher, which I’m constantly nattering about here. See me as my audience-suggested alter ego Benji San Dimas, improvising the song “Shoes Untied” with the deep-fried funky house band.  For cryin’ out loud, click here immediately!

I have the honor of being the musical guest when “Up Late With Adam Fisher,” a fake late-night TV talk show that’s written as it’s being performed, moves to prime time. That’s Friday Sep 9, 10:30 pm, at the ComedySportz Theatre in Hollywood. Other guests include Paul F. Tompkins and the lads behind the “Superego” podcast. The show comes complete with a writing staff (featuring actual late-night TV writers), a house band, and comic guest bits, all improvised before your eyes. See it to believe it. More info and funny stuff: uplatewithadam.com

Then on Tuesday October 11 I return to the lovely patio at Matt Denny’s Ale House in Arcadia. The show’s from 7 to 9:30 pm and is free–spend money on food and drink, or don’t. You’ll see me play a couple songs and a whole lot of other singer/songwriters too. The quality is generally very high, even when I’m there. More info at jchyke.com.

When will this happen?  SUNDAY JUNE 5, 2011 –7:30 PM at the at the Fremont Center Theater in South Pasadena, 1000 Fremont Avenue.  All ages welcome, call Lois at (626) 969-0778 for reservations.  Tix are a mere $12 – that’s like $1.75 per act!  $1.30 if you count duos individually!

If nothing else, show up to ask Andrew Lorand why he’s using a promo picture of himself with his eyes closed.

See you there!

Phil’s playing a couple of songs in it, and so are lots of other LA artists.  The donation is $20 and you get a ton of music plus “beverages served.”  Not sure what that means, but it sounds harmless.  It’s all happening at:

Red Planet Studio
5711 Santa Monica Suite B (near Wilton),
Hollywood, 9003
6 pm to midnight

For info, call 323-363-8905 at a reasonable hour–it might be someone’s personal phone.

And on April 17, Phil’s back on the set of “Up Late With Adam Fisher,” this time sitting in as the house drummer. The musical guest, improvising what will surely be a breathtaking number based on an audience suggestion, is Phil’s own spouse Silvie Zamora.

Ooh, and look – I have a teaser!  I never had a teaser before.  Coming soon–news on how to obtain the compilation CD “War and Politics Volume 1,” produced by Folk Alliance International and featuring Phil’s song “Stupid.”

While you chew your nails in anticipation, click the picture below to see a promo for this weekend’s “Up Late” episode:

Info and tickets: comedysportzla.com/shows/specials.html See you there!

Hi everybody!  Valentine’s Day is rushing at us like a locomotive with big red lips. If you’re thinking of spending it at Disneyland, drop by the Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland some time between 11 and 6, and you’ll see me being the lead Billy in the comedy bluegrass group Billy Hill and the Hillbillies. Nothing says “I love you” like holding your sweetie’s hand while, in the middle of “Rocky Top,” I fall over backwards and lose my hat. Romance and mirth!

In the mood for a less expensive Phil Ward gig? How about this one, for free: I’ll be playing a couple of songs at J.C. Hyke’s wonderful Songwriter Serenade series in Arcadia on Tuesday February 22. The show is outdoors on the very nice heated patio at Matt Denny’s Ale House, and you can buy food and drink or not, as you please. This night is an All-Star Jam, featuring 22 of the artists that have appeared in the series over the past few months, so you’ll see lots of terrific musicians. 7 to 9:30 pm; not sure when I’ll be going on. And again, it’s free!  Here’s a link for info:

http://www.jchyke.com/songwriter-serenade.html

Happy February! Don’t let Congress repeal the Health Care Act–you know somebody whose health will get worse if they do.

Latest mind-blowing news: The High Lonesome, the roots-rock-alt-country band that I was in in the 90s, has released all of our studio recordings on a single remastered Collector’s Album–featuring two new songs just recorded by the original five guys! It’s available for download at the usual places, and available for purchase as a CD on CDBaby.com and others.

Here’s our new website; go there and get the album, see lots of pictures, and listen to some rarities: thehighlonesomeonline.com.

And this just in! Folk Alliance International is creating their first Folk Alliance War & Politics Compilation CD and download site. The proceeds from this CD will go to help Folk Alliance establish a fund to provide folk instruments for returning injured combat soldiers and war veterans. Pretty great, eh? And yes, this CD will feature a song from me: “Stupid,” off my 2009 CD “Do Not Insert In Ear Canal.”

More on where to find the Folk Alliance CD when I know it!

Love,
pw

• Saturday November 20, 8:30 pm, $5
Up Late with Adam Fisher
The ComedySportz Theatre, 733 N Seward, Hollywood, 90038
This show is a trip. It’s a late-night-TV-style talk show complete with a monologue, desk humor, guest interviews and a live band…and the staff writers are writing the show as it happens. Try seeing that on a major network! I’m the musical guest this Saturday night, and presumably will be inventing something very quickly on the spot. Let’s see if I can do it!
45-60 minutes of music and laughs, possibly for mature audiences. Limited seating, so buy tix in advance by calling the box office at 323-871-1183.
The ComedySportz site, with show info, ticket sales and directions:
ComedySportzLA.com

• Tuesday November 23, 7-9:30 pm, free
Songwriter Serenade
Matt Denny’s Ale House, 145 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia, 91006
J. C. Hyke’s new acoustic music series, on a delightful (and presumably heated) patio outside a groovy restaurant in Arcadia. Enjoy a bunch of musicians; food and drink are available, but you can also just sit there. I’ll be playing five songs on Tuesday, and you’ll also see J. C. Hyke, Lorin Hart, Rick Shea and Tom Corbett.
J. C.’s site, with show info and directions:
jchyke.com

• Saturday November 27, 3 pm, $15 suggested donation (but come and pay whatever you can)
House Concert + dinner
A beautiful back yard, 2031 Berkshire Ave, South Pasadena, 91030
I get to share the bill with Dave Morrison, fellow Trough Records artist and one of my favorite dudes. He’ll play a bunch of songs, I’ll play a bunch of songs, then there’s a delicious dinner and a song circle that you can be a part of. House concerts are the best. I love ‘em. It’s like we’re all hanging out at someone’s house together.
More info: 213-219-2449

• Monday December 6, 8-10 pm, $20/$40
Extreme Benefit for Overtone Industries
Bootleg Theatre, 2220 Beverly Blvd (2 blocks W of Alvarado), LA, 90057
Overtone Industries is one of LA’s most astonishing theatre companies; my wife Silvie was in their last production, an epic, operatic, immersive piece that was staged in an enormous hollowed-out car dealership. This benefit features singing and dancing from Silvie and other members of the cast, plus comedy from Two Headed Dog and me. Should be very cool.
Tickets, info and map:
Brown Paper Tickets

Thank you for wading through all that. Come to a show and I’ll make it worth your while–I’ll sing every song while staring intently/romantically/curiously (you choose) at your face. This claim is not necessarily true.

Cagily,
Phil Ward

Saturday October 9, 8:30 pm, $5
Up Late with Adam Fisher
The ComedySportz Theatre, 733 N Seward, Hollywood, 90038

This show is a trip. It’s a late-night-TV-style talk show complete with a monologue, desk humor, guest interviews and a live band…and the staff writers are writing the show as it happens. Try seeing that on a major network! I’m the musical guest this Saturday night, and presumably will be inventing something very quickly on the spot. Let’s see if I can do it!

45-60 minutes of music and laughs, possibly for mature audiences. Limited seating, so buy tix in advance by calling the box office at 323-871-1183.

The ComedySportz site, with show info and directions: ComedySportzLA.com

And if you happen to be in the Bay Area later this month and you’re free…

October 21-24 in San Jose
The Annual FAR-West Conference

Acoustic music heaven. You can’t come to this without registering for the conference, which you can walk up and do on the spot if you’ve got nerves of steel. I’m doing a bunch of intimate showcases, as are a zillion other extremely worthy acts. Let me know if you’re coming!

The Folk Alliance Region – West site, with all the info:  FAR-West.org

A couple items worth repeating…

Phil’s newest song, available for online listening

“Ethel of the AFM” is all about a crucial, historic, and completely-made-up-by-me milestone in the history of the American labor movement. Here’s the link – members.unionsongcontest.org/entries#82925 – if it doesn’t take you right to my song, use the menu on the right to scroll down and find it…

And!

Click the picture to the left and help save ComedySportz–family entertainment in LA (and my place of employment) for 22 years, now threatened by the economy.

Thank you! Stay warm. Drink cocoa. Snuggle.

-Phil