Fall has arrived! It's hard to believe. We've welcomed fall, down here in Texas, with some balmy 80 degree days. That's much better then 100, though! If you've been following the blog, then you know we've kind of been holed up during the dog days of summer. A lot of this was by design, as we brought Brian onboard, and have been totally revamping the live show. Cisco has moved on to a full drum kit vs. a percussion set up. Now, to facilitate all of this, we've had to make major changes to the way we do things.. I won't bore you with all of the technical details, but I will say it's been a challenge. In the long run though, I believe it's what's best for us, and that it will payoff.
We've played three shows, with this setup so far, and we've had to tweak things after each show, as we learn what works and what doesn't.
Things are about to get a whole lot busier for us though, as we have a slew of shows coming up, this fall. We will be visiting a lot of new venues too, which is always exciting.
We will be kicking things off this Saturday, at the Caddo Street Grill, in Cleburne, Texas. This is our first ever gig in Cleburne, and we are really excited, to be going down there. We really enjoy visiting the smaller towns, like Glen Rose, Granbury, Weatherford, and Burleson, among others. I expect Cleburne will be a fun trip, as well. The Caddo Street Grill is located at 211 S. Caddo Street, Cleburne, Texas. We will be having a special guest join us for this show, as Jade Flores will be kicking things off. You can check out Jade's work here www.reverbnation.com/jadeflores Check out her music, she has a great voice! Jade will go on at 9pm, and then SDR will follow, somewhere between 9:45 and 10pm. So, if your going to be in the Cleburne area on Saturday night, c'mon by and see us!
To check out the rest of our fall schedule, please be sure and visit our official website, www.sanddollarrodeo.com We hope you can make it out to one of our shows. While your there, can you please click on the Facebook icon, on the site, and give us a like? That is, if you like us, lol. If Facebook is not your thing, but Twitter is, then we have you covered there too. You can click the Twitter icon, on our website, and it will allow you to follow us on Twitter.
Ok, kids, that's all I've got for now. Time for me to get out on the bike, and enjoy this awesome weather. Talk to ya soon, and thanks for reading!
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
A Last Minute Gig, And Some Recording
Hello gang! Hope everyone is doing well. Did you enjoy your Labor Day weekend? I know, I did. I had some good food, worked in a long bike ride, and watched plenty of football! I always consider Labor Day weekend, to be the unofficial end of summer. School has started, football is here, and it seems to be getting dark, earlier in the evening. Of course, the actual weather is telling a different story, as we have been well over 100 degrees, for the last week. It looks like we will be in the high 90's, for the rest of the week though, so that's good! Bring on fall!
SDR, managed to get some work in, over the holiday weekend. We holed up in the studio, and recorded a live show favorite, called Island Holiday. We will be releasing it as a free download, on Friday, November 29th. That is Black Friday, by the way. It is our Christmas present to you, the fans. The only requirement is, that you need to be on our mailing list, in order to access the download. Are you on our mailing list? If not, then what are you waiting for? You can sign up for our mailing list here www.sanddollarrodeo.com Just scroll down, look for the mailing list sign up, enter your email address, and that's it! We promise not to spam your inbox with offers, or junk. Normally, you will receive a newsletter, about once a month. We will also send out any big announcements, through this channel, as well.
We also recorded a scratch demo, for a new song that we are working on. Plus, we went over three other songs new songs, that are in pre-production. Look for these songs to start working there way into the live set, throughout the fall and winter.
I had mentioned not to long ago, that things in the music business often change in an instance, and without notice. Well, this happened yesterday. Our good friend, Marti, who is a booking agent, received a call from the Cutting Horse Saloon. They had a band cancel, for this Friday. They were inquiring, to see if she had anyone, that could fill the spot. Well, all of her other bands, were booked. We did not have anything scheduled, so she contacted Roy, to see if we wanted it. We got a hold of Brian and Cisco, to see if they would be available on such short notice, and thankfully, they were.
I'm really excited about this show. These are the types of shows, that Roy and I, really like to play. It will be a 90 minute show, with no breaks. They have a house PA, and that means a soundman! Yes! I know Roy is really happy, as he gets a break from being the soundman.
The Cutting Horse is located at 2132 Tin Top Road, Weatherford, Texas. We will start at 9:30pm, and play till 11pm. From my understanding, there will also be another band following us, but I am not sure who it is, as of press time. This is our first ever show in Weatherford! So, please come out, if you can! We have been trying to get out that way, for quite awhile now. Many thanks to Marti, for making this happen!
Well, that about does it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
SDR, managed to get some work in, over the holiday weekend. We holed up in the studio, and recorded a live show favorite, called Island Holiday. We will be releasing it as a free download, on Friday, November 29th. That is Black Friday, by the way. It is our Christmas present to you, the fans. The only requirement is, that you need to be on our mailing list, in order to access the download. Are you on our mailing list? If not, then what are you waiting for? You can sign up for our mailing list here www.sanddollarrodeo.com Just scroll down, look for the mailing list sign up, enter your email address, and that's it! We promise not to spam your inbox with offers, or junk. Normally, you will receive a newsletter, about once a month. We will also send out any big announcements, through this channel, as well.
We also recorded a scratch demo, for a new song that we are working on. Plus, we went over three other songs new songs, that are in pre-production. Look for these songs to start working there way into the live set, throughout the fall and winter.
I had mentioned not to long ago, that things in the music business often change in an instance, and without notice. Well, this happened yesterday. Our good friend, Marti, who is a booking agent, received a call from the Cutting Horse Saloon. They had a band cancel, for this Friday. They were inquiring, to see if she had anyone, that could fill the spot. Well, all of her other bands, were booked. We did not have anything scheduled, so she contacted Roy, to see if we wanted it. We got a hold of Brian and Cisco, to see if they would be available on such short notice, and thankfully, they were.
I'm really excited about this show. These are the types of shows, that Roy and I, really like to play. It will be a 90 minute show, with no breaks. They have a house PA, and that means a soundman! Yes! I know Roy is really happy, as he gets a break from being the soundman.
The Cutting Horse is located at 2132 Tin Top Road, Weatherford, Texas. We will start at 9:30pm, and play till 11pm. From my understanding, there will also be another band following us, but I am not sure who it is, as of press time. This is our first ever show in Weatherford! So, please come out, if you can! We have been trying to get out that way, for quite awhile now. Many thanks to Marti, for making this happen!
Well, that about does it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
Returning To The Stage
As many of you know, we haven't played live since July 19th. That's a pretty long layoff, as far as I'm concerned. The time has actually gone by, rather quickly though. We've been very busy, behind the scenes, and I was able to work in a family vacation to Arkansas. To see what we've been up to, you can check out my last couple of posts, in the archives.
This coming weekend, we will be returning to the stage, with a show at the Cowtown Bowling Palace, on Saturday, August 24th. We will be playing from 9:30pm to 12:30am. The cover charge is $10, but it includes all you can bowl for two hours, plus live music. That's a pretty cheap way to spend a Saturday night, if you ask me. The Cowtown Bowling Palace is located at 4333 River Oaks Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas.
This will also be the debut, for our new bass player, Brian Barton. Cisco, will also be bringing out the big drums, for the first time. We've had a lot of compliments on his percussion playing. The people we have talked to, think it's really neat, and different. Trust me though, you will enjoy him on full drums too. The full kit, just takes things to a whole other energy level and feel, in my opinion. Both Cisco and Brian, have been working very hard, and I really appreciate it. Roy has too. We will still be sequencing some of the keyboards, and using click tracks on occasion. Roy has had to make a lot of adjustments, on that end. He will also be playing quite a bit more live keyboards, then what he normally does. I'll say it again, I really appreciate all the work, that these three have put in.
I've actually had it the easiest. Not a lot has really changed on my end. The only issues, I seem to be having, are equipment related, ugh! I had a cable go out at practice, but it's hard for me to complain. The thing lasted me 4 or 5 years. It was more of an annoyance, then anything. I run four cables from my amp, to my pedal board, and through my guitar. I had to disconnect everything, and test each cable out, to find the guilty party. Then the footswitch, for my amp, started acting up. Luckily, I had a spare, and we were ok. And lastly, we discovered that my monitor is on it's last legs. Monitors, are the speakers that face the band. They are usually placed at the front of the stage. This is so the band members can hear everything. The only sound coming out of my monitor, is from the high end horn. The bass speaker is dead. I love new gear, as much as anyone, but I'm really getting tired of having to dump money into it. It seems like I need two, of every piece of gear. It's getting kind of annoying. Ok, end of rant. This week, I'll go pick up some new cables, and replace the monitor, when I can. Hopefully, my footswitches will hold out, too.
We had our final two rehearsals for the show, this past weekend, over at Roy's house. We've made several tweaks, with the song list. All the originals, of course, will still be present, but we've added a few, dropped a few, and brought one back from the dead, on the cover end. We also hope to add a new original song to the mix, in the coming weeks. We've also re-worked one of the covers, that we were considering dropping, plus several others. I'm really looking forward to playing all of these revamped songs.
Rehearsal went smooth, until Sunday afternoon. We had played 3 or 4 songs, and were really starting to get into the groove of things, when the doorbell rang. Can you guess who it was? If you guessed the police department, then you guessed correctly! The officer was very polite, and asked if he could come in. He went on to explain, that one of the neighbors had called in a noise complaint. He asked me to strum my guitar, to see how loud it was, and then said, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I heard, when I was driving up here." All of us, including him, had a laugh. He hung out for a few more minutes. I think he was hoping that we would play a song, or something. He told us, that he hated to tell us to turn down, but he had no choice.
He left, we turned way down, and the rehearsal pretty much lost all of it's energy. What's funny, is that we were not even running our PA. It was all monitor, amps, and drums. We turned down so low, that Roy didn't even bother singing into the mike, most of the time. It turned into a mechanical, robotic rehearsal, for the rest of the afternoon. It was the strangest rehearsal, I have ever been a part of. Oh well, we did the best that we could do, under the circumstances. I feel confident, that we will be ok on Saturday night. Everyone in this group is great, about doing their homework. Would I like to have one more rehearsal? Yeah, I would, but it's not in the cards. Nothing we can do about it, so I'm not going to worry myself to death, over it.
Well, that's about all I have for now. If your in the area, on Saturday night, stop by Cowtown, meet Brian, check out the new show, and do some bowling! Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
This coming weekend, we will be returning to the stage, with a show at the Cowtown Bowling Palace, on Saturday, August 24th. We will be playing from 9:30pm to 12:30am. The cover charge is $10, but it includes all you can bowl for two hours, plus live music. That's a pretty cheap way to spend a Saturday night, if you ask me. The Cowtown Bowling Palace is located at 4333 River Oaks Blvd., Fort Worth, Texas.
This will also be the debut, for our new bass player, Brian Barton. Cisco, will also be bringing out the big drums, for the first time. We've had a lot of compliments on his percussion playing. The people we have talked to, think it's really neat, and different. Trust me though, you will enjoy him on full drums too. The full kit, just takes things to a whole other energy level and feel, in my opinion. Both Cisco and Brian, have been working very hard, and I really appreciate it. Roy has too. We will still be sequencing some of the keyboards, and using click tracks on occasion. Roy has had to make a lot of adjustments, on that end. He will also be playing quite a bit more live keyboards, then what he normally does. I'll say it again, I really appreciate all the work, that these three have put in.
I've actually had it the easiest. Not a lot has really changed on my end. The only issues, I seem to be having, are equipment related, ugh! I had a cable go out at practice, but it's hard for me to complain. The thing lasted me 4 or 5 years. It was more of an annoyance, then anything. I run four cables from my amp, to my pedal board, and through my guitar. I had to disconnect everything, and test each cable out, to find the guilty party. Then the footswitch, for my amp, started acting up. Luckily, I had a spare, and we were ok. And lastly, we discovered that my monitor is on it's last legs. Monitors, are the speakers that face the band. They are usually placed at the front of the stage. This is so the band members can hear everything. The only sound coming out of my monitor, is from the high end horn. The bass speaker is dead. I love new gear, as much as anyone, but I'm really getting tired of having to dump money into it. It seems like I need two, of every piece of gear. It's getting kind of annoying. Ok, end of rant. This week, I'll go pick up some new cables, and replace the monitor, when I can. Hopefully, my footswitches will hold out, too.
We had our final two rehearsals for the show, this past weekend, over at Roy's house. We've made several tweaks, with the song list. All the originals, of course, will still be present, but we've added a few, dropped a few, and brought one back from the dead, on the cover end. We also hope to add a new original song to the mix, in the coming weeks. We've also re-worked one of the covers, that we were considering dropping, plus several others. I'm really looking forward to playing all of these revamped songs.
Rehearsal went smooth, until Sunday afternoon. We had played 3 or 4 songs, and were really starting to get into the groove of things, when the doorbell rang. Can you guess who it was? If you guessed the police department, then you guessed correctly! The officer was very polite, and asked if he could come in. He went on to explain, that one of the neighbors had called in a noise complaint. He asked me to strum my guitar, to see how loud it was, and then said, "Yeah, I'm pretty sure that's what I heard, when I was driving up here." All of us, including him, had a laugh. He hung out for a few more minutes. I think he was hoping that we would play a song, or something. He told us, that he hated to tell us to turn down, but he had no choice.
He left, we turned way down, and the rehearsal pretty much lost all of it's energy. What's funny, is that we were not even running our PA. It was all monitor, amps, and drums. We turned down so low, that Roy didn't even bother singing into the mike, most of the time. It turned into a mechanical, robotic rehearsal, for the rest of the afternoon. It was the strangest rehearsal, I have ever been a part of. Oh well, we did the best that we could do, under the circumstances. I feel confident, that we will be ok on Saturday night. Everyone in this group is great, about doing their homework. Would I like to have one more rehearsal? Yeah, I would, but it's not in the cards. Nothing we can do about it, so I'm not going to worry myself to death, over it.
Well, that's about all I have for now. If your in the area, on Saturday night, stop by Cowtown, meet Brian, check out the new show, and do some bowling! Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
A Change Of Plans
Last week was about as crazy, as it can get. In the music business, things change and often do, in an instant. If you'll recall, we were preparing to have rehearsal, with our new bass player, Carlos, this past weekend. In addition, we are now booking ourselves, and I was getting used to, yet, another new amp. Please don't laugh. I've finally got my amp dilemma solved! I promise! I picked up an old Marshall JCM 900, that dates back to 1992. The thing simply rocks, and I have no plans of getting rid of it. I've also got the Vintage Club 50, out of the shop, so all is good.
I was spending last Thursday, getting used to the amp, and preparing for our rehearsal. As a matter of fact, I got so carried away, that I forgot to publish my blog post. I realized this at about midnight. Oops! Oh well, no one would notice, right? Wrong! I received an email from Roy, the next morning, saying how disappointed he was. Of course, he was just joking around.
Roy was also very busy this past week, with preparing the technical side of rehearsal. With us going to live bass, we decided that now was the time to have Cisco move from percussion, to a full on drum kit. The only reason, we hadn't done this before, is that we worried about the volume increase, plus we needed to come up with a monitor solution, for Cisco. We are still going to be using click tracks on some of the songs, and we had to figure out a way for Cisco to hear the click track. We do not have the funds, at present time, to invest in an in ear monitoring system. Roy spent the week, figuring out a solution to all of this. Don't ask me how, that is way outside my area of expertise. I'm sure if you want to find out more, you can email him, and he will let you know what he was doing.
So, Friday rolls around, and as soon as I arrived home, I get a call from Roy. I knew something serious must be up, if he is calling me. We rarely talk on the phone. We usually are able to get our business done, through email or text. Anyway, he proceeds to tell me, that Carlos is not going to make it to rehearsal. Some issues had come up, that were going to prevent him from being there. I can't begin to tell you, how bummed I was. I had been looking forward to this, for weeks.
We were trying to figure out what to do. I called Cisco, to get his take. We all three, discussed several options. We decided that we would get together, regardless, as we wanted to test out Cisco's in ear monitoring system. This was something we were going to have to do anyway, if we were going to bring in a full drum kit.
Meanwhile, Roy said he was going to reach out to Brian. In case you forgot, Brian, was one of the bass players that auditioned for us back in June. Brian is a great player, and has an awesome personality. If you'll remember, we had a very difficult time making a decision between Carlos and Brian. The main reason for selecting Carlos over Brian, was that Carlos and Cisco had worked together before. We thought that maybe their familiarity with each other might be a better fit. Playing ability wise, I think that they are equal.
Roy kept updating me through the evening. I went to the First Friday Festival in Aledo, with my family, and had some of the best Cajun Fried Okra, ever! Man, it was spicy, but so good! To make a long story short, it seemed like Brian was still interested in working with us, but wouldn't be available for Saturday. No big deal, and totally understandable, given the short notice. I have to be honest though, I was majorly bummed and didn't even want to go to rehearsal, the next day. I went home, and finally published, my way overdue blog post. I had to do quite a bit of re-writing, due to the circumstances. After that, I played a little Xbox 360, and went to bed.
The next morning I got up, ate some breakfast, and then prepared to go to Roy's for rehearsal. I was more bummed, then the night before, but trudged on.
As I was driving to Roy's, I received a text from him, that Brian was going to stop by! Man, I was elated! I was so glad to hear this news. When I arrived at Roy's, he met me out front, and said he had offered the job to Brian, and that Brian wanted it. I was more then ok, with this!
I want to stop here, and thank Carlos for his time. He is really talented. Unfortunately, his schedule is just too full. He mentioned to us that he plays in six different bands! This past Saturday, was a crucial practice for us, and had been on the schedule for quite awhile. We were afraid that there would be too many scheduling conflicts, with Carlos. He does this for a living, so income is crucial for him. We sent him an email, on Saturday, advising him that it was not going to work out. He responded back, later that evening, that he understood, and wished us the best. We want to wish him, all the best, as well.
Brian showed up and jammed with us, for quite awhile. I was amazed that he still remembered the songs, from a couple of months ago. We went over GPS, I'll Just Have A Beer, What Kind Of Life Is This, Carry Me Home, Fried Okra, and Rodeo Radio. I also showed him the chords to Into The Night, and Sing Along, and we ran through those, as well. He did a fantastic job! He also brought over a new bass, that he had just purchased. You know me, I'm a gear hound, and I love checking it out, whether it's mine, or someone else's. Anyway, Brian ordered a custom Ernie Ball 5 string bass. This thing is bad! It has a maple fret board, and a really pretty blue body. He told us, that this was the first time he had really been able to put it through it's paces. He sounded great on it. Brian and Cisco hit it off as well. I know that they will form a solid rhythm section. Brian has also been sending me venues, to try and get into. We've communicated, via email, quite a bit this week. We hope to have several show announcements, in the near future.
Ok, that's all I've for now. So, until next time, please remember that the road goes on forever, and the party never ends-REK. See ya, and thanks for reading!
I was spending last Thursday, getting used to the amp, and preparing for our rehearsal. As a matter of fact, I got so carried away, that I forgot to publish my blog post. I realized this at about midnight. Oops! Oh well, no one would notice, right? Wrong! I received an email from Roy, the next morning, saying how disappointed he was. Of course, he was just joking around.
Roy was also very busy this past week, with preparing the technical side of rehearsal. With us going to live bass, we decided that now was the time to have Cisco move from percussion, to a full on drum kit. The only reason, we hadn't done this before, is that we worried about the volume increase, plus we needed to come up with a monitor solution, for Cisco. We are still going to be using click tracks on some of the songs, and we had to figure out a way for Cisco to hear the click track. We do not have the funds, at present time, to invest in an in ear monitoring system. Roy spent the week, figuring out a solution to all of this. Don't ask me how, that is way outside my area of expertise. I'm sure if you want to find out more, you can email him, and he will let you know what he was doing.
So, Friday rolls around, and as soon as I arrived home, I get a call from Roy. I knew something serious must be up, if he is calling me. We rarely talk on the phone. We usually are able to get our business done, through email or text. Anyway, he proceeds to tell me, that Carlos is not going to make it to rehearsal. Some issues had come up, that were going to prevent him from being there. I can't begin to tell you, how bummed I was. I had been looking forward to this, for weeks.
We were trying to figure out what to do. I called Cisco, to get his take. We all three, discussed several options. We decided that we would get together, regardless, as we wanted to test out Cisco's in ear monitoring system. This was something we were going to have to do anyway, if we were going to bring in a full drum kit.
Meanwhile, Roy said he was going to reach out to Brian. In case you forgot, Brian, was one of the bass players that auditioned for us back in June. Brian is a great player, and has an awesome personality. If you'll remember, we had a very difficult time making a decision between Carlos and Brian. The main reason for selecting Carlos over Brian, was that Carlos and Cisco had worked together before. We thought that maybe their familiarity with each other might be a better fit. Playing ability wise, I think that they are equal.
Roy kept updating me through the evening. I went to the First Friday Festival in Aledo, with my family, and had some of the best Cajun Fried Okra, ever! Man, it was spicy, but so good! To make a long story short, it seemed like Brian was still interested in working with us, but wouldn't be available for Saturday. No big deal, and totally understandable, given the short notice. I have to be honest though, I was majorly bummed and didn't even want to go to rehearsal, the next day. I went home, and finally published, my way overdue blog post. I had to do quite a bit of re-writing, due to the circumstances. After that, I played a little Xbox 360, and went to bed.
The next morning I got up, ate some breakfast, and then prepared to go to Roy's for rehearsal. I was more bummed, then the night before, but trudged on.
As I was driving to Roy's, I received a text from him, that Brian was going to stop by! Man, I was elated! I was so glad to hear this news. When I arrived at Roy's, he met me out front, and said he had offered the job to Brian, and that Brian wanted it. I was more then ok, with this!
I want to stop here, and thank Carlos for his time. He is really talented. Unfortunately, his schedule is just too full. He mentioned to us that he plays in six different bands! This past Saturday, was a crucial practice for us, and had been on the schedule for quite awhile. We were afraid that there would be too many scheduling conflicts, with Carlos. He does this for a living, so income is crucial for him. We sent him an email, on Saturday, advising him that it was not going to work out. He responded back, later that evening, that he understood, and wished us the best. We want to wish him, all the best, as well.
Brian showed up and jammed with us, for quite awhile. I was amazed that he still remembered the songs, from a couple of months ago. We went over GPS, I'll Just Have A Beer, What Kind Of Life Is This, Carry Me Home, Fried Okra, and Rodeo Radio. I also showed him the chords to Into The Night, and Sing Along, and we ran through those, as well. He did a fantastic job! He also brought over a new bass, that he had just purchased. You know me, I'm a gear hound, and I love checking it out, whether it's mine, or someone else's. Anyway, Brian ordered a custom Ernie Ball 5 string bass. This thing is bad! It has a maple fret board, and a really pretty blue body. He told us, that this was the first time he had really been able to put it through it's paces. He sounded great on it. Brian and Cisco hit it off as well. I know that they will form a solid rhythm section. Brian has also been sending me venues, to try and get into. We've communicated, via email, quite a bit this week. We hope to have several show announcements, in the near future.
Ok, that's all I've for now. So, until next time, please remember that the road goes on forever, and the party never ends-REK. See ya, and thanks for reading!
Friday, August 2, 2013
One Year!
Wow! I can't believe it's already August. Man, 2013 is flying by. It's hard to believe that Roy and I, have been working together for a year now. It's been an amazing journey, so far, and I look forward to what is to come. It's also hard to believe, that I have been running this blog for almost 10 months. Where has the time gone? Honestly, I kind of wondered if I would keep up the blog, when I first started it. One of the things that has kept me going, is all the nice comments, and compliments that I have received from you, the readers. I really appreciate it, and am glad that you enjoy it. I have also enjoyed writing it, so that helps as well!
So with that said, let's get to the latest, in the SDR world. This weekend we will be rehearsing. We were supposed to be rehearsing with our new bass player, but a scheduling conflict has prevented that. If you remember, we held bass auditions back in June. Up until now, we have always run the bass, through the keyboards. The Doors used this same method, and never had a true bass player. I'm actually really excited about bringing a live bass player on. I'm also excited about actually rehearsing. When we were auditioning bass players, back in June, I guess it was a rehearsal of sorts, for Roy and I. We really haven't had a true rehearsal though, since last December. That was when Cisco was coming aboard, and we were all trying to get used to playing together.
As I said, it will be nice to practice some, without being in show mode. We will actually be able to stop, talk, and work on problem areas. When your doing a show, the pace runs at 100mph, the whole way through. You don't get a chance to discuss how the last song sounded, or try it again, as you have to get ready for the next song. By the end of the night, your just focused on getting your gear loaded up, getting paid, and going home. You usually don't have time to discuss the performance. I will usually think about it the next day, and judge how we did. I will make mental notes, for the next time, and that's about it. We are planning on having several rehearsals, before our next show, which will be on August 24, at the Cowtown Bowling Palace.
In other news, our contract with Promotions By Marti, has come to an end. We have decided to go in a different direction, with our bookings. This is not a knock on Marti, either. We really want to thank Marti, for all she has done for us. She kept us really busy for the first half of this year, and we wish her all the best. For now, we are booking ourselves. If you are interested in booking Sand Dollar Rodeo, please send an email inquiry here info@sanddollarrodeo.com and either Roy or I, will get right back to you. We are working on several show ideas, and will let you know, as soon as we have more details.
The last bit of news, that I would like to share, is that we have begun work on our next album. When I say begun, I really mean that. We are in the very early stages. Right now, we have several new song ideas, that we are working on. Most of them, are just rough demos, at this point. As we finish each song, we will begin incorporating them into our live show. The album will be done, when it's done, but we are targeting a late 2014 release date, at this point. We will see how it goes, and I will keep you updated on the progress, right here.
To tide you over until then, we are planning to release one of our live show songs, as a single. Look for it around Christmas. It will be available via download only. We will, of course, let you know, once it's available. Until then, if you haven't already done so, please check out our current album "GPS To Nowhere", which was released on April 2, 2013. You can listen to the whole thing for free, on Spotify, so go check it out!
Well, that's all I've got for you, for now. Thank you for your support, thank you for reading, and thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. So, until next time, adios!
So with that said, let's get to the latest, in the SDR world. This weekend we will be rehearsing. We were supposed to be rehearsing with our new bass player, but a scheduling conflict has prevented that. If you remember, we held bass auditions back in June. Up until now, we have always run the bass, through the keyboards. The Doors used this same method, and never had a true bass player. I'm actually really excited about bringing a live bass player on. I'm also excited about actually rehearsing. When we were auditioning bass players, back in June, I guess it was a rehearsal of sorts, for Roy and I. We really haven't had a true rehearsal though, since last December. That was when Cisco was coming aboard, and we were all trying to get used to playing together.
As I said, it will be nice to practice some, without being in show mode. We will actually be able to stop, talk, and work on problem areas. When your doing a show, the pace runs at 100mph, the whole way through. You don't get a chance to discuss how the last song sounded, or try it again, as you have to get ready for the next song. By the end of the night, your just focused on getting your gear loaded up, getting paid, and going home. You usually don't have time to discuss the performance. I will usually think about it the next day, and judge how we did. I will make mental notes, for the next time, and that's about it. We are planning on having several rehearsals, before our next show, which will be on August 24, at the Cowtown Bowling Palace.
In other news, our contract with Promotions By Marti, has come to an end. We have decided to go in a different direction, with our bookings. This is not a knock on Marti, either. We really want to thank Marti, for all she has done for us. She kept us really busy for the first half of this year, and we wish her all the best. For now, we are booking ourselves. If you are interested in booking Sand Dollar Rodeo, please send an email inquiry here info@sanddollarrodeo.com and either Roy or I, will get right back to you. We are working on several show ideas, and will let you know, as soon as we have more details.
The last bit of news, that I would like to share, is that we have begun work on our next album. When I say begun, I really mean that. We are in the very early stages. Right now, we have several new song ideas, that we are working on. Most of them, are just rough demos, at this point. As we finish each song, we will begin incorporating them into our live show. The album will be done, when it's done, but we are targeting a late 2014 release date, at this point. We will see how it goes, and I will keep you updated on the progress, right here.
To tide you over until then, we are planning to release one of our live show songs, as a single. Look for it around Christmas. It will be available via download only. We will, of course, let you know, once it's available. Until then, if you haven't already done so, please check out our current album "GPS To Nowhere", which was released on April 2, 2013. You can listen to the whole thing for free, on Spotify, so go check it out!
Well, that's all I've got for you, for now. Thank you for your support, thank you for reading, and thank you for your feedback. We really appreciate it. So, until next time, adios!
Thursday, July 18, 2013
A Return To The Vine
Am I in Texas, or the northeast? The odd Texas summer of 2013 continues, but I'm not complaining. On Monday, of this week, we set a record low-high temperature of 74 degrees. I've received several reports, from friends in the northeast, that they have had unbearable heat. On the day that we hit 74, I read that Portland, Maine was flirting with a record high, in the mid 90's, and that New York City topped out at 100 degrees. Talk about a role reversal! We did not touch 90 all week, until today. We will be in the 90's for the rest of the week, which is not bad for Texas, in mid-July.
It's a good thing, that the weather is staying nice, as we are making a return trip to Hollywood & Vine, in Glen Rose, this Friday night, July 19th, at 7:30pm. This will be an outdoor show, (well it will be, if it doesn't rain). As of now, there is a 30% chance of rain showers, and a high of 93 on Friday. As long as the rain stays away, it should be real nice, with the temperature dropping from the low 80's to the high 70's, by the end of the show. Sounds perfect to me!
I'm really looking forward to this show, as we've had to deal with weather issues, the other two times we played at Hollywood & Vine. The first time, we had to move indoors, because temperatures were in the 30's. The second time, we did play outdoors, but the conditions were not ideal. I recall the temperature being in the 50's, with a heavy chance of rain. It never did rain, but I think the overcast skies and cool temperatures, contributed to the light crowd, that night. I also recall, that the three people in charge, the two owners, and their daughter-in-law, were not in agreement on whether we should play inside or not. One, wanted us indoors, one, wanted us outdoors, and the third, advised us to work it out with the other two, lol!
As I said earlier, hopefully the rain stays away. I've always thought, that Hollywood & Vine would be the perfect place to play, when the weather cooperates. I'm glad were finally getting our shot. So, if your in the Glen Rose area on Friday night, drop on by and see us. The beer is cold, the food is great, and we are planning to have a lot of fun! Hollywood & Vine is located at 101 Vine Street, Glen Rose, Texas.
Please note, that this will be the last chance to see us live for awhile, as we are taking mini-hiatus. Our next show is not scheduled until Saturday, August 24th, at the Cowtown Bowling Palace. The main reason for the hiatus, is that we will be rehearsing with our new bass player, Carlos. We will be getting him up to speed, on all the material, and getting used to playing with one another. I am also going on vacation, with my family, during the month of August.
Of course, this is all subject to change. Things in the music business, are very rarely stable. We may end up picking up a show, before then, or not. It really just depends on how the rehearsals go, and how our schedules are. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know, as I will update any new, news or information, on this blog. We will, of course, also update our Facebook page, and our website, with any changes, as well. By the way, are you a fan of our Facebook page? If your not, you should be! If your a reader of my blog, could you please do me a huge favor, and go like our Facebook page located here www.facebook.com/sanddollarrodeo If you've already done that, then I want to thank you. We really appreciate your support! We also have a Twitter feed, if Facebook is not your thing. You can follow us on Twitter here www.twitter.com/sanddollarrodeo
Well, that's all I have for now. Enjoy your summer, wherever you may be, and I'll be back before you know it! Talk to ya later.
It's a good thing, that the weather is staying nice, as we are making a return trip to Hollywood & Vine, in Glen Rose, this Friday night, July 19th, at 7:30pm. This will be an outdoor show, (well it will be, if it doesn't rain). As of now, there is a 30% chance of rain showers, and a high of 93 on Friday. As long as the rain stays away, it should be real nice, with the temperature dropping from the low 80's to the high 70's, by the end of the show. Sounds perfect to me!
I'm really looking forward to this show, as we've had to deal with weather issues, the other two times we played at Hollywood & Vine. The first time, we had to move indoors, because temperatures were in the 30's. The second time, we did play outdoors, but the conditions were not ideal. I recall the temperature being in the 50's, with a heavy chance of rain. It never did rain, but I think the overcast skies and cool temperatures, contributed to the light crowd, that night. I also recall, that the three people in charge, the two owners, and their daughter-in-law, were not in agreement on whether we should play inside or not. One, wanted us indoors, one, wanted us outdoors, and the third, advised us to work it out with the other two, lol!
As I said earlier, hopefully the rain stays away. I've always thought, that Hollywood & Vine would be the perfect place to play, when the weather cooperates. I'm glad were finally getting our shot. So, if your in the Glen Rose area on Friday night, drop on by and see us. The beer is cold, the food is great, and we are planning to have a lot of fun! Hollywood & Vine is located at 101 Vine Street, Glen Rose, Texas.
Please note, that this will be the last chance to see us live for awhile, as we are taking mini-hiatus. Our next show is not scheduled until Saturday, August 24th, at the Cowtown Bowling Palace. The main reason for the hiatus, is that we will be rehearsing with our new bass player, Carlos. We will be getting him up to speed, on all the material, and getting used to playing with one another. I am also going on vacation, with my family, during the month of August.
Of course, this is all subject to change. Things in the music business, are very rarely stable. We may end up picking up a show, before then, or not. It really just depends on how the rehearsals go, and how our schedules are. If anything changes, you'll be the first to know, as I will update any new, news or information, on this blog. We will, of course, also update our Facebook page, and our website, with any changes, as well. By the way, are you a fan of our Facebook page? If your not, you should be! If your a reader of my blog, could you please do me a huge favor, and go like our Facebook page located here www.facebook.com/sanddollarrodeo If you've already done that, then I want to thank you. We really appreciate your support! We also have a Twitter feed, if Facebook is not your thing. You can follow us on Twitter here www.twitter.com/sanddollarrodeo
Well, that's all I have for now. Enjoy your summer, wherever you may be, and I'll be back before you know it! Talk to ya later.
Wednesday, July 10, 2013
I'll Just Have A Beer, Round 2
I hope you all enjoyed your 4th of July weekend. I know, I did. It just so happens that we were off this past weekend. Kind of an oddity, with the way our schedule has been this year. Roy had company come in from out of town, and ended up going to Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic, and a Rangers game. I think their may have been a couple of beers, mixed in there, as well.
As for me, I just kind of took it easy, and enjoyed the unseasonably cool weather, that we had last week. Heck, I'm not complaining. I mixed in a few long bike rides, hung out with family on the 4th, did some swimming, and went and saw a new band.
The band I speak of, is called Kyser. Two of my really good friends are in this band, Robby Kyser, and Sol Kanthack. I've known both of these guys since elementary school. We all three started playing together, when we were 15 years old. Well, Robby was 16 or 17, I believe, lol. Hey cut me a break, it's been a long time. He is either a year, or two years older then Sol and I. I honestly can't remember. Heck, those two even share the same birthday. That, I do know. Well, we have worked together, in various projects over the last 25 years. My most proud accomplishment, with these guys, was winning the 1991 TCU Battle of the Bands. We edged out a little group, called the Toadies. You may have heard of them?
Right now, Kyser is competing in the Jerry's Hyundai Battle of the Bands. The competition is taking place over at the Oui Lounge in Fort Worth. The Oui Lounge is located at 3509 Bluebonnet Circle. Kyser, has made it into the finals, and will be battling two other bands, this Friday night, July 12th at 8:30pm. As I said, I went and saw them last week, and they were great! So, if your in the area, go check em' out! You can check out more information on Kyser, and listen to their music here www.bandmix.com/kyserband
We will be getting back at it, this weekend, as well. We enjoyed playing at the Firewheel Brewery so much, that we are going to be doing the brewery thing again, this weekend. We will be at the Community Beer Company on Saturday, July 13. The Community Beer Company is located at 1530 Inspiration Drive, Dallas, Texas. It's across from the American Airlines Center, and just west of I-35. We will be playing from 2-5pm, during the brewery tours. Whew! I'm glad it's not another 11am gig! You can read my last blog post, if you wanna see how much I enjoy mornings.
For more information on the brewery, and their tours, you can check out their website here www.communitybeer.com So, if your in the downtown Dallas area on Saturday afternoon, stop on by for some craft beer, a tour, and some music.
Well, that's it! Short and sweet for this week! Talk to ya soon, and thanks for reading!
As for me, I just kind of took it easy, and enjoyed the unseasonably cool weather, that we had last week. Heck, I'm not complaining. I mixed in a few long bike rides, hung out with family on the 4th, did some swimming, and went and saw a new band.
The band I speak of, is called Kyser. Two of my really good friends are in this band, Robby Kyser, and Sol Kanthack. I've known both of these guys since elementary school. We all three started playing together, when we were 15 years old. Well, Robby was 16 or 17, I believe, lol. Hey cut me a break, it's been a long time. He is either a year, or two years older then Sol and I. I honestly can't remember. Heck, those two even share the same birthday. That, I do know. Well, we have worked together, in various projects over the last 25 years. My most proud accomplishment, with these guys, was winning the 1991 TCU Battle of the Bands. We edged out a little group, called the Toadies. You may have heard of them?
Right now, Kyser is competing in the Jerry's Hyundai Battle of the Bands. The competition is taking place over at the Oui Lounge in Fort Worth. The Oui Lounge is located at 3509 Bluebonnet Circle. Kyser, has made it into the finals, and will be battling two other bands, this Friday night, July 12th at 8:30pm. As I said, I went and saw them last week, and they were great! So, if your in the area, go check em' out! You can check out more information on Kyser, and listen to their music here www.bandmix.com/kyserband
We will be getting back at it, this weekend, as well. We enjoyed playing at the Firewheel Brewery so much, that we are going to be doing the brewery thing again, this weekend. We will be at the Community Beer Company on Saturday, July 13. The Community Beer Company is located at 1530 Inspiration Drive, Dallas, Texas. It's across from the American Airlines Center, and just west of I-35. We will be playing from 2-5pm, during the brewery tours. Whew! I'm glad it's not another 11am gig! You can read my last blog post, if you wanna see how much I enjoy mornings.
For more information on the brewery, and their tours, you can check out their website here www.communitybeer.com So, if your in the downtown Dallas area on Saturday afternoon, stop on by for some craft beer, a tour, and some music.
Well, that's it! Short and sweet for this week! Talk to ya soon, and thanks for reading!
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