Hey all,
Much has happened between now and March 23rd. I have played lot of shows, run sound at a lot of shows, and traveled more extensively to play shows than before.
So there. Now that we're caught up, Andy Bopp and I are currently out on tour in Fort Collins, CO. In fact, the we are stuck in Fort Collins, CO. The fuel pump in the fit decided to take some time off leading to a scramble... we canceled our Lawrence, KS show... and if all goes well we'll be on the road, burning fast to get to Columbus OH for Monday's show with Matt Monta.
Crazy.
I'm doing some last minute blogging... I'm inspired and not inspired at the same time... you get this, kind of, ennui that will not let go.
Weird.
I promise to post some more detailed stuff when I get some energy... now, I sit and wait for the car.
In other news though... June Star is starting a subscription service through Bandcamp. A yearly $60 subscription gets you:
2016/2014 Re-Release Simple Truths (re-recorded and mastered... and freaking awesome)
2016 You're Still Here
2015 Pull Awake
2013 Kill The Lights
2012 Slow Dance
2010 Lower Your Arms
2009 Almost Home (Andrew Grimm Solo Record)
2009 Shift Engage and Initiate
2008 Cora Belle
2007 Wolves (Grimm Solo)
2006 Palace to Palace (Grimm Solo)
2005 Mountain Halo (Grimm Solo)
2004 Sugarbird
2001 Telegraph
2000 Songs from an Engineer's Daughter
New Song Monday: A new song uploaded on Mondays... these are exclusively for subscribers only
Select songs from live shows
Anything that June Star puts out during your subscription... probably a record and or an EP.
That's a bargain.
More later,
Grimm
Sunday, June 26, 2016
Wednesday, March 23, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 26? Charleston WV, Matt Monta
Good morning...
Some folks take to traveling pretty well... I'm one of them... I don't mind driving six or seven hours to play for 45 minutes, check into a hotel (or couch or floor space), get up early and clear on out for the next town. Many people ask if it's some sort of crazy party... not in any conventional way. I'm blogging at 7:30 AM on a Wednesday morning in the lobby of a hotel in Charleston WV.
Party in the USA.
Charleston, on a Tuesday evening, has all of the same ring as a post apocalyptic landscape... dead quiet with seemingly random lonely pedestrians propelled by a remote supernatural power. Even the smallest conversation between two people sounds like an overly dramatic fight scene.
Regardless, I like Charleston. The people I have met here in the past few years speak with genuine warmth and humanity. Without irony or criticism, they keep showing up and making it count. Whatever that means. I found the Boulevard Tavern a little while back... and Dave, bartender and booker, was gracious enough to give us a shot. The Tavern has a part dive bar, part concert hall feel to it... high ceilings and worn floors... oh, and some very very very large Iron Maiden tapestry decorations. (The owner[?] played drums in an Iron Maiden tribute band.)
Last night, being the first night of the tour did not really hold many surprises... your normal tentative performances happened... on our end at least... not surprising at all is how good Matt Monta is. Almost to the point where I ask myself, "Does he know that he is that good?" He's got this song "5AM" talking about his struggle insomnia... replete with the rising sun and skewed visions of jet plane vapor trails... and the delivery... a typical (in no dismissive tone) Monta mode... a he builds a phrase with rhythm and stressed syllables with a force and deliberateness and/or intensity that would make a cheery "good morning!" sound both welcoming and menacing, equally.
Today... short drive to Columbus OH and a day of rehearsal... Tonight, the Big Room Bar.
Grimm
Some folks take to traveling pretty well... I'm one of them... I don't mind driving six or seven hours to play for 45 minutes, check into a hotel (or couch or floor space), get up early and clear on out for the next town. Many people ask if it's some sort of crazy party... not in any conventional way. I'm blogging at 7:30 AM on a Wednesday morning in the lobby of a hotel in Charleston WV.
Party in the USA.
Charleston, on a Tuesday evening, has all of the same ring as a post apocalyptic landscape... dead quiet with seemingly random lonely pedestrians propelled by a remote supernatural power. Even the smallest conversation between two people sounds like an overly dramatic fight scene.
Regardless, I like Charleston. The people I have met here in the past few years speak with genuine warmth and humanity. Without irony or criticism, they keep showing up and making it count. Whatever that means. I found the Boulevard Tavern a little while back... and Dave, bartender and booker, was gracious enough to give us a shot. The Tavern has a part dive bar, part concert hall feel to it... high ceilings and worn floors... oh, and some very very very large Iron Maiden tapestry decorations. (The owner[?] played drums in an Iron Maiden tribute band.)
Last night, being the first night of the tour did not really hold many surprises... your normal tentative performances happened... on our end at least... not surprising at all is how good Matt Monta is. Almost to the point where I ask myself, "Does he know that he is that good?" He's got this song "5AM" talking about his struggle insomnia... replete with the rising sun and skewed visions of jet plane vapor trails... and the delivery... a typical (in no dismissive tone) Monta mode... a he builds a phrase with rhythm and stressed syllables with a force and deliberateness and/or intensity that would make a cheery "good morning!" sound both welcoming and menacing, equally.
Today... short drive to Columbus OH and a day of rehearsal... Tonight, the Big Room Bar.
Grimm
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
Tour Diary: Day28? Who knows... rebooting, right? That's the American way.
Today, Andy Bopp and I head out to West Virginia for a short tour... good times... fun times... preparing for a tour, at least for me, can feel hectic... I hate missing school. Some folks might believe that to miss school is kind of a relief... and despite my mixed feelings about my career, I still love my job... I do it like it's my job and it's not really work. To miss a couple days wears on me.
Regardless, I'm up early and hanging out at my dealership getting the oil changed for the Fit and watching the news on Brussels. Ugh. Terrorism. A potential GOP candidate was asked what he would do and he said he would do what he would have been doing as the President which, basically, was being President. Succinct answer, brah.
We just read 1984 in my 2nd period class and I keep thinking of this line, "We are the dead."
So... enough of that... the tour! We're bringing with us Matt Monta... he's a really great singer/songwriter from Columbus OH. We've played a bunch of shows with him and he's always been super accommodating to us... this is his first tour and he's really excited.
What else has been going on? Our digital version of he vinyl single is live and ready for download at our BANDCAMP page... get there! 50% of online sales go to Cancer LifeNet at Upper Chesapeake Hospital... It is a program a friend of mine really supported... the song "You're Still Here" was written with her in mind... So, buy a copy. Eh? I have the blogger app on my phone and I'm going to attempt some sort of updating while out there... stick with me.
Grimm
Regardless, I'm up early and hanging out at my dealership getting the oil changed for the Fit and watching the news on Brussels. Ugh. Terrorism. A potential GOP candidate was asked what he would do and he said he would do what he would have been doing as the President which, basically, was being President. Succinct answer, brah.
We just read 1984 in my 2nd period class and I keep thinking of this line, "We are the dead."
So... enough of that... the tour! We're bringing with us Matt Monta... he's a really great singer/songwriter from Columbus OH. We've played a bunch of shows with him and he's always been super accommodating to us... this is his first tour and he's really excited.
What else has been going on? Our digital version of he vinyl single is live and ready for download at our BANDCAMP page... get there! 50% of online sales go to Cancer LifeNet at Upper Chesapeake Hospital... It is a program a friend of mine really supported... the song "You're Still Here" was written with her in mind... So, buy a copy. Eh? I have the blogger app on my phone and I'm going to attempt some sort of updating while out there... stick with me.
Tuesday, March 08, 2016
Tour Diary: What day is it again... Day 17? Update...I don't even know...
Here's what I wrote after heading down to NC:
A couple of things I learned about myself this weekend. Traveling and posting to social media, blog-type things is hard to do. I don't know how people do it... I wanted to compartmentalize some of the process... and then never got around to it... I want to document stuff... as it happens... sort of... without being that person who isn't enjoying the concert, or funeral, because he's too busy recording it for later. The only way I feel like I could do it was to wear a body cam... but that's just stupid.
I guess part of the purpose of this blog is to really take my time to reflect and report with some accuracy about my experiences with traveling and music? It doesn't need to be "real time." So don't expect it... but you can expect real time pic updates...
Right. So it's not that easy all the time. But, rarely is anything... keeping a house in order, maintaining a blog, understanding love. Regardless, we try, or at least we should try, because if we didn't, nothing really wouldn't matter, would it? So here I am, again.
The past few weeks have been fairly busy with many bouts of productive/unproductive bursts in activity. As I type, I'm listening to an edition of "Mountain Stage" which reminds me that in a couple of weeks Andy Bopp and I will be heading out on tour... here's where we're going, again:
3/22 The Boulevard Tavern, Charleston WB
3/23 The Big Room, Columbus OH
3/24 PJ's Lager House, Detroit MI
3/25 The Acorn Alliance, Pittsburgh PA
3/26 The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, Harrisburg PA
This is in advance of that new vinyl thing: You're Still Here... see the image below:
Very cool: You can hear the lead track at our Bandcamp Site.
That's it for now...
Grimm
A couple of things I learned about myself this weekend. Traveling and posting to social media, blog-type things is hard to do. I don't know how people do it... I wanted to compartmentalize some of the process... and then never got around to it... I want to document stuff... as it happens... sort of... without being that person who isn't enjoying the concert, or funeral, because he's too busy recording it for later. The only way I feel like I could do it was to wear a body cam... but that's just stupid.
I guess part of the purpose of this blog is to really take my time to reflect and report with some accuracy about my experiences with traveling and music? It doesn't need to be "real time." So don't expect it... but you can expect real time pic updates...
Right. So it's not that easy all the time. But, rarely is anything... keeping a house in order, maintaining a blog, understanding love. Regardless, we try, or at least we should try, because if we didn't, nothing really wouldn't matter, would it? So here I am, again.
The past few weeks have been fairly busy with many bouts of productive/unproductive bursts in activity. As I type, I'm listening to an edition of "Mountain Stage" which reminds me that in a couple of weeks Andy Bopp and I will be heading out on tour... here's where we're going, again:
3/22 The Boulevard Tavern, Charleston WB
3/23 The Big Room, Columbus OH
3/24 PJ's Lager House, Detroit MI
3/25 The Acorn Alliance, Pittsburgh PA
3/26 The Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center, Harrisburg PA
This is in advance of that new vinyl thing: You're Still Here... see the image below:
That's it for now...
Grimm
Friday, February 12, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 16 Open Mic Introduction
Friday... I'm playing an open mic up in New Freedom, PA. The Wagonshed, a small venue that has a pretty big following. Should be fun.
Open mics were a big thing for me back in 2004... my good friend ellen cherry
and I used to travel to at least two a night if we could make it work... it was fun... it was silly... I was sitting in my apartment on a Monday night and I was bored... and thought... "Man, I should be playing somewhere..." So, I called her up and said... let's hit some open mics..." and she said... "Yes!"
I did not anticipate the culture we'd encounter... I figured there would be different degrees of abilities... but nothing like what we stumbled into... 4 different type of players emerged...
1. The host
2. The first timer
3. The hobbyist
4. The veteran
Unfortunately, I don't have much time today to put this together this morning... however, look for updates over this weekend... plus, I will send some notes from the North Carolina... I'm avoiding terms like, "The Road" or "#tourlife" or "Road Dog" or... any other label... You can classify it as a short tour... how about "Interstate Jaunt?" One thing I'm trying to avoid is the selfie... thanks for looking!
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
William Carlos Williams
Grimm
Open mics were a big thing for me back in 2004... my good friend ellen cherry
 |
| ellen cherry in Dunkin Donuts |
I did not anticipate the culture we'd encounter... I figured there would be different degrees of abilities... but nothing like what we stumbled into... 4 different type of players emerged...
1. The host
2. The first timer
3. The hobbyist
4. The veteran
Unfortunately, I don't have much time today to put this together this morning... however, look for updates over this weekend... plus, I will send some notes from the North Carolina... I'm avoiding terms like, "The Road" or "#tourlife" or "Road Dog" or... any other label... You can classify it as a short tour... how about "Interstate Jaunt?" One thing I'm trying to avoid is the selfie... thanks for looking!
so much depends
upon
a red wheel
barrow
glazed with rain
water
beside the white
chickens
William Carlos Williams
Grimm
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 15 The Day After a Day Off
What does it mean? Really. What does any of it mean? Should there be some sort of pay off? Of course there should be, but that doesn't mean it will be in the form that you would expect right? Here's lyric I've been working on...
Rarely, what you earn
equals what you deserve
And the idea is that you can reverse it later in the song as the speaker's situation/attitude develops...
Until what you deserve
matches up to what you earn
and so on... keep an eye out for those lines in a song... maybe it'll happen this month.
This weekend, June Star is heading down to Raleigh and Carrboro to play a handful of shows... North Carolina... one of the Alt. Country meccas... When I first became interested in touring, nay obsessed, I focused much of my energy on getting a show down that way. There were these tantalizing names... The Cave, The Pourhouse, The Local 506... These were places that I noticed bands like June Star seemed to play... and I set off on a quest of sorts to get a show down that way.
The first show we played in North Carolina was at the Cave... which was booked by Mr. Mouse. I shit you not, Mr. Mouse! Talk about getting involved in the rock and roll world... here's an owner and booker of a venue who doesn't go by Mitchell Albright... or Steve... it was Mr. Mouse. Fabulous. And, you had to send a physical presskit then follow up in two weeks with a call to the venue on Tuesday or Thursday between the hours of 2-4pm.
I followed the directions... as any literate person would... and after two weeks I called. Two rings and the phone picks up... and the voice on the other end squeaks, "Cave."
I'm not making this up... his voice sounded kind of mouse-y... a cool, masculine mouse-y in case he's reading this blog... Although he no longer owns the Cave, I have nothing but love and respect for Mr. Mouse... he was always helpful and kind to us and I was sad to hear that he moved on... June Star played off an on at the Cave since 2002. I played the Pourhouse with ellen cherry on Easter Sunday 2005... and we played the Local 506 w/Birds and Arrows about two years ago. Dreams do come true.
The entire time I was, and still am, signed up on the Guitartown email list. The Triangle area email list was the go to place to find out about new records, upcoming concerts, and concert reviews... I signed up since I liked that stuff... but also to drum up some support when we came to town... I know... kind of shady and self serving... call me Mr. Rat.
One of the listserv members, Jonathan, has been super supportive of us... with the explosion of "social media," which BTW seems to really be a loose thread of memes questioning/challenging my faith, humanity, or patriotism when daring me to "like" or "share" images of U.S. soldiers or air brushed eagles crying, but now "social media" really wiped out email groups... and Guitartown suffered... they were putting on some shows... they communed at SXSW... a lot of that seemed to disappear. But Jonathan, with many folks from the community, has been working to bring Guitartown back to the forefront or at least back into a larger awareness... it's pretty cool... I think all of their hard work down there has paid off.
Both of our shows in this weekend are sponsored by Guitartown... currently I'm unable to post the images... of the posters... but will do later tonight... The recognition and thanks are well earned most richly deserved....
Gotta run...
Grimm
Rarely, what you earn
equals what you deserve
And the idea is that you can reverse it later in the song as the speaker's situation/attitude develops...
Until what you deserve
matches up to what you earn
and so on... keep an eye out for those lines in a song... maybe it'll happen this month.
This weekend, June Star is heading down to Raleigh and Carrboro to play a handful of shows... North Carolina... one of the Alt. Country meccas... When I first became interested in touring, nay obsessed, I focused much of my energy on getting a show down that way. There were these tantalizing names... The Cave, The Pourhouse, The Local 506... These were places that I noticed bands like June Star seemed to play... and I set off on a quest of sorts to get a show down that way.
The first show we played in North Carolina was at the Cave... which was booked by Mr. Mouse. I shit you not, Mr. Mouse! Talk about getting involved in the rock and roll world... here's an owner and booker of a venue who doesn't go by Mitchell Albright... or Steve... it was Mr. Mouse. Fabulous. And, you had to send a physical presskit then follow up in two weeks with a call to the venue on Tuesday or Thursday between the hours of 2-4pm.
I followed the directions... as any literate person would... and after two weeks I called. Two rings and the phone picks up... and the voice on the other end squeaks, "Cave."
I'm not making this up... his voice sounded kind of mouse-y... a cool, masculine mouse-y in case he's reading this blog... Although he no longer owns the Cave, I have nothing but love and respect for Mr. Mouse... he was always helpful and kind to us and I was sad to hear that he moved on... June Star played off an on at the Cave since 2002. I played the Pourhouse with ellen cherry on Easter Sunday 2005... and we played the Local 506 w/Birds and Arrows about two years ago. Dreams do come true.
The entire time I was, and still am, signed up on the Guitartown email list. The Triangle area email list was the go to place to find out about new records, upcoming concerts, and concert reviews... I signed up since I liked that stuff... but also to drum up some support when we came to town... I know... kind of shady and self serving... call me Mr. Rat.
One of the listserv members, Jonathan, has been super supportive of us... with the explosion of "social media," which BTW seems to really be a loose thread of memes questioning/challenging my faith, humanity, or patriotism when daring me to "like" or "share" images of U.S. soldiers or air brushed eagles crying, but now "social media" really wiped out email groups... and Guitartown suffered... they were putting on some shows... they communed at SXSW... a lot of that seemed to disappear. But Jonathan, with many folks from the community, has been working to bring Guitartown back to the forefront or at least back into a larger awareness... it's pretty cool... I think all of their hard work down there has paid off.
Both of our shows in this weekend are sponsored by Guitartown... currently I'm unable to post the images... of the posters... but will do later tonight... The recognition and thanks are well earned most richly deserved....
Gotta run...
Grimm
Tuesday, February 09, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 12-13 Mig and the Principles of Rehearsal
I'm not sure what else I'd be doing: music and teaching. I found myself, at the end of college in 1994, thinking about that next step, that unformed space waiting--a space composed of deep darkness, endless really, and a defining light. Like, for me, seriously, it seemed like anything could be possible, the same perspective held by one of my cats, Mig.
After I had moved back to Westminster, my first goal was get a couple of cats... enter Mig and Mouse. They're littermates and all-around boys. Katie Field, artist superstar had stopped by for something... we may have been rehearsing for the September Hopscotch opening party in Raleigh, anyhow, Mig was going through his "Look at me, I'm a cat!" phase and leaping here and there... and at one point, he stopped and started staring at the ceiling fan. He was doing the math in his head. Katie turned and said admiringly, "Look at that. Anything is possible. No limits."
Many times we limit ourselves... we tell ourselves: "There's not enough money." OR "I don't think I'm cut out for that." OR "I thought I had pulled the emergency brake." OR "I thought booking a show on Super Bowl Sunday would be okay."
Okay... I started this entry yesterday... and I didn't finish... for various reasons... I don't think I will finish.
From time to time I am reminded, sometimes gently and sometimes mockingly, the only person who truly cares about your songs is you.
Grimm
After I had moved back to Westminster, my first goal was get a couple of cats... enter Mig and Mouse. They're littermates and all-around boys. Katie Field, artist superstar had stopped by for something... we may have been rehearsing for the September Hopscotch opening party in Raleigh, anyhow, Mig was going through his "Look at me, I'm a cat!" phase and leaping here and there... and at one point, he stopped and started staring at the ceiling fan. He was doing the math in his head. Katie turned and said admiringly, "Look at that. Anything is possible. No limits."
Many times we limit ourselves... we tell ourselves: "There's not enough money." OR "I don't think I'm cut out for that." OR "I thought I had pulled the emergency brake." OR "I thought booking a show on Super Bowl Sunday would be okay."
Okay... I started this entry yesterday... and I didn't finish... for various reasons... I don't think I will finish.
From time to time I am reminded, sometimes gently and sometimes mockingly, the only person who truly cares about your songs is you.
Grimm
Sunday, February 07, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 11 Wounded on Tour
Super Bowl Sunday! Back in 2011? 2012? When did the Black Eyed Peas played the Super Bowl? It doesn't really matter much... but being the ever hopeful musician... I booked a show at Eric Ambel's super cool, but now defunct club, The Lakeside Lounge. I really miss that place. Anyhow... as you could imagine, not many people were there for the show... but no matter, Dave and I played a good set and we hung out for a little bit... watched the half time show... then we loaded out.
Here's where it gets good.
So, it had snowed in NYC and the sidewalks were a bit slippery. I was coming down with a cold, my itchy throat getting itchier, my sinuses blockaded with gunk. Anyhow, Dave is loading his steel into the Fit and slips and hits his head on the corner of the door. It hurt, apparently, but didn't seem to be that bad... I was sitting at the bar... he walks in and the bartender's face morphs from mild amusement at Slash selling his soul to the contorted countenance of someone who has just walked in on a murder scene.
There was some blood. Okay, by some... I mean a lot.
Humans can communicate a lot without saying a word: disappointment with a flash of the eyes or attraction with a slight smirk. Silently, Dave acknowledged the bartender's alarm-face, eyes widening and brow raised beyond comfort, and immediately went to the bathroom where, 25 paper towels later, he staunched the pulse of blood.
It was a long drive home that night.
So, really... I guess anything can happen...
So booking the June tour is going to take a break for a couple days until we can determine Colorado... that's kind of the deal... Since, that's what will pay for the tour...
I did write the music for one song for FAWM... will not get to the rest of it until later... sometimes... when I start this process... I get bored... or just lose interest. It's weird how that cycle goes from that circle to an awkward ellipse.
So what.
Grimm
Here's where it gets good.
So, it had snowed in NYC and the sidewalks were a bit slippery. I was coming down with a cold, my itchy throat getting itchier, my sinuses blockaded with gunk. Anyhow, Dave is loading his steel into the Fit and slips and hits his head on the corner of the door. It hurt, apparently, but didn't seem to be that bad... I was sitting at the bar... he walks in and the bartender's face morphs from mild amusement at Slash selling his soul to the contorted countenance of someone who has just walked in on a murder scene.
There was some blood. Okay, by some... I mean a lot.
Humans can communicate a lot without saying a word: disappointment with a flash of the eyes or attraction with a slight smirk. Silently, Dave acknowledged the bartender's alarm-face, eyes widening and brow raised beyond comfort, and immediately went to the bathroom where, 25 paper towels later, he staunched the pulse of blood.
It was a long drive home that night.
So, really... I guess anything can happen...
So booking the June tour is going to take a break for a couple days until we can determine Colorado... that's kind of the deal... Since, that's what will pay for the tour...
I did write the music for one song for FAWM... will not get to the rest of it until later... sometimes... when I start this process... I get bored... or just lose interest. It's weird how that cycle goes from that circle to an awkward ellipse.
So what.
Grimm
Saturday, February 06, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 10 No on Surfside Seven/Treading Water
Okay... another quick note... I don't want to lose the momentum I've started... although I've been pretty tired...
Thanks to the folks reading the blog! I will continue to be as entertaining as I know how...
Tour Update:
Surfside Seven sent this:
"Sorry. Just seeing this.
And sorry to say that's bad timing.
We power down a bit in summer too. Lots of folks leave. Slow times. Less show. And bad timing"
Also... the house concert in Denver is now starting to shift... sigh. I am sometimes reminded of how difficult music really is. There are all of these details and distractions. FAWM, teaching, running sound, and the 20 different hats I wear in the band, and then playing in someone else's band... throw in a couple of cats...
My vision of how this is supposed to unfold becomes murkier and farther away. So... we'll see how it goes, right? I'll put together a better post for tomorrow... if there is something that readers want to hear about... have at it. Leave a comment or question. I think I'll talk a bit about running sound... that sounds pretty hot. Right?
Tommow,
Grimm
Thanks to the folks reading the blog! I will continue to be as entertaining as I know how...
Tour Update:
Surfside Seven sent this:
"Sorry. Just seeing this.
And sorry to say that's bad timing.
We power down a bit in summer too. Lots of folks leave. Slow times. Less show. And bad timing"
Also... the house concert in Denver is now starting to shift... sigh. I am sometimes reminded of how difficult music really is. There are all of these details and distractions. FAWM, teaching, running sound, and the 20 different hats I wear in the band, and then playing in someone else's band... throw in a couple of cats...
My vision of how this is supposed to unfold becomes murkier and farther away. So... we'll see how it goes, right? I'll put together a better post for tomorrow... if there is something that readers want to hear about... have at it. Leave a comment or question. I think I'll talk a bit about running sound... that sounds pretty hot. Right?
Tommow,
Grimm
Friday, February 05, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 9 Descriptivist Grammarians Unite
It's good to know that people are reading the blog... even better is the fact that some people are reading closely enough to assess my grammar... and, no doubt, my over use of the ellipsis. It's true... I'm... guilty... some math teachers in Cleveland may be curious as to how an English teacher seems to be ignoring grammatical rules...
Some foolish inconsistencies are slip-ups I'm not really noticing because... who really sees all of the hobgoblins this early in the morning? Right? I'm also just hitting my stride. I started writing this blog right before the change of a semester and right when I'm readjusting other priorities in my life. So, in some ways, grammar is not my immediate concern.
These entries, to me at least, read as drafts... it ain't no "pro" blog that rakes in any money... I am raising awareness for my music and for issues with music... and we're having fun... sort of. So, take that Cleveland! :)
To illustrate my point... yesterday's schedule:
4am wake up
5am arrive at school
4:30 pm leave school
5pm meet friend at local bar (2 O'Douls!)
5:30pm making dinner
6pm gather equipment to play Myth and Moonshine in Canton
6:45 head out to Myth and Moonshine
7:50 set up and play
12am leave Myth and Moonshine
1 am sleep!
4:10 am cats break lamp
4:40 (after shower and lamp clean up) make breakfast/start blog
5:20... need to get to school.
As I go along I will work on self editing the grammer and speling.
Grimm
Some foolish inconsistencies are slip-ups I'm not really noticing because... who really sees all of the hobgoblins this early in the morning? Right? I'm also just hitting my stride. I started writing this blog right before the change of a semester and right when I'm readjusting other priorities in my life. So, in some ways, grammar is not my immediate concern.
These entries, to me at least, read as drafts... it ain't no "pro" blog that rakes in any money... I am raising awareness for my music and for issues with music... and we're having fun... sort of. So, take that Cleveland! :)
To illustrate my point... yesterday's schedule:
4am wake up
5am arrive at school
4:30 pm leave school
5pm meet friend at local bar (2 O'Douls!)
5:30pm making dinner
6pm gather equipment to play Myth and Moonshine in Canton
6:45 head out to Myth and Moonshine
7:50 set up and play
12am leave Myth and Moonshine
1 am sleep!
4:10 am cats break lamp
4:40 (after shower and lamp clean up) make breakfast/start blog
5:20... need to get to school.
As I go along I will work on self editing the grammer and speling.
Grimm
Thursday, February 04, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 8 Short Update
So... this is just an update... I've got a bunch of stuff to do in the morning. I might get a chance to update the blog with something lengthier...
1. The artwork for "You're Still Here" is projected to be finished on Feb 12th
2. Time for the follow-up on Surfside Seven
3. Aligning money
4. House concert in Chicago looks to be firmed up
5. Nothing on FAWM, yet.
6. My oatmeal is ready
7. Looking at my "Radio Contact" list
So on and so forth...
1. The artwork for "You're Still Here" is projected to be finished on Feb 12th
2. Time for the follow-up on Surfside Seven
3. Aligning money
4. House concert in Chicago looks to be firmed up
5. Nothing on FAWM, yet.
6. My oatmeal is ready
7. Looking at my "Radio Contact" list
So on and so forth...
Wednesday, February 03, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 7 Apocalyptic Indiana, Tour Update
As I've gotten older, time has gotten shorter. I don't mean, the walls are closing in and I now desperately regret my choices in life; it just seems to me that time has become more, "compact." Part of the compacting stems directly from routine... right now my routine revolves around school and sitting in front the computer trying to book as much as I can.
The irony is that not much music happens during the routine.
I do listen to a lot of NPR and BBC world news... and of course, now I write this blog. But there's a push... with this blog. The expansion of writing skills, in the prose style, that have long lain dormant, needs an awakening of sorts. Right? Write.
Funny, the music thing was first inspired by a sense of "I can do that too..." and then "I want to contribute" which of course morphed into, "I've got something to say" which transitioned into "Oh, I really made some mistakes, look at them..." to, for now, "I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way." And for certain, songwriting and performing helps therapeutically; however, that's why I keep a journal... talk about therapeutic. woof.
But that's not important here.
This is a tour diary... so you have to talk about touring and booking and the craziness of the road. Funny thing. I'm older... the guys in the band are older... not much craziness happens... more like a comedy of errors, usually. Here's a funny story:
Last July, I had booked a tour out to St. Louis and back and one of our shows was in Bloomington, Indiana. A college town. My close friend J. went to IU and that was a big deal for him, I don't watch much sports but isn't there some sort of Big 10 thing or something?... and my impression of college towns of the like display packed stadiums cheering in frigid weather, student unions, local bars jammed with hard working bar bands, the college students--living on the edge, knowing what's progressive or not--listening to music and drinking beer... you know, clichés.
Anyhow, the place we played was Player's Pub. This was one of those deals where I emailed the booker and never really heard anything back... the tour was coming up and it looked like we had a day off... and kind of irks me... I like to play every day out... so, I was getting nervous... then... like an email bolt form the cyberweb blue:
"Hey Andrew,
I was cleaning up some e-mails I ignored. Sorry. Noticed you don't have July 12th filled. Nor do we."
There you have it... so I'm excited... I got a gig... filled the spot and now we're ready to go... (if you have time... read into that email and leave a comment...)
I want you to think about a pristine wildlife preserve, absent non-snack packing militia meat men. Imagine the small clearing from dense woods to a soft clearing... a silent anticipating lake... the only movement is the sound from chirping insects, the lilt of a songbird... solace and solitude... you are truly alone with your thoughts... lost in nature.
I want you to think about the opening scene of any apocalyptic film... the main character staggers on his/her way out of a building... perhaps just becoming conscious and aware that something is wrong... massive man made structures, impressive ornaments adorning an urban dream. To the left and to the right... automobiles that once sped families and friends to their destinations... their futures... sit unused, decomposing into rubble and rust. The only sound is the frightened echo of that hero's voice calling with hope that he or she will be answered in familiar and similar tones.
Now... put those two together and you have Bloomington IN on a Sunday in July.
Seriously... but that's not even the funny part... that's just a minor inconvenience... while waiting for our set time, we were playing some pool and there was some transient looking fellow hanging out too... and he started talking with us... I can't remember the conversation... but, you know... me, Kurt, Andy, and Dave are easy going guys... also... we're all pretty funny and affable and all that... I think it was either Kurt or Andy was cutting the guy short, in a conversational manner to deliver a witty remark and the guy says... quite seriously and with attempted authority:
"I'm talking now."
To which, sensing the tension suddenly spike... like 0-180mph, the band made eye contact with each other... silently communicating, "wtf?" simultaneously with "meh." This was our audience? I don't think Kurt tried to make it right... he has a good sense of, "Oh, you're crazy... I will entertain this for another minute... but then will remove myself from the situation." Which he did... the transient guy kind of wanders off and we don't see him again... but funny... nonetheless...
The remainder of the time out on the tour... you couldn't say three words without someone in the band interrupting you to declare that "he is talking now."
Anyhow...
Tour Update:
Crescent Moon Coffee from Lincoln NE emailed back that they are an acoustic venue and they need acoustic examples... so I grabbed some youtube acoustic performances... here's what I sent:
Grimm
The irony is that not much music happens during the routine.
I do listen to a lot of NPR and BBC world news... and of course, now I write this blog. But there's a push... with this blog. The expansion of writing skills, in the prose style, that have long lain dormant, needs an awakening of sorts. Right? Write.
Funny, the music thing was first inspired by a sense of "I can do that too..." and then "I want to contribute" which of course morphed into, "I've got something to say" which transitioned into "Oh, I really made some mistakes, look at them..." to, for now, "I don't think I'm alone in feeling this way." And for certain, songwriting and performing helps therapeutically; however, that's why I keep a journal... talk about therapeutic. woof.
But that's not important here.
This is a tour diary... so you have to talk about touring and booking and the craziness of the road. Funny thing. I'm older... the guys in the band are older... not much craziness happens... more like a comedy of errors, usually. Here's a funny story:
Last July, I had booked a tour out to St. Louis and back and one of our shows was in Bloomington, Indiana. A college town. My close friend J. went to IU and that was a big deal for him, I don't watch much sports but isn't there some sort of Big 10 thing or something?... and my impression of college towns of the like display packed stadiums cheering in frigid weather, student unions, local bars jammed with hard working bar bands, the college students--living on the edge, knowing what's progressive or not--listening to music and drinking beer... you know, clichés.
Anyhow, the place we played was Player's Pub. This was one of those deals where I emailed the booker and never really heard anything back... the tour was coming up and it looked like we had a day off... and kind of irks me... I like to play every day out... so, I was getting nervous... then... like an email bolt form the cyberweb blue:
"Hey Andrew,
I was cleaning up some e-mails I ignored. Sorry. Noticed you don't have July 12th filled. Nor do we."
There you have it... so I'm excited... I got a gig... filled the spot and now we're ready to go... (if you have time... read into that email and leave a comment...)
I want you to think about a pristine wildlife preserve, absent non-snack packing militia meat men. Imagine the small clearing from dense woods to a soft clearing... a silent anticipating lake... the only movement is the sound from chirping insects, the lilt of a songbird... solace and solitude... you are truly alone with your thoughts... lost in nature.
I want you to think about the opening scene of any apocalyptic film... the main character staggers on his/her way out of a building... perhaps just becoming conscious and aware that something is wrong... massive man made structures, impressive ornaments adorning an urban dream. To the left and to the right... automobiles that once sped families and friends to their destinations... their futures... sit unused, decomposing into rubble and rust. The only sound is the frightened echo of that hero's voice calling with hope that he or she will be answered in familiar and similar tones.
Now... put those two together and you have Bloomington IN on a Sunday in July.
Seriously... but that's not even the funny part... that's just a minor inconvenience... while waiting for our set time, we were playing some pool and there was some transient looking fellow hanging out too... and he started talking with us... I can't remember the conversation... but, you know... me, Kurt, Andy, and Dave are easy going guys... also... we're all pretty funny and affable and all that... I think it was either Kurt or Andy was cutting the guy short, in a conversational manner to deliver a witty remark and the guy says... quite seriously and with attempted authority:
"I'm talking now."
To which, sensing the tension suddenly spike... like 0-180mph, the band made eye contact with each other... silently communicating, "wtf?" simultaneously with "meh." This was our audience? I don't think Kurt tried to make it right... he has a good sense of, "Oh, you're crazy... I will entertain this for another minute... but then will remove myself from the situation." Which he did... the transient guy kind of wanders off and we don't see him again... but funny... nonetheless...
The remainder of the time out on the tour... you couldn't say three words without someone in the band interrupting you to declare that "he is talking now."
Anyhow...
Tour Update:
Crescent Moon Coffee from Lincoln NE emailed back that they are an acoustic venue and they need acoustic examples... so I grabbed some youtube acoustic performances... here's what I sent:
Grimm
Tuesday, February 02, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 6 Toes and Tunes
All I am saying is that dipping your toes in the water doesn't do the same thing as submerging your whole self all the way. Some of it...maybe. The coolness--or is it the dryness, which do you feel more. Is it just the contrast of cool/warm, wet/dry, happy/sad, awake/tired, Republican/Democrat that allows us understanding?
Toes in the water, the foot's sole and heel, used to the rough sturdiness of the ground, the grass, the gravel; or itchy, damp socks, worn in-soles now feel a sudden coolness yielding to its entirety. Oh my sole! Finally, a perfect fit. The nerves connecting skin and brain, at first shocked with sensation, become more comfortable, relaxed. The wet and dry line inches up and a small tickle of electricity slips its way around the calf and up the leg... to your spine long before the water meets the waist.
All this feeling is perceived and anticipated. It is also all contrast. I don't know if it's a bad thing or not. But, the difference is what helps us categorize and those categorizations push organization which becomes a vehicle for understanding. This new understanding brings us to another contrast: love and loss.
For years, I've said, "This is a song about love" and that's always been true, but that's only true because I have experienced loss. Worse, I have created loss. Reality.
When I started teaching I was really into the American romantic writers... people like Hawthorne and the transcendentalists: Emerson and Thoreau. And like a gang of thugs, the realist/naturalists came in and called "bullshit" on the "justice of nature" or the supernatural "everything will resolve itself" quasi hopefulness of humans that seem to permeate the romantic gospel. It was true rock-n-roll. Pretty cool. London and Crane in particular... what made it different was because they lived it. They experienced the stories they told... I know Thoreau went out to the woods, I read that memo... but London and Crane were searching for something different and perhaps brutal. Experience.
Where is this going? FAWM. I have yet to start on the FAWM just yet... I may get to it by Saturday... that will be the first time that I'll have a chance to get there... but I think this year will be more fruitful than past few years.
When I sit down to write... especially for FAWM... I usually start with chords and drum beats. I try to fashion something that sounds sing-able and at a minimum... not annoying. There is a period of layering guitars and keyboard sounds... then the last layer is the lyrics. Which start with rough/rude word associations and melody construction... listening for the contrasts... for the combinations that shoot sparks... tickle their way up... and I feel submerged.
Okay... I gotta run... update on the 7": Songs have been mixed.. now waiting on the masters... artwork has been started...
Track Listing:
You're Still Here
Almost Home
Way Off (digital release)
Nothing Else (digital release)
Swerve (digital release)
Grimm
Toes in the water, the foot's sole and heel, used to the rough sturdiness of the ground, the grass, the gravel; or itchy, damp socks, worn in-soles now feel a sudden coolness yielding to its entirety. Oh my sole! Finally, a perfect fit. The nerves connecting skin and brain, at first shocked with sensation, become more comfortable, relaxed. The wet and dry line inches up and a small tickle of electricity slips its way around the calf and up the leg... to your spine long before the water meets the waist.
All this feeling is perceived and anticipated. It is also all contrast. I don't know if it's a bad thing or not. But, the difference is what helps us categorize and those categorizations push organization which becomes a vehicle for understanding. This new understanding brings us to another contrast: love and loss.
For years, I've said, "This is a song about love" and that's always been true, but that's only true because I have experienced loss. Worse, I have created loss. Reality.
When I started teaching I was really into the American romantic writers... people like Hawthorne and the transcendentalists: Emerson and Thoreau. And like a gang of thugs, the realist/naturalists came in and called "bullshit" on the "justice of nature" or the supernatural "everything will resolve itself" quasi hopefulness of humans that seem to permeate the romantic gospel. It was true rock-n-roll. Pretty cool. London and Crane in particular... what made it different was because they lived it. They experienced the stories they told... I know Thoreau went out to the woods, I read that memo... but London and Crane were searching for something different and perhaps brutal. Experience.
Where is this going? FAWM. I have yet to start on the FAWM just yet... I may get to it by Saturday... that will be the first time that I'll have a chance to get there... but I think this year will be more fruitful than past few years.When I sit down to write... especially for FAWM... I usually start with chords and drum beats. I try to fashion something that sounds sing-able and at a minimum... not annoying. There is a period of layering guitars and keyboard sounds... then the last layer is the lyrics. Which start with rough/rude word associations and melody construction... listening for the contrasts... for the combinations that shoot sparks... tickle their way up... and I feel submerged.
Okay... I gotta run... update on the 7": Songs have been mixed.. now waiting on the masters... artwork has been started...
Track Listing:
You're Still Here
Almost Home
Way Off (digital release)
Nothing Else (digital release)
Swerve (digital release)
Grimm
Monday, February 01, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 5 Ultimate Total Access
After the forty-eight hour rule... do you start bugging people?
I used bug the poor people at the 930 club when they also booked Fletcher's on Bond Street. Remember that place? To me... and at the time I running the band Factory Horse, it was the goal... I had several benchmarks in booking and Fletcher's was basically the ultimate goal. Look at the people who had played there: Miracle Legion, the Silos, Whiskeytown... If we could get in there... well. We would have made it.
Ah, the dreams of the narrow sighted. But it was cool... we finally got a show there opening for Todd Thibaud. He was from Boston, I think... and the sound check was cool because we had never had an actual monitor mix... then we had access to the mystical upstairs green room. And there... the magic faded pretty quick... it was just a room... with a refrigerator, all the power amps, and some couches that, without any doubt, had probably been wiped down several times with bleach... or at least one would have hoped. That was it... dingy and fluorescent light lit. Feel the magic. Still, it was cool.
Cool because of access... one of the things I like about performing on stage is the fact that it is your stage for forty minutes. This is the place... no matter how large... for your band, or you, to share. It has limited access and therefore you are special... to break it down in elementary terms like that, it seems a bit silly... but that would be over simplifying the situation. It's not that much different than going to see a film... you sit in one direction and you watch a presentation... same deal. Sort of.
The point of all this blather? Perseverance. You have to be willing to follow up, follow up, follow up, and then follow up a little more. Almost every success in my life has been due to being myself and following up... That's where the forty-eight hour rule comes into play... it's not to throw my hands up in the air and say, I might have guessed... it's to say... "Okay... let me go back again and see my correspondence... maybe they're more active on Facebook? Should I call... (which btw, never really happens much... in fact, I get a small kick out of some places that require a hardcopy press kit... the internet may have destroyed parts of the music industry... but one plus is the ease at which you can book shows...)
Okay... so this post feels a bit lame... but I didn't have much time to write it today... back to school and I have a mixing session with J Robbins at Magpie Cage... but I'll leave you with a small story about access... June Star opened for the Silos at Fletcher's, Drew Glackin (whom passed some years ago) gave us a warm applause after our set... as we climbed those mystical steps to the green room... he was laying on of the, hopefully sanitized sofas, and climbing his hands and he said, "Well done boys, welcome to the club."
Grimm
I used bug the poor people at the 930 club when they also booked Fletcher's on Bond Street. Remember that place? To me... and at the time I running the band Factory Horse, it was the goal... I had several benchmarks in booking and Fletcher's was basically the ultimate goal. Look at the people who had played there: Miracle Legion, the Silos, Whiskeytown... If we could get in there... well. We would have made it.
Ah, the dreams of the narrow sighted. But it was cool... we finally got a show there opening for Todd Thibaud. He was from Boston, I think... and the sound check was cool because we had never had an actual monitor mix... then we had access to the mystical upstairs green room. And there... the magic faded pretty quick... it was just a room... with a refrigerator, all the power amps, and some couches that, without any doubt, had probably been wiped down several times with bleach... or at least one would have hoped. That was it... dingy and fluorescent light lit. Feel the magic. Still, it was cool.
Cool because of access... one of the things I like about performing on stage is the fact that it is your stage for forty minutes. This is the place... no matter how large... for your band, or you, to share. It has limited access and therefore you are special... to break it down in elementary terms like that, it seems a bit silly... but that would be over simplifying the situation. It's not that much different than going to see a film... you sit in one direction and you watch a presentation... same deal. Sort of.
The point of all this blather? Perseverance. You have to be willing to follow up, follow up, follow up, and then follow up a little more. Almost every success in my life has been due to being myself and following up... That's where the forty-eight hour rule comes into play... it's not to throw my hands up in the air and say, I might have guessed... it's to say... "Okay... let me go back again and see my correspondence... maybe they're more active on Facebook? Should I call... (which btw, never really happens much... in fact, I get a small kick out of some places that require a hardcopy press kit... the internet may have destroyed parts of the music industry... but one plus is the ease at which you can book shows...)
Okay... so this post feels a bit lame... but I didn't have much time to write it today... back to school and I have a mixing session with J Robbins at Magpie Cage... but I'll leave you with a small story about access... June Star opened for the Silos at Fletcher's, Drew Glackin (whom passed some years ago) gave us a warm applause after our set... as we climbed those mystical steps to the green room... he was laying on of the, hopefully sanitized sofas, and climbing his hands and he said, "Well done boys, welcome to the club."
Grimm
Sunday, January 31, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 4 Tour Posters/Tom Petty/The 48 Hour Rule
The forty-eight hour rule is set to expire by noon on both the Surfside 7 and Crescent Moon Coffee... in addition I haven't really heard anything from our man in Denver... which ultimately is not much of a problem... but still something that sits a bit uncomfortable. But, you should bear in mind that peoples' lives are complicated and the laws of instant gratification should not necessarily apply... sure it'd be easier, but Petty said it best with "I won't back down..." or one of those songs...
In the meantime... let's talk about poster art... there's a great documentary called Just Like Being There which investigates the subculture of poster art... fascinating... inspiring, although my reach exceeds my grasp on the visual art front... when I started playing out... I made some posters... in fact... the first show I ever played... in high school... I made a poster... here it is:
You can probably see my personality in this artifact... I was obsessed with Lou Reed... the clown came from an old issue of Crazy. Regardless... I was seventeen and I was really excited about playing and being... wait for it... included in the event. I played bass... although this picture was not from the Teen Center...
So as the years have gone on, I have created horrifying posters... lacking symmetry... cohesive color schemes... any type of cool reference to anything... so I hooked up with Adam Miller... whose band is the Racket... So, I started calling him and telling him my ideas about posters... and my very favorite one was the June Star 15th Anniversary Show:
I love this poster... it's pretty hysterical!
So, why talk about posters... and touring... well... here's the thing: As you book shows and you put forty hours into booking the shows, then there's an expectation that you will send posters which becomes another deal with money and resources... and timing! Timing!
But, let's touch on that slippery slope of poster art and paying for it... most graphic design friends I have, have always been gracious with their time and their art and I truly feel a sense of guilt that I've exploited that relationship. Some folks would tell you that you should be downright Machiavellian in your maneuvers with the business part of being a musician... use this person... burn this person... steal that microphone cable... and so on. After awhile though... it can weigh on you... so for that, "Graphic designers, I'm sorry."
But part of the problem remains with money... it's expensive, and deservedly so--you get what you pay for. To make things a bit more complicated is the fact that you have struggling, financially crippled artist types trying to pay other struggling, financially crippled artist types. It's kind of comical... like Jon Nolan's lyric "robbing ringo to pay paul."
However, to reduce costs I have worked on my poster making skills... cause... I kind of have to... I like the posters I'm putting together these days... finding Public Domain images and changing them to fit my purposes... here are some more:
Watch out Adam... I've got your number... I'm kidding... sort of... Pay your graphic design people what they are worth! Also... check out Katie Feild... she has done a bunch of June Star art over the years!
Timeline wise, I'll get poster art together for the tour after it's all booked! This time though... I think I'll do one tour poster rather than individual ones... but that's a way off and "waiting is the hardest part."
Grimm
In the meantime... let's talk about poster art... there's a great documentary called Just Like Being There which investigates the subculture of poster art... fascinating... inspiring, although my reach exceeds my grasp on the visual art front... when I started playing out... I made some posters... in fact... the first show I ever played... in high school... I made a poster... here it is:
 |
| $2.00 Shows since 1989! |
 |
| Lewis and the Vampire Bitches(last time I wore shorts on stage) |
So as the years have gone on, I have created horrifying posters... lacking symmetry... cohesive color schemes... any type of cool reference to anything... so I hooked up with Adam Miller... whose band is the Racket... So, I started calling him and telling him my ideas about posters... and my very favorite one was the June Star 15th Anniversary Show:
So, why talk about posters... and touring... well... here's the thing: As you book shows and you put forty hours into booking the shows, then there's an expectation that you will send posters which becomes another deal with money and resources... and timing! Timing!
But, let's touch on that slippery slope of poster art and paying for it... most graphic design friends I have, have always been gracious with their time and their art and I truly feel a sense of guilt that I've exploited that relationship. Some folks would tell you that you should be downright Machiavellian in your maneuvers with the business part of being a musician... use this person... burn this person... steal that microphone cable... and so on. After awhile though... it can weigh on you... so for that, "Graphic designers, I'm sorry."
 |
| The Oatmeal |
However, to reduce costs I have worked on my poster making skills... cause... I kind of have to... I like the posters I'm putting together these days... finding Public Domain images and changing them to fit my purposes... here are some more:
Watch out Adam... I've got your number... I'm kidding... sort of... Pay your graphic design people what they are worth! Also... check out Katie Feild... she has done a bunch of June Star art over the years!
Timeline wise, I'll get poster art together for the tour after it's all booked! This time though... I think I'll do one tour poster rather than individual ones... but that's a way off and "waiting is the hardest part."
Grimm
Saturday, January 30, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 3 Booking Contacts and Insect Porn (The Writing Process)
So, Ann Arbor will not work out this time around... but, Karl and I exchanged some emails and October may be a good time to get out there... I know I seemed a bit down on Karl, for that, Karl has proven me wrong, in this instance. For that, I am happy.
What's next? well... like some sort of multi-legged insect, my feelers swivel in search of a soft spot... a place with penetrable integrity to sink my proboscis... err... so, when I write this blog, right now, I'm kind of winging it... not much of a plan to follow. My AP Lang students would rail against me now. Suckers. But you know, I'm looking at that ridiculous metaphor/imagery and it reads like insect porn... seriously... slowly he sinks the rigid tube into the yielding flesh, deep, deeper until...warm fluid rises...
hmmm... let me talk about that later... the importance of editing...
Let's talk about Ann Arbor. So, that's probably not going to happen, so I will turn my eyes back to Detroit. Detroit is easy to book. The ease is directly due to Don Duprie whose band Doop and the Inside Outlaws have put out a bunch of great records.
Please... before reading the rest of this blog... click the link and listen to Doop in the background... his songs deal with hard scrabble blue collar voices trying to be heard...
Anyhow, back to how Doop figures into this blog. About, five years ago Dave Hadley and I were booking a tour out to SXSW and it was the longest tour I had booked to date. Rodney Henry... whom you will remember from the Glenmont Popes, Food Networks Next Star, and all around Dangerously Delicious Pie shops, he kept telling me, "Yo, Grimm! Doop says hi!" and I would say... "Cool! Tell 'em I said Hi back!"
I had no idea who the hell Doop was... but it was Rodney... so I just rolled with it... there are many idioms in the Henry lexicon that a person must accept and make peace with... "We're locked on," "We'll get you tightened up," these are the two most frequently uttered phrases from Rodney... and they can mean many many many different things... depending on:
What's next? well... like some sort of multi-legged insect, my feelers swivel in search of a soft spot... a place with penetrable integrity to sink my proboscis... err... so, when I write this blog, right now, I'm kind of winging it... not much of a plan to follow. My AP Lang students would rail against me now. Suckers. But you know, I'm looking at that ridiculous metaphor/imagery and it reads like insect porn... seriously... slowly he sinks the rigid tube into the yielding flesh, deep, deeper until...warm fluid rises...
hmmm... let me talk about that later... the importance of editing...
Let's talk about Ann Arbor. So, that's probably not going to happen, so I will turn my eyes back to Detroit. Detroit is easy to book. The ease is directly due to Don Duprie whose band Doop and the Inside Outlaws have put out a bunch of great records.
 |
| Doop self reflecting on recent songwriting choices |
Please... before reading the rest of this blog... click the link and listen to Doop in the background... his songs deal with hard scrabble blue collar voices trying to be heard...
Anyhow, back to how Doop figures into this blog. About, five years ago Dave Hadley and I were booking a tour out to SXSW and it was the longest tour I had booked to date. Rodney Henry... whom you will remember from the Glenmont Popes, Food Networks Next Star, and all around Dangerously Delicious Pie shops, he kept telling me, "Yo, Grimm! Doop says hi!" and I would say... "Cool! Tell 'em I said Hi back!"
I had no idea who the hell Doop was... but it was Rodney... so I just rolled with it... there are many idioms in the Henry lexicon that a person must accept and make peace with... "We're locked on," "We'll get you tightened up," these are the two most frequently uttered phrases from Rodney... and they can mean many many many different things... depending on:
- context of the situation
- time of day
- audience
- sobriety
So, when booking this tour, I asked Rodney about Doop, he gave me his contact info, and I was able to book a show at his Dangerously Delicious Pies franchise and we were all set. When we got to Detroit and met Doop, we clarified that yes, indeed, we had never met and almost immediately became friends. Now, here's where the props come in... Friendships like the one with Doop, and even if we were only acquaintances, allow for touring musicians to survive... he didn't know us--even though I am considered by Rodney as "Piestyle for Life," another idiom that means various things which, in this case, means that we won't stain your carpets if you let us stay at your house-- and Doop was gracious and giving in opening up his home to us... even after the show, he had to work another two hours and he gave us a key to his house and said, "Do whatever you want."
A lot of times the touring part is exciting and tiring... however, staying in hotels can have a ironical kind of negative effect... you're never really comfortable, or at least I'm not. Staying with someone like Doop gives you that sense of comfort... like you're home... you can open the fridge and eat or drink whatever you want, within reason... I will not take a man's last beer, but really it's one of the reasons I like touring; in my previous post, I talked about taking songs to people and the human connection. Being invited and accepted into someone's house, being included, is just another strand of that connection... what is also important, though... is returning the favor.
But is it a favor? I guess it's a gesture? Or proving you're human? Or what is it? I don't know... this blog is about to go off-road existential 4 wheeling. Several times, I have opened my house to traveling musicians... some I didn't even know... "eat what you want, drink what you want... I know what it's like to be far from your own bed and things." These arrangements are done without reservation because I do know what it feels like.
Empathy. That's what it really is. I do believe that empathy separates us from the rest of the animal kingdom... except for my cat, Mig.
 |
| Mig the Cat |
Right now... he's trying to tell me something... then again, he's always helping me with my computer... Before I shift to my next topic, thank you Doop and all the people who have opened their homes to me and other traveling musicians... it doesn't happen often, but when it does, it truly makes the experience of playing a lot better. The experience becomes real... you remember more about the shows because you have communed with people and you your narrative is more about that connection rather then the unbearable funk that has transferred from the dented up SM 58 knock off mic grill to the bottom of your upper lip. I mean... who used this mic last? GG Allin?
Regardless... empathy. That's the deal. One of the filters in my songwriting process centers around whether or not the voice in the song is, "real." Does this sound human? Or, is it just some dopey middle-aged white guy rambling about some Americana-esque archetypal clichés?
Here we go. The songwriting process. There's this great line from Hemingway when asked what it takes to be a great writer he says that great writer's have to have "a built in shock proof shit detector." Which, if you distill that down, really means that great writing doesn't just depend on creativity but the editing process. Just because you wrote something doesn't necessarily mean that it's actually worth anything, and if this were an advice column... that's the advice I'd give to new songwriters. Have a good self reflection session with a cup of coffee and what you're writing. Look for clichés and either delete them or pull a "Paul Westerberg" and change a preposition. These self-reflective sessions should also make you aware of inadvertent double meanings... like creating a metaphor for booking that somehow pupates into semi-pornographic descriptions...is that really something you want emote in front of people? Probably not..
I bring these things up... because FAWM, February Album Writing Month, starts on Monday... and again this year I will exercise some writing muscles that may have been a bit dormant. What does that mean... I'm going to write some songs... as I have time... I'll document in the blog how I do this... one the links on this blog... to the right... will take you to my FAWM page. Which by the way... I was introduced to FAWM by Matt Hopper when he and Andrew Norsworthy stayed with me when I opened my apartment to them while they were on tour... I booked them two gigs, one was locked on at Dangerously Delicious Pies, while the other they played Mum's where Hopper got tightened up with several shots of Evel.
Okay... so, booking... tour diary... I'm going to text with Doop... I'll get all "Piestyle" for the Detroit show... Sunday 6/26.
No word on Lincoln NE yet... but we'll see...
Grimm
Friday, January 29, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 2 Apologies and Supplemental Points
To be clear! Last night's entry is not intended as a cry for help. For years and years I have booked shows and tours and will continue to do so... in an attempt to raise the awareness of my music, I'm sharing the process and just what goes on through my mind as I work through the process.
I also find it funny and challenging
I also find it funny and challenging
Thank you for the robust response from you guys... and I will address all of the comments people have left on the multiple platforms...
It's tough out there and it ain't getting easier... I am teaching high school full time... running several sound gigs at the Windup Space... and playing both June Star and cover gigs... so... I'm busy... more later... I will be talking about the Crescent Moon Coffee gig...
By the way... I'm running an Open Mic @ The Windup Space every third Tuesday of the month... it's called "Group Therapy Open Mic"
UPDATE
So, no real news on the booking thing... but we're still in that sweet forty-eight hour period before I start looking beyond those queries...
The response to my blogging is really encouraging, like in a way that I should be more consistent and continue with my thoughts... pretty cool... and I haven't even tried anything too whacky. So, what might be a bit damning and controversial is what I'm going to reveal: why I will not submit a video to the NPR Tiny Desk Concert Contest.
Reasons why people want to enter:
- the thrill of participating
- the thrill of competition
- the chance at a great opportunity for exposure
- ethos by association
- affirmation and acceptance by Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton
These are all reasonable motivators to enter the contest... and I'm going to be careful how I make my argument as I have friends who have or will be submitting their videos... and to them I wish good luck and, because they are my friends, I want them to win.
Reasons why I won't enter:
- the thrill of participating: I already participate... every record I put out and every show I put together or perform is participation... the very core of this blog smacks of participation, so how much participation do I need to commit before I feel like I participate?
- the thrill of competition: The creation of music or songwriting or performance should occur with the intent to speak to a listener, create a connection between musician, the song, and the listener... then, introspectively... a connection within the listener and his/her experiences or memories. With that philosophy in mind... the only person I choose to compete with is myself... to do as Garrison Keillor suggests... "do good work." Besides, competing, although in athletic competition it creates dynamics, only seems to foster jealousy and inadequacy within me... this stance is purely subjective ... I'll own that.
- the chance a great opportunity for exposure: Couldn't you do the same thing with youtube and some well chosen tags? Plus, exposure? I will get back to this one a little later...but I usually ignore any offer to play that includes that word.
- ethos by association: My ethos, my credentials are firmly centered around the writing process... the songs... not the distribution method. Wouldn't a video featured on NPR be casting a wider net? Yes. But the validation of NPR, as coveted and thrilling as having Carl Castle's voice on my answering machine, but really...in the big picture, it should be my own approval and by the weight of my own talent that informs this ethos rather than public radio.
- affirmation and acceptance by Bob Boilen and Robin Hilton: Isn't this the same as winning a critic's approval? I would rather have play show after show... and one of those guys wander in and see the show, by accident... or on purpose... but something more organic than the video. Experiencing music is more like witnessing a confession, a conviction, or a conversion (or all three at the same time)... and that's what makes watching a tiny desk concert so thrilling and great and magical and great and great. Making a tiny desk concert submission...not so much.
- I'm not good at making videos.
- I once said some negative things about the Black Keys...which I was mostly kidding...I did see the tiny desk concert for the Arcs... holy moly that's pretty cool... with this smooth quasi Mariachi band thing...
So there you go.
Interestingly... Karl emailed me back and said he only has Aug 5 and 6 open... which means we could have booked something... but alas we have a commitment already for Aug 6... in Gettysburg PA... but what is cool about that whole exchange is that now I have something to work with... Yay Karl!
Nothing from Lincoln,yet.
Next up... I'm working on Colorado... Denver and Fort Collins... one of the cooler things that has happened over the years is my networking with other musicians... since I book shows in Baltimore... and have been doing so since 2004... which the persons to thank for that are Andrew Norsworthy and Matt Hopper... I'll tell that story later... but in the 12 years since then... from time to time... I will get emails that say... "someone told me you are the guy to set up a show..." and I am... mostly.
So over the summer we played at the tree bar in Columbus OH... and one of the guys on the bill was Matt Charette... he had cool set and we chatted for a bit... and he's from Boston... and although I've played Boston a bunch it's always good to have someone new there... anyhow we've swapped shows and I have him coming down to Baltimore on March 13th... and he was reading my posts online and suggested I contact one of the guys from Drag the River... I had played a show with Drag the River a decade ago... and I think they were friends with Icanlickanysonofabitchinthehouse... I think? I could be wrong... and my memory-repression therapy session isn't until next week... but that's whole other post...
So... now I've contacted him and we'll see what happens with Fort Collins... man, it's a lot to take in... I guess. Which I almost forgot... Got to figure something out for Michigan. Detroit? Indianapolis? I don't know... We played in Bloomington IN on a Sunday in July... thankful to have the gig, although a Bloomington is pretty dead in the summer.
Grimm
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Tour Diary: Day 1 Booking Obstacles
So... here's the thing. Third time around. Making and taking music seriously. It's a tough thing... many considerations to, well, consider. I just finished watching the Austin to Boston documentary... which the only reason I wanted to watch in the first place was to see what other musicians are doing, what they're playing.
One should keep an eye out for disingenuous non-fiction narrative which purports authenticity.
Hearing Gill Landry's deep, dry voice... equal parts cool and Steven Wright, drawl out the premise of the film and the tour it documented, felt a bit overly slick... the video tour diary of four hard working artists traveling from SXSW to Boston in three VW micro buses... cue the hijinks and comradery that must be what happens on every tour.
Maybe I'm bitter with my own experiences and the limited success or talent is what burns the broth.
Maybe.
But I just don't buy it. The performances are good... they sound great and I really liked the musical parts... that's not the point. The point is that there is the narrative equivalent of fourteen pounds of Vaseline slathered on the lens of truth here. It's cool that these folks played the shows and bonded... but who the hell booked it? The production company must have been expensive too... and the venues looked really packed... which again, is great... but not really representative of touring? Or maybe it is and I've been doing something really wrong.
That got me to thinking about the whole tour diary thing... I'm pretty bad at it, but I'd like to try something new... guiding you, or whoever will actually read these posts, through the process of booking a tour. So, this tour diary will include the booking of the tour...
Booking shows/gigs is one of the most challenging and humiliating experiences I tend to repeat time and time again... because, I want to play my songs to people... I want to meet them, I want to travel, I want see my country and the people who live here. Also... I need to make a little money. Let me emphasize "little." Break even... fingers crossed.
First things first. You may say to yourself, "Why don't you just get a booking agent?" The harsh reality is that we're nobody and no booking agent would ever come close to working with us... we do not command an audience... we haven't sold many records... and we're not very photogenic... so... we're really kind of the underdog just to start with... So get it out of your heads that this is going to be easy at all... some bookings are easier than others...
In March 2016 June Star will be releasing a 7" single, "You're Still Here," on Future Oak Records, a small record company out of Pittsburgh. Fredrick, who owns and runs the deal, has a wonderful manner about him... thoughtful and quick... he will be hand cranking some sort of vinyl lathe machine to produce the records... pretty neat. His girlfriend? Katie will develop the artwork... snazzy.
So this stuff will hit the streets in March, Andy Bopp and I will be going out from 3/21-3/26 to support this record... but we are also booking a much longer tour 6/20-6/29 heading farther out to places I have yet to book... trying to expand our reach. Andy is also releasing his new solo record in late April... I think...
So... here's the preliminary itinerary:
6/20 Columbus, OH
6/21 St. Louis, MO
6/22 Denver, CO
6/23 Fort Collins, CO
6/24 TBD Lincoln, NE
6/25 House Concert, Chicago IL
6/26 TBD, Detroit/Ann Arbor MI
6/27 TBD, Cleveland OH
6/28 Purple Fiddle, Thomas WV (Confirmed)
6/29 Home?
So, you notice that the Purple Fiddle has already been confirmed... which is great... because it's a cool venue, June Star has played there a bunch over the years and John, the owner and booker is pretty great... musicians love to play there and the sound is always great... so that was kind of an easy show to nab... Columbus will probably not be a huge problem either... we have made some good friends there and people seem to like us!
St. Louis has always been weird.
Andy Bopp is responsible for the Colorado shows... so we'll see how that goes, he has some good contacts and that should fall into place... and the house concert in Chicago is with a June Star super fan... seriously... she knows songs I've stopped playing in 2000. That's all good... but the areas I will direct your attention to are Lincoln and Ann Arbor... Detroit I can get, but we want to expand outside the Motor City limits...
When I book a show I usually do an initial search at Indie on the Move... they have a great database that you can search by state, by city, by capacity... anything over 100-150 I get a bit nervous... need I remind you that we're really nobody... and playing a venue with a fifty person capacity looks good when only 15 people wander in... but what are you going to do? So, when searching Lincoln two places looked interesting--meaning viable-- Duffy's (250 capacity) and Crescent Moon Coffee (50 capacity). We can see where this is going... so I reached out to the coffee place...
Meanwhile, with the search for a venue in Ann Arbor... there used to be the Blind Pig... but I think that is way way gone... I played there with Timmy Bracken and Dave Hadley in 2011... it was about -1,000,000 degrees... I didn't have to comfort of crying for my tears froze in my eyes before they met my cheek. However, there was an all night diner that had a hell of cheese steak sub after the show... but I digress... So I found a venue called the Yellow Barn... intimate acoustic music... sounds pretty good. I sent my usual affable, humble booking email... side note:
I know bookers and venues get all sorts of stupid emails from people whom must be delusional about their death metal klezmer band, Jewdicial Steel, playing for an small crowd of folks in a Midwestern Folksy venue... but let be known... that I research carefully before I suggest that June Star should be booked at a venue... I don't want to waste their time nor mine.
That being said, Karl got back to me pretty quickly and said that venue was booked for a theater partnership and that there is no music there from May through June. Fair enough... but you know... working as an English teacher for twenty years... you pick up on some subtleties... and something kind of said, "we're not interested..." and of course... I'd rather someone just say, "No... we don't think you're very good... or just not a good fit for us..." I countered in my email saying... well... we'd like to keep our options open for the fall... if that is something we can work out... I haven't heard back just yet... which brings me to another side note:
Wait time. Oh... that's a tough one, isn't it? Instant gratification be damned... I usually wait forty-eight hours before I start to feel that slight edge... you know... you've imagined that they get their email on their phones... or in their back manager office/closet... so why haven't they gotten back to you already? I try not to let it bug me too much...
But there... there it is... that's the impetus behind this post and effort to talk about these things... my insecurity... the completely contrived and self constructed conversation/scenarios I create in my mind that says, "You're just not good enough..." debilitating and just the worst type of self torture I can administer to my heart. Inside, twisting and untwisting, a nervous knot convulses at the imagined judgment... and my unfailingly puritanical self-judgment confirms what probably isn't true... I'm a hack... or worse... the English teacher cliché... can't make it on talent so that he teaches during the day then leads a sad farce on stage at night, thinking he is more than what he is... maybe so.
I'm looking at that paragraph... and man, I have some issues...
But that's just part of the process... the reality is this... writing is the fundamental expression of being a human... the finer points what ever spiritual or cosmic presence that forms our souls or our auras or our energy or our love or our shame... the writing is human evidence. To that, I feel my most human when I'm writing and when I'm performing for another human being... there I dig deep... so deep that I'm afraid that if I make eye contact I will melt and slip between the floorboards that barely hold me up to begin with. Whether or not it's good... it is not clichéd or romanticized... it's real.
Then again, a close friend of mine once said, "Bad music is like bad sex... sure it's bad but it's real to the people doing it."
I'll let you know what's happening with the booking junk... Lincoln and Ann Arbor... those are my goals...
Grimm
One should keep an eye out for disingenuous non-fiction narrative which purports authenticity.
Hearing Gill Landry's deep, dry voice... equal parts cool and Steven Wright, drawl out the premise of the film and the tour it documented, felt a bit overly slick... the video tour diary of four hard working artists traveling from SXSW to Boston in three VW micro buses... cue the hijinks and comradery that must be what happens on every tour.
Maybe I'm bitter with my own experiences and the limited success or talent is what burns the broth.
Maybe.
But I just don't buy it. The performances are good... they sound great and I really liked the musical parts... that's not the point. The point is that there is the narrative equivalent of fourteen pounds of Vaseline slathered on the lens of truth here. It's cool that these folks played the shows and bonded... but who the hell booked it? The production company must have been expensive too... and the venues looked really packed... which again, is great... but not really representative of touring? Or maybe it is and I've been doing something really wrong.
That got me to thinking about the whole tour diary thing... I'm pretty bad at it, but I'd like to try something new... guiding you, or whoever will actually read these posts, through the process of booking a tour. So, this tour diary will include the booking of the tour...
Booking shows/gigs is one of the most challenging and humiliating experiences I tend to repeat time and time again... because, I want to play my songs to people... I want to meet them, I want to travel, I want see my country and the people who live here. Also... I need to make a little money. Let me emphasize "little." Break even... fingers crossed.
First things first. You may say to yourself, "Why don't you just get a booking agent?" The harsh reality is that we're nobody and no booking agent would ever come close to working with us... we do not command an audience... we haven't sold many records... and we're not very photogenic... so... we're really kind of the underdog just to start with... So get it out of your heads that this is going to be easy at all... some bookings are easier than others...
In March 2016 June Star will be releasing a 7" single, "You're Still Here," on Future Oak Records, a small record company out of Pittsburgh. Fredrick, who owns and runs the deal, has a wonderful manner about him... thoughtful and quick... he will be hand cranking some sort of vinyl lathe machine to produce the records... pretty neat. His girlfriend? Katie will develop the artwork... snazzy.
So this stuff will hit the streets in March, Andy Bopp and I will be going out from 3/21-3/26 to support this record... but we are also booking a much longer tour 6/20-6/29 heading farther out to places I have yet to book... trying to expand our reach. Andy is also releasing his new solo record in late April... I think...
So... here's the preliminary itinerary:
6/20 Columbus, OH
6/21 St. Louis, MO
6/22 Denver, CO
6/23 Fort Collins, CO
6/24 TBD Lincoln, NE
6/25 House Concert, Chicago IL
6/26 TBD, Detroit/Ann Arbor MI
6/27 TBD, Cleveland OH
6/28 Purple Fiddle, Thomas WV (Confirmed)
6/29 Home?
So, you notice that the Purple Fiddle has already been confirmed... which is great... because it's a cool venue, June Star has played there a bunch over the years and John, the owner and booker is pretty great... musicians love to play there and the sound is always great... so that was kind of an easy show to nab... Columbus will probably not be a huge problem either... we have made some good friends there and people seem to like us!
St. Louis has always been weird.
Andy Bopp is responsible for the Colorado shows... so we'll see how that goes, he has some good contacts and that should fall into place... and the house concert in Chicago is with a June Star super fan... seriously... she knows songs I've stopped playing in 2000. That's all good... but the areas I will direct your attention to are Lincoln and Ann Arbor... Detroit I can get, but we want to expand outside the Motor City limits...
When I book a show I usually do an initial search at Indie on the Move... they have a great database that you can search by state, by city, by capacity... anything over 100-150 I get a bit nervous... need I remind you that we're really nobody... and playing a venue with a fifty person capacity looks good when only 15 people wander in... but what are you going to do? So, when searching Lincoln two places looked interesting--meaning viable-- Duffy's (250 capacity) and Crescent Moon Coffee (50 capacity). We can see where this is going... so I reached out to the coffee place...
Meanwhile, with the search for a venue in Ann Arbor... there used to be the Blind Pig... but I think that is way way gone... I played there with Timmy Bracken and Dave Hadley in 2011... it was about -1,000,000 degrees... I didn't have to comfort of crying for my tears froze in my eyes before they met my cheek. However, there was an all night diner that had a hell of cheese steak sub after the show... but I digress... So I found a venue called the Yellow Barn... intimate acoustic music... sounds pretty good. I sent my usual affable, humble booking email... side note:
That being said, Karl got back to me pretty quickly and said that venue was booked for a theater partnership and that there is no music there from May through June. Fair enough... but you know... working as an English teacher for twenty years... you pick up on some subtleties... and something kind of said, "we're not interested..." and of course... I'd rather someone just say, "No... we don't think you're very good... or just not a good fit for us..." I countered in my email saying... well... we'd like to keep our options open for the fall... if that is something we can work out... I haven't heard back just yet... which brings me to another side note:
Wait time. Oh... that's a tough one, isn't it? Instant gratification be damned... I usually wait forty-eight hours before I start to feel that slight edge... you know... you've imagined that they get their email on their phones... or in their back manager office/closet... so why haven't they gotten back to you already? I try not to let it bug me too much...
But there... there it is... that's the impetus behind this post and effort to talk about these things... my insecurity... the completely contrived and self constructed conversation/scenarios I create in my mind that says, "You're just not good enough..." debilitating and just the worst type of self torture I can administer to my heart. Inside, twisting and untwisting, a nervous knot convulses at the imagined judgment... and my unfailingly puritanical self-judgment confirms what probably isn't true... I'm a hack... or worse... the English teacher cliché... can't make it on talent so that he teaches during the day then leads a sad farce on stage at night, thinking he is more than what he is... maybe so.
I'm looking at that paragraph... and man, I have some issues...
But that's just part of the process... the reality is this... writing is the fundamental expression of being a human... the finer points what ever spiritual or cosmic presence that forms our souls or our auras or our energy or our love or our shame... the writing is human evidence. To that, I feel my most human when I'm writing and when I'm performing for another human being... there I dig deep... so deep that I'm afraid that if I make eye contact I will melt and slip between the floorboards that barely hold me up to begin with. Whether or not it's good... it is not clichéd or romanticized... it's real.
Then again, a close friend of mine once said, "Bad music is like bad sex... sure it's bad but it's real to the people doing it."
I'll let you know what's happening with the booking junk... Lincoln and Ann Arbor... those are my goals...
Grimm
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