11-14-2000

I'm currently sifting through the painful process of finding the right musicians to record on my cd. At this time I have four originals completed, and a few other riffs/ideas in the works.

1-6-01 3:30a.m.

I just got home from my gig with Motor City Josh. He came up from Atlanta for about ten days, and I was able to do a couple of gigs with him. It was great to play with Jim David (keys), and Rich Allen (drums) again. 

1-8-01

Todd Glass and I have been practicing for the past month or so, and things are sounding great. We've been playing together in Thornetta's band for the past year, so we work very well together. Todd's a great drummer who brings a new dimension to the songs. We have seven originals right now, and we plan on going into the studio soon. We're going to debut the "band" tonight at the Music Menu    during the first break of "The Brett Lucas Band." Thank you Brett! I'll write how it went if I can ever find the time.

1-12-01

Monday night was a blast! We played The Absorbing Mirror, The Disappearing One, Tango Tingo, and Galaxy Rodeo. There was a pretty decent crowd, thanks to a group of German automotive types (the Auto Show starts this weekend).  Some of the Wednesday night regulars were there cheering us on. Seeing them a couple of nights later, they said that they totally loved what they heard, and that this music is what this city needs. Right on! 

It was good to see local Stick player, Glenn Poorman, come to check us out. Glenn's a great player, and I respect his comments/critique of my songs. Aside from seeing me play two weeks after I got my NS/Stick, this was the first time Glenn saw me play in public, as well as with a drummer. His huge friendly grin said it all. Thanks for your support Glenn.

Todd and I are tentatively planning on hitting the studio on 1-30. We were offered an hour of free time by Michael King, who is an established and well respected recording engineer, producer, songwriter, and artist. He wanted to show us how his new 24-bit digital recorder sounded. We recorded a couple of songs with the EQ set flat, and no compression. We couldn't believe how fat the bottom sounded, and the overall warmth of the recording. I'm sold. 

1-24-01

Todd and I had a great practice last night. We're feeling very comfortable with the songs. We get a kick out of looking back just a few months ago, when the songs were still pretty new, and how much we've progressed since then. It was impossible to play certain parts without cracking-up so hard that we had to stop! We're already looking forward to writing new material, and we can't wait to start playing out. 

The recording date has been verified for Jan.30/31. I'm sure we'll be able to knock this out in two days. We feel very comfortable at King's studio. It has a very open, relaxed feel to it.

Check back soon to see how the sessions went.

2-2-01

Today we finished all of the recording for the CD. The drum tracks and 75% of the NS/Stick tracks were done on 1-30-01. The rest of the time was spent re-doing my parts, and laying down some melody overdubs. Looking forward to mixing it all down next Tuesday. Then, it's off to getting mastered, then duplicated. It's such a relief having all of the recording done! Things went very smoothly and ahead of schedule. Todd did an incredible job on drums, and Michael is top notch. Looking forward to the I-ROCK show tomorrow. Now we can start writing new material for our upcoming gigs at the MENU, and who knows where else. 

2-4-01

Last night at the I-ROCK was a blast! The sound system was great, and my stage volume was loud and clear. Despite a few mistakes, we played rather well. Playing these tunes out in a bar is so new to us still, that we don't even know what frame of mind to be in before we go on. Most of the crowd liked our set, but you could tell that they didn't know what the hell was going on at first. The best response was from the owners/workers of the bar. One of them said, "You guys are the best band we've heard  play here in years!" The cool thing was that he genuinely meant it, and that these guys hear a ton of bands play there week after week. The other bands were good too, especially Mad City. Time to write some more tunes...

2-10-01

We finished mixing-down the recording on 2-6-01, and it sounds incredible. We're very happy with the final mix, and curious to see how much better it will sound after mastering, which will be this Tuesday. This is the first time I've been involved in a recording project to this extent, where I feel I'm in total control of what I want. Mix-down was a blast! My wife, Denise, was there for the full eight hour day, and she had a great time listening and watching the three of us get creative with the mix. As the day went on, I noticed that after each tune was completed, the grins on our faces were getting a bit bigger. We saved Galaxy Rodeo for mixing last, since we knew that we would have the most fun with that song. At one point, I went to the bathroom for just a minute, and when I came back to the control room, Michael was looking at Todd with a huge smile on his face, grooving to one of the many wacky riffs in the song, and adding his personal touch of effects. That tune instantly brings out the slightly demented kid in you. That song still makes us laugh hysterically, and that's just what we needed after a long day of listening to tunes. I started writing some new songs last week, and Todd's coming over for practice on Monday. I'll let you know how it went.

2-16-01

Just got home from Edison's after my gig with Thornetta. That place is a trip! I realized that there is not one claustrophobic in that bar. Denise and I went to get the CD mastered last Tuesday at Solid Sound in Ann Arbor. Will Spencer did a great job of polishing up the sound. It sounded  great just mixed down, but we couldn't believe how much better it sounded after mastering. This CD is going to need a warning label on it! All I can say is that it is one of the most INTENSE records that I've ever heard. I know it sounds arrogant of me to say so about my CD, but it's not like that at all. People that know me, and have heard the music so far, know what I'm trying to say. I give most of the credit to the NS/Stick, as well as Ned and Emmett to have designed and built this great instrument. The rest of the credit is equally divided between me and Todd . (LOL)! You'll just have to order a copy and see for yourself. (I'm such a marketing Guru). Now all we have to do is get the artwork done. That part of this whole process is what worries me the most, because I don't understand that end of it. At least we're relieved that we have a "Space" concept for the theme of the CD. At first we were thinking  of naming it CONTRAST, since everything seemed like a contrast when you start comparing songs to each other. Then Michael King suggested that we name it GALAXY RODEO, which still keeps the Space thing going, and paints a clearer picture about what we're about. It took about eight seconds to make up our minds, and then we looked at each other and said, "YEAH!" We're having a blast!

3-22-01

Great news! JIBILIAN/GLASS were asked to replace JAZZHEAD at The Music Menu on Sunday nights, starting April 22. A big "Thank You" to Scott and Rick Pinkerton for giving us a chance, and believing in us. We know this has great potential to turn into something very cool. Scott said they wanted to try something different on Sundays, and I guess we fit the bill (Ha Ha). We're also looking forward to have some special guests open for us when possible. Glenn Poorman (10 string Stick) said that he might be able to play an opening set once a month. I'm sure Michael King would be interested also. 

Some more great news: We're (Thornetta Davis Band) opening up for RAY CHARLES in Bay City on July 29 (My Birthday)! 

3-23-01

O.K., now this is beyond just "Good News": I just confirmed JIBILIAN/GLASS as the opening act for BILL BRUFORD'S EARTHWORKS!!! The show will be at The Magic Bag, Ferndale, Mi., June 1st. For more info check out the article at Michiganartists.com. Oh, by the way, they're calling me an "NS/Stick Virtuoso" now. I couldn't stop laughing when I read that! Well, I guess that if enough people say you're one, then people will believe you are. Eric, the writer of the article, has seen us play at the I-ROCK, and he also gave us a decent review of that show. To read the Bruford article, click here: http://www.michiganartists.com/article.php?sid=41

4-13-01

Oasis duplication received my master cd/artwork, and they said it would take, at most, four weeks to get them back. A week from this Sunday will be our debut at The Music Menu, and Todd and I can't wait. Glenn Poorman will play a solo Stick opening set at around 9:30 pm., then we'll hit it with one long set, playing all of the material we have. Every Wednesday, when we play at the Menu with Thornetta, more and more people are asking about our Sunday gig, and they seem to show a growing interest in what we're all about. 

A very crazy/funny thing happened last week. The following is an e-mail I sent to one of the many new mailing list "Members" I enrolled, who wanted to stay on the list, but was curious as to how I got her e-mail address. Every famous band needs some controversy, and who better to accidentally piss-off than a very "Famous Rock Critic," who has or still does write for Creem, Rolling Stone, Playboy, and his own "Private" e-mail list he sends out to his chosen few, filling their brains with Communist Bullshit, trying to convince them that all musicians are poor, and can barely make a living, and that they need others to help them out. Well, you know what "Famous Rock Critic"... Fuck You!!! I'm doing just fine asshole! So are a bunch of other musicians, so save your "Doom & Gloom" news for your fellow Rock Critics who have made millions by riding the coat tails of a handful of successful artists. It's funny how people that promote Big Government intruding in our lives, get totally bent out of shape when their privacy is invaded, especially by one musician determined to promote his band! "Watch out for those damn musicians. They're gonna' take over the World!"

I take it that "The Famous Rock Critic" is not a big King Crimson fan, so actually, he'd be doing us a favor by staying away as far as possible. And we certainly don't "want to earn any positive points with" your "part of the press" anyway!!! By the way, out of 220 people who were on the new list I was forwarded, only 30 asked to be taken off the list. Keep up the great PR work! 

5-13-01

Quite a bit has happened since the last time I wrote. First off, the cd's are in! The artwork came out great, and everything concerning the whole project went very smoothly. For ordering info, go to the Sound Clips page.

Second, our Sunday nights at The Music Menu have been going great. The audience, as well as the owners, really seem to like what we're doing. Today marks our fourth week, and I can't wait to hear the opening set of HURM SANFORD, which consists of three very talented players. Glenn Poorman has opened for us twice so far, playing a solo Stick set. The turnout has also been pretty decent, considering it's a Sunday. It's a bit strange playing this stuff live at a place we've played at every Wednesday for nearly a year and a half now. Our playing has been pretty strong, and we're starting to relax a bit more with each gig we do. It feels like these gigs are a warm-up for "THE BRUFORD GIG." If we didn't have a weekly gig, I don't know if we would have had the balls to do the Bruford show. 

You can now call WDET 101.9 FM, and request our tunes! This is a great excuse for me to finally get a new radio for my van. The FM just disappeared about two years ago, and I'm forced to listen to AM! 

Thanks go out to all of the people who have showed up to the Sunday gigs. 

6-2-01

Last night was a life changing gig, warming up for Bill Bruford's EARTHWORKS! Every aspect of the night was "Over The Top." Our performance was the best to date, feeling so relaxed and confident, totally due to the fact that we were playing to the right crowd. Having the pleasure, and honor to meet Bill Bruford, who is a very nice, down-to-earth guy. Watching Bill play from the side of the stage, just a few feet away from us, gave us a unique view of his performance that no one else had. The great crowd response to our tunes. People coming up to us throughout the night saying how much they enjoyed our set, and that it's about time there was a band like us in Detroit. Thanks to all who showed their support.

The club owner was very happy, and booked us to open for the CAB show on June 23! First Bill Bruford, now Dennis Chambers! We only open for legendary drummers, you know. Ringo, Peart, and Palmer have been calling us to open for them also. 

6-18-01

Here is a review of "Galaxy Rodeo" by Emmett Chapman, creator of the NS/Stick. This review was published to the Sticknews Digest on 5-22-01.

I'm happy to announce the release and availability of "Galaxy Rodeo", a
debut CD album featuring NS/Stickist Gary Jibilian and drummer Todd Glass.
It's just a live recorded duo with a variety of rhythmic grooves and
patterns, no particular focus on the melody, no orchestral decorations, no
loops, just some fun rhythm section games.

But what creative games they are, fertile with complex permutations as
driving rhythm patterns unfold from all tapping registers, bass and melody
sides, as well as between strings and skins.

It's the sound, however, that most characterizes this CD, I would say.  The
NS/Stick goes airborne.  Not so much the rocket as in the "Galaxy" title,
but more a single prop, two-seater at an air show.  It moves and breaths.

The first song, suitably named "Anti-Gravity", conveys this flying
sensation.  The seventh and last song, "Galaxy Rodeo", is a rocket romp, an
ultra-fast boogie beyond the Kuiper Belt.

Fly Away, Emmett.

6-24-01

7-14-01

Since our gig last Sunday at The Menu, this past week has been loaded with good things happening with J/G. First, we played a very good set Sunday, to a very enthusiastic crowd. We're noticing how relaxed our playing is getting, and the songs are sounding  more fluid. 

A few people who work at Fifth Avenue, Royal Oak, came to check us out, since one of our devoted fans kept telling them that they had to see us. They enjoyed our tunes and bought a cd. A couple of days later, Agu, who books the bands at Fifth, e-mailed me, saying that he wants us to play there on a Thursday! So I called him and we booked a gig for August 16. He didn't ask for a cd;  he was sold on the good review his workers had told him about us. Wow! That was easy. 

So I'm in my car, listening to WDET, and Martin Bandyke plays "Bohemian Rhapsody" from the live California Guitar Trio cd. It blows my mind, and I make a mental note to buy the disc the next day, which I did. Later that night, my wife and I are listening to the Boys in awe, and then I read in the liner notes: Booking: Ozark Talent. I screamed, "I sent this guy our promo!!!" Then I nearly blacked-out.

The next day I called Ozark, and he told me that he loved our cd! He said that he listens to cds all day long, and that ours really stood out from the pile. He mentioned how our material were written as songs, and not just a bunch of jamming.  I told him about the crowd response we got at the Earthworks and CAB gigs, and that we need to go on the road as an opener, turn those people on to us, then hit those cities with us headlining at small theaters/listening rooms. He totally agreed, and mentioned that we would be perfect to do gigs with Tony Levin in the near future, after he finishes his Stick cd (My mind is beginning to melt at this point). He told me that we could possibly open for the CGT when they come to town in October. Then he asked me, "Could you send me another cd? I'd like to send one to Tony Levin." (Brain beginning to bubble). I told him I'll send him two copies, and he said, "Yeah, that's good. I'll send one to Trey Gunn as well." I immediately called Todd and told him the good news, and we just couldn't get over how well things have been going for us this past week. You have to take it while it lasts.

Later that day, Ozark sent me an e-mail saying that I should send a cd to Paul Richards from the Trio, and hope for the best. It's fun to think of what can/will come out of this. The worst case: Paul, Tony, and Trey will have a copy of Galaxy Rodeo. The best case: ???

We ended the week by seeing Blue Dog play at The Music Menu last night. Those guys are truly amazing! They force you to really listen to what they are playing, and they are such pros. Great show guys!

8-6-01

It seems like a ton of stuff has happened since the last update, so I'm sure I'll forget something. 

Todd and I played with Thornetta Davis on 7-28 in Bay City, Mi, warming up for Ray Charles. The outdoor venue was really nice, with the Tall Ships docked on the river, just 100' away from the stage. I would guess that there were about 5,000 people there, and they were very much into the music. We played a decent set, but the stage volume was pretty crappy. It was very cool to see Ray still doing his thing at 75! I also had the honor of meeting him for a brief moment at the end of the night.

The last couple of Sundays at the Menu have been great. We've unleashed our newest epic original on the audience, "Sick," a thirteen minute monster of a tune. We gave the song this title after a few people who heard it on different occasions said, "That tune is sick!!!" Thanks to Shawn and Jay. 

Last night on 89X's Homeboy show, Kelly Brown kicked off the show with "Anti-Gravity." She told me that she really digs the cd,  and her introduction of J/G was very cool. It was quite a milestone for us to hear our tune on a 100,000 watt radio station. Hopefully, this type of promotion will continue to get bigger and better for us.

After sending a promo to SWR, I managed to get a limited endorsement deal with the company. They also invited us to play an hour at their booth at the Winter NAMM show in California, Jan. 2002. I also spoke to Emmett Chapman about J/G playing at the Stick Enterprises booth, and he said he would be very happy to have us play there, as well as the Stick Night concert that SE sponsors. 

We're looking to book a gig in Chicago, October 7, since we'll be playing there with Thornetta on the 5/6th at Rosie's. We'll see...

8-22-01

Our gig last Thursday, 8-16, at Fifth Avenue was great. The audience was very responsive to our music for the entire night. The new sound system is amazing, and as predicted, we are now spoiled if any other stage doesn't meet the high sound quality that we experienced that night. A big "thank you" goes out to Donny, the excellent soundman at Fifth, who was quite impressed with our show. Being able to wow a soundman is quite a feat these days! We also video taped the show, which will make a great demo for us. 

We had the pleasure of meeting a bunch of J/G fans, both new and old (not age wise), and debuted our version of Stanley Clarke's "School Days," which sounded much better than anticipated. Our newest song, "Sick," is really starting to sound tighter, and we feel more confident each time we play it. I should find out when we'll be back at Fifth Ave. by the end of this week.

9-7-01

It freaks me out when I look at my last update, and realize how much stuff has happened in such a short period of time! 

We finalized JIBILIAN/GLASS opening for the California Guitar Trio, October 29, at The Ark in Ann Arbor, Mi. Now we start telling people about it and post it on a bunch of message boards... 

I will be opening for The Flower Kings & Tiles at the I-ROCK, Detroit, this coming up Tuesday the 11th. Unfortunately, Todd has a gig that night that he can't get out of, but it will still be cool to do a solo set. I love doing local opening shows like this one because so many people are exposed to us in just one night. It still takes a while to see some of those faces at our Sunday gig Downtown, but we're starting to recognize some of our "regulars."

Last Saturday, Todd and I played with Thornetta Davis at the Ford Jazz Fest, in Hart Plaza. It was a very cool gig, even though we're mainly a blues band. They had a huge screen that showed us playing, and I tried not to laugh when I'd see myself up on the 30 foot screen. After the gig, we went down to the Menu and saw ourselves on TV! They showed a tune or two from each act that played on the Main Stage. We were cracking up at ourselves.

9-13-01

It was great to return to some sort of temporary normalcy by playing our regular Wednesday gig with Thornetta at the Music Menu. Earlier that day, the owners were thinking of not having us play, and thought that nobody would show up, but there was a decent crowd there to enjoy the music, and just happy to get away from the TV for a while.

The Flower Kings were stuck in Pennsylvania, due to the plane that crashed nearby, and their show at the I-ROCK, where I was scheduled to play a solo opening set, was cancelled. 

10-10-01

Yesterday, Todd and I recorded "Sadana" and "Slow Boat to China." We finished mixing the songs today, and they turned out great. These songs were a breeze to record, and we had a blast. Once again, Michael King engineered, and co-produced the session. We were able to get a huge sound from the NS/Stick by running a direct signal from the Boss GT-3, and miking my 15" cabinet, and the 4x10. Todd's drums were compressed just right to give "Sadana" that brooding sound we were looking for. We wanted to record these two tunes ASAP to send to Mike Wyner, who's job is to submit our songs for possible placement in the Film & TV market. They'll make it on our next cd release as well.

11-5-01

We had a great time opening for the California Guitar Trio on 10-29. The Ark was about 80% full, and the crowd response was very  positive. As I talked to the Trio before the show, they said that they were looking forward to our set, then it dawned on me that I sent Paul a copy of "Galaxy Rodeo." This was my first time seeing the CGT live, and they were fantastic! It's quite a treat to see musicians of their caliber playing at an intimate setting. They are also very approachable, taking the time to sign cds, and chat with their fans. Thanks Paul for your professional advice on the biz, and hope I didn't pick your brain too much. Hope to see you guys at NAMM.

Thanks to all  involved with promoting the show: Michael Harper, Louie Torregrosa, Glenn Poorman, WDET.

12-5-01

Wow! A month has past since my last submission. Let's see... November 17 at Xhedos Cafe here in Ferndale was very cool. I opened for Stick virtuoso Greg Howard, and watching him play is always a treat. I felt I didn't play as well as I could have, though. Some of the tunes felt a bit rushed, and since Xhedos is a coffehouse, the overall volume had to be kept down, which affects my playing of certain parts of most songs. The gig had a very laid back/relaxed atmosphere, even though all eyes are watching your every move. It helped that some familiar faces, fellow bassists to be exact, attended the show, and witnessed my NS playing for the first time. 

A couple of weeks back, I finalized the contract with the booking agent, who I can now address as "My booking agent," who's job it will be to get J/G on the national college scene. Now the hardest part is to sit and wait for him to call me with some gigs! He told me that things are looking good already, and that four colleges in Florida are showing great interest, as well as colleges in Ohio, and Upper New York. 

Last Saturday, Denise and I went to see King Crimson wsg/John Paul Jones opening. Both bands sounded great, and it was nice to see the theater packed with Prog fans. What a diverse crowd it was as well, ranging from bikers to scientist looking dudes, young and old...

2-1-02 

Check out the interview I did for Global Bass Magazine: http://www.globalbass.com/archives/feb2002/gary_jibilian.htm. For the next three months, the magazine is going to feature three tappers per month, and I was one of the first three chosen (thank you very much!!!). 

2-9-02

Yes, I'm still alive! Though it's kind of a bummer constantly looking for, and auditioning drummers, it can be a blessing in disguise since it exposes you to some really great players in your home town. Back in December, at the Music Menu gig with Thornetta,  I was introduced to Bob Harsen, a great drummer who just moved back from L.A. to care for his ill mother. Bob is a Berkley graduate, and has an impressive resume which includes touring with Melissa Manchester for nearly 10 years, Frank Gambale, Glenn Hughes, Paul Butterfield, and Richard Elliott, to name a few. Bob was interested in playing with me, so we've had a few practices, and he's going to be on the March 3rd gig at The Menu. His double bass work adds a new flavor to the tunes; something I felt was missing before. Bob's also playing with Thornetta now, and he brings new life to those same old tunes. 

As of January, I've been using new bass cabinets. I got a pair of Euphonic Audio 2x10 cabs, and they sound incredible! EA is known for their high-end gear, and man do they know what they're doing. My friend/ incredible bassist, Chuck Bartels, works in a music store, and he turned me on to these cabs, since a guy put them on consignment. I paid a pretty penny for them, but it was totally worth it, plus I put my SWR stack up for consignment at the store. The cabs sound as close to studio quality as you can get, and they are more accurate in reproducing the true tone of the instruments, especially the NS/Stick. I've been shopping around for an endorsement deal, but I wasn't really happy with most of the gear I tested out, and the SWR speakers seem to be a bit too wimpy, though I'm very happy with my SM-900 head (so far). So I called EA and told them my story, how much I love their cabs, and how I'm going to tour the world, etc..., and I landed an endorsement deal!!! It's not a full endorsement deal, which I was told only a few of their players have, but one where I can get their gear at a considerable discount. I'll take it! The only problem is that I don't need any new gear at this time. They have a new 12" cab that looks really nice (heee, heee). 

2-16-02

Had a strange, but kind of cool corporate gig last night with Thornetta Davis. We were one of many bands that played the "Raise The Roof" fundraiser for the soon to be opening of the new Northwest terminal at Detroit Metro Airport. It was one of those gigs that you only have to bring your bass, play two short sets, eat some free food, get paid, and be home by 11pm. The problem is that you have to check-in at 4pm, which means start getting ready at 2pm, sound check was at 5pm, then wait around for two hours till you play, and get home at 11pm. This two set gig is really a nine hour gig!!! The cool thing was that we got to check out some other great local Detroit bands on our break which were scattered around the one mile terminal, like the Sun Messengers, Johnny Bassett, and an African drum/dance group. 

Aretha Franklin was sitting in one of the front tables, just off to the side of where I was playing, and Thornetta didn't know she was there until we told her on our break. Thorn flipped-out, and was praying that the Queen of Soul would stay for our set. She did, and seemed to enjoy herself as she bounced her head to some of the tunes. I think I even saw her do a couple of "Side-Shift-Shimmy's" with her head, which is quite an honor, I must say. We even had the nerve to approach her after our set, and I got to shake her hand and tell her what an honor it is to meet The Diva of all Divas, and how lucky I am that she didn't rip my head clean off with her butter knife (Stories of her being very nasty to some people are legendary, but tonight, she was in a good mood). So now, my list of "Legendary Musicians That I Have Met in My Lifetime" goes up by one. My list will be complete when I meet Wayne Newton. :)

3-20-02

Had a great gig at the Menu on March 3rd, which was the first time Bob and I played the material live. There were some glitches, as expected, but overall, it was a good night. Andre's band opened the night with a killer set, and put the decent sized crowd (for a Sunday) in the right mood. My next gig there is May 5th, with Hurm Sanford. 

I finally got my new promo's finished last week, and they look very slick. My booking agent was quite impressed, and thinks that the kits, along with an ad I'm going to run in a major college trade magazine, will help get my name out there, and get the gigs started. 

My tune, "Galaxy Rodeo," was chosen as the final cut on the newest Oasis "Rock & Roots" cd compilation. The cd goes out to hundreds of college, public, and some commercial radio stations. I'll have a list of the stations on my site soon, so you can call and request GR.

3-26-02

I can't believe this great news: I've been nominated in the Detroit Music Awards in the World Music category for Outstanding Recording ("Galaxy Rodeo"), Outstanding Instrumentalist, and Outstanding Songwriter. This comes as a total shock to me since all I did was answer an ad a while back in an issue of The Metro Times which said something like, "If you had a release in 2001, call and let the Detroit Music Awards Committee know about it." So that's all I did, and told them that my cd was available at Harmony House. I thought there wouldn't be a chance of me getting nominated, since I just started playing out last year, and that I didn't know anyone on the "inside" to help me out, or have to mount a big PR blitz to get noticed.  That's what makes it even sweeter! This actually renews my hope that Detroit wants something different and unique. I'm very happy to be nominated, and if I win any award, I'll freak! For more info, check out: http://www.detroitmusicawards.com/Field7.htm.

I also got some gigs at Club Bart in Ferndale, a very nice listening room. The gigs are both on Saturdays, May 18th, and June 15th. 

I also stumbled upon the web site of one of my favorite guitarists, Alex Skolnick, most famous from his days with the metal band Testament, and later touring with Stu Hamm. He's now living in New York, and playing jazz with his trio, as well as with violin virtuoso Joe Deninzon. I wrote to Alex, telling him how I'm a big fan of his playing, and to let him know what I'm up to, and he wrote back saying that he's going to be playing with Joe Deninzon at The Old Miami on April 12. Alex said that he also checked out my .mp3 site and really liked what he heard, and that I should contact Joe to see if I can open for them when they play here. So I wrote to Joe, he checked out my .mp3 site, and said that he's a big fan of the Chapman Stick, and that "he would be honored to have me open for him." This kind of stuff cracks me up; here's a violin virtuoso that's played for President Clinton, and he would be honored to have me open for him!?!? I won't argue. He said that he'll call the Miami and tell them that he's requesting me as the opener. I should find out if I got the gig by the end of this week, so check back.

4-17-02

Wow! What a show last Friday at The Old Miami. We opened for Joe Deninzon and his band Stratesphereous, and it was a blast. It was almost surreal seeing a short haired Alex Skolnick playing jazz, considering the last time I saw him was with Testament, and Stu Hamm. The entire band sounded great, and they were all very cool guys as well. 

Bob and I played a decent set, but the monitors sounded horrible! We turned on quite a few new ears, and sold some cds. The opening bands, Last Days, and Ludavico Experiment, sounded really good, plus it was cool for them to stick around for the remainder of the night. 

Right after our set, Joe and Alex came up to me and said that we definitely have to do some more shows together soon. Just a couple of hours ago, I got an e-mail from Joe asking if I was interested in doing a mini-tour of the Mid-West with them, possibly in July. Of course I said, "Hell Yes!" I'll keep you all posted on the progress.

In other GJ news: I rented a table at Gordy's Spring Guitar Show, which will take place April 27 & 28, at the Dearborn Performance Center. Basically, I'm just going to play my tunes (over, and over, and over...), and sell cds, and turn a ton of new musicians on to what I'm doing. I should be in the "Guitar Builders" section of the show, so if you're there, stop by and say "Hi." 

Hope to see some fans at the Detroit Music Awards show this Friday. My wife, Denise, and I are looking forward to it, and don't really know what to expect. Should be fun.

I just remembered one more thing: I could have opened for Tony Levin when he came to town on 4-4!!! I called the local booking agent/promoter (Clear Channel) that morning to see if I could open for Trey Anastasio. One of the workers there said, "Hi Gary, I'm glad you called. Did Corey get a hold of you about opening for Tony Levin?" I just started laughing and said, "No! I left him countless messages about that gig, and he never got back with me, so I gave up last week. Plus I'm opening for Ray Charles tonight with Thornetta Davis at the Music Hall, and it's too late to get a fill-in for me."

So I did the 25 minute set with Thornetta, and rushed to the Magic Bag. I'm standing out front, and Jeremy, the owner, comes out and says, "Hey Gary! Weren't you supposed to open for Tony tonight!?!?" He said it in an almost teasing way, since he knew I'd do the gig if I could. He told me that he was pissed at Clear Channel for the bullshit excuse they gave him about "Not being able to get a hold of me." Oh well, at least I got into the show for free, and the band was great. Jesse Gress on guitar was smoking, but the Elephant Talk cover was pretty lame (sorry guys).

4-20-02

Last night was a blast! Denise and I went to the Detroit Music Awards at the State Theater, since, in case you didn't know, I was nominated for three awards in the World Music category. I didn't win an award for my NS/Stick playing, but I helped Thornetta Davis win an award for "Best Blues CD", ("Covered Live at The Music Menu") which I played bass on, as well as "Best Blues Group," which I'm still very much a part of. This was the first awards show I attended, and it's basically a great opportunity to network and shmooze with your fellow local musicians. I handed out my card to a ton of people, and it was cool to hear most of them say, "Yeah, I heard about you! I definitely want to check this out." Can't wait till next year's show.

6-2-02

Sorry for the delay on my latest news entry. I've been really busy with so many things lately, one of which has been getting ready for my first set of out of state gigs this August opening for STRATOSPHEERIUS. Joe Deninzon asked me to join them on a double-bill tour, and I'm totally geeked about it. It's a huge honor for me to share the stage with such great musicians as Joe and Alex Skolnick, as well as Tony, and Greg. The confirmed dates as of now are: Mickey Finn's, Toledo, 8-9, Fifth Avenue, Royal Oak MI, 8-10, Fat Fish Blue, Cleveland 8-11 at 1pm., then The Grog Shop that night, and Izzy Bar, New York, 9-16. I'm working on booking my own shows between Cleveland and NY, and a few on the way back home. I'll post them as they're confirmed. Feel free to e-mail me with any advice on what venues to play, or if you have a band that would like to share the gig with me.

Bob Harsen and I had a great gig at Club Bart on 5-18. It was the first time we played there, and the turnout was really good, as well as the sound of the room. The owner, Bart, was quite impressed with our show, and I'm looking forward to playing there on 6-15, and 7-13. 

Unfortunately, Bob's not going to be able to make it for the August tour, but I hooked-up with another incredible drummer named Charles Stuart who will. Charles charted out the entire cd, and the first time we got together to practice, he nailed pretty much all of the parts! Another cool thing about Charles is that he also has a Roland V-Drum set that sounds fantastic. It would be interesting if he uses that kit on some of the gigs.

7-13-02

Had a cool gig last night with Charles at a high-priced steakhouse in Royal Oak. The manager of this place heard our cd from one of my local fans, and loved what he heard, so he booked us. This place is pretty new, but very dead. I don't think they'll be in business too long if they get the low turnout as last night. We brought in about a dozen people who ate, and drank, and spent some big bucks compared to the typical bar gig. If those people weren't there, the place would have been totally dead. We had a great time though, and so did the small crowd. The acoustics were pretty decent, and Charles was able to get creative with his hand drums. "The Absorbing Mirror," in particular, sounded very cool with percussion. This is something Charles wants to incorporate into future recordings. 

Speaking of Charles, I think you'll be hearing his name for quite some time. He's totally into my tunes, and shares the same musical vision that I do, which is really the hardest thing to find when searching for band mates. Plus, he's an amazing drummer with a unique personality. Another cool thing about him is that he's into slasher/horror movies as much as I am! Anyone who's seen Maniac and Mother's Day, and loves it, is pretty damn cool to me. 

My song "Galaxy Rodeo" has been selected to be on the upcoming Prog Ears Sampler, a compilation cd featuring other Prog bands like Land of Chocolate, and The Red Masque. It'll be available at http://www.bigballoonmusic.com, who are also distributing my cd as well.

Got a gig in Philly at Club Nostradamus on Aug.14th. Robin, who books the bands, said she's really excited to have us play there, and that we're exactly what she's looking for in a band. She said we can play there any time we're in Philly, and what's really cool is that we're the only band on the bill, so we can play one two hour set if we want. I'm also working on booking dates for another mini tour this October. 

There's a good chance we'll be in Erie, PA on Aug.12th, so check the "Gigs" page next week.

7-14-02

If you haven't heard by now, legendary bassist for Tower Of Power, Rocco Prestia, is having some major health problems, and is currently hospitalized. To help with his medical bills, I'm donating $5.00 per cd sold on my upcoming dates in August, to Rocco's fans that attend the gigs. Depending on how well the sales are, I will donate a portion of sales regardless of who buys them. Check out http://www.francisroccoprestia.com for more info on how you can help.

8-14-02

The Toledo, Royal Oak, and Cleveland shows were incredible! We had a blast playing for a bunch of new people, and especially, having the privilege to witness the incredible musical talents of Stratospheerius. Each of these musicians (Joe Deninzon-Electric Violin, Alex Skolnick-Guitar, Luciana Padomre-Drums, Ron Baron-Bass) are total pros with jaw dropping chops, and incredible feel. These are the New York cats you hear about, that can cut you to pieces! It was a pleasure to have them crash at our house Friday and Saturday (hope the animals didn't drive you guys too crazy). The show at Fifth Ave. was very cool, and I think we made history, considering only three people danced the whole night with a packed house on a Saturday night. Even the workers were startled at how the crowd stuck around till the end with practically no dancing. I guess they were there to listen, and take in the music. The crowd response was huge, and in addition to people telling us in person at how much they enjoyed both bands, I received some emails days later saying the same thing. 

At the Grog Shop gig, the sound man from Liquid Soul offered to run sound for free, after seeing Stratospheerius the week before. He really liked our set, and offered to help us out any way he could. I told him to keep us in mind if someone needs a unique act, which has really been working well for us lately. 

Tomorrow morning, Charles and I leave for our gig in New York. We're spending the weekend at Joe Deninzon's new house in New Jersey, and we're staying an extra day to hang in NY, and check out some music. 

Some other cool news:

Alex also asked us to open for The Skolnick Trio Sept.9th at Mickey Finn's in Toledo, and Sept.10th at The Blind Pig in Ann Arbor. We're working on getting a gig in the Detroit area for the 12th, so check the Gigs page for more info. 

The committee for Arts, Beats, and Eats chose us to play at their festival on Sunday, Sept.1st at 3-3:45pm on the Miller Lite Stage. 

Check back next week for the review of our NY trip!

8-23-02

Today Denise and I celebrate out five year wedding anniversary! Time flies when you're having fun. Tomorrow, we're heading out to Columbus, OH for a quick getaway, and we want to check out Madlabs, an alternative theater that we're going to be playing at on October 27th. Another anniversary I'll be celebrating will be on August 31st, which will be two years that I've been playing the NS/Stick. I'm very grateful that so many good things have happened over these past five years.

As far as our New York debut goes... We had a blast!!! The crowd went nuts at our 1.5 hour set (sorry Joe), and we played really well. It makes such a difference when every person in a club is listening to every note you're playing. We also joined Stratospheerius on stage for two impromptu jams, which was very cool. After the gig (4am!), Charles got a large pizza, and we sat in the van outside of Izzy's with Alex, and ate as we watched the drunks stumbling down the street. We then dropped Alex off at his apartment, then screamed like little kids at how cool the night was as we drove back to Jersey to Joe's house. 

We decided to spend an extra day in NY, and it was one we'll never forget. Our Manhattan marathon session began at 5pm, when Joe took us to Katz's Deli, the place where the orgasm scene in "When Harry Met Sally" was filmed. This place alone was a trip. We had some awesome food, then Joe had to leave for a wedding gig on Long Island that ended at 1am. He told us to meet up with him at the Russian Vodka Room at 2am. Charles and I were kind of freaked about staying in Manhattan from 6pm till at least 2am, but things worked out just fine. Joe dropped us off about five blocks away from Times Square, where we wanted to go to Manny's Music, and Sam Ash. We walked one block and came across a decent sized park where they had set up a huge screen and stage. I told Charles, "I see drums!" so then we went over to check out who was playing. Five minutes later, Aaron Neville and his band took the stage, and began to rock out! We stayed for a couple of tunes, then headed towards the music stores. Well, we were late, and the stores were closed. Time to get a beer! We killed an hour and a half at Friday's bar in Times Square, then went to see Ron Baron play with a band at The Triad. The band was fronted by a Latino singer, who's husband, Felix, just got the drum gig with Herbie Hancock. Charles' friend, Steve, met up with us, then we walked to a cool club called Times, where we drank some more, and ate some food. We then got dropped off at our last stop, the Russian Vodka Room to meet up with Joe. By now, I couldn't even think of drinking any more beer, not to mention flavored vodka! Joe walked up, and the three of us went inside and got a table. The place was very cool, filled with genuine Russian patrons and waitresses. Joe recommended the Horseradish Vodka, which was terrible. The smell alone almost made me puke. I opted for the incredibly awesome chocolate crepes desert, since I had a serious craving for some sweets by now. We finally got to Joe's house, when I don't know, and I immediately crashed on the futon. We had a blast, and can't wait to gig again in NY. I'll be back there for a solo gig at The Baggot Inn on Saturday, October 5th from 8-8:45pm. Denise and I are going to make a weekend out of it, and hang in the city a bit.

9-21-02

Had a blast opening for the Alex Skolnick Trio last week. The Mickey Finn's gig was very cool, and the owners asked us to play there on December 13th. They want us to have the night all to ourselves, so we can play nearly all of our material. The gig at The Blind Pig was cool, but I made some major screw-ups, like forgetting to activate my string damper after tuning up during Charles' solo. Oh well, I was due for a train wreck, and I always learn from these mistakes, so that's another one under my belt. I make up for it on the Boulder's gig, and we had a great set. The place was packed (thanks Mr.Salamango!) and the crowd was right there with us. It's a real treat to play with the AS Trio three nights in a row, and I hope we'll be able to do this again in the future. 

We're booked to play at the New Dodge in Hamtramck on Oct.12th. If we have a decent draw, we'll have a good chance to play at some of the local theater gigs like the State, Royal Oak, and Emerald in the future, so please show your support and come out to this gig. The other determining factor is how we sound/play, but I'm really not worried about that end of it.:) 

I'm also working on booking our late October mini-tour, which so far looks like, WV, NYC, OH, and I'm working on PA. 

10-12-02

Last weekend, Denise and I drove to NYC for my gig at The Baggot Inn. It was more of a weekend getaway with my solo set being an added bonus to the trip. I've come to realize how important it is for me to have a drummer on nearly all of my gigs, and that I feel the music is naked without drums. I didn't feel I played nearly as well as I should have, but the crowd and the soundman really dug it, and that's always a good sign. 

My twin cousins, Aram and Arek, now live in NY, and they came down to see us. It was pretty wild, since we haven't seen each other in 18 years, and I couldn't help but wonder what they were thinking while I was playing. As if seeing me after such a long time wasn't enough to keep their brain cells buzzing, they were watching me play this crazy, new instrument! We had a great time catching up on things, and we can't wait to see each other again in a few weeks when we play at Izzy Bar.

We had a great gig last night at the New Way, here in Ferndale. We were the first of three bands that played, and the place was full by the time we went on. This was the best time I've had playing at this bar, and the sound on stage was great (thanks to Rick & Co.!). There were four guys standing in a line against the wall during our set, totally into the music. Right after our set, they came up to us and showed their appreciation, and said how much they liked our tunes/how I play that thing/what's that thing called? etc... Then one of the guys told me how he was at home chillin', when one of the other guys called him up on his cell phone and said, "Get down here! This guy's playing bass and guitar at the same time!" So this guy came down, and told me that he thought there were four guys playing when he walked into the club, and couldn't believe it when he saw just me and Charles up there. I live for these stories:). The other bands on the bill, Euphoric Haze, and The Process, were great, and each musician played their asses off. Time to do it again tonight at The New Dodge in Hamtramck.

11-6-02

Our latest road gigs went very well. We hit The Empty Glass in Charleston, WV on the 24th. This was our first time there, and the crowd was really into our music. I was told my the people there that the club was the only live music venue in the area, and the word got out about us playing there, so quite a few musicians showed up to see if I could really play this crazy eight string contraption. Looking forward to play there again soon.

The next day we returned to Izzy Bar in NYC to play with our buds Stratospheerius. Had a good gig, but no time for pizza!!! We had to settle for the Duncan Donuts by Joe's house, where we tried not to laugh too hard at the workers that barely got our orders right. We drove towards Columbus the next day, and stopped at a Howard Johnson's at around 11:30pm. They put us in an older section of the hotel, and it was like going back in time. Denise and I will have to come back to this place sometime.

Our gig at Madlab the next night was very cool. Despite the low turnout, we did our thing, and the people dug it big time. Two members of Wigglepussy were there, and they invited us to share the night with them on Nov.22nd at Madlab. That will be a killer show.

Some other cool happenings: The booking agent for Genesis/Phil Collins, Darryl Stuermer, called me about having us open for him at The Magic Bag on Nov.26th. We're going to be on the nationally syndicated  Mitch Albom Show (AM 760 WJR) on Friday, Nov.8th from 3-6pm EST. We'll be playing a riff for about 10 seconds when they return from commercials. Should be fun.

12-6-02

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Charles and I have been playing quite a few gigs these past few months, and we're having a blast at each one. Our Columbus gig with Wigglepussy was great (thanks guys), even though my air mattress sprung a leak, and Charles made a bed out of three chairs. We snuck out of Columbus at 11am on the day of the big UofM/Ohio State game, just before the riots started.

Our dates with Stratospheerius were awesome, and Jake Ezra (guitar) sounded killer. For the Detroit show, Alex Skolnick was in town with Trans Siberian Orchestra, and he came down to the club and played the entire second set with Strat. This guy just gets better each time I hear him play, and the band tore it up, with Jake joining them for the last few tunes. Sunday's gig at The Beachland Tavern was cool, and it was great to hear Tony Palitzi's band, Heritage Drive, start off the night. Toledo was great as usual, and we can't wait to play Mickey Finn's on Dec.13th. 

1-9-03

Another year of Holiday Madness has come and gone and I feel like I'm back on track to getting down to business. Charles and I have started to work on new material, and hoping to release a cd some time this year. We've also been asked to be part of a cd compilation which benefits the McCarthy Cancer Foundation, with bands doing covers of well known Detroit artists. More details on that after our studio session.

The New Years Eve gig went really well, except for the poor sound quality, which Bob and I blame for our weak performance. There were some good moments though, and the crowd dug our set. It's always great to turn on a bunch of new people onto your tunes. The other bands sounded great, and we hope to do more shows with them in the future.

The Progression Magazine interview should arrive any day now, but won't be in the stores for a couple of weeks. 

2-5-03

Had a great gig in Athens, OH with Wigglepussy and The Story OF on 1-10-03. We almost didn't make it due to traffic (pretty bad snow storm on the way there), but we got there just in time to set up and play. The crowd was really into our set, and we're looking forward to coming back again sometime.

We also did a last minute gig with some great local bands, Totally Disturbed, Tangent, and Erratic Fusion at The Hayloft. Big thanks to Tangent for getting us on the bill, and looking forward to our show together at Third Street on March 22nd. Another big thanks to Erratic Fusion for inviting us to join them on their gig at The Emerald Theatre (April 10th)! 

Charles and I are currently working on new material for the next cd, which I'm hoping to release sometime this year. We're in the writing process now, and kicking around the idea of recording it ourselves, as long as it sounds decent and we're not wasting too much time on it.

The Progression Magazine interview turned out great, as did my EA ad. The magazine is top notch and loaded with info on Prog music.

3-17-03

Really looking forward to our opening gig for The Tony Levin Band this Thursday the 20th! Some of you may know about the fiasco that happened last April (the 4th, to be exact), when Tony came to the Bag. I was pursuing getting the opening slot for that gig, and it was cool with the owner of the venue, but he said I had to get by Clear Channel since it was really their gig. I called CC up and they saud, "Sure. We just have to ok it with Tony's people first." Three months went by, and the person in charge (who got fired) wouldn't return my calls, so I gave up any hope of getting the gig. I also told them that I had a bass gig with Thornetta that same night downtown, opening for Ray Charles, so if was going to get the Levin gig, I would need to know as early as possible so I can get a fill-in. The day of the gig, I called CC about another show at the Bag, and when I told the guy who answered that it was me, he said,  "Oh, hi Gary. Did Corey get in touch with you? You can open for Tony Levin tonight!" Smoke began to spew out of my eyes, ears, nose, and mouth as I told him that it was too late to get out of my gig with Thornetta. I did the gig with her, all the time thinking to myself at how much more important it would have been to my musical career playing my original tunes on the NS/Stick, instead of playing bass as a side man in a blues band opening for Ray Charles. Now, don't get me wrong, Ray is amazing and a true musical giant, but I've already had the honor of opening for him the year before with Thornetta in front of thousands of people, and even got to meet Ray himself! This gig was cool, but it couldn't top the previous show we did the year before, so all the time I was just waiting to get to the Bag to see Tony. To add insult to injury, when I got to the Bag, Jeremy, the owner, came up to me and with a weird grin said, "Hey Gary, weren't you supposed to open tonight?" I can tell he already knew what happened, and we both started cracking up. I told him CC gave me the green light just today, and only because I called them first, and he said how they told him that they never had my phone number (I left it with them on each of the dozens of messages I left), which Jeremy said was bullshit, and that I'm very persistent and on the ball with my business end of things. Sorry to vent about this again, but man did that feel good! It really makes it that much sweeter this time around. So anyway, we're really geeked about this gig. Many thanks to Mike, Luis, and Mark for putting a bug in certain people's ear. 

3-24-03

Can't fully explain how cool of a show we had on the 20th opening for Tony Levin! If you were there, you know what I'm talking about. The turnout was great, there were quite a few repeat fans that have seen us before, and Tony let us and the crowd know how much he liked our set, both during his set, and after the gig while signing autographs in the lobby! His cd salesman bought a copy of "Galaxy Rodeo," and told me that he, and the band were quite "blown away" listening to us backstage. It's gigs like this that makes it really worthwhile doing what I do, and gives me the drive to further expand my musical horizons. Thanks to all of the new fans we met that night, and especially to those who bought the cd (sold all of them, and could have sold more!). 

We also had a great time on the 22nd at Third St.Saloon in Detroit, playing our second gig with Tangent. The guys in this band are very cool, and they have a unique sound. Looking forward to our next show with them on May 9th at Pub 1281 in Mt.Clemens. 

We're looking forward to playing our debut in Erie this Thursday at Docksiders, as well as our return to Cleveland at the brand new Vortex Auditorium. Check back to see how those gigs went.

4-3-03

Had a blast last week on our short, but busy, string of gigs we did. Thursday was our debut in Erie at Docksiders. We played two sets to a decent crowd that were really digging our music. Got to meet some very nice people, with great possibilities of getting more gigs in Erie this summer. I quickly realized that Erie is a major music loving city, and the people there made us feel right at home.

Friday morning, we drove to Cleveland State University, where we were scheduled to do an in-studio performance on Randy Allar's Fusion show. Charles set up his drums, and I plugged my pedals in, leaving my cabinets in the van since I was going to run direct into the board. Randy then realized that the DATs were taken out for cleaning, so we were frantically trying to figure out a way to plug my signal into the board. He located a small mixer that would work, but it was bolted to the desk in another control room way down the hall from where he and Charles were. So I had to plug my cord into this mixer, and stand in the hall with my pedals so Charles and I could have eye contact, so we could at least try to make it through these tunes without a major train wreck! The pressure was on, and we tried not to laugh too hard, considering how comical this setup looked. Mid-way through "Anti-Gravity," a few people working at the station made their way past me, nearly tripping on my cords as they bumped into me. We breathed a sigh of relief when we were done, and wished we had a video of the whole thing!

After having dinner with Randy, we spent a few hours at his cool new house, listening to samples of his awesome cd collection, then it was off to our gig at The Vortex. Cool new club in "The Flats," but we couldn't believe it when we were told that they were first going to have an open jam session until 11:30pm! There was a decent crowd for the jam, but just as predicted, when we hit at 12:15am, most of the people left. I've never heard of a bar hosting an open jam on a Friday night, especially with an out of town headliner on the bill. We made the best out of it, and played our asses off, and would like to play there again soon, but next time it'll be on a Saturday with no jam session as an opening act. 

The next day we drove back to Erie to play at Forward Hall with local favorites ABOP, and NYC's Schleigho. The club was totally cool, run by very cool people that really take care of their bands. Saw quite a few people that saw us on Thursday, and turned on a bunch of new people to our music. ABOP went on first, and they sounded great. Mike Ohm is one hell of a guitarist, and the band played some very cool originals. Schleigho just plain kicked ass! Very cool guys, and very talented musicians. Some parts of their tunes reminded me of Crimson, and even Dream Theater. Thanks to Duffy for letting us crash at his place, though I thought a plane was going to come crashing through the roof at 8am! 

4-25-03

Had another great show with Stratospheerius last week at Mickey Finn's! Charles and I played a very strong set, and we were surprised to see our friends Tom Sarnowski, his son Tom Jr., and Light Show Bob come down from Detroit to check us out. Great crowd, Strat. sounded awesome, and we had a blast. Looking forward to our gigs in May.

5-8-03

Charles and I were asked to be a part of a CD compilation that is going to raise money for the McCarty Cancer Foundation. The cd will feature covers of Michigan artists played by local groups. Last week we recorded our version of the Funkadelic hit "Flashlight," and it sounded really cool. Lots of wild sounds and layers of percussion over the classic funk bass line. We created parts on the fly, and it gave the tune a more spontaneous vibe. I'll let you know when the CD is available.

6-12-03

Had a great time at the I-ROCK gig last Saturday, opening for Michael Angelo. Dave Taylor from Erratic Fusion did a great job filling-in for Charles, and the other bands on the bill sounded great, especially the Jim Morris Band. I've been meaning to check him out since I met him at our set at ArtsBeatsEats last September, and man is this guy an incredible player! Go see this band live! We're talking about doing some show together soon, so keep checking the Gigs page. Also, check back in a week or two for the pics of me and Michael posing with our axes after the show. I'm curious to see how drunk I look considering I soaked up nearly three pitchers of beer that night! I rarely drink that much when I have to drive, and I should have known better, but when you're having a good time, this shit just happens. The ride home was very interesting, and very fast. 

It was great meeting quite a few new people, and thanks to those that bought a cd and signed up for the e-mail list. Looking forward to seeing you folks at future shows.