Behind the Kit

Recently my band did one of the weirdest and lamest gigs I have ever done. We attempted to play a ‘stripped down’ type set at an art show. Seemed like a cool idea until we found out it was at the City Hall. During a city council meeting.

Why this all happened at the same time I’ll never understand.

Needless to say, ‘The Man’ (complete with suit and tie, thinning hair, and governmental I’m-totally-more-important-than-you attitude) came and pulled the whole, “Turn it down guys” dance in the first 30 seconds of the first song.

Whatever. We played four songs –very quietly –and then packed up. The Artist girl was a friend and we did it as a favor and she was happy. The seven people who were there were happy. We weren’t happy. But what musician is ever happy? It’s all part of the angst-art thing I guess…

So a week later our guitarist gives us envelopes from our artist friend. So I open up my envelope and see a gift certificate of some type. A nice thank you gesture indeed.  It’s a 20.00 gift certificate from a local record store. And you know what my very first thought was?

[continue reading…]

When I first heard Jimi Hendrix at age twelve I didn’t get it. I was neck deep in Led Zeppelin, AC/DC and Black Sabbath and I just couldn’t understand what the fuss was with Hendrix.

Also, as a pre-teen I didn’t get the Beatles. I just thought it was all light and fluffy and kinda goofy with the mop-tops and all.

And even into my late teens/early twenties I didn’t get Dylan. Just didn’t get it.

And Classical? For far too long whenever I heard classical music, I swear I would hear Cartman from South Park whisper in my ear, “Dude, that is so Gay…”

Lately I’ve been having discussions with a musician friend who largely grew up on classical and instrumental music and is a self admitted late bloomer on pop and rock. So he’s been diving into the likes of Zeppelin, U2 and Radiohead. It’s interesting because much of what he appreciates or doesn’t appreciate about their music is largely based on the purely musical aspects of the songs. Like the odd time phrasing of Radiohead. Or the simplified open chord voicings of the Edge (which kind of annoy him).

It makes for some interesting conversation about the purely musical aspects of the artists and their work and it deepens my appreciation of their contributions –especially when I dig a bit deeper than usual. But one thing hitting me from our conversations is the importance of  putting on the ‘cultural lenses’ (to borrow my friend’s term) to really dig in and get the music. To feel it. To tap into the energy that came through the speakers the first time that Zeppelin/U2/ Stones/Radiohead song was played for the public. The first time it hit the airwaves. [continue reading…]

So…Obama’s going to pick up the pieces of America’s shattered image that Bush left scattered throughout the world and restore the respect, love and admiration everyone used to have for the good ol’ US of A, eh?

Apparently not. A Czech article entitled ‘A Total Slap in the Face’ (literally a punch in the face) recently written by a gent named Vaclav Vlk reveals all is not well in the land of Czech as many fear Obama has thrown them under the bus. Or more accurately –thrown them to the Russian Bear.

In canceling the missile-defense shield, Vlk asserts it’s the Munich agreement all over again where Hitler was appeased by getting parts of then-Czechoslovakia as a little snack to satiate his growing hunger. Well, we all know how that worked out. Or, it’s like 1945 where the Czechs were handed over to the Bear to be gnawed on for a good forty years.

Vlk says:

The shield was supposed to be an unofficial anchor against further Russian influence over Europe – everyone knows that. Now it looks like Obama slapped us around in public – and without warning – so that Putin gives him an approving pet on the head. Is this supposed to be the new moral leader of the free world???

Ouch.

[continue reading…]

I just watched a movie called “Danielson: a Family Movie”. Here is the imdb description-

“Danielson: a Family Movie” is a documentary about unbridled creativity vs. accessibility, Christian faith vs. popular culture, underground music vs. survival, and family vs. individuality. The film follows Daniel Smith, an eccentric musician and visual artist, as he leads his four siblings and best friend to indie rock stardom, eventually facing the struggle to become viable as a solo act. Along the way he mentors an unknown singer-songwriter named Sufjan Stevens whose own subsequent success stands in stark contrast to the music world’s uneasy reception of Danielson just a few years prior.

This movie is great. Everyone must see it. Well, at least everyone that cares about the intersection of faith and art and the tensions that intersection creates both artistically as well as commercially. And personally. And spiritually. And so on. [continue reading…]

If I didn’t personally know the people in the story I am about to tell, I would think it a complete load of fabricated BS. What is that saying? Truth is stranger than fiction?

Totally.

A few years ago I did a three song demo with a singer who at the time I believe was 18. I’ll call him Bob. Bob was young and raw but had a lot of determination. And some serious pitch issues. But he was taking vocal lessons and when he got it together he wasn’t half bad. So my seasoned guitar player friend and I decided to give it a shot. And we got three decent songs together but…it never went anywhere. Like most music projects.

So a few years later, Bob and his younger brother (I’ll call him Bill) go and see Lenny Kravitz play in San Diego. They get up front and at one point in the show Lenny starts breaking it down and Bill is making like a crazy person and motioning to Lenny that he can play and he should in fact let him. So Lenny finally says, “Dude, can you really play guitar?” Bill screams and flails wildly, “Hell yeeeeaaah!” So security grabs Bill (and fortunately his brother), hands him a guitar and puts him onstage. So he and Lenny start trading licks and it’s all fun and good and a fun part of the show. Of course they get backstage passes and pictures with Lenny and the whole bit.

For most rock fantasies it would end there. But not this one. [continue reading…]

I haven’t quite made my fortune playing music just yet, so I involve myself in various entrepreneurial adventures to butter my bread.  Recently, I had to deal with the city for some building issues related to a business I am involved in. I am now fully convinced that governments –be they local city governments or federal –are completely detached from reality in form and function. And unfortunately most (not all –if you work for the government I’m sure you are the exception) of the people who work for the government are detached as well. Detached mainly from the reality of business and anything that is not about codes, procedures, regulations and violations of the aforementioned.
[continue reading…]

Ask any music lover under 25 if they’re into Beck and you’ll get a, “Oh yeah, Loser baby…Devil’s Haircut… totally….” Well, before 1994 if you mentioned ‘Beck’ to a music lover they would know you are talking about Beck as in Jeff Beck –the guitar hero spawned in the same Yardbird swamp as Jimmy Page and Eric Clapton. And although he never achieved the massive commercial success of Page and Clapton, he achieved a respectable level of success and an unquestionable level of critical success, not to mention unflinching admiration from guitar players and lovers worldwide. He continues to play and record with top players like Vinnie Colaiuta and eagerly snags young talent like bass wunderkind Tal Wilkenfeld.

My personal introduction to Jeff Beck comes with one hello-Mr. Toad-wild-ride.

[continue reading…]

When I was in the fourth grade, Tuesday was music day. We would go to ‘music class’ and the ultra cool teacher would let us bring our Records –not CD’s –and play them for the class.

For me, it was the most important hour of my week.

Those records that I brought were part of me –they were a huge part of my identity and I would labor over my record selection and song choice. Looking back, I would’ve much preferred an ideallic home life with an awesome all-American Dad that played catch with me on the weekends sorta stuff, but that wasn’t happening for me.  Music was. And that’s where I would retreat and find strength. So we would get one song to pick and play and the entire class had to sit and listen to the whole thing. I grew up with three cousins who were 5-10 years older than me so they got me into vintage and classic rock while all my little buddies were listening to the flavor of the day. So they never knew what was gonna hit ’em . Oh Lord… it was heaven, cranking ‘Back in the Saddle’ by Aerosmith, or ‘Sheer Heart Attack’ by Queen, while the record cover was passed around by the bewildered class.

[continue reading…]

This is old news but if you’ve never heard it, it is a must hear. And for someone like myself who dressed up as Gene Simmons two Halloweens in a row, this is golden.

Gene Simmons- the hedonist, rockstar, family(ish) man, money lover vs. Terry Gross –the bookwormish, pseudo-intellectual snob.

Oh Lord, it’s a match made in heaven.

What I love about this interview is they both have valid points in their perceptions, accusations and judgments of each other. Yes Terry, Gene is obnoxious but you are a snob. Yes Gene, Terry is a snob but you are arrogant. [continue reading…]