In the meantime, you won’t find any new content here, so please keep up with us on our Laughing Tree Facebook page (we’re on there far too much, really).

Thanks for being lovely. See you soon, when we’re sparkly and new!

-Jessica

We opened last weekend to two sold out shows on May 29th and 30th. It was great fun, and we’ve gotten some great reviews from our opening weekend:

The Korea Herald (who gave me special mention!)

…The show, directed by expat Margaret Whittum, far exceeded my expectations, nearing professional quality. Held at Roofers, a bar in Itaewon, I could’ve easily been in any of the numerous well-respected community theater spaces that I had frequented in Chicago. Korean friends that I went with said it was better than musicals they had paid upwards of 100,000 won to see…

…Although the entire ensemble was talented, if I had to pick a favorite, Jessica Lofbomm delivers an excellent performance as Olive Ostrovsky, a lonely girl whose best friend is her dictionary. In the beginning of the show, it may have been easy to overlook Lofbomm as each member of the cast shone in their own right, but Lofbomm’s clear soprano and heartfelt delivery was spot-on…

Seoul Style

…Don’t expect to see any small performances on stage for Putnam County. Each character has been meticulously developed. I could not find any wooden expressions and for that I have to tip my hat to the director and cast for the special attention they paid to the details. You are going to find some great characters brought to life by superb performances…

The Three Wise Monkeys

…The six main contestants in  Spelling Bee are well delineated against themselves. And in spite of the usually very true conclusion that the performers of a local theater company spend too much time vamping with each other, this Seoul Players production is able to avoid that and all histrionics from the cast actually goes for telling the story…

We have two more weekends of performances on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm and Sunday evenings at 5pm through June 13th. This weekend is already sold out, and tickets for closing weekend are going quickly. If you’d like to reserve tickets, email seoulspellingbee@gmail.com. More event details are here.

We have created some funny character sketch videos to promote the show. Click here to view them all on youtube.

-Jessica

Now a month later, Adam will be trying on a new role as VJ. He’s stoked. Kachisan will be playing twice tomorrow in Seoul as part of the HBC Fest. They’ll be at the VFW in Haebangchon at 3:00pm and then at Rocky Mountain Tavern in Itaewon at 10:00 pm. Adam will be VJ-ing at both events. If you’re in Seoul, stop by to hear some great rock music combined with cool, atmospheric film manipulation. Here’s the event info.

HBC Fest will have tons of live performances all day and into the night at every possible venue around Haebangchon, so it’ll be more than worth the trip. Here’s the schedule.

-Jessica

Addendum: So, the venues aren’t set up well for the VJ-ing that Adam and the guys envisioned, so Adam is going to join them in a couple of weeks for some gigs in Hongdae. Kachisan is still going to rock it at HBC fest, though, so stop by!

I’d seen and thoroughly enjoyed their videos before, but now I’m a bona fide fan. I really enjoyed the interview (listen here).

OK Go’s most recent video for This Too Shall Pass from their latest album Of the Blue Colour of the Sky. It’s crazy.

Here’s the video that put them on the map back in 2006.

Enjoy.

-Jessica

Hye Sook Jung at Badabie in Hongdae

I am helping Hye Sook record at our home studio and am really enjoying trying on the role of engineer. More songs coming soon.

-Jessica

I though you might enjoy them, too.

My favorite is their take on Beyonce’s Single Ladies:

I just downloaded their original album on iTunes, and it’s great.

-Jessica

The animation for the “Your Car” video is by Soojin Kwon.

-Jessica

I have been so grateful to see the way so many people and organizations with the necessary skills and means have mobilized to do what they can. Our good friends at Sweet Sleep already have relationships with some orphanages in Haiti and had been working there, providing beds since the earthquake Haiti experienced a little over a year ago. This week, Sweet Sleep organized a bedding drive in the Nashville area and collected over two thousand blankets and sheets that are now on a ship to Haiti. Sweet Sleep maintains relationships with orphanages and humanitarian organizations in Haiti, and they’re worthy of your donations.

I’ve also been glad to see businesses that aren’t normally humanitarian in nature step up and do their part. CD Baby is one of those businesses. CD Baby the largest online distributor of independent music, and they’re the primary distributor of both of our CDs. We got an email from them today (read it here), saying that they will donate $1 of their cut from each sale on CD Baby for the next two weeks. Their donations will go to the American Red Cross and Mercy Corps.

So, support indie musicians and buy their music on CD Baby. According to their site, there are 278,510 different albums to choose from, so you’re sure to find something you like. And if you have not picked up a copy of our Laughing Tree Lullabies, Vol. 1, this is a really good time to do it. Like always, we’re donating 10% of our proceeds to Sweet Sleep, and right now CD Baby is donating a dollar to Haiti relief efforts, too.

-Jessica

When I recorded my first album, Tonic, I opened it with a carol, O Come, O Come Emmanuel. Then we moved to Korea, and I started a tradition of recording a carol every year. Since Christmas 2006, I have shared these songs for free as a gift to my friends around the world.

A few weeks ago, my friend Gail shared a gorgeous video of the choir at King’s College, Cambridge singing Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, and I knew that that had to be this year’s song.

Below, you can listen to Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and each of my carols from 2005 to today, and then download them all. They’re a free gift for you to enjoy, so please feel free to share these songs around with your friends and family. I hope you enjoy these songs.

Merry Christmas!

-Jessica

Downloads:
Download Jesus Christ the Apple Tree here.
Download the carols from 2005-2008 here.

Jesus Christ the Apple Tree, Christmas 2009 Jessica Lofbomm
Seoul, South Korea

A Midnight Clear, Christmas 2008 Jessica Lofbomm with Sarah Gautier and Dong-Seon Chang
Seoul, South Korea

Angels We Have Heard, Christmas 2007 Jessica Lofbomm with Zach Bardon
Seoul, South Korea

Peace on Earth, Christmas 2006 Jessica Lofbomm with Nolan Riley and Nathanael Nicol
Paju, South Korea

O Come, O Come Emmanuel, from my album Tonic released in 2006
Jessica Lofbomm with Jonathan Lawson and James Waddell
Nashville, Tennessee, USA

With Laughing Tree Lullabies, Vol. 1, we are donating 10% of the proceeds to support the work of Sweet Sleep. Sweet Sleep builds beds for some of the poorest kids in the world in places like Moldova, Uganda and Haiti.

Last week, when we visited Felicia the beautiful young girl that we sponsor in Moldova, we saw firsthand the lasting good work that Sweet Sleep is doing. Four years ago, Felicia and the other kids were living in dormitories, sharing beds that were from the 1960s and earlier (with the original mattresses… imagine.). Now, thanks to Sweet Sleep, all of these kids have their own comfortable, warm bed.

In a very small way, we are trying to extend that comfort to other kids in need. If you’d like to buy Laughing Tree Lullabies for yourself or as a gift (or both!) visit our shop. You can also donate directly to Sweet Sleep.

Thanks. Enjoy the season!

-Jessica