Friends! Neighbours! (notice the Canadian spelling 'neighb'ours')
Our little Bloglings! I have emerged from behind a wall of keyboards to guest blog. (which is huge for me as both my parents were killed in a blogging accident. oh well, must press on)
Touring with Nicole Atkins and the Avett Brothers has been a tremendously inspiring honor. Last night in Urbana, Illinois was amazing. Such wonderful people here. I have a bit of a beef with the 'Fish Tales' pinball machine in the lobby of the Canopy club however. I'll be back, you mechanized son of a so and so!
If you are able to come and see us play, i highly suggest you do so. As the only Canadian in the group, not only do i put care into every note i play, i put 'health care' into every note i play! That's right,step right up, get as close as you can and i will lay keyboard thunder full of love all over your awe struck faces! (oops, i accidentally typed 'feces' instead of faces. that would have been embarassing)
hope to throw another blog on the fire soon, baboon.
Shane Out!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
You Come to Me
Above is a video of my new song "you come to me" from our show at the House of Blues in Boston. So we're in Urbana Illinois now. The tour is only three shows in but we are already having the best time ever. The crowd that goes to an Avetts show are just great real music fans. They dance, they participate, they are friendly. Anyways, its been an absolute pleasure playing for you guys and meeting ya'll.
It was our tour manager Colin's bday the other night and per his request the Avetts played a Bob song. He was so happy i thought he was gonna cry. Cute lil kipper. After our set Seth was singing "neptune city" in an Edith from All in the Family voice. I told him that thats what my voice was gonna sound like in two years. hahah! god forbid! yesterday i was feeling pretty hoarse and thought I wasnt gonna be able to pull it off but it passed and now i think my throat is adjusting finally. The new songs are pretty taxing with all the screaming and whatnot haha, but i have a good feeling its gonna be ok. I also painted some new bags in the van today. They are looking so cool. Very psychedelic with an old fillmore art feel. I have three new ones to sell at the show tonight so be on the lookout.
Gonna get my hair did in Chicago tomorrow. A new color me thinks. I'm thinking either almost black or a dark dark brown red. Wish I could do blue but that shit just washes out too fast. thoughts?
Monday, October 19, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
And We're Off!!!!!
Tonight is the first night of our tour with the Avett Brothers! I saw some pictures of their Terminal 5 show in Brooklyn last night and the sheer volume of people that were there has me equally excited and nervous. It was mobbed!!! House of Blues in Boston tonight...cannot wait! The drive up from Jersey was pretty hilarious. My friend Shane Nelken of the Awkward Stage in Vancouver is joining us on keyboards and guitar for this tour and everything that comes out of his mouth is beyond funny. I laughed so hard in the van I think it made my voice a bit hoarse. Although, being in the van with 5 guys I think I might have reached my "dick and poop joke," quota by the first day. hahah!
We are gonna play mostly new songs this time around because we wanna test out the songs on an audience before we go into the studio this winter to FINALLY record the next record. Roadside preproduction. These songs are alot heavier and a bit vocally taxing so I gotta figure out how to kick my coffee habit during this tour. Not sure if its gonna happen so I might have to make some sort of pin for my jacket that says "i'm not a bitch, i'm just on vocal rest" so I can keep my talking to a minimum after shows. I'm a loudmouth tho so that'll probably be tough too. The Jersey/Sicilian/Lover of all things Acidic combo is my voices enemy but i'll get it straight soon enough.
So happy to be out on the road again and so are the guys. We stayed the night at my manager's assistant Tom's parents house. The Wironens. Such nice people. I stayed in one of their sons rooms and there were fishing poles and shotguns by my bed. POWAAA! And they made us breakfast. Now the Black Sea are watching football. I think these blogs might end up being a bit too long to read for ya'll as I don't get football and am boredtown. Anyways, stay tuned for some tour videos!!!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
i miss rodney dangerfield
procrastination. i had this idea to handpaint totebags with comics on them to sell on tour. so far my livingroom is filled with 50 primed bags unadorned and 4 painted ones. between writing this and watching rodney in Back to School, i dont know how i'm gonna get these things all dudded up before tour on friday. i will make it happen tho. gotta get crackin on drawing men with fancy mustaches that spell out our band name. be on the lookout for these things on the road. i'll post some pics soon. i'm kinda growing attached to them. i guess thats why i ended my painting career ten years ago. i could never sell them once i finished them. grew too attached.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Major Victory for Low Powered FM!!!
Local Community Radio Act Passes House Subcommittee in 15-1 Vote
October 8, 2009
Washington, D.C.— On Thursday, October 8, the Local Community Radio Act of 2009 passed out of House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet in a sweeping 15 to 1 vote. The Act would clear the way for hundreds of Low Power FM (LPFM) broadcasters in American towns and communities — stations that can help fill the void in local programming created by a consolidated commercial radio marketplace.
“Future of Music Coalition is very pleased that policymakers have recognized the fundamental role Low Power FM can play in local communities,” said Michael Bracy, Policy Director for Future of Music Coalition. “LPFM is vital to musicians around the country, who rely on local radio as a way to reach audiences. It can also help undo the tremendous damage to localism as a result of rampant consolidation in the commercial broadcast industry. There’s no good reason not to allow more LPFM in more American towns and cities. Quality local radio is too important a resource to hold back.”
One clear way to put the community back in radio is to lift the unnecessary restrictions on LPFM stations in larger American towns and cities. LPFM stations are community-based, non-commercial radio broadcasters that operate at 100 watts or less and reach a radius of three to seven miles. LPFM provides a platform for underserved musical genres, minority, religious and linguistic groups and offers a forum for debate about important local issues.
Today’s Subcommittee vote represents a major victory for community radio advocates including Future of Music Coalition, Prometheus Radio Project, United Church of Christ and more. Yet there is still work to be done before new stations can begin serving local communities. “The bill still has a long way to go in the legislative process, but I am optimistic that by the end of the year the Local Community Radio Act will be signed into law,” said Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA), lead co-sponsor of the bill with Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE).
On Tuesday, October 5, Congressman Doyle appeared alongside New Jersey songwriter/musician Nicole Atkins in a special conversation at the 2009 Future of Music Policy Summit at Georgetown University in Washington DC. The two discussed, among other policy matters, the importance of Low Power FM to arts and cultural communities.
http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2009
In April 2009, Atkins joined Doyle at a Hill Briefing on LPFM. “My hometown community station was the first station to play my music, which gave me confidence as an artist,” said Atkins. “There’s no longer any stations like that in my town, and LPFM would be a way to give other artists the same chance I had.”
In June, FMC launched the I Support Community Radio campaign, which features established and emerging musicians talking about how local radio has positively impacted their lives, both as artists and listeners.
October 8, 2009
Washington, D.C.— On Thursday, October 8, the Local Community Radio Act of 2009 passed out of House Subcommittee on Communications, Technology and the Internet in a sweeping 15 to 1 vote. The Act would clear the way for hundreds of Low Power FM (LPFM) broadcasters in American towns and communities — stations that can help fill the void in local programming created by a consolidated commercial radio marketplace.
“Future of Music Coalition is very pleased that policymakers have recognized the fundamental role Low Power FM can play in local communities,” said Michael Bracy, Policy Director for Future of Music Coalition. “LPFM is vital to musicians around the country, who rely on local radio as a way to reach audiences. It can also help undo the tremendous damage to localism as a result of rampant consolidation in the commercial broadcast industry. There’s no good reason not to allow more LPFM in more American towns and cities. Quality local radio is too important a resource to hold back.”
One clear way to put the community back in radio is to lift the unnecessary restrictions on LPFM stations in larger American towns and cities. LPFM stations are community-based, non-commercial radio broadcasters that operate at 100 watts or less and reach a radius of three to seven miles. LPFM provides a platform for underserved musical genres, minority, religious and linguistic groups and offers a forum for debate about important local issues.
Today’s Subcommittee vote represents a major victory for community radio advocates including Future of Music Coalition, Prometheus Radio Project, United Church of Christ and more. Yet there is still work to be done before new stations can begin serving local communities. “The bill still has a long way to go in the legislative process, but I am optimistic that by the end of the year the Local Community Radio Act will be signed into law,” said Congressman Mike Doyle (D-PA), lead co-sponsor of the bill with Congressman Lee Terry (R-NE).
On Tuesday, October 5, Congressman Doyle appeared alongside New Jersey songwriter/musician Nicole Atkins in a special conversation at the 2009 Future of Music Policy Summit at Georgetown University in Washington DC. The two discussed, among other policy matters, the importance of Low Power FM to arts and cultural communities.
http://futureofmusic.org/events/future-music-policy-summit-2009
In April 2009, Atkins joined Doyle at a Hill Briefing on LPFM. “My hometown community station was the first station to play my music, which gave me confidence as an artist,” said Atkins. “There’s no longer any stations like that in my town, and LPFM would be a way to give other artists the same chance I had.”
In June, FMC launched the I Support Community Radio campaign, which features established and emerging musicians talking about how local radio has positively impacted their lives, both as artists and listeners.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)