OurStage

Jaimee Harris and "Better Off Dad" is a father/daughter dup who plays a blend of original music and really obscure cover songs. Jaimee Harris and Dad (Chris Harris) have been playing music and writing songs together for years. Cotton Harvest Festival committee is privileged to have them back again this year. They will be preforming under the big tent at the Cotton Festival, Saturday afternoon, September 22, 2007. Watch the Courier for times and more entertainment. For more information on entertainment contact Bill Vernon at 853-9476 or e-mail bvernon@hotmail.com

“Better Off Dad” is a father/daughter acoustic duo that plays a blend of original music and really obscure cover songs. Jaimee Harris and her Dad (Chris Harris) have been playing music and writing songs together for years, but only recently began playing out live. As the recordings they made in their home studio began to circulate among members of the music community, the duo began to attract more and more attention, including winning a radio contest sponsered by Sony Music.

DFW: AROUND TOWN Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson brought his high-... Singer-songwriter Matt Nathanson brought his high-energy show to a near-capacity crowd at the House of Blues in Dallas on Friday night in support of his most recent album "Some Mad Hope." Supported by Jessie Baylin and Texas native Jaimee Harris, Nathanson started out the show by entering a dark stage with Queen's Flash Gordon playing throughout the room -- a move that brough chuckles of nostalgia from the few audience members old enough to remember the song. Not being one to kill the mood, Nathanson kept Queen's tempo and started his show with several upbeat songs off of his new album. Nathanson said the album, "Some Mad Hope," is the culmination of three years of hard work and that the songs went through quite an evolutionary process before being released. "A song like 'Come On Get Higher,' which is the single, went through three different recorded versions of that song trying to get what actually ended up being the most basic version of the song," said Nathanson. Nathanson said they spent a lot of time trying to polish the songs, ultimately making them into something they weren't and that once they allowed the songs to stand on their own, whether in the studio or on the road, they then started coming into shape. So how does he craft those upbeat folk-rock anthems and love songs? During a short conversation before his set, Nathanson discussed his approach to songwriting and recalled a conversation he had earlier in the day while speaking at Dallas' Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts -- likening it to speaking at "Fame." "I was talking to all these musican kids, it was totally rad ... and what it comes down to is the vomit process and then the refinement process. For me, the process of, just, getting it out ... and then cherry pick from the little bits that work," Nathanson said. Throughout the show, Nathanson cherry picked through his new album to highlight songs such as "Car Crash" and "Come On Get Higher," while peppering his setlist with covers of classics like as Ah-Ha's "Take On Me" and Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" - the latter a bit of an homage to the singer/actor who was scheduled to play the House of Blues on Saturday night. In between songs, Nathanson's personality and wit kept the audience intently engaged as he quipped and joked about one thing or another and nothing in particular -- without a doubt the nearly 1,000 in attendance were highly entertained. In all, the show is an electric, high-energy show by a seasoned veteran of the road. Nathanson live is better than recorded -- which is still nothing short of pretty fantastic. Oh, and Matt, if you're reading this -- not that you have a shortage of fans -- but if that whole music thing doesn't work out for you -- the House of Blues hosts comedians as well.

August 5, 2005 debuts the acoustic folk/rock duo, Better Off Dad, at Poor David's Pub, opening for Jon Randall. Better Off Dad is Chris and Jaimee Harris - a father/daughter folk/rock duo out of Waco with astounding energy and amazing musical talent. They are making their mark as singer/songwriters in the region. Chris and Jaimee have been featured in articles in The Fort Worth Tribune and on WFAA Channel 8's morning show, Daybreak, in the "Why Guy" segment in conjunction with Panther City Coffee Company, where their performance was met with positive response from audience and news casters alike. As Texas singer/songwriters, Chris and Jaimee bring solid, creative originals to their musical table - which is even more remarkable since many of the original tunes are written by Jaimee. Her talent is much more developed than would be normally imagined by someone who's only fifteen years old. These varied and unique songs have received excellent marks and feedback from the folk music community on http://www.GarageBand.com. Their original songs are highly placed in GarageBand's ranking system. They continue to hold firm and even climb GarageBand's folk music charts. This will be Dallas' first opportunity to see this remarkable duo in the legendary Poor David's Pub venue, which has helped launch the careers of many top rated musicians and bands. They will be joining the ranks of the now famous, and infamous, bands that have passed through Poor David's doors. They are looking forward to a long and positive relationship with area musical venues such as Poor David's Pub. Poor David's Pub is located at 1313 South Lamar in Dallas. For more information on the venue call 214-565-1295. Better Off Dad is currently playing other shows around the region in support of their second CD, Great Expectations. They can be found at http://www.betteroffdad.com or through Chris Harris at 254-214-5483 in Waco. Better Off Dad Launches to New Career Heights at Poor Davids Pub

Matt Nathanson sure loves his audience and they love him just as much. Nathanson performed at the House of Blues on Friday to a jam-packed room. Nathanson even said that this was probably the largest audience he has played for. In almost every song, the singer/songwriter had something to say. The folk/rock artist is big on jokes, most of them, ones you would never let your 11 year-old daughter hear. However, if you weren’t 11, you would find his jokes hilarious, his voice earth shattering, and his energy infectious. Nathanson makes it a point to connect with the audience and stays on their level. Opening the show was Texas native Jaimee Harris, although she currently lists Fort Collins, CO as her home address the acoustic guitar player said she was thrilled to be back in Texas. The personable and charismatic Harris channeled Brandi Carlile’s powerful vocals and Miranda Lambert’s feminine yet poignant angst, but lacks the it factor to prove herself as a country/folk artist. Following Harris with her soulful and sultry vocals reminiscent of Duffy and Amy Winehouse, before all the drugs, was Jessie Baylin. For any Jimmy Kimmel Live fans out there, Baylin performed her song “Was I On Your Mind” last week. Baylin played this song towards the end of her set and with it was able to fully gain the audience’s attention. Clad head to toe in black with incredibly cool black leather boots, Baylin sung her heart out doing some air guitar as well. Nathanson came on with a bang, with all the lights out and Queen’s Flash Gordon blaring from every speaker, the guitar player let everyone know that he had arrived. Along with playing hit songs “Come On Get Higher,” “Car Crash,” and “All We Are” from his current album Some Mad Hope, he played audience favorites and requests such as “Maid” and “Angel.” Nathanson also covered songs from almost every genre imaginable including Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl,” A-Ha’s “Take On Me” and the Everly Brothers’ “All I Have To Do Is Dream.” Jessie Baylin at House of Blues Like every musician, Nathanson has his little quirks that are ever present throughout the entire concert. Nathanson continually moves his hips from side to side, but if you have seen his music video for “Come On Get Higher” on VH1, this comes as no surprise. Having incredibly powerful vocals, Nathanson played with his distance from the microphone moving in close and then backing up 10 feet, quite possibly making the sound person go a little crazy, but Stephen Stills did it for decades with CSN. Neither of these quirks were annoying though, nor did they detract from Nathanson’s performance, which is far, far more than I could say about John Mayer’s strange facial expressions. HOB could not put on a bad show if they tried, and Nathanson’s performance and ability to connect with the audience cannot be put into words. His music moved every person in the room and for a moment had everyone convinced they were 17 again with crazy, mad hope.

By Carl Hoover Tribune-Herald entertainment editor Thursday, August 13, 2009 A growing number of Waco music venues and bands hope to turn Friends into customers and fans. That’s Friends as in Facebook Friends, Twitter Followers and MySpace Friends. Online social media sites Facebook, Twitter and MySpace serve as the latest ways of communicating with fans, friends and customers, and local venues are using them to reach people with information on concerts, events, and food or drink specials. Some businesses see them as an expansion of company branding, projecting a persona that will stick in a customer’s mind. Xxx Friend/fan lists, concert notifications, contact information and more — musicians and venues find Facebook a handy option to reach audiences. Xxx With personal quips, breaking news and links to interesting stories and videos, Twitter users can project their personality to online readers. Xxx Bands and performers often rely on MySpace's video player and calendars to keep fans informed and to cultivate new ones. “It’s totally changed how we communicate,” said Kimberly Garth, store manager for the popular Common Grounds coffeehouse on the edge of Baylor University. Common Grounds keeps in touch with its customers through its Facebook page, Twitter account and Web site, a practice that many bands and venues adopt to reach larger, somewhat overlapping audiences. The coffeehouse even has a staff member, shift manager Travis English, designated as its Twitter representative, charged with keeping the messages flowing to Common Grounds’ Tweeps, or friends. The three free services offer slightly different features due to their structure. MySpace (www.myspace.com), the first social medium to catch fire nationally, offers audio and video players that users can fill with songs and video clips. It has links for blogs, fan messages, a calendar and photos. Facebook (www.facebook.com), which grew from a college-centered program to an open membership, has a Newsfeed of Friends’ current comments and shared links to Web sites, photos and videos; games and surveys; special pages for businesses, organizations and causes; a live chat function; and user-posted photo albums. Twitter (www.twitter.com), the newest and fastest-growing platform, allows rapid communication of messages no more than 140 characters long to a user’s Followers. Its continually updating message feed makes breaking news easy to spread, and searchable fields can give users a way to feel a national or international pulse on specific topics. Millions of Tweeps — Twitter users — kept abreast of Iran’s last presidential election through Twitter messages sent by Iranians. All three platforms are free, but users can control access to their personal pages and information by limiting it to approved users called Friends on Facebook and MySpace, Followers on Twitter. Almost as important: They’re accessible on cell phones with the right software, such as the iPhone. Garth said the social media’s different flavors lend themselves to different uses. “Twitter is so much more immediate and has more personality,” she said, explaining that Common Grounds communicates, or tweets, such items as food and drink specials for the day, local celebrity spotting (such as Baylor head football coach Art Briles) and observations of life in general. On Common Grounds’ Facebook page goes information on concerts, benefits, shows and Monday night movies, the latest addition for the venue’s outdoor stage area. Though Baylor’s wired student population is an obvious reason for Common Grounds’ online presence, the coffeehouse sees those platforms as a way to reach a broader audience. Other Waco-area venues see a similar opportunity in the social media. Hog Creek Icehouse Marketing Director Mary Frosch runs Facebook, Twitter and MySpace pages for the Icehouse plus its Web site. She tries to keep the same information, mostly about upcoming shows, posted across the differing platforms, updating them several times a day. She’s run the site’s MySpace page for about two years, adding Facebook and Twitter six months ago. Frosch senses that MySpace may be losing its steam, while Facebook and Twitter continue to grow their popularity. Do the Icehouse’s Facebook Friends turn out for different shows than its MySpace ones? She can’t tell, but has noted that the Icehouse’s general fanbase is getting more diverse. Other Waco music venues with a presence on Facebook and Twitter include rock and punk stage and store Art Ambush, neighborhood bar Hemingway’s and downtown locations Austin’s on the Avenue and Square Bar. While local music venues are expanding their use of social media, Waco bands and musicians are well-acquainted with them. Waco’s David Crowder Band, whose leader and players belong to University Baptist Church, play the electronic networking game on a high level. The band often streams its recording sessions live on its Web site, counts 76,728 fans on its Facebook page and keeps another 26,986 Twitter friends up-to-date on the band’s day-to-day activities and observations. The David Crowder Band also posts its videos to YouTube, with a humorous video series (including one episode titled “Twitter Can Kill You”) running in advance of the Christian band’s upcoming CD, Church Music. Some two dozen local bands can be found on MySpace, with some migrating to Facebook and Twitter. For Hewitt musician Jaimee Harris, the more, the merrier. Harris got her start several years ago performing with her father as Better Off Dad and says social media expand the tool kit needed to build a following. She maintains quite a kit: Two MySpace pages (one from her Better Off Dad days), a Facebook page, a Twitter account and a presence on OurStage, a Web site that sponsors online band contests. “I tend to direct new listeners (and venue owners) to the MySpace (page) because they can get a feel for the number and calibre of the venues I play, as well as the artists I’ve worked and performed with,” she explained in a recent e-mail. “I consistently use Facebook for events because it is extremely user friendly . . . Twitter is faster paced and totally different than either Facebook or MySpace. I definitely use Twitter to send out immediate reminders for shows.” Like Common Grounds’ Garth, Harris found Twitter’s immediacy helpful in sharing personality. “Twitter is also really helpful while touring. Just posting a picture of something hilarious that happened on the road helps the fans feel more involved with what I’m doing,” she wrote. “With electronic media, I can actually start conversations with fans before they ever are able to make it to a live performance.” Incidentally, the two-way nature of social media works in more than one way. How did she find out about the story? A reporter tweeted her. choover@wacotrib.com 757-5749

Waco newspaper "The City Review" was kind enough to not only review my EP, but compliment it. Thanks guys. Local CD Releases Jaimee Harris: Transitions As part of the duo Better Off Dad, Hewitt’s Jaimee Harris wowed audiences in Waco’s various coffeehouses. The duo split up a few years ago, and Jaimee has since build upa n impressive solo career, touring the country. “Transitions” is Harris’ newest EP CD release. The album features Jaimee’s soulful voice and powerful lyrics. With a sound that harkens back to artists such as Patty Griffin, Roseanne Cash, and (yes) Alanis Morrissette, this might be the album that finally launches Jaimee Harris to the top of the “Americana” charts. “Transitions” features music and lyrics delivered by a voice that will appeal to music fans of all ages. Having seen Jaimee perform while she was still in high school, I’m really happy to see that she has progressed as an artist, while keeping the sensitivity that makes her so appealing as an artist and a performer. “Penny Lane” is the strongest track on the album. No, it’s not a cover of The Beatles’ hit. The song is an ode to Kate Hudson’s character from the Russell Crowe film, “Almost Famous.” With subjects ranging from drug addiction to sex, the song would’ve fit perfectly in the film. Another great track on the record is “Cool.” With a groove that is reminiscent of Shawn Colvin, the song describes a young woman’s battle with life and love, while painting a picture of life that only women twice Harris’ age could pull off. The album closes with “Good To Be Bad,” a live track recorded with Austin musician David Ramirez. Harris is featured only as a background vocalist and guitarist. The song is the perfect outlet for Jaimee’s perfect harmonic range. The album is available at: http://www.noisetrade.com/jaimeeharris City Review – October 2009 – Page 16