Since I haven’t been able to sing or jam…I’ve been doing a lot of illustrating.  I have a lot of artwork to get done, and I’ve been honing my craft a bit more these days.  When I get time I’ll scan some of the sketches from the park I did.

Mushrooms are everywhere.  I’ve found chicken of the woods, sheepshead, shaggy mane, inky caps, honey mushrooms, amanita muscaria, and more.

I’ll be heading out with the camera soon.  My next day off is Thursday.  Been bustin’ butt workin extra hours to make cash since I was off work a week.

I’m lovin the whole “getting back into art” and “painting” and “color”…I just need a lot of work to get back to where I was before.  It seems my “perspective” has suffered a good bit in some of my drawings.

I’ll show ya what I mean later…

peace out boyscout…

There’s been a lot to say, a lot of gaps to fill in, but for the past week I’ve been just too sick to worry about any of it.

Wednesday night, last week, I was pleasantly surprised by a text message from Jarret, proposed guitarist about going to Eat’n’ Park and talking music.  It was a pleasant surprise because….he was initially the one who inquired to my ad from the get go.  All the way to Eat’n Park I was singing happily a miriad of rock tunes, but noticed my glands were puffy and it hurt to sing parts that normally were no problem. 

I met with him, and, a proposed trombone player to fill in on any of the ska tunes we do.  Well, Thursday I was getting sicker, but managed to work.  By Friday I called off, Saturday I went to the hospital, and since then have been being babied by my mother as I lay on what (I’m pretty sure was) death’s bed.  Then I had an allergic reaction to amoxacillin to where I began vomiting (with an already RAW throat). Here it is….Wednesday again…and I’m just now feeling better.  I’ve been off work since last Friday.   I’m still coughing up the occassional small yellowy-brown child though. lol…

Suffice to say, I didn’t get to jam with Jarret Sunday like we intended.  I have no vocal at all, let alone sing a song.  I’m so sick of honey and tea that I could spew everywhere.  I don’t have a voice yet, it comes and goes and I’m hacking up a lung every once in awhile to dispense the evil congestion in my lungs.

Having said that…we aren’t really putting labels on our music just yet.  We’re doing some ska songs…some rock songs….but it’s just gonna be me and Jarret at first, figuring out for sure where we’re going to take this.  It’ll just be easier to add along the way.

Stay tuned.

I truly apologize for not blogging more.  It’s just one of those periods where there is a lull in activity worth blogging about.  A lull in optimism is certainly not to blame, despite having a horrid day today which I’ve cradled and put to sleep with a bottle of 80 proof vodka and a cd of assorted rock tunes.  Creativity is flowing, but a knife of butter can only be spread so far…and I fear I’ve not been getting enough outlets to let the creativity flow.

I don’t feel like drawing.  Seriously.  I have these three drawings for the chemical plant to do, and I don’t have the urge to do them at all.  I feel uninspired artistically, but from a musical perspective I’m beginning to bloom as I get more and more comfortable with fronting a band. 

My problem is, I want instant results and I’m just not getting it because it’s not how it works in ANY realm. Whether it be art or music.

So…I’m just gonna sit here tonite and whine about it.

Boo fucking hoo!

Well, I’m officially a democrat.

Yes, that’s right, 8 years of a republican president were enough to turn even MY guts.  So many personal changes have materialized within just the past four that have completely changed my views and personal beliefs.  I’m enjoying how the McCain camp keeps playing the War Hero card (repeatedly), and fail to mention that war mongering presidents are to blame for him even having to DEAL with that in his past.

Having said that, John McCain is truly an American Hero - but is completely out of touch with what REAL people like you and I deal with everyday.  In addition, I can’t vote for a president that voted with George Bush 95% of the time. I mean honestly…add four more years of the direction we are currently heading, and you might see the end of the fucking world!

I’m voting Obama, regardless of what the bigot republicans around me are voting for.  I’m sorry, but voting for another George Bush in this country is just not what we need.  WE NEED CHANGE!!  And I noticed for the first time that a republicans primary way of winning an election is by causing FEAR and UNCERTAINTY about his democrat competitor.

—

The band thing is still evolving.

My aunt Leslie says uncle Floyd and I gave 3 Doors Down a run for their money with our rendition of Here Without You last week. (It was only a living room performance, but I’m singing in front of people none-the-less.)  I’ve been learning more about singing, my voice, and what I want to do musically with whatever band I’m in.

I’m pretty much set up to hang out with an already established band in G-wood, and had an offer to come jam with another in a different location.  I’m just waiting for them to reply to my reply.  People are showing interest…it’s just finding people with the same musical interests.

It’s so exciting…and scary at the same time.

In sharp contrast to my anxious Friday lunch, I downed half a dozen cups of coffee on a nearly empty stomach Saturday resulting in a super-boost, and then…caffeine sickness.  Yes it’s true…you can get a hangover from caffeine, and I must say that the crash was not something I ever intent to endure again!

Today? Only one cup of coffee Michael.

Oh yeah…I’ve been raking in the cash at work.  I had to work today, which is unusual being that Sunday is typically a day off for me, but I made over 80 dollars in cash so I’m not going to whine about it.

My blog is nearing 10,000 hits. :) Special thanks to Jude for pointing that out…and making me this nifty gift she made for me:

Thanks Jude!!!

Well, to say it’s been a peaceful stress-free week would be a lie.  Things have been relatively smooth sailing so far, but in stating how “easy” life was lately and how much “fun” I was having I’ve seemingly unleashed some unforseen demon who’s been kicking my ass this week.

Work has been busy.  Not a real problem I guess, minus a few stressful incidents - including todays anxiety attack amidst the clutter of the normal Friday rush.  I absolutely could not focus what-so-ever, and felt as though I was on the verge of tears with every table I took.  My heart was pounding, skipping beats, and I even had a bit of chest pain at one point as my mind raced.

I just feel so rushed lately…with everything.  I think I’m partly to blame.  You know…the whole “biting off more than you can chew, then chew it” phase.  I’m still kind of in it…but I’ve only hit the gym once this week, and I’m gaining irritability as I further myself on my quest.

On the brighter side of things, I may have a drummer OR bassist.  A good friend of mine from years back, Ryan, has resurfaced on myspace.  He’s already in a band, but wants to jam and possibly get something together.  We used to jam a bit before…but our instruments of choice have shifted. (Mine from acoustic guitar to voice, and his from drums to bass.)  This, with the fact that Jarret in Altoona is also looking for a side project with me from his band tells me that I might very well be seeing our first ever band taking shape before my own eyes.

I’m still learning these songs…there’s a good bit of them, but I should have a good bit down soon.  I should be heading over to uncle Floyds Sunday *and* Monday for some practice.  I’m really preparing myself for what lies ahead (the whole, getting up on stage in a bar thing is a bit scary afterall), and I think I’ll make a good frontman for whatever-the-name-of-our-band-will-be.

Hmm…band names.

It’s coming along, slowly - and in a completely different way than I initially predicted.

The guitarist of the proverbial ska-punk band I spoke of in Altoona had omitted that they had a singer lined up for audition before me.  This probably had something to do with the fact that the guitarist and drummer are the ones who “knew the guy”.  Thus concluding, despite Jarret’s obvious interest in my vocal abilities, I’ve not even been given the chance to audition with the band, since they went with their first choice.  What I will say about this is that I’m happy it happened this way, because when my band forms, I’ll enjoy making them sorry for their decision.

Because he still wants to work with me, Jarret discussed an acoustic side-project, which is precisely what I’m doing with my uncle Floyd.  Floyd sings in a heavy metal band, and while not the best guitar player in the world, ambles through well enough as a guitarist to allow us to work on this 20 song setlist we have underway.  The whole idea here, is really just to get me used to singing in front of people and to music. (This is NOT a band.  It’s Floyd, doing a friendly acoustic side-project with his budding vocalist nephew Michael to give him some experience.)

Basically, what we’ve done this week was re-evaluated the whole situation.  Ska, as a genre, is pretty fun.  But, as someone who’s never sang in a band, you can’t really throw yourself out into the water making demands and expectations about something so specific, especially when people have no idea who the hell you are!  So, we opted to go with my rockier side and rehearse acoustic versions from a WIDE VARIETY of artists, and songs that I enjoy.  Who knows?  It may end being a modern hard rock band that I sing for afterall.

Our acoustic practice list so far…

LIVE - The Beauty of Gray, Dolphin’s Cry, Lightning Crashes

3 Doors Down - Kryptonite, Here Without You

Stone Sour - Through Glass

Trapt - Echo, Headstrong

Crossfade - Cold

30 Seconds to Mars - The Kill

Seether - Broken

Finger 11 - I’ll Keep Your Memory Vague

Hoobastank - The Reason

Sublime - Rivers of Babylon

Matchbox 20 - Unwell

So, while the idea of singing for a ska-punk band like Sublime tickles my pickle, I’m kind of enjoying the thought of doing hard rock stuff like Trapt, Crossfade, Finger Eleven and such.  For now, I’m just losing any boundries that might be set by genres, and I’m doing all kinds of stuff to give me a good background vocally to help me with my ideal goal: GET IN A BAND.

Working on it… 

It’s been one helluva day. I made 170 dollars at work (11 - 7) and I work again tomorrow before “my weekend” begins.  I have a ton to catch you all up on ranging from my meeting at Alby Chem (about illustrations) to my acoustic sessions with Uncle F.

I think you’ll be surprised with our setlist thus far.

I’m a bit irritated. Due to a “third party claiming rights” to the video, YouTube has removed the wonderful collection of Def Leppard’s ABBEY ROAD performances this afternoon. They were splendid indeed. It’s nice to see the band work in raw form, mingling and discussing. Rehearsing, and re-doing. It’s all so interesting. I posted one of the videos here for all to view, but alas! I ended up deleting it because it would no longer play.

So…I woke up today about 9:30ish. I’ve been having pretty late nites, and between going to the gym and work my body just needed a rest today. Chores and such have piled themselves around me, so I had to eliminate some of the ones that have been bothering me:

- dirty laundry (done)
- cleaning out my car (done)

Rather than go fishing (which was my original plan for the day), I’ve opted to go see the Dark Knight this afternoon over in State College with Mandy and Greg. (Mandy is my cousin, and Greg is her husband.) We’re probably going to stop somewhere and toss back a few drinks. I’m still waiting on a text from Jarret to see if we’re still on for Denny’s tonite. I think he may be rehearsing songs or something before we hang out. I don’t know, he’s so busy with his j-o-b lately because his boss has been away. If nothing transpires within the next week, I’m going to launch a full blown search for a band within the following weeks. This is something I want very very badly. Even more now that people are encouraging me to go ahead with it.

It sucks that the rest of the guys in the band might not even get to hear me since they’re auditioning a friend first. It’s completely up to Jarret to weasle me in there, because I think these guys are kind of set on this other character already. He seems optimistic though, and encouraging. His words were “even if you don’t get to audition for the band, I want to work with you, even if it’s just an acoustic thing…”.

Seriously though? I like doing acoustic songs…love’em actually. But I would really like to gather some electricity, which is hard to do when your guitars don’t even plug in.

The stone that the builder refused shall be the end corner stone. We’ll see. I’ll sing circles around this other douche bag if actually given the chance to do so.

…oh shit! I gotta do some artwork before Tuesday for my meeting at Alby Chem. I want to get that job too afterall!

My head is spinning…gaaahh!!!!

*runs off excitedly*

There’s just something about it. It seems like the perfect place to meet and discuss musical possibilities and such with Jarret this weekend.

I hope this all pans out!