Henning Goes To The Movies

Henning and Hodgman Go To The Movies

2012-03-08T06:45:00.003-08:00

Henning has an interesting gig this Sunday. He'll be playing songs from "Henning Goes To The Movies" as an introduction to Movie Trivia Madness, a fund raiser for Amherst and Pleasant Street Theaters starring John Hodgman and Bill Dwight.

Even though none of the news pieces about the event mention Henning, we promise, he'll be there. He'll start playing at around 2:30 at Weinstein Auditorium in Wright Hall at Smith College. This all happens on Sunday March 11.

24 teams will be competing in a trivia contest while Dwight and Hodgman riff on stage. We went down and checked out the venue last week and it's a really nice spot.

Learn more about how to attend here: Amherst Cinema: Screen Test

And here's an article about it: Masslive

Henning Goes To a House

2012-03-05T13:00:00.004-08:00

photo by So Many Stars

On Saturday, I played a house concert in Hartford, Connecticut. The concert was the first in a series put on by So Many Stars. I had a wonderful night.

It all started off with a dinner at Luna Pizza. There used to be a Luna Pizza here in my town Northampton, Massachusetts but sadly, it went out of business. When I realized the house concert was just a couple of miles from the Hartford Luna, it seemed like a must. Lesa and I met friends, Debbie and Emily and we each got a pizza. It tasted pretty much just like the good old days.

After dinner we drove off in the wrong direction, eventually made a u-turn, and found our way to the casa de venue. There was no doubt which house it was since the door was adorned with little flashing lights. As we approached with guitar and accessories in hand, a dog barked from behind the storm door. Hello, dog.

We stepped inside and found a comfortable living room that had been filled with rented folding chairs. I made my way up to the front and unpacked and arranged my items and I immediately felt comfortable in the little spot behind the microphone. There were a few people milling around and there was a table with snacks and a cooler of beverages. I met Colin, who was kind enough to bring a small P.A. for the evening. I also met Helder who was operating a video camera for the show. I already knew the host, Julie, who asked me if I needed anything.

As I tuned and arranged my table of CDs, more and more people came in and by 7:45, we decided I should start.

I had planned on playing two sets of seven songs each with a short intermission between them. I introduced myself to the audience, explained Henning Goes To The Movies, and played Joe Versus the Volcano. It felt pretty good, I could hear, I could see everyone's faces, we were getting to know each other. That's when I reached down and introduce the MadLib. The audience was friendly and enthusiastic and provided me with good words through out the night with little to no begging on my part. Ages ranged from, I would say, nine to fifty. This is the set list that I played, I think:

Joe Versus the Volcano
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles
The Year My Voice Broke
Egos, Weee!
Jake and Kim Broke Up (Leave Me Out Of It)
The Straight Story
Logan's Run

Superhero
Amélie
Superbad
We're All Stars (this was a debut)
Levitation
Meatballs
Poltergeist

For both Logan's Run and Poltergeist, I passed out my colored finger-flashlights to the audience and we shut off all the lights. The room filled with colors, some folks tapped the lights in rhythm, others made the lights dance across the ceiling and walls, a few shown them right at their own faces. I loved it.

When Poltergeist was done, it was time for the recitation of the MadLib. The title was "House Concerts". Colin, who I had never met before had graciously agreed to come up and play my guitar for background music as I read the mostly funny finale. He did a great job and overall the MadLib proved to be successful.

During the intermission and after the show I met a lot of new friends. I'm ready right now for my next house concert. Want to host one?

Henning Goes to the Houses

2012-02-27T09:02:00.001-08:00

On Saturday March 3, 2012 - Henning goes to Hartford to play a house concert. There might still be room for you to come! Venture over to So Many Stars to learn more and get a seat now.

So Many Stars makes concerts in intimate, non-traditional listening environments such as apartments, houses, back gardens, and other non-public spaces.

The small scale of a house concert enables the creation of a special relationship between performers and listeners. Rather than struggling to be heard over the chatter and cheer of a public space, performers have direct access to listeners – listeners who have come to the venue for no other reason than to experience what the performer has created.

House concerts are grateful places. Guests and hosts support and encourage performers. Hosts and performers appreciate the presence of guests. Performers and guests honor the effort of the host.

Hope you can make it. Thanks.

Logan's Run

2012-02-05T11:08:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam's G.T. Thomas created this re-imagining of the song Logan's Run. While she kept my vocal and guitar she added all the other instruments and remixed.

Enjoy.

Best of 2012 - LiveWire Awards

2012-01-31T13:22:00.000-08:00

Henning Goes To The Movies was named in Masslive and The Republican's Best of 2012 awards.

Henning Ohlenbusch, “Henning Goes to the Movies” – The talented Ohlenbusch from local outfit School for the Dead takes nine familiar films and recreates the personal impact of each in a song. So we get “Joe v the Volcano,” “Poltergeist,” and “Superbad.” Yes, it’s a concept album but don’t feel you need to over-invest in the theme to enjoy. Henning’s writing and gift for melody really carry the day here. The disc is available at rubwrongways.com

You can see the rest of the list here.

Henning's Two Songs from a Loretta Lynn Tribute Show

2012-01-18T12:44:00.001-08:00

Honky Tonk Girl: A Tribute to Loretta Lynn

2012-01-14T09:41:00.001-08:00

Sunday, January 15, 2012
The Iron Horse Music Hall - Northampton, MA

Eilen Jewell Band

Salvation Alley String Band

Rusty Belle

Jim Armenti

The Boxcar Lilies

Heather Maloney

Lesa Bezo

Henning Ohlenbusch

Rocky Roberts and Friends

Valley musicians interpret the music of the legendary coal miner's daughter in our annual January tribute show with proceeds to the Pioneer Valley Red Cross

A Video for Meatballs

2011-12-22T12:38:00.001-08:00

A New Christmas Song

2011-12-07T12:34:00.001-08:00

Coming Home Alone On Christmas Eve by Henning Ohlenbusch

The Perfect Gift for Your Movie Lover

2011-11-18T12:04:00.001-08:00

This is the place to be If you are looking for a unique personalized gift for the music or movie lover in your life.

Now in this season of gifts, we have a special offer. Order "Henning Goes To The Movies" and Henning will include a special note to your recipient.

Once you order, you'll receive an email confirmation and a few questions about the person to whom you are giving this. Also, if you'd like, we can gift wrap and mail the CD directly to the lucky person.

The package only costs $10 and that includes shipping!

Learn all about the album here!

Henning Opens for Bedazzled

2011-11-14T14:12:00.001-08:00

Secret Loft Concert - Holoke, MA - Saturday November 12

2011-11-07T09:32:00.000-08:00

I'll be appearing secretly in a secret loft concert this Saturday somewhere above the streets of Holyoke, MA. The show is part of the Dark Dining Room Series and I'll be sharing the stage with Dennis Crommett and Matthew Larson and the Documents!

Performers:
Henning Ohlenbusch, Dennis Crommett, Matthew Larsen and The Documents

When:
Saturday, November 12, 2011
7:30pm - All Ages

Where:
DARK DINING ROOM
Holyoke, MA 01040

Other Info:
$10-$20 suggested donation. This event is invite only. If you would like to attend, please send an email to matthew@darkdiningroom.com with your name, contact info, and your relation to the host or performer (fan of.., friend of.., family, etc.)

Sssh, don't tell anyone. Hope you can make it. It seems like it'll be a pretty great evening.

Big Show This Friday at Flywheel in Easthampton, MA

2011-11-02T13:02:00.001-07:00

Friday, November 4, 2011 at 8:00 PM Flywheel in Easthampton, MA

DON LENNON
In the early/mid-1990s, Don Lennon served as lead singer of Boston's The Umpteens, who released three cassettes and one single during their brief tenure. Lennon went solo in 1997, knocking out deadpan songs in the tradition of Jonathan Richman or the Magnetic Fields, about topics ranging from standup comics to Dave Matthews to minimum wage employment.

HENNING OHLENBUSCH
Henning Ohlenbusch is a singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer living in Northampton. He fronts the band School for the Dead and is a member of The Fawns, The Gay Potatoes, The Aloha Steamtrain, The Rub Wrongways Caravan of Stars & Sitting Next To Brian.

ORIGINAL COWARDS
Equal parts garage rock stomp & '80s alternative jangle, with some psych/mod influence for good measure.

JASON BOURGEOIS
Featuring Ken Maiuri, playing the classics.

An Instant Song - Snowstorm on Halloween

2011-11-01T07:29:00.001-07:00

On October 29, 2011, the Northeast United States was hit with a crazy out-of-season snowstorm. The heavy snow combined with trees that still had leaves resulted in everybody losing power.

Our annual School for the Dead Frankenconcert was canceled, the house got really cold and dark, cell phone and land lines were unusable.

But worst of all, Trick or Treating was canceled in most towns due to dangers from fallen branches and downed power lines.

When the power came on 36 hours later at my home, I was so happy that I quickly wrote this song.

I uploaded it to Facebook but I couldn't get it on YouTube without wi-fi.Anyway, here it is.

Hope you enjoy it.

By the way: we DID get two li'l trick or treaters: Hulk and Thor.

Northampton Media on Henning Goes To The Movies

2011-10-26T05:57:00.000-07:00

There's a very nice article at the website Northampton Media today about the album Henning Goes to the Movies and the CD Release Show last week. Here's a blurb:

"The compositions that make up the new record are often incisive and sometimes woozy recollections of films that are neither Big Budget Hollywood, nor Art-Theater Staples. Many are modest, slightly dark comedies from which Ohlenbusch managed to pull bits of pathos and alienation."

Read the whole thing and see the pictures here: "Henning Goes To The Movies...and the Bookmill" by Dave Madeloni

U.K.'s Suspend Your Disbelief on Henning Goes To The Movies

2011-10-20T08:35:00.000-07:00

U.K. film site Suspend Your Disbelief has a little piece about Henning Goes To The Movies today.

The gentle tunes often feature a strumming acoustic guitar and the lines remind you of events in the films. From the haunting Poltergeist: "Lightning flashes shadows on my bedroom wall...feels like the thunder is looking for me", to the lyrics of Amelie: "My apartment might seem real tragic. I'm sitting here scheming secretly, part of me dreaming this magic might find its way back to me."

Read the whole article here: Indie Songwriter Releases Album About Movies

New Video for "The Straight Story"

2011-10-18T11:22:00.001-07:00

2011-10-15T07:46:00.001-07:00

Photo by Dave Madeloni

Last night was the CD Release show for Henning Goes To The Movies. The room at the Montague Bookmill was filled up with wonderful people who traveled into the wilds on a rainy night.

José Ayerve kicked off the evening with a lovely set of his songs. The combination of his expressive voice and his crunchy electric guitar is so perfect. I've been seeing him play for over 15 years. He was amazing back then and he only keeps getting better.

I had an excellent time playing my set. I went through every song on the album and I also debuted two new songs. For one of the new songs, "What More Could You Want?", I played my big keyboard, I then stayed there for "Logan's Run", during which we turned off all the lights and handed out little colored ring flashlights to everyone to play with.

We kept the room dark for the next song ("Poltergeist") as well. It was a sweet scene from my angle. The room was dark, little colored lights flashed all around as we could hear the rain and the rushing river outside.

Throughout the evening I conducted a custom-made MadLib. The audience was alert and enthusiastic about providing funny words. Phew. At the end of the night, I read the MadLib with my iphone playing Ken Maiuri's instrumental version of the Figments song "Up".

Thanks so much to everyone who came out to the show. It was a memorable night for me thanks to you.

2011-10-13T20:13:00.001-07:00

The Valley Advocate on Henning Goes To The Movies

2011-10-11T15:10:00.000-07:00

Gary Carra wrote a nice piece in The Valley Advocate about the upcoming CD Release Show. Here's a blurb:

"Though the lion's share of his cinema-inspired CD was spawned by comedic titles including Joe Versus The Volcano, Superbad and Meatballs, the songs they ultimately yielded prove poignant exercises in melody, melancholy and mood-capturing.

Take, for example, Ohlenbusch's nod to the zany travel classic Planes, Trains and Automobiles. "There's a scene in that film where Steve Martin's character suddenly realizes that Del Griffith [played by John Candy] has been keeping his true, sad story hidden from him," he recalls. "When Martin looks for Del, he finds him alone in a cold train station, sitting with his trunk, on Thanksgiving. My song is about that very moment, sung from Martin's perspective."

Read the whole thing here: Nightcrawler: Reel talk: Favorite flicks inspire Ohlenbusch's latest labor of love

Chris Collingwood on Henning Goes To The Movies

2011-10-08T06:40:00.001-07:00

Chris Collingwood had some nice things to say about Henning Goes to the Movies in a recent interview with Seattle's Sea Live Music.

It's a nice interview all around. Here's the blurb about this album, though:

We once got a stern lesson about the differences between a theme album and a concept album during a phone interview with Stephin Merrit of the Magnetic Fields. Given the band’s strong foundation of narrative-driven songs, has Fountains of Wayne explored the idea of doing a concept album… or theme album if we’re being strict with definitions?

I’m curious about what Mr. Merritt said. I read once where he said that when he’s writing an album, the first thing he does is visualize the poster for the theatrical production. I don’t know if that’s a concept or a theme. My friend Henning Ohlenbusch just did an amazing record called “Henning Goes To The Movies,” where he wrote songs about nine different movies that he liked for one reason or another. It holds together incredibly well, maybe because the rules he set out for himself were so strict that it really feels like a single piece.

Read the full interview here: Discussing Blessing, Curses, and everything in between with Chris Collingwood

Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Video by Biran Akey

2011-10-08T06:35:00.001-07:00

Masslive on the CD Release Show

2011-10-08T06:34:00.001-07:00

George Lenker of Masslive wrote a piece about the upcoming Henning Goes To The Movies Cd Release Concert at the Montague Bookmill:

"...the show itself will feature Henning performing and discussing the nine songs and movies from the album, as well as some other tunes from his repertoire. I've heard the CD and it's yet another stellar collection of smart songs from Herr Ohlenbusch.

Also on the bill will be José Ayerve of the bands Spouse and A Severe Joy who will perform a rare solo guitar-and-voice show. As a big fan of José as well, I will say that this is a great combination in a wonderful setting.

The Montague Bookmill is at 440 Greenfield Road."

Read the whole thing here: Movies, CDs and Books Fuel Upcoming Show - Masslive.com

The Valley Advocate on Henning Goes To The Movies

2011-10-08T06:30:00.001-07:00

There's a nice little piece about Henning Goes To The Movies in the Falls Arts Preview of the Valley Advocate. Here's a snippet of what Tom Sturm wrote:

"...The record is more a deep examination of the films' underlying themes and emotions than a straight-up Siskel & Ebert experience, and either way is a great peek into the melodic and instrumentally moody world of the prolific Ohlenbusch."

Read the whole thing here: Film School for the Dead - Valley Advocate

The Year My Voice Broke - A Video by Dennis Crommett

2011-10-08T06:27:00.001-07:00

Henning Goes to the Movies - Promo by Jason Bourgeois

2011-10-01T09:44:00.001-07:00

Henning Goes to the Movies- promo video from junglejasonjr on Vimeo.

Henning at The Iron Horse - September 27 - 7:00 PM.

2011-09-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

Henning was just added to the bill at the Iron Horse Music Hall this Thursday September 27. The show starts at 7:00 (Doors at 5:30) with Henning who will be followed by Burlap to Cashmire.

Tickets and information here: Iron Horse Music Hall

Henning and the Robot Monster

2011-09-27T05:11:00.001-07:00

French Site 'Brain Damaged' on Henning Goes To The Movies

2011-09-19T15:04:00.000-07:00

Here's a little piece on the album at the French site: Brain Damaged

Il aura fallu attendre 2011 pour qu’un album de ce genre voit le jour. Henning Ohlenbusch vient de créer le concept album cinema.

Les fans de pop folk indé doivent déjà connaître son nom. Henning Ohlenbusch vient de sortir un concept album détonnant. Tous les titres sont dédiés à des films qui l’ont inspiré, marqué, voire effrayé. L’Album folk intitulé Henning Goes to the Movies (Henning va au cinéma) propose neuf titres basés sur des films comme Poltergeist, X-Men Orgins : Wolverine, en passant par Amélie Poulain, ou Joe contre le Volcan. Un concept album unique, puisque jusqu’ici, seuls les studios proposaient à des musiciens d’écrire des chansons spéciales pour certains films. De plus, personne n’avait proposé un album entièrement dédié au 7ème Art et son influence sur le travail de compositeur.

Pour Henning ce nouvel opus permet d’illustrer les mécanismes de cette influence : « comme toutes les choses de la vie, l’impact des films est différent d’un spectateur à l’autre. Dans cet album, j’ai essayé d’exprimr à travers ma musique ce que j’ai pu ressentir vis à vis de ces films qui ont marqué m’ont esprit et affecté ma vie. Je me suis imposé une seule règle pendant la conception de ces titres : ne pas revoir les films en question. De cette manière, j’espère faire ressentir à mes auditeurs ce que j’ai pu ressentir en les regardant par le passé. »

L’album Henning goes to the movies est disponible via iTunes, spotify et amazon. Pour plus d’information, voici le site officiel de cet artiste pop/folk psychédélique : http://henninggoestothemovies.blogspot.com/.

Et pour les curieux voici ce que donne Poltergeist, une vidéo musicale proposée par l’artiste, et tournée avec un smartphone. Délirant ! - by Asma El Mardi

BleedingCool.com on Henning Goes To The Movies.

2011-09-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a little blurb about Henning Goes To The Movies at BleedingCool.com:

"At the crossroads between popular music and the big screen is Henning Ohlenbusch and his album Henning Goes to the Movies (available now), every track inspired by a film from Meatballs to Amelie, Joe Versus the Volcano to Superbad. Here’s his Poltergeist number, the video of which should just be white noise, really." - by Brendon Connelly.

Video for Poltergeist

2011-09-18T09:30:00.001-07:00

2011-09-18T09:29:00.000-07:00

Movieline.com on Henning Goes To The Movies:

"Henning Ohlenbusch has more than just one of the most awesome names in contemporary music. He also now has a full-length album of songs inspired by movies. It’s quite the spectrum, too — Planes, Trains and Automobiles, The Straight Story, Amélie, Joe Versus the Volcano, Logan’s Run, Meatballs, The Year My Voice Broke, Superbad and, in an irresistible effort you can hear after the jump, a folk song inspired by that mellow, soothing cinematic bromide known as Poltergeist.

The songs are compiled on Ohlenbusch’s new album Henning Goes to the Movies, which is out now. The “Poltergeist,” uh, “video” dropped today (it’s basically a Vegas water feature shot on and iPhone, but hey — “Poltergeist”!), and don’t be alarmed if it doesn’t quite jibe with your impressions or remembrances of the 1982 horror masterpiece. That’s kind of the point, according to the songwriter.“Like everything in life, movies are experienced differently by each viewer,” Ohlenbusch wrote in a statement just over the transom at ML HQ.

“On this record, I tried to express in music how these nine films impacted me personally. At the outset, I established one rule: I was not allowed to revisit a film until I composed and recorded the song that it inspired me to write. In this way, I hope that each piece genuinely conveys the ways in which each movie has stuck with me throughout the years. […] It was important to me that each of these songs stands on its own merit. For most of them, the listener might have never even known what the inspiration was had the songs not been titled the way that they are.”

Fair enough. You can find the album in its entirety at iTunes, Amazon and Spotify, and there are a few little gems tucked in there. I’m fond of “Superbad” — “”It’s a thought that’s as jarring as the homeroom bells / The next time you see me, I might be someone else” — but you tell me." - by S.T. VanAirsdale

Staff Picks: Henning Goes to the Movies [CD]

2011-09-14T09:58:00.000-07:00

Staff Picks: Henning Goes to the Movies [CD]: Henning Goes to the Movies by Henning Ohlenbusch Please excuse the following burst of textual immodesty... Ahem. As founder and presid...

Promotional Video Number One

2011-09-14T07:16:00.001-07:00

Pulp Truth Review

2011-09-12T05:54:00.000-07:00

The website Pulp Truth recently published a nice review of 'Henning Goes To The Movies'.

"Before this album I knew that films connect with people on a human, real life, level. I write about my experiences and connections with film all the time. But I learned from Henning and his album that just as his experiences are not mine, and mine are not yours, that there is a certain powerful force in sharing our experiences so that others may connect in some way..."

You can read the entire article here: Pulp Truth

This Album Has Been Released

2011-08-24T09:58:00.000-07:00

Henning Goes To The Movies was officially released on August 23, 2011. It's available in CD format right here or for download at Itunes, Emusic, and Bandcamp etc. If you order a CD it'll be shipped first class for free right away.

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It's nine songs about nine movies. We hope you enjoy it!

Follow Henning Goes To The Movies on Facebook and Twitter now.

2011-08-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

It's 2011, is it still okay to release a concept album? Celebrated New England songwriter Henning Ohlenbusch thinks so. "Henning Goes To The Movies" consists of nine songs about nine movies. Ohlenbusch describes the album this way: "Like everything in life, movies are experienced differently by each viewer. On this record, I tried to express in music how these nine films impacted me personally. At the outset, I established one rule: I was not allowed to revisit a film until I composed and recorded the song that it inspired me to write. In this way, I hope that each piece genuinely conveys the ways in which each movie has stuck with me throughout the years."

The nine songs on the album are: Joe Vs. The Volcano, The Straight Story, Poltergeist, The Year My Voice Broke, Planes Trains and Automobiles, Logan's Run, Superbad, Amélie, and Meatballs. Though many of these films are widely considered to be comedies, the songs here are mostly gentle and melancholy, touching on the moving aspects of the films, whether they be sympathetic characters or defining moments. It's a relaxed, friendly record. The songs don't try to push the listener, but rather invite them to settle down for the journey. As the chorus of The Straight Story explains, "I don't care how long it takes. I don't mind how slow it seems. I'll get there."

Ohlenbusch sings all the parts and plays all of the instruments (with the exception of the drums on Amélie by Brian Marchese). The album was recorded, during a particularly harsh New England winter, entirely by Ohlenbusch in his small basement studio, buried under the snow, with just him and his instruments. Some songs feature just Ohlenbusch’s voice and his trusted dark red Guild acoustic guitar while others have full arrangements. Listen for melodicas, glockenspiel, warm synthesizers, electric guitars and basses, pianos, organs, and various little percussion instruments. The production, like the rest of the album is personal and intimate with Ohlenbusch's simple and natural voice conversationally riding on top of the carefully selected instruments.

Most noteworthy, perhaps, is how Ohlenbusch's well-crafted lyricism manages to cut to the heart of each film. Poltergeist: "Nobody's acting like they should in the blue-eyed houses of my neighborhood." Amelie: "My apartment might seem real tragic. I’m sitting here scheming secretly, part of me dreaming this magic might find its way back to me." or Superbad, who's song takes place during one escalator ride (a nod to Nicholsson Baker's novel "The Mezzanine"?): "It’s a thought that’s as jarring as the homeroom bells. The next time you see me, I might be someone else."

Though each song is about a movie, the listener need not be familiar with the films to enjoy the album. Ohlenbusch explains, "It was important to me that each of these songs stands on its own merit. For most of them, the listener might have never even known what the inspiration was had the songs not been titled the way that they are." For those that are familiar with the films, Ohlenbusch hopes to "convey the mood and spirit of the films how I experienced and remember them over time." This explains how a movie as goofy seeming as 1979's Meatballs starring Bill Murray could yield a chorus like "To casually and gracefully interact with others, to naturally and easily articulate my thoughts, this seemingly instinctual trait of human nature, confoundingly has evaded me for the better part of my life. Just to have a conversation, what would that be like?"

Henning Ohlenbusch is an award winning singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist/producer living in Northampton, MA. He fronts the band School for the Dead and is a member of The Fawns, The Gay Potatoes, The Aloha Steamtrain, The Rub Wrongways Caravan of Stars, and Sitting Next To Brian. Henning has been a touring musician with Winterpills and Spouse, performed with Mark Mulcahy and Ben Katchor in The Rosenbach Company, and recorded and performed with Fountains of Wayne's Chris Collingwood.

Performers:	Henning Ohlenbusch, Dennis Crommett, Matthew Larsen and The Documents
When:	Saturday, November 12, 2011 7:30pm - All Ages
Where:	DARK DINING ROOM Holyoke, MA 01040
Other Info:	$10-$20 suggested donation. This event is invite only. If you would like to attend, please send an email to matthew@darkdiningroom.com with your name, contact info, and your relation to the host or performer (fan of.., friend of.., family, etc.)