Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 28

Day 27 - April 7th 2009

http://myspace.com/boywonderrocks

Last night’s sleep was the worst. I slept on a really bad fold out couch which was all springs. We had to be out by 10 because we had a seven hour drive to Minneapolis for the next show. Chicago was amazing and Minneapolis had a lot of work ahead for itself if it expected to match it.

The band was up pretty late playing Wiffle Ball at the Double Door last night so I think we were in for a more laid back trip today. We drove for a while and then we ran into the Leslie guys in their new van. We pulled over at a Gas Station and kicked it for a bit. Rod and Alex decided to ride with them giving everyone a little more room in the van.

Everyone pretty much slept and then for some reason we all decided to play DJ in the car. We all tried to find cheesy 90’s songs on our ipod and would rotate them out. Oh the tunes we heard; Marky Mark’s Good Vibrations, B.B.D.’s Poison, Motown Philly by Boys II Men, Mama Said Knock You Out by LL. This went on for quite some time as we headed towards Minneapolis> We all ran out until we moved onto just sweet tunes. We all whopped it up and had a great time on the car ride down. Our van was definitely the better one. Once we hit Minnesota it was straight Prince until Dan mention that Tom Tom (our GPS system) was dying and needed to be plugged in. I tried to get some sleep after that. I got a call from my good friend Rachel who said that she and some buddies were gonna be coming having never actually met Rachel before I was pretty stoked.

A few hours later we arrived at our place of business for the evening.



The World Famous First Avenue, most notably it’s known for being the club where most of the music scenes were shot for Purple Rain. It was a bit surreal to be there because I am a major Prince fan, his music has been so influential in my development and a songwriter and musician so to stand where he stood, play where he played was just a dream come true. We arrived and they had some guys out there to help us load in. We ran into Electric Six who let me have some of their hot water for my throat coat tea. Sean and I went to Luce for some pizza (pretty good by the way) and I tried my best to take it easy when we returned to the club. Leslie looked like juggernauts on that big stage with all the lights and what not. I hate when their set’s over, mainly cause there is no more sweet music. Then it was our time. Before we went on I had a thought “What if Prince had a Merch Table at gigs and had to announce it after he was done” I shared it with Morgan Brown and we had a chuckle.

I handed Dan my ipod for the special intro music. A few minutes later Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy comes on as the curtain comes up. Then they proceed to go into thunderclap. Pete rings in out on the streets and we hit the stage. The Stage was huge. I was a bit overwhelmed at first as I thought “Prince probably did a split in ass-less pants right where I’m standing.” Then when I looked to my left I saw Rachel, her buddies and Kibra. Probably possessed by something purple my ass shaking was brought to a whole new level. We really did our thing. It was one of our better shows. I thought Bryn played especially well. The energy in the room was amazing. I was excited to (finally) see some black people in the audience. Nickelback was playing across the street we made sure we insulted them as much as possible.

After the show was over I was whisked away by Rachel and Co. (who loved it) and we had a couple of drinks and got to talking before Electric Six came on. I wished I was less sweaty and gross, especially he company of such beautiful women Then they came on and killed it. I grabbed Kibra and we danced for most of the show. Dick Valentine stopped in the middle of one of his songs (he does this every night and then orders the band to continue and they always hit it) but tonight was different than normal. He led the crowd outside in what seemed like a riot of some sort. Turns out he was leading them to see the star that was just painted in their honor on the side of the building. He led them back inside and proceeded to continue to kill it.

Rachel left cause of an emergency so Kibra and I hung out for a few hours until I returned to the hotel. I had a really good time. Meeting cool people makes the tour twice as good.

Minneapolis knows how to party too, maybe it’s a regional thing. I really liked the city, it had an awesome vibe especially for a Tuesday Night. It’s way too cold for me to ever live there but I would love to bring my crew up here and find someplace to get funky.

We’ve got Fargo tomorrow. Never been to North Dakota so I’m looking forward to it. Four full weeks on the road. Sometimes it feels like forever but it’s going by really fast.

Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 27

Day 26 - April 6th 2009

5:45 AM

I’ll repeat, 5:45AM, I haven’t woken up this early since I worked at Projection, not that I could sleep. I probably slept with a smile on my face because I was going to do my first radio interview ever. Sure it was Mancow, a guy I never heard of, and it was with Bang Camaro (meaning Alex and Bryn were gonna do all the talking) but I was excited. It was cool to see.

It was someone’s bright idea to take public transportation into the city. They tell me that Chicago traffic sucks and that was the reasoning behind it. It might have been a bright idea but as we stepped outside into the Lyons weather in search for the train a gentle breeze blew across me (and by gentle I mean gut wrenching) it was cold. Chicago has a different kind of cold. The kind of cold that seeps through your coat and gets in your bones. The kind of cold that makes us African Americans violent.

We hopped a train that looked a lot like regional rail back home. We got into town around 8 or so and made our way to ABC 7 Studios in Chicago, home of Kanye West, Donavan McNabb, and President Barack Obama. I marveled at the architecture in the city. Loved people braving the cold to get to work. Seem like a city that’s not about BS. I like that.

We were escorted to the studio where with the aid of some tea we rehearsed the acoustic versions of Blood Red Rock/(Push, Push) Lady Lighting and The Hit in the lounge area, they sounded pretty good considering it was 8 in the morning. Their manager Ramsey and their new publicist Heather dropped in and listened to the tunes as we tried our best to sound better. It got better and better as our voices were warming up, the intro they came up with was pretty badass and I was pretty excited that on Blood Red Rock I sang the first line by myself before others joined in.

They escorted us into the studio where one thing became apparent. This guy was one of these Right Wing shock jock type guys. The guy was extremely electric and charismatic and he and his guests and co-hosts seemed to be having a good time. I was a bit taken a back by some of the things he was saying, but he had nothing but good things to say about Bang Camaro and being on his show could be a big opportunity for us. We busted out the medley of Blood Red Rock and (Push, Push) Lady Lighting and when we were done he asked about Boston, he asked if we were all from Boston, I emphatically said I’m from Philly. We did The Hit for the local Chicago show.

We exited the studio and took a cab to Spank Music, the company that Ramsey works at. The place was something out of a fantasy. Pinball Machines, Wii, Xbox 360, Full bar and a state of the art recording studio. They brought us up coffee and doughnuts and Ale and Bryn started discussing Guitar Hero and what it means as far as kids picking up real instruments (apparently it’s increased new guitar sales and instruction by 65%) and Alex said something that will stick with me for the rest of my life “The real freedom is holding a real guitar standing in front of a crowd and playing our own music” I am reminded that I miss doing just that.

We all fanned out and went to our favorite thing, I talked to the engineer for what must have been an eternity about music and all that stuff. He showed me some ad stuff he was working on. Working in advertising can be pretty bad ass. Bryn and Alex took a meeting and shortly afterward we were out. I’m learning a lot about what to look for when I’m ready to put my own team in place. This business is a tough business and you need people out there that can help and look out for you otherwise you’ll put all your energy into your music for essentially nothing.

We took a trip back to the hotel because we needed to change rooms. Then we got the van and went right back out so that bang Camaro could make a visit to Chicago’s school of rock. My favorite Bass player Jake Dean (Boy Wonder bassist) was a student at the original rock school in Philadelphia. It’s astonishing what Paul Green has been able to do with his idea making it a nationwide phenomenon. While Bryn Alex Doz and Pete were there we went to the club and unloaded gear.

We crossed paths with the Leslie guys, it was really great to see em. Some people have the kind of spirits that just lift yours whenever they’re around. They’d left us to go do their Ep Release show which they murdered. Their EP is Good and you all need to pick it up. I met their manager who seemed like a nice guy. I wouldn’t mind doing some things with Leslie once I pick back up with my band they’re amazing. I ran into Dick Valentine of Electric Six and we spoke about when they were gonna be in Philly next. I must say I’m turning into a fan. I went and grabbed some pizza and when I returned I discovered we were getting a sound check which went incredibly smooth.

After the first act followed by Leslie we got ready to play. We were back at Full strength. Sean was back, Zach Given flew in, Jason Fox was here bringing us up to 7 and with the Chicago choir we had 11 singers for the show. We killed it, we rocked Chicago’s face off. After sweating several buckets I was ready to go home but the guys wanted to stay and party. I’m embracing my squareness. I haven’t been drinking a lot or really chasing girls. I feel like a goober sometimes but all I’m really interested in doing is steeping on that stage and singing, rocking the spot and not much else. I am fully focused and don’t need distractions.

We caught Electric Six and they were flat out amazing. They even got me dancing with some people in the crowd. They’re really funky. Rich Hoss was getting down man. A guy bumped into me while dancing, no harm no foul everyone is here to have a good time. Turns out he’s one of the bookers at the double door. We had an interesting convo in between songs.

Once everyone left we played wiffle ball inside of the double door, it was more like a Home Run Derby but fun nonetheless. I really wanted to go back to the hotel until I started pitching to Sean and hitting a few balls. It’s addictive. Once I was done a few other people went and around 3 Am we made our way back to the hotel. We folded out a couch bed and I went to sleep.

I have to say I was pretty impressed with Chicago. These folks know how to party and have a good time. Their moves aren't to shabby either. To me it was the best show of the tour so far and the best crowd so far. Nobody was pre occupied with doing stupid stuff. A bunch of people are just in one place dancing to some sweet grooves.

Minneapolis is next so we‘ll see if they can match it. We have a 7 hour drive and will probably only get 3 hrs sleep. The van’ll probably be quiet though, maybe I’ll work on some lyrics.

Boy Wonder Professional Musician: 26

Day 25 - April 6th 2009

The mattress was half deflated when I woke up this morning meaning that it has some sort of hole in it…great. I traveled down with my laptop to get some work done I met a woman from Chicago. We had an interesting convo about life stuff. She had a daughter who’s grades weren’t up to standards and she wants her to get into college. I wasn’t sure what to tell her, I have a college degree but part of me thinks if I’d have known I was gonna be a musician when I graduated high school I might not have gone to college. I let her check her email and proceeded back to the room.

Today is Palm Sunday, I’d be in church right now if I wasn’t here. I rarely discuss God or my faith but I wouldn’t be here right now without it. I have to admit it’s tough keeping your head on straight out here when the stuff you see (and sometimes the stuff you do) doesn’t really run in agreement with the way you think you’re supposed to live your life.

We began the drive towards Chicago. I slept while listening to my ipod most of the way there. Dan played us Dancin With The Devil by Immortal Technique and underground hip hop act. It was pretty crazy. We walked into a Starbucks, peed and got beverages. We hopped into the van and pulled off. I bought a notebook and started writing some stuff down. I ended up piecing together something I actually liked, I imagine it as an old school stax style R&B song. We’ll see if it turns into a song or not

A few hours later we pulled into a hotel in Lions just outside of Chicago. After settling in I got a call from Bryn on my cell they were doing acoustic arrangements from two songs they were going to play on the Mancow show tomorrow morning and wanted to see if I wanted to come up and check it out so I went to their room and they had a pretty cool medley of Blood Red Rock and Lady Lightning going so I threw in my two cents. First chance I’ve really gotten to be creative in the context of the band.

We practiced for a while and I tried to take it easy because of my chest cold. It looked like we had a smooth enough renditions of The Medley and The Hit to pull this radio appearance off.

I’m blown away at how fast this tour is going. Sometimes it feels like I’ve been out here forever but in less than three weeks it’ll all be over and I’ll be back home and ready to rock.

I got to talk to my good buddy Brianne before I shut down for the night. She mentioned that she read my blog and dug Make The Road By Walking. I’m always floored that people are reading this stuff.

So we have a full day tomorrow. A radio appearance on the Mancow show some of the guys are going to a School of Rock and then we play the Double Door. It’ll be cool to see the Leslie guys and Sean and Zach Given are flyin in tomorrow to get the choir numbers back up. Should be a good show.

Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 25

Day 24 - April 4th 2009

All things considered it was a pretty quiet night. Coming off the biggest show of the tour so far as I hoped in the shower I noticed something. It’s been there for quite sometime but I think I’ve been in denial about it. But as I coughed it was as plain as day…I’m losing my voice.

My throat (which has always been a problem spot for me) is fine, the cold I have made it’s way into my chest so when I breathe to hit certain notes it just doesn’t happen. I’m screwed in the sense that I need to rest my voice but probably won’t be able to. We hopped in the car around 11:30 for what had to be the quietest car ride ever. I disappeared into my ipod after downloading Make The Road By Walking by Menahan Street Band. Jay Z sampled the tune for his song Roc Boys on the American Gangster Album. It’s one of my favorite tracks and I’d heard a Dj Spinnin it at North Bowl the last time I was home. I’m probably gonna use it as my entrance music for my Boy Wonder shows.

The ride from Michigan to the Indiana state line was really quiet. Most folks tired or otherwise from the night before were unconscious in the back of the van. After a rest stop I was looking out the window admiring the flat Midwestern scenery. Really quite serene, the America you see in commercials. Doz mentioned that he’d seen the landscape a million times. I noticed some flooding which makes me concerned about the Fargo show. We found some “hits from 80’s and today station” I was in heaven for about 20 minutes. We joked about how some woman at the show in Grand Rapids said I sounded like Paul Stanley

Drunk Woman: I was listening to the show and I was like they sound like KISS but only on your side.

Me: That’s cool

Drunk Woman: Has anyone ever told you sound like Paul Stanley

Me: No

Drunk Woman: No?!

Me: Nope, never, ever, you’d be the first.

Drunk Woman: Oh my God you totally do!

Afterwards Alex grabbed a guitar and we went over “The Hit” a song from Bang Camaro 2 that we’ll be performing on a morning radio show in Chicago on Monday. I’m panicing because I’m having a problem hitting all the notes they want me to hit.

After some more napping we pulled up at Rhinos an all ages spot inside a strip mall in Bloomington, Indiana in the early afternoon. I was happy to know that it was a dry venue. No one there would be drunk until after the show was over. We loaded everything in and I went in search of green tea. I love college towns, there always some sort of culture to be found passing by intellectual discussions, guitar stores, flyers for poetry and music nights, etc. I found a cool little place called Soma and got a Green Tea for cheap. Make the Road by Walking was my soundtrack for the entire walk. I like to explore the places that we go to if we have some down time, what’s the use of traveling if you don’t see anything.

Vocal warmups are getting harder and harder because of the chest cold. I do my best and soon it would be showtime. Bryn and Alex have been concerned about banter so they began to assign certain things to certain people in order to make the show run smoother. I’ve been charged with thanking the crowd and letting them know where the merch table is. It’s cool I have a talking job now, I’m pretty good with large crowds.

It’s showtime and we rock it. I was concerned about if my performance (which is pretty sexually charged) would be appropriate for the 18 and under set so I turned it down a notch. My voice generally gets stronger as the set progresses so I don’t have may problems doing the sets themselves I just have to be more disciplined in the way I take care of myself. I thought Lady Lighting was especially good. That song is so funky.

Electric Six came on and killed it yet again. Dick Valentine is an awesome front man. I may end up being a hardcore Electric Six fan once this is over. I may even have to dance and show these white folks how to move properly. They make me chuckle.

When they were done we piled in the van and thankfully did not go to the after party. We went to a grocery store and then to the hotel. I blew up my air mattress and went to sleep.

We have a day off tomorrow, which I desperately need.

Make The Road by Walking

Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 24

Day 23 - April 3rd 2009

The one thing they don’t tell you about the road is that the days run together. When everyday is like a Friday or Saturday Night one day you wake up and you realize that you don’t even know what day it is. I got up and grabbed a shower and waited around for us to check out of the hotel. The Econo Lodges are a tad (and by a tad I mean significantly more) seedier than the Super 8’s we usually stay at. The junkies looking for a fix have no problems walking up to you and asking if you have what they need. I hooked up with the brothers and we proceeded to the van.

We went to a Kroger (Wal-Mart like Store) for food and I got some soups and Vitamin Waters. Then I encountered my old nemesis, the self checkout machine. These damn things never seem to work. It was to the point that the one I was using broke down. I was speaking rather loudly at that point “I would be out of here in 5 minutes if I dunno a human being were checking my stuff, I’m not a f***ing cashier (sorry mom)”

Today we went to do laundry, Dan (tour manager/sound guy) needed to throw some things in as did the rest of us so we rolled over there on our way to the venue. It was the first time I’d ever been in a Laundromat to do my own clothes. I didn’t mention it to the guys, I had no clue what I was doing (lol) I managed to get my clothes in and head over to a Pizza Hut. I’ve been nursing a nasty canker sore on the back of my throat, a gift from the cold I caught, hurts like hell, makes it hard to be nice sometimes especially when you’re on top of people constantly, so I try to get some separation from everyone when I feel like that.

I walk into the pizza hut and I ask the hostess “I know this is going to sound like a weird question but What day is it?” She politely tells me it’s Friday April 3rd. I feel like a tool. I got my wings and walked my butt back to dry my clothes. I folded the clothes and loaded Roxanne and we went over to the venue to load in our gear. The place was huge, probably the biggest room we’ve played since I been on the road with them, definitely in the top 3 biggest rooms I’ve ever performed in.

We had about two hours before we had to be back so we went to check into the hotel for some chillin. I’d love to kick back a little more while I’m out here. I’m more of a low key dude and the partying gets to be a little much for me. I must say Dan has done a great job of booking the hotels close to the venue (although I think this particular one might have been Glen’s doing) he really seems to be on top of his stuff.

We piled into the van and were ready to do a like check once Never Neverland was done playing. They sent me to check the microphones in my Bill Cosby voice. Everyone seemed to get a kick out of it, by the time I got to the third mic I felt a little like Stepin Fetchit so I stopped, I’m a pretty proud guy I don’t really like feeling like I’m being exploited or laughed at. I’m not here to be a comedian, I’m a singer and with so many people that talk to me about Bang Camaro wondering if we’re joking I don’t need to be bringing out the impressions.

The set went extremely well. We were without Sean but Rich returned so we were down to four vocalists again but we were kicking some serious ass. My “moves” are getting a lot of attention the crowds seem to like it. It’s all in the hips I guess. No matter how I feel a crowd at a show can always get me goin. The really cool thing about Bang Camaro is you have several things to look at in terms of singers or you can just look at Bryn and Alex as they shred like beasts. We had 55 mins so we basically did the whole set sans F.Y.T.F.O. I thought we rocked faces off. I must have singed 10-12 autographs after the show was over.

We checked out Electric Six and I think I’m picking up on the vibe better than I did last night. They groove pretty sexily, I dig it. I’m learning a lot from watching Dick Valentine front the band. He works the room, talks to the crowd, and really gets em goin. Some Shitiot jumped onto the stage and he hit him with a forearm shiver sending him flying back into the crowd. I like them more and more with each show. I’m lookin forward to touring with them.

We hung around, signed some more stuff and bounced. Came back to the hotel and slept.

We rock Bloomington Indiana tomorrow. Wonder what kind of shenanigans we’ll get into next time

Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 23

Day 22 - April 3rd 2009

http://myspace.com/boywonderrocks

I awoke in Motown, beer bottles everywhere including next to the sink. I almost tripped over a raw potato on my way to the shower. Memories of Karaoke and busted old chicks fill my head as the water hit my gross body. It was funny cause we basically owned that bar.It was bad singer after bad singer and then Rodrigo, Nick, Sean and I in a row. The host basically was like “Who the hell are you guys?!” and then kept saying “Bang Camaro’s in the house” for the rest of the night.

We piled in the van headed for East Lansing stopped at a Kroger and got there in about two hours. I slept as they played the new Mastadon album in the van.

We arrived in East Lansing and immediately went to the venue to scope it out. Small Planet was a weird little spot. It had a really Dave and Busters Vibe to it. Looking more like a place for cover bands and 12 year olds that a place a band like Electric Six would be playing. This business has changed significantly. We went back to the hotel and chilled for a sec before going back for Load in.

Today we transition into being the opening act. Since I’ve started with this band we’ve been the headliner for every show we played. Now it was our job to warm the crowd up for another band. I was actually looking forward to this part of the tour, 2 weeks straight, 45 mins, lots of people, really getting to work. There was some concern because we were down to four singers, Rodrigo, Sean, Morgan, and I were all we had tonight. Turned out to be all we needed. After Thunderclap we were off to the races. Their fan base in Michigan seems to be strong, there were plenty of kids in Bang Camaro T-Shirts clapping their hands pumping their fists in the air. I was pretty good at working the stage, people seemed to be clapping whenever I was clapping, not sure if they were watching me or not there were three other good looking dudes on stage. I felt like we owned it tonight.

I step off stage feeling sweaty and gross and was approached by a beautiful Asian girl (a tad more....NC-17 than I would normally go for but she seemed nice). She seemed to like the concert and wanted me to come find her by the bar. I wondered what she was after. I found her and her buddy talking to Bryn and after being nudged by the brethren I went over. We had a couple of drinks before she slipped out with her boyfriend and I was sad (lol) the drinks were free so I feel like it was a victory. Distractions are the last thing I need especially now, we’re shorthanded and I need to be on my game.

We stayed through Electric Six, interesting band. The crowd seemed to love them and they danced and jumped up and down and the like. When they were done we went back to the hotel. I shared my Bill Cosby impression with the band for the first time. In our current state it killed. We were all craving pizza but Dan couldn’t find any at 2AM. I took my butt to bed. I was humming a melody in my head and will work on it in the morning.

Grand Rapids is next, Richie flies in but Sean is flying out of the weekend which keeps us at four singers. Like Carol Antrom my first ever choir director always said. The Right four people are better than 15 wrong ones, every singer Bang Camaro puts on that stage is talented so I think we’ll be fine.

The Funniest Thing I've Seen Today

Boy Wonder: Professional Musician 22

Day 21 - April 1st 2009

Detroit. Birthplace of Motown. All I could think of when we pulled in was that this place looked like hell hit it. It was not unlike the Detroit in Robocop. The city’s in a pretty bad way. I also thought of that Anime movie Fist of the Northstar.

We’re here to perform at the Limelight a sports bar on the edge of town. I helped load in and went to sleep with my head on a table. When I woke up Ramsey (Bang Camaro’s Manager) had arrived with some friends and everyone was setting up their gear. About an hour later the corporate types roll in and we kick things off.

We gave em a Bang Camaro show a full on head banging, ass shaking, guitar ripping extravaganza of epicness. I thought it sounded great and felt even better. Nothing like music man, We schmoozed with the corporate types for a while and thanked the owner of the bar for having us. I must have singed 4 posters. They seemed to dig what was happening so maybe it will lead to something for the band. I definitely would like to see good things happen for the Camaro. This is a magnificent idea that’s just crazy enough to work.

We hung out for a while at the bar, I had some soup to try to fight the cold back. Getting sick at this point would really suck. We loaded the car up and went back to the hotel. I had a deep discussion with Dr. Doz! about females and separation anxiety before Bryn decided that we should return to the Limelight for Karaoke Night.

We walked over and the place was packed, I’m not (nor have I ever been) a fan of Karaoke, but it seemed like everyone was having a good time. I immediately spotted what appeared to be a woman’s bowling team they were all dressed alike, it was someone’s birthday she was turning 29 for the 20th time. Bryn wants Sean, Rod, Nick, and I to sing songs. Sean broke out with some Limelight by Rush and nailed it. Then I busted out some P.Y.T. from Michael Jackson’s Thriller which the middle aged, leather faced chicks seemed to dig. I dipped to the back and was strongly encouraged by the Camaro brethren to interact with people (Not a life of the party kinda guy, I‘m not a dick about it I‘m just not really a people person.) I decided to do another song. By the end of the night I was enjoying myself.

We’re leaving the club and some woman was offering to buy the band drinks I was like

Me: You can buy me a drink

Drunk Chick: Whatever you’re not going the same place they’re going

Me: What?

Rod: He’s in the band

Drunk Chick: What are you the fucking drummer?!

Now in my state I’m thinking “Well that’s kinda racist” Luckily for her I didn’t join Bang Camaro to slap bitches in Detroit.
I retired to my air mattress and went to bed.

Tomorrow starts our stretch with Electric Six. Very much looking forward to really getting to work.