Yeah folks, tons of live music around here this summer, grabbing 5 or 6 shows a week , playing with the great, the medium and the ugly, making hay whist I can.
Yep, it's that time of year so get up your computer chair and go out and participate in the celebration. And while there is nothing like busting out with 10,000 of your closest friends, if that opportunity doesn't come your way, go out and see some local or regional guys, prolly playing right now at a bar near you.
If where you are is at all like here there are probably some amazing old pros laboring in obscurity within 100 miles or less. You can be sure if these guys been doing it all there lives in less than ideal conditions they must have a powerful love of the art form.
Every night I see talented seasoned veterans playing like they are in front of the multitude, playing like it's the last time they are going to play music and heaven demands funk, soul and groove.
These guys say they play to feed their families, like it's working at the steel mill, and they work way hard, but everyone knows it's just for the shear joy of making music together, reveling in their hard won skills, and going for soul communion.
Go out and find em, the funky shamans. Ask an old musician about local greats. A large portion of these cats have played with well known people or bumped up against the big time. You give up a lot up there. it's hard and corporate. Lotta the home cats are where they are by choice.
But go out spend a few bucks, zap em with some SPF style attention, take em out in the parking lot. Hangin with the likes of you. if it don't kill em it will make em play.......
See you at the dance!
"take em out in the parking lot. Hangin with the likes of you. if it don't kill em it will make em play....... "
hahahhaha, I have some stories there, but I better just shut up.
What JRL is describing could be anywhere,but that is the neat thing about the Bay area. Split somthing magical. All kinds of music going on,and you can even drink a beer,or smoke a cigg.(when I was doing that) in the parking lot. Around 2 in the morning, the band might have been there,too..
That was a lot of fun.
I been thinking on this interesting thread for a few daze, now.....
I've never made much of an effort to meet musicians we catch live. And I don't really know why.
Approaching with tasty treats is bound to get results in most cases, I'm guessing. But I'm usually reluctant to play that card.
It might have something to do with the head-space reached at most shows. There comes a point where words cease to flow. And that's usually when there is communication happening on more subtle levels than the conversationally spoken word.
Chance meetings through happenstance is another story. I'm more than happy to chat up an artist if'n we both happen to be occupying aproximate spaces at the same time. That said............
Jim White had intrigued me to the point where I decided I wanted to meet the guy. We were well-dosed for his set, moving through the groove until some peeps in the back of the joint pissed him off off by being disrespectful/talking during his set. The rest of the show was strange as hell. After the gig, I made my way over to say hello and offer to help him move his gear. But the guy was so short and pissy, while apologizing the whole time, that I just mosied my dosing self out of his way. At that point I decided I could dig the music without letting the personality get in the way. No big deal. Then Jim decided to actually do a rare gig out here on the prairie in Des Moines. TTST came up and we got all electric for the occasion. JW did his set and it was nice. A few sound problems, but sure happy to see him so close to home. After his set, I was making my way toward the stage to retrieve me shoes when Jim and I crossed paths. "Nice set," I said. "Thanks for coming all the way out onto the prairie." Jim looked at me like I'd slapped him and explained that while he had no time right then to talk to me he would be happy to meet me later in the plaza above the venue. Problem was, at that point, I'd said everything to the guy that I wanted to say. He already knew we liked his music. We'd bought a couple copies of a couple-o discs and paid to catch a couple of his shows, driving six hours to Chicago in the process, once. I just smiled, nodded and floated away. But neither interraction I'd had with him was setting well with me at that point. And I didn't have much desire or ability to gush praise for his amazing talent right then. A little later, me better half noticed Mr White lounging by himself in the plaza behind our seats. She couldn't believe I didn't want to take the opportunity to chat him up. I just laughed and passed the dutchie on the left hand side while they set up the stage for Lucinda William's drunken set over on the right......
SOmetimes its tough to know if'n an artist is expecting idol worship by adoring fans. Or maybe dreading it?
Now damn it, JRL... I ain't talking about bass playere here for the most part. But you have to have experienced that ego thang ,working with as many rock star types as you have in your career. hehe
lw
Actually, it hasn't been that much of a problem. 21st century show business is too hard for egos like that.
Timing is everything, also some like to hang out some don't. Right after a set is a time to give space, a little later you can tell if someone wants to hang out. Best way to approach is by thanking the artists. Tell thwem that they touched you, ask them how they are. If the conversation don't flow, let them go. I was reading something Phil said about backstage. He said everybody wanted face time, but often didn't have a whole lot to say. Don't be that guy.
Having said that, let me say that a part of touring is the people you meet. Sometimes you got no time, just as often you are sitting in limbo, especially for the sidemen. So a toke and some talk might be welcomed. Understand that musicians are a pretty blue collar lot, Garcia said when a bunch of musicians get together it is like a room full of plumbers. Keep it light, don't feel pressure to be cosmic, hip, or witty, just be real. It might be appreciated more than you know.
LOL YOu should write abook for those aspiring to meet/hang with musicians, JRL-bro. But I guess that how-to book just ain't for me. hehe I agree whole heartedly with Phil about face time, btw. "Nice set, thanks for coming to town," is about as deep as I want/need to get with most musician-folk, to be honest.
lw
...... Funny thing is, if'n all goes as hoped at most musical events we attend, I usually lose the ability/desire to communicate verbally. And that's coming from a fellow who canusually proverbial leg off with the best of them.
I ever tell you about the time I tried to get Snoop over to our place? He played a show down the block in April and I started telling folks a few weeks before the event that I was going to work at showing Snoop and company a little Ioway hospitality. It was mostly a joke. I had no plan on catching the gig. Until the day of the show dawned. Snoop and posse showed up at a local record shopnext to where I was working and I ended up chatting with one of his bouys and getting a cell phone number for later. But as it was mid-morel season, that took precedence. I didn't bother calling the guy until later in the evening. My wife started getting nervous when the text messages got rolling and I knew right then there was a slim chance i'd make it through the throng of bodyguards and hangers-on. In the end, it didn't go down, but I've heard from Dax a couple of times since then and who knows what tomorrow might bring. hehe
lw
I think it be best to see the band before the show - just to make sure they are riding the same wave as you.
Hey don't worry none about snoop - everyone says we got better dope than him.
LW,hope you make an exception when you come to my little dance.
Did I tell ya?, I had a gig meet with a dude from The Nook and here, and it so happened I was pretty blown out after three enhanced sets, I don't think I was making much sense or being like real friendly, but I think he understood.
LOL No exceptions needed when grooving at a friend's show. That's different than small-talk with strangers, imo.
lw
Y'all missed a doozy tonight, but don't feel bad, they stayed away in droves tonight.
What the 60 or so people that did make it got was us doing a take no prisoners power trio(2nd guitar player called in sick) + D Baba, the best sax player in town+ Stace the funky down home diva, doing three sets. Not a bad show 4 $4
We grooved so hard. When we finally landed after the encore Hey Joe/Voudoo Chile I almost passed out I was rushing so hard.
Other high points: our original instrumental, Get the Funk Out, turning into a 15 minute acid jazz jam.
the snakey sleazy sex groove we layed on Use Me
D Baba's slow blues solo on Dr. Feelgood (Aretha's lol)
My solo on Superstition (JP broke a string)
My solo on Lenny (JP broke a string)
All the drum solos
A good time was had by all
Hey, JR, got my Ben Lacy disk today--he's agreed to play the drive home gig...I'll letcha know how he does later. I have a feelin' the man do right...
Yes tell me. I think he will be just fine.
Support your local and other musicians!!!!!!!!
oh, Joe, you're inspiring me here, monsieur.
there's a blues player on tap tonight, Dov Hammer - it's said he's great, original stuff. I've never heard of him before. But you're inspiring me. i just might have to catch his show.
& p.s. - fantastic about your gig - the 60 or so lucky souls to have been there are also piping up to inspire me.
judih
(love to yo)
QuoteYes tell me. I think he will be just fine.
Whoa.
Everything fine, Hey Nineteen a sentimental favorite, but Billie Jean totally blew me away--who knew? That tune was waiting for Ben to set it free...
Thanks again for the tip.
One week till Phil does Denver.
I'll be showing up (later) on Thursday evening. All I need now is a flight plan into the mouintains with ground control providing coordinates to the pre-chosen helioport. I know, I know, you have said I can choose where to stay. But it would kind of be a bi-atch if'n I chose to stay at an empty house. I mean, you guys even take the frickin' cats with you. hehe
lw
I hope you find a place to stay. They haven't been allowing "concert camping" at Chief Hosa and they are closing the gates a Bear Creek Park at 9:00 pm! I guess they like tripping hippies wandering around all night with no place to go. Found this in the local paper.
Sheriff's Calls:
Evergreen: A deputy found two men in sleeping bags at the Evergreen Lake House on June 25. One man explained that they were in town for a concert and needed a placed to crash. The deputy asked if he had any drugs in his car. The man said, "no." The deputy asked if he could search the car. The man consented. The deputy found a pipe and a bag of marijuana in the car. The man was issued a summons.
http://www.redrocksonline.com/02_events ... rchive=yes (http://www.redrocksonline.com/02_events/02_events_detail2.tml?id=3605&archive=yes) - crazy widespread panic fans, thinking they can sleep in the park.
Space, you should have seen the looks on the faces of all the guitar teachers at the store I teach at when Ben came in, plugged straight into an amp and started playing!
I mean these guys are all very accomplished, Berklee grads, seasoned jazz players, guys with masters degrees. But jaws dropped, feathers were ruffled, practicing was inspired.
Guitar players are teritorrial beasts, a sighs of relief were heard when he went back to Kentucky
QuoteI mean these guys are all very accomplished, Berklee grads, seasoned jazz players, guys with masters degrees. But jaws dropped, feathers were ruffled, practicing was inspired.
I know that look, JR. I lived in Boston from 1985-1994, used to hang out a lot in the coffee shops and bars around the Berklee School of Music: you couldn't walk down the street without elbowing an accomplished musician. We lived a beer bottle's throw away in the Fens.
We saw John Hiatt the first time at the Berkless Auditorium around 1991, early in his (first?) dry-out,, and he got the same kind of looks--not because he's a genius guitar player (although he can rock on that rhythm), but 'cause he's an ORIGINAL: worked out his own sound, up from bars and sawdust dives, not schooled. He wrote his own life.
Writers, musicans, painters: they all have to lift the same bale--learn the chops that came before, then find a way to pour your own heart out .
When I was at BU, I used to have other writers come up to me after a reading to say, "You've had such an interesting life, I envy you that!" I used to tell them it was because I wrote from life, not from the book: all lives are interesting--forget about writing what you know, write what you've
lived.
One young lady told me how lucky I was to have been set on fire, it was great material, could she have a copy of that poem? I thanked her politely, but she didn't get a copy.
We've listened to Ben every day since the disk arrived. I think I'll drop him a thank you.
Summer is winding down, but still a bunch of good shows happening, ,lots of festivals in the next too weeks. Get out there and support the arts. Every ticket you buy, every dollar you spend in the establishments and conncessions is a vote for more music.
This Saturday I am headed to Konocti to play at the after party for Boardstock. The headliner on Sat is Dave Mathews.//http://www.konoctiharbor.com/boardstock/.
See ya there!
looks cool, let it rip
boardstock
jrl rock
wish i was there
judih
Well, turns out I subbed it out so I can attend my mothers wedding! Yogi is gonna be there too.
Good thing that you did not go to boardstock, I hate all those spoiled rich kids with daddy's $40,000 boat. But at least the girls were hot. So what is the next show that you are playing JRL. I am located in the bay area and am interested to hear your music.
n
I am at the Torch Club in Sacramento every Monday night with the great Aaron King.
This Sunday night also the Torch with Stacie Eakes and the Superfreakes.
Saturday 9/10 we are at the Rainbow Festival at 19th and K in Sac at 4:30 I think, and then back at the Torch that night.
After a busy summer things have slowed to a crawl.
Neo, what ya doing saturday night?
Gonna be out on the Delta, near Isleton.
Hell, I have no plans, shoot me a pm with some info.
Time to bump this up, summer is back, go out and have some fun people!
I posted a review of the Allman Brothers, and we are going to see John Hiatt in two weeks. Hoping to catch Roger Waters this fall. Didn't score any Phil shows this summer as they are all too far up north to coordinate, but maybe this fall...
I saw phil and friends in Tampa and Orlando this past weekend. Some low points, some high points, and some points in between.
Well it's time to bump this to the top yay!!!
This summer is lookin' to be a good one, I will have done 30 shows in May alone.
Tell us of your musical plans, point us at some good shows.
Celebration!!
Spent a good part of the day at the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee, played a set at the blues venue, walked around digging the scene, music everywhere. My idea of a good time. Now off to play at a festival afterparty, then tomorrow back to to the fest for more sights and sounds.
:shock: ---- and just when I was having so much fun this morning as I listened to a ten-buck transistor radio.... :cry: Well, uh, at least it was an all blues program and they were playin' alot of mean John Lee Hooker........ Glad to see one of the peeps wading in the tall cotton.. Have a great time bro JRL......
Saturday at the fest was a total blast. With my pay for 2 shifts (2 all venue badges and $100 in food and drink credits) burning a hole in ny pocket, TJ and I hit the festival a couple hours before my shift. We caught some fun Dixieland stuff at one stage, then found some friends playing in a tent hawking energy bars. Then to a bigger tent where our friends cCtfish and the Crawdaddies were holding forth with their traditional blues. Then we headed to yet another venue(all within 3 blocks) and heard the Delbert Bump Trio, with my old road buddy Steve Homan on guitar, doing a set of world class organ trio jazz, somewhere between Jimmy Smith and Medeski, Martin and Wood.
Then it was time for our(Steve Foster Band) set at the comedyclub turned blues bar for the festival. After we rocked the 250 seat venue for an hour, between sets by 2 of our fellow area bands, we ventured back out, ate up some more food rickets listening to Tom Rigney's Flambue (sp) playing rippin Zydeco.
Then off to the downtown mall area to this great old movie theater9there are venues all over town for the jazz destival) to catch my teacher Todd Johnson's set with Jim Martinez, an Oscar Petersen tribute. At that point 9:00 we reassesed our plans of stayin there for an 11:00 show and then heading to the Torch and went home to our couch like the fogeys that we are.
I couldn't have dreamed up a better day, and I still got the badges and 25 food tickets. The Festival is over Monday afternoon, might try to make it over for a litlte more fun.
The wife read the other day that The Wailers are coming back to our neck of the woods this summer as well as George Clinton. We'll catch those acts even though the venue is less than ideal. The shows will be held at a beautiful amphitheater tucked between the river and a high rise hotel. Beautiful location, great sound and a 10:30 pm curfew.... With the main act coming on around 9 pm, that doesn't leave a lot of time for the band to work out the kinks and settle into da groove. I especially worry about the George Clinton show. That dude usually starts late and plays until the crowd goes away or the management pulls the plug. (I don't ever remember staying for the end of one of his shows and we really dig their groove.)
And to top it off, we have a friend who records the shows for the promoter, giving us access to high quality copies of some great live material..... One and a half hours at a time...
lw
George Clinton proves pyscotics can be high functioning. I have heard some stories from my friend Kevin who played for him. plus others on shows with him. If he can't get his dope, he goes crazy, trashing hotel rooms doesn't even begin to describe it. Having said that: I love his music, you can't fight the funk. Bootsy is a huge influence, I can feel it when I start channeling him, it's that parade groove that P Funk does so well, sounds like a mix of New Orleans and James Brown, LSD and crack.
The Wailers are a great show, Family Man keeps em real.
I'm stoked to see Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, with Steve Winwood opening, this summer at the Gorge Ampitheatre near Seattle, Washington. The Gorge is a beautiful outdoors venue, great place to see a show. I haven't seen Petty in some years but he ROCKED when I saw him about ten years ago. I've never seen Winwood but his recent album *Nine Lives* is his best new music in many years, very jammy and tribal. I have read they will play together, maybe encore. Should be amazing! :twisted:
Tom Petty is one of the acts I've never caught but would like to. Be sure to report back, eh?
lw
First time I saw him, about '89, he and the band played the hits, fun but no real fireworks. A few years later, about '95 or so, saw him and he was playing lead guitar along with Mike Campbell, not just strumming, and they blew up the crowd at Great Woods near Boston. Night and day between two shows. I'm betting they will be doing the jamband thing again, and with Winwood on stage it could be unbelievable. Winwood did some shows with Clapton recently that I heard were fantastic.
I've not seen any shows for awhile that have blown me down. But I think this show, in that venue, could be the one I've been jonesing for...stay tuned :twisted:
I saw Tom Petty quite a long time ago, maybe 15 years. I'm not one for big rock shows usually, but I loved Tom. It was the last show of a long tour and he threw away the set list. he had a huge tree up there on stage and Richard Nixon chased him around it under a strobe light.
Entertainment at its best!!!
Mrs lw just peeped the line up for an annual free music festival that takes place out on the prairie near my old stomping grounds and it turns out that Phil is headlining!
That's right folks, Uncle Phil will be in Sioux City Ioway on 7-5-08 playing a free gig in the park. And what a park. Panoramic views of Nebraska and South Dakota can be had at the top of the amphitheater and there is a beautiful formal rose garden behind the stage area. Food vendors from around the world line the rim of the natural bowl. Security is red but we've been out-smarting those goons for over 18 years. hehe
Anyway, after Jerry died, Bobby brought his band to this festival one year and finally got us back on da bus. A swell time was had by all.
Things might get a little dicey for me, though. Since I grew up in the area, uncles, aunts and cousins have all been known to make appearances at this free event. Most years, its no big deal. But this isn't most years. We have a sacramental duty, after all......
lw
What do concerts cost these days? Last I heard it was $30 to $60 and up.
Thirty to sixty is about right. Or at least accurate. Sure ain't right..
lw
And then ticketmonster puts another fee on top of that which they keep even if the event is canceled. Plus you get whacked for parking. That plus getting groped by some guy before you are allowed in have kind of blunted my enthusiasm for going to those things. It use to be a hot chick felt you up and that wasn't so bad. They just don't want you bringing in your own food or drinks so you have to pay the sky high prices inside.
JRL, you have kind of a different point of view so I would expect you to see it differently. Do you think ticket prices are too high or not high enough?
Well sir, since the shows I play range in price from $25 to nothing, with $5 being average, I am pretty much a consumer like you. I think that the economics of the business are a bit screwed up. But paying $30-60 for a multi act festival doesn't seem like too bad a deal, given the quality of experience possible. $100+ for a mega star spectaculer show is a ticket I will pass on.
I definitely believe in supporting grass roots talent. If you see a band you like buy a CD and a shirt. That is absolutely the best way to show your appreciation. I don't know what it's like elsewhere, but these days the talent you can see locally for $5 is quite astonishing, a lot of the cats doing these shows have played with all kinds of players, visible ones. Go out and look around, you might be surprized.
See you at The Torch Club!!!
I just read back a bit. Phil for phree in da park??? Who is paying for it? That sure puts our local concert series to shame. All we get pretty much is the "Sac Pop" flavor of the month bands. Fairly embaressing. I don't even know if Jackie Greene is doing one this year. The biggest name might be Sal Valentino.
Phil for free in da park. Music starts at noon. Phil comes on at 8:45. There are two or three stages. Prolly over 200 acts in total.
There are a couple of bidness men in Sioux City that have been helping foot the bill. And one of them is a dead head. I'm pretty sure they had Bobby do a private gig too the year he played in da park.
Over the years, we've seen some amazing music for free. Santana, The Neville Bros, Buddy Guy, Junior Wells, etc...
We skipped the last couple of years due to weak line ups. And my better half just happened to pull up their website yesterday or we wouldn't have known Phil was coming around.
lw
The year Taj Mahal played was a good-un. His set was in the afternoon and after he finished, he ended up in the middle of the crowd with us grooving to the headliners. Matter of fact, we REALLY respect that dude after he hung out with the common folk like that.
Anyway, its nice having an event in me old stomping grounds like this. We have friends from my childhood that we only see at this gig. I'm getting stoked.
Looking at the band's summer schedule, I doubt they will be dragging many dirty hippies to Sioux City, unfortunately. The previous show is in Wisconsin and the one after in Michigan, so the day in the park is really out of the way.
lw
Looks like this year in the park includes a couple of interesting groups. Big Sam's Funky Nation, Umphreys Mcgee and the BoDeans proceed PhilCo.
lw
I think big money has in large part hurt music. I've seen some great performers for free myself. I think it's great when community leaders will fund something worthwhile like that. I heard Foggy Bottom a few years back for free. Not sure if he's still alive or not but he was excellent. I have no objection to $5 for a show or even a bit more if it's someone really good or a series of good ones. But when it gets over $25 I think it's getting into big money. And they gouge you for all the peripheral stuff like parking, drinks, eats, and they won't let you leave and come back anymore. Use to be if you kept your ticket you could go out to your car and come back. Not any more.
Joe, what about cheap cheap online downloads, where do you stand on that? I say a dime or quarter for most tunes is enough. Lower the bar like that and you will have consumers coming out of the woodwork. The third world will step up to the plate if they aren't taken for money they don't have.
The only reason we have legal downloads now is because people were doing it illegally. The main reason they did it illegally was $20 for a 25 cent cd. The performer often gets only a pittance out of that and the middle men make the loot. People got tired of being screwed.
We don't have a problem with high ticket prices if its for a group we really want to see. For instance, I couldn't put a price on the value of an evening with da dead or Phil.
Conversely, we don't catch as many acts on a whim anymore as we used to. Its just too expensive.
lw
Who was Taj opening for? I feel sorry for them, haha. Taj is one of my favorite people on the planet. I saw him smoke Crosby, Stills ect ect, here in Sac the day before Altamont with his killer quartet with the late great Jesse Ed Davis.
I love Taj, me and my bro Steve Foster have taken to covering Easy Rider and Taj's take on Six Days on the Road.
Taj is a perfect example of the vitality of the American roots music tradition.
Looking back in the events data base, Taj played before the Funky Meters and Tito Puente headlined.
lw
Well, if all of that went to the artist and songwriter, cheap downloads would be right on. One of the big problems with the mega music business is that it is based on a pre 1960 model, were the artist is not the most important part of the equation. So a huge portion of the cost of cds goes to the record company. There are just too many people getting paid, while the artist and song writers get pennies per unit.
Technology changes everything, from the recording of music to the distribution, but the artists and songwriters still NEED to get paid. If you want great music, it's not gonna come from too many people with day jobs. You gotta live it, no? Music makers gotta eat, got families to feed like anyone else, but a lot of folks seem to think that they owe the world free music. Making a great record is a daunting task, like I said before blood sweat and tears barely begins to cover it.
So what is the answer?? Musicians make music because of love of the art form but does that mean they need to live on Top Ramen? Hey it's cool when you are young, but grown ups need music created by grown ups. Like in my case, if I could devote all my energy to just one band, spend all my time with it it would be great, but I gotta be a huge 'ho to "put food on my family" (George Bush). I pretty much play with anyone that will have me, just tell me when where and how much.
Sometimes I sit out front at the Torch Club on my breaks and I hear the parade of people trying to talk their way out of paying a $5 cover charge. Sometimes I can't help myself and say something like "oh so you want to take food out of my kids mouths". Pretty dramatic, but essentialy true. Try that wth your doctor, mechanic ect.
Joe, you are echoing what I said about the middle men. They do next to diddly squat and they make the bulk of the money. Yes, it did start way back when, I'd estimate even before the 60's. You the performer, for example, might get a quarter or 50 cents out of that $20 cd that costs them 25 cents to make. More than that for the packaging. I never said lets stiff the musician, I said lets stop screwing the customer. The customer is the most important part of the equation. Without them, the performer, writer, painter, etc is just a hobbyist.
Give the world a 10 cent download on most tunes and you'll see even poor people getting a cd or ipod collection like the rich have now. It costs about a penny to send it out. Lets say a nickel for the house and a nickel for the artist or group. Even a paltry million downloads equals fifty grand for you. Not too shabby and you might get that every month or two. An album might cost up to a buck and sell many millions per month.
Same thing with concert tics. The middle man makes more than the ones who do the real work. We need middle men but we don't need to be ripped off.
Well a million downloads is more than a notion, let me tell. Anyway there are already ways to offer your stuff for download with a better split for the creators of the music. I think half a dime is not enough, cause who sells a million downloads?
I'll tell you what, music is no road to riches, at least not for anyone I know.
lw, sounds like a show for the ages, wish I had been there. And Tito is gone now.
I have no problem ponying up to a place like hdtracks on line and purchasing uncompressed cd quality releases in hd from independent labels for around $10 a disc. Artwork available if desired.
I'd hope the artist would get at least half of that ten spot. On-line sales would appear to be the way to cut costs avoid too many middle men and make a release available to the widest audience. But I'd never mess with downloading itunes or any other restricted format.
lw
A dime a download is kind of idealistic but what's so unreal about a million downloads? There are probably 500 million people now who could afford it and have the equipment. In a few years, it could be over a billion. If someone likes your kind of music why wouldnt they pay a dime?
The internet is the place where old fashioned ideas can be laid to rest. But, the greedy @%$# insist on making everything after the old models. Until they are forced to do otherwise, that is. Itunes came about not because the music powers that be wanted to help the masses. It was because they saw the tons of money they were losing on illegal downloads and decided to get in on the action albeit at a reduced rate. Now they are making so much that the holdouts are having second thoughts.
The beatles helped crack the old boy network. When they came out they were offered the standard ripoff contract and at first they had no other choice. Get a few cents on an album and the bums keep the rest. All the major players told them they had no choice. So they formed Apple records and the rest is history.
A dime a cut, so about a buck an album?
Sell a million copies of a disc?
Dang..
lw
I still say a million is a lot. I mean I am never gonna sell a million of anything. I think its the whole "mass quantity" mind set we gotta get beyond. Thats where the internet and technology comes in. It needs to be set up so you can sell a thousand discs and get a return for your time and effort. One person in a thousand world wide is a huge percentage.
Even at my level, it is not impossible to spend $20,000 making a CD. Of course it can be done for less, but its easy to spend more. I Hate Walmart cost my client $13,000 in studio time, musicians pay, artwork, prssing and my producers fee in 1997 dollars, So his first batch of 1000 barely covered costs at $15. But I earned my money by saving him money, calling in favors and getting guys to work cheap. Making a record is not easy or cheap.
BTW Apple Records was pretty much a fiasco, and weren't they affiliated with a major for distrabution?
Believe it or else, Steve Miller helped change the standard contract as much as anyone. He held out for a couple years before signing.
At ten bucks a pop, an artist would have to sell 2000 copies of their work to break even if it cost $20,000 to produce. And even those numbers might be tough for obscure groups living in the sticks.
The internet has changed that, somewhat. The potential audience is now global but so is the competition among artists. So we're back to touring in order to gain recognition needed to sell discs. Even then, unloading 2,000 copies of a release for an unknown artist is a shot in the dark, imo. But the bills keep coming due. Those 2,000 copies are not going to sell overnight. And even after moving that much product, the independent artist has yet to put a dime in his/her pocket.
The odds of selling a million copies of ANYTHING are slim and none for the vast majority of folks making a living in the music bidness. Selling 2,000 copies would be a stretch for most artists, imo. (And that's 500X less than the million you propose at a buck a disc, more or less.) At that rate, the music isn't worth much more than the disc it was printed on, and I value my musical experiences more than that.
The Beatles and Apple Records, eh? I fail to see what that business model has to do with this conversation today. Memory longing for the past tends to gloss over important details, as JRL mentioned above concerning the fiasco at Apple Records, imo.
Btw, those mop-topped role models were smoking reefer and gobbling acid in between video takes san cigarettes. Trust me, parents of that day and age didn't see that crew as role model material for their children. That only works if you attempt to view events of 40 years ago through a lens with a focal point on today.
lw
And there were drug references in Hard Day's Night: in an early scene, when the lads first enter the hotel room John grabs a coke bottle and shouts "Lets DO something!" and sticks the bottle to his nose.
lw,you are right. The numbers don't look good. And take it from me, 1000 cds are a lot. It's no wonder real business talent in the music biz is way rarer than music talent. Anyone with real business savy would rather be selling something you can make money on. An exception is a guy like Marty DeAnda(sp) who quit a corporate six figure job to manage Jackie Greene and start a record label. It's a rare combination of love of music and business smarts that has made all the difference for C**** *****n
JRL, you are still stuck in old style thinking. Most of us are. You need to gear up your outlook to a world market and non physical recordings. When I said there were 500 million people in the world with the equipment, that neglects all the people who don't own a computer and internet connection but have access to one. In the third world, sharing is much more common than it is here. Your potential market is well over a billion now. Music transcends the language barrier.
Sell a tune for a dime, get a nickel and the recipient burns his own disc for about a quarter. The middle man bums get nothing. Sounds like you'd rather get a few thousand sticking to the old model than tens or hundreds of times as much going new wave.
$15 for a disc is a lot of money. Even more so to the poor people of the world. Even the middle class here have to watch their spending and can't get even a fraction of what they'd like. By keeping prices high, you are shutting out a majority of the potential market. I'd say go farther than that. Set up your website distribution and then go around and for advertising, give people a 20 or 30 second free clip of one of your tunes. Get em hooked and tell them it's only a dime a tune and you'll have as much traffic as your site can bear.
You might do a million DL's a day after you get rolling!
Stoney: Your bidness model is an interesting one, but unrealistic, imo. At least for 99% of the groups out there who are scratching to get by. The top-shelf acts might keep their heads above water due to name recognition but the vast majority of acts would just be giving their work away, basically.
I really fail to see how jrl is stuck in an outdated mode of thinking. You seem to fail to realize that there is a HUGE number of independent artists throughout the world, scratching to get by. Put them all in an online data base and you might get a million hits a day. And with any luck, every one of the million independent artists will sell a track at ten cents every day of the week. (And that would come to seventy cents a week, cause the interwebs don't sleep.)
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are a ton of cheap-skates out there who would love to pay a buck for an album. But if that's all its worth to you, I don't know why we are even having this conversation in the groove.
Unless we're talking about mp3's. I'm with you on a dime a cut there, brawh.....
lw
To sell a million copies, one in 500 would need to buy. In the words of my yuppie millionaire friend: That doesn't pencil out.
And since most of my sales happen on gigs, when people buy a cd at a show, they are doing it as a way of supporting the art form, not because its a good deal. They are just putting their money where their heart is.
That's what everybody said when the idea of buying stuff on the internet came up. "no one will do it" "You can't trust anyone you can't see" so on and so on. Your thinking that 1 in 500 (or 1 in 1000) is hard to get is based on old thinking that includes the idea of expensive music. Yes, if you are talking about cd's then getting 1 customer in 1000 even is very hard. Unless you are a big name group.
When you talk about 10 cent tunes, then you are talking about a whole new ballgame. Even 25 cent or a dollar is new. I might be stuck in the old model myself. Why charge a whopping dime when you can get more customers for a lower price? Rhapsody, among other sites, charges by the month and you get access to millions of tunes. Unlimited downloading, so they say. If you got even a penny a tune times a million hits a month, that adds up.
Throw away your dinosaur thinking that involves cd's, tapes, vinyl and so on. No more greedy middlemen getting the bulk of the money. For every dollar you got, JRL, the middle men got 5 and they didn't play a note. You satisfied with that? Sometimes you got nothing after expenses and they still got their fat checks.
If anyone in the world can get any piece of music they want for a dime or so, maybe less, they will have a big library. Why not have every tune that exists in the genres you like? If you can afford $100 or so, you could do it. Or pay by the month. A little guy in Thailand with talent might make $100,000 a year within a few years of starting out. A really talented person or group might make a million a month or more.
How many tunes would each of you buy if it were that cheap? I'd have a library of 1000's of tunes adding more every month. Each time I heard something I liked on the radio, I'd get all that group's stuff.
I wouldn't pay a nickel to download an mp3.
lw
Well sir, I have never had a middle man in my recording history. It's all been self produced. And even then its been hard to recoup the production costs. On the current project I am involved in we are doing whta we can to cut costs. $500 bought us a day in the studio, we slammed through a whole cd's worth of basic tracks. The overdubs and mixing are being done in Ron's office on a computer he assembled.
CD's sold from the stage are still popular, people want something they can bring home from a show. In my world a million downloads is just not gonna happen.
"In my world a million downloads is just not gonna happen."
Yeah but you got to quit carrying around that club and wearing a bearskin one of these days.
I resent that just bit, sir. I think I have dealt with the real world of music fairly well. My family has never gone hungry, and I get to play music of great integrity almost every night of the week. Would this be happening if I hadn't adapted to the reality of the situation? Funny how your view changes when paying your mortgage is the issue.
Like I said in the other thread: I don't disagree with your model, I just don't see it working for me in the years I got left to do this.
I don't blame you for resenting those comments, jrl. Stoney is being unrealistic in his projections and faulting your mode of reasoning in the process.
I saw that some pop band released their cd on line for free awhile back. I thought it was a good deal, publicity and such. But that group comes from the top one percent of of bands based on world exposure before free material was released.
Btw, stoney, jrl and I come from a tradition of bands that allow fans to record their shows and trade them as long as no profit is realized. Most in the music industry consider that to be a stoopid move, but it works in the real world.
lw
To elaborate: my aformentioned client offers quite a few of the songs off his CDs for free download at Sounclick. He prolly gets a royalty from the websites owner. It used to be $.25 a play, another friend got well into double digit dollars on occaison. But he(my client) still drags his whole cataloge of 10+ albums with him on tour and sells em from his site.
It's just that music with less than super broad apeall doesn't pay for itself at .05 or even .25 cents a pop. Too much work goes into making a ggod product.
And its unrealistic to expect any but the chart toppers to sell a million of anything, imo. The industry gives awards for that.
But, hey ,the beatles did it, eh?
lw
Yeah, but they were pretty good
JRL, if you don't want to talk about the new way of doing things, that's ok.
Well, I think I have been. LIke my client using FREE downloads of his songs to promote his shows, where his bread and butter is still selling his whole cataloge of work.
This is all just my take on it that comes from many years seeing the different ways people create a musical career that works for them at all levels. And since me and my associates are involved with making this work right now, trying to make a life out of our creativity,trying to eke a living out, my views are gonna be colored by that. Technology has been a great tool, some are much more savy than I to say the least. I just look at your proposal, and I don't see where it's gonna help me. Believe me I am very pragmatic about the business I am in, you have to be in anything to survive let alone succeed. I am not so much thinking about building up a world wide fan base, it's all I can do to keep things rolling like they are. If I can keep on like I am for another 10-15 years I will be thrilled, what a ride it's been.
I don't have all the details worked out myself. I'm just talking in general about sites like Rhapsody, the success of napster and other systems. I'm thinking that giving people a free taste might bring in some customers. Like at a cookout. I wouldn't give them the whole tune, just a part to get them hooked. It might bring new appreciation for your musical style
And you can take the buck-fifty that bidness model produces for 99% of independent bands out there straight to the bank.
We can talk all we want, but jrl is using the music bidness to put food on his table and has been for years. He has first hand knowledge of artists using the model stoney says is the future now. Most artists currently won't earn enough money using this touted model to make it more than a point of conversation.
I'm still not sure how you can justify insulting jrl with claims he doesn't want to talk about your ideas when its clear he just doesn't want to be insulted.
Btw, I'm putting you on notice for insulting a community member. This WILL go down on your permanent record....
lw
phone just ring -
- ding-a-ling -
I put down the blount
long enough to answer that thang..
yo, bro, I've got two extra tickets
to the Snoop Doggs show -
and we didn't have to think long
before saying "hell yes, lets go!"
NOw I got thirty minutes to roll -
a half hour to spin the sacrament
before taking a stroll DOWN THE BLOCK
to where the doggy style action's at.
Thirty minutes to spin this joint.
Synchronize watches now....
lw
Oops. That one ended early for me.
Tonight I got got. Damn, I even had a little tip off and head start. But there was two of them, and it didn't appear to be their first hippie rodeo. Next thing you know, I have one white shirt under each arm. Nothing is said the whole time, but dudes sure wanted to get my arms lifted higher than the good lord designed them. There was a loong perp walk before we get to the door and #1 white shirt orders me to show him the contents in my hands. I show the guy a lighter and he asks me why I wasn't complaining the whole way if that was all I had in my possession? I told him I was prolly too high to complain and that seemed to seal the deal. bu-hahaha!
Man, we only live two blocks from the venue. I might change my shirt, put on a hat and go back...........
round two... ding!
lw
Phil in da park tonight for phree!
Phamly and phrends will be bicycling in from all corners of the state and beyond.....
Sniff....
what's that smell?
Say, I think I smell dirty hippies!!!!
lw
Have a great time and don't forget that we here, back 'at 'da ranch, fully expect, nay, demand that your bicycling prowess puts Lance Armstrong to shame :P :) and yes, in regards to your team managements query: you will be afforded an .0232 percentage point roundup in deference to the extra testicular weight.. :wink:
We're back from a date with Phil...
It was a real interesting day. We got to see a bunch of friends that only get together once a year or so. The park wasn't too packed and Phil kicked a little ass.
Anyway, the show was in Sioux City at a beautiful bandstand with views that fall away in a few directions. Phil came to our corner of the prairie. A place we know intimately.
We spent the day catching up with friends. A pal and I took in the views on a walk before Phil's set while sacrament became active and ended up strolling through the rose garden behind the venue. We mosied past a line of tour busses and I wondered out loud which one belonged to Phil. Just then the door of a bus to our right opened and an OLD lady stepped out with jackie right behind. He took one look at the two of us and made like he was hopping back onto that bus. But then he turned around and sort of took shelter behind the woman, clutching his guitar case in both hands, looking like a deer in head lights. I smiled and said, "kick some ass tonight, eh jackie?" That seemed to snap him out of his fear a little. Maybe the fact that we kept walking and never attempted to stop him helped. Anyway, we laughed our asses off on the way back to the group. My buddy does a great impersonation of jackie clutching that gat like he was looking into the headlight of an oncoming train. And then PhilCo came out and Jackie had that look of terror no more. It was hard to believe that it was the same jackie before and during the show. Next time you see him, tell him my wife says he should stop smoking. But I thought it was funny, It almost seemed like he had the puffing timed to be part of the act while he played the keys.
The boyz did a country set for the good peeps of Sioux Land. There were a few minutes of psychedelia, but Molo was kept reigned in most of the night keeping country time. (Friend of the debil, cumberland, cold rain, birdsong, box of rain...)
lw
lw, next time you see Jackie ask him this: " You learned to play out of the key of C on the organ?". When I was playing with him he used an electronic function so he could play everything as if it were the key of
C, C being the easiest key to play.
PS: If Jackie quit smoking he would look a lot less like Dylan.
LOL Shucks, jrl...... If I say something like that to jackie, I might just get booted from the Phil Lesh fan club.
lw
Saturday In The Park
Sioux City, IA 7/5/08
Set:
^Friend Of The Devil
^Deal
^Ball & Chain
^Peggy-O>
Cumberland Blues>
^So Hard To Find My Way> Jam>
The Wheel> Cosmic Charlie Jam>
Bird Song>
Chest Fever>
Caution>
Cold Rain & Snow
Donor Rap/Intros
enc: Box Of Rain
*** Fireworks ***
^w/Teresa Williams
Oh I don't know Phil's always appeared to have a sense of humor. Ball and Chain the Janis tune?
Naw, Jackie has a song called "Like a Ball and Chain," too.
OK...... I just might get booted from the Jackie Greene fan club if'n I were to utter those words you suggest.
But it is hard to believe the little guy cowering by the bus before the show was the same cat on stage, though. My buddy thought he looked like a kid who knew he was just about to lose his lunch money to a couple of school-yard thugs. But when the lights came up, he turned into a decent showman, imo.
lw
Oh yeah.......
The wives were a little jealous that we got to say hello to Jackie. And when jackie started singing Ball and Chain, mrs lw asked my pal's wife if that was the song her husband requested for her. (before Jackie started in with the "Ball and Chain refrain.) I heard the question and saw the woman's face drop and started laughing my ass off. That earned me a kick in the shin from the friend's wife and a puzzled look from me wife until she caught the lyrics. Then she felt terrible and I laughed my ass off some more. In the end, I'm guessing she can take a joke pretty well.
We lunched at Jerry's Rolls at the show and dined at Jerry's pizza downtown after all was said and done.
lw
Just scored four tix on-line to Jim White and Steeldriver in KC MO this September. Folly Theater has three loges suspended on each side above the orchestra seats each with room for four, so that worked out nicely.
We'll drive the three hours to KC, have a nice dinner, catch a show and then maybe prowl the seedy side of KC music life a bit, as we're doing this adventure with a couple who are prone to those type of excursions.
lw
George Clinton and the Funkadelic/Parliment bunch are coming to town tomorrow. I want to see the show, but they will pull the plug at 10:30 at this venue and I'm not sure George even makes it on stage by that time normally.
lw
George Clinton came to town last night. Never mind his voice was shot and he appeared to be higher than a kite. A good time was had by all. MAtter of fact, I should have copies of this show in the next couple of weeks.
I counted sixteen peeps on stage at one point. (Bootsie wasn't there.) One of the gat players was doing a decent job channeling Jimi all night long. Lots-o hard funk.
lw
You can't fight the funk. Shoot me a copy?
Sure thing.
It would be ludicrous
to think we're new to this:
this is what we do.... - GC -
lw
Going to a show tonight!!!!!! Gonna see the great jam band Izabella at Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz!!!
Moe's Alley in Santa Cruz? It must be new since SC was the center of me stomping grounds way back when. Where is the venue?
Great jam band izabella?
Fhak, I feel like I was bornt yesterday.
Have fun, brawh. But that shore is a drive for you folks. It must be three hours to Santa Cruz from Sacramento, no? That is, if'n the traffic treats you right.
lw
We are already in Santa Cruz, our annual family vacation. Moes Alley has been there for quite some time, its off Soquel by Highway One.
Izabella is a real good band, coming up on the circuit, if you haven't heard them yet you just might pretty soon. Sean Lehey, is one of my favorite Garciaoid guitar guys, Sam the keyboard player was one of my first bass students and my wife and daughter just love Brian Rogers, singer/percussionist.
Ahh.. singer-percussionist... Nice indeed.. 'Ya just don't seem to see-hear many of those sorts.. I wonder just why that is... I know from firsthand experience that for sal at least, it's not a sonically good idea... Never had a problem with doing back up wha wha's and the like, but the rare times it fell to me to have to sing lead whilst percussing, I could definitely feel and hear a diminished accuracy in my playing. Not to mention the fact that I never have been worth squat as a vocalist to begin with!!! :lol: ---
Well, Brian wasn't playing drum set, he had a set up with a snare(side snare type, small diameter and deep) high hat, bongos, and cowbells. And he is a major talent, I would not be surprised if he gets real successful. Nice kid too.
I saw the Jerry Miller Band last night. Jerry was the lead guitar for the great Moby Grape back in the day. Eric Clapton called him the "best guitar player in the world". His bass player is Tiran Porter from the Doobie brothers best years.
I got to meet Jerry, he was very gracious and friendly. He introduce me to Omar Spence the son of the late great Skip Spence who was the heart and soul of Moby Grape. Omar played the second set with Jerry, they opened with the Grapes hit "Murder in My Heart for the Judge".
Jerry was playing the same guitar he played back in the day, he said he's had it for almost 50 years. A fat Gibson hollowbody, possibly a 175 bu.t maybe a fancier model. He played a lot blues and a lot of the stuff I love, somewhere between blues. jazz and R and B.
Good stuff!!
Ain't Santa Cruz grand?
lw
dam, wish I lived in SC!
Pretty cool show in Hilo lately at the Imiloa Planetarium. I took three of my sons for a boy's night out. Dark Side of the Moon! with a truly amazing light show on the humongoid ceiling dome. Great sound and volume, and the visuals-woweewoweewowwow.
Left me in a sweet space...
If you live near a planetarium, you might want to lobby them for this show.
Another plug too for the Dub Side OTM album, sweet funky grooves ala Floyd with a soul twist, dig it...
8)
Santa Cruz is amazing. Sacramento is 20 times bigger and has a tenth as many shows. I had to pick between Jerry Miller and Sonny Landreth. Glad I saw Jerry, last time I saw him play was 42 years ago at the Avalon.
Here- here for Dub Side of Da Moon!
I been blasting reggae all week trying to break in a new set of single-driver speakers made of hemp.
King Tubby
Augustus Pablo
Israel Vibration
Burning Spear
Peter Tosh
More about Jerry Miller:LIke I said the first time Eric Clapton came to the US they asked him who he wanted to meet: He said "Jerry Miller is the best guitar player in the world" James Marshall Hendrix said almost the same thing when asked which of his peers he liked the best.(That quote courtesy of Johnny Guitar Knox).
You could see how much Jerry still loves playing and his non-show was really after my own heart. Just some guys up there playing their hearts out and their asses off. Band was strong all the way around. Didn't catch any names besides Jerry, Omar, and Tiran but they were gettin it.
THe mix was a bit problematic at first. Way to much low end on the bass and over all. I find that engineers are so conditioned to booming proccesed lows that they just push those frequencies way too much. It chased TJ right outta the place, but I had to stay. By halfway through the first set it got better. Just goes to show that the sub lows (100 hz and down) have to be handled carefully or they will destroy the mix.
Peter Tosh- I got a new student-14 year old boy named Tosh. I asked him if he was named after Peter he said yeah.
Here's a shot of Phil's new six-string bass that he took out on tour this summer. Some heads at breakfast were commenting on the trippy lights Phil had on his bass the night before in Sioux City. I just thought they were high. Guess I should open me eyes more at shows, eh? hahaha!
http://www.philzone.com/phil_pix/phil-bass-2008.jpg (http://www.philzone.com/phil_pix/phil-bass-2008.jpg)
lw
What a silly looking bass! The bass makers do that, it's an "art" thing. My buddy owns a bass store and its full of stuff like that. I imagine Phil's sounds good but not all the mutli thousand dollar do.
I think its a neat looking bass, but that's esthetics for you...
And Phil must liked something about it.
lw
I'm sure it's a wondeful axe. Phil Lesh had a big role in the evolution of the bass guitar and bass amplification. Professor Lesh, along with Jack Cassidy, Owsley and the folks at Alembic basically invented hi-fi musical instrument amplification.
My self I dig more of the classic look and beautiful wood and Telecaster headstocks, gold hardware, but that's just me. I kinda take the utilitarian approach, like quality tools of the trade.
I don't know.... That looks like some quality workmanship and wood there, bro. Why would someone want an ax that looks like every other guitar on the planet?
Oh yeah, me and the missus are white gold/silver type of folks, too. hehe
lw
Well, it;s just a matter of taste I guess. Not knocking Phils ax at all. It's maybe a gripe I got with the bass makers of the world.
An example: I was helping my friend Big Bob who was working for the venerable Yamaha Company(guess what my main bass is, its great having friends n medium places) at a bass trade show. We had a couple of show piece basses, one just a really nice top of the line production model, maybe 3 grand retail,the other one a six string bass with the dragibus dragon inlayed on the fret board with rubys for the eyes, all the bells and whistles worth close to 10k if you could even buy it.
Which one sounded better: well the 10k one didn't sound any better than my off the shelf very semi pro BB605, while the other one was a real sweety.
Here is a fun website for bass lovers://http://www.bassandbeyond.com/html/bass.php
After a little snooping, it appears Phils new bass was made by a fellow named Jens Ritter out of Germany.
http://www.ritter-basses.com/ritter-basses-news.htm (http://www.ritter-basses.com/ritter-basses-news.htm)
I think the guy makes some gorgeous axes, especially in the natural finishes.
lw
They are nice, I have heard of Ritter before.
No Phil on Ritters web site. Phil is careful with his name I have noticed, like he is never quoted in Robert Greenfields books.
What do you mean no Phil on Ritter's website? He does mention he sold an ax to phil on the linked page.
lw
I missed that. I was looking in his gallery of happy users. I wonder how much one of those beauties would set you back?
Looked like the guys axes run between four thousand euro and ten thousand euro, so maybe $6,000-$15,000 currently?
lw
Way out of my league. I paid $225 for my Yamaha cause I had an inside track on the closeout list. That and my former connection at GK is as close I have gotten to an endorsment deal. Maybe someday............
Jim White, tonight in KC MO. Steeldrivers open.
Can't wait.
lw
lw, enjoy the show!!
The show was OK. Jim White was the opener and we only got five or six songs from him. On the other hand, his stories this time out were stellar.
He told the (true) tale of getting saved in a little church in Pensacola FL that began to grow exponentially. Folks were lining up under the hot Florida sun for hours just for the chance to participate in the services. Thousands speaking in tongues, etc. Then one day a jesus impersonator showed up complete with crown of thorns, real blood and a large cross that he drug where ever he went. Jim said the sound of the guy dragging the wooden cross along was usually evident long before he came into view. Then one day another jesus impersonator showed up, thorns, cross and all. But this one had wheels on the bottom of the cross, allowing for easier movement. Eventually a church schism erupted, with half taking the side of the jesus dragging the cross and the others following the guy with wheels. Then one day another jesus showed up driving a motor home with a cross mounted on top. JW said that it was while following that jesus in his motor home as the guys crept through town that an idea for a song came to him. "If jesus Drove a Motor Home," was the result.
If Jesus drove a motor home, I wonder would he drive pedal to the metal, or real slow? Checking out the stereo. Cassette playing Bob Dylan, motivation tapes. Tricked up Winnebago, with the tie-dye drapes.
If Jesus drove a motor home...
If Jesus drove a motor home, and he come to your town, would you try to talk to him? Would you follow him around? Honking horns at the drive thru. Double-parking at the mall. Midnight at the Waffle House - Jesus eating eggs with ya'll.
If Jesus drove a motor home...
Buddha on a motorcycle, Mohammed in a train. Here come Jesus in the passing lane... but everybody smile, 'cause everybody's grooving. Ain't nothing like the feeling of moving with a bona fide motorized savior.
Now if we all drove motor homes, well maybe in the end, with no country to die for, we could just be friends. One world as our highway. Ain't
no yours or my way. We'd be cool wherever we roam - if Jesus drove a motor home.
LOL The wife also earned a new nickname this time out. I'm calling her Lori Yakitori, for her propensity to get sick after drinking even a few beers/mixed drinks. As I seldom drink, she seldom gets sick. But when we hang with heavy drinkers or she goes out with the girls, vomiting usually ensues. Saturday night brought the same. Sitting in a sushi bar sunday for lunch I came up with the moniker and think it might stick. At least the nights we go out partying. hahaha
lw
Found it! Disregard previous post!!!