Josh and the Empty Pockets
Encyclopedia
Josh and the Empty Pockets is a pop rock
band hailing from Chicago
. The group is composed of 4 members: Josh Solomon, Nate Bellon, Dan Rosenthal, and Erika Brett Holleb whom they met in a 2007 theater production.
In addition to a Buddy Holly
tribute album, they have released an album
of original songs and a single, "Fall Right Now". The album was well received by critics. The band has toured across the United States from 2008–10.
and lead vocals) grew up in Lincolnwood, Illinois
, playing music with his childhood friends Nate Bellon (bass
) and Dan Rosenthal (drums
). Shortly after forming the band
in 2006, Josh was cast as Buddy Holly
in the 2007 production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Chicago’s Mercury Theatre, which had an extended run. Nate and Danny were also cast as The Crickets
in the show. During the run, the band met singer Erika Brett Holleb (lead vocals), who was a singer and dancer in the show. As part of the production
, the band released a tribute album
called Not Fade Away.
, a rock arrangement
combining "Baby, It's Cold Outside
" and "Baby Please Come Home". By Christmas Day, 2008, Josh and the Empty Pocket's Christmas single "Baby, It's Cold Outside/Baby Please Come Home" reached #51 on the Mediabase
AC
chart playing on radio stations across the United States including over a dozen reporting stations. Early in the 2009 holiday season, the single reached #36 on the Mediabase AC
chart and, of the 29 holiday songs on the top 100 one week, was the 6th most played. During November, 2009, "Baby It's Cold Outside/Baby Please Come Home" was the #1 song played on KQIS
in Lafayette, WJYE
in Buffalo, New York
, and WYYY
in Syracuse
, New York. By the first week of December the single reached #31 on the Mediabase Christmas chart and became yet another station's top played song, WEZF
in Burlington, Vermont
.
– in 2008. In an interview with Phil Ponce
on Chicago Tonight
, Josh explained that the debut album is about growing up and that the title Under the Bed comes from the lyrics “where have the monsters under my bed gone” on one of the songs. All ten of the tracks were placed on the Nickelodeon TV channel's programs iCarly
, Zoey 101
and Drake & Josh
.
The album garnered a positive response from critics. Reviewing the album, Daily Vault staff writer Duke Egbert described their sound as "harmony-drenched," and labeled it "intelligent" yet unpretentious and "well-crafted". Egbert rated the album "one of the better new CDs I've heard this year", and complimented the wordplay of "Missteps," and "Monsters," among others. Illinois Entertainer reviewer Terrence Flamm described the album as "fun rock ‘n’ roll." Michael Capozzoli, Jr., former writer for Billboard magazine, opined "Josh is a young recording artist who writes and sings as if [a]lready an old master of the pop/rock genre", and tipped them as "the band to watch in 2009." Echoing the sentiments of prior reviews, Amy Lotsberg, a music critic and producer of Collected Sounds, wrote "Josh Solomon has a pleasing voice. It’s clear, and easy to understand; which is important because the lyrics are clever." Lotsberg deemed the songs "melodic and interesting", singling out "Let Go" and "Side Effects" for praise.
the single "Fall Right Now" to medium and secondary markets and reached #11 on the FMQB
AC chart. The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song at Sweetwater
studios included with a second previously unrecorded song called "Leaving Jackson" on WAJI's
annual charity CD, a fundraising project for Riley Children's Hospital.
and other monitored stations.
During March and April the single twice appeared on Mediabase
's weekly Taking Off airplay chart, which lists "the Top 50 currents by most new spins, showing detections for the first time". The track reached #77 on the Mediabase Hot AC chart, and #65 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The album was re-released nationwide, to stores as well as online outlets, in April, 2009.
van with shag carpeting and wood paneling, and its Ford
successor, Josh and the Empty Pockets have played many venues
in the city of Chicago, including twice at the Double Door
in 2008–9, as well as playing at various restaurants, theaters and bars in its suburbs. In June, 2009, the band played at Chicago's Millennium Park
restaurant Park Grill
at the WTMX
-sponsored Party in the Park event, returning in July, 2010.
on the Sapphire Princess
cruise ship. After Mexico, the band toured the United States playing in places such as Louisville, Kentucky
, and locations across the Midwestern
and Northeastern
United States. In March, 2009, the band played at the South by Southwest
(SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas
.
, and at venues across the South Central
and Southeastern
as well as East Central and Midwestern regions. In June, 2010, they kicked off the 2010 Concert Series at Evergreen Lake, Colorado, playing songs from their first album, Under the Bed, as well as several unreleased songs. On October 5, 2010, Josh and the Empty Pockets played at the House of Blues
for Michigan Aveneue Magazine
's second anniversay party, which also featured performances by Jennifer Hudson
and DJ Rock City.
Pop rock
Pop rock is a music genre which mixes a catchy pop style and light lyrics in its guitar-based rock songs. There are varying definitions of the term, ranging from a slower and mellower form of rock music to a subgenre of pop music...
band hailing from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The group is composed of 4 members: Josh Solomon, Nate Bellon, Dan Rosenthal, and Erika Brett Holleb whom they met in a 2007 theater production.
In addition to a Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
tribute album, they have released an album
Under the Bed (album)
Under the Bed is the 2008 debut album by Josh and the Empty Pockets. In an interview with Phil Ponce on Chicago Tonight, Josh explains that the debut album is about growing up and that the title Under the Bed comes from the lyrics “where have the monsters under my bed gone” on one of the album's...
of original songs and a single, "Fall Right Now". The album was well received by critics. The band has toured across the United States from 2008–10.
The Buddy Holly Days
Josh Solomon (guitarGuitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
and lead vocals) grew up in Lincolnwood, Illinois
Lincolnwood, Illinois
Lincolnwood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lincolnwood is located at ....
, playing music with his childhood friends Nate Bellon (bass
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
) and Dan Rosenthal (drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
). Shortly after forming the band
Rock Band
Rock Band is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems, published by MTV Games and Electronic Arts. It is the first title in the Rock Band series. The PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions were released in the United States on November 20, 2007, while the PlayStation 2 version was...
in 2006, Josh was cast as Buddy Holly
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
in the 2007 production of Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story at Chicago’s Mercury Theatre, which had an extended run. Nate and Danny were also cast as The Crickets
The Crickets
The Crickets are a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day", released in 1957....
in the show. During the run, the band met singer Erika Brett Holleb (lead vocals), who was a singer and dancer in the show. As part of the production
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
, the band released a tribute album
Tribute album
A tribute album is a recorded collection of cover versions of songs or instrumental compositions. Its concept may be either various artists making a tribute to a single artist, a single artist making a tribute to various artists, or a single artist making a tribute to another single artist.There...
called Not Fade Away.
Baby It’s Cold Outside/Baby Please Come Home
The band added Holleb as their female vocalist before recording and releasing a Christmas singleChristmas music
Christmas music comprises a variety of genres of music normally performed or heard around the Christmas season, which tends to begin in the months leading up the actual holiday and end in the weeks shortly thereafter.-Early:...
, a rock arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
combining "Baby, It's Cold Outside
Baby, It's Cold Outside
Baby, It's Cold Outside may refer to:*"Baby, It's Cold Outside", a 1948 song by Frank Loesser*"Cold Outside", a song by country music band Big House from their self-titled debut album*"Baby, It's Cold Outside", a 1991 short story by Isaac Asimov...
" and "Baby Please Come Home". By Christmas Day, 2008, Josh and the Empty Pocket's Christmas single "Baby, It's Cold Outside/Baby Please Come Home" reached #51 on the Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
AC
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
chart playing on radio stations across the United States including over a dozen reporting stations. Early in the 2009 holiday season, the single reached #36 on the Mediabase AC
Adult contemporary music
Adult contemporary music is a broad style of popular music that ranges from lush 1950s and 1960s vocal music to predominantly ballad-heavy music with varying degrees of rock influence, as well as a radio format that plays such music....
chart and, of the 29 holiday songs on the top 100 one week, was the 6th most played. During November, 2009, "Baby It's Cold Outside/Baby Please Come Home" was the #1 song played on KQIS
KQIS
KYBG is an classic hits formatted radio station owned by Third Partner Broadcasting and serving the Lafayette and Lake Charles area.-History:102.1 signed on in 1991 as Acadia Parish-focused KBAZ with a country format...
in Lafayette, WJYE
WJYE
WJYE is located in the Buffalo, New York area and broadcasts at 96.1 FM. Its transmitter is located in Buffalo.WJYE signed on in 1966 . It currently is owned by Townsquare Media. The station runs a soft rock/adult contemporary format and has had this format since 1988, having previously been a...
in Buffalo, New York
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, and WYYY
WYYY
WYYY is a Lite Adult Contemporary formatted radio station licensed to Syracuse, New York. The Clear Channel Communications outlet broadcasts at 94.5 MHz with an ERP of 100 kW.-History:...
in Syracuse
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...
, New York. By the first week of December the single reached #31 on the Mediabase Christmas chart and became yet another station's top played song, WEZF
WEZF
WEZF is an English-language American radio station located in Burlington, Vermont. The station, while primarily adult contemporary, plays mostly hot adult contemporary/adult top 40 music from the late 1970s through now....
in Burlington, Vermont
Burlington, Vermont
Burlington is the largest city in the U.S. state of Vermont and the shire town of Chittenden County. Burlington lies south of the U.S.-Canadian border and some south of Montreal....
.
First Album: Under the Bed
Josh and the Empty Pockets released their first album comprising original songs – Under the BedUnder the Bed (album)
Under the Bed is the 2008 debut album by Josh and the Empty Pockets. In an interview with Phil Ponce on Chicago Tonight, Josh explains that the debut album is about growing up and that the title Under the Bed comes from the lyrics “where have the monsters under my bed gone” on one of the album's...
– in 2008. In an interview with Phil Ponce
Phil Ponce
Phil Ponce is a Chicago television journalist who hosts Chicago Tonight, a nightly television magazine of news and culture on WTTW 11.Ponce grew up in East Chicago, Indiana, and graduated from Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond. He then attended Indiana University and received a B.A. in English in...
on Chicago Tonight
Chicago Tonight
Chicago Tonight is an evening television news program broadcast weeknights on WTTW in Chicago. Chicago Tonight reports primarily on local news and presents features showcasing local artists and events. The show started in 1984 and for 15 years popular Chicago broadcast journalist John Callaway...
, Josh explained that the debut album is about growing up and that the title Under the Bed comes from the lyrics “where have the monsters under my bed gone” on one of the songs. All ten of the tracks were placed on the Nickelodeon TV channel's programs iCarly
ICarly
iCarly is an American sitcom that focuses on a girl named Carly Shay who creates her own web show called iCarly with her best friends Sam and Freddie. The series was created by Dan Schneider, who also serves as executive producer. It stars Miranda Cosgrove as Carly, Jennette McCurdy as Sam, Nathan...
, Zoey 101
Zoey 101
Zoey 101 is an American television series that ran from January 9, 2005 to May 2, 2008 starring Jamie Lynn Spears as teenager Zoey Brooks, produced for Nickelodeon and syndicated worldwide. The show was initially filmed at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, then at stages in Valencia,...
and Drake & Josh
Drake & Josh
Drake & Josh is an American sitcom that premiered on the Nickelodeon television network on January 11, 2004, which follows the lives of two stepbrothers. It stars Drake Bell and Josh Peck as stepbrothers Drake Parker and Josh Nichols, respectively. Both actors had played roles in The Amanda Show,...
.
The album garnered a positive response from critics. Reviewing the album, Daily Vault staff writer Duke Egbert described their sound as "harmony-drenched," and labeled it "intelligent" yet unpretentious and "well-crafted". Egbert rated the album "one of the better new CDs I've heard this year", and complimented the wordplay of "Missteps," and "Monsters," among others. Illinois Entertainer reviewer Terrence Flamm described the album as "fun rock ‘n’ roll." Michael Capozzoli, Jr., former writer for Billboard magazine, opined "Josh is a young recording artist who writes and sings as if [a]lready an old master of the pop/rock genre", and tipped them as "the band to watch in 2009." Echoing the sentiments of prior reviews, Amy Lotsberg, a music critic and producer of Collected Sounds, wrote "Josh Solomon has a pleasing voice. It’s clear, and easy to understand; which is important because the lyrics are clever." Lotsberg deemed the songs "melodic and interesting", singling out "Let Go" and "Side Effects" for praise.
Fall Right Now
As part of that release, the band promotedRadio promotion
Radio promotion is the division of a record company which is charged with placing songs on the radio. They maintain relationships with program directors at radio stations and attempt to persuade them to play singles to promote the sale of recordings, such as CDs, sold by the record company...
the single "Fall Right Now" to medium and secondary markets and reached #11 on the FMQB
FMQB
Friday Morning Quarterback is a trade magazine which covers the Radio and Music industries in the United States. Its coverage includes programming, management, promotion, marketing, and airplay for music formatted radio. The magazine was founded in 1968 by Kal Rudman and is read by over 10,000...
AC chart. The band also recorded an acoustic version of the song at Sweetwater
Sweetwater Sound
Sweetwater Sound, Inc. is one of the United States' largest dealers in musical equipment for musicians, recording studios, schools, houses of worship, concert sound companies and broadcasters...
studios included with a second previously unrecorded song called "Leaving Jackson" on WAJI's
WAJI
WAJI is a radio station broadcasting a Hot Adult Contemporary format. Licensed to Fort Wayne, Indiana, USA, the station is currently owned by Sarkes Tarzian, Inc...
annual charity CD, a fundraising project for Riley Children's Hospital.
Signing
The group signed with a production/distribution deal label 8th Impression/UMG in January, 2009. After signing, promotion of the single "Fall Right Now" to major radio markets got underway, which saw it receive airplay on a number of Clear ChannelClear Channel Communications
Clear Channel Communications, Inc. is an American media conglomerate company headquartered in San Antonio, Texas. It was founded in 1972 by Lowry Mays and Red McCombs, and was taken private by Bain Capital LLC and Thomas H. Lee Partners LP in a leveraged buyout in 2008...
and other monitored stations.
During March and April the single twice appeared on Mediabase
Mediabase
Mediabase is a music industry service that monitors radio station airplay in 180 US and Canadian markets. Mediabase publishes music charts and data based on the most played songs on terrestrial and satellite radio, and provides in-depth analytical tools for radio and record industry professionals...
's weekly Taking Off airplay chart, which lists "the Top 50 currents by most new spins, showing detections for the first time". The track reached #77 on the Mediabase Hot AC chart, and #65 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The album was re-released nationwide, to stores as well as online outlets, in April, 2009.
Touring
In between touring the country in their 1977 DodgeDodge Ram Van
The Dodge B-Series was a full-size van marketed under the Dodge brand by the Chrysler Corporation and later DaimlerChrysler...
van with shag carpeting and wood paneling, and its Ford
Ford E-Series
The Ford E-Series, formerly known as the Econoline or Club Wagon, is a line of full-size vans and truck chassis from the Ford Motor Company. The E-Series is related to the Ford F-Series line of pickup trucks. The line was introduced in 1961 as a compact van and its descendants are still produced...
successor, Josh and the Empty Pockets have played many venues
Music venue
A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Typically, different types of venues host different genres of music...
in the city of Chicago, including twice at the Double Door
Double Door
Double Door is a concert hall and nightclub located at 1572 N. Milwaukee Avenue, in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood. The venue was first opened on June 12, 1994, and is co-owned by Andy Barrett, Sean Mulroney and Joe Shanahan...
in 2008–9, as well as playing at various restaurants, theaters and bars in its suburbs. In June, 2009, the band played at Chicago's Millennium Park
Millennium Park
Millennium Park is a public park located in the Loop community area of Chicago in Illinois, USA and originally intended to celebrate the millennium. It is a prominent civic center near the city's Lake Michigan shoreline that covers a section of northwestern Grant Park. The area was previously...
restaurant Park Grill
Park Grill
The Park Grill is the only full-service restaurant included in the multi-billion dollar Millennium Park project in Chicago, Illinois. Its outdoor seating area is the largest al fresco dining area in Chicago...
at the WTMX
WTMX
WTMX is an adult top 40 radio station licensed to Skokie, IL in the Chicago market. It is owned by Hubbard Broadcasting.-History:...
-sponsored Party in the Park event, returning in July, 2010.
On the road and sea
In the fall of 2008, the band performed along the Mexican RivieraMexican Riviera
The Mexican Riviera refers collectively to twenty cities and lagoons lying on the western coast of Mexico. Although there are long distances between these cities, they are often referred to as the Mexican Riviera because of their popularity among tourists. Cruise ships often visit three or four of...
on the Sapphire Princess
Sapphire Princess
The Sapphire Princess is a cruise ship owned by Princess Cruises which entered service in 2004. It is one of the world's largest cruise ships, with a capacity of approximately 2670 passengers and is the sixth Gem Class ship built by Princess Cruises....
cruise ship. After Mexico, the band toured the United States playing in places such as Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville, Kentucky
Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...
, and locations across the Midwestern
Midwestern United States
The Midwestern United States is one of the four U.S. geographic regions defined by the United States Census Bureau, providing an official definition of the American Midwest....
and Northeastern
Northeastern United States
The Northeastern United States is a region of the United States as defined by the United States Census Bureau.-Composition:The region comprises nine states: the New England states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont; and the Mid-Atlantic states of New...
United States. In March, 2009, the band played at the South by Southwest
South by Southwest
South by Southwest is an Austin, Texas based company dedicated to planning conferences, trade shows, festivals and other events. Their current roster of annual events include: SXSW Music, SXSW Film, SXSW Interactive, SXSWedu, and SXSWeco and take place every spring in Austin, Texas, United States...
(SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
.
After South by Southwest
Following their SXSW debut, Josh and the Empty Pockets continued touring the country to promote their single "Fall Right Now" playing in cities such as Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
, and at venues across the South Central
South Central United States
The South Central United States or South Central states is a region of the United States located in the south central part of the country. It evolved out of the archaic southwest, which originally was literally the western U.S. South...
and Southeastern
Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, colloquially referred to as the Southeast, is the eastern portion of the Southern United States. It is one of the most populous regions in the United States of America....
as well as East Central and Midwestern regions. In June, 2010, they kicked off the 2010 Concert Series at Evergreen Lake, Colorado, playing songs from their first album, Under the Bed, as well as several unreleased songs. On October 5, 2010, Josh and the Empty Pockets played at the House of Blues
House of Blues
House of Blues is a chain of 13 live music concert halls and restaurants in major markets throughout the United States. House of Blues first location was in Cambridge's Harvard Square. It was opened in 1992 by Isaac Tigrett, co-founder of Hard Rock Cafe, and Dan Aykroyd, star of The Blues Brothers...
for Michigan Aveneue Magazine
Greenspun Media Group
Greenspun Media Group is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Greenspun Corporation.-Properties:*, Vegas' business newspaper.*, an alternative weekly newspaper....
's second anniversay party, which also featured performances by Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Kate Hudson is an American recording artist, actress and spokesperson. She came to prominence in 2004 as one of the finalists on the third season of American Idol coming in seventh place...
and DJ Rock City.