Speaking Greek

I've failed on the blog front pretty bad. Boyfriend is out of the province and I promised myself I would make use of the time alone to change some things that I want to. I've put a lot of time into work and its really paying off. I've been eating really well, and getting a mild amount of exercise and as a result, I am feeling pretty great too.
I guess I find it easier to writing, when I'm unhappy. Complaining comes more naturally to me I guess.
Not that, that makes me any different, I'm sure it's a general humanity kind of thing.
I'm thinking of trying to learn Greek with Rosetta Stone. I work in a Greek restaurant for Greek people. If that weren't enough of a reason to learn a new language, Boyfriend and I are planning a trip to Greece in the near future. Just seems like something that will make my life easier in the future.

#indiebandproblems

I'm pretty sure that I've talked about this before (at least once) but it bears repeating. In my city there is an amazing music scene. it's diverse, and creative and there is literally something for just about everyone. I'm sure this is also the case with many more cities around the world. I find it very impressive. The thing that frustrates me about creativity is a lot of people think that it means they are entitled to praise, and special treatment and above all else, an audience.
So many Facebook posts, and tweets and passive aggressive comments circulate, all blaming the audience for not paying the money or giving the band their time and attention.

"You'll pay $20 at Starbucks, But you won't spend $5 on your local music scene. pretty cool..."

1. Yes. I will absolutely spend $20 at Starbucks because that is what I want. Delicious fancy coffee and baked goods interests me, and I like to treat my coworkers sometimes.
2. I will spend the $5 to see a band I like. Actually I will likely spend at least $50 every time I go out and support my local music scene. I go out, have some drinks, buy people drinks and tip the bartenders well, because I know our awesome time is their bullshit shift cause some bitch called in sick.

If something is happening and I want to see it, I will go out if i can afford to. Like most people I would think. I guarantee you, if people wanted to come to your shows, or see your band, or hear your music, they will. What would stop them? I don't know many people who have a problem spending money when/how they want to.

It's not fair to expect everyone in your life to be your biggest fan just because of what you choose to do. I enjoy the diversity that our music scene has to offer, but nobody ever plays music for themselves. You play for an audience. and if you don't interest anyone, you don't get an audience. that is nobodies fault but your own. You can force anyone on the planet to have a different set of interests. Your girlfriend/boyfriend/best friend/family doesn't have to love your music. It's your choice, not theres. Would you pay $5-$50 to go out and not enjoy yourself? Why do you expect other people should for you?
It's called popular music for a reason. If your music isn't getting anyones attention or any audience after so long. The problem isn't with The Scene. It's probably with whatever your doing. At the end of the day, the reality is you can love your music all you want. Make music for yourself and make it all about yourself. it's totally your call. But unless you're willing to pay cover to see yourself hundreds of times, consider it a hobby. You have no idea about any professional music career.

Actual hindsight.

Is it more important to readjust your goals for a once in a lifetime experience? Or should the initial goal be reassessed once we find a place in life that is a surprise comfort zone.
A relationship, or a job, or a group of friends that brings you happiness are very valuable things to some people. but not to others. How do you give each other what you need and do the things that your partner needs to make them happy, instinctively, when your instincts are completely different from your loved ones.
I have to admit I found myself in a relationship like this. I've never met an Abed who was so completely opposite to myself. He gave the impression of being vain and slow, which I don't fully understand because now that I know 500% more about him then I did back in those early times, I see the things that gave me that impression, and now that I understand them better, I realize that the last things you could ever use to describe him is egotistical or ignorant.
I found him unbelievably attractive. Truth be told I had known who he was for a really long time. We had met at Noisy Nan"s (a popular jam space, a few years back, tons of people always jamming and hanging out. It was fantastic.) and I was all fluttery and embarrassed  Cause I'm me. and that's nothing like being a normal person with a working brain. Anyway this was months before we were ever a couple. I quickly found out that he had a girlfriend. I was a little crushed. But moved on to date someone, I thought I could fix. Thank God I got out of that. Better late then never I suppose.
But I digress. I realize now that being someone with so much emotional need was just as frustrating as being someone with little emotional needs. Abed and I were so different. So we had to spend more time in the other person's shoes then our own, just to connect. The hardest part about communicating differently, and showing your affection and love is different ways is knowing what your partner appreciates, and what they don't recognize as signs of affection. Try to speak someone else's language, before you expect them to speak yours. Try to understand your loved ones
I think the key is not to find what makes you happy. It's to find the person that has all the qualities you love. and if you want to make them happy, maybe you get lucky and that person wants to spend their time making you happy as well. It takes some people a long time to find that person. Some people find it once in a lifetime. If you have found love in your life, you're a very lucky person, so cherish your loved ones. You're lucky to have them.

"Life is only as good as the memories we make"

Everything In It's Place

In a lot of ways it helps economy to have a local scene. Bars pay Bands. Bargoers like to see Cover Bands or a certain genre of music. Therefore there is a place for every person, and every genre and as long as there is an audience for your art, then you will be successful. If you do not have an audience. you need a new plan. It's just that simple. Performing music is not about yourself. You want an audience to come and enjoy your music. Doesn't that immediately make it about what THEY want to see. You can't make people like you. You can make music that they want to listen to. I don't get why this is so hard for people to understand. The perfect most ideal situation in music is making music that you love that is accepted and celebrated by other people. The more the better. But this is not the most common situation. Bands get upset when nobody comes to their shows. You're choosing to make noise that they don't want to listen to. That's what it comes down to. They don't make you listen to shit that you don't want to. You know how that whiny friend who is always negative and complaining and having a pity party. nobody likes being around that friend. So don't be that friend.

Hot Live Death

I'm currently completely in love with an amazing band called Walk Off The Earth. They really are essentially our generations Fleetwood Mac. When inter-band relationships present and it gives the songs and the sound such a genuine, raw, edge of realism. Much in the way that Rumors was received and  is still one of the most popular albums of all time. Fleetwood Mac essentially wrote Rumors about each other. Their whole lives fell apart. Relationships ended, Friendships were tested, and they chose to stay together and create through all of that pain. It's such a rare thing to find in music these days. Genuine Honesty. I've always enjoyed bands like Mariana's Trench, and Fall Out Boy. Most recently this music love affair has found its way to indie sensation Fun. I think for awhile I forgot how important music is to me. I had a lot going on, and was having a really hard time for a while recently, Hearing music written by the people performing it, instead of 40 year old pop music makers, has the raw integrity of putting yourself out there, and being exposed and vulnerable to everyone in the world.
When writing is inspired by real life, it has real feelings. When a song speaks to its audience, it should be without a marketing team and half a dozen writers constructing it to say all the things to touch the right buttons.
Just be real. honest. if your upset, write about it. If you're happy, write about that. I could never sit down and just write a song. I needed something to inspire me. an opinion about something that I wanted to share.

So when Walk Off The Earth came along, with their folk lifestyle and constant collaborations, I was in awe of this massive group of gifted people. Most recently joined by Sarah Blackwood, formerly of The Creepshow (another HUGE inspiration of mine). My massive girl crush on Sarah aside, I've never seen an incident of someone seeming to be exactly where she belongs. All multi-instrument playing members (5 regular and dozens of guest artists who join them regularly) are so dynamic and interesting to watch. If you have not seen or heard of Walk Off The Earth, do yourself a favor and head to Youtube and check them out

Walk Off The Earth performing Gyote's Somebody That I Used To Know on one guitar.
The Youtube video that gave them a publicity boost recently.

Shameless Self Promotion

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Live for the Weekend

My partner has an 8:30am-4pm office job, that I am so unbelievably jealous of. I'm not sure if he's aware of that or not. Don't you remember as a child how you went to school Monday to Friday and you enjoyed your weekend a million times more? Life doesn't lose it's magic as we get older. We just stop appreciating it I think, and I think it's because the rules were different. bedtimes were pushed back, You got to watch television  with the grown ups, or stay up while friends got together for drinks and kitchen parties filled with jokes and songs and neighborhood gossip. and Mondays were filled with stories of your weekend, not grief at getting up early.
Somewhere along the way Friday lost it's excitement. With the majority of my generation choosing to socialize in establishments that serve alcohol , and the introduction of the weekday bar specials, the weekend now takes place whenever we have a  day off, not on the once coveted Friday and Saturday nights. The weekend is no longer special. A partial factor has got to be a generational thing. I believe that a lot less of my generation (mid to late 20's) value, what is considered a "9 to 5 Job".I think most of us get to a certain age where it becomes a desire. I know I (at age 26) am currently working my ass off to achieve a job at which I make my own schedule and hours. Working all week is made that much sweeter by those two days of celebration. There is never anything new, exciting or unusual to do anymore because we do whatever we want, whenever we want to do it. Maybe we're just lacking the discipline of our parents generation. That makes sense as they, lack the discipline of their parents. So they started it. We just need to stop.

What do you want? Jingle Jam on it?

RocketRocketShip put off one of the best live shows I've ever attended last night. As a last minute opener for Pop Heavyweights, Faber Drive, RocketRocketship played with a huge group of amazing people including bands Fighting for Ithaca, Courage My Love, and the very talented Victoria Duffield. If you're not sure who she is, check here out here! She's this generation's Brittany Spears, and she's got a bright future ahead of her! I'm personally a fan.
Courage My Love have videos on youtube, so check them out! So do Fighting For Ithaca! Both really awesome bands full of amazing, fun people, so give them some of your time. You may really enjoy them!

RocketRocketShip Frontman, Jon Pike, took command of the crowd from the moment he stepped onto the stage. Guitarists Paul Brake and Matthew Dines rocked out and brought an unbelievable energy to the stage, providing vocal work, along with Bassist David Shear., (also Drummer, Jeremy Kelly, as well as Keyboardist, Kenney Purchase),The bys kept the crowd amped,  having them participate in their well rounded and enthusiastic performance. This performance shows amazing growth within this band. In every capacity from showmanship to musical sound. A feeling of fun has been recaptured from the spirits that wrote House of Cards and Back Where I Belong. If you weren't in attendance at CLB Armories last night for Jingle Jam, you truly missed out on a performance that i will never forget. Check out the boy's website, follow them on twitter and like them on facebook! My god that sounds so creepy out loud. We're a society of stalkers...anyway do it

Made me what I am today.

The little gestures in life are so important. 
Compliments, appreciation, good manners and etiquette mean so much to so many people. 
I don't know anyone who can't help smiling when the lady checking you in, at the mall compliments a piece of clothing or jewelry that you're wearing. Suddenly this t-shirt that you only wear on laundry day, becomes you're new favorite. You pair it with cute jewelry and you enjoy the little boost of confidence that we get.
As issue that I struggle with a lot is people being in my space. I don't like when people get too close to me. it's nothing personal. Affection makes me feel uncomfortable. In private, with a loved one, I'm a very different person but I don't share that side of myself with anyone else.
Once after working a shift at The Levee I was at the bar restocking the coolers when I got a text from a friend. He wanted to know if there was some money at the bar for his band, as they had played for Halloween. I told him that a band member had already text me and that I was going to bring it over to his show, at another bar, and he never text me back. I got to the show and stopped to talk to a friend at the merch table where I gave my friend his money and bought a t-shirt. A t-shirt that I left on the bar, at the venue.

The next night I was at headquarters...working, pissed off, I had worked really hard to promote a show and a ton of people I knew were at another bar drinking, and didn't want to come to the event I had planned because they didn't want to pay cover. And in walks Troy. with the t-shirt that I hadn't even noticed I'd forgotten yet.

He saw that there wasn't many people there and he stayed for a drink or two. To support someone who was trying to create a good thing. The smallest gestures, either positive or negative say the most about us. Suffice to say those friends at the other bar aren't my friends anymore. Troy is, to this day, someone very dear to me. also...

Guys, I'm Throwing You A Huge

Right Now!

Not only is it one of the easiest things to do, but (and women will back me up on this) it is also the sexiest goddamn thing a man can possibly aspire to be. A Gentlemen. It is actually probably* the closest thing to a sure thing when trying to get a lady you have a crush on to notice you. Shit, if you're just trying to get laid, even. It's got to be at least 85%* effective...

In closing, be nice to each other. pay attention, give compliments, and behave with some class and dignity. My how to on being a person. Also who doesn't love a good ol' Nintendo reference!

*I estimate, clearly. I doubt there is a way to poll all women..that seems like it would take a lot of my time.

Formspring Question #4!

Formspring asked: Do you like to dress glamorous?

A: If I have a reason to. I like having an excuse to wear makeup and do my hair and all that stuff. but 9 times out of tn you will see me out at a live show in jeans and a t-shirt. I'd rather be comfortable, over stylish almost any day.
When I'm uncomfortable I'm distracted and when I'm distracted I don't seem to make a very good impression on people. When I'm comfortable and relaxed, I'm happy and funny and make new friends very easily.So my first priority is always comfort.

Now all that being said I own over 60 pairs of shoes, an at least 3 pairs are covered in glitter. I think I have a very unique sense of style. I don't like to look "hot" I like to look classy and pretty. If I can do that in a t-shirt and jeans then I'm thrilled. If not? I think I clean up ok?

rockmusic

Here are the Be Good Tanyas, super folk-y but very cute. I want to have this song played live at my wedding

Click on the photo for The Littlest Birds Official Video!