Programma Ufficiale!

Behold! The ever-amorphous Programma Ufficiale (tm).

There are still dates to be confirmed in Berlin, Verona, and Bologna. And of course there will be surprise concerts along the way which the internet may never find out about. But for the moment, this is the plan:

Jan 17 - Nightscapes, MAASTRICHT (nl)

Jan 24 - Vintage Emde, KOLN (de)

Jan 31 - Anti-tapas, BRUSSELS (be)

Feb 4 - Stop TTIP, BRUSSELS (be)

Feb 4 - Cipiace, BRUSSELS (be)

Feb 10 - Reinhardt Tempel, LEIPZIG (de)

Feb 15 - Canoe Concert, BERLIN (de)

Feb 16 - Ostpol, DRESDEN (de)

Feb 18 - The Early Bird, INNSBRUCK (at)

Feb 19 - Baciccia, PIACENZA (it)

Fe 20 - Riff Disco Live, LODI (it)

Feb 22 - Stremiz, FAEDIS (it)

Feb 23 - Dar Piulle, LIVORNO (it)

Feb 24 - la Cité, FIRENZE (it)

Feb 25 - Prima Hangar, PESARO (it)

Feb 27 - Bar Perla Verde, SAVIGNANO SUL PANARO (it)

Feb 28 - Arci Chinaski, MANTOVA (it)

March 1 - Casa di Paolo, MARSEILLE (fr)

March 3 - Le Pop-In, PARIS (fr)

March 5 - Muziekanenhuis Tini, GENT (be)

March 8 - Salle Dublin, BRUSSELS (be)

We're really excited to be hitting the road with new songs AND lots of 'official bootleg' copies of Postcards AND a very limited stack of Wild Life Sketches booklet/CDs that were previously unavailable in Europe. Check back here for updates and links to facebook events as they come online.

And PS... if you're reading this from Canada we've got BIG news. There is a coast-to-coast tour in the works for march/april 2015 and Erik is coming, too :)

See you soon!

WILD LIFE SKETCHES

Recorded, Mixed and Mastered in 2 weeks in North Gower, Ontario, WILD LIFE SKETCHES is a raw pressing of songs that have been stuck in my head for the past few years. Recorded with two borrowed microphones on guitar, ukelele, melodica, harmonica, shakey-egg, tambourine, a box of paper clips, and a guitar case for a bass drum, this album is a sketch book. These songs have evolved through many live performances and WILD LIFE SKETCHES is the first time they are put together in an album that lets them rest in one form. Enjoy!

WILD LIFE SKETCHES is now available in 2 ways:

ONLINE and via digital download from my bandcamp site.

IN PERSON at any of the concerts on my Canadian tour.

The CDs are numbered and come in a booklet with hand-written lyrics and sketches by my sister. If you can't make it to a concert and can't wait to get your hands on one of these, contact me by email and maybe I can mail one to you!

cougarsinamerica@gmail.com

A busy week in Brussels

I'm coming to 'visit' Brussels very soon. In addition to seeing good friends, having a laugh about lunch, and imagining the world above parking 58, this means playing a few concerts. Just to keep things interesting, there will be a different line-up each time, so none will be like the others. I look forward to seeing you at one or all of these eventful events. Also, we will be recording for a new demo CD while I'm back so hopefully the next time I can try to sell it to you :)

BUT NOW...................

...OR RATHER...

....................VERY SOON

Thursday, October 25th

Concert Pour Ici

3rd Floor of Mr. Wong (Nicolas Bucci's house)

€ HAT

An acoustic living room concert with Cougars in America performing as a trio:

Paolo Melindi - Contrabasse 

Erik Schoepen - General wizard of stringed instruments 

Scott Hamilton - Guitar + Vocals = Guitocals

Places for this concert are limited, please email Nicolas (buccinicolas@gmail.com) or send him a message on the FACEBOOK SOCIAL FRIEND NETWORK EVENT PAGE.

Friday, October 26th

Urban Ecoogy Centre

Apero-Acoustique

€ au chapeau

A solo concert featuring Scott Hamilton and his loop-station, kazoo, harmonicas, stylophone, melodica, etc. This is how Cougars in America started... Not to mention, how it will probably end ; I play old songs and new songs in preparation for a small solo-tour I am making around some familiar places. Here is the FACEBOOK SOCIAL FRIEND NETWORK EVENT PAGE.

Thursday, November 1st

Cougars in America BAND

Espacio ON

€ 4 Entry (Free Exit)

The whole band! Similar to but not exactly like the one shown on the youtube internet television channel; nominally related to but not quite as seen on the facebook social friend network; in the form of yet more multidimensional then they appear on the flickr web photo sharing application; COUGARS IN AMERICA BAND packs a whallop.

Giacomo Pelli - Drums

Erik Schoepen - Banjo, Mandolin, Steel Guitar

Paolo Melindi - Contrabass

Scott Hamitlon - Guitocals

Share the FACEBOOK SOCIAL FRIEND NETWORK EVENT PAGE with your most social friends or become entranced by our promotional image in 400dpi high resolution AND RGB colour:

More concerts TBA soon.

Last Minute Gigs in Brussels!

...Because things keep popping up when you least expect them :)

First, a return to the Urban Ecology Centre in Uccle on Friday, July 6th. 

It starts with a barbecue around 17h30 and we should be on a couple hours after that.

On Monday, July 9th, we will play a special living room concert alongside a screening of a documentary of the Hard Rain Project.

Rue Blaes 96, B22 - 20h00.

Where have all the cougars gone?

They're coming back! Good news for people who like cougars in america because cougar populations are on the rebound: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-18425472

Also, here is a video from my concert at the imprimerie ephémère in Brussels this weekend:

Keep posted for last minute concerts in Brussels and information about the summer tour!

Cougar Coiffure

Thursday June 7th, 20h00

Concert at Coiffure Liliane

247 Rue Haute au Centre Bruegel

Also on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/events/472808766069202/

Cougars on the Road...

Last weekend, Cougars in America went on a small road trip to Maastricht and Koln to play concerts in magical locations!

First, we went to a garden in Maastricht to participate in the 3rd edition of Nightscapes. We played in this garden set up by Landbouwbelang amidst some post-industrial rubble:

After a long night animated by the Serious Beans Project, we drank a lot of coffee and drove to Koln to play in St. Michael's church as part of the Art & Amen festival that was taking place all around Brusselerplatz:

Here are some videos from the concert in the garden:

BIG thanks to Jos and Cat from Nightscapes and Ben from Popanz Productions for making this possible! 

Cougars on a rampage....

After a crazy week of concerts, I'm taking a break for a week and then coming back with another crazy week of concerts :)

May 25 - Apéro Acoustique
Centre d'écologie Urbaine
Chaussée de Waterloo, 789
UCCLE 
https://www.facebook.com/events/252962831477716/

June 1 - Itinerant 'Nightscapes' party in Maastricht

June 2 - St Michael Kirche am Brusseler Platz, Koln
https://www.facebook.com/events/340878239316387/

June 7 - Coiffure Liliane, Centre Culturel Breugel, Rue Haute, Brussels

June 16 - Amsterdam - Nuit Blanche
De Ruyterkade 127
1011 AC

The River at YO Fest with Cougars in America BAND

Concerts this Week: YO Fest and Parcours d'Artiste

See you soon, Brussels!

Cougars in the Hammam via Record and Ride

Last week I got a surprise email from Nicholas O'Brien who is on a 5-month-Alan-Lomax-on-a-bicycle-styled music pilgrimage through Europe. The idea is to record as many artists as possible while cycling around and meeting great people. I loved this idea and had band practice planned with Paolo in the hammam, so we invited Nicholas over for carbonnades, Chimay, and Cougars. This impromptu concert was recorded and made downloadable for your listening pleasure. Enjoy!!!


Find out more about Nicholas' Record and Ride Project here: http://record-and-ride.com/

Cougars in America BAND

Moving ever onward and upward, Cougars in America will grow into the boots of a pop-sauvage trio with the addition of David Koczij on drums and Paolo Melindi on contrabasse. The transformation takes place before your very eyes at Bonnefooi on Wednesday, February 8th, 2012 at 22h00. Don't miss it!

On the Road Again: Ger-MANIA

This year starts off with a short tour with Koln-based Popanz Productions and singer-songwriter Chris Klopfer.

January 14th, 2012 - Amsterdam TBA

January 15th, 2012 - LE COQ, Brussels, BE
January 18th, 2012 - THAV, Hildesheim, D

January 19th, 2012 - HEIFISCHBECKEN, Bremen, D
January 20th, 2012 - GELEGENHEITEN, Berlin, D
January 21st, 2012 - HASENSCHAUKEL, Hamburg, D
January 22nd, 2012 - ANALOG SOUL, Leipzig, D

Anti-?????

Tapas!

December's Anti-Tapas will feature a special apéro with Cougars in America providing the sonic backdrop for the opening hours of their last party of the year. The music goes until my fingers hurt, and then I join forces with a beautiful and sultry lady of the night to present DJs Glitter and The Gutter all night smoke out - Indie-rock in the lounge til breakfast.

Caves de Cureghem, Anderlecht

Saturday December 10th, 20h30
ANTI-TAPAS

Biography

Cougars in America is the new alt-folk project of Canadian-turned-Bruxellois singer-songwriter, Scott Hamilton. Poet, multi-instrumentalist, and troubadour, he transforms his world into song. Taking his name from a cat that lives on only in popular myth, his lyrics express an image of humanity lost, tragic, comic and beautiful. Armed with his guitar, harmonicas, stylophone, loopstation and voice, he creates an atmosphere that is intimate, sincere, and overwhelming. His music has been compared to Bonnie Prince Billy or Sufjan Stevens, and serves in equal measures American Folk, Blues, and Indie Rock. He is joined on stage and on all his latest recording by Belgian string wizard Erik Schoepen on Mandolin, dobro, resonator, lapsteel and banjo.

Who Stole My Mind?

The Tower