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October 27, 2011
Go to http://www.facebook.com/SurfersBayMusic for more info on the festival, tickets and places to stay in Barbados
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August 10, 2011
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June 17, 2011~
Welcome to Today Press Release:
In 2010, Key West, FL based singer-songwriter, Tony Roberts, set sail on a soul-searching journey to Barbados, West Indies, and out of this voyage, "Welcome to Today" was born. This collection of original songs intrinsically represents the love and chaos that exist within the beauty of the islands and how surfing, friendship and music can clear a path to hope.
In 2010, Key West, FL based singer-songwriter, Tony Roberts, set sail on a soul-searching journey to Barbados, West Indies, and out of this voyage, "Welcome to Today" was born. This collection of original songs intrinsically represents the love and chaos that exist within the beauty of the islands and how surfing, friendship and music can clear a path to hope.
Upon his return home, while recording the full-length album in his Key West studio, Roberts discovered that the film footage he recorded in Barbados was the perfect backdrop to illustrate the soulful soundtrack that is "Welcome to Today." Weaving together the music and film created a complex emotional tapestry that could not have been achieved separately.
The premiere of the hour-long film is set for July 29 and 30 at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center at 8pm both nights. Tickets are $22.50 and include a copy of the "Welcome to Today" DVD/CD. An after-party will be held on July 30 at 10pm at Island Dogs at 505 Front Street with a live performance by Roberts and his longtime collaborator, Samantha Waite.
Forty percent of all profits from sales of "Welcome to Today" will go to The American Cancer Society, The Lupus Foundation of America, The Bahama Village Music Program and The Welcome to Today Fund (a fund set up by Roberts to support various charities and surf organizations in Barbados). The DVD/CD combo will be available for purchase at Roberts' live shows, online at www.welcometotodayfilm.org or www.tonyrobertsmusic.com and at retail stores throughout the Florida Keys and at surf shops in the United States and Barbados. Ultimately, with distribution in the US and hopefully worldwide, Roberts hopes to keep this as a continued source of funding for these charities and similar artistic projects in the future.
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February 1, 2011-
This video was shot and edited by Nick Welch in November of 2010. The song is called "I'll sleep when I'm dead" from Tony's "The Long Lost Ocean Blues" album and features the amazing slide guitar work of Martin Harley...
Tony and Martin Harley (from the UK) both played the Surfer's Bay Music Festival in Barbados in Nov 2011 and met while surfing at Surfer's Point. The two ended up putting on an impromptu concert for everyone staying at there.
Nick Welch (a producer for the BBC in the UK) and Tony are both currently working on videos inspired by their time in Barbados and at Surfer's Point... this is part of Nick's footage.
For more information please check out:
www.nickwelch.com
www.martinharleyband.com
www.barbadossurfholidays.com
This video was shot and edited by Nick Welch in November of 2010. The song is called "I'll sleep when I'm dead" from Tony's "The Long Lost Ocean Blues" album and features the amazing slide guitar work of Martin Harley...
Tony and Martin Harley (from the UK) both played the Surfer's Bay Music Festival in Barbados in Nov 2011 and met while surfing at Surfer's Point. The two ended up putting on an impromptu concert for everyone staying at there.
Nick Welch (a producer for the BBC in the UK) and Tony are both currently working on videos inspired by their time in Barbados and at Surfer's Point... this is part of Nick's footage.
For more information please check out:
www.nickwelch.com
www.martinharleyband.com
www.barbadossurfholidays.com
Tony and Martin will be doing a week of shows together in Key West, FL March 7 to 12 at Island Dogs and Rum Barrel! Please check the gig schedule for more info.
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Welcome to 2011!
A Damn Cold December: (right click the links and save to download or option click if you have a mac)
1) Hearts of Stone
2) A Soldier's Hymn to his Wife and/or Saint Peter
3) A Damn Cold December
4) Fly Away
5) On My Way to Free
6) Love Songs in a Revolution
December of 2010 was one of those months I'd rather forget for the most part... rock bottom is strange place to be... and you're never really sure if you actually at rock bottom... just when you think you are... you realize how easy it is to fall a little deeper...
I always thought I could save myself with music and songwriting... no matter how bad things got... I always had that... but somehow this time it was different... I was numb and paralyzed and the songs wouldn't come...
Then in a moment of complete lostness... I reached out to a couple close friends... and it was as if a hundred friends reached back... and I realized that I was not alone... the songs started pouring out... and it made me think I should probably just get some of these songs out to people... so that's the plan. Most of these songs were written and recorded late 2010 and early 2011.
I always seem to write dark songs on my way back to the light... they practically write themselves... each of these songs were written in one sitting... God and ghosts whispering in my ear... I'm just a conduit... so I am giving these songs away... free to whoever wants them... feel free to pass them on and give them a life of their own... they came from a dark place but belong in the light.
In return I am asking for donations from anyone who can afford it so that I can utilize that money to help finish and manufacture, Welcome to Today, a dvd and full length album. The dvd footage is Key West, Barbados, great surfers, bad surfers (myself included) and a little bit of friendship, love and humor... the album is the soundtrack which was mostly written in Barbados and recorded in Key West... and some bonus songs. If all goes as planned the dvd and album will be released by June 2011.
When Welcome to Today is released I will be donating over 40% of the profits to charity as way to pay it forward to the surfers, the musicians and all my friends who donated time and effort towards the making of the dvd... from the US to Barbados to the UK.
Lastly, and on a more personal note, I wanted to sincerely thank the people who have supported me throughout my music career. I was recently fired from a job I worked at for the past five years (and I've never been fired from a job before) and it was one of the most embarassing and sad experiences... to think just how replaceable I was to a company I gave five years of my life to... I never want to be that easily replaced again... so I have decided to just persue music... play live and write songs... it is a hard road... but I truly believe it is what I was put on this earth to do... and if you continue to support me and my music... I promise to write from my guts and fight through the depressions and keep the music and the songs new and interesting and do everything in my power to give you guys the hope and faith that you have always given me.
Thanks for listening... and please pass this on to your friends.
Much love,
Tony
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October 1, 2010-
Listen to a live recording of the entire Tony Roberts Band summer 2010 show at The Narrows Center in Fall River, MA on WMVY radio!
click here to listen
Listen to a live recording of the entire Tony Roberts Band summer 2010 show at The Narrows Center in Fall River, MA on WMVY radio!
click here to listen
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July 13, 2010-
The folks who put on the Key West Songwriter Festival have started The Martha's Vineyard Songwriter Festival in Martha's Vineyard, MA (this year will be the second year of the festival) and they have asked Tony to come up and join some amazing writers in the Northeast. The lineup is diverse and very cool! This is gonna be an amazing weekend so get your tickets now at www.ticketsmv.com
They should be updating their website soon with the venues and set times. Go to www.mvswf.com and we will have all that info up here as well as soon as it is posted. Hope to see you out there!
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April 14, 2010-
Tony performing his song, I give you the sky
Tony performing his song, I give you the sky
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March 27, 2010-
For the second year in a row Tony has been asked to play for the Key West Songwriter's Festival! This annual festival features top songwriters from Nashville and from around the United States. The festival runs April 28 to May 2, 2010 in Key West, FL.
For more info and for a schedule of all the songwriters performing go to: http://www.kwswf.com
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March 16, 2010-
a video of The Tony Roberts Band performing Beautiful World at The Rum Barrel in Key West- March 8, 2010
a video of The Tony Roberts Band performing Beautiful World at The Rum Barrel in Key West- March 8, 2010
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Feb. 16, 2010-
Free Download!!!
Tony's new song, Ding Dong (What's Goin On)- (right click and save) this song is a bit of a deviation from the norm for Tony but still kinda cool... written and recorded Feb. 12, 2010... enjoy:)
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Jan. 17, 2010- Check out some of the videos from "The Long Lost Ocean Blues" cd release party
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The Long Lost Ocean Blues is now available! Tony's new album is a collection of new tunes and songs that have been tucked away for years because they didn't fit on other albums. Produced by Tony and recorded in Key West, FL and Stoughton, MA, with John Dorizzi playing drums and percussion, Rolando Rojas on lead guitar and Jesse Hanks on bass along with a little help from Dave An on bass and Sam Waite on back vocals.
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Recently the folks from Yankees sent me a dvd with all the segments and were nice enough to let me post them up... I wanted to share these stories with my friends and fans... please take some time and check them out when you have a chance:)
Click on the Hope Week picture to go to the videos.