Author: Adam Johnston

Van Sessions releases this week

~ Adam Johnston

Tracks from our session in the van (or just outside of it) with The Banyan Collective‘s Van Sessions are dropping this week, one at a time, each at 7:00 PM on the Van’s YouTube Channel along with teaser reels on their Instagram channel. The full episode caps it off on Saturday (for Adam’s birthday or by complete coincidence, it’s hard to say).

Here’s the first, released last night: a Sunday kind of love on a Monday night, exactly the juxtaposition we embrace!

Coming up this week: two originals (yup! who knew?) and two more covers that we hope you’ll help us spread around the world, or at least put on repeat in your earbuds.

Special thanks to Brandon and Todd and all of the production team of Van Sessions, with an extra shout out to Scott Rogers at The Proper Way for mixing our sound in their studio. These are people who make the Ogden music community so great and genuinely welcoming. You can share the love by supporting them and live local music from all corners, most especially in the Monarch on the first Friday of every month.

See you online and in person again at the end of the month!

may days

~ Adam Johnston

May is a month of really diverse gigs, starting tonight (Friday, May 2) at our second home: the Grand America Lobby Lounge (all ages, no cover). Tonight it will be just our trio of vocal, keys, and bass. (Matt takes his drum kit out to the stage with Dearth of Earth playing in Ogden. That’s also worth your time.)

The month is super eclectic all the way to the end of the calendar page, including:

Just a few things to look forward to if we don’t see you tonight. Oh, and stay tuned for releases from last month’s Van Sessions, coming soon!

weekend plans

~ Adam Johnston

We have a double-header weekend!

Tonight (Friday), we’re sitting in at our recurring gig at the Grand America Lobby Lounge, 7:30-10:00p. We play a set of our own design followed by requests after the break and late into the evening.

Saturday night at Two-Bit Bistro from 7-9p is a special duo version of us (Standard & Substandard rather than Standards & Substandards?), breaking in their new space and looking forward to more potential shows there in the future. Drop by for great food and drink and cheer on the whole endeavor. (And next time we’ll bring the bass and drum kit!)

Diva + Piano at Unspoken in 2022 (photo: Just James)

April Sessions, in Vans and Otherwise

~ Adam Johnston

April snuck up on us and now we’ve got an exciting collection of gigs packed together.

This Friday, 4/4, join us for Van Sessions at the Monarch, a tradition of First Friday Art Stroll in Ogden. It’s a live podcast set and interview, and we’re playing some brand new stuff. It’s a good time, following The Proper Way and leading into Resonomics & Sa Lopez. 7-9p, we’re probably 7:45ish but come for the whole thing and say hi.

The following Friday, 4/11, we’re back at Grand America in the big city, 7:30 – 10:00p. It’s the usual scene there, which is to say it’s always different and always a good time. Hang out on the comfy chairs and call out something you want us to play.

And then, the very next evening, Saturday 4/12, 7-9p, we’re breaking in the stage at the new Two-Bit Bistro on the corner of 25th & Washington in Ogden. This is a rare, pared down duo set with just Caryn (vocals/diva) and Adam (keys/diva) — but we’re looking forward to scheduling a set for all four of us. Good food and drink and a great vibe in Two-Bit’s new space.

A mere week after that, Friday 4/18, 7-10p, we get our first chance to play at Sidebar of Ogden’s Own Distillery. We’ll have to pack tight, but we’re determined and excited about it. This is 21+, so bring your i.d. (We’ll be back later in the summer to play their outdoor series, too!)

And then there’s more in May! Stay tuned or look ahead at our gig calendar. See you out there!

party at the Funk ‘N Dive

~ Adam Johnston

It’s been a long time since we got to play Funk ‘N Dive, so this Saturday, Feb 15, 9p – midnight ($5 cover, 21+) will be a great celebration for us and a fun party for you. We still have this fond memory of FND from early on in our gigging, everything from setting up to hanging out in the green room to having people behind us sing along to Sesame Street in one of the best dive bars in the country.

This time around it’s even more meaningful. We’re honoring the life of our first patron and number one fan, Caryn’s mom, Sherri, who died this week and whose funeral is earlier the same day as this show. We’re all out to support our Diva from all corners, the rhythm section to the folks on the floor to the people calling out from the bar stools. Join in as we turn it up and celebrate a life by playing favorite songs at this after party. Come sing along, raise a glass, and cheer on Caryn.