News Archive for 2007 and earlier
11.28.07
Opening for Shaw/Blades!
We have a big and last-minute show announcement! This Friday, November 30, The Velmas will be opening for two legendary musicians at Northern Lights! Tommy Shaw from STYX and DAMN YANKEES, and Jack Blades from NIGHT RANGER and DAMN YANKEES are touring together in support of their new record, and we'll be warming up the crowd for this show! The Velmas hit the stage at 8pm SHARP. All ages show (under 16 with guardian)!

Get your tickets now: http://www.northernlightslive.com

10.3.07
Still Topping the charts!
Out of over 1300 songs now, The Velmas are still in 4th place in the Alternative Charts on Clearchannelmusic.com! We are also in 5th place in the "Hit" charts, and 6th in "Rock". Keep listening to "Tell Her I Love Her" to get us even higher in the charts and give us a chance to get picked up on "real" Clear Channel radio stations: clearchannelmusic.com/cc-common/artist_submission/all.html?gen=19
9.21.07
Show Venue Change!
Our show this Saturday in Syracuse will now be taking place at the Clinton Street Pub. Check out the Tour page for info.
8.09.07
Topping the charts!
Out of over 1000 songs, The Velmas are currently in 4th place in the Alternative Charts on Clearchannelmusic.com! We are also in 6th place in the "Rock" charts, and 7th in "Hit". Keep listening to "Tell Her I Love Her" to get us even higher in the charts and give us a chance to get picked up on "real" Clear Channel radio stations: clearchannelmusic.com/cc-common/artist_submission/all.html?gen=19
7.28.07
Video Shoot Postponed
Due to what seemed to be a very likely threat of thunderstors on Friday, the decision was made to postpone shooting footage for our video for Tell Her I Love Her. We intend to shoot footage at the August 31 show at the Bayou Cafe Downtown, so be there to be in the video!
7.18.07
Shooting A Video!
Want to be in the first Velmas video? We're shooting footage for it for "Tell Her I Love Her" next friday at the Albany Conquest Season Finale Block Party!

Fri., 7/27 on Pearl Street in front of the Times Union Arena (the old "Pepsi Arena"). we'll be shooting from 5-7pm, so if you want to be in the video, be there!

We'll be performing a set of music live from 5:30 - 6:30, with footage being shot throughout, especially during THILH.

6.22.07
Singer Songwriter Showdown Finalist
Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler was selected as a finalist in the C&G Singer Songwriter Showdown. So, next Thursday, 6/28, he'll be performing with the other 11 finalists for a shot at a sweet $2000 Takamine acoustic guitar. Hope to see some of you there cheering him on! Check the tour page for details.
6.14.07
103.1's Big Break
Tune in to "The Channel" 103.1 this Sunday night at 8pm to catch The Velmas talking with Jason Keller and playing some tunes from Station!
5.10.07
The Velmas In School Again!
The Velmas returned to perform for the 6th graders at Iroquois Middle School on May 4th. We rocked out and helped kids learn, all at once!

Read about it on the school's website here!

4.25.07
Get The Velmas on Warped Tour
1. go to www.battleofthebands.com/thevelmas

2. listen to at least a little of each song

3. click "vote"

4. click "vote for the velmas"

5. fill out the short form

*6.* confirm the email they send so that your vote counts!

7. rock out.

4.23.07
The Velmas In School Again!
The Velmas will be returning to perform for the 6th graders at Iroquois Middle School on May 4th. We'll be rocking and helping kids learn, all at once!

Read about it here!

4.10.07
Doing Some Good
The Velmas, as a band as individuals, will be performing in a few benefit concerts in the coming weeks.

On Sun., April 15, Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler and Figaro will be performing as an acoustic duo for a benefit for the American Heart Association at UAlbany.

On Sat., April 21, Grosshandler will be performing solo acoustic at RPI in "Rock Against Genocide: A night of artistic expression calling for human rights in Darfur", with all proceeds going to UNICEF in Darfur.

Also, coming up on June 2, the full band will be rocking out at the Trash Bar in Brooklyn for "The Kids Rock" benefit concert to raise money for kids living with cancer. The proceeds from the show will buy them iPods, CD players and other little toys that you and I take for granted. Hope to see you at some or all of these events!

4.1.07
CRUMBS Radio Interview/Live Performance
Our interview and live acoustic performance at the CRUMBS Radio studios from last week is up online for your listening pleasure. We talked with them for a while and played unplugged versions of Out There, This Time, and a stripped down version of Would It Matter. Check it out at crumbs.net.
3.27.07
Paragon Magazine Interview
Check out our latest interview with Paragon Magazine!
3.27.07
New Myspace Song Posted
Would It Matter is presently gracing our myspace page. Checkitout.
3.26.07
CRUMBS Radio
This Thursday, we're going to be visiting the CRUMBS Radio studios to tape an interview and live acoustic performance. Check out crumbs.net some time next week to hear it all!
3.8.07
Metroland Readers' Picks
Readers of Metroland, in their 2007 Readers' Picks, selected The Velmas as the #2 Best Local Alternative Band AND the #2 Best Local Rock Band. Harvey and Figaro were both voted "Best Local Celebrities With Whom You'd Like to Have a One-Night Stand" (again!). And Grosshandler was also selected "Best Local Producer" and "#2 Best Local Solo Musician". Thanks to everyone for voting for us!
2.28.07
Road Journal and Video
We're back, and there's plenty to read about life on the road up in our Blog, including a video!
2.1.07
February Mini-Tour
The Velmas are taking it to the road in February. Come see us playing music in your towns!

Wed 2.21 - Baltimore, MD
Thurs 2.22 - Philadelphia, PA
Fri 2.23 - Virginia Beach, VA
Sat 2.24 - Murfreesboro, NC

Check out the Tour page for details.

1.11.07
Station is on iTunes!
We're pleased to announce that Station is now available on iTunes music store. Check it out, and download lots of Velmas music to fill your mp3 players.
1.4.07
Station in the Rkstar.com Top 20 of 2006
The readers of Rkstar.com voted Station in the Top 20 Albums of 2006! Thanks to everyone who voted for us, you rule!

http://www.rkstar.com/articles/07/topalbums2006.html

12.31.06
In Metroland
We're in this week's issue of Metroland - it's a "Year in Pictures" review issue. We're in the "making the scene" section with the caption "The Velmas celebrated the release of a new original CD and label deal". Neat. Oh, it's online too:

click here

12.16.06
Blind Melon Tribute Album Released!
The Velmas' rendition of the great Blind Melon song "New Life" appears on "Twenty Stories Below" - a Tribute Album to the great Blind Melon. Visit BlindMelonTribute.com for more info and to order the CD, which is released today!
12.16.06
The Making of Station - Episode III

12.06.06
New Shirts!

You can now pick up the new shirts online at the City Canyons Store!
11.30.06
More Airplay!
To date, Station is now in rotation at roughly 116 radio stations! There's a current list of stations posted here. Please keep requesting The Velmas on your local stations! Tell your friends to do the same!
11.08.06
Station Charts in Top 30!
58 radio stations across the country have added songs from Station! In fact, The Velmas charted at #27 on KCWU in Ellensburg, WA! There's a current list of stations posted here. Please keep requesting The Velmas on your local stations!
10.31.06
STATION Release Date!
Station is finally here, folks! We're hitting the road for the 2006 Station Tour, hope to see lots of you out there! Pick up the new CD when you can, so you can sing along!

Station at The City Canyons Store
Station at CD Baby

10.26.06
Station On The Radio
Songs from "Station" are getting airplay all over the country! So far, 30 stations have picked us up in the last week. Check our here for a listing. Request The Velmas on your local station!
10.17.06
PRE-ORDER STATION!
You can now PRE-ORDER our new album, Station, exclusively at The City Canyons Store. The CD's official "initial" release date is 10/31, but you can order it now and get it sooner!
10.17.06
New Site!
New album, new site design!
10.12.06
Still More New Music!
"Tell Her I Love Her", the third brand new tune from our upcoming release "Station", is now up on our Myspace page, check it out!

myspace.com/thevelmas

10.10.06
Bruce wins Albany Drum-Off Finals!
Bruce won the Finals, and has been proclaimed the NY Capital Area winner! The District Round is in Manhattan on November 8th, where he will be competing in the same format against drummers from all around the North East. Whoever wins that goes to the Regional and then the Finals.
10.5.06
More New Music!
We've uploaded "Turning", the second brand new tune from our upcoming release "Station", to our Myspace page, check it out!

myspace.com/thevelmas

10.4.06
Bruce in Drum-Off Finals
On Tuesday, October 10th at 6:30pm, stop in and see Bruce at the annual Guitar Center Drum-Off. Bruce won the first round and is a finalist and will be competing to be the Albany Guitar Center winner so he can move onto the next round in Manhattan. Guitar Center is located on Wolf Road in Albany. Come cheer him on!
9.29.06
The Making of Station - Episode VI

Visit Youtube to check it out!
9.28.06
New Velmas Music on Myspace!
We've uploaded "One More Day", the first brand new tune from our upcoming release "Station", to our Myspace page, check it out and let us know what you think!

myspace.com/thevelmas

9.02.06
The Making of Station - Episode 4
9.02.06
Larkfest News
We just found out we'll be playing this year on Sept. 16 at 1:30pm on the Madison Ave. stage. EQX has also announced a new act for this year's show - EVERCLEAR! Sweet.
8.18.06
Soundcheck Live from The Redhouse
We just added a date to our fall tour - in Syracuse, NY. On Sunday, October 15, we'll be performing at 9pm at the Redhouse for Soundcheck Live with TK99.

This show will be broadcast LIVE on the radio on TK99/TK105 Syracuse/Oswego, and LIVE on the web at TK99.net. Tune in!

8.03.06
Larkfest 2006
The Velmas will be performing at this year's Larkfest on September 16. Also performing are Hector On Stilts, Phillips Head, The Day Jobs, and a few "national" groups, yet to be announced. It's gonna be a great show!
7.31.06
Blind Melon Tribute Album
The Velmas were asked to submit a song last year for a Tribute Album to the great Blind Melon. We recorded our version of their song "New Life" a while ago for possible inclusion, and just found out that our song was selected for inclusion on the tribute! Visit BlindMelonTribute.com for more info and to pre-order the CD, which will be released in 2006!
7.20.06
Soul Asylum
We've just added a new show on August 5 at Revolution Hall in Troy, NY - opening for the one and only Soul Asylum! Check out WEQX for more info, and get your tickets at revolutionhall.com.

Some details:

Ages 16+ (with ID)
Doors open at 7pm, show starts at 8pm
7.13.06
Metroland
Check out this week's issue of Metroland! Guess who is on the front page? There's also a pretty sweet 2-page article about The Velmas. It's also up on their website, for those of you not in the area.

5.9.06
Top Ringtones
Well this is pretty cool. Our first two ringtones, Nothing Better To Do and Out There, are currently the #1 and #5 Top Ringtones on www.decentx.com. Get 'em while they're hot!
5.2.06
Velmas Ringtones
Velmites asked for Velmas Ringtones, and we listened. Check out www.decentx.com/thevelmas! They've got Nothing Better To Do and Out There as our first two available ringtones.
4.30.06
Mini-Tour with Jen Elliott
Thanks to everyone who came out to see us on our Mini-Tour with Jen Elliott and Bluestruck! We had a great time with them on the road, and it was great seeing everyone out in Syracuse, Albany, and Watertown. We're ready to do it again soon.
4.3.06
PYX106/Wolf in the Morning
The Velmas are going to be appearing on Wolf in the Morning on PYX106 in Albany, NY on Wed., April 26, around 9:25am. Tune in if you're in the car, or at work (you can listen online at pyx106.com). There's a good chance we'll be doing a live in-studio acoustic set, even. Rock.
3.9.06
Metroland Winners!
Thank you, Velmites! The 2006 Metroland Readers' Poll results are in - this year's #1 Best Local Alternative Band: The Velmas! Also, a "Best Time to be Had for Under $10" - A Velmas show! Figaro and Harvey also got nods for being a "Best Local Celebrity With Whom You'd Like to Have a One-Night Stand". Sweeeeet. Sorry, Bruce.
2.6.06
The Velmas on 103.1
If you missed our interview on 103.1 this past Sunday, fear not. We have the interview up on our site. Click here to listen.
2.2.06
The Velmas on 103.1, For Real
If you tuned in to 103.1 this past Sunday you heard they aired the wrong interview. So, The Velmas will be featured this coming Sunday, February 5th at 8pm instead. Check it out.
1.23.06
The Velmas on 103.1
The Velmas will be talking with Jason Keller on Channel 103.1's Big Break this Sunday, January 29 at 8pm. Jason will spin some Velmas music and we'll delve deep within the world of The Velmas.
1.23.06
Silenced in Crumbs Radio Top 10
Crumbs Radio has chosen our song Silenced as the #2 song in their Top 10 Songs of 2005!
1.12.06
The Velmas Sign With City Canyons Records
Big news! The Velmas are very pleased to announce we have signed a record deal with City Canyons Records, an independent record label based in Manhattan. City Canyons is doing great things for its artists and we're very excited to be working with them. City Canyons will be releasing our new album, tentatively entitled Station, in 2006.
12.14.05
Leader-Herald Article
The Gloversville Leader-Herald ran a big story on The Velmas and our new album this Sunday. Grab a copy and check it out!
12.01.05
RESTLESS COMPILATION & NEW SONG!
Be sure to tune in to Howard Stern on Tuesday, December 6. Vinnie Favale (the bloke who wrote the lyrics and begat the whole "Restless, Restless" contest) is going to be releasing "The Best of Restless, Restless".

The Velmas' version of the song from the 2004 contest is going to be featured on that CD, along with the winning song, Robert Goulet's, William Shatner's and a few other of Vinnie's favorite entries, selected from the thousands of entries they received. The CD is a Stern show collectors item and contains 16 versions of the song that was made famous during the contest on the show last summer. Tune in to hear Vinnie promote the release tomorrow morning on the Howard Stern Show (12/6/05) and order your copy of this piece of broadcast history on www.RipTheMusic.com.

Vinnie will also be presenting Howard with a copy of a brand new Velmas song called "What Is My Crime?" that we just finished this week. It's a rockin' little tune that Bruce wrote, sort of as a tribute to Howard and his problems with the FCC.

You can surf on over to our MySpace page for an exclusive listen of "What Is My Crime?": www.myspace.com/thevelmas

10.25.05
Hope for the Homeless Benefit Concert
The Velmas are teaming up with with Sirsy, Mudfunk, Valerie Webb, and Paddy Kilrain to raise funds and awareness for the Catholic Charities Housing Office. ALL funds will go to help the homeless right here in the Capital District! Please join us!

Sunday, Nov. 13, 2005
Northern Lights
1208 Route 146, Clifton Park, NY 12065
DOORS open at 4pm - SHOW Starts at 4:30pm
All Ages (under 16 with an adult)
Tickets ONLY $6. (100% of $ raised goes to the charity!)

Visit this page for all the details.

For advance tickets, E-Mail us!

10.07.05
Bruce Advances to Finals!
Bruce advanced to finals of Albany Guitar Center's Drum-Off 2005 this week.

"There are a lot of great players-so it was truly an honor to get picked to compete in the finals."

You can watch Bruce and others compete in the finals on Oct. 19th at 6:30PM at the Guitar Center in Albany. Should he win, the next round is in Boston.

9.27.05
New Myspace Banner
We've made a brand new banner just for you Myspacers:

You can get the html code to put this on your page on the Velmites page!

9.13.05
Red Cross Donations Extended
The Velmas have decided to extend the donation of proceeds from CD sales. We want to be able to donate even more, so in conjunction with CDBaby.com, we are donating 100% of our proceeds from CD sales made on CDBaby.com in the whole month of September to the Red Cross disaster relief fund.

All of the money raised from these sales will be donated directly to the Red Cross. So if you haven't yet picked up "Another Day at School" or "Recess", now would be a great time. You'll be doing a good deed while getting some great music. I'm also donating the money from my solo acoustic CDs, "Scales" and "Wrote Myself", the same way.

View The Velmas CDs here:
http://cdbaby.com/all/thevelmas

View all the Mike Grosshandler CDs here:
http://cdbaby.com/all/mikegrosshandler

8.4.05
Metroland Readers' Poll Winner
The readers of The Metroland have voted in "Best of the Capital Region 2005 Readers' Poll". Velmas guitarist Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler is still a Best Local Celebrity With Whom You'd Like to Have a One-Night Stand! Love you long time.
6.17.05
Studio Journal
Bruce and Harv are back off to Chameleon West Studios to work on our next album again this weekend. Be sure to check out the V-Log for our Studio Journal this weekend. We'll try to update it each night after our session. Rock on!

www.thevelmas.com/forum

8.31.05
Help Us Help The Hurricane Victims
In light of the terrible destruction from Hurricane Katrina, all of us want to do something to help out with the relief effort. For our part, The Velmas, in conjunction with CDBaby.com, are donating 100% of our proceeds from CD sales made on CDBaby.com to the Red Cross disaster relief fund.

From today until September 15, all of the money raised from these sales will be donated directly to the Red Cross. So if you haven't yet picked up "Another Day at School" or "Recess", now would be a great time. You'll be doing a good deed while getting some great music. I'm also donating the money from my solo acoustic CDs, "Scales" and "Wrote Myself", the same way.

View The Velmas CDs here:
http://cdbaby.com/all/thevelmas

View all the Mike Grosshandler CDs here:
http://cdbaby.com/all/mikegrosshandler

8.4.05
Metroland Readers' Poll Winner
The readers of The Metroland have voted in "Best of the Capital Region 2005 Readers' Poll". Velmas guitarist Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler is still a Best Local Celebrity With Whom You'd Like to Have a One-Night Stand! Love you long time.
5.16.05
Recess on iTunes!
Recess is now available for digital download on iTunes.
Another Day at School
5.2.05
Video Clip
The V-Log has a few new entries in it from this past weekend. Also check out the new video clip of Bruce and Fig rockin' out to Cinderella on the Music page.
4.29.05
Studio Journal
The Velmas are off to Chameleon West Studios to work on our next album again this weekend. Be sure to check out the V-Log for our Studio Journal this weekend. We'll try to update it each night after our session. Rock on!

www.thevelmas.com/forum

4.26.05
More Podcasts with The Velmas
The guys at The Spotlight Podcast featured music from The Velmas on their Podcast #17 recently. Go check it out at indiekidonline.com/thespotlight. Check out their other shows, too, while you're at it to discover some great new music!

Not sure what this means? The basic idea with Podcasting is that these people are recording a radio show with our song in it, and instead of broadcasting it on the radio, they are sending it out as an MP3 file on the internet for people to download and listen whenever they want to. K? K. So go download the MP3, and listen til your heart's content!

4.5.05
The Velmas being Podcast!
For those of you into Podcasting, you can now enjoy The Velmas whenever you like on your iPod (or any other MP3 player)! The Velmas are proud to be selected for podcasting on www.music4ipods.com. Check it out.
4.5.05
Mike G. with Butch Walker
Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler will be opening the show for Epic Recording Artist Butch Walker at Northern Lights, in Clifton Park, NY, on May 12. Doors open at 7:30pm. Get your tickets now from Northern Lights, Ticket Master, or Mike.

See www.mikegrosshandler.com for more info.

4.2.05
Out There on the Radio!
The Velmas' song “Out There” will be featured on Fearless Radio’s "The Jerry Riles Morning Show" on Tuesday, April 5, some time between 7 and 9am Eastern Time! Please tell your friends, family, and pets to tune in and listen!

fearlessradio.com is the link you will need to boogie on over and hook up to the net and listen. Rock on.

3.25.05
Mike Grosshandler on the Radio!
Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler's song “Now For A Then” will be featured on Fearless Radio’s "The Jerry Riles Morning Show" on Wednesday, March 30 some time between 7 and 9am Eastern Time! Please tell your friends, family, and pets to tune in and listen!

fearlessradio.com is the link you will need to boogie on over and hook up to the net and listen. Rock on.

3.10.05
Mike Grosshandler Solo Show, Fri. 3.11
Last minute show added! Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler will be playing this Friday, 3.11, at the Larkin on Lark St. in Albany, NY, opening for Wide Awake. Mike goes on at 10pm.
2.18.05
Recess on the Airwaves
The Velmas and Mike Grosshandler will be featured on "Molls Rawks Fearless Radio" Episode 2. The web-radio show is airing every day for the next week at noon, 4pm, and 7pm Central Time (So, one hour later if you're in Eastern). Please tune in!

www.fearlessradio.com is the link you will need to boogie on over and listen.

1.28.05
Finally, Recess!
The highly anticipated new release from The Velmas, Recess, is finally here! You can pick up your copy at any Velmas show. It is currently available for order on Amazon.com, and it should be up on CDBaby.com very soon. Rock!

Metroland mentioned Recess in their new issue as well:

ALMOST FAMOUS - Speaking of new CDs, the Velmas released what they are calling a double EP (half of the songs are previously unreleased tracks and half are tracks recorded from live shows) on Dec. 28. The new CD, called Recess, includes the song “Restless, Restless,” which was selected out of thousands of entries as one of the top 20 finalists on Howard Stern’s much-publicized “Restless, Restless” contest—they even had a clip of their song played on Stern’s radio show last summer.
1.17.05
Mike G. with for Michael Tolcher
That's right, kiddies. Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler will be opening for Octone Recording Artist Michael Tolcher at Northern Lights on Sunday, January 30th. Doors open at 7pm, and you can get tickets at Northern Lights, Ticketmaster, or from Mike. See www.mikegrosshandler.com for more info.
1.05.05
Wrote Myself in Top 20 Albums of 2004
Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler's second solo acoustic CD, Wrote Myself, placed in the Top 20 Albums of 2004 on the Rkstar.com poll. Thanks to everyone who voted!
12.24.04
Compilation CD
The LakeFX Radio compilation CD, "Best of 2004", is out now, and features The Velmas' song Sun! Check out www.lakefxradio.com for more information on how to pick up a copy of this CD.
12.22.04
Benefit Concert
The Velmas will be performing in a Benefit Concert for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The show is Thursday, January 13, from 7pm - 11pm, at Northern Lights in Clifton Park, NY. Also performing will be Sirsy, Sean Rowe Project, The Shameless Saints, and Transfer. This should be a great show, and it's for a great cause.

Tickets are $6 in advance or $8 at the door. It is an all ages show, but under 16 will be permitted only with a guardian. Come rock out and do a good deed at the same time!

12.22.04
Recess!
The Velmas' new "Double EP", Recess, will be available soon! Recess features a couple of "pre-mixes" of brand new Velmas songs from our upcoming full-length album, as well as some various studio and live tracks we've recorded over the last couple years.

We're still recording tracks for the next full-length CD, and plan to release that in the summer of 2005.

11.07.04
Harvey on the Radio Again
Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler's radio interview on The Edge's "15 Minutes of Fame" has been rescheduled for Sunday, 11.28.04. The show airs at about 11pm, so please tune in!
11.07.04
Bruce - Back In Schools!
Bruce will be performing at many drum clinics in 2004-2005. Most of the clinics will be in schools. The focus is to educate young drummers. The first clinic was held Nov. 5th at Little falls school district.

"I'd like to thank Ms. Luczynski's students for being such a great audience."

You may keep track of the Clinic tour by going to the message board and clicking on "Bruce's Drum Clinics". Bruce is working with Sonor Drums now. Next stop - Johnstown High School.

10.19.04
Harvey on the Radio Again
Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler will be doing another radio interview! This time with Joe Mama on the show "15 Minutes of Fame" on The Edge 103.5/103.9 in Albany, NY. The show will air on Sunday, 11.21.04. The show airs at about 11pm, so please tune in!
10.16.04
Acoustic CD Release Party
The upcoming acoustic show with Harvey and Bruce on Friday, 10.29.04 at The Taproom at Brown's Brewing Co. (Revolution Hall) will be the Official "Wrote Myself" CD Release Party. Come rock out acoustic-like and pick up a copy of my Mike's new CD!
10.12.04
More Harvey on the Radio
Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler will be doing an interview with Jason Keller on the show "Big Break" on The Channel 103.1 (WHRL) in Albany, NY. The show will air Sunday, 10.17.04, at 8pm. Tune in and check out a couple of tracks off his upcoming acoustic solo CD, Wrote Myself.

Later that night, "EQX-Posure" on 102.7 (WEQX) will be playing the title track off Wrote Myself! That show is on from 11pm til midnight. Call and request more Mike Grosshandler so they keep playing it!

10.05.04
New Video
The Velmas will be spending this weekend back in the recording studio, working on our next album. Now, you can relive the glory of our first session at Chameleon West Studio from April 2004! Figaro put together this masterpiece, and now we're sharing it with the world.

Check it out now!

9.30.04
New EP Update
The Velmas are currently working on putting the finishing touches on our upcoming EP, to be titled "Recess". We can't wait to get some new music out there for everyone, we know it's been a while!

Recess is going to feature a couple of "pre-mixes" of songs from our upcoming full-length album, as well as some various studio and live tracks we've recorded over the last couple years. We're still recording tracks for the next full-length CD, and plan to release that in the spring of 2005.

9.13.04
FallFest Rocked!
We had a great time at UAlbany FallFest this Sunday. Thanks to everyone that made it out for our early slot! We've got a bunch of pictures from the show, and with Collective Soul after. Check out the Photos section!
9.11.04
FallFest time slot
We just got word of our stage time at UAlbany FallFest '04, on Sunday 9/12. We'll be taking the stage as early as 12:30pm, or possibly 1:15, so make sure you get there early if you're coming! Collective Soul plays around 4pm.
8.11.04
Harvey's Birthday Bash in NYC
On Saturday, August 28, The Velmas will be tearing it up at the Pussycat Lounge (96 Greenwich St.) in New York City at 10pm! We'd love to see every single one of you out there to party with us!
7.22.04
Metroland Readers' Poll Winner
The readers of The Metroland have voted in "Best of the Capital Region 2004 Readers' Poll". Velmas guitarist Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler is the #1 Best Local Solo Musician, and apparently, a Best Local Celebrity With Whom You'd Like to Have a One-Night Stand!
7.19.04
Howard Stern played The Velmas!
Howard Stern played The Velmas' entry for the "Restless, Restless", a contest on the Howard Stern Show! Check out a clip from the show where he said he "thought this was pretty good!". Awesome! Our entry made it to the final 50 or so, but somehow wasn't selected for the top 3. But we'd still like to get on Howard's show. So we're asking Everyone to please call (1-800-44-STERN) or e-mail the Stern show and tell them that The Velmas' version is the best one and that we should be on the show! ROCK!

You can hear The Velmas' entry here.

7.07.04
The Velmas on Howard Stern?
Last week, The Velmas went into the studio to record "Restless, Restless", a new song for this Howard Stern Show contest.

The basic idea for the contest is this: Some guys on Howard's show wrote some really cheesy song lyrics like 22 years ago. They're now having a contest to see who can make them into the best song. We had to use their lyrics, so Bruce took them and wrote a killer tune, and it came out awesome! Harv wound up singing lead on it, and Bruce played a couple guitar parts, too. It's a fun tune.

Hopefully the folks at the Howard Stern show will like it enough to play it, but either way, we've got a copy of it in the Music section for everyone to hear! And please, if you like it, call (1-800-44-STERN) or e-mail the Stern show to request that they play our great version!

6.23.04
Eat a Big Mac, Get Free Velmas Music
You've all seen that Sony/McDonald's promotion. You buy a Big Mac Extra Value Meal and you receive a coupon code for a free download on connect.com. Now, The Velmas album Another Day at School is available on that site, so please use your codes to download lots of our music!
6.17.04
The Velmas on iTunes
The Velmas are now officially on iTunes, the world's largest music download site. Another Day at School is available there for digital downloads.Check it out!
Another Day at School
6.10.04
Rock Solid Pressure
In April, The Velmas were declared Grand Prize Winners on Rock Solid Pressure. This web-based radio show is going to be relocating from CT to FL soon. This coming Wednesday, 6/16/04, is their last show in this format. (I got the dates wrong last week!) So they've invited The Velmas to call in for the show.

Everyone tune in Wednesday night to hear us at 8:18pm (Eastern Time), which is when we're scheduled to be on the air, for about 2 minutes! So make sure you get the show playing before then and you don't miss us! To listen anywhere on the internet, visit this site:

cyberstationusa.com
Click "On Air" to listen. Rock on!
6.07.04
Rock Solid Pressure
In April, The Velmas were declared Grand Prize Winners on Rock Solid Pressure. This web-based radio show is going to be relocating from CT to FL soon. This Wednesday, 6/9/04, is their last show in this format. So they've invited The Velmas to call in for the show.

Everyone tune in Wednesday night to hear us at 8:18pm (Eastern Time), which is when we're scheduled to be on the air, for about 2 minutes! So make sure you get the show playing before then and you don't miss us! To listen anywhere on the internet, visit this site:

cyberstationusa.com
Click "On Air" to listen. Rock on!
5.28.04
Pu1se Radio Airplay
Pulse Radio, a web radio station out of the UK, has added to their station music from The Velmas, and from Velmas guitarist Mike Grosshandler's solo acoustic CD. The Velmas tracks will be played on their rock show called 'It's Only Rock n Roll’ and the Mike Grosshandler tracks will be played on their indie show called 'Anyone Can Play Guitar'. Tune in at www.pu1se.com!
5.24.04
XM Radio Airplay
The Velmas' song "Clue" was the 7th most played song on XM Radio Channel 52 last week. Please keep those requests coming for more Velmas on XM Radio! Listen to XM Radio Channel 52 to hear The Velmas on "Unsigned".
5.20.04
Poll Winners!
Thanks to you guys, The Velmas were chosen as the #2 "Best Development on Local Arts Scene". in Albany2Go.com's Best of The Capital Region 2004 Poll. Sweet! Thank you for voting for The Velmas!
4.27.04
New Songs
The Velmas headed out to Buffalo, NY, this past weekend to begin work on the next Velmas album! We worked with Marc Hunt (Goo Goo Dolls) at Chameleon West Studios, and the new songs sound awesome. We can't wait to head back out to finish mixing them. Check out some photos from the sessions in the photos section.
4.15.04
XM Radio!
The Velmas are pleased to announce we've been selected to be on XM Radio. You'll be able to hear The Velmas on Channel 52, "Unsigned".
4.08.04
Grand Prize Winners!
Thanks to everyone who voted for The Velmas on Rock Solid Pressure this week! Because of you, we won the final round, and the Grand Prize! You guys/girls rule.

Read more about the contest here.

3.31.04
Rock the Vote!
The Velmas are honored to be a part of the Rock the Vote movement! We were asked by Roc-A-Fella Records (Jay-Z's label) to perform and stir up awareness for this great cause to get young Americans out to Vote.

We will be performing with tour headliner Samantha Ronson, at the Bayou Cafe Downtown in Albany, NY on Wed., April 7. The show starts between 9PM and 10PM after the Godsmack show at the Palace. It's 18 and up, so come out and get yourself registered to vote, and rock out!

3.31.04
Winners Again!
Thanks are again in order! The Velmas once again were victorious on Rock Solid Pressure! Now that we've taken Round 3, we're up one last time next week for Round 4 on Wednesday, 4/7. If we win four weeks in a row, we get some cool prizes, apparently. You can read more about the contest here.
3.23.04
Winners!
Thanks to everyone who voted for The Velmas on Rock Solid Pressure last week. Thanks to you, we won round 1!

Now, we'll need your support again this week (Wednesday, 3/24/04), as we go for our second win. If we win four weeks in a row, we get some cool prizes, apparently. You can read more about the contest here.

3.12.04
More In-Stores!
Our January In-Store performance in Albany went so well, we were asked to do some more! Up next? Cambridge, MA and Syracuse, NY!

On Saturday, March 27 from 1-2pm, The Velmas will be at the Strawberries @ 750 Memorial Drive in Cambridge, MA.

On Saturday, May 8 from 2-3pm, The Velmas will be at the FYE in Carousel Mall in Syracuse, NY.

We will be performing acoustic sets at both shows and hanging out afterwards for a Meet & Greet, signing CDs and the like. Both of these events are open to the public, so please come out and rock with us!

2.19.04
The Velmas on a Tribute
In November '02, The Velmas stealthily took to recording a song for an upcoming Tribute CD to the band For Squirrels. We've just gotten word that the Tribute, titled "Milk from a Fountain", is actually going to be released relatively soon! There was an article about this on CMJ a while ago, check it out.

Here is the final tracklisting:

Milk From A Fountain: A Tribute To For Squirrels

Flagboy - Arlan Feiles
Go On Up - Screaming Madison
Kill the Birds - Mary Karlzen
R.O. - Diane Ward
8:02 PM - John Kuge
-ORANGEWORKER - THE VELMAS
Superstar - Eric Alexandrakis
Mighty K.C. - Stacy Smith
Under Smithville - Loyal Frisby
Long Live the King - Suburban Tragedy
The Immortal Dog and Pony Show - SAM ONE
Stark Pretty - Hospital Grade
Eskimo Sandune - Robert Hernberger
Burning Coals - Dancing Rocks
Under Smithville - Scott Roberts
Tribute To - Mark Vigliatura

1.26.04
In-Store!
A big thanks to everyone who helped make our first In-Store at FYE this Friday a great success! We had a great time, and everything was awesome. Sweet.

Photos from that event are up in the photos section, with other shows from this past weekend.

And, we've got a copy of the Fox 23 News clip that ran that night! Check it out in the Multimedia section!

1.6.04
In The Mall
We've rescheduled our first In-Store! The Velmas will be at FYE in COLONIE CENTER in Albany on Friday, January 23rd from 6-7pm!

We'll be performing, live, and acoustic-like, as well as signing copies of Another Day at School, and kissing babies. This is in conjunction with The Edge and FYE. Come say hello, bring your CD, or come buy a copy at FYE!

Click here for flyers for this event!

12.29.03
Free MP3 Download!
Available now, exclusively here on thevelmas.com, you can download the Radio Edit of "Sun"! Visit the Multimedia section for the link.
12.15.03
Radio!
Due to poor weather on Sunday, 12.14.03, we ended up having Bruce call in to 103.5/103.9 The Edge instead of us driving out to the station for our interview on "15 Minutes of Fame". Missed it? Here's the MP3:

Broadband
Dialup

We'll be back on The Edge in January to play live on the air, so stay tuned!

12.12.03
FYE Postponed
We just found out that our In-Store at FYE in Colonie Center scheduled for December 17 has been postponed. Fear not, it will still be happening - AND - we'll actually be able to perform in the store as well! The reschedule date will be some time in January. Once we get a firm date, we'll let everyone know.
12.09.03
Hats and Shirts
Online Holiday Special on Velmas Shirts and Hats! Order 1 clothing item in December, get another at 50% off!

And we've finally got some photos of Velmas clothes! Check out the Merchandise page to see the new Velmas Hats and Girlie T-Shirts! They make great Holiday Gifts... More actual photos of other shirt styles are on the way.

12.08.03
Bruce and Shania!
There's more photos from Bruce's triumphant Shania Twain/Pepsi Arena event here. They're kinda blurry, but you can make out his Superman shirt just fine! Sweet.
12.02.03
Radio!
The Velmas will be featured on The Edge in Albany (103.5/103.9) on Sunday, December 14 at 11:20pm on their show "15 Minutes of Fame". Be sure to tune in, I think we'll be performing live, in addition to being interviewed and playing songs from ADAS.
11.14.03
Harvey's Solo Stuff
Velmas guitarist Mike "Harvey" G. has launched a new website dedicated to his solo acoustic material, check it out! How exciting!

www.mikegrosshandler.com
10.17.03
Win Vertical Horizon Tickets!
Albany Velmites! Listen to 93.7 K-Rock all day Friday, 10/17, for your chance to win free tickets to our Sunday 10/19 show with Vertical Horizon! We hooked K-Rock up with a bunch of tickets to give away, and they'll be doing it throughout the day. 518-690-9370 is the studio number, so listen up, and when they announce the contest, be the right caller to win. Good luck! Even if you don't win, you can still buy tickets from us, or Ticketmaster, or at the door.
10.13.03
Bruce and Shania!
On Saturday, 10/11/03, Bruce auditioned to be one of 12 drummers to perform on stage with Shania Twain at The Pepsi Arena in Albany, NY. Bruce and long time friend Tom Bleyl were the first two drummers selected during auditions to perform "(If You're Not In It for Love) I'm Outta Here" with Shania and her incredible band. Check back soon for more photos from the show and Bruce's v-log entry talking about his fantastic experience!
10.09.03
New Show
The Velmas have added a new show, next Wednesday night, 10/15, from 8-11pm. We'll be playing with Stood Up and Public Access at O'Leary's Coffee House on the Siena College campus.
10.01.03
Vertical Horizon!
The Velmas will be opening for Vertical Horizon! It's happening at Northern Lights in Clifton Park, NY, on Sunday, October 19! The doors open at 7:30pm. If you're going to be getting tickets, please get them from us! Email us for ticketing info.
10.01.03
All-Ages Show!
On Thursday, October 30, The Velmas are throwing an All-Ages Halloween Bash! It's happening at the Upper Deck in Gloversville, with The Velmas, Dewpoint Blank, and more bands TBA. Doors open at 6:30, and the show is from 7-9pm.

We made a flyer for this show, check it out on the multimedia section. Feel free to put these up all over your town!

Take a look at the Tour page to see where The Velmas will be this Fall and Winter!

08.19.03
Kicking off Larkfest 2003!
We're very excited to announce that The Velmas have been asked to perform at this year's Larkfest! It's happening on September 13. We asked to go on first at 11:45am, so please get there early! There will be a whole day of great music including our friends Sirsy and Funkshop Loomis, so come out and enjoy what the best of what Albany has to offer.
08.05.03
Bruce and American Idol
Well, sorta. Bruce joined American Idol 2 finalist Vanessa Olivarez for a benefit show for the YWCA on Saturday, August 2nd. Bruce switched gears from his usual place behind the drums to play percussion, rhythm guitar and sing backing vocals for Olivarez's "unplugged" set. Bruce was joined by lead guitarist Scott Morrison to supply the music for Olivarez's soaring vocals. A video clip will soon be up on the site.
07.18.03
Metroland Winners!
The results are in for this year's Metroland Readers' Poll! Thank you to everyone who took the time to vote. The Velmas, for the second year running now, were selected by readers of Metroland as one of the region's "Best-Kept Secrets"! Also, Velmas guitarist/singer Mike "Harvey" Grosshandler was voted as #2 Best Local Solo Musician! Sweet!
07.18.03
Live On-Air!
On July 17, The Velmas hung out on the air with JR and Mary on K-Rock 93.7 in Albany! We played a few songs live and acoustic-like in the studio. If you didn't catch it, fear not! We're working on getting a tape of it online for your listening pleasure.
06.26.03
Connecticut!
Attention, CT Velmites! This Sunday, June 29, The Velmas will be performing at the Epic Records New England Battle of the Bands and Expo! It's happening at Stage East (1022 East Main Street), in East Hartford, CT, from 2pm til 1am! The Velmas should take the stage at about 4pm. After the band performs, hang out to watch Bruce as he competes in the Battle of the Drummers! For more information, visit Rock Explosion.
06.23.03
K-Rock-A-Thon!
Come see The Velmas at the Budweiser K-Rockathon! The Velmas will be headlining the "JR Stage" this year as Moe. headlines the main stage! It's happening on Sunday, July 27th @ the Altamont Fairgrounds.

Tickets are on sale now at all Ticketmaster outlets, Charge-by-phone and Ticketmaster.com and Last Vestige Music Shops (no surcharge) 173 Quail St. Albany and 437 Broadway Saratoga. Gates open at Noon, show starts at 1pm 93.7. K-ROCK has more info at www.krock.com.

05.28.03
New Video!
We've got some footage from our 5/22/03 appearance at Arlene Grocery in NYC! Visit the Multimedia section, and check out the video of Sun! Thanks to Dalila from www.RockStarPix.com for taping this!

Also, visit www.RockStarPix.com and check out the great photos she took of our set.

05.06.03
Harvey and Bruce Unplugged
This Thursday night, May 8th, from 8:30pm to 11:30pm, Harvey and Bruce will be performing a special acoustic show at The Bayou Cafe in Scotia. Come check it out!
04.18.03
Harvey's Solo CD
"Beautifully layered harmonies over intriguing acoustic guitars."

Velmas Guitarist/Singer Mike G. (a.k.a. "Harvey") is proud to announce the release of his first solo CD, "Scales"! It's all acoustic, recorded and produced by Mike himself, featuring 11 original tracks and one cover. Hear the original versions of Mike's Velmas songs!

Listen free: www.mp3.com/mikegsolo

Buy it online at: www.cdbaby.com/mikegsolo
or: www.amazon.com

If you'd rather get it in person, Mike will be throwing his CD Release Party, Tuesday, May 13, from 8-11pm at the Larkin, in Albany, NY. He will be performing solo, acoustic, doing songs from his CD and some of his favorite covers. Our friend John Brodeur will be opening this show.

04.07.03
Try, Try Again...
Thursday night, April 17, The Velmas will be performing in the Semi-Finals for The Most Original Band Contest with Coors Original and Channel 103.1! It's going on at Valentine's in Albany, NY at 8:30pm! We will be performing with 4 other top local bands, competing for the chance to open up Big Day Out 3 this summer. Please come out and support The Velmas!

Audience participation will play a large role in the judging, so we need each and every Velmite out there in their Velmas shirts, screaming and dancing! The show is sponsored by Coors, so it's 21+...

04.02.03
Big Day Out?
WHRL, The Channel 103.1, has an online voting poll where you can vote for bands you want to play at Big Day Out 3 this summer. Please vote for The Velmas!!

www.channel1031.com/events/2003/bdo/vote_bands.html

03.28.03
The Velmas Take Manhattan!
The Velmas are pleased to announce our first show in New York City! On May 22nd, at 7pm, The Velmas will take the stage at the renowned club, Arlene Grocery.

Since this will be our first time playing down in the City, we'd love to make a huge impression and pack the place! So if you live anywhere near NYC, consider this your rally call! Bring your friends! Bring your Muppets!

03.28.03
Top Ten!
SanctuaryRadio.net chose "Out of the Hole" by The Velmas as #4 in the First Annual Sanctuary Radio Top 10 Awards! Go check out the great site Andy Gallo has going on there at SanctuaryRadio.net.
03.17.03
Another Day Rocks!
The Velmas were recently given the opportunity to have some of our music used in a multimedia presentation by GeoData Plus, LLC, "The Premiere Information Solution in Real Estate Technology." They needed some "upbeat exciting music" - we were all too happy to oblige. This presentation will be seen by hundreds of companies in the Real Estate business at a big trade show in Atlantic City this coming week.
03.09.03
Bruce Drum Clinic
"Friends of Performing Arts" have asked Bruce to teach and perform at a percussion workshop being held at the Broadalbin-Perth School in Broadalbin, NY. The first half of the workshop will focus on concert band percussion and will feature Scott Stacey, a percussion teacher from Schenectady Community College. Bruce will teach and perform during the second half of the workshop, which will focus on drum set techniques. Bruce will also discuss live and studio drum set performance. The percussion workshop will be April 12th. Registration will be at 9AM and the workshop will begin at 9:30AM.

The percussion workshop is open to the public. The entrance fee is $7 per person for the general public and $5 per school student. There is a sign up form that can be printed and mailed in on the Friends of Performing Arts site: http://friendsofthearts.tripod.com Check him out!

03.01.03
Watch and Listen!
We have some new Video! Ed Lakata was nice enough to tape part of our show 2/22 at The Upper Deck, and sent us the edited video! He included several segments from a few songs, and Out of the Hole in its entirety! Bruce came up to the front of the stage for this one, with The Flying Bobbz' Ricky Little filling in on drums. There's also a famous Bruce drum solo in there! It's up on the multimedia page.

Also, on Feb. 14th, Fox 23 News aired a segment on The Velmas! Check out the multimedia page, and click on "Video"! There are 4 clips, including 3 short teasers, and the full news segment. It's awesome!

Also, this Sunday, Feb. 16th, The Channel 103.1 aired the latest Velmas appearance on Big Break. We've got a copy of it already up on the site, on the multimedia page!

02.12.03
The Velmas on the News
This Friday, Feb. 14th (Valentine's Day) everyone near Albany tune in to Fox 23 News at 10:30PM. They will be airing footage from our upcoming Interview, and they will show footage from our show on 2/1 at The Bayou Cafe in Downtown Albany!
02.10.03
New Site!
Check out our new site! Harvey spent mucho time getting this site redesigned, so take a look around! Things are still settling into place, so if something seems weird, please let us know!
01.29.03
Listen to WICB
The Velmas are appearing at The Haunt in Ithaca, NY on February 8th! WICB 91.7 FM in Ithaca will be giving away some Velmas goodies! Listen to Taz on Tuesday nights at 9 on Homebrew! He features local music on his show, and he's got some Velmas shirts and CDs to give away!
01.27.03
All-Ages Show!
The Velmas are headlining the all-ages Winterbreak Concert at The Upper Deck on Fulton Street in Gloversville. It's all going down on Sat. Feb. 22nd from 3-7pm. Also playing are The Flying Bobbz and Dewpoint Blank. Tickets are $5.00 at the door. Doors open at 2pm, first band is on at 3!
01.27.03
Radio Show
The Velmas will be featured on the show "Big Break" on The Channel 103.1 WHRL (Albany, NY). Our segment airs Sunday, February 16, on 103.1 at 8pm. It will also be featured on TV! We don't know the date yet, but within a few weeks, our taped segment will be featured on Fox 23 News.
01.15.03
Benefit Show
We just wanted to give a shout out to a Benefit Concert going on February 15 at Saratoga Winners. Part of the door proceeds will go to the Special Olympics. It's going on February 15 at Saratoga Winners in Latham (www.saratogawinners.com), it will cost $5, doors open at 8, and the bill features Perfect Salesman, Waking, Me Him and a guy named Tim, Supergoat, Dr. Thunder, and special guests. The Velmas unfortunately couldn't make this show, but we wanted to let everyone know about it anyway.
01.10.03
It's a Deal
The Velmas are excited to announce we are working with Nation Jam, LLC. Nation Jam is a Management and Marketing company from NYC. Nation Jam will be distributing Another Day at School to record stores all over the Region, acting as advisor to The Velmas, as well as planning performance showcases in NYC.
01.01.03
YAY!
WEQX Listeners have chosen The Velmas as one of the TOP 5 LOCAL BANDS OF 2002! Thanks to everyone who voted!
12.31.02
CLIMBING
The Velmas' Interview with WHRL from 5.26.02 has reached #5 on the MP3.com Interview Chart!!

Check it out: http://genres.mp3.com/music/reality/interviews

12.30.02
In the Charts...
The Velmas have made it into Rowan Radio 89.7 WGLS-FM's top 15 of 2002!

Check it out: http://wgls.rowan.edu/rock_concert_update.htm

12.11.02
Mainline
The Velmas are proud to announce that we are working in conjuction with Mainline Model and Talent Agency out of Media, PA. Mainline will be representing The Velmas at the IMTA In Los Angeles this January. They will be networking and spreading the word about the hottest new band on the East Coast!
12.09.02
Big Break
The Channel 103.1 WHRL featured "Sun" on the Best of Big Break, airing it twice during the last 3 weeks! Thanks, Jason! The Velmas should be back at the radio station for a new taping of Big Break some time in January. Check back here for details as they come. This time, not only will The Velmas be on the air, but Big Break is also a weekly feature during the 10:30 Friday Night FOX23 News. Sweet.
12.06.02
Review
Albanybands.com recently ran an article reviewing The Velmas and our buds, The Flying Bobbz. Read the article on our new Press page, or at:

http://www.albanybands.com/wacks_archives/12-2-02.html.

11.24.02
Johnstown HS
Thanks to all those involved in bringing The Velmas to Johnstown HS. All of the roadies and volunteers were amazing and a great help. It was an awesome show - the crowd was great, and Dewpoint Blank put on a kickass show.
11.15.02
On the Air in NJ!
Rowan University's WGLS in Glassboro, NJ has been playing The Velmas. Check them out, you can listen Online!
10.30.02
Top 5 of 2002!
K-Rock in Syracuse, NY has been playing The Velmas on Backstage Live. We are proud to say we made it to the #2 place in Backstage Live's Top 5, based on airplay! Thanks, K-Rock! Feel free to email Silent Bob at K-Rock and tell him how much you want to hear The Velmas!