Uh… The Dog Ate It?
So, I have an assignment due tomorrow... and no, I'm not back in school secretly. Although, I'd never rule that out if I were you. Anyways, back to me...
Rob and I are playing the Song Game. I think I may have mentioned it before... but if you're new here, despite there being very little reason for me to believe that you're new, it's a game where we both come up with song titles, and then we both write songs with said titles. Examples, I came up with the title "Love Comes in a Shoebox" and now Rob and I have to each write a song with that title. It's not a game for some random rainy afternoon, but the home version really gives you a sense of the game like we're playing. Unlike Jeparody. The Jeparody home game sucks... no Alex. And really without Alex, it's not really Jeparody.
Anyways, we've got a couple of songs due tomorrow, and I'm really behind. I'm bad with due dates, and this one just sorta snuck up on me. I've got one track finished, but the Shoebox track is just not living up to what I want. I have a few different versions, and I'm not sure what I'm going to end up with. There really is nothing quite as irksome as failing a completely trivial self-imposed deadline. Because really, either way it's not particularly important.
Anyways, I'm going to be late on the Shoebox tune... We'll just say... uh... the dog ate my homework? I'll have it by Monday? I wasn't here when it was assigned and I didn't know the due date? My mother just informed me that she's actually an illegal Canadian immigrant and she's being deported via freight train and all my homies and I mounted an elaborate rescue mission that involved camels and this dude named "Hannibal" who chewed on a cigar?
So… There's This Girl
I'm not sure, but maybe you've noticed there's this girl that keeps posting comments to my site... Maybe you know her... She's offering help, and assistance, and all these things that I don't know that I can accept... ... not, you know, that I'm not able, except that I'm stubborn, and.. you know.. a Dick.
I'm not sure what's going to happen tomorrow. But, I'm sure it'll be interesting. Maybe, I'll put together a press kit... with out, you know.. the "Demo in D."
So, That Happened
Well, there are lots of things happening, and even more that are failing to happen at the moment. Let's see if we can run through them real quick UL-Like:
- Metaquoting the second paragraph of the post that I made last night and have no idea what I said. Of course. For I am a press whore. It makes me feel important, loved and special when there are people who I don't know reading things that I have written (and even more important, loved and special when it's someone I look up to -- Chris Pirillo!!! -- and no, I'm not just linking back to his site again and again for the simple pleasure of knowing that he may follow the link back and comment again. I'm just all geeked out about this, and damnit(!) you're going to have to deal with it).
- My Speaker cabs... well... hmm... Let's see how to put this. A few weeks ago I played a show over at Shank's on Ice (apparently, my vocals weren't up enough. Instead of telling me about it while I was playing (you know, when I could have fixed it), they complained to one of the managers. I don't get that at all), and Aaron wanted to see how heavy my speaker cabs were. I had no problem with this, and so I acquiesced to his request to take one of the speakers down. Now we're going to switch gears for a second... Have you ever watched one of those kids programs that had a clip of a giant tree getting cut down? Of course you have. Now, back to Shanks. So Aaron gets the speaker over his head and as I watch I see this somewhat uncomfortable look spread across his face. I look up and suddenly my speaker was one of those majestic Oaks or Pines as it fell, crashing, to the ground. Of course, my first reaction was to pick the speaker up and beat Aaron about the head. .. only, you know... not. Actually, I was exceedingly calm about it. I've mellowed about my equipment lately, and I assured him that I was quite sure that it'd be fine. Aaron assured me that if it wasn't he'd take care of it. To which, I replied, I'm sure it's fine. Well... it wasn't. I bet you could've seen that coming. Anyways, this (already long) story short (read: not quite as long), both my cabs are now getting their speaker cones replaced, and I still need to talk to Aaron... I just hate bringing an uncomfortable subject up with friends. Ya dig? Anyways, the whole thing is rather... well... it's probably a good thing. Just one more unexpected expense...
- Speaking of music, I'm going to put together a couple of press kits. One for me (solo) and one for the band. I almost don't want to do the one for me solo, but there are a lot of bars and such that would book a solo dude w/a guit-fiddle, and wouldn't book a band. So, you know, getting back to the publicity whore... Anything I can do that will let people hear my music, which will in turn increase interest in the band, I will do, and I will do it with gusto good sirs and madams. Anyways, I don't know how to put together a press kit. I don't know what the hell needs to be in there. And more than that, I don't know where all I could send it. So, lots of "Go, Stop! Go, STOP! Go, STOP!" on the whole, let's get a press kit out.
- Food. I must go urban foraging soon... this whole "Jon doesn't have anything to cook but rice and butter" thing has to stop.
- The Car. I don't know what is going on with the car, but I no longer have the resources to try to get it fixed... and it's not misbehaving anymore. I'm kinda leaning towards just letting it go a bit longer. We'll see.
Aight, that's a hell of an update on the life and times of Jon, so I'm off... gonna go find some rice and butter to eat... maybe I'll make it to the store.
Pimp My Wares
So, I get a call today from my boy down in Texas who informs me that he's been pimping my music to anyone who will listen. And I got the name and number of this lady he works with who works on a Webzine that has to do with helping artists get in touch with non-sucky-industry people. I called her. Yes, I know. I got off my ass and did something. Amazing, isn't it? So, I talked to her for a bit, and she seemed really nice. All of what she seems to be offering seems to be a step or two beyond where I'm at right now... which is, you know... no where, but... I'm gonna try to put together a demo that doesn't suck and send it to her... Maybe she'll let me into the member's only section... that's where the cool kids play.
Also, I think that two more places in Kalamazoo have put the kibosh on live-E. Which blows. Blows hard. Super hard even.
The Show
I hate this post. I just read it and it sucked, so if you're one of those lucky few who go to read all my pretentious bulls*t, then... just, don't mention it to me, ever. The show on Friday was a lot of fun. There weren't that many people listening to me, actively, at any point in the night. Aaron, Jen, Max, Erin, Ryan and Jen all stopped by. And that was cool... Since I play early over there, I got done and everyone was just chillin out at the bar, so I stuck around until around one, and it was good. I got beer, cheese balls, and just had a great time. So, thanks for making it, and if you didn't make it last time and want to hang out with some cool folks, you should make it next time.
And now, for the many-th time I'm out in A2, chilling out with some jamma and wine and food. It's fantastic. And I'm tired and I can't think of what in the hell I should say, so, I shall bid you adieu.
Seeing as I've already excised a whole section of this post, I figure that instead of writing another post, I'll just add on to this one. So here goes... Doc and I cooked. Like mad scientists of the kitchen, we put together a meal unmatched in culinary history... well, at least the culinary history of yesterday. Beef tenderloin with a pepper crust pan seared, asparagus sauted with garlic and shallots, mashed potatos, and a red wine demiglaze. The red wine demiglaze used Habañero. That's the worlds hottest pepper. And it's not really a pepper, but that's another show.
Damned was that good. I have absolutley no words to describe how damned good that was. Ok. Now, we're going to kitchen stores, and food stores, and find food, and pool.
Sleepnasty
My eyes burn, my arms feel tired, my throat is a bit dry, and I'm about to go play music for people for about four hours. Life, honestly, couldn't be any better right now. I'm realizing more and more how much I like to play for folks, you know... outside of my apartment. It's something I have to work on.
I am, however, a complete and total chickens*t. Really. I have all these big plans in my head of when I'm going to be giging once a week, when I'm going to be gigging more than that, where to try and find a bass player, places to look for booking agents that can get me out of Kalamazoo, how much time I'm going to have to put towards writing my own stuff, how much time I'd take while out on the road to do things that are good for my body and mind, and many many more... these things float through my head, they come and go as they please, but one or more of them is pretty much always there, somewhere. And here I sit. Watching TV, playing video games or killing time on the internet. I swear to you, and to me, I will do something about this. I keep saying sooner than later. I don't want to do that anymore, I want to give myself a firm date, and be done with this putzing about... ... but I'm certainly not quite ready for that. Soon... Sooner than later...
Here's the Deal
Ok, here's the deal. There are two images up right now, and they're huge. I think they're bigger than most of the MP3s. Yeah, I'm a dick. I know. I'll get a compressed version of these things out sometime, along with the treycard... but right now I have to shower and get to work. So, you're going to have to deal with super-high quality images of me. Anyhoos, hope ya'll like the tunes.
Also, anyone who hasn't downloaded Robbie's tunes, you should... I think they're here.
It's Done! Well, Almost
I have ripped my album, and am currently in the process of uploading it. Ohhh... I have an idea! I'm going to go ahead and see if I can find the artwork for it also, because I figure if you want the album, you can have the artwork. Not the disk artwork though, because I don't know where that is... ... that's not true, I know exactly where it is, but I couldn't give out a copy that looks like it does on the disk because when I made the disk I was using crappy disk-authoring/artwork software that was on another computer. So you'll just have to live without that. Give the files, spread the files, just don't take credit for the files... because that's not very nice. Oh, and the stuff is going to be here... and there isn't supposed to be a webpage, it's just a file index... I'm going to make the myTunes site look pretty, and I figured it wouldn't be worth making this chunk look like the rest of it if it's all going to change soon anyway. Aight, back to the Sunday of Eating with some Cleaning Included.
Better
I'm getting ready for my show tonight. Once again, it's at Shank's on Ice (located inside the Twinstar Ice Arena). You should come. Hopefully I'll be there. See, I didn't sleep last night. You may have ready that already. When I say I didn't sleep, I literally have no idea if I slept at all. I probably did... in 10 minute incriments. I do blame the Afterburner wings, although, once I got up and moving, I was fine. Fine all day, nothing exploding in the bathroom, nothing. From what I was told, it was a different story with Max. I'll probably hear about it tonight. But for now, I'm going to try to get a few minutes of shuteye, before I have to start getting ready for real. If you want to see someone who hasn't played a show in months play a show at a new place where no one knows him, you should totally come.
Eek.
So. I've been working on a couple of tunes these last few days. I like them. One of them is one I've been working on for a few months with Doc, the other is one that just kinda came to me earlier this week. That one is almost done also. The more I listen to it, the more done I think it is. I'll let it rest for a while then I'll check it again. The one I've been going on for months is almost there... just not quite. We'll see what later today brings and tomorrow. Maybe I'll fix those two or three parts that need a bit of polish.
Soon enough, I'll get around to finding my CD ripper and I'll put my album on for everyone. I could do it now, but it'd be in AAC, and... well, AAC isn't exactly the most popular (or, should I say universal) format. Anyone with iTunes or an iPod (and therefor iTunes) would be able to play it, but... that's about where it all stops. Must get off ass and find my ripper. Ahh well... Now I'm off to an "audition" for a gig. Never had to audition for a gig before. Actually, I think that actually having to go into a place to play for them before they give you a gig is rather rare. I was almost expecting to have to throw a demo together. But an audition? This'll be weird. How much you wanna bet I'm going to get there, play three songs and have a gig for Friday? That's my guess. Either that or, they're going to be so disorganized that I'll get there, play... they'll like it all well enough, but the person who actually makes the decisions won't be there, so I won't know for a few days... and I'll be waiting by my telephone like some 17 year old girl waiting for the starting QB to call after our first date... and I know he'll call.. he said he loved me and I let him do all sorts.. .... .... sorry. Little carried away there...
One of these days, I'm going to go back and read some of these posts that I've made. I'm guessing they all border on certifiable.