randoms

the new year is here
in my mind i've been dreaming
of 2008
music is good the learning is good
masters work completed
reading more plays and texts
want to be smart
recorded a new demo last night
here are the lyrics

shaking off the dark
waving past the cold
you've been lying
about letting go

pretty as she does
is as quickly she goes
our past becomes someone
you used to know

as sweet as your are
i'm inside
won't you hold still
for a lil' while

tell it to the sun
anyway you can
i don't seem to mind
the same old plan

the tune is some fingerpickin' and
banjo which is typical... as always
i may post it later... maybe through
video?
june star, the joke,
is going out on that road
then feb. then mar. then apr. then may...
organization is my problem
a major problem
worse than money if you could
believe that.

the birchmere awaits
with delbert mcclinton
i can hardly believe
the future of that eh?
this is the gig where the audience
is not allowed to talk.
all of my hopes I ever had about
playing out now slowly transforms
into my greatest anxiety.

who would have thought.

ellen cherry, good luck on that
new album... i admire her...
she's been playing music full time
for 2 years? she has folders and files
and resources and good microphones
and good guitars... tons of talent,
seemingly endless energy.
i know she would question some of that
but that is the opinion i would have of her.
from my vantage point, at least.

punctuation! that's also something i've
been thinking about. i didn't think that
i would ever love a semi-colon... but boy do i.
it's a great little device; it allows you to combine
two independent clauses without have to use a
conjunction.
what we write is only as important as
how we wriet it. i think most of my
students ignore punctuation as if it didn't
matter much. man are they wrong. punctuation equals
intent. when you don't get it... you get used.

happy 2008

grimm

wake up time

as i have been thinking
now i know
the direction that words seem
to carry a mind
a current
a breeze
a scar
a trail
a ditch

hard to keep momentum

i just got an opening slot
for delbert mcclinton at
the birchmere.
big gig. solo
acoustic.
the writing just became clearer.
no band rehearsals for a month and half.
all rehearsals canceled. new work on
new album halted. until this coming
week. work commences. a demo will be made.
self made. me-made. anyone want to join?
line up for a spot on the recording.

why not?

january tour has shaped up. boston put together.
now the promotion begins.
jan. 03 @ the Birchmere Alexandria, VA w/ delbert mcclinton (grimm solo)
jan. 13 @ the Waterfront Baltimore MD w/ caleb stine and david moreale (grimm solo acoustic)
jan. 16 @ 8x10 Baltimore, MD w/jerry joseph, caleb stine
jan. 17 @ tbd Philadelphia, PA w/ caleb stine
jan. 18 @ Googies New York, NY w/ caleb stine, mark mckay
jan. 19 @ Dogfish Portland, ME w/ caleb stine
jan. 20 @ the Toad Cambridge, MA w/ caleb stine

i am legend

if equations are true
someone calculate success for me
someone tell me how
to add to divide to subract
i need nothing of multiplying

february comes closer
the 14songs in search of a muse
i suppose the trick will be
to finish on time
with quality as previously set

groan to groan
talk of money and a financial
backer to back
my back
not my band... is it my band

passion is as passion does
where to place the next chord
where to feel the song on my
wherever
whatever, boring post, eh?

so if anyone reads this will
it make sense?
do i need a multimedia file
to get attention
should do the youtubes.

t.s. eliot
"Do I dare eat a peach?"

grimm

chit chat

so a few days
no blogger stuff
i'm finished with my masters
the paper
william blake and raymond carver
sitting in a tree
fun to write
nice to hear compliments from the prof.
nice to feel the same pressure
my students feel
when i look at their papers
will tell them a funny story
on monday

in the reconnection dept.
june star played a show
last night at the waterfront

strange joint
and i must say i was surprised
when a guy approached me and
said, "i'm andy fletcher from high school"
wow... i hadn't seen that guy
in years
and just 2 minutes of talking
he had the same mannerisms, amazing
his fiancee was very nice as well...

the past is such a different world,
safely tucked into secrecy behind
everyone's eyes. and that brings me
back to blake...

wow...

if our realities
are based in a 4 dimensional model, as he suppositions...
is that 4th dimension permanently subdivided
into 3 parts such as the past, present, future?
decidedly, would each subdivision need a conduit
leading from the past to the present to the
future? and is that a one way street as
the past can no longer be modified by the future;
but the future can be modified by the past...
only if the present is used as a reflective tool.

i may be getting in over my head here.

sounds like a song.

the title of this entry goes out to
the talkers during acoustic shows.
my patience, once a vast plane of ease,
has been chipped and handled with rude
hands once too many times... i think i'll
need to say something, next time...

grimm

ice storm

i know i know it's been
a few slippery days and
no blog.
sounds like the same old tricks
i used to do. but no
i'm here now, and i mean business
iota on dec. 10th. fresh and nice.
oh iota, why don't you like us? your
audience does. your bartenders do.
your doorman does. lamest question
i get there, "when are you guys playing
here again?"
my response:
"i dunno, call the club and ask
them why they won't respond to my emails."
yes, there it is. i've watched some fairly
lame bands get some plumb opening
shows and i can't even get a call back? i guess
we truly suck.

master's work finishing up. my assertion
is that raymond carver's breakthrough story, "cathedral"
can be read as perfect point for point parallel
to william blake's four fold vision. it's been
fun to write but difficult to find the time to do so.
i should be writing that as i'm writing this.
i don't want to disappoint my two loyal readers. no
no i don't.

waterfront hotel tonight... solo as i can be. lawnchair
headlining the show. there's a band that has come
a long way. good for them. their new album sounds good.
adam, i know you're reading this. i've only heard a few
songs but they are good. i swear.

okay philadelphia. you killed my father and
now you're trying to kill me.

grimm

the ghost of tom joad

"hunger is a powerful thing"
springsteen has it right
hunger is inevitable and an impetus
i've been thinking about music,
bands, motivations, motivators...
what compass do you follow?
how can you be sure your "North"
is heading up and not down?
at what point do I throw in
the towel and at what point do I go
for the gusto... as a 70's beer ad once said
without too much guessing
i suppose we'll reach a conclusion
on these thoughts.
June Star is running its course
i would think that cora belle is the
end. is there really a band?
or just a lovely idea of a band
as a unit we play... but it is
a unit without needing to stick together
each part could stand on its own
merit. after those solo discs i put out
i'm thinking that for the most part
the solo stuff could be june star
stuff
and vice versa
so why bang one's head into the wall
any longer. if i'm really going
to play full time and make a concerted
effort would i not want people to play
as committed and willing to lose money?
that's what it is, right?
losing money... the non profit musician?
things to ponder and
no end in sight.

thanks,
grimm

the morning after is here.
with honey asleep. gentle warm.
so mum's the review.
june star was together.
there was no evil.
thank you.
a couple of beers and a couple of tunes.
the ear plugs in.
the sound was good.
the songs clicked.
ryan's new bass was smooth and crisp.
the sparkle jet. sparkled.
jason butcher on the drums.
highlight was local 48.
higherhighlight was the 15 people
who came from fell's point to hear us.
yes 2 miles makes a difference in everything.
felt good to feel loved by
people who know the songs.

working on a new song.

maybe I can post it soon.

hearts

andrew

mum's expectations

tonight I anticipate:





cigarette smoke


evil

expensive/cheap beers


feedback


rock


roll


vocal workouts


abandoned dignity


flush hearts


gray notes


original energy*


without check *


non verbal sighs


legs kicking


stomped footies


the whole shebang.





june star tour dates:





jan. 16th @ the Brass Monkey Baltimore, MD


jan. 17 th @ TBD Philadelphia, PA


jan. 18th @ Googies Lounge New York, NY


jan. 19th @ the Dogfish Bar and Grille Portland, ME


jan. 20th @ TBD Boston, MA


feb. 01 @ Waterfront Hotel Baltimore, MD


feb. 15th @ TBD Pittsburgh, PA


feb. 16th @ TBD Columbus, OH


feb. 17th @ The Dirtroom Chicago, IL (tent.)


feb. 18th @ Mac's East Lansing, MI





Anybody knowing anybody in Phillie, Columbus, Pittsburgh, or Boston...





talk to me.





See you tonight

Right On

yes
booking and touring without much
response from agents and clubs
scramble scramble
return my emails... we're really good
I swear
no
I swear
I know you hear that a lot...

Our draw? 1,000,000
We're superstars with nothing
to prove

ringy ringy
clickity clack
email me back

nerds

A tired horse

so

we managed to rally

to give this virtual thing

another twirl

gonna reach deep this

time

not gonna fold, become weak

our commitment to

whomever is listening

by route of reading

june star to release

cora belle on jan. 14th

so sorry tim, 2007 didn't happen

but it's good and we're

excited by the prospects of

another new disc in

the works, sort of

lil' timmy bracken is re joining

another appendage

good for the

heart

we'll include his songs

and splittiin' time

in the band... fun times

he wants to cowrite tunes...

I want to try that

uh.

back to carver

back to blake

like robert, you can see more

by closing your eyes.

time to write

baltimore is a strange little town... the town that we love and we despise seemingly at the same time for the same reasons i suppose. we played the artscape on friday july 20th. foh sound was great apparently... we rushed on stage and didn't have time to check our instruments. not much fun in those regards. we were very well received by at least 100 or so people. my wife sold cd's... toddler's danced... we were a rock and roll band... even if we didn't feel like one. we were just happy to have parking reserved. that's the plus... that's on the rider... that's gold pure and simple.

so happy with the band i'm in. all parts firing nicely... it's empowering... our recognition is and renown, of sorts, is starting to grow. we may even get the fabled timmy b back into the band...

sigh

thinking about writing songs again and starting to push the boundaries... the album cora belle will be an independent release and a limited one at that... we've began prepping and demoing the next next june star disc... it will be different and much more expensive.

thank you to people who consistently come out to shows again and again... you are so appreciated it's ridiculous...

no truly

thanks.

hello blogworld,

here it is... the 3rd attempt at something real. i suppose the real test will be of endurance rather than clever words and turns of phrases. eh?

today's subject is the apocalypse

we're studying it in a master's lit. class. oh... the apocalypse doesn't seem so bad with a trick to get out of the damnation part. there's no secret like faith. for certain this time. revelations is surreal... several parts of animals sewn together to create a creatures of horror... heroic beasts with seven eyes. reminds me of prom.

music is good
june star getting great shows and air play. andrew, me, solo is going well too... becoming more comfortable with the new tunes from "wolves." how do i get to somewhere next? what level do i rise or sink to? who would listen and buy my albums.

nyc looks attractive... another good experience at banjo jims with great peoples like brian wheat...

my wife took pictures. emily fan took video... i look great in dark lighting.

sigh

pour house asks me to play.

more some time later.

grimm