The title of this post was going to be "You can't spell ADIDAS without A.I.D.S.," but I didn't want to start 2011 getting sued.
So.. I was tested for HIV for the first time in my 30 years of life and....... thank the good Lord my tests came back negative.
I've made really good decisions in life, but I've made some really stupid ones - just like every one else.
I've been involved in one way or another with the night life industry for 13 years, it has paid my way (paying) through undergrad and grad school. It has ruined really great relationships but has brought many new friends and family to my life.
Musicians, promoters, security, management to bartenders, groupies, barflys, and regulars - we all love each other, we're family and in some cases the only family.
We need to take care of each other.
You can go to the San Antonio AIDS Foundation for FREE or get a Home Access test kit from behind the counter at your neighborhood Walgreen's - it's about $70.
I want to celebrate many more New Year's Eves with my friends and family. I want to throw bigger and better concerts and events for the city of San Antonio and I want to eventually find a loving wife and raise a family.
Let's love each other and show love for each other.
Check yourself and ask the person you are sleeping with if they've been checked.
Ya it's scary. This was my first test - EVER. I drove past the SA AIDS Foundation multiple times, reluctant and embarrassed to stop.
I went on-line in search of at home tests, being sure I cleared my search history every time. In the hurried hunt I found that Walgreen's carried a Home Access at home test kit. I went into three different Walgreens and couldn't find the damn thing - and sure as hell NEVER asked.
Finally, I spotted the box behind the pharmacy counter register and asked the pharm-tech for the kit by name. He wasn't sure what I was asking for before I pointed out the box to him. There was a moment of awkwardness - AWKWARDNESS.
I got the test home followed the instructions and put in the mail. It takes about 3 business days to get the results, it's all confidential - you're given a number that is matched with your blood sample, you call in the number and BAM!
It is the best decision I made in 2010.
I called back twice to make sure I heard - NEGATIVE!
Let's keep the party going and watch after each other in the decades to come.
Happy New Year - I love you all.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Bob Lefsetz: What I Want For Christmas
If the music industry, recording process, concert quarks, or event marketing is important to you - subscribe to Bob's email.
Subscription info below his article/email.
Who the Hell is Bob Lefsetz? Click here foo.
I just started receiving his emails a month ago...heh , heh.
Bob Lefsetz: What I Want For Christmas
1. Spotify In The States
Spotify kills piracy dead. Isn't this what the rightsholders want?
As for it being free on the computer... I hate to tell you, music is already free on the computer, ever heard of YouTube?
Yes, we're moving to streaming, and we're moving to a mobile world. You've got to pay to use Spotify on your mobile, people will do it (and for those unfamiliar with Spotify, thousands of songs live on your handheld, so even if you're out of range, like on the top of Everest, you'll be able to listen to music on your mobile...well, at least as long as the battery holds out.)
2. All-In Ticketing
What kind of crazy fucked up world do we live in where the most hated corporation in America, Live Nation/Ticketmaster, is the leader on this?
Can't we all take the pledge? The add-ons are only hurting overall business.
If you believe in add-ons, I hope your record deal has a discount for breakage. Add-ons are a result of promoters' inability to make money. Then again, if there's all-in ticketing, the acts want to commission that too. You may hate Live Nation, I hate the greedy acts and agents more.
3. Lower Concert Ticket Prices
Can't anybody in this business leave some money on the table now so they can reap rewards in the future?
Oh yeah, that's right, the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, all those touring acts that care more about their customers than their pocketbooks.
If you're ripping off your audience, it's only a matter of time until people turn on you. Just ask the record labels who discontinued singles and made you pay twenty bucks for a CD with only one good track.
4. Uniform Licensing
I want anyone with a startup to be able to get all the rights they need for a clearly stated price. Yup, everything. Recording rights, publishing rights, even sync rights. I'm not saying the deals should be cheap, but they should be easy. And upfront payments, if they exist at all, should be small. Imagine if you had to pay for all of your kids' college expenses when they were born, even though you're young and starting a career. That's what it's like trying to license music for a startup.
5. A Uniform Music Social Network
There's only one site online. Competition is a pipe dream. Every site exists side by side, just a click away. The best one wins. There's only one Amazon, one iTunes, one Facebook... Face it. I'm not saying there won't be competition on the way to the standard, or that standards can't be eclipsed, as Facebook did with MySpace, I'm just saying there will only be one winner. Get over it.
And stop focusing on the money-losing Vevo, playing to the advertisers everybody hates, and go directly to the public. Let them come in for free, then upsell them with virtual and exclusive goods. Look to Zynga/FarmVille for instruction.
Let's get everybody excited about music. Let's get everybody playing the music game. We don't want an exclusive world, we want an INCLUSIVE world!
6. A Tax On Any Act That Doesn't Release New Music Every Year
The album is an archaic financial product. If you're truly making a full-length statement and need sixty minutes to do so, that's fine with me, but almost no one does. Most acts need to make a full length to justify their existence. Just like they need to send reporters a finished CD to feel good about themselves. If you make music people want, they'll climb mountains to get it. Focus on creating incredibly desirable music. And I hate to tell you, in this world, even ten year olds are challenged for time. Make it easy. Release singles. If you're good, people will want everything you do. And just because you make a steady stream of finished singles does not mean we don't want your rehearsal recordings and road videos and... The key is to put enough out there so that if you're a fan, you can dig for hours and be satiated... And continue to be satiated.
7. The Disbanding Of The RIAA
The record companies no longer rule. This organization has done more harm than good. I'm all for a music trade organization to lobby in Washington, D.C., but the RIAA is not it.
8. A Reduction In The Number of Grammy Awards
Ten tops.
Now if you can't get nominated for a Grammy, you didn't release a record. If the Grammys are about rewarding excellence in all genres, an insider circle jerk, cancel the TV show and don't publish the endless nominations. But most of NARAS's money comes from CBS... Can we at least make the awards comprehensible? And how about transparency as to who's actually voting? Or maybe an insiders' award. One voted on by those who were Top Ten in music sales and touring revenue.
9. Discontinuation Of The Fallacy That There's No Cost To Tying In With Corporations
If you want to sell out, it's your choice. But there's always a cost, nothing's free in this world. If you don't know that, you're still wet behind the ears. If you're taking corporate money, you're more into money than music. You love success more than playing. You can make it without the Fortune 500. But it'll be slower, you'll struggle. But it's this struggle that makes great art.
10. The Best Of Howard Stern on Terrestrial Radio
Cut up a daily four hour show and turn it into a best of two hour broadcast for terrestrial the very next day. This is a win/win/win. For Howard, Sirius XM and terrestrial radio. If you don't know Howard Stern is the best broadcaster in existence today, more honest than anybody else on the radio, you haven't listened to him. It's pitiful that such a powerful voice has such a limited audience.
11. The Failure Of American Idol
I'll get this one, I don't even need to wish and hope. "American Idol" was always about TV, not music. Now you eliminate all the drama?
12. Lady GaGa Must Perform In Street Clothes
She's made it, can she afford to make it about the music?
13. U2 Must Donate The Entire Proceeds Of Their Concert Tour To RED
They're tax exiles. Bono's trying to save the world while he's lining his own pockets. Put your money where your mouth is.
14. Every Touring Act Must Do A Minimum Of Five Club Gigs
Sure, tickets will be impossible to get. Scalpers will sell them for zillions. But imagine the buzz!
15. Paperless Ticketing
Goes a long way towards eliminating scalping. But demonstrates exactly what demand truly is, which oftentimes is lower than public perception.
16. The Death Of ReverbNation
And Constant Contact and all the other sites that spam consumers under the aegis of helping performers. These are just sham organizations, ripping off wannabes and cluttering our inboxes. Maybe there should be a fine for unwanted musical e-mail.
17. Top Forty Radio Must Be Renamed "Rhythmic" or "Beat" Or Really Play All Genres Of Music
18. The Demise Of EMI
Why are we delaying the inevitable.
Sell the publishing to Warner and the recordings to Bertelsmann, or maybe both to Bertelsmann. Now the company is playing with both hands tied behind its back. If you're signing to EMI, you're naive. By time your record comes out, not only will the employees be gone, it'll be owned by someone else. That's if your record comes out.
19. Everybody In The Music Business Gets Paid On The Upside
No big salaries, just rewards upon success.
20. Twenty Five Percent Of Every Music Corporation's Employees Must Be Under The Age Of Twenty Five
And they must make twenty five percent of the payroll.
Kids buy the music, they know technology, why are they frozen out of the business?
21. Newspapers Must Publish The Weekly Touring Grosses Alongside The Record Sales
Touring means more. Why don't the papers know this? Oh, that's right, the papers are on the road to extinction.
22. MTV Is No Longer "Music Television", Can We Eliminate It From The Discussion?
23. If You Can't Play, Write Or Sing, You Can't Get A Record Deal
24. Fifty Percent Of Every Record Must Be Made By The Artist
There's singing, playing, writing... Just like CanCon, you must be an authentic musician or you can't release a record.
25. Jimmy Iovine Must Decide Whether He's A Record Exec Or An Entrepreneur
Jim Guerinot had to leave A&M when his management client Offspring was more successful than any act on the label. How can Jimmy sell Beats and HP sound and still work at Interscope?
26. Doug Morris Can't Work At Sony Until He Gets Interviewed By...
We want accountability. Transparency. Honesty. Every exec must have a Twitter account and a published e-mail address. How come everybody in music lives in an ivory tower, yet gets to bitch that the public is ripping them off? You've got to listen to the public if you want to complain.
27. Stop Saying Google's The Savior
It's a one hit wonder. They do search really well. They bought Android. Everything else they've done is a failure...Wave, TV, the list goes on and on. We don't hold up Vanilla Ice as the great hope for the music business, why do we put our faith in Google?
28. Cessation Of Discussion About Apple Acquiring Music Rights
In your dreams. Why would they do this? So they can listen to managers and acts bitch? Apple's a retailer. A very good one. One that is relying on music ever less.
29. A Great Music App
That is customizable, that allows me to track any and all of my favorite artists.
30. Cheaper Prices At The iTunes Store
They didn't raise the prices on typewriters when the computer took hold, why have they raised the prices of tracks? Music ownership is a declining paradigm. Hell, if Netflix is a streaming company, what makes you believe people are gonna want to own music?
31. Cessation Of The Argument Re The Value Of Music
What's your computer worth? Your iPhone? Stop telling me about your blood, sweat and tears, what your music should sell for, think of all the technology, the R&D at your fingertips. Get a grip.
32. Elimination Of Play/Spin Buying
Why is everybody a crook? Look, you can have a million views on YouTube and still be a stiff.
33. Recognition That Video Is Subservient To Music
So you can make a cool video. A great track needs NO visuals, a lousy one is not improved by dazzling images.
34. Recognition That It's About Continuity
Where's Atomic Tom today? Never mind the rest of the YouTube wonders. You're hot on YouTube for a day, maybe a week at most, then what? Music, more than ever, is about what have you done for me lately?
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists?p=unsubscribe&uid=b6da810ae40fcbf233c414831e0e7c8b
Subscription info below his article/email.
Who the Hell is Bob Lefsetz? Click here foo.
I just started receiving his emails a month ago...heh , heh.
Bob Lefsetz: What I Want For Christmas
1. Spotify In The States
Spotify kills piracy dead. Isn't this what the rightsholders want?
As for it being free on the computer... I hate to tell you, music is already free on the computer, ever heard of YouTube?
Yes, we're moving to streaming, and we're moving to a mobile world. You've got to pay to use Spotify on your mobile, people will do it (and for those unfamiliar with Spotify, thousands of songs live on your handheld, so even if you're out of range, like on the top of Everest, you'll be able to listen to music on your mobile...well, at least as long as the battery holds out.)
2. All-In Ticketing
What kind of crazy fucked up world do we live in where the most hated corporation in America, Live Nation/Ticketmaster, is the leader on this?
Can't we all take the pledge? The add-ons are only hurting overall business.
If you believe in add-ons, I hope your record deal has a discount for breakage. Add-ons are a result of promoters' inability to make money. Then again, if there's all-in ticketing, the acts want to commission that too. You may hate Live Nation, I hate the greedy acts and agents more.
3. Lower Concert Ticket Prices
Can't anybody in this business leave some money on the table now so they can reap rewards in the future?
Oh yeah, that's right, the Dave Matthews Band, Phish, all those touring acts that care more about their customers than their pocketbooks.
If you're ripping off your audience, it's only a matter of time until people turn on you. Just ask the record labels who discontinued singles and made you pay twenty bucks for a CD with only one good track.
4. Uniform Licensing
I want anyone with a startup to be able to get all the rights they need for a clearly stated price. Yup, everything. Recording rights, publishing rights, even sync rights. I'm not saying the deals should be cheap, but they should be easy. And upfront payments, if they exist at all, should be small. Imagine if you had to pay for all of your kids' college expenses when they were born, even though you're young and starting a career. That's what it's like trying to license music for a startup.
5. A Uniform Music Social Network
There's only one site online. Competition is a pipe dream. Every site exists side by side, just a click away. The best one wins. There's only one Amazon, one iTunes, one Facebook... Face it. I'm not saying there won't be competition on the way to the standard, or that standards can't be eclipsed, as Facebook did with MySpace, I'm just saying there will only be one winner. Get over it.
And stop focusing on the money-losing Vevo, playing to the advertisers everybody hates, and go directly to the public. Let them come in for free, then upsell them with virtual and exclusive goods. Look to Zynga/FarmVille for instruction.
Let's get everybody excited about music. Let's get everybody playing the music game. We don't want an exclusive world, we want an INCLUSIVE world!
6. A Tax On Any Act That Doesn't Release New Music Every Year
The album is an archaic financial product. If you're truly making a full-length statement and need sixty minutes to do so, that's fine with me, but almost no one does. Most acts need to make a full length to justify their existence. Just like they need to send reporters a finished CD to feel good about themselves. If you make music people want, they'll climb mountains to get it. Focus on creating incredibly desirable music. And I hate to tell you, in this world, even ten year olds are challenged for time. Make it easy. Release singles. If you're good, people will want everything you do. And just because you make a steady stream of finished singles does not mean we don't want your rehearsal recordings and road videos and... The key is to put enough out there so that if you're a fan, you can dig for hours and be satiated... And continue to be satiated.
7. The Disbanding Of The RIAA
The record companies no longer rule. This organization has done more harm than good. I'm all for a music trade organization to lobby in Washington, D.C., but the RIAA is not it.
8. A Reduction In The Number of Grammy Awards
Ten tops.
Now if you can't get nominated for a Grammy, you didn't release a record. If the Grammys are about rewarding excellence in all genres, an insider circle jerk, cancel the TV show and don't publish the endless nominations. But most of NARAS's money comes from CBS... Can we at least make the awards comprehensible? And how about transparency as to who's actually voting? Or maybe an insiders' award. One voted on by those who were Top Ten in music sales and touring revenue.
9. Discontinuation Of The Fallacy That There's No Cost To Tying In With Corporations
If you want to sell out, it's your choice. But there's always a cost, nothing's free in this world. If you don't know that, you're still wet behind the ears. If you're taking corporate money, you're more into money than music. You love success more than playing. You can make it without the Fortune 500. But it'll be slower, you'll struggle. But it's this struggle that makes great art.
10. The Best Of Howard Stern on Terrestrial Radio
Cut up a daily four hour show and turn it into a best of two hour broadcast for terrestrial the very next day. This is a win/win/win. For Howard, Sirius XM and terrestrial radio. If you don't know Howard Stern is the best broadcaster in existence today, more honest than anybody else on the radio, you haven't listened to him. It's pitiful that such a powerful voice has such a limited audience.
11. The Failure Of American Idol
I'll get this one, I don't even need to wish and hope. "American Idol" was always about TV, not music. Now you eliminate all the drama?
12. Lady GaGa Must Perform In Street Clothes
She's made it, can she afford to make it about the music?
13. U2 Must Donate The Entire Proceeds Of Their Concert Tour To RED
They're tax exiles. Bono's trying to save the world while he's lining his own pockets. Put your money where your mouth is.
14. Every Touring Act Must Do A Minimum Of Five Club Gigs
Sure, tickets will be impossible to get. Scalpers will sell them for zillions. But imagine the buzz!
15. Paperless Ticketing
Goes a long way towards eliminating scalping. But demonstrates exactly what demand truly is, which oftentimes is lower than public perception.
16. The Death Of ReverbNation
And Constant Contact and all the other sites that spam consumers under the aegis of helping performers. These are just sham organizations, ripping off wannabes and cluttering our inboxes. Maybe there should be a fine for unwanted musical e-mail.
17. Top Forty Radio Must Be Renamed "Rhythmic" or "Beat" Or Really Play All Genres Of Music
18. The Demise Of EMI
Why are we delaying the inevitable.
Sell the publishing to Warner and the recordings to Bertelsmann, or maybe both to Bertelsmann. Now the company is playing with both hands tied behind its back. If you're signing to EMI, you're naive. By time your record comes out, not only will the employees be gone, it'll be owned by someone else. That's if your record comes out.
19. Everybody In The Music Business Gets Paid On The Upside
No big salaries, just rewards upon success.
20. Twenty Five Percent Of Every Music Corporation's Employees Must Be Under The Age Of Twenty Five
And they must make twenty five percent of the payroll.
Kids buy the music, they know technology, why are they frozen out of the business?
21. Newspapers Must Publish The Weekly Touring Grosses Alongside The Record Sales
Touring means more. Why don't the papers know this? Oh, that's right, the papers are on the road to extinction.
22. MTV Is No Longer "Music Television", Can We Eliminate It From The Discussion?
23. If You Can't Play, Write Or Sing, You Can't Get A Record Deal
24. Fifty Percent Of Every Record Must Be Made By The Artist
There's singing, playing, writing... Just like CanCon, you must be an authentic musician or you can't release a record.
25. Jimmy Iovine Must Decide Whether He's A Record Exec Or An Entrepreneur
Jim Guerinot had to leave A&M when his management client Offspring was more successful than any act on the label. How can Jimmy sell Beats and HP sound and still work at Interscope?
26. Doug Morris Can't Work At Sony Until He Gets Interviewed By...
We want accountability. Transparency. Honesty. Every exec must have a Twitter account and a published e-mail address. How come everybody in music lives in an ivory tower, yet gets to bitch that the public is ripping them off? You've got to listen to the public if you want to complain.
27. Stop Saying Google's The Savior
It's a one hit wonder. They do search really well. They bought Android. Everything else they've done is a failure...Wave, TV, the list goes on and on. We don't hold up Vanilla Ice as the great hope for the music business, why do we put our faith in Google?
28. Cessation Of Discussion About Apple Acquiring Music Rights
In your dreams. Why would they do this? So they can listen to managers and acts bitch? Apple's a retailer. A very good one. One that is relying on music ever less.
29. A Great Music App
That is customizable, that allows me to track any and all of my favorite artists.
30. Cheaper Prices At The iTunes Store
They didn't raise the prices on typewriters when the computer took hold, why have they raised the prices of tracks? Music ownership is a declining paradigm. Hell, if Netflix is a streaming company, what makes you believe people are gonna want to own music?
31. Cessation Of The Argument Re The Value Of Music
What's your computer worth? Your iPhone? Stop telling me about your blood, sweat and tears, what your music should sell for, think of all the technology, the R&D at your fingertips. Get a grip.
32. Elimination Of Play/Spin Buying
Why is everybody a crook? Look, you can have a million views on YouTube and still be a stiff.
33. Recognition That Video Is Subservient To Music
So you can make a cool video. A great track needs NO visuals, a lousy one is not improved by dazzling images.
34. Recognition That It's About Continuity
Where's Atomic Tom today? Never mind the rest of the YouTube wonders. You're hot on YouTube for a day, maybe a week at most, then what? Music, more than ever, is about what have you done for me lately?
--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz
--
If you would like to subscribe to the LefsetzLetter,
http://www.lefsetz.com/lists/?p=subscribe&id=1
If you do not want to receive any more LefsetzLetters, http://lefsetz.com/lists?p=unsubscribe&uid=b6da810ae40fcbf233c414831e0e7c8b
Monday, December 27, 2010
What just happened?
A holiday haze and NYE to get through. A lot to type a bout. Number one in my lil book is A Christmas Story marathon on TBS - bravo. For all the on-line discussion it could of been a 48 hour marathon. The buzz reminds me of Shark Week - which I think the folks at Sea World should be all over. Any way, I'll be on the hunt for Jean Shepherd’s book “In God We Trust: All Others Pay Cash,” the book the film was based off.
Did you know you there is a museum inside Ralphie's house!
Unfortunately I only made it out to one show, but a great one....Henry and the Invisibles at Rebar with Mr. Scuba Gooding Sr. on deck. Henry and has built a great following on Friday Nights and adding Scuba's peeps to the fun fun funk fest made it a destination spot.
I can't talk enough about these guys and the reputation they've built off delivering quality music and entertainment. Henry recently opened for Ghostland Observatory and Steve with hard work, network and soul work is very close to a real world PHD.
I wish the end of the night would of ended on a better note, but in the world of cash money, shots of rumplemintz, egos and father/son dynamics - there just needs to be a little spark to ignite the fuel.
What does all that mean? Don't worry about it. What to take from it - play your role. If your a musician, play you instrument, if you're the light guy turn on a strobe, if you're a customer pay your tab and if you're a marketing guy, get people to the show and everyone stay out of the way of the bar manager and let him take care of business.
The holidays feel what I would think a 3 week bender would be......
Last night was fun with life time friends. Soho is a super dope joint, undercover in downtown SA. They are very protective of recipes as they should be with menu items like brisquet bourbon and candycane tequilla.
It was also good seeing familiar faces at Swig, Mike has made his mark and has solid plans for Swig North. Courtney our friend and bartender told us Hershey's came down and threatened legal action for the use of drink names like the Junior Mint - I think the Hershey monster should of seen this as an opportunity and offered sponsorship in exchange for the bar to use only Hershey product - O well.
There was discussion of Rockabilly venues, Cigar Bars and taking the Soul out to 1604......
I've decided Chicago and Philly are now on my list for R&D, the legendary Double Door sounds like a place to observe booking and longevity models, my freind Amber with her Ozzy-Osborn-tribute-band-lead-singer-boyfriend would show me round town.
Apart from remembering old times, seeing familiar faces and chocolate rimmed martinis (don't judge) there were also talks developing a non-profit to fund field trips for elementary students.....
More to come, rock and roll.
Did you know you there is a museum inside Ralphie's house!
Unfortunately I only made it out to one show, but a great one....Henry and the Invisibles at Rebar with Mr. Scuba Gooding Sr. on deck. Henry and has built a great following on Friday Nights and adding Scuba's peeps to the fun fun funk fest made it a destination spot.
I can't talk enough about these guys and the reputation they've built off delivering quality music and entertainment. Henry recently opened for Ghostland Observatory and Steve with hard work, network and soul work is very close to a real world PHD.
I wish the end of the night would of ended on a better note, but in the world of cash money, shots of rumplemintz, egos and father/son dynamics - there just needs to be a little spark to ignite the fuel.
What does all that mean? Don't worry about it. What to take from it - play your role. If your a musician, play you instrument, if you're the light guy turn on a strobe, if you're a customer pay your tab and if you're a marketing guy, get people to the show and everyone stay out of the way of the bar manager and let him take care of business.
The holidays feel what I would think a 3 week bender would be......
Last night was fun with life time friends. Soho is a super dope joint, undercover in downtown SA. They are very protective of recipes as they should be with menu items like brisquet bourbon and candycane tequilla.
It was also good seeing familiar faces at Swig, Mike has made his mark and has solid plans for Swig North. Courtney our friend and bartender told us Hershey's came down and threatened legal action for the use of drink names like the Junior Mint - I think the Hershey monster should of seen this as an opportunity and offered sponsorship in exchange for the bar to use only Hershey product - O well.
There was discussion of Rockabilly venues, Cigar Bars and taking the Soul out to 1604......
I've decided Chicago and Philly are now on my list for R&D, the legendary Double Door sounds like a place to observe booking and longevity models, my freind Amber with her Ozzy-Osborn-tribute-band-lead-singer-boyfriend would show me round town.
Apart from remembering old times, seeing familiar faces and chocolate rimmed martinis (don't judge) there were also talks developing a non-profit to fund field trips for elementary students.....
More to come, rock and roll.
Friday, December 24, 2010
Black Swan and the Year of the Rabbit.
At the office toggling from FB to Twitter to Youtube and Outlook then back again.
Saw Black Swan last night. It's been compared to an "art house version of Showgirls," Rachel Bulla. My response, yeah....maybe.... but I enjoyed the inner struggle stuff between good and evil and believe it or not - the ballet. Coming from a 5 month Nutcracker push will make a person appreciate the art house ballet a bit more.
BTW we will start the 2011 Nutcracker push in March - how do you like them Christmas Candy Apples?
A lot going on in SA in the upcoming months. Still the city of opportunity to be the first.
Let's hit on a few.
Chicken George returning to Rev January 16th (yes Monday is a Holiday so get out and DANCE) and DJ Mel locking in a monthly - just got to lock that in with him.... Jester the Filipino Fist spun last night, but I did not attend. Puga said it was a slow start but it's going to take a couple match book strikes before Rev heats up again.
Shakedown is in full effect......with Brownout performing at the first show. Scuba Steve Nice and the gang has created quite a brand and following.
Sorry, back from Youtube and.... I'm in love with Nataly Dawn.
Official First Saturday, OFS is building and growing into its 3rd year. With the backing of Backbeat magazine the events will continue to grow. But headliners have to be booked and eventually a cover charge to pay for those headliners. Yes the death nail - a cover charge. Right now $5 is holding, $3 is easy to get and I just paid $30 for T-bird and the Breaks tix at Stubbs for NYE.
Martin Luther King Jr. march on January 17th. San Antonio host the largest march in the WORLD - believe that! In celebration Tucker's Kozy Korner will host the Peterson Brothers' Band, Soul Grammar and JJ Lopez on the wheels of wax - NO COVER.
Don't miss a beat and Merry Christmas - and as my buddy Kelly Stolz posted, "feel free to translate Merry Christmas to your own religion or non-religion."
Saw Black Swan last night. It's been compared to an "art house version of Showgirls," Rachel Bulla. My response, yeah....maybe.... but I enjoyed the inner struggle stuff between good and evil and believe it or not - the ballet. Coming from a 5 month Nutcracker push will make a person appreciate the art house ballet a bit more.
BTW we will start the 2011 Nutcracker push in March - how do you like them Christmas Candy Apples?
A lot going on in SA in the upcoming months. Still the city of opportunity to be the first.
Let's hit on a few.
Chicken George returning to Rev January 16th (yes Monday is a Holiday so get out and DANCE) and DJ Mel locking in a monthly - just got to lock that in with him.... Jester the Filipino Fist spun last night, but I did not attend. Puga said it was a slow start but it's going to take a couple match book strikes before Rev heats up again.
Shakedown is in full effect......with Brownout performing at the first show. Scuba Steve Nice and the gang has created quite a brand and following.
Sorry, back from Youtube and.... I'm in love with Nataly Dawn.
Official First Saturday, OFS is building and growing into its 3rd year. With the backing of Backbeat magazine the events will continue to grow. But headliners have to be booked and eventually a cover charge to pay for those headliners. Yes the death nail - a cover charge. Right now $5 is holding, $3 is easy to get and I just paid $30 for T-bird and the Breaks tix at Stubbs for NYE.
Martin Luther King Jr. march on January 17th. San Antonio host the largest march in the WORLD - believe that! In celebration Tucker's Kozy Korner will host the Peterson Brothers' Band, Soul Grammar and JJ Lopez on the wheels of wax - NO COVER.
Don't miss a beat and Merry Christmas - and as my buddy Kelly Stolz posted, "feel free to translate Merry Christmas to your own religion or non-religion."
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Dallas People Hate the Spurs and Facebook
Ha! First a shot out to the staff at Lids inside of Northpark Mall in Dallas (name of mall may be incorrect). The entire staff joined in with there own genius reasons why they do not carry Spurs hats. I told them they were probably just sold out - 3 sporting good stores, not one Black and Silver hat in D-town.
Great lil pizza joint - Fireside, I think - the pizza and atmosphere more memorable than the name. Yes, you do want to sit on the patio during the winter. There is a great cozy fireplace.
Christmas lights should be kept up all year, they add a great element just about every place I went.
Old monk, great pub and specialty drink menu. The question on everyone's mind in this place was do does all the fancy chalk board drawings and calligraphy....
Beauty Bar - solid on the soul tip. But because of my use of Facebook to communicate to friends I was unable to break it town in my horn back boots. Great concept, where there is honey there will be money - take a second and follow the link. I think there is opportunity to get the Soul Shakedown crue up there and bring some Dallas funk to SA.
Barcadia - talking shop with the bar manager and a bartenders gf, good times surrounded by Skeeball, Ska Brand Beer, Giant Jenga and Flirt Magazine pin ups on the wall. Yes this is the Dallas I've been looking for - btw Beauty Bar is owned by the same folks. I've been instructed and am very excited to try the fried PB and J when I return.
All in all a great trip for R and D and not such a great trip for R and E.
Big ups to the Beauty Bar and Barcadia folks for the Arcade concept that Kung Fu in ATX totally stole from you.
Great lil pizza joint - Fireside, I think - the pizza and atmosphere more memorable than the name. Yes, you do want to sit on the patio during the winter. There is a great cozy fireplace.
Christmas lights should be kept up all year, they add a great element just about every place I went.
Old monk, great pub and specialty drink menu. The question on everyone's mind in this place was do does all the fancy chalk board drawings and calligraphy....
Beauty Bar - solid on the soul tip. But because of my use of Facebook to communicate to friends I was unable to break it town in my horn back boots. Great concept, where there is honey there will be money - take a second and follow the link. I think there is opportunity to get the Soul Shakedown crue up there and bring some Dallas funk to SA.
Barcadia - talking shop with the bar manager and a bartenders gf, good times surrounded by Skeeball, Ska Brand Beer, Giant Jenga and Flirt Magazine pin ups on the wall. Yes this is the Dallas I've been looking for - btw Beauty Bar is owned by the same folks. I've been instructed and am very excited to try the fried PB and J when I return.
All in all a great trip for R and D and not such a great trip for R and E.
Big ups to the Beauty Bar and Barcadia folks for the Arcade concept that Kung Fu in ATX totally stole from you.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas Parties, Working Late and Leaving Out of Town
Well, I do not know if there is a better industry for Christmas parties than the bar industry. As a side note, working at a bar and a restaurant are two completely different demons. But after 2am I guess it really doesn't matter.
I'm going to try this blogging out for a bit, I mean hell you can find out the most dirt on me or anyone else just paying a little attention to there facebook posts - so I'm gonna give it another shot.
With everyone out of town for the holidays, why am I working late. Oh yeah, mild hangover from the Rebar and Revolution Room Christmas party. I think I pulled off Karaoke-ing the Killers "Mr. Bright Side" with style and slurred grace.
Working late - the Nutcracker closeout, Vince Gill Ad Copy and Vienna Boys Choir.
It's going to be a good year. I'll be on the road to Dallas tomorrow am for a couple days visiting a red headed stranger...well not so much stranger but friend.
Talk to you soon.
I'm going to try this blogging out for a bit, I mean hell you can find out the most dirt on me or anyone else just paying a little attention to there facebook posts - so I'm gonna give it another shot.
With everyone out of town for the holidays, why am I working late. Oh yeah, mild hangover from the Rebar and Revolution Room Christmas party. I think I pulled off Karaoke-ing the Killers "Mr. Bright Side" with style and slurred grace.
Working late - the Nutcracker closeout, Vince Gill Ad Copy and Vienna Boys Choir.
It's going to be a good year. I'll be on the road to Dallas tomorrow am for a couple days visiting a red headed stranger...well not so much stranger but friend.
Talk to you soon.
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