who'll stop the rain?

So the rain actually started on Saturday evening. it was pretty light for the most part, but it was really pouring at some points making the commute out to Cambridge kind of tricky.

Earlier on Saturday took the family out to our cousins for a birthday party. the girls had a fabulous time. Chloe had a blast playing with all the kids - her age and the older girls, of course. Delaney had a fantastic time too. I don't think she sat down for much longer than to eat her lunch and her piece of cake. this kid loves her some cake!

After the party Holly and I left with the baby, but we left Chloe with my parents so she could play a bit longer with her cousins and new friends. once we got home it was very obvious that Delaney was going to sleep very well through the night. I got my stuff together for the show and headed out.

I love my car, and love driving - especially while I can listen to some new music. gave the Tokyo Tramps CD a couple spins on the ride. great stuff, really dig that band a lot! had to stop for gas while venturing off the highway - then eventually caught the highway again. got to Cambridge a little later than expected - ended up parking in a questionable lot which had parking regulations that seemed a bit conveluded to say the least. luckily we didn't get towed away. as a matter of fact after the set I grapped a free parking upgrade right behind the club - BONUS!

So the show was awesome - in a nutshell. the opening band was a trio called "Sonny Jim and the Blue Devils" - they play some great tunes and have an interesting candor when on stage. they played some Howlin' Wolf which really enjoyed even after the made a self depricating joke about not doing it justice. still - it was great! the original tunes they played were fantastic too. the drummer played very light with some very be- bop inspired fills. I'd really like to get those guys in for a show in Northampton in the future.

The second band was kind of an odd choice for the bill. they didn't stick around much  after their set wrapped up. that being said - they were from California and heading back home, so can't really blame them for wanting to get back home.

We played a really fun set. ran through love thing, stone blues and nothing much matters in the world these days. we then played a newer song called "fool for you" which is a newer one for us. we also played a newer song called "16 floors" and am so glad we played it! I feel like we have been sitting on that song for way too long. the set was really high energy and the folks in the crowd really got into it. there were a number of folks taking pics - and am so anxiously awaiting seeing them. played Chad R's (drummer for the ten foot polecats) drum kit that night - what a beautiful set of drums! K Custom dark cymbals all around too. excuse me while I clean up from drooling!

The Ten Foot Polecats blew us all away, as we expexted they would. they rocked a burnside tune which pretty much made my night too! They played a few new tunes that were awesome and they closed out the set with "nobody's fault but mine" - very great tune which was very appropriate being that it was already Sunday morning at that point.

It was a great night - I got into bed at almost 5am and was awake not that long afterwards. we had a relaxing day around the house because the rain was still pouring outside. we had a good day - Chloe did a bang up job cleaning her room. Delaney was a little crankity crankerson all day though. still, was hanging in there until about 7PM after the baby was in bed. I was passing out in my chair. finally at 9:30 threw in the towel and went to bed. slept like a rock too!

This week it is supposed to be a total wash. my folks are planning a get together this weekend though which I'm looking forward to and hoping the rain is done by then.

time to get a practice session together for this week!

this is the word of Bobby Roast Beef

watched some "whitest kids u know" last night before going to bed. that show is pretty funny despite having an occasional miss. I do think the earlier seasons are some of the best material however. I would consider posting a clip here to share, but my mom actually reads my blog - so that would just be wrong.

got some great news about having the band open for a very good touring act coming through the area. it isn't concrete just yet, so I'm holding back the details. I know that Damon is unbelievably excited about it.

I also found out that ZZ TOPP is playing in New England this summer. while the idea of going to the show is right up front in my mind - it just isn't in the cards for me to afford a pricey ticket. The idea of doing a little parking lot concert as a duo might be a good possibility.

So far this morning have had two people contact me for something TV related that had nothing to do with my job.I totally understand that nobody knows (except for a small handfull of people) at all what I actually do here at the TV station. but, to every family member, friend or acquaintance I am "the guy they know inside the TV station". I get and accept that. but have come to learn that when someone say's "so you still at 22?" - it usually means that they are about to ask me for something or complain. this is especially obnoxious when haven't had any communications with that person in forever. I have taken to responding to them with "what do you want" - just to cut to the chase a bit. I mean come on people - I know they routine and it's ok! just don't act like I'm the asshole for trying to be efficent in dealing with your needs and agenda. the fact they try to play like it was totally innocent and unprovoked of me to assume they want something if so fucking funny actually chuckle out loud.

That's really all have for now. perhaps I'll post a bit later!

post rehearsal mid-week post.

There is a part of me that cannot believe it's already Wednesday. last week just dragged on at a snails pace. partially because was sick on Monday combined with the news of the assassination of OBL - the whole world seemed like it was on a different clock after that news.

The gigs last weekend and mothers day made the weekend fly by too!

We had one killer rehearsal session last night. the songs we went over for Saturday's show are nuts! it seems like Damon is consistently introducing new material into the mix. give him a lot of credit for wanting to keep it so fresh - but it's a challenge to keep all these songs in my mind. can see where it gets frustrating to have this constant flow of new songs to work out - but do like having a mix of stuff to play. it's especially helpful on those nights where we are playing 3 or 4 sets in a night.

I'm really excited to be playing with the polecats again. those guys make some insane music and are just really cool folks. I am hoping that can do another BCBM showcase in noho soon too. I have a short list of bands want to bring to town as soon can.

Have a picnic to attend with the family before leave for the gig. it's my cousin's 16th birthday party - and man does that make me feel like an old fart!

Oh well - time to take my geritol guess!

Cambridge Massachusetts,drum heads, summer time longing

Man - what a beautiful day out there. it's a little cool considering how sunny and clear  it it outside - but will take it! it's actually got me thinking of long summer days and the desire to barbecue while listening to or playing some good music!

A friend of mine responded to a Facebook status update made earlier about just that very thing. He's got a little event going in the background and the more think about this the more excited get about it. I'm not getting into details about it yet - because at this stage it's just in it's infancy. let's just say that this would make one hell of a deep blues party and we can leave it at that.

Like usual I'm extremely excited to gather with the band tonight to rehearse for Saturday's big gig in Cambridge. on the one hand it's awesome to be playing outside of our hometown. however, the fact that we are playing with The Ten Foot Polecats again just totally sweetens the deal! add to that the fact that we also have Sonny Jim and the Blue Devils on the bill just makes it even better.

In other news I'm back to using a BlackBerry again. I ordered a torch last week and I love the thing! I'm posting this from it right now as a matter of fact!

Lastly, I have finally gotten around to getting my drum heads changed - starting with my snare drums batter head. went with an Evans dry head - love the sounds I got out of that drum now. Tom toms are next!

post japan benefit show details...

so the big event i had been working on for the last 8 weeks has come and gone. i have to start out by thanking all the bands on the bill for the great performances they graced the stage with. i want to start out by saying thank you to the bands. i genuinely feel as if i walked away from this show with a lot of 'fire' for the blues scene. just to be in the same room as these performers, sharing a stage - made me feel like i was very lucky!

Jook Joint blew they entire room away with the amazingly polished and slick arrangements. truth be told - they had my attention from the moment they had started sound check! a small contingency of my family was at the show and was very interested in Jook Joint's set.

we [Damon Reeves & The Love Thieves] played the second slot of the night - played a mix of tunes we have been playing regularly but snuck in two or three new tunes we had been working on. we had Andy Soles playing harp with us, adding some different flavor. it was nice and seemed well received by the folks in the audience.

Dynamite Johnny played the middle slot. i had been introduced to this band but Damon and had checked them out online - after seeing the performance i told D how much i could see what he dug so much about them. when they played "lock me up" (which they played on Mass Appeal earlier in the week) i was singing along with the chorus after only hearing the song one time - that's the sign of some good original music!

Wildcat O'halloran took the stage next with his band actually bringing the level of showmanship up to a completely other level. his interaction with the crowd during guitar solos absolutely broke the wall between the stage and the room. his use of guest vocals was amazing - providing a new element to the set and continuing to build on the entertainment value of the performance. This guy is the real deal! i confirmed this buy listening to his CD on the way home from the show. if you are from western mass and have not gone to see Wildcat do his thing on stage, well you owe yourself the chance to witness this live for yourself! i - for one am looking forward to playing more gigs with these guys in the future!

rounding the night out was Tokyo Tramps. before tonight my only actual exposure to the group was through word of mouth and watching the live vids on you-tube. seriously, this does not begin to do this trio any justice when compared to seeing them live. they played a couple songs then the drummer (who completely knocked my socks off to begin with) takes this solo that left me with my jaw on the floor. i'm not a big fan of over the top solos - i'm a groove guy, but this blew me away. the rest of the set was full of killer vocal harmonies, showmanship that would rival the biggest entertainer out there. i feel  that people who missed the show for whatever reason - had really missed out on an opportunity to see some really top notch artists in what i would consider one of the premier venues in our backyard - for an amazing cause.

at the end of the night we had done a good deed, made some new friends and learned a lot for future events. i'm really satisfied with how the show went down - i only wish that the crowd have been larger. that being said - these things are common in this business. all i can do is learn and grow from it!

thoughts on summer parties...

man did we rock the freakin' house on friday night or what!?!?!? actually, it was an awesome show - one i was unsure to make heads or tails on prior to our first of 3 sets. the night was a radio promotional party for a country radio station BEAR 95.3fm, held at The Rendezvous in Turners Falls MA. they were doing a Budweiser promotion giving away tickets for an upcoming country act, Jason Aldean. this was not a typical night over at the Voo - as they mainly have a lot of indie and folk or jazz bands on tap. it was a crowd there to win tickets, mainly - not shake they're collective asses to the house rocking gritty blues and classic rock stylings of Damon Reeves & The Love Thieves - but that's exactly what happened!

the interaction between the four of us on stage and the audience who had no idea what to expect - ended up being a dream come true. the crowd was a mix of beer chugging twenty somethings, to a more distinct and seasoned mature crowd... and it all worked perfectly.

this has me thinking about summer parties. i'd like to book the band at gatherings anywhere and everywhere. our goal since day one has been to develop our audience through exposure - i'm finding that a little harder to do in the bar circuit than we had anticipated. the idea of playing private events is becoming an alternative way to bring this music, band, experience to more people more often.

this is what i propose - if an individual is having -or- knows someone who is having a party and would like to book a band for live entertainment - contact me. we have the library to draw from that will allow us to play for up to 5 hours or so. this is a mix of originals and covers. some of the artists we cover are Rolling Stones, Tom Petty, doors, muddy waters, john lee hooker, bb king, hendrix, plus a ton more rock and blues and standard party tunes. we also take pride in having fun! we can open the mic up for folks that wanna join in ala live band karaoke style.

contact me and we can bounce ideas around - we are available in as little a group as a solo/duo or a full 4-5 piece band. we will bring all sound equipment needed for the even and even provide some background music in between sets. don't worry about costs - contact me and we will talk!

email me @ rob.charette@gmail.com

or call/text me @ 413-320-5724

let's do this - let's have a great summer!!!

sunday morning and i just put the baby down for a nap. she's been a little bit of a crankity crank this morning too. not sure what her issue is. still, the dishes all managed to get caught up. that was my big goal this monring - get those out of the way.

chicken is marinating for tonight's souvlaki (sp?) greek tacos. yea - it's fusion night in the Charette house.

Chloe is in the other room playing Wii - she's constantly providing a running commentary on EVERY detail in any game she's playing. it's cute, but i hope she doesn't wake up the baby.

not a whole lot on tap today - just gonna hang out with the girls. we had a little adventure yesterday bumming around in downtown northampton. did quite a bit of walking too - maybe we'll go out today for a bit who knows.

been a great week for me! for starters, we got new pictures taken of the girls. Chloe of course is a clown in them all, but Delaney - well she's been smiling and so good lately. her new pictures look great and the process was basically painless this time around.

i had gotten a lot of things accomplished this week for the Japan Disaster Relief BLUES BASH at Maximum Capacity. the show is coming up soon, so i have been sweating getting all the details in order in good time. this week i managed to get a bunch of details confirmed. first off, i got the ticket situation under wraps. i set up an account with Brown Paper Tickets for this event. i love the way that company works - gives you complete control to create and promote your event. They even will supply me with pre-printed tickets to sell person to person, the old fashioned way. All if the money raised from tickets sales and the door will be donated to help relief efforts in Japan. At this point we're still looking at a red cross donation as the beneficiary of the show - but Yukiko Fujii (Tokyo Tramps bassist) is looking into more direct charities involved. mainly so that the funds raised get the maximum amount of use where it counts.

The other aspect of the event that was solidified this week was the line-up. i've got five acts lined up, i'll post a short video of each to give some idea what they are all about!

so the line-up is pretty fantastic, if i do say so myself - and i do! there is one other thing that i managed to get tied together this week, a television appearance by Wildcat O'Halloran on TV 22's Mass Appeal on April 25th. granted i work at the station - but it was one less thing to get in the works later on. i may actually look into having a second act do the show too maybe earlier in the month - we'll see what i can swing. it's an early morning for some of those musicians traveling out from Boston!

lastly, i played a show last night with Damon and the crew at Snowzee's in Sunderland. it was the early show from 5-8pm - good times! part of me wishes that more bars would put some early show on for friday nights! we played 3 short sets, got out some covers we had been wanting to try out. even played this tune --

yea - we did that. kind of made me a little nostalgic for back in the Prescription America days. We played a great gig in Northampton one night and used that song as intro music. i miss that band sometimes - we had a long string of memories!

well folks - that was my week in a nut shell. please, if you could take a moment and see if you're available for the benefit show - it'd mean the world to all of us if you were there. all the details, as well as online ticket sales are at the link below. Thank you!

 http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/168830

Blues Power | My Secret Boston

Check out this article - and if you're in that area go to the SHOW!

Blues Power | My Secret Boston

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!!

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.

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.

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!!!

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

http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/3089209

 

 

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!

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!

 

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

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

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