Year Two Day 67 – May 15th 2010
Sitting in New York's Penn Station awaiting a Megabus to take me to Boston, for today I have a show with the mighty Bang Camaro at Dartmouth College. I had been looking forward to this for a few weeks now, I knew that if nothing else it would be good to see the guys again. I hadn't see them since last October.
The four hour bus ride to Boston was...interesting. On one side of me was a Dead Ringer for lady Gaga who split the time on ride between doin her make up and sleeping on the other side were a cackle of German tourists who just wouldn't stop talking.
We arrived in Boston around 3 and after a short subway ride there they were, Bang Camaro inside the van waiting for us. After picking some last folks up we hit the road. Apparently there are no rest stops in New Hampshire so 15 guys stopped over on the side of the road to pee, we make even the simplest of things seem grand and epic just because of the sheer size of the group.
Soundcheck was at 3. There were a few kinks to work out, I was sharing a mic for the very first time, and they had rehearsed together as a band for this show, rehearsals that I missed not to mention the volume, I had forgotten how loud this band is. It was a little rough for me but I figured that we'd get through it.
Fillinger opened the show to a raucous crowd response. They'd done a show with me in October at Dewey Beach so I was familiar with them. It was kinda weird seeing the two worlds collide like that.
There was only one way to get from outside into the Green Room and that doorway was being blocked by the drum kit so we had to enter from the basement. There was something about this basement that really stood out... The Smell. I was told that kids pee in the corners down there and boy was that apparent. Decades old urine combined with puke and spilled beer gave the room an odor so pungent that I gagged every time I walked by it. No matter how many hot half naked girls were down there it didn't make up for it. I lasted about 30 seconds before running for the hills.
The time came for us to play and we discovered that the kids had been throwing beer onto the stage from a deck above it. Some got on Bryn's amp and it stopped working...not good. Luckily there was some sort of back up system that he had in place and away we went.
Set List
Out On The Streets
Pleasure Pleasure
Swallow The Razor
Night Lies
You Know I Like My Band
Bang Camaro
Rock of Mages
Thunderclap
Revolution
Push Push Lady Lightning
F.Y.T.F.O
Encore
Blood Red Rock
Nightlife Commando
I was really worried that I would forget everything but as soon as the music started playing it was like the Viper Room was yesterday. It's really like riding a bike.
The frat kids were appreciative, fun, and boy were they rowdy. It was quite the party after wards. I'll save the details for another time. Once we figure out what we're doing I'll be headed back home.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 256
Year Two Day 66 – March 14th 2010
My morning starts as it often does, with a workout. I've gotten a little soft in the mid section as often happens when I'm holed up in the house working on new music. With diabetes (My Dad and Borther) and Hypertension (Mom and Dad) running in my family I'm concerned about my health.
I leave for Dartmouth in the evening/early morning to perform with Bang Camaro so much of what I have to do today involves me packing a backpack with clothes and what have you inside, making sure I have all that I need to survive a weekend in Boston. As always my musician friends ask me why I even bother performing with them now that I have so much other stuff going. The answer is as far as musical experiences go, there's nothing quite like the force of nature that is Bang Camaro, it's loud, it's primal, it's simple, it's the feeling you get when you know nobody's gonna dare mess with you with 11 other guys watching your back. It keeps certain stage muscles in tact.
First things first would be my boy Kaloni's screening. Kaloni Davis is an old friend from CAPA and Temple. I always find myself pulled to people with good spirits, even back then when I didn't realize it. I remember during our senior showcase when I sang and would often be the butt of a joke or two and I remember him saying “I know what you're hearing in your head, keep doing what you're doing cause they're gonna hate.” That always stuck with me believe it or not.
I often think about the old gang at CAPA, how passionate we all were about moving pictures and how at the moment Kaloni and Josh Coates are the only guys left standing, probably because they weren't playing around and had things to say which is what art's supposed to be about.
Kaloni's movie The Visit a psychological thriller is a fantastic movie without a hint of narcissism something that I find holds back auters from making really great movies. It has religious themes but doesn't beat you to death with them. He even made me jump a few times. The beats are right there and his eye is a s sharp as ever. I was proud of him. Proud that someone I know from that time in my life still loves it and still has the passion for it and is good at it.
It was from the screening to Lickety Split as I run into more old friends. I was particularly interested in hearing Sabrosa, the only band I've ever booked at Lickety Split sight unseen, mainly because it's three memebers (Ben Tinsley, Mike Oxman and Dimitri Papadopoulos) are among the best musicians in the scene. Dimitiri or Double D as I've always liked to call played for me for years. Boy were they amazing. I see a three piece funky band and I imagine all the things that can be done with them. I hope they stick together.
I met up with Sean and we headed over to 30th Street thanks to my folks transporting us. Megabus is 30 minutes late, a tad abnormal for them. I fall asleep on the bus wondering what will happen tomorrow.
My morning starts as it often does, with a workout. I've gotten a little soft in the mid section as often happens when I'm holed up in the house working on new music. With diabetes (My Dad and Borther) and Hypertension (Mom and Dad) running in my family I'm concerned about my health.
I leave for Dartmouth in the evening/early morning to perform with Bang Camaro so much of what I have to do today involves me packing a backpack with clothes and what have you inside, making sure I have all that I need to survive a weekend in Boston. As always my musician friends ask me why I even bother performing with them now that I have so much other stuff going. The answer is as far as musical experiences go, there's nothing quite like the force of nature that is Bang Camaro, it's loud, it's primal, it's simple, it's the feeling you get when you know nobody's gonna dare mess with you with 11 other guys watching your back. It keeps certain stage muscles in tact.
First things first would be my boy Kaloni's screening. Kaloni Davis is an old friend from CAPA and Temple. I always find myself pulled to people with good spirits, even back then when I didn't realize it. I remember during our senior showcase when I sang and would often be the butt of a joke or two and I remember him saying “I know what you're hearing in your head, keep doing what you're doing cause they're gonna hate.” That always stuck with me believe it or not.
I often think about the old gang at CAPA, how passionate we all were about moving pictures and how at the moment Kaloni and Josh Coates are the only guys left standing, probably because they weren't playing around and had things to say which is what art's supposed to be about.
Kaloni's movie The Visit a psychological thriller is a fantastic movie without a hint of narcissism something that I find holds back auters from making really great movies. It has religious themes but doesn't beat you to death with them. He even made me jump a few times. The beats are right there and his eye is a s sharp as ever. I was proud of him. Proud that someone I know from that time in my life still loves it and still has the passion for it and is good at it.
It was from the screening to Lickety Split as I run into more old friends. I was particularly interested in hearing Sabrosa, the only band I've ever booked at Lickety Split sight unseen, mainly because it's three memebers (Ben Tinsley, Mike Oxman and Dimitri Papadopoulos) are among the best musicians in the scene. Dimitiri or Double D as I've always liked to call played for me for years. Boy were they amazing. I see a three piece funky band and I imagine all the things that can be done with them. I hope they stick together.
I met up with Sean and we headed over to 30th Street thanks to my folks transporting us. Megabus is 30 minutes late, a tad abnormal for them. I fall asleep on the bus wondering what will happen tomorrow.
Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 255
Year Two Day 65 – May 13th 2010
Today it all begins...well it all begins again I guess as I endeavor on the path to making a new Boy Wonder record. As much as I love being in the studio and making new music on a regular basis I'm more at home (so it seems) playing live. Ripping a stage comes much easier to me.
Making these records has always been about overcoming the mountain of insecurities that I have about my songwriting, which is always the most difficult part of the process, writing a bunch of things that really get me going and then taking them into the studio. I know once I do that recording would be a breeze but we got to get to that part first
Last time out there was less to worry about. I had just started Philly Rising and had been an artist in Philadelphia that was largely ignored I could do my thing in the corner over here because no one was going to bother me, no one cared. But making the record that would end up being Superego changed all that. Those recordings vaulted me to another level. They got me radio play, they won me awards, they got me gigs all over the country, not to mention those recordings were the one's Bryn heard when he asked me to come up and audition for Bang Camaro, the gig that put me on the path to being a full time music hustler. I feel like this next album has to justify all the work that I've put into this project, that's a lot of pressure to put on myself.
Nevertheless I do what I always do, put it aside and get to work and trust that things will take care of themselves. I have about 15 songs written and four that really get me goin, so today was the first day of rehearsals with Rob Benton my drummer. I like meeting with people individually so that I can talk to them up close and personal about the music, rehearsals are often the only time I get to physically talk about the music because once the machine gets rolling and we start doing shows we get it to the point where we often don't enjoy a great deal of eye contact.
I met Rob at his place and we went to my house. Going over each song individually, we try different feels and rhythms looking for the best fit. We've been playing together for so long he either knows instinctively exactly what I want or he gives me something fresh that makes the song better raising the number of songs I'm excited about from four to six. Rob's scary good quite possibly the best drummer I've ever shared a stage with, the push and pull that I get from both of those guys has made me a better player.
I do have a plan, for now anyway.
The game plan is to make a sweet album in the Power Trio format. It's surprising that with most of my favorite bands being three pieces, and the fact that I often perform and tour with a trio that I've never really made a power trio record. A lot of that's going to be on me to make the guitar stuff interesting. I'm excited about that. I've had so many different musical experiences in the past two years and I'm interested in pouring all of that into this new music.
Three hours later we emerge form the basement and I have a clearer picture of what the album might sound like as we make all the pieces fit. Next up is a weekend that includes a show with Bang Camaro. Talk about making the pieces fit, I haven't performed with them since October.
Today it all begins...well it all begins again I guess as I endeavor on the path to making a new Boy Wonder record. As much as I love being in the studio and making new music on a regular basis I'm more at home (so it seems) playing live. Ripping a stage comes much easier to me.
Making these records has always been about overcoming the mountain of insecurities that I have about my songwriting, which is always the most difficult part of the process, writing a bunch of things that really get me going and then taking them into the studio. I know once I do that recording would be a breeze but we got to get to that part first
Last time out there was less to worry about. I had just started Philly Rising and had been an artist in Philadelphia that was largely ignored I could do my thing in the corner over here because no one was going to bother me, no one cared. But making the record that would end up being Superego changed all that. Those recordings vaulted me to another level. They got me radio play, they won me awards, they got me gigs all over the country, not to mention those recordings were the one's Bryn heard when he asked me to come up and audition for Bang Camaro, the gig that put me on the path to being a full time music hustler. I feel like this next album has to justify all the work that I've put into this project, that's a lot of pressure to put on myself.
Nevertheless I do what I always do, put it aside and get to work and trust that things will take care of themselves. I have about 15 songs written and four that really get me goin, so today was the first day of rehearsals with Rob Benton my drummer. I like meeting with people individually so that I can talk to them up close and personal about the music, rehearsals are often the only time I get to physically talk about the music because once the machine gets rolling and we start doing shows we get it to the point where we often don't enjoy a great deal of eye contact.
I met Rob at his place and we went to my house. Going over each song individually, we try different feels and rhythms looking for the best fit. We've been playing together for so long he either knows instinctively exactly what I want or he gives me something fresh that makes the song better raising the number of songs I'm excited about from four to six. Rob's scary good quite possibly the best drummer I've ever shared a stage with, the push and pull that I get from both of those guys has made me a better player.
I do have a plan, for now anyway.
The game plan is to make a sweet album in the Power Trio format. It's surprising that with most of my favorite bands being three pieces, and the fact that I often perform and tour with a trio that I've never really made a power trio record. A lot of that's going to be on me to make the guitar stuff interesting. I'm excited about that. I've had so many different musical experiences in the past two years and I'm interested in pouring all of that into this new music.
Three hours later we emerge form the basement and I have a clearer picture of what the album might sound like as we make all the pieces fit. Next up is a weekend that includes a show with Bang Camaro. Talk about making the pieces fit, I haven't performed with them since October.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)