Biography
In her acceptance speech for the 2004 Just Plain Folks International Songwriting Award in the spoken word category, arjuna enthused, "I am so honored, and so joyous... the fact that my queer-happy, anti-establishment, freakazoid, punk-ass manifesta passed the muster of my peers to win an award lets me know, in an official way, that messages of peace, and change, and hope, and non-violent revolution are both wanted and needed in this world... we just need to keep getting louder."
A performer since before she can remember, arjuna spent her formative years singing in choirs and at open mics before graduating to professional gigs during college. In 2000, arjuna answered fan demand for an album with a six song demo CD, "some chick sings," which she supported with her first nationwide tour in 2001. She continued to expand her performance horizons, singing solo as well as sharing the stage with such lovely folk as Pamela Means, Edie Carey, Trina Hamlin, and Adrianne. arjuna has been getting louder every year, criss-crossing the continent to bring her deeply personal music and poetry to appreciative audiences at women's festivals, pride events, colleges, coffee houses, and living rooms from Southern California to Toronto.
arjuna moved to the Northampton, MA area in January, 2002. Since then, she has played at area performance spaces such as The Elevens, The Ironhorse, The A.P.E. Gallery, and Diva's Nightclub in Northampton, P.A.C.E. and Flywheel in Easthampton, The Open Square in Holyoke, The Java Hut in Worchester, Memorial Hall in Shelburne Falls, and Earthdance in Cummington. She has been a featured performer at area college events, including various benefits, Queerfest 2003, concerts at Mt. Holyoke, and rallies for National Coming Out Day. arjuna has appeared regularly at feminist poetry happening Sisiter Spit Northampton, and one of her songs was chosen for a compilation CD of the 2002 Northampton Music Festival.
The collection of folks she has shared the stage with has been growing happily, and now includes Ember Swift, Lyndell Montgomery, Erin Smith Band, Meg Hutchinson, James O'Brien, Chris Pureka, Laura Love, Aisha Ayers, God-des, Tribe 8, Shelly Doty, CommonbonD, Juha, Ferron, Alix Olson, Evelyn Harris, Eric Schwartz, Dan Bern, We're About 9, Doria Roberts, Bitch, and Michelle Tea.
arjuna joined forces in 2002 with gooselove, Lenelle Moise, and Chris O'Carroll to form The People's Poetry Theater, a spoken-word troupe presenting what is best described as "the Vagina Monologues of social justice poetry." They can be found performing in theaters, presenting programs in schools, and sharing the stage with poetic luminaries such as Saul Williams.
The Springfield Journal featured arjuna as their cover story in October of 2002, citing her as "one of the up-and-coming politically charged folk musicians in the valley."
arjuna is a performing member of Indiegrrl, Outmusic, Just Plain Folks, and People's Music Network, Songs of Freedom and Struggle.
'odd numbers,' arjuna's latest release, has garnered accolades from fans and media alike, as well as airplay on college, community, AAA and internet radio in the U.S. and abroad. In December of 2007, odd numbers was ranked as the #2 top-selling local album at Night Owl Records in Easthampton, MA.
arjuna is currently taking some time off regular touring, (still playing the occasional benefit show, house concert, or Pride rally) both to write songs for her upcoming album and to seek out a booking agent, but plans to increase the volume with several tours in late 2009.
Instrumentation
Arjuna Greist, guitar and vocals.
Discography
Discography:
Odd Numbers 2003
Some Chick Sings 2000
Better Read Aloud (poetry book) 1998
Appears on:
Linq - Change the Picture, George! 2007
and Life Goes On 2009
(harmony vocal on Change the Picture)
Chris Pureka - Driving North 2004
(harmony vocal on Grey and Burning Bridges)
Producer Credits:
the lovesongs of joe bridge- gooselove 2005 (co-producer, with gooselove)
odd numbers- arjuna greist 2003 (co-produced with Marty Helly)
some chick sings- arjuna greist 2000 (co-produced with Jef Scoville)
Current Projects:
Liminal - full length CD
To Be Released Fall/Winter 2009
EP of Ambient music for "The Fifteenth Station," a short film.
Links
| http://www.myspace.com/arjunagreist |