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!
Thursday, August 22, 2013
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!
Thursday, June 27, 2013
I'll Just Have A Beer, In The Morning??
For those of you that do not know, I am not much of a morning person. In fact, no one in my immediate family is. My older son is practically a vampire, and it's not uncommon for my two younger daughters (7 & 5) to sleep in till 9am or later, if they have the chance to. The one exception, might be my wife. But honestly, I think it's more a product, of her training her body to go to bed at a decent hour. As I said, I've never been a morning person. I like to stay up late, as that seems to be when I'm the sharpest. My motivation, and creativity really kicks in after 9pm.
It's funny, one of my favorite songwriters, Robert Earl Keen, told a similar tale on one of his live albums. He stated that he is a lazy person, by nature. He likes to stay up late, and sleep in. First of all, I don't consider myself a lazy person, my body is just more comfortable, with later nights and later mornings. I suspect that Robert Earl Keen is the same way. Anyway, he went on and said that this motivated him to pursue music, as a career. "This will perfect for me.", he said. Well, he cut his first single, and went to talk to a radio station about playing it, and maybe doing an interview. The guy at the radio station said, "Sure, we'll give it a spin. Be here at 6am on Saturday." Robert Earl said, "Man, it's already going bad for me." He went on to describe some other things, in the story, but I have always been able to relate to this tidbit.
Now, Roy on the other hand, is a major morning person. I've received emails from him, in the 4am range. And no, he was not up all night! He is pretty much the exact opposite of me. He is at his creative best, early in the morning. So, I guess that pretty much makes SDR, and almost 24 hour venture, huh? I've sent him plenty of emails, well after midnight, that I know he won't see, until the next day. Likewise, when he sends me something in the wee hours, he knows that he will most likely not hear back from me, until at least 9am. The only time I see 4am, is if I have been up all night!
Now, with all of that out of the way, we have a very different type of gig, that we are playing this weekend. Texas has a lot of craft brewers, i.e. craft beer. These establishments, have really taken off in recent years, and I am glad to see it. I will admit it here, I am a beer snob. There is nothing better then a full bodied, great tasting beer. I don't drink beer to get drunk, although, if it's a really great beer, I might overindulge every once in awhile. Sorry, but I am not much of a fan of light beer, i.e. Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Bud Light. If I wanted carbonated water, I would just buy that instead. No offense, to anyone who enjoys these, but they are just not my style. I love to go to the store, and find a new beer to try. Sometimes, it works great, and sometimes, not so great. That's part of the fun, for me. Almost every time I go though, I inevitably see some dude walking out with a 30 pack of Keystone Light, and I'm just thinking, "Man, what are you doing?" But, to each his own, I guess. A lot of my buddies can't believe that I will pay $9.00 or more, for a six pack of beer. They say, "Man, you could've gotten a 12 or 18 pack of insert, "common domestic beer" here, I just tell them, that for me, "It's quality, not quantity."
Roy also enjoys good quality beer. He went to a craft beer festival a few weeks ago, and met with several of the brewers. A real popular thing that happens with these brewers is, that they give Saturday afternoon tours of their facility. Free beer samples, are usually included. It's also becoming a popular trend, to have a live band come in during these events. We have a couple of these events coming up, over the next couple of weeks. The first one will be this Saturday at the Firewheel Brewery. The Firewheel Brewery is located at 2806 Lewing Lane, Rowlett, Texas. When Roy was booking this show, I remember him saying, "Hey, would you like to play at a brewery?" "Sure, I said. He replied back, "Ok, we will be playing at Firewheel Brewery, in Rowlett, from 11am-3pm." The Robert Earl Keen thought, came into my head, "Oh man, it's already going bad for me, man!" This brewery is 69 miles from my house. I will probably need to be up by 7:00am, at the latest. Not very rock n roll, is it? I move slow in the morning! Luckily, Cisco has come to the rescue. He lives pretty close to me, and has volunteered to drive me. I think I am going to take him up on it. I can get an extra hour of sleep, on the way over! Just kidding! I wouldn't do that to him.
In all actuality, I'm really looking forward to this gig, but damn, that's early! I'm not a morning beer drinker, but I may have to make an exception here! So, if your in the Rowlett area, on Saturday morning/early afternoon, you should drop by the Firewheel Brewery, for a tour, some music, and of course, some beer! Roy told me, that some of our friends from McKinney, may be coming. I hope they do, as we have been desperately trying to get back up that way, for a show. It's been too long! They are some great folks, and I hope to see them on Saturday.
Ok, I'm done for now. If you have any questions, please wait until 10am to contact me, ok? Over and out!
It's funny, one of my favorite songwriters, Robert Earl Keen, told a similar tale on one of his live albums. He stated that he is a lazy person, by nature. He likes to stay up late, and sleep in. First of all, I don't consider myself a lazy person, my body is just more comfortable, with later nights and later mornings. I suspect that Robert Earl Keen is the same way. Anyway, he went on and said that this motivated him to pursue music, as a career. "This will perfect for me.", he said. Well, he cut his first single, and went to talk to a radio station about playing it, and maybe doing an interview. The guy at the radio station said, "Sure, we'll give it a spin. Be here at 6am on Saturday." Robert Earl said, "Man, it's already going bad for me." He went on to describe some other things, in the story, but I have always been able to relate to this tidbit.
Now, Roy on the other hand, is a major morning person. I've received emails from him, in the 4am range. And no, he was not up all night! He is pretty much the exact opposite of me. He is at his creative best, early in the morning. So, I guess that pretty much makes SDR, and almost 24 hour venture, huh? I've sent him plenty of emails, well after midnight, that I know he won't see, until the next day. Likewise, when he sends me something in the wee hours, he knows that he will most likely not hear back from me, until at least 9am. The only time I see 4am, is if I have been up all night!
Now, with all of that out of the way, we have a very different type of gig, that we are playing this weekend. Texas has a lot of craft brewers, i.e. craft beer. These establishments, have really taken off in recent years, and I am glad to see it. I will admit it here, I am a beer snob. There is nothing better then a full bodied, great tasting beer. I don't drink beer to get drunk, although, if it's a really great beer, I might overindulge every once in awhile. Sorry, but I am not much of a fan of light beer, i.e. Miller Lite, Coors Light, and Bud Light. If I wanted carbonated water, I would just buy that instead. No offense, to anyone who enjoys these, but they are just not my style. I love to go to the store, and find a new beer to try. Sometimes, it works great, and sometimes, not so great. That's part of the fun, for me. Almost every time I go though, I inevitably see some dude walking out with a 30 pack of Keystone Light, and I'm just thinking, "Man, what are you doing?" But, to each his own, I guess. A lot of my buddies can't believe that I will pay $9.00 or more, for a six pack of beer. They say, "Man, you could've gotten a 12 or 18 pack of insert, "common domestic beer" here, I just tell them, that for me, "It's quality, not quantity."
Roy also enjoys good quality beer. He went to a craft beer festival a few weeks ago, and met with several of the brewers. A real popular thing that happens with these brewers is, that they give Saturday afternoon tours of their facility. Free beer samples, are usually included. It's also becoming a popular trend, to have a live band come in during these events. We have a couple of these events coming up, over the next couple of weeks. The first one will be this Saturday at the Firewheel Brewery. The Firewheel Brewery is located at 2806 Lewing Lane, Rowlett, Texas. When Roy was booking this show, I remember him saying, "Hey, would you like to play at a brewery?" "Sure, I said. He replied back, "Ok, we will be playing at Firewheel Brewery, in Rowlett, from 11am-3pm." The Robert Earl Keen thought, came into my head, "Oh man, it's already going bad for me, man!" This brewery is 69 miles from my house. I will probably need to be up by 7:00am, at the latest. Not very rock n roll, is it? I move slow in the morning! Luckily, Cisco has come to the rescue. He lives pretty close to me, and has volunteered to drive me. I think I am going to take him up on it. I can get an extra hour of sleep, on the way over! Just kidding! I wouldn't do that to him.
In all actuality, I'm really looking forward to this gig, but damn, that's early! I'm not a morning beer drinker, but I may have to make an exception here! So, if your in the Rowlett area, on Saturday morning/early afternoon, you should drop by the Firewheel Brewery, for a tour, some music, and of course, some beer! Roy told me, that some of our friends from McKinney, may be coming. I hope they do, as we have been desperately trying to get back up that way, for a show. It's been too long! They are some great folks, and I hope to see them on Saturday.
Ok, I'm done for now. If you have any questions, please wait until 10am to contact me, ok? Over and out!
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Bassin' And Bowling
Well, this post is way overdue! Last week, I had a rough draft ready, for what was supposed to be last week's blog post. But, alas! Good ole' AT&T prevented that from happening, as our internet, went down at some point last Thursday. Not only that, but since we also have U-verse, that meant no TV either. In hindsight, it's really not that big of deal. A lot of people have a lot more worries, then this. I'm really blessed, and if this is the worst thing to happen to me, over the past week, then I've got it pretty good.
I usually like to post on Thursday's. I have made exceptions, in the past, but Thursdays usually work out the best. Monday's and Tuesday's, are normally when I work on a rough draft, and Wednesday's are when we feature our song of the week. Although, that will be winding down after next week, as we will feature the last song from the GPS To Nowhere album. So, with all of this out of the way, let's get to the latest.
We have been looking at expanding the live band, for some time now. Roy and I, have gone back and forth, over which piece to add next. We couldn't decide whether to go keyboards, or bass guitar. In the end though, we decided that bass guitar would be the best way to expand the live band, at this point. The main reason, is that Roy has a real unique way of running our keyboards, plus he plays some live keyboards during our show. We though for presentation, as well as live sound, that a bass player would have a more, immediate impact.
We ran ads on Craigslist and Facebook, for the last few weeks. We had a lot of responses. Some really strange things happened, on some of these exchanges. For example, we had one applicant email us, and say he was interested. We emailed back, said great, and tried to set up an audition time, He then emailed us back, later, and said he wouldn't be the right fit, but good luck with your project. What the heck? We had another one, that said he was going to start learning bass, and wanted to get involved with a band. He said he was a great Tuba player though, and thought he could add to our sound! Actually, none of this really surprised me. Musicians can be a flaky lot. In the past, these sort of things have happened to me, on numerous occasions. As I mentioned on here, in one of my initial blog posts, trying to recruit musicians can be a nightmare. When I was trying to put together an 80's New Wave band, I never could get anyone together, to even have an initial meeting/rehearsal. Exhausted from the process, I finally gave up on the idea.
I honestly don't remember how many people submitted for our bass player position, but I would like to thank them all, for expressing an interest. We set the audition date for June 8th. We were originally supposed to play a show on that date, but had to cancel it for personal reasons. We decided that this would be a great day to do the auditions. We had three applicants, that we were able to schedule. We scheduled them for 10:30am, 12:30pm, and 2:30pm. We wanted to allow plenty of time, for each applicant. We gave each of them the same four songs to learn. The songs we used for the audition were GPS To Nowhere, Rodeo Radio, Tailgate To The Beach, and Fried Okra. We thought that this would be a good mix, as each song has quite a different feel, from the other.
Each applicant showed up on time, and all three, were very good players. In addition, we got along really well with each applicant, too. This made the decision even more difficult. In the end, we offered the position to Carlos Shilinsky. Carlos is a very accomplished bass player. He also has a great personality and a funny sense of humor. He will fit in with us, very well. I'm super excited to have him on board. He should be joining us for live shows, in the very near future. I would also like to personally thank the other two applicants, for driving out and auditioning. Again, they were both great players, and made this decision, very difficult for us. I wish them both, the best.
Speaking of live shows, we will be back at it again this weekend. This will be a very different experience for us, as we are playing at the Cowtown Bowling Palace. Yes, you read that right. By the name, you can guess what it is, right? I thought so. Roy found this one, I don't remember how, and Marti booked it. Anyway, the theme is Bowling with the Bands. I honestly, have no idea what to expect at this show, but I am really looking forward to it. We will be there this Saturday, June 22. It's a late show, as we do not take the stage until 10pm. Cowtown Bowling Palace is located at 4333 River Oaks Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas. Admission is $10, and from what I understand, that includes bowling, for the night. Pretty good deal, if you ask me. Anyway, I hope you can make it out, if your in the area.
Well, that's all folks! Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
I usually like to post on Thursday's. I have made exceptions, in the past, but Thursdays usually work out the best. Monday's and Tuesday's, are normally when I work on a rough draft, and Wednesday's are when we feature our song of the week. Although, that will be winding down after next week, as we will feature the last song from the GPS To Nowhere album. So, with all of this out of the way, let's get to the latest.
We have been looking at expanding the live band, for some time now. Roy and I, have gone back and forth, over which piece to add next. We couldn't decide whether to go keyboards, or bass guitar. In the end though, we decided that bass guitar would be the best way to expand the live band, at this point. The main reason, is that Roy has a real unique way of running our keyboards, plus he plays some live keyboards during our show. We though for presentation, as well as live sound, that a bass player would have a more, immediate impact.
We ran ads on Craigslist and Facebook, for the last few weeks. We had a lot of responses. Some really strange things happened, on some of these exchanges. For example, we had one applicant email us, and say he was interested. We emailed back, said great, and tried to set up an audition time, He then emailed us back, later, and said he wouldn't be the right fit, but good luck with your project. What the heck? We had another one, that said he was going to start learning bass, and wanted to get involved with a band. He said he was a great Tuba player though, and thought he could add to our sound! Actually, none of this really surprised me. Musicians can be a flaky lot. In the past, these sort of things have happened to me, on numerous occasions. As I mentioned on here, in one of my initial blog posts, trying to recruit musicians can be a nightmare. When I was trying to put together an 80's New Wave band, I never could get anyone together, to even have an initial meeting/rehearsal. Exhausted from the process, I finally gave up on the idea.
I honestly don't remember how many people submitted for our bass player position, but I would like to thank them all, for expressing an interest. We set the audition date for June 8th. We were originally supposed to play a show on that date, but had to cancel it for personal reasons. We decided that this would be a great day to do the auditions. We had three applicants, that we were able to schedule. We scheduled them for 10:30am, 12:30pm, and 2:30pm. We wanted to allow plenty of time, for each applicant. We gave each of them the same four songs to learn. The songs we used for the audition were GPS To Nowhere, Rodeo Radio, Tailgate To The Beach, and Fried Okra. We thought that this would be a good mix, as each song has quite a different feel, from the other.
Each applicant showed up on time, and all three, were very good players. In addition, we got along really well with each applicant, too. This made the decision even more difficult. In the end, we offered the position to Carlos Shilinsky. Carlos is a very accomplished bass player. He also has a great personality and a funny sense of humor. He will fit in with us, very well. I'm super excited to have him on board. He should be joining us for live shows, in the very near future. I would also like to personally thank the other two applicants, for driving out and auditioning. Again, they were both great players, and made this decision, very difficult for us. I wish them both, the best.
Speaking of live shows, we will be back at it again this weekend. This will be a very different experience for us, as we are playing at the Cowtown Bowling Palace. Yes, you read that right. By the name, you can guess what it is, right? I thought so. Roy found this one, I don't remember how, and Marti booked it. Anyway, the theme is Bowling with the Bands. I honestly, have no idea what to expect at this show, but I am really looking forward to it. We will be there this Saturday, June 22. It's a late show, as we do not take the stage until 10pm. Cowtown Bowling Palace is located at 4333 River Oaks Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas. Admission is $10, and from what I understand, that includes bowling, for the night. Pretty good deal, if you ask me. Anyway, I hope you can make it out, if your in the area.
Well, that's all folks! Thanks for reading, and I'll talk to ya soon!
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