A First Time For Everything

I normally would want to keep this blog dedicated to things that are happening off stage, but the coolest thing happened at our show the other night that I just had to share with you all, because it was so touching.  It was some woman’s birthday, so she was out celebrating with some friends.  After wishing her happy birthday and properly embarrassing her over the speakers, we moved on with the show.  A few songs later someone from that group came up and asked us if we would allow the birthday woman’s girlfriend us the microphone to propose.  Well of course she can.  So she did: got up on stage, dropped to one knee, the whole 9 yards.  Normally I would say that the whole proposing in a bar thing is a little cheesy, but if you would have been there for that moment, you would agree that there was nothing cheesy nor corny about it.  It was perfect.  Now here’s the thing: I don’t ever want to push my political, or religious, or ethical beliefs on anyone.  I think we should all have our own views and opinions.  And let’s be honest here, I’m a musician; not a politician, not a theologian or anything else.  So my opinions would never be intended to influence you or anyone else.  It really doesn’t matter to me what other peoples stances are on pretty much anything (just that you like my music!!!), and I will never ask you to agree with my view points.  Saying that, I will now say this: I have never seen two people more genuinely happy to be together than those two women were at that moment.  I know as a band we all felt very blessed to get to see and be a part of the moment that they shared together that night at our show.  And isn’t that really the point: to find someone to share your life with that makes you that happy?  It was obvious to us that they made each other that happy, and that they really wanted to spend the rest of their lives together.  It was a pretty touching moment. 

Okay, now on to things off stage.   Here’s something that was a pretty huge milestone for me last week: I had my first ever Big Mac.  In 34 years I had never had one until last week.  At this point it had kind of become an ongoing joke that I wouldn’t have one until my 80^th birthday or something like that.  But the guys kept telling me how good they were; like I was really missing out on a great experience or something.  There were only a few things in life I could say I had never done: never got a tattoo, never been sky diving, never had a Big Mac.  So I broke down and ordered one.  So, how was it?  After all these years of missing out on the mysteriousness of the Big Mac - My verdict: eh, not really worth the hype.  Kevin and Josh think I’m crazy for not loving it.  I mean, how can I not love a burger that had its own song?  Guess I’ll be going back to the Quarter Pounder from now on.  You know what McDizzle did get right: adding bacon to the Quarter Pounder.  Now that was a great idea!

Last week we started doing some radio promotion for the new album.  Part of our plan to promote “Back In Town” is to do radio interviews in most of the towns we play.  So if we are coming to your area, please be sure to listen for us on the radio.  Here’s what I love about radio: it is still easily the best medium for music.  People still listen to radio in their cars or at work.  People still have that favorite station that they have listened to for years.  So for an independent band like us who are trying to get our music out there to new audiences, radio is huge.  And radio interviews can be fun.  Of course there are some of the same basic directed interview questions that have to be there to promote the band and music; but sometimes we get to talk with a DJ that will have fun discussing completely random off the wall stuff with us.  That’s when it gets fun.  I remember one time we got so far off topic in a radio interview we ended up discussing our favorite cookies.  Yep, nothing to do with music; just had a discussion about cookies.  But then someone out there listening actually brought us cookies that night to the show.  Of course there are the down sides to it too: most radio shows want to do entertainment interviews in the morning (which makes sense b/c that’s when the most people are tuning in), but that means we have to get up early to be there on time.  If we are traveling to get there, that means we have to get up super early to get into town for the radio interview.  We’re musicians; by default, we don’t do early mornings very well.  You think the other guys would be okay covering the interview while I slept in??? Somehow I bet they’re going to want the namesake of the band to be there.  Oh well, who needs sleep anyway?  It is more important to promote this album than for me to have sufficient sleep.  Totally worth it too.  You know, if I really cared about the other guys I’d let them sleep in and just go do the interviews myself.  Which I guess I would do if they wanted me to.  Anyway, back to the radio discussion: does your favorite radio station do band interviews?  If so, EMAIL me and let me know which station and where it is.  If we’re heading your way, we’d love to get on the local station for a few minutes. 

Well, we are on the last week of this 5 week tour.  It has been long, but super successful for us.  Promoting this album is exhausting and a never ending task, but so worth it when we get the positive feedback that you have all given us over the past month.  That is a huge part of what motivates me; knowing that our music is having a positive effect on people.  So if you’re really enjoying the album (or even just had a great time at one of our shows) please let us know.  And if you really like what we’re doing, tell your friends about us too.  Play the music for them; invite them out to a show with you.  Word of mouth has helped promote our music more than you can imagine.  So if you like what we do, definitely talk about us.  Last night even, someone at our show brought two new people with her to come hear us; which was awesome.  So next time we’re in town, bring a friend to the show; and encourage them to purchase one of our band shirts, or a koozie, or both of our albums (yes, that was a shameless PR plug).

Alright, enough for this week.  As always, please make sure you check out our website www.themichaeldband.com.  You can listen to our new album on the website, or find the new album on I-TUNES.  Make sure you also ‘like’ our FACEBOOK fan page, and ‘follow’ us on TWITTER as well.  (I think that is all of our social media sites I’m supposed to promote)

Oh, last thing: someone suggested that our songs would be easier to learn if the lyrics were posted someplace, and suggested that I do that.  To which I replied, “thanks for making even more work for me”.   All kidding aside, it actually is a good idea; any way we can make our music and lyrics more accessible to the people who want it.  So I guess what I’ll try to do for the next several posts is copy out the lyrics to one of the songs at the end of these blogs (please don’t ask me to do this for the old album too).  So, by request, here you go:

“Show A Little Skin”

Just the other day I was wondering why y’all got control over all us guys

Just then I realized what you’ve known all along

Some of us like red-heads others prefer blondes

Some like them short, and some like them long

Legs but there’s one thing that turns every guy on

When you show a little skin

come on let ‘em see, what you’ve got going on underneath

every guy wants to take a peak at you

might as well show it off ‘cause you know you got it

come on girl just rock that body

and let the games begin

show a little skin

Guys head to the lake ‘cause they want to be around a bunch of girls wearing nothing but strings

And doing all sorts of sexy things like splashing around

There ain’t nothing wrong with a mini-skirt

Cut way too high with a skimpy shirt

On a real fine woman with a bunch of curves when she’s out on the town

So show a little skin

come on let ‘em see, what you’ve got going on underneath

every guy wants to take a peak at you

might as well show it off ‘cause you know you got it

come on girl just rock that body

and let the games begin

show a little skin

Y’all must be doing something right

‘cause every guy in here is acting kind of crazy tonight

So show a little skin

Show a little skin

come on let ‘em see, what you’ve got going on underneath

every guy wants to take a peak at you

might as well show it off ‘cause you know you got it

come on girl just rock that body

and let the games begin

show a little skin

show a little skin

Rock N Roll

As we were leaving Lincoln, NE this past Monday morning, Kevin and I were reminiscing about some of the places we’ve been with this band over the past 5 ½ years; not the venues, but some of the areas of the country we’ve had the opportunity to see.  I was saying something about wanting to see the mountains again in northern Montana, or travel back up the Pacific Coast Highway through the Redwood Forest; they were both just such impressive areas, and I know without traveling with this band I would never have taken the opportunity to go to many of these places.  Kevin commented about how amazing Yellowstone National Park was (Old Faithful was pretty impressive); or the Grand Canyon - I don’t think I’ve ever seen anywhere so beautiful.  Which then led to how cool it was to come over the mountains in southern California into Los Angeles at night; as you start to come down the other side of the mountain and the city just spreads out before you – like the lights are never going to end. 

Since we were discussing L.A. I thought about our night on the Sunset Strip.  For anyone who is a fan of 80’s Rock and Roll, this place is it.  It must have been such a cool scene back in the early and mid-80’s.  We just got there 25 years too late.  But a few years ago we had a couple shows down in the Los Angeles area and got there a day early, so we decided that roaming Sunset Boulevard was a great way to spend a night off.   We got down there on a Sunday night and started the evening at the Cat Club to see my friend’s band Whiskey Circus (now Wayland) perform.  I’m such a huge fan of Rock music, and to be able to sit in a club on the Sunset Strip and watch my old friend play a set was just surreal for me.  Very cool moment.  But that was just the beginning.  From there we went to The Whiskey A Go-Go.  For us this is the mecca of cool rock venues.  All the greats have been on stage there.  Just walking into the place kind of gave me chills.  My uncle has actually played at The Whiskey before too; so even though it was late on a Sunday night (especially back east), I had to give him a call and tell him where I was.  Anyway, from there we went a little further up the strip to the Rainbow Room, where we ran into the Phil Lewis from L.A. Guns, then tried to head back to the Viper Room, but they were having some private party that night and wouldn’t let us in.  Not bad for a Sunday night though, right?  If you’re like me and a huge fan of 80’s rock, you’ve got to take a trip to Los Angeles and spend a night down on Sunset Boulevard. 

Random side thought: as a fan of music, if you could go back in time to any scene, where would it be?  For me, definitely L.A. in the mid 80’s ranks right up there.  Or maybe Seattle around 1990-91.  Ooh, how about Britain in the 60’s?  Great music over there back then.  So, where would you go?  EMAIL us and tell us your favorite time period and place for the music scene.   Or just comment at the end of this post too, that works. 

Since I seem to be on a rock music kick right now…

On one of our rare nights off when we weren’t traveling, I got to actually just sit back and listen to music for an evening.  Damn I miss that. Just being able to put some music on and relax for a while.  That doesn’t happen very often for me.  Even on our nights off, I seem to be so busy catching up on the business side of the band that there is no time to relax.  So anyway, as I was skimming through my I-tunes, I came across the old Hema-Huh album.  I know 98% of you reading this will have no idea who that is.  They were a rock group back in the mid/late 90’s in Bloomington, IN.  A couple of friends of mine were in that band, and we’d go see them at the all-ages club in town.  I used to love their music (like I said, I’m a huge fan of rock n roll).  So as I started listening to their songs on my I-Tunes, I realized I was singing along; every word of every song.  How, after something like 15 years, do I still know all the words to the songs of this local band?  Was I really that big of a fan back then?  How could those songs and lyrics stick after all this time?  It kind of surprised me that I remembered it all so well.  But then again, I spent a lot of my late teens listening to that album and going to their shows.  I’m sure we all have bands or artists like that; those that influenced us so much that even after all these years we still remember their words and their music.  And probably always will.  As a songwriter and a performer, I hope that someday 15 or 20 years from now a few people will still know all the words to my music.  When I’m long gone from the scene, hopefully someone out there will still have my songs on their music players.  Either way, it was such a nostalgic moment for me; sitting there listening to this rock band’s album I used to enjoy so much and still being able to sing along to every word.  I hope they know how influential they were to us teenagers back then. 

Well, the new album has been out for a week now, and I must say I’m quite surprised with how well it has been received so far.  I’ve really appreciated all the feedback that people have been giving us up to this point.  Sales at our shows have been much better than I have anticipated so far, and so many of you have emailed and let me know that they’ve already purchased the album on I-TUNES as well.  For all of you out there that have taken the time to send us messages and feedback about the new album, Thank You.  For a band like us that is out here on the road trying to get our music out there by playing endless shows, it really means a lot to hear what you think of our music.  Please continue to send us your thoughts on the new material.  And I know I mentioned this on FACEBOOK the other day, but also wanted to mention it here as well: it is so cool for me as a songwriter to see people at our shows already singing along to the songs off of “Back In Town”.  A large part of why I do what I do is to be able to express myself through music; and to know that my expressions have had any sort of impact is just incredible.  As the song ‘Friends Like These’ says, “When you sing along to the songs I write, you want an encore at the end of the night, I’m glad I get to be with friends like these”. 

I have a few more exciting things to write about from this week, but think I’ll save them for next week’s post.  As always, I hope you all enjoy reading about our time out here on the road.  If there are things about what we do that you’d like to hear more about, definitely let us know.  You can EMAIL us, or send us a message on FACEBOOK too.  And don’t forget to follow us on TWITTER as well.  Oh, and if you haven’t heard the music off of our new album yet and would like to preview it before you get a copy at one of our shows, you can listen to it for free at www.themichaeldband.com.  Until next time, be safe out there, and we hope to see you at a show soon!

Excitement Builds

So, last week I talked about how excited I was for the new album “Back In Town” to be finished.  Finally getting the record done eliminated a huge stress for me.  Then there’s the immediate stress of getting it pressed, as well as making it available for online purchase.  But this is a huge week for us: 2 nights ago “Back In Town” became available on I-Tunes (and however many other online avenues), and I have confirmed that the hard copies have been delivered and will be available at our shows starting TOMORROW!  I guess my one last point of anxiety about this remains until I open one up and check to make sure it actually plays.  After that, everything will be smooth.  Wait, then the real work starts: promotion!  Crap.  Oh well, so much for taking it easy for a while.  But for now I am able to relax for just a moment and can say I’m so happy that the new music is finally out on I-Tunes and at all our shows from this point forward.  It has been great to see how excited the other guys are about this album too.  You can feel it within the group; all of us discussing the possibilities of where we can go with this band and the music.  It is refreshing to have a group of guys that all stand behind the music we’ve put out, and believe in it.  I hope as you hear the songs that you will be as pleased with them as we are.  

Since “Back In Town” was released on I-Tunes a few days ago, we have already received some incredible feedback about the album.  Please continue to let us know what you think.  I enjoy hearing your thoughts about our music.  I was really moved to read a post that one of our fans put on Facebook after listening to our album; she wrote about how she was able to relate to “The Memory” b/c she had also lost some friends in a car wreck several years ago but still misses them like crazy.  It was just so touching for me that someone was moved in some way by lyrics that I had written.  As a songwriter, that’s really what is important to me – for my lyrics to bring out some sort of emotion in people; to have an impact (however small it may be).  For a song of mine to have any significance in someone else’s life; wow.  It really humbles me.   Side note: the other thing that blows me away as a song writer is to see people actually sing along to our music.  Again, I’m just really humbled at those moments; knowing that people like a song enough to want to learn and memorize the lyrics. 

Part of the purpose of these writings has been to talk about some of the stuff we do off stage.  I really didn’t want to discuss it, but a lot of people have been asking about what happened the other night.  So here it is.  We were traveling at night to the next town on some snowing winding and hilly highway out in the middle of nowhere and came upon an accident.  A mini-van had run off the road down a hill and flipped over.  We were pretty much the first ones there, so we pulled over, and Josh and I got out to see if we could help while Kevin and Steve called 911.  Josh and I were able to help the lady and her 8 year old daughter out of the over-turned vehicle and up the hill to our van, where they waited with us for about 20 minutes until the paramedics arrived.  There were no major injuries, and we were so thankful that we were passing by at that moment.  I would have hated to think about how much worse it could have been for them in -15 degree weather if no one would have been there.  (And by the way, the mother did contact us the next day and let us know that both she and the daughter were safe and doing well.)

As much as I didn’t want to talk about what happened the other night, I do think it can serve as a platform to say this: HELP EACH OTHER!  There are so many tiny things that we can do that have such an enormous impact on other people’s lives.  Take an afternoon to volunteer at a homeless shelter; shovel the elderly neighbor’s driveway; donate to a charity; help someone with their bags at the grocery.   However small the act, it could mean the world of difference to someone.  And be kind to each other out there.  I’m sure we could all use a little compassion this winter. 

And now I will step down off of my soapbox for the evening. 

Since we officially have our album with us starting tomorrow, I wanted to quickly let everyone know where we are going to be in the next few months.  This weekend we are in Nebraska - Grand Island, Ord, and Lincoln.  Then we head up to North Dakota, with stops in Beulah, Williston, Minot, Bottineau and Bismarck/Mandan.  After that we bounce around from Minnesota (Proctor) to Wisconsin (Milwaukee, Madison, Superior and Chippewa Falls) with a few shows in Illinois (Savanna, Chicago, and Sterling).  I think we even have a gig coming up in Sanborn, Iowa at some point.   Oh, and we also finally get back down to Mississippi this spring as well.   If you’re near any of these areas, we really hope you’re able to make it out to the show.  For a more complete tour schedule, check out our WEBSITE. 

Well, I think that is all I have for today.  Again, thanks to everyone who has already downloaded our new album on I-Tunes.  And make sure you pick up a copy while you’re at the next show.  As always, make sure you check out our FACEBOOK fan page, and be sure to follow us on TWITTER.  If you like our band and our music, share us with all your friends too; spread the good word!  And keep letting us know what you want to read about on here.  Be safe. 

It Is Finally Done!

Here’s a question: is it okay to still get nervous for a show?  The strangest thing happened on New Years Eve: I was at the hotel getting ready and got nervous and anxious.  It continued on the way over to the show, and into the first 10-15 minutes of the show.  I can’t remember the last time I actually felt that way.  I mean, come on, I’ve played literally thousands of shows at this point; and have played that venue several times as well.  There’s no logical reason for it.  But there I was with knots in my stomach and that feeling of anxiety as I was getting ready for the show.  As I think about it now, I am hoping it is a good thing for that to happen every once in a while.  Hopefully it means that I still want to put on a good show; that I’m not just going through the motions up there.  

So, the big news: the album is completely finished!  Yes, done.  No more re-recording, no more editing, no more tweaking.  Done.  You have no idea how excited I am to have this project finished.  I feel like it has consumed me for most of this past year, and to finally have it completed is such a relief.  Here’s where we are with everything: we have sent the tracks and album cover artwork off to the replication company, and should have the album at our shows starting Jan. 10^th.  Yes, starting next Friday we will have our new album with us at every show.  I am absolutely thrilled to get this new music out to you all.  Oh, and also, the album has been sent to I-tunes (as well as pretty much every other online music distribution company).  It is in processing with them all now, and as soon as it is available I will let everyone know, as well as put the link up on all our social media sites and our WEBSITE.   

We are dedicating the next 3 months completely to promoting this new album.  Going back to all the places where we have large fan bases.  Starting next week in Nebraska, then heading up North to all the cold states for the end of January and throughout February, and we are doing album release parties in every town where they know us and know our music.  These next few months are really going to be so exciting for us; bringing new music to everyone.  So we hope you will be looking out for us to come back to your town soon, and when we get there you better come celebrate with us!  And I’m really interested to find out which songs you all like and which ones you don’t.  I have my own opinions, but am curious to hear which songs you like.  I’m looking forward to the feedback.  Oh, quick funny story: we were playing a song off the album last night, and when we got done with the show a woman asked that we not play it anymore when she’s there b/c it made her want to go beat up her ex-boyfriend.  Which to me was hilarious since anger/hatred is not the emotion I was trying to convey through this particular song.  But hey, at least my song moved her in some way, right?  So that should be worth something.  Anyway, I really do want to know what you think of the songs.  So please let me (or any of us) know which ones you really like so we can continue playing them at the shows.  And if there are any of them that are just really shitty, let me know that too – just maybe tell me in a slightly not so blunt way.  I can hear it now: “hey man, that song on your album sucks.  It made my ears bleed it was so bad”.  

A couple people emailed last week asking about song writing.  The main question I got was, “how do you come up with the ideas for the songs you write / what makes you choose to write a song?”  Truth: I have absolutely no clue how it works.  I am horrible at trying to sit down and write a song.  I feel very unproductive when I try to force it like that.  Most of the time, out of nowhere I will just get an idea in my head; like maybe a good hook or maybe even just a couple of lines with a good rhyme scheme.  Then, if I remember to write it down, hopefully later I can go back and start to work with it.  Or sometimes I will be messing around on the guitar and come up with something I really like and then try to come up with lyrics that fit later on.  It always seems like I spontaneously come up with song ideas while in the shower; when there’s no way to write it down.  Then try to remember it until I get out of the shower, dry off, and can find something to write on.  It is even worse when I’m in there and come up with an entire chorus or verse and have to sing it over and over until I can write the whole thing down.  Or sometimes I get an idea in my head as I’m laying in bed at some random hotel and can’t sleep after a show.  Then I have to find my notebook and write it all down in the dark.  Sometimes the next morning I can’t even read it because its so bad.  You should see the notebooks I carry around with half-finished songs and random lines or song hooks.  Finding a song I want to go back and work on is nearly impossible with all the scribbling and unfinished ideas I have in them.  But some of them do turn into finished songs eventually.  And a few of those I actually like enough (and think are good enough) to play for the rest of the guys.  But 19 out of 20 songs either never get finished or I just don’t think are strong enough songs to pursue them further.  

I must say that I’m surprised, but am really enjoying the feedback people continue to give about this blog.  I had no idea people would actually read all this nonsense about what we’re doing out here on the road.  But I guess some of you are.  And for a small time touring band like us, that’s pretty cool.  So definitely keep letting me know if you’re reading and enjoying this.  And I’ll keep writing.  But also keep those ideas coming about what you’d like to hear about from us.  EMAIL us with all your questions or comments, or even just fun (or funny) memories from some of our past shows.  

I’d like to ask a quick favor from all our FACEBOOK fans out there.  Share us with your friends.   Post our FAN PAGE on your wall.  Or better yet, invite all your friends to like our page as well.  Spread the word.  It is actually very easy and quick to invite them to our page.  If you’re on a computer, just go to our Fan page, and on the right side column there is a section near the top where it allows you to invite all your friends.  But if you Facebook from your phone, you can’t do this from the FB app.  You have to log into FB from your internet tab and then go to our Fan Page to do it.  But it really does help so much for you to just spread the word about us to others.   So if you’re bored or just have a few minutes after you read this, get on Facebook and invite all your friends to like our page (and let me know when you do so I can watch out for new fans).  And make sure you check us out on TWITTER as well.  

Well, that’s it for today.  Come see us at a show soon and get the new album!  Thanks for reading.