"Part of the genius of this event is that it wasn’t just a birthday party, it was also a celebration of song, songwriters, community, and friendship."
- Don Shearer
E.G. Phest (or rather #EGPhest) is an annual show that E.G. Phillips hosts in August where he invites other singer-songwriters from the San Francisco music community to come perform his songs as part of the celebration of his birthday. The venues hosting this event are on the small and intimate side and the atmosphere is relaxed. Streamers and balloons are traditionally put up and there's a card to sign in accordance with the whole "birthday" aspect of the festivities, but the real focus is on the art of performance and the performers, usually numbering around a dozen, who put their own distinctive spin on a body of work that spans many years and a variety of genres.
Inspired in part by the Bob Dylan 30th anniversary concert and the Hotel Utah open mic's "cover your friends" night (Phillips will also note -- only partially in jest -- that the idea was to ask for a gift that was within the budgetary limits of most musicians) the whole affair actually harkens back to older ideas about the sharing of songs and musicians building off and riffing off each other's ideas. As such performers are encouraged to make the songs their own.
The participants are all folks E.G. has met from the local music scene and come from all walks of life. Everyone who joins in or just attends always has a splendid time and insists this odd little affair must happen again next year -- often with a request to do one song or another. Some of the performers continue to play the songs they take on and a few have even gone on to record their versions -- though nothing compares with being at the show itself.
The artwork for the show is itself is a cover of sorts, with E.G. asking a local illustrator to do their take on his "Ducks With Pants" ... "theme."
The 1st EGPhest was held at Bazaar Cafe, August 13th 2016 and Josh Johnson (then the host of Bazaar's open mic, now one of the proprietors) provided the artwork. Alums of that show include:
EGPhest II convened at the Lost Church on August 11th 2017 and Clyde Always (host of the Cafe International open mic) did the artwork.
The show featured :
On August 11th, 2018 EGPhest III was held at the Hotel Utah as a matinee show and featured returning EGPhest alums:
Artwork for the 3rd installment was handled by Mario M. Noche, himself an EGPhest alum (who happens to share the same birthday) and a host of the Ireland's 32 open mic. See this big blog post for the photo gallery of E.G. Phest III performers.
EGPhest IV took place on Sunday August 4th, 2019 and was be held a special location called the Secret Garden.
The artwork that year was done by Jesse Israel, who also worked with E.G. on the video for "The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World" released along with the album "At Home At Sea."
The EGPhest Players that year included:
In 2020, the Phest took a gap year for the obvious reason.
However, EGPhest V was a thing in 2021, bringing it all back home to Bazaar Cafe. The artwork was the handiwork of Vica Hernandez-Lew.
We had some retuning faces with:
2022's EGPhest 6 featured art by dinosaur enthusiast Oscar Plizga, aka Lonely Dingo. Our roster included another mix of new and returning faces, including:
In 2023 EGPhest 7 featured art by Sarah Befish.
Once again in the Bazaar Cafe garden, our roster included:
In 2024 EGPhest 8 occurred on Sunday August 18th with artwork by misisipi mike
As has become tradition, we were in the Bazaar Cafe garden and the lineup was:
As for EGPhest 9? ... stay tuned...
- Don Shearer
E.G. Phest (or rather #EGPhest) is an annual show that E.G. Phillips hosts in August where he invites other singer-songwriters from the San Francisco music community to come perform his songs as part of the celebration of his birthday. The venues hosting this event are on the small and intimate side and the atmosphere is relaxed. Streamers and balloons are traditionally put up and there's a card to sign in accordance with the whole "birthday" aspect of the festivities, but the real focus is on the art of performance and the performers, usually numbering around a dozen, who put their own distinctive spin on a body of work that spans many years and a variety of genres.
Inspired in part by the Bob Dylan 30th anniversary concert and the Hotel Utah open mic's "cover your friends" night (Phillips will also note -- only partially in jest -- that the idea was to ask for a gift that was within the budgetary limits of most musicians) the whole affair actually harkens back to older ideas about the sharing of songs and musicians building off and riffing off each other's ideas. As such performers are encouraged to make the songs their own.
The participants are all folks E.G. has met from the local music scene and come from all walks of life. Everyone who joins in or just attends always has a splendid time and insists this odd little affair must happen again next year -- often with a request to do one song or another. Some of the performers continue to play the songs they take on and a few have even gone on to record their versions -- though nothing compares with being at the show itself.
The artwork for the show is itself is a cover of sorts, with E.G. asking a local illustrator to do their take on his "Ducks With Pants" ... "theme."
The 1st EGPhest was held at Bazaar Cafe, August 13th 2016 and Josh Johnson (then the host of Bazaar's open mic, now one of the proprietors) provided the artwork. Alums of that show include:
- Shawn Byron — Lighthouse at the Edge of the World
- "James Delmar" — Mama Make the Red Bird Come Back
- Brendan Getzell — I Need a Sugar Mama
- Maya Hall — The Mystery and Milieu of You
- Josh "Beemish" Johnson — Accretion Blues
- Allie Jones — An Alternate Route to Your Heart + I Will Sail With You
- Eugene M. Joseph — Lifetimes Without You
- Christopher Mizell — Tall Girls In Love
- Oscar Plizga (aka Lonely Dingo) — A Finnish Midsummer Midnight
- Naghmeh Shaf (of Naghmeh and the Southern Shores) — The Fish Song
- Joel Taylor — The Richmond Line
EGPhest II convened at the Lost Church on August 11th 2017 and Clyde Always (host of the Cafe International open mic) did the artwork.
The show featured :
- The Complements — Lifetimes Without You + Girl’s Who Don’t Get the City
- Brendan Getzell — The Albatross Song (and prelude)
- Samantha Margret — Sunday is Made for Loving
- Ken Newman — The Fish Song
- Mario M. Noche — All I Can Share is Photos
- The Old Kraftsman (Chris Martellotti) — The Mystery and Milieu of You
- Michelle Renee — Tall Girls In Love
- Nina Jo Smith — Your Inexorable Pull
- Swamp Child — Unfinished Love
- The Ten Thousand Ways — Normal Wear and Tear
- Wesley Woo — Til I Wash You Away
On August 11th, 2018 EGPhest III was held at the Hotel Utah as a matinee show and featured returning EGPhest alums:
- Shawn Byron — Lighthouse at the Edge of the World (on Piano)
- The Complements — Lifetimes Without You
- Robb Hagle ( Swamp Child ) — The L.A. Song
- Ken Newman — The Fish Song
- Clyde Always — Sett'n My Own Pace
- Drew K — Lover for A Day
- Christine Tence — The Mystery and Milieu of You
- Teresa Tuan (of Oh The Nerve) — Sunday is Made for Loving
- Tohm — Girls Who Don't Get the City
Artwork for the 3rd installment was handled by Mario M. Noche, himself an EGPhest alum (who happens to share the same birthday) and a host of the Ireland's 32 open mic. See this big blog post for the photo gallery of E.G. Phest III performers.
EGPhest IV took place on Sunday August 4th, 2019 and was be held a special location called the Secret Garden.
The artwork that year was done by Jesse Israel, who also worked with E.G. on the video for "The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World" released along with the album "At Home At Sea."
The EGPhest Players that year included:
- Alex Jimenez — The Time Space Vortex
- Alzara Getz of Brother Spellbinder — Lady of the Shadows + Lover for a Day (accompanied by Jaimie Wilson)
- Ben Visini — The Lighthouse at the Edge of the World
- Blonde Toledo — Lifetimes Without You
- Clementine Darling — Your Inexorable Pull
- Daniel Briggs — The Comet and the Wandering Moon
- Donovan Plant — The Mystery and Milieu of You
- Drew Lorimer of More Hazards More Heroes — Party in the Sunset
- Eve Fleishman — An Alternate Route (to Your Heart)
- Joel Alan Taylor — Put Me in a Box
- Ken Newman — The Fish Song
- Little Spiral — Fallen Out of Love
- The Ringer — The Albatross Song
- Shawn Byron — Lullaby for the Unloved
- Shelby Ann — Sett’n My Own Pace
- Vica Hernandez — The Octopus Song
In 2020, the Phest took a gap year for the obvious reason.
However, EGPhest V was a thing in 2021, bringing it all back home to Bazaar Cafe. The artwork was the handiwork of Vica Hernandez-Lew.
We had some retuning faces with:
- Donovan Plant — The Mystery an Milieu of You
- Alzara Getz of Brother Spellbinder — Lady of the Shadows + Lover for a Day (accompanied by Jaimie Wilson)
- Shawn Byron — An Alternate Route
- Ken Newman — The Fish Song
- Normcore — The L.A. Song
- Iwami — Tall Girls In Love
- Robert "Neutron" Sound — Ephemera
2022's EGPhest 6 featured art by dinosaur enthusiast Oscar Plizga, aka Lonely Dingo. Our roster included another mix of new and returning faces, including:
- Michael Bang — Chained to the Sun (or as he would have it "Chained to the Moon")
- Shawn Byron (nee Cody) — That May Not Be Good Enough
- George Cothran — Accretion Blues
- Brendan Getzell — Brave Heart Luna
- Alex Jimenez — The Time Space Vortex
- Zeke Ketchum — The Richmond Line
- Francesca Lee — Tall Girls In Love
- Joyce Lee — You Are Not Her
- Michelle Luna — Your Inexorable Pull
- Ken Newman — Lighthouse at the Edge of the World
- Renee Padgett — This Infertile Valley
- Drew Pierce — The Fish Song
- Suzanne Ramsey (aka Kitten on the Keys) — Til I Wash You Away
In 2023 EGPhest 7 featured art by Sarah Befish.
Once again in the Bazaar Cafe garden, our roster included:
- Mitch Rocket — Chained to the Sun
- Ken Newman — Mental Maps
- Shawn Byron — That May Not Be Good Enough
- Elliot Racine — The Octopus Song
- George Cothran — Accretion Blues
- Nina Jo Smith — Ode to the Wildhorse Cafe
- Percy Moon — The Time Space Vortex
- Grace Renaud — A Bridge Too Far (MacArthur Station)
- Kevin Seal — The Mockingbird’s Repertoire
- Kitten on the Keys — Til I Wash You Away
In 2024 EGPhest 8 occurred on Sunday August 18th with artwork by misisipi mike
As has become tradition, we were in the Bazaar Cafe garden and the lineup was:
- Ken Newman — The Fish Song, Further Than I've Ever Been Before
- JJ Schultz — Lullaby for the Unloved (Mari's Menagerie of Sands)
- Little Oil — Tall Girls In Love
- JW Blunt — A Bridge Too Far
- Alex Walsh — Sett'n My Own Pace
- Ants Fujinaga — The Percolator
- Kevin Seal — The Octopus Song
- Esther Young — It AIn't Good to Be in Love With You
- Melinda Kausek — The Mystery and Milieu of You
- Eric Martin — These Are Burning Days
- Gavin Belok — Party in the Sunset
As for EGPhest 9? ... stay tuned...
EGPhest 8 - Artwork by misisipi mike
EGPhest 7 - Art by Sarah Befish @befishproductions
EGPhest 6 "Duck'n'Go" - Art by Oscar Plizga, @lonely_dingo
EGPhest V - Art by Vica Hernandez-Lew @yayitsvica
EGPhest IV - Art by Jesse Israel
EGPhest III - Art by Mario M. Noche
EGPhest II - Art by Clyde Always
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EGPhest I - Art by Josh Johnson
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