 | 12.5.02 trane91: Coltrane Remixed
New in the IUMA audio section is trane91, Dave's first attempt at a remix (John Coltrane's Alabama). Like a lot of computer music, it was probably more fun to create than to listen to (the four computer music classes Dave took during college were among his favorites). A Yamaha CS1x synth and Martin acoustic guitar fill up the area around the sample. Make sure to check out the "hidden ending"...all those sounds are samples of objects within reach of Dave's desk.
For more frequent updates, check out the new and improved dave2n.com. It's the new home of the Okay Samurai weblog (formerly at talk.okaysamurai.com) and other projects. |
| 8.25.02 I've Got West Nile, Yay
The brand-new studio version of Mosquito is now online in our audio section. Recorded and mixed by Eric Espiritu, it's a major improvement on our two older versions of the song. A few pictures from the recording session are on the way.
Don is working for the government, Jeff is with AOL, Andrew is at JMU and Dave is with Teach For America. Check out talk.okaysamurai.com for more regular updates. |
 | 6.11.02 You're A Wizard, Harry
The preliminary recordings for a full-fledged studio version of Mosquito will take place at the end of this week thanks to Eric Espiritu. With luck, it'll be out by the end of this summer.
We've added a brand new section to the website: talk.okaysamurai.com (also accessible through the "mailbox" option in our main menu). Basically it's an online web journal for Okay Samurai. It's run on Blogger and will hopefully continue to be updated every-so-often by OKS. I'm hoping to get Eugene writing for it too. Although this idea might just completely die within the week, with luck it'll be posted to more often than these usual news blurbs.
More info about the Espiritu Sessions as it develops. |
 | 5.23.02 Samurai Die With Honor
Okay Samurai will still be around, just not as what you're used to. We'll be scattered in D.C, Baltimore and Harrisonburg next year, and chances are that at least some of us will still be doing music-related things. So okaysamurai.com will not only continue to serve as an archive for the band, but also feature whatever new musical endeavors await the samurai. If someone records a new song, we'll put it online. If someone takes some insane photos, we'll put them online. If someone is performing somewhere, we'll let you know when and where.
We're hoping to put together one last studio recording with the help of longtime friend and musical god Eric Espiritu. More info as it develops. |
 | 4.15.02 FInal Rockouts
Okay Samurai will be playing as part of the "Pre-Graduation Rockout" at Mainstreet Bar And Grill at JMU this Saturday, April 20. Buy $5 tickets from any of the band members or at the door and check out the calendar for more info (we'll be playing with Luck Be A Lady again). Party at Don and Jeff's place after the show too.
This past Saturday's Mainstreet show opening for Crazy Diamond was freak-knockin' awesome. Special thanks to the old guy who danced with us onstage and bought us beer. Pictures on the way, including the giant outside inflatable pig! Thanks again to Crazy Diamond for letting us open for them (their version of Comfortably Numb was incredible)! |
| 3.28.02 Like You're Taking Crazy Pills
Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, April 20...Okay Samurai will be playing on both nights at Mainstreet Bar And Grill at JMU. The samurai are opening for the Pink Floyd cover band Crazy Diamonds on the 13th and will be joined by several other bands for a JMU end-of-school bash on the 20th. Check out the details for both shows on Mainstreet's calendar. Both shows promise to be of the usual pants-rocked-off nature, and the bands we'll be playing with are incredible! Ask any of the band members for tickets or buy them at the door.
Back at UVA, Dave and Russ won first place and the "Audience Favorite" award at Wednesday's Talent Show. The debuts of Man of Constant Sorrow and Pour Some Sugar On Me were well received. Dave and Russ will be playing on Thursday, April 18 in the Sunset Concert Series and an upcoming Tuesday in April at Wild Wing Cafe...details soon.
You may have been getting some error screens about okaysamurai.com using too much bandwidth lately...what can we say, we're getting to big for our britches (aka our photos are freakin' huge). Sorry 'bout that.
Have you checked out the OKS Online Store yet? |
 | 3.1.02 Samurai Have Real Ultimate Power
Last Wednesday's Mainstreet concert was quite possibly the best Okay Samurai concert to date. Thanks so much to everybody who came out from JMU (during midterms) and UVA (a 45 minute drive!...if you drive like Don). Dave turned 22 on stage at midnight and was surprised by the audience holding up happy birthday signs and singing! OKS played about a 50-50 mix of covers and originals, including new favorites El Oso, Fake Tobey Maguire, Good Friend Ronjomp and Disregard the Trip on That. The Mainstreet atmosphere was amazing; we were constantly jumping and singing through mutlicolored spiraling lights and clouds of fog, not to mention being entertained ourselves by a few dancers who moved themselves to more elevated areas. In an unprecedented spontaneous act of God, both Jeff and Don's guitar straps came unscrewed during the hour-and-a-half concert, but the samurai played through. Luck Be A Lady opened up the show and did a fantstic job. Making the night even cooler was an appearance by first generation samurai Eugene Jung, who wrote most of the originals we played, including South of the Border and Mosquito. Pictures from the concert will be developed over Spring Break, so expect those online within the next two weeks. Courtesy of Jasmine Yoon we also have a video of the performance, so come on over and check it out sometime. We will be playing at Mainstreet again before the semester ends...heck, they asked us to play there next year too! Disregard The Trip On That is in the process of becoming the next free online mp3. We've also got a new item on sale at the Okay Samurai Online Store...a purple plush bunny. Oh what will those marketing genuises at Cafepress think of next... |
 | 2.23.02 Don't Miss This Show
On Wednesday, February 27, Okay Samurai will be headlining a show at Mainstreet Bar and Grill with special guest Luck Be A Lady opening. Doors open at 7:00 PM and tickets are $5, available through any of the band members or online. OKS practiced to the point of insanity this weekend and the setlist is shaping up to be one of their best ever (okay, close call with the Terra Centre Elementary School Assembly of '98).
This year's UVA Dance Marathon raised over $111,000, and OKS played a rockin' set despite everything that could have possibly gone wrong, in fact, going horribly wrong (Don's amp falling over, guitars being unplugged mid-song, Andrew's bass drum pedal breaking, Dave losing his voice, and even having to restart a song!). But, as third-year fan Sarah Jobe said, "I could watch you guys play all day." Photos on the way.
Hope to see you at the Mainstreet show! |
 | 2.4.02 Bottlerocket Superstar!
Check out Bottlerocket Superstar, the latest free mp3 from Okay Samurai. It will soon be followed by Fake Tobey Maguire, Disregard The Trip On That and Good Friend Ronjomp, which should all be online by the end of this month as part of the new online album Find Them And Destroy Them. OKS spent most of last Friday and Saturday practicing and mixing the new songs at JMU. Bottlerocket Superstar has been around for a couple of years and performed at several concerts (usually as an opener), so you might recognize it. And just for fun, the classic Tribute To Mr. Punhong from the 1997 album Find Your Own Way Home has been put in our audio section as well.
Fake Tobey Maguire might get finished this week...expect another update very soon with more concert details about the Dance Marathon and TWO Mainstreet shows... |
 | 1.11.02 Find Them And Destroy Them
Two new tee shirts have been added to the bestselling boxer shorts in our Okay Samurai Online Store. Each display the OKS logo on front, with one back showing the Melrose crowd surfer and the other with a setlist of OKS original songs. At $14 and $15 with only 3-5 days to get to your crib, they're perfect birthday presents.
Over winter break Okay Samurai recorded four new songs for their upcoming online album Find Them And Destroy Them. In what might be the final album from Okay Samurai (#4 after Grasscatcher, Find Your Own Way Home and Codes To The Zion Mainframe), new songs Bottlerocket Superstar, Disregard The Trip On That, Fake Tobey Maguire and Good Friend Ronjomp will be available in our audio section within the next few months.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 16 (UVA Dance Marathon 2002) and Wednesday, February 27 (JMU Main Street w/ Luck be a Lady opening). More info on these shows within the next couple of weeks, as well as some new photos of the recording sessions.
One final note: OKS will appear in the UVA yearbook this year. A photographer who came to the Mellow Mushroom show recently asked Dave if he could identify who the "guy wearing the 83 shirt" was... |
Okay Samurai News Archives (2001) |
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