Dear Friends,
As I think about what I want to share during the last sixteen days of this year long exercise, I am drawn the most to my current stream of consciousness. Perhaps why the blogs have really been jumping around as of late. When you combine this with how busy I’ve been at work and the mental fatigue of stringing together a cohesive thought, I’ve been struggling.
So many things that are lining up to be on my stove, yet I have a whole new perspective on over booking myself. Writing is always going to be on my plate, but music has taken a huge backburner. I’ve enjoyed the break, but it also seems like it is time to play again. We do have a big Hillbilly Devilspeak show coming up in February with Unsane. That will be way fun.
Shane and Trent and I have been kicking around what our set for that night will be and it has breathed a little fresh air into my brain. Between that and the Brand New Christ/Damned stuff on the burner, I should be plenty busy for the first few months of the year. As mentioned, I’d love to possibly squeeze in a BNC show at some point and the Damned thing will happen, too.
Beyond that, who knows? There are people I’d love to jam with and I’m also very excited to see Liam’s band in January, too. He’s rocking with a friend of his and they will have a gig towards the end of next month. I’ll be a very proud papa. He was going to play drums in this band, but he’s moved over to guitar. The kid has way more talent than I do for this stuff, and it will be fun to watch him grow as a musician.
Yesterday I was playing my acoustic guitar and running through some old HD riffs and some possible new ones. It felt strange, but good. I haven’t played a lot since May and I’m rusty as hell. I don’t like the feeling. Those competitive juices kick in for me sometimes, even when I am just comparing myself to myself.
Rhondi and I are going to start a DJ side hustle in 2023, too. We had a fun gig last month and if we could do a couple a month, I think we could support our vinyl habit and make a little following for ourselves. We have a wide range of music on vinyl that could be a good backdrop to any party and corporate gigs are out there to be had. People seemed to be stoked on the fact we were actually spinning records. Nostalgia is popular when it comes to music.
I’d like to really build up my collection of country music over the next few months and tap into that world some, too. Not any of the new country bullshit, but classic country. So many good songs to choose from that would put a smile on people faces and maybe even get some folks dancing. How awesome would that be?
Now I’m wondering what a good country DJ name would be. Maybe DJ Philo Beddo. Either that or one of John Wayne’s characters from one of his old westerns. DJ Jacob McCandless? Could work.
Rhondi is my DJ partner, though, and I’m curious if she would be done to do a whole set of country music. I’m guessing she would be, especially if it paid well and I’m sure it could. Some day we’ll have a little DJ business up in Maine, too. They need good music up there.
One of my little fantasies about the future is that I will have a radio show on the public radio station up in Rangeley. They have a really cool little station up there that plays great music. It is a full, community radio thing and clearly there are people in the area with amazing taste. I could be one of those and do something with a little edge to it. You know there will be people up there in the woods who like some left of the dial stuff now and again.
I have another fantasy that in that same time period, I will stumble on a few dudes up in the great northeast that used to make a lot of noise like me and I’ll have a little summer time jamming opportunity. My buddy Eric, who lives on the coast of Maine, and I have talked about doing an Oi band. That would be a lot of fun. I’ve never played that style of music, but I’m sure I could do it.
It’s fun to think about this stuff. I love it when my friends and family share this stuff with me, too. I get excited to hear about the different projects people I love either are thinking about getting involved with or already are. We need to create the world we want to live in. No one is going to do it for us. If we want beauty or noise or just something wild and different, we have to create it ourselves.
We have to face the facts that a lot of people out there have no idea how to follow a dream, accomplish a goal, or just put themselves out there. People are so afraid of being judged that they stifle their desires and crush their own creativity. On many levels, I said “Fuck that” a long time ago, but it is still easy to fall into the trap of self-doubt or worry that no one will care or come or appreciate something I do.
The thing is, though, is that we only have this one chance to do life in the way we want to do it. We have to grab it by the horns, dig our heels in, and guide that sucker to the outcome we want. We have to wrestle fate and fucking win. That’s what life is about. Learning, growing, and pushing ourselves to have the time of our fucking lives.
See you tomorrow!!!
I have three chins but I'm still getting wild. Liam and I about ten years ago.
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