Karen & the Sorrows at RockwoodHappy new year, friends! We are starting this one out right by gettin’ in touch with the stars. Flaca Music’s Astrofest is back with 12 nights of astrologically organized line-ups around the city. This time it’s by Venus signs, and on Tuesday the 13th, Venus will be in Taurus over at Piano’s on the Lower East Side. (Check out the rest of this awesome festival here.) If your Venus is in Taurus, apparently you have “a distinct solidity about your presence and you’re very huggable.” So get ready for a night of solid and huggable sounds! With Zoe FarmingdaleMeghann Wright, and Addi & Jacqui.

When: Tuesday, January 13, 7:00 pm, we’re on at 9:00 pm
Where: Pianos, 158 Ludlow St and Stanton, Manhattan
Nearest trains: F to 2nd Ave or J, M, Z, F to Delancey/Essex
Door: $8
For more info & RSVP, see facebook

And save the date for January 27th when we’ll be playing a special Songbird Series at Branded Saloon with the amazing DK & the Joy Machine and banjo legend Debe Dalton. Plus, the Queer Country Monthly returns in February!

xoxo,
karen

Big_Gay_Country_Holiday_PosterHello everybody! We’ve been missing you!

Our friends Small Talk are putting on a Big Gay Country Holiday party at Littlefield on Friday, December 19th, and we can’t wait to play. We’re on first at 8pm sharp, so don’t come too late or you’ll miss us! The line-up also includes the always fabulous Kings and the amazing Julia Weldon. Plus there’s gonna be a photo booth. And all kinds of drink specials. And a DJ for more dancing after the bands!

WHEN: Friday, December 19th, doors at 7:30, show at 8:00, we’re on first!
WHERE: Littlefield, 622 Degraw St bet. 3rd and 4th Ave, Brooklyn
TRAINS: R to Union
COVER: $8 in advance, $10 at the door
RSVP: facebook.com/events/1501203886830462

And we’ll be having a big sale on all our merch, including our lovely limited-edition vinyl, so if you’re looking for a present for the queer country lovin’ music nerd in your life, we’ve got you covered!

We’ve got lots more dates coming up soon, too, plus the Queer Country Monthly returns for a limited run later this winter. Hope we’ll see you soon!

xoxo,
karen

braqueWhen our beloved bass player AJ resigned this fall after three years of awesomeness, we weren’t sure we could ever love again. But now that the fabulous Braque Hershberger has come into our lives, our hearts are once more filled with country-rock joy!

A little more about our newest member: Braque writes, strums and sings country, folk and rock music around New York City.  In spite of his bass affair with the Sorrows, he is still married to a guitar in his other work.  He’s also fond of delay, reverb, distortion, and routing synthesizers through pedal chains and tube amps.  His favorite sounds are from groups like Neil Young & Crazy Horse, Wilco, Dr. Dog, The Shins, The Beatles, and Johnny Cash.

sundaysalonHello there, lovelies. We’re playing at one of our favorite events, The Sunday Salon, this Sunday the 21st at 7pm. It’s an amazing line-up including our fabulous friend Sara Lippman who will be reading from her brand new book Doll Palace.

WHEN: Sunday, September 21st, 7:00 pm
WHERE: Jimmy’s No 43, E 7th St. between 2nd and 3rd Ave
MORE INFO: sundaysalon.com/nyc-september-21-2014.htm

And in other news, we just updated our bandcamp store with merch! So if you’ve been meaning to buy a t-shirt to go with a copy of our coke-bottle-green vinyl album, now you can!

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeWjAbGzT-E

Our new video for “Just a Little Heartbreak” is here! Starring Purva Bedi and Alysandra McCann, directed and edited by David Andrew Stoler, and shot by Hiroshi Hara, this video was so much fun to film. Thank you to everyone who worked so hard with us to make this! And a special thank you to our fabulous dancers Martie McNabbEmily RemsJay Harlow,Brett IvesGabriel FosterJames WilsonJoe KimpleSiena ChrismanHelen StillmanJessie Spector, and Gloria Rothstein. And to Gerard Kouwenhoven for letting us shoot at Branded in the middle of brunch! And speaking of Branded Saloon…we’re having a big record release party next Thursday, on June 19th, at Branded with Humble Tripe and The Paisley Fields. Hope you can come!

TMM-EMBus-InteriorWe are headed out on our first southern tour! Here are all the details:

May 29 – Pittsburgh, PA
with Layne James and some Bang Gang + Swampwalk
At The Shop, 4314 Main Street

May 30 – Louisville, KY
with Bridge 19, Gabe Close, and Lady Pyramid
At Rudyard Kipling, 422 W. Oak St

May 31 – Idapalooza, Smithville, TN

June 1 – Nashville, TN
with Jerilyn Sawyer
At Drifters BBQ, 1008 B Woodland St

June 2 – Conway, AK
At Zaza  Pizzaria, 1050 Ellis Ave.

June 4 – New Orleans, LA
with the Wasted Lives
At the High Ho Lounge, 2239 Saint Claude Ave

June 5 – Atlanta, GA
Benefit for Charis Books with Katherine Cole, Chesya Burke, and Gabe Moses
At Charis Books, 1189 Euclid Ave NE

June 6 – Durham, NC
with Humble Tripe
Garden party at 5 Parkridge Court

June 7 – Philadelphia, PA
Homecoming Benefit for William Way LGBT Community Center
1315 Spruce St
Buy tickets

Gay_Opry_Karen_&_Sorrows_2012_by_Syd_London_webready-5272We’re making a video for the first single from our new album and we need your help! On Saturday, May 10th, we’re renting a big space for the afternoon to have a secret party. Will you come dance with us? 

We’ll have food, drinks, music, and a camera person who will make you look glam. All you need to bring is your fabulous self. And your friends!

Where: Starr Street Studios, 207 Starr St, Brooklyn 11237
When: 2:00 pm sharp to 5:00 pm, Saturday, May 10th
RSVPwww.facebook.com/events/24955644189912

The studio is one block from the Jefferson stop on the L in Bushwick. There’s an elevator and we’ll have our own bathroom.

You can also listen to the song and get a sneak preview of the album (which comes out at the end of May) here!

More about the video: “Just a Little Heartbreak” is about trying to help a friend leave a painful relationship. At the end of a long day, our leading lady will finally arrive at a party where everyone is there to lend her a little joy, strength and Gay Ole Opry magic.

Hope you can come and be our movie stars!

xoxo,
karen

p.s. If you can’t come on Saturday, we’ll also be playing the night before, on Friday, May 9th, at Grand Victory with our friends Tatters & Rags, The Weal & the Woe and Maynard & the Musties:

https://www.facebook.com/events/1416238218626840)

It’s gonna be a big weekend!

mygaybanjoparty

Hello again everybody! Just wanted to remind you that our big show at Littlefield is this Sunday and we’d love it if you could come. The Sorrows will be celebrating My Gay Banjo’s awesome new album together with Small Talk and Pocatello, so expect lots of stomping, two stepping and sing-a-longs. I promise it’s gonna be a great night of queer country music!

WHEN: This Sunday, March 16th, doors at 6:30, show at 7:00
WHERE: Littlefield, 622 Degraw St bet. 3rd and 4th Ave, Brooklyn
TRAINS: R to Union
COVER: $8 (but no one turned away for lack of cash–just email me in advance if you need help). Buy advance tickets here.
RSVP: https://www.facebook.com/events/412074588939468/

And we’ve been hard at work on our new album and are almost done mixing. Hoping to share a sneak peak with you soon!

xoxo,
karen

Rockbar Poster

We’re really looking forward to playing next Thursday with our friend Wiley Gaby at the monthly country night he organizes at Rockbar. We’ve been in the studio on and off for two weeks now, so it will be nice break to get out and play live! Rockbar is at 185 Christopher St, cover is only $3 and the show starts at 7:00 pm. Hope to see you there!