So, I have learned a lot during this whole thing...like don't drink (too much) and tape, don't NOT tape and drink (too much), don't NOT tape if at all possible, among other wonderful lessons associated with alcohol consumption.
But the most important lesson, or at least the one I can talk about here....came a long time ago, but has been very important in this musical journey of mine.
See (and I am going to get all sad on y'all again, sorry), my grandma's memorial service was yesterday. My Dad bravely got up and read a little statement and talked about his most memorable lesson he learned from his mother and it was to "Always look people in the eye."
And he said he has carried that with him his whole life, and has passed that lesson along to his kids.
So a derivative of that is to "Never meet a stranger."
And so far, I haven't. If you are a stranger it is for one of two reasons -
1. We haven't met yet or 2. I wanted you to stay a stranger (this is not necessarily an insult, I have to keep the excitement up somehow...lol)
I try hard to make friends and not enemies when I do what I do. I am not a jerk, even though I have a bit of a "filter problem". I am not judgmental - this is probably to a fault.
And it take a LOT to make me really really angry, and most of the time though I want to do this:
...and know I CAN do that, I don't. Because I believe in karma, big time.
Ok, so this week - tomorrow I get to see Cage the Elephant, Manchester Orchestra and Silversun Pickups again. And this time, I am going to try to be sans camera and just be a fan. I need to be a fan right now, actually. Balance things out a little bit...
Then Thursday I get to see (and hopefully tape!) Jason Castro.
Friday my new friends Electric Chameleon are playing in Roanoke, and I will definitely be getting some tape from that show.
Things are happening in the business. I got my .com set, and now I need to "make it official", so to speak.
And remember in my last post when I told you about my illegal video of Trent Wagler and the Steel Wheels? Yeah, here it is. Enjoy:
9/20/09
Cyclical...
I have so much to talk about that I don't know where to begin...but I have never really been all that faithful to starting at the very beginning of something anyway, so I guess that is what works for me.
We all (hopefully) have someone that empowers us....someone that loves and supports us unconditionally, no matter how much we fuck up and no matter how stupid our decisions are. That same someone will be the first to congratulate you on an accomplishment, or know before you do that you are going to succeed at something.
I am fortunate to have several people that fit that bill - but extremely fortunate to have had one of them in my life as long as I did.
On Monday, September 14th, the Lord took my grandmother (Mamama) into the light. She had been sick with cancer, Multiple Myeloma, since 2004 and had her good and bad days.
Only July 16th, she went into an emergency surgery and my entire family was told to prepare for the worst. Long story short, she survived the surgery but decided against any further heroic measures, medical treatment, or nourishment - essentially making the decision to pass away naturally. On July 17th, hooked up to a ventilator and several monitors, she said her goodbyes to each of the members of my family. And then they removed the machinery.
Over 2 months, 4 more goodbyes, a very long, unpredictable summer and one of the hardest letters I have ever written later....Mamama passed on from her life here on Earth.
I don't even really have it in me to write more about it, and really it has nothing to do with Behind the Lens....and everything to do with Behind the Lens.
2 days after Mamama passed away, I was sitting in a Panera, checking my email, getting ready to do my "real job" and lo and behold I read something that puts my emotions in the kind of limbo they did not need to be in in a public place...
Jason Castro is coming to Roanoke...my stomping grounds...for a cancer benefit event.
I know this might sound silly, but one of the things I have wanted to do since the inception of my little business/hobby is tape Jason...for real.
And I don't know if I will get to do that or not, I haven't done the research.
But the jolt that went through me when I saw this event announced is a little hard to describe.
And then, I scrolled through my phone and the first person I wanted to call was Mamama....and I couldn't. And that hit me like a ton of bricks. But I know she knows.
She got up there (with Patrick Swayze, of all people!) and made the right friends (a genetic gift she passed along to me, thank goodness) and pulled some strings. So she knows. And even if I don't tape that show, she will be with me and my Mom there, in spirit.
Moving along, to another cycle, this one a little less heavy - but still just as important.
There are 2 dates in the Behind the Lens/my little business history that are very important.
Sept. 20, 2008 was the first one - which was the day I saw Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights for the first time.
Know what I did to celebrate today?
Saw Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. Granted...it was 3 minutes of JT playing the harp with Sons of Bill in a venue at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival that had a sparkly pink castle on stage, with an audience (bless them) of an average age of probably 42...It was still seeing them, getting a hug and a chat in, and delivering some baked goodies to a band that is and always will be like a steady heartbeat for me. It was special, in my little world.
This is going to be a "very big band" [/Jeff Bebe, Almost Famous] and you all mark my words....and days like today will be fleeting.
But after they left, I hung around the fest and am glad I did for 2 reasons -
Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels and Ian Thomas
Didn't I say I wanted to "discover" a new band each month? And my "silent goal" was to cover as many genres as possible.
Mission accomplished for Sept.
Stay tuned for the video that I learned, thankfully not the hard way, that I shouldn't have been able to take.
Until then...enjoy my videos from my random jaunt last week. SOJA and The Movement are in Cali until the end of the month, and then trekking back East, hitting a bunch of cities. Please take a look at their schedules, check out of the H.D.T (I am not telling what that acronym means publicly, by the way...) if you can. Tell them I sent you...
Next up...a trip to Baltimore for "real work", then Villanova this weekend.
Then Silversun Pickups next week.
Then Jason Castro, who will be with another Idol, Blake Lewis.
Then hopefully Citizen Cope, before another SSPU sighting.
Also, keep an eye out for me to get serious-er about my biz...meaning links and stuff.
And who knows what else...because my life, while very good, is also crazy.
Until next time...
"I dig music." [/Russell Hammond, Almost Famous]
We all (hopefully) have someone that empowers us....someone that loves and supports us unconditionally, no matter how much we fuck up and no matter how stupid our decisions are. That same someone will be the first to congratulate you on an accomplishment, or know before you do that you are going to succeed at something.
I am fortunate to have several people that fit that bill - but extremely fortunate to have had one of them in my life as long as I did.
On Monday, September 14th, the Lord took my grandmother (Mamama) into the light. She had been sick with cancer, Multiple Myeloma, since 2004 and had her good and bad days.
Only July 16th, she went into an emergency surgery and my entire family was told to prepare for the worst. Long story short, she survived the surgery but decided against any further heroic measures, medical treatment, or nourishment - essentially making the decision to pass away naturally. On July 17th, hooked up to a ventilator and several monitors, she said her goodbyes to each of the members of my family. And then they removed the machinery.
Over 2 months, 4 more goodbyes, a very long, unpredictable summer and one of the hardest letters I have ever written later....Mamama passed on from her life here on Earth.
I don't even really have it in me to write more about it, and really it has nothing to do with Behind the Lens....and everything to do with Behind the Lens.
2 days after Mamama passed away, I was sitting in a Panera, checking my email, getting ready to do my "real job" and lo and behold I read something that puts my emotions in the kind of limbo they did not need to be in in a public place...
Jason Castro is coming to Roanoke...my stomping grounds...for a cancer benefit event.
I know this might sound silly, but one of the things I have wanted to do since the inception of my little business/hobby is tape Jason...for real.
And I don't know if I will get to do that or not, I haven't done the research.
But the jolt that went through me when I saw this event announced is a little hard to describe.
And then, I scrolled through my phone and the first person I wanted to call was Mamama....and I couldn't. And that hit me like a ton of bricks. But I know she knows.
She got up there (with Patrick Swayze, of all people!) and made the right friends (a genetic gift she passed along to me, thank goodness) and pulled some strings. So she knows. And even if I don't tape that show, she will be with me and my Mom there, in spirit.
Moving along, to another cycle, this one a little less heavy - but still just as important.
There are 2 dates in the Behind the Lens/my little business history that are very important.
Sept. 20, 2008 was the first one - which was the day I saw Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights for the first time.
Know what I did to celebrate today?
Saw Jonathan Tyler and the Northern Lights. Granted...it was 3 minutes of JT playing the harp with Sons of Bill in a venue at the Bristol Rhythm and Roots Festival that had a sparkly pink castle on stage, with an audience (bless them) of an average age of probably 42...It was still seeing them, getting a hug and a chat in, and delivering some baked goodies to a band that is and always will be like a steady heartbeat for me. It was special, in my little world.
This is going to be a "very big band" [/Jeff Bebe, Almost Famous] and you all mark my words....and days like today will be fleeting.
But after they left, I hung around the fest and am glad I did for 2 reasons -
Trent Wagler & the Steel Wheels and Ian Thomas
Didn't I say I wanted to "discover" a new band each month? And my "silent goal" was to cover as many genres as possible.
Mission accomplished for Sept.
Stay tuned for the video that I learned, thankfully not the hard way, that I shouldn't have been able to take.
Until then...enjoy my videos from my random jaunt last week. SOJA and The Movement are in Cali until the end of the month, and then trekking back East, hitting a bunch of cities. Please take a look at their schedules, check out of the H.D.T (I am not telling what that acronym means publicly, by the way...) if you can. Tell them I sent you...
Next up...a trip to Baltimore for "real work", then Villanova this weekend.
Then Silversun Pickups next week.
Then Jason Castro, who will be with another Idol, Blake Lewis.
Then hopefully Citizen Cope, before another SSPU sighting.
Also, keep an eye out for me to get serious-er about my biz...meaning links and stuff.
And who knows what else...because my life, while very good, is also crazy.
Until next time...
"I dig music." [/Russell Hammond, Almost Famous]
9/11/09
"Turn and face the strange, ch-ch-changes..."
Let's see...
Last I checked in...Sept. 3rd...I was on vacay with my family, had managed to catch 3 shows during that time and was going to enjoy a little beach/down time.
Check.
And on my way home, I made a little (1.5 mile) detour to see The Movement headline a lovely outdoor music fest, called The Getdown. And, in true me fashion, I got some footage. Which I am going to be working on this weekend.
I also managed to work in a little spontaneous show this week. I am not going into the details of how that worked out, but I can say with certainty that I have a finely tuned appreciation for the amount of things one can put into a 24 hour period before burning out completely.... Let's just say I need my weekend something fierce. So does my laundry. So does my car. (Bless her engine and gas mileage)
But this blog title would give indication of change...and none of the things I just mentioned are any kind of surprise or change from my "regular" routine.
The change is this - I changed the name of my business. Lots of things were behind this change, the main one being ownership, another being duplicity, another being inspiration...
So we now have 3 Hearts Media.
Why 3 Hearts?
I have a thing ("It was not a 'thing', I was very much in love, very much in love..." - Heather Mooney, Romy & Michele's High School Reunion) for octopuses.
If you actually know me, then you know this. It is a little unavoidable to know this in my "real-ish" life.
But for you new virtual friends, I do.
Eight legs...and 3 hearts. Hence the name. I always say, they are kind of my power animal - when one heart is tired or broken, just operate on another one for a while.
OR, and this is where the name comes in, 3 hearts can equal a lot of love, and passion. And I have nothing short of 3 hearts full of both of those for what I do.
This blog isn't, and will not be, a pimping site for my business, but it was an important occurrence in the past 8 days, worthy of mention for sure. And the website for it links to here...so I needed to cover my bases a bit.
Ok, gotta go for now.
I shall return with some vids and stories about my last adventure. Considering I really don't have a pending adventure right now (any takers??), I get to focus a little. And rest.
Rest is important.
Ciao.
Last I checked in...Sept. 3rd...I was on vacay with my family, had managed to catch 3 shows during that time and was going to enjoy a little beach/down time.
Check.
And on my way home, I made a little (1.5 mile) detour to see The Movement headline a lovely outdoor music fest, called The Getdown. And, in true me fashion, I got some footage. Which I am going to be working on this weekend.
I also managed to work in a little spontaneous show this week. I am not going into the details of how that worked out, but I can say with certainty that I have a finely tuned appreciation for the amount of things one can put into a 24 hour period before burning out completely.... Let's just say I need my weekend something fierce. So does my laundry. So does my car. (Bless her engine and gas mileage)
But this blog title would give indication of change...and none of the things I just mentioned are any kind of surprise or change from my "regular" routine.
The change is this - I changed the name of my business. Lots of things were behind this change, the main one being ownership, another being duplicity, another being inspiration...
So we now have 3 Hearts Media.
Why 3 Hearts?
I have a thing ("It was not a 'thing', I was very much in love, very much in love..." - Heather Mooney, Romy & Michele's High School Reunion) for octopuses.
If you actually know me, then you know this. It is a little unavoidable to know this in my "real-ish" life.
But for you new virtual friends, I do.
Eight legs...and 3 hearts. Hence the name. I always say, they are kind of my power animal - when one heart is tired or broken, just operate on another one for a while.
OR, and this is where the name comes in, 3 hearts can equal a lot of love, and passion. And I have nothing short of 3 hearts full of both of those for what I do.
This blog isn't, and will not be, a pimping site for my business, but it was an important occurrence in the past 8 days, worthy of mention for sure. And the website for it links to here...so I needed to cover my bases a bit.
Ok, gotta go for now.
I shall return with some vids and stories about my last adventure. Considering I really don't have a pending adventure right now (any takers??), I get to focus a little. And rest.
Rest is important.
Ciao.
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