killswitch

joel 

My dear friend Joel is leaping into new places. His band (www.killswitchengage.com) has been nominated for a grammy. They're nominated for best metal act or somesuchthing. If there were any justice in the world they'd win.
Joel was at my house about 6 months ago or so to listen to my new record. Just sat there. Listening. After every song he would give great, bold, well thought out compliments. He just wanted to hear my stuff. REALLY wanted to hear it. To get inside it. Afterwords we talked about gear and musicality. Then we reminised about the time we would sit around together (we both used to teach guitar at the same shop) and reharmonize songs just to make us laugh our asses off. Our personal favorite was Led Zeppelin's "Stairway to Heaven". We took every major chord and made it minor and vice versa. I remember writing "you won't see me cloudy in your sky" in the waiting room of that shop. I had scribbled the words on the back of a flyer. It was totally silly. Joel comes up and reads them and loves it. You just wrote a little pop love song that talks about vikings and elves and beer? I recently turned him on to Robbie Fulks and Elliott Smith. He also told me that my CD is on constantly in their tour bus. Dude, lets get lunch...I'm on my way up and I've got my new CD...or...I've got my new guitar I want you to play...or...I've burned a bunch of CD's for you. When he met my father he addressed him as "Sir". They don't make people much better than this guy.
Joel has made me young again. Made me realize that life is electric and swirling. Made me realize that there are no boundries. Metal. Pop. Jazz. It's all about the fucking passion. A hardcore/punk song can be just one voice and one guitar. It's about the spirit. It's about the intensity. It's about being genuine. You've given me more than I could ever give you. Thanks. Thanks for making me a better person.

broken stuff

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My favorite album title of all time is by a band that I actually don't really think I know much by. And what I've heard leaves little impression. The band is Piebald. The title?
"If it weren't for venitian blinds it would be curtains for us all"
I mention this for no reason. It just makes me laugh everytime. Been spending the last few days alienating my girlfriend and dog. I've had my head so deep in playing music that it's been hard to do anything other than eat or sleep. I'm getting frustrated with the lack of equipment that I have. I have never owned a recording device of any sort. Well, I had a hand held tape recorder and 2 years ago I bought a barely working cassette 4 track. I've never owned a drumset or had one in my possession for more than a couple of days. I don't own a bass or bass amp. No PA. One guitar amp that's currently broken. I think it's the fuse. And the reverb box is shattered into pieces. I own a Ephiphone ES335 reissue that's marginal at best. 2 broken guitars, a 1985 Washburn (useless when working) and 1989 Fender Strat that's usable for a beginner, I guess. I also have a beautiful nylon acoustic/electric bought for me by Jose Ayerve (www.joseayerve.com) in Argentina. A 1972 Yamaha box steel string and a Samick acoustic that's kind of a beater but I still use it from time to time. But that's sad to me. I've been playing music for 20 years and that's all I have. Broken shit. I need to record my next record. I want to do it myself and right now, I can't. Why? Priorities are completely fucked up on most days. I spend 75 dollars on books, 100 dollars on movies and nothing on music equipment. Well, maybe I buy a set of strings. I need to stop. I need to buy recording gear. I'm using this rant as a motivator. I'm going to go look up recorders right now. Goddammit.

shows this week

I'm playing a couple of shows this week that should be much fun:
Saturday, January 15th at the Brass Cat - NEW RADIANT STORM KING, NATIONAL CARPET and MARK SCHWABER
Saturday, January 22nd at PACE - THE WINTERPILLS and MARK SCHWABER
Hope you can make it out.

dimebag

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I'm just going to pretend that I didn't have the goddamn flu for the last 4 days. Just gonna pretend that didn't happen...
I'm getting real close to having another record written. I think. I've got 4 finished songs and 3 or 4 that just need lyrics and some tweeking. I haven't started to record a lick of it yet. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do about that. I kind of want to do it at home. It's going to be pretty invovled in its simplicity and will take alot of time I fear. Which means I couldn't afford to do it in a studio. Actually, I don't think I want to anyway. Not this time at least. These songs are lyrically traumatic. I need to be alone with them I think. Plus, the idea of doing it myself means that I can't blame anyone when I'm done. Not that I ever would anyway. I would like to play most of the instruments myself. I know that's completely meglomatic but fuck it. I've always wanted to do it so why not? I'm hoping that a few people that I really respect will lend their talents to it though. Flora Reed, Rene from Petulant Child, Jose Ayerve, Philip Price, Joel from Killswitch Engage and maybe Ken Mauri when he comes to visit again. I don't know, it's all in my head. Hopefully it will come out lucid enough.
I've sold over 100 copies of my solo record which I know doesn't sound like much but since I rarely play anywhere I'm pretty happy with it. I'm not out to make a living at this. I just want to be happy with what I create and share it with those that might be interested. You can find my CD here www.cdbaby.com I'm really proud to say that it's getting really good reviews too. A great one from www.masslive.com, from Shut Eye Records in Georgia and I even made a top 11 list. Top 11 list? Yes, I'm 11 on Philip Price's records of the year. www.philipprice.com That is so flattering. I would rather be # 40 on his list than #1 on many other people's lists.
Anyway, all of these things inspire me to keep doing this. Well, it's one of the many things at least. In my head I'm feeling that I'll have a new record out (of some sort) by the fall of 2005. I think that's pretty realistic. Jose and Pigeon Records are so kind to put out my records knowing that I'm not this gigging machine. They really appreciate the music more than the dollar. I am forever thankful for that.
On another musical note, I had a chance to meet Dimebag Darrell back in 1990 or so. Pantera played at Katina's in Hadley and after the show those guys were so sweet to us. I remember Dimebag thinking I was the coolest kid because I had a Planters Peanuts jar filled with whiskey that I drank all night at the show. I was not yet 21. Months later I ran into Vinnie Paul (the drummer and Dimebag's brother) at the Holyoke Mall. He remembered my name and invited me to that nights show they were doing at the Springfield Civic Center. I didn't want to go because I hated Skid Row for whom they were opening. What a great bunch of guys. No Devil rock, no shitty metal misogonysts, no racist garbage just really great and giving guys that loved music so damn deeply. And they never took anything for granted. I'm so sorry Dimebag met this sick and disturbing demise. Look at the way he lead his life, not the way it so tragically ended. My deepest condolences to Vinnie and the rest of his family.