Music Maker Relief Foundation

A friend of mine told me about this site. The Music Maker Relief Foundation helps the true pioneers and forgotten heroes of Southern music gain recognition and meet their day to day needs. We present these musical traditions to the world so American culture will flourish and be preserved for future generations.

Their criterion for donation recipients is that they be rooted in a Southern musical tradition, be 55 years or older and have an annual income less than $18,000.

If you are able to donate, I highly encourage you to.

Sultans of Swing

Hey y'all! Long time. I know. I suck. So sue me. But I have been busy.

Today at guitar class, I wanted to work on Dire Strait's Sultans of Swing. For some reason, I thought it would be harder than it was. Maybe it was Mark Knoepler's playing technique. The chords are fairly easy: Dm - C- Bb - A (Twice) / F - C. Lou and I worked on using a version I have on my laptop.

That lead him to want to see what else was on my laptop, musically speaking. We started working on Blind Faith's Presence of the Lord, Atlanta Rhythm Section's So Into You, and Cream's Badge. We ended the session on B.B. King's The Thrill Is Gone. All in all, a great session.

Just so you know, I will be in NYC next week so I might be in an out on the blog. If I hear anything interesting, I will let you know. Peace!

Hola!

I know, I know. I have been neglecting this site. I apologzie. I have been busy. I will be back, I swear. Soon.

In the meantime, enjoy Reason #413860323423 to love rock and roll.

Souls For Sale

Apparently, the Devil is done with Robert Johnson's soul. He is selling it on eBay. Nice, huh?

Downtown Live Recap

(SOJA Lead Singer Jacob Hemphill)

Yesterday was Downtown Live in Hagerstown. It rained in the morning (hard). I got there around 2:30 just as SOJA was starting. They are a ska/reggae band out of Arlington, VA. They were awesome. They recently added a horn section and according to everyone I talked to it really filled out their sound. They had a lot of great slow grooves going on. I highly recommend them.


(Carbonleaf)

Next up was Carbonleaf. They are another Virginia-based band. They were really good. I even bought one of their CDs: Echo Echo.

Around 7pm, Sister Hazel came on. Now, I worked the merchandise booth for SOJA during the day. Next to their booth was the Sister Hazel booth. The dude running their booth was a complete douchebag. And it was really funny to see all of the middle-aged men walking around with Sister Hazel shirts on. As for the band, they were really good. I wasn't expecting to like them as much as a I did. They put on a really good show.


(Everclear singing Girl With The Wondering I - Dedicated to Gov. Sarah Palin - Seriously!)
The finale for the evening was Everclear. It was fucking beautiful. It was what rock-n-roll supposed to be: fun, nasty, sexy, loud, and racuous! They have a new album coming out. They played a cut from it called "You make me feel like a whore." LOL. I don't even know what else to say. Oh yeah, Ms. Chief Musical Ninja Monkie ended up dancing on stage with the band. Yeah. Rock and roll is awesome!

More...

Black Ice

My oldest got the new AC/DC album yesterday. It is entitled Black Ice. Here is a review from Rolling Stone:

In the world according to AC/DC, sex, money, politics and other trappings of adulthood are a sick joke — but rock is sacred. No one this side of Chuck Berry has written so many great rock & roll songs about rock & roll, and no band short of the Ramones has so militantly refused to reach beyond the basics of the form. AC/DC offer a vision of the Stones if Keith had won every argument: no concept albums, no keyboards, no disco, no ballads, no gospel choirs. And Black Ice is their best argument in years — maybe decades — that evolution is for suckers.

Downtown Live Music and Arts Festival

It is this Saturday in Hagerstown!!! Do you have your tix yet? No? Why the fuck not?!?! I will be working the merchandise booth/table from 4pm-7pm. Come out and say hello!

Reason #65821 to Love Rock and Roll

Something to Keep in Mind...

The Reagan Years

Last night, my wife and I went to listen to The Reagan Years at Cancun Cantina West in Hagerstown. They call themselves the best 80's tribute band on the East Coast. Now, I can't confirm that because they are the only 80's tribute band I have ever heard, but it was a lot of fun. Granted, a lot of the folks at the show weren't even born in the 80's, but oh well. It was a pretty good show.