I'm very excited that the Actual Band! has been invited to play at the LaGuardia Performing Arts Center's Music Festival on May 30. It's actually the college where I am a faculty member, but I'm going with they chose us because they like our sound. So, if you're in NYC, more specifically, LIC, on May 30, come on down! Write me for more details!

Hi everybody, I hope you all are doing well. Just wanted to let you know that my EP "Buick Skylark" is available for download at itunes. Just search "John Henry Olthoff" if you don't believe me. Wishing you all the best from the well-swept (well, mostly well-swept) streets of Jackson Heights, John Henry Olthoff

So I played a fairly long set at Hank's Saloon last night. Thanks again to Jeph for inviting me to come on down and play. Thanks to Serge and Kieran (Keiran?) for coming out, and Verena and Chantal as well. And I was real happy to see Nick and Rebecca also. I know it's a lot to ask for people to come out so late on a weeknight to hear just one guy in a funny shirt and a guitar belting out songs that are (intended to be) at least as funny as the shirt. I really appreciate the kind words from Paul, a regular at the bar, who said (and I'm paraphrasing), "I really love your shit, man!" Paul, you're a great dancer, too! Felt good, and I think I sounded all right, too. Broke a string on "Jesus, Dirt Roads, and Whiskey," the D string, the same string I always break when I play that song. I either pissed off Jesus, or Jesus got pissed off at my D string, or my D string just plain hates me and it has nothing at all to do with Jesus... So, to sum up, I guess I have to say this: "Screw you, D String! I never liked you anyway..." ________________________________________ I just heard my song on the radio! I just heard my song on the radio! So I sent some songs to that Tornado Valley Webradio station the other day, and I was tuning in just now, and I heard "Broken-Hearted Vandalizing Antisocial Dumbass Blues," by (guess who) me! Brad also mentioned the message I sent along with the song, that my wife calls the song "Pork Fried Rice." I'm glad he likes my title too. I really want to thank Brad Cole for playing my song(s). I like the other stuff he's been playing, too, but I don't think any of the other songs he plays has Girl Scout Cookies, chinese food or plastic recycling bins in them. Cool! _______________________________________ I received my first reviews from some other site! It's clear to me now that my music is divisive, at least based on these reviews, the first I have received on some website called www.slicethepie.com. If you'd like to go there and review my songs, I think my artist profile is also "actualrabbits" or something. I love the first review--"too country for my likings...needs to get out of the barnyard..."--freakin' hilarious. I did say that I am a country singer--maybe he missed that fairly important detail. But I was telling my wife the other day that we really should move out of our one bedroom co-op barnyard we've been living in. At least my second reviewer thought it was the "funiest" track he/she'd heard in ages. Review: sounds way too country for my likings needs to be upbeat and fresh music to impress the world. Make more relateable music sounds like he needs to get out the barnyard. Review date: 17h28, 12 October 2007 Rating: 8/10 Scout: Review: Hillarious!Funiest track Ive heard in ages.Really funny.

So I played at the Arts Fest in DUMBO last Saturday. I really want to thank Scott, Nick, and Tommy at Casa Nova Studios and of the band Nova Clutch for inviting me to play in their loft. I believe a good time was had by most--anyway, I had a lot of fun. I hope y'all do it again soon.

So I joined this online record label, called Zoomoozik.com. It seems pretty cool; they give you a lot of support and promotion, plus a bunch of banners. I don't think they would have contacted me if they didn't think they could make some money off these old songs of mine, so I guess I'm flattered. Anyway, let's just see where this all takes me. If I can get my songs heard some more and maybe make enough money for, say, lunch a few days a week, I guess I'll be satisfied. So check me out there also! Here are some cool banners: