Lube

I'm sure you're all reading this because of the title of this entry. For some reason while awaiting my $1 frozen pizza is dying in the oven I had a view of "I Love the '00s." (try and say THAT out loud). Actually the thing I was thinking of occured in the 90s but I still want to see how many people try and say '00s. Remember the Jiffy Lube wise guy? That guy was awesome. Back with radio was king (<== Sandi Thom reference) I know some of our readers were too young for him, but that's ok, I'll allow it.

Murder at 2001

So this morning around 3 I come home to half the people in my house up, which usually isn't the case. A quick check up with one of my housemates and this is what went down. So two people were involved, one being the other housemate. What they ended up doing was putting flour in pantyhose and putting the pantyhose on their heads and swinging them around trying to tag each other with flour in the ends. Somehow they ended up smashing heads and they ended up going to the emergency room and Julianne ended up getting stitches above her eye. Never a dull moment down on 2001.

Scare Tactics

Folks, I've been in some scary places. Downtown Nashville at night. Franconia at night (the parts of DC where you die, for those not familiar with District of Columbia topography), and now somewhere out in Columbia, Tennessee. We pull up to the place we're playing, litterally surrounded by cow farms (oh, and our competition for the crowd was a dirt track race and a rodeo). This place looks like a tin roofed ranch house. We walk in and there's rebel flags on the walls, pictures of naked ladies hanging in the bathroom, and cafeteria styled seating with folding chairs. If anyone has ever seen the movie Roadhouse, this place made that bar look classy. At least you could bring your own liquour. I didn't have a camera so I didn't shoot a picture, but I wish for everyone's sake that you never go to wherever the heck I was.

Living Among the Stars

I have decided to become an internet star. Sadly I've been sitting in my room watching VH1's top 20 internet stars and all of them, though I'm sure 80% I've probably seen via YouTube or some sort of media medium. Pretty much all of them have some sort of celebrity status and more importantly a couple are really, really rich. That and they played a lot of Jamiraquai during the episode. Cool. Update, Lonelygirl15 was #3 (never actually knew what that was until now) Star Wars Kid was #2. I'm cringing to think of what could have possibly topped him. What's continually ironic is I'm putting this down in a blog while pretending to pretentiously mock it. And #1 is.....Numa kid. Who remembers that? I don't. That was before the internet. And Futurama.

The Fireworks Failed to Impress

So happy July to everyone in cyberspace, just in case you didn't notice it was July or something. England was so foolish. All of this could've been theirs, but their traded it for weak tea and taxes. So no America for them. Now their just filled with regret over missed relationships. Or something. The weird thing about being a musician is things come in waves. A couple weeks ago I was about to die from everything I had to play for. This week I had only one gig, so I'm trying to stay productive. So I've been shopping for groceries at discount prices, cleaning, making potato carvings of Saint Jabanezer. Oh well, it's time to make spaghetti.

The Dribble

Sometimes I feel like the pop references I insinuate complete goes over (or under) the heads of the people around me and really, without the aid of the internet, usually leads to awkward silence as levels and levels of explanation insue. 10 points for where the title of this blog entry points to (hint, it's a movie).

I swear I had something interesting to say but I'm too hungry to say it. Instead listen to this.

Sandra McCracken: No More Tears

The Life of a Rockstar: Postlude

So I have just enough caffeine in my system to go into detail of the events of the last week (or something like that, the days run together) before I go take a 1,000 hour nap. So after Cadaliac Ranch (still have no idea how to spell that) we got done playing around 2:00 at which time I discovered my car had gotten towed. Two hours and $105 later I had my car and went home (which took another half an hour). Sadly I had to be up around 8:00 to get my gear that I had to load onto another bandmate's car because mine had be carnapped. After getting my gear and recording for 8 hours I went to a friend's house to rehearse for another studio thing we'd be doing the next day (not only was she helping me out by singing for this project but she made me an incredible dinner. She's awesome). Anyways, done with that around 10:30 after finishing up some other work I had to do for a couple other things I had going on I ended up in bed around 2:00. Up at 8:30 again to record, then thankfully I had a 6 hour break. From 6-8 I recorded with forementioned girl for forementioned project, left there to immediately get to a gig and played from 8:30-12. Got out of there at 2:00 and after the long drive back got to bed at 2:30. Up at 5:30 to get to a church out in Hendersonville (35 min drive, for those not in the greater Nashville area) and played until 1. And drove back. And I'm going to die.

Oh and the chorus to a song of Paisley's new album 5th gear called "Online" goes like this:

Cause online I'm out in Hollywood
I'm 6 foot 5 and I look damn good
I drive a Mazerati I'm a black belt in karate
And I love a good glass of wine
It turns girls that I'm mysterious
I tell them I don't want nothing serious
Cause even on a slow day I can have a three way
chat with two women at one time.
I'm so much cooler online.

That's why Paisley is awesome. And it's so true. That's why it's funny.

The Life of a Rockstar: Interlude

Holy crap it's 2:20 in the morning and I have to be up in 3 hours. The last 3 days I've had a combined total (assuming I get 3 hours tonight of sleep) of 12 hours of sleep.

The Life of a Rock Star

So tonight I'm playing down at the Cadaliac Ranch which will be from about 8-2 after getting things loading in and back home. At 9:30 I have to be at a recording session for an EP which will run until 6. From there I have a rehearsal from 8-10. Then recording again from 9-6, another recording session from 6-9, and then another gig at the Bunganut Pig from 9-1. Then up at 5 to get to a rehearsal at a church at 6:30, playing from then until 12. So if I sound tired, that's why.

Just For the Fans

So there has been a public outcry for me to devulge the inner workings of my life again onto cyberspace. One day this will probably come back to haunt me when a boss or a future father-in-law stumbles upon it and promptly fires/kills me. But it's for the fan(s).

The last two weeks since I've been back in Nashville have been rather action packed. I've unfortunately not been able to do much else than practice music and play said music with other musicians...and watch Robot Chicken and Harvey Birdman Attorney at Law (R.I.P.) One of these days I'll come to my senses and get a job that pays money.

On a side note, Brad Paisley is the man. Seriously. Never mind he's kinda really country, his new single: Tick, off his album 5th Gear just goes to show that John Mayer really has nothing on Paisley when it comes to guitar playing. Or singing. The other night I caught Paisley playing a live show in GAC (hopefully soon to DVD) and he has to be one of the best guitarists I've heard in Pop currently. Not only that, he writes rather humorously relatable material. And he doesn't take himself seriously at all (as opposed to Mayer who likes to think of himself as a deity. 300 showed us just how men like that end up. That's right, a scratch on the cheek and a ripped out earring. At least King Leo tried) Anyways, Paisley is still and will remain the man.

Unfortunately all this playing has been sucking up all my free time, so I'm hoping that after this weekend (which consists of playing from 9a-9p Saturday, getting up at 5 on Sunday and playing until 12:30) I'll actually get out and do something fun with someone. At least one can dream.

I'm thinking about bringing back the music we all know and love. Sorry for all the broken links and broken hearts. You gotta be up on it to get a glimpse into the mind of a crazed Cossack named me (I want a hat now).

Brad Paisley: Me Neither

At the Stroke of Midnight

All clocks say 12:00 am, meaning I'm now old enough to order alcohol and all other perks of being 21 (which is what?). That and between these two sentences I got mobbed by a uh, mob of guys on a rampage, due to this fact.

Try the Ensalada...

Well, a little over a week left of school, I'm turning 21 in less than a week, and that means I'm on the lookout for good music again. I've finally hit the point where all the music I've bought I've finally listened to enough and going back to old standards kinda depresses me. Of course, it's a strange thing, the music I'm talking about. I'm not talking about music that I listen to as a musician, I'm talking about music that I listen to as a lover of music in general. Two separate things, I must tell you. Lately the ones that have stuck on the rotation to give you a general idea of what I listen to forget I'm a musician is:

Nickel Creek: This Side
KT Tunstall: Eye to the Telescope
Kate Earl: Fate is the Hunter
Amos Lee: Amos Lee
Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
Jamie Cullum: Twentysomething

Crap, that's an intense list, go buy all of it immediately. Now I'm looking for something else to sate my ear cravings. More on this later.

Speaking of which, here's one of them right here:
Kate Earl: Officer

Fizz Makes the World Taste Better

Seriously, what's up with carbonation? I mean, to the best of my knowledge, they added it to make soda drinkable back in the old days because it was so thick no one could guzzle the miracle drug. But now it's in our sodas, in French water, and nobody ever talks about it. Honestly, it is the very definition of soft drinks in regions of the United States (it IS soda, not pop or coke) but it's not like we like it or dislike it. It's just sorta there. I kinda don't like it, I think it's annoying because if you try to chug it, it burns your throat. You try to slosh it around in your mouth to get rid of the burning sensation, your mouth fills with toxic CO2. Plus it messes with the flavor. Of course, on the other hand if it wasn't for carbonation we'd be left with water, high fructose corn syrup, chemicals that represent artificial flavors, added colorings, and stimulants. So thank you carbonation for tricking us into thinking we're drinking something other than pure death. I DON'T WANT MY MIND AT EASE. That is all.

Live at the Ryman #2

So yes, tonight I got to see the fabled Gov't Mule. Warren Haynes, one of the finer guitar players with an incredible voice fronting the band. My compatriot Joshua and I got to the Ryman around 7 and at around 8 Mule took to the stage. Unbelievable show. Anyways, coolest part, the guitarist Jack Pearson (read backwards, I referenced him back there somewhere in the archives), local guitarist who happens to be off his rocker good came on stage and played two songs with Mule. Made Warren Haynes look stupid cause he was so good. Anyways, yeah, we left at 11:30 and Mule was still playing. Then we got McDonalds. Then we saw a fire truck and ambulance in Belmont's appartment area. Then in my dorm they came in and took a basketball player out who had passed out and hit his head. Then I ended up talking to this girl with music for half an hour. Then I came up and wrote this. Now I'm going to go to bed because tommorow I have a lesson I haven't really practiced for, a piano test I haven't got done, and BGVs to learn and a part to play for this guy in his vocal seminar. Then I'm going to go to bed too.

As You Wish (You Jerk!)

It's becoming a regular occurrence for me to mosey on down the street to the Belcourt Theatre to see movies long past into the public access channels. This past Friday I experienced the Princess Bride in it's cinematic glory. The best part was that it is entirely possible that everyone in the theatre has seen this movie at least 10 times or more. Thus, shouting at the screen ensued not long after the opening credits. For those of you not up with your musician's culture, Rob Reiner, director of the Princess Bride, also directed
This is Spinal Tap, the definitive rockumentary of the century.
In Spinal Tap, the lead guitarist is Nigel Tufnel, played by Christopher Guest, who delivers the epic line, "but these amps go to 11." Guest also plays the Count Rugen in the Princess Bride. In any case, in the part where Wesley (Cary Elwes) notices Rugen has six fingers, someone in the audience yells "His fingers count to eleven!" The theatre died in laughter for a long time after.

Unplugged

I don't know what's wrong with me but for some reason I like almost every Alanis Morissette's songs if they're somehow acoustic or otherwise. I hate every single they play on the radio (minus maybe Ironic and even then, when set against the unplugged version it sounds horrible) but for some reason every acoustic song I've heard I've found to be compelling. Right, anyways...

Out at the Ryman #1

Well, pending a request, you're getting the full story of last night whether you like it or not. Last night Nickel Creek paid a visit to the Ryman and luckily we caught them there. A band called the Mammals opened for them, reminding me why I only like Nickel Creek out of that entire genre. It's pretty much amazing how tight the trio is live, their harmonies are perfect and their little variations they throw around in their songs were unbelievable. Around the third song Sarah Watkins broke a string on her fiddle (can that happen?) so while she was changing a string they ended up going into an interlude they jammed on until she was done. One of the best moments of the night came during their cover of Toxic by Britney Spears....which was pretty much spot on to begin with. During a breakdown a tech came out on stage and hit his laptop which was hooked into the sound system and for one bar hit a drum machine with some techno/hip-hop beat then turned it off and walk off stage. Everybody went crazy. Anyways, their song before pretending to leave was The Fox which they went in the middle into The Weight, by (is it the Band?). After coming back in their bassist ended up doing a sort of jig on the floor and it was still picked up by the mics, so it ended up being rhythm for the song. Plus Thile came over and while playing his part did song danced in tandem with the bassist. Finally, Thile announced they had a few special guests, the first of which was Bela Fleck (!), the second was Edgar Meyer (?). The latter drew the most applause but I had to look him up later because I had no idea who he was (apparently a big deal, apparently I'm just ignorant). Yeah, parking was six dollars, Josh was holding the ticket and almost didn't get it when we drove up to the place to let us out. That's pretty much it.

This has nothing to do with that. The Shins: Young Pilgrims

Feed the Lions

A hearty welcome to the weekend. Finally, after 21 hours of sleep and lots of different medicine over the last couple days I actually feel a little bit better. Last night was really weird, random people entering the room, dreaming about random people entering the room. Plus all the random things you dream when you have a fever. Tonight's gonna be awesome because this night Laura, Josh, one of Laura's friends, and I are going to see Nickel Creek. It's been a little bit since I've seen a show so this should be really cool. I remember when I went to see Chris Thile that a completely different crowd came out than what I'm used to (welcome to the South). Anyways, I'm not a huge fan of live stuff, but this song's just too awesome to keep down.

The Black Crowes: Soul Singing

On the Road Again

Not really, but that's the name of the last Kerouac book I read. It's a really cool little book (actually, collection of little books) that at least I can relate to lately. On a side note, two hard drives from back home showed up in my mailbox in Thrailkill hall so now I'm getting reaquainted with the world. Also I got really really sick over the last couple of days. Last night I slept eleven hours with the help of some Nyquil and Benedril. Luckily I don't have anything left to do except help a friend out auditioning downtown for a slot at a local club and attending a Nickel Creek concert. To add to the surrealness of being sick and sitting in a room with all the blinds shut while my roommate naps, I've been listening to Christmas music and old, old covers of songs by undergroundish bands. Right now I'm listening to a Copeland cover of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" (I wish I could put it up but I can't find anywhere on the net it's up and I got it off of iTunes).

So this will have to do, I'm sure most of you have heard this, but I'm sure you'll listen to it one more time: Copeland: Pin Your Wings

Jack's Smirking Revenge?

So I've been out of it for a while since a lot of strange things have been happening lately. For all you faithful readers (my one hand is almost full counting you all) out there, let me fill you in on just some of the bizzarities (<== new word!). I'm currently writing this in the Belmont computer lab because my computer abruptly began hating life and stopped taking its medication and shot itself in the hard drive. I still don't know if I can get any of my files back (which would kinda make me freak out for at least a week of nonstop straightjacket 24 hour suicide watch. Not really). I've become more and more dependant on my laptop for pretty much everything (entertainment, directions, human contact) so my roommate Tim can tell you sometimes I sit in my chair under my bed and stare sadly at where my laptop used to be. That's insanity number one. Number two, I ordered an Xotic AC Booster (like a Tube Screamer but better (Tube Screamer is like a boost plus overdrive (i.e. loud guitar noises))) from an online store who promptly charged my credit card but didn't send the pedal...I think. Last I heard from the store they said they had sent the pedal but then they retracted the charge on my card. So I'm still not sure what's going on with that. Stack that on top of school with some strange happenings (yeah that, for those in the know) and this has turned out to be a weird week. At least I saw Donnie Darko in the theaters....twice. Best twelve dollars spent ever. Except on woot.com. And I got my guitar adjusted for free by this really cool dude down on 16th (Classic Axe, for those looking).

If the title of this tune doesn't aptly fit the going ons this week, I don't know what does. Jamiraquai: Virtual Insanity