Norman's Rockwell

I am back home in the heat of North Hollywood after a beautiful week in the UK on tour. The shows totaled six in a seven day trip. But what a trip it was. London, Manchester, Liverpool. The audiences were appreciative and even with two acoustic guitars, this disco troubadour enjoyed getting the crowd moving. The sets were a mix of songs from my latest, ON THE REBOUND; along with a couple of choice covers. One golden oldie; one hot off the top of the charts. Back to the audiences, I was thrilled to entertain all of you and meet so many of you. I love making people dance; it brings me joy. I hope that you will continue to follow my musical adventures. I will return to the UK and I anticipate making some new music this summer with an old collaborator. So more to come! While in London, I visited the David Bowie Is exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Musuem. Fascinating and inspiring. Always is, to see handwritten lyrics, original stage costumes and concepts for album art all put into...

Last night's rehearsal for the upcoming tour was a gas. Adam Marsland and I ran through duo versions of songs from ON THE REBOUND, along with hits from Smokey, the O'Jays and the Robots. Stay tuned if you're curious... or better yet, come down to a show. We did this version of things for my IPO set last August at Fais Do Do, before the album dropped. Sort of a cabaret setting. But now that you fans know the songs, there will be more points-of-reference to these acoustic performances. Plus the covers are a lot of fun. Had a great time seeing the Rolling Stones at Staples Center last Friday. They pulled out a few gems including a rare version of "Factory Girl," the rollicking "Midnight Rambler" with guest Mick Taylor and a live debut of the disco-riffic "Emotional Rescue." I'm thrilled that I was part of the first audience to hear "Emotional Rescue" performed by the band. My guess is that "Start Me Up" was already charti...

In just two weeks, I will be making my way (accompanied by my producer/musical director, Adam Marsland) to the UK for a series of shows. I invite you all to join the ride. It's going to be a fun musical journey. I will be playing acoustic versions of tracks from ON THE REBOUND; plus a few choice covers. The barnstorming will take me from London to Manchester to Liverpool. The specifics can be found on my website normankelsey.com . However, here are the dates; yes, there are double-headers on two of them. All shows are free admission! Wednesday, May 15 at 9 pm London - Notting Hill Arts Club Thursday, May 16 at 5.45 pm Liverpool -  International Pop Overthrow @ The Cavern Pub Thursday, May 16 at 9.30 pm Manchester - Thirsty Scholar Friday, May 17 at 5 pm Liverpool -  International Pop Overthrow @ The Cavern Club Friday, May 17 at 8.30 pm Liverpool - Festival Express @ Vinyl Bar What else? I'm listening to a lot of new music that I'm digging, especially th...

Wow, I'm nearing nearly 4000 views of this blog. Thank you all for checking in. What a great way to start Grammy Week. Last night's show at the Cinema Bar with the Inimitables was a fantastic way to spend my birthday. The band was brilliant as usual; as was the audience. So many beautiful faces. Thank you for the rousing rendition of Happy Birthday, too. The set was heavy on tunes from ON THE REBOUND, as usual. Here the set list: So Sophisticated Saffron Dancer Your Majestic Rejection Supermodels With Gatling Guns Our Love Is Known By Name Huckleberry Finn A Talent For Loving She's My Go-To On The Rebound A Miracle Is On The Way Later in the night, I joined Adam Marsland and the Chaos Band for some covers. I did harmonies on some; lead vox on others. Those hits were: That's The Way of the World (Earth, Wind & Fire) Hot Fun In The Summertime (Sly & The Family Stone) Mama Can't Buy You Love (Elton John) Jive Talkin ' (Bee Gees) I sp...

I hope you have been having a peaceful King Holiday weekend.  I sang U2's "Pride (In The Name of Love)" at church in memory of Dr. King. That is becoming an annual occurrence.  Check out the press release today from England Swings on Radio Fairfax below. ### The Family Rain! Bring Me the Horizon! Peace! Django Django! No, it’s not stream-of-consciousness writing, it’s just the beginning of the England Swings show today at 6:00 p.m. ET, and these are some of the bands we’ll be celebrating. We’ll also have new tracks by Lianne La Havas, Suede, Katy B, and a lot more, including our special features : The Fab Four Freakout! With one of the most famous Beatles songs that was, um, never done by the Beatles. Unsigned Artists Showcase! Featuring Norman Kelsey, an up-and-coming performer from Hollywood! Request-o-matic, with, well, requests! Top 5 Countdown! Featuring two new entries today as we count down the most popular songs in the UK! I...

This just in! On Wednesday, Feb. 6 Norman Kelsey & The Inimitables - Happy Birthday Show -  9:00 PM 3967 Sepulveda Blvd. Culver City CA 90230 US 310-390-1328 Price: Free! Just a few days before the Grammy Celebrations in Los Angeles, come celebrate with Norman Kelsey and the Inimitables. It's a Free Show, it's Norman's birthday! It's going to be a groovy night all the way around at the Cinema Bar. Norman's set will be followed by Adam Marsland's Chaos Band and more musical fun and madness.  Cinema Bar is 21+

Happy New Year, all. I hope it was rung in properly at yours. Mine was mellow. A few friends, a few bottles of wine and games of chance for high stakes (Left Center Right). Today is David Bowie's birthday, so I was thrilled to wake up to his new single Where Are We Now? The most amazing thing is how he kept his recording sessions and release under wraps until the very last minute. Isn't this the man who basically brought the sound of Orwell's 1984 to life? As you may recall, I covered Bowie's "Let's Dance" in Liverpool acoustically; and here in L.A. with a full horn section. If he tours his new album, I will have to see him. I am in the throes of completing this year's Grammy ballot. I due my diligence and listen to as many nominated records as possible. Every year I find a new favorite or two. I'm nearly done. Some categories (for LPs particularly) can be time consuming; but as I just said, it can be worth it to uncover some gold. I got my ...