NEWS ARCHIVE

Please note: my land-line is now gone! My cell number is, and forever shall be:
(847) 809-0808
If you have anything with a "749" in it anywhere, you can delete it permanently!

New sound clips on the CLIPS page!

Fresh from the 2010 "Christmas Tape" (which is neither). Enjoy!

March 18th, 2010

Sad to say, my VILLA VERONE run on Thursdays has ended, after about 5 months. Maybe when business picks up again, they'll have me back. Darn recession...

In better news, my FACEBOOK fan page is gaining ground... and fans! I'll try and post my current events there (and here too). Sign on, and fan me up!

February 28th, 2009

YouTube footage from a Howl At The Moon party in Washington, IL.

Andrew Blendermann, Tony K, and 450 locals having a great time!

February 10th, 2009

Samantha is born!

For more details, head to my Personal page...

January-ish, 2009

Can't wait to meet her...

DESTROY BUZZ LIGHTYEAR!

October 31st, 2008

Halloween is coming! ...and I'll be at Big Shot on Friday, October 31st, starting at the Witching Hour, 10:00 pm.

Friday, October 10th, 2008

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Joliet proudly presents

Ashton Place
341 75th Street, Willowbrook, IL

Join us this fall for something different – and much more fun! Playing for Miracles! Famous for their antics and showmanship at Chicago’s Howl at the Moon, Tony Kidonakis and Andrew Blendermann combine their talents to provide a fun-filled, casual, high-energy, request driven, sing-along, clap-along, dance-along show with their dueling pianos.

6:30 p.m.	Cocktails and Silent Auction
7:15 p.m.	Gourmet Dining Stations
8:00 p.m.	Dueling Pianos Show
9:00 p.m.	Sponsor a Miracle Live Auction
10:00 p.m.	Dessert Table
11:00 p.m.	Auction Checkout

$75 per person – open seating
$750 reserved table of ten

Casual attire, open bar, gourmet food stations and fabulous entertainment!

Please respond by October 3, 2008.
For more information, please contact Sue Kaiser at 815-724-1139 or skaiser@cc-doj.org
Limited seating available.

OFFICIAL FLYER

Friday, May 9th, 2008
After midnight!

I'm at Big Shot every weekend, but this Friday is special - newspaper reporters and photographers are doing a piece on Arlington Heights' nightlife - and I'd love to have a full room to show off! Please come out and support this great new venue, and be prepared to stick around after midnight!

BIG SHOT PIANO LOUNGE & RESTAURANT
2 S. Vail St. - MAP
Arlington Heights, IL 60005
(847) 670-6890

February 2nd, 2008

BILLY BERK'S has decided to discontinue their music program. My last performance was Saturday, February 2nd. I kept the piano warm (and enjoyed the almond-crusted whitefish) for almost two years, and I'm disappointed to see it end. (UPDATE: Billy Berk's has now shut down entirely!)

But when one door closes...

...another one opens! Big Shot Piano Lounge is a relatively new night spot in Arlington Heights, and my debut went so well on February 22nd that they've asked me to play Fridays regularly! All the details are right here:

BIG SHOT PIANO LOUNGE & RESTAURANT

2 S. Vail Ave. - MAP

Arlington Heights, IL 60005

(847) 670-6890

Fridays, 10:00 pm - close

Also two Saturdays, March 8th and 22nd!

October 19th, 2007

BILLY BERK'S has decided to change their music schedule again. I will still be playing there on Fridays, but my last Thursday will be October 25th, from 5:30-9:30 pm.

August 22nd, 2007

MYSPACE!

Yes, I've finally joined the masses in "social networking cyberspace"! You'll actually find more complete information (and sound clips) here, but at least you can be my friend! My page is www.myspace.com/blenderful, so swing by and drop me an invite!

August 8th, 2007

BILLY BERK'S has decided to change their music schedule. I will still be playing there on Thursdays and Fridays, but my last Wednesday will be this week, August 8th, from 5:30-9:30 pm.

March 24th, 2007

HARMONY SWEEPSTAKES
2007 Chicago Regionals

Congratulations to first-place winners NIGHTWATCH!

Check the official Harmony Sweepstakes website for more information about the results.

February 7th, 2007

ADAM TURNS ONE!

And I finally added some more pictures to my Personal page...

BILLY BERK'S New TIME!

To take advantage of Daylight Savings Time (since the sun is only up for about a half-hour), the Powers That Be have decided to start up the music at Billy Berk's at 5:30 pm, and extend to 9:30 on Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30 on Fridays. Hey, I'll be home in time for Letterman! My guess is the start time will shift back to 6:00 when the sun stays up a little longer...

CHICAGO VOICE EXCHANGE - public gig!

Sunday, December 3rd, 2006

2:00 pm

Vernon Hills Public Library - MAP

300 Olde Half Day Rd., Lincolnshire, IL

Holiday music (we might even throw in a Hannukah song...), and the usual CVX a cappella frivolity. Come get all learned with us! (pronounced "LERN-id"...) And it's free free FREE!

July 7th, 2006

BILLY BERK'S website is now active!

www.maxsworld.com/billyberks !

May 16th, 2006

NOW OPEN!

BILLY BERK'S at Old Orchard!

See below for all the scintillating details...

April 20th, 2006

COMING SOON!

A new restaurant! Opening mid-May, in the northern suburbs, and I'll be playing and singing there three nights a week! (At last, a place for all my suburban fans...) DETAILS TO COME!

February 7th, 2006

Adam Paul Blendermann is born!

More details on my "Personal" page

January 26th, 2006

I had a surprise night at Sabatino's on Saturday, January 21st - despite my recent ear surgery (and not playing much jazz for almost three months), it went very well.

About that surgery - people have asked, so I'll share a little detail here. I had a small cholesteatoma in my right ear (basically a mole) - benign, and only dangerous if left alone. It was discovered back in October, during a routine hearing test. I had surgery on January 9th (which explains why my schedule is so empty), with one week of total hearing rest, and two additional weeks of light rest. I actually play my first night back in the club at Howl At The Moon tonight. My hearing is slowly returning to normal, but of course it's not fast enough for me - everything sounds in mono, and when I sing, all I can hear is my own voice (you'd think I'd enjoy that, but no).

No news on the littlest Blendermann addition - when there's a baby report, you'll see it here! (And it'll be a good excuse to update my "Personal" page...)

ON THE HUNT!

Since I'm not playing at Davenport's anymore, I have a little time to play with. OK, November and December will always be crazy, I'm having ear surgery in January, and Shelly and I are expecting a baby in February. But after all that...

I'm going to be constantly looking for a new "home", a restaurant or a bar where I can play, maybe just one night a week. I'd like to find someplace where I can play my full range of repertoire (I love Howl At The Moon, but I don't exactly get to play jazz or showtunes there).

If you know of a good venue, shoot me an e-mail!

THEATER AUDITIONS

I play a lot of auditions for a lot of Chicago theaters and casting agents. When I know of a particular date in advance, I'll post it here.

"Mamma Mia" Auditions for Tara Rubin Casting

Monday & Tuesday, November 7th & 8th

10:00 am - 6:00 pm (Actor's Equity)

LAST CHANCE TO SEE ME AT DAVENPORT'S!
Wednesday, October 26th!

April 24th, 2005

April 24th - my first wedding anniversary! One year down, 99 to go!

Hey, a month from now, I'm gonna be in Disney World!

Friday, March 4th, 2005

9:00 pm - 12:00 midnight

INDIGO

Hotel Orrington - MAP

1710 Orrington Ave.

Evanston, IL

(847) 866-8700

This is a last minute fill-in - I don't know anything about the room, just that I'm showing up and performing!

January 20th, 2005

AUDITIONS for Route 66

January 31st, 2005

The Theater Building, 3:00 - 7:30 pm

Contact them through their website if you're interested in singing with an all-female a cappella group - I'll be playing the auditions....

January 1st, 2005

Happy New Year!

Davenport's

Sadly, my Davenport's schedule has gone from twice a week to only once a week - every Thursday from 7:30 - 11:30 pm. But I'm confident that Thursdays will remain strong, and that either I'll be back playing Fridays in a few months, or I'll have a brand-new venue to tell you about. Watch this space!

I may not be updating this site for a few weeks - I'll be too busy surviving the incredible world of Half-Life 2. I've got a few details on my games page (along with everything else I'm currently playing).

October 7th, 2004

Sorry I haven't updated my calendar in a week - my computer got fried (thank you, Doom 3), so I'm slowly bringing it back to life...

Davenport's

My schedule is back to normal at Davenport's - tonight I'll play my first Thursday in a month!

August 24th, 2004

	Haven't written anything in this space for a looong time - just been too busy enjoying Married Life (plus enjoying a new house and a new extended family). Here's the only worthwhile thing to report:
	Davenport's I'm changing my schedule in September - Howl At The Moon needs me to pull an extra shift for at least a month (we're losing two piano players - ouch), so I've given up my September Thursdays at Davenport's. I'll still be appearing every Friday, and I'm hoping that I'll be able to return my schedule back to normal in October. Watch this space for the latest updates...

April 24th, 2004

Holy Schmagoli! I got married!

See you in May!

Click for Wedding Information

April 1st, 2004

Oh, it's April Fool's Day - what better day to post information about my wedding! I'll be adding to this page a lot in the next three weeks. If you're hunting for specifics, check the wedding page - and if it's not there, e-mail me and I'll post it.

Click for some Wedding Information!

March 14th, 2004

I'll be getting married in under 40 days! We had our (ok, Shelly's - I was just a supporting player) bridal shower on the 14th, to Shelly's surprise. Thanks to everybody who came or sent their best wishes!

Click for some bridal shower pictures!

February 20th, 2004

I'm MOVING! Here's all the new contact information, duplicated on my contact page:

Andrew Blendermann
Blenderful Music
606 N. Wilshire Dr.
Mount Prospect, IL 60056
(847) 749-4994

The phone number will be good as of February 20th, 2004.

January 26th, 2004

We're closing on the new house today! After House #1 (October) was a maintenance nightmare, and House #2 (November) was snagged by an earlier bidder, we're moving forward with House #3! I'll hold off posting the new address until we actually have keys in hand - but until then...

Click for some snazzy house pictures!

November 25th, 2003

Off to DC for five days with the Blendermann clan. Can't wait to focus on just one thing for a few days. When I get back, the Christmas season hits in full force. I'll breathe a little bit between CVX breakfasts and late nights at Howl, and maybe even get a little Xmas shopping done.

"Seeeee yoooouuu.... in December...." (Bye bye, so long, farewell....)

November 3rd, 2003

We found a great house on Saturday - here's hoping we can make this one close. Christmas gigs are coming together. My computer is running. Went to Great America yesterday (in the rain) with a bunch of the piano players from Howl. How is this day different from every other?

October 27th, 2003

These presses have been anything but hot. But here's my attempt to start a daily (don't hold me to that) diary of what's going on in my life.

Yeah, like that's gonna happen.

Well, here's to the best of intentions. My life is kind of all about how much wedding stuff I can get done before the Christmas season hits. And that's right around the corner, me buckos.

June 17th, 2003

After two months of not writing, I figured I'd better update something on this site. So I've added a mailing list page - an easy way to send me your contact information, so I can tell you when I'm playing something special! Or, if you just want to use the form to send me a song request, or something goofy, please do...

April 7th, 2003

Oh, the weather outside is frightful...

...because it's snowing outside! Yeesh! Welcome to Chicago. So I'm bundled up inside for the day, spending hours and hours on:

A massive website re-design! My fiancee, Shelly Jarosz, just put together a new "blender" logo for me, and it's inspired me to overhaul my site! Thus, the new colors, the new doormat, and a host of little graphical changes. Take a look around, and check out the full-size logo in all its glory on my Gallery page.

March 16th, 2003

	The Harmony Sweepstakes was last night, and it was an incredible show! Thanks to all who participated (groups, judges, students, and especially audience) - and I'm already looking forward to the 2004 show! Which, by the way, should be March 27th - put it on your calendar...
	If you get a Wednesday night free in March or April, check out Lucia Spina 's dinner-and-a-show setup. Dinner is at Lucia's Ristorante, and the show is at Davenport's . You can find all the details on her website, www.luciaspina.com .

January 31st, 2003

...and a new year begins, with a heckuva lotta snow, a heckuva lotta gigs, and not much time to update this website. You may have found the "Personal" , "Games" , and "Links" pages by now - those will have scintillating new content as soon as I can find a couple hours to spend on them. In the meantime - look ahead to:
	The Harmony Sweepstakes coming up on March 15th - the entries are all in, now I have to narrow the groups down to 8 or 9.
	Colleen McHugh's new Randy Newman show at Davenport's - every Friday in March. Should be a fun show!

December 21st, 2002

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!

	...and to all a good night!
	Remember - the Harmony Sweepstakes is coming up in March...
	...and also look for a new show at Davenport's with Colleen McHugh!

November 20th, 2002

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

	I'm thankful that I'm working so flippin' much!
	Some changes going on at Davenport's : My Thursday hours have changed. I now start at 7:30 , and play my last song (invariably "One For My Baby...") at 11:30 . So come see me before the back-room show, and stick around after!

October 21st, 2002

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

	Halloween falls on a Thursday this year - and although Thursdays are usually a Davenport's night, this year I'm working at Howl At The Moon on Halloween. Come to the Mooner's Ball!
	(And thanks to everybody who attended the Best Of The Midwest A Cappella Fest. Here's to making it an annual event!)

September 13th, 2002

BEST OF THE MIDWEST A CAPPELLA FEST

Sunday, October 13th, 2002 - 7:00 pm
North Shore Center For The Performing Arts In Skokie

This is an all-star a cappella show that I'm producing. Three major groups from three metropolises (metropoli?), ready to sing and groove and hoopla. I've listed the show on my calendar , but you can find the most information about "BOMAF" on this page.

August 1st, 2002

Starting a massive web-site redesign...

It'll take me a while, but I think you'll find the site easier to navigate. I'm trying to reduce the amount of information on each page, while increasing the number of separate pages. Will that help? Only my focus groups will know for sure...

	Davenport's is back to Thursdays and Fridays - probably 'til the end of time (double-check on the calendar , of course).
	Howl At The Moon is getting more stable - I'll be playing every Friday Happy Hour, plus 2 (sometimes 3) weekday shifts. All the latest updates are on my calendar .

June 10th, 2002

One door closes, another opens...

	Howl At The Moon is now open! So far, my schedule just consists of a couple of lunches and a Happy Hour on June 14th. But as the summer goes on, I hope to pick up a bunch more shifts - all the latest updates are on my calendar .
	Unfortunately, taking on a new project usually means I have to give something up. This time, that means I'll no longer be playing for the singing servers at Embers Charhouse . My last night there was Sunday, June 9th .

May 31st, 2002

Yes, Chicago - there will be a new Howl At The Moon.

It'll be right downtown, in the River North area - next door to Ruth Chris' Steakhouse, and across the street from Sullivan's. Don't know many other details yet (like, when exactly it's opening, or how much I'll be working there), but you can be sure that as soon as I do know, I'll be posting details here. And sending out e-mails. And postcards.

May 24th, 2002

	Not much blazingly new to write about - my Davenport's schedule is pretty stable (Thursdays and Fridays 'til the end of June - double-check on the calendar ).
	Chicago Voice Exchange just got booked for two weekends at Navy Pier, one in July , and one in August .
	And maybe... just maybe... there'll be a new Howl At The Moon in town...

May 10th, 2002

RHAPSODY IN BLUE
at First Baptist Church of Social Circle - MAP

Affiliated with Social Circle High School
Social Circle, GA
Friday, May 10th, 2002
7:00 pm

I'm flying down to the Atlanta area to play one of the greatest piano pieces ever written. My friend Brad Maffett is the band director at Social Circle High School, and he's assembled his students and area musicians to perform an entirely new version of the Rhapsody In Blue - adapted from the original stage-band arrangements.

May 1st, 2002

EMBERS CHARHOUSE is re-opening!
(they've been closed since Easter)
I'll be playing there this Sunday, May 5th,
and every Sunday thereafter!

Two shows added!

COLLEEN McHUGH at DAVENPORT'S
"Songs Of Self-Delusion"
(Music Director - Andrew Blendermann)

SATURDAYS in April, 8 pm - SOLD OUT!
TWO SHOWS ADDED! Saturday, 6 pm, April 20th & 27th

April 21st, 2002

LOTS of weird stuff happening with my Davenport's schedule in May and June. If you're planning to come and see me perform at Davenport's, please check my latest calendar to make sure I'm there!

January 9th, 2002
Holy Crow! My calendar is undergoing severe wackiness for the month of January. If you're a regular of mine, pay close attention: For the rest of the month, I'll be playing at Davenport's on Fridays instead of Saturdays. Then on Saturdays, I'll be playing shows in the back room at Davenport's... ah, you just better check my calendar for all the details. Hope to see you at a gig!

Whoops! Almost forgot - I'm gonna be on TV this coming Friday, January 11th. I'll be on the WGN Morning News (channel 9 locally) sometime between 8 and 9 am, accompanying Brian Lane Green (one of the cabaret performers at Davenport's ) . Probably only a few seconds of on-air time for me, but that's more than I had last year...

December 28th, 2001
My correct e-mail address is up and running! For now and (hopefully) forevermore, use andrew@blenderful.com - thanks, and Happy New Year!

December 12th, 2001
Ecch. Still having problems with e-mail, although my website seems to be working OK now. Temporarily, you can e-mail me at ablender@attbi.com , but I'm hoping that address won't last too long. andrew@blenderful.com should be working soon...

December 4th, 2001
You may have read about the recent shakedown at AT&T @ Home - this is the service that formerly hosted my website. Since @Home went bankrupt, there were a few technical glitches in my website and e-mail services, but everything should be working fine now. If you don't already have it, make sure you are using andrew@blenderful.com for my current e-mail address. (You should not use any address with "@home" in it - and if it has "aol.com" in it, then you haven't written me in a while...) A few days of service outages, and now we're back in business!

October 13th, 2001
One door closes, another opens. I played my last night at Villa Verone on Friday, October 12th. And I'm playing a new night at Embers Charhouse on Sunday, October 14th. So I lost my regular Friday gig, and gained a regular Sunday one. The universe has remained in balance. I'm disappointed I won't be at Villa anymore (I was there almost a year, and the dance floor and the chocolate martinis were unmatched), but I feel comfortable being back at Embers, playing for the singing servers. Besides, it gives me a chance to really do some playing , rather than singing. More gig updates to come...

(And here comes Christmas)

September 25th, 2001
Been trying to return to a normal routine in the wake of the New York & Washington tragedies. My favorite quote is from Bobby Valentine, the coach of the New York Mets (of all people): "If these people [the terrorists] will laugh at the sight of our tears, I hope they cry at the sound of our laughter". It's my job to keep people laughing, and singing even louder now. We shall go on.

(Oh, and I posted a few more sound clips)

August 17th, 2001
AT LAST, AT LAST!
I've been dragging my heels for...ahem...quite a while now, but the anticipation has finally paid off. Here, for your listening pleasure, is a sample of Andrew Blendermann actually performing. And more clips to come....

June 15th, 2001

Finally, there's some changes going on at this fair Website. Note the snazzy new buttons over there on my piano keyboard.... Now all I have to do is figure out how to post my playlists in a database form. Sortable, searchable, and all that other good stuff. Anyone know how to make MS Access and Front Page talk to each other?....

April 30th, 2001

Some interesting changes coming up: In May , I'm playing at Davenport's on Wednesdays *and* Thursdays. The last week of May, Bill Davenport is closing Davenport's during the week so he can sand the floors, clean the drapes, etc etc. (I think he's secretly jetting to Aruba, but what do I know...) Then starting in June, I'll still be at Villa Verone on Fridays, but I'll start playing Davenport's on Saturdays as well as Thursdays. Oh, what will summer bring?

Watch for Chicago Voice Exchange's schedule to fill up as the weather gets warmer....

February 18th, 2001
Hmmmmm............

Somewhere in the course of moving , I seem to have crashed my computer-based address book. I did manage to find a backup file - unfortunately, it was over a year old. So, if you would like to be in contact with me, and you have moved within the last year (or even changed your e-mail address), please send me a note with your updated information. Otherwise, I fear you may be lost forever!

(Isn't there some musical thing I should be working on?....)

January 29th, 2001

DOUBLE NEWS FLASH! I'm moving!

Here's all the new dirt:

Blenderful Music

1830 Knights Bridge #1B

Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

(847) 228-1150

My e-mail address will stay the same: andrew@blenderful.com

More news and info when I'm all settled in....

December 28th, 2000

NEWS FLASH!

Just wanted to quickly post information about New Year's Eve! I've known for a while that Chicago Voice Exchange would be performing in Evanston, but I haven't really known any details about the event. I just found a great website about First Night In Evanston: www.firstnightevanston.org . It shows CVX on the schedule (at St. Paul's Church, Greenwood St. & Maple Ave.) for two sets, at 10pm and 11pm. And there's scads more stuff to do besides. I wish I'd had this information two months ago! If you're looking for something different to do on New Year's Eve (tickets for the whole thing are only $10), come on out and see us!

December 4th, 2000

A slightly new Blenderful era - experimentation with Microsoft FrontPage. I still have a lot of polishing to do, but I think the site will be cleaner. Eventually. Of course, I'm trying to do this in between a heck of a lot of Christmas gigging . Lots of playing in public this year, so please come out and see me! (and maybe I'll even find time to attach some pages to those dead links over there....)

November 6th, 2000
This week's highlights: TWO brand-new venues. Tuesdays at the Empress Casino in Joliet, and some Fridays at Villa Verone in Geneva. (and that's not Lake Geneva, it's just regular old Geneva - on the Fox River) This restaurant is *beautiful* - I've heard the food is excellent, and the upstairs piano bar is exquisite. These are some gigs I'm really looking forward to. If these nights go well, I'm hoping to put a lot more of them on my calendar . If I land something more permanent, I'll be making up those little postcards to send out to my mailing list. If you're not on that (and you don't mind receiving a little postcard every other month or so), just send me some mail with your address...

October 10th, 2000
Firstly: I should correct myself - the Davenport's night that I mentioned below... that should say Thursdays , not Tuesdays. It is correct on the calendar , honest.
Secondly: Howl At The Moon will now be closed on Sundays - leaving me playing there about twice a week.
And Thirdly: To pick up the slack, I'm starting to take other miscellaneous gigs, the first being at Zaza's in West Dundee on October 27th. Check the venues page for the latest contact information.

October 1st, 2000
AT LAST! My Internet connection has been out for almost 3 weeks! (my house *was* struck by lightning, apparently...) But now I'm finally back online, and I've updated the calendar pages. Perhaps you'll finally see some current information on this site. (for example, I'm switching my Davenport's night to Tuesdays...)

September 5th, 2000
Anybody have a van for sale? Like, with *really* low mileage on it? Something that could handle Milwaukee winters? >sigh<....

August 31st, 2000
I'm laid up with some sort of bronchial infection - hopefully just for a few days. I've had to cancel my Davenport's gig on Thursday, August 31st, and I have a sub going in for two out of four Chicago Voice Exchange gigs this weekend. I *will* still be heading up to Milwaukee to sing at Howl At The Moon Friday night. Perhaps only Louis Armstrong, Bob Seger, and Joe Cocker tunes. Check my calendar for the latest updates...

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