Resolutions...

I won't take for granted everything that I've been given and we're all gonna die so we best start livin'

10 years ago I was in the middle of the woods in North Carolina and had no idea what would happen to me. I didn't play music. I had no family of my own. I was on the verge of alienating my blood relatives because of my transgressions and I had serious addictions that threatened my life and I had no plan.

Fast forward ten years...

It's like a scene from a movie. I get to play music, it is, in fact, my "job". My main job is my little girls who I raise while my awesome wife is at work. I've been clean and sober for 8 years, 7 months and 4 days. I have a purpose for this life that gets more and more exciting every day.

So on New Years, it is customary to make resolutions. Decide that these are the specific things you want to change about yourself and become "better". Why wait for New Years? It's like waiting for Christmas to give gifts or feel the caring spirit. DO that EVERY day. Give every day and resolve to be better every day. And NEVER apologize to people who have a problem with you for wanting to make yourself a better person. Celebrate every day and every thing that happens to you that you perceive as being good. Celebrate the bad things that happen to you because it gives you the opportunity to show how strong you are and to persevere.

Your will is incredible. Your ability to accomplish anything you want is there. Go and do it.

Go make life happen!

Long Desert Road

this long desert road's gonna take me home, take me home, take me home...

I'm currently a stone's throw from the grand republic of Texas, in the heart of New Mexico oil country. Imagine the scene in No Country For Old Men after Josh Brolin finds the bag of money. That's the area where we are. It's awesome!

To get here, we had to pass through numerous Border Patrol check points and stay a night in Las Cruces with some friends. The night in Las Cruces was a lot of fun. I put on an unplugged house concert for about 20 people that I grew up with. Some I haven't seen in 18 years. It was very cool. When I told them we were going to Hobbs, they all said the same thing.

"I'm sorry"

Apparently, Hobbs isn't the vacation destination for others as it is for us. While travelling from Las Cruces to Hobbs, we have a couple more check points to go through. When asked where we're going we tell them. They all responded with the same thing.

"I'm sorry"

We're not sorry. We're with family in a different part of the country that has an incredible beauty all its own. Any place can be a destination vacation spot if there is something there you love.

We have family. The greatest riches of all.

This long desert road brought us here, and this long desert road is gonna take us home. The time in between will be spent creating priceless memories of cousins playing together, brothers making fun of each other and solidifying a bond that time and distance can't break.

No matter where you are, have fun... even if you're not supposed to.

Viva La Revoluccion!

I'm currently listening to Legit Radio at www.legitradio.com. They set up shop just a few blocks from where I used to live. I'm definitely digging it. I believe that variety is the spice of life and that music is a huge component of that spice.

These days, more than ever, you can sate your senses in many different ways. I go between Pandora Radio on my iPhone as well as listening to my friends Missi at Rock 105.3(10am-3pm every day and 8-11pm on Sundays) and Hula on Star 94.1(5-10am every morning on AJ in the Morning)on iHeartRadio on the iPhone. In the car I go between those two stations and Radio Sophie 103.7 so I can listen to Unsigned Sunday with the wonderful Jane Asher or 102.1 KPRI w/ Cathryn Beeks and Astra Kelly on Saturdays from 9-10. Online right now I'm listening to Legit Radio w/ Chris Cantore and Clint August.

The variety in my musical life is insanely good. I dig all of these people and their respective stations. With the advent of Internet radio and web hosted shows so many options have become available and it benefits all the listeners out there who love music/talk. It's a great time to have ears to hear. I also recommend checking out the Scheff Experience at www.scheffxp.com. Lauren hosts two shows being the Scheff Experience and the Real Sunset Strip. Check out all these programs and DJ's/radio/online personalities! It's an aural buffet that is orgasmic!!!

A Duet For the Ages

Have yourself a merry little Christmas...

These were the words sung in harmony last night by the incredible Laura Kuebel and myself at the Coffeehouse Radio Live @ Java Jones East Village. My weekly event. Laura was my featured artist of the week and my first holiday duet. It was a lot of fun!

Laura herself hails from Ohio. A Midwestern girl that, when I listen to her, evokes the spirit of a Tom Petty and a Natalie Merchant. I've spent all morning listening to her album, Along For the Ride. It's seven songs of creative songwriting with a wonderful mix of sounds. Banjo, piano, violin, mandolin along with th standard guitar, bass and drums.

This album could go well on a country music station, an acoustic station or a pop radio station. I highly recommend this record to any person that likes music. Produced by my friend Will Edwards, a Coffeehouse Radio Live Alum and member of my elite speed dial club.

I hope you have yourself a merry Christmas, Chanukkah, Kwanza or whatever it is you celebrate. For my atheist friends out there, I hope every day is good to you as well.

Peace on Earth, good will to all!

Lucky In My Friends

A wise man once said to me to surround yourself with people that are smarter than you...

I have a number of friends in the comedy scene here in San Diego. Funny people, as in funny ha ha not funny queer (as Slingblade would say). Mmmm, french fried potaters... What was I saying? Oh yeah! I have a number of friends in the comedy scene here in San Diego. We met at open mics mostly. Which is an awesome way to help grow your network and community if you're a musician/comedian.

The first comedian to ever reach out to me was Christian Spicer(www.christianspicer.com) the self proclaimed half Danish half douche bag. Very funny guy, can't see him if he turns side ways. That may sound mean but this is what they call in the corporate world- the compliment sandwich. Talk about something good, well, you get the idea.

Moving along, the reason I bring up Christian, is because he approached me one time and asked me to be part of his comedy shows. At this point, I had never been part of a comedy show but definitely wanted to be. I love comedy. It makes me laugh(how un ironic). So we've forged a relationship, an amalgam of comedy and music that has been awesome. For me it has exposed me to more people that wouldn't normally see me and has presented scores of other opportunities for me and my music career. Not to mention a lot of new friends that are comedians because of him liking my music and making me a part of his world.

This Sunday at the Kensington Club in the Kensington neighborhood of San Diego will be the first of many shows Christian and Rajan Dharni will be producing. It is their first room of their own and they have given me the honor of opening the show. Needless to say, I am extremely grateful and pretty damn excited! National headliner Erik Knowles will be headlining the show. He's just off of a tour with Sarah Silverman and Zack Gallafinakis. Not to mention Christian and Rajan will make you piss your pants. The line up is stellar and you can go!

Email your reservations to LiveComedyLive@gmail.com with your name and the number of people in your party and it will be $3 only for you to get in (per person) or $5 at the door on Sunday Dec. 20th at 7pm. Live Comedy Live will be an incredible show that you do NOT want to miss.

*there are a number of comedians who have shown me great love. I wanna mention them all. I hope I don't forget any of them...
Christian Spicer, Rajan Dharni, Matin Atrushi, Joe and Rachel Robinson, Robert Lariviere, Adam Sank, Mark Christopher Lawrence, Chip Nicholson, Kim Thompson, Mal Hall, Billy Bonnell dammit I'm drawing a blank. You all know who you are and I love you!

A Hero Comes Along

Heroes come in many forms. Superheroes come with special superhuman skills. My sister came with super strength...

Growing up, I was in fierce competition with my sister in both basketball and soccer and what ever else came along. We were so competitive that everything ended in a fight. But if anyone ever messed with her gangly, too skinny little brother, she would swoop in and flatten the person.

Lots of families have the sense that the older brother/sister can screw with the younger kids of the family, but, if an outsider tries to mess with the little bro or sis. It's time for Shock and Awe.

My sister had a child when she had just turned 20. She was in College with a basketball scholarship that she gave up to have her little girl. Instead of dropping out of school, she took odd jobs to continue with school and graduated with a Bachelors. Major in Computer Science and minor in Mathematics. She finished in a total of five years. Class, work, motherhood. Class, work, motherhood. Every day. Where many others give up and make excuses for not accomplishing, my sister powered through.

Because she is awesome.

She'll never tell you that. To meet her is to meet a fun woman that can quote Monty Python movies, get a high score in Tony Hawks Pro Skater and break ankles on a basketball court. On the rare occasion that she dresses up, she stops traffic. A natural beauty with a heart of gold and the will of a lion.

Because of my sister, I have a fondness and deep respect for single mothers and single fathers. To parent a child by ones self is daunting and requires selflessness, patience, strength and a lot of love. It's usually not until later on in life that the child appreciates the efforts made by their mom or dad.

Years after College she finally got a job in her field of study and was finally appreciated for how great and valuable she is. All the while, being heavily involved with her little girl-always putting her first. She also looked out for her baby brother. A kid that she pretty much raised since the Junior High years as she knew how to get his attention and make him do what was right. By now that kid(me) was 28.

On my 28th birthday, my sister got me my first guitar. It's a gift that I cherish and still use today to write all my songs. Every time I take the stage, I think of my sis, my hero. Had it not been for her, I might not be doing what I'm doing today.

A hero comes along... and dreams can be realized.

I Don't Trust Pasta

I don't trust pasta...

Have you ever been in a conversation with someone who suddenly says something that completely takes you off your guard and turns your attention no longer to the conversation but to the words that were just said? And you're fixated on them. Meanwhile they have continued on and now you're lost and they have the higher ground in the conversation. It's as if you were racing with them and they suddenly shot out your tires.

One day, a surf buddy and me were driving the PCH when we came up to the Cardiff break. About 400 yards off shore was this massive "barge" (for lack of knowing what it really was) that was dropping rocks. Scratch that. It was dropping boulders! We were thinking maybe they were creating a "reef" or something. We pulled up to some construction workers and asked them what was going on. They looked at us as if they had no time for our questions and one replies with "they're putting in a rip rack(sp?)". We looked at each other with the equaled look of befuddlement and whatthef***wasjustsaidery. By this time the construction worker had returned to doing what he was doing. We shook our heads. Yeah, why not, a rip rack...

Two miles of silence down the road later... "what the f*** is a rip rack?" my friend asked. We both started laughing. We decided that a "rip rack" was like a "snipe" or "red herring", It was bullshit. The guy basically said the most arcane thing he could because he knew we wouldn't-nay-couldn't question it. We began to have a good laugh about it and "rip rack" became part of our vocabulary whenever we wanted to describe something that throws people off of your trail.

A week later, my buddies step dad described in detail to us exactly what a rip rack was. It is a man made object designed to prevent erosion and is constructed in areas of heavy water flow. It is made of individual rocks or boulders. These rocks help to divert the path of the spilling or forced water and creates a bunch of tiny trickle streams.that won't cause erosion. So there you have it.

I don't trust pasta... my proverbial "rip rack" as it diverts odd conversation and prevents me from being eroded by any one's long winded diatribes. Feel free to use it. I don't have a lot of time to kill because I either have to get on a stage to perform, have to leave the venue to get home or wanna toss the diaper that smells god awful out of my hands. As my dad always said, "run the KISS offense" (Keep It Simple, Stupid)

What Day Is This?

There was one?

Staying at home with a little one means that EVERY day is a work day which pretty much nullifies weekends because the week has no end therefore no week ends. Moving along... I just realized that today is Sunday. That means that tonight is Unsigned Sunday on Radio Sophie with Jane Asher. www.radiosophie.com, click on "listen live" and listen away some time during the 9pm hour. I love being on the radio. It's such a surreal experience and a HIGH!

That will be my Sunday night. Monday will be a performance at the Whistle Stop in South Park, Tuesday a 2 hour gig at Bareback Grill in Downtown San Diego, Wednesday a set at the Comedy Palace to open a comedy show, Thursday a set at Lestat's to support the Rik Raw CD release and then Friday for my weekly event-the Coffeehouse Radio Live @ Java Jones East Village with an incredible local artist, Laura Kuebel.

Each of these days will begin around 5am with the little one and end around midnite with hopefully more fans and CD sales.

It's a life that spans both ends of a spectrum between Stay at Home Dad and Rock Star. In between is balance... in the shape of a 22 month old girl.

I wouldn't trade it for the world.

*photo by Tommy Bryant

Blackmail Situation Consultants, Esq.

John Stamos is being blackmailed by a couple with photos of him for $700,000. Who came up with this number???

It's just about every week you hear about a celebrity of some sort being blackmailed by some opportunist person or couple. They were either at a party together and took compromising photos or they shot photos of them paparazzi style or just flat out stole their SideKick and are gonna publish everything in it if the victim doesn't pay.

Have you ever wondered where they come up with the dollar figure? I do. I wonder did they go to see someone about this. Did they look up "blackmail consultants" in the yellow pages and come across a law firm that specializes in this field. Or maybe they have a commercial that's on at 3am. Because if I wanted the business of blackmailers, I'd advertise to them at 3am. Because it's after Midnight. And we all know that nothing good happens after midnight. 3am is after midnight. Then again, if you wanna get technical, 2:30 in the afternoon is also after midnight. Let's not digress.

So this opportunistic couple is up watching infomercials at 3am, brand new shots of a celebrity they just met that they may or may not have slipped a roofie to in order to get them to get in to the compromised position, and the conversation starts. Should we create a scrapbook? Should we photoshop our heads on to these celebrities bodies? Then a commercial comes on, and it's like a message from the blackmail gods! It's Blackmail Consultants, Esq to the rescue! Also known as BS Consultants, Esq., they go on to tell you in true Billy Mays fashion how they can get you different sums of money! Depending on the photos taken of course. Their team of crack mathematicians have been in a lab under ground devising a formula to calculate the exact amount a hard working, honest extortioner should receive for "preventing" these celebrities from image tarnishment. Image tarnishment is a copywritten BS (Blackmail Situation) term used to describe the effect damaging photos ca have on a celebrities career.

However, the X factor is always that these so called damaging photos can also help a fabricated celebrity launch a new life to their career. A career that shouldn't exist in the first place. You known, people who are famous only because they are famous... for being caught in compromising situations. In this case, the celebrity can charge the blackmailer under the guys of giving them exposure for their amateur work.

Either way, blackmail is f***ing stupid. In this day and age it'll just get you in big trouble and make you out for the douche bag you are for trying to infringe on people's lives for your own personal gain. Stop being lazy. Stop trying to launch yourself from someone else's coat tails and stop taking advantage of people.

I guess the moral that would be taken away from this is "don't be a douche". Unless of course you are an actual douche, like Summer's Eve or Massengil. You both serve a purpose.

Rescued From the Pole

I was watching a show the other day, I think "March of the Penguins" or something like that. In the extra features, they show the scientists and filmographers on the South Pole making the movie. What if they got stuck? Who would rescue them from the Pole?

Yesterday, we were at the store. A fairly attractive and well built woman was right next to us looking at the same thing we were. She appeared to be somewhat refined in her dress and how she walked, but when she spoke, something became very apparent to me. This woman was saved from the Pole. Not the South Pole. Not the North Pole. The Stripper Pole.

A voice that had weathered one too many late nights, bong hits and whiskey shots is what we were greeted with. It made me think that maybe there was a commercial out there. A commercial that is similar to the "Feed the Children" P.S.A.'s but instead it parades a bunch of strippers in front of the camera that are looking to leave that life all together. Catered toward men with above average wealth, the application process would be similar to what you would go through to adopt a puppy.

The applicant would need to display an ability to support said arm candy and have at least two memberships to country clubs and no ties to Strip Clubs. Also, the ability to dress her out with the latest from the J Crew catalog and a new Land Rover which she'll need on her many trips to various stores for food stuffs and dinner parties.

In return, the rescued woman would act as a dutiful partner/eventual spouse and agree to limit her cheetah print wardrobe, eliminate gum chewing and learn how to use a credit card instead of a fat roll of 1's, 5's, 10's and 20's. She would also need to agree to NOT sit on the laps of her rescuers friends, business associates or older children from a previously failed marriage. Her phone book will also be wiped clean of all known drug dealers, club promoters and "talent agents". And she would not be able to refer to her rescuer as "client" "regular" or "hon".

"Rescued from the Pole"... the new cougar?

Surreality

Did anyone go out and get the 25th anniversary edition of the Last Unicorn? Did anyone know that 25 years a movie called the Last Unicorn was made and that it was epic? Yeah, I think they forgot to tell people. How did that marketing meeting go? Something like this...

PR Guy #1(Public relations, not Puerto Rican)"We should release this movie and not tell anyone. It'll be epic!"

PR Guy #2 "what a great idea! And 25 years from now we can re release it! Advertising it only as a preview, on a b rated animated straight to video movie"

So back to the topic at hand. Last night I was listening to Radio Sophie, 103.7fm in San Diego. It's part of CBS radio with 150+ affiliates nationwide. I was listening because they have a program called Unsigned Sunday hosted by Jane Asher. Jane is a voice over talent and a radio DJ as well and has become one of my favorite people in the music industry. She puts me on her show! It's awesome, and it was recently that I realized that it wasn't a "local music" show. It's a show featuring artists around the country that aren't signed yet. That makes me feel pretty dang cool.

The surreality of this whole thing. Two years ago, if I listened to the radio, I wouldn't know any of the artists that I was listening to. Back then, when I heard a song on the radio I figured the artist being played was a touring or established act. Fast forward two years and I'm listening to myself on the radio with my best girl by my side on our couch-streaming it on the Internet. I'm not in the middle of a tour, I'm in between diaper changes. But it's all good. I'm the stay at home rock star. Earlier yesterday I was playing for 3 hours for hundreds of people. As far as a tour is concerned- mine is more on the local level right now. Let's just call it practice for the real thing.

Okay, back to the surreality of it... again. While listening, I also heard songs from people that I know and am friends with. People I have played shows with from coffee shops to big stages. That reality dawned on me, this is who I am!

It was fantastic. It's a incredible high. Thank you Jane Asher for making the surreal a reality

A BBQ or a Roast?

Eat, drink and be merry just took on a whole new meaning...

I have friends that are comedians. A bunch of them and me got together for a BBQ at RJ Dharni's place and to gear up for an upcoming show we will be doing on Dec 20th at the Ken Club. Live Comedy Live will be an incredibly funny show and I get to be the opening act as the musician. When hanging out with funny people, you're bound to laugh.

I've learned that while hanging with this selection of friends, all sensitivities should be left at the door. While being surrounded by people whose sole purpose in life is to find something or someone to laugh at, it's important to be on your A game and watch what comes out of your mouth. It ends up not being a BBQ, but a roast of everyone sitting in the circle. The topics of discussion will remain anonymous. The mundane to the unspeakable were breached with wreckless abandon and nothing was off limits. It's definitely NOT a place for the faint of heart, the squeamish or the easily offended.

As I sat there trading barbs with all the others and laughing at others as well as myself I realized something:
if the whole world were like this, able to laugh at themselves and not take certain taboo subjects so seriously. If everyone could join in and laugh at each other and themselves, what an awesome world we would live in

We ended the night with some very exciting news regarding an upcoming venue and great performance possibilities.

I laughed at other people, I laughed at myself and I saw things that made me wanna gouge my eyeballs out with my own fingers...

the burgers weren't half bad either

Coffee, Waffles and Will Edwards

What is sexier than a man that can cook? As long as I'm that man, who cares!

I'm a fan of Java Jones Coffeehouse. They roast all the beans right there in the store. My favorite is the Warrior Blend. Not just because every time you buy a pound of it, they donate a dollar to the Warrior Foundation either. Or the fact that during the month of December, when you buy a pound you can have a pound sent to the troops overseas. It's just my favorite flavor of all the good flavors. Their commitment to fair trade is a huge bonus as well. The establishment is highly active in the local community with its constant support of events such as the American Cancer Societies Relay For Life in downtown San Diego and its willingness to provide a venue for local artists and musicians alike. Every Friday night you can catch the Coffeehouse Radio Live @ Java Jones East Village which showcases various artists from 7-9 with the East Villages ONLY open mic and a featured artist from 9-10.

Last night, the featured artist was Will Edwards. Listening to Will in any setting automatically transports you to a warm living room with your favorite couch and a nice fire in the hearth. His style of playing and intensely relevant lyrics is as pleasing to the ears as the last school bell before Summer Break is to a school kid. His crafted brand of story telling sucks you into the moment and never disappoints. A calm demeanor and a sharp wit makes for an incredible evening of music and story telling.

The only way to round out that evening was to wake up and make waffles and bacon. Here's how I make my waffles:

Use Krusteaz brand pancake/waffle mix- 2 cups dry measure
1 1/2 cups cold water
It calls for oil but I don't use it. Instead, I use a tsp of vanilla extract and a tsp of cinnamon powder
Mix with a whisk. It should be a bit lumpy
I set the waffle iron a notch back from the high setting so they get golden brown and are firm on the outside.
I top with butter and syrup OR confectioners powder (powdered sugar) or any mixture of fruit. Strawberries and bananas seem to go the best

Internet Dependency

Growing up, if we wanted to find out about something, we had to look it up in an encyclopedia. People actually had a job where they would go door to door and sell said Encyclopedias. I'm not making that up...

Because of the internet, people from around the world can hear my music without it being on the radio. They can read my inane thoughts without having to hear me talk. It's quite the powerful tool. Matter of fact, it's gotten to the point where you no longer have to ask anyone a question about anything. Just Google it or Wikipedia it and you will get some kind of answer. It might not always be right but you'll get a response.

Can you imagine what it would be like to not have this anymore?

This isn't a rant about Orwellian leadership or anything like that. I'm really trying to think what life would be like without this at our fingertips. It would be like being 12 years old again. That's what it would be like. A world of mystery, a small world. Because all you would know is what you were able to actually go see and touch and experience for yourself.

That world for me was Las Cruces, New Mexico (What What!) About a 6 mile wide town in the Mesilla Valley in Southern New Mexico whose population rose and fell considerably with the local college being in or out of session. Close to El Paso TX and Juarez Mexico. Surrounded by desert and mountains on all sides, you were pretty much trapped in there if you didn't have a car. If you tried to walk to the next big city you would die in the middle of the desert, being picked apart by grackles and coyotes. When we travelled to other towns we knew we had to pack food and water "just in case".

Fast forward 24 years- I can be wherever I want and find out whatever I want with a few strokes of the keyboard. It rocks. Musically speaking. It's also put a lot of people back in touch after being out of touch for eons. Pretty awesome.

And now...

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole

12 corn tortillas
1 can of fire roasted Hatch Valley green chile
1 can cream of chicken soup
5 chicken breasts, pre cooked

Line a 9x12 Pyrex with 6 corn tortillas
cover with shredded cheese
dice up pre cooked chicken breasts
Empty can of cream chicken and can of fire roasted Hatch Valley green chile into mixing bowl with precooked chicken. Blend together.
Pour it into the pan
cover with remaining 6 corn tortillas
cover with shredded cheese

bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Pure yumminess

The Sexy Meter

Have you ever watched a fundraiser? Assuming you said yes, do you remember seeing the thermometer thing that would show the progress of the amount of money raised? It's usually denoted by filling in an area of the meter with red up to a line that corresponds with a certain dollar amount. Imagine that instead of money, sexiness is the measure. The sexier something is, the higher up on the meter it is colored red.
As an example, I have a friend that writes a blog about her adventures out on the town. If her blog was accompanied by a "sexy meter", the top of it would have exploded off and the red would be everywhere. On the exact opposite end of that spectrum would be my experience this evening at the store.

So as I'm preparing to cook dinner(sexy) for my family(commitment is sexy-the meter climbs) my wife says that we should go to the store becausetey have awesome sales going on(saving money is sexy, right?). But the sale ends at 9pm. At this point it is 6:26pm (sexy points for creating some suspense and drama). I put the dinner in the oven and say to her that I'll go now and be back when dinner is ready (knight in shining armor with time management skills=sexy-the meter climbs)

So I head off to the store. As I'm driving there, I'm realizing that we probably aren't the only people that got this ad in the paper (being aware is sexy) and that the store is going to be packed and probably look like a scene out of Independence Day. I get into the store and notice massive lines at the checkout and that all the cereal is practically gone from the cereal aisles. A little note on the shelf states that "there is more product displayed up front". So by now my sexy meter is towards the top. Add in the rock star quality and it is now completely red. So I'm pretty damn sexy as I turn te corner to find all the cereal I'm looking for is within reach (hunting and gathering is extremely sexy). I grab a box of Honeycomb and go to put it in the cart when I realize that it was put there to hold up the shelf full of cereal right above it. (stupidity is not so sexy) and the entire shelf comes crashing down(being "that guy"=not sexy) and now I'm down on my knees like a beggar picking change out of a fountain (grovelling on the ground is not really sexy)

Quick recap: I went from being really sexy to not sexy at all with the swipe of one box of cereal. I think Kenny Rogers said "know when to walk away, know when to run".

Oh well

Greatest Mac n Cheese Ever

The following is a list of items you'll need:

WHATEVER! Are you kidding me. I've got a ton of Tiger Woods joke lined up and theeey'rrre GRRREAT!!! Hey Tiger, stop thinking with your WOODs and go IRON out your subPAR image! Hey Tiger, keep your clubs in your bag! Hey Tiger, keep your balls out of the (strange)rough! What do Tiger Woods and a golf tournament have in common? They both play 72 holes a week! Okay that was an exaggeration but really, folks, have you seen the back seat of a Buick? I can name three women besides his wife that have! Hahahaha. Okay, okay, I'm done. On to the matters at hand...

This Friday I'll be playing with my good friend and writer for the San Diego Troubadour, Will Edwards! He's awesome and I'm excited to have him on my show-the Coffeehouse Radio Live @ Java Jones East Village. Every Friday from 7-10. On Sunday I'll be seranading the denizens of the La Jolla Open Aire Market. I'm hoping to pick up some private parties out of that so if you know anyone that goes there and on ocassion needs an entertainer, tell them all about me, please! And Thank you!

The best ever Mac N Cheese
1lb of elbow macaroni or shells
4oz of Mozzarella, PepperJack, MontereyJack & Cheddar
8oz of Velveeta
1/4 cup of milk
4 hot dogs or pre cooked sausages (preference)

preheat oven to 350
boil the pasta and strain.
Dice all the cheeses into 1/2 inch cubes
Slice hot dogs or sausage into 1/4 inch "coins".
Pour milk into Pyrex casserole bowl.
Add strained pasta, all cheeses and hot dogs/sausages.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350

Pasta Candy

This is an old family recipe. That may or may not be a good thing...

What you need:
1 lb spaghetti
4oz PepperJack Cheese
8oz Velveeta Cheese
4 slices of American Singles (or any cheese slice you prefer)
1/4 cup milk
1 can stewed tomatoes
20 pepperonis

pre heat oven to 350 degrees

Cut the pepperonis into 1/4's
cut into 1/4 inch cubes the PepperJack and Velveeta Cheese, put aside
boil spaghetti and strain.
Place milk in 9x12 Pyrex along with stewed tomatoes and 1/3 of the Velveeta cubes
dump spaghetti into Pyrex, add the remainder of the cubed cheese and mix up.
top with pepperonis and cheese slices
bake for 25 minutes and serve.

Pasta Candy a la Cavanaugh. Werd.

Black Friday

I'm calling BS!!!

Was this born out of Hockey? Really?!?! Black Friday? Really? How many
more elderly people and store security employees need to get trampled
before this intersection of shopping frenzy culture has a four way stoplight
erected? Doesn't it take a small child being run over at an intersection without
a stoplight in order for that intersection to get a stoplight? Has the premise
of preventive maintanance escaped us?


Seriously, who doesn't love a deal. But this is born out of department store/
manufacturers greed. If they can discount a price to move a product between
the hours of 5-11am then they can do it betweenthe days of November 27th
all the way to November 26th. Get out a calendar and figure that one out
instead of scratching your head. The fact that there is such a discount only
means that it is overpriced to begin with.

Watching somebody get bludgeoned to death and doing nothing about it is the
same thing as being the bludgeoner.


Please don't stand by and let this madness continue. I don't want someone to
push my mother to the ground or trample my daughter because she is standing
between you and Elmo.

Celebrating Everything

I won't take for granted everything that I've been given and we're all gonna die so we best start livin'

those are lyrics to my song, Best Start Livin'. I celebrate everything I can. Every little thing. Nothing is insignificant
last night I was invited last minute to be a part of a one year celebration show at a venue downtown. I had been the first to
play this show a year ago and I was able to be first again last night. After I was finished with my set, I was
approached by the general manager of a very posh hotel in downtown. He wants me to play at his hotel!!! It is
awesome to be appreciated. I was on a high. Then I was approached by the manager of this venue to play on my own
night! The high got higher.

This was very special to me. I wasn't supposed to be there that night. But I was, thanks to Lindsay White. My
lovely friend that does a duet with me.

When I got home, my baby girl couldn't wait to be held by me. I love when that little girl is affectionate. It is one of
my most favorite things in the world.

Guarantees

Tomorrow isn't guaranteed. Do it today!

I'm a person who wears his emotions on the outside. When I'm on stage I'm very animated, emotional and passionate. I love what I do, whether there are hundreds of people watching or nobodies watching. There is a reason for this...

I've shared with a number of people that I am lucky to be alive. My abuse of substance and penchant for putting myself in extremely dangerous situations pretty much defined my twenties. I've been clean and sober eight and a half years on Nov. 27th. The guitar was something that helped me through the recovery process. It kept my hands occupied. I realized how blessed I am to still be here today. I thank God every day for giving me the chance to sing and play and write music. Every time I get on a stage or have a gig, it is a reminder of just how sweet life can be and just how fortunate I am to be able to do what I do.

I think about a umber of my friends who didn't make it this far. Friends who succumbed to depression, addiction and even suicide. I miss them and think about them often and it makes me realize that there are no guarantees of a tomorrow. When I hear people talk about starting a new way of life-next week/tomorrow/next year, I think back to my friends who are no longer with us.

Do yourself a favor and start living NOW! You're not guaranteed tomorrow, next week or next year.

Things Are Invisible

Sometimes you can't see the forest through the trees

I've tried to look at that saying and dissect it. But then I got confused. So I stopped thinking about it and it made sense.

I am a white man. Just to cut to the chase. I am 6'5", around 225 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes. That's pretty white. And my name is Chad. Kinda white, too. You're welcome. I don't golf, though. Because I'm not that white.

As a white man, I typically pay retail. I never look through coupons because I don't see them. They're invisible to me. That and good deals. Which leads me to the blanket statement that "Coupons, deals and sales are invisible to white people".

Before I met my wife, who is half Filipino, I just assumed everyone paid the same amount of money for stuff, like food at the grocery store. Man was I wrong. What I would pay $60 for, my wife would pay $25-and she would get more! Luckily, my wife has this special vision that allows her to find bargains and save money. I've also found that I have bonding experiences with my mother in law, from the Phillipines, when I can talk to her about saving gobs of money at the store. We have fun around our house.

I recently picked my oldest daughter up from her Gramma's house. On the drive back I could hear her reading off sales ads to her little sister. She was calling out the good deals and not so good deals.

She is 7. As in years old. It has already begun.

Why I Hate the word "Skinny"

"How can he be so skinny and live?"

That was a real quote. I was a sentinel at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery when I was in the service. I was in the Army- not the Marines. Marines do not guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The United States Army Infantry does. A special unit that you have to be appointed to. It's not an open invitation to try out. A woman my eldest sister worked with TOLD me that the Marines guard the Tomb. I politely told her that she was mistaken and that I knew she was mistaken because I was, in fact, one of the guards. She told me I was wrong. Haha.

Back on track... there were three different uniforms worn during the day. All dictated by the weather and Army regulations that govern what a soldier wears during a specific time of year or temperature range. The dress blues uniforms were really awesome, the overcoat was killer and the raincoat sucked complete ass.

Here is why I say that. I am tall, and back then I was skinny. The dreaded "s" word. The rain coat made you look thirty pounds lighter than you already were. I was 6'5" and 160 pounds. A rail. The raincoat made me look like I was 130 pounds. A praying Mantis. When you go out to guard the tomb it is a very solemn place where people stay fairly quiet and you can hear everything they're saying. When I would come out in the raincoat I would hear this as a murmur throughout the crowd, "skinny, skinny, skinny, skinny, skinny, how can he be so skinny and live"

Ego trampled

Now, it seems that in our society that it is perfectly acceptable to walk up to someone and say- "man are you skinny", as if skinny people don't have feelings or emotions or complexes already. My comedian friend, Christian Spicer (www.christianspicer.com) has a funny stand up routine regarding this. It is completely UNacceptable to walk up to someone and say "Man are you fat!". Probably because that would be rude. But guess what? It's the same damn thing!

Do you know how painful it was to be that skinny? To try everything to put on wait just to look like you're not a walking skeleton? I would eat two grand slam breakfasts' at Denny's and LOSE weight. Just like overweight and obese people can't lose weight, skinny people can't put it on. It's not funny (to the person trying to put on the weight). You get ridiculed by everyone who is at a normal or attractive weight and girls think you're Ichabod Crane! Not fun.

I'm no longer that skinny kid. I'm 225 pounds now. But I still see myself as that horribly skinny kid. On occassion, after I go a few weeks without being able to eat more than once a day, people will come up to me and say something like. "You've lost weight", which I translate into "You are skinny as f***". For a man, being skinny isn't a comliment. At least not to me. I wana be big, superhero like. Haha. Now I understand that to them it is supposed to be a compliment. But that rail thin person inside of me cringes in horror and becomes completely self conscious when I hear that.

I really have no idea what I look like anymore, what I see in the mirror doesn't match up to what I see in photos or to how I imagine myself in my head (which is pretty bad ass. I'm a superhero)

But don't call me skinny. I hate that word. For the same reason other people hate the word fat.

Greater Love

Greater Love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13...

Or woman, or her friends. I'm gonna make it gender friendly as this is 2009. This is a second entry dedicated to my friends that are participating in the Susan G Komen 3 day walk to find a cure for breast cancer. Why the dramatic introduction? Because one of my friends on the trek pushed himself to the point where his legs gave out on him and the medical staff encouraged him to pack it in for the day.

The fact that someone would push themselves to such limits of exhaustion for others is absolutely the highest display of selflessness and love. He was able to rest up over night and is back at it. But this act of selflessness isn't specific only to my friend. Everyone involved has given of themselves for the past several months.

Training up for the event, asking for donations etc. became the way of life and the new routine for the participants MONTHS before it ever started. Most people I know that have done the event have long lasting effects that culminate from this walk. Physical injuries such as dehydration, exhaustion and even breaks and sprains occur. The bonding that occurs over the three days is life lasting, the reflection of loved ones lost is constantly at the forefront as this is why they do this.

Along with many other reasons, the suffering of a loved one motivates a person to dig deep and go beyond what their normal limits would be. How often have you heard someone say something like this "If they could push through life with a smile while battling this life threatening disease, then I can make it a few more miles" or any variation of the sentiment.

Thank you Dain and Hula for your committment to this cause! You're keeping the candle of Hope and Inspiration lit brightly!

4:20 and Boobies

Most people know what 4:20 means, and who doesn't like boobies?

No, I'm not talking about THAT 4:20. I'm talking about 4:20 in the a.m. The time I woke up this morning after going to bed at 1 in the a.m. The bad part about this is that the baby is up with her Gramma and wasn't the reason that I woke up! What in tarnation is wrong with me? I think I still have that Ethiopian blend of Java Jones coarsing through my veins, still. That's my guess. It was really good and added to an excellent show last night!

Either way, I was up early and realized that a couple of my friends are getting ready to start Day 2 of the Susan G Komen 3 Day walk for the cure. So I started Tweeting with them early and they were already up. @HulaSD and @Dainjb are walking and a couple of the warriors in the front lines in the battle against breast cancer. It's people like them that inspire people like me to write, play and sing. To get up and do something instead of talk about it. I'm talking about saving the Boobies!!! Can you think of a more worthy thing to save?

If it weren't for these people making these committments to help find a cure and to raise the money for the research, then guys might not have anything to look at while talking to girls! And that deserves, at the least, a blog in their honor. Anybody disagree? Didn't think so.

In all seriousness, there are a number of diseases out there like cancer, diabetes, Lupus, AIDS etc. that need money raised for research to help find cures. Everyone is affected by some kind of disease and there are many ways to get involved.

Please, find a cause you want to help out, and become a volunteer for it. These non profits can only continue to exist with volunteer, community support. So take the lead, like my friends Hula and Dain, and make a difference. The life you end up saving might be mine! Or yours!!!

The Sound Of Raindrops On A Tin Roof

There's a mysterious wet spot on the carpet... and the dog wasn't in that room.

My daughter slept well last night. She didn't get up at 2am or 5am. She woke around 6:20am which is really sleeping in for her. One of her favorite things to do now is rip off her diaper. This is why I put her in zipper up footy jumpers. A) they look adorable B) they prevent her from ripping her diaper off.

So she's asleep and I'm out in the living room getting ready to walk the dog when I begin to hear what sounds like rain landing on a tin roof. What is this??? It's not raining. And I don't have a tin roof. I get up to investigate where the sound is coming from and I see my little baby girl standing at her safety gate, sans diaper, peeing on the carpet and looking semi confused about the whole thing. Thank you very much. I'm out.

Halloween Horror

Halloween... when people in the suburbs dress up like the Wizard of Oz and women downtown dress up like hookers...

That wasn't all that fair-to hookers. I kid, I kid. Not all the women dress like hookers but some are practically naked, looking like they're offering more than a treat (like maybe a trick). Play on words, people, go with it. This is humor. But to get serious for a moment.

Halloween seems to have become a time for people to push their beliefs on other people. You know exactly what I'm talking about. Think of how pushy these people are about their beliefs and way of life and you would think that you would be safe from this on-of all days-Halloween! Oh no, they strike! And they targeted my tiny little 20 month old, dressed as Glinda the Good Witch.

You guessed it! I'm talking about Vegans! And one of them slipped this vegan product into my daughters basket. Why not just give this little girl rocks instead? I mean really... pushing your beliefs and way of life onto a little girl. On Halloween!?!?!? The candy capitol of the year!?!?!

Let me describe what was put in the basket that I just now discovered. It's a bar-looks like a candy bar so you get excited- but more like a granola bar. It's called a Trio. It's made of 3 seeds, 3 nuts and 3 fruits. It is held together by evaporated cane juice and looks frightening. The nerve!

So... if you wanna know more about this product you can visit http://www.mrsmays.com/. The product is called Trio because it uses 3 seeds, 3 nuts and 3 fruits. I don't know what it costs because it was given to my little girl-who is not old enough to eat something like this yet. Not soft enough for her. But holy sh** is this thing good!!! Hoooooo Doctor was I surprised. Shocked? I was. Especially after hearing the horror stories of vegan cheese etc. This thing was awesome. I recommend getting one and trying it. I think you'll like it-as long as you're not allergic to any of the ingredients. Because then you might hate it.

I guess it's true - you can't judge a book by its cover OR a food just because it's called vegan.

*disclaimer-no vegans were harmed during the writing of this blog. Choose a diet that makes you happy, and respect other peoples diet choices. I love my vegan friends, I'm gonna go eat some meat now*

We Got Love

Ain't nobody gonna take away the life that we been makin'/ every day is always better than the last there's no mistakin'... We Got Love

This is a song of mine. It's up on www.myspace.com/chadcavanaugh. I love this song. It's a happy song that grooves. It's got a Sublime feel to it. You'd love it if you go listen to it. Listen over and over again. Invite your friends to listen to it. Sing it to each other. Begin to feel it and begin to live the love. Actions are more powerful than words any day, but sometimes words can set the action in motion.

In my house, We Got Love. In my family, We Got Love. In my circle of friends, We Got Love. In this picture We Got (Faizon) Love. For the people I haven't met yet, We Got Love. Break down the walls of hate and let the love flood!

The Death of a Human/Birth of a Hipster

the Hipster, best defined as having a "complicated" haircut, chain smoking habit, closet full of vintage ironic t-shirts and skinny jeans. Typically well off via a trust fund but chooses to have an appearance of someone that is nearing homelessness.

I live in North Park. A neighborhood in San Diego that is defined by it's hipster denizens. A culture of people who, as a whole, has decided that they are too cool to care about anything. Trying, or putting forth effort towards anything would be considered uncool and grounds for losing hipster status. Attempting to be good at something would result in the same aforementioned punishment. Yes, this post detracts from the theme of the Stay at Home Rock Star, but it is something I have been fascinated by.

How can someone just NOT care? And then be considered cool for such apathy and laziness. Not to mention the sense of entitlement that goes along with their general heir of superiority. It's okay, I can write this and they can read it and it won't matter. remember? They don't care. It's like making video making fun of the Amish. I won't ever be viewed by the subject.

I have friends that I have seen get involved with this culture trend. I don't speak to them anymore because they are too cool to converse with someone who cares. It's as if they died and turned in to a zombie with greasy hair, a ratty beard, chain smoking habit, penchant for PBR tall boys, ironic accessories, need to read books by unknown authors and looks like they may be in a band. They may go so far as to put their own faces on the side of a milk carton.

As I look at my daughters and watch them grow, I am reminded of a Willie Nelson song. Mama's, don't let your babies grow up to be hipsters.

And I'm out...

Pony Up, son!

Product of New York, from Darryl Dawkins to Wilson Chandler

I wear Pony shoes. Pony has been good to me the past few years. When I've been in need of new kicks, they kick down. I'm looking forward to my next pair now. I was excited to run in to my buddy from Pony this past Friday. I had just finished an event that I host every Friday in Downtown San Diego. The Coffeehouse Radio Live @ Java Jones East Village. He was walking with another fellow Pony brother, Microphone Mike. It was a mini reunion of sorts as the three of us haven't seen each other in months due to busy schedules. Either way, I was reppin' the chevron. It was a good encounter.

So I'm currently trying to get some shows in Vegas booked at some nice venues. Wish me luck on that. And soon enough, I'll be coming to your town to perform.

It's Not A Contest

Last one there is a rotten egg!

Remember that? As a kid you begin to become competitive. With everything. EVERYTHING! Who can throw a rock farther, who can run to the end of the street faster, kick the ball higher, touch that leaf at the tip of the branch. The funny thing is, as a boy growing up, I thought that if I could jump higher or run faster or draw better that the girls would like me more. Haha.

In raising my daughters, I instill a somewhat competitive spirit with my daily whatnots. Racing to the car, giving my daughter ten seconds to run to her room to grab a pencil and telling her that having a good day at school means she wins. I see nothing wrong with instilling a winning attitude. I think for the most part it is missing in the kids these days. We've become a world that doesn't keep score at T-Ball games and gives trophies/medals to ALL participants.

GARBAGE!

How is a child supposed to learn how to practice hard at something to get better? Why should they? They'll get a trophy regardless. No need to work for something that'll be given freely anyway. Also, keeping score let's a kid know if they're good at something. If they're not good at it they can make the decision to work harder to get better or find something else that they like to do. How is this wrong?

So the competition aspect of daily life has spilled over to... eating cereal. Or has it? The other morning, my older daughter and I sat down to have a bowl of cereal. We each had the same kind because we thought it would be cool to have the same cereal (insert smiley face). When I finished, and by finished I mean drank all the milk out of the bowl as well, I put down the bowl and raised my arms in victory. My older daughter looked at me and said

"Daddy, it's not a contest"

You Betta Reckanize!

This morning, driving through downtown after dropping my wife off at work, I saw the human version of Bert from Bert & Ernie. He had the boot brush hairdo and a shiny head. It was great.

Speaking of recognizing or recognition... the other day my wife and I were at Gaglione Bros Famous Steaks and Subs in the Sports Arena/Pt. Loma area having a cheese steak. The owner is a friend of ours and former neighbor. He does a lot with 94/9FM and asked to get a CD so he could take it into his buddy, Halloran, who is a DJ there. Possibly he could get him to play it. We'll see. Like that wouldn't be AWESOME!!! When I gave him the CD, one of his employees, Darrell, looked at it and said, "I have this CD!" and began going on about how he recognized the cover art.

The cover art is my logo I created. It is a guitar that becomes a coffee cup. I also have it on my guitar case, tattooed on my arm, on my business cards and everywhere else. Branding/Marketing 101-a simple, recognizable symbol to embody the product. He began saying how cool he thought it was and that he had redrawn it himself because he liked it so much. When I showed him my forearm, with the logo tattooed on it, he smiled a big smile and said. "Wow, that's you!"

It was an awesome moment for me and for my wife. As we walked out to the car we felt a small inkling of what it feels like to be a big time rock star. However, I'm certain a rock star wouldn't use the word "inkling". My wife said to me "That must be awesome to have someone say that about something you've created". I responded with "You better believe it! And you get to sleep with me!" which gave us a big laugh.

We celebrate every little moment, every little milestone. It's moments like this that remind you that it is possible to achieve a dream and reach your goals. No matter how unattainable they may seem.

When You Wish Upon A Stay At Home Rock Star

When You Wish Upon A Stay At Home Rock Star...

While driving away from the cabin at the Girl Scouts Headquarters with our daughter, a Brownie, we began discussing what she needs to do when she gets home. She has a writing assignment due for class the next day. Yes, I think it is insane that a second grader has homework and writing assignmests but she's smarter than we were so who am I to complain.

Her writing assignment is as follows: What is one thing above all else that you would wish for and why? Now, with it being Christmas right around the corner and a birthday not too far away, we anticipated answers like such. Barbie Dolls, Littlest Pet Shop toys, Stuffed Animals or anything Hannah Montana.

The following is her unsolicited reply that had no hesitation:

"I wish that my daddy could play his music all around the world and that everyone around the world could hear my daddy's music. Then daddy could make money and mommy wouldn't have to work so hard any more. Mommy works very hard every day and doesn't get a lot of money while daddy stays at home and raises the baby. If everybody could hear daddy's music then my wish could come true."

How to make a grown man cry, Volume 1. I couldn't believe how sweet that was. It's hard to tell what goes through the head of a 7 year old, obviously. Sometimes, without us knowing it, they are more perceptive to us then we realize.

I told her how much it meant to me that she would wish that and that it can come true. As long as we believe in ourselves, even if nobody else does, we can accomplish anything.

Dream Big, Reality Bigger

bee TRAY ull

Betrayal (bee TRAY ul) v. to lag behind or fall back. Synonym of behind.

This is an excerpt from my dicChadnary. I'm creating my own dictionary. Isn't everyone? That's my question. The answer is a definitive "no". It's okay though, it allows me to corner the market. The way buskers corner 5th and Market in the Gaslamp. Haha.

I have an odd outlook on a lot of things. There are many words that don't seem to mean what they should and so I'm taking matters into my own hands. It's closing in on 100 entries after a couple weeks of work. I'm not really sure how many entries I'm shooting for. It can be tough to try and be creative when a 21 month old is running rampant through the house.

Oh yeah, please suggest to your friends to read this/subscribe to it. That would be really sweet. I'll leave you with this thought. Socks... say that word a bunch of times in a row. It starts to not make sense.

RollerCoasters

It goes up, it goes down. It thrills you and scares you. You wanna get off and you never want it to stop...

I wear my emotions on the outside. I celebrate every little accomplishment, victory and milestone I achieve thru this rollercoaster ride of music. I lost my Stoic manner when I left the Army and now live on a roller coaster.

So many great things have happened in just this week alone. Getting played on the radio again, beginning new friendships, booking fun shows. All highs that get me really excited. But then the lows come along. A place I was really having fun playing and had a number of future shows booked had to close its doors. I'm really bummed, as are my friends that had begun to call this venue "home". It seemed like a launch pad for careers. I had already envisioned the VH1 special about me and talking about how I was discovered there. Haha! I dream big! I'm trying to reality bigger. But this venue, I believe, will reopen in a new location. I have faith in that. Then we can all resume our road to success in our chosen fields of entertainment.

I just realized, looking at the previous paragraph, that I dedicated a huge chunk of this to a negative. So I'm gonna rectify that. Here's a major positive: I have two beautiful daughters and an incredible wife. I am wealthy with love and family and blessed with a gift. I also just got to hang out with one of my favorite radio people, my boy Hula, from AJ in the mornings on Star 94.1FM. I still have a really fun event that I created and am watching grow called the Coffeehouse Radio Live @ Java Jones East Village. It is every Friday night. It showcases a number of local artist via open mic and features, each week, one of San Diego's incredibly talented musicians. I have a lot to be thankful for.

I wanna end this by saying that I am thankful to our armed forces, all of our veterans, for what we have today. I am a veteran of the United States Army Infantry. HUAH!!!

Sleep Deprivation is Creativity Waiting to Happen

2am, phone buzzes, it's a text from sis in law in the other room. Contractions are three-five minutes apart. Time to get mobilized...

Back up four hours. I'm with friends-comedians (www.malhall.com, www.christianspicer.com, RJ Dharni[no dot com yet])and musicians-the crew from the monday night open mic. We're sitting around telling stories, sharing ideas, discussing the intricacies of each others sets. What works, what doesn't and where to improve. That and who can make fun of the other better. Typical stuff on a Monday night. I get home around 10:30, get to sleep around 12:30. When I heard the buzz of the phone I thought it was in the neighborhood of 6am. Was I wrong. 1:57am was the time stamp on my phone for the text. Oh well. My wife and sis in law drive off to the hospital and I stayed back as I am the stay at home rock star. There were diapers to change, lunches to make, breakfast to prepare, a dog to walk and a drop off at school to be done. All by 8am. Who has two thumbs and is a zombie? This guy!

As an optimist, I wanna turn it into something productive. What delirious thought could I have that could be entertaining? Well, we go to the zoo as the little one has a playdate with her Grandma. We start by heading off to the Orangutans. We're there for about two minutes when one Orangutan starts giving another Orangutan, a rectal exam. With his hand. And this guy must've been near sighted because he got right up there, nose to nose with it (so to speak).

Did I make this happen out of sheer will power? Was my need for something entertaining to congeal out of insomnia so strong that it manipulated these orange, hairy dudes? I'm gonna say yes. Prove me wrong is my challenge to you. I think that, through lack of sleep, I've developed ESPN or whatever it's called. I can control creatures with my mind. Just now I commanded my dog to continue sleeping. He obeyed. See!?! Skillz! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Letters. Words. Rhythm. Rhymes

I'm just tryin'/to rhyme on time/and make a few dimes/from writin' these lines...

Letters, words, rhythm and rhyme are extremely important to me. The cadence, meter and flow of a line can make or break a song. Syllable counts and word manipulation are essential. Where does it start? I am currently watching a video with my little girl on the letters and their sounds. She sees the letter, learns the sound and then after each letter they have a little song like so...

"The M says mmm, the M says mmm, every letter makes a sound, the M says mmm"

Repetition through all the letters helps her learn sounds and repetition thru the hook of a song helps the listener get into a groove.

Cadence and meter are essential for timing. Which means that they are essenntial for musicians, comedians, actors etc. I have a fried who is excellent at this manipulation of words and syllables. He is one of my favorites in our local scene. His name is Rob Deez. Some people could say he's a phenomenal anomally. Check him out. Letters. Words. Rhythm. Rhymes. He's got 'em.

Every Day I'm Hustlin'... and Changing Diapers

There's a rap song I can't think of the name and it has a hook that say "everyday I'm hustling, ev-everyday I'm hustlin'" and I can relate to it...

Every day I'm hustlin' to get my music out there. Reaching out to radio stations, venues etc. while in between changing diapers. There is nothing glamorous about it at all but when you get the word back from the DJ from the radio station that you're gonna get played it is magical. For a moment, time stands still and it's like a scene out of a movie. Where a camera pans around me while I'm in a sea of people but it revolves around me and the hordes of people are going nuts over my song. I dream a lot. I dream big. I'm working on realitying bigger.

As an independent, I'm the only one that is going to put myself out there. So everyday I do that. But I try to walk a fine line between promoting and hustling vs being annoying. There are plenty of people out there trying to do the same thing. What makes me different? I believe. I believe that what I do is very real and very relevant. I believe that what I'm writing and singing is exactly what people want and need to hear. I've been truly blessed with everyone/everything around me!

As I type this, I just heard Jane Asher, DJ of Sophie Radio 103.7fm, refer to me as "one of their favorite". I'm gonna end here because my wife and I are on cloud 9 now.

(Photo by Dennis Andersen Photography)

Radio Play-Living the Dream

Remember the movie, That Thing You Do? ? The one with Tom Hanks and Liv Tyler where the kids with the band (the Oneders- not pronounced Oh-nee-durs)get linked up with Tom Hanks as the manager. The Drummer works at his parents appliance store, that movie? Remember the scene where they first hear themselves on the radio and everyone's screaming and going nuts and it's like a huge party? That movie...

Ask any musician what one of the coolest things that could ever happen with their music would be and I'm pretty sure being played on the radio would be in the top three. The first time I was played on the radio it was on a local San Diego radio station out of Encinitas, KPRI 102.1FM, on their Homegrown Hour, which showcases local talents. The evening I was played was the evening that it was announced that Cathryn Beeks would take over the hosting duties from Astra Kelly. I have a spot in my heart for both of these women. They were the first to put me on-they took my virginity, musically speaking if you will, and how may people can say they got their cherry popped by two women at the same time? Haha! Cathryn is Listen Local San Diego-one of the greatest promoters of local acoustic music in San Diego and Astra Kelly is a three time SDMA nominee and as a host of a radio show, loves to make people happy by giving them an opportunity few others will experience. Being played on the radio.

I have always had goals as a musician. Radio play has always been one of the ultimte goals. It was a tiered goal. Start at the local radio station level, the aforementioned KPRI would be that station. Then the tier goes upwards to 91X, the Local 94.9 and then the nationwide affiliated Radio Sophie. Radio Sophie 103.7fm is a part of CBS Radio. I'm pretty sure you've heard of CBS before. They have a show called Unsigned Sundays. Tonight will be my third time being played on Unsigned Sunday but the second week in a row of getting the big airwave love. I am in gratitude to a particular woman for this. Her name is Jane Asher, the host of Unsigned Sundays. She has been extremely gracious in her promotion of my music and shows on this radio program. I am honored to say that she is a fan of what I do. That is HUGE for me!!! And tonight, I will be sitting here, streaming live, with my lady and two little ones in our living room listening in as Jane Asher's voice announces my name and my song.

Radio Play is in my top three of "coolest things ever to happen to my music" list. The other two? Getting signed and going on tour and sharing my music with the world. I believe, do you?

celebrity friends and comedy

So being that I'm a supposed rock star, I have celebrity friends. They are celebrities in our circles, anyway. A number of these friends are comedians. Very, very funny people. It intrigues me how they like to hang with musicians as I, being the musician, like hanging out with comedians.

One of my comedian friends, RJ Dharni, was hanging out with me before an open mic when I found out he was a percussion player. So we went to his place, a block away from the open mic (conveniently) and worked on a couple songs and he sat in with me on my set. It was awesome! I don't think the opposite could ever happen, though.

It fascinates me that these people see the same things I do but when they recount it, it's funny. I love that. I have my own dialogue I use between songs on stage or funny ways of introducing a song. Because I'm not that singer/songwriter. I'm not the guy trying to show that sensitive side and get all the girls, I have all the girls I can handle. A wife, a 7 year old and a 21 month old. Anyway, I want to keep people's moods up when I'm on stage so I mix in humorous anecdotes about the songs I'm going to sing. But to have the anecdote being the only "product" on stage is a frightening proposition to me. So I love to watch my comedian friends deliver on their material.

Next Saturday (November 14th) AND Sunday (November 15th) I will be opening for comedy shows. I'm the music tha will be playing as people are getting amped up to laugh. I will be at the MadHouse Comedy Club, which is the newest and hottest comedy club in San Diego. National headliners and people you've seen on HBO, Comedy Central, NBC etc. all do their stand up here. I get to hang out with them. It's pretty awesome. Check out my calendar at my music site for show dates and contact me by friending me on Facebook and I'll put you on my guest list for these shows at the comedy clubs. Because that's how I roll.

pt. III- mini skirts and thigh high boots

It seemed like an appropriate subtitle for a serial piece with the words "rock star" in it...

So last night was my event that I put on every Friday in Downtown San Diego. It's at Java Jones Coffeehouse in the East Village neighborhood of downtown. Java Jones is located at the corner of 9th and Market (631 9th Ave). I put on an open mic from 7-9 and have one of San Diego's awesome talented musicians as a featured artist from 9-10. So it was another fun night of music with all the open mic'ers and our featured star, Jaden.

My buddy Duke, (a friend of mine I met through other open mic's) went for a slice after the show was over. Walking down Market street from 9th all the way to 6th ave (a total of 3 short blocks) on a Friday night means you are going to be among hordes of people dressed to the 9's. Ladies are out in the tiniest, tightest outfits you can imagine with boots that typically reach the center of their thighs or ridiculously high heels. Guys seem to have the same thing going on- long sleeve button down untucked, jeans with funky long pockets and very expensive looking shoes. They all really look the same. Unless they are part of the hipster crowd. Then you find colorful sneakers, v-neck t shirts, blazers and complicated haircuts. Whatever.

As Duke and I are walking through this sea of hook uppery, we were musing about the fact that the perception of the rock star life is exactly what we were walking among. But we were the ones that are the musician/entertainers. Ha! Sweet irony! As these "rock stars" were going out to be seen, hook up, dance in a circle around their shoes and posture around with their chests puffed out, the real rock stars were trying to get to their cars to get home to their families.

Ain't it grand!

Stay at Home Rock Star pt. II

I am a singer/songwriter. My process isn't very formulaic. I get inspired by anything really. The real challenge is to be able to get the inspiration down on paper before one of the little ones decides they need all my attention. it's quite the comical battle. The amount of half written songs I have could fill, I don't know, half a notebook? But now that the toddler is able to escape any place she is put, it has posed an all new challenge to the creative process. Between preventing an accident in the kitchen, writing a verse, trying to stop the tears from flowing for not letting her have the pen I'm using to write the verse and tiny little fingers plucking at guitar strings (which is not as bad as when those same tiny fingers detune the guitar completely) a lot of good ideas can disappear.

On the other hand, she is really in to dancing to my music. So I've got that on my side.

Hasn't this been exciting so far? Haha! More later. I think she just dropped science in her diaper...

The Stay at Home Rock Star pt. I

I don't really believe I'm a rock star. But I play music on a stage in front of people that seem to like it. See, the idea in my head of a rock star is someone who has no responsibilities i.e. home, family, children etc. and can just roam from town to town, playing crowds and partying. My story is a little different...

Follow along as I chronicle the life that I live. hopefully I will be dilligent in updating this, the toddler willing, so as to keep some continuity in the story.