December 31, 2000
Holland's magazine Boord En Wal has printed a fantastic article about our friends Marius and Vic Suiker, and their relationship with Venice.  And yes, this webpage plays a big part in the story.  Check it out here!

Happy New Year, everybody!


December 21, 2000
The second annual Venice Concert Cruise will sail to Ensenada, Mexico on November 30, 2001.  Once again, there will be two private Venice concerts, Q & A and autographs with the band, plus lots of fun boat activities and more food than a normal person could ever hope to eat.  Sign up today!  Details are here.


December 19, 2000
Tommy Shaw from Styx just posted the following on Styx's official webpage, Styxworld.com.  Head over there quickly to check out the nice picture of Venice with Tommy Shaw and Paul Sorvino.

For more information on House of Ruth, please visit their official webpage.


December 9, 2000
The 2nd Annual Venice Concert Cruise will take place November 30 through December 3, 2001 on the Ecstasy.  Like this year's trip, the boat will depart from Los Angeles and head to Ensenada, Mexico.  Prices will start at $359 per person plus port charges, if you make a monetary deposit before May 31, 2001.  More details and ordering information will be posted soon.


December 6, 2000
Marshall Dyllon's debut album, "Enjoy the Ride" was just released today!  "Who are Marshall Dyllon?" I hear you ask.  Well, they're a brand new country boy-band, put together by Lou Perleman, who's track record includes 'N Sync and Backstreet Boys.  In other words, you'll be hearing a lot about these guys in the months to come.  So why am I telling you all this?  Because the album features a cover of Venice's song, "So Bad."  Check out an audio clip over here.


December 4, 2000
This upcoming stadium show with De Kast in Arnhem is getting better and better.  Not only is Venice going to be backed by an orchestra for several songs, but the bassist and drummer for this show are going to be none other than Mark Harris and Scott Crago!  These are the guys who played on the first album and both "Garage Demos" albums, and they were both full band members during that time period.  Should be awesome!

This concert is close to sold out, and there are rumors that a second night will be added.  I'll keep you posted.


November 26, 2000
Want to see fan pictures of the Venice cruise?  Craig Hoyt and Bonnie Harris have some on display at Photopoint.com.  Go here, and then in the white box where it says "Visit Albums;  Friend's E-mail," enter one of the two:  cb865@qwest.net to see Craig's pictures, or Bonnie_Harris@cch.com to see Bonnie's.  Then click on "Visit."


November 21, 2000
As promised, here's Venice's Q & A, recorded on the cruise.  Hope you all enjoy it.  You too, Michael.

Thanks to Craig Hoyt for the photo.


November 20, 2000
Welcome home, cruise-goers!  The first annual Venice cruise was an overwhelming success.  Two completely different acoustic shows, Q & A with the band, autographs and pictures, plus all the benefits of a Carnival Cruise "Fun Ship" sailing to Mexico.  If anyone wants to hear firsthand accounts from the fans who went, join the English-language Egroups mailing list.  Meanwhile, keep checking back, because I should get the Q & A online in a couple of days.

I just heard that Styx was on Rockline over the weekend and raved about Venice.  If anyone recorded the show, please e-mail me privately at egoman@pacificnet.net.  I'd love to get a copy and post it.


November 12, 2000
Here's a note from Mark Lennon:

Something Mark forgot to mention:  International orders will be accepted with no additional cost.  Order now, to insure that you'll have it in time for the holidays!

I'll have audio clips up as soon as I get my copy.


November 10, 2000
Mark Lennon will be re-releasing his "Christmas In the Groove" album in a couple of weeks, but with a few changes.  Two new Christmas covers have been added, increasing the total number of tracks to 12.  Strings and guitar have been added to the other tracks to flesh them out.  And the whole thing has been remixed and remastered.  As soon as I get mail-ordering details, I will pass them along, and yes, international orders will be accepted.  In the meantime, hold onto last year's version, because those will no longer be sold, and they're now collectables.

Venice will perform at a De Kast stadium show in Arnhem on January 6, at Van Gelredome tot Carré.  They'll play for about an hour and -- you ready for this? -- for no less than three or four songs, it's looking like they'll be backed by a full orchestra.  How cool is that?  You can order tickets over the internet here.

So did you guys like the Winamp skin that Dann Gillen made?  He just put together another one, this time with a Spin Art theme.  Download it here.  Thanks Dann!

The "Spin Art" reviews keep coming, over a year after its release.  Here's a nice one from the Northern Lights webpage.  I've also scoured the internet and found and posted a bunch of older reviews for the album.  You'll find them all on the Articles Page.  Just scroll down to "Reviews."


November 5, 2000
Dann Gillen, drummer for Pine Mountain Logs and sometimes for Venice, has designed a Venice "Born and Raised" Winamp skin.  IBM users, download it here, and save it directly to your Winamp\Skins directory.  No need to unzip the file.  Now load up Winamp, and right-click near the top.  Select "Skins," and then "Skin Browser."  If you see "Venicebr" as one of your options, click on it and then hit "Close."  If you don't see it, then hit "Get skins directory" and direct it to Winamp\Skins and hit "Okay."  Now select "Venicebr" and hit "Close."  For best results, right-click at the top and make sure there are checkmarks next to "Main Window," "Playlist Editor" and "Equalizer."

If you don't have Winamp already, or you have a version so old that these steps don't work, then get the newest version for free here.

(Note, these are IBM instructions.  Macintosh users have a program called MacAST, which is downloadable here.  I have no idea whether the installation steps for skins are the same, or whether it will even accept the same files.  If anyone can test it out and let me know, I'll pass that info along.)

Dann is also working on a Venice "Spin Art" Winamp skin, and I will post that as soon as he's done.  Nice work, Dann!


October 24, 2000
Okay, I admit, I've been neglecting the webpage a bit lately.  Work and family have been keeping me way too busy.  But I do have a few things to report today.

First of all, congratulations to Marius Suiker for organizing what sounds like an amazing fan meeting in Hardenberg, Holland a couple of weeks ago.  About 150 fans showed up, and were treated to a private 40 minute acoustic set by Venice of the following rarely played songs:  People Laugh, Jenny, Nobody's Girl, Hideway Hill, Helplessly Hoping, Crazy Love, Washington and Lincoln, and The Only Love I Had.  (For those who weren't paying attention, info on this meeting was posted here on September 6th.  Next year, don't let it pass you by!)

Marius has also sent in a recent article from the Dutch newspaper "De Telegraff."  Interestingly enough, the article details the Egroup members' plans to plant a tree in Enschede, it just doesn't mention Egroups, or credit the fans.  But that's okay, because the reward is the gesture itself, and not the recognition.  Right?  Anyway, you can read all about it here.

Okay, I know exactly what you're saying right now...  "There's only way you could ever get me to look at an article like that!  First, I'd have to listen to the guy who sent it in singing Venice songs with two other guys on acoustic guitars.  Then I might consider it."  Well, I've cleverly anticipated that, and have already thwarted your adversarial efforts.  You can hear five Venice songs covered by Marius and his band "Just Us," right over here.  Go now!  Run!!!  And then you can go back and read the article with clear conscience.


October 13, 2000
Sorry for the lack of updates lately.  VVTG wiped me out and I needed a break, and then I've just spent the last couple of weeks moving all the multimedia files from Simplenet.com over here to Venicecentral.com.  (Thanks to the generosity of YourMusicSites.com, I no longer have to pay a monthly fee for storage space.  Yay!!!)  This turned out to be a more daunting task than I'd anticipated, because we're talking almost 200 megs worth of stuff.  (For the technically uninclined, that amount of data is over three full computer CDs worth.)  Then each batch file had to be individually redirected to reflect each file's new location, and then those had to be uploaded too.  Finally, every single link to every single batch and MP3 file had to be changed.  (For the curious, the exact number of Venice Central's multimedia files to date, ranging in length from a couple of seconds to a couple of hours: 1367.  Plus an equal number of batch files ((minus the MP3s that don't need batch files)).  That number includes VVTG.)  And the irony of it all is that when I finally got everything done, the end result is that the content of the webpage is exactly the same as it was before.

That's the idea, anyway.  Unfortunately, because everything was done by hand, the possibility exists for human error.  And that's really the only reason I'm telling you guys about this.  If you try to watch or download a file now and it doesn't work, it's probably due to a typo and is easily fixable.  But I don't have the time to go through and test each one individually.  So if you run across a problem as you surf, please e-mail me at matt@venicecentral.com and tell me about it.  Thanks!

And the good news is that I found a ton of bad links as I went, and those have been updated too.  So files that may not have worked for you a couple of weeks ago, probably will now.

Okay, time to rest again.  Bye!


September 18, 2000
Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you... VVTG!!!!!

Your journey begins by clicking on the spinning box:

Please wait for that to finish, and then go here.


September 17, 2000
For all you music fans out there who have been telling me, "Sure, I love their music, but my life just isn't complete without Venice answering my telephone," I have two things for you.  First, the phone number of a really good psychiatrist (e-mail me privately for that).  And second, generic Venice answering machine messages!  Download 'em, make 'em your outgoing message on your answering machine or voice mail, and share your musical taste with everyone who calls you.  After all, who in their right mind would ever hang up on a Lennon?  Get 'em here.


September 16, 2000
Okay, the good news is that I now have all the material I need to complete VVTG.  The bad news is that there's still a good few dozen hours of work until it's ready to fly.  (The number of hours I've put into it already is staggering, and I'm not even halfway done.......)  Anyway, I'm working full steam ahead now, putting every waking hour into it, so hopefully it won't be too much longer.

In the meantime, here's a little parsel to tide you over while you wait.  On July 29th of this year, Venice performed an amazing acoustic concert at Arcadia in Santa Monica.  They played for almost three hours, and most of the fans who were there insist it was the one of the best shows they've ever seen, if not the best.  Great performance, hilarious between-song banter, and tons of tracks, original and covers, that they haven't played live in years.  Well, the band allowed me to record the show off the soundboard, and after reviewing the tape, they've decided to allow me to post it.  So those of you who were there can relive the memory, and those who were not can now experience it.  You'll find it at the top of the page, right over here.


September 9, 2000
Got a couple of the Netherland tour dates confirmed, thanks to Wim ten Heggeler.


September 7, 2000
The following Netherland dates are mostly unconfirmed, though I have them from reliable sources.  They should give you a good starting place to call the venues and find out the correct information on your own.  When you see these dates appear on the Tour Dates page, that's when you'll know that they've been confirmed.

If anyone over in Holland could please verify any of these dates for me, and/or can provide any of the venues' address, phone number and webpage URL, it would be greatly appreciated.  You can e-mail me at matt@venicecentral.com.

September 6, 2000
Attention Holland fans!  Marius Suiker has organized a Dutch fan meeting.  The festivities begin at 2:00pm on Friday, October 13th, at Podium Hardenberg, where Venice will be playing that night.  The total cost is 55 Dutch guilders (F. 55,-), which will include the meeting, a cup of coffee and a piece of cake on arrival, a warm buffet, and entrance to the concert, where you will be the admitted before the general public, giving you the chance to nab a spot right in front of the stage.  If you are a member of the Dutch mailing list, click here to sign up.  If you're not, or you have any questions, please contact Marius directly at suiker@home.nl.

In other news, KINK-FM in Portland, Oregon has released a compilation CD of artists performing live on the air.  Included on this album, "Live Thr3e," is Venice's performance of "If I Were You."  Read about it here.  To order, send $14.24 to:  Kink-FM  /  1501 SW Jefferson  /  Portland, OR  97201.  Questions?  Call (503) 517-6000.

September 5, 2000
Venice's version of "The First Noel," from their "Christmas With Venice" album, will be featured on a Christmas compilation CD to be released later this year by Elixir Guitar Strings (by Gore).  The album will be on sale in music stores all across the country (the kind that sells instruments, not the kind that sells albums), and will also be offered free to any customer who purchases two packs of strings.  Venice's track was chosen out of over 60 submissions.


September 4, 2000
If anybody missed Venice's nationally televised performance on the Jerry Lewis Telethon this morning, go check it out here.

And yes, for the record, VVTG is still coming.  Schedule permitting, it should only be a couple of weeks now.......


September 1, 2000
This Monday morning, September 4, between 8am and 9am Pacific Standard Time, Venice will perform "The Family Tree" on the Jerry Lewis telethon.  Check local listings for where it's airing in your area.  In Los Angeles, you can watch on KCAL channel 9, and on cable network WGN.  Outside of that, I recommend checking tvguide.com for details specific to your area.

If you live outside of America, or none of your local stations carry the telethon, you can watch online right here.


August 17, 2000
This Sunday's rescheduled Redondo Beach Foreigner show (which Venice was slated as opening act) has been canceled.  This concert was apparently not meant to be.

I'm sorry that VVTG is taking so long to finish.  I know a lot of you are curious.  All I can tell you is that it'll be worth the wait, I promise.


August 12, 2000
In answer to all the e-mails I've been getting, yes, Venice is planning on doing a couple of weeks worth of dates in Holland this October, immediately preceding their tour through Germany with Styx.  I don't have any confirmed dates yet, but when I do, I'll post them immediately.  In the meantime, if you live in the area, keep checking your newspapers for announcements of shows going on sale.  If anyone hears anything definite, please e-mail me the details.  Thanks!


August 1, 2000
HouseofBlues.com has archived the Venice concert they recorded back in February, 2000.  No longer a pay-per-view event, it's now available for free on a permanent basis, even at high connection speeds.  It's over here.

By the way, I'd just like to state for the record that the picture they're using was stolen from this webpage (the four image collage designed by my brother from photographs taken by Mary Schultz).  And yet despite my numerous requests, (not to mention my high profile publicizing of their events, exactly as they asked for), they still refuse to link to Venice Central.  Surfers are being directed instead to Vanguard's site.

In other news, the "Throb" video clips haven't been working, but I believe they're fixed now.  Check it out here, and if you're still having problems, please let me know.  Thanks!

And in answer to all those curious e-mails, yes, VVTG is indeed coming.


July 28, 2000
Check this out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Thanks to Mark Lennon for donating this from his personal collection.

Hey, have I mentioned that VVTG is coming?


July 21, 2000
VVTG is coming.............


July 15, 2000
Just a reminder that the House of Blues rebroadcast starts tonight and runs on a loop for 24 hours.  This is a full Venice show, and 28.8k and 56k streams are free.  If your computer can handle faster streams at better audio and video quality, they're available as pay-per-view.

Also, a couple of cool Los Angeles shows have been scheduled.  Check the Tour Dates page for info.


July 8, 2000 - Update
Nope, tomorrow night's show is definitely cancelled.  Sorry.


July 8, 2000
NEWS FLASH:  Lou Gramm of Foreigner has Laryngitis, so tomorrow night's Foreigner show at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, with Venice opening, has been cancelled. Refunds will be given at the point of purchase.  However... Venice has offered to headline the show instead. If this happens, refunds would still be given, but anyone who drives out for the concert could stick around and still get to hear live music, for free, and the house will still make money on drinks.  We're waiting to hear back on whether the venue accepts this offer. I'll let you know as soon as I hear anything.  So LA fans, there just might be a free Venice show tomorrow night. No guarantees, but keep checking back, and be ready to bolt out of the house at a moment's notice, just in case.


July 7, 2000
The video clips just keep on coming.  I've added Venice's performance of "The Family Tree" from the Enschede Memorial Benefit in Holland last month.  Thanks to Herman van Empel for this one, and also for the backup copy of Pinkpop.  (See, I told you I'd get multiples.  Gotta love it when people are reliable!)  Check it out!

I also just got news from Netherlands Radio DJ Rene Steenbergen that ZYX has just released the latest Venice single overseas, "The Family Tree."  A wise choice, considering all the media attention the song has had recently.  Hey Holland fans, now would be a great time to call up your local radio stations and request the song!!!


July 6, 2000
Finally got the Pinkpop video clips of "The Man You Think I Am" and "The Family Tree."  A few different people are also sending me this same tape (I said yes to every offer, for insurance), but Yvonne Blik's got here first.  As the others arrive, I will credit them as well.  Check that out here.

I also added some pictures of the band's show in Eindhoven, Holland, courtesy of Annelies van der Hofstad.  Those are here.


July 4, 2000
Happy holiday, everyone!  To celebrate, I've added some new video clips, mostly courtesy of Cris Tortolano.  Thanks, Cris!

So what have we got?  Well, to start, how about Vonda Shepard singing "The Only Love I Had" on the television show "Ally McBeal?"  As I'm sure you all know from having memorized the FAQ, Vonda also sang "Charm You" in another episode.  I'd love to add that clip to the page, if anyone's got a copy.

Next up, Venice sings the National Anthem at a Los Angeles Kings hockey game.  They used to do this all the time.  In fact, there was quite a number of times in the mid 90s when I would mention to a friend or colleague that I was going to a Venice concert, and they would respond, "Hey, is that the group that sings the National Anthem at the Kings games?"  For all the times they did it, and had it broadcast on television every single time, I can't believe it's taken this long to finally get a video clip of it up.  Again, thank you Cris for having this in your collection.

Then there's David Crosby singing "Hero" on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1994, with Kipp Lennon singing the Phil Collins harmony part.  Kipp's got a couple of nice close-ups.  For an even better recording of the two of the singing this together, pick up Crosby's live album, "It's All Coming Back To Me Now..."

And finally, a video clip I picked up myself.  Since Michael Lennon, Pat Lennon and Mark Harris are currently being featured in a high profile Pepsi ad, it seems only fitting that Kipp Lennon should find himself in a commercial for Pepsi's rival cola, Coke.  But you'd never know it was him.  The ad features hundreds of pink CGI aliens, with Kipp provided the speaking voices for every single one of them, and of course, his voice was altered electronically to sound more otherworldly.  But trust me, it's him.  Check it out here.

Have a great 4th everyone, and stay safe!


July 1, 2000
Mark Lennon co-wrote and sang lead on a couple of tracks by Dave Harris, "Blink of An Eye" and "Friend Are You There."  You can listen to them and purchase the CD here.


June 26, 2000
HouseofBlues.com will rerun the Venice pay-per-view cybercast on July 15, beginning at 6pm Pacific Daylight Time, and showing every two hours until 6pm the next day.  28.8k and 56k streams are free.  Click here for more info.


June 21, 2000
As you've no doubt already figured out, we have a domain now!!!  All thanks to our friend Hans Veldhuizen, who took care of the registration and generously donated the server space.  What a guy!  Now it's much easier to spread the word verbally.  Just tell all your friends to come to "venicecentral.com," and they'll make it here no problem.

I did have to move all the pages and pictures over to a new location, so if anyone has any problems (files won't play, pictures won't load, pages aren't there, etc.) PLEASE e-mail me and let me know.  I can't fix the problem if I don't know it exists.


June 19, 2000
Marius Suiker has started up a Dutch counterpart to the Egroups Mailing List.  It works exactly like the current list, only none of it will be in English.  To join, click here.

And now, my humble apologies go out to KC.  I came across some pictures that Karin sent me over a year ago, and somehow they got lost on my hard drive.  Well, they're great shots, and they're finally online.  Enjoy them here.  (Sorry, Karin!)

I have a stack of material sitting next to my computer - audio and video, new and old, with more arriving daily - and I have no idea when I'll be able to get to any of it.  But I think it's safe to say that sometime within the next month, you guys are in for quite a few surprises.  So keep checking back.


June 16, 2000
Lots of goodies for you guys today:

First off, more pictures from Holland shows, courtesy of Simonette and Yanni.

Next up, an article from Holland's "Free Magazine," detailing Venice and the Pinkpop Festival.  Thanks to Michael van Coevorden for this.

And finally, two new interviews, both recorded last week in the Netherlands. "Denk Aan Henk," the radio show where Venice performed "One Quiet Day," "The End of the World," and "Woodstock."  (This recording comes to us courtesy of Rob Van Adrichem.  Thanks Rob!)  And Rebecca Radio's Rene Steenbergen's raw interview with the band, recorded immediately after last Tuesday's Paradiso show.  Both interviews can be found here.

Enjoy!


June 14, 2000
Rene Steenbergen sent over a couple of Paradiso pictures. You can see those here.  Also, be sure and check out John Baldi's shots from the House of Blues last month.  Those are on his own webpage, right here.

Tonight's the last Netherland show, and the guys were scheduled to fly home tomorrow.  However, they've been invited to stick around a few more days and appear on a couple of television programs, so there's a good chance they'll do that.


June 13, 2000
Looks like Venice will not be videotaping tonight's Paradiso show.  However, they are recording the audio to multitrack.  So it could turn into a live album, or else select tracks might be used as B-sides for singles.  When I hear more, so will you.


June 12, 2000
Congratulations to Venice for what by all accounts sounds like a winning set at the Pinkpop Festival.  The crowd of 60,000 awoke at 10:30am to the opening notes of "If I Were You," and were then treated to a high energy 55 minutes that included "The End of the World," "The Man You Think I Am," "One Quiet Day," "Circus In Town," "Baby's Calling," "The Family Tree," and the "Feelin' Alright" medley.  Great choices for this rock and roll crowd, and performed perfectly, as usual.

As promised, television station NED3 broadcasted "The Man You Think I Am" and "The Family Tree" from the Pinkpop stage.  "The Family Tree" will also be broadcast live later in the week when the guys perform it at the Enschede memorial.

Thanks to all the generous Netherland fans who have contacted me, I should have lots of video in the coming weeks from all these television appearances, and will add them to the page as quickly as I can.


June 10, 2000
Holland's "Het Huis Van Oranje" television appearance has been cancelled.  However, the guys will be performing "The Family Tree" at a benefit memorial concert for the victims of the Enschede fireworks factory explosion.

As for the Pinkpop Festival, Dutch national TV station NED3 will broadcast about ten minutes of Venice's 45 minute performance at approx. 12:11pm.  If you want to catch more of the set, you're probably better off with the live cybercast, already detailed below.  Though I've been told that several stages run at once, and the cybercast will likely rotate between them.  So Venice's airtime might be split with another band.  However, Venice's set is at 10:30am (Holland time), so there's a chance that it will be the only stage running at that time.  If you miss the cybercast, or don't feel like catching it at 1:30am Pacific Standard Time, don't worry, it looks like the Pinkpop website archives each year's show, and you'll be able to view it later.  I will, of course, post a link as soon as I have one.

Thanks to all the Dutch fans for keeping us up to date on all these latest developments.


June 6, 2000
More Holland Venice info, courtesy of Jan van der Haag.  The guys will be guests on Henk Westbroek's live radio show tomorrow (Wednesday) on Radio3 between 12.00 - 14.00pm.  (I'm guessing that means the band will drop in sometime during that time block, rather than a full two hour visit.)  We in America can listen to this interview/performance tonight via the internet, but that means monitoring the station between 3am and 5am Pacific Standard Time.  Me, I'll be sleeping.  But if you happen to be up at that time, you can tune in here.  (Click on REALAUDIO on the far left, then do it again on the following page.)  Keep in mind, this is the same radio station that will be broadcasting the Pinkpop Festival, so if the link provided in the news entry below doesn't allow you to catch Venice's Pinkpop cybercast on late Sunday night, you now have a second option.

By the way, I'd just like to put out there that I would greatly appreciate it if somebody in Holland could record this radio show for me, along with the Pinkpop performance on television, and any other appearances the band makes this week on television radio or print, and sends me a copy of each so that I can post them on the webpage for everybody to enjoy.  (And yes, I can convert to American standard television.)  Please e-mail me privately for my mailing address.  Thanks in advance!


June 5, 2000
As most of you already know, next Monday, June 12th, Venice will be performing to close to 60,000 people at Holland's Pinkpop Festival, and reaching far more through radio (Radio 3) and television (Nederland 3) broadcast.  This is a massive amount of exposure with the potential to break the band huge in Europe.  And here in America, we can watch as it happens through an internet cybercast.  The band begins their 45 minute set at 10:30am Holland time, which I believe translates to 1:30am Pacific Standard Time the night before.  Which, to avoid all confusion, means a very late night for you on Sunday night, June 11th.

To access the webpage where you can view the cybercast, go here.  On the top left, run your cursor over the words "PINKPOP'00" and then click on "English," and the page will turn into a version you can understand.  There is no link to the broadcast yet, because the festival hasn't started.  But reports assure me that it will be there.

Thanks to Tom Jacobs for the hot tip!


June 2, 2000
Details are still being worked out, but it's now looking very good that Venice's Paradiso concert in Holland next week will be videotaped for future release.  This tape will most likely be sold in both Holland and America, and available in music stores, at shows, and through mail order.  Who knows, maybe I'll even be able to post clips!!!

In other news, on the Egroups Community Mailing List, Jan van der Haag has reported that Venice will be performing on a Holland program called "Het Huis Van Oranje," which focuses on the EK Soccer Championships.  The show is broadcast every evening at 11pm.  Venice's showdate is unconfirmed, so check local listings.  If I hear anything more, you will, of course, read about it here.


May 25, 2000
A Personal Message From the Webmaster:

My direction in the creation and maintenance of Venice Central has always emanated from a publicist's sensibilities, rather than a fan's.  This site is designed not just to keep Venice fans up to date on the band's activities, but to cultivate new fans as well.  I spend a lot of time donating news items to other webpages, pointing out duets and cover songs to webpages devoted to the other involved artists, and requesting links back, leading people over here.  My belief is that once a music fan winds up on this page, they can't help but fall in love with Venice's music.  And I've received stacks of e-mail in the past two years that tell me this is exactly what is happening.

The main key to this strategy is the audio clips.  If a casual music fan is curious about a band, how are you going to convince them they'd like the music?  By showing them pictures or tour dates?  Of course not.  They have to hear the songs.  However, I am very careful when it comes to album cuts.  I have a very strict policy of giving away no more than one verse and one chorus of any given song.  Just enough to give you a feel for what the song is, and then leave you wanting more.  Occasionally, I get e-mailed requests for entire songs or albums, and my response is always the same, that my intention is to promote the band, not to rip them off, and if you want more, you should go to a store and pay for it.

The audio clips for Venice's new Holland release "Two Meter Sessies" did more than provide song samples for the soon-to-be-Venice-fan.  It created awareness of an album that Americans would not have otherwise known existed.  I provided links to online music stores where the album could be ordered, and I've recently learned that Venice Central is directly responsible for several hundred copies of this album being sold to American fans.  That may not be record-breaking, but I like to think it's significant.

So it saddened me to learn yesterday that the publishers of this album are furious with me for having put these clips online.  They demand that I immediately remove the "Two Meter Sessies" page.  I admit, I find it difficult to understand why they believe that promoting an album impedes its sales.  My suspicion is that the Napster debate has created a Salem Witch Trial attitude towards the internet, and a paranoid belief that any online audio is hurtful.  That's not what I'm doing here.  I do not give albums away, and I never will.  So I am upset by the label's opinion that my work is damaging to the band.  However, it is also my policy to always work in cooperation with Venice and their record labels, so I regretfully comply with their wishes.

You can still purchase Venice's "Two Meter Sessies" album at the following stores:  AOR Heaven, Rockhouse Records, and Plato On-Line.  You'll have to take my word for it that the sound quality and performances are excellent.  Unfortunately, that's all I'm allowed to give you.


May 23, 2000
Vanguard Records has just informed me that they've run out of stickers.  Thanks for the great response, and to those who didn't respond quickly enough, we apologize for the inconvenience.  Now, let's go take some pictures!


May 12, 2000
In case you weren't already aware, Venice released a new album this week, in Holland only.  It's called "Two Meter Sessies," and it contains 16 studio recordings, acoustic versions of songs from "Born and Raised" and "Spin Art" (plus a hidden track, CSN's "Woodstock").  You can order this album from AOR Heaven, but first, go listen to audio clips here.  Thanks to Rene Steenbergen for the CD cover scans, and to Marius Suiker for the "Woodstock" clip.

Also of note, Billboard Magazine published a very nice article about Venice in last week's issue.  As is my policy, I've waited until the issue left newsstands before posting.  Now, you can read it here.


May 10, 2000
Hey, anyone want free Spin Art stickers, and a chance to win a free Spin Art machine?  Of course you do!
So click here for details.


April 25, 2000
Due to a request from management, the Earth Day concert has been removed from the webpage.  Apologies to all concerned.


April 21, 2000
Rene Steenbergen sent me the following Holland info.  I haven't confirmed any of it, but it does give you guys a place to investigate from.  If anyone can confirm these dates or provide me with addresses and phone numbers to the venues, it would be greatly appreciated!

April 20, 2000 - Update
Some specific info from Michael Lennon, regarding this Saturday's performance in Santa Barbara:

Everyone is encouraged to bring camcorders.  This is definitely one you'll want to keep!  Please contact me if you do record it.  It might be fun to collect everyone's different versions to cut together a multi-angle version for the page.


April 20, 2000
Venice's start time on Saturday has moved to 1:30pm.  But that's still an estimate, and parking is limited, so your best bet is still to leave yourself as much time as possible.


April 19, 2000
Jackson Browne has been officially added to Saturday's Santa Barbara Earth Day lineup.


April 9, 2000
Here's some more info on the Earth Day show in Santa Barbara on Saturday, April 22.  Venice will perform at 11:30am.  The complete lineup is as follows: Dreatime Continuum, Jeff Bridges, Jim Messina, Venice, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Glenn Phillips (of Toad The Wet Sprocket), The Blue Hawaiians, Kenny Loggins, and Dishwalla.  The performances will all take place on an outdoor stage at Santa Barbara City College, which is located just a few blocks north of the Santa Barbara Pier.  Take any of the downtown exits and head west toward the beach.   Turn right on Cabrillo and look for signs that say City College.  Parking may be difficult, so allow time for that.


April 3, 2000
Many apologies to Marius Suiker, who sent me pictures of the Groningen show several weeks ago.  I haven't been able to get to them until now.  (And only now because I woke up at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep.)  Anyway, they're here.

Marius was also kind enough to send over a picture of the new t-shirts, so you can now see what it is you're ordering.  That's here.


March 27, 2000
As anticipated, Pepsi aired their new television ads during last night's Academy Awards, including the one with Faith Hill and blink-and-you'll-miss-them cameos by Venice's Michael Lennon, Pat Lennon and Mark Harris.  The commercial is now online, and will remain here until Pepsi notices and sends me a cease and desist notice, because obviously housing the ad here will cause unimaginable damage to their business.  By the way, have I stated lately how refreshing and tasty Pepsi is?  When was the last time you drank one?  Far too long ago, I'm guessing.  Mmmm, Pepsi!


March 24, 2000
This week's "Entertainment Weekly" confirms that the Faith Hill Pepsi commercial featuring Michael Lennon, Pat Lennon, Mark Harris and Chris Horvath will indeed premiere during the Academy Awards this Sunday night on ABC.  Watch for it!

April's Arcadia show has been postponed.  As soon as a new date is scheduled, it will be posted immediately.


March 18, 2000
A new Venice webpage has just hit the web, dedicated to showcasing our favorite band, and more importantly, to making Egoman's life easier.  Gotta appreciate that!  (My evil alter-ego:  I am the Egoman.  They are the Egomen.  I am the walrus.)  Anyway, go check out the new page over here.  Go right now!  Why are you still here?  What are you waiting for?  Oh, you're still reading.  Alright, I'll stop typing then.


March 15, 2000
Got shots of tonight's concert in Groningen, courtesy of disc jockey Rene Steenbergren.  They're over here.  Thanks Rene!

In other news, details of this year's Pink Pop Festival are starting to trickle in.  Venice will be the opening act on the main stage on June 12th, the main day of the festival.  Over 60,000 music fans will attend the event, and the whole show will be broadcast on television and radio.  Headliners this year are will include Pearl Jam, Oasis, KoRn, Counting Crows, Live, Bush and Moby.  For those of you in America who have never heard of this festival, it's actually a pretty big deal.  Previous bands who have played there have included Rage Against the Machine, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rush, Tori Amos, Alanis Morissette, Dave Matthews Band, Deftones, Danzig, Jeff Beck, Nils Lofgren, the Pixies, the Cure, the Police, Prodigy, Marillion, R.E.M., MSG, Smashing Pumpkins and Soundgarden.  So this is an extremely high honor for Venice, not to mention a huge break.


March 13, 2000
The band is knocking 'em dead in Holland right now.  For photos of last night's show in Nijmegen, courtesy of Hans Veldhuizen, click here.  For an article published in a local Holland newspaper, submitted and translated into English by Walter Rummler, click here.

Oh, and if anyone's keeping track, Venice Central passed 40,000 hits last week.


March 5, 2000
Last month, Don Henley taped an episode of VH-1's "Storytellers."  The show will air the week of April 24th, and Warner Bros. Records and VH-1 are currently in the process of polishing the recordings.  Yesterday, Kipp, Mark and Michael Lennon were brought in to contribute their widely regarded harmonic slickness to the background vocals on "Desperado."  So when the program airs, ignore the people you see onscreen singing backup, and listen to the voices instead.


March 2, 2000
At long last, the news many of you have been waiting for...  "Garage Demos:  Part 1 - Slow Stuff" and "Garage Demos:  Part 2 - Fast Stuff," Venice's second and third CDs, long out of print, are once again available for purchase.  Starting next week, you can either pick them up at the shows for $15 apiece, or order them through the mail for $20 apiece (includes postage and handling).  Here's how to order:

March 1, 2000
I just added Vanguard Records' "Spin Art" Electronic Press Kit to the video clips page.  This is a videotape that the label sends out to prospective radio stations, television programs, etc., to drum up interest in the band.  Check it out here.

Also, I got a phone call from John Vester this afternoon.  He wants you guys to know that beginning today, Hear Music on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica is selling his first album, "My Heart Is In Your Hands."  This is the very first time the album is attainable a retail outlet.  (Up until now, it's only been available via mail order and live gigs.)  So if you happen to be in the area and you don't yet own the album, please pick it up here.  The more copies they sell, the more likely it is that the store will stock their other locations with copies.


February 27, 2000 - Update
Got some more details about the aforementioned Pepsi TV commercial.  Faith Hill, Michael Lennon, Pat Lennon, Mark Harris and Chris Horvath play an up and coming band.  The ad starts with them all lounging around in their tour bus, where Hallie Kate Eisenberg offers Faith and the gang some performance tips.  Thescene then moves to a small club, where the band is playing, and they sound good but not great.  More tips from Hallie.  Finally, we wind up at an arena show.  The band really has it together now, thanks to the little girl's coaching, and their song brings the house down.  The spot will debut during the Academy Awards, Sunday night, March 26, on ABC (with literally billions of viewers watching), and will continue to air heavily for months after that.

In other news, we now have an airdate for Venice's House of Blues webcast.  We can all tune in on Saturday, April 8 at hob.com.  If you miss it then, a tentative re-airing on July 15 is also planned.  It is my understanding that 100k and 300k modem connections (which means cable modems, ISDN, DSL or a T1 or greater) can be accessed by pay-per-view, while 28.8k and 56k connections will be free.

February 27, 2000
Michael Lennon, Pat Lennon, longtime Venice bassist Mark Harris and Pine Mountain Logs keyboardist Chris Horvath have spent the last several days filming a television commercial.  It's another in the series of Pepsi ads directed by Joe Pytka and starring Hallie Kate Eisenberg, the little girl from "Paulie," "The Insider" and "Bicentennial Man," where she talks using the voices of Marlon Brando, Isaac Hayes, Aretha Franklin, etc.  This ad features Faith Hill, and Lennon/Lennon/Harris/Horvath play members of her band.  No, they won't be really playing or singing.  They're on camera, mimicing a performance to a pre-recorded track.  Watch for this ad to begin airing worldwide later this year.


February 25, 2000
Who Wants To Win A Spin Art Machine?  I know, you'd rather be a millionaire, but that's someone else's gig.  Musicbase.com is giving away a Spin Art machine.  You can register to win, and also read a Q & A with Michael Lennon, over here.

In other news -- on March 6th, "2 Meter Sessies Volume 9" will be released on CD in Holland, and will include "Guinevere," performed by David Crosby and Venice, along with songs from Sheryl Crow, Counting Crows, Beck, Randy Newman, Willy DeVille and others.  (Catalog number: 731454135429.)  Thanks to Rene Steenbergen and Marius Suiker for the tip.


February 24, 2000
Got plans for late November?  How does a Venice concert cruise to Mexico sound?  Check it out!


February 22, 2000
It's been a long time since I've added new pictures to Venice Central, because my life has been way too busy lately.  But I got some black and white shots in my e-mail today that were way too good not to share.  So, I've added the first additions to the Pictures Pages in many months. Check them out here.  Fantastic work, Tim!  And thanks to Ananda for sending them!

In other news, MP3.com is offering a full download of "One Quiet Day."  If you don't already own "Spin Art," here's your chance to get the song complete and unedited - without paying for it!  Then, once you've done that, you should head immediately down to your local CD retailer and pick yourself up a copy.  What are you waiting for, anyway?


February 21, 2000
Sorry for the lack of updates lately.  So, how have you been?

Let's see...  Last night's show at the House of Blues was videotaped, and will be broadcast over the internet at the House of Blues website.  Watch this page for exact date and time as soon as it's announced.

In other news, for all you fans who have been asking me how to get ahold of the two "Garage Demos" CDs, I have great news for you.  The guys will begin selling them again at their shows, starting with the gigs in Holland.  Mail order will probably be available as well.  I will of course publish ordering information as soon as I have it.

And the best news of all, for those of you who have a chance to see the band live:  Because "Garage Demos" is making a comeback, expect to hear more and more of those songs creeping back into the sets.  Last night's show featured "The Water" and "I'll Be Drivin'," and many more classics will make appearances over the next few months.  There are even rumors of a Los Angeles reunion show of "The Magnificent Seven," the Venice lineup that featured the Lennons with Monroe Jones (keyboards), Mark Harris (bass) and Scott Crago (drums).  This lineup wrote, recorded and performed together all through the early 90s, and were responsible for the band's first three albums.  If this happens, it'll be a hell of a show.


February 7, 2000
I've added many more entries to the radio station list.  The ones in red are already playing the song, and will be especially receptive to your song requests.  Please call as many as possible every couple of days and ask them to play Venice's "The Man You Think I Am."  But remember, unless they broadcast over the internet, do not contact any stations outside of your geographical area.

I've also been able to update the info on many of the venues in the Netherlands, thanks to Marius Suiker, Rene Steenbergen and Jaap Stoffer.  You can find all that on the Tour Dates page.


February 2, 2000
Kipp Lennon has e-mailed me the tentative itinerary for the band's upcoming tour of the Netherlands.  I don't have venue information yet (addresses, phone numbers, etc.), and it's difficult for me to gather that stuff from here in America.  So if anyone can help fill in the blanks, I'd very much appreciate it.

As more details trickle in, I will of course post them right away.

By the way, Kipp will turn 40 on March 12, so the show in Nijmingen the following night will basically be his birthday party.  If you're going to that show, feel free to bring presents, streamers, signs that say "Happy Birthday," etc.


January 17, 2000 - Update
Two new things to report.  First, Franco has posted pictures of last night's show at the Iron House Music Hall in Northampton, MA.  You can find them here.

Second, news from the road, as sent to the Community Mailing List this afternoon...

January 17, 2000
At long last, I've finally been granted permission to post some Pine Mountain Logs audio clips!  If you've never heard of the Logs, it's actually members of Venice performing under a fake name.  Every few months they play local shows here in Los Angeles.  Full three-hour sets of nothing but cover songs.  These shows are quite different from Venice sets.  While Venice is tight and precise when they perform, the Logs are loose and improvisational.  Often, somebody starts in on a song they've never done before, and the others stumble to keep up.  Yet it's always with the Lennon harmonies and sense of humor that you've grown to love.  Very fun, with lots of laughs.

Check out the audio clips here.  Over time, I hope to add more songs to this page, so keep checking back.  Also, watch the Tour Dates Page for Pine Mountain Logs dates.  They often pop up fast with little advanced warning, so keep your eyes open! (And if you ever see a guy huddled in the corner by the soundboard making a tape, come over and say hi.  That would be me.)


January 15, 2000
The audio clips from Venice's 1990 self-titled debut album are now available as MP3 files.  Check 'em out here.


January 5, 2000
Quick note from Kipp Lennon: