I have been so lucky to find such a great band. Jon Neher is a loyal friend and a great musician. He brings intensity and life to everything he does. James P. Daley illustrates the maxim, "still waters run deep"…

I spend a lot of time promoting my band on various calendars, websites, and other Public Relations-y sorta things. You have to write descriptions of the band... over and over. Go to any events or band website and marvel at…

It's no secret that our expectations can affect our outcomes. But it's so obvious that we often forget, and then undermine our own projects. I had some recent reminders of this. Here are two examples.  

I just returned from a…

When you compose music, you might write down chord changes or lyrics. Some people actually write out a score. I do a little of each, but no matter how often I play it, I wanna hear what the finished product…

There's no such thing as an "unknown" band. If you're a band, and you play out, then someone must know you. I've played gigs where it was us and the bartender and two drunk people who left after awhile. So…

I like the early Rolling Stones, they were rowdy and innovative, but the Mick Taylor period is my favorite. I was a teen, discovering music and girls, and guitar just as the Stones were maturing into a great band. Time…

I hated my middle name. So I made sure my kids had NO middle names. When they got old enough to notice these things thaey said; "Dad! why didn't you give us middle names?". You can't win. 

Back in the…

I watched a bunch of youtube videos about songwriting. They covered a variety of subjects like how to write a hook, how to write a song, things you should do, things you shouldn't do. I'm not a prolific writer, but…

No... I don't mean in this house... This picture exemplifies what I like about Eugene, Oregon. You should google that phrase and be amused. It's cool to live in a town where people do stuff like this... "Like what?"... you…

In the 90s, my wife and I worked at a private school in Arizona. There is a campfire story about an unfortunate student called 'Headmixer Larry'. I love this story, it's many variations, and it's place in the memories of…

Sometimes a sleeping person's environment influences their dreams. Okay, so my cat jumps up on the bed early in the morning and puts her whiskers in my face so I will get up and feed her. I think this was…

Sensible people recognize that we as individuals are insignificant. We hope that we matter to those we care about, but in the big picture we are nothing. 

Nonetheless, this is our life, and it means a lot to us. Not…

I played two very different shows this past weekend. One was a full electric band at a brew pub and the the other was Sunday brunch solo acoustic music. At both events I saw friends who have been coming to…

Looking for a cheap travel guitar in Guadalajara, I discovered what they called a requinto. Who wouldn't love a tiny classical guitar tuned up high like a ukulele? Mine was a "Tres Pinos" brand, and I carried it around in…

Making and promoting Surf Monster has been a really good experience. I got back into the patterns of practice, promotion, and performance that characterizes the life of a musician. I couldn't stop, I made another surf record which is coming…

Count Drinkula is a wine swilling vampire. Because he's a vampire, he stays inside and does title searches for his wife, Anita who sells real estate. They live in a gated community called Pendejos Ricos in Las Casas, California. They…