Leafs Win, 3-2

Well, not the hockey team, the actual LEAVES… For the second time, I tackles trying to wrangle them all up, did a fairly thorough job in the front yard and partial in the back, and 2 days later you’d never know I even tried… I mean after almost 30 bags when will it end?

I wisely invested in a leaf blower before I started the project, which, in hindsight, was one of those rare moments where I had good foresight! (ha) but its still a bugger of a job to do… oh well.. there are worst things I spose…

While my 4 to 7 regular readers may have noticed a lack of content on this site, its some very godo reasons… 1) I’ve tried to keep this stuff “mostly” about things related to music, (2) I’ve not been overly active in music since the spring.. what with the new job, and the new house, and all the great distractions they both have presented.. and (3) We’ll, we’ve just been busy!!!

In summary though, while were still not completely unpacked and no where nears getting the house done to the way we want it, I think we’ve crossed that line where we can say we’ve “put our mark” on it.. or “made it our own” I wont inventory all of it, and my wife would argue we’ve not done much at all, but I think when you add up the man-hours spent on everything done so far I get tired and my back starts to ache.. I think the problem is that for some of the tasks, as trivial as mundane as they may be, they take an insane amount of time…

Take yesterday for example.. Our bedrooms have no ceiling lights… the light switch controls a plug in… Which presents some problems, depending on how you like to set up your room.. So we buy a ceiling fan for my daughters room and physically installed it I think the day after we took possession.. And I, in my infinite wisdom, ascend to the attic to wire it up to the switch… I’m no electrician, but I do know some of the basics that my dad taught me… So I’m up there.. and I’m trying to find the main power lead… and there isn’t one.. being I’m on the top floor, the main power lead comes from the basement and goes direct to the plug in the wall… its split, to the switch, (which I was able to access in the attic) to complete the circuit… So the problem, is while it may be possible to work with that, its not possible with my limited knowledge of electrical…. I need the source…. So we abandon the job, and result to get a pro…

Anyway… its now 4plus months later. The only day my electrician friend had free, I wasn’t but I had a eureka moment.. I’d learned about a month ago, that there is a direct “Path” from the attic to basement (and vice versa) via the chimney. Not “inside” but the exterior… I can look down from the attic to the basement when I stick my head next to the chimney… theres about a 3-4 inch clearance that goes straight down… I’d used it to fish my TV wires up…. And, in another rare moment of foresight, left a string tied on both ends in cased I ever needed to repeat the process…

Luckily (in some ways) our basement is not finished, So I was able to find a good source of unswitched power, tapped into it, ran it all way up to the attic, tacked the wires down safely, drilled holes, cut drywall, made all the connections, and some 6 hours later, the jobs done.. I installed a brand new switch for my daughters ceiling fan… But that’s jut the point… a small “blip” on the to-do list, and 6 hours of time! It was about the same when I connected the highspeed net up to my wife’s PC and mine… One trivial little detail, One Insane amount of effort…. But, on the Brightside, I got great inlaws.. and truth be told, if you survey Most of the work done to the place (that you can see at least, Paint, Floor, etc) it is my father in law who deserves most of the credit.. Dude’s spend countless hours laying hardwood, painting walls and ceilings… stuff that we could do, and have (albeit to a lesser extent) and actually says he enjoys it! Which is great, because we enjoy having it done!!! HA!!!

Anyway… back to the leaves.. , ah screw it… enough about the leaves…. Lets talk music..

I’m getting excited again.. I had been playing bass with Full Circle for a little over a year… and While great people and a lot of fun, my stint with them came to an end about 3 weeks ago…. For my few “long” time readers you may recall that its been my goal to start a band (informally known as the “Bongwater” Project) where we’d play tunes that we always wanted to, but couldn’t because it was either
-too long
-too hard to dance to
-too hard to play and/or bizare
-too many instruments
-too hard to sing or not in that singers range…

So instead of the staples like Brown Eyed Girl and Sweet Home Alabama, we’d play “Into the Mystic” and “I know a little” along with tunes like Pink Floyds Time, Shine on Crazy Diamon, Gig in the sky…. Deep Purple’s Lazy or Maybe I’m a Leo, Bostons _Foreplay/Longtime, etc….

But the difficulty in doing those tunes is 3 fold…. 1) all the reasons mentioned above 2) Not every musicians feels the same and 3) most bars don’t want to hear it… they want whatever makes drunk people drink more…

So its been challenging… We’ve had two attempts so far… both kind of fizzled... but just after my departure from Full Circle, the guitarist asked me about that project, and if I needed a drummer… He had a friend that he thought was “In tune” (pardon the pun) with what I wanted to do…

One of biggest challenges has been time… I’ve had no problem finding gigs… Hell, more then I can handle, but then that’s just the point. I can’t handle it.. Anymore then 2 gigs a month, and it’s a distraction… work/family have to come first… I mean I’d love nothing more then to play Full Time with the likes of Jon Matheson, or Bernie Doucette and just see where I takes you.. But the reality is I just can’t make that kind of commitment, so it leaves me to the “weekend warrior” pool…. Where its not as easy to find the right fit…

But after 2 previous tries (Click here , Here and HERE for info about the 2nd) I think we’ve found it this time, at least on paper. The band’s a little top heavy, insofar as we have more people in it then the average, but that’s the key.. its about having fun, playing music we like… and if a song doesn’t have a part in it for everyone.. then ya stand there, shake a maraca or something, and sing harmony….

So far we’ve Got
-Me: Keyboards, Bass, some guitar/mandolin/harmonica and a tolerable harmony, basic Saxophone
-Wayne Smart: Vocals, Guitar, Bass, & Some keys
-Steve Furey: Monster Steve Vai Style Guitar)
-Steve Ashton: Guitar, Vocals, & Sax
-Steve MacDonald: Guitar, Vocals maybe bass
-___TBA___: Bass, Vocals, Keys
-Pete Jeffery: Drums/Percussion

And maybe (maybe) a 2nd drummer/percussionist (not unlike the Alman Bros) so we can have all the bells and whistles (congos, etc) too…

And I really have to thank Steve Matheson, the Guitarist from Full Circle, for jump-starting this again via his introduction of Pete! Otherwise, this might still be on the “long term plan” as opposed to “Work in Progress” Status…

Anyway. We’ve our first jam this weekend, I hope… pending scheduling coordination, and we’ll see where it takes us from there.. Should be fun, which is the primary goal.. and we’ll just see where it takes us from there…

Priorities

When your children get sick, your whole world just stops… Nothing else even registers on the radar…. Anyway, Our little ones been giving us some cause for concern.. we’ve been back and forth with doctors appointments and tests for over a month now, and even more so over the last 3 days…. I’ve been trying to keep a positive attitude about it all, and while it doesn’t stop us from worrying, I’ve tried to adopt the policy that these tests are just to confirm there’s “nothing” wrong as opposed to an affirmation of “something” so until proven otherwise, no news is good news… and that’s about all I have to say for this week…

Ok... no more farting around.... time to get serious

Been getting a lot of buzz, hits, feedback, and potential subjects for the "almost famous" project..

Time for me to shake the dust of the camera, and get rolling again.. Push to get a viable pilot ready before the years out....

I think its tooo good an idea to dily dally any more.... F__K... wish i was home right now..

Oh well.. I'll be able to get some time in on sunday... Any one know where I can get a cheap terabyte hard drive?

Got to love trhe mini van

I reallly REALLY want one of those new 2008 Town and Country's, but I'll likely have to wait to 2012 to buy a new 08... lol... but in the meantime, the add reminded me of this pic from a few weeks back I'd meant to post...

ohh the things we've loaded in that van.. I should have had a truck instead

But it works for us... i just wish it wasnt such a gas pig...

I really should keep it a little cleaner though... ..

.. but whatcha gonna do....

Not a bad place at all...

well.. some good news... My ear finally "popped" not the 100% Eureka moment I was hoping for, but I'd estimate it back at a solid 65-70% compared to the total might as well been wearing earplugs sensation up until lunch today... so that makes me really happy.... Progress....

Even better news, I Finally got my mark from my last exam... 74%! not too shabby if I do say so myself... It wasn't necessarily the hardest, but it was paramount that I pass it, as its a condition of employment... so Whew!!!

While I was a little groggy in the am... getting my mark, and being able to hear again put a little zing back in my step after lunch... Plus.. I got lucky at a local used music Store.... Nothing major... .. But a long long time ago, I'd sold a little effect unit... then regretted selling it after the fact... Well, they had one just like it for real cheap, so I had to pick it up... and that made me real happy.... I was gonna go get a cab or a buss and check out Long & McQuade, but the more I think about, the more I'll not... I'm a bigger fan of the little guy... and the music retail biz has gotten very political.. the big guys get bigger, the small guys get smaller as they get squezed out... the big guys get big by discounting, selling at low margins... then when they own the market... they go back to normal margins.. No deals... nothing I'd call a deal anyway... and I just find it disgusting... So while I've not necessarily "boy-cotted" them, I'm not a big fan anymore... so I think I'll just watch a movie and eat some cereal....

after the work sessions today everyone was pairing up in little groups to hit the town.... some to eat, some to shop, some to drink or dance... some all the above Im sure... I dont want to be anti social at all, and probably should at least some of that... but, well.. I wanted to catched that music store b4 they closed at 6, and while I feel TONS better then I did, I still dont feel 100% and the last thing i need right now is alcohol....

But i walked back from the store, instead of cabbing it... got a better sense of the pulse of the place, and I must say.. Its not that far a stretch from Halifax... A little more French, but its ok... I think Its a place I could make friends and enjoy living in, if I had to... but given a choice, I'd still prefer my home!

Speaking of home... damnit.. now im homesick again.. Missing my girls.. An old friend is looking for a new job... current one has her traveling tooo much... and I can relate.. I dont do too much traveling, but I sure do miss the family when I am gone..

arg... I should have went out and done something with someone from work... ah.. oh well.. I'll get to bed early and with anyluck, nip this cold once and for all.... gonna be busy at work with work once I get back.. So I should soak up this downtime while I can...

Too tired to sleep...

Its too late to start a movie... Im tired, but have you ever been sooo bored you couldnt sleep???

Not that today was boring, anything but actualy.. but now... in the seclusion of my room... its pretty boring... (rightly so I guess, as I see that typed out.. ha ha)

Anyway... My flight was on time, I was early for work, and everything worked out just dandy...
Turna out my bosses boss was on the same plane... which technically makes him my boss too.... Super Cool guy... one of thos guys who makes it a point to know everyone's names... and their kids, and remembers the little things, like the days she was sick and asks hows she's doing.... And its cool, because I really believe the guy cares... which is refreshing actually, I mean, we've all worked for people who would maybe go through the motions but you could tell it wasn't sincere.... but this is different.. Anyway.. he's headed a different direction, so he hands me a taxi chit to save me from having to expense it later...

Not to get all Disney Channel on ya, but the more Im around this place, the more I like it.. and I liked it alot before.... Sure, it aint the music Business, But at the end of the day.. (and the beginning for that matter) its a really good place to work... EVERYONE I've met so far seems not only sincere in their interactions, but there's not even a hint of any behind the scene's grumbling, power struggles, and all that politics that large organizations seem to be riddled with these days... There are issues, and apparantly some varied ideas, but everythings so respectful, its oddly refreshing actually... I been in this industry a looooonnng time, moved around some... but if this was my last stop on the ol' career bus... that'd be ok by me!

anyway.. enuff bout that..

Usually, when I fly.. I get the aile seat... its easier to get to the washroom, the overhead bin, and off the plane once your all done, but today I ended up with the Window... and I must admit, I got a little giddy with the pictures...

Ottawa seems like a nice town actually... lots of tree's, lots of farms... I could handle that.... I'm soooo not a city boy.. There was a point in my life when I wanted to be.. or maybe thought I could be, But I love my privacy.. and I love tree's... I think it'd be great to have 40 to 140 acres somewhere.... my house plopped right in the middle.. studio/bar/rehersal space somewhere in the back, far enuf away from the house and everything else that you could really have a Barn Burner of a party and not even wake your self up!! which reminds me, I really shoudl get a 649 ticket while Im here...

The upside of screwing up…

Ok… so you have a 6am flight, and its midnight… you’ve just packed nearly 2 chord of wood, after installing a garage door opener and a programmable furnace thermostate (aka, large day) and your too wound tight to go to bed just yet…. Do you try to get a few hours sleep, risk sleeping in? or just stay awake…and sleep all day Sunday…. I mean, afterall, you’ll get in around 9 and you’ve nothing to do all day….. Plus, you’ve about 7 hours of programming to catch up with on the DVR….. What would you do?

Well, I made it through CSI, Two and a Half Men and I think ¾’s of CSI NY before I lost it…… and woke up shortly after 8… Odd thing is, I remember dreaming beware aware of some semi-conscious struggle “Get up / NO, Stay asleep, its soooo comfy/ You’ll regret it if you don’t get up / ahhh, but its an uphill battle, th woodstove, the back pills, the nyquill, I mean really? Yeah… ok… sleep… but then another little invoice kicks in… you know, the one that says “get up NOW or you’ll piss yourself” and that one gets me up….. but its funny how your priorities shift once reality comes crashing in…

I had a run of bad luck with the whole car accident thingy, back in 05, which led me to seek out my new job… and while I don’t think I’ve ever told the full version of that story here, suffice to say that I got REALLY lucky with this new job as it truly is the best possible fit out there for a guy with my qualifications and background, goals, objectives, and modified (when compared to pre-sept/05) approach to work…. What makes me feel even more fortunate, is that they’ve been supper great to me all summer in that I havn’t logged a real days work yet… I’ve just been taking courses.. which are important, and stressfull in itself, but… well.. it’s a privilege I don’t take for granted… So in the midst of writing my two final exams… my child becomes ill, really scary actually… and that costs me a few days out of the office, and lost study time at those crucial day before and day of exam points….. then.. on my first work paid trip away… I get Really Ill myself… I don’t miss anything.. but its obvious the new guy didn’t bring his A-Game to Montreal… But whatayado? So I get off the plan last Thursday nite, and my ear didn’t pop… all my other symptoms seemed better.. cept that…. So I go to work early Friday… bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, as they say…. “How you feeling Rob?” im asked…. I lie…. “Great!” but I still feel like I been dragged through a bag of hammers and can’t hear…. But I so don’t want to be “that guy” I’ve never been “that guy” I’ve always been the reliable one.. the work-horse…. Not “that guy” anyway… back to my story…

It’s 8:16 am.. the TV’s still on, the fires out, and reality kicks in… I f—king fell asleep and missed my flight…. NO F—king way!!!! So with that little “gotta pee” voice SCREAMING in my subconscious, I ignore that, and get on the phone immediately with Amex travel… Im on hold for what seems like forever, compounded by the required pee-pee dance, but theres hope… theres a flight at 11, its sold out… but I can go see at least…
My father in law is up… we get along real good, without us speaking, he knows what’s happened, but he can tell Im a little tooo upset to take a joke about it at this stage… (that will have to wait) ……..for now, I just got to get my shit together and out the door..

It doesn’t take long, but I have to turn around as I realize I’d fortgoten my back pills… and CANT do that again…

So I make it to the airport, and Im shit out of luck… I beg, I plead, but theres no getting there today… best hope, a direct flight 6:30 am, arriving 7:11 Monday am… My first meetings not till 8:30… ok.. that could work… it has to work….

So I pay my 150 fee, and I’m headed back for home… but I think… ok… I got a full day in NS I haddn’t planned on… I need to have this ear checked out…. And while not worthy of quoting the Cheryl Crow tune “greatest mistake” Im pretty glad at least… Turns out I have a pretty serious infection in both ears… and it’s a good thing I caught it… Some Antibiotics, Anti-inflamatories, and some Gum… and it should be ok… Whew… ok.. .that was luck, maybe…

Anyway.. the Pharmacy was giving away free 10 dollar chapters gift cards.. I’ve already missed out on the family day trip to the Fall Fare, so I’ll go get a book for Sarah…. And that’s where there real joy of the day comes..

My 3 year old loves the book… and wants me to read it to here again….Where in the family room, in front of the Big Screen, and she’s snuggled up and wants me to read to her again…. Yeah… this was soooooo worth it… On any other day, I really enjoy my TV.. but today… I feel as if I’ve won some little victory against it… and it was reall cool! 5 times later its suppertime…. I try out the new leaf blower, partially to appease that part of me that still feels like a lazy p.o.s. for oversleeping and needs to accomplish something of measure, but mostly cause it seems like a cool things to play with… It was… Well, the vacuum part was pretty lame… it works, and it does mulch the stuff down to about ¼ of the cubic volume, but its slow and tedious.. but the blower feature… Now that’s fun… Leafs just flying everywhere… I can’t wait to try it again with the dog and little one out here to play in the leaves before we bag them….

So its now 5:56… My flights almost ready to board… but iM hear… I still Can’t hear, but at least I know what the real issue is, and I’m medicated…. I had an extra day with the family.. had some well needed R&R, some quality time.. and some TV time, and barring a strong headwind, I’ll still make it to the start of my first meeting this morning and no one other then me, will ever really need to know… I’ll eat the 150 myself… and Im not bitter anymore… all it all, it was worth it.. I really wanted this day anyway.. and it was a good one.. Think I’ll look for another gruffalo book while I’m away….

Lost in Translation

I remember flying to Toronto or Montreal with my dad when I was a kid… He’d take me on business trips, conventions of all sorts, and sometimes im sure just an excuse to get away from the stresses of home.. (ok, maybe that last ones a stretch) but it was cool…. I mean, some dad’s teach you how to change the oil, or build things…. And that’s cool too, but my dad taught me about people, and sales… and I’m not even sure if he realized how good he was at it… but as a result of those experiences, I was often got to be included in things that most 20, 17, 15, 10, or 8 years olds ever get to be exposed to. I learned how to gauge people, and judge, (maybe through intuition or maybe it was nonverbal cues from dad) when it was ok to speak/participate, and when to be silent and act disinterested… As much as both happened with I would assume equal frequency, I never took the latter as an insult or slight against me, but rather as a private joke between my dad and I on the person around home I would play the role of the “kid in tow”

And while im not certain if my opinions had much weight when in contrast to his own, he always asked….. but anyway… Im getting side tracked, but sometimes that’s how memories come…. You start out thinking on one track and before you get that thought complete you go down another path…. But anyway… as I fly into montreal yesterday, I was reminded of those trips.. and how much I miss spending that kind of quality time with my dad… but I also miss the niave optimism I had about the future…

When I was really young, I’d look out the window of the plane on the approach at the cars and houses below, and I’d imagine what life was like in that persons house.. where they worked, their social network, their family…… and I’d fabricate in my own imagination in the 10 minutes or so it took before the tires hit the tarmack a completely imaginary life that stayed in the big city, and didn’t go home again after a few days… I mean its only in hindsight I realize how great it was to grow up in a small town, cause as a kid I really hated it… So isolated and sheltered… things I cherish now, as memories…

Anyway… it was pretty cool back then.. I’d met Gorden Deepe from the Spoons, Yngiew Malstem, Steve Neaugas from Saga, Corine Alphine, Penthouse pet of the year back in 1980-something… and the list goes on… and I wasn’t very old… (and never did learn to spell very well)

Given all that “prepping”, if you can call it that, I was certain of one thing back then…… I was going to do something in the music business… I wasn’t sure what, but I new it was gong to be something… I mean, what else was there? I’d been around this my whole life, and even as a kid, I could walk the walk, and talk the talk from both the artist perspective, and the business end… I even had 3 clear measurable goals that, in my mind, would allow me to say… “yeah.. I did it”
1> a juno
2> to be invited to jam on Austin City Limits , and
3> to have my birthday announced on Entertainment Tonight.. (the US version, not just the Cheesey Canadian Spin off)

And I almost went for it…but I didnt.. and gradualy, the gap between what I new, and what ya need to know just got bigger and bigger...

oh well...


Theres a long, well, a few long stories about it, and at this moment, I can’t remember if I’ve ever blogged about them… about booking bands for the college in Newfoundland, or meeting the guy from DKD and my experiences there… about pushing CD holders and and I’m a little too tired and hurting to go there right now anyway.. but suffice to say.. there were many opportunities and many doors that would have opened…… I just didn’t jump…

Im not sure why actually… I mean, I’ve fabricated several possible reasons in my mown mind, excuses mostly, but I think at the end of the day, it was fear of heartbreak….. which may sound odd, but if you’ve ever met someone who really jumped in to music head first and gave it all and fell short…. “heartbreak” is about as close as one could hope to describe it… but its not a clean, its over kind of heartbreak, its more like one of those lingering, she’ don’t want you but wont let you go either kind of relationships where you know its not ever going to be what you want.. but you wont ever be free, and you wont ever heel… not completely…

So… I jump head first into the whole “suit” world… and, to my credit, Im not to bad at it.. but there comes a point in a career when you look around at where you are, what comes next, what it will give you, and what it will cost you... and you catch a glimps of yourself in the mirror and you think “Holy crap, is that me?” I mean, I jumped into it headfirst… and for probably 8 of the last 12 years I had my head so far up my own ass it was sickening… Gun-ho for broke, determined, and driven… A sales managers dream… My old managers would tell you as much, I mean, I was the frog, but it didn’t last…. And Im not sure what happened.. if it happened all at once, or in little bits along the way… but I began to not entirely embrace where I was going and to a certain extent, begin wonder, deeply, about the path I didn’t take… and I think part of the reason, is I realized that most careers, more specificially, Financial services, have no guarantees…. Talented people, hard working people get passed over all the time in every arena… The music Biz does not have a monopoly on B.S., Red Tape, Politics, and all that jazz… its everywhere… Hard work and talent alone are not “always” enuff… It helps to know people, of course, but theres also a great amount of luck and timing… and the later of those two are what you can’t control… So I guess seeing that, learning that reality, in retrospect, I wonder a lot about “what could have happened if”

What If I had gone to the Recording Arts Program? ST. FX JazZ? What if I had gone on the the Road with the Push? What if I had had tried to work at DKD as a Peon, what if I tried to write/perform full time? Where would I be right now? Who knows… I have no right to complain, but I can’t help but wonder..


Ok… enuf of that..



In other news, I opted to wear my suit on the plane yesterday, thinking I’d get a little more respect… and in the past, that used to work, but I think the airline industry as a whole has been so fucked, that its left all the staff shell shot…. As they were equally indifferent to everyone… so lesson learned there… and, I should have known better, but wearing a suit to Steve’s music store had the exact Opposite effect of what I was hoping for on the airplane… As most Musicians see a suit, and, well.. .Lets just say I’d have gotten more respect in jeans and my eagles tour t-shirt… but screw those guys..

I've bought a few things on ebay, but I'm really likeing Sweetwater... these days.. Im not a big customer, but those guys really know how to make a customer feel important... So To hell with Steve's Music, Cripes, it erks me how they ignored me yesterday.. but their loss.. I'll spend my money online instead...

Anyway.. I can’t wait to get home.normally I enjoy my trips here, but Im not feeling the love this time.. Actually Its been hell, but that’s mostly due to this cold, and its left me grumpy and intolerant…… . I just feel like crap, and it doesn’t help here that the restaurants and stores here are soo pretentious, except for the lady in the clothing store downstairs…

….. I change into my jeans and t after work today, and head downstairs.. Theres a wicked sale, and I go in to browse, and based on my less the positive experiences in the retail world here yesterday, Im regretting changing out of my suit… but this lady is different… Maybe she’s like me when she’s home.. and the dress up outfit is just a version of herself she wears to work.. She askes me about what Im looking for, and rather then getting huffy when I say “I really don’t know, I don’t have a clue about colors, I usually rely on my wife to tell me what looks good” she makes some polite suggestions based on my eye and hair color… “she’s good”… I think to myself as I buy two shirts… but she was… she didn’t judge me by my jeans or ratty t-shirt.. it was actually the best customer service I’ve had this trip…..

I end up leaving our supper early..it was great, but I just felt to sick.. but I stop in my way back to look for a 3rd shirt..

“you ok?” she asks…

“No, I think I need some nyquil but I cant find a pharmacy”

She reached In her purse and gives me two tablets…. “We have 4 kids, I’ve got a portable pharmacy, take these and get some sleep”
I’ll likely never see this lady again.. but she’s cool in my book! Which goes to show.. theres good people out there… sometimes where and when you least expect it…

So im hear now in my hotel, missing home, missing my girls.. missing my studio, missing my dog.. .and missing my meds that I forgot to bring… (backs killing me) and to make matters worst, I am as sick as I’ve even been, and Did not enjoy my supper nearly as much on the way up, as I did going down… for lack of a better, more graphic description, but the 20 dollar rice crispies and oj I just got from room service seemed to hit the spot… A good nite sleep would be good.. but If last nite is any indication, I likely will have trouble… between the cough and my back… I’d be just as well off to find something productive to do and not sleep at all.. but I have to try… Thank god the weekends fast approaching.. and We’ve no Planned projects… maybe I can talk the better half in to a weekend of lazy couch surfing? Then again.. there’s still wood to stack…. Ah well… Xmass is coming.. maybe I’ll catch a nap or two then…

Lowered expectations

We'll... were getting closer to xmas, and its looking like I wont have the basement finished... but we should have 4/5's of what we wanted to do on the rest of the house done.. But Im ok with it, besides, we've had one helluva busy summer... Just finished a wedding, now I'm on another course for 2 weeks.... just finished two others.. and another one has to be done by jan 31....

Me brain is fried! but I feel good about it! ...


Just put a fire on, now I gotta go clean the kitchen and pack...

Cheers for now..

I love it when plan comes together...

Well, while it was fun playing with Full Circle all this time, I do admit that it was not my ideal genre or music, and/or format…. My dream has been for some now to build a band from scratch, but with a twist…

Most bar bands get formed with the sole intent to play bars, get gigs, get paid… so you can make your hobby a business.. and get some reward from it.. and theres nothing wrong with it… but its not my thing… more importantly, if I have to Play Brown eyed Girl, Bob Segar’s Old Time Rock and Roll, or Lynrd Skynrds Sweet home Alabama one more time, I’ll hurl……. Arggg…
Also.. I dont like late nites in bars.. not the hours, nor the drunk people.. i'd rather play a matenee, or house party and be home by midnight or 1am...

So what is my dream? Will it aint easy.. but its elaborate, and has come to me in phases..
Phase 1… Just play the music you love… and none that you dont...

I do like Van Morrison, Segar and Skynrd just fine, but I’d rather play “Into the mystic”, “Against the Wind” and “I know a little” other tunes I’d love to play include..



And so on…

Part 2 would be delivery…. how its built...
Have you ever seen the eagles, in concert? I mean you have Joe Walsh, Timothy B Schmidt, Don Henley, Glenn Fry.. and previously, Don Feldar… all solo capable players/singers.. but each simply play a “small part” you know. Theres joe… in the middle of song.. doing nothing.. until… wait for it, here it comes… there.. 4 notes.. then lay back again.. No egos, no hogs. Just contributors.. Also..the multi Singer approach… Blue Rodeo has two.. eagles have 4! Joe, Don, Glen and Timmothy… and while the other is in front, the remainder fall back to harmony support…. Brilliant I think…. breaks up the flow.. adds variety and diversity to your sound...

Its not a Hey look at me show, its hey.. look at us.. what we can build.. No showboating, no over playing.. just many little pieces to make one large Whole…

So I imagine a large number of members, switching instruments, etc…. and if the song has no keys.. and someone else is playing bass, and it doesn't need an acoustic guitar.. then I'll stand and sing harmonies, shake a tamborine and still enjoy it...

are there Problems with this concept? Sure there are... …
(1) its Difficult to find more then 3 or 4 people that will share the vision and/or (2) be ok with the fact that this will NOT be a money making band… at least at first.. also.. (3) this is not music that lends itself to the dance bars…. So that will be a challenge also.. and (4) oddly, not a lot of Lead singers are comfortable sharing the spotlight.. at least thats what I've found.. they want the spotlight on them, almost at the exlusion of others, and they dont want to share... But I stand by my goal... I think it woudl work far better then any one singer could take it, and I also think that it takes more Confidence, and comfort with yourself as an artist to step back at let someone else shine..... so maybe its just a "maturity" one must have or aquire over time to be able to step back and be a part of something, as opposed to the absolute "centre of attention".. in any event.... I'm sure we'll find enough likeminded folks to round out the line up soon enough... and that’s ok with me….

I want this to be about playing music I love, and playing it well, and having fun… And in as much as it might be hard to get paying gigs at first.. I think after the word got out.. this would be one hell of band that could be worthy of the Rebecca Cohn…

Anyway… I've said all this before, why am I so excited abtou it again? Not long after my exiting Full Circle, did I meet a like minded Drummer.. so Now we have…

Me Keys and Bass, and some acoustic/rythem guitar. And basic Drum abilities
Wayne Vocals, lead and or rythem Guitar, Bass and some drums
Steve Furey Monster Steve Vai style Guitar
Pete Jeffereys Drummer and some other instruments

What we need next is another singer, preferable with a good lower register, that can go raspy like Steve Tyler or Joe Cocker, and who can play bass and/or guitar (preferably a bluesy slow hand style) and/or keys and/or sax/horn and maybe even another singer and/or female singer… to round things out…..

as for a name....
I’d like to call it “Bongwater” or “the Bongwater Project” as that was what that name was intended for in the firstplace…. And it looks like in November we will begin rehersing, to try and get it up and running… Should be fun… may never go anywhere. but at least were in motion again...

Whew!