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Good day today so far. I just got back home about 30 mintues ago from a quick trip to Waco, home of the Fightin’ Baylor Bears. I met up with Wiley, who was my drummer in my bands back in college: Echo Juliet (95-97) & 3 Penny Opera (97-98). Wiley was in the Dallas area a few weeks ago and he dropped off a large box of ’stuff’ from those bands, as well as things from his other band at the time, Megalo. What ’stuff’? Well, live shows, live videos, promo material, pictures, show fliers, mailouts and basically anything else that applied to any of those bands. LOTS OF STUFF. I have a good chunk of my stuff from those bands on my website, but Wiley nearly doubled what I had. He had originals of excellent artwork (the first 3PO show) and not-so-excellent artwork (the infamous “America Head”..which is good quality-wise, but it doesn’t look like her; makes her look like a man, baby). I have been going through all of the stuff for the past few weeks, scanning stuff into the computer, transferring a lot of live shows and dubbing the videos that I didn’t previously have. I’m happy that we have excellent documentation of both EJ & 3PO. I need more actual *pictures* of us playing live, but I think I can get those in the future from other people. My mom said the other day that she has a lot, but just doesn’t know where they are…and *I’m* not gonna be the one to go through all the boxes in her garage & in storage!
As I told Wiley today, here are the Songs I’m Sick of Hearing: We Are Each Other/Zoe by Echo Juliet, San Francisco (sorry again, man) & kinda Give Your Love to Me by 3 Penny Opera and also Empire State by Megalo. I think those songs were on nearly every recording from each of those respective bands. Some revelations: an un-labeled tape which had 6 songs of 3 Penny Opera rehearsing. I had never heard this and only remembered we rolled tape at that rehearsal when I discovered it solely at random. Not necessarily the best ever, but it was band rehearsal and that’s the only one of either band I have. I like having a copy of the 2nd Capzeyez show 3PO did, which was actually my last show with the band. I loved hearing the commercial for a series of shows 3PO did that was broadcast on an Austin radio station. The promo was a minute long and during the bit on us, the music bed underneath was When You Comin’ Home Tonight, that particular version which was recorded and engineered by ME. And I played on it too, but more importantly some of my engineering work was actually played on the radio. Definitely not the best I’ve ever done, but it made me smile really big to hear it on a radio promo. I liked hearing the one time(?) EJ’s Zoe was played on the radio and the DJ talking about us. I think that song was the only one that ever got radio play, except for me playing the stuff on my own radio show back in college (KVRX, fyi) and the one time 3PO played live on a pirate radio station in San Marcos. I remember while Bryan and America were playing something, the rest of us we out at the car listening…cool stuff. Wish I had a tape of it.
So, I scanned all of the images, transferred all the live shows and I’ll edit them in a few months and send them out to Wiley and the various members if they wants it. Today’s food-n-conversation was at Waco’s famous Elite Circle Grille (Formerly the Elite Cafe), where Elvis used to eat when he was in the Army stationed at close-by Fort Hood. Their highway billboards used to say “Elvis Ate Here!” Ah, I love it. I actually did hear Suspicious Minds while we were eating and it made me laugh inside. We met there so I could give Wiley back his box and he could give me a surprise gift: a 3-song Megalo CD that was recorded after he had moved to NYC that featured Troy Messina on drums. I enjoyed it on the way home. I like having a studio version of By Now, which has a really cool 6/8 change near the end. I always liked Megalo and always had a good time going to their shows back in the day. On one show from ‘97, I heard myself in the audience yell for the band right as they started. Cracks me up.
Anyway, I had to get everything back to Wiley so quickly because of two things. I have to record guitar tracks for my album in the next 2.5 weeks, because Matt was cool enough to let me borrow his strat, amp & effects to record the guitar parts with. And why do I have such a limited amount of time in which to do it? Well, most everyone knows, but I’ll go ahead and say it here just in case there’s some people who I haven’t spoken to. On Feburary 8th I’m leaving Texas and moving back to North Carolina. Yeah, I know, short notice for some people.
It’s a decision I’ve been thinking seriously about since around Christmas of 2003, but it was just in November (Jennifer’s wedding) that I firmly made up my mind to do it. The simple explanation is that I’m going for musical reasons because I feel that’s what I’m on this earth to do and I AM going to do it. When I lived there before, I met Jennifer, we became great friends and then we said, ‘hey let’s get together sometime soon and play’. We did, and it was good. Actually, it was the 2nd time we played that it really clicked for us and we both thought, ‘this is some great stuff’. We made the decision that we absolutely HAD to work together sometime in the future, because it honestly feels like we’re musical soulmates. There was a connection we had that’s as strong as I’ve ever felt with music. So, we said we’ll do it ’sometime’. Well, now is SOMETIME. I’m going out there to make the music I’m supposed to be making with the person I’m supposed to be making it with. I don’t refer to her as my ’sister’ just because we’re so close as friends, but also because we have that MUSICAL connection that you may get only once or twice in your life. Honestly, I do still feel that way about Bryan also, because there’s no other guitar player I’d rather play with, but I know it’s not our time right now. Sometime in the future, most definitely, but we both have other stuff to do right now.
I know Jenn is a bit nervous about it, but I’m confident we’ll live up to our potential. I take this music stuff pretty seriously and she knows how, uh, enthusiastic I can be so her nerves are understandable. Plus she’s not completely confident in herself yet (nor am I in my singing yet) so we have some work ahead of us. I can’t wait though. I am so utterly excited to go back there (the land of a million gorgeous trees and actual seasons) and be with my friends again.
I will most definitely miss my friends and family here, but I’m too restless of a person to stay in Dallas my whole life. The music is calling me and I’m not going to let this opportunity pass me by.
On the album front, like I said I’ll get the final guitar parts recorded in the next couple of weeks and then I’ll finish up everything in Carolina, still aiming for my April 7th release date (the original date of my departure, but it’s obviously been moved up). I have demos of the songs, I have the right song order, I have the artwork and liner completely done so all that’s left is putting in the master takes of each instrument. Yes, including my voice. I’m extremely happy with the track selection and I think it works pretty well (at least in demo form!). Besides the upcoming musicking with Jennifer, finishing my album is making me giddy with excitement. After I post this, I’m plugging in Matt’s awesome Strat and seeing what kind of noise I can make. Hopefully some of his talent will have rubbed off on it.
Anything else? No, I think that’s all for now.
It’s a good day.
Current Mood: artistic
Current Music: Robert Fripp - Show of Hands & Radiohead - Kid A
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