Have a new band - Two Sheds Jackson. Will post more later when there is time, but it's a fun band - great to listen to, great to dance to. We played a great first gig on May 3rd. Working on more bookings - will post info as it comes in.

 

Check out www.twoshedsjackson.net. It's up and running, but still under constuction.

 

Best to all! - steve

Yes, I haven't written anything for a long time. Lot's of life to live.

White update - not much happening at the moment. Am working toward upgrading the studio - have lot's of JBL speakers for sale! Some power amplifiers, mixers, outboard gear...... let me know if you or someone you know is building a P.A. and needs some great stuff!  :)

The other band I've been playing with has been officially named Two Sheds Jackson and it's looking like our first gig will be in early May. Will post more about that later.

 

Meanwhile, in my day-job life, have been busy - collage events, corportate events, concerts - just did a couple of days with kd lang. I've always admired her voice and she sounds as good or better than the record in person. A great bunch of folks with her. I'd worked with her monitor engineer before - Gordon. Very funny guy and nearly encyclopedic in his knowledge of audio and live sound.

Coming up - the Dalai Lama will be in Seattle for a number of days as part of an event called Seeds of Compassion. Info can be found at http://www.seedsofcompassion.org/ He will be appearing at a number of locations and events during the time he is here. My crew and I will be at the University of Washington at the Bank of America Arena for three days of events, including one with the Seattle Symphony and a choir of at least 200. That should be fun to mix!

 

And now I turn, look out the window, and on this 28th day of March, mixed rain and snow is falling from the skies. But, hey -it's Spring!  

 

All the best to all - steve

Wow - two months since any writing in this space. Never got around to the Woodstick podcast, as you can see. Still like the idea, though. Will certainly experiment with it sometime in the near future....

 

Happy new year to all and may the best come your way!

 

Resolutions? We don't need no stinkin' resolutions! But I do have plans for several music projects this year. Over-ambitious? Probably. But what the hell, you gotta go for something! Have started work on a solo CD, with a blues and rock feel to it. One song is pretty much completed so far. More on their way..... White is still alive, although there will be some changes in the works. Perhaps even a name change? Hmmmm..... With Phil Davis in the band, and more time to write and think the whole thing through, it may be a different sounding project than the last record. Actually, I'm certain it will be a different sound. Time will tell..... And if those two things aren't enough to work on - besides my day job, family, etc - I'm also playing in a four piece blues band, yet to be named. 16 Eyes is one possible name (four guys who all wear glasses :). We plan to do some little gigs in the Seattle area this year. This one is pretty fun, as there is no pressure, no real expectations, just some good players who like to play for the fun of it. I'm singing a lot of the songs, so that's a dimension of the band that also draws me in.

 

So little time and so much to do.....

It's been a month since the last post - wow. Busy month - lot's of work, kids in school, music in the studio, some rehearsals with another group of musicians, and White playing Woodstick. My buddie Paul suggested I do a podcast, since so many people are doing blogs. Not a bad idea! Am not in the position to do a live one, but I took a mini-disc recorder and wandered around Woodstick, gathering some sounds that I'll use in my first podcast experiment. It may not be done until after this weekend, but will give it a shot.....

 

Woodstick was quite the scene - more drummers than I've ever seen in one place at one time. And the sound! Incredible. I haven't seen an official count yet, but there had to have been at least 300 drummers and drum kits there. Our portion was playing Imagine with all the drummers. Alan had his "Imagine drum set", the one he used on the recording, and everyone played along. There were 2 conductors, who really helped keep everyone together.

 

A few photos from the extravaganza:

 

The group photo, left to right: Michael Schrieve, your's truely, Kevin Currie, Carmine Appice, Alan White, Donn Bennett, and Scot Mercado.

The band on stage is the seminal NW rock band, The Wailers - THE first band to record Louie, Louie.

 

Check out http://www.woodstick2007.com/ for a recap, and I still intend to put a podcast together that will include some of the sounds of the event.

End of summer, beginning of Autum. It's been a busy month. Will need to catch up over several posts - not enough time for it all right now.

 

Genele and I saw Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein, the Musical on it's official opening night here in Seattle. It was a warm up run before it goes to Broadway. Very good production - I highly recommend it! Funny. Especially if you are a fan of the movie. Genele was aquainted with Mel when she lived in LA, and we got a chance to say hi during the intermission. Very nice man. And he wrote 18 songs - all but one - for the show in his typical Mel Brooks style with with his signauture humor. I hadn't realized he was a songwriter, but he said that's where he started. Wow. So that was on a Thursday night, and Genele gets a call from Mel on Friday to say how great it was to see her again and to meet me and to stay in touch. Then Sunday morning at 8:30am, the phone rings - I say "who the hell is calling this early on Sunday morning?" It was Mel, saying he was leaving the next day and didn't want to leave town without saying goodbye. I think he likes Genele.. :)

 

Over the Labor Day holiday, we went to Park City, Utah for the wedding of some good friends of ours. One night in Park City and two nights at the Sundance Resort, owned by Robert Redford. Beautiful place, just beautiful. I ended up playing a couple of songs with the band in the Owl Bar the night before the wedding and again with the band who played the wedding. Everyone had a great time - I hope to write more about it later.....

 

Then a few days after coming home from Park City, we took a family vacation to one of our favorite spots on earth, San Juan Island. Nine days. Ahhhh. Great house on the water, with a dock, and one of our friends offered to loan us his new skiff for the week. So we were out on the water almost every day. Got to spend some time with some of our good friends up there. One of the highlights was the seafood feast we do most every time we go up to the islands. Fresh crab, clams, oysters, prawns, salmon and more. Man was that great! Makes my mouth water just thinking about it.....

 

Now, back into the fray. The band will be getting together again sometime next month to play a song or two at an event called Woodstick. Us and about 500 drummers - that should prove interesting! Some new music is starting to float around, and Paul Secord and I are getting together this evening to discuss and/or plan some changes to the band website. Time to freshen things up!

 

 Alright - I've finally done it - created a MySpace page - www.myspace.com/steveboyceplace

Stop by and become a friend! I have one already..... :)

 

We're very up for the show in a couple of days. May be the largest crowd we've play to yet. Phil is rockin on the keys!

I hear there will be a two camera video shoot, so perhaps we'll be able to get some video onto whitemusic.net.

 

Was sorry to hear about John Wetton's health problems and the cancellation of Asia's Canada and Western US dates. But it's great the Docs caught it before it caught him! I hear the surgery was a sucess and all is well. Speedy recovery, John!

 

Our live sound company, Morgan Sound, has been nominated for the Northwestern US Hometown Hero award by the readers of FOH magazine. We were nominated and won in 2004. It would be great to do it again and YOU CAN HELP - if you happen to be a subcriber to Front Of House magazine!!

 

If you are, go to www.fohonline.com/hometown and vote for Morgan Sound! If you are in the audio business, you can get a free subscription by going to www.fohonline.com and signing up - it's very painless and is a pretty damn fine magazine for us Audio Heads.

Summer is raging - Love this time of year! It's the big Seattle Seafair weekend here - you either totaly embrace it, get into it, go to the events, or hideout and lay low....  The Blue Angels are flying all over the sky - how can you not get a rush from watching their show? The hydroplanes are revving up, making plenty of noise, and  thrilling all those who are close enough to watch. And Sunday the big races will be televised. A Seattle tradition. As a kid, we made wooden hydros, attached a string to them, and pulled them behind our bicycles all day during the summer.

 

Band practice again tomorrow - getting ready for the HempFest on August 19th. Mr. Zulu asked me if we were really going on at 4:20pm. I said yes, that's what I was told, and was told it was Prime Time for the HempFest. It took us all a while to realize the code 420. Once we finally realized the connection, all we could really say was "Duh....".

 

Phil Davis is just killing us on keyboards. The guy has such incredible talent and energy. Last rehearsal he brought in a keyboard, new to us, that does incredible vocal sounds. It's a Roland V-Synth with some sort of vocal card. He sings or speaks into the mic while holding down notes and the most amazing sounds come out! It's factoring in, big time, to Tempis Fugit vocals as well as Changes. No samples, no faked vocals. Real time cool vocal stuff....

 

In my life as an audio guy, we almost ended up doing a couple of Asia shows in Canada. It's not going to happen this time around - would have loved to see Goeff again - it's been a while. But with the timing of them coming through this part of the world, if their Vancouver show were to cancel for some reason, perhaps we could get him down for a guest appearance at the HempFest....  you never know.....

 

So Alan has a MySpace page now - something we should have done with the band a long time ago - but he has a couple of our songs on his page, and we've been getting great response from all over the world on the songs. Meeting a lot of new friends. Much appreciated!

 

So - anyone in the vicinity - -come to the show at at HempFest, in Seattle, August 19th - it's free! Gotta love that - and since we're playing at 4:20 - primetime - be prepared for sweet aromas in the air..... there will be a lot of people there, so get there early - lot's of other bands playing as well. Should be quite the time...... Phil pointed out to me that they've listed us at the top of the performer list: http://hempfest.org/drupal/?q=node/14

 

Hope everyone is having a great summer!

 

Back to you soon -

August 19th, 4:20pm. HempFest on the Seattle waterfront. A large crowd expected.

This is a festival that has happened each summer for many years. I've never attended, but I know many who have and have had a most excellent time.

Phil is going to play keys with us again. We're talking about what songs to play in the set - will probably have a little pleasant surprise for the Yes fans in the crowd.......

 

Happy birthday to Hamilton, who turns 21 today!

 

And rather than going out to the bars to tear up the town, he's playing an intimate set with his band, Song Sparrow Research, at a fairly private gathering.

 

I have so much love and repect for him - not only going to the University of Washington for the last 3 years studying Biology and Math, he's recorded an album a year, three years in a row and is currently working on a new one. Even if he wasn't my son, I'd be in awe......

 

Has everyone recovered from iPhone mania? Wow - if we could only be clever enough to market the band like that -

So the weather was certainly a factor - kind of a schitzoid kind of a day - it went from fairly warm and slightly breezy to windy as hell and pretty damn cold. As I was walking from the trailer, which was our dressing room, toward the stage to go on, I saw a flash in the sky and thought - whoa- I hope that was fireworks (the Tulalip Amphitheater is on an Indian Reservation). But no, it was the real deal. My buddy Reek told me after the set he saw lightining all around the area - but fortunately, none happened close to us during the show.

 

But man, it got cold! Any time I had an extended period where I didn't have to play, my left hand went right into my pants pocket.  No - not for that reason! Anything to keep  some warmth going. I heard Todd say, about four songs into their set - "I can't feel my frickin' fingers!"

 

But all of us in the band had a great time. And although the audience was rather small compared to when we played there with Peter Frampton, they, also, seemed to be having a great time. We got a great reponse from them. Went over to the merch table after our set and met a lot of new folks, as well as seeing numerous friends and familiar faces. Our thanks to all who braved the potentially funky weather. Paul and Jen, Reek and Lydia, Gib and Joan, Mr. Zulu and Mikey, Larry, Mary, Gina, Denny, and so many more...... And also, Eric and Andre from the local sound company for taking good care of us, and thanks to my buddy Redford, who is mixing the New Cars tour, for being so generous with the console and letting Tim have at it.....

Weather be damned, the show happened. A smaller, but enthusiastic crowd braved the potentially sucky weather and everyone seemed to have a great time. It went from almost hot on stage, at the first of the set, to pretty frickin' cold within a couple of songs. Lightining was periodically flashing around the area, but it didn't rain at all until about 2/3 of the way through the New Cars set.

 

Phil did an excellent job on the keys - especially considering we had our only rehearsal, all together, yesterday. He really worked his butt off, in a short period of time, to learn the set. And he brought a great energy to the stage. He's agreed to play with us in August at a festival in Seattle. More info to follow. But the rest of the gang dusted the songs off in short order and everyone felt pretty comfortable playing the set.

 

We got great support from Tim Harding on the front of house mix, Matty and his crew on and off stage, and Phil brought an army of help along to give us all a hand. Much appreciated!

 

I have to say though, the rain during the New Cars set gave me a chance to hook up with Todd Rungren again. We had spent a little time together a couple of times nine or so years ago, and I was hoping to get a chance to say hi again. They didn't show up until the middle of our set, so I didn't get to see him before the show. But they took a little break when the rain hit during their set, and he and I ran into each other as he was coming off the stage. We started chatting, while walking, and he invited me into their bus while they waited. So he and I sat in the lounge area while the rest of the band was elsewhere, and talked technology and about a few mutual friends. He's been a hero of mine for many years and it was great to have a chance to hook up again. Saw him again after they finished and got a few pics - here a a few of me, Genele, Hadley, and Haddyn with Todd..... 

 

Rehearsals went great - everyonen in good moods, played great. Phil, on keyboards, was awesome! It had been many, many years since we played together, but I knew he was still as good, or better than way back then. He had played in a band, years ago, called Bighorn, signed to Columbia Records. He kicks ass.....

 

At this point, we're just hoping the weather cooperates tonight. Should be a good set, no matter.....

Being in a band can be the most wonderful and the worst experiences of one's life. Playing music makes us happy. The business of music can be difficult, frustrating, and more - however it, or the lack thereof, has never dampened my desire to make and play music. This will be the first show we've played since January. It'll be great to play again. Are we going to make any money? Are we going to sell many CD's? None of us know the answers to those questions. But the answers to those questions are not why we play. We play because we love to. It feeds our souls.

 

There are those who thought this band was over. Hell, I've certainly had some of those thoughts myself. I play music with other people sometimes, so does Alan, so does Karl. But that doesn't mean we don't love this band. There is still much more to come from White. Much more.....  :)  Perhaps we need to work on enlarging our egos so we feel compelled to write about ourselves more, all over the internet! Ok - just joking........... maybe there's someone out there who wants to do that for us..........  :)

 

Bottom line - there are a few people who seem to want to judge our actions (or inactions) - but who can judge something they don't understand?

 

----------------------------------------------------

 

Oh yeah - one person comes to mind - he still lives in the White House.....

It's been a while - many things have happened worth writing about - but only so much time -

 

But today's news is the band is going to play on a bill with the New Cars featuring Todd Rundgren. Short notice. June 24th. Tulalip Amphitheater. 6pm we play.

 

In my last band MerKaBa, we had the rotating drummer situation. In this band, we have the rotating keyboard situation. But I'm very happy to say my old friend Phil Davis, aka Peter Davis, will be filling the keyboard position. The guy can play anything. It will be great to play with him again.

 

More to follow.......

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame - I saw probably the last 2/3 of the show. Came in on Sammy and Michael doing the Van Halen song. Kind of strange, as neither is in the band now, but at least someone showed up! Sammy's a likeable guy - I did some work with him many years ago. Didn't have personal contact with him, but he was around, hangin with the crew, being a regular guy. I wasn't into his music much, but have liked him ever since, just from his vibe. And he makes a pretty damn fine tequila......

 

Everybody seemed pretty jacked up about the Grand Master Flash thing. I'm happy for them, but it was pretty funny watching them perform for a bunch of - at least - middle-aged white folks.

 

Eddie Vedder's intro for REM was certainly lengthy, but entertaining. Eddie is a big fan of music and musicians, and it was easy to see from his in-depth intro. Not sure what Peter Buck's problem was, though. Certainly pounding the wine on stage, then seemed pissed off about his amp or something during the performance. My old friend Scott McCaughey, who has been one of their side-men for many years,  seemed to be asking him several times if he was ok. Peter finally tossed his amp off the stage and into the audience at the end of their last song. Nice touch. I've met Peter only once, but he was a great guy and we spent quite a bit of time chatting about music, bands, and musicians that we knew mutually. Must have just been having a bad night.....

 

The big finale was weird for me. I just don't get Patty Smith and her songs. Never did a thing for me except to change the radio channel if I ever heard her. But lots of people love her - just not me!

 

I'm afraid that what sucks about acts like her and Grand Master Flash getting in is that artists like Yes, Genesis, and Todd Rundgren probably never will. Seriously too bad. But who knows, if enough people make a big enough stink about it, perhaps the powers that be might reconsider. I know my friend Mr. Zulu - Michael - was sending around a petition of sorts promoting the idea of Yes being inducted for the HOF.

 

I mean, really - if Percy Sledge is in - for his one-hit career, shouldn't Yes also be there? They've certainly had more than one hit - and their influence on progressive rock continues to infulence. If Blondie is there, shouldn't Peter Gabriel and Genesis be in? I mean, come on - which one has the substance? And ok, Todd Rundgren may seem a little obscure to some, but his talent and career as a song writer, perfomer, and producer is something that should not be over-looked.

 

Anyone sick of politics yet?

i just received a note from a friend who read the last post. It seemed 'it are going in separate directions right now" may have been interpreted as the band being finished. That's not the case. Everyone is doing their own thing right now and no one person is really putting energy or effort into the band. That's all I meant to say. You get what you give and right now not much of either is happening.....

 

As I was writing the last post, I didn't write a number of thoughts in my mind at the time, but had been thinking about many decisions our band has made, especially at the beginning. It's easy to see in hindsight, how one bad decision can easily lead to two. Perhaps I'll get that out of my system soon, but not enough time right now.  

 

But I had a few minutes earlier and decided to check out a.m.y., as I hadn't looked in on them for a long time. I checked out a thread on The Syn and just started laughing. It's the same old shit, different time. But now, instead of Nardelli being the only "insider" to post, Gerard is airing his grievences as well. And they are going back and forth. With the other posters chiming in along the way. Very funny on one hand and kind of sad and sick on the other. Gerard has my empathy. My band felt the sting of broken promises. We were just too danm naive. And not just on that front - but that's another story.....

So I watched The Grammy Awards show and didn't write anything immediately after. I thought about it for a moment, then passed. But it was a fine TV show. There were some good performances. Beyonce was great. Christina was really quite good doing the James Brown song. It was entertaining to watch, but I felt a bit disconnected from the whole thing. I dunno, maybe it was just me. Or perhaps I just don't care about a lot of the current music these days. Maybe it feels too much like a fashion show. But I've certainly seen worse!

 

Tonight is the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five - the first of the rap acts inducted. These guys had some substance, and a few things to say - unlike a large portion of the crap that gets shoved down the consumers' collective throats today. REM. Of course. They rock, have had hit record after hit record, and are still together and relevant today. Good for them! The Ronettes - ok, a little sweet for my tastes, but certainly noteworthy. Patty Smith - zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.... oh, I'm sorry, did I doze off there? Hmmmm - this one I just don't get at all. Except for the fact that I imagine there is an East Coast/New Yorkish contingent on the RRHF committe that pushed her through. Seems all politics on this one - unless you were from New York or went there to see her in the seedy punk clubs, she has no relevance whatsoever. Who gets into the Hall with only one radio song - a Bruce cover at that? I don't wish her ill will, I just don't get it. The English prog-rock line of bands is ignored and she gets in? Geez! And that brings us to Van Halen. Well, ok, I guess. They certainly made an impact. They were damn huge for a while. Eddie popularized his style of guitar playing, and David Lee Roth certainly made a spectical of himself - like him or hate him. Sammy is a much better singer - and a pretty good guy, and none of them will be at the ceremony. Their bass player, I hear, will be there, but he'll be the only one. They wouldn't let DLR sing, so he said, screw 'em.

 

This has been happening at that ceremony, certainly last year and this - some of the people who made the songs, recorded the songs, toured as the band, have not been allowed to play their own stuff. Debbie Harry screwed her original band last year, and this year it will be some all-star config playing Van Halen songs. Geez - I could go to the nearest hotel bar and hear that........

 

As for our band...... it seems everyone is going in their own directions right now. Without management, or even an advocate, pretty much nothing is happening. I've been in my studio playing with some new ideas. Don't know that it's going to be music for this band, though. Don't know yet exactly what it will turn into, other than something new. I'm craving new and fresh now. Something that isn't bogged down with a bunch of old and funky karma. Something that has new, fresh, positive energy. Music without expectations, or for some people, desperation. I have no illusions. I've played and made music all my life because I love music. The chances, anymore, of having a hit record are probably about as good as chances of any of us winning the Mega Millions lottery. But I don't care - that isn't and never has been what motivates me to play music. The reward is the music itself -all along the way. The new riff, the new key. The new lyric, the new mix. The new emotion that a song evokes. It feels good. And if it feels good to me, then there will be at least a certain number of others who I can share it with for their enjoyment, too. That's the reason to create music. It's about the feelings it can bring to you and me. It's about how it makes us feel inside. That's where the truth is.

 

How about that? The day after I post, asking for everyone to Visualize Peace Today, Britian and Denmark announce they are about to begin withdrawing their troops from Iraq. Hmmmmmm..........  Geez, this visualization stuff seems powerful! Let's keep it up! ;)

 

Unfortunately, I'm not betting any money that Bush will change his mind. Hell, he could have everyone in the world disagreeing with him and as long as he and Cheney are still in power, he's going to do what he damn well pleases. To admit they were wrong would be too much. But the scary thing is - he thinks everyone else is wrong and he is right. He believes his own twisted logic. Not that I'm stating anything new here.....

 

This whole thing is about The Project for the New American Century. If you haven't seen or heard of this before and want to read something really scary go to http://www.newamericancentury.org/statementofprinciples.htm. That is just their Statement of Principals page. Check out the names at the bottom. A who's who of who got us all into this mess. And if you really have the stomache for it, cruise around the rest of their web site. This has been out in the open for a decade now.

 

On that note, let's think positive thoughts and go back to Visualizing Peace Today!

John Lennon meant a great deal to many people. For many reasons. I remember seeing The Beatles for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show - John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Ringo was always fun to watch, bobbing his head around, pounding the skins, almost seeming oblivious to the shrieking, screaming audience. George seemed rather serious, yet animated. We found out later he had the flu that day. Paul was certainly the cute one, sang great, smiled great, and played that Hofner bass left-handed! Then there was John. Confident, amused, and out to rock anyone within listening range. He almost seemed to be holding court. Certainly in control of the situation. The big brother in the band, the one the rest looked up to.

  And there were the press conferences. Through them, we came to know John's humor and witty sarcasm. Here was a guy - a kid, really - who all of the sudden had the world press following the band's every move and thoughts - and John took delight in having a laugh with them - and at them - at the same time. The others in the band were funny, too, but it was John who usually had the most bite in his comments. He knew what time of day it was. He knew that Beatlemania was kind of a cartoonish phenomenom. But it was his job and he loved his job. And he did it well. So why not have a little fun with it, eh? As the Beatles' music progressed, so did their knowledge and view of the world. And through that, they brought the rest of us along, as well. They helped us open our eyes as we were growing up, to see things from a vantage point - a higher view - than we may have been able to achieve in the sheltered or closed off lives that many of us lived in.

  John continued to speak his mind. Sometimes it got him into trouble. Sometimes people just thought he had lost it. Some were just bewildered. But he kept making great music. And much of his music had something to say. Some of it profound. Some songs became anthems. He touched us in ways many could not describe in words. Some didn't even realize it until he was gone, some knew all along. To me, he somehow felt like my big brother. The one who helped you learn about life. The one who helped you learn about love. The one who would stand up for you when you were bullied. The one who stood up and spoke because people would listen to him. His celebrity gave him a ready audience. With the power of that celebrity John was able to speak out about causes important to him, causes he believed in. Best remembered for his anti-war stance - the Peace Movement - he also spoke out about other causes, from feminism to hospital care, and did so effectively. Every time John performed, after leaving The Beatles, he played for free. He took no money. He was in a unique postition of having an audience, not needing the money, and having strong beliefs. He played for causes he believed in.

  I recently watched the documentary The U.S. vs John Lennon. For those of us old enough to remember those times, it is a great reminder of what the times were like and what a great champion we had in John. For those who were too young, or not even born yet, this documentary provides an excellent history lesson about the political climate at the time. And a reminder of how, dispite all the things we now know and have learned, history will continue to repeat itself until we hava all learned our lessons and grow as a civilization.

 Tyrants will come and go. Tyranny, it seems, will always exist. But they can only do what we allow them to.

  If John were alive today, he would be a most vocal opponent of the war in Iraq. His fearless beliefs and leadership would be bringing thousands upon thousands of people together to bring pressure to end this war. He would be a catalyst to help us remember we are better than this.

  The time is now and now is the time. Visualize Peace Today.

 

A good blog or website updated frequently with fresh info, audio, video, comments, etc. It keeps people informed, keeps them interested. Keeps them coming back for more. They tell their friends about it and if they get into it, they tell their friends, and so on. This is the way it works in the music business these days. And we've been a bit lame about it lately.

 

There is no big bucks record label that will sink hundreds of thousands of dollars into a new band that few have heard of. Unless, of course, they feel there is one hit to be milked out of them. If they are pretty enough, "hip" enough, and the song is catchy enough, then the big label will work it's old-fashioned big-business model and see if they can force one more hit upon the public. And if they can get a pay-off on that, most likely they will move on to the next latest and greatest thing.

 

I mean really, how many one-hit wonders have been forced on us in the last five or more years? Sure, there are a few artists that stick around, but out of all the musical acts  in the universe, how many of them get a shot in the first place, much less have a long, lasting career? The amount of crap that the big label conglomorates shove down our throats is pretty amazing. It's enough to choke a porn star. Flavor of the moment. They've always shoveld shit at us, but there was a time when the substance to shit ratio was higher. Sure they's put out an Archies, but they'd also put out a Genesis. But now, not only are there just a handful of big labels any more, the few that are left have fewer artists and focus on even fewer. They don't sign acts with the idea of building them. They sign them to suck the life out of them as soon as possible and then move on to the next big thing. Vampires come to mind.....

 

Even a great act like Los Lonely Boys doesn't get the push they should. These guys rock, have great songs, great vocals, great playing, and had they come out years ago would have had a hell of a lot more support than they do in this day and age. But we live in a new age of music and media. There is more music out there now than ever before, but unless you look for it or find out what your friends like these days, you'll be stuck hearing the crap that the big business is trying to shove down our collective throats.

 

But the good news is that in this new age of media, there are other ways to get the music out. It takes a different mindset and approach, but it is possible. But it takes time, energy, and dedication from the team of people trying to spread the word. Everyone involved needs to be charged up about it. Or at least there needs to be one driving force to market the band, the music. And it needs to be relentless.

 

It takes time and energy and this is something that has been scattered in this camp for a while now. But I believe it is worth the effort. I believe the music is good. I believe there is an audience for it. But unlike the old model, where the "Rock and Roll Machine" kicked into gear and took care of most everything for the artists, it is now entirely up to us. We are on our own to make it or break it. We are on our own to spread the word. We are on our own to get people excited. We are on our own to make things happen.

 

And you know what? Even though things have been a bit quiet lately, we're still here and we're still kickin'.