vagabondopera

Farewell Jason Flores

vagabonds6 — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 21:00:09 +0000

Dear fans, this is Eric Stern, founder and leader of the band. I wanted to let you know some very important news regarding Vagabond Opera: Jason, our beloved bass player, will be leaving the band in one month. His last official gig with us will be New Years Eve and we will all miss him terribly. AND we are very excited for him! He is continuing to pursue his love of philosophy in the context of a university and moving on to doing other things in his life. We, the band, and I’m sure all of you, will miss him, and we also support him one hundred percent in this endeavor.
You know, when you see us you might not notice what’s called the backline as much. That’s the bass player and drummer, but both Mark and Jason contribute more than you’ll ever know! Jason has been a formidable composer in this band and just as importantly an internal provocateur. He has always challenged us musically (there are a couple of his compositions that I am ashamed to admit never saw the light of day because we couldn’t give them the performance they deserved) and has spurred us on to make uncomfortable decisions that turned out to be the right ones.
On a personal note I will be losing the companionship of a very good friend. Jason has been with the band from nearly the beginning, in the trenches when we played in dive bars and coffee shops, and I’ve watched him change and grow over the years, ever-blossoming and ever-sharpening his already razor-sharp mind. It hasn’t always been easy—Jason is the Spock to my Captain Kirk and what he says so many times turns out to be what is logical, true, and right, whether you want to hear it or not. Jason is not a yes man and so many times, as he’s disagreed with me, when I wanted to throw in the towel of our friendship (this kind of struggle is actually a sign of a good friendship I believe) I said, “No. Keep Jason close, perhaps closest, because the best friend you can have is the one who gives you the blunt honest truth about your life, your band, and everything else.”
I’ll give you an example: A few years ago we played the Kennedy Center: The freakin’ Kennedy Center, and when we got there to do our sound check the stage wasn’t set up. This is a common occurrence for any ensemble and you always laud the venues, whether it be a performing arts center, or a hole-in-the-wall, where you can walk in and see that the sound person has set up the mics and run the lines (wires from the mic) to the sound board.
But this was the Kennedy Center and I couldn’t believe it and started to bitch about it, not to the staff there, but just internally to the band. And instead of colluding with me, which is what I wanted, Jason simple said, “You know I notice that you often focus on the negative side of things. What you need to do is stop that, and start focusing on the positive. Right now you’ve done it so often the other way that it’s a habit and the best way to change is to make start noticing positive things, make that into a habit, and soon it will be second nature.” Like a Zen Koan, or maybe a Zen coconut crashing on my head, that little bit of wisdom, in the context of what was occurring, changed my life for the better. Oh sure, I could have read that in a self-help book, but a Jason actually had the courage to say something as it was happening which made it more effective than if I had read it. It was difficult to hear and the right thing to say. There’s many more stories like that.
And of course Jason has held me up when I’m down (and sometimes drunk at the same time), and we’ve shared the ups and downs of our personal life, lived together in a van and know enough about one another to blackmail each other for years to come.
The band, and I know you fans, will truly miss our dharma buddy Jason and although he will sit-in with us once in awhile, he won’t be part of the core ensemble. But it’s a happy occasion, for Jason is lighting out on new paths! My friend, we are all so excited for your new journey and I am so lucky to have played next to you (well in front of you!) all of these years.
Jason Flores, El Krivo: Live long and prosper!

Vagabond Opera – at Carnivale Delirium in Chicago, 2011

vagabonds6 — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 23:21:21 +0000

“Sing For Your Lives” – 2011

vagabonds6 — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 20:56:36 +0000

Red Balloon
Tough Mazel
Beard and Moustache
Coimbra
Penny
King of the Gypsies
Spirit Dances Evermore
Lullaby
Hanumonsoon
The Last Dance
Sing For Your Lives

NBC – Vagabond Opera Brings Vaudeville To The District

vagabonds6 — Wed, 11 May 2011 21:37:44 +0000

NBC Washington – Vagabond Opera Brings Vaudeville To The District

“The folks behind the unique vaudeville group Vagabond Opera didn’t set out with the intention of forming an eclectic musical phenomenon — it was almost as if they were compelled to do it.
“Like-minded weirdoes can smell their own,” quipped bassist Jason Flores.”

(Read More Here)

NEW Lady’s Vagabond Opera Shirt

vagabonds6 — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:55:51 +0000

Now proud to offer our BRAND new t-shirt, fan made by Kimi from Los Angeles!

Click on our lovely model to see a larger version of the new shirt image. Please note, that the lady’s design does not come with the rays.
















Colors & Sizes

Sizes: Small – XLarge
Colors: White on Black
Price: $15.00 + $5.00 shipping to ANYwhere in the WORLD…including the USA

NEW Gentleman’s Vagabond Opera Shirt

vagabonds6 — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:53:56 +0000

Now proud to offer our BRAND new t-shirt, fan made by Kimi from Los Angeles!

Click on our lovely model to see a larger version of the new shirt image.
















Colors & Sizes

Sizes: Small – XLarge
Colors: White on Black
Price: $15.00 + $5.00 shipping to ANYwhere in the WORLD…including the USA

Vagabond Opera – Romanian Hora – July 2010

vagabonds6 — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 18:52:11 +0000

Filmed at World Cafe Live – Philadelphia, PA!

Vagabond Opera Postcard

vagabonds6 — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 05:57:29 +0000

“From Portland, With Love”

A send-able postcard! This card fully meets all USPS standards for legal correspondence!!

Queen of Knives Shirt

vagabonds6 — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 04:48:26 +0000

This was a fantastic Fan-Made T-Shirt for our “Queen of Knives” opera, with shirt design by Levi!

We are now proud to offer this T-Shirt online as it was previously only sold during the opera and a limited number of local live shows. Please note there are a limited amount left of this shirt.

Click on our lovely model to see a larger version of the shirt!
















Colors & Sizes

Classic Vagabond Opera Lady’s Shirt

vagabonds6 — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 22:08:52 +0000

Show your support of the Cabaret Revolution with this Vagabond Opera shirt!







Colors & Sizes

Sizes: Small – XLarge
Colors: Red & White
Price: $15.00 + $5.00 shipping to ANYwhere in the WORLD…including the USA