Hello there! Well, it's been quite awhile. Two months to be exact. That's way too long. Sorry about the delayed absence. I guess time has kind of gotten way from me, since the last time I posted on here.
I've received many inquiries, over the last few weeks, from a lot of our fans. Most of the inquiries are, "How's the band doing?" or "What's going on with the band?", and my favorite, "When are y'all playing again?" It's really a nice feeling to get asked these types of questions. Well, I guess I owe y'all some answers, so lets get to it!
We made a conscience decision to have the November 1st show at the Thirsty Armadillo, be our last show of 2014. Ken (our former drummer) was leaving us, and we thought it would be a good time to re-assess our situation, take a breath and get re-organized. Ken was only with us for a short time. It was a frustrating time for the rest of us. We were really starting to jell, one moment, and then the next moment, we were back to square one. So, one of the items on our list during this time was to seek out a new drummer.
Roy also has a solo side project, who's main goal is Christmas! He has an internet radio broadcast that he performs during the holidays, and this year he booked a couple of house concerts that featured some different material, then what SDR normally performs. He has written several original Christmas tunes, and he worked up some arrangements of some other songs that really do not fit with the SDR vibe. So, he wanted to concentrate on that in December. Honestly, I was burned out and needed a break from everything to recharge my battery, so this all worked out really well for me too.
During this time, we were also able to find a new drummer. John Hotchkiss will be joining us on the drums, going forward. John is a fantastic drummer who has a great personality and will be a welcome addition. Here's another tidbit for you. John is originally from the U.K., so he has the cool British accent going on!
We are currently booking shows for 2015. You can check the online calendar on www.sanddollarrodeo.com for dates, times and locations. We've added several new shows this week, and hopefully we will be adding a lot more over the coming weeks. I've heard from some of you in the past, asking when SDR was going to come to your town or to a specific venue. We are always up for anything. One of the best ways for us to obtain a booking through a new venue, is by you, the fan. Yes, you can really help us in that regard. Venues will listen to their customer's. If the demand is there, they will be willing to meet that demand. There are a lot of very talented musicians out there, and only so many venues, dates, and times. Your voice does matter. So, if you are interested in us coming to your town or to a specific venue, please feel free to let them know.
In other news, we released our latest single, entitled "Population You & Me" on October 31st. Have you had a chance to listen to it yet? If not, here is a link www.reverbnation.com/sanddollarrodeo It is the first song on the list. If you enjoyed it and would like to purchase it, it should be available wherever you purchase your digital music. We are also working on several other new original songs, and are hoping to have these available to you, in the near future.
I would like to take this time to thank each and every one of you for your support. Whether it was reading this blog, reading Roy's blog, attending a show, buying a CD, buying a T-Shirt, liking our Facebook page, following us on Twitter, sharing our posts, drinking a beer with us, buying a beer for us (ha ha!) and the list goes on! We really appreciate each and everyone of you! We are not going anywhere! We are really looking forward to 2015. I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy this time with your family and friends and I'll talk to you in 2015!
Tuesday, December 23, 2014
Thursday, October 23, 2014
Cody's Friends Rescue Benefit And Some Other News
Time seems to have got the better of me over the last few weeks. Things have been very busy for me lately, both on the band and non-band front. I was looking at the calendar and realizing that October is almost gone! Where has the time gone? Then I realized, whoa! I haven't posted anything, since the first part of the month.
Well, with that said, let's get caught up, shall we? Last weekend Roy and I did an acoustic show out at Shannon Brewery. They are a new craft brewery that opened up seven weeks ago. They are located right off of Main Street in Keller. Shannon and his crew were great and we really enjoyed ourselves. They have an awesome brewery. The outdoor beer garden is really nice. The inside is doubly impressive. They have a really nice bar area with plenty of big screens to enjoy the game. If football is not your thing, then you can sit outside in the beer garden and enjoy the music and food. Fuzzy's Tacos was there this past weekend. Yum! Oh, and don't forget the beer! Very good in my humble opinion. We hope to be back out there in the not so distant future, but in the meantime, you owe it to yourself to go check them out.
This weekend, our focus will shift to our four legged friends, as we will be playing a benefit for Cody's Friends Rescue. They are a local animal rescue group based out of the north Dallas area. You can find out more about this great organization by following this link www.codysfriendsrescue.com The benefit will take place at the Whole Foods in Addison. The street address is 5100 Beltline Road. The benefit starts at high noon and will run until 3pm. This will be a full band show. Their will be plenty of four legged friends, that are looking for their forever home, so come on out! While I'm really looking forward to this show and supporting this cause, this will also be a very bittersweet day for the band, as this will be Ken's last show with us. For those of you that don't know, Ken is our drummer. I want to thank Ken for all of the hard work he put into SDR. He will be sorely missed, but we want to wish him all the best, in his future endeavors.
With that said, the search is on for a new drummer. We have one that we are planning to meet with on November 8th. If you know someone that might be looking or might be interested in our project, please have them shoot us an email to info@sanddollarrodeo.com We are not booking anymore shows for the rest of the year, as a result of this development. We are going to be using our time in November and December to find a new drummer, and get him/her up to speed on everything. We plan to resume live shows in January. So if you want to catch the full band, this will be your last chance for awhile.
We will also be working on new music during this time. We have a lot of new song ideas in the works. It's just a matter of putting them altogether.
Speaking of new songs, our new single entitled Population You & Me is in final production. We are currently mixing it this week! We are really excited about it, and can't wait for you to hear it! It will be a available at all of the usual digital outlets, so stay tuned!
Alrighty, that's about all I have for now. Thanks for your time, and remember if your looking for a new furry friend, then Saturday is your perfect opportunity! Take care and I'll talk to you soon!
Well, with that said, let's get caught up, shall we? Last weekend Roy and I did an acoustic show out at Shannon Brewery. They are a new craft brewery that opened up seven weeks ago. They are located right off of Main Street in Keller. Shannon and his crew were great and we really enjoyed ourselves. They have an awesome brewery. The outdoor beer garden is really nice. The inside is doubly impressive. They have a really nice bar area with plenty of big screens to enjoy the game. If football is not your thing, then you can sit outside in the beer garden and enjoy the music and food. Fuzzy's Tacos was there this past weekend. Yum! Oh, and don't forget the beer! Very good in my humble opinion. We hope to be back out there in the not so distant future, but in the meantime, you owe it to yourself to go check them out.
This weekend, our focus will shift to our four legged friends, as we will be playing a benefit for Cody's Friends Rescue. They are a local animal rescue group based out of the north Dallas area. You can find out more about this great organization by following this link www.codysfriendsrescue.com The benefit will take place at the Whole Foods in Addison. The street address is 5100 Beltline Road. The benefit starts at high noon and will run until 3pm. This will be a full band show. Their will be plenty of four legged friends, that are looking for their forever home, so come on out! While I'm really looking forward to this show and supporting this cause, this will also be a very bittersweet day for the band, as this will be Ken's last show with us. For those of you that don't know, Ken is our drummer. I want to thank Ken for all of the hard work he put into SDR. He will be sorely missed, but we want to wish him all the best, in his future endeavors.
With that said, the search is on for a new drummer. We have one that we are planning to meet with on November 8th. If you know someone that might be looking or might be interested in our project, please have them shoot us an email to info@sanddollarrodeo.com We are not booking anymore shows for the rest of the year, as a result of this development. We are going to be using our time in November and December to find a new drummer, and get him/her up to speed on everything. We plan to resume live shows in January. So if you want to catch the full band, this will be your last chance for awhile.
We will also be working on new music during this time. We have a lot of new song ideas in the works. It's just a matter of putting them altogether.
Speaking of new songs, our new single entitled Population You & Me is in final production. We are currently mixing it this week! We are really excited about it, and can't wait for you to hear it! It will be a available at all of the usual digital outlets, so stay tuned!
Alrighty, that's about all I have for now. Thanks for your time, and remember if your looking for a new furry friend, then Saturday is your perfect opportunity! Take care and I'll talk to you soon!
Thursday, October 2, 2014
Phamily Phestival For Alzheimers
Alzheimer's is a terrible disease, that may have affected some of you in some way or another. Maybe your friend's mom, dad, or grandparent has or had it. Maybe one of your direct family members have, or is suffering from it. I know that finding a cure, is a cause that is very dear to my heart. My wife's grandfather suffered from this disease. When we met, he was in the very beginning stages of it. He was still fully functional, but had a habit of repeating himself quite a bit. Through the next few years, I watched as he slowly started to lose his independence. It was really hard on my wife and her family. Heck, it was hard on me and I had not even known him for that long. He was a veteran of World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. According to my wife, their was no question as to who was the head of their family.
Over time, things were slowly taken away to protect him. He loved to do projects around his house and yard. It eventually became too dangerous for him to operate power tools, or climb on a ladder, so my wife's grandmother had these items distributed to the various members of the family. We ended up with his ladder and his hedge trimmers. Every year when I hang Christmas lights, on that ladder, I think about him. I also think about him, every time that I trim our hedges, with that hedge trimmer.
Eventually, it became to dangerous for him to drive. He had a mint champagne, Ford Crown Victoria, that he was so proud of. My wife's mom slipped the keys to us, one day, and asked us to take the car to our house, so that grandpa wouldn't see it. We put the car up for sale, and it sold really quickly. The money, of course, went to grandpa's care.
Eventually, grandpa started wondering off. My wife's grandmother was not physically strong enough to keep up with him, so the difficult decision was made to admit him to a nursing facility. This really opened my eyes to this horrible disease. He was in an Alzheimer's unit. All of the patients, in this wing, were suffering from this horrible disease. They were at various stages, and they all seemed to behave in different manners. Some patients would wander aimlessly up and down the halls, while others were confined to wheelchairs, as they no longer knew how to walk.
Grandpa slowly lost the ability to do anything for himself. He was unable to dress, bathe, or feed himself. He eventually got to the point, where he no longer knew who we were. That's probably the hardest thing that I've witnessed, about this disease. From my understanding, the brain is finally unable to tell the body how to breath, and that is usually how the victim dies. This is the way that grandpa's death was explained to us. It's a really conflicting emotion. On the one hand, you of course are sad about their passing, but on the other hand, your relieved that they are at peace and no longer suffering from this horrible disease. Alzheimer's takes away all of your dignity and independence.
This weekend, SDR will be joining in a worthy cause. The Lone Star Parrot Head Club invited us to participate in the Phamily Phestival For Alzheimer's. As you can see, Alzheimer's has affected my family, as it does so many others. Roy was contacted by Lone Star Parrot Head Club to see if we would be interested in participating. Roy asked me if I was interested in doing this, and it was a very easy decision for me.
The event will take place this Sunday, October 5th, from 2-6pm at Fresco's Mexicana. Fresco's is located at 2420 Justin Rd., Highland Village, TX 75077. This event is open to the public. Their will be four, 1 hour sets of music. John Mason will be kicking things off at 2pm, and then we will follow from 3-4pm. After us, Charles Spradling will be playing, and then after that, a special unnamed guest will be appearing. Even I do not know who it will be. Guess you'll have to stick around and find out who it is! All of the acts involved, will be doing acoustic sets. For this one, it will just be Roy and I, and not the full band.
In addition to the live music, their will also be a silent auction going on. All of the proceeds will be donated to help fight Alzheimer's disease. Among the items for auction are a wine rack with some good wines, Coke a Cola merchandise, Cowboy sunglasses and much, much more! So come and "Party With Purpose", as Lone Star Parrot Head Club likes to say! Their will be plenty of great food, drinks, live music, and who knows what else! Let's do our part to fight this awful disease!
Ok. that's about all I have for now. Thank you for reading and I'll talk to you soon!
Over time, things were slowly taken away to protect him. He loved to do projects around his house and yard. It eventually became too dangerous for him to operate power tools, or climb on a ladder, so my wife's grandmother had these items distributed to the various members of the family. We ended up with his ladder and his hedge trimmers. Every year when I hang Christmas lights, on that ladder, I think about him. I also think about him, every time that I trim our hedges, with that hedge trimmer.
Eventually, it became to dangerous for him to drive. He had a mint champagne, Ford Crown Victoria, that he was so proud of. My wife's mom slipped the keys to us, one day, and asked us to take the car to our house, so that grandpa wouldn't see it. We put the car up for sale, and it sold really quickly. The money, of course, went to grandpa's care.
Eventually, grandpa started wondering off. My wife's grandmother was not physically strong enough to keep up with him, so the difficult decision was made to admit him to a nursing facility. This really opened my eyes to this horrible disease. He was in an Alzheimer's unit. All of the patients, in this wing, were suffering from this horrible disease. They were at various stages, and they all seemed to behave in different manners. Some patients would wander aimlessly up and down the halls, while others were confined to wheelchairs, as they no longer knew how to walk.
Grandpa slowly lost the ability to do anything for himself. He was unable to dress, bathe, or feed himself. He eventually got to the point, where he no longer knew who we were. That's probably the hardest thing that I've witnessed, about this disease. From my understanding, the brain is finally unable to tell the body how to breath, and that is usually how the victim dies. This is the way that grandpa's death was explained to us. It's a really conflicting emotion. On the one hand, you of course are sad about their passing, but on the other hand, your relieved that they are at peace and no longer suffering from this horrible disease. Alzheimer's takes away all of your dignity and independence.
This weekend, SDR will be joining in a worthy cause. The Lone Star Parrot Head Club invited us to participate in the Phamily Phestival For Alzheimer's. As you can see, Alzheimer's has affected my family, as it does so many others. Roy was contacted by Lone Star Parrot Head Club to see if we would be interested in participating. Roy asked me if I was interested in doing this, and it was a very easy decision for me.
The event will take place this Sunday, October 5th, from 2-6pm at Fresco's Mexicana. Fresco's is located at 2420 Justin Rd., Highland Village, TX 75077. This event is open to the public. Their will be four, 1 hour sets of music. John Mason will be kicking things off at 2pm, and then we will follow from 3-4pm. After us, Charles Spradling will be playing, and then after that, a special unnamed guest will be appearing. Even I do not know who it will be. Guess you'll have to stick around and find out who it is! All of the acts involved, will be doing acoustic sets. For this one, it will just be Roy and I, and not the full band.
In addition to the live music, their will also be a silent auction going on. All of the proceeds will be donated to help fight Alzheimer's disease. Among the items for auction are a wine rack with some good wines, Coke a Cola merchandise, Cowboy sunglasses and much, much more! So come and "Party With Purpose", as Lone Star Parrot Head Club likes to say! Their will be plenty of great food, drinks, live music, and who knows what else! Let's do our part to fight this awful disease!
Ok. that's about all I have for now. Thank you for reading and I'll talk to you soon!
Wednesday, September 24, 2014
How Bout' Some Pickles?
What's going on? Well, quite a bit around these parts. We started recording sessions for the new album, this past weekend. Early reports indicate that it went very well. The main focus of the session, was to complete the guitar and bass tracks for a new song called Population You & Me. It was a very productive day. Josh and I also added some background vocals, so our parts are pretty much complete for this one. Trey is now on deck, and will be recording his parts in the very near future. After that, it will be Ken's turn, and then Roy will finish up the lead vocals. We are hoping to have this one completed and available for digital download by October 28th, so stay tuned!
Speaking of new music, we finished the mixing on a live favorite, just last night. It went to mastering today, and we are hoping to have it back in time for release, next Tuesday, September 30th. For whatever reason, most new releases, be it music, video games, books, DVD's etc.. come out on Tuesdays. I'm not sure why that is, or how it started, but we just go with it. This song will be absolutely free! Ah, but what's the catch you say? The catch is that the song will only be available to our mailing list. We will not be releasing the song on iTunes, Amazon, or any of the other fine music retailers. Have you joined the mailing list yet? If not, then now is the perfect time to join! When you join the mailing list, you will get a newsletter about once a month or so. We promise that we will not spam your inbox, with junk emails every other day. To join the mailing list, all you need to do is follow this link http://www.sanddollarrodeo.com/main/mailing-list/
So, let's see, what else? Oh yeah, we will be back on stage this Friday, September 26th at Pickles BBQ. Pickles is located at 8247 Rufe Snow Dr., Watauga, TX 76148. This will be our first visit to Pickles. They are a newer venue, and opened about a year ago. Specialty pickles are one of the featured menu items. Flavors include Watermelon, Sour Apple, Grape, Mango Con Chile, and Mixed Berry. If pickles aren't your thing, then they also have plenty of good ole' fashioned BBQ, burgers, sandwiches, and assorted sides. Drink specials for Friday will include $2 bottled beer all night long. This is an early show. We will be starting at 6pm, and will be playing until 8pm, so if your coming, be sure and get their early. I would also advise, to allow plenty of travel time, as this area is under heavy construction.Things can get backed up in a hurry, especially during the Friday evening rush hour.
This will be an acoustic show, not full band. Our keyboard player, Trey Pope, will be joining Roy and I for this one. This is a chance to catch us in a more intimate environment vs. the normal barn burning, full band shows. Trust me, I love and prefer the full band shows, but these acoustic shows are a nice change of pace. We usually play several songs that are not a part of our full band shows. It's a very different experience, and you never know what may happen. At our last acoustic show, a member of the audience came up on stage and joined us for an impromptu jam of the Georgia Satellites, popular song, Keep Your Hands To Yourself. I don't think I've ever played that song in my life, but we made it through it. So come on out! You never know what we might get into!
Well, I guess I've taken up enough of your time for one day. Thanks for reading and the support. Be sure and join the mailing list, if you haven't already. Also, if you like everything that is going on and enjoy the band, please tell your friends and family about us. The more the merrier! Ok, gotta go. I'll talk to ya soon!
Speaking of new music, we finished the mixing on a live favorite, just last night. It went to mastering today, and we are hoping to have it back in time for release, next Tuesday, September 30th. For whatever reason, most new releases, be it music, video games, books, DVD's etc.. come out on Tuesdays. I'm not sure why that is, or how it started, but we just go with it. This song will be absolutely free! Ah, but what's the catch you say? The catch is that the song will only be available to our mailing list. We will not be releasing the song on iTunes, Amazon, or any of the other fine music retailers. Have you joined the mailing list yet? If not, then now is the perfect time to join! When you join the mailing list, you will get a newsletter about once a month or so. We promise that we will not spam your inbox, with junk emails every other day. To join the mailing list, all you need to do is follow this link http://www.sanddollarrodeo.com/main/mailing-list/
So, let's see, what else? Oh yeah, we will be back on stage this Friday, September 26th at Pickles BBQ. Pickles is located at 8247 Rufe Snow Dr., Watauga, TX 76148. This will be our first visit to Pickles. They are a newer venue, and opened about a year ago. Specialty pickles are one of the featured menu items. Flavors include Watermelon, Sour Apple, Grape, Mango Con Chile, and Mixed Berry. If pickles aren't your thing, then they also have plenty of good ole' fashioned BBQ, burgers, sandwiches, and assorted sides. Drink specials for Friday will include $2 bottled beer all night long. This is an early show. We will be starting at 6pm, and will be playing until 8pm, so if your coming, be sure and get their early. I would also advise, to allow plenty of travel time, as this area is under heavy construction.Things can get backed up in a hurry, especially during the Friday evening rush hour.
This will be an acoustic show, not full band. Our keyboard player, Trey Pope, will be joining Roy and I for this one. This is a chance to catch us in a more intimate environment vs. the normal barn burning, full band shows. Trust me, I love and prefer the full band shows, but these acoustic shows are a nice change of pace. We usually play several songs that are not a part of our full band shows. It's a very different experience, and you never know what may happen. At our last acoustic show, a member of the audience came up on stage and joined us for an impromptu jam of the Georgia Satellites, popular song, Keep Your Hands To Yourself. I don't think I've ever played that song in my life, but we made it through it. So come on out! You never know what we might get into!
Well, I guess I've taken up enough of your time for one day. Thanks for reading and the support. Be sure and join the mailing list, if you haven't already. Also, if you like everything that is going on and enjoy the band, please tell your friends and family about us. The more the merrier! Ok, gotta go. I'll talk to ya soon!
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
GrapeFest
Ahh...September, one of my favorite months of the year. We start it off with a holiday, football season kicks in to high gear, and the temperatures start to come down. What's not to like, right? September is also a huge festival month. It seems like their is at least one festival happening in or around our area, on every weekend, of this month. The one to keep your eye on this week is the 28th Annual GrapeFest.
The festival starts on Thursday, September 11th, and runs through September 14th. This is billed as a wine festival but also includes so much more. Provided you are over 21 years of age, you will have the opportunity to sample premium Texas wines, Washington wines and Italian wines. Many of the available wines, to sample, out at the 28th Annual GrapeFest are not normally available in Texas. Modern day Italy is the second-largest producer of wines, in the world. You will be able to sample Italian wines from some of the most popular regions of the country.
If wine is not your thing, never fear! They also have plenty of ice cold beer available. They will feature both domestic and craft beers. My advice, try a craft brew! You can get the regular stuff anywhere. And, if beer is not your thing either, then surely festival food is right? They will have plenty of your favorite festival foods, including turkey legs, corn dogs, funnel cakes (yum!), wild game sausage, and who knows what else!
Their will also be plenty of activities for the kids, including a carnival and midway, that will be stacked full of games and rides. Their will also be ice carving demonstrations. I'll have to check that out. I'm always looking for a new project that involves my chainsaw!
And of course, it wouldn't be a festival without live music, now would it? GrapeFest will feature five stages of live entertainment. The music starts Thursday afternoon and will run all weekend. We are so excited that we were invited to participate. We will be playing on the Bud Light stage at 3:30pm on Friday, September 12th. So c'mon out and start your weekend early, with us. We will be their until 5pm. Oh, and the best thing, free admission into the festival until 5pm Friday!
GrapeFest will take place along historic Main Street, in downtown Grapevine. The Bud Light stage is located in the 300 block of Main Street. For more information on GrapeFest, be sure and check out their website located here www.grapevinetexasusa.com/grapefest-2014/
One other quick note that I would like to share, is that we are going to start recording sessions next weekend for the new album! We are really excited, as production is officially underway! It's still way too soon to announce a release date, but to hold you over, we are planning on releasing a live favorite via download. More details will be forthcoming on this, over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
Ok, that's all I have for now. Time for me to go get some rest. It's been a busy week, behind the scenes. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you soon!
The festival starts on Thursday, September 11th, and runs through September 14th. This is billed as a wine festival but also includes so much more. Provided you are over 21 years of age, you will have the opportunity to sample premium Texas wines, Washington wines and Italian wines. Many of the available wines, to sample, out at the 28th Annual GrapeFest are not normally available in Texas. Modern day Italy is the second-largest producer of wines, in the world. You will be able to sample Italian wines from some of the most popular regions of the country.
If wine is not your thing, never fear! They also have plenty of ice cold beer available. They will feature both domestic and craft beers. My advice, try a craft brew! You can get the regular stuff anywhere. And, if beer is not your thing either, then surely festival food is right? They will have plenty of your favorite festival foods, including turkey legs, corn dogs, funnel cakes (yum!), wild game sausage, and who knows what else!
Their will also be plenty of activities for the kids, including a carnival and midway, that will be stacked full of games and rides. Their will also be ice carving demonstrations. I'll have to check that out. I'm always looking for a new project that involves my chainsaw!
And of course, it wouldn't be a festival without live music, now would it? GrapeFest will feature five stages of live entertainment. The music starts Thursday afternoon and will run all weekend. We are so excited that we were invited to participate. We will be playing on the Bud Light stage at 3:30pm on Friday, September 12th. So c'mon out and start your weekend early, with us. We will be their until 5pm. Oh, and the best thing, free admission into the festival until 5pm Friday!
GrapeFest will take place along historic Main Street, in downtown Grapevine. The Bud Light stage is located in the 300 block of Main Street. For more information on GrapeFest, be sure and check out their website located here www.grapevinetexasusa.com/grapefest-2014/
One other quick note that I would like to share, is that we are going to start recording sessions next weekend for the new album! We are really excited, as production is officially underway! It's still way too soon to announce a release date, but to hold you over, we are planning on releasing a live favorite via download. More details will be forthcoming on this, over the next few weeks, so stay tuned!
Ok, that's all I have for now. Time for me to go get some rest. It's been a busy week, behind the scenes. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you soon!
Thursday, August 28, 2014
C'mon Fall
So, fall seems to be unofficially upon us. You wouldn't know it by the weather though. We've pretty much been in the 100's all week. I had a great time in New Orleans and Florida, with my family. What a great way to end the summer! I'm slowly getting back into my routine. The kids started school on Monday and I went back to work at the day job. Although fall does not officially begin until September 23rd, most people seem to consider Labor Day weekend as the "end of summer" so to speak. Football season will be kicking off this weekend (woo hoo!), I know how much Roy loves his football! We will also be returning to the stage this weekend, with a show at Hollywood & Vine.
Even though it's only been a couple of weeks, it feels like forever since we have played. I'm really looking forward to getting back on stage. This will most likely be our last full band show, of the season, at Hollywood & Vine. They have a huge outdoor patio, with an awesome elevated stage. From my understanding, they will be moving things indoors beginning in November. The performances, during this time, will be acoustic based, which means no full bands. So, if you want to come check us out at Hollywood & Vine, then this will be your last chance to catch us, on the patio, until next spring. We will be down there this Saturday, August 30. Downbeat is at 7:30pm. We have two new originals, that we will playing, as well as a few new covers. Heck, I might even sing one or two for you!
Hollywood & Vine has plenty of ice cold beverages to beat that summer/fall heat, they also have a full menu of tasty treats, that includes fried okra! Highs will be in the mid 90's, but it should cool down quickly, as the sun sets. The patio has plenty of shade. So c'mon down to Glen Rose and spend part of your Labor Day weekend with us! Hollywood & Vine is located at 101 Vine Street, Glen Rose, TX 76043.
I'm really looking forward to fall. We have several cool shows coming up, and we will be working hard on our new album. Lots of exciting stuff coming down the pipe. Stay tuned and I'll talk to ya soon!
Even though it's only been a couple of weeks, it feels like forever since we have played. I'm really looking forward to getting back on stage. This will most likely be our last full band show, of the season, at Hollywood & Vine. They have a huge outdoor patio, with an awesome elevated stage. From my understanding, they will be moving things indoors beginning in November. The performances, during this time, will be acoustic based, which means no full bands. So, if you want to come check us out at Hollywood & Vine, then this will be your last chance to catch us, on the patio, until next spring. We will be down there this Saturday, August 30. Downbeat is at 7:30pm. We have two new originals, that we will playing, as well as a few new covers. Heck, I might even sing one or two for you!
Hollywood & Vine has plenty of ice cold beverages to beat that summer/fall heat, they also have a full menu of tasty treats, that includes fried okra! Highs will be in the mid 90's, but it should cool down quickly, as the sun sets. The patio has plenty of shade. So c'mon down to Glen Rose and spend part of your Labor Day weekend with us! Hollywood & Vine is located at 101 Vine Street, Glen Rose, TX 76043.
I'm really looking forward to fall. We have several cool shows coming up, and we will be working hard on our new album. Lots of exciting stuff coming down the pipe. Stay tuned and I'll talk to ya soon!
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
A Return To The Lake And Other News
Howdy howdy! What's going on? Well, quite a bit actually. We had a photo shoot on August 2nd, prior to the Railhead show. We posted some of the photos on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/sanddollarrodeo Fair warning though, we are not male models! By the way, if you follow the band and haven't "liked" the band's Facebook page, could you please do us a favor and give us a like? We would really appreciate it, and by doing that, you will have access to the latest news and happenings.
I would also like to give a special shout out to my dad, Phillip Frazier, for the awesome pics! He did a fantastic job, especially considering our limited modeling experience, ha ha!
This past Sunday, we had a planning meeting for the new album. The album will still sound like SDR, but I'm getting the feeling that it's going to have a much different vibe from the GPS album. That's a good thing though! For one, Josh, Ken, and Trey will be playing and contributing on it. The first album was just Roy and I. Our live sound is a little more raw and organic sounding. I see us being able to capture this a little easier, with the whole band participating.
The live show schedule will slow down through September and October. We all work full time jobs. As such, we do not have the luxury of recording during the week and playing shows on the weekends. Most of the recording sessions will have to take place on the weekends.
We currently have three songs, that are ready to be recorded. We plan to start sessions on these very soon. The name of the songs are Good Time, Population You and Me, and Old Aledo. Good Time made it's debut, in the live show, back in March of this year. Roy and I have played Old Aledo a few times acoustically, but it made its full band debut at the Railhead show on 8/2/14. Population You and Me also made it's debut at the Railhead show on 8/2/14. I'm really excited about all 3 songs. We will keep you updated on the album, as we progress, so follow us on Facebook for the latest blog posts and updates.
As you can see, I'm again posting on an odd day. I usually post on Thursdays, but the last few weeks have been a little different. Last week we had our two year anniversary. It fell on a Monday, and I wanted to mark the occasion. This week the schedule is again a little odd, as we have a show this Thursday out at the Lake Weatherford Marina. This is an acoustic show, not full band. Roy and I will be out there with our acoustic geetars, doing stripped down versions of the SDR catalog. Down strum is at 7pm. We played out there in May, and had a blast! They have plenty of ice cold beverages and some of the best burgers that I have ever had. It really is a great atmosphere, so come on out and kick off your weekend a day early! The marina is located at 210 W. Lake Drive, Weatherford, TX 76087. For more information, be sure and check out their website located here www.lakeweatherfordmarina.com
Ok folks time for me to fly, or drive that is. Roy has allowed me to take a little vacation, next week, to sunny Florida. I'll be doing the Clark Griswold thing and taking the family cross country. Thankfully, there will be no Aunt Edna or family truckster involved, but I'm sure some smelly feet will crop up from the back seat at some point. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you in a couple of weeks.
I would also like to give a special shout out to my dad, Phillip Frazier, for the awesome pics! He did a fantastic job, especially considering our limited modeling experience, ha ha!
This past Sunday, we had a planning meeting for the new album. The album will still sound like SDR, but I'm getting the feeling that it's going to have a much different vibe from the GPS album. That's a good thing though! For one, Josh, Ken, and Trey will be playing and contributing on it. The first album was just Roy and I. Our live sound is a little more raw and organic sounding. I see us being able to capture this a little easier, with the whole band participating.
The live show schedule will slow down through September and October. We all work full time jobs. As such, we do not have the luxury of recording during the week and playing shows on the weekends. Most of the recording sessions will have to take place on the weekends.
We currently have three songs, that are ready to be recorded. We plan to start sessions on these very soon. The name of the songs are Good Time, Population You and Me, and Old Aledo. Good Time made it's debut, in the live show, back in March of this year. Roy and I have played Old Aledo a few times acoustically, but it made its full band debut at the Railhead show on 8/2/14. Population You and Me also made it's debut at the Railhead show on 8/2/14. I'm really excited about all 3 songs. We will keep you updated on the album, as we progress, so follow us on Facebook for the latest blog posts and updates.
As you can see, I'm again posting on an odd day. I usually post on Thursdays, but the last few weeks have been a little different. Last week we had our two year anniversary. It fell on a Monday, and I wanted to mark the occasion. This week the schedule is again a little odd, as we have a show this Thursday out at the Lake Weatherford Marina. This is an acoustic show, not full band. Roy and I will be out there with our acoustic geetars, doing stripped down versions of the SDR catalog. Down strum is at 7pm. We played out there in May, and had a blast! They have plenty of ice cold beverages and some of the best burgers that I have ever had. It really is a great atmosphere, so come on out and kick off your weekend a day early! The marina is located at 210 W. Lake Drive, Weatherford, TX 76087. For more information, be sure and check out their website located here www.lakeweatherfordmarina.com
Ok folks time for me to fly, or drive that is. Roy has allowed me to take a little vacation, next week, to sunny Florida. I'll be doing the Clark Griswold thing and taking the family cross country. Thankfully, there will be no Aunt Edna or family truckster involved, but I'm sure some smelly feet will crop up from the back seat at some point. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you in a couple of weeks.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Band Anniversary
Hello, hello! Hope everyone had a great weekend! Before I go any further, I would like to thank everyone who came out to the show on Saturday night. You guys and gals rock, and we can't tell you how much we appreciate the support. We had a blast hanging out with y'all, at Railhead, and can't wait to do it again!
So, what am I doing on here on a Monday? Well, today is a special day. Today marks the two year anniversary of Sand Dollar Rodeo. On this day, two years ago, I ventured out to Roanoke, Texas, with my guitar, to meet Roy Holliday for the first time. We jammed out on the first six songs, that he had already put together, talked a little about our goals, and by the end of the session, decided that we wanted to work together. Sand Dollar Rodeo was born, and we were off and running.
I honestly can't believe how fast the last two years have gone. It's been crazy. We've had our ups and downs, as any band does, but it's been a great adventure so far, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I'm not going to go into a bunch of details on this post. If you want to check out everything that has been going on over the last two years, feel free to look through the blog archives, both here, and on Roy's show blogs www.royholliday.blogspot.com , or as Roy says, "You'll have to wait for the book" (lol). So, if you need an excuse to pop a cold one on a Monday, then here it is! SDR's two year anniversary!
We are also fast approaching the two year anniversary of the first SDR show (9/2/12). This date kind of got away from us though. We were planning on having a two year anniversary show, but we are guys, and you know how guys are about planning things. Not very good! So, if any of you are interested in hosting a two year anniversary party ha ha, let us know, and we will see about coming out and playing for you. September 2nd probably won't work this year as it's a Tuesday. But, we currently have an open date on Saturday, September 6th. You can email either Roy or I at the following email addresses roy@sanddollarrodeo.com or heath@sandollarrodeo.com or you can send it to info@sanddollarrodeo.com , if interested in hosting a private event.
There are no shows this week, but the band will be having a planning meeting for the new album, this weekend. Work on the new album is well under way. It is actually a pretty involved process though, so we haven't set a release date as of yet.
Ken and Josh had their first show with us on Saturday, and both did a fantastic job! I'm really looking forward to working with both of them. Trey was great, as always, and has really added another dimension to our sound.
Our next show is at Lake Weatherford Marina on Thursday, August 14th. It will not be a full band show. Instead, Roy and I will be breaking out the acoustic guitars and doing an "unplugged" show. Well, we won't actually be unplugged, but you get the drift, right?
Ok, that's all I've got for now. Hope you all have a great week. Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to you soon!
So, what am I doing on here on a Monday? Well, today is a special day. Today marks the two year anniversary of Sand Dollar Rodeo. On this day, two years ago, I ventured out to Roanoke, Texas, with my guitar, to meet Roy Holliday for the first time. We jammed out on the first six songs, that he had already put together, talked a little about our goals, and by the end of the session, decided that we wanted to work together. Sand Dollar Rodeo was born, and we were off and running.
I honestly can't believe how fast the last two years have gone. It's been crazy. We've had our ups and downs, as any band does, but it's been a great adventure so far, and I can't wait to see what the future holds. I'm not going to go into a bunch of details on this post. If you want to check out everything that has been going on over the last two years, feel free to look through the blog archives, both here, and on Roy's show blogs www.royholliday.blogspot.com , or as Roy says, "You'll have to wait for the book" (lol). So, if you need an excuse to pop a cold one on a Monday, then here it is! SDR's two year anniversary!
We are also fast approaching the two year anniversary of the first SDR show (9/2/12). This date kind of got away from us though. We were planning on having a two year anniversary show, but we are guys, and you know how guys are about planning things. Not very good! So, if any of you are interested in hosting a two year anniversary party ha ha, let us know, and we will see about coming out and playing for you. September 2nd probably won't work this year as it's a Tuesday. But, we currently have an open date on Saturday, September 6th. You can email either Roy or I at the following email addresses roy@sanddollarrodeo.com or heath@sandollarrodeo.com or you can send it to info@sanddollarrodeo.com , if interested in hosting a private event.
There are no shows this week, but the band will be having a planning meeting for the new album, this weekend. Work on the new album is well under way. It is actually a pretty involved process though, so we haven't set a release date as of yet.
Ken and Josh had their first show with us on Saturday, and both did a fantastic job! I'm really looking forward to working with both of them. Trey was great, as always, and has really added another dimension to our sound.
Our next show is at Lake Weatherford Marina on Thursday, August 14th. It will not be a full band show. Instead, Roy and I will be breaking out the acoustic guitars and doing an "unplugged" show. Well, we won't actually be unplugged, but you get the drift, right?
Ok, that's all I've got for now. Hope you all have a great week. Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to you soon!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Back At Railhead
Well, hello there! Hope your enjoying your summer. It's not too bad, down here in Texas. We had a little hot streak last week, but this summer as a whole has not been pretty mild. That's good news for us, as it seems like all of our shows, as of late, have been outdoors. Usually, we are in the dog days, this time of year. No clouds and 100 degree temperatures for days on end. We've been lucky. At our last show, it didn't even hit 90 degrees.
This week we will be semi outdoors again, as we return to the Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park. The area where the bands play, is semi-covered, and they have plenty of ceiling fans to circulate the air. The weather is supposed to be great. I've seen various forecasts that list the high temperature anywhere from the high 80's to low 90's, depending on where you look. It should also cool down pretty quickly, once the sun goes down. I'll take that anytime it's offered in August!
We are very excited about this show, as we will be introducing two new band members. Josh Drewes will be joining us on bass guitar, and Ken Woods will be joining us on the drums. Both guys have been putting in the overtime, learning all of the tunes. We've actually all been putting in a lot of time, both individually as well as together. My Xbox sure misses me, lol, but thankfully my daughters have been keeping it company. Oh well, duty calls, right? Or is that Call of Duty? We've had several long rehearsals, over the last few weeks. We will be having one more tomorrow night. Ken and Josh are both doing a great job, and I'm looking forward to taking the stage with them.
We have an all new show planned. We have several new songs, including two new originals. We are also bringing a couple back, that we haven't played in quite awhile. Downbeat is at 7:30pm, but I would get there early to ensure you get a seat as the patio area fills up quickly. Or, you can call Railhead at 817-441-2552 and reserve your table today. But hurry though, reservation go very quickly, and I ain't joking! We hope to see you out there. It's always a good time at Railhead.
Before I go, I do have a couple of big show announcements that I would like to make. On Saturday, September 13th, we will be playing out at Grapefest in Grapevine. We will be on the main stage, and are scheduled to perform from 2-3:30pm. I have never had a chance to attend this festival, but Roy has, and he said it is a blast. So mark your calendars, and make plans to attend.
Also, on Saturday, November 1st, we will be the featured artist on Music Scene Live. This is a radio show that is broadcasted live at The Thirsty Armadillo, which is located in the heart of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. The broadcast will run from 1:30-2:45pm, and is open to the public. The full band will be there. We will be playing a set, and then participating in an interview with the host, Allison Balson. To find out more about this, be sure and visit their website at www.musicscenelive.com A big thanks goes out to Marti Ludwig, for finding this opportunity and presenting us for it. We will have more details on these two shows as the dates draw nearer.
Ok gang, that's about all the time we have for now. Thanks for reading the blog, and I'll talk to ya soon!
This week we will be semi outdoors again, as we return to the Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park. The area where the bands play, is semi-covered, and they have plenty of ceiling fans to circulate the air. The weather is supposed to be great. I've seen various forecasts that list the high temperature anywhere from the high 80's to low 90's, depending on where you look. It should also cool down pretty quickly, once the sun goes down. I'll take that anytime it's offered in August!
We are very excited about this show, as we will be introducing two new band members. Josh Drewes will be joining us on bass guitar, and Ken Woods will be joining us on the drums. Both guys have been putting in the overtime, learning all of the tunes. We've actually all been putting in a lot of time, both individually as well as together. My Xbox sure misses me, lol, but thankfully my daughters have been keeping it company. Oh well, duty calls, right? Or is that Call of Duty? We've had several long rehearsals, over the last few weeks. We will be having one more tomorrow night. Ken and Josh are both doing a great job, and I'm looking forward to taking the stage with them.
We have an all new show planned. We have several new songs, including two new originals. We are also bringing a couple back, that we haven't played in quite awhile. Downbeat is at 7:30pm, but I would get there early to ensure you get a seat as the patio area fills up quickly. Or, you can call Railhead at 817-441-2552 and reserve your table today. But hurry though, reservation go very quickly, and I ain't joking! We hope to see you out there. It's always a good time at Railhead.
Before I go, I do have a couple of big show announcements that I would like to make. On Saturday, September 13th, we will be playing out at Grapefest in Grapevine. We will be on the main stage, and are scheduled to perform from 2-3:30pm. I have never had a chance to attend this festival, but Roy has, and he said it is a blast. So mark your calendars, and make plans to attend.
Also, on Saturday, November 1st, we will be the featured artist on Music Scene Live. This is a radio show that is broadcasted live at The Thirsty Armadillo, which is located in the heart of the historic Fort Worth Stockyards. The broadcast will run from 1:30-2:45pm, and is open to the public. The full band will be there. We will be playing a set, and then participating in an interview with the host, Allison Balson. To find out more about this, be sure and visit their website at www.musicscenelive.com A big thanks goes out to Marti Ludwig, for finding this opportunity and presenting us for it. We will have more details on these two shows as the dates draw nearer.
Ok gang, that's about all the time we have for now. Thanks for reading the blog, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Back From The Dead!
Well, not really. But you get the picture right? It's been awhile since I've been on here. The main reason is because we have been really busy behind the scenes, over the last few weeks. So, without further adieu, lets get you caught up on the latest going on's.
We've had a couple of changes in the band lineup, for starters. Josh Drewes is joining us on bass guitar, and Ken Woods will be joining us on drums. Both are great musicians, and I'm really looking forward to working with both of them. I would also like to thank Brian Barton and Tony Vega for their hard work and contributions to the band. Both of these guys are great musicians, and will be missed.
Josh and Ken will be playing their first show with us on August 2nd at the Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park. Make plans now, to come out and meet Josh and Ken. It's always a fun time at Railhead.
Between now and then, we have several rehearsals set up. Starting in August, we have an all new show planned. We have two new original tunes, that we are planning on debuting. One of them is actually a love song, and not about drinking beer, imagine that? The other one is about my hometown, of Aledo, Texas. Expect Good Time to be in the set as well. We've been playing it since March, but it's still a new one. If you haven't seen us recently, then you've not heard it. We also have another new original called New Day, but it's not quite ready yet, so I would look for it maybe in September or so. We are also planning on throwing some new cover songs into the mix, as well. Plus, we might be bringing back an old favorite of ours, but we will have to see how rehearsals go with that one.
So, with all the talk of these new originals, work on the new album is in full swing. We have a working title for the album called The Art Of Letting Go. We also have the very beginnings of a song, with the same name. The song is in the very early stages though and we will see where it takes us. Originally we were looking at calling the album Candy, but the tone and the subject matter of the new songs do not really fit that vibe. I was counting up the other day, and between the finished songs, and the songs that are in various stages of production, we already have enough material for a new album. It's just a matter of finishing them and getting them recorded, which is easier said then done. We haven't set a release date for the album yet, but I will keep you up to date on the progress, right here.
The last bit of news that I would like to share, is that Roy and I will be doing an unplugged acoustic show at Cobra Brewing, this Saturday night. Cobra Brewing is located at 146 Whatley Avenue, Lewisville, TX 75057. Down strum for us is 6pm, and we will be there until 9pm. I hope to see you out there. Cobra has some great tasting craft brews so come on out! I was looking at the weather forecast for Saturday and the high is only supposed to be 89 degrees. You can't ask for much better then that for Texas, in July.
Alrighty, that's all the news for now. Hope everyone is having a great summer, thank you for reading, and I'll talk to ya later!
We've had a couple of changes in the band lineup, for starters. Josh Drewes is joining us on bass guitar, and Ken Woods will be joining us on drums. Both are great musicians, and I'm really looking forward to working with both of them. I would also like to thank Brian Barton and Tony Vega for their hard work and contributions to the band. Both of these guys are great musicians, and will be missed.
Josh and Ken will be playing their first show with us on August 2nd at the Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park. Make plans now, to come out and meet Josh and Ken. It's always a fun time at Railhead.
Between now and then, we have several rehearsals set up. Starting in August, we have an all new show planned. We have two new original tunes, that we are planning on debuting. One of them is actually a love song, and not about drinking beer, imagine that? The other one is about my hometown, of Aledo, Texas. Expect Good Time to be in the set as well. We've been playing it since March, but it's still a new one. If you haven't seen us recently, then you've not heard it. We also have another new original called New Day, but it's not quite ready yet, so I would look for it maybe in September or so. We are also planning on throwing some new cover songs into the mix, as well. Plus, we might be bringing back an old favorite of ours, but we will have to see how rehearsals go with that one.
So, with all the talk of these new originals, work on the new album is in full swing. We have a working title for the album called The Art Of Letting Go. We also have the very beginnings of a song, with the same name. The song is in the very early stages though and we will see where it takes us. Originally we were looking at calling the album Candy, but the tone and the subject matter of the new songs do not really fit that vibe. I was counting up the other day, and between the finished songs, and the songs that are in various stages of production, we already have enough material for a new album. It's just a matter of finishing them and getting them recorded, which is easier said then done. We haven't set a release date for the album yet, but I will keep you up to date on the progress, right here.
The last bit of news that I would like to share, is that Roy and I will be doing an unplugged acoustic show at Cobra Brewing, this Saturday night. Cobra Brewing is located at 146 Whatley Avenue, Lewisville, TX 75057. Down strum for us is 6pm, and we will be there until 9pm. I hope to see you out there. Cobra has some great tasting craft brews so come on out! I was looking at the weather forecast for Saturday and the high is only supposed to be 89 degrees. You can't ask for much better then that for Texas, in July.
Alrighty, that's all the news for now. Hope everyone is having a great summer, thank you for reading, and I'll talk to ya later!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Railhead Week
Well hello there! I hope everyone is doing well. I know I am. Today was the last day of school for my kiddos, and we are officially in summer mode, around the Frazier household. I love it! Things tend to slow down and relax, this time of year. No homework to worry about, no rushing off to sports practice or games, no rigid night time routines, I could go on, but I'll spare you. As for the band, well that's another story.
As the title states, this is Railhead week. This is my hometown venue, so it's always a special gig for me. When you play in a band, your normally travelling around to various locations that usually require some driving. It's nice that it is so close for me, and I'm very thankful for the rest of the guys making the drive out here. Roy and I actually played out there this past Tuesday, as part of 95.9 The Ranch's Pickin Party. The Pickin Party is an acoustic open mike, that allows you to showcase two of your original songs. We played GPS To Nowhere and I'll Just Have A Beer. Their were nine other acts, besides us. We had a great time, and the nine other artists were really, really good. One artist was actually from Canada!
After the Pickin Party we were all treated to an acoustic concert by Randy Brown and Zane Williams. They are both very established artists, in the Texas music scene. Randy hosts a concert at Railhead every Tuesday night, with a different artist every week. He also plays all over Texas on a regular basis.
Here is a link to Randy's site www.randybrownmusic.com Go check it out and see what he has going on!
Zane Williams is currently one of the featured artists on the television show Troubadour Texas, which is a documentary television series following singers and songwriters, as they chase their dreams in the Lone Star State. You can find out more information about the show, and show times here:
www.troubadourtx.com
In addition to playing all over the state, Zane has also opened for such well known artists as Alan Jackson and Martina McBride. Here is the link to Zane's website www.zanewilliamsmusic.com Go check it out and see what he has going on.
I really regret that I didn't get a chance to meet Randy. The place was packed and it was a pretty chaotic environment. I was just never able to touch base. Roy did get to meet him and said he was just an all around awesome guy. I did get to meet Zane, however. He pulled into the Railhead parking lot about the same time I did. We chatted for a few minutes, and then I let him go, so he could get to work. Super nice guy though, and a heck of an entertainer. Actually, he and Randy both are. If you get a chance, you should go check out one of their shows sometime. We had a blast, and I'm really glad we went out and did it.
If you missed us on Tuesday, well then, your in luck, because we will be back out at the Railhead on Saturday evening, with the whole band. We will also be celebrating my lovely bride's birthday. Allyson will be turning (oh wait!) better keep that quiet! You know how women can get about things like that. Showtime is 7:30pm. When I was up there on Tuesday, the staff informed me that all of the covered tables were already reserved. They do have some openings at the very back picnic tables. These are not covered, but it should be fine as their is no rain in the forecast. Just some heat, but hey it's Texas, and we are used to that right? If you are coming out, and want a table, I would highly recommend that you call them at 817-441-2525. They may already be full on tables, but their is plenty of standing room only spaces, if you wanna come and just hang out. The Railhead is located at 120 S. Ranch House Rd., Willow Park, Texas. It's really easy to get to, as it sits just off Interstate 20.
Ok, that's about all I've got for now. Thanks for reading and for the support. We hope to see you Saturday night!
As the title states, this is Railhead week. This is my hometown venue, so it's always a special gig for me. When you play in a band, your normally travelling around to various locations that usually require some driving. It's nice that it is so close for me, and I'm very thankful for the rest of the guys making the drive out here. Roy and I actually played out there this past Tuesday, as part of 95.9 The Ranch's Pickin Party. The Pickin Party is an acoustic open mike, that allows you to showcase two of your original songs. We played GPS To Nowhere and I'll Just Have A Beer. Their were nine other acts, besides us. We had a great time, and the nine other artists were really, really good. One artist was actually from Canada!
After the Pickin Party we were all treated to an acoustic concert by Randy Brown and Zane Williams. They are both very established artists, in the Texas music scene. Randy hosts a concert at Railhead every Tuesday night, with a different artist every week. He also plays all over Texas on a regular basis.
Here is a link to Randy's site www.randybrownmusic.com Go check it out and see what he has going on!
Zane Williams is currently one of the featured artists on the television show Troubadour Texas, which is a documentary television series following singers and songwriters, as they chase their dreams in the Lone Star State. You can find out more information about the show, and show times here:
www.troubadourtx.com
In addition to playing all over the state, Zane has also opened for such well known artists as Alan Jackson and Martina McBride. Here is the link to Zane's website www.zanewilliamsmusic.com Go check it out and see what he has going on.
I really regret that I didn't get a chance to meet Randy. The place was packed and it was a pretty chaotic environment. I was just never able to touch base. Roy did get to meet him and said he was just an all around awesome guy. I did get to meet Zane, however. He pulled into the Railhead parking lot about the same time I did. We chatted for a few minutes, and then I let him go, so he could get to work. Super nice guy though, and a heck of an entertainer. Actually, he and Randy both are. If you get a chance, you should go check out one of their shows sometime. We had a blast, and I'm really glad we went out and did it.
If you missed us on Tuesday, well then, your in luck, because we will be back out at the Railhead on Saturday evening, with the whole band. We will also be celebrating my lovely bride's birthday. Allyson will be turning (oh wait!) better keep that quiet! You know how women can get about things like that. Showtime is 7:30pm. When I was up there on Tuesday, the staff informed me that all of the covered tables were already reserved. They do have some openings at the very back picnic tables. These are not covered, but it should be fine as their is no rain in the forecast. Just some heat, but hey it's Texas, and we are used to that right? If you are coming out, and want a table, I would highly recommend that you call them at 817-441-2525. They may already be full on tables, but their is plenty of standing room only spaces, if you wanna come and just hang out. The Railhead is located at 120 S. Ranch House Rd., Willow Park, Texas. It's really easy to get to, as it sits just off Interstate 20.
Ok, that's about all I've got for now. Thanks for reading and for the support. We hope to see you Saturday night!
Thursday, May 22, 2014
Rockin Parrodise
Well, hello there! The band was off last week due to a cancellation, by the venue, that we were supposed to play at. I took advantage of the downtime and took a little weekend trip with the family. It was nice to get away and not have to do anything, that I did not want to do. I believe Roy headed out to a couple of music festivals. I thought I saw a Jack Ingram sighting, somewhere on his Facebook page. Trey was leading a revival, from my understanding, and I'm not exactly sure what Tony and Brian were up to. If I know Brian though, I'm sure he probably caught a Rangers game or two. That would be the Texas Rangers baseball club, and not the New York Rangers hockey team. Although, he may be a fan of them as well, for all I know.
This weekend we will be getting back at it. We will be playing at Rockin Parrodise, this Saturday night, in Lewisville, Texas. Showtime is scheduled for 8pm. Rockin Parrodise is located at 101 E. Southwest Parkway. This will be our first time at this venue, and we are very excited about it.
Roy has some connections with a local Parrot Head Club, and has invited all of them to this show. That doesn't mean you can't come too! This is a public show, as well. From my understanding, there will be plenty of drink specials to go around, and they have plenty of food. So c'mon on out to Lewisville and hang with us on Saturday night. Heck, take the boat out to Lake Lewisville and make a day of it! The only drawback is this is a 21 and up show, so the kiddos will have to stay home on this one. That's ok though, us adults need our own time too, right? Don't let that stop you. Grab a sitter and c'mon!
Shifting gears now, we are getting into our summer season, so now is the time to book your private party. If you are interested in having us come and play a private party, just drop us an email at info@sanddollarrodeo.com and either Roy or I will get back to you, asap!
Next weekend, will be another off weekend. It's just kind of the way the schedule fell, but the following weekend we will be returning to Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park, for a big show.
Ok, that's all for now. Thanks for reading, y'all stay safe and enjoy the Memorial Day weekend. Hope to see you in Lewisville, and I'll talk to ya later!
This weekend we will be getting back at it. We will be playing at Rockin Parrodise, this Saturday night, in Lewisville, Texas. Showtime is scheduled for 8pm. Rockin Parrodise is located at 101 E. Southwest Parkway. This will be our first time at this venue, and we are very excited about it.
Roy has some connections with a local Parrot Head Club, and has invited all of them to this show. That doesn't mean you can't come too! This is a public show, as well. From my understanding, there will be plenty of drink specials to go around, and they have plenty of food. So c'mon on out to Lewisville and hang with us on Saturday night. Heck, take the boat out to Lake Lewisville and make a day of it! The only drawback is this is a 21 and up show, so the kiddos will have to stay home on this one. That's ok though, us adults need our own time too, right? Don't let that stop you. Grab a sitter and c'mon!
Shifting gears now, we are getting into our summer season, so now is the time to book your private party. If you are interested in having us come and play a private party, just drop us an email at info@sanddollarrodeo.com and either Roy or I will get back to you, asap!
Next weekend, will be another off weekend. It's just kind of the way the schedule fell, but the following weekend we will be returning to Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park, for a big show.
Ok, that's all for now. Thanks for reading, y'all stay safe and enjoy the Memorial Day weekend. Hope to see you in Lewisville, and I'll talk to ya later!
Thursday, May 8, 2014
Back To Hollywood & Vine
Ahoy there! Well, we survived last week. We played shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of last week. By the time Sunday rolled around, all I wanted to do was relax. Alas, it was not to be, though. I have this thing called a yard, and it was in desperate need of attention. For some reason, I am way behind on my yard projects, for this spring. I guess I'll just blame it on the band, and all these danged shows! Actually all these shows are a good thing, and I'm having a blast. Much better than yard work, huh?
This week we only have one show, so I may be able to get some more yard projects knocked out. This one is a doozy, however, as we will be returning to one of our favorite venues, Hollywood & Vine. No, we are not headed to California, but to Glen Rose, Texas, instead. Hollywood & Vine is nestled right off the square, in downtown Glen Rose. It is really a neat venue, with one of the best, and unique outdoor patio areas, that I have ever seen. It's really hard to describe, in print, so you should come down and see it for yourself! They have a full menu, with plenty of tasty treats, including some great fried okra! They also have plenty of ice cold beverages. Both of the alcoholic and non alcoholic variety. By the way, their sweet ice tea is fantastic!
This will be our first trip down since October. In each of our past shows, it seems like the weather has been an issue. The last time we were down there, a monsoon ensued, and we had to cut the show a little short. Thankfully, we should have no weather issues this time, as the forecast is calling for a high of 91 degrees and only a 10% chance of showers. It should be a great evening, once the sun goes down.
I've mentioned this before, but it bears restating, that Glen Rose is a great destination for either a day or overnight trip. In addition to Hollywood & Vine, Glen Rose is home to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center www.fossilrim.org This is a drive through wildlife park, that is really neat. They even have overnight lodging available! Check'em out at the website link above.
They are also home to Dinosaur Valley State Park, which contains some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. Other activities include camping, picknicking, hiking, mountain biking, equestrian use in a separate 100-acre area, river swimming and fishing, and wildlife observation. For more information on these and other activities, you can check out this website www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/dinosaur-valley
In addition to all of this, their is also plenty of shopping available on the Glen Rose town square. We go on at 7:30pm, so their is plenty of time to enjoy the other activities, and then come join us for dinner.
Hollywood & Vine is located at 101 Vine Street, Glen Rose, TX 76043. Special note, this address doesn't seem to play nice with GPS systems. Be careful or you'll end up with your GPS to Nowhere (ok, shameful plug, I know), but seriously, it doesn't seem to play well, for whatever reason. It's really not that big of a deal though. It's not like it's downtown L.A., right? It's downtown Glen Rose. Like I said, it's just north of the downtown square.
Ok, that about wraps it up for now. Hope you can make it down. Due to a cancellation, we are off next weekend. We were supposed to play at Independent Ale Works, but the venue had to cancel the show, due to unforeseen circumstances. With that said, I'm going to head out of town for a little weekend getaway with the family. We will pick it back up the following week. So, until then, you guys and gals stay cool and I'll talk to ya then!
This week we only have one show, so I may be able to get some more yard projects knocked out. This one is a doozy, however, as we will be returning to one of our favorite venues, Hollywood & Vine. No, we are not headed to California, but to Glen Rose, Texas, instead. Hollywood & Vine is nestled right off the square, in downtown Glen Rose. It is really a neat venue, with one of the best, and unique outdoor patio areas, that I have ever seen. It's really hard to describe, in print, so you should come down and see it for yourself! They have a full menu, with plenty of tasty treats, including some great fried okra! They also have plenty of ice cold beverages. Both of the alcoholic and non alcoholic variety. By the way, their sweet ice tea is fantastic!
This will be our first trip down since October. In each of our past shows, it seems like the weather has been an issue. The last time we were down there, a monsoon ensued, and we had to cut the show a little short. Thankfully, we should have no weather issues this time, as the forecast is calling for a high of 91 degrees and only a 10% chance of showers. It should be a great evening, once the sun goes down.
I've mentioned this before, but it bears restating, that Glen Rose is a great destination for either a day or overnight trip. In addition to Hollywood & Vine, Glen Rose is home to Fossil Rim Wildlife Center www.fossilrim.org This is a drive through wildlife park, that is really neat. They even have overnight lodging available! Check'em out at the website link above.
They are also home to Dinosaur Valley State Park, which contains some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. Other activities include camping, picknicking, hiking, mountain biking, equestrian use in a separate 100-acre area, river swimming and fishing, and wildlife observation. For more information on these and other activities, you can check out this website www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/dinosaur-valley
In addition to all of this, their is also plenty of shopping available on the Glen Rose town square. We go on at 7:30pm, so their is plenty of time to enjoy the other activities, and then come join us for dinner.
Hollywood & Vine is located at 101 Vine Street, Glen Rose, TX 76043. Special note, this address doesn't seem to play nice with GPS systems. Be careful or you'll end up with your GPS to Nowhere (ok, shameful plug, I know), but seriously, it doesn't seem to play well, for whatever reason. It's really not that big of a deal though. It's not like it's downtown L.A., right? It's downtown Glen Rose. Like I said, it's just north of the downtown square.
Ok, that about wraps it up for now. Hope you can make it down. Due to a cancellation, we are off next weekend. We were supposed to play at Independent Ale Works, but the venue had to cancel the show, due to unforeseen circumstances. With that said, I'm going to head out of town for a little weekend getaway with the family. We will pick it back up the following week. So, until then, you guys and gals stay cool and I'll talk to ya then!
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
Mayfest and The Lake
Hello everyone! Hope all is well. It's spring and we are in full show mode right now. We have a couple of more shows this week, so I wanted to get this post out early.
This Thursday, May 1st, Roy and I will be doing an acoustic show at Lake Weatherford Marina. I found out that they were hosting live music, last fall, from my parents. They had met some friends and family out at the lake on a Thursday to eat burgers, and listen to the music. I contacted them about playing out there, shortly thereafter, but they were already booked for the rest of the season, and asked me to check back with them in March. Since it's a totally outdoor venue, they only host live music between April and September. I contacted them in March and we set up the date.
Like I said earlier, there is plenty of fresh grilled food and plenty of drinks, both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety. There is also sand volleyball, if your so inclined. The marina is located at 210 W. Lake Dr., Weatherford, TX 76087. We go on at 7pm, so come on out and get your weekend started early with us! You can check out more info on the marina here www.lakeweatherfordmarina.com
If Weatherford/Hudson Oaks, is too far away, then you can catch us again on Saturday, May 3rd at Fort Worth Mayfest. This is one of the biggest festivals around and it will run from Thursday, May 1st until Sunday, May 4th. We will be on the Riverbank Stage at 6:30pm on Saturday. The schedule runs tight so it will be a 6:30 sharp start, and we will be playing until 7:30pm. Please note that their are 3 stages dedicated to live music: The Main Stage, Art Stage, and Riverbank Stage. If your coming out to see us, or just going to the fest, in general, I would highly recommend you to allow plenty of time for traffic. It will be very busy. This, and The Main Street Arts Festival, are the two biggest festivals in the Fort Worth area. There are plenty of activities for the whole family. There is no way that I can list everything that Mayfest has to offer. Well, I guess I could, but that would take all night. So, I will direct you to their website instead www.mayfest.org You can find out about everything here. It's chock full of information, and includes the complete schedule for all of their entertainment stages. If you come on Saturday, be sure and bring the sunscreen. The forecast is calling for sunny skies with a temperature of 91 degrees, with a 0% chance of rain.
If you are coming out on Thursday, you might actually want to wear a long sleeve t-shirt, or bring a light jacket. The forecast is calling for the temperature to drop into the 60's during our set, with winds out of the NNW at 10-15mph. It could get chilly with that wind coming off of the lake. Roy will probably love it though!
Well, that's Texas for you, right? As they always say about our weather, "if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes, and it will change.
Ok, well I better close this one out. I need to practice for tomorrow night. Hope you can make it out to one or both of the shows this week. One things for sure, they will both be very different, but fun! Thanks, as always, for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
This Thursday, May 1st, Roy and I will be doing an acoustic show at Lake Weatherford Marina. I found out that they were hosting live music, last fall, from my parents. They had met some friends and family out at the lake on a Thursday to eat burgers, and listen to the music. I contacted them about playing out there, shortly thereafter, but they were already booked for the rest of the season, and asked me to check back with them in March. Since it's a totally outdoor venue, they only host live music between April and September. I contacted them in March and we set up the date.
Like I said earlier, there is plenty of fresh grilled food and plenty of drinks, both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety. There is also sand volleyball, if your so inclined. The marina is located at 210 W. Lake Dr., Weatherford, TX 76087. We go on at 7pm, so come on out and get your weekend started early with us! You can check out more info on the marina here www.lakeweatherfordmarina.com
If Weatherford/Hudson Oaks, is too far away, then you can catch us again on Saturday, May 3rd at Fort Worth Mayfest. This is one of the biggest festivals around and it will run from Thursday, May 1st until Sunday, May 4th. We will be on the Riverbank Stage at 6:30pm on Saturday. The schedule runs tight so it will be a 6:30 sharp start, and we will be playing until 7:30pm. Please note that their are 3 stages dedicated to live music: The Main Stage, Art Stage, and Riverbank Stage. If your coming out to see us, or just going to the fest, in general, I would highly recommend you to allow plenty of time for traffic. It will be very busy. This, and The Main Street Arts Festival, are the two biggest festivals in the Fort Worth area. There are plenty of activities for the whole family. There is no way that I can list everything that Mayfest has to offer. Well, I guess I could, but that would take all night. So, I will direct you to their website instead www.mayfest.org You can find out about everything here. It's chock full of information, and includes the complete schedule for all of their entertainment stages. If you come on Saturday, be sure and bring the sunscreen. The forecast is calling for sunny skies with a temperature of 91 degrees, with a 0% chance of rain.
If you are coming out on Thursday, you might actually want to wear a long sleeve t-shirt, or bring a light jacket. The forecast is calling for the temperature to drop into the 60's during our set, with winds out of the NNW at 10-15mph. It could get chilly with that wind coming off of the lake. Roy will probably love it though!
Well, that's Texas for you, right? As they always say about our weather, "if you don't like the weather wait 5 minutes, and it will change.
Ok, well I better close this one out. I need to practice for tomorrow night. Hope you can make it out to one or both of the shows this week. One things for sure, they will both be very different, but fun! Thanks, as always, for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Thursday, April 24, 2014
Martin House Round 2
Ahh... spring is finally in the air. I think old man winter has finally petered out, around here. Last weekend, Roy and I got a taste of the spring weather at Cobra Brewing. The weather was gorgeous and about 80 degrees, without a cloud in the sky. This turned out to be an outdoor gig, our first since October of last year. We both ended up sunburned, as we didn't think about packing any sunscreen. Honestly, we didn't know what to expect as we had never visited Cobra Brewing before. The thought of being outside never crossed our minds. Oh well, we have several outdoor shows coming up this spring, so I guess I better throw the sunscreen into the gig bag. You can read more about last weeks gig, on Roy's blog found here www.royholliday.blogspot.com
So, last November, we played at Martin House Brewing Company, for the first time. It's located right in the heart of Fort Worth. The address is 220 S. Sylvania Ave., Suite 209, Fort Worth, TX 76111. I remember it being a cold and dreary day. I get cold really easily, so I dressed in layers. Not only did I have my heavy jacket, but I also wore a flannel long sleeve shirt and a long sleeve t-shirt. I was really glad I did, as we found out that the inside of the brewery does not have heating, or air conditioning. We had a great time though and booked a follow up show, that next Monday. They are booked pretty far out, as April 26th was the first available date that they had. We jumped on it, so here we are.
This Saturday will be a lot different then the last time, weather wise. We are looking at a high of 88. When we were visiting with them, the last time, they mentioned that they like to have the bands play outside, when the weather permits. I'm assuming that we will be outside this Saturday, unless it rains, but right now their is only a 10% chance. The tour runs from 2-5pm. The tour is actually more of an open house. You will be able to see all the brewery equipment, as you relax and enjoy the beers. You can hangout either indoors or out. They also provide some games like cornhole, washers, and ladder golf. Your welcome to bring your own games, as well. They do have limited seating, but you are free to bring your own chairs, tables, and shade implements. A tour, guided by one of the brewery employees will start in the back of the building around 4:30pm, and lasts about 20 minutes. They will tell you a bit about their history and how the company was started, and they will explain how they make beer and how all of the equipment works.
They are pet and family friendly, but due to local health codes, dogs must stay in the outside areas. Kids will too, if they get unruly! Ha ha!
Admission for the event is $10. The admission covers your pint glass and brewery tour, plus 3 pints of beer. The bar closes at 4:45pm. They do accept cash and credit cards. Also, the Crow Bros food truck www.facebook.com/crowbrothers will be on hand to dole out some tasty treats!
I don't know about you, but this seems like a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, in my opinion. Much better than yard work, don't ya think?
Ok, that's all I've got for now. We hope to see you Saturday. Stay tuned, and I'll talk at ya soon!
So, last November, we played at Martin House Brewing Company, for the first time. It's located right in the heart of Fort Worth. The address is 220 S. Sylvania Ave., Suite 209, Fort Worth, TX 76111. I remember it being a cold and dreary day. I get cold really easily, so I dressed in layers. Not only did I have my heavy jacket, but I also wore a flannel long sleeve shirt and a long sleeve t-shirt. I was really glad I did, as we found out that the inside of the brewery does not have heating, or air conditioning. We had a great time though and booked a follow up show, that next Monday. They are booked pretty far out, as April 26th was the first available date that they had. We jumped on it, so here we are.
This Saturday will be a lot different then the last time, weather wise. We are looking at a high of 88. When we were visiting with them, the last time, they mentioned that they like to have the bands play outside, when the weather permits. I'm assuming that we will be outside this Saturday, unless it rains, but right now their is only a 10% chance. The tour runs from 2-5pm. The tour is actually more of an open house. You will be able to see all the brewery equipment, as you relax and enjoy the beers. You can hangout either indoors or out. They also provide some games like cornhole, washers, and ladder golf. Your welcome to bring your own games, as well. They do have limited seating, but you are free to bring your own chairs, tables, and shade implements. A tour, guided by one of the brewery employees will start in the back of the building around 4:30pm, and lasts about 20 minutes. They will tell you a bit about their history and how the company was started, and they will explain how they make beer and how all of the equipment works.
They are pet and family friendly, but due to local health codes, dogs must stay in the outside areas. Kids will too, if they get unruly! Ha ha!
Admission for the event is $10. The admission covers your pint glass and brewery tour, plus 3 pints of beer. The bar closes at 4:45pm. They do accept cash and credit cards. Also, the Crow Bros food truck www.facebook.com/crowbrothers will be on hand to dole out some tasty treats!
I don't know about you, but this seems like a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon, in my opinion. Much better than yard work, don't ya think?
Ok, that's all I've got for now. We hope to see you Saturday. Stay tuned, and I'll talk at ya soon!
Thursday, April 17, 2014
Junior's Lone Star Sauce One Year Anniversay Party, And The New Website
Ok, well that title is a mouthful, huh? Last November, we played a show at Martin House Brewery. Incidentally, we will be back there next weekend on April 26th. Hey, never too early to promote a show, right? Anyway, on our initial visit to Martin House, their was a vendor set up, selling homemade barbeque sauce. They were giving out free samples, and I could not resist. Every flavor I tried was absolutely fabulous! I'm serious, this is some of the best BBQ sauce that I have ever tasted. I went home that day, with a jar of the August, which is the hot stuff. And let me tell you, it's hot! We had a great time with them that day, and have since, developed a great friendship with Pittmaster Tex and Chrissie Morgan, who own Juniors.
Awhile back, they contacted us to see if we would be interested in playing at their one year anniversary party. Roy and I were in from the word go. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it work for a full band show. Mainly, it was just the time of day, plus some of our members already had prior commitments that day. So, Roy and I decided to see if they would be interested in us coming out and doing an acoustic set. They were, so we booked it.
The event will take place this Saturday, April 19th at Cobra Brewing Company. They are located at 146 Whatley Ave, Lewisville, Texas 75057. The doors open at high noon! As Junior's website states, this is the start of an annual festival. Juniors is releasing a special new sauce, that they claim, is gonna make August look pathetic!
Cobra Brewing will be releasing two special beers for the event. A Double IPA, and also a Smoked Jalapeno IPA, that they collaborated on, with Juniors. Square One Cafe https://m.facebook.com/squareonecafe will be on hand to serve up some amazing food, including Junior's Lone Star Sauce.
Juniors is also teaming up with the North Texas Beard Alliance, for an awesome facial hair competition. The categories are:
Full Beard Natural
Partial Beard
Sideburns/Chops
Mustache
Female Faux (Or real if you got it)/Whiskerinas
Here are the sponsors for the competition:
Louisiana Beard & Facial Hair Association
www.facebook.com/louisianabeard
Rex Wax: Handmade Moustache Wax
www.facebook.com/rexwax
Ava Bayba Soaps-Texas Beer Soap
www.facebook.com/avabaybasoaps
K & L Bohemian Bling
www.facebook.com/klbohobling
Texas Beer Camp
www.facebook.com/texasbeercamp
Mackey' Rods
www.facebook.com/mackeyrods
Firehouse Moustache Wax
www.facebook.com/firehouse-moustache-wax
Dubs Stache Wax
www.facebook.com/dubsstachewax
Moonshine Beard Care Line
www.facebook.com/moonshinebeardcareline
Save The Beard
www.facebook.com/loveforthebeard
The .50 Cal Alpha Opener
www.facebook.com/thealphaopener
Bluebeards Original
www.facebook.com/bluebeards-original
Beard Apparel
www.facebook.com/beardapparel
Beard Balm
www.facebook.com/beardbalm
Beard Head
www.facebook.com/beardhead
Sniffingbutt Dog Bone Brewery
www.facebook.com/sniffingbuttdogteats
Lucky Scruff Beard Oil
www.facebook.com/luckyscruff
Uprise Design
www.facebook.com/uprisedesign
Moose-Stache Wax
www.facebook.com/moosestachewax
South Carolina Beard Club
www.facebook.com/scbeardclub
Abrahams Beard Shampoo
www.facebook.com/wwjwlnc
Fisticuffs Mustache Wax
www.facebook.com/fisticuffsmustachewax
Known Felon
www.facebook.com/knownfelon4men
If you get a chance, please check out their Facebook pages.
Now, if all that isn't enough, their will be 3 bands playing. Roy and I will kick things off, with our acoustic set. The Rhythm and Beards www.facebook.com/TheRhythmAndBeards will follow us, and The Driftin Outlaw Band www.facebook.com/thedriftinoutlawband will close things out.
This is going to be a great time and we are expecting a great crowd. If your in the Lewisville area, you should stop by, it's going to be a great day! You can check out Junior's official site here www.juniorstexassauce.com You can order sauce, and check out all kinds of cool stuff.
Speaking of websites, I have some news on ours. As I've briefly mentioned here, we have been working on redesigning ours. It is live now, but we still be adding more material over the next few weeks. So, it's still (semi) under construction, but its at the point where we feel comfortable enough to make it public. You can check it out here www.sanddollarrodeo.com Feel free to give us feedback! We hope you enjoy it.
Ok, that's all for now. We hope to see you in Lewisville, this weekend! Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Awhile back, they contacted us to see if we would be interested in playing at their one year anniversary party. Roy and I were in from the word go. Unfortunately, we weren't able to make it work for a full band show. Mainly, it was just the time of day, plus some of our members already had prior commitments that day. So, Roy and I decided to see if they would be interested in us coming out and doing an acoustic set. They were, so we booked it.
The event will take place this Saturday, April 19th at Cobra Brewing Company. They are located at 146 Whatley Ave, Lewisville, Texas 75057. The doors open at high noon! As Junior's website states, this is the start of an annual festival. Juniors is releasing a special new sauce, that they claim, is gonna make August look pathetic!
Cobra Brewing will be releasing two special beers for the event. A Double IPA, and also a Smoked Jalapeno IPA, that they collaborated on, with Juniors. Square One Cafe https://m.facebook.com/squareonecafe will be on hand to serve up some amazing food, including Junior's Lone Star Sauce.
Juniors is also teaming up with the North Texas Beard Alliance, for an awesome facial hair competition. The categories are:
Full Beard Natural
Partial Beard
Sideburns/Chops
Mustache
Female Faux (Or real if you got it)/Whiskerinas
Here are the sponsors for the competition:
Louisiana Beard & Facial Hair Association
www.facebook.com/louisianabeard
Rex Wax: Handmade Moustache Wax
www.facebook.com/rexwax
Ava Bayba Soaps-Texas Beer Soap
www.facebook.com/avabaybasoaps
K & L Bohemian Bling
www.facebook.com/klbohobling
Texas Beer Camp
www.facebook.com/texasbeercamp
Mackey' Rods
www.facebook.com/mackeyrods
Firehouse Moustache Wax
www.facebook.com/firehouse-moustache-wax
Dubs Stache Wax
www.facebook.com/dubsstachewax
Moonshine Beard Care Line
www.facebook.com/moonshinebeardcareline
Save The Beard
www.facebook.com/loveforthebeard
The .50 Cal Alpha Opener
www.facebook.com/thealphaopener
Bluebeards Original
www.facebook.com/bluebeards-original
Beard Apparel
www.facebook.com/beardapparel
Beard Balm
www.facebook.com/beardbalm
Beard Head
www.facebook.com/beardhead
Sniffingbutt Dog Bone Brewery
www.facebook.com/sniffingbuttdogteats
Lucky Scruff Beard Oil
www.facebook.com/luckyscruff
Uprise Design
www.facebook.com/uprisedesign
Moose-Stache Wax
www.facebook.com/moosestachewax
South Carolina Beard Club
www.facebook.com/scbeardclub
Abrahams Beard Shampoo
www.facebook.com/wwjwlnc
Fisticuffs Mustache Wax
www.facebook.com/fisticuffsmustachewax
Known Felon
www.facebook.com/knownfelon4men
If you get a chance, please check out their Facebook pages.
Now, if all that isn't enough, their will be 3 bands playing. Roy and I will kick things off, with our acoustic set. The Rhythm and Beards www.facebook.com/TheRhythmAndBeards will follow us, and The Driftin Outlaw Band www.facebook.com/thedriftinoutlawband will close things out.
This is going to be a great time and we are expecting a great crowd. If your in the Lewisville area, you should stop by, it's going to be a great day! You can check out Junior's official site here www.juniorstexassauce.com You can order sauce, and check out all kinds of cool stuff.
Speaking of websites, I have some news on ours. As I've briefly mentioned here, we have been working on redesigning ours. It is live now, but we still be adding more material over the next few weeks. So, it's still (semi) under construction, but its at the point where we feel comfortable enough to make it public. You can check it out here www.sanddollarrodeo.com Feel free to give us feedback! We hope you enjoy it.
Ok, that's all for now. We hope to see you in Lewisville, this weekend! Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Our 50th Show
Hmm...any guesses as to what this blog post is about? Ha ha! Yes, this weekend will be the 50th Sand Dollar Rodeo show. I actually stumbled on this tidbit, by accident. We are in the process of doing a complete overhaul of our main website. This website is not "live", as of yet. All changes are being made behind the scenes. Once it does go live though, I think you are really going to like it.
One of the features of the new site, will be an archive of every live show, that we have played. This feature is actually available on our current site, as well. Roy had emailed me, to advise that this feature was now on the new site, too. I scrolled around and looked. I then decided to count them all. I do not know what possessed me to do this. I guess I was just curious. This was a few weeks ago and we were at 47. The Fort Worth Convention Center was #48, and Cowtown Bowling, the next night was #49.
Oddly enough, #50 will be back at the Cowtown Bowling Palace again. I say oddly, because it's kind of a quirky schedule. We usually like to put at least a month, in between visits, to the same venue. Usually the venues prefer this as well. It's mainly so that you do not oversaturate yourself, in a given location. In this case though, they offered both dates at the same time, so we figured, if they don't mind, then neither do we. We were just at Cowtown on March 29. We will be back, this Saturday, April 12 at 9pm.
This is a great deal. For $10, you get 2 hours of unlimited bowling, plus live music. They have a full service kitchen, plus plenty of cold drinks. Both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety. If you are planning on coming, you might want to come early, or heck, it may not even matter. Suffice to say, they were packed last time. It was over an hour wait, for a lane. But hey, that's no big deal, right? There is plenty of room to hang out, listen to us, and catch a ballgame on the big screen. That's one of Brian's favorite things to do, during our break! Cowtown is located at 4333 River Oaks Blvd., Ft. Worth, TX. So come on out and celebrate our 50th show with us! We hope you can make it out.
Well, that's all I have for now, but stay tuned! We will have more details on the new website, over the next coming weeks. We will also have quite a few spring shows to talk about. More details about those, will come, as the dates draw nearer. Thanks as always for reading, and your support, and I'll talk to ya on the flipside!
One of the features of the new site, will be an archive of every live show, that we have played. This feature is actually available on our current site, as well. Roy had emailed me, to advise that this feature was now on the new site, too. I scrolled around and looked. I then decided to count them all. I do not know what possessed me to do this. I guess I was just curious. This was a few weeks ago and we were at 47. The Fort Worth Convention Center was #48, and Cowtown Bowling, the next night was #49.
Oddly enough, #50 will be back at the Cowtown Bowling Palace again. I say oddly, because it's kind of a quirky schedule. We usually like to put at least a month, in between visits, to the same venue. Usually the venues prefer this as well. It's mainly so that you do not oversaturate yourself, in a given location. In this case though, they offered both dates at the same time, so we figured, if they don't mind, then neither do we. We were just at Cowtown on March 29. We will be back, this Saturday, April 12 at 9pm.
This is a great deal. For $10, you get 2 hours of unlimited bowling, plus live music. They have a full service kitchen, plus plenty of cold drinks. Both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety. If you are planning on coming, you might want to come early, or heck, it may not even matter. Suffice to say, they were packed last time. It was over an hour wait, for a lane. But hey, that's no big deal, right? There is plenty of room to hang out, listen to us, and catch a ballgame on the big screen. That's one of Brian's favorite things to do, during our break! Cowtown is located at 4333 River Oaks Blvd., Ft. Worth, TX. So come on out and celebrate our 50th show with us! We hope you can make it out.
Well, that's all I have for now, but stay tuned! We will have more details on the new website, over the next coming weeks. We will also have quite a few spring shows to talk about. More details about those, will come, as the dates draw nearer. Thanks as always for reading, and your support, and I'll talk to ya on the flipside!
Thursday, March 27, 2014
Finally! Some Shows
Last weekend was a fun one. Roy and I got together, and recorded a live show favorite called Tonga Juice. We've noticed that when we play it live, you can look out across the audience, and see quite a few of them tapping their feet to it. It's a song that Roy wrote, when he was working with his previous band, the Island Castaways. The song actually appears on their latest album, entitled "Lost N Loving It". The Castaways are based out of the New England area, so if your up in that area, you should go check them out sometime. Here is their website www.islandcastawaysband.com As for our version of Tonga Juice, we haven't really decided what we are going to do with it yet. We have several options on the table, and will make a decision, once the mixing and mastering are complete.
We were also able to get in some acoustic practice, for our series of "unplugged" events, that we have coming up. We will be playing acoustic shows on April 19, May 1, June 13, and July 19. More details on these, to come, as we get closer to the dates.
Speaking of events, we will finally be returning to the stage, after several weeks off. It feels more like a couple of months, however. We love to play live. Roy and I were commenting about how much we wished we had a show, last weekend.
We have a back to back on tap, for this weekend. On Friday, we will be playing at the Fort Worth Convention Center. This performance is part of the USITT National Conference. You can read more about this event in my prior blog post, from last week. We will actually be playing in the big 10,000 seat arena. My mom saw Elvis there, and I saw U2 there. I have no idea what to expect from this, but I'm very excited and nervous at the same time. The only downside on this one, is it's basically a private event. We were only allotted 8 tickets, and unfortunately they have all been taken. We plan to post plenty of photographs, from the event, and hopefully some video too, but no promises on the latter, lol. Be sure and check out Roy's blog in the coming days www.royholliday.blogspot.com as he will do a complete write up on the show, just as he does for all of our shows.
On Saturday night, we will move things down to the River Oaks area, as we return to the Cowtown Bowling Palace. This will be our first appearance here for 2014, and our first appearance overall since last November. We had a show scheduled there in December, but it was iced out, literally! This show is part of their "Bowling With The Bands" concert series. It's a great deal. For $10, you get unlimited bowling for 2 hours, plus live music. They also have a full service kitchen and plenty of ice cold drinks, both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety. We will start at 9pm, and we have several new songs that we will be trying out, including a new original. So come on down! Kids are also welcome.
Ok, with that said, it's time for me to get off the computer, go pick up the guitar, and make sure I have those new songs down. That's all for now, thanks for reading and I'll talk to ya soon!
We were also able to get in some acoustic practice, for our series of "unplugged" events, that we have coming up. We will be playing acoustic shows on April 19, May 1, June 13, and July 19. More details on these, to come, as we get closer to the dates.
Speaking of events, we will finally be returning to the stage, after several weeks off. It feels more like a couple of months, however. We love to play live. Roy and I were commenting about how much we wished we had a show, last weekend.
We have a back to back on tap, for this weekend. On Friday, we will be playing at the Fort Worth Convention Center. This performance is part of the USITT National Conference. You can read more about this event in my prior blog post, from last week. We will actually be playing in the big 10,000 seat arena. My mom saw Elvis there, and I saw U2 there. I have no idea what to expect from this, but I'm very excited and nervous at the same time. The only downside on this one, is it's basically a private event. We were only allotted 8 tickets, and unfortunately they have all been taken. We plan to post plenty of photographs, from the event, and hopefully some video too, but no promises on the latter, lol. Be sure and check out Roy's blog in the coming days www.royholliday.blogspot.com as he will do a complete write up on the show, just as he does for all of our shows.
On Saturday night, we will move things down to the River Oaks area, as we return to the Cowtown Bowling Palace. This will be our first appearance here for 2014, and our first appearance overall since last November. We had a show scheduled there in December, but it was iced out, literally! This show is part of their "Bowling With The Bands" concert series. It's a great deal. For $10, you get unlimited bowling for 2 hours, plus live music. They also have a full service kitchen and plenty of ice cold drinks, both of the alcoholic and non-alcoholic variety. We will start at 9pm, and we have several new songs that we will be trying out, including a new original. So come on down! Kids are also welcome.
Ok, with that said, it's time for me to get off the computer, go pick up the guitar, and make sure I have those new songs down. That's all for now, thanks for reading and I'll talk to ya soon!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Springing Into Action
Ahh.... The first day of spring is finally here! All I can say is, it's about time! We've had a really cold winter, down here in Texas. Well, cold for us. I saw on a weather forecast the other day, that we normally have 30 something days, with below freezing temperatures, in a typical winter. This winter, we've had over 50 something days! Now, I know that you folks up north are probably laughing at me right about now, but heck, I'm a southern boy and I ain't used to all this crap! Anyway, I'm glad for the season change, and am looking forward to warmer days ahead.
This weekend, Roy and I will be holing up in the studio. We will be recording, and working on our acoustic show. We have several acoustic shows coming up. The first one will be on April 19th at Cobra Brewing in Lewisville. They are hosting a one year anniversary party for our good friends at Juniors Lone Star Sauce. If you haven't tried their BBQ sauce, then you are missing out. Trust me! We also have acoustic shows scheduled for May 1st, June 13th, and July 19th. Be sure and check the band website for locations and times www.sanddollarrodeo.com We will also be posting more details on these, as the dates draw nearer
I also have one other announcement, and it's a pretty cool deal. We will be playing at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Friday, March 28th at high noon. We will actually be playing in the big 10,000 seat arena! To say we are excited about this, would be an understatement. Unfortunately, this is not a public event, but more details on that in a moment.
The performances are actually part of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology's National Conference, at the Fort Worth Convention Center, on March 26-29. The performances are part of the soundLab, a large scale arena installation created for the purpose of having theatre sound students and professionals work and learn on large scale concert systems. Trainers for the event include audio engineers and designers who have mixed Pink Floyd, Dave Brubeck, Miley Cyrus, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Metropolitan Opera, and countless Broadway and Regional Theatre shows.
Well, that works for me! Sign me up! They are having bands on each day of the event. I'm not sure who else is playing, at present time. Like I said above, this is not a public event. We will, however, have a few limited tickets available. More details on that, will be coming in the next couple of days. The best way to keep up with this event, will be through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/sanddollarrodeo While your there, could you please hit that "like" button, if you've not already done so?
If you are interested in attending this show, please let us know through either our Facebook page or via email at info@sanddollarrodeo.com Please, make sure that you will be able to attend, before submitting yourself for consideration. You will need to be at the arena at 11am sharp on Friday, March 28th. We do not want these tickets to go to waste. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate every request. We will most likely be holding a drawing or doing a contest, of some sort. So again, please keep your eye out for details. If you would like to find out more about this event, you can check out the organization here www.usitt.org and information about the soundLab here http://www.usitt.org/content.asp?pl=460&sl=457&contentid=472
Ok, time for me to get off this computer and go soak in some of this nice weather that we are having. Talk to ya soon, and thanks for reading.
This weekend, Roy and I will be holing up in the studio. We will be recording, and working on our acoustic show. We have several acoustic shows coming up. The first one will be on April 19th at Cobra Brewing in Lewisville. They are hosting a one year anniversary party for our good friends at Juniors Lone Star Sauce. If you haven't tried their BBQ sauce, then you are missing out. Trust me! We also have acoustic shows scheduled for May 1st, June 13th, and July 19th. Be sure and check the band website for locations and times www.sanddollarrodeo.com We will also be posting more details on these, as the dates draw nearer
I also have one other announcement, and it's a pretty cool deal. We will be playing at the Fort Worth Convention Center on Friday, March 28th at high noon. We will actually be playing in the big 10,000 seat arena! To say we are excited about this, would be an understatement. Unfortunately, this is not a public event, but more details on that in a moment.
The performances are actually part of the United States Institute for Theatre Technology's National Conference, at the Fort Worth Convention Center, on March 26-29. The performances are part of the soundLab, a large scale arena installation created for the purpose of having theatre sound students and professionals work and learn on large scale concert systems. Trainers for the event include audio engineers and designers who have mixed Pink Floyd, Dave Brubeck, Miley Cyrus, The Goo Goo Dolls, The Metropolitan Opera, and countless Broadway and Regional Theatre shows.
Well, that works for me! Sign me up! They are having bands on each day of the event. I'm not sure who else is playing, at present time. Like I said above, this is not a public event. We will, however, have a few limited tickets available. More details on that, will be coming in the next couple of days. The best way to keep up with this event, will be through our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/sanddollarrodeo While your there, could you please hit that "like" button, if you've not already done so?
If you are interested in attending this show, please let us know through either our Facebook page or via email at info@sanddollarrodeo.com Please, make sure that you will be able to attend, before submitting yourself for consideration. You will need to be at the arena at 11am sharp on Friday, March 28th. We do not want these tickets to go to waste. Unfortunately, we will not be able to accommodate every request. We will most likely be holding a drawing or doing a contest, of some sort. So again, please keep your eye out for details. If you would like to find out more about this event, you can check out the organization here www.usitt.org and information about the soundLab here http://www.usitt.org/content.asp?pl=460&sl=457&contentid=472
Ok, time for me to get off this computer and go soak in some of this nice weather that we are having. Talk to ya soon, and thanks for reading.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
Under New Management
How goes it? Well, it's been awhile since I've been on here. Way too long, in fact. Things have been really busy with the band though. Mostly, behind the scenes stuff, but still busy. It's been so busy that I kind of lost track of time, and just realized that I haven't put out a blog post in several weeks. Sorry about that, I know you've just been chomping at the bit, to see what I'm gonna say next, lol.
We did play a show, since the last time I was on here. It was a private party, for some real good friends of mine, that occurred on March 1st. The party was held at a new club called Buckle's. This place used to be know as Wet Willie's, Dirt Roads Dancehall, and then some biker bar. Roy and I actually played at this place in January 2013. It had just changed names from Wet Willie's to Dirt Roads Dancehall. We had a fun night and all, but never made it back out there.
The new owners, have really gone all out. They've put a lot of work into the place and it really shows. I'm really pulling for them, and hope they make it this time. They have a super friendly staff, so if your in the area, you should check it out sometime.
Right now, they are not booking live music on a regular basis. From my understanding, the plan is to ease into it, with maybe a show or two every month or so. I can understand that. They do not want to charge a cover charge, so any band that plays, will have to be paid out of that night's bar receipts. Roy and I are hoping to play out there again, and if we do, we will be sure and let you know about it.
I have some other big news, that I would like to share with you. As many of you know, we've been managing and booking ourselves, for quite some time now. Roy and I have been spending so much time on the business side of the band, that we've hardly had any time to work on any new material. As stated a few weeks ago, we have quite a few new songs, in various stages of completion. We have managed to complete one new original, called Good Time. We played it for the first time, at the party, the other night. For the most part though, it seems like something comes along, that requires our immediate attention, and then that pushes the new songs back. Most of these items are related to booking, marketing and promotions.
We've been keeping an eye out for an agent/management company, for a little while now. It's nothing that we've been obsessing over, but it's been in the back of our mind. The main thing for us, was to find someone that we are comfortable with, and that understands our vision.
Roy had a company recommended to him a few weeks ago. He passed the information along to me, and asked if I wanted to give them a call. I told him I would, and called them later that day. I spoke to a guy named Clint, later that evening. We had a great visit, and scheduled a dinner meeting, for the following week.
We met with Clint, and his partners, the following week and had a great meeting. We were able to get the details of the contract ironed out, over the next couple of days, and are now officially being represented by Refuge Music Company.
Clint Parker will now be handling all of our bookings and management. If you are interested in booking us, please contact Clint here refugemusiccom@gmail.com We are really excited to be working with Refuge Music Company, and can't wait to see what the future has in store, for all of us.
Alright, alright! That's all I've got for now. Stay tuned, and I'll talk to ya soon!
We did play a show, since the last time I was on here. It was a private party, for some real good friends of mine, that occurred on March 1st. The party was held at a new club called Buckle's. This place used to be know as Wet Willie's, Dirt Roads Dancehall, and then some biker bar. Roy and I actually played at this place in January 2013. It had just changed names from Wet Willie's to Dirt Roads Dancehall. We had a fun night and all, but never made it back out there.
The new owners, have really gone all out. They've put a lot of work into the place and it really shows. I'm really pulling for them, and hope they make it this time. They have a super friendly staff, so if your in the area, you should check it out sometime.
Right now, they are not booking live music on a regular basis. From my understanding, the plan is to ease into it, with maybe a show or two every month or so. I can understand that. They do not want to charge a cover charge, so any band that plays, will have to be paid out of that night's bar receipts. Roy and I are hoping to play out there again, and if we do, we will be sure and let you know about it.
I have some other big news, that I would like to share with you. As many of you know, we've been managing and booking ourselves, for quite some time now. Roy and I have been spending so much time on the business side of the band, that we've hardly had any time to work on any new material. As stated a few weeks ago, we have quite a few new songs, in various stages of completion. We have managed to complete one new original, called Good Time. We played it for the first time, at the party, the other night. For the most part though, it seems like something comes along, that requires our immediate attention, and then that pushes the new songs back. Most of these items are related to booking, marketing and promotions.
We've been keeping an eye out for an agent/management company, for a little while now. It's nothing that we've been obsessing over, but it's been in the back of our mind. The main thing for us, was to find someone that we are comfortable with, and that understands our vision.
Roy had a company recommended to him a few weeks ago. He passed the information along to me, and asked if I wanted to give them a call. I told him I would, and called them later that day. I spoke to a guy named Clint, later that evening. We had a great visit, and scheduled a dinner meeting, for the following week.
We met with Clint, and his partners, the following week and had a great meeting. We were able to get the details of the contract ironed out, over the next couple of days, and are now officially being represented by Refuge Music Company.
Clint Parker will now be handling all of our bookings and management. If you are interested in booking us, please contact Clint here refugemusiccom@gmail.com We are really excited to be working with Refuge Music Company, and can't wait to see what the future has in store, for all of us.
Alright, alright! That's all I've got for now. Stay tuned, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Thursday, February 13, 2014
How About Some New Music?
How are we doing today? Things are going well on this front. I just wanted to jump on here, real quick, and give you the latest news, so let's get to it.
Work has officially begun on the next Sand Dollar Rodeo album! We are planning for a November release. We have quite a few songs, that are at various stages of completion. Some have lyrics, others have a working title, some have some music, but no words, and one is basically complete.
The complete song should be working it's way into the live show, very soon. We are having a rehearsal, with all of the guys on February 22, and this will be one of the songs that we will be going over. Right now, it's in demo form, but we are looking to record it in March. We also have a couple of others that are on their way to being complete. We will start trickling these in to the show, once they are complete, as well.
I'm really excited about the new songs, and am really looking forward to getting them out there. The main reason we are not playing out very much, right now, is so we can work on new material and get it recorded. Our next public show is not until March 29. We do have a couple of private shows scheduled before then, though.
The shows will start to pick up again, come spring. We've already booked a lot of shows and are working on adding more. We will also be adding some new items to the merch table, for this spring. Could one of the items be the long awaited, SDR T-Shirt? Could be, you will have to come to a show to find out! We are also looking at some different ways to distribute some of the new tunes, to hold you over until the album comes out. More details will follow on that, as they come available.
Ok, that's the latest for now. Short and sweet. I'll talk to you soon!
Work has officially begun on the next Sand Dollar Rodeo album! We are planning for a November release. We have quite a few songs, that are at various stages of completion. Some have lyrics, others have a working title, some have some music, but no words, and one is basically complete.
The complete song should be working it's way into the live show, very soon. We are having a rehearsal, with all of the guys on February 22, and this will be one of the songs that we will be going over. Right now, it's in demo form, but we are looking to record it in March. We also have a couple of others that are on their way to being complete. We will start trickling these in to the show, once they are complete, as well.
I'm really excited about the new songs, and am really looking forward to getting them out there. The main reason we are not playing out very much, right now, is so we can work on new material and get it recorded. Our next public show is not until March 29. We do have a couple of private shows scheduled before then, though.
The shows will start to pick up again, come spring. We've already booked a lot of shows and are working on adding more. We will also be adding some new items to the merch table, for this spring. Could one of the items be the long awaited, SDR T-Shirt? Could be, you will have to come to a show to find out! We are also looking at some different ways to distribute some of the new tunes, to hold you over until the album comes out. More details will follow on that, as they come available.
Ok, that's the latest for now. Short and sweet. I'll talk to you soon!
Thursday, January 30, 2014
Round 3 At Railhead
This past weekend flew by. We played at the grand opening for Independent Ale Works, in Krum on Saturday afternoon, and then met with a potential keyboard player on Sunday afternoon. I spent a lot of time driving this weekend. I know, that's right up Roy's alley. As for me, I can take it or leave it. While it's not my favorite thing to do, it's also not horrible. Independent Ale Works is 56 miles from my house, so I drove 112 miles total, on Saturday. Roy lives about 38 miles from me, so I tacked on another 76, on Sunday. So between the two days, I burned a half a tank of gas, and spent about 3 hours in the car.
The main thing was the time, though. We hit the ground running, Saturday morning. My daughter had a basketball game. I loaded up, prior to going to the game, and then left straight from the game to go to Krum. I arrived home about 6pm Saturday. I unloaded, showered, and grabbed a bite to eat. By this time, it was well after 7pm. My girls were spending the night with their grandmother. We watched something on TV (I honestly don't remember what it was) at this point. By 10pm, I'm pretty sure I was asleep in my chair. My wife woke me up, to go to bed, and that was it. Party like a rock star, right?
The next morning, I got up, grabbed some breakfast, and went to the grocery store with my wife. By the time we got back, it was time to pack up and head to Roy's. It felt like I had hardly been home, from Saturday, before it was time to head out again. I'm not complaining about it. I love what we are doing, but man it felt hectic, this past weekend.
We met with Trey, on Sunday afternoon, and went over all of the material for the Railhead gig. The plan was for Trey to sit in with us, at this one gig. However, things went so well, that we asked Trey to come onboard full time. We all got along great, and I know he will fit in just fine with Tony and Brian. I'm really excited about this. Trey is a great player, and will enhance our sound immensely.
Trey will be joining us on stage, this Saturday night at the Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park. The Railhead is located at 120 S. Ranch House Road. Downbeat will be at 7:30pm. I've personally heard from quite a few people, that will be attending. The patio area, where the bands play, is an indoor/outdoor area. I'm almost certain that it will be closed off, due to the cold weather. When the area is closed off, their is not near as many seats and tables, as when it's open. If your planning on attending, I would highly recommend that you call the Railhead and reserve a table. They can be reached at 817-441-2525, and they do take table reservations, on band nights.
The Railhead seems to be our baptism by fire, venue. This was where Tony played his first show with us, and now it will be Trey's. It's a fun place, and if you haven't ever been, then I urge you to c'mon on out on Saturday night. They have plenty of great barbeque, and cold drinks. Both of the alcoholic and non alcoholic variety. Kids are welcome, so don't let that stop you. They even have a play area for the kids.
This is a hometown gig for me. The venue is a whopping 4.5 miles from my house. No long drives for me, this weekend, so that will be nice. Ok, that's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see ya, Saturday!
The main thing was the time, though. We hit the ground running, Saturday morning. My daughter had a basketball game. I loaded up, prior to going to the game, and then left straight from the game to go to Krum. I arrived home about 6pm Saturday. I unloaded, showered, and grabbed a bite to eat. By this time, it was well after 7pm. My girls were spending the night with their grandmother. We watched something on TV (I honestly don't remember what it was) at this point. By 10pm, I'm pretty sure I was asleep in my chair. My wife woke me up, to go to bed, and that was it. Party like a rock star, right?
The next morning, I got up, grabbed some breakfast, and went to the grocery store with my wife. By the time we got back, it was time to pack up and head to Roy's. It felt like I had hardly been home, from Saturday, before it was time to head out again. I'm not complaining about it. I love what we are doing, but man it felt hectic, this past weekend.
We met with Trey, on Sunday afternoon, and went over all of the material for the Railhead gig. The plan was for Trey to sit in with us, at this one gig. However, things went so well, that we asked Trey to come onboard full time. We all got along great, and I know he will fit in just fine with Tony and Brian. I'm really excited about this. Trey is a great player, and will enhance our sound immensely.
Trey will be joining us on stage, this Saturday night at the Railhead Smokehouse in Willow Park. The Railhead is located at 120 S. Ranch House Road. Downbeat will be at 7:30pm. I've personally heard from quite a few people, that will be attending. The patio area, where the bands play, is an indoor/outdoor area. I'm almost certain that it will be closed off, due to the cold weather. When the area is closed off, their is not near as many seats and tables, as when it's open. If your planning on attending, I would highly recommend that you call the Railhead and reserve a table. They can be reached at 817-441-2525, and they do take table reservations, on band nights.
The Railhead seems to be our baptism by fire, venue. This was where Tony played his first show with us, and now it will be Trey's. It's a fun place, and if you haven't ever been, then I urge you to c'mon on out on Saturday night. They have plenty of great barbeque, and cold drinks. Both of the alcoholic and non alcoholic variety. Kids are welcome, so don't let that stop you. They even have a play area for the kids.
This is a hometown gig for me. The venue is a whopping 4.5 miles from my house. No long drives for me, this weekend, so that will be nice. Ok, that's all I've got for now. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see ya, Saturday!
Thursday, January 23, 2014
A New Brewery
Did someone say craft beer? Well, count me in! If you've been following the blog, then you know that Roy and I are big supporters of the craft beer movement. We have played at several brewery tours, and have had a blast at each one. Most of these breweries tend to start off in someone's garage or basement, so to speak. We've seen and heard, first hand, about the work and dedication, that these people put in. They kind of march to their own beat (kind of like us), and really just want people to appreciate a good beer. We can really relate to these folks and like to support them, in any way that we can.
This Saturday, we will be playing at a brand new craft brewery located in Krum, Texas. For those of you unfamiliar with Krum, it's right next to Denton. Denton, of course, is home to a bustling music scene, and is also home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University. It's a big college town.
The name of the brewery is Independent Ale Works. I received a call several weeks ago, from one of the owners, asking if we would be interested in playing their grand opening. He didn't have to twist my arm very hard, ha ha! This is going to be a little bigger than the usual 3 hour tour, that most breweries do. This one will be going on all day, so it will be more like a festival.
They plan on opening the doors at noon, and going until 8 or 9pm. One thing about breweries, it's a pretty laid back atmosphere, as far as time goes. From my understanding, their will be several food trucks, and at least 3 bands/musicians. Also at these events, their are usually several artists, some other vendors selling specialty items, and usually a food vendor selling homemade BBQ sauce, or something along those lines. Like I said, it's kind of a festival atmosphere.
As far as I know, we will be kicking off the music portion. We are scheduled to start at 3pm, but we may start a little earlier, if we are ready to go. We will see how the mood is, and go from there. I have heard that their may be a band before us, but I'm not sure about that, as of this moment. I do know that their will be two acts after us.
Our good buddy, Eric Wagner, will be taking the stage after us. Eric has a lot of great music, and you can check him out here www.reverbnation.com/ericwagner I'm hoping he shows up early and maybe we can persuade him to sit in on harmonica, with us, for a song or two.
Rock band Prostinaut will be closing things out, on Saturday night. These guys rock! Check em' out here www.reverbnation.com/prostinaut
All in all, it should be a great day. If your going to be in the Denton area on Saturday, you should come check it out. Heck, even if your not, I'm thinking a little road trip will be well worth it!
Independent Ale Works is located at 11555 US Hwy 380 West, Suite 208, Krum, Texas. It's about 4 miles, to the west of I-35. So, come on out and support this brand new craft brewery.
Ok, we plan to throw in a new song for this show, so I better get off of the computer, go pick up the guitar, and make sure I can play it. Damn Strait! Talk to ya soon!
This Saturday, we will be playing at a brand new craft brewery located in Krum, Texas. For those of you unfamiliar with Krum, it's right next to Denton. Denton, of course, is home to a bustling music scene, and is also home to the University of North Texas and Texas Woman's University. It's a big college town.
The name of the brewery is Independent Ale Works. I received a call several weeks ago, from one of the owners, asking if we would be interested in playing their grand opening. He didn't have to twist my arm very hard, ha ha! This is going to be a little bigger than the usual 3 hour tour, that most breweries do. This one will be going on all day, so it will be more like a festival.
They plan on opening the doors at noon, and going until 8 or 9pm. One thing about breweries, it's a pretty laid back atmosphere, as far as time goes. From my understanding, their will be several food trucks, and at least 3 bands/musicians. Also at these events, their are usually several artists, some other vendors selling specialty items, and usually a food vendor selling homemade BBQ sauce, or something along those lines. Like I said, it's kind of a festival atmosphere.
As far as I know, we will be kicking off the music portion. We are scheduled to start at 3pm, but we may start a little earlier, if we are ready to go. We will see how the mood is, and go from there. I have heard that their may be a band before us, but I'm not sure about that, as of this moment. I do know that their will be two acts after us.
Our good buddy, Eric Wagner, will be taking the stage after us. Eric has a lot of great music, and you can check him out here www.reverbnation.com/ericwagner I'm hoping he shows up early and maybe we can persuade him to sit in on harmonica, with us, for a song or two.
Rock band Prostinaut will be closing things out, on Saturday night. These guys rock! Check em' out here www.reverbnation.com/prostinaut
All in all, it should be a great day. If your going to be in the Denton area on Saturday, you should come check it out. Heck, even if your not, I'm thinking a little road trip will be well worth it!
Independent Ale Works is located at 11555 US Hwy 380 West, Suite 208, Krum, Texas. It's about 4 miles, to the west of I-35. So, come on out and support this brand new craft brewery.
Ok, we plan to throw in a new song for this show, so I better get off of the computer, go pick up the guitar, and make sure I can play it. Damn Strait! Talk to ya soon!
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Campfire Jam
Howdy partner! Well, this week is a little different. On a typical week, Monday's and Tuesday's are usually kind of slow around the SDR fold. We've usually had a show or two over the weekend, and will spend Monday and Tuesday kind of recovering from the weekend. Usually, I will start thinking about a blog post on Wednesday, and will usually get it published, late on Thursday night. Then, most of the time, it's time to start gearing up for the weekend show schedule.
This week is anything but ordinary, as we will be playing a show tomorrow night. The show will also be very different, as it is an acoustic show, and not a full band show. If you've listened to our music, then you know it has a lot of electric guitar and a lot of keyboards. It's not really acoustic based music, lol. Roy and I will be doing this one without Brian and Tony. We met this past weekend to go through the songs on the album, and see which ones would work acoustically, and which ones wouldn't. I was worried that none of them would work out acoustically, ha ha! Fortunately, most of them did work. We recorded mp3's of the acoustic arrangements, for practice, and when I went back and listened, I was pleasantly surprised. It was kind of neat to hear the songs stripped down to the bare bone. I'm actually, really looking forward to tomorrow night.
I've mentioned this gig, a couple of times in passing, but hear it is for reals. We were invited, several months ago, to come and play at the Bigstar97.com Campfire Jam. Bigstar97 is a local DFW internet radio station. Here is the link to the station www.bigstar97.com go check it out! The Campfire Jam is a song swap with various artists every week. This week, we will be playing with The Usrey Brothers. They have some really cool music, and Roy and I are really looking forward to meeting them. They really are brothers too! You can get some more information on The Usrey Brothers, and listen to some of their tunes here www.reverbnation.com/theusreybrothers Go check em' out!
The party will be happening at MacGyvers Food and Spirits in Burleson, Texas. They are located at 4276 East FM 1187. Showtime will be at 7pm tomorrow night. So, if your in the Burleson area tomorrow, or even if your not, make plans to come by MacGyvers tomorrow night. You can come have some dinner, listen to some tunes, and still be home at a decent time! But, if you can't make it, then please be sure to tune in to Bigstar97, at the above web address, and you can listen to it all, live!
Okay, that's about all the time I have for now. Time to go stretch those new acoustic strings and toughen up my fingertips. I'll talk to you soon, and thank you for reading!
This week is anything but ordinary, as we will be playing a show tomorrow night. The show will also be very different, as it is an acoustic show, and not a full band show. If you've listened to our music, then you know it has a lot of electric guitar and a lot of keyboards. It's not really acoustic based music, lol. Roy and I will be doing this one without Brian and Tony. We met this past weekend to go through the songs on the album, and see which ones would work acoustically, and which ones wouldn't. I was worried that none of them would work out acoustically, ha ha! Fortunately, most of them did work. We recorded mp3's of the acoustic arrangements, for practice, and when I went back and listened, I was pleasantly surprised. It was kind of neat to hear the songs stripped down to the bare bone. I'm actually, really looking forward to tomorrow night.
I've mentioned this gig, a couple of times in passing, but hear it is for reals. We were invited, several months ago, to come and play at the Bigstar97.com Campfire Jam. Bigstar97 is a local DFW internet radio station. Here is the link to the station www.bigstar97.com go check it out! The Campfire Jam is a song swap with various artists every week. This week, we will be playing with The Usrey Brothers. They have some really cool music, and Roy and I are really looking forward to meeting them. They really are brothers too! You can get some more information on The Usrey Brothers, and listen to some of their tunes here www.reverbnation.com/theusreybrothers Go check em' out!
The party will be happening at MacGyvers Food and Spirits in Burleson, Texas. They are located at 4276 East FM 1187. Showtime will be at 7pm tomorrow night. So, if your in the Burleson area tomorrow, or even if your not, make plans to come by MacGyvers tomorrow night. You can come have some dinner, listen to some tunes, and still be home at a decent time! But, if you can't make it, then please be sure to tune in to Bigstar97, at the above web address, and you can listen to it all, live!
Okay, that's about all the time I have for now. Time to go stretch those new acoustic strings and toughen up my fingertips. I'll talk to you soon, and thank you for reading!
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Expanding The Band
Whew! Well, we made it through the Railhead gig last Saturday. I would be lying, if I told you that everything went perfectly. In all actuality, it was a very difficult show.
For me, things started off on the wrong foot, as soon as I woke up on Saturday morning. My wife informed me that her cellphone had fallen off the kitchen cabinet, at some point during the night. The screen was shattered. In the grand scheme of things, this was really not that big of a deal, but we do not have a home phone, so we needed to get the issue dealt with. We packed up the kids and headed to the AT&T store. They opened at 10am, we had a full day, so I wanted to get over there and get done.
We were not up for an upgrade, so it was going to be like $500 to replace my wife's phone. The AT&T lady referred us to a place that could repair the phone. It was actually just down the road, so that was good. We headed over there, showed them the phone, they said it would be $190 to repair the phone. I did try to negotiate the price down, but they wouldn't budge. We agreed to the repair price, and the lady said it would be ready by 4pm, that afternoon. We told them that we would not be able to get back over there, on Saturday. They were closed on Sunday, so we told them that we would pick it up on Monday.
To make a long story short, they ended up calling us about 30 minutes after we arrived home, and said the phone was ready. What the heck? If we would have known this, we would have just stayed in town. My wife wanted her phone, and decided to run back into town to pick it up.
I mentioned earlier, that in the grand scheme of thing, this was not that big of a deal. The reason I say this, is because we lost my aunt on New Year's Day, to cancer. Her funeral was also on Saturday. My wife wanted me to stay home, and try and have a little down time. The funeral was that afternoon, and then we were having a family get together after that. Not to mention, I also had a show that night.
Of course, she got stuck in traffic, on the way back to Fort Worth. She made it back home about 15 minutes before we needed to leave, to go to the funeral. We made it just in time. We had a family dinner, afterward. I stayed up until the last moment, ran home, changed clothes, loaded up my gear, and headed to Railhead. I felt very fortunate that this gig was basically in my backyard. Had it been out of town, or somewhere towards the Dallas side of the metroplex, I'm not sure what I would have done.
Anyway, by the time I made it to Railhead, I was pretty much frazzled. It had been a very long and emotionally draining day. For some reason though, the thought never crossed my mind that maybe we should cancel this show.
I wasn't the only one dealing with issues. Brian, our bass player, was sick as a dog. He showed up and looked really rough. He had not been feeling well at rehearsal either. I really appreciate him powering through it. Tony, of course being brand new, was taking every spare second that he had, to go out to his car and listen to the songs. He was studying all the way up until show time, and again during our break. I'm really amazed that he was able to step in and play the show with us.
Roy seemed really laid back about all the chaos. I imagine that deep down he was probably worried sick, but if he was, he never seemed to show it.
Our main issue, was going to be staying in time with the sequencers and click tracks. Unfortunately, this pretty much all falls on Tony. He is the drummer, so when your a musician, you naturally follow the tempo of your drummer.
Using a click and sequencers is really not all that uncommon. Usually it's done out of necessity or convenience. For example, with us, Roy can't sing, play acoustic guitar and keyboards, all at the same time. The keyboards are sequenced and set to a click track. So basically, our drummer is supposed to follow the keyboards. As long as we are all in tempo with this, everything will sound great, but if we get off by a half a beat or so, it can become a mess, really quickly. What happens is the keyboard is playing a different note, then the rest of the band, if we are off beat.
Some other notable bands that use sequencers live are U2 and Van Halen. I'm pretty sure it's out of necessity. Both bands are four pieces. In U2's case, The Edge plays both guitar and keyboards. In a live situation, it would be just about impossible for him to play all the keyboard parts, plus the guitar parts at the same time. A great example of this, would be on their song "Where The Streets Have No Name". If your unfamiliar with the song, it starts off with keyboards and then Edge plays the guitar riff over the top of it. It would be impossible for one person to play both of these parts live, so the keyboard parts are sequenced. It's the same concept that we are using. I would imagine that U2's system is much more sophisticated then ours, but you get the idea. If the live musicians get out of time with the sequenced parts, it's gonna be a mess. Edge will play some keyboard parts live, just as Roy does. But, it's only on certain songs, and usually its a solo type run or piano part. For example, Edge plays the piano part for "New Years Day" live; Roy does the same thing on our song "Into The Night".
I also mentioned Van Halen. Eddie does the same thing. He plays both keyboards and guitar on their albums. Pretty impossible, even for him, to do both live. They run the keyboards sequenced, during a concert, and he plays guitar live.
Roy advised us that if things started getting off tempo, then he would kill the sequencer and we would just finish the song, without the keyboards. This happened quite a few times throughout the night. When it did, he cut the keyboards and we finished out the song. The nice thing though, was that we were able to get right back into time, together. My wife, and parents noticed it some, but honestly, I think it's just because they have seen us so much, that they know what we are "supposed" to sound like. It wasn't bad, it was just kind of "raw" sounding, when we finished a song without the keyboards. The two biggest glares, to me, were "Carry Me Home" and "Tailgate To The Beach". They didn't sound bad per se, but they just sounded kind of empty.
You might be thinking, "Well heck, this is all on Tony", but that's not the case at all. Again, I thought Tony did a phenomenal job, under the circumstances. He had one audition, that was comprised of maybe a dozen songs, and then we had one rehearsal. At the rehearsal, we did run through every song that we played at Railhead, but still. Throwing 20 something songs at a guy, and then asking him to play with a click on top of that, was probably a little much. Long term, I think Tony will be just fine, and I'm really looking forward to working with him.
One more note about sequencers and clicks. When you use those, you are pretty much stuck to a rigid structure. In other words, there is really not any room for improvisation. You pretty much have to get all the notes in, to the space allotted. We've ditched the sequencing, for most of the covers that we play. What we've found, is that we have a lot more space to improvise and put on more of a "show", so to speak. We can break the song down, and let the crowd sing along, or whatever else we want to do. We noticed that we were able to do this same thing on the originals, when we had to cut the sequencing.
Now, ditching the keyboards on the live versions of our originals is not an option. While we want to have the freedom to improvise, we do not want to do it at the expense of our sound. So our options are to either continue with the sequencer and the click tracks, or bring in a live keyboard player. After the show, Roy and I both decided that we wanted to bring in a live keyboard player. Even though it will hurt us on the financial end, we think it's the best decision for the band, long term. It will free Roy up from having to worry about the keyboards, and all that entails. He will have more freedom to work the crowd, during the songs, plus it will allow us to continue to sound like us.
So, with all that out of the way, we are officially looking for a keyboard player to play with us live. If you know someone in the DFW area, who you think might be interested, please send them our way. Here is our ad. This is also posted on Craigslist. Have them check this out:
Seeking keyboard player for live work. You'll need a good basic library of synth sounds and basic B3 and piano knockoffs. We use Roland gear quite a bit in the studio. So, if you've got a Roland model from within the past 10 years or so, you'll probably have most of what you need. Something as simple as a Juno Di works fine. USB stick input is a big plus, as is sampling if you want to just sample our original sounds direct. USB/Sampling not a requirement, though.
For the past year, we've been running sequencing and the drummer plays to a click. We're looking to get away from constant sequencing to have more of a "live" feel. For the most part, there are multiple keyboard parts running at all times, not possible to re-create without sequencing. What we're looking for is someone to cover the key elements -- the main recognizable parts, not every part that's on the studio versions.
Basic requirements are: Have your own gear and transportation for local gigs around the metroplex and a few miles farther out, no drugs, 25-45 age range or around there, easy going personality, be available most weekends. I believe we played about 40 shows in 2013, pretty much all weekend dates. While it's not a full-time job, it's a little more than a casual commitment. We generally do not play free unless it's a really good cause, so yes, you will be paid. The studio version of the band is a duo. This is for a position within the live band - no writing/recording involved, just looking for someone for stage work.
Another big thing is the ability and discipline to practice on your own. With the amount we normally play, there's not a lot of free time for rehearsals. I've got to have someone willing to access our Drop Box, download the songs and the set lists, get familiar with them, then we'll get together a couple times before we bring you into the full live show. Most everyone in the band works during the week, so being computer literate and able to work on your own is very important.
I list Alt-Country / TX Country as our genre because it's the closest fit. We sound closest to country. However, we're kind of a hybrid. We're a little odd for the local country scene and use a lot of electronics. Sometimes we'll go into beach mode. Sometimes it sounds like rock. When we play covers, they're usually 80's songs, TX Country or Trop Rock. It's an odd blend, but it works.
You can listen to some of our songs and find out a little bit more about us on the following Facebook page -
http://www.facebook.com/sanddollarrodeo/app_2405167945
If interested, please email Roy at roy@sanddollarrodeo.com and he will get right back to you.
Ok, we are off this weekend, so Roy and I can hole up in the studio and work on acoustic arrangements for our songs. Yikes! We will be playing at Big Star 97's Campfire Jam on January 15th. I'll get you all the details for that, in the next blog post. Here's a hint though, it's an all acoustic show! Talk to ya soon, and thanks for reading!
For me, things started off on the wrong foot, as soon as I woke up on Saturday morning. My wife informed me that her cellphone had fallen off the kitchen cabinet, at some point during the night. The screen was shattered. In the grand scheme of things, this was really not that big of a deal, but we do not have a home phone, so we needed to get the issue dealt with. We packed up the kids and headed to the AT&T store. They opened at 10am, we had a full day, so I wanted to get over there and get done.
We were not up for an upgrade, so it was going to be like $500 to replace my wife's phone. The AT&T lady referred us to a place that could repair the phone. It was actually just down the road, so that was good. We headed over there, showed them the phone, they said it would be $190 to repair the phone. I did try to negotiate the price down, but they wouldn't budge. We agreed to the repair price, and the lady said it would be ready by 4pm, that afternoon. We told them that we would not be able to get back over there, on Saturday. They were closed on Sunday, so we told them that we would pick it up on Monday.
To make a long story short, they ended up calling us about 30 minutes after we arrived home, and said the phone was ready. What the heck? If we would have known this, we would have just stayed in town. My wife wanted her phone, and decided to run back into town to pick it up.
I mentioned earlier, that in the grand scheme of thing, this was not that big of a deal. The reason I say this, is because we lost my aunt on New Year's Day, to cancer. Her funeral was also on Saturday. My wife wanted me to stay home, and try and have a little down time. The funeral was that afternoon, and then we were having a family get together after that. Not to mention, I also had a show that night.
Of course, she got stuck in traffic, on the way back to Fort Worth. She made it back home about 15 minutes before we needed to leave, to go to the funeral. We made it just in time. We had a family dinner, afterward. I stayed up until the last moment, ran home, changed clothes, loaded up my gear, and headed to Railhead. I felt very fortunate that this gig was basically in my backyard. Had it been out of town, or somewhere towards the Dallas side of the metroplex, I'm not sure what I would have done.
Anyway, by the time I made it to Railhead, I was pretty much frazzled. It had been a very long and emotionally draining day. For some reason though, the thought never crossed my mind that maybe we should cancel this show.
I wasn't the only one dealing with issues. Brian, our bass player, was sick as a dog. He showed up and looked really rough. He had not been feeling well at rehearsal either. I really appreciate him powering through it. Tony, of course being brand new, was taking every spare second that he had, to go out to his car and listen to the songs. He was studying all the way up until show time, and again during our break. I'm really amazed that he was able to step in and play the show with us.
Roy seemed really laid back about all the chaos. I imagine that deep down he was probably worried sick, but if he was, he never seemed to show it.
Our main issue, was going to be staying in time with the sequencers and click tracks. Unfortunately, this pretty much all falls on Tony. He is the drummer, so when your a musician, you naturally follow the tempo of your drummer.
Using a click and sequencers is really not all that uncommon. Usually it's done out of necessity or convenience. For example, with us, Roy can't sing, play acoustic guitar and keyboards, all at the same time. The keyboards are sequenced and set to a click track. So basically, our drummer is supposed to follow the keyboards. As long as we are all in tempo with this, everything will sound great, but if we get off by a half a beat or so, it can become a mess, really quickly. What happens is the keyboard is playing a different note, then the rest of the band, if we are off beat.
Some other notable bands that use sequencers live are U2 and Van Halen. I'm pretty sure it's out of necessity. Both bands are four pieces. In U2's case, The Edge plays both guitar and keyboards. In a live situation, it would be just about impossible for him to play all the keyboard parts, plus the guitar parts at the same time. A great example of this, would be on their song "Where The Streets Have No Name". If your unfamiliar with the song, it starts off with keyboards and then Edge plays the guitar riff over the top of it. It would be impossible for one person to play both of these parts live, so the keyboard parts are sequenced. It's the same concept that we are using. I would imagine that U2's system is much more sophisticated then ours, but you get the idea. If the live musicians get out of time with the sequenced parts, it's gonna be a mess. Edge will play some keyboard parts live, just as Roy does. But, it's only on certain songs, and usually its a solo type run or piano part. For example, Edge plays the piano part for "New Years Day" live; Roy does the same thing on our song "Into The Night".
I also mentioned Van Halen. Eddie does the same thing. He plays both keyboards and guitar on their albums. Pretty impossible, even for him, to do both live. They run the keyboards sequenced, during a concert, and he plays guitar live.
Roy advised us that if things started getting off tempo, then he would kill the sequencer and we would just finish the song, without the keyboards. This happened quite a few times throughout the night. When it did, he cut the keyboards and we finished out the song. The nice thing though, was that we were able to get right back into time, together. My wife, and parents noticed it some, but honestly, I think it's just because they have seen us so much, that they know what we are "supposed" to sound like. It wasn't bad, it was just kind of "raw" sounding, when we finished a song without the keyboards. The two biggest glares, to me, were "Carry Me Home" and "Tailgate To The Beach". They didn't sound bad per se, but they just sounded kind of empty.
You might be thinking, "Well heck, this is all on Tony", but that's not the case at all. Again, I thought Tony did a phenomenal job, under the circumstances. He had one audition, that was comprised of maybe a dozen songs, and then we had one rehearsal. At the rehearsal, we did run through every song that we played at Railhead, but still. Throwing 20 something songs at a guy, and then asking him to play with a click on top of that, was probably a little much. Long term, I think Tony will be just fine, and I'm really looking forward to working with him.
One more note about sequencers and clicks. When you use those, you are pretty much stuck to a rigid structure. In other words, there is really not any room for improvisation. You pretty much have to get all the notes in, to the space allotted. We've ditched the sequencing, for most of the covers that we play. What we've found, is that we have a lot more space to improvise and put on more of a "show", so to speak. We can break the song down, and let the crowd sing along, or whatever else we want to do. We noticed that we were able to do this same thing on the originals, when we had to cut the sequencing.
Now, ditching the keyboards on the live versions of our originals is not an option. While we want to have the freedom to improvise, we do not want to do it at the expense of our sound. So our options are to either continue with the sequencer and the click tracks, or bring in a live keyboard player. After the show, Roy and I both decided that we wanted to bring in a live keyboard player. Even though it will hurt us on the financial end, we think it's the best decision for the band, long term. It will free Roy up from having to worry about the keyboards, and all that entails. He will have more freedom to work the crowd, during the songs, plus it will allow us to continue to sound like us.
So, with all that out of the way, we are officially looking for a keyboard player to play with us live. If you know someone in the DFW area, who you think might be interested, please send them our way. Here is our ad. This is also posted on Craigslist. Have them check this out:
Seeking keyboard player for live work. You'll need a good basic library of synth sounds and basic B3 and piano knockoffs. We use Roland gear quite a bit in the studio. So, if you've got a Roland model from within the past 10 years or so, you'll probably have most of what you need. Something as simple as a Juno Di works fine. USB stick input is a big plus, as is sampling if you want to just sample our original sounds direct. USB/Sampling not a requirement, though.
For the past year, we've been running sequencing and the drummer plays to a click. We're looking to get away from constant sequencing to have more of a "live" feel. For the most part, there are multiple keyboard parts running at all times, not possible to re-create without sequencing. What we're looking for is someone to cover the key elements -- the main recognizable parts, not every part that's on the studio versions.
Basic requirements are: Have your own gear and transportation for local gigs around the metroplex and a few miles farther out, no drugs, 25-45 age range or around there, easy going personality, be available most weekends. I believe we played about 40 shows in 2013, pretty much all weekend dates. While it's not a full-time job, it's a little more than a casual commitment. We generally do not play free unless it's a really good cause, so yes, you will be paid. The studio version of the band is a duo. This is for a position within the live band - no writing/recording involved, just looking for someone for stage work.
Another big thing is the ability and discipline to practice on your own. With the amount we normally play, there's not a lot of free time for rehearsals. I've got to have someone willing to access our Drop Box, download the songs and the set lists, get familiar with them, then we'll get together a couple times before we bring you into the full live show. Most everyone in the band works during the week, so being computer literate and able to work on your own is very important.
I list Alt-Country / TX Country as our genre because it's the closest fit. We sound closest to country. However, we're kind of a hybrid. We're a little odd for the local country scene and use a lot of electronics. Sometimes we'll go into beach mode. Sometimes it sounds like rock. When we play covers, they're usually 80's songs, TX Country or Trop Rock. It's an odd blend, but it works.
You can listen to some of our songs and find out a little bit more about us on the following Facebook page -
http://www.facebook.com/sanddollarrodeo/app_2405167945
If interested, please email Roy at roy@sanddollarrodeo.com and he will get right back to you.
Ok, we are off this weekend, so Roy and I can hole up in the studio and work on acoustic arrangements for our songs. Yikes! We will be playing at Big Star 97's Campfire Jam on January 15th. I'll get you all the details for that, in the next blog post. Here's a hint though, it's an all acoustic show! Talk to ya soon, and thanks for reading!
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Hello New Year, It's So Good To See You
Alrighty, well now that 2013 is behind us, it's time to focus on 2014. But before we do that, I just want to say that 2013 was an incredible ride. A lot of up's and down's, but you know what? I wouldn't change a thing. Each event, whether good or bad, was a great learning experience. Roy recently posted an entire 2013 re-cap, on his blog. You can read it here www.royholliday.blogspot.com After you finish up here, go check it out!
So, the last time I posted, it was prior posted to Christmas. I hope you all had a great holiday season. It has been a really busy time for SDR. As I mentioned in my last post, our drummer Cisco, is having to move on. We held auditions for a new drummer on December 22. Out of the audition sessions, we were able to bring on a new drummer. His name is Tony. We are very thankful to have him on board.
The real work began after the audition process, however. Since December 22, we have been working with Tony, to get him up to speed on everything. Roy has been sending files to him, to practice with, and I've been manning the phones for any questions that he might have.
We were able to have a rehearsal on New Year's Day. While I don't think any of us wanted to spend our New Year's Day holiday rehearsing, we all knew that it was necessary. Since Tony lives in Wylie and I live in Aledo, about the closest middle ground was in Dallas. It was 30 something miles for Roy, Brian, and Tony, and 48 for me. I didn't really mind though. Tony drove all the way to west Fort Worth for his audition. I didn't think it was fair for him to drive all the way back out there on New Year's Day, and then drive out to Willow Park on Saturday for the show. We rented a rehearsal space off of Mockingbird Lane, in Dallas, for the rehearsal. We had the room from 12-6. I arrived a little after noon. It was a long rehearsal. We started a little after 1, and wrapped up a little after 5. By the time I loaded up and got on the road, it was almost 6, and by the time I arrived home it was almost 7. So as you can see, it was a long day. I want to thank Roy, Brian, and Tony for giving up their New Year's Day, to do this.
So, earlier I mentioned a show. Yes, we will be kicking off 2014 with a show at the Railhead Smokehouse, on Saturday, January 4, at 7:30pm. The Railhead is located at 120 S. Ranch House Rd., Willow Park, Texas. We are really looking forward to this one. We played our first show there on October 19th, and had a blast! So, delay that New Year's resolution by a few more days, and come have a party with us. They have plenty of great barbeque, ice cold beer, and other assorted beverages. Also, this will be Tony's first show with us, so if nothing else, come out and meet him, lol.
Ok, I have some rehearsing to do myself, so I better go. We have a lot of exciting stuff planned for 2014, so stay tuned, and I'll talk to you soon!
So, the last time I posted, it was prior posted to Christmas. I hope you all had a great holiday season. It has been a really busy time for SDR. As I mentioned in my last post, our drummer Cisco, is having to move on. We held auditions for a new drummer on December 22. Out of the audition sessions, we were able to bring on a new drummer. His name is Tony. We are very thankful to have him on board.
The real work began after the audition process, however. Since December 22, we have been working with Tony, to get him up to speed on everything. Roy has been sending files to him, to practice with, and I've been manning the phones for any questions that he might have.
We were able to have a rehearsal on New Year's Day. While I don't think any of us wanted to spend our New Year's Day holiday rehearsing, we all knew that it was necessary. Since Tony lives in Wylie and I live in Aledo, about the closest middle ground was in Dallas. It was 30 something miles for Roy, Brian, and Tony, and 48 for me. I didn't really mind though. Tony drove all the way to west Fort Worth for his audition. I didn't think it was fair for him to drive all the way back out there on New Year's Day, and then drive out to Willow Park on Saturday for the show. We rented a rehearsal space off of Mockingbird Lane, in Dallas, for the rehearsal. We had the room from 12-6. I arrived a little after noon. It was a long rehearsal. We started a little after 1, and wrapped up a little after 5. By the time I loaded up and got on the road, it was almost 6, and by the time I arrived home it was almost 7. So as you can see, it was a long day. I want to thank Roy, Brian, and Tony for giving up their New Year's Day, to do this.
So, earlier I mentioned a show. Yes, we will be kicking off 2014 with a show at the Railhead Smokehouse, on Saturday, January 4, at 7:30pm. The Railhead is located at 120 S. Ranch House Rd., Willow Park, Texas. We are really looking forward to this one. We played our first show there on October 19th, and had a blast! So, delay that New Year's resolution by a few more days, and come have a party with us. They have plenty of great barbeque, ice cold beer, and other assorted beverages. Also, this will be Tony's first show with us, so if nothing else, come out and meet him, lol.
Ok, I have some rehearsing to do myself, so I better go. We have a lot of exciting stuff planned for 2014, so stay tuned, and I'll talk to you soon!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)