8/30/10

GREAT NEWS! I was on Milwaukee radio today!. I recently performed live in the studio and was interviewed on the program "Lake Effect" at WUWM 89.7. In case you couldn't tune in Monday Morning around 10:40AM, don't worry, it's available here by clicking this link, Tony on WUWM 89.7, or by visiting their website: WUWM.com.

8/20/10

Be sure to tune in to Milwaukee radio FM 106.1 on Sunday evenings around 10pm. My songs have been receiving some airplay! Please call in and request "Michigan Is Getting Closer" and "Home." Thank You!!!

8/10/10

Very unfortunate news... Our friends at Winesteins have sadly had to close the doors to the restaurant. Thank you so much to Winesteins for providing me with a place to share my music for the last few years. We'll miss you guys.

7/29/10

As of yesterday, my song "Michigan Is Getting Closer" is the #1 MOST REQUESTED SONG at 102.7 WMOM! PLEASE continue to call 231-843-1027 to request it. It only takes a moment and it's really working!!!! Listen to the live webstream at www.wmom.fm/live/

Thank you!

7/24/10

ANNOUNCING 10 DATE FALL TOUR!   Lesleigh and I will be hitting the road this September and heading to the east coast. So far, we have 3 dates confirmed in Boston! I'll keep you posted as more dates are confirmed. Continue checking our itinerary here at www.tonymemmel.com for a complete up-to-date listing of shows!


7/15/10

I've signed off on the final mixes for the new album (To be released this fall)! It's ready for Mastering. I'll keep you posted on more specific updates as they arise.  :)

 

6/25/10

 

In case you missed it. Milwaukee's NBC affiliate, Today's TMJ4, did a spectacular story on the debut of TONY Memmel & His Band at Summerfest 2010, the World's Largest Music Festival!  

Here's the link.  Thanks  to reporter, Charles Benson, Special Projects Producer, Stephanie Graham, and the outstanding photojournalism that made this story special on a very busy news day. 

6/24/10

THANK YOU to those who supported us at Summerfest today! What a great day :)

6/23/10

Hey Guys,

June 24th is going to be a huge day!!!!!!! We're playing Summerfest tomorrow (in Milwaukee, WI)! WEAR YOUR TONY MEMMEL T-SHIRTS, IF YOU HAVE ONE!!! If you don't have one, no worries, you can get yours at the show :). The band is really rockin' and we're excited to see you:

Tony Memmel & His Band
at The Refugee Stage (South End of the Lake Walk, straight back from the Main Entrance near the Potawatomi Stage - "C" on Summerfest Map)
Thursday June 24th, 2010
6PM (Stick around after we play, it's a great spot to catch the Fireworks at dusk!!!)

Carpe Diem,
Tony

p.s. Sorry for the delays in news updates. Our webmaster has been ill but is recovering very well, we're glad to have him back and working with us on keeping you up to date here! 

p.s.s. On a side-note, way to go U.S. Soccer!

(4/28/10)

RECORDING A NEW ALBUM

I announced a few weeks ago that the band and I are hitting the studio again to record what will be my 3rd Full-Length album! Brian (drums), Lesleigh (keyboards and vocals), and I (guitar, vocals, etc.) are returning to Ark Studios in Menasha, WI - The same studio where we recorded "Potter Road" last year. We'll also be working with Nathan Edwards as our engineer, again.

While some things will be similar to the past, we will be doing A LOT of new and exciting things with this record. We'll be having a few new guests join us in the studio and... a whole lot more. I don't want to give away all of the album's intricacies and secrets; I simply hope to inform you that it's coming and that you should be excited.

I've been really fortunate to have a fan base that has supported me through the last two years (It's been a little over two years since the release of my debut album "The Tale of an Underdog"). There's a lot of blood, sweat, and tears invested in the album to come (literally there has been blood, sweat and tears, in regards to this new record (haha)).

I'm going to do my best to keep you posted on how the recording process is going. Keep us in your thoughts and prayers this weekend, as we'll all be doing a lot of traveling and all trying to use our gifts and talents to bring you what we believe is some truly special music!

Have a great weekend! We'll be thinking of you while we record!
Tony

**If you don't have "Potter Road" or "The Tale of an Underdog" yet, this may be a good time to update your Tony Memmel "collection" ;)

(4/5/10)

Hello Friends and Family

As many of you know, This past fall, I made my way to the East Coast for my first U.S. Tour. One of my most successful stops was in Boston, MA. I won a weekly "Open Mic Competition" at a place called The Lizard Lounge. The open mic consisted of playing 3 of my songs against 25+ other performers and I was very fortunate to share the stage with so many great artists.

I've been invited back to compete again against other musicians who have competed and won in their respective weeks. I'm anxious to make the trip and just honored to have been invited. I'm looking forward to seeing/hearing some more awesome talent!

So, there are 2 opportunities to see me in Boston in the coming weeks!-If you're in the Boston area, the Finalists open mic competition night is on Saturday April 10, at 7pm (See my calendar or The Lizard Lounge's Calendar for more details). If you're in that area it would be really awesome to see you. (I'll also be playing there again on April 12th for the regular weekly competition)!

If you can't make it to Boston this time, keep me in your thoughts (and if you pray) in your prayers. I'm really excited to be heading back to this awesome city and to be a part of what I see is a great opportunity!

Thanks for reading and for your continued support. I couldn't be doing this without all of the help from you guys.
I hope you had a wonderful Easter holiday.

Tony

(3/23/10)

Chicago Radio Show

Hey Guys,

If you weren't able to catch my interview/performance on Chicago Radio's Razor and Di Show, last week, you can stream or download it here. (My portion of the show starts at 17 minutes) Check it out and please leave a note!

Click This Link To Listen To The Whole Show With All The Guests:
http://razoranddie.site11.com/?page_id=15

Have a spectacular day!

(3/17/10)

NEW ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENT

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I wanted to let you know right away that we've just secured some dates to hit the studio again this coming April-May! We'll be working on a full-length album with Nate Edwards manning the controls. Stay tuned for much much more!

Cheers
Tony

"Remember, one drop of Irish is 100 proof" My Grandma Pat

(2/16/10)

A friend of mine is working for a website called GetTheNew.com. He recently reviewed my first album "The Tale of an Underdog." It is SO generous and well written. Take a look, check it out, comments are much appreciated!

______________________________________________________________________________
Tony Memmel - Tale of an Underdog (2008)
Feb 14, 2010 4:45pm By chains0109

Tony Memmel is a local artist from Milwaukee, WI. You can check out his music on iTunes, Amazon, and you can check out his personal website at tonymemmel.com. This is a review of his first album: Tales of an Underdog.

I first met Tony Memmel in the Spring of 2008 when he was performing his Senior Recital to complete his music major degree at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. The performance of material ranging from show tunes to classical pieces and on was amazing, but what really stood out in my mind was the encore where Tony brought out his guitar and played two selections from his first album: Train Song and A Soldier in London (1943). I knew I had to hear more, and I wanted to see what this artist would do in the future. Since then I've had the pleasure of calling Tony and his wife Lesliegh (who joins The Tony Memmel Band on his second album, which I'll review on a later date) friends, and Tony has recently just completed his first tour. Out of my great respect and admiration for Tony as an artist I decided to write my first music review on Tony's first CD: The Tale of an Underdog.

The best music, in my opinion, that a singer, songwriter, musician can sing, write, or play is music that you can feel. Some of the greatest singer/ songwriters are great because they bear their soul to the audience from Billy Joel to Paul Simon, from John Lennon to Elton John. Tony Memmel is a singer songwriter who truly belongs in a class with these heroes of the form. Writing autobiographically on his debut album, you truly feel every word that he sings, every note that he strums on guitar strikes on the piano or plays on the harmonica.

But truly refreshingly is the fact that he does this without a single hint of pretentiousness and a lack of the depression we see in most music coming out nowadays. A perfect example of this is the song Back to Milwaukee where he sings, "I knew a girl just before her/ She used to lie to me and loved seeing me down/ And I'm never going back to her town," because he tells us right before that, "I met a girl from Milwaukee/ I got to know her the second time around/ And she makes me feel safe and sound." Tony's music is upbeat and optimistic without ever seeming too much so. You could easily see a group of drunk men singing the songs around a jukebox as you could see a kid just enjoying the music in their room.

That brings another great point to his music: it's universal. He doesn't pander to audiences, but plays music that everyone can enjoy and have fun listening to at a party, at a bar, in the car, or people just looking for great music to listen to. You can tell influences from Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Elton John, and so on, but Tony makes the music his own. The music sounds unique and fresh while also sounding dated enough so that everyone who listens to the album feels as though they know, or should know, the songs and be able to join in. Some of the songs feel as though they should be traditional American or Old World songs that have been handed down to us through the years, but at the same time they feel as though they're Tony's own.

One of the things about this album that really gives you that feeling is the bare bones production. Yes, it's a very professional recording, but most of the songs just feature Tony on guitar and vocals. A master move, this is a move that really gives the album a working class man feel. Naturally, this also shines a light on Tony's talent as well, he plays all the instruments on the album; the only exception being the guitar solo on A Soldier in London (1943). This is truly a masterstroke, while probably not intentionally, that shows he's really working for the respect he earns from everyone who listens to his music. And the lyrical quality of his music really shows an intelligence and wit that has been missing from a lot of recent contemporary music.

I highly recommend Tony Memmel's first CD to everyone that I can. This is the consistency of quality that I believe we're all looking for when it comes to the music we listen to, and I believe we really want it from an artist who is really working to gain our respect. I might be a friend of the artist, but this was a truly critical viewpoint of the music from a truly amazing artist. If you want to know more about Tony Memmel and his music check out [...], and feel free to fan or friend him here on Facebook. I hope you enjoy!

(2/11/10)

Hello! We're back from our mission trip to New Orleans. Lesleigh and I (and 30+ others) spent a week doing relief work for victims of Hurricane Katrina. I kept a blog of all of my experiences. Click on "Blog of an Underdog" in the left column of this page to read more about our experiences.

Stay tuned for lots more!

(1/29/10)

Hey Guys,

I hope you're doing well and having a good new year so far. Thank you for your continued interest in receiving emails from me.

HERE'S WHAT'S NEW:
 

DO YOU HAVE MY NEW ALBUM? SOMETHING INTERESTING: Do you have my new album "Potter Road"? If not, this is a perfect time to buy. If you buy online from CDBaby.com, CDBaby will donate $1 from all of the sales to the victims of the Earthquake in Haiti. They'll be doing this over the next couple of weeks. I will also be donating a percentage of my sales from live shows and the internet to the victims of the earthquake.

NEW ORLEANS: My wife, Lesleigh, and I are heading to New Orleans, LA this coming weekend to participate in a Hurricane Katrina Relief Trip. We're both very much looking forward to going to do our part to help the hurricane victims from several years ago.

It's especially interesting timing considering that the New Orleans Saints just qualified for their first Super Bowl ever. We are really looking forward to meeting people and participating in the rebuilding process.

MILWAUKEE AREA SHOW THIS WEEKEND: There's going to be a really fun show this Friday night. I'd love to see a big crowd! Good atmosphere, drinks, and music all night, it's going to be a fun evening.

DETAILS:

Tony Memmel and Brian Farvour (2/3 of Tony Memmel and His Band)
Waukesha Eagles Club
1/29/10
Free
21+
8pm-12am

Bring your friends. Its going to be a fun night. See you there!

I hope you have a great rest of your week. You can always check www.tonymemmel.com for current news and info.

Take Care,
Tony

(1/11/10)

Brian Farvour, the drummer in Tony Memmel & His Band, took the liberty to film some of our set at our December 12, 2009 show in Green Bay. The footage is at The Attic, a great place to play!

The song is "Big Houses, Expensive Dogs" off of my new album "Potter Road" (available now, click here to get your copy).

We hope you enjoy the video! Be sure to watch all the way to the end, there's a great Rock & Roll climax in the middle of the song! Enjoy! Please Rate the video and comment! Thanks :)

Thank You for taking this footage Brian!

(1/7/10)

My new year has started well. I just accepted a position at my church playing music for a service. The service is called "Monday Night Cafe" and is in a relaxed coffee shop type format. Coffee and snacks are served, folks in attendance sit at tables, music is unplugged and acoustic. It's very relaxed...

The service is every Monday at 7PM at Ascension Lutheran Church in Waukesha, WI. If you're in the area and are interested, you should come out sometime. It'd be great to see some familiar faces.

Ill be adding the dates to my shows calendar, and I just wanted to clarify what it's all about.

Be well and Have a great weekend!
Tony

(12/25/09)

Good Morning :)

I hope you are enjoying the holiday season. The band and I are very excited about how much has happened this year. I wanted to make sure that as we celebrate Christmas this year, I let you guys know how grateful I am that you continue to check the sites, come to shows, and pick up your own copies of our cd's... Thank you.

Merry Christmas to you.

Be well,

Tony, Lesleigh, and Brian
(12/14/09)

CAN YOU HELP ME WITH SOMETHING???

We had two awesome shows this past weekend. The band was really rockin. We played at the Eagles Club on Friday night and in Green Bay at a great place called "The Attic" on Saturday. We had great attendance both nights and a lot of new interested friends and fans! It is so cool to watch how this has grown...

A year ago (in November) Brian and I got together to "jam" for the first time. Two Novembers ago, I was still in college... Where will I be next November?

Where will you be!?

WOULD YOU HELP ME with my next short term goal? (IT'S SIMPLE)

HERE GOES: Lets make 2009 end with a bang! I WANT TO GET AT LEAST 2,010 HITS ON MY MYSPACE PAGE BY JAN. 1ST 2010 (Goal (at least): 40,700 total hits)

1. Tell a few friends about my music and invite them to check out my myspace page.
2. Show people my new performance video from the Bremen Cafe in November (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eq0TTtEMNfA)
-post it on your wall or in your blog
-Send to your friends-or show your family
3) keep checkin in here, go through old photos (Ill try to add some new ones) listen through all of the tunes... It'll be fun.

WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER AND I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOUR HELP!

ALSO: If you dont have the new album, consider getting a copy. We are very proud of it and I assure you it is worth your hard-earned money.

CHECK IT OUT HERE (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tonymemmel2)

Have a great night
Tony 

12/1/09

Awesome Video- Please take 5 minutes and watch this. 2 songs live at the Bremen Cafe Saturday November 28th. Shot by our friend Jon Kline. Wow.

 
11/30/09

Hey there!

i hope you had an awesome Thanksgiving :)

The holiday season is now in full swing and I am so glad to let you know that my new album "Potter Road" is now available on iTunes! That means that the wait is finally over anyone anywhere in the world can now get his or her copy of the new album! Also, It makes a great stocking stuffer! ;)

Please, if you havent already, get your copy today!

itunes.com/tonymemmel

should direct you to the iTunes store (if you have iTunes). Be sure to review the new album if/when you get your copy.

Thank you so much! I know youll love the album. Its worth every penny.

Have a great day!

11/26/09

Happy Thanksgiving :

10/19/09

Tomorrow, I head out on MY FIRST TOUR! The day has finally arrived. I just wanted you to know, Ill be keeping a journal/blog from the road. You can simply click on "Blog" in the menu on the left-hand side of this page to follow my adventures on the tour!

Lesleigh and I will be out on the road together for the majority of the tour. Check our schedule in the "Itinerary" menu to see if we are coming to a town near you. Be sure to look for us on the road. We'll be in the Forest Green '98 GMC Jimmy (tour bus). See you soon... AMERICA!

10/12/09

Dear friends,

I wanted to let you know right away, I have just been notified that our new album is all set up and ready to go for sale at CDBaby.com

So, if you haven't been able to make it to a show to get your copy yet, you can now order it over the internet. Here is the link:

We've been getting great feedback about the album! If you do order it through CDBaby, PLEASE do us a favor and leave a review on CDBaby.com. AND, as always, please keep spreading the word about our music :)

Thank You So Much Guys! Enjoy the Music!!!!
Tony

 

10/9/09

Hello Friends,

I just wanted to let you know, I received a little press about my show this Saturday at the Tuvalu Coffee House in Verona.

The article ran in the Verona Press this week.

http://www.veronapress.com/main.asp?SectionID=4&SubSectionID=4&ArticleID=1968

Have a great weekend!
Tony

10/6/09

Hello There-

As you may or may not have noticed, I will be heading out on MY FIRST TOUR this October. It will be a 3 week stretch spanning a good deal of the eastern part of the U.S. You can view my calendar on the homepage here on myspace, or at www.TonyMemmel.com

I NEED YOUR HELP... I see this as a phenomenal opportunity to reach a brand new audience and to play my music and spread the word about my story in many places that I have never played. If you have friends, Relatives, Old Neighbors, family, or anything at all, or if YOU YOURSELF lives in any of the cities or states Ill be visiting, Please do me a favor and alert them that I'll be coming to town. I hope to meet a ton of new people and play my music for as many people as possible!!!

I have awesome friends and fans, and I really appreciate anything you can do for me!

Have a great day and Stay tuned for more!!!

Tony


P.S.
It is going to be a very good week THIS week for shows as well! Here are the details:

Art Bar (w/Full Band)
Wed Oct 7
9PM Start
21+
Milwaukee, WI

Winesteins
Fri Oct 9
7PM Start
All Ages
Oconomowoc, WI

Tuvalu Coffee House
Sat Oct 10
7PM Start
All Ages
Verona, WI

9/26/09
Hey Guys

I hope all is well!

The band is really fired up! There have been a lot of great shows lately. Thank you to all of our friends who have been coming to shows. We really appreciate that :)

I also wanted to make a final plug for the show at Winesteins tonight. This show is a more laid back type vibe (It still rocks though). Lesleigh and I will be doing this show as a duet tonight. Its a 7pm start and it's all ages. If you're looking for something to do :) Come hang out with us.

Have a great day!
Tony

9/15/09

Things have been pretty hectic with shows, and a whole bunch of other stuff, but I think it's getting back to equilibrium.

The new album is getting awesome reviews from the first fans who have picked up their copies. A lot of people have emailed or messaged me and are saying that they love it! I can't wait to get it up online so that everyone everywhere can get a copy! For now they are solely available at shows. Ill keep you posted. I hope they'll be ready any day now.

Also, The band and I played 2 AWESOME shows this past weekend. It was a real breath of fresh air. We had great listening crowds and awesome turnouts.

I have 2 solo shows coming up this week. Check the calendar on the homepage for details.

I hope that you have been well. If you are back to school, I hope that your classes are interesting and going well for you. Leave a note and be sure to listen to all of the new tracks when you get some time!

Your friend,
Tony

8/28/09
THE ALBUM HAS ARRIVED!!!

The new album "Potter Road" arrived via UPS on Wednesday morning. I felt like a child as I had the windows open in our bedroom so I could listen for the trucks going by. At the sound of each passing vehicle, I found myself hurrying to the window to see if they were here. Finally, as soon as I sat down to lunch, we heard the truck pull in and loaded them into our apartment.

They turned out so great! You'll really want to get your hand(s) on this one while it's hott! We opened a copy and listened all of the way through, everything sounds and looks marvelous. Again I'd like to publicly thank Nate Edwards (www.naterecording.com) and Ryan Day for their hard work on the project, as well as all of you who have been writing notes and comments etc. Im glad you are excited! They'll be available on iTunes and CDBaby very shortly and they are always available at shows. If you cannot wait another minute to get your copy, contact me privately and we will set up a private order and I'll mail you one!!!!

Thank you for reading, keep checking in and remember you can listen to 4 tracks right here on myspace!

ONE LAST THING!!!! ITS WORKING!!!! Keep telling your friends. Ive had a real influx of hits on my website and myspace as of late. I know you're spreading the word. Please keep telling your friends and family about Tony Memmel!

Thank You

8/20/09
I just checked on the production of the new album and I'm really excited to announce that everything is underway, it will be a very short time before I announce the release date. I want them to be in my hand and ready to go when I announce it so that there are no uncertainties or mishaps! Also, I'll be posting a new song to the website very soon. Keep checking in for that! That's all for now, check the "itinerary" section to see when I'll be in your town!

8/12/09
The weekend is approaching! I have 2 shows in the Milwaukee area and 1 in Chicago this weekend. Check the "Itinerary" section of the site for more details. See you at the shows!

8/6/09
NEW TRACK POSTED! LISTEN TO "BIG HOUSES, EXPENSIVE DOGS" BY CLICKING ON THAT TRACK IN THE PLAYER ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE! Feel free to browse the rest of the site while you listen!

8/4/09
Two Brand New Songs Posted from my upcoming CD "Potter Road"!!! Listen to "Home" and "Wrong Ain't Right" in the player on the left of the screen.

8/3/09
BIG NEWS! THE NEW ALBUM IS TOTALLY FINISHED! I JUST APPROVED THE FINAL ARTWORK (WHICH i WILL POST SOMETIME SOON) AND I'LL BE POSTING NEW SONGS TO THE WEBSITE BY TONIGHT. KEEP CHECKING IN SO THAT YOU CAN BE THE FIRST TO HEAR THEM.

7/31/09
Hey Guys, I just posted this blog on my myspace (www.myspace.com/tonymemmel), but I wanted to share it here as well. If you haven't subscribed to my blog yet, please do!

Blog:
 

HEADLINE
PLEASE LISTEN TO HOME! IT'S THE FINAL ALBUM VERSION. PLEASE TELL YOUR FRIENDS TO VISIT MY PAGE! LET'S GET THE PLAYS SKYROCKETING ON THE NEW SONG. I'LL POST ANOTHER NEW TRACK VERY SOON. KEEP CHECKING IN :)

LAST NIGHT'S LISTENING PARTY

Summary: If last night is any kind of "telling experience," be excited for "Potter Road"!

Last night I had a private listening party for the new album "Potter Road." What this essentially was was an opportunity for me to show my family the new music that the band and I have been working on. I was anxious to sit everyone down in the living room and have them give a thorough listen.

Throughout the evening, the listener's in the room (myself included), were all very moved. This to me was very telling as I would not consider my family to be a particularly soft stepping bunch when it comes to honesty about my music. Anywho, I'd like to share with you some anonymous feedback from the listeners! Since we were giving the album a full listen, I had the listeners take some notes on the music. Here's what they wrote:

“Very fun and honest emotionally”
“Haunting at times, I had goosebumps and teared up on a few songs”
“Mixed well, awesome and tasteful drumming”
“Great blend of songs… I love the “Irish Pub” feel and then the intimate feel of other songs.”
“Really neat lyrics”
“Great guitar, sweet lyrics”
"[Lesleigh] Way to rock the piano!"
“Great harmonies”
“Awesome vocals”
“Big Finish!”
“I really can't wait for the CD to come out so I can listen again. You're such a good story-teller, Tony. Each song has such a personal connection. But with this CD, I noticed how your songwriting has grown. The songs are not only collections of your experiences and private jokes. They're written in a way that people will feel that same feeling while relating it to their own experience.”
"We all love the album and think you guys did a great job."

 

These reflections are candid and my family did not know at first that I’d post them (Neither did I, but after reading them, I thought it would be great to share.).

I know that my family may not have the same credibility as Ebert and Roeper, but like I said, they are honest people. And they are the first to hear the record! So, give a listen and again, please help spread the word if you like what you hear. Thank you!