Hey Ya’ll—

Just thought we’d tune in and show some stuff we’ve been working on.  we’re in the studio right now in a creative period of sorts…..working on demos, trying out new sounds, jamming, writing, talking.  here’s A440.TV’s take on us one day when we were working album demos in the practice space.  this one’s called “What You Gonna Do?”  Check it!

Jason Shannon Band “What You Gonna Do?” from A440LIVETV on Vimeo.

Well well well….it’s been awhile.  who knows who’s reading this.  are you there?  hi.

The band is doing well.  i’m doing well.  we’re working in the studio on a new record. 

For what it’s worth, i thought i’d explain that i’ve momentarily lost the drive to consistently update the webpage, facebook, myspace, twitter, etc etc. 

I’ve discovered that maintaining oneself on the web is a job unto itself.  and in certain ways, i feel like the time i give to being on the internet cuts into my musical explorations and overall life experience.  i know it’s fashionable to take advantage of the internet as a source for self-promotion and band news/updates/etc.  but i’m currently burned out on it.  maybe it’s my loss that i’m not doing video diaries every day or doing cover songs to get people’s attention.  call me old-fashioned…...i guess i am.

What could be said is:  we’re off the road.  we’re at home….living.  i spent a few days with the band at the Terrarium in Northeast Minneapolis, tracking drums with local engineer Paul Marino and his friend Joseph Logsdon.  We had a real nice time and i’m certain we got some good tracks in there.  But damn it was exhausting.  On my day off, I couldn’t get of the couch.  And I didn’t even play the drums!

So yeah.  if you’re out there and you like the Jason Shannon Band, just know that I’m thankful for that and the band is in the musical laboratory concocting the next chapter and getting ready to put it out into the world.  otherwise, we’re living life just like you.  duh.

enjoy the ride…...
—js

While the band’s tucked away in the studio working on demos and getting ready to do some tracking for the upcoming collection of songs, I thought I’d post and share a video we did with A440Live.tv.  You might know this song…..it’ll be on our upcoming record….it’s called Feeling Fine.  We recorded this track at the Hideaway with the A440 crew and had a blast.  Enjoy.

Hey Ya’ll—

if you’re around the Minneapolis area, check out three shows we have before the end of May that are sure to be awesome…....

May 27:  Varsity Theater | MN State Lottery Cash & Concerts Series:  i’m excited about this show.  it’s a free one and will feature us and two great local bands, Rogue Valley and Strangelights.  We go on around 9:30 and will play for around an hour.  So come out.

May 30:  Bella Vida Festival:  I can’t wait for this show….it’s happening down in Harmony Park and will feature tons of bands…..Robbie Krieger, Pretty Lights, and many more.  We’ll be playing the Field Stage on Sunday at 4PM.  A really good slot.  Hope to see you there.

June 6:  Grand Old Day (Saint Paul):  The Midwest’s largest street festival and an all-day event.  We’ll be opening (12PM) the Salut Bar Americain Stage…..opening for the Heiruspecs and Doomtree.  This is going to be a great gig!

Other than that, me and the band are resting up and gearing in to go into the studio to make our first band album together.  Stay tuned for some documentation of the effort and videos and posted songs!

Take Care,
jason

I have to say….traveling across the endless flat plains of Nebraska and Kansas has been a boon.  We took a small highway yesterday on our way to Lubbock and we got to roll through town after tiny town..,,,Larned, Great Bend, Kinsley…..we even got to make the rounds in Dodge City, home of Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp, and yes, Dennis Hopper.  On every corner was some reference to Gunsmoke.  It is a little humorous.  Plus the town seemed to be under eternal road construction.  So we made it out of Dodge and scooted down to Liberal for a quiet night at the RV Park.  I climbed the rooftop of the bus and took this shot of the wide sky.  You don’t see this kinda thing in the city.  I loved it.  The lady who ran the place walked up to sign us in and saw me up top and decided, I think, that i was a bit peculiar.  Well, she just doesn’t know what she has.  Maybe we’re all like that in some way or another.

This leg of the tour has also been occupied with watching the first season of the Showtime series, Dexter.  We’re all pretty much knee deep in the blood-stained past of the Dark Passenger and his pursuit of the Ice Truck Killer.  If you don’t know what I’m talking about then you might have to watch.

So we’re almost to Lubbock….home of Buddy Holly and 90th largest city in the U.S.  If you need facts, call me.  We’re almost there and we’re gonna rock it out at Bash Riprocks.

Until next time—
jason (and the band)

The time has arrived.  Our bags are packed, our arrangements are tight, and we’re off to begin our big musical experiment at a town near you.

For right now, we’re just outside of a little town in Iowa called Indianola….hometown of Mr. Benjamin Foote, the bass player in the ol’ JSB.  His parents made us some cookies and banana bread, laid out the blow up mattress, and let us crash at their place.  we pulled in around 1:30, barely fit into the driveway, and proceeded to connect our electricity to the house and watch Fantastic Mr. Fox.  But we blew a fuse and had to call it a night. 

So now we’re headed to Lincoln.  I’m in bare feet, sipping on a ginger beer, and swaying with the highway crosswinds.  We’ve got two siamese cats on board.  They occasionally mix drinks and update our Twitter.  But it’s mostly a random meow fest.

Man, I hope we can make it to Lincoln in one piece.  These winds are unreal.

TONIGHT:  KNICKERBOCKERS | Lincoln, Nebraska.  Never been there.  Looking forward to playing some new songs and meeting some new people.

Check the TOUR section for more listings and come to a show!  We’re also recording and selling each live performance right at the merch table after the show.

Talk soon,
jason

It’s a rainy Saturday in Minneapolis and I’m in the studio waiting for Timmy to get here to begin tracking for a song called “Shake Me Good.”

Just wanted to give a quick thanks to old and new friends who made it out to see us on our little NYC/Chicago trip.  We had a blast.  Desmond’s Tavern was filled with friends and fans and we played a nice, long set there.  Afterwards, we slept in our RV parked right on Park Avenue in bustling Midtown. It rained all night so we woke up early and loaded our gear into the trailer and headed out to Rocky Pointe, NY for my friend Eric’s wedding.  Whatta time….it’s not often you get to jam one out at an old school, bayfront hotel in upstate New York.  The crowd was attentive, dancing, and joyous.  Special times, mate.

And then we made the long haul back towards home, hitting up Chicago for one night at the Elbo Room on Lincoln Avenue.  Our set was short and sweet….we played for about 45 minutes and then hung out and watched the other bands rock it.  Just wanted to give a quick shout out to Like Trains & Taxis from New Jersey.  They’re a trio of bass, drums, and keys….really cool vibe, nice rhythm section, and interesting songs and melodies.  Check em out:  liketrainsandtaxis.com

So now we’re just breathing for a short second until we hop back on the bus and head to Lincoln, Nebraska for our tour kickoff.  We’ll be there on the 29th of April with Pert Near Sandstone.  Should be a really fun show.  Look for the other dates to follow and tell some friends about the show.  We’ll be there!

See you soon—
jason

Yo Yo—So we’re locked in and loaded, rollin’ down the highway, pumping the new system in our ride and thinking bout what we’re thinking bout.  We’re off to New York for a little mini-tour that will precede our official late April/May tour.  The band is glad to be playing a wedding of a good friend up in Long Island and doing a little club gig in Manhattan at Desmond’s Tavern this Friday (10 PM).  So yeah.  we’re here.  the sun is amazingly beautiful….not to be cheesy….but for me it’s evokes that sense that you get sometimes where you feel young again or your memories all seem near to you….kinda like what Autumn crispness does to me too.  anyway, i’m ramblin.

the band is all camped out on their computers.  we’ve been listening to the studio takes we did for a live concert film we’ve been shooting footage for.  we’ll be releasing them over the next couple of months while we’re on the road touring.  It’s with a company called A440Live.TV and they’re great.  They have a mobile recording rig and a 3-4 camera video setup and they travel and shoot music.  So we went down to the old A440 Studio (now called “The Hideaway”....where a lot of the Rhymesayers do their recording) in Northeast Minneapolis and tracked and filmed about five songs over the course of 10 hours.  It would seem like you could do more than that many but there was so many interesting little logistical things that you don’t take into consideration (power outages, light changes, melted candle wax, etc….).  We had an excellent time working with John Heinen and Nick Nichols and their crew.  Look for some footage here soon. 

oh….and if anyone is wondering….we’re recording songs for a new album…..lotta really good stuff happening song-wise.  it feels like the band is momentarily taking a little more rocking turn down the vibe highway.  i wrote a cool song last night called “The Burning Seas”.....feels good to nab something from what feels like thin air.

I’m signing off.  There’s a guitar next to me on the couch whispering my name.  Take care—

jason


p.s. yes, that is daryl and tim sharing a cigarette in the bathroom while moving 65 mph down the highway…...

Use this URL address to view a larger version of the tour schedule:

http://img530.imageshack.us/img530/7741/tourshowlistformaypost.jpg

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a song called “In The Hour Of Need”.  It’s sort of a hymnal type song that seems to lyrically relate to a lot of what is happening right now in the world.  I’m usually not the type of person who writes with a particular purpose, but this song came out of me and seemed timely.  So I recorded it, filmed a video, and am releasing it today, March 1, 2010.  The single can be purchased online at:  http://jasonshannonband.bandcamp.com/track/in-the-hour-of-need 

Half of the proceeds of this song will go to Music For Relief, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to disaster relief & mitigation. Check out the website: http://www.musicforrelief.org

Until then, here’s the video for “In The Hour Of Need”  Enjoy…..and if you can, lend a hand!

Hey There….. Thanks for making it out to the Cabooze for a fun show with The Feelin’ Band.  Here’s a little video from a song we just got together called “Go To Hell”.  We’re headin’ down to Austin for SXSW in mid-March.  Maybe we’ll see you there….....

i’ve been glued to the microphone and podium working on words and fishing out songs.  it’s been an exhilarating two weeks and i’m happy to say the flow is flowing.

i’m also happy to announce that we’ve got a lot of touring coming up this year.  First, we’ll be heading to Austin to play two showcases at SXSW.  One at Threadgill’s on March 17 and one at The Parish on March 19th.  And before we get down to Austin, we’ll be making a brief stop for a two-night stand in my hometown of Paris, Texas, headlining at Buffalo Joe’s.  I’m very excited about this….

Then in April, we have a couple of weeks off and we’ll be heading out to Long Island, New York to play a friend’s wedding and doing a show in Boston and a show in New York City.  This will happen around April 20.  More details to follow.

Then…...we get home, rest for a bit, and begin the biggest touring schedule of our band’s career.  We’ll be starting in May and will continue (with a break here and then) through September.  We’ll be hitting up the Midwest, South, Colorado Area, and the East Coast primarily.  Then, if all goes well, we’ll expand outward and begin hitting up the West Coast.  Stay tuned for more details….....

In the meantime, I’m getting more tunes together.  Here’s a list of some of the songs I’ve penned in the past two weeks:

Golden From The Rule
This Ordinary Life
All The Way
Diablo
Shake Me Good
In The Hour Of Need
You & Me
Go To Hell

Talk To You Soon,
jason

so…..timmy (monsieur kee-bored) were talking/jamming today like we usually do ‘round three o’clock or so and we hit upon something that’s been confusing for us as a group…..which is the notion of musical creativity/current culture trends/image/marketability/genre and how all of the collide to influence a band’s approach in their craft.  it’s something i’m definitely thinking a lot about.  you could even say i’m struggling with it.  i’m sure most artists do in some way, whether they admit it or not.  but it’s something that, recently, has been reverberating heavily in my world.

you’ll get where i’m coming from as i continue…and i’ll try not to go off too much…though i most likely will…consider this thinking-out-loud…..so…as i see myself…i’m a creator.  one who toys, always playing around, deconstructing, daydreaming, looking through the mirror, analyzing what appears to be magic, hanging out in the moment with discovery-desire for a rod and reel and a song for a fish to catch.  this is what i like doing.  why?  shit, i don’t know.  i don’t know!  my only answer is:  it feels right and i love it and am committed to it…“it” being the act of engaging that hard-to-pin-down process.

i’ve been “doing” for almost ten years, officially.  playing guitar/piano/drums/singing/writing/recording/mixing/listening.  living in rehearsal spaces.  convincing my parents i’m sane.  chain-smoking moonlight.  walking and talking in circles.  loading out gear at three in the morning for 50 bucks.  only until recently did the prospect arise that i could make a living creating and performing music.  it’s something i’ve always dreamed of but i’ve never, as most musicians would agree, sought to make money.  that is, you’d never find my ass at a Barnes & Noble reading “Music Business For Morons” or “How To Write Hit Songs”.  to me, that’s ridiculous.  i’m over in the section reading J. Krishnamurti. browsing Billy Collins poems, staring at Rauschenberg, etc.  i’m studying the footprints left by my fellow creators. 

but one day it hits you.  and, most likely, it hits you when someone comes along and wants to turn what you do into something that can be objectified/quantified/justified/criticized—chewed up and spit out.  like a sandwich in a plastic wrapper.  the album.  the single.  the EP.  the genre.  the “artist you sound like”.  the album artwork.  the inside scoop.  the one-sheet brochure.  the elevator pitch.  something-something-something.COM.  somebody’s gonna inhabit your world and ask you to start drawing borders around your open world.  they’re gonna tell you that this works and this doesn’t.  they’re gonna tell you to start here and stop there.  they’re gonna snuff the burning flame of freedom.  deadlines.  headlines.  graveyards.

and for the artist/musician….if they don’t understand the rules of the game…..there’s mainly confusion and bewilderment.  where do i belong in the search for representing my feelings of true/false/mystery in the fast world of….stuff?  which way do i go?  how should i dress?  how do you package the muse when it feels like the muse is something beyond you?

my first taste of this struggle was when we were getting together this last record (the record i’m supposed to be still supporting and re-couping).  everyone wanted me to describe it and name it and play certain things.  “don’t do this!”  “don’t do that”  “MORE of this!”  “less of THAT”.  and on and on.  SLOW songs are not good in sets.  EVERYONE wants to dance so do dance stuff.  we REALLY love your voice when you do COUNTRY songs but the COUNTRY songs don’t match the others.  Make people MOVE.  it’s gotta be EDGIER.

i try to listen to all the stuff coming out to stay in tune with what’s happening.  i check out the music blogs, watch videos, go digging for treasures.  i can say that my last record didn’t have the world at large in mind.  it was one person just picking some songs that they thought were pretty good and felt honest.  that person didn’t care about genre, styles, trends, nuthin’.  i mean, i worked hard on that record.  i really did.  but i don’t know if i had commisioned myself to make something with vision that was unified and fell along all the alleged necessary components that makes a product in this day and age “successful”....that is, displaying a sense of cohesion and identify that allows a marketer to “move units.”  at that time, i thought success itself was just doing it.

but now i’m in the market.  i’m for sale.  i want people to buy/see/download the musical me so i can keep doing it and traveling and rocking out and seeing the world and living the idea of a dream.  so i’ve been thinking.  how do i be totally ME without any concessions and fit into this blurred cluster-fuck of a musical marketplace built on image, speed, loudness and at times, a lack of story.  like Bad Blake sang in Crazy Heart, “this ain’t no place for the weary kind….”  it almost feels like thinking this way regresses me back to middle school where everyone is trying to fit in and be cool.  am i back there?  dios mio…...

so here’s how this figures into my process…...one man would say, “ahh, he’s losing his cool.  he’s letting the world get under his skin…..”  the other man would say, “ahhh, he’s growing….he’s paying attention.  he’s stretching…...”  really, i don’t know which man i am right now.  i’m cool with that, though.  my deeper worth is in something other than the bi-product of a process.  BUT…i wanna work and connect, so i feel the urgent need to be relevant and listenable.  if you’re an artist and wanna be able to pay bills and you’re serious about your own output, you’ve thought about this….even if it’s worded differently.  don’t lie.  you have. 

i’m thinking and feeling:  i don’t wanna be some f—-ing blues guitar player guy that rips solos and does guitar magazine interviews about my rig.  i don’t wanna be some indie rocker all the blogs write about who says absolutely nothing of any relevance but somehow has managed to push his/her/their way into market visibility because they have a cool haircut or good art director or PR person.  i don’t wanna be a singer/songwriter that has to strum an acoustic guitar and is called “folky” or “rootsy”.  i don’t want everything to be pretty.  i don’t wanna have the same voice all the time.  i don’t wanna always make sense but i don’t wanna not make sense for the sake of….  i don’t wanna repeat things. i don’t wanna be sexy so you like me.  i don’t wanna try to fit into some mold of cool.  i don’t wanna be in a genre.  i don’t wanna do that shit.  i just wanna play and rock and have fun.

trust me, if you lived in minneapolis and were hip to the music scene, it is dominated and controlled by a certain aesthetic.  how this is determined is beyond me.  it has been in my favor and not in my favor.  it doesn’t really matter but it exemplifies the idea that taste-makers for the marketplace create niches for people to fit into…. and if one doesn’t fit the particular mold required to be relevant, then it increases the chances of narrowing the lifeline that connects the artist to the listener.  this is not anything new, by any means.  but i’ve felt it.  i know other serious creative beings have felt it.  and all i can say is…..if you feel that, i feel you.  even if you’re not a musician, but you see a parallel in what i’m saying…..i feel you.

my dad would say, “hang in there, son.”  i think that’s what i’ll do.  it makes sense.  i’ve been hanging in there this far and i’m not unhappy doing it.  might as well keep going now.  but i’m paying attention.  i’m stretching the vessel.  turning it upside down. cross-eyed.  sober.  honest.  digging deeper. 

either way, i’m playing.  we’ve got this whole summer booked!  may through september.  oh hell yes. 

stay tuned for some website re-construction.  and some new photos of the complete lineup of the Jason Shannon Band.

hang in there, wherever you are,
jason

p.s. go see Crazy Heart

Me and the band got a lotta stuff planned for the New Year…..new album, new touring, newness. 

I wish for you the best in the coming months.  Hold on tight, buckle up, enjoy the ride, stay warm, and believe in possibilities.

Love, jason

p.s. this is a little shot of the group chillin’ down in Florida for New Year’s…...a little campfire jam.

Thanks to everyone who came out on Saturday and rocked into the holiday season.  We met some new people, snagged a couple of new fans, and shared the stage with Danny Jack Fiasco.  We’re taking a little break to be with our friends and family and will be back in full swing for the New Year…...lots of plans…..new album, tours, SXSW, videos….the whole bit. 

Until then, take care out there.  It’s been a great year.  I can’t wait to get rolling again and be to a city near you.

Sincerely,
jason

yo.

just stopping in to say hey, hi, etc.  it’s been a busy few weeks around this part of town.  me and the band have been hard at work on this EP Collection series.  The first one comes out in early December (digitally) and will be followed by another one in January.

In the meantime, I’m putting final touches on the mixes, getting the sounds right, adjusting the hi-hat volume, taking the high-end of a tamborine, etc etc…...all the stuff you’d never think would be occurring whilst listening to music.  but it does—in spades.  nonetheless, i’m very pleased with the recordings that are coming out.  there’s finally a public outlet (besides a live show) for these songs that I really like but know won’t be making an official LP.  they’re on their way…...

in other news, i wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out to the Varsity Theater show on Nov. 20.  We had an excellent turnout and I was very pleased with the night.  That was probably the longest set we’ve ever played (a little over two hours).  You know you’ve rocked it good when your back hurts, your hands hurt, your throat hurts, and your ears hurt from people cheering at the foot of the stage.  Maybe some Taoist guys would say there was too much strain and pressure in the performance, that I sweat too much, and that all the screaming is a little unecessary.  I ask them to chill and check out Slipknot for a little perspective.  It was an awesome night and I’m glad to have shared it with Alison Scott and Aby Wolf.  Shoot, we even met a dude named Walt backstage who came up and jammed with us on a few songs.  And yes, I have to inform you that in our downtime we added to the phallic displays of grafitti on the postered walls of the Varsity Theater.  We wondering at what age the joke becomes tired.  It hasn’t happened yet.

so yeah…..that’s my life.  the weather here is surprisingly mellow.  the winter jacket is still in storage.  i’ve taken the task of washing my hands way more than necessary, making room to contemplate a burgeoning new OCD symptom.  but i had the flu early this year and by God, i’m not getting it again.

we’re starting our search for producers for the next record.  the band has been busy getting some demos together and we’re aiming to make something that is expansive, explosive, and right on target with the live show.  if you think the EP’s we’re releasing are gonna foreshadow this upcoming record…....you’re wrong…..not that you spend any time thinking about that.  but i do.  i could produce the thing myself but i’d rather have somebody in there whipping me and challenging me.

i’m rambling now.  the tea has gotten to me.  back to work on some songs.  it’s 1:33.  do you know where your dreams are?

yo yo yo,

just wanted to let you know…..if you drop me message and let me know you’re coming to the varsity show on the 20th (with Alison Scott), i’ll make you a free copy of my new EP and a live album.  i’ll even put your name on it. 

so shoot me a message at “jasonshannonmusic@gmail.com” and i’ll put you down on the list. 

hope to see you out at the show!  it’s gonna be a really fun one.

ho ho ho,
—jason

Hey!

Come out to hang out with the band this Saturday.  It’s gonna be a killer night and we promise to bring…..uh…....it (?).  Anyway, we’ll be co-headlining with This World Fair and we hope you can make it out for their set too.  They put on a good show and then we’re gonna rock it out.  Maybe I’ll see you there.

until then…...

peace,
jason

Just wanted to give a shout out and say thank you to everyone who came out and supported us at the Fine Line on the 31st.  I really appreciate it.  We had a really great time playing for you and we hope you can come back out and see us again.  The show was a fun one.  I thought the band was pretty tight considering we hadn’t played in a little bit.  We sat down in the dressing room for awhile and talked over every song.  I’m sort of known in the band for handing out the “look of death” and I don’t think anyone wanted that this particular night.  And sure enough, no one got it.  Everyone was pretty on top of their game and luckily, I wasn’t impaled on anything during my huge fall during “Mister Miracle Mile.”

Anyway…..we’re opening up for Mr. Tab Benoit, a badass guitarist/singer from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.  Little does Tab know that I spent a chunk of my life down in Louisiana.  Maybe I’ll have to give him a Tony Chachere gift bag or something.  Maybe some crawfish.  Who knows…..

Either way, we’ll be rocking it on August 14.  It’s gonna be a fun one.  Come out!

Until then, take care—

jason

Hello,

Just wanted to let ya’ll know we have a big show at the Fine Line Music Cafe on Friday, July 31st.  We’ll be sharing the night with the Wars Of 1812, Lucy Michelle (performing solo), and a duo from Kansas City called Scratch Track.  It should be a great night filled with good music and fun times.  I’ll be giving away the “Live & Alive” tour compilation at the door (to the first 100 or so that want them).  So come early and get one of those.  I handpicked, mastered, and sequenced the songs myself and there’s a number of tunes not on the album that are featured on this collection.

In other news, I’m at home with my guitar in hand, fishing for songs down at Jam Lake, getting my write on.  It’s been hard work since I’ve been away from the inkwell for awhile….kinda gettin’ myself back into it.  But I’ve had a couple of interesting things pop up out of nowhere.  For now, here are the verses to a talking blues song I wrote called “Talkin’ Crazy Woman Land Mine Blues”.  I probably won’t every perform it, but I gotta kick outta writing it.  It’s probably one of the longest tunes I’ve ever written and I had no idea where the story was going.  But it went somewhere and it’s kinda funny.  Until then, peace…...

Talkin’ Crazy Woman Land Mine Blues

I had a girl she was sweet as pie
She made good on my evil eye
She told me everything I want to hear
She took me to the country dance
She moved me like the south of France
she made me wanna cut off both my ears
My heart grew fond, my feet grew set
I learned to smile, forgive, forget
She taught me everything I need to know
Then suddenly she pulled the plug
No this and that, no kiss and hug
I made a date and she didn’t even show

You think I would have given up
A broken heart, a broken cup
I was drinking thinking sinking in my chair
Now her daddy was a PHD
at the local university
I figured I’d go down and visit there
I showed up smelling like a skunk
Said, “Listen doc, I’m in a funk”
That girl of yours done left me high and dry
The Doc laughed and said, “I taught her well
‘cause boys like you were made in hell.
There must be a million reasons why!”

So I called up on the military
‘Cause things were getting pretty scary
I figured if I joined she’d take me back
Despite my dearest mother’s pleas
I left and headed overseas
I was stationed somewhere right outside Iraq
The people there were pretty nice
You didn’t have to tell em twice
Just the aim the gun and tap the powder keg
But one day bad luck called my name
And I guess there ain’t no one to blame
A land mine went and blew off both my legs

Well, I don’t remember anything
And to this day, my ears still ring
They told me I was more than close to dead
I had a million cuts and bruises
I guess in love and war everybody loses
I spent six months inside a soldier’s bed
Then one day when my eyes awoke
Life handed me the cruelest joke
The girl I loved was working as my nurse
And what really cut me down to size
Is that she couldn’t even recognize
my face…Oh Lord, just throw me in the hearse!

So one morning with the morphine drippin’
Enough to keep my nerves from trippin’
I asked her if she’d ever seen my face
She looked at me and pressed her dress
She said, “I guess it’s time that I confess…..
I’m the one who put you in this place.
You see, I loved you from the very start
And I couldn’t stand a broken heart
So I left before the feeling swallowed me
I figured if you had the balls
You’d go fight for a noble cause
And come back a different man, you see.

Then what she said next just blew my mind
I’ve heard it all but not this time
She spun a yarn not meant for sanity
She said, “I heard that you were doing well,
that you’d been lifted from my spell
and you were never coming back to me.”
So I took the pennies from my purse
And registered to be a nurse
And signed up for the red and white and blue
Then one I night I got drunk on wine
And devised a plane that was most divine
I’d plant a mine and blow the legs right off of you!

And sure enough you stepped right on it
You’ll never be leaving me doggone it
If I can’t have you, then nobody can!”
Then she turned up the drip on my IV
And flooded me with ectasy
She was kissing me and holding both my hands
She said, “I hope to God you can forgive me
When you’re bettter you can come home with me
My daddy looked and found the perfect place.”
So here I am just half a man
If I could I’d take a stand
But I’ll settle for my crazy gal’s embrace!

Hello—

I’m about to start my daily jam session with Tim but before we get started, I just wanted to say thanks for coming out to the Taste of Minnesota.  We had a blast playing and if you saw us for the first time, I hoped you like it.  We were pretty hot up there but it was worth it.  I stuck around to see the other bands.  That dude that used to drum for Guns N Roses played just before Bret Michaels.  They were called Addler’s Appetite and they were pretty much the ultimate GNR cover band…...for better or worse.  I don’t know how heavy metal singers sing like that.  Anyway, there was some serious screaming, multiple guitar solo shredding, and some mondo drumstick twirling mixed with shouts of “Hey, this is a fucking rock show!”  I sorta wish I had the cajones to do that onstage.  Truthfully, I thought we were cooler than those guys, but they seem to have the “Rock & Roll Lifestyle” thing down pat.  If any of them start teaching classes, I’ll sign up.  I’m just not wearing any leather pants or fake tanning or some mangled faded cowboy hat that reads “junkie for life”.  No way.

So thanks for making it out.  Maybe we can do it again.

In other news, we’ve got some cool gigs coming up.  We’re playing the very last set of the festival up in Ten Thousand Lakes.  Don’t be misled.  We’re not the headliners.  That would be Dave Matthews.  But hey, one day that could happen.  I’m not counting it out.  So…uh…yeah….we play there on the 25th.  If you don’t know about the Ten Thousand Lakes Festival, it’s probably the biggest summer festival in Minnesota and there are a ton of awesome bands playing.  Wilco and Widespread Panic also headline and the festival runs from July 22-25.  Come out!

Then we come back home and headline the Fine Line on Friday, July 31.  This gig will be a really fun one and we’re gonna get some cool acts to play with us.  I’ll announce those soon.  This will be one of our only locals shows of the summer, so please make it out if you can.  It’s gonna be a really good time, I guarantee.

Other than that, just living and working on songs.  We have some tour plans in the making and as soon as I find out specifics and get some things solidified, you’ll be the first to hear about it right here.

Until then, take care—

jason

Howdy Everybody,

The band and I will be playing at the Taste Of Minnesota this Sunday, July 5, at 12:30 PM on the Pioneer Press Main Stage.  We’ll be opening the event that morning after Elvis Costello & The Imposters headline the Fourth of July.  If you’re in the area and not doing anything, come out and see us!  We’ll be playing a 45-minute set and may throw in some new songs I’ve been working on. 

In other news, we’re working on a couple of new tours to keep us busy throught the summer.  I can’t make any official announcements, but they look very promising and perhaps will take us all around the countryside again (with some new stops along the way). 

Besides that, I’m catching up on sleep, growing a beard, writing songs, daydreaming of writing songs, listening to the songs in my head as I’m waking up, renting movies, practicing the guitar, writing songs, and hanging out.

And I’ve also been working on creating a live album of our May | June tour.  I’m almost done and I’ll be soon posting it on the Web.  Stay tuned.

Take Care,

jason

When I went to the local bookstore to buy the “Touring For Morons,“they left out a few key details:

—If you choose to not eat junk food at rest stops, you’ll starve.
—Propane tanks and RV’s are not allowed NYC tunnels.
—You’ll be incredibly tired when you get home.
—The sound of diesel engines in neutral will be the only sound you hear every morning.
—There’s nothing you can do to rid your bus of an eternal fart smell.
—Each performance, you’ll feel like you’re getting sick only to realize you’re just anxious.
—Your bandmates will likely bring mullet wigs, red and blue unitards, gigantic tennis shoes, and tea-bag each other in the middle of the night.

Yes, these were things I didn’t bargain in this big dream of travelin’ and singin’.  But I’m not complaining.  Every day I stared out the bus window, watching the cars fly by and the trees sway in the wind, I kept pinching my imagination at the thought that I’m doing just what I’ve longed to do.  Since starting bands in high school, people would always ask, “What do you wanna do?  Do you wanna make it big?”  All I could ever say was, “I just wanna travel and see the world and play for people.”  And I’m doing it and I’m very grateful.  I don’t know how it happened.  Maybe my ancient hunch was right.  I guess you do have to go with your guts.  Well, I went and here I am.  I think the Dude, Jeffrey Lebowski, would say…...“F***in’-A”.  Or maybe just, “Nice Marmot.”  Either way,  if you made it out to the shows and saw us for the first time AND liked it, thank you.  I hope you tell your friends and I hope you come back.

So now I’m back at home, on a little Macbook, typing in the light of the sunset, amidst 90+ degree Minnesota summer heat.  Damn, it’s hotter here than anywhere else we’ve been.  I stepped outside this morning and felt like I was drunk.  Simply put, I have a massive tour/travel hangover.  But it’s all good.  In my spare time these past two days, I’ve been listening to the live shows Bob Schneider’s sound man, Jay Thomas, made for us.  I’ve organized about 15 discs into a working order for myself, and I’ll be compiling a “live show” of the tour—that is, my favorite cuts of each of the songs we played while out in May and June.  Pretty soon, I’ll have these up on the website for listening and purchasing.  I have to say…they sound pretty good.  And it’s really interesting to hear the evolution of the tunes from night to night.  I feel like I sang way better on the second leg.  It’s like I had digested the song more and distilled the essence down a little more.  And the band plays their asses off on nearly every tune.  Early on, my manager told me that I’d see this kinda thing take shape….I was thinking, nah…we’ve got it down….but he’s right.  It’s getting better and better each time and that feels good.  Now it’s my goal to remove all the needless banter and get to the songs.

This last leg in June, though much shorter, was a little tougher.  We played almost every night and usually had to drive like bats outta hell to get there.  The east coast stretch between Boston and DC was a little easier but we did have to do some criss-crossing that felt mildly unnecessary.  Oh well.  Everywhere we went, we were in good spirits and the band was psyched for every show.  New York City was especially fun.  We had a helluva time getting in that joint.  If it’s that hard to get into Heaven, I’ll just bee-line to Hades, no problem.  First we couldn’t get through the Holland Tunnel.  Police searched the trailer and told us to re-route back out to the Lincoln Tunnel.  We were already in crazy bumper-to-bumper traffic, so this was a little daunting.  Everyone was scared we weren’t gonna make the gig.  So we headed to the Lincoln Tunnel and the sign at the toll area said, “No propane tanks”.  Obviously, being on a grandma/grandpa RV, we have one.  But there was no way we could turn around and enter the city through the George Washington Bridge.  So with held breath and crossed fingers, we strolled up to the window.  Two cops came out and said “where’s the propane?” Daryl, my drummer and driver, looked em square in the eye and said, “propane?  we don’t have any propane!”  They responded, “you mean to tell me you made it all the way from minneapolis to the big apple with no propane?”  Everybody was freaking out.  This is it.  We’re gonna have to turn around and miss the first f****ing NYC show!  Dammit!!!! 

But no.  Daryl reached into his bag of tricks and pulled out the clencher:  “Hey man, we’re in a band!”  I guess that was the secret password.

We made it through tunnel, collectively cheering, smiling, and having a group panic attack.  Daryl won the Gold Star and we were headed to the Bowery Ballroom for a crazy night of jamming.  It was one of our favorite shows.  I just wish we could’ve seen a little more of the city.  The only view we got other than riding to the gig via Broadway, was a lost jaunt through Queens on our way.  Next time, we come, we’re staying longer and we’re gonna dance in the streets.

DC was chill.  I can’t say much about the city because we didn’t really see it.  I remember flying by the Washington Monument and imagining that big pool of water below near the Lincoln Memorial where everyone gathered the unify the nation long ago.  That was cool.  Then we headed by a buncha building that all looked the same.  I figured the Watergate drama ensued somewhere around here.  Oh, there goes the Pentagon.  That was bascially our trip in.

The Birchmere, actually located in Alexandria, is a pretty happening place.  It’s a sit-down dinner club.  Everyone’s gotta stay in their chairs and keep quiet.  They’ve even got little signs at the artist’s request requiring no clapping or major noise.  Crazy!  But it was cool.  The place itself was an oasis for a tired band on the road.  We could stay there overnight, do our laundry, shower, shave, and have free dinner.  Oh hell yeah.  I had pizza because pizza is my favorite food in the world.  I’ll eat pizza with rabbit turds on it if the timing’s right.  But this night it was simply vegetarian.  And good.

Stepping onto the stage at the Birchmere was something I had thus far not experienced.  The lights were really blinding and the crowd was super quiet.  You could hear people’s thoughts.  If you ever want to assasinate an entertainer, this would be the time.  I was blind and ready for the tomato throws.  But the crowd dug it.  We had a short set because a Texas fella named Hayes Carll joined the bill and pushed us back a bit.  He was good.  Chill.  He reminded me of a Southern Mason Jennings.  He had an eternal wobble in his voice that was part of the sound.  I liked it but found it difficult to decipher some of the lyrics which is a bummer because they seemed to be good.  Of all the things I could make out, I liked the performance and Hayes seemed like a pretty good guy.  He was telling us a story about how he played a gig with Bob about five years ago and the bar didn’t pay him offered free drinks all night.  Hayes went on to buy everyone in the bar a shot of Petron and get totally wasted himself. Then he mentioned that he threw his arms around people and told them to check out how big Bob’s head was.  We laughed pretty hard at the image.  Later on,  he and Bob were chatting about evil spirits in Hayes’ house down in Texas.  I didn’t know spirits could be evil.  And yes, Bob does have a big head.  But it looks proportional, so whatever.

Anyway, it was fun show.  I got to see an old high school friend, Eric McNett, which was cool, and my Uncle Jay and Aunt Pam came to the show.  All in all, good time.

Special thanks to the Birchmere for being so cool to us.  You guys rule!  I can’t wait to come back. 

Our last stop on the tour was the Ram’s Head Tavern in Annapolis, the capital of Maryland.  First we had to make a quick stop in Baltimore for a photo shoot with famed photographer Steven Parke.  His studio was located in an older part of the city and I took a sharp turn on one of the old, worn curbs and poof:  blown tire.  It sounded like someone opened fire on the neighborhood bully.  Either that or we ran over a fire hydrant.  I can’t remember the last time I heard a sound like that.  Needless to say, everyone was freaked out.  I was trippin’, that’s for sure.  And the RV’s regular drivers, I won’t name names, had no problem telling me that I screwed up. Thanks for the memo, guys.  Luckily, we had a local repair guy come out and we were able to do the shoot and get the tire changed all at once, so no time was lost.  Win some, lose some, boys.  The universe is balancing itself.

The Ram’s Head seemed like a first cousin to the Birchmere….like a kid cousin with a little more color. They were really strict about the guest list and the place was sold out.  But we rocked it good.  It’s always nice to hear big cheers from a crowd of strangers.  Suddenly, they’re your new friend.  After the show, some lady came up to me and said, “Jason Shannon, you changed my life!”  Wow, I wish I had that kinda pull.  Or maybe not.  I’m cool with just rockin’ out.  I’ll let the saviors sermonize the settlers.  The show was a good one, passed by in the blink of an eye.  Later on, for an encore my boys in the band put those unitards to good use and joined Bob’s for one of his encore songs.  Way to go, boys.

And alas, we’re back. I’m almost outta here.  Got some sashimi tuna on the grill.  Gonna get my grind on.  Special thanks to all my friends and new friends who made it out to the show and supported the band along the way.  If I didn’t specifically name you, my apologies.  We had a real blast and I can’t wait to get back out.  We’re working on some tours right now.  I can’t be specific, but we’ll back very soon.  In the meantime, I’m gonna hunker down and do some writing…...

Until then, take care!

peace,

jason

Wasahappenin’ Peoples:

here we are again…..stuck in traffic…..gettin’ our road trip on.  this damn computer is so hot in my lap….i know i’m losing potential children with each passing moment.

i’m writing to update the happenings of our june tour:  we played the paradise in boston two nights ago, rocked that mother, had a blast, and stayed up all night making body-count outlines with our spare bottle of Tums.  that’s what kinda night it was.  actually, i went to sleep around 2 but eli and daryl made friends with the sunset and consequently, daryl was totally sick the next day.  as a result, i got my first turn at driving the RV….made it from Boston to Philly….no head-on collisions….a good thing. 

Boston was crazy fun.  after driving almost 22 hours from Chicago, we landed just outside of Springfield and had only an hour or so to roll in.  When we got there, we ended up on the campus of Northeaster University, looking for a YMCA.  Everyone paid five bucks and we got our first shower in many days.  Needless to say, that was the shit.  And it was our first band experience of hanging out in one room completely naked together.  tours bring you close together.  tours tear you far apart.  luckily, we’re dosing on the former and it’s all good.

after the Y, we ate some noodles and headed back to the camper for a little frisbee.  my bass player, who’s been traveling with his girlfriend, called to check in and i informed him that the trailer had been stolen and we were S.O.L.  he kinda freaked out until i informed him that we got a plastic saxophone and let out a huge “joke’s on you, buddy” cackle.  i’m good with practical jokes but not good with the laughter. 

boston’s beautiful.  we strolled through about five colleges until we got to Boston University and to the Paradise Rock Club.  Paradise wasn’t what i expected it to be, but it rarely is, i suppose.  it’s crazy to imagine we were on a stage that has had Tom Petty, U2, AC/DC, The Pretenders, Tom Waits, and a whole slew of other legendary artists.  I tried to frame the memory a little.  Lucky for my shoes, the floor was nice and slippery and i got to duck walk a little bit during the show. 

boston’s crowd was a touch lock to pick at first.  but once we did, it was all good.  they ended up being really into the show and really nice to us afterwards AND we tied our record for most CD’s sold in a night.  damn, some dude bought me a Stella during the show.  that was a first (thanks, man).  Then, later on, we met a couple of dudes, Kyle and Nick,  who were jammin’ out and lockin’ in with us and we pretty hung out with them for the night.  They bought us beers and had no problem telling us we killed it.  That’s always a nice thing to hear.  Personally, I felt the show was a little weird….not bad, just weird…..like having a vision of Jesus and finding out he wears leather pants and velcro shoes and drinks Busch Light….Either way, it was a good show.  Everybody in the crowd told me how awesome it was, so i figured i’d adopt their feelings as my own.  so it worked out pretty good.  thank you, boston.

Wanted to give a special shout-out to Kyle and NIck:  you guys were really cool and we appreciated the hospitality.  after sweating it out on the lost highway day in and day out, it’s tight to meet some people who wanna connect, rock out, and who have a deeper appreciation for the time and energy going into this kind of endeavor.  at one point in the night, they asked me how it felt to be up onstage totally rocking out, sweat flying everywhere, jumping up and down, etc.  “what’s it like, man?”  i thought for a second and remembered the countless hours in my bedroom playing along with jimi hendrix, led zeppelin, and bob dylan….crafting my guitar face, honing my vibrato, dreaming of that special day.  so i told them, “aww man, it feels like it felt when i was 15.  and if you’re into the music and feeling the vibe, it feels exactly how you feel when you watch it.”  and that’s the truth, in my experience.  music is music.  cuts like sharp knife.  energy with no rules if you let it run wild.  kyle and nick were feeling it and they let us know.  i appreciate that, homies.  hell yeah.  we got it.  you get it.  period.

**also, i forgot to mention and give thanks to my good friend Paul Dennis and his girlfriend Tara who drove down four hours from Vermont to see us play.  We had a nice chat in the RV and caught up for awhile and I’m grateful that anyone would ride miles to see us play.  thanks man!

so we woke up at 8 and headed to Philly.  Like I said, Daryl was sick, so i drove.  we got in around 3, loaded in, and snuck on over to a Soul Food stand and got some jerk chicken, candied yams, and mac ‘n’ cheese.  then we had a soundcheck and waited around for a few hours.  eli and i played long-distance frisbee toss in an open field behind the venue.  then we headed down to CVS to grab some meds for our fallen drummer.  all in all, Philly was a chill experience…nothing over the top, nothing under.  the club was really nice and the sound on stage was the best we’ve had thus far.  i couldn’t believe it.  our set was pretty rockin.  i think we might have rocked em too hard….a lot of the folks in the crowd were at banquet tables.  all in all, it was good.  we dared (for a thousand dollars) tim to play one of his piano solos with his “johnson” but he chickened out.  i don’t blame him.  it’s hard to hit all the right notes with a “johnson” solo. 

eli, our resident late-night-party bandmate (not to mention bad-ass sax man), ended up waltzing with some ladies into the night, heading to Pat’s King Of Steaks with Bob’s crew for some authentic cheesesteak, and losing our tour manager’s main set of keys.  we didn’t know til we woke up and they were missing.  so we spent about two hours looking for them to no avail.  in the meantime, i met some of the dudes from the Dirty Projectors, a band i had been listening to online during our tour.  that was a trip.  i didn’t learn any mystical secrets from them, but it was one more step in seeing how everything is pretty well-woven together.

um…...om. 

—jason

I’m rolling shotgun on Highway 90, somewhere in Ohio, listening to “Simon Smith & The Amazing Dancing Bear” by Randy Newman.  The disc keeps skipping but I don’t care.  I rub my eyes and throw on my shades.  The light is too intense.

So we left Chicago this morning at 6 in the AM.  I don’t know if I’ve ever been so tired as I was this morning—so cashed I could barely talk.  I guess it’s for good reason.  We were at a rest stop twenty minutes ago musing about how we couldn’t have any more fun than we did over the past two days, hangin’ and jammin’ down in Wicker Park—window shopping for vintage duds, eating pizza at Peace, smoking in the rain, bloody marys at the Blue Line, chats with new fans, mambo nights with Blueberry Stoli, dancing drunkards on the RV roof, the train cars roaring overhead, sound checks with Crash (our mohawk-ed monitor man with classical training in the bassoon), and jamming with Bob.  It was one of the best times I’ve had in recent memory.  And if we met and you liked the music, well…it was nice meeting you and I’m psyched you liked the band. 

The first night was a pretty pumpin’ set.  I was really nervous before the show.  It’s a good thing, though.  It usually means it’s gonna be a good one.  It also means I’m gonna sweat a lot.  And that I did…..so much so, that when we finished, I was shivering.  You might as well thrown me in a dunking booth.  We opened with “Chained” and kept it rolling from there, closing with “Mister Miracle Mile” and a new tune called “Babylon”.  Somewhere along the way, we decided to create a drinking game out of “Slip Away”—making an unsuspecting audience member don a trailer park mullet and swig beer every time I sing “Slip Away”....the artsies in the crowd probably feel insulted but I don’t care.  We’re there to have fun, right?  Right.  So we got this dude named Jeremy from Milwaukee up onstage and he pounded home a few beers during the course of the tune.  I think my rhythm section caught him barfing in his mouth.  But I know he won’t admit it and it doesn’t matter anyway.  He was a champ and the crowd seemed to be into the act.  In fact, they were really into it both nights so that feels good.

As the balance of the cosmos would have it….that night, when I got back to the RV, I had the minor misfortune of reading an email my manager sent to me that had performance previews from the areas we were playing.  One was a brief album review in the Illinois Entertainer by a writer named Kevin Keegan.  He basically branded me a singer-songwriter struggling to make ends meet, doing everything I can to hold an audience’s attention, learning reggae from a Sublime cover band, singing secondhandedly about my own experience, and “groaning” about how I may be fooling everyone who listens…...basically, the guy, in my opinion, tore the album a new asshole, took lyrics out of context, and labeled me a desperate charlatan in the rock and roll charade brigade. 

Needless to say, I had a weird feeling.  Here I am, traveling with my dedicated band across the nation, trying my hardest to give everything I have at every show, sweating my ass off, tired as hell, shower-less for days and days at a time, rolling in an RV that, at any given moment, could smell like a fart | dirty sock | sweat | beer | pizza | septic gas | etc….and there he is:  at home on a Friday night, wank in hand, getting paid to spin bunk yarn.  Granted, I really don’t expect anyone to sympathize with me and I understand music criticism is part of the game I’m in.  I get it.  But, this one got under my skin….mostly because the dude wrote the songs off without any decent explanation or real sincerity.  I mean….damn…..if you’re gonna hate on something, at least show up to the battlefield with good bullets and a sharp sword.  Then I’ll listen and take the feedback into consideration. 

In a moment of anger, I decided I’d find this guy on the internet and give him a piece of my mind.  If he’s got the balls to be a shitty critic, I’ve got the balls to be an artist concerned with the quality of music criticism.

I tried to find this guy on the Internet.  In fact, I hunted down an innocent Kevin Keegan and gave him some feedback, but it was the wrong guy.  So I ended up posting my thoughts on the “preview” page of the Entertainer’s website.  Basically, I invited him down to the Double Door to see my band live and decide for himself whether or not I was another whiney singer/songwriter.  And I wrote that if he wasn’t convinced by our musical presentation, then he could tell me to my face.  And…of course, I didn’t see him because I’m sure he’s got better things to do than to have a good time.  Either way, people like you, in any field of work, give written expression a bad name.  I realize I may be doing, in a similar way, exactly what I’m railing against.  But consider me a white-blood-cell-reporter fighting the collective muse’s immune system against a silly bug.  Maybe the dude just needs to get laid.

Anyway….sorry to go off.  All in all, Chicago was most definitely one of the best places we’ve been to thus far.  Every moment was great. And to those who made it out to support Bob and got to see us and liked it, thank you!  I even had the pleasure of seeing a thousand-plus bikers on a midnight naked bike ride through the streets.  As I stood and watched, a naked dude rolled past me and yelled, “Jason Shannon!!!!” 

I didn’t recognize him.  Maybe it was Kevin Keegan.  Maybe it was you.  Maybe it’s all my imagination.  Just glad and thankful to be out here.

Hey-O,

jason

Hola Friends,

We’re rolling east on 90 just near Madison, heading to the Double Door in Chicago for a two-night stint with our homey Bob Schneider and his band.  I’m currently eating tortilla chips and typing with one hand so it’s making this entry a little prolonged…..

Things are going well thus far.  We started the tour by busting our ass down to Saint Louis, rocking out in the Duck Room at Blueberry Hill, flirting with girls (post-show) on the side of the street, hopping in the bus, and heading back home.  Saint Louis was a whirlwind but we had fun….played a couple of new songs (which I’ll eventually post in the “Nobody’s Vault But Mine” section of the Music link) and rocked out with Saint Louis music man, Beatle Bob.  He’s a famed aficionado of all thing rock and roll and beyond and he was right up front chanting “electrifying!  outstanding!  oh my goodness!”  I asked him if we could take him home, but I think he’s grounded there.  It was funny and simultaneously eerie to think we were playing on a stage that Chuck Berry plays every other Wednesday.  But I went with it…a link in the chain….

It is official:  I am getting no sleep.  I’ve got to figure this out.  It’s about as pertinent to me as global warming is to a polar bear.  Even right now, I’m kinda having waves of fatigue/anxiety/sleeplessness.  Everyone keeps saying, “Just take some Tylenol PM or Benadryl” and yeah, I could do that.  But I don’t wanna get caught in that particular cycle so I’m hoping to stumble upon a more natural and reasonable solution.  But I definitely can’t sleep and it’s shitty.  And it’s not insomnia.  It’s some kinda control thing because the other night, I had some Tylenol PM in my hand and I didn’t wanna swallow them.  I was looking at them and realizing, “Oh, my problem’s that I don’t wanna go to bed in a moving vehicle….”  Uh oh.  I can trace it back though.  My family’s car collided head-on with a rogue tire on a high bridge when i was little and I remember thinking we were gonna drive off the bridge.  My mom reminds me that my dad handled the incident well but I must be still sorting it out in the “misunderstood” section of my young memory mind.  That’s all I can come up with.  Every time we brake, hit a bump in the road, or swerve, I feel like the county strongman is taking a hammer to the buzzer thingey at the local carnival.  Not good.  Anyway….sorry to waste your time on my fears.

So we rode all through the night and got to Minneapolis at 11 in the morning.  I slept for three hours and then headed to the Cities 97 offices for a chat and performance in Studio C with Jason Nagel (check out a couple of new photos in the Photo section).  That was pretty fun.  All I could do was squint in the bright lights, do my best to be articulate and legible, and not smell up the room with my funky road clothes….and attempt to stay in tune.  You know there’s something going on when you smell yourself and are mildly offended.  But I took a sink shower afterwards and headed to the Varsity Theater for a soundcheck.  LIke the kids say….it’s all good. (thanks to Jason Nagel, by the way, for having us).

The Varsity Theater show was a real blast—a little stressful due to the rigor of the schedule—but a blast nonetheless.  About two hours before every show, no matter how tired or distracted I am, I am fully re-enegized.  I could be in a head-on collision and have whiplash from hell and sure enough, if it’s in the two-hour before-show time frame, I’m okay. 

The show was packed—lots of friends and lots of soon-to-be friends.  I always thoroughly enjoy meeting new people who enjoyed the band’s performance.  That’s a real trip.  It’s one thing when your friends and family dig you no matter what.  It’s another thing when strangers from near and far approach you with energy, enthusiasm, and appreciation.  It really does affect me.  I met some dude named Alex who had just moved to the Twin Cities from Cape Cod and he was stoked to hear us and told me he’d tell his homeys in Boston about our upcoming show at the Paradise.  That was sweet.  And then….you know….we meet lots of women.  You can’t ever meet enough women…..but then again, I’m not like that .....so whatever.

It was a bit weird though….playing a homecoming show sandwiched in the middle of a tour.  I didn’t feel like I was home.  And after all, it wasn’t really my gig.  It was Bob’s and I mildly felt like we were somewhere else in some other time (although I totally love the Varsity).  The crowd in Saint Louis seemed to be really into our set and the space was cozy and then suddenly we’re in Minneapolis and playing to a ton of people and it feels like nobody’s moving around.  They’re watching.  I get it.  It seems sometimes people are into watching us…..I mean, there are a lot of peeps onstage….Tim’s grooving out….Wendy’s dancing all over….I’m sweating my ass off…Nick’s nodding his head up and down…Daryl’s making the “evil drummer” face”.....and my homeboy Eli is wearing size 20 shoes.  Perhaps it’s a lot for the eyes and ears to take in.  But still…..it does feel right when people are moving.  I mean….I feel like aside from the whole artistic endeavor of writing and arranging…..performances for me are about creating an experience and communicating and entertaining and dancing.  I hope I don’t sound like I’m negatively criticizing the crowd…..I’m not.  But when people are watching and motionless, I can sometimes feel like an animal in a zoo.  Woof woof.

Holy shit, this road is bumpy!  I had to stop typing for a second and crack the window to get some air. Whew.  Anyway…..Minneapolis was a lotta fun.  Can’t wait to play there again. 

On our way to Chiiiiiiiicago.  The Double Door.  Two nights.  Hey-O! 

See you soon…..

Take Care,
jason

Hey Everybody,

The band and I are getting ready for our June leg with Bob Schneider.  We’re rehearsing a couple of new songs, getting our rest, bringing half of what we packed last time, and starting to get really pumped for the road in June!  I can’t wait.  I’m counting the days…...

In the meantime, here’s what’s going down:

—We’re playing at a Cities 97 Summer Concert Series on June 4.  It will be sort of an acoustic performance with different band members sitting in with me at any one time.  Should be fun.  We’ll do new ones and old ones.  We start early so come check it out.  It’s free.  See the schedule for details.

—I’m catching up on some much needed sleep.  Man, I really need to figure out how to sleep on a moving vehicle….  People keep suggesting Tylenol PM, but I’m kinda skeptical about relying that kinda medication to get my night’s rest.  We’ll see…

—We just got 5000 new copies of the album!  It has been re-structured a bit, but it maintains the same packaging style.  I put a newer picture on the back so people could at least see my face.  And there’s a couple of remixes of songs on the record that I had the chance to work out before the pressing.  The discs will be heading to stores nationwide very soon.

I hope to see you at a show sometime soon.  If you haven’t heard, we’re pretty fun live….

peace,
jason

Buongiorno Friendos:

It would be my privilege and honor to share with you the merits of sleeping in a full-size bed and not traveling a thousand miles a day, but I know you’d rather hear about the banana we put in Bob Schneider’s tour bus or the Great Wall of China-sized line of cocaine we all shared to get through our last show.  Truth is, I’m home and on my way to being rested and prepping for another round of playing in June.  Here is, starting from where I left off at the last update, a blow-by-blow synopsis of our May journey:

Salt Lake City:

Shortly after our second night in Seattle, we rounded the gear up, shoved it down a small elevator, wheeled it through the alleyway, and hit up the mountainous highway towards the Urban Lounge in Salt Lake City.

Salt Lake City, from the get go, was interesting.  I can’t speak for the entirety of the city because, basically, I showed up to the gig and stepped off to play a game of frisbee in the back parking lot of the venue.  We were, however, told to be quiet because the area has noise laws.  In fact, when Will (the production coordinator) arrived, he informed us that we couldn’t soundcheck or make any kind of noise until the show started.  Fair enough but fairly odd.  This was a first in all my days of playing.  But I’m willing to roll with that kinda punch.

After our game, we went and got dinner next door at Al Forno’s.  Our waitress was Flo, a chick from Long Island who came out for a little ski trip and ended up staying.  This was her 20th year.  She mostly said, “Foegeddabouddit.”  That was a highlight.  I ordered some kinda Hawaiian fish.  It was good but I ended up paying for it for the rest of the night.

Anyway, after dinner, we all got our blankets and slept on the lawn by the RV.  I felt kinda weird about it but I was really tired.  I mean….like the kinda tired you probably are when you’re a prisoner of war and they’re keeping you up day and night with the hope of you dishing out some kinda precious piece of intel.  That kind.  I got about an hour in and then we hit the stage.

The Salt Lake crowd was interesting.  Very talkative.  They swallowed up Charlie Mars, the dude who goes on before us.  He usually reels the crowd right in with his mixture of chill songs and Southern-twanged humor.  But not tonight.  Charlie was fishing with the wrong bait.  So that made us a little nervous, espcially considering we’re totally new to everyone in every city AND we hadn’t had any proper soundcheck.  But I had some tricks up my sleeve and I was ready to put them to use.

We stepped up onstage and started in with “Chained”, a slow, bluesly romp about the perils of getting stuck on someone for too long-a time.  This song usually works well as opener (at least I think it does) because the opening words are “I love a woman/but she doesn’t love me/I should have listened/when she tried to tell me”.  Who can’t identify with that?  So I belted it out and pulled them in…...almost.  This crowd was pretty talkative so they were gonna need a little somethin’-somethin’.  And what I’ve learned from watching Bob Schneider and other entertainers is that if you can’t beat em, then you give em hell.  Somehow, it seems to get you a little closer.  So I asked all of them why they’d pay twenty bucks to go somewhere and make a bunch of noise.  And what if Bob isn’t coming out tonight?  What if I’m all you get for the night?  Then I told them we didn’t care about them anyway and they can go on making noise.  And somehow, they started listening.  I guess people perk up when they sense anything with a little fire to it—like a hallway fight in high school or a moto crash on the interstate.  Bad news travels like wildfire.  Either way, we rocked our way through the set and won some fans.  Some guy told me later that night that we killed it and that he loved the way the sweat poured down my face while I played.  I didn’t quite no what to make of that but I’ll take it as a good thing.

That’s not all.  In other news, Bob was, I think, mildly irritated that the crowd was so verbal and he didn’t come out for his usual encore.  So we pack ourselves into the RV and hung out for an hour outside the venue.  In the meantime, we gotta couple of hellos from strangers.  One guy even showed us his genitals.  That was weird.  We got pictures but I can’t show them.  But trust me, he was very proud of them and not afraid to show them off in various bodily positions.  Maybe his girfriend’s name is Salt Lick Sadie.  Either way, that’s Salt Lake City.

Denver:

I never knew how much driving hundreds of miles in an RV between shows would physiologically break me down.  I was feeling the burn in Denver.  War fatigue.  It’s worse than the shopping mall fatigue dudes get when they’re hangin’ with their boo.  And you know….I really could care less about it because the adrenaline that precedes shows provides me with enough energy to get it going on stage.  But it won’t save my vocal cords and the last three shows of this tour were scary.  I’ve never sang a set thinking “this could be it” for my pipes.  It’s like being the starting pitcher in the seventeenth inning.  You’re basically just waiting for the building to collapse.  And it does this weird thing to your presence.  It splits it.  You get stuck inside your mind while simultaneously trying to connect the song’s energy to the crowd.  I’d have to say it’s not my cup of tea.  But I’m willing to adjust.  Or else I’m mildly screwed. 

Denver was excellent.  The band camped out behind a 7-11 that was facing the Ogden Theater.  I don’t know what part of town we were in….it seemed half-nice, half-scary.  But the Ogden was really nice.  When you hear the word “theater”, you imagine seats and velvet and curtains and ushers….but it wasn’t like that.  Maybe 20 years ago it was.  But whoever took this place over had in mind that this was gonna be a rock and roll venue.  So they gutted the place, added rubberized black flooring with tracklights, and engineered different tiers for people to watch.  It was one of my favorite looking venues and I was psyched for the show. 

The place filled up fast.  You never how big the crowd is gonna be for Bob.  He always has a good one, but sometimes it could be 400 and sometimes it could be 1500.  Tonight, though, was packed.  The band was ready to roll.  Everyone was upstairs, crammed in the tiny dressing room.  Someone had purchased some tequila and there was some sipping going on.  Nothing outrageous.  I don’t allow my group to drink heavily or smoke anything before shows.  Not good for business.  But a little taste won’t hurt. 

To sum up the Denver show, I’ll just say this:  the crowd was great, the music was great, the vibe was great, but the band wasn’t hooked up.  Why?  Who knows?  An unmarked grave, that gig was.  The funny thing is….you could have asked someone in the crowd what they thought and they might have told you it was amazing.  But I wasn’t feeling connected and I know the band wasn’t either.  Sometimes this just happens.  You can’t blame it on anything, but you can try—the thin, Denver air, long travel, no sleep, the moon, chicks.  All I know is that my voice was threatening silence and one of my guitar strings got stuck during an important solo right in the middle of the set.  I kept going for the guitar-face-note….you know, the one that sends the crowd into cheering…it’s not intentional….anyway….the string was just stuck!  wtf!  I couldn’t tell that it was though because of the lights.  I just thought I was having a weird solo.  Someone shoulda just pulled my pants down in front of everyone.  That woulda been better.  I later apologized to the crowd for my solo and assured them that I was a badass guitar player.  Whatever.  You win some and you almost win some. 

I must say, though, that I can’t wait to get back to Denver and play.  The music fans there seem really into the playing.  We had some good friends in the crowd and I was happy for the opportunity.

Santa Fe:

The last gig of the tour, Santa Fe was a pleasant surprise.  First off, it was an outdoor gig. 

Secondly, we got free food and unlimited beer. 

Thirdly, we played a pretty good set even though the crowd was seated and about 75 feet away from us which is always cause for a little disconnect.  But the set was tight, I didn’t blow my voice out like I thought I would, and we played like champs.

Fourthly, Bob let us jam with him and his band on a few songs and we had a splendid time doing that.  I got to borrow Billy Cassis’s guitar for a little solo on “Tarantula” and Wendy and Eli tore it up too.  It was a great way to end the tour.  Everyone in Bob’s band was super cool and they’re all really great players too.  And we had a nice time hanging out and getting to know Jay Thomas, the sound man (also a songwriter).  I felt grateful for the opportunity.  I know the band did too.  And we’re doubly psyched to get back out on the road and keep rocking it for whoever passes by. 

So we’re back and resting.  I feel glad to be sitting in one place for more than a day and not in the midst of all the collective clamor of the group.  The constant travel is unusual.  You feel like a nomad on speed.  Sleep and good rest are faded memories.  Adrenaline becomes regular in your bloodflow.  Truckstop food is all you have.  Rest areas are like geysers in the desert.  Girls everywhere.  No wonder musicians burn out and get all jacked up on drugs.  The only thing that seems about right is playing your music that night.  It’s not normal!  But then again, what is?  I don’t care.  I’m having just the time I wanna be having.  And me and the band look forward to June and beyond.  Stay tuned!

Also, look for some streaming live concert stuff up on this site very soon.  We got some good clips from all the shows and I’m looking forward to posting them up on the web for your listening.  AND…check out those YouTube video blogs. 

See you soon & thanks,

jason

Yo Yo Yo!

It’s nine o’clock on a friday morning and the band and me are cruising down Highway 84 on our way to Salt Lake City for a show at the Urban Lounge.  We just finished a two-night stint at the Triple Door and had to immediately leave in order to make this gig on time.  So as a result, we’ve been pulling round the clock driving duties to get us there (sponsored by Red Bull).  The van’s insides are in rough shape—pillows and blankets everywhere, the smell of gourmet salami, beef jerky bits on the linoleum, an empty, pink box of Voodoo Donuts by the doorway.  We’ve been on the road for over two and a half weeks and it shows. 

But things are good.  If you’re keeping up with us here, I apologize for the lack of response on my end.  We’re just so busy traveling and documenting and doing stuff.  Things are going really well.  Let me back up and give you a city-to-city synopsis of the shows:

Los Angeles:

The endless search for the mystical organic taco stand led us into the winding roads and concrete cultural mishmash of the Hollyweird Hills.  Los Angle-eez.  Sunset Boulevard.  The Key Club.  This was our first time in L.A. and we were all very excited to play.  There was a lot of seeming pressure on this gig because a number of people that work on behalf of the band were in the crowd watching—my publicist, photographer, show reviewer, radio peeps, etc.  Needless to say, we were a little nervous.  But nothing we couldn’t handle with a little pre-show high-fives and a couple of tequila swigs in the mobile-home/dressing room. 

My manager lives in the area so we borrowed his house to freshen up and take naps before the night began.  Then we rolled down Sunset to the gig…...

Plainly stated, the show was a lot of fun.  Really…as of now, they are all and I’m really grateful that we’re getting this opportunity.  What I’m learning about this kind of playing (meaning, touring night after night) is how important the crowd is in determining the vibe of the night.  It seems an obvious observation but I can’t emphasize it enough after a dozen gigs in a row in differing towns.  And the difference between Phoenix and L.A. makes the statement as valid as ever.  One night, we’re playing to a tiny, packed room of rabid fans foaming at the mouth who seem to be cheering us on like we’re a gang of underprivileged underdogs from the Underworld.  And the next night, we’re in one of the ritzier clubs in one of the ritzier towns playing to an audience that is intent on clapping like a group of English aristocrats sipping tea, snacking crumpets, and watching polo.  I don’t mean this as an insult.  In fact, we were told by some people that the L.A. music-goers are a tough crowd.  I get it.  We got it.  It’s all good.  Next time, I’m just gonna bring a flame-thrower and torch some of them faux hawks hanging out in the crowd…..

Every night, we go out and play and the audience is basically a firing squad for us considering the fact that I’m relatively unknown right now.  And it’s really not a big deal.  I’m not doing this so people will clap and my self-esteem will be saved.  But I’ve learned on a deeper level now that it does help to have the audience with you in heart and mind and that their energy is equally as important as the energy we are putting out on stage.  I was mentioning to someone the other night that the audience is like a pretty girl you’re kissing.  You sure hope that when you lean to give it to her, she takes it and gives it back.

We’ll be back to L.A.  I can’t wait.

(thanks to NIck’s girlfriend Jamie and her parents for making a nice Migas breakfast and for opening their home up to the band for a day!)

San Diego:

The Belly Up Tavern is a cool place.  It’s a long, semi-circle arched wooden hallway with tons of floor space in front of the stage and nice, two level seating on each side.  I’d love to play there again.  We rolled into San Diego around three and just goofed around until sound check…..took some pictures of animals, made a couple of videos, hung out.  The weather was really nice and I think everyone really liked the vibe of the town.

The show was a helluva time too.  The past couple of days had left us a little short-fused temper-wise.  Call it:  Tour Agitation.  Call it:  Aargh.  Either way, by the time we took the stage, all was good.  We played a pumpin’ set.  Eli dressed up like the bastard son of Charles Manson and the whole band got a laugh out of that one.  I sweated out most of my body’s water.  It was a good time considering we were past the L.A. show and feeling free to mix it up a little bit in terms of the set-list.  Up until that point, we had been playing a pretty strict list of songs in order to tighten up our approach.

Oh, and I almost forgot to mention….Wendy got to sit in with Bob’s band on his new tune “Tarantula”.  That was fun to watch.  And she did a really nice job on it although the guys in the band kidded her on bringing the Squirrel Nut Zippers vibe.  Then again, the guys in the band kid Wendy on just about everything….

San Francisco:

This was one of my favorite shows on the tour.  We played at the Independent, a medium-sized, high-ceiling, square room over on Divisadero Street.  A lot of cool bands play there.  Upon first glance, the room seems kinda boring—little seating, no suave bar, not paintings, no fluff or filler.  That impression would all change later in the night when the place was filled to capacity and the crowd was with you to the end.

The day before, the split off for a little.  Daryl and Melanie took the bus to Marin Park.  Wendy went with her family.  Nick stayed behind in L.A. to hang with his girlfriend.  And Eli and Tim and I hung out with my roommates from college.  The night we got in, they had a huge meal ready for us.  It was amazing….especially considering the kind of shit that goes down your throat after awhile.  We had vegetables with rosemary, beef cutlets, bread with special-flavored butter, good beer, and homemade scones for dessert.  Alright, I’m kinda going off a little.  And getting hungry.  Bottom line:  it was a nice night…the kind that reminds you of life without constant travel.  We stayed there that night.  I got to sleep in a bed!  (thanks Kevin & Amanda)

The next morning,  I woke up to go do an internet TV show called Mevio.  Daryl and Tim and I took a cab to downtown San Fran, met the production people, shook some hands, and headed to the basement.  I thought maybe we were being set up and this was the end.  But sure enough, we soon entered a little television performance area.  I had little time to warm up or anything.  Basically, it was say hi and go to it.  My voice was a little tired and I felt mildly self-conscious doing my songs early in the morning with a quiet crowd eyeing every move while a few cameras capture everything.  I wouldn’t say it was unnerving.  But it wasn’t paradise.  Luckily, the folks there (from Iris Distribution and BlinkerActive marketing) were really sweet and even took me out to lunch.  Yippee!

The rest of the day was spent waiting for the show.  That’s kinda how every day is.  You get there and wait.  It’s a good wait, though.  Energy and adrenaline starts to pulse like lightning through my hands as I imagine the night.  Before the show, I hung out in the bus, walked to the coffee shop, and met up with my uncles who had road tripped to the show.

Like I said, this was one of my favorite shows.  The crowd was amazing and the room filled up just right.  Tension in the band was high before we took the stage…..why?.....I’m not sure.  I think the anticipation fosters nerves and the nerves foster a heightened sensitivity to everything.  We were snapping at each other a little and I take this to be a good thing.  We got onstage, poured it out, left everything there, sold a bunch of cd’s, said goodbye to friends, packed it in and headed to Portland.  What a night.

Portland: 

Onward to the Aladdin Theater.  A good gig.  Saw a bunch of good friends.  Eli is living in Portland, so his brother came out and a number of other friends made it out there with him.

The Aladdin was interesting….sort of a turn of the century room with wooden seats and an open floor in front of the stage for the impromptu dancing crew.  The dressing was once an apartment so it had a lot of space and even a big bathroom with a shower.  We had a nice time playing.  I can’t immediately recall if there was anything super noteworthy about the set other than that we had a lot of fun….as usual.  I was a little worried about the condition of my voice.  I was having to consciously compromise my range a little bit on particular songs.  Not much sleep will take its toll on you, that’s for sure.  But…damn….it’s hard to sleep when you’re doing this night after night and then hopping in a bus and heading back on the road.  You start to feel a little weirded out.  The excitement mixed with the fatigue forms a little “crazy cocktail” that leaves you wired and tired all at once.  I can see why some musicians end up using substances to fight the unique trajectory the road lays out for your system.  I won’t be going down that road anytime soon, but I know now why it’s there.

Seattle:

Two nights at the classy dinner club/ rock venue known as The Triple Door…...

This has been easily the most interesting gig we’ve had with Bob.  I feel like, over these two nights, I integrated a lot of what I’ve been thinking about concerning performing:  poise, pacing, eye contact, energy expulsion, attention span, set-list flow, etc.  I’ve been watching Bob’s sets night after night and observing his particular style of connection with his songs and with the crowd.  I watch the way he inhabits his tunes…..either in what appears to be his own inner character or through the adoption of a certain character that may or may not represent how he feels about himself.  I mean….he’s got a lot of different kinds of tunes…..pirate songs, vaudeville murder ballads, southern rock, Tom Waits-ia piano blues, sunny pop rock, earnest love ballads, hip-hop songs about forties and shorties, electro-dance-lounge rockers about country clubs, sing-along reggae style tunes, a-capella closers…...you name it.  He does a really fine job of staying in his tunes and yet connecting with the crowd.  After all, they are his fans and they’re there to see him and his music and he gives them both.  It’s interesting to me how he, at least from my observation, has a sort of detached sensibility to him without being standoff-ish.  It’s like he’s right on the line of being with you and being away, being in on the joke and being a part of it, being the blood of heartbreak or the heartbreak itself.  It’s sort of a dual placement of intent that allows him to connect on a number of levels.  I appreciate watching it and understand that it’s probably easy for him to do but took many years of refinement that came through a lot of performances.  All I can say about it in relation to my own performance style is that it reminds me of my own personal progression into myself and my natural way of being onstage and inhabiting my tunes while at the same time working at connecting on a number of levels.
Right now, the band only has about 45 minutes each night.  So we kinda have to show up and kick ass.  There’s not a ton of time for highs and lows, murder and salvation, etc.  You can give them everything you got but you can’t give them your total creative personality…..at least it seems that way.  For instance, I’ve got a lot of slow songs that we’re not playing because we’re in favor of keeping the energy up for the short set.  So there’s these little deals I have to make with myself about performance and repertoire.  So I feel like, without imposing rules on myself in the moment, I have to deliver the song with maximum attention to lyrics and to the crowd.  I trust the band to be on with the music.  Playing night after night has instilled this and right now, we’ve got it down and it feels good.  But I’m seeing newer avenues for connection that haven’t materialized in my attention thus far.  One is just relaxing more and more and looking out into the crowd and seeing the faces of the people who came to have a good time and just connecting with them on that simple level….sort of a “Hey, I’m with you here” kind of way.  It feels good to be able to do that and not feel like I’m a performer and they are separate.  It helps me relax and not sweat as much and wonder if I’m in tune or not.

The two nights in Seattle seemed to be the nights where a lot of this observing and integrating sort of crystalized for me.  Whether anybody else saw it or felt it or heard it is anybody’s guess.  But I could tell I was there more.  I was a participant and not a dog barking or an ornament on a tree.  I felt it most on the second night.  I was singing “Maybe Mexico” and realized I was hearing the song from outside myself.  I was watching it happen like everyone else.  i almost started laughing.  In fact, I think I smiled big for sure.  I wish it was on tape because I’ve never felt that way before.  It was the feeling of confidence and alright-ness without feeling like I’m in control of anything.  I’m along for the ride, you know.  It feels right.  Seeing Bob and his band stretch out has been helpful in this respect and I’m glad I’m out here working it.

Somewhere along the way, my keyboard player, Tim Carrow, transformed into Captain James T.  Pemberton.  We don’t exactly know how it happened.  But every morning, he’s been waking up from slumber and saying things like:

“Give me mountain property.”

“Smell my couch.”

“Have you seen my beer, bleatch?”

“I have a face full of dirty poontang.”

“Sorry babe.”

......Thanks to everyone who’s come out, helped out, bought a CD or T-shirt, and liked the band.  We appreciate it all a lot.  Thank you and stay tuned for more dates ahead. 

—jason

05.15.09

Howdy Howdy—

it’s just about 9 am and the band and I are rolling through the Arizona desert on our way to Los Angeles.  We’re currently in search of coffee and the ever-elusive Mystical Taco Stand that members of the group seem to think exists.  After our gig at the Rhythm Room in Phoenix and a couple of large after-show pizzas, we pulled off at a truckstop last night and slept for four hours.  There’s something about the excitement and energy of a good crowd that makes it pretty hard to sleep for a long time.  And Phoenix was a sweet crowd.  Thank you.

But let me back up a minute:  two days before, we were in Austin, Texas for a two day stay and a gig at the famed Continental Club.

Austin is….well….you’ve heard it before….a sweet town.  To me, it’s a mixture of Minneapolis and Honolulu (sans the winter and the ocean).  The town has a rich sense of home-owned business, arts appreciation, musical diversity,and overall eccentricity without pretense.  I mean….the town motto is “Keep Austin Weird”.  I wouldn’t say the town is weird, but compared to the rest of Texas, it is definitely an oasis.

We spent a couple nights off of Georgian Street with Kevin Johnson and his special lady friend, Carol.  They’re old friends of our manager and they were more than welcoming to us right upon arrival.  The first night Kevin made a Jamaican-style dinner and Carol made some sweet peach cobbler.  We hadn’t had a meal like that in forever.  My drummer said the pork chops were the best he’d ever had.  I didn’t have em but I believe him. 

Later on that night, Kevin’s brother Cowboy and his wife Amanda came over and we all broke out the guitars and sang songs into the night.  It was a nice two days with them…..low key and free of hassle…..the kind of place you wanna be when you’re on the road awhile.

The remainder of Austin was spent rolling around in an ancient Lincoln Town Car with the word PROGRESS stenciled on all sides courtesy of our friend Rigel Thurston.  Rigel and his girlfriend Polly were super sweet to us.  We went to a buncha different places—Waterloo Records, Whole Foods, Austin Vintage Guitars, Jimmy’s Drum Shop PROGRESS begat progress. 

One interesting that I’ve been feeling about being out here with the band is how I feel like I’m in some kinda human ant colony.  Everyone’s moving at the same pace, going the same place, wearing a similar face.  When we had the whole day off, it was hard to move out on our own.  I remember at one point, we were standing in a parking lot for about an hour-and-a-half doing nothing but asking, “where are we going?”  Bizarre.  I’m finding little ways to keep myself sane amidst the movement.  Yesterday, I went to use the bathroom and sat on the toilet for about fifteen minutes and stared at the wall.  It was quiet there.  Nothing moving except the slow drift of a mind.  That’s a hard find these days. 

On the last day, we waited around to play Austin’s Continental Club.  We ended up having a really nice, responsive crowd.  I sweated my ass off.  We ate some barbecue and I even got to meet a guy who played piano in Johnny Cash’s touring band.  He said, “Hello son, I like what you boys are goin’ for.”  That made me smile.  It seems like older people have their bullshit out of the way so when they tell you something, good or bad, it’s believable.

After playing a pretty rockin’ set, we said goodbye to our friends, thanked our manager, and packed ‘em in for the trip to Phoenix.

Eli drove all the way to Phoenix from Austin in one shot.  We hardly even breaked.  Everyone’s running on some kinda snake oil mystic energy.  How long we can keep it up is anyone’s guess.  I hope it keeps going forever.  Everyone on board is getting along and the windows are down and we’re feelin’ fine although I must admit our day-to-day vernacular has been invaded by the accent of a Russian immigrant family.  I don’t know how it happened but I’m pointing my finger at Eli.  You’ll see later on in some videos.

Playing with Bob has been a really good time.  My band all giggled at me last night at the Rhythm Room when we started our set and I said, “Hi, I’m Jason Shannon and we’re super-happy to be here!”  Well, duh.  I am.

be back soon—

jason

p.s.  thanks to everyone who’s helped us out along the way—Kevin & Carol, Cowboy & Amanda, Beef Wellington, Rigel & Polly, Micah.  We really appreciate it.

Hola Friendos:

We’re on the road right now heading down to Austin, Texas.  Bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes line the bumpy roads as the sun beats down on our grandma camper.  we’re 8 deep right now in the Jean Claude “Band Van” and tensions are…...well…pretty low.  Half the van’s reading a newspaper while I type and the other half is sleeping or driving (but neither of the two at the same time).  Our manager is rolling with us right now so we’re on our best behavior.  That means no soft core porn on flip videos and no baseball bats to mailboxes at midnight.  Things are chill.

This is day three of the tour and thus far, it’s been a helluvalotta fun.  We almost ran over two drunk dudes who decided to play Frogger on the highway into Houston.  That was freaky.  Eli bought some Billy Bob teeth at the truck stop.  Wendy picked out salsa tunes at the San Potosi Restaurant.  Tim keeps blowing fuses at two in the morning while making Ezy-Mac.  Nick is knee deep in Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian.  Melanie’s been keeping tabs on the days’ events.  Daryl’s driving and pulling over for pit stops to “stretch” (aka:  smoke).  Me….I’m taking pictures.  My older brother lent me his sweet camera to take pictures so I’ve been caught up with that…..as well as trying to Twitter and post updates and keep in touch with friends and blah blah blah.

It’s nice to be out and seeing the countryside.  There are so many trucks in Texas.  Trucks, banks, and churches.  We keep seeing this billboard that reads:  John 3:3—“Stop the porn and be reborn”.  Or another one is:  “There’s nothing too hard for God.”  As you can imagine, there’s been a couple of jokes poked around these themes.  People are nice though and we haven’t had any immediate confrontations with roadside preachers.  Perhaps by the end of this tour, we’ll need a little heavenly aid.  Who knows.

The music’s been sounding great.  We never get a chance to be huddled in a green room with no one to talk with but ourselves so it’s been interesting.  There’s a lot of outfit changes, dirty jokes, clothes strewn everywhere, empty water bottles, last minute vocal warm-ups, the occasional freakout, nailbiting, endless chatter, and the sudden knock from the stage manager telling us to get on out there.  It all happens pretty fast and then….poof…we’re done.  It’s a helluva time and I’m pumped.

Anyway, I’ll keep anyone reading updated about future happenings.  We’ll be into Austin in no-time and grinding on some Jamaican jerk chicken.  Oh hell yeah. 

Heyo!

cheers,

jason

P.S.—Thanks to Marshall Hooper for letting us crash at his pad last night.  We owe you one man.  And thanks to my older brother Russ for letting us crash at his place the night before (and to Katherine for making breakfast)

Howdy Everybody—

I’m at my mom’s house doing some laundry, making a pizza, and getting my proverbial sh-t together for a two-month jaunt (with my whole band) across the country supporting acclaimed songwriter Bob Schneider and his band.

We’re packing up the RV tomorrow morning and heading down I-35 towards my hometown of Paris, Texas where we play our first gig at Buffalo Joe’s Pub on April 30. We’ll be sharing the bill with some old friends, Post Oak Savannah and the gig itself is about a mile from where I spent most of my early childhood. Kinda crazy. Hopefully, I don’t wig out and have some kinda primal scream moment…..although that might be kinda cool too.

After the Paris gig we hook up with Bob & Company and start hitting up a buncha places along the west and east coasts.  We’re all really excited for the opportunity. We’ll be updating through a YouTube video blog, Twitter, Facebook, and this here site.

So stay tuned…......

Hope to see you out there!

—jason

Hey Now Hey Now!

We’re getting all ready for the first leg of our tour with Bob Schneider.  The RV’s ready, the trailer’s in working order, the guitar picks are purchased, the foot pedals are functioning, the hand sanitizer is gotten, and we’re all making our own little music playlist for the trip.  There’s a million and one details but all in all, we’re hitting the road on Monday morning and will be in Paris on the 28th. 

Everyone’s really psyched about the tour and we’re looking forward to playing for you.

See you soon,

jason

p.s.  Check out the new Featured Video….it’s us in the studio doing “Sons & Daughters”

We’ve extended our support for Bob Schneider into June and will be heading up the East Coast and hitting some spots in the Great Midwest.  Look for us!  Look for us!

While I have to some time before another album pressing, I decided to update a couple of things with my new record in order to incorporate the band’s sound a bit (the band officially formed during the end of the process). So with that in mind, I brought my bandmate, violinist/vocalist Wendy Tangen-Foster, into the studio for some tracking on the opening song, “Mister Miracle Mile”. She came in, did her thing, and we got a new version here. And I think it rocks harder, shows the band’s evolving ensemble sound, and is well…..cooler.

While I was at it, I re-tracked the vocal. Hahahahaha. I could do this forever. It’s never over! But honestly, I always thought I could sing that song better and I changed the melody line over time and I thought it was better. So I did it. And I like it better.

So check it. Mister Miracle Mile. Better. Bigger. Faster. Newer. Sexier. Greed lifting its shirt up for the cameras. Guile gone wild. The American Way. Aargh.

Stay tuned for an updated radio version of “Sons & Daughters” and a video for it too.

And check out “End Of The Line”, a song I quickly tracked while at the studio the other day…...

peace, jason

I’m happy to announce some show dates that will be begin in May.  We’ll be opening for acclaimed singer-songwriter Bob Schneider and his band.  We’re very excited about the shows and look forward to seeing you in the following cities in May.  More dates to follow…........

We’ll be going up to Duluth on March 7 to rock a little joint called Beaner’s.  It should be a fun time.  We haven’t had too many shows since our release so we’re excited for this one.  Music starts at eight.  We’ll go on a little later.  Five dollar cover.  The Swing Dogs and Old Knifey & The Cutthroats open up and then we go on and melt your face like cheese on the grill, in the summer, on a hill, with the glass from the sill, shedding light on the kill…....the “kill” being you.  Alright, I’ll stop with my bad poetry.  Either way, come to Duluth!  (check http://www.beanerscentral.com for directions)

Jason Shannon CD Release Party!!

Varsity Theater
Friday, January 9th, 2009.
$8 adv or $10 at the door
Ages: 18+
with The Wars of 1812, Erik Koskinen and Molly Maher