Xander Smith

Thanks to everyone for making 2012 beyond amazing!  TOGETHER we raised almost $10,000 for "HEY SAN PEDRO," sold out of its first pressing, and then got me and Run Run Run to UK, RUSSIA, GERMANY, CANADA, SWEDEN, NORWAY, LATVIA, UKRAINE and back to the USA for some of the most special shows I've every played.   Read back in the old BLAHGS to here stories about shows from Siberia to the Greek Theatre. Most of all, I just want to give thanks to so many kind souls who believed in me and this music.  I'm home resting..finally...licking my wounds, and gearing up for all the greatness that I know is in store for 2013.  Specific 2012 shout out to all new fans, NEW ORDER, HERB ALPERT, #SMF PAULEY PERRETTE - TOMMY JOE RATLIFF -CALPERNIA- VERONICA BELLINO, THE GLAMBERTS, SCARLETT and LEE CHERRY, MUMIY TROLL, KRISTI CURRY, JESSICA MADDIN,GIBSON, DUNLOP, D'ADDARIO STRINGS,TOM HOPPA, DAYLE GLORIA, all the KICKSTARTERS, Hello Kitty, my Euro RRRoadrunner captians Mandy, Hilde, Kerstin, all hometown XS and RRR fans, Mother Russia, friends of Bill W, LORI, MARGUERITE, BELINDA, JEANINE, MONTE, SUSAN, ARTIST SUPPORTER, VIC/NANEA, the guys in RUN RUN RUN and of course, my MOM!  YOU ALL ROCK!!!

Last Sunday Oct 7, Run Run Run performed at the Greek Theatre supporting iconic Manchester band, New Order. There was a moment in the middle of our set when I really felt like there was no way to could describe it. Like we had all misused words such as “amazing” or “incredible” up til now. Standing at centerstage, with Run Run Run firing on all cylinders, the crowd cheering along, the fresh griffith park air mixing with the scent of fog machines from the uber cool lighting they gave us, the power of the sound system, the majesty of the Greek with its towering trees uplit for all of us to gaze upon, and the fact that we were playing our songs whilst opening for a band that has changed so many lives, including mine -- it was fucking BEYOND AMAZING! The shows went so well, and the members of the New Order family treated us great. We had a nice hang with them over the weekend. Special thanks to all that came to the shows to root us on, and helped us to make this all happen behind the scenes.

Looking forward to shows on the East coast playing with MUMIY TROLL from OCT 25- NOV 2, Tranz K headlining the West Hollywood Carnaval on OCT 31, my solo kickstarter appearance in Houston on OCT 12, and then finally getting home in November to relax and work on new songs for the upcoming RUN RUN RUN record. What a great 2012 it has been!!!

THANK YOU LATVIA, RUSSIA, NORWAY, GERMANY, UK, SWEDEN, UKRAINE!!!!



It's been nearly two weeks since I've been back from my European tour, and i can still hardly express in words how wonderful and amazing this trip was for me. I could keep you here for pages trying to describe it.   But, more than any of the historic images or funny moments or on stage shenanigans, the simple fact that so many kind souls (who do not work in the music biz and were not required in any way to donate themselves to this mission) took their time, energy, resources, money, and faith and rallied to make Xander Smith and Run Run Run shows so magical, fun, successful and life changing. OMG! Thank you so much.    HIghlights for me: getting to reunite with my Manchester mates and hear them perform RRR songs, listening to grown adults in several countries try to pronounce "Haalllo Keeetteee", brown cheese that tasted like candy in Norway, Old town Riga and Stockholm, having tea with an very old Russian man in Ekaterinburg who made me tea, and then tried to talk to me but could only say one word, "Merci", rocking over 11,000 Rigans, killer RRR show in Moscow and being on MTV Russia, eating real borscht in Kiev, singing the Beatles' "Yesterday" with a group of Swedes in an airport terminal where we got stuck for 6 hours, my beyond amazing hosts in each country, seeing the remnants of the East Berlin wall and train ride to Hamburg and the German countryside, ALL the crowds, improvising Russian indie-art-rock with Sasha from Sansara, visiting the Orthodox church in Moscow, Alton Towers fish and chips in UK, and so much more.   Seriously, this tour, album, and campaign for HEY SAN PEDRO has been completely off the grid when it comes to the usual procedure and expectations of a modern tour. But, like the original troubadours, traveling with a small bag, acoustic guitar, CDs and hello kitties stickers all through Europe is about the most alive i've felt in years, and it was a team effort.  Love and hugs from LA, i can't wait to return to you awesome folks!

Summer 2012! Shows Shows Shows and more! Check your calendars and make travel plans to join me in Europe. Run Run Run plays Riga Arena on Aug 19, then headlines 16 Tonns club in Moscow on Aug 21. Xander solo shows continue in Oslo, Norway-Aug 23; Hamburg, Germany-Aug 25; Manchester, UK-Aug 26; Gothenburg, Sweden-Aug 28; Ekaterinaburg, Russia-Aug 31 and more TBA. Run Run Run will be doing shows USA in September. More specific details are listed in the shows section. Xander solo shows in the USA are as follows so far. June 12 - I will do a short set in Echo Park at Lot 1 cafe for Buzzbands.LA. June 13- Hey San Pedro will be featured on the the LOLO comedy show podcast. http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-lolo-show/id497741848 June 30, SAN DIEGO house party is set. Check out the invite and join us. In SD, we will get our first look at/listen to Run Run Run drummer-now singer/songwriter/producer Tru Cisco. And before we leave for Russia, there will be a Xander Smith & friends show on August 7 at Ghengis Cohen. Once again, thanks to Gibson guitars for having me play at the Rockn Rolla - MTV Movie awards on June 2. I was also joined by the amazing Ted Gowans on guitar (Tegan and Sara) as well as the uber talented violinist Jessy Green (Foo Fighters/Pink) who is featured on the new album, HeySanPedro. Thanks guys. Lastly, its true that my good friends, Pauley Perrett (NCIS), Tommy Joe Ratliff (Adam Lambert) and Veronica Bellino (Joss Stone) and myself are putting together a fun studio project. Stay tuned for more music and shenanigans with that!

 

Thanks so much for the amazing feedback and support for HEY SAN PEDRO. It sounds like many of you are actually listening to the album in it's entirety. How very old school of ya! I'm flattered. This is how I also still enjoy records, so I'm glad it holds up all the way thru. Looking forward to April 24 when it comes out on I-TUNES, so our friends around the world can get a listen. I'll be performing in NYC on April 3 and at Gibson Seattle showroom on April 26, so come say hello! Also, just confirmed that RUN RUN RUN will be performing in Riga, Latvia so all our Russian and European fans should maybe start looking at flights :) I am hoping to plan some solo acoustic shows in the UK and Moscow as well, and maybe another European stop or two if y'all have any ideas??? See you this Summer!

 

After 2 amazing weeks in NYC I'm back home in LA. Thanks to everyone who supported my first ever solo acoustic NYC show at the Living Room. Total Success! Ice Skating at Rockefeller Plaza after was fab, too! and special thanks to Herb Alpert and Lani Hall who took me along to help assist them at 10 sold out shows at the legendary Hotel Carlyle (favorite spot of JFK and Mick Jagger). I met all sorts of folks like Woody Allen, Clive Davis, Paul Shaffer and Will Lee from David Letterman's band, Tony Danza, Regis Philban, Dave from indie rocker band Ween, and even John Tesh. Finally got to go to the Statue of Liberty, new World Trade Center and memorial, visit Alexander Hamilton's grave at Trinity Church, walk through Central Park, visit the MET, and John Lennon's Strawberry Fields, and have the best cappuccino anywhere bar none at Via Quadronno on E 73rd street. Thanks BIG APPLE!