Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 9

Day 8 - March 19th 2009

Let’s just say that last evenings festivities were…interesting.
We had a couple of beers in Texas and started kicking up some fun as we headed to this house we were staying. I have a tendency to disappear into my own zone after too long, anti-social behavior is a family trait. Then Alex demanded that I chill with them and wouldn‘t take no for an answer. I’m glad he did. I found out Sadler from Leslie was in Tropic Thunder, he called up the scene and everything

After a couple of miscues we got there.

The house was in the middle of the woods, it was beautiful (and huge) but I couldn’t help but think about some horror movie as we pulled in. Back home in Philly the houses are row homes, attached to each other which would make it hard for Leatherface or Jason to kill everyone. All I couldn’t think was yeah my black ass is the first to go if stuff pops off. I felt kinda sorry for the owner of the place (who apparently married some guy with an even bigger house and moved in with him) We all got our bags and stake dour claim on rooms. I blew up my bad and was ready to go to bed. Then for some reason we decided to jam on some Tom Petty till 3 AM. I did go to bed though.

It was an awesome sunrise my first in Texas. I woke up pretty early and grabbed a shower, I like the quiet in the morning when most people are sleeping and the shower is awesome, they had a retractable shower head allowing you to really get in those crevasses. There was a cool little Gazebo spot in front of the house that I spotted. I grabbed my guitar and started playing. The idea I had in Boston was still fresh in my mind, and I got a chance to further develop it. I don’t know what it’ll be yet and that’s the exciting part. Artistically I’m in a place where I’m not really in a rush to make another album and don’t have to be. Superego is still fresh and there are territories that we haven’t even explored yet live.

We were Ready to go to SXSW, I had been anticipating this for quite some time. We had to pick up Bryn from the airport. Everyone was happy to see him. He didn’t make the drive with us down but he fit right back into the fold, these guys have been friends for quite some time it seems, which has to make being on tour together more bearable. We picked up Ramsey, their manager I think and we headed to the festival. Really good guy it seems. We parked pretty far away from the action so it was interesting to listen to Bryn and Alex talk about plans for the future, sponsorships and commercials, new albums and big name producers. This band is on the verge of really making some noise.

We arrived at SXSW and immediately ended up at a showcase that had free beer. I didn’t drink but I wish I had cause I pretty much hated the band that was playing. I’m not big into the modern indy rock stuff, I’m sure it’s cutting edge but it’s not something that I’m terribly into. We would move on shortly but not before I peeped that Andrew Lipke would be playing this same club later on that night. We ended up missing Leslie’s show but meeting up with them outside of the club they played at. Not knowing what to do I decided to meander around 6th street (the stretch of clubs where all the music seems to happen) with Bryn. We marveled at all the people handing out flyers and music trying to get noticed. I became a magnet for the hip hop artists trying to hustle their music “For $10 you can support some real Hip-Hop” I love that no matter where you go the game don’t change. I wanted to say “I don’t want it either” but I respect the hustle.

We went to this party at a place called The Beauty Bar, I’m not sure if they turned an old beauty parlor into a club or if they built the club with a beauty parlor theme. The girls were really hot, lots of short skirts and Cowboy Boots, people from all over tryin to have a good time. I could have done without the music though. These bands aren’t doing anything for me. We ended up at Club 710, more bands I didn’t particularly care for. I ended up sitting outside and meeting Deborah from San Francisco we talked for a while and she seemed cool. I told her about tomorrow’s show and she seemed interested. I met up with Glen and crew again and told them I was gonna grab pizza. I grabbed it and noticed they had routed some place so I stuck around inside the pizza place. A beautiful brunette asks “Can I sit here” “Of course I said” in the typical way a high school freshman would re-act if the head cheerleader asked to sit next to him. She’s a photographer from Los Angeles here to take pics for the festival. She was the kind of super cool chick that ends up leading me around by a leash.

I told her about Bang Camaro and she seemed interested but then sort of asked “So what do you really do?” I told her about my project, the first time I’ve really gotten to talk about it since I’ve joined the tour. We chatted some more and she left to find some friends. I handled myself a lot better than usual…lol

I meandered around by myself for a while and then sat and people watched until I got a text from a friend “Where are you?” “I’m walkin around” “I’m at Spills, if you wanna come hang out” the texts came from Loretta Allen, a Philly Area Singer/Songwriter down at the fest with her band Stellium. Loretta has a strange Allure a charisma that’s hard to ignore. We’ve talked about me doin some production work with her band, I hope it pans out. It was about 8 so we went to check out Andrew’s show. It would be the first time I would see him with a band. I ran into another friend from home that I met at the Tritone open mic and for about 40 minutes it was kinda like being in Philly.

Andrew and his band were amazing. I’ve booked him a couple of times solo but will probably work with him more frequently when I get back home.

I met up with Bryn and Morgan and we were people watching/discussing tomorrow’s show. I sort of been chomping at the bit to get back to work. I came here to sing and I’m eagerly anticipating the gig.

We ended up meeting up at the Rachel Ray party. I have a crush on her (don’t judge me) I was bummed out cause there was no food…lol not to mention that I wasn’t feeling the music 9are you sensing a running theme) but I realized I was pretty beat. An entire day in the famous Texas heat’ll do that to you. I was in a bar sitting Alex demanded I get up off my ass and have a good time, which was good cause I think I’m turning into my father. They bought me a red bull and I got my second wind. Doz and I started talking at the bar after a couple of Doz freestyles (we’re gonna battle in two weeks) he said something that struck a chord with me. He said “I know who you are and what you do, but do you know?” I’m developing a real sense of self lately in the face of all that’s happening around me. But I’m so used to being unsure that it shook me just a tad. He then said “When it’s over and you go back to your band it’s going to be so different for you” I never really thought about it. I will return home having been on a legit tour and having played on national television. I want to get back home, but how different will it be? Will people treat me differently?

We made the long walk back to the car and I thought about something that I had seen. I saw some showcases that were “Best of NYC” “Best of San Fran” “Best of NYC” “Best of The UK” I texted Bill Butler and said we need to do a Best of Philly Show.

I ate some Gumbo, listened to some tunes and hit the sack

Big Day tomorrow