Huge thanks to the Diwa Filipino Film Festival for selecting “How Much Filipino” for their show on May 31 – June 1 in Seattle. Check out their website for more info.
About the festival: Diwa Filipino Film Festival of Seattle is a community-centered film festival made in cooperation with the annual Pagdiriwang Philippine Festival, celebrating the Filipino spirit wherever it resides, by exhibiting films from the Philippine islands and beyond.
Thanks a ton to Jules Leyhe for hosting and playing awesome guitar (as always) at our super-cozy duo show at his new studio in Oakland, California. We played new songs, old songs, love songs, doom and gloom songs, and more. As one attendee commented afterwards, “it was wonderful… the most fun I’ve had in years!”
Huge thanks also to Danielle Goldsmith for capturing the show with her mobile recording gear.
Set List: Front Row Seat*, Rock-n-Roll Oasis, Doomscrolling in Paradise, You Think U Got Something to Say*, Magnolia (J. J. Cale), Gimme a Silver Dollar*, You Never Know, Eating in My Car Again, Sunflower Sunday*, Bird on a Wire*, I Heard the News, Come On Over, Celluloid Dream, Angel from Montgomery (John Prine), Life Goes On*
*Played live for the first time.
After an exclusive run on Bandcamp, “Rock-n-Roll Oasis: Live at Tiny Telephone” is alive and kicking on all online platforms. Spotify. Apple Music / iTunes. Tidal. The World. Check it out.
On the heels of our successful Live Album (one reviewer calls it “a stripped-back masterclass in storytelling”), I’m pleased to announce that I’m performing another show with virtuoso guitarist Jules Leyhe.
Venue: intimate venue in Oakland (near the Grand Lake Theatre)
When: May 16 (8pm)
Tickets: $40
Did I excel as a grade-school trombonist? Have I ever smashed a guitar? Was StationWagon the greatest garage band ever? What was the best part of making my recently released live album?
Read all about it in this new interview by Pitch Perfect.
Here’s a short story inspired by a recent visit to the bar at the Algonquin hotel in New York City.
You can check it out now in the inaugural issue of Scribeworth (a literature & arts magazine).
“Tumbling Down a Staircase: A Scene from My Writing Life.”
Thanks to the University of Malta for publishing my short work of Creative Nonfiction in the current issue of Antae: A Journal of Creative Writing.
Check out the full journal here.
Another review is in for Rock-n-Roll Oasis: Live at Tiny Telephone. I think the writer (Matt Jensen) does a great job of capturing the essence of the night and our performance, with quotes like this:
“The album carries the spirit of MTV’s Unplugged sessions, recreating that same sense of closeness, as if the listener is tucked into the corner of a dimly lit studio, watching the trio lock into their set. Across 18 tracks, the record plays best when experienced as a whole—one of those albums you can let spin from start to finish…”
And this:
“The applause, the stripped-down instrumentation, and the room’s natural acoustics give Rock-n-Roll Oasis: Live at Tiny Telephone a warmth that feels immediate and present. Roensch leans into the rawness of a live setting, allowing for small imperfections that make the album feel human and unaffected by studio gloss. It’s a direct, unfiltered snapshot of a songwriter in his element, fully engaged with the moment.”
Thanks to Matt Jensen and Pitch Perfect for their attention to the music and their insightful words.
You can read the full review here.
Athens in April anyone? Thanks to the International Video Poetry Festival for making “How Much Filipino” an Official Selection.
Other recent selections include the Home Is Distant Shores Film Festival in Cary, North Carolina, the Monologues & Poetry International Film Festival in Vallejo, California, and the Dreamanila International Film Festival.
All in all, the film has been selected for eight festivals so far. Let’s see what’s next.
Thanks to We Write About Music for the awesome review of “Rock-n-Roll Oasis: Live at Tiny Telephone.” It’s humbling to read such complimentary and spot-on words.
Like this…
“Roensch, accompanied by the virtuosic guitarist Jules Leyhe and the ethereal harmonies of Elisa Wendell, creates a sonic atmosphere that feels warm and deeply personal, like a late-night jam session among close friends. The stripped-back arrangements allow every note and lyric to breathe, making it easy to get lost in Roensch’s poetic storytelling.”
And this…
“…what makes Rock-n-Roll Oasis truly special isn’t just the musicianship; it’s the sheer heart poured into every moment. The recording captures the energy of the night and that magic translates into every track. Roensch’s lyricism, shaped by his background in flash fiction and poetry, is vivid and evocative, turning each song into a story that lingers long after the music fades. You hinge on every single word, all the while being more than impressed by the pure artistry that’s flowing out.”
You can check out the full review here.
Album available now on Bandcamp, with all of my proceeds of sales in February going to MusiCares to help support their relief efforts for LA music professionals affected by the wildfires.
Photo: Dwayne Jarrell
