Monday, March 28, 2011

news with the Japan Disaster Benefit show goes like this. i have four acts on the bill so far, two slots to fill. heard back from Big Jon Short - he's unavailable that night. still waiting on a couple other bands to get back to me.

had an exchange with max cap today - we're going to do a $10 advance ticket and a $15 day of event door charge. All money raised from the combined ticket and door will be donated to charity. i am still looking for some help in getting tickets printed. i'd like to have the full line up nailed down before printing tickets, but if i can't - cest la vie.

i'm hanging out with the wife - watching Roseanne via Netflix. i love this show! i'm gonna leave you with a video from Big Jon Short. i'm hoping to bring this guy to Northampton soon!!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

yea - i may be going a little overboard on this branding thing but i do not care!

i want this to be the look of my kick drum.


Saturday, March 26, 2011

easily the part of the week i look forward to most.

first thing saturday morning is hands down one of the most special points of my week. the weekend has just begun and i have most likely been woken up by either of my two girls OR have actually slept until i woke up on my own. though the later method of awakening is a rare occurrence - it does sometimes happen every now and then.

today, like most saturday mornings - Chloe can into my room dropping hints that she would like her typical weekend breakfast made by daddy. a simple egg sandwich on any grilled bread, with melted cheese and ketchup. it' a very simple and savory breakfast and the kid loves it.

the reason i love it - i get to use my cast iron skillet. i love that pan. i love the quality it yields, the easy cleanup, the rootsy/old timey feeling i get when i use it. it's on the list of things in my kitchen that i use most of all. it actually goes beyond that - i have read countless articles and blogs about cast iron care, seasoning of you pans to accomplish a perfect surface, and numerous recipes! my wife thinks i'm some kind of nut because i try to take such good care of my skillet. cleaning it right away and oiling it back up. eventually i'd like to expand this into a small collection of various cast iron pots and pans. they will out last me - that's for sure.

my current skillet was given to me by my father. he's also a big fan of all cast iron cooking tools. he was working at an account of his - cleaning out a barn (i believe) before they sold the estate. he came across the skillet and it was covered in rust. gave it to me and said if i clean it up and season it well - it'll last me a lifetime. it took a while before i put the work into it - but after cleaning it up and seasoning and re-seasoning it has become a workhorse!

i've also been getting kind of antsy about the release of this documentary i'm interested about Chris Whitley; called Dust Radio. i had been introduced to Chris Whitley's music back in 2000/01 by my friend Dez. i forget what album it was that i firt heard - but i was hooked! here's the trailer for the film:
here's a video of one of Chris' most known songs - once i tell people about him, if they haven't heard of him - they usually know this song.
and here's on my my favorite tunes!
great artist - gone too soon.


maybe if the interest is there, i could organize a tribute show. we'll see.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

watching "Whitest Kids U Know" for the first time in AGES!!!

also - working on planning the Disaster Relief Benefit Blues Bash.

i am so stoked to be doing this! so far the tokyo tramps are confirmed, along with wildcat o'halloran. i've been running into a lot of bands already having bookings for that date - as expected with the short notice of this benefit. i have a few other irons in the fire - just waiting on hearing back so i can get the final lineup together.

i also need to get a batch of tickets together for pre-sale.

i have also been talking with Yukiko Fujii from the Tokyo Tramps about how to handle the donation aspect of the event. i'd like to have some representation from the charity present to collect additional donations.

this show is going to be a lot of fun - but there is a reason behind it.

here's a video - enjoy!!!

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

busy busy busy!!!

i'm so sorry for the lack of updates here!
 
it would be a pretty pathetic blog - except that i have had so much going on recently there are lots to talk about. i suppose i have been creating content - yea, that's it!
 
the last week has been huge - it was Delaney's first birthday, we had a nice little party for her too! she was great during the whole party, the house was packed with family and she was so good with everyone. she only had one little instance of crying - but it was over quick. she loved her cake and couldn't care less about opening any presents - good thing we had Chloe there to pick up the slack. after the party she went with Chloe to my folks place for her first sleepover. i was half expecting her to have a problem over there - but it went great!!!
 
Holly and i got to sleep in and just kick back for the night without any drama from the children. when we picked up the girls the following afternoon, all was well!
 
the other big thing that has been going on is another BCBM event i'm working on. This is a Japan Disaster Relief Benefit that i have been planning with the help of Lee Jergensen. We're planning a 5-6 band benefit "Blues Bash" on Saturday 5/7/2011 at Maximum Capacity in Chicopee. It's going to be pretty amazing - The Tokyo Tramps have jumped on board with it. Their bassist (Yukiko Fujii) was in Japan during the Earthquake and just got back home sometime last week. this obviously hits home for her and the rest of the band - we are just glad to welcome them to our little party with a purpose!
 
We are taking submissions from bands and local businesses who want to sponsor with a donation to the cause or some help promoting the event. it will be a blast! more details will be announced soon, just be patient while we get it all together!
 
that's all i have for now. tonight i'm heading up to greenfield for an open mic at the greenfield grill. Damon and the rest of the Love Thieves will perform a short set - stop in if you can.
 
also, text me. i'm bored!!!

--
-Rob Charette
Black Cat Bone Music ~ Drummer/Management for Damon Reeves
 
 

Monday, March 14, 2011

beware the ides of march...

yep - my little baby miss Delaney Morgan Charette turns 1 year old tomorrow. i cannot believe it's been a year, she's grown up so much since we first brought her home - it blows me away.


granted, most people who have gotten to know Delaney have first hand experience with how tough of a baby she has been. it has been a tough year, but i'm glad to say she has really gotten much more social. we had an awesome time at my sisters surprise birthday party on sunday. normally when we are out with a large group of people, there is at least one meltdown. we had nothing when she was out with us on sunday. as a matter of fact - my folks are taking both Chloe and Delaney after her party on saturday for a sleepover. Holly is jumping on the chance to go out with the girls. i'm gonna hang back with the guys in case i get that "we can't get her to sleep" phone call. i'm already preparing myself to go get her if need be.


been talking with lots of people about the show last saturday and about future events. also have just added a good amount of shows for Damon and the band.  i may be looking to network with some other acts for one or two of these shows - got to do a little planning. one of these shows is a punk blues series that is in the works in Cambridge. we are really excited to be a part of this. i'll mention more when the details are all ironed out. maybe we could work out a caravan to the 617 perhaps?

i had mentioned in a handful of previous posts, James Keyes - a roots/americana songwriter from the 508. he came out to the show on saturday and gave me a copy of his newest CD "Ruminations". my friends, this CD is un-freaking believable. visit his website and check him out - i feel like this is something i just need to share with everyone. one thing i really dug was that the CD packaging was really interesting. made to have a look that fit the style the digipack was nice - but the actual disc itself was pretty unique. buy a copy and you'll know what i mean.

i also found out that there is a great show going on at the Ashfield Lakehouse on friday - Wildcat O'Halleran Band. unfortunately, with all the work ahead for the birthday party on saturday - i probably won't make it. this doesn't mean i won't kick it into high gear to TRY!

alright - we're almost caught up on intervention. we'll talk more a bit later!

Sunday, March 13, 2011

march 13th - post BCBM kickoff

so, the kickoff show is done. all the gear has been packed up and the last rocks glass of jim beam has long been drunk. the show as a whole was a huge success for BCBM, and for all the bands on the bill. i know that the The Ten Foot Polecats most definitely made fans for themselves in Northampton, but they also got the ball rolling for building a deep blues audience in western Massachusetts in a huge way. i owe them for that - big time!

the breakdown of the show was like this. all the bands were there and ready to load in on time and got things up and running right on schedule. this was great because i didn't want to have any of the set times get cut because we had a curfew to work with. once every thing was all set, Jeff Norwood  got things started with a smokin' set of South Carolina goodness like only he can deliver. i'm  a huge fan of the title track of his latest CD "Push Pilin'" and of another tune he does called "God Damn South Carolina", both of these songs he performed at the show and both times were textbook examples of how all live acts should own the moment when performing. the stories behind the songs and the way he presents them almost as an integral part of the song is nothing short of brilliance. i truly wish that the late arrivals of the show were there to see this for themselves - they'll have to wait till the next time he's in our area again. i know i'm looking forward to it!

next up was my band Damon Reeves & Co. - we recorded the set and after a review (mainly for sound quality) i'd like to post it for folks to hear. Damon was completely in his element - hands down! when the guy is in the moment and the energy of the room is good, it comes back out to the audience in a great interactive performance. simply put the room was buzzing with a great kind of energy that makes playing live worth all the effort put into it.

The TFPC's jumped right up there and then the whiskey started flowing! Those guys are the real deal - all bullshit aside, what they do is play truly kickass hill country style down and DIIIIIIIIIIIRTY blues! i have been wanting to share a bill with these guys for a couple years now,  never seemed to come together until last night! those guys had the audience in the palm of their hand for the entire set. Jim Chilson's guitar work just sucks you right in to the song - while Jay's voice just just holds you there, the guy is pretty much Howlin' Wolf with a slight Boston accent! they do a nasty version of Robert Johnson's "Dead Shrimp Blues" which they played last night. Another song that just grabs me is "Tears on my windshield" - so friggen good!

we got wrapped up and loaded out on time. everything went off without a hitch. i cannot wait to do it again!

there were a few folks who made it out tot he show from Providence RI - which blew me away! James Keyes also made it out from Worcester - he's another artist i want to have play a show out here and think he'd also make some new fans out this way. I love that we had such a good amount of people show up for the event. i do feel that i made the right decision having the show at the basement. i feel that the vibe was great - small enough of a room to make it feel like it was really jamming. that's half the battle, really. if you put your event in too big a room all the energy you are hoping to have in there has too much empty space to fill. almost like it gets diluted to a point where you can't detect it.

still stoked and looking forward to the next one!


this tubby bitch needs another coffee...

-Beef... out!

 

Friday, March 11, 2011

a friday - kind of like a second thursday.

tgif - seriously. this week has been dragging on at the slowest pace possible. if nothing else however, it's friday - oh wait - i have to work tomorrow... FANTASTIC.

actually, it's not a big deal at all. typically working weekends is very much welcomed by me. the increase in the bank is nice - plus they tend to be a ghost town. very little going on, so it should be fairly relaxed, barring any breaking news anyway.

right now Chloe is watching a carebears movie on netflix while Delaney is playing with her toys. Holly went out to plan her best friends wedding and discuss some drama. so, it's just me and the wee ones for a few hours - good times.

i've decided to stop drinking beer during the week. the cost and extra calories are both things i really don't need. so i decided on friday's i'd pick something out that's kinda special. this week i had my eye on Harpoon's Celtic Red Ale

it's pretty good, well balanced - refreshing. it's a red ale and delivers without being EXTREME. sometimes that's a really nice thing.

so, i'm pretty happy that Damon has taken a little time to check out the The Ten Foot Polecats for himself. i know they will totally deliver a great show - they are a great band! it's just nice that now he'll have a little idea of what they do - instead of just going on my high praises! i'd also like to get him to head out to cleavland in july for the DBF 2011. i'm still shocked that Holly booked a hotel already and we're going together - so psyched!

i need to track down some time to hit up a barber shop. yes, me - the baldest of the bald guys needs to go to the barber. it's time to clean up this beard a little.

ok - time to grab another beer! i'm planning a significant post tomorrow!
-Beef

Thursday, March 10, 2011

lazy thursday night...

post dinner relax time with the family in the living room. kids watching alice in wonderland via netflix (the one with Ben Kingsley and Whoopi Goldberg), wife and i computing from our designated seats. couldn't ask for anything more! even knowing that tomorrow is friday only makes the deal that much sweeter.

got a phone call from a venue in greenfield. i had asked about a date in april so we could potentially hook up with a date for Smokestack & The Foothill Fury while he'll be in the area. unfortunately, i had forgotten that the date in question is the day before easter! what sketches me out is that the venue outright told me that past dates like that (holiday weekends) were usually tough to bring a crowd in for most bands. not exactly sure what i'm going to do. i'll pass the opportunity along and see what gets decided. christ - dude is from GA, i'd hate to have a dud of a draw because the easter bunny is throwing down.

here's a little Smokestack for ya'll to get a taste!


great stuff right!?!?!? i know, we'll have to see what we can do.


very anxious about saturday's show. we worked out our setlist for the night and i have to say - it's pretty friggen awesome, if i say so myself - which i do. we have a nice mix of tunes in there and they flow well together! i'm also really looking forward to playing with the Ten Foot Polecats and Jeff Norwood too. it might be a short show, but it's packed with some seriously fantastic music! here's a couple vids of the TFP's and Jeff:




have a lovely evening everybody - see ya saturday at 8!

-Beef

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

evening post - fat tuesday netflix marathon

dang man - i have been so productive with designing flyers and promotional postcards in the past few days. wish they'd be here in time for the basement show! actually - i sent an email to the other members of the band today talking about what i'm working on for potential shows. the list is pretty substantial, just have to chase a few folks around and confirm some dates.

i've been talking with an artist out of the 508 area - James Keyes. here's a video to get you familiar with his sound.

i'm looking forward to booking him for a BCBM show in the near future. he has a show in april over @ sam's pizza - i recommend if you happen to be in noho that night pop in for a slice and a few beers! i mentioned to him that if the weather is nice - that venue is a prime spot for street traffic stopping in for a song or two. helps to have some help passing out something to the passers by in that case.

i'm also bouncing aroung the idea of setting up a booth for BCBM at some area block parties and fairs. just a promotional table and distro along with some live acoustic playing - maybe a small trio set-up. if not this year - maybe next year or at least something to keep in mind.

anyway, things at home are good. Holly went out for craft night. Delaney is already tucked in and Chloe is wrapping up her last fencing bout on the Wii. i'm gonna dig up something on netflix to watch that i would normally miss out on to a wife veto. it'll probably be a blues documentary or something music related. who knows though - my viewing tastes are pretty random.

session with the band tomorrow - i'll make sure to take a coat and have plenty of gas! i also have to pack up my kit tomorrow too! 

alright - time to tuck in Chloe!

fat tuesday post via email

it's fat tuesday. The wife has plans tonight with the girls. So i'll
be hanging out with Chloe and Delaney tonight.
Chloe has been enjoying playing some of the games on Wii. I am happy
to see her have a little difficulty with some of the games and
continue to try. She, has actually gotten pretty damned good at some
of these games. I also like that it's so physical too - she really
puts it all into the game. Watching her play the swordplay games is
hilarious!
I ordered the postcards promoting Damon Reeves on Facebook and Reverb
Nation yesterday. I'm waiting on my flyers to go on sale so i can get
some of those soon.
I have a CD that i need to get up to Mike Glazier to master for us. My
goal is to get this released online ASAP and have a release party this
summer for the physical CD. Might just make our show in August @
Theo's the release party date. That will at least give me some time to
maufacter the product.
I am so friggen excited about Saturday. I am actually looking for a
room to book my next even too. i have a few ideas bouncing around in
my mind. If i can get a date for april i might be able to get
Smokestack & The Foothill Fury to play! Hmmm - got some ideas brewing.
Let's see how it comes together and hope for the best!
I think i'm due for another cup of coffee soon. Yea - sounds like a plan!
-Beef

Sunday, March 6, 2011

my friends - i deeply apologize for my lack of attention over the last week toward my blog.  i pride myself on regular updates and have let myself slack on that. i'll get back on track with it this week.

the positive side is that i have many things to discuss due to my lack of correspondence. last week actually turned out to be a pretty big week. i discovered that my current department head at work is leaving at the end of the month. this is something i had never seen coming, but i think from what he's told me that he's making a very smart move. who knows what will be in store for the hub - we will obviously be looking for a head engineer soon!

we had some eye exams on wednesday for Holly and Chloe. Holly will be picking up her glasses this coming week - and she loves them. that's a good thing because Holly needs to wear her glasses and if she doesn't like them (like her old pair) she's gonna leave them off. Chloe on the other hand did not need glasses, yet. the doc asked to have us take her in sometime in september to get a follow up exam.

after the eye doc's we brought Chloe to school and went out for lunch - good times! later on that night i had rehearsal with the band up in ashfield. of course i left without my coat because of the gorgeous weather and didn't even think of it getting down to the teens at night. awesome! another element of adventure to the night was that i arrived with very little gas in my tank. the true bonehead maneuver of the night was that i chose to warm up my car before heading out, adding a significant dose of adventure to all of this. good thing is - i made it to a gas station in time. will not be doing that again.

while at practice - Kara Kharmah and i discussed the QR codes and postcards as i had assumed we would. we decided that it would be best to design postcards implementing a QR code to direct people to our presence on facebook. i had asked her to come up with a design for saturday since i am in the stretch promoting the basement show. then, i get an email from vistaprint informing me about deals on, of course - postcards! so, for shits and giggles i decide to design one and price it with the sale. the design is great and the QR codes work very very well! for those folks who don't know wtf i'm talking about, these are the actual QR's for our use. check them out and scan them using your smartphone - yes - scan them right on the screen.



yesterday and last night were awesome! finally got my spring cleaning on the porch started. i usually recruit a couple of my buddies to help in this with the benefit of lots of beer and a homemade dinner from my lovely wife. this year we had a lot of old furniture to toss due to inheriting some items. we didn't have room in the dumpster for all of it, but we did manage to put a dent into it! when it came time to move my old recliner - we captured it on video. check it out!


it's amazing what a 30 pack of cheap beer will inspire! after the work, we had a big chicken dinner and watched star wars with my kids! when the kids went to bed we hooked up with Pawel and went out for a night of drinks and laughs. bumped into Zero Fun John at Tully's for a bit - we never made it into the show at the elevens however. the entertainment all around us was too good to pass up!

no much on tap today. kicking it with the family. tonight i'm making some smoked beef ribs with brown sauce. i may do a food update tonight after i document my first use of my indoor smoker pan. wish me luck!!!

BEEF OUT!