The Elusive Adventures of Reign Lee

The Unbearable Lightness of Paris

2011-08-30T07:57:00.001-07:00

I've always had a love affair with Paris. Despite her wear & tear in places and the complete exploitation of her wares in the red light district, she never loses her shiny varnish for me. Unfortunately my years completely immersed in French at school until the age of 7 fail me completely. I can't seem to recall my past fluency. Not that it matters. The waiters always ask if I'm a Latina anyway. I'm just trying to work out if they mean 'a Latina' like J. Lo. Or the district in Madrid...

WELCOME TO CHINA

2011-06-23T21:30:00.000-07:00

The new face of Beijing. Corporate America sneeks past the gates. My mom asked me the other day, "are you finding it hard to even get a cup of coffee?" Uh, no, mom. Check it out - a Starbucks on every corner.

WHILE MY SITAR GENTLY WEEPS...

2011-06-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

My first sitar lesson ever. My friend Simon Griffin (from Sushi Robot) & I got a free sitar lesson from a 92-year old grandma. She wasn't too impressed with my sitar interpretation of 'Sweet Child O' Mine'.

The Odometer Destroyer Tour (USA) - April 2011

2011-05-09T21:38:00.000-07:00

OK, so it's taken me a little while to get my thoughts down on paper. Tour blogs always seem like a good idea at the time. But trying to keep up with it when you're on the road is 'for the birds', to quote a Juliana Hatfield song... Anyways, here's some initial notes about most of the shows. I do have other thoughts about the other shows lying around here somewhere, but will have to gather them when I've finished wrestling with the evil beast of jetlag. Hope you enjoy reading about it as much as I enjoyed living it!
______________

April 12, 2011
Venue: Blue Café, Long Beach, CA

After surviving our night camping in the Grand Canyon, we made it to Long Beach intact, although a bit weary from sleeping on the cold, wet ground. The Blue Café was set up with 2 floors and a big stage. On the way in for soundcheck, a woman on the street asked me if I was Reign Lee. Shocked and surprised, I said yes. It turns out she had read about the show in the paper and came to see what all the hoopla was about. Nice! Apparently, Fox News had called ahead to request press passes although we’re not sure if they ever showed. Regardless, the stage was great and the show was fun. Apart from Melissa’s computer breaking down, her tuner not working and everything electric of hers completely falling apart, I think we had a good time:) The (very cool) guys from Swoopsworld, Peter and Keith turned up and some old friends of mine that I hadn’t seen in about 8 years showed too. All in all, another nice start to the beginning of the tour.

Thursday, April 14, 2011
Venue: Crepe Place, Santa Cruz, CA

Driving up through Northern California was glorious. I love the vibe and the energy running through this part of the state. The rolling hills were sometimes reminiscent of the scenery in the English countryside. We were psyched for the gig since it gave us a chance to be a part of a cause dear to both of our hearts. The SPCA was holding a fundraiser to raise much-needed funds for abandoned and neglected animals. To top it off, they were holding the fundraiser at a very cool venue – The Crepe Place. Of course, they are best known for… you guessed it, crepes. I had the mouthwatering Turkey and Cranberry crepe. It was like Thanksgiving all over again. The music was inspiring as top-notch musicians graced the stage and churned out originals and some beautiful renditions of old classics. It was an honour to play in such good company and the night was a success all-around.

Sunday, April 17, 2011
Venue: Unity Event, Merced, CA

This was my first time playing in a church. This was a little community church venue in Merced and I had no idea what to expect. People that were a part of the community were invited to come and join us for a night of music. For some reason, it reminded me of John Lithgow preaching from his pulpit in Footloose – I have no idea why but that was my frame of reference. As we tried desperately to figure out how to hook everything up to run the sound, slowly people started to file in. There were people of all ages and whole families that came out after dinner to see what the cat dragged in. Once again, I felt privileged to be playing to a captive audience. People had come out of their way on a Sunday night to simply hear music. The energy in the room felt strong and genuine as people cheered throughout the night. Afterwards, we made our way back to the Osborne’s – our host family. They treated us with warmth and we sat down that night to some good vino, good food and even better conversation. We put the world to rights then retired to bed. Hoping to get some much needed rest before heading back to LA.

Monday, April 18, 2011
Venue: Redwood Bar, Los Angeles, CA

This was an interesting show. For some reason, the place reminded me of something straight out of a David Lynch movie. And I loooooove David Lynch movies. We walked in to see Phil Alvin on stage, sitting on a chair, holding his guitar almost like an upright bass and singing with a fiery intensity reserved for only the most hard-nosed bluesman. I was confused though because I thought we were supposed to be opening for him. I soon found out that he just gets bored sitting around, so he tends to jump on stage whenever he can to do a few songs. I’m glad he did! I felt like I was getting an education simply by being in the line of fire. The place was packed with what I’m assuming were LA Times writers. Apparently, they had won a bunch of awards or something earlier that night, so they came to Redwood to partake in Hollywood delights and debauchery. The Lynchian similarities didn’t end there. Pretty soon Exene from X showed up. Along with some other notable people of rock n roll history. I ended up talking to Mercy (that’s Miss Mercy, for most of you) from the legendary GTO’s. Let’s just say that my conversation with her became a rock education that we are continuing through email and facebook. Redwood – thanks for the memories!

Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Venue: The Compound Grill, Phoenix AZ

Although this wasn’t a huge gig, it was one of my favourites on the tour. The Compound Grill is an amazing venue with a fantastic stage that was built for rock stars. The walls are lined with pictures of famous musicians that have graced the stage and it always feels good to walk within hallowed walls. The evening got off to a hilarious start. I was kicking off the night but didn’t want to start until my grandparents got there (they live in Phoenix). They were very concerned about not missing any part of the show. But of course, start time came & went and there was still no sign of them. I don’t know why I was surprised. These are the people that somehow missed their first ever flight to Hong Kong and ended up in Japan instead. And then, from Japan, somehow ended up in Thailand where my mom finally had to go to retrieve them since they weren’t getting any closer to Hong Kong. I imagined that they had somehow taken a wrong turn and ended up in Canada looking for the venue. But lo and behold, they turned up about 15 mins late and we were able to start the show. The space was great and the sets felt good. Unfortunately, in my glib way – I started talking about how the night before the audience members at Shakespeare’s had been buying us Car Bombs. So of course, I started commenting that I was expecting nothing short from Phoenix. I probably should’ve kept my mouth shut. Because the Car Bombs came…and kept coming. There were more on offer, but we finally had to turn them away since there is only so much Guinness, whisky and bailey’s that one person can consume in one fell swoop. Next time, I should probably comment on something sensible, like Chardonnay or a nice Pinot Grigio.

Saturday, April 23, 2011
Venue: Hacienda del Sol, Tuscon, AZ

This was a show that was very important to me for a number of reasons. The night was dubbed ‘Music for the Soul’ and benefited Integrative Touch for Kids. The purpose of the organization is to maximize wellness for children with special medical needs and their families. (www.integrativetouch.org) What an inspiring event to be a part of. It was a double-blessing for me since one of my dearest and oldest friends was one of the organizers for this event and is heavily involved in ITK. Although life set us on divergent paths for a while, fate (aka facebook) saw it fit to finally bring us together again and it was amazing to pick up where we’d left off as friends 10 years ago. I hope to be involved with more ITK events in the future. Once again we shared the stage with some amazing players – Bandjax, Amy Rude and the Heartbeast and Silver Thread Trio. But it was the reaction of the many children who came up to me after the show to ask for CDs that absolutely made my night. On an interesting note…the venue came to talk to us because they were a bit concerned about how loud the music was going to be. Apparently there were expecting quite a few senior citizens in the crowd, so we were asked to keep levels down. My question was this: if there’s a bunch of seniors in the audience, shouldn’t we be turning UP rather than down? Just something for you all to ponder…

Sunday, April 24, 2011
Venue: The Laughing Goat, Boulder, CO

So this was our last show. What were we thinking? Saturday night in Tuscon, Arizona and Sunday night in Boulder, Colorado? Who the hell booked this thing?! Oh yeah, we did. Perhaps we should’ve teamed up with people who were more map-literate than us. So immediately after the Tuscon show at Hacienda del Sol, we packed our gear and hauled it out of there. We had a 15-hour drive to get us back to Colorado and we were hoping it would give us a chance to grab some kip (sleep) before the final show at the Laughing Goat. What is it they say about best laid plans? Anyways, there was one noteworthy thing that happened on the drive. I was driving through New Mexico at about 2am. (Apparently we were near Area 51.) I was driving along and I noticed a light in the sky. It wasn’t moving so I assumed it was a tower of some kind. But it seemed to be in an odd position, since it would put the tower right in the median area of the highway. Then, another light goes on of a different colour. Then 2 more blink on. At this point, I’m wondering what it is. I put on the high beams, but it doesn’t illuminate enough of the sky. Then Melissa wakes up and says, ‘what the hell is that?!’ It was too low to be a plane and it didn’t have the shape of a plane. It wasn’t making any noise and it was stationary in the air, yet it wasn’t tied to anything. Hmmmm…. I’m choosing to believe it was a close encounter of the third kind. Moving on to the last show…. We got into Denver before 1pm and were completely exhausted. We tried to crash out but probably only got about an hour or 2 of sleep before the show. Then we headed down to Boulder. This was my first time there and I have to say, I loved it! The Laughing Goat had a gorgeous smell of roasted coffee running through it and a chill atmosphere. I liked it immediately although I was completely delirious with lack of sleep. But it wasn’t long before I was able to get into the swing of things. Melissa brought her drummer, John and her bassist/husband, Matt and they backed me up for a rocked out version of ‘Built to Last’. They did a stellar job of backing up Melissa through her sets and it was very cool to see the Mythica band dynamic in action. The audience was fantastic. They were attentive and into the music and we were able to carry on conversations with people from the stage. My favourite comment came from a very attentive audience member sitting front row and center. I said something along the lines of ‘Thanks for being such a great audience.’ And he responded by saying, ‘You’re not bad looking yourself.’ It was completely not related to anything I’d just said, but it’s a compliment and I’ll take it where I can get it! To be honest, I wasn’t sure how many people were going to be out on Easter Sunday, especially considering how empty the streets were. But the place was full and it was an outstanding way to end the tour. I love you, Laughing Goat! We then headed to Mountain Sun Brewery for a much-needed celebratory drink to commemorate the end of an era. Ok, maybe that’s a bit dramatic. But it was definitely the end of the Odometer Destroyer tour. A massive thank you is due to everyone who supported us, who put us up, who made us dinner, who bought CDs and who cheered us on. Thank you all! It was swell.

REIGN LEE - ANGELS IN THE DIRT RELEASE PARTY

2010-11-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

WHEN: Saturday, Nov. 27, 2010 – Doors open at 8pm

WHERE: Grappa’s Cellar – Jardine House, 1 Connaught Place, Central, H.K.

You’re Invited – to the party of the night!

Yes, the rumours are true, I’ve been busy in the woodshed working on a new record. It will be ready to drop on Sat, Nov. 27th. We’ll be bringing down the house at Grappa’s Cellar from 8pm to 2am and we want you to join us! Some of HK’s most eclectic and talented acts will be joining me and there may even be a few surprise guests who drop by throughout the night, but that’s top secret.

The featured guests are…
9 Maps
Ryan Hui
Adrian Da Silva (Audiotraffic)
Noughts & Exes

Our charity sponsor is the Asian University for Women (http://www.asian-university.org/ ). 10% of proceeds from ticket sales will go towards scholarships for underprivileged women from around Asia. So feed your karma and buy a ticket- you get to have fun and do a really, really good deed for the world:)

We’ve had loads of sponsors come on board and will have some cool giveaways on the night as well.

Advance tix are $180 – that includes 1 drink, 1 copy of the CD and some other goodies…

Tickets are available at Tom Lee stores – (Tsim Sha Tsui, Causeway Bay and Sha Tin.) and Grappa’s Cellar. You can also grab them from me. I’ll keep you updated with more places you can grab them in the coming weeks. We’re not sure how many will be left at the door, so get yours now! You can buy them online here:
www.playit-forward.com/page3.htm

This is one show you will not want to miss.

Thanks to our awesome sponsors for supporting independent music in HK and the education of underprivileged women in Asia: Tom Lee, Alive Not Dead, Red Room Media, My Writing Coach, Rosarini, Ken Qi Private i, Karma Sound Studios, Play It Forward – Bands booking Bands, Bunny Warren and Radiodada.

CALLING ALL MUSICIANS

2010-05-22T22:20:00.000-07:00

I have some exciting news! Many of you have wondered why I’ve been so busy lately and I can now reveal why. I’ve created a platform for gigging musicians called Play It Forward – Bands booking Bands. The idea is simple – to create a global network of musicians who can help each other book shows, promote shows and find places to stay on the road. If you are a musician yourself or know any musicians who might be interested, please help spread the word. If you are a gigging musician yourself – then I strongly encourage you to Join the Indie Revolution in Band Booking. Check it out and Sign Up here: www.playitforwardnetwork.com

TOUR DIARY VOL. 2

2010-01-11T00:13:00.000-08:00

Oct. 31
THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST – BIG STONE GAP, VA

Saturday, Oct. 31 @ 7pm
The Edge Music Venue
405 Wood Avenue
Big Stone Gap, VA 24219
http://www.myspace.com/theedgemusicvenue

Halloween - One of my favourite days of the year. It must be the thrill of disappearing into another identity that attracts us… But I was definitely excited to learn that we’d booked a show on Halloween night. We headed back to Virginia after our night in Athens, having no idea that we were heading into the Appalachian Mountains. While the scenery was beautiful, I kept having flashbacks to scenes from ‘Deliverance.’ As we drove deeper into the country, desolation set in and the roads became quieter. Of course there was the odd house by the road that looked like something out of ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre.’ We continued to drive. When we finally arrived in Big Stone Gap, the streets were like a barren wasteland. There was no one around. It was as if the town had emptied of all its inhabitants. Sue kept commenting that she was in the mood for some hot food and a nice big drink. I didn’t hold out much hope that either was going to happen. Later in the evening when we asked some kids if there was somewhere we could find a drink, they told us there was one bar in town but under no circumstances would we want to go there. That effectively ended that conversation. When we got to the venue, we didn’t have much time to spare before playing. It was an all ages venue and everyone had to be up for church the next morning. Just the way I like my debaucherous Halloween nights to start... We played an early set so we could make way for the screamo bands that were to follow amidst a small group of moshers in the middle of the room. Once again, it ended up being a night of meeting some great people. I chatted with a young guy named Caleb who sang some beautiful freshly written lyrics to me. To Dwayne, Kristen, Brittany, Matt and Seth - you guys rocked and I’m glad our paths crossed:) We headed back to our room at the Country Boy Inn where there was many a Halloween party in full swing in the above rooms. One of our favourite places we stayed on the tour - the room seemed to have remained in a time capsule circa early 1970’s. We looked at the clock. It was 10.25pm. So much for Sue’s big introduction to grandiose Halloween gigs and celebrations. I’ve never wished so hard that I carried a hip flask... All in all, this was without a doubt one of the most memorable stops on the tour and I’m glad we experienced it.

Monday, Nov. 2 @ 8.30pm
Uncle Pleasant's
2126 South Preston Street
Louisville, KY 40217
http://www.unclepleasants.com/

After a much needed day of rest, we headed to one of my favourite cities - Louisville. This ended up being another memorable night on the tour. The venue is usually closed on Mondays, but they opened for us because we were passing through town. Jesse, the bartender, took such good care of us and introduced me to some beautiful beers. He also made me my first pulled pork sandwich - which after almost 16 years as a vegetarian was a revelation. The night was filled with comraderie, great conversation and amazing musicianship. The other players were among some of the best musicians I’ve ever had the pleasure of sharing the stage with. When we ended our set, we were spurred along by the calls for encores. How cool is that? For our last song, a virtuoso guitarist, wanted to join us and helped turn an acoustic version of ‘This Lonely Love’ into a blistering finale. Thank you, Brad! Other thank you’s are also due to Kathleen, Ron, Kevin, Janet, Steve, Mark and Dave. It was a pleasure to play!

Tuesday, Nov. 3 @ 7.30pm
The Skylight Coffee House
116 N. 3rd Street
Lafayette, IN 47901
www.skylightcoffee.com

On our way to Chicago, we made a pit stop in Lafayette, IN to play our first ever gig in a coffee shop. We were hosted by Joe Peters, who invited us to be the featured guests at his songwriter’s circle. Joe hosted us at his home as well and gave us a reprieve from the road. He’s a world traveller, so we were able to swap a lot of travel exploits. The intimate songwriter’s circle made for a nice break from some of the bigger rooms we’d been playing in. It gave us a chance to be a part of a gathering amongst musicians. The next day, we headed to the WBAA studio at Purdue University to record a segment for Joe’s radio show. Overall, it was another noteworthy tour stop. We had a blast at the radio show & the historical studio was an experience in and of itself. Thanks so much, Joe! (http://www.myspace.com/joedaiwarriors ) We packed our bags and headed to my old stomping ground - Chicago.

Wednesday, Nov. 4 @ 8pm
Silvie's Lounge
1902 W. Irving Park Road
Chicago, IL 60613
http://www.silvieslounge.com/

Because of the time changeovers due to Daylight Savings time, we arrived at the gig almost 2 hours early! Yikes. And no hookers or drugs in sight to provide a decent distraction. Anyways... My second time at Silvie’s. Quiet night in the windy city, but some awesome performances by Derek Chamberlain & Friends (http://www.myspace.com/derekandfriends ), Ryan Madiar (http://www.myspace.com/ryanmadiar )and Wolfgang Schaefer (http://www.myspace.com/wolfgangschaefer ). Nothing seals the deal like a banjo version of a song by Pink Floyd and ‘Clocks’ by Coldplay.

Thursday, Nov. 5 @ 10pm
Avenue Inn
1271 Washington Avenue
Frankfort, IN 46041
http://www.myspace.com/demasg

At this point in the tour, we had given our GPS a name - ‘Gillian.’ However, after racking up some serious mileage, Gillian was acting up and frankly, she was starting to be a real bitch. We drove down the darkened streets of Frankfort as she insisted that the venue was in the middle of a grassy field. (I don’t think so.) Finally, after doing a few midnight runs, we found the Avenue Inn. It had the charm of a neighborhood local with Rolling Rock on tap and Aerosmith on the jukebox. During our set, people came to sit at the front of the stage and a lovely older lady in her 70‘s (!) danced to every song. Afterwards, she told me it was one of the best nights she’d ever had and was contemplating driving to our next gig the next night. After our set, we ended up staying up chatting with the bar folk until the wee hours. Although when Sue started to slur her words, I knew it was time to head back to the pad. Thanks so much, Demas. You’re one upstanding gent… Thanks to Victor too.

Friday, Nov. 6 @ 7pm
Ugly Mugs Coffee & Culture
102 N. Main Street
South Bend, IN 46601
www.uglymugs.wordpress.com

Our second gig in a coffee shop was a fun show. The place was packed, had good sound and an excellent vibe. Again, people were so supportive of the show and it was a pleasure to play to the crowd. The sound guy Aaron and I chatted about life, love & Harley’s. To be honest, the rest of the evening is a blur because I was so exhausted by that point.

Saturday, Nov. 7 @ 8pm
The Barking Spider Tavern
11310 Juniper Road
Cleveland, OH 44106
http://www.myspace.com/barkingspidertavern

The Barking Spider - great venue! My first time in Cleveland and I loved the historical architecture of the city. Sue’s friend, Trish, drove all the way up from Canada with her friend, Anne. I think it took them 8 hours and that’s dedication. They were a more than worthy cheering section and I tried desperately to recover from snow blindness as Anne got in touch with her inner Annie Leibovitz and snapped picture after picture at the front of the stage. Thanks, Anne! I want to take her on tour next time as a photo documentarian. After our set, we watched the Rockabilly Cats. Then headed to Guariono’s for some tukka. The restaurant itself was an experience, with decor that seemed to have stood still in time. I don’t know why but it reminded me of something from Roman Polanski’s ‘The Tenant.’ The food was gorgeous and it was a much needed hot meal on the road. We reminisced about the tour thus far and then entered a discussion about our joint fascination with Waffle House. Anne then shared this tidbit of information – Waffle House used to commission well-known singers to actually record songs about…you guessed it - Waffle House. What I wouldn’t do for a gig like that…O Waffle House, where art thou?

Sunday, Nov. 8 @ 11pm
The 797 Lounge
324 W. College Ave.
State College, PA 16801

By the time we got to State College, we were in serious recovery mode. We were coming to the end of nearly 2 months of touring and we were feeling the pinch. We couldn’t seem to do anything but sit like zombies in front of the tele and watch program after harrowing program. We’d just gotten into ‘Sex Rehab’ with Dr. Drew. But on this particular night, we were sucked into a marathon vortex of ‘Lockdown’ - the documentary news show that goes into high security prisons. We had to tear ourselves away to get ready for our night’s gig. Only to get there and find out that the club had cancelled the gig without bothering to let us know. What do we say to clubs who don’t have the decency to let touring bands know that a gig has been cancelled in advance? Booooooo.....

Tuesday, Nov. 10 @ 11.50pm
Pub Webb
1527 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19121
http://www.pubwebb.com/

Philly - a city after my own heart. Once you got past the security gun checks at the door downstairs, you really didn’t have anything to worry about. I quite liked the venue upstairs. The sound guy kicked ass! We met even more people and a few fans from our Delaware show actually showed up as well to cheer us on. Thanks to Jared Costa (http://www.myspace.com/jaredcosta1 ), Dana Bee (http://www.myspace.com/danabeemusic ) and Matt Spitko (http://www.myspace.com/mattspitkomusic ) for joining us. All in all, a good night that ended with a midnight jam session on the street with some other musicians and some guys who just happened to be walking by. We were definitely ready for NYC.

Wednesday, Nov.11 @ 11pm
Arlene's Grocery
95 Stanton St
New York, NY 10002
NYC
http://www.arlenesgrocery.net/

New York - another old stomping ground for me. And another city after my own heart. We headed to one of my dearest friends’ flats to crash at his and get ready for the show. (Thank you, Zuri & Reiko!)Then we headed to the venue. Many of our new friends and fans that had seen us in Brooklyn actually showed up at this gig, which really helped us to feel like our last show of the tour was almost like a homecoming. And as we closed the place down, the tour had finally arrived at its natural conclusion. Sue & I couldn’t believe we’d actually done it. 2 months. 25 cities. Needless to say, we got adequately inebriated that night. Thank you to Oli & Alex for helping us celebrate! Thank you to Johanna, Drew and Ashley too. 2 days and many pieces of pie later we were back on our transatlantic flight home. It was an adventure!

That’s all, folks. The US Fall Tour blog has officially ended with an ‘ed.’ Thanks for reading! Stayed tuned to see what the future holds and more thoughts on everything under the sun…

TOUR DIARY VOL. 1

2009-12-08T23:57:00.000-08:00

Oct. 18
ALL THE WAY TO RENO – PORTLAND, ME

Wednesday, Oct. 14 @ 8.30pm
The Dogfish Bar and Grill
128 Free Street
Portland, ME 04101
http://www.thedogfishbarandgrille.com

Every good story (or joke) always begins with these infamous words – ‘the plan was…’ Well, that was the case for us as Sue (my partner in crime on lead guitar & backing vox) and I arrived at JFK. The plan was that we would be picked up at the airport by our road manager/tour driver who would whisk us away to our first night of peaceful rest in the Big Apple, then accompany us bright & early as we made the 500 mile drive to Portland, Maine. But alas, it was not meant to be. All I can say is ‘Hallelujah’ to mobile phone technology! Otherwise we might still be sitting on the floor of baggage claim in NY. After an assemblage of events that mirrored a comedy of errors - our own Greek tragedy of mythic proportions involving crazed panhandlers at the Port Authority, a trot through midtown with ALL our luggage in search of a hotel under $100 and a battle with beauracracy to validate credit cards, a driver’s license and out-of-state IDs. We finally got on the road at 2.30pm with the only rental car in Bayonne, New Jersey that we could track down and barely 4 hours to spare to be at our first gig of the tour. Considering that this was the first time I was behind the wheel on the left side, everything on the road appeared completely wrong. But this was no time to show weakness, so I told Sue I had everything under control as we innocently wandered into no man’s land and desperately tried to get out of the NY/NJ area. There must be a higher being because she invented GPS in all her infinite wisdom. Thank you, Universe! I’m definitely a believer. Of course, it wasn’t long before I got the hang of it and decided to let my world-famous lead foot take the lead. I remember thinking, “This is great! If I can keep breaking 100mph, we can make the gig!” I guess that roughly translates to, “If I can keep breaking the law, we can make the gig!” At this point, Sue is remarking that the scenery is whipping by awfully fast and its all becoming a blur. Then it happened. The flash of blue lights in the rearview mirror. Somewhere across the state line, in Vermont, the fuzz caught up to us and the jig was up. After trying to shake him, I decided it wasn’t worth Sue getting deported, so I dutifully pulled over to the side of the road. He got out of his patrol car and immediately yelled, “Miss, you are on the wrong side of the road! You need to pull over to the other side NOW!” Whoops. “Now, do you want to tell me why you were going over 100 mph in a 65 mph zone?” “Uh….miles per hour – is that different from kilometers, Officer?” I’m sure he was smiling on the inside. He took my license and disappeared for a while. It turns out he was a state trooper after my own heart. He let me go without a ticket but not without telling me that speeding over 85mph in Vermont is a no-questions asked arrestable offence. Apparently, I was supposed to be immediately taken into custody, booked and made to wait in jail until someone could bail me out or they could find me a public defender. Yikes. I’ve seen Midnight Express. I’m way too fragile for prison. So thank you dear State Trooper in Vermont. From that show on, we dedicated a song to him every night of the tour. We finally arrived at the gig almost 3 hours later than expected. We parked the car and walked straight on stage.

Thank you to The Dogfish Bar & Grille for being so understanding and feeding us gorgeous food. Thank you to Michele, the organizer, for taking care of us. Thank you to our dear friends from Hong Kong, Tim & Clare, for putting us up for the night in their new digs in Freeport, ME. Clare’s homemade soup was spectacular! Thank you to Paul Blanchard, an amazing percussionist, who sat in with us during ‘Burn’. It sounded beautiful, Paul.

Thursday, Oct. 15 @ 11pm
The Blue Toad Café
14 Cypress Street
Keene, NH 03431

After the high levels of anxiety that dictated the last 48 hours, it was a dream to find ourselves relaxing with some old friends in their beautiful house out in the woods. With a full night of rest and full stomachs, we made our way to Keene, New Hampshire. The drive through all of New England was unbelievably scenic and calming. We were psyched for our next show! Only upon arriving, we found the venue completely closed down and cleared out. We found a Mexican restaurant that was still serving food, drank margaritas and ate peanut butter cup pie. So the night wasn’t a complete loss…

Friday, Oct. 16 @ 7pm
Knapp's Underground
447 Main Street
Bennington, VT 05201
www.oldknapps.com

Venues like this are the reason that music brings communities together. This is an all ages space and they don’t serve alcohol. So they attract a crowd that comes out strictly to hear music. Mike, the owner, started the place under the duress of his daughter and has been trying to keep the place alive ever since. It was an absolute pleasure to play here. The most memorable moment was when everyone started clapping in unison to create a sense of percussion during ‘Burn’. Interestingly, it wasn’t the only time this happened on the tour, but it never ceased to amaze me. And I’ve never felt so connected to a moment in time while playing in front of an audience. We gained a lot of fans that night and it seemed like the tour had finally begun.

Also, we got to watch a blistering set by a band out of Brooklyn called Analogue. (http://www.anal06ue.com/) Drums, a kick-ass guitarist with a killer live tone and a soulful singer. Check them out if you get a chance.

Thank you to Mike for a memorable night! Thank you to Ben Mackin for coming down and playing some of his songs. Thank you to another friend from HK, Cliff, for letting us stay at his family home in Brattleboro. We appreciated the home away from home.

A special thank you to Chris D., Breanna and Tom!

Saturday, Oct. 17 @ 9pm
The Cantab
738 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02139
www.cantab-lounge.com

Another memorable night in a memorable place! I loved the vibrancy of this town. The Cantab was an interesting setup because you had 2 separate bars upstairs and down with 2 bands playing at the same time so there were some bleeds in the sound. Mickey, the club booker and soundman, took really good care of us and he gave me some guitar lead cables after mine had been stolen from our incoming flight to NY. So he will always hold a special place in my heart. We played to a great crowd and met a lot of wonderful people. Other bands to check out – The Hammond Group! (http://www.myspace.com/thehammondgroupband )We loved their set and their songs about deranged ice cream men and psycho gym ladies. The Callous Stars for more great sounds. The lead singer, Bilvox, is such a cool guy. (http://www.myspace.com/bilvoxmusic )The Last Ones for even more great sounds with a killer drummer, Richee.

Thank you to the Hammond Group for driving us back to theirs so they could give us some scrumptious Canadian apple beer. Thank you to Kevin Mahoney for being a Boston gentleman. Kevin is the man!

Monday, Oct. 19 @ 10.15pm
The Saint
601 Main Street
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
www.thesaintnj.com

The Saint in Asbury Park, NJ has a reputation that precedes itself. It’s a legendary venue and if you are lucky enough to play here, you can feel the history seeping through the walls. Everyone from Creed to Jewel, from Incubus to the Stereophonics, from the Dandy Warhols to Derek Trucks, from Big Wreck (believe it or not, me & the lead singer are actually related) to Cake has graced this stage. Unfortunately, it was a pretty quiet night, but that didn’t stand in the way of another spectacular evening. First of all, we love you, Emily Long! (http://www.myspace.com/emilylongrocks ) This was one of the best live bands I have ever seen. I loved the songs, the sounds and the band rocked it hard with my brand new favourite drummer, Zach, bashing it out behind the kit. Would definitely love to play another show with them - anytime, anywhere. Thank you to Meg for taking such good care of us with her stellar bartending skills. Thank you to Scott for giving us all the free T’s. And thank you to Drew for being one of the coolest people I’ve ever met. Rock on Phanphest! We love you, NJ!

Tuesday, Oct. 20 @ 10.15pm
Goodbye Blue Monday
1087 Broadway
Brooklyn, NY 11221
www.goodbye-blue-monday.com

If you find yourself in Brooklyn, you need to stop at Goodbye Blue Monday. This place is a throwback to old venues that came up in the 1960’s where they were more concerned with art than commerce. Whether you’re abusing ukulele’s, reading poetry, or banging out a rendition of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ on the piano – everyone gets a chance to be heard. Some wonderful stuff we heard that night – Johanna Rodriguez (http://www.myspace.com/johannarod ), a duo called After Owls (I think) and a girl named Carlie (not sure if that’s the correct spelling) reading poetry with a bite and a nice Valerie Solanas reference. The whole thing was MC’d by Joe Crow Ryan - a lovely, lovely man. (http://www.myspace.com/joecrowryan ) Another one for the vaults…

Thank you to new friends – Oli Foster and Alex Duerr! I miss you both already. Remember, as Joe Crow Ryan would say – This Machine Kills Purists.

Wednesday, Oct. 21 @ 9.30pm
Mojo 13
1706 Philadelphia Pike
Wilmington, Delaware 19809
www.mojothirteen.com

Next stop, Delaware. In America, it’s always hard to compete for attention when there is a baseball game happening at the same time you’re playing and it’s part of the ‘world series.’ It’s called the World Series, but it’s not actually a global event. Anyways, once again, I’m digressing… But it is a puzzler. So fight the good fight we did. This was a really cool venue from its insane clown logo out front to the marquee of lights above the stage. I loved playing under the marquee and the stage felt good. Unfortunately, the more I rocked out, the more the stage shook, meaning I had to be aware of a wavering mic with malicious intent. The band before us – Soul Pole, completely blew out our eardrums with their monstrous rock – well done, boys! (http://www.myspace.com/soulpole2008 ) Our new friend, Melissa, acted as our manager and helped sort out sound. She also fed us and put us up at her house for the night, so I owe her and her husband, Matt, a big thank you. Check out her very cool celtic-infused sounds – (http://www.mythicamusic.com )

Thank you to Dan Uncles and Peter Anto for their rousing support!

Saturday, Oct. 24 @ 8.30pm
Q Ball Cafe and Billiards
960 Bragg Road
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
http://www.myspace.com/alleestagelighting

Picture this - We were one of the Jager bands booked on this Jagermeister (http://www.jagermeister.com )sponsored night. Jager – yeah, just the kind of thing you associate with an acoustic set…projectile vomit, bikini contests, and hardcore death metal. Needless to say, this wasn’t really our crowd although, remarkably, we still earned some hardcore fans who wanted us to get up and do an encore! Also, the other bands – Property (http://www.myspace.com/propertymetal )and Von Kull (http://www.myspace.com/vonkull )were supercool guys who were hugely supportive of us. And how can you not like a metal band that does a cover of ‘I Ran’ by Flock of Seagulls? A-1 in my book, boys.

Thank you’s are due to Shane, Richard, Mikey, Neil, Shawn, Christopher and of course, John Allee for taking care of us.

Monday, Oct. 26 @ 10pm
The Cave
452 1/2 West Franklin Street
Chapel Hill, NC 27516
www.caverntavern.com

The Cave is another legendary venue where REM, (one of my all-time favourites), played some of their early shows. Very cool space, literally set up like a cave. There’s not much more to say except that it was definitely one of the standout venues that I won’t soon forget. We had another raucous set and met some more great folks. We were totally taken care of by Melissa the bartender (http://www.myspace.com/themoaners ) and played with even more exceptional musicians. Check out Jeremy Blair from Effingham (http://www.myspace.com/jeremyblairfromeffingham ) and Gray Byrd. (http://www.myspace.com/graybyrd )

Thank you to Jeremy for turning up at our next gig in Raleigh to support us. We had a fab night!

Tuesday, Oct. 27 @ 9pm
Black Flower
517 W. Peace Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
http://www.blackflowerbar.com/

This gig was probably the quietest of the tour, but the venue was superb and we’re definitely supporting what the owner is trying to bring to the Raleigh area. Brilliant décor, and a standout sound system contribute to the swanky vibe of the place. But nothing could beat the star treatment we received from Jamie Saad, the owner. He was an absolute gentleman who was whole-heartedly supportive of what we were doing and its people like him that make touring so far from home worthwhile. Definitely a place worth checking out if you’re passing through Raleigh. I recommend the decadent Manhattans and the Skittles for some post-gig inebriation.

Thank you to all the bartending staff!

Wednesday, Oct. 28 @ 11.15pm
The White Mule
1530 D Main Street
Columbia, SC 29201
http://www.thewhitemule.com/

Another tremendous night of music that I felt privileged to be a part of. God, how I love those Carolina accents… Excellent venue, good food, fantastic people, great town. This was the night where we closed out the bar and ended up heading back to one of the other band member’s houses after the show. Thank you, McKinley! It was a night for making new friends and learning about the intricacies of American beers. Thank you to Andy and Patrick for making our stay in Columbia so worthwhile. We hope Mecca recovered nicely…

Shout-outs….
Sounds of Suburbia
http://www.myspace.com/soundsofsuburbia

The Reason Your Listening
http://www.myspace.com/thereasonyourlistening

Concrete Jumpsuit
http://www.myspace.com/concretejumpsuit

Thursday, Oct. 29 @ 11.50pm
The Village Tavern
1055 Johnnie Dodds Blvd.
Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464
http://www.myspace.com/villagetavern

Apparently everyone was saving themselves up for Halloween…of course. So the night was very quiet. But we ended up meeting an interesting artist named Jennifer Guessner who had been in some bands in NYC and we had a great conversation. The other shining lights were the other musicians of the evening. We missed Megan Jean’s set, but spent the days following listening to her EP in the car. Absolutely beautiful music that you need to hear. (http://www.myspace.com/meganjeanband ) The V-Tones (http://www.myspace.com/thevtonesofcharleston )were a lot of fun too, bringing their sound to life with an upright bass and a mandolin. It’s always a thrill when the audience participates and once again, people in the audience started adding percussion as soon as we launched into ‘Built to Last.’ There were even some added voices that started singing along. What a beautiful moment in time. This was also the night where Sue broke her first string of the tour! I was waiting for it to happen with the way she was shredding it up. Then her battery died in her distortion pedal. Then my input jack on my Ibanez got loose and fell out. But we somehow soldiered on with our weathered battle gear to fight another day…

Friday, Oct. 30 @ 10.30pm
The Go Bar
195 Prince Avenue
Athens, GA 30601
http://www.myspace.com/gobar

I’m sorry we didn’t get to play the next night on Halloween. Mike Mills (the bass player from REM, in case you didn’t know) was playing the next night with a Sex Pistols cover band called Bodies. Now that’s a show I would’ve loved to be a part of! But I’m glad we were able to play here regardless. I loved the atmosphere of the venue and its overall Georgian charm. Once again, we witnessed an unbelievably good set by The Bros. Marler. (http://www.myspace.com/thebrosmarler ) There unique blend of acoustic Americana meets the Cure was one of the best live sets I saw on the tour and probably ever. Adam Poulin on violin with them was a revelation. I couldn’t believe anyone could whip their head around that much and not fall over. Another band it would be a pleasure to play with again. Jon Penland (http://www.myspace.com/jonpenland ) had a great set as well and we’re glad he was able to make it to the gig.

Big thank you’s are due to my new friend Cooper – if you need download cards, please contact his company, (http://www.discrevolt.com ), they are brilliant. Thank you also to Dustin, Sarah and Katherine for their support. Dustin, we’d love to stay with you next time we’re in Athens! Thanks for the invite.

Stay tuned for more adventures from the road - Vol. 2 is on its way. And like KILL BILL, it will be worth the wait:)

Phoenix Rising

2009-10-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

With our time in Phoenix coming to an end, we brace ourselves for the whirlwind of tour dates that await us on the East Coast. What do we have to say about Phoenix? A country unto itself with clear blue skies, the blistering sun, firearms galore & the Diamondbacks... The Red Rocks were majestic and The Ruby Room rocked! We'll be in touch soon with more news from the road...stay tuned in.

WELCOME TO AMERICA

2009-10-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

TOUR RANT #101 - Sept.20

After almost 18 hours of traveling we finally arrived on US soil. First stop – Denny’s! For a much needed breakfast at twilight. Sue & I were amazed by the sizes of the dishes and the choices on the menu. Everything by supersize… After a night of rest in Chicago, we were headed to St. Louis to take part in the PLAY: stl Music Festival & Conference. We got on the Amtrak & headed west. Upon arriving in St. Louis we were able to find a cabby to take us to our host housing. He didn’t seem particularly helpful as Sue & I struggled with our mammoth luggage to get it into the car. After calling me ‘lady’ and a little jaunt around the neighborhood, he finally found the right house. But then the next thing you knew, he jumped out of the cab, grabbed the luggage then proceeded to double over in pain grabbing his crotch. After we asked him if he was alright, he told us something was wrong with his prostate, then took out fluid pack he had attached to his leg(!) We told him to take it easy and gave him a $2 tip. He seemed disappointed. I realized that Beijing was not going to be my #1 place for experiencing confusing taxi rides anymore.

We were able to get some decent rest in a spacious decked-out pad. The people we met in St. Louis were incredibly endearing & kind, including our host, Mike. We got rested up in preparation for the show. Unbeknownst to us, the festival had had some venue & sponsorship issues and as a result, festival performers had to be shuffled around & re-scheduled to different venues. After originally being slotted in at one of the loop’s hottest venues, we found ourselves now playing at Chipotle’s, a burrito fast food restaurant. Wow. What else can you say when you fly all the way from the other side of the world expecting to see the bright lights & the big city? I picked up my disappointment & shoved it in my suitcase. There was still a show to do. With that said, it actually ended up being a really good gig. The staff were awesome & totally supportive. The audience was fantastic & rocked out through the show. And I met some amazing people that I won’t soon forget, including a young music mogel in-the-making named Breena and her wonderful mom, Donna. It also gave us a chance to break in the set in the US and get some initial nerves out of the way. Of course, the other thrill was sharing the stage-slash-burrito grill with some very talented musicians like Brett Daniels and Arliss Moon. We also got to see One Lone Car’s last show with their lead singer. Thank you’s are also due to Laura, Nick & Wayne for helping to make our STL experience even more memorable.

St. Louis – we won’t soon forget you. But next time we come back, we’re playing The freakin’ Pageant.

KEYS TO THE ASYLUM

2009-08-27T19:17:00.000-07:00

Things that make you go hmmm…

The Times – Editorial - 1853

“Nothing can be more slightly defined than the line of demarcation between sanity and insanity…Make the definition too narrow, it becomes meaningless; make it too wide, and the whole human race becomes involved in the dragnet. In strictness we are all mad when we give way to passion, to prejudice, to vice, to vanity; but if all the passionate, prejudiced and vain people were to be locked up as lunatics, who is to keep the key to the asylum?”

As reprinted in the book “The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher” by Kate Summerscale

THE GREAT MJ IN THE SKY

2009-07-30T05:50:00.000-07:00

The first album I ever owned was a whopper. It was called ‘Thriller.’ I’m not talking about a CD either, I mean it was…vinyl. I listened to this album constantly. From the creaking doors of the title track to the insinuating bass line of ‘Billie Jean’ - I was obsessed with Michael Jackson. I wanted to be like him, dance like him, sing like him, even look like him(!) I even had the glove…What can I say - he was my childhood hero. My personal pied piper. There was something otherworldly about him and it was captivating. I grew out of this phase by the time I was 8 or 9. And the older I got, the further away MJ became…just a distant memory in my music consciousness. As my tastes developed to other kinds of music, I felt as though I’d put away childish things. But one day, about 5 years ago, I was moving some boxes in my house and had the TV on in the background. It was tuned to MTV. I was in the other room and heard a familiar song. I couldn’t place it as first. Then the voice surfaced. I recognized right away that it was Michael Jackson, but had forgotten how good he was. I went to the TV to watch the rest of the video. It was mesmerizing & it blew my mind. I went out that day and bought all the old Jackson records that I used to have on vinyl. I started incorporating them into my playlist again. I couldn’t believe so much time had passed since I’d heard these songs. I felt like a kid who had grown up and rediscovered the missing link between pop and soul. I don’t mean soul music. I mean the place where you feel everything that’s right and wrong in the world – soul. I couldn’t help being astounded by it all. Unfortunately, at some point, the music stopped being the main event and started becoming the opening act as his private life took center stage. Maybe the beauty and the sadness of it is that everything must come to pass. What a tragedy for us that somehow the magic would be lost in so much madness.

To MJ – I hope you found whatever peace you spent your whole life looking for.

The best MJ songs ever in no particular order:
Billie Jean
Rock With You
PYT
Beat It
Dirty Diana
Smooth Criminal
In the Closet
Give in to Me
Leave me alone

2009-06-25T03:49:00.001-07:00

ANIMAL RIGHTS

2009-06-18T05:28:00.000-07:00

Since May of this year, 37,500 dogs have been brutally killed in China as part of an ‘effort’ to contain rabies. The attacks have been taking place in Hanzhong city and the surrounding countryside in Shaanxi Province, where 9 people have died from rabies. City officials are justifying the killings as necessary, thereby clearing the areas of ALL dogs – strays and pets. What makes the justifications all the more disturbing is the manner in which the animals are being killed. They are being hunted down by packs of people wielding sticks, pipes, rope and anything else that can be used as a weapon and are then brutally beaten to death and left to die in the street. I encourage you to read this information from Animals Asia, a wonderful organization that is doing all it can to spread the message about the cruelty that is happening and preparing alternatives to offer the Chinese government and the city officials. http://www.animalsasia.org/index.php?UID=GUXTBBXYJEG - (if this link doesn't appear, just copy & paste it into your browser.) Or you can visit: www.animalsasia.org
I warn you that the images you will see are graphic and will probably stay with you long after you cease looking at them. But we need to be aware of the existence of this kind of barbarity in order to change it. You don’t need to be a bleeding heart liberal or an animal lover to appreciate the magnitude of these inhumane actions and the impact they have on the world we live in. Every living thing on this earth is entitled to some speck of dignity, particularly animals that we call ‘companions.’ And from a global perspective, China, a culture so rich in so many ways, needs to understand that these kinds of policies only serve to dehumanize them in the eyes of the world. How unfortunate for those people who have lost their beloved pets over the last few weeks. How unfortunate for the 70% of the city’s population who disagree with the inhumane practice. And how unfortunate for humankind’s best friend. Please pass this information along and do whatever you can. We have strength in numbers!

THE POWER OF TEEN SPIRIT

2009-05-27T23:05:00.000-07:00

Back when I was 18, I decided I was going to spend 6 months in China. Now, if you’re thinking to yourself, ‘wait, isn’t Hong Kong in China?’ Well, technically. (If you’re thinking, ‘wait, isn’t Japan in China?’ Then you’ve got other issues.) OK, so to make a short story even shorter, and for all purposes of geographical concern – Hong Kong is an island. It was always Chinese, but when the Great Brits stormed the gates, they decided to acquire it as another little jewel in their crown. After 1997, HK ceased being a British Colony and went back into the hands of the Big Cheese. Now, as you see, I’ve fallen waaaaay off topic again… So as I was saying, I decided to spend 6 months in China. I enrolled in the Beijing Language and Cultural University, attended Mandarin lessons for 6 hours everyday and traveled all over China. I saw the terra cotta warriors in Xian, Tiananmen Square in Beijing and had my skin pinched and my hair pulled by 5 year olds in a place I can’t even remember the name of. All of this was amazing to witness and be a part of. But there is one other experience that stood out to me just as profoundly. One day I was sitting on some steps in a secluded area on the University grounds so I could study for an upcoming exam. I vaguely noticed that the PA was slightly blaring in the background with the twists & lilts of the city’s language. And then something surreal happened. The opening notes of ‘Heart-Shaped Box’ started. A dropped D arpeggio from beyond the grave. I looked around, and noticed students continuing on with their business. Kurt started singing, then the chorus kicked in and the song blared across the PA. I stopped what I was doing & listened to the song out of respect for one of my all-time favourite bands. The song ended, and in my limited Mandarin, I was able to catch ‘Kurt Cobain’, ‘music’, ‘grunge’, ‘Nirvana’, ‘death’, and ‘peace.’ I looked at my calendar. Sure enough, it was the anniversary of Kurt’s death. What that moment in time encapsulated for me was this – whoever we are, wherever we are – we are the same. We celebrate the same things. We mourn the same things. They may be expressed differently, but the emotions are the same. In this case, the circumstances weren’t even differently expressed, they were just transplanted to another place. This was about someone on the other side of the world, from a different culture speaking a different language, identifying with something in the music of a band from nowhere (sorry, Aberdeen!) and feeling compelled enough to mark a sad occasion with a song. That, my friends, is the power of Teen Spirit. RIP, Kurt

DOGS ON PROZAC

2009-05-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

Do you ever have days when you look around and wonder what the hell the world is coming to? I have to admit – back when I was in law school, that thought used to occur to me all the time. Of course, that was because I had a flair for criminal law, thus committing myself to oodles of hours pouring over case after case of some of the darkest behaviours known to humankind. How can you not ask yourself, ‘where does humanity truly reside?’ And…how can you not be on Prozac? But again, dear reader, I’m digressing. (You’ll notice that happens a lot). So this all brings me to my initial reason for writing. One day, very recently, I took my little bundle of joy, Trixie, to the vet for a routine check-up. To my absolute horror, I found out that despite smiling on the outside, she was actually crying on the inside. The vet said she had some issues that were not being dealt with! The vet asked if I allowed her to show her feelings... The vet asked if I had neglected my leadership duties… Then he hit me with the news no parent ever wants to hear, “This dog needs to be on Prozac”. And the whole world as we know it crumbles around us… This is a true story, folks.

THE LIVING ROOM #1

2009-04-18T19:17:00.000-07:00

I come from a musically-appreciative family. So the other day my mom was asking me what I’ve been listening to since she’s looking to expand her iTunes library. So I was filling her in on some new stuff I’ve discovered and some older stuff I’ve rediscovered. And it was a really great conversation. So I thought I’d keep an updated post of what new or old stuff I’m listening to in the hopes that you might discover something too. Also, if there’s anything you think is really cool that I might like, drop me a line & let me know.
This is what I’ve been listening to this week:
Vampire Weekend – this is a record I really like. It reminds me of early Elvis Costello with a little bit of the Police and the Clash thrown in.
Fleet Foxes – this is what I would call a ‘luvly’ record. Just really chilled with nice harmonies & textures.
Blood Red Shoes – I love this band! I think they’re great fun. They’re from the UK and the band is just a drummer & a guitarist. But they’ve got great energy & really catchy tunes.
The Killers – they’re one of those bands that sometimes really have their moments. I like Brandon’s heart-on-his sleeve writing.
Slipknot – there are some surprising moments on this record. I got this album because I liked the political slant of the subject matter & I thought ‘Gehenna’ was interesting. It’s an album of extremes & I like the audacity behind some of its ideas.

And age-old favourites:
Hole – one of my ALL-TIME fave bands! Courtney Love rocked like a one-woman army back in the ‘90’s. It’s a shame she hasn’t been more prolific, or lucid. Whichever applies.
Motley Crue – just some good ol’ ‘80s nostalgia. But I have to say, I’ve totally re – ‘discovered’ Mick Mars, and he’s without a doubt one of the greatest living guitarists in my book. Listen to ‘Kickstart My Heart’ with a jolt of caffeine in the morning.
Muse – Another fave. They’re just way too accomplished for their own good. Great musicianship, great songwriting and a really cool red suit make for an awe-inspiring band.
Johnny Winters – my guitar teacher turned me onto him & his early stuff is really amazing. I’m actually a huge fan of Stevie Ray Vaughan, but Johnny has his own way of wrenching blood, sweat & tears out of his guitar.

I’ll let you know what I’m listening to next week…

NEGATIVE RED

2009-04-07T20:43:00.000-07:00

This newfangled thing that ex-President Bush referred to as ‘The Internets’ is pretty amazing. I’m sure that the realization of its complete vastness is what caused him to momentarily lose his grip on his mental faculties. But I digress… Anyways, through the internet(s) and fantastic networking sites like MySpace and Facebook, I’ve made contact with some truly great people all over the world through the power of music. If you have not (yet!) heard of Negative Red, one way or another (Blondie, baby!), you will. They are loud, intense and just a little bit creepy. But there’s something very cool about what they do. Interestingly, Negative Red is also a remixing team. (They did a remix for Shania Twain)! And through the power of the internet, they reached out to me with an interest in remixing some of my songs in a very different style. Right now, they are working on an industrial version of ‘HELENA’ and it is sounding brilliant. I love hearing music transcend genres to create a whole new listening experience! And it’s definitely an out-of-body experience when the music being stretched & shaped is your own. Big props to Negative Red for having the balls to attempt something…well, ballsy.

WELCOME TO THE FUTURE

2009-03-21T19:50:00.000-07:00

…the future of music, that is. For those of you outside of the industry or anyone who isn’t a musician, you might not have heard, but the music industry has been dying a very slow death. It’s the kind of thing that’s had everyone somehow connected to music in a complete uproar. I have to admit, even I felt a bit worried. People kept saying we had to outrun certain death. I kept checking behind me everywhere I went…I felt like one of those poor teenage girls from an ‘80’s slasher flick who just lost her virginity and now must face the reaper. When someone says that something’s dying, we naturally feel a need to bow our heads & mourn. But music is such a vital piece of our everyday existence, surely it will find a way to live on. And this is one of the ways that’s happening; by me being able to have a direct link to you. Whether you’re a part of my tribe, an inquiring soul, a digger of tracks or just ended up here by a cyber detour, this is my connection to you. And I think that’s pretty cool. As Springsteen so eloquently wrote back in the Middle ages, “Everything dies, baby, that’s a fact. But maybe everything that dies, someday comes back..” And the Boss lives on.