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SONGWRITEr - GUITARIST

5/17/2018 - Check out this article about REVEL IN THE MEADOW featuring t.o. in Foster's Daily Democrat...
http://www.fosters.com/news/20180517/revel-in-meadow-performers-support-arts-education-for-kids

Oh yes, one more thing...You can live stream Saturday's house show (sold-out) with Tristan Omand, The Spain Brothers and Brian Richards over at Concert Window the day of the show. 

4/30/2018 - SHOWS PAGE UPDATED!
* Thanks for voting me the honorable mention for this year's Hippo Press reader's poll under the
Best Local Solo Performer category! 
I am also quite glad to be part of REVEL IN THE MEADOW, June 2 in South Berwick Maine, featuring:
Mallett Brothers Band, Suitcase Junket, The Reconstructed, Gretchen & The Pickpockets, Young Frontier, Soggy Po Boys
buy tickets here

Check out the SHOWS page for more info and listings.
booking: tristanomand(@)gmail(dot)com

t.o. related interviews, articles and other notable stuff

• Tristan was named BEST SINGER-SONGWRITER and "Old Straight Six" from the album The Lesser-Known Tristan Omand was recognized as SONG OF THE YEAR at the Spotlight Awards. (Video clip of t.o. performing "Old Straight Six")

• Tristan appeared in the 2017 independent film Loud Places as the musician performing in a bar scene...
  (Check it out on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/m9cdzwl and GooglePlay: http://tinyurl.com/k9jo5a8)

• t.o. on The Muse Podcast, talkin' music & whatnot - listen for free on iTunes 8.28.2016

• album review of The Lesser-Known Tristan Omand from 50THIRDAND3RD June 2016

• t.o. named "editor's pick" for best singer-songwriter, 2016 New Hampshire Magazine

• "Tristan Omand performs at the Rhythm & Roots Festival" video by Newburyport News 7.2.16

• "Lesser-Known no more" article in the Concord Monitor 4.19.2016

• "NEC's Six Strings Three Chords is an intimate show..." The Concord Insider 5.10.16

• "Welcome To Lonely Lanes" official music video

• "Bright & Lyon Productions Is Bringing It Home..." The Square Magazine 5.2.16

• Review of "The Lesser-Known Tristan Omand" in The Sound 4.13.16

• "album of the week" t.o. feature from Motif Magazine 4.13.1

• "For The Record: Tristan Omand" Howl Magazine feature

• t.o. feature on NHPR's "Word Of Mouth" from 5.23.2013

• "Wandering Time" is a direct hit for Omand" article by Christopher Hislop, seacoastonline 2.4.2013

• "The First Act: Tristan Omand" article feature by Quiet Lunch 6.11.13

• show review: Tan Vampires / Tristan Omand / Old Abram Brown / Bear Language @ MidEast 2.17.13

• video:  t.o. kickstarts 1971 honda CB350 after engine rebuild

• "A Musical Song About Tristan Omand, The Fine Music Man" by The Passionate & Objective Jokerfan (aka Matt Farley, as seen on Jimmy Fallon!)
   

A Gig Story, by Tristan Omand

My anticipation of the evening of September 24th 2016 was building like a tiny fire in the pit of my stomach as I found myself pacing around the yard of the North Buick Lounge, listening to the party sounds inside the barn, and looking up at a star-filled sky, trying to get my head straight and visualize putting on a good show. Man, this stuff isn't easy. Most of life is a blur, right up until that moment when I am on stage behind a microphone, with my guitar, playing my songs. Is that weakness, or am I just limiting myself? I'm happy doing other things too, but man, waiting in line at the bank...I'm awkward as hell. I can't sort out my insurance to save my life, but give me a guitar, and maybe a stage to play it on, and I'm in my own little world where I make all the rules and everything makes sense.

Finally, it was about fifteen minutes until I was to start my set, up there in North Berwick Maine. The energy in the barn that evening was strong, and the two opening acts were killer. Ten minutes in, and my heartbeat is approaching hummingbird territory, and I find myself stretching out here and there as if I'm some kind of athlete. A few knuckle cracks, leg stretches, and a "You can fuckin' do this, you've done it hundreds of times!" Five minutes until gig time, and I am on stage getting my equipment straight and the guitar in tune, going over a skeletal set list in my mind. I knew the first tune I would do, "Somewhere Between India & Idaho" and had a rough idea of a few others I wanted to play, but other than that it was a shoot-from-the-hip and read-the-audience kind of night.

A sweet introduction from Marty, and the set begins. I start riffing and trying to get into the music and make it the only thing that matters. "Don't look around the room," I think to myself. "You might see something or someone, and it will make your mind skip and take total control away from the music. Oh man, the monitors are just right, and my amp that I brought is just kickin' and perfect and clean." The crowd was electric, and I felt like some sort of classic stage performer. Like I was carrying some sort of torch. A lot of times I discredit myself, and I gotta work on the self-esteem thing like anyone else, but in that moment I felt pretty damn good.

Songs just come out of me, one after another, and I keep my eyes closed, almost imagining that I am hovering above myself, listening in awe at how I was singing. It was coming from somewhere deep, where thinking has no place, and subconscious takes over...That had never happened before. Maybe a Zen master would classify that experience as something or other, but I gotta tell you, it felt magical. I had gotten right to the bone of it. All the gigs, the chords, riffs, cables, lyrics, records, EVERYTHING. I got right back to the beginning, and to what truly matters: being inspired by the music. Thank you to Martin England and Jen England, Continuum Arts Collective, North Buick Lounge, and all the kind people who attended the gig. It was one for the record books, and in my top-five for sure.

© 2017 Tristan Omand