JOE
HARVARD
Recent Bio - 2006-7
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For those who haven't read about my book The Velvet Underground and Nico yet, check it out, or read about Velveeta's performances at the Book Release Parties -- Evening in Velvet I, Asbury Park, or Evening In Velvet II, Boston. You can find out show dates and become a MySpace friend at either [or both!] the Joe Harvard Band page, or Joe Harvard Live, my Guitarist/Production page - they each have different photos and songs to listen to. UPDATE: Feb, '07: Well, November of '06 saw me off on a 6-week tour doing sound with the Pernice Brothers. My cousin, Joe Pernice, had just released what I think is his best new record since Overcome By Happiness, back in his Subpop days: Live a Little on Ashmont Records. So Joe, four other great players and myself piled into a van, along with merch pro Kevin, and we crossed the nation bringing the songs to the people. Highlights for me included a cameo by Jonathan Richman, who played electric guitar along with the band as I sang "Pablo Picasso" to a sold-out house at the Cafe du Nord, on November 21. I also got to tell a story at Spaceland, in LA, with musical accompaniment from drummer Patrick Berkery and geet player/keyboardist James Walbourne. If anyone reading this happens to know of anybody that recorded either show, or took pics, please email me and let me know, I'd love to get a copy. There are pix of the tour, with a week by week blow by blow at the PBTour page on this site. Another personal highlight was getting to sit in, for about 20 shows, playing lap steel for Elvis Perkins in Dearland, who opened for the P Brothers for the entire tour. After coming home, I booked my first national show as a promoter: Jonathan Richman at the Wonderbar.
DENNIS
THE MENACE RADIO SHOW KUSF. From the KUSF website: This time the band
was joined by their celebrity sound engineer, legendary Boston Rock and
Roll archivist, musician and producer Joe Harvard who did a mike set-up
for the acoustic set that was creative to say the least! [hear
the interview at KUSF Archives]
You can find lots of pictures of Aidan on his July 11 - 31 visit, on the Aidan at 3 Years Old page.Here's a few others shots.
UPDATE: June, '06:
On
the music front, I booked and hosted an unplugged style series at the
Wonderbar, which I called Live Nude Bands! and was held weekly,
every Wednesday. The goal was to bring a low volume night, with the focus
on good songwriting, to the audience, and to do so while still giving
the performers every cent of every buck that was paid at the door. Here
on the Shore it's different from Boston, where the groups usually got
the entire door, and the inequity of the house-band split has bothered
me since I arrived here and started working and playing in clubs. I had
an idea that I'd find a way to do shows Boston style, and thanks to the
Wonderbar I was able to realize that desire. I based the night loosely
on the Variety Show Mondays Greg "Skeggie" Kendall and I did
at the Rat in the 80's, on my Plough and Stars variety nights that ran
for 2 and a half years, and my Long Weekend series at the Middle East.
Over a 9 week run we had some terrific nights, we had some run of the
mill nights, and we had a few bombs, attendance wise, but the quality
of the songwriters and bands on every bill was top notch, so every show
was one I was proud of. Unfortunately just as the series gained momentum
and a buzz, the club's summer priorities knocked us out of the saddle.
You can read the bio blurbs I wrote for all the acts, and even download
the pinup style posters in Acrobat format at Wednesday
Night Live Nude Bands.
After reading one of his later, famously oddball columns, full of circular self-reference, cryptic phrases and obscure allusions, I emailed Chris and said "Out three hundred some-odd words, I only understodd 17 in your last article." His reply: "That many? I'm can see I'm going to have to try harder." My kinda guy. So after hearing from Maureen Nevin of Asbury Radio, I offered her May 24, the next to last Live Nude Bandsnights, to be used for a Memorial Tribute to Chris Barry. As soon as the word got out the bill filled, with Truck Star Collision [Christian Beach, Gorgo, John Pfeiffer], Rick Barry, Keith Monacchio, Joe Harvard, Tony Tedesco, Smiles Again, Joe Hughes [Goldenseal], Jason Mather, Nick Ferriero [Soul's Release], and Maureen Nevin reading from Chris' unpublished novel. The night, which we decided should be free, went great, and later, on June 11, Scott at the Saint held a second show, this time a benefit. I played with my band, Marcus Croan on drums and Jay Walker on bass, the first band set I've done in months. It felt great!
Trip to Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee- In March, '06 we drove South, destination Memphis. Arriving in Nashville on St. Paddy's Day at 10pm, the rest of the night was spent checking out some of the great pedal steel players who play in the many fine bands along the main drag. The next day we hit Gruhn's Guitars, the Gibson Shop at the Factory, and Joe's Crab Shack. Then it was on to Memphis, where we chilled out at the motel for a night. The next day we went from the Graceland tour to the Sun Studio tour, the day culminating in a recording session at the one and only Sun Recording Studios. There are more phots over at the Memphis, 2006 page, but below are a few nice shots.
The Upstage Benefit- Feb. 11, 2006, was going to be the first night I booked at the Wonderbar, but a fire in the offices of Upstage Magazine meant stepping aside for a worthy cause. The Benefit was a fine event, despite a freak snowstorm that hurt attendance. The musicians definitely had a good time ... the next three shots are a potpourri of top NJ Shore talent, during a round-robin, "you call 'em we'll play 'em" jam.in various order Freddie Gomez [AKA Smiles Again], Rick Barry, Brian Saint, Meagan Brothers and myself, all sitting in with Maybe Pete.
The past months have been pretty eventful. In late June I attended the 25th Harvard Reunion of the Class of 1980... this was my original class at Harvard, before I got kicked out and then re-admitted ( I eventually graduated with the Class of '82). It was strange to see the very first people I had hung out with at Harvard, when I was still a hard-core East Bostonian and still known as Joe Incagnoli -- for it was that freshman year that I became Joe Harvard. We build little worlds throughout life, and then move on and leave those little worlds behind. Revisiting them can be a bittersweet experience. I was fortunate in that nearly all of the people who I'd been close to during that pivotal year in my life showed up. There was no shortage of embarrassing "Joey Incagnoli" stories, though most remained thankfully untold. There was a check-in from the first non-local girls I ever rolled in the hay with (one of whom told my date that I was the best kisser she ever knew), and laughs with a couple of gals I'd woo'ed, but never won. The highlight was getting to play a bunch of songs during the latter part of the Dull reunion, after they'd performed all of their own timeless standards. I was not a member of the Dull, but I played with a later band, the Velvetones, which featured three of the band's members: David Colburn, George Perkins, and John Brancato. I knew David as a manic and brilliantly funny performer, and George as a quietly solid bass player, and I'd forgotten that they were the twin guitarists in the Dull. Their set was great, and many of Harvard's punk pioneers turned out: Posey Campbell, vivacious as ever and right up front as always, Alan Jebsen and his wonderful wife Guanche, Mary Rheinlander and husband Ted Widmer (who burned the house down with his guest vocal performance), Laz and the all-time proto-punk of Harvard University, Billy Ruane. Leslie Dunton-Downer made it, but hubby Ashley Roundtree missed the show, although their son was in tow, looking ten times cooler than anyone in the band, and more than a bit reminiscent of his dad's super-cool, Bowie-esque lead role in Humanoids in Hunger City. He looked so much like his uncle, John Dunton-Downer (another Harvard rocker, J-double-D added his studio magic to the Bones '82 LP Discover, and was saxophonist for the legendary Willie "Loco" Alexander in the mid-80's) that I nearly dragged him up to do a sax solo on "Search and Destroy."Martha Swetzoff -- formerly of the femmepunks Bound and Gagged was another special guest ,though unfortunately she was just getting into the pocket when Billy Ruane plunged through the drink cooler during "Sheena is a Punk Rocker" and brought a very wet end to the set. MOVIE 1, Flash: SEARCH AND DESTROY
Mixing shows four nights a week at the Saint keeps me pretty busy, though I try to stay abreast of local music developments. Below I'm at the renowned Stone Pony, for the event announcing the establishment of the New Jersey Music Hall of Fame; that's Epic recording artist Val Emmich I'm chatting with, a young and really talented writer. I've been playing a fair number of shows with Mimi Cross these days, a wonderful singer-songwriter who calls Asbury Park her spiritual home. A veteran performer with two LPs out, including the recent and well-received I Slept, her admirers include Rosanne Cash, who describes her this way: "Mimi fuses delicacy and power, heart and gut. Her writing and singing are inspiring, evocative and refreshing. It's a pleasure to have discovered her work." Cool beans. I get to play lap steel, the red Teli, and most recently a bit of guitar synth. Gary Scannelli has been playing Upright Bass and Lew Rosengrant has been on Drums, though right now we're taking a maternity break and it looks like Mimi will be coming out with a new outfit, a bit more on the rocking side, when she reemerges. I plan to be there.
Below are some shots from the Mimi Cross show at the Saint on May 5, and one blurry shot of our performance at the ever-amazing Big Art Show, this time held in Brooklyn.
April 24, 2005
Aidan celebrated his 2nd birthday, and it is utterly amazing to watch
him growing and learning. He's the sweetest kid, and I know I've been
blessed every time I look at him. His penchant for cars and trains is
massive, and we'll be going to see a steam engine show later on today.
He loves the beach, animals, and continues to enjoy frequent baths with
dad. Here's a few shots of his birthday party. Lots more
on his most recent pic page. UPDATE: January, 2005
It's been 9 months since my book "The Velvet Underground and Nico" came out, and it's doing pretty well. Not New York Times Bestseller well, but not too shabby for a first effort. On the music front, I've done a lot of solo shows here in Asbury Park, plus a healthy number of cameo appearances with local songwriters such as Mark Prescott and Rick Barry, and bands like Bubblegum. I've gotten to sit in with old friends like Chris Harford and the Band of Changes when they come through town, and I'm now playing guitar and lap steel with a wonderful songwriter named Mimi Cross [whose recent CD was co-produced by an old Boston pal, the mega-talented Kevin Salem]. Still, I recently decided it was time to get myself a new band. On Thursday, Nov. 11 I played a set at the Saint, using my former Dragster bandmate Jay Walker on bass and Marcus Croan from Tom's River on drums; it felt right, and we're now rehearsing together - there's some pics below. The following Saturday I was psyched to play the finale of Big Art Show's Asbury season, this time with Sarah Tomek, the 2004' Asbury Music Awards' Best Drummer, on the throne. Super cool show, loads a folks including all the local hipsters, and Big Art had the Boardwalk Hojo's loaded with good vibes and the work of over twenty artists. I'd lost a bet on the Presidential Election which involved my getting a crew cut, so I asked for a volunteer from the audience, and a lovely young lady introducing herself as Alysa came through the crowd to offer her services as guerilla stylist [that's her in the photo above, caught in the act of doing the deed]. I gave her a spray bottle, a barber's shirt and a pair of clippers [which wouldn't reach the socket, so she ended up using something like pinking shears], then told her she had until we finished playing "Pablo Picasso" to get the job done. Thankfully, what might have been a debacle turned out quite nicely, and the audience got into it as much as the band. One gig, one free haircut, and the terms of one bet satisfied. Performance Art lives.
Scott Stamper at the Saint has been nice enough to throw me onto the club's on ocassion when there's a last-minute cancellation, and I've done a bunch of solo sets as a gap-filler. One memorable recent show began with an 8 pm call from Scott asking "hey, can you play funky?" -- turns out there was a 9 pm opening slot available for John Hickey, the guitarist on P. Funk's most recent Live Album and Tour, and a veteran of Bernie Worrell's band as well. I called drummer Steven Ade, who came right over to the Saint, and we got set up just in time. As we performed "Brick House" in the unusual funk formation of a two-piece band, I noticed Hickey's keyboardist checking us out as I launched into my guitar solo. I'd barely given him the nod, beckoning him to join us, when he was up and kicking the shoit out of his Korg keyboard and the song. Tony "Daffy Duck" Fitz stuck with us for the rest of the set, displaying the keyboard wizardry that earned him space in Parliament Funkadelic's lineup, as well as Bernie Worrell's band.
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April
and May were very busy months. His mom brought my son Aidan over from
England, the definite highlite, and we had 2 great weeks hanging out,
including enjoying an early 3rd birthday party on the beach that we combined
with an egg hunt for Easter. Now we're counting the days until his visit
in July.
After
hearing me play 3 songs at the Saint to kill time when an act failed to
show, Chris got in touch and gave me my first area bookings. After a couple
of years of doing almost nothing but renovate the Victorian house Cathy
and I were living in, it was great to get back into gigging, and encouraging
to have someday actually approach me, instead of the other way around,
because he liked what he heard. At one point Chris pissed me off, and
I told him exactly where to stick his gig. Later he called and in the
kind of mea culpa rare in the music biz, and nearly nonexistent among
promoters, he admitted I was right, and apologized with an "I owe
you one." He was as good as his word, and the next issue of the Aquarian
he put in a nice little blurb and the photo at left, providing me with
my first local press.
May
20 and 21 was the Wave Gathering, an ambitious festival modelled
on CMJ and South By Southwest, put together by Gordon Brown, and
Scott and Adam at the Saint. For 2 days every club in towv,
and some non-clubs as well, had bands throughout the day and night. I
played an early Saturday show, 5pm at the Tiki Bar, on the veranda of
the Convention Center, going on betweent he super-cool Commons and an
LA act, . It was a perfect day for a balcony show, mild, sunny, with a
nice breeze, and as I played my Teli and lap steel I gazed out past the
end of the building at the ocean. A pair of columns and the roof above
framed the sea and the sky so well that they created the near-perfect
illusion that you were staring at a picture frame surrounding an expertly
executed seascape.The set went well, and Jon Pfeiffer was nice enough
to give it a few lines in the Aquarian.
UPDATE:
August, '05:
UPDATE:
May, 2005 
I'm
currently working on a second book, this one a collection of stories that
revolves around the Boston Rock scene [big surprise, right?]. The book
is called Weird Ride, and I'm hoping for a fall completion
date. Publishers interested in seeing advance pages are welcome to 
It's
been 20 months since my son Aidan was born, [April 24, 2003] and he is
still adorable beyond my wildest expectations, and still a happy, fun
and funny boy. He jealously guards his wee guitar against intruders, bangs
a Schoenhut miniature piano, and pounds a Pearl soprano snare, though
his great love these days is divided between momma, his growing library
and his miniature cars. Watching him grow, and being lucky enough to be
around a lot for his first year, has been the blessing of my life; our
nightly bath remains the highlight of my day.
.
