Dilated Peoples: "Worst Comes To Worst" Video

As I have written on this blog before, I used to frequent the OkayPlayer boards when I first started to get into hip-hop, and one of the first acts that I really liked a lot was Dilated Peoples. They are out of L.A. and the beats are the bomb from Deejay Babu. I like the way that he incorporates the turntable into his beats, and with Rakka and Evidence rocking the mic you have a musical force in Dilated Peoples. Check out "Worst Comes To Worst."

It's All About Time

As a musician there is a lot to learn, so much so that you always feel like a student of you view it right. Understanding timing in music and implementing subtle nuances concerning where on the beat you are placing notes is something that took me a long time to learn, and really good timing is very important in music.

In life in general we need to keep abreast of the time as well, and I was checking out some watches online today at BlueDial.com and I saw a particular Seiko watch that really caught my eye. It is a Seiko Kenetic chronograph (pictured on the left) and it is just very modern and elegant looking. BlueDial.com has a very impressive selection and I would honestly recommend that you visit their site if you are looking for a nice watch.

Jazz Great: Arturo Sandoval

As I was doing my research into jazz, I of course learned about Latin jazz, and Arturo Sandoval is one of the great names who was able to morph Latin music with modern jazz. Sandoval plays trumpet, and the legendary be-bop artist Dizzie Gillespie was his idol. Their relationship and Arturo's path are the inspiration for the film For Love Or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story, which stars Andy Garcia. I have seen the film and I enjoyed it. It chronicles the trumpeter's and rise to stardom in his native Cuba and his subsequent defection to the the United States in 1990. Check out the Cherokee theme performance below.

Trusted Tours

I grew up in Trenton, New Jersey, and though Trenton is not really a hotbed of culture, it is well situated just about forty minutes from Philadelphia and a little over an hour from New York City. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit both cities on numerous occasions, but not as much as I would have liked. When you live in or near a place that is desirable to visit you sometimes take it for granted. I have not seen many of the attractions in New York that I would have liked to have visited, like the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

I did get to see the last New York Jets game ever played at Shea Stadium, and it was a crazy affair. The Jets lost to the Steelers, and after the game people stormed onto the field and were tearing out turf for souvenirs and guys were climbing up the goalposts. I even saw a group carrying a row of seats out of the place.

The best way to make sure that you see all of the sights when you visit a city like New York or any other is to take a tour. A good source for tours is TrustedTours.com, and you can find a lot of family vacation ideas in their newsletter. The time that we have to spend with our families on vacation is precious and we need to be certain that we see all that there is to see. Trusted Tours can help you and your family experience the vacation of a lifetime.

Sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and enter to win an IPOD Nano! Offer ends Monday, March 31st, 2008.

B-52's Tour Dates

As I have often mentioned on this blog that I used to live in Athens, Georgia, and I love the town. Athens is extremely fertile when it comes to producing musical talent, and I have recently had the pleasure of posting the upcoming tour dates for two of Athens' most well loved bands, Widespread Panic and REM. Today I found out that in fact the B-52's, another band that came out of Athens, is on tour as well. I saw them in Virginia back in 1980 and it was a lot of fun. Check out the dates below:

Fri 03/28/08 Richmond, BC River Rock Casino Resort
Sat 03/29/08 Airway Heights, WA Northern Quest Casino
Fri 04/11/08 Purchase, NY Concert Hall
Wed 04/23/08 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
Fri 04/25/08 Philadelphia, PA The Fillmore - TLA
Sat 04/26/08 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
Sun 04/27/08 Richmond, VA The National Theater
Mon 04/28/08 Pontiac, MI Clutch Cargo's
Tue 04/29/08 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
Thu 05/01/08 Chicago, IL House Of Blues
Fri 05/02/08 Louisville, KY Louisville Waterfront Park
Sun 05/04/08 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre
Tue 05/06/08 Seattle, WA Showbox at the Market
Wed 05/07/08 Portland, OR Roseland Theater

The Big Apple

There is no place on earth that has more opportunities for the musician than New York City, and we all know that "if you can make it there, you can make it anywhere." There are also incredible concerts being performed in New York virtually every night, so whether you are a musician or simply a lover of music, New York is a great place to live. If you are looking to purchase some property in The Empire State, you are going to need to enlist the services of a licensed New York real estate broker, and Prudential Douglas Elliman is considered by many to be the premier real estate brokerage in the area. Visit their site for real estate expertise in the greater New York area.

Grateful Dead Chords and Lyrics

As everyone knows, I am a big fan of the Grateful Dead, and as a musician I have been inspired to learn a lot of their songs over the years. There has been a great resource for Grateful Dead chords, tablature, and lyrics, and even audio support to help you learn the licks online since I can remember at Rukind.org. They also have forums now and it's a great resource, check it out. Below is the song Black Throated Wind. I have always loved this tune. (Flickr image)

Black Throated Wind
Ace

(Weir/Barlow)


E F#m
It’s bringing me down, I'm running aground,
D A E
Blind in the light of the interstate cars
E F#m
Passing me by, the busses and semi's,
D A E
Plunging like stones from a slingshot on mars


A D
But I'm here by the road, bound to the load
Bm E
That I picked up in ten thousand cafes and bars
A D
Alone with the rush of the drivers who won't pick me up
Bm E
The highway, the moon, the clouds, and the stars


D C#m A
Black throated wind, keeps on pouring in
Em C A
With its words of a life where nothing is new
D C#m Em A
Ah, mother American night, I'm lost from the light
G D A
Oh, I'm drowning in you

I left St. Louis, city of blues, in the midst of a storm I'd rather forget

I tried to pretend it came to an end
Cause you weren't the woman I once thought I'd met
But I can't deny, that times have gone by Bm
Where I never had doubts or thoughts of regret
And I was a man when all this began
Who wouldn't think twice about being there yet

Black throated wind, whispering sin
And it speaks of a life that passes like dew
It's forced me to see that you've done better by me
Better by me than I've done by you

Now what's to be found racing around.
You carry your pain wherever you go
All full of the blues and trying to lose
You ain't gonna learn what you don't wanna know
So I give you my eyes, and all of their lies
Please help them to learn as well as to see
Capture a glance, and make it dance
Of looking at you, looking at me

Black throated wind, keeps on pouring in
With its words of a lie that could almost be true
Ah, mother American night, here comes the light
I'm turning around, that's what I'm gonna do
Going back home that's what I'm gonna do

Orlando Vista Hotel

There are a few places in the country that are good places for musicians to live, and Orlando, Florida is certainly one of the very best because of all of the tourism that they enjoy, and people who are on vacation or attending a conference need to be entertained. Whenever I think about Orlando I am truly amazed to consider all of the fun things that there are to do there, everything from world class theme parks to attending a professional basketball game. Orlando nightlife and dining are also world class, plus, if you want to take a short and relaxing drive you can find yourself languishing on a sunny, sandy beach in just about an hour or so. Orlando is certainly a top tier destination and something that everyone should experience at least once in their lives.

The Orlando Vista Hotel is an excellent place to stay that is perfectly situated for getting to the city's many attractions, and this property really is the cream of the crop of Lake Buena Vista hotels. Orlando plays host to many meetings and conferences, and the big 2008 American Urological Association Annual Meeting is right around the corner. If you are attending this event, or if you are simply looking for hotels near Disney World, Orlando Vista Hotel is the perfect choice for value, quality, and convenience.

Widespread Panic Tour Dates

As I have often stated on this blog, I used to live in Athens, Georgia, and I learned a lot there, met many good people, and had the opportunity to see some great shows at the Georgia Theater and some awesome festivals throughout the south. I also became very familiar with the work of Athens' own Widespread Panic. They endured the death of their brother and founding member Michael Houser a couple of years back and they've landed the great Jimmy Herring to play lead guitar, so they are keeping Mikey's spirit alive and sounding incredible. They are an excellent live band and they always provide their fans with an all out effort in a relaxed and respectful environment. Here are the upcoming Panic tour dates including the opener on April Fool's Day in Washington...hmmm...:

Tue 04/01/08 Washington, DC Warner Theatre
Fri 04/04/08 New York, NY United Palace
Sat 04/05/08 New York, NY United Palace
Sun 04/06/08 Albany, NY Palace Theatre
Wed 04/09/08 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
Fri 04/11/08 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre
Sat 04/12/08 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre
Sun 04/13/08 Chicago, IL Auditorium Theatre
Wed 04/16/08 Murfreesboro, TN MTSU Murphy Center
Fri 04/18/08 Orange Beach, AL Amphitheater At The Wharf
Sat 04/19/08 Orange Beach, AL Amphitheater At The Wharf
Sun 04/20/08 Orange Beach, AL Amphitheater At The Wharf
Tue 04/22/08 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre
Wed 04/23/08 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theatre
Fri 04/25/08 Raleigh, NC TWC Music Pavilion
Sat 04/26/08 Raleigh, NC TWC Music Pavilion
Tue 04/29/08 Columbia, SC Township Auditorium

Oysters, Louisiana, and Music

When I think about the great state of Louisiana, I think of two things: seafood and music. I am a huge jazz fan and I understand the history of this uniquely American music form that was born and reared in New Orleans, and as a lover of seafood who has visited Louisiana on several occasions I can tell you that the cuisine is out of this world. Frankly, Louisiana and me are a great fit because I have to say that great music and tasty seafood are probably my two favorite things in the entire world. Add in a little Louisiana bayou brew and I am as close to heaven as I am probably going to get.

Once I was sitting at an oyster bar in the French Quarter in New Orleans, and I was watching the bartender shucking oysters and it was amazing to watch. I ate more than my share, and I have a very vivid imagination, and I started thinking: what if the the oysters were actually holding their own unique tune inside of their shells when they were sealed, and as soon as you opened them you would hear some extraordinary trumpet-like melody. Then I started thinking that Buddy Bolden probably heard the first notes of what became jazz music when somebody opened some Gulf oysters, and he basically just laid down the oyster music that he would hear and it grew from there.

I know your going to say that's silly and whatnot, but...hey, you never know. Check out the great site for all things oyster, BeOysterAware.com, and pay close attention the next time you are around somebody who is shucking an oyster.

Jam Band Hypocrite

I used to enjoy the work of a particular jam band that seemed to have a pro-environmental aspect to their lyrics, and I was on the message board for fans of this band. There was a person who posted on the board often who was an attorney for a major corporation that is perhaps the biggest polluter on the planet.

You don't have to be an environmental activist to like this band or participate on its message boards to be sure, but this individual took a grandiose pro-environmental stance and even started a small non-profit that solicits donations that he uses to implement small scale, pet, boutique environmental projects. This is good, but the company that he is paid to defend is reportedly going to be sued by Erin Brockovich's law firm for causing serious illness to scores of people in Australia. This is just another in the long line of horrible transgressions that this company repeats time and time again.

This individual is still actively soliciting funds for his "pro-environment" organization on this message board and at shows as though he is some sort of environmentalist when in reality he makes his living defending the actions of one of the most insipid entities in terms of environmental harm that exist anywhere on the the face of the globe.

That you choose to use your law degree to defend polluters who cause pain, sickness, and disease to innocent people is one thing, but to run around like a champion of the environment at jam band shows with your tye-dye on or whatever is just sickening to me. We all have to make a living, but how arrogant can a person be?

You can't have it both ways. Assuming he still holds the same job, to try to be highly visible and respected as a "kind" environmental philanthropist in the jam band community while you are by day preparing the case against Brockovich is just despicable.

Beach Weddings

As a musician I have certainly played my share of weddings, and though it may sound trite to say so, it is really rewarding to have an opportunity to be a part of such an important event in the lives of two people and their families and friends. I used to live in Florida, and I had the experience of participating in a couple of beach weddings, and it was really extraordinary. I love nature as much as I love music, and I feel as though a betrothal that takes place in gorgeous natural surroundings is in a very real sense being presided over by a divine presence, and to me, a beach wedding is a beautiful thing.

If you have the chance to actually have your wedding on the beach I would highly recommend it, because the weddings that I have been a part of that took place on the sand with the sound of the surf as a backdrop were truly sublime. But the beach is also a powerful symbol of beauty, harmony, fluidity, and permanence that is an appropriate image as a backdrop to any wedding, wherever it may be held.

When you send out your wedding invitations, you want to tug at the heartstrings of your guests, and I was browsing the Web today and I noticed some extraordinary Ecru Beach Sunset wedding invitations at 1st Class Wedding-Invitations. They have a great selection of fine Beach Wedding Invitations that you really have to check out if you are planning a wedding.

I admire those who have found their beloved, and I am not too jaded to wish them the very best as their love unfolds through their years together.

Warren Zevon Chords And Lyrics: Werewolves Of London

You had to be a real sourpuss not to like the Warren Zevon tune "Werewolves Of London" when it came out, and Zevon proved himself to be an exceptional songwriter and performer throughout his career. Everything about the tune is very cool, but the lyrics are just hilarious and hip as hell. We lost Warren too soon, but his music lives on. Check out the music and vid below and spill some beer. Good beer, though, Corona at minimum.

Werewolves Of London
(Zevon)

D C G C G

D C G C G
I saw a werewolf with a Chinese menu in his hand
D C G C G
Walking thru the streets of Soho in the rain
D C G C G
He was looking for a place called Lee Ho Fook's
D C G C G
Gonna get a big dish of beef chow mein

D C G C G
Ahhwooo, werewolves of London
D C G C G
Ahhwooo
D C G C G
Ahhwooo, werewolves of London
D C G C G
Ahhwooo

If you hear him howling around your kitchen door
You better not let him in
Little old lady got mutilated last night
Werewolves of London again

He's the hairy-handed gent who ran amuck in Kent
Lately he's been overheard in Mayfair
You better stay away from him, he'll rip your lungs out Jim
I'd like to meet his tailor

Well, I saw Lon Cheney walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London
I saw Lon Cheney Jr. walking with the Queen
Doing the werewolves of London

I saw a werewolf drinking a Pina Colada at Trader Vic's
His hair was perfect

Listen,

Ahhwooo, werewolves of London
Ahhwooo

(rukind)

Co-Op Education

When I was nearing graduation from high school and considering where I would like to attend college, I was concerned about racking up big student loan bills while going to school and not gaining any real life job experience. There are no guarantees that you are going to be able to make enough money to comfortably pay off your student loans after you graduate, so I was thinking that it would be best if I could somehow gain practical job experience while I was going to college. I wound up attending a college in Boston that had a cooperative education program, and it turned out to be a very fruitful decision for me.

Because I benefited from my experience of cooperative education, I would certainly recommend it to others who would like to gain the background that they need in their areas of interest in the classroom while having the opportunity to practically apply what they have learned in a real life business milieu. A fantastic institution of higher learning that is ideal for those interested in pursuing a career in industrial engineering is Kettering University. Kettering has actually been ranked as the #1 school in the nation for industrial and manufacturing engineering by U.S. News and World Report. When you research engineering co-op programs, Kettering University shines brightly. Check out their offerings and realize your full potential.

Greg Osby "The End Of A Love Affair" Video

When I started doing my research into the history of jazz, I did it from both sides, the distant past as well as the present. I would listen to Sidney Bechet one minute and Regina Carter the next, and as I was poking around I found Greg Osby. I love the Invisible Hand album, and everything that I have heard him do is incredible. Check out this tune called "The End Of A Love Affair."

Big Fest In Florida

I have had the opportunity to read some of Joseph Campbell's work, and he talks a lot about myth and the importance of ritual to the human psyche, and through his explanations I was able to gain a pretty good understanding of this psychological need for gathering. In many cultures throughout history community gatherings were cyclical, centered around some natural process, and of course there was always music involved. It is good to get out of your cocoon and get together with others who share the same interests, and this is why I love festivals.

There is a very cool event that is going to take place in Harmony, Florida on Saturday, April 5th that is called the Dark Sky Festival. The purpose of the festival is to draw attention to the astronomical wonders that are present in the nighttime sky and to encourage people to support keeping artificial light pollution to a minimum at night to enable sky watching and to allow the earth the natural cycle of darkness for environmental reasons. The band Rare Earth is going to be performing at the festival this year and there will be telescopes and learning opportunities around the grounds. It sounds like a wonderful festival, so if you are near Harmony, check it out and enjoy yourself under the stars!

The Verve Tour Dates

There are a lot of times throughout your life when you hear a song by a band that you have never heard of before that you really like, and that leads you to buying the album. A lot of times when you do that and give the thing a listen you find that the song that you liked was really the only good cut on the album. But there other times when you hear a song like Bittersweet Symphony and buy The Verve's album and you find that the tune that led you to the album isn't even one of your favorite songs on it. I love The Verve and they are actually playing some tour dates and they are posted below along with the "Drugs Don't Work" video.


Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival

Fri 04/25/08 Indio, CA Empire Polo Field

The Verve

Sat 04/26/08 Las Vegas, NV The Pearl Concert Theater At Palms
Mon 04/28/08 New York, NY WaMu Theater At Madison Sq. Garden
Tue 04/29/08 New York, NY WaMu Theater At Madison Sq. Garden
Sat 05/31/08 Landgraaf, NET Megaland

Rock-A-Field Festival

Sat 06/21/08 Roeser, LUX Festival Grounds

T In The Park

Fri 07/11/08 Kinross, UK Balado

Hip Hop News

In music it is key to be on the next, and in the world of hip-hop there is always something new going on and you need to stay up-to-date. I was introduced to a dope site today that has hip hop forums, news, and a lot of 411 called RapArtists.com. It is a fun site to browse and RapArtists.com would like to invite everyone to pay them a visit to learn more about what's up in hip-hop.

Classic Radiohead: "Karma Police" Video

I think that there is one band from the last decade or so that is really on another level than any other, and I am quite certain that many people will disagree with this assertion. To me, however, Radiohead is just so innovative and original and has such a deep body of work that they have actually moved music somewhere that it hadn't previously been. The thing about them that is unique is that I could post any song that they have ever done and feel as though they were about equally representative of how good this band is. Enjoy the "Karma Police" video below.

Wear The Wear

It has always been cool to wear clothes that reflect your tastes in music and the culture that arises out of that genre. Hip-hop culture is extremely artistic and expressive, and the living legend Jay-Z has set a fantastic example artistically, but he has also demonstrated a keen business sense and maximized his financial position brilliantly with the Roca Wear line. Personally, I like to shop online, so when I am looking for Roca Wear Clothing I simply point my browser toward RocaWear.com and feast my eyes on the mind blowing selection that they have there at all times. Why waste time and gas when you can visit RocaWear.com and point and click your way to the hottest urban apparel on the market today?

R.E.M. Tour Dates

I am proud to be able to say that I once lived in Athens, Georgia and I even got to play one little gig there and I met some great people. There has always been a vibrant music scene in Athens, and of course the town has produced some big bands but none any bigger than rock and roll superstars R.E.M.. The boys are hitting the road this spring and summer and these shows will be one of the major events of the 2008 concert season. Check out the dates below, find one near you, and go see R.E.M!

Mon 03/24/08 London, UK Royal Albert Hall
Fri 05/23/08 Burnaby, BC Deer Lake Park
Sat 05/24/08 Quincy, WA Gorge Amphitheatre
Thu 05/29/08 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
Sat 05/31/08 Berkeley, CA Greek Theatre
Tue 06/03/08 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Fri 06/06/08 Chicago, IL United Center
Sun 06/08/08 Toronto, ON The Molson Amphitheatre
Tue 06/10/08 Raleigh, NC Time Warner Music Pavilion
Wed 06/11/08 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
Fri 06/13/08 Mansfield, MA Tweeter Center For Perf. Arts
Sat 06/14/08 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Theater
Wed 06/18/08 Philadelphia, PA Mann Music Center
Thu 06/19/08 New York, NY TBA
Sat 06/21/08 Atlanta, GA Lakewood Amphitheatre
Wed 07/02/08 Amsterdam, NET Westerpark

The Links

I live in Las Vegas, and we are blessed here in a couple of different ways. We have many great concert venues here in town, and artists love to come to Las Vegas, so the music lovers always have many concert choices available to them at all times. Another thing that is fantastic about Las Vegas is the incredible golfing that we have here. The weather is conducive to hitting the links year around, and we have some of the most incredible courses that you will find anywhere on the planet. If you are interested in a Las Vegas discount golf package the best resource that I am aware of is LasVegasGolfing.com. This is the definitive site for golfing in Las Vegas and they have done the research for you, so visit LasVegasGolfing.com and save yourself some precious time and money.

Angry Samoans I Lost (my mind) Video

When it comes to music I guess I can tell when the musicians have a lot of skill and when they don't inmost instances, but I don't choose what I actually like based on the level of skill that the players possess. I like what I like and I guess that the common thread that runs through all of the music that I do like is that it is made by real people who are expressing themselves in a genuine manner. I have always liked the Angry Samoans, and below is a video for the song I Lost (my mind) from back in 1988.

Debt Counseling

It is not uncommon for the musician to use credit frequently. Musicians need to purchase expensive equipment to ply their trade, and they are often on the road for extended periods of time running up travel expenses, and over time, the utilization of credit can add up and become a problem that needs to be addressed. Many people do not know where to turn for Debt Counseling, but a good online resource that I am aware of is DebtConsolidation.com. You can learn a lot about debt relief on their site and they would like to invite everyone to pay them a visit. Knowledge is power, and DebtConsolidation.com has the power to assist you in becoming debt-free.

Cell Phone Accessories

One of the things that is challenging about being a musician is the fact that you are often on the road and away from our family and friends. It used to be very hard to keep in touch, but these days we have cell phones and can contact our loved ones at any time from anywhere, and that makes life on the road a lot more tolerable. There are so many cell phone choices on the market today that is hard to keep track of them all, but there is one web site that I know of that has accessories for just about every cell phone: SFPlanet.com. If you are looking for Cheap Mobile Phone Accessories SFPlanet.com is the site for you. Pay them a visit and I am certain that you will be as impressed as I am.

Classic Blues Chords and Lyrics: Big Boss Man

I learned so much about music, and other things, for that matter, through my years of interest in the Grateful Dead that it is hard to overstate the importance of the role that they have played in my life. The original line-up included Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, whose dad was a San Francisco Bay area blues deejay. Pigpen was steeped in the blues and he brought that influence to the band. I mention the Dead's influence on me because I heard a lot of blues numbers performed by them that were written by various blues legends, most notably Willie Dixon, and that led me to the source. I once heard an interview with Bob Weir, and he was saying that he had the opportunity to sit down and write a song with Willie Dixon. He said that the great man looked him in the eye and told him, "You have to understand the wisdom of the blues." Here are the lyrics and chords to "Big Boss Man" courtesy of RuKind.org.



(Pigpen Photo: DeadNet)




Big Boss Man
Smith/Dixon

A
Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
D A
Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
E7 D A
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.

A
You got me working boss man,
A
A-workin' around the clock,
A
I want a little drink of whiskey,
A7
You sure won't let me stop.
D A
Callin’ Big boss man, can't you hear me when I call?
E D A
You ain't so big, you just tall, that's just about all.

I'm gonna get me a boss man,
One gonna treat me right,
I work hard in the daytime,
Sure get drunk at night.

Harmonize Your Decor

When you listen to music with a discerning ear, you can really hear the little details that prove the true quality of the piece. And when you dress for the stage, it is often the accessories that put your look over the top. In the same manner, when you are decorating your home, the way that you get the most out of it is to attend to all of the details and do everything that you can to make your space come alive and look hip. Utilizing effects like curtains with matching pillows around the room is the kind of thing I'm talking about, and I saw a good web site today called ContempoCurtains.com that has some awesome modern window treatments. Visit their site to make the most of your digs.

Inspirational Environment

As a musician I think that we can gain inspiration from our surroundings, and it is important to enjoy the space within which you live and work. I saw a really cool blog today that is focused on interior design called ABCFineDesignBlog.com. They offer their visitors a wealth of interior design tips and they would like to invite everyone to explore their blog. Check out ABC and make your home all that it can be.

Mark Sandman and Morphine

A very cool band that everyone needs to listen to if they have never gotten around to it is the band Morphine. They are truly original and unique and I think that they cut across many different musical tastes. It is kind of jazzy, but laid back, and the lyrics are edgy and literary. The band was the brainchild of Mark Sandman, who died in 1999 after collapsing on stage. Below is a video of the band performing the song "Cure For Pain."

Lone Star Fun

I have mentioned Austin, Texas, quite frequently on this blog because there is such a vibrant music scene there, but the entire state of Texas loves its music, and the good folks that I have met from the Lone Star State love to get outdoors as well. A lot of people enjoy ATVs here in Las Vegas because of all the surrounding open spaces, and in Texas there are many ATV enthusiasts as well for similar reasons. If you are into ATV off road racing and ATVs in general and you live in Texas or plan on visiting you need to check out TexasATVs.com. It is a great site for connecting with others who share your interest in ATVs and there is always a wealth of valuable information being shared on the site. Check out TexasATVs.com because you work hard, and you deserve to play hard too.

Baby Phat

Anyone who has studied the history of hip-hop culture is familiar with the name of Russell Simmons. He has parlayed his successes in the music business admirably, including the extremely popular Phat Farm clothing line and of course Kimora Lee Simmons has riffed on the original concept and built the Baby Phat line as well. If you are interested in a very cool Internet shopping experience, check out the Baby Phat Reviews at Shogging.com. Shogging.com is interactive so users can blog about their experiences and the site also enables you to compare prices so that you are always getting the best value. Visit Shogging.com to enjoy a truly fresh shopping experience.

Traffic: Dear Mr. Fantasy Chords and Lyrics

There are a few super bands that sometimes slip between the cracks when you are considering some of the greatest rock groups of all time, and I think that Traffic is one of those. Everything that Steve Winwood is involved in seems to turn into a classic, and with Jim Capaldi, Chris Wood, and Dave Mason comprising the rest of Traffic the results were amazing. Below are the chords and lyrics of the Traffic tune "Dear Mr. Fantasy," plus a video thrown in for good measure.

Dear Mr. Fantasy
(Capaldi/Wood/Winwood)

G F C G

G F
Dear Mr. Fantasy play us a tune,
C G
Something to make us all happy.

Do anything to keep us out of this gloom
Sing a song, play guitar, make it snappy.

You are the one who makes us all glad
But doing that, you break down in tears

Please don't be sad if it was a straight life you had
We wouldn't have known you all these years.

Em G
Em G
Em G
F D

(rukind)

Enjoy Oysters

I used to live on the gulf coast in Florida and I played music at a particular beach club. It was a lot of fun and the atmosphere was everything that you would expect from a place that was just steps from the sand and surf. The food was great, and I would see the waitresses bringing out big plates of oysters, and though they looked kind of challenging to eat, I felt like I had to try them. I actually liked them quite a bit and my taste for them developed more and more. There is talk of a health risk associated with eating oysters, but they are now implementing post-harvest processes that lessen the risks. There is nothing like Gulf oysters, and I saw a great Web presence today that can educate the consumer about the safe consumption of this delicious treat called BeOysterAware.com. Check out the site and enjoy your fair share of oysters this summer.

Beatles Chords and Lyrics: Hey Jude

In many ways rock and roll music was looked down upon early on, and "real musicians" decried rockers as lacking in any real musical talent. I think that The Beatles and the the subsequent body of work that they built did a lot to silence rock music's critics, and it is still incredible to think that one group created all of those songs. Below are the chords and lyrics to "Hey Jude."

Hey Jude
(Lennon/McCartney)

F C
Hey Jude, don't make it bad
C7 C7sus4 C7 F
Take a sad song and make it better
Bb F
Remember to let her into your heart
C7 F
Then you can start to make it better


Hey Jude, don't be afraid
You were made to go out and get her
The minute you let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better

F7 Bb
And any time you feel the pain
Bb/A Gm7
Hey Jude, refrain
Gm7/F C7/E C7 F
Don't carry the world upon your shoulders
F7 Bb
For well you know that it's a fool
Bb/A Gm7
Who plays it cool
Gm7/F C7/E C7 F
By making his world a little colder
F7 C7 SN- E F G G
Da da da da da da da da da


Hey Jude, don't let me down
You have found her, now go and get her
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

So let it out and let it in
Hey Jude, begin
You're waiting for someone to perform with
And don't you know that it's just you
Hey Jude, you'll do
The movement you need is on your shoulder
Da da da da da da da da da

Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her under your skin
Then you begin to make it better

F
Better, better, better, better, better, oh

F
Da da da
Eb
Da da da da
Bb
Da da da da
F
Hey Jude

(rukind)

Looking Your Best

I live in Las Vegas so I have the opportunity to visit Los Angeles quite a bit, and L.A. is unquestionably the home of the "beautiful people," and folks there are very conscious of their appearance. There is a certain hint of Los Angeles in the culture here, so that vibe is present in Las Vegas as well. Plastic surgery is something that many musicians and entertainers of all stripes utilize to maximize their appearance, and if you are looking for a med spa Georgia a good web site to visit is MMedicalSpa.com. They serve the Atlanta community and are dedicated to helping people to feel good about themselves. If you are in the ATL visit their site and consider whether or not their offerings are right for you.

Roger Waters Tour Dates

Like so many people of my generation, I grew up with Pink Floyd and they had a very big influence on my development as a person and as a musician. They sound expansive as can be, but when you analyze it, they achieve that epic sound simply and by creating a big space in their recordings. I was fortunate enough to see Pink Floyd around 1977 or '78 on the Animals tour at the Spectrum in Philadelphia and it was truly one of my top ten concert experiences of all time. Roger Waters is hitting the road, and here are the upcoming dates for those seeking a taste of Floyd.

Roger Waters

Wed 04/30/08 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
Fri 05/02/08 Dallas, TX Superpages.com Centre
Sun 05/04/08 The Woodlands, TX Mitchell Pavilion
Sun 05/11/08 Landgraaf, NET Megaland
Tue 05/13/08 Odense V., DEN Fionia Park
Thu 05/15/08 Liverpool, UK Echo Arena
Sun 05/18/08 London, UK O2 Arena
Mon 05/19/08 London, UK O2 Arena

Web Based Training

As a musician who has been playing for 30 years, I have seen so many changes in the way that we make, record and listen to music that it is staggering. There is another aspect of music that has changed tremendously as well, and that is the way that we learn to play music. There are so many online learning tools today that the aspiring musician has many advantages that we did not have when I was coming up, but of course I can and do use them now. Computer and web-based training is a quantum leap for businesses as well, and a good source for eLearning tools is ResourceBridge.net. If you want to train your employees utilizing the latest, proven eLearning methodologies, look no further that the CBT experts at Resource Bridge.

Bob Dylan Chords and Lyrics: All Along The Watchtower

Bob Dylan wrote so many good songs that other people covered you can sometimes forget that he was in fact the composer, not the musician who popularized the tune. All Along The Watchtower is perhaps the best example of this, and personally I have always liked playing the song in jams because it is east to play, but powerful and cool in its own right. Here is the tune and a video below:


All Along The Watchtower
(Bob Dylan)

Am G F G

Am G F G
"There must be some kinda way out of here"
Am G F G
Said the joker to the thief
Am G F G
"There’s too much confusion,
Am G F G
I can’t get no relief
Am G F G
Businessmen, they drink my wine,
Am G F G
Plow men dig my earth
Am G F G
None of them along the line
Am G F G
Know what any of it is worth"


"No reason to get excited"
The thief he kindly spoke
"There are many here among
Us who feel that life is but a joke
But, you and I, we’ve been through that
And this is not our fate
So let us not talk falsely now,
Because the hour is getting late"

All along the watchtower
Princes kept their view
While other women came and went
Barefoot servants, too
Outside in the cold distance
A wild cat did growl
Two riders were approaching
And the wind began to howl.

Austin Real Estate

There are a few cities in the country that are synonymous with music, and New Orleans, Athens, Georgia, and Nashville, Tennessee immediately come to mind, but another city that thrives musically is Austin, Texas. If you want to buy or sell real estate in Austin, TX GoldwasserRealEstate.com is your source for expertise and information. Visit their site and get your own back porch for pickin' and grinnin'.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss Tour Dates

The big Led Zep reunion brought with it hints of a full fledged concert tour, and that is still a whispered possibility. One of the things that I love about playing music is that you can continue to do it all of your life, so to me, it is great to see aging musicians still plying their craft. While we wait for Zeppelin, Robert Plant is touring with Alison Krauss this spring, and here are some of the dates:

Sat 04/26/08 Birmingham, AL BJCC Arena
Mon 05/05/08 Birmingham, UK The NIA
Wed 05/07/08 Manchester, UK Apollo Manchester
Thu 05/08/08 Cardiff, UK Cardiff International Arena
Sat 05/10/08 Dusseldorf, GER Philipshalle
Sun 05/11/08 Brussels, BEL Forest National
Tue 05/13/08 Paris, FRA Grand Rex
Wed 05/14/08 Amsterdam, NET Heineken Music Hall
Fri 05/16/08 Stockholm, SWE Hovet
Sun 05/18/08 Oslo, NOR Oslo Spektrum Arena ANS
Mon 05/19/08 Bergen, NOR Bergenshallen
Mon 06/02/08 Roanoke, VA Roanoke Civic Center
Wed 06/04/08 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Thu 06/05/08 Boston, MA Bank Of America Pavilion
Sat 06/07/08 Canandaigua, NY Sands PAC
Sun 06/08/08 Atlantic City, NJ Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa
Tue 06/10/08 New York, NY Madison Sq. Garden
Fri 06/13/08 Columbia, MD Merriweather Post Pavilion
Sat 06/14/08 Asheville, NC Asheville Civic Center

Big Bout Buzz

I live here in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada, and I like to stay abreast of the entertainment listings here as you might expect. As a musician and a lover of many types of music it is amazing to see all of the great concerts that are constantly being offered to music fans here in town. As much as I like to go to see a good concert, I must admit that I enjoy going to see a great sporting event almost as much, and when you live here in Las Vegas you have a lot of opportunities to see some of the most exciting sporting events that there are anywhere on earth. We have the National Finals Rodeo here each and every year, and just a couple of weeks ago we hosted a major NASCAR event, and that was a lot of fun.

There is one sport in particular that is synonymous with Sin City, and that is the sport of boxing. The world of pugilism is abuzz right now about the news of a rematch between Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather that is rumored to be a nearly finalized deal. This bout is said to be scheduled for either September 13 or September 20th. If you are interested in De La Hoya vs Mayweather tickets the one site that always has what you are looking for is TeamOneTickets.com. This is going to be one of the premier boxing events of the decade and I recommend getting your tickets as soon as possible. Visit Team One for tickets to the big fight and start getting ready to rumble.

Grateful Dead Chords and Lyrics: Bertha

When I look back on it, if I combine the Grateful Dead shows that I have seen with the Jerry Garcia Band shows that I was fortunate enough to attend I was in the same room with Jerry Garcia about a hundred times. I once saw in the Guinness Book of World Records that the Grateful Dead have actually been seen by more different people than any other humans in history. They clearly struck a chord with many, and there are others who just don't get them. For those that do, here are the chords and lyrics to "Bertha":

Bertha
(Garcia/Hunter)

G C G C G C G
G C G C G C G

C
I had a hard run,
G C G C G C G
Runnin' from your window.
C
I was all night running, running,
G C G C G C G
Lord I wonder if you care,
C
I had a run in,
G C G C G C G
Run around, and run down.
C
Run around the corner, corner,
G C G C G C G
Lord run smack into a tree.

C C# D Am G C D
I had to move, really had to move,
C G D C
That's why if you please, I am on my bended knees,
Am C G C G C G C G
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.

Dressed myself in green,
I went down unto the sea.
Try to see what's goin' down,
Try to read between the lines.
I had a feelin' I was fallin', fallin', fallin',
I turned around to see,
Heard a voice al callin',
Lord you was commin' after me.

I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, I am on my bended knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore.

Ran into a rainstorm,
I ducked back into a bar door.
It's all night pourin', pourin', pourin',
Lord but not a drop on me.
Test me, test me, Test me, test me, test me,
Why don't you arrest me?
Throw me in to the jailhouse,
Lord until the sun goes down, ('till it goes down.)

I had to move, really had to move,
That's why if you please, I am on my bended knees,
Bertha don't you come around here anymore

(rukind)

Credit For Musicians and Others

One of the things about being a musician that is a dichotomy is the fact that you need expensive, quality musical gear to sound good, but musicians often times don't make a lot of money, so it is hard to be able to afford the stuff that you need to sound good enough to make money with your music. One way that musicians meet this challenge is through the utilization of credit, and there is a lot of competition for your business. It is best to obtain 0 interest credit cards whenever possible, and Consumers.Creditnet.com is a veritable cornucopia of credit related information. I highly recommend visiting their site and tapping into the vast stores of information that they have compiled in an effort to assist the consumer in making intelligent credit decisions.

Hieroglyphics: You Never Know Video

There are some super groups that we have all heard of in rock that are assemblages of all-star talent, and there are also extraordinary assemblages of talent in some hip-hop crews as well, and one of them that immediately comes to mind is the Wu-Tang Clan. Out on the west coast in northern California there is a hip-hop super group called Hieroglyphics that spit mad knowledge in an extremely intelligent and literate manner. Check out this vid for "You Never Know":

Restaurants and Bars

I was listening to a local musician being interviewed on the radio once and he was asked a question about the "music business," and he laughed and said that he wasn't in the music business, he was in the bar business because the only money he was making was through playing in watering holes. Musicians are no strangers to bars and restaurants, and the character and comfort of these places has everything to do with the furniture that they have. There is nothing like sitting down on a comfortable and sturdy stool or chair, and I saw a very well designed, user friendly web site today for bar and restaurant furniture called AffordableSeating.net. If you are looking for commercial bar stools, Affordable Seating is your online source. Visit their site to ensure the comfort of your guests.

Bob Dylan Chords and Lyrics: Masterpiece

Bob Dylan never ceases to amaze, and perhaps the coolest thing about Dylan is that over all of the years he has never done anything that is really uninspired. If I was stuck on the proverbial desert island, and I could only play the songs of a single composer, I would choose Bob Dylan with no hesitation whatsoever. Here are the chords and lyrics to the Bob Dylan tune "Masterpiece," which is one of my favorites, along with a video of Dylan performing the tune.



Masterpiece
(Dylan)

G C G
Oh, the streets of Rome
G C G
Are filled with rubble
D G C G
Ancient footprints are everywhere
C G
You can almost think that you're seeing double
D C G
On a cold dark night on the spanish stairs

D G C G
Got to hurry on back to my hotel room
D G C G
Where I got me a date with Botticelli's niece
C G
Yeah, she promised that she'd be right there with me
D G C G
When I paint my masterpiece

Oh the hours that I've spent inside the coliseum
Dodging lions and wasting time
Oh these mighty kings of the jungle I can hardly stand to see'em
Yes, it sure has been a long hard climb

Train wheels runnin through the back of my memory
When I ran on the hilltop following a pack of wild geese
Someday everything's gonna be smooth like a rhapsody
When I paint my masterpiece

A D A A D A
I left Rome and landed in Brussels
E A D A
On plane ride so bumpy that I almost cried
A D A
Clergymen in uniform and young girls pulling bustles
E A
Everyone was there to greet me when I stepped inside

E A D A
Newspaper men Eating candy
E A
Had to be held down by big police
A D A
Someday everything's gonna be different
E A
When I paint my masterpiece

Grateful Dead Chords and Lyrics: Looks Like Rain

It must be hard trying to play guitar in the same band as someone with as comprehensive a command of the instrument as Jerry Garcia, but Bob Weir found a way to be relevant by using interesting chordal inversions and placing them in the perfect spots sort of like a piano player in a quartet comping during a horn player's solo. He was also a great song writer, and many of his songs are difficult to play. "Looks Like Rain" is one of my favorite compositions by anyone and it demonstrates Weir's genius as a songwriter. (I must mention that Barlow's lyrics aren't too shabby either.)

Looks Like Rain
(Weir/Barlow)

E (SN) Ab AbhA B

E A C#7 F#m
I woke today, felt your side of the bed;
E B C#m F#m E
The covers were still warm where you’d been layin'.
C#m Bm A C#7 F#m
You were gone, oh gone, my heart was filled with dread;
E B C#m F#m E
You might not be sleeping here again.
Asus4 A Asus4 A
But it's alright cause I love you,
F#m D A E
And that's not going to change.
F#m B E G#sus4 G#
Run me around and make me hurt again and again.
C#m A
But I'll still sing you love songs,
E C#m B G# C#m F#m
Written in the letters of your name.
E Asus4 A
And brave the storm to come,
F#m E Asus4 A F#m E
For it surely looks like rain

Did you ever waken to the sound of street cats making love?
And guess from the cries you were listening to a fight.
Well you know, oh-oh , hate’s just the last thing they're thinking of.
They're only tryin' to make it through the night.

I only want to hold you, I don't want to tie you down
Or fence you in the lines I might've drawn.
It's just that I, oh I, have gotten used to havin' you around.
The landscape would be empty, if you were gone;
But it's alright cause I love you,
And that's not going to change.
Run me around and make me hurt again and again.
But I'll still sing you love songs,
Written in the letter of your name.
And brave the storm to come,
For it surely looks like rain.

(rukind)

Babatunde Olatunji

San Francisco is one of my favorite places on the planet, and I have had the pleasure of attending a lot of concerts in the Bay Area, and I even got to play in San Francisco once at a place called the Tongue and Groove. One of the best times I ever had in the City was hanging around North Beach all evening at Vesuvio and then going to see Babtunde Olatunji perform around the corner. This man was a musical force that was powerful beyond description, and he is very influential to anyone studying African percussion.

Public Enemy Tour Dates

Every once is a while I see an event that is taking place somewhere that really seems like it would be kind of a dream trip for me to take. I was just browsing around the Web seeing who was on tour and where, and I saw some dates that look like they would be fantastic to plan a trip around. I have never been to England I have always wanted to visit, and I have never seen Public Enemy and I have always longed to take in a PE show. Public Enemy is playing some dates in the Ireland and the U.K. in May and they are listed below:

Wed 05/21/08 Bristol, UK Carling Bristol Academy
Thu 05/22/08 Norwich, UK Univ. Of East Anglia
Fri 05/23/08 London, UK Carling Academy Brixton
Sat 05/24/08 Cambridge, UK The Junction
Sun 05/25/08 Dublin, IRE Tripod
Mon 05/26/08 Manchester, UK Manchester Academy
Tue 05/27/08 Glasgow, UK ABC1
Wed 05/28/08 Nottingham, UK Rock City

MF Doom

There is a whole lot to hip-hop culture that many people don't understand, and I have been fortunate enough to dig deeply enough into it to find a lot of really good music that has enriched me in many ways. I just listened to the MF Doom joint Operation: Doomsday and I haven't listened to it in a while. It really reminded me of how good the guy is. He makes great beats and rocks the mic with the best of them. Check out this Doom vid:

Jim Carroll Band: People Who Died

I am a big fan of gritty counterculture writers like Bukowski, Kerouac, Burroughs, and Thompson. These writers are all very different, but I think it's safe to say that people who enjoy the work of one of them often like the others as well. Any time you consider the classic works of the counterculture you have to include The Basketball Diaries by Jim Carroll. If you have seen the movie but you haven't read the book, I highly recommend the book. I have always really liked the album "Catholic Boy" by the Jim Carroll Band. Check out "People Who Died," it is truly a gem on an album that is full of them.

Van Halen Concert Dates

I have never been a big fan of arena rock, but Van Halen is so much fun that they are irresistible in some way. The heyday of David Lee Roth and the whole rock star schtick was kind of like a parody when you look back on it, but a good one. I guess everyone has heard the story of Van Halen demanding that there be M & M's in the backstage food spread with the brown ones removed. Ah, the life of the rock star ... the boys are on the road once more, and here are the dates:

Mon 03/03/08 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
Wed 03/05/08 Cincinnati, OH U.S. Bank Arena
Fri 03/07/08 Raleigh, NC RBC Center
Sun 03/09/08 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
Tue 03/11/08 Charlottesville, VA John Paul Jones Arena
Thu 03/13/08 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
Mon 03/17/08 New York, NY Madison Square Garden Arena
Wed 03/19/08 Duluth, GA The Arena At Gwinnett Center
Fri 03/21/08 Pittsburgh, PA Mellon Arena
Mon 03/24/08 Providence, RI Dunkin' Donuts Center
Wed 03/26/08 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Fri 03/28/08 Atlantic City, NJ Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
Sun 03/30/08 Saint Louis, MO Scottrade Center
Tue 04/01/08 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
Thu 04/03/08 Rosemont, IL Allstate Arena
Sat 04/05/08 Grand Rapids, MI Van Andel Arena
Mon 04/07/08 Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
Wed 04/09/08 Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
Fri 04/11/08 Hershey, PA Giant Center