Fumes For Thought

2006-11-24T20:54:00.000-05:00

In My Mind

I grew up going to school at an orphanage. The kids there were taught to treat each other as brothers and sisters being that most the kids came from broken homes and torn families. There new found family at the orphanage saw no color and taught principles of love and kindness. My family always taught me that you can't judge people based on anything other than what they do. I realize lots of times how blessed I am to have had good people and parents help me.

One thing that always has struck a nerve in me is racism. I remember growing up seeing the KKK actually march through downtown. Racism has to be one of the stupidest things a person has ever thought of. Having many discussions with people about the issue I realized that lots of people have a different look on things. For me, anytime I've ever heard the word "nigger" it's made me angry. That word sparks meanings of hate. There are people out there though that believe it's a word that means things that it doesn't. I've heard, "a white person can be a nigger." Well, that doesn't make any sense. The word actually comes from times of slave trade when the word was used for black people; derived from the Spanish term negro, meaning black.

I was pretty shocked when I saw the video of Michael Richards (aka Kramer) going off using the "n" word. He has some real demons to battle if he attacks somebody that way. I'm suprised and upset. I dont' think I'm gonna be able laugh at reruns of Seinfeld anymore.

2006-11-09T21:57:00.000-05:00

Begin Again

A lot of time has passed since I last wrote on here. I've been writting (not as much as I'd like), but never the less here and there. There's alot that I'd like to say and only so much of it is worth while. I'm trying to be objective in my thoughts and on paper. Soon, I plan on starting to place together a book . It's about the life of a wanna be musician.

Since my last post, I have moved to Charlotte, NC. Of course, it's very different from Charleston,SC. Moving here makes me realize how attached to the Holy City I became. I remember growing up in upstate SC it was like Charleston was the place to be. I mean, it was like the one cool place in the state. Although, as I get older I appreciate other parts of SC as well. Anyways, Charleston was an adventure. I think, I learned something..... I know I learned alot. It was tough, but hey if ya wanna play, ya gotta pay. Charlotte seems to be more of a corporate city and it is. There's a few venues here. I haven't really found much of a punk scene here, but I guess that's kinda how it goes everywhere. It's not like Charleston was the mecca. Charleston, however has a real homey feel to it. It's a cool little place that I grew very accustomed to; from passing out in my room behind the recording studio to the smell on King Street.. I'll never forget it.

Most time recently has been spent working and getting moved in. I'm looking forward to getting a new project together. Everything is new again in the Queen City. Along with that comes all the new tasks at hand. I've got some new songs that are slowly coming along, in between my time behind the front desk and mowing the yard. However, I'm looking at attending some more classes at community college. I'm thinking of going into electrical engineering or something along those lines. I want to do something that will help me get my own business going. I'm looking at getting another recording studio running. That's what I love to do.

2005-04-13T04:36:00.000-04:00

Tubeular

The Leather Jackets recording is taking more and more time. Not time really spent on recording either; mostly time trying to get to that point. It's mostly just hurry up and wait type of ordeal. For some time now we've only had a practice space that allows us to rehearse 2 days a week between the hours of 4pm and 6pm. Thanks to the Days for allowing us to use there house when they're not in. Drums, bass, and one guitar track are all finished. I started the second guitar track and the Soldano amp kept getting lower and lower. Not only did the Soldano magically go out, but so did the JCM 900. Wow. Devin and I order new tubes for both amps this week. Recording should resume soon. It's never gonna get easier. It's always gonna be an up hill battle. Between not really having a place to practice, the amps going out (in the same week), and the van getting stuck it's tough. I'm still in search for a new place. We're actually gonna open a studio there. The rent is gonna be hefty, but if we can record bands then that will definitely help pay the bills.

2005-03-17T18:19:00.000-05:00

Master Bates

The Vents six songs for the split on Whoa Oh Records were mixed and mastered this past weekend by Mass Giorgini at Sonic Iguana. They sound really good. Devin and I have listened to the songs so many times, it can get hard to be objective and take a step back and listen to yourself. That's ultimately what we must do though. We're all really happy with the songs. I'm not sure if the other band for the split (the Teen Sensation Glasses) have finished their songs yet. I think they have and they're in the mastering phase. I'm really glad The Vents songs are seeing some light. The art for the split cd is being done by Dyna Moe and you can check out her stuff here. It's great to be on a label with some really good bands. I think Whoa Oh Records has lots of potential. On top of that, Jonnie Whoa Oh is a really awesome guy to work with. The split cd shouldn't be too much longer in the making.

2005-03-09T01:39:00.000-05:00

Movage

Lots of stuff going on as usual. I moved in with my friend/drummer/co-writer/brother Devin McCurdy on the 20th of last month. Things are going real good. I applied at about 9 jobs and got 5 offers back so far. I've never had the problem of choosing of which job to take before.In the past, It's always been apply at 10 jobs and none call me back. Things are looking up though. I went to interviews and everything and took the first offer from Comfort Inn in Mt.Pleasant (right over the bridge from downtown Charleston). I'm an auditor. It has its ups and downs. Good thing is that there's not much (if any) business after 11pm (when I come in); so I don't have to deal much with the public. Another good thing is that I have alot of time to do whatever I want in the confines of the lobby. The bad side to the whole night audit thing is that the shift is from 11pm-7am. I can't sleep in the day too easily and I've never really been able to do that. At the hotel I was auditor at in my home town it would get crazy cause there was only two audiors and sometimes I'd be working a 3-11 shift and the other auditor would call in sick and then I'd end up staying from 3pm in the afternoon till 7am the next morning. I did that time and time again. I'd end up staying up for 24-30 hours and then sleeping for like 6 hours and getting up and trying to do fun things (like eat, go running and play guitar) and then go right back to work. I guess being an auditor for a hotel is a trade off. You work ungodly hours and can't really sleep, but after about an hour of doing the audit you have the rest of the night to yourself. I've got to get myself on a day time schedule. I want to get sleep at night and be able to do things in the day time. I always feel alot better when I get a good nights sleep and wake up early.

We're getting ready to book alot of shows too. Everybody in (this side project we're working on) the Leather Jackets work day jobs. We'll all have basically the same open time slots and therefore be able to do weekend shows out of town and week night shows in town. There's lots of bands coming through town and SC in the next few months. We raided Jordans (bassist Vents/ drummer TLJ) parents house Sunday and Monday. We spent all Sunday taking equiptment over and basically getting everything set up. Then we spent all day Monday recording drums. The house is really cool. The drums are sounding really good and haven't been edited yet. The downstairs room is the live room. The ceilings are pretty high and slanted. It sets for a really good sound. Jordans room (upstairs) is where we ran all the control equiptment from which is really cool cause we've rarely been able to have the controls in a different room than the actual mics and stuff. This helps because the live room or recording room doesn't pick up all the noises that come from people or whatever running the controls. This recording is gonna be the best thing we've ever personaly done. We should be doing the guitars soon, then bass and then vocals.

We've been searching for a place to set up an actual studio. We found a really cool place and are gonna meet with the realastate agent tomorrow at 5pm. It's 11oo square feet, two offices (one with sheet rock) and a 14ft roll up door. Fingers crossed.

2005-02-16T02:31:00.000-05:00

P.S. We're all Going To Hell

The Leather Jackets are gonna be at Cumberlands on King Street downtown Charleston, SC on Thursday Feb. 24th. Also playing are Grey Goose and Telegram. Show starts at 9pm. We're playing first.

The Vents are on a compilation cd with some other good bands and friends. It can be purchased here.

2005-02-14T02:45:00.000-05:00

It's Valentines Day, I Must Be Lonely

I went to a show last night at a place above a restaurant. I went really early and just kinda crashed on a couch in this venue called the Living Room located downtown Charleston above this restaurant. Met some new people and everything. There's all these valentines day balloons and stuff everywhere and I started noticing couldn't help, but notice that I'm alone. It seemed like every person there was with a date except for a couple loners like myself. Ran into my old buddy and room mate Couch. He's doing a zine and was interviewing some bands and stuff for it. I felt a burning in my throat and I know I'm getting sick. I watched the first band play. They're called MotorMouth Mabel and they put on a good show. Reminded me at times of the Pink Lincolns and along those lines. They did a couple covers; one by a band called the Dicks and they did Skulls by the Misfits. I bailed out after they finished. The walk to my car was cold. I went by a bar where my friend Tres works to talk with him for a second. Tres and I go way back. All he does pretty much is drink and work at the bar; which, I guess go hand in hand. It's funny and sad though kinda. He offers me a beer. I don't think I'm gonna drink anymore though. I'm kinda sick of alcohol and seeing what it does to my friends. I go home and pass out.

2005-01-21T01:17:00.000-05:00

In the paper

This apears in the Charleston City Paper Pulse section this week.

"Rock for the Cause

Brad Parmer of local rebel rock band Shotguns & Casualties has organized a huge, 10-band benefit show hosted this Sun., Jan. 23, at Cumberland’s. When he heard that a friend’s father developed brain cancer, Parmer thought that it would be great to raise some money for their family on a larger level, and the response to his concert concept was overwhelming. “I’m glad to see that the music community can come together to support someone they don’t even know,” says a grateful Parmer. “It just goes to show how the music scene around here can affect lives in more ways than one.” The “Rock for the Cause” event costs only $5 and features performances by Atlanta’s The Paper Champions, Greenville’s The Leather Jackets, and locals The Defilers, The Best of All Breathing, L. Brown Odyssey, Sideline, Muck, Handgun Sonata, and Shotguns & Casualties. The show will start at 6 p.m. and all proceeds will benefit the Edward Epps family to help offset the costs of treatment. —SS "

The Leather Jackets from Greenville..hmmm..don't know where that came from.

2004-12-20T17:54:00.000-05:00

Ups

The Vents have a song called Jackie featured on a compilation CD called "Dispense This!." It's currently being pressed and should be out really soon on Cheapskate Records.

Whoa Oh Records will be releasing a split cd sometime in the near future featuring the Teen Sensation Glasses and the Vents.

Also, a band we're doing called the Leather Jackets has recorded a demo and will be playing a show January 23rd in Charleston,SC; don't know where yet though.

And Last,but certainly not least! 2-7 Split Design is working on a new Vents website.

2004-11-07T15:08:00.000-05:00

Where Do We Go From Fear?

I'm not gonna argue about Kerry losing or Bush winning. Kerry might not have been the best man for the job, but honestly I don't believe Bush is either. I disagree and agree with some of Bush's policies, ideas, and actions. We've all gotta keep working at getting where we want to go and where we want our country to go.

Lot's of my very own skeptism on our government derives from our own soruces and "free" media. I'm not saying that there's a huge conspiracy, where our government is pure evil, but I am saying that we just don't know in many cases (what exactly) is going on or what our government is doing exactly. This is for good and bad reason too. I think for reasons of confidenciality in not letting the terrorists or oppressionists (any case where people are being kept subservant) our government can't let news be spread through-out our very own or the media because if the "bad guy" knows that we're coming or how exactly our government plans on the capture, it might be a much more dangerous situation. However, war is a nasty, terrible thing in which I am against. If everyone in the world believe that idea (whole heartly) than we wouldn't be killing each other. Good innocent people (who have nothing to do with the government) have and will continue to die on both sides. We must learn to live and work together. If we each put aside our differences for the betterment of mankind then we will advance.

2004-11-02T10:07:00.000-05:00

Up to You and Me

I voted for the first time this morning. Get out and do it, whether your voting for Bush or Kerry; get out and do it. I feel really good about voting and I think I'll continue to do it in years to come. I think the country is split once again this year. My family is split right down the middle; 2 votes for Kerry and 2 for Bush. My friends are also split on the issue. The youth (you and I) are supposedly the deciding votes and are prospected (through registration) to vote this year in record numbers.

I know that a mixture of what happened in the last election and many issues President Bush has acted on and believes in has awaken the youth; for him and against him. I'm only 21, but this year I've seen a more attention to the matter than ever before. I've never seen so many young people get up and do something and that is great. In this time in our country young people have to do something, we have to.

2004-10-27T16:27:00.000-04:00

No One Goes Were No One Knows

After three days of no sleep we headed to Virginia to play the first show of three with the Copyrights and the Gamma Rays. I honestly, did not sleep from Monday 7am till Wednesday 7:30am and then I crashed until noon. Sleep, I love it. I don't sleep as often as I'd like to. Chad, Devin, Jordan and I got in the van and headed to Virginia at around 8am on Saturday morning. We arrived at a house in Werrington, VA at about 5 or so. I'll tell ya we've been playing some unusual or different kinds of shows lately. This was a girls birthday party. We were the first band to arrive and we set all of our equipment on this deck that was like 30 feet off the ground. It got cooler and cooler as more bands arrived. All the equipment got moved under the deck were everyone played instead of playing up in the sky. It was 40 degreze by the time we started playing. I was so cold. Everybody played and we all packed it up and headed out. We ended up crashing in Chad's hometown in VA at around 4am. Slept till 10am and got back up and on the road.

Once we got back to SC, we all headed to Johnson Pub where the show was at for Sunday night (that night). The place is brand new, it's been open for 3 months. I honeslty had no idea what to expect. My good buddy Tres is friends with the people and owners there so, he set everything up. Fletcher from the Copyrights thought the place looked like a library. Which, it did; when we arrived. By the time they kicked us out of the bar at 2:30am there were girls dancing on the bar. Mike from the Gamma Rays fell back there too. Everybody had an awesome, awesome time. I know I had WAY too much to drink. Everybody crashed at Tres' place and then got up the next day and headed to Myrtle Beach for the Monday night show at the Lime Light.

The Lime Light, which; hosts shows for some amazing bands has a great sound system. Owned by Michael Wood of the band Something About Vampires and Sluts, the venue used to be at a different location and was called the Lazy I. So, many good bands played there and the Lime Light is a much better venue. Everyone from Eyeliners, Groovie Ghoulies, Even In Blackouts to MTX has played the venue.

The rest of my band headed out early to go back to Charleston being that they had to work the next morning. I drove back with the Copyrights after the show. They were heading south for their next show. So, they stayed another night in the ghost city, Charleston.

These last three shows were alot of fun. We'll definitely be playing more often with both the Gamma Rays and Copyrights.

2004-10-19T01:29:00.000-04:00

One For Da Peeps-Change Good

I am not one for politics. These days with such an ever changing and vast need for improvment in the lifes of all, it's impossible to ignore politics. Many people are on a side republican or democratic and lots are engaged in a battle to win for the party and that's the main point of focus. Why have we gone so astray? Welp, I think lots of people are now speaking out and taking action because it's that touching now. After 9/11 people in America have had an energizing in the fact that people can change things. We were hit and nobody in their right mind can ignore when your home is hit. We as people must work together. I almost wish many times that people would drop the whole party status and start working together. Everyone has different opinions about how to go about changing things.

We elect government members to make decisions for us in the world. We do not know everything that goes on in the decision making and it can be difficult to believe a source without seeing it ourselves, with our own eyes. The truth is we just don't know about lots of things.

I'm the type of guy who has a hard time deciding what kind'of cereal to get. No joke, I've spent 30 minutes on the cereal isle before. My point is that I have a very hard time deciding on who to give my vote to, when I feel like I don't know the facts.

I like Bush as a comedian, but I really don't think he's the best guy to run a country. I think I'm gonna vote for Kerry. I agree with some of Bush's idea's and views and I agree with some of Kerry's views and ideas. The main difference is that Kerry seems to be the better of the two and while every republican I've talked with has told me that Kerry is a liar and is just buttering the nation up, but will do totally different things in office. At this point , I honesty don't see how things could get much worse and change is good.

As far as parties go, I think they should be elminated and people should start working together. No more lines in the sand.

2004-10-02T01:25:00.000-04:00

B e a ufort Are we gonna have fun tonight?

We're gonna be playing a highschool homecoming dance tomorrow night at Beaufort High School. I find it hilarious for reasons that I won't go into. We're gonna try and play first; there's a couple other bands playing also. Hopefully, it'll go well and everything.

We're booking a'bunch of shows. As of now we've got these dates set:

October 16th at Echos Bar in North Charleston,SC
w/ Rosemont $3-5

October 24th at Johnson's Bar in downtown Charleston,SC
w/ The Copyrights, Gamma Rays and Shotgun Casualties

October 25th at The Lime Light, Myrtle Beach,SC
w/ The Copyrights, Gamma Rays and Jerk and Destroy

October 29th at A Dough Ri Me's, Mt. Pleasant, SC
w/ Shotgun Casualties and others TBA

To all of those not reading this...All kinds of weird events where we play our music to people are in the works! More stuff for November and December will be set soon.

The Power of A Chord

2004-09-16T02:05:00.000-04:00

uploaded by Stew Jones.

I just found out that Johnny Ramone pasted away at 3 pm yesterday. I'll never forget the first time I heard the Ramones; the song was 'Beat On The Brat'. The Ramones really meant and still mean alot to me; they were truly an original group that showed people the power of simplicity. Johnny had been fighting prostate cancer for some time. He and his wife were living in Los Angeles. The creator of punk rock guitar playing is gone. I can't express how much I learned from Ramones records.

2004-06-11T11:03:00.000-04:00

We All Need Inspiration

There's also a lot of other stuff going on as well. I'm working on writing new songs and material. They're sounding very different from anything I've done before. I'm really excited about everything. Making new, exciting, innovative music is my main goal. I'm also working with Mass Giorgini at releasing the Vents record. We like it a lot and can't wait for it to be released. I will post more on this as soon as we get that info.

2004-06-11T10:24:00.000-04:00

Underbite

In the past eleven days (since I've been back from the tour) I've been mainly continuing to work on what I've been needing to fix for some time and what I've been trying to fix on and off for the past three years. I have what orthodontist call a class 3 maxillofacial and in laymens terms a severe underbite. My upper jaw never fully developed while my lower jaw over developed. I've had it my whole life, but around the age of 11 or 12 it started getting worse. By the time I was 18 it was really bad. It's gotten a little worse since then. The way it sits (when I bite) causes only three of my teeth to meet in the back; I chew on those teeth. With my top jaw being to far back and my bottom being too far up there's an inch gap between my front upper and bottom jaw. Over the years my chewing has gotten worse and worse. I have major trouble biting through certain things; like lettuce, onions, tomatoes. Thinner pieces of food tend to really give me trouble. Usually, when I'm eating sandwiches, I end up pulling whole pieces of the sandwich out of the bread. It can be kind of embarrassing in public.

Why did this happen to my jaw? It's genetic. My granddad to this day still has it. His is much less though when compared to mine. He actually had to get dentures at 35 cause the back teeth that he chewed on had worn down. Aside from the main reason (of functional use) for getting it done is not getting dentures. My mom had the same problem; hers was slight also though. She had corrective jaw surgery when she was 18. With her surgery they corrected he bite by moving her lower jaw (only) back.

I'm so glad that I'm finally getting this taken care of. It's been really crazy getting insurance and then getting it to pay for the surgery. Since I was 18 I've been to a handful of orthodontist. This surgery is very expensive. My best friends dad is a dentist and since I didn't have any insurance 6/2001 to 2/2004, he has helped me so much with cleanings and fillings. In January he referred me to the state medical university of South Carolina. Being that I didn't have any insurance the best thing for me to do was to get enrolled in technical school. As a full time student I got on my moms insurance. The next dilemma was getting them to pay for it or at least help pay. Insurance companies don not pay for cosmetic surgery, which most of the time people have reconstructive jaw surgery it's to improve appearance. My situation is completely for functional purposes. I care very little about how I look. I wanna be able to chew my food.

So, everything is finally set to go. I spent all day Wednesday at M.U.S.C. doing blood work and meeting (again) with the doctors and pre-op. The surgery is set for next Friday (June 18th), but if something opens up it could be sooner. The recovery is gonna be 6 to 8 weeks. I should be out of the hospital in 2 days, but my jaw won't be fully functional for 6 to 8 weeks. I can't wait to just get it done/fixed and get on with my life. The whole ordeal has taught me much more patience.

2004-06-06T13:07:00.000-04:00

Or Something....

I've seen some really good movies lately on dvd, of course. First, I saw (from the Broken Lizards, comedy team the same people who did Super Troopers)Club Dread. Starring the Broken Lizards, Bill Paxton and some very pretty girls this horrific comedy is really funny. Bill Paxton plays a mock character of Jimmy Buffet that makes the movie. It's not as good as Super Troopers, but still comes very close. I finally got to see the newest Bruce Campbell flick last night; Bubba Ho Tep. When compared to Evil Dead and Army Of Darkness it has totally different aspects of action. However, it does have the same cheesy lines; that are hilarious. It shows just how much being old sucks. I recommend them all.

2004-06-04T10:07:00.000-04:00

Back In The saddle

The tour with the Beatnik Termites and Shakedowns went pretty damn good. ; not economically speaking, but that's how it goes in the world of punk rock (most of the time.) It's all so crazy how quickly this line-up of the Termites was put together. Pat called me up 2 and a'half weeks before the first date of the tour and honestly I had only heard their song "How Many Times?" on a compilation CD compiled by Ben Weasel and released sometime ago. I didn't realize how much like the Beatles, Beach Boys and Ramones the Beatnik Termites are like. They truly are an oldies punk band. So, with 2 and a'half weeks to learn the guitar parts and backing vocals; I was racking my brain getting the guitar parts and vocal harmonies which are this bands strong point or what they're known for. As expected there were good and bad shows. For the most part it went good though. I was told numerous times by fans that this was the best they've ever heard the Termites live, which is great. I met lots of cool people ; including the Shakedowns (the band that we played all the dates with) from Washington DC; these guys are rockers. They're all very good musicians and play songs about girls and cars. Take two Angus Youngs (Johnny and David) and an amazing rhythm section (Dave Elliott and Nick.) Seriously, Nick (the drummer) is one of the most hard hitting drummers I've ever had the pleasure of seeing live. Dave Elliott is an awesome bass guitarist. He plays with his fingers. Definitely check these guys out; you won't be disappointed. Thanks to all the awesome people who came to the shows and partied with us.

2004-04-26T14:21:00.000-04:00

Pest Control

I'm playing guitar with the Beatnik Termites for the upcoming tour. It should be really cool and I'm totally stoked about it. I'm leaving SC on the eighth. The tour will end on 30th of May. Definitely come check us out. Here are the dates, so far:

Date : 05/13/04 08:00 PM
Line Up DIRT BIKE ANNIE
BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
Venue KNITTING FACTORY
Address 74 LEONARD ST
NEW YORK, NY 10013
Phone 212-219-3132
URL : www.knittingfactory.com
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Date : 05/14/04 08:00 PM
Line Up DIRT BIKE ANNIE
BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue CHAMELEON CLUB
Address 223 N WATER ST
LANCASTER, PA 17603-3513
Phone 717-299-9684
URL : www.chameleonclub.net
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Date : 05/15/04 08:00 PM
Line Up DIRT BIKE ANNIE
BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue BERNIE'S DISTILLERY
Address 1986 N. HIGH ST.
COLUMBUS, OH 43201-1165
Phone 614-291-3448
URL : www.cringe.com/bs/distillery.htm
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Date : 05/16/04 09:00 PM
Line Up SHAKEDOWNS
BEATNIK TERMITES
GAMMA RAYS
Venue TALKING HEAD
Address 203 E. DAVIS ST
BALTIMORE, MD 21201
Phone 410-962-5588
URL : www.talkingheadclub.com
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Date : 05/19/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue LAGER HOUSE
Address 1254 MICHIGAN AVE
DETROIT, MI 48226
Phone 313-961-4668
URL : www.lagerhousedetroit.com
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Date : 05/20/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
Venue KLINIC
Address 520 S PARK ST
MADISON, WI 53715-1621
Phone 608-257-4020
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Date : 05/21/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue RALPH'S CORNER BAR
Address 23 N 4TH ST
N MOORHEAD, MN 56560
Phone 218-233-3351

21+
DOORS AT 10:00PM
$5
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Date : 05/22/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W / TBA
Venue FIRESIDE BOWL
Address 2648 W FULLERTON AVE
CHICAGO, IL 60647-3014
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Date : 05/23/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue MAIN STAGE BAR
Address 916 MAIN ST
GREEN BAY, WI 54301-4806
Phone 920-432-9945
URL : www.greenbayhotspots.com/mainstagebar.htm
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Date : 05/24/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
Venue NEW MOON CAFE
Address 401 N MAIN ST
OSHKOSH, WI 54901
Phone 920-232-0976
URL : www.newmooncafe.com
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Date : 05/25/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue 324 LIVE
Address 324 JAY ST
LA CROSSE, WI 54601
Phone 608-785-3240
URL : www.324live.com
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Date : 05/26/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W /TBA
Venue FIRST AVENUE & 7TH ST ENTRY
Address 701 FIRST AVE N
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55403
Phone 612-332-1775
URL : www.first-avenue.com

21+
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Date : 05/27/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue CHEERS
Address 103 S DIXIE WAY
SOUTH BEND, IN 46601
Phone 219-277-8407
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Date : 05/28/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
UPPERTANKS
Venue BEACHLAND BALLROOM
Address 15711 WATERLOO RD
CLEVELAND, OH 44110
Phone 216-383-1124
URL : www.beachlandballroom.com
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Date : 05/29/04 08:00 PM
Line Up BEATNIK TERMITES
SHAKEDOWNS
W/ TBA
Venue DARKHORSE TAVERN
Address 128 E COLLEGE AVE
STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801-4708
Phone 814-237-0490
URL : www.darkhorsetavern.com
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Keep an eye out for the Vents too! We should have a show in the fall.

2004-04-20T06:46:00.000-04:00

"Runnin' Foo"

I started playing basketball on Monday nights with a group of guys at the First Baptist basketball courts in Laurens. My long time friend Michael Beaty invited me to come along two Mondays ago and I went again this last Monday night. I've never been good at b-ball by any means. I've actually always been down right terrible. I'm definitely improving and It's getting funner and funner too. I've really amped up my running since Febuary to at least 4 miles a day for six days a week. I ran a small 8k race with 130 other people on my birthday. It was in Laurens the neighboring town to this god-lonesome, god-forgotten place Clinton. I came out in 15th place with a time of 34:19 and I probaly could have done better if I hadn't had taken off so fast at the beginning. The course was very hilly too. By no means was it a "walk in the park." It's getting really hot here in SC again and it really has slowed me down (at running) some, but it'll just take getting use to again. In the winter time I have a problem getting use to wearing so much to keep warm, but in the summer I can only take so much off. It's equally tough to get used to.

I've been practicing singing and the difference is awesome. The Vents this band I'm in (and use as a vehicle for writing songs) along with Devin McCurdy is gearing up and practicing as always. We'll be prepared to play another show hopefully by the end of summer or just after the end of summer. I've been looking and examining tapes and recordings of our previous shows and boy and I could not sing then. Going to Sonic Iguana Studio and recording and working with Mass Giorgini really helped me find my singing voice and since we recorded the 12 songs at the Lafayette, Indiana studio I've been able to blossom and continue improving on actually singing. It makes all the difference in the world.

2004-02-28T22:28:00.000-05:00

MTX AIN'T DEAD
My cohorts and I manage to get lost trying to go from Clinton to Myrtle Beach. I had one set of direction but, (as always) there was a road construction, which we got lost in. We made it to the Lime Light in time to see MTX though. I remember (the last time) when they came through this state, which was like 8 years ago; I didn't make it to that show, but we definitely made it to this one, after a flat tire and getting (way) lost. It was great to see The Mr.T Experience! Frank, the singer and songwriter of the band is very entertaining. He played three or four acoustic, solo songs too. It's always great to see bands that have inspired me. I first heard this band in middle school and they still do it for me. I recommend Love Is Dead (one of their many records on Lookout Records) as an album to purchase. They have tons of awesome records though. My friend Patrick is on tour with MTX as their merchandise and drum tech guy; it was great to see him last night too.

2004-02-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

Gay Man for A Straight World
The whole issue and debate over the recent outburst of homosexual marriages is absurd. Why is it even an issue to begin with? The part that doesn't sit to well with me is when I hear people make comments as,"Why don't we legalize murder?" Some believe that homosexuality is wrong to the extent of comparing it to murder. As much as it should or shouldn't be, the separation of church and state can never be. Americas majority believes in God and therefore their religion has major influence on laws and articles in the constitution and what other people can do with their own lives. Marriage has different meaning to every person. To me, marriage is an internal bond of love and trust; it doesn't matter who it is. Why is it wrong that homosexuals have equal protection under the law and receive the same tax break that the traditional married couple receives. Homosexuality is obviously against procreation but, on another note that doesn't really matter cause marriage is about love. Lots of traditional married couples don' t or can't have kids. Now excuse me, I'm going to lunch with my girlfriend.

2004-02-20T14:15:00.000-05:00

Buttermaker

The Chicago Cubs signed Greg Maddux for a three year deal on Wednesday night for $24 million. I'm really glad he's back with the Cubs! They've got the best pitching rotation in baseball with Maddux, Prior, Wood, Farnsworth, Cruz and a hand full of others. On the infield they've got, Alex Gonzalez, Ramon Martinez, and Dereck Lee; who are all stand out players. Sosa in right field, of course and Moises Alou in left. The Cubs should definitely come out on top this season.

2004-02-16T14:19:00.000-05:00

A-Rodnopoly

Shit, that's a lot money. Alex Rodriguez was traded from the Texas Rangers to the New York Yankees for a seven year deal worth $112 million; further increasing the Yanks ability. They've got an amazing team. I still don't think that A-Rod is worth that much.

Still, no word on where Greg Maddux will be pitching this year. The Cubs have upped their offer of $10 million for two years. I'd definitely like to see him in Chicago.

2004-02-15T13:44:00.000-05:00

Outside Forces, Inside Feelings

Another day of cold, cold winter weather. Man, does it ever make me sick. It's only 41 degrees but, with the rain that feels miserable. The cold and rain are two of the main factors that keep me from getting out and getting my running in. I'm currently, training for two different races; one on my (birthday) March 20th which, is a 8k (5 mile) run and the other being a 10k (6.2 mile) run on April 3rd. For the past month and a half I've really upped my pace. My goal is to get 5.4 miles in at a 35 minute pace. I'm currently getting my (5.4 mile) course in at 37 minute average. The recent cold and wet weather has put me back a little but, it's not gonna stop me.

I find running to be very therapeutic. I originally started jogging just cause I felt out-of-shape; about 7 years ago but, I've really been pushing myself to run harder for the past 5 months. It's all about making myself a stronger person and being able to deal with situations in life. If I can get out and force myself to keep running when my legs are numbed by pain and my throat is as if I've been in a desert for days, then my mentality and physical well being are better than before. It's pretty amazing, how pushing myself to feed off the pain can make me feel better throughout the day and night.

Upcoming season

Baseball season is almost here and I'm so ready for it! All kinds of talks are still going on for who is going where and such. I'm glad to say that Kyle Farnsworth is back with the Cubbies under a one year contract. I guess it's good also that they avoided going to court over it. Farnsworth was asking for $1.7 million and the Cubs offered $1.1 million; a court date was set but, both sides agreed to $1.4 million on a one year contract. Nevertheless, I'm glad he's gonna be with the Cubs another year. He's definitely a key part of their bullpen with a 3.30 ERA in the 2003 season.

Spring training games start early March. With the start so near Greg Maddux has still not announced who he will be playing with. The Cubs offered Maddux a two year $10 million dollar deal which, he has still yet to decline. The Cubs are ready to go though, regardless.

2004-01-16T03:54:00.000-05:00

What the heck is'a Blog?
Well, that's a good question (that I have no witty answers for.) The main point of my blog is to write my thoughts out and display them for others to read. I will be writing and submitting articles and information that I think is relevant and just want to write about.

For years and years, a store in Greenville,SC has showed me the power of local music and the aspects of not only (just) supporting it but, being it. A record store that I purchased and found many records that other wise would not have been found and heard announced it's closing it's doors to it's stores. It opened it's doors in Columbia,SC over ten years ago. The Manifest record stores opened up 5 locations, through out the state and two in NC. Manifest carried the stuff that Best Buy and Ciruit City did not. Manifest Discs and Tapes did not only carry local musicians Cd's, albums and merchandise but, was an all around music and communication center for local people. The store owner said that they've been losing money for the pass three years straight and that another year would have put them into bankruptcy.

Best Buy and other big name, huge music warehouses will never be what Manifest and other local record stores have and will continue to be. The main difference being (other than the homier inside of Manifest) is the heart of the business. Along with other local record stores, Manifest Discs and Tapes does not alter it's quality for the quanity. That's where the main difference's are between the stores. While you had to pay a couple extra dollars for a CD at Manifest, at least they carried the CD in the first place. They carried records and abunch of other things that big music stores will never. With all this being said, this local record store will be sadly missed. The community is strong though and other local music stores will come along. They may only stick around for a short time compared to the huge chain stores but, the chain stores will never have the true self of the local stores. Manifest Discs and Tapes