Took off for lunch to drop off cds to a radio station who contacted us as well as take a parking lot phone call from a company that heard about my Google Adwords experience from a friend of a friend and wanted to talk about working for them in some capacity.
I have never seen two hours disappear like that.
I met the radio station lady and she was very polite and thankful that I brought her the CDs. She works for a radio program I have heard called Texas Music Matters so hopefully we will be on that program.
Then while driving back I had to pull over to talk marketing with two guys.
Looks like I have a chance to make a little extra cash working for a company that sells guitar how to info products online. I was able to talk shop with the guy (well I might add) and he was impressed and excited to have me on-board.
Looks like its going to be an 8-10 hour/wk thing for awhile and then we will go from there. I am very excited by this. Doing that kind of thing full time would be a great job. First things first. Do right by them and see what happens.
Great Friday. And its getting better tonight.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Suprising Quote of the Day
"Where is my faith? Even deep down ... there is nothing but emptiness and darkness ... If there be God—please forgive me. When I try to raise my thoughts to Heaven, there is such convicting emptiness that those very thoughts return like sharp knives and hurt my very soul ... How painful is this unknown pain—I have no Faith. Repulsed, empty, no faith, no love, no zeal, ... What do I labor for? If there be no God, there can be no soul. If there be no soul then, Jesus, You also are not true."
- Mother Teresa
- Mother Teresa
Monday, January 25, 2010
Viva Conan
Watched the final episode of The Tonight Show With Conan tonight.
Pretty inspiring. He left with some very classy final comments about the whole NBC debacle and even choked up a little. I highly doubt this is the last I will see of him but it was still a cool moment in television.
(Some may say that walking away with some 30 million in cash probably makes it a bit easier)
But the funny thing is I look at Conan and I honestly believe its not about the money for him and never has been. I saw him on Charlie Rose and it was cool to see him being completely serious for an hour talking about his career.
Tom Hanks was one of the guests for this final episode and was talking about how he remembers him being one of the unseen writers for SNL (Arguably during its heyday... coincidence? I doubt it)
The guy is truly funny. He wrote some of the best episodes of the Simpsons for God's sake. The guy has helped shape my idea of what funny is in more ways than I realized.
I doubt when he was sweating away in the SNL dungeon with Robert Smigel he was imagining what it would be like to walk away from NBC with 30 million. He was just doing what he does best.
This final episode tonight is especially interesting to me because I have been going back and forth with this whole "do what you love"/"think about your future thing" for awhile now.
I was reading about Britt Daniel of Spoon today as well, and in 2003 during some of their first strokes of critical acclaim someone asked him if he was making a good living. He said something about it barely covering his rent for a few months and then he had to be doing something else. Lying? Maybe. But I doubt it. The life of an indie artist without major label funding can be pretty shoestring.
But once again... its not about that. And I am starting to understand this whole thing on a level I have never really "gotten" before.
Adulation, wealth, acclaim all these things sound pretty sweet. But if there isn't some kernel in you that is doing it for no other reason than you feeling like its what you HAVE to do and truly feel life is better when you do it then you are wasting your time and time of the people who have to sit through it.
Conversely if you are doing something you despise and feel like you HAVE to do it then that's an even bigger travesty and worth examining very carefully.
I think this idea is the root of a lot of people's mid life crisis' and total breakdowns when they get older. There are so many pretty illusions to chase and unless you get real fucking honest with yourself you end up chasing them for years before realizing it was all for nothing. Or the payoff wasn't worth what you lost.
Even crazier is how people can end up convincing themselves that the bullshit is the actual prize. That's pretty terrifying.
So no this isn't some excuse as to why I am 31 and don't have much of a savings account. That's something I definitely need to work on and have no excuse but my own bad planning.
This is about having to remind myself to stick to that thing that makes me feel like I am alive regardless of how many people scoff at it or think its a waste. And I need to keep reminding myself because its easy to get caught up in the illusion. Its easy to ignore how important it is to find that pure, undiluted joy that comes from going after all those crazy harebrained schemes.
Because when I'm dying I'm pretty sure that's the stuff that will make me smile.
Pretty inspiring. He left with some very classy final comments about the whole NBC debacle and even choked up a little. I highly doubt this is the last I will see of him but it was still a cool moment in television.
(Some may say that walking away with some 30 million in cash probably makes it a bit easier)
But the funny thing is I look at Conan and I honestly believe its not about the money for him and never has been. I saw him on Charlie Rose and it was cool to see him being completely serious for an hour talking about his career.
Tom Hanks was one of the guests for this final episode and was talking about how he remembers him being one of the unseen writers for SNL (Arguably during its heyday... coincidence? I doubt it)
The guy is truly funny. He wrote some of the best episodes of the Simpsons for God's sake. The guy has helped shape my idea of what funny is in more ways than I realized.
I doubt when he was sweating away in the SNL dungeon with Robert Smigel he was imagining what it would be like to walk away from NBC with 30 million. He was just doing what he does best.
This final episode tonight is especially interesting to me because I have been going back and forth with this whole "do what you love"/"think about your future thing" for awhile now.
I was reading about Britt Daniel of Spoon today as well, and in 2003 during some of their first strokes of critical acclaim someone asked him if he was making a good living. He said something about it barely covering his rent for a few months and then he had to be doing something else. Lying? Maybe. But I doubt it. The life of an indie artist without major label funding can be pretty shoestring.
But once again... its not about that. And I am starting to understand this whole thing on a level I have never really "gotten" before.
Adulation, wealth, acclaim all these things sound pretty sweet. But if there isn't some kernel in you that is doing it for no other reason than you feeling like its what you HAVE to do and truly feel life is better when you do it then you are wasting your time and time of the people who have to sit through it.
Conversely if you are doing something you despise and feel like you HAVE to do it then that's an even bigger travesty and worth examining very carefully.
I think this idea is the root of a lot of people's mid life crisis' and total breakdowns when they get older. There are so many pretty illusions to chase and unless you get real fucking honest with yourself you end up chasing them for years before realizing it was all for nothing. Or the payoff wasn't worth what you lost.
Even crazier is how people can end up convincing themselves that the bullshit is the actual prize. That's pretty terrifying.
So no this isn't some excuse as to why I am 31 and don't have much of a savings account. That's something I definitely need to work on and have no excuse but my own bad planning.
This is about having to remind myself to stick to that thing that makes me feel like I am alive regardless of how many people scoff at it or think its a waste. And I need to keep reminding myself because its easy to get caught up in the illusion. Its easy to ignore how important it is to find that pure, undiluted joy that comes from going after all those crazy harebrained schemes.
Because when I'm dying I'm pretty sure that's the stuff that will make me smile.
cool sunday
Played frisbee golf with Dave yesterday. Gorgeous weather.
We then went to a totally lame Haiti benefit concert. It was just a bunch of Texas artists which means boring Americana. I sort of expected it to suck but it felt good to give to a very good cause. All proceeds went to it, so my $30 was well spent.
Also caught a Karaoke championship. That was a trip. These people pulled out all the stops with insane costumes, props and group singing. Decent sound setup so that was surprising. Very entertaining. Made me want to do something like that with a fun group of people.
Good weekend.
We then went to a totally lame Haiti benefit concert. It was just a bunch of Texas artists which means boring Americana. I sort of expected it to suck but it felt good to give to a very good cause. All proceeds went to it, so my $30 was well spent.
Also caught a Karaoke championship. That was a trip. These people pulled out all the stops with insane costumes, props and group singing. Decent sound setup so that was surprising. Very entertaining. Made me want to do something like that with a fun group of people.
Good weekend.
Saturday, January 23, 2010
interesting night
show recap:
Overall a good, dare I say it, a great show.
Just got home. Exhausted. I didn't sleep well last night and felt heavy all day. I would say I was at a 6 or 7 in energy but there were a few factors making up for my atypical energy level.
The lights: Wow
They recently invested in a new light system. We had colors of every kind and all kinds of flashing things happening. I played to blackness most of show because the lights erased all trace of the audience from the stage.
The sound: The stage was big and the sound was a top notch, touring band kind of sound. A few people including Abe said it was the best we have ever sounded. I felt just okay with my performance but the sound aspect was indeed one of our best.
Cool stuff to mention:
A girl grabbed me and told me we were great. Then she said "Do you want my honest opinion?" I was like "of course" and she said that even though our sound wasn't exactly her style ("a little too poppy for me") she still could tell that our arrangements and our talent was apparent and we were good.
I think thats the kind of compliment that I remember most. Winning people over who arent necessarily into us as much as just having an outsider appreciation for what we do.
Finally the coolest aspect of the evening and what made it totally worth it:
The owner came up to use right after the set and said we tore it up. He then saw me at the bar a little later and said people were coming up to him asking who we were. The coup de gras came when Daniel went to collect the money and asked... "So not sure we are on par with what you are used to, but we'd love to play another show". He told Daniel that we were a great candidate to open for a nationally touring act and gave him his info.
Thats it for me. Mission accomplished. I am beyond exhausted but that is some fantastic news and what made the night worth it. The owner said we kicked serious ass. Done.
Also received an email today from a PR firm but before I expound on that I am going to see if it was a mass emailed thing or specifically for us. Its wild if its true though.
Overall a good, dare I say it, a great show.
Just got home. Exhausted. I didn't sleep well last night and felt heavy all day. I would say I was at a 6 or 7 in energy but there were a few factors making up for my atypical energy level.
The lights: Wow
They recently invested in a new light system. We had colors of every kind and all kinds of flashing things happening. I played to blackness most of show because the lights erased all trace of the audience from the stage.
The sound: The stage was big and the sound was a top notch, touring band kind of sound. A few people including Abe said it was the best we have ever sounded. I felt just okay with my performance but the sound aspect was indeed one of our best.
Cool stuff to mention:
A girl grabbed me and told me we were great. Then she said "Do you want my honest opinion?" I was like "of course" and she said that even though our sound wasn't exactly her style ("a little too poppy for me") she still could tell that our arrangements and our talent was apparent and we were good.
I think thats the kind of compliment that I remember most. Winning people over who arent necessarily into us as much as just having an outsider appreciation for what we do.
Finally the coolest aspect of the evening and what made it totally worth it:
The owner came up to use right after the set and said we tore it up. He then saw me at the bar a little later and said people were coming up to him asking who we were. The coup de gras came when Daniel went to collect the money and asked... "So not sure we are on par with what you are used to, but we'd love to play another show". He told Daniel that we were a great candidate to open for a nationally touring act and gave him his info.
Thats it for me. Mission accomplished. I am beyond exhausted but that is some fantastic news and what made the night worth it. The owner said we kicked serious ass. Done.
Also received an email today from a PR firm but before I expound on that I am going to see if it was a mass emailed thing or specifically for us. Its wild if its true though.
Friday, January 22, 2010
Tonight baby
No clue what to expect. Every single show I have ever played has always had something about it that I did not expect. Crowd size smaller or larger than anticipated. Audience reactions being lukewarm when I thought we kicked ass. Audience response being incredible when i thought we sucked ass. Sound being shitty/great, soundmen being shitty/nicer than expected, etc.
So tonight is going to be interesting. I have seen 3 separate facebook events created for this and each has a decent amount of people as confirmed guests. I am actually a little nervous for this one. Its the 4th top pick for things to do this evening in Austin. on http://do512.com/
In other news we have befriended an amazing soundguy who wants to work with us specifically and help us book shows and be there at others to handle the sound. This is huge because shitty soundmen are common and this guy takes his craft very seriously and only works with a few people in this capacity.
And just this very second a girl texted me saying she is driving with her windows down listening to one of our songs.
I hope 2010 keeps this momentum. I'll have to beat my inner-cynic up and tell him to shut his stupid mouth for a change.
So tonight is going to be interesting. I have seen 3 separate facebook events created for this and each has a decent amount of people as confirmed guests. I am actually a little nervous for this one. Its the 4th top pick for things to do this evening in Austin. on http://do512.com/
In other news we have befriended an amazing soundguy who wants to work with us specifically and help us book shows and be there at others to handle the sound. This is huge because shitty soundmen are common and this guy takes his craft very seriously and only works with a few people in this capacity.
And just this very second a girl texted me saying she is driving with her windows down listening to one of our songs.
I hope 2010 keeps this momentum. I'll have to beat my inner-cynic up and tell him to shut his stupid mouth for a change.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Coachella
I probably cant go but man the lineup looks fantastic this year.
(which makes this post title misleading... oh well)
Got a short check this pay period. Someone input that I worked 52 hours rather than 72. So yeah considerably smaller paycheck. Still waiting on word on when I get it.
I applied to 2 jobs. But the resume is very simple. I dont even know how they should look these days. I pretty much have 0 formatting. Just 2 pages of qualifications. I realized I haven't had a proper job that required a resume in years.
We have a pretty cool show Friday at the Parish and I am nervous and excited about it.
I have been once again considering trying my hand at a comedy open mic. This is something I go round and round with as the years trickle by and I will one day do it. Its totally terrifying to me. It has nothing to do with playing music so its totally foreign. I figured I have to have a good sense of humor about it because I am going to suck, no question about it.
I thought about starting with a joke about how I like Wikipedia because its like cliff notes that may or may not be true. Then some comment about Fat Albert being one of the principle existentialist philosophers (and doubting it).
Yeah that's all i have so far. I would definitely have to bring some support with me. But I have few people that come to mind right now. sad.
(which makes this post title misleading... oh well)
Got a short check this pay period. Someone input that I worked 52 hours rather than 72. So yeah considerably smaller paycheck. Still waiting on word on when I get it.
I applied to 2 jobs. But the resume is very simple. I dont even know how they should look these days. I pretty much have 0 formatting. Just 2 pages of qualifications. I realized I haven't had a proper job that required a resume in years.
We have a pretty cool show Friday at the Parish and I am nervous and excited about it.
I have been once again considering trying my hand at a comedy open mic. This is something I go round and round with as the years trickle by and I will one day do it. Its totally terrifying to me. It has nothing to do with playing music so its totally foreign. I figured I have to have a good sense of humor about it because I am going to suck, no question about it.
I thought about starting with a joke about how I like Wikipedia because its like cliff notes that may or may not be true. Then some comment about Fat Albert being one of the principle existentialist philosophers (and doubting it).
Yeah that's all i have so far. I would definitely have to bring some support with me. But I have few people that come to mind right now. sad.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
underestimated
I sat down and wrote out all my skills, then checked some online job postings. I am more than qualified for a lot of these jobs. I have more stuff in my head then I realized.
I am going to apply.
I am going to apply.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
Big Freaking Awesome News
101x Homegrown Live contacted us to play a show in March. Its a special edition of Homegrown Live. Andy Langer's "The Next Big Thing" show at Ghost Room.
Heavily hyped on the radio station. Were on the bill with Oh No Oh My. Im calling everyone for this one.
Heavily hyped on the radio station. Were on the bill with Oh No Oh My. Im calling everyone for this one.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Buckley did it
I think the sexiest line in a song in the history of the universe goes to Jeff Buckley...
29 pearls in your kiss
a singing smile
coffee smell and lilac skin
Your flame in me
29 pearls in your kiss
a singing smile
coffee smell and lilac skin
Your flame in me
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Hole in the Wall
Wow. Great freaking show.
The mix was unlike anything I have ever had on stage. HUGE monitors that just envelope you with what you are doing allowing you to just lose yourself in it.
The sound guy was killer. I had actually heard of him and he had heard of us. He was very impressed after the show so that is cool.
Our transitions between songs are getting solid. Despite some issues like my power cutting out for an entire song I kept cool and just focused on singing right. A couple moments of jiggling the power strip brought the signal back and we were on track again.
The energy in the place was amazing. People were yelling more than usual. I was jumping around more than usual. Mikes new bass was thumping the fuck out of the place. It was a wonderful feeling.
Everything was crisp, tight and focused. I sung at about an 85% comfort level. Still working on it.
The pics look good. Our friend Sarah took them and she should be getting them posted somewhere soon.
These kinds of shows are going to solidify us as a great live act. I am proud and thankful to be able to do this and look forward to a stage/sound setup like that again very soon.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Here we are
2010. I had a hell of a new years. Probably one of the best in many years. Fingers crossed the rest of the year keeps this up. ;)
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