BKD EP update

Well, time up in Boston was productive, Cold!, but productive.  We kicked out 5 tunes while we were there.  Free Halas engineered a killer set of acoustic banjo driven tunes in what we are calling the Basement sessions.  Loads of fun, and inspiring at the same time. 

We headed to Windham ME for a day in the Halo studio with Darren Elder (The Wrecking) and Karl Anderson (The Wrecking). This was the ROCK! portion of the new EP.   Some drums arrived, tuned and the guitars were warmed up and the Rock N Roll began.   2 takes on the 1st tune. 2 on the second.  (We pretty much played them Live and then did some overdubs for some cool stuff.   Karl Engineered and killed it. Free Halas walked in with a 63 Harmony Bass and Killed it.

Overall the the BKD EP is coming along.  We are headed back out in Jan to finish up one more tune and then we are headed out on the road for some gigs.  Stay tuned and we will keep you in the Loop.

Brant, JT, Jesse

BKD CD Recording!

Wassup friends? BKD is off to Boston to record our first CD project on Sunday Dec 5th. We are so excited to get these new songs recorded and in your hands. We will be doing some tracking at Chateau le Jesse (ie...Jesse's basement:) and heading out to Halo Recording Studios in Portland ME to track drums. We have all the vintage gear lined up to get that classic sound we are going for. It's looking like we will have a 6-7 song EP and then release a follow up B-sides project a few months later.

We are currently booking shows for 2011 and things are looking positive that we will be very busy and coming to a city near you. If you are interested in having BKD come to your town, email us with some venue ideas at bigkettledrum @ gmail.com. We'd love to come and rock your socks off.

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving...we are so thankful for your love and support.

Love&Light,
BCM

Freedom Tour update!

BKD and the boys of the Road "The Wrecking", Satellites and Sirens and Vota are in Santa Cruz CA!
Sweet Drive today only 7 hrs.  We rocked the stage without Jesse Russel today and it was fun, but not the same.  Last night in Victorville CA Jesse and Dan Russell Killed it with us and IT WAS AMAZING! Videos soon I promise.
We have a day off tomorrow and it's gonna be Chill.  Brant and I introduced a new tune tonight in Santa Cruz.  We loved it, We hope the people Loved it.

Peace and Love.
JT B-Rant and Jesse

Tour Update

Hey Folks, BKD is Rocking down the road on the Freedom tour.  It's been a great few shows. It's been even better letting people in on Not For Sale and signing up Backyard Abolitionist.   The Wrecking Vota Satalites and Sirens  have all Killed it on stage. Pour everything they have every night.  It's an Honor for us to be apart of this tour.  Great time, Great hospitality.  God is Good!
I pic from the tour in Abilene Tx. 

Peace and Love
JT, Jesse and Brant

tour update

Hey Folks.  We are 2 shows into the Freedom tour w/ Satellites and Sirens , Vota and The Wrecking.

Tonight we were in Owasso Ok and it Rocked.  Getting to know all the fellas from the other bands is Great all great guys.  The hosts tonight were outstanding. and the food was TOp notch.  Ribs, Chicken Mmmmmmmmm! 

Brant has made it on to the Air 1 banner at the show.  You go Brant.
Peace out and more to come.

JT and Brant

Art and the BKD EP.

Wow! that is a lot of letters.  Shannon  and JT worked on some art for the new project.  We will be using this art while on the Freedom tour at the end of this month.  Brant and I are excited about the Art Shay is making for us and the Live EP (so to speak).  We are getting together next week to finish up some writing and so a little recording.  Here is quick look at some art.

BKD/Photo shoot

Brant and I met the wonderfully talented Michelle Georgia Dietz Photography for a photo shoot on Wednesday.  It Rocked, She Rocked, hell We Rocked.  Great time. 
Tour time is nearing.  We are excited about hooking up with our old friend Kev for the Artist Showcase Weekend :: Big Kettledrum, Gareth Asher... at The Little Harbor Resort in Ruskin FL. 

News

Brant and I are excited about the next month.  Today we head to St Augustine FL for  the 1st BKD photo shoot.  Time it is a flying we are working on the new Live Demo.  Live as in we are recording straight to the Recorder with no overdubs, just raw and ugly and real.  We love it.  Hope you love it too.  We will be hitting the road in a few weeks on the Air One, Not for Sale Freedom tour  17 cities here they are.
Friday 10/29 - Shawnee, KS
Saturday 10/30 - Owasso, OK
Sunday 10/31 - Oklahoma City, OK
Monday 11/1 - Abilene, TX
Tuesday 11/2 - Odessa, TX
Wednesday 11/3 - Lubbock, TX
Thursday 11/4 - Amarillo, TX
Friday 11/5 - Albouquarque, NM
Saturday 11/6 - Gallup, NM
Sunday 11/7 - Glendale, AZ
Monday 11/8 - Lake Havasu City, AZ
Tuesday 11/9- Indio, CA
Wednesday 11/10- Temecula, CA
Thursday 11/11- Victorville, CA
Friday 11/ 12- Bakersfield, CA
Saturday 11/13- Santa Cruz or King City, CA
Sunday 11/14 - Rocklin, CA
Put Big Kettledrum on the Road has been funded, but we still have many days left. 
If you want to help us out with the cost of this tour and recording the proper EP  just click the Kickstarter link  Here it is

Peace and Love and all that is above.
JT

BKD news/ Preparing, Recording

Brant and I hooked up this past week to work on some new music and do a bit of recording and writing. 
We are totally stoked to be hitting the road at the end of the month.  Our 1st stop will be in Tampa at Little Harbor Resort

611 Destiny Dr Ruskin, FL  

 

 

for the Artist Showcase Weekend with Garth Asher.  Brant and I are happy to be joining Kevin Lilly on his new venture with Little Harbor Resort.  So come out for a weekend of fun, music and community.  Fun will be had.

Stayed Tuned for new music.  Also BKD will be headed to Austin in March to Showcase at SXSW details to come. 

JT.

The Process

The Process, what is that?  It's how the songs begin, how they are shaped and molded into what the BIG Kettledrum sound will be.   It's starts with a Riff, or maybe even a thought or and Idea about what we want to say.  Brant has a way with words, he molds and shapes. J.T. will find a riff or a progression and start bouncing melody idea's off each other.  Sometimes it comes quick, Sometimes it takes time to marinate to see what is going to come of an idea.  So Far 3 songs have potential and we are excited about sharing these with you.  Soon, I promise soon.  Keep coming by and saying hey and having a read.  Brant and J.T. will be posting a bit more as we move forward into BKD and the Air 1 tour with "the wrecking" and Satellites and Sirens.  Stay tuned and Much love

Without love your just a clattering cymbal
JT

Put Big Kettledrum on the road!

Dear Friends,

Thank you for taking a moment to read about our new endeavor and considering helping us bring this project to fruition. The music business has changed dramatically over the last few years. The invention of digital downloads has had a profound effect on music. It has altered what songs are recorded and how an "album" is put together. The ability of buying only the songs you like has had a negative impact on the concept of recording a cohesive album. As artists, we want to put forth the "whole" of an album and not the sum of the parts, if that makes sense. This realization has made us place our focus on more than just the music. At the end of the day, the music is only a means of connecting us together.


This led us to a revelation of sorts. Everything good that has happened to us over the last few years has come out of "community". We are built for community. Heck... God, through the Trinity, is a community unto himself! We are tired of superficial relationships and long for that authenticity that allows us to be known for who God made us and not just the name our parents gave us. We want more. We deserve more. All of us deserve more. We want to write music that speaks to your soul and inspires you to be better human beings. We want to come and perform with so much passion that you leave a concert aching to change the world. We want to share unfailing love with you on a level few have known. That is the relationship we are looking for. Is that you?

We are looking for people who long for more. People who will donate a small amount of money to help us record a new EP and hit the road in October bringing this message of love to your town. We want people who will come to a concert and share in the experience that only music can provide. We want people who will break bread with us and tell us about their lives and how we can sew into those lives to make a difference. We want real relationships.

We understand that not everyone will understand what we are after. For those of you who do... we are offering some special rewards as a thank you for your love. From video footage, song previews, some really cool original artwork to a backyard BBQ with yours truly. We know it isn't much, but the real reward for us is sitting face to face and deepening our relationship with you.

We want to be a light in a world so often consumed with darkness. Thank you for considering helping us to do just that. We believe Martin Luther King, Jr. may have said it best when he said,

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."

Love and Light,

Big Kettledrum
Brant Christopher & Jeffrey Todd

Welcome to Big Kettledrum.com!

Ahh yes. A brand new website for the new incarnation of Fort Pastor.  We are currently writing for this new project and will have a short EP available for purchase in October.  The new venture will fuse the Fort Pastor sound with the nu-folk of Mumford & Sons and the swampy percussion of classic Johnny Cash.

The duo plan to hit the road with The Wrecking in late October.

Stay tuned for more details and we look forward to blowing you away with some new tunes!

Peace,
Brant & JT