:: mike errico diary ::

:: Tuesday, June 5, 2007 ::

FIRST SINGLE, "RUN," FEATURED
ALT-ROCK TRACK ON ARTIST DIRECT 

"Run" has been chosen alongside the White Stripes, Ryan Adams and Yellowcard as a featured alternative rock track on major music directory Artist Direct.


NEW RECORD, ALL IN releases JUNE 11:


Photography by Kelly Stuart || Design by Christian Bowers



1 Something New
2 How it Ends
3 OK to Go
4 Girlfriend Weather
5 Packing My Bags
6 Run
7 Ever Since
8 Whatever You Say
9 Sweet Anesthesia
10 Please Stop Leaving
11 You Could Be Anywhere
12 Better Here

Download the demo version of "Ever Since" from the official MySpace page.
Follow along with the progress by checking out the diary.

:: mike 5:49 PM [+] ::

An interesting video treatment idea came in. Whattya think?:


"Ever Since".....thats the one!
I had a vision of the video.

Check this out!

Village subway station.
You are an out of work artist, drawing people in the subway for money.
When you are not working you spend your time drawing your dream girl.
One day you hold the picture to the subway headlight and....Viola... she walks off the train.
You chase her, but lose her. You rush back to your studio to look at all the other pics of her,
hoping to find a clue as to where she goes. You wait everyday in the same place for
her...drawing her....she never returns.

(Scene change) Second verse

Your dream girl is on the train with a an artists pad she is an artist as well, drawing her
dream guy, the pic is you. Her train stops at your station. You are both too involved with
drawing that you don't look up. The door closes. Suddenly you notice each other as the train
pulls away. Its too late

(second bridge/ chorus)

She holds her picture up against the window...its a picture you and and her.
You do the same. You had both been drawing yourself into the pictures. That day.

(Musical interlude)

(Slow motion)
Subway wind blows your pictures down the tracks....you watch as they fade into the distance
being pulled away by the subway wind.

( Last bridge/ chorus)
She gets off the next stop...
She i looking down the tracks. The wind catches her hair, she see the pictures blowing
toward her. She starts gathering them....as she is picking up the pictures, the next train
comes in.
There you are on the train holding a picture of you and her against the window.

Its a hit bro! You should push that tune. I like it more each time i hear it.

I am never wrong. Im just always a day late and a dollar short.
:: mike 11:23 AM [+] ::

Here's a solo version of “Ever Since,” shot live at the 2006 Holiday Show at Joe’s Pub, NYC.
The new record, ALL IN will be released on June 11, 2007.



CLICK ON THE PIC









YouTube URL: http://youtube.com/watch?v=nAxSl9PSzDU
:: mike 10:57 AM [+] ::

Beware the Monsters of (Soft) Rock!

Let us whisk you away on a deep-piled shag carpet ride through rock & roll's biggest oxymoron.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM




Songs You Didn't Know Were Covers

Most covers of classic modern-era songs practically announce themselves — you know, like when Diddy erases Sting's "Every Breath You Take" vocal and grafts his own rap atop the existing track. Some artists, happily, are a bit more subtle about it. Hence our list of songs you didn't know were covers — hope we're not spoiling any secrets here.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 11:43 AM [+] ::

I interviewed Gallows after their fourth-ever Stateside gig. They are insane, and so are the two videos we made (extra points if you can find me in one of them)

SXSW 2007: Gallows Interview
U.K.'s Gallows are like a punch in the face. A good punch in the face. CLICK HERE

SXSW 2007: Gallows
UK punk phenoms tear up Austin, Texas in their fourth-ever Stateside gig. CLICK HERE

...and SO much more, on the site, and on the way.
:: mike 10:47 AM [+] ::

A piece I’ve waited all winter to assign and edit:



Closing Pitchers' Most Memorable Entrance Music


To close major league ball games, you need cojones — and a killer theme song. We've compiled some of the best curtain callers in recent MLB history.

CLICK ON THE PIC

Labels: Blender

:: mike 10:43 AM [+] ::

Loads more stuff from my SXSW trip still coming in and going up on Blender.com:


SXSW 2007: Cold War Kids


Cali indie rockers go to Austin, visit awesome old houses, rock out.

CLICK ON THE PIC




:: mike 10:37 AM [+] ::

My Music: Larry the Cable Guy


The "Git-'Er-Done" guy gives us his surefire karaoke selection,
and a very new way to look at Whitney Houston.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM

Labels: Blender

:: mike 10:27 AM [+] ::

Jury Duty: I'm beginning to like it here. All the busy anonymity of an airport, except the only place anyone's going to is jail.
:: mike 10:08 AM [+] ::

VIDEO: Mike Errico and Flaming Lips’ Wayne Coyne at South By Southwest



Wayne makes the connection between SXSW and herpes. Finally.



CLICK ON THE PIC









FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 4:59 PM [+] ::

Lunacy.

I realize I never even said that I went to Mardi Gras, and here I am going to South By Southwest tomorrow at 6 AM. OK, then. Well, those things are happening. Now you know.

Mardi Gras Noise Parade Video with the friends I met while volunteering at the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund: http://www.blender.com/video/963/MardiGrasNoiseParade2007.video

Bourbon Street craziness on Maxim, featuring our new friend, Jessica: http://www.maximonline.com/MardiGras/video/405.aspx

NOLA is hurting, but struggling to rebound from an unbelievable situation.

South by Southwest should be interesting.

OK. Time to pack.

m
:: mike 4:41 PM [+] ::

R.I.P Brad Delp, lead singer of Boston.


:: mike 7:54 AM [+] ::

"(Not so) Sad" makes the Maxim homepage today under a lingerie shoot for Brooke Burns. Nice. Just don't listen to the words, Brooke...

CLICK HERE
:: mike 12:14 PM [+] ::

FIRST LOOK: ALL IN


Photography by Kelly Stuart || Design by Christian Bowers



1 Something New
2 How it Ends
3 OK to Go
4 Girlfriend Weather
5 Packing My Bags
6 Run
7 Ever Since
8 Whatever You Say
9 Sweet Anesthesia
10 Please Stop Leaving
11 You Could Be Anywhere
12 Better Here


Download the demo version of “Ever Since” from the official MySpace page.

:: mike 3:56 PM [+] ::

Check out a these new videos on Blender.com:



Notorious B.I.G.: UNRELEASED LIVE CLIP
"Warning," featuring rare footage of the big man in action.


Grizzly Bear: Knife
Seriously. We have no idea what is going on here. But it's cool.


Albert Hammond, Jr.: 101
The Strokes frontman steps out, gets on his bike, crashes, loses limbs.


Grant Lee Phillips: Live at South By Southwest
A solo acoustic version of "Mighty Joe Moon".


Meet: The Trucks
Bellingham, Washington's guitar- (and dude-) free quartet declare their mission statement: rock!


Weird Band Alert! Beret
Hardcore mayhem and slaughter on the crosstown bus: clearly the work of the French.


Weird Band Alert! Hockey Dad
Proof that somewhere in this world, someone has a more embarrassing parent than you do.

:: mike 3:52 PM [+] ::

Video: Slayer Visits the Troops!

The thrash veterans visit a military base for the first time, and the troops gave them a close-up look at some very dangerous—and very awesome—toys.

By Mike Errico and Brian Berkowitzh

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 12:02 PM [+] ::

Excerpted from an email, but did my heart good, as a closet Seger fan...

Top Catalog chart sales for the week

#5. Bob Seger "Greatest Hits"
Sales this week: 11,473
Cume: 7,985,324

This number would put Seger at number 94 on the MAIN chart. Which would make him bigger than...

Madonna, whose stiff "Confessions Tour" album only moved 10,882.

And Diddy, whose "Press Play" only sold 10,797.

Bigger than the Pussycat Dolls, who only sold 10,648.

Bigger than the Decemberists, who only sold 6,029.

As for Madonna, you'd have to slide all the way down to number 136 on the catalog chart to find her "Immaculate Collection", which moved 2,529 copies this week, for a cume of 5,519,776. But it's she that gets all the press. Isn't Bob Seger that has-been from burned-out Detroit?

... go get 'em Bob. I loved the show, bought the baseball jersey, yelled through "Hollywood Nights," and felt like a dork. At least I have company.
:: mike 12:57 PM [+] ::

:: mike 2:49 PM [+] ::

Attack of the Retro Rock T-Shirts!


Erica Easley, T-shirt collector and coauthor of Rock Tease: The Golden Years of Rock T-Shirts, divines the history of rock by deciphering clues left at the merch table.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM

:: mike 2:40 PM [+] ::

:: mike 2:36 PM [+] ::

ACE RESPONDS TO RUMORS OF HIS DEMISE
 
New York, NY (February 23, 2007) –“ Rumors of my demise have been greatly exaggerated” - Ace Frehley
 
Contrary to published reports, Ace Frehley, formerly of KISS, is alive
and well and working on his highly anticipated solo album.
 
It has been erroneously reported on various websites and wire services
that the legendary guitarist had committed suicide.
 
Not so!
 
“I don’t know how this ridiculous rumor got started,” smiles Ace, as he
eats his daily allotment of wheat germ, preparing to jump back on his
treadmill.
 
                                                #       #        #
:: mike 8:35 AM [+] ::

Country Music's Biggest Badasses



L.A. is an ungodly shrine to trash and excess. Dozens of great talents have gone to New York to die. But Nashville is the place where all the really bad stuff happens. Welcome to the Hee-Haw Babylon...

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM

:: mike 7:40 AM [+] ::

Incubus: Exclusive Video Interview


The core of the band discusses the new record, beating friends with a 2 x 4.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM

:: mike 9:05 AM [+] ::

First review of the record...

Turns out the printers have been fans for a while:

The record is fantastic. It showcases your writing range, does justice to the gems that we fans have wanted on a fully produced disc (Ever Since, You Could Be Anywhere), and tracks like Something New provide some serious bait for new fans - the way that Grace did for me when I heard it on WXPN. I can't wait until you release it and I can let my fiancee hear it!

I'm positive that you're going to love the discs too - that image is a great one, and nobody in the business prints better looking CDs than we do.





.
:: mike 1:13 PM [+] ::

My Music: Lisa Lampanelli



The Queen of Insult Comedy rifles through her record collection and calls us fags.
Now we're smitten.



By Mike Errico

CLICK ON THE PIC




FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 9:08 AM [+] ::

A good time, in 2 parts:


Part One: CLICK HERE

Watch it for a minute.

Part Two: CLICK HERE



yay.
:: mike 2:30 PM [+] ::

Just more insanity from a fan of "Happy": CLICK HERE

You just never know what's going to stick to the wall in this world. I'll tell you.
:: mike 6:22 AM [+] ::

Sometimes, even Static X can't keep you awake. But I'm trying it. It's the sound of angry insects.

This post will have to be bullet-pointed:

- Bob Seger is a genius. Total genius. I've been weeping to the guitar line in "Main Street" my whole life. The sweeping epic of "Night Moves," his McCartney gem "We've Got Tonight," and the harrowing tale of life off the rails in "Hollywood Nights" - I mean, it's too much to handle. Sure, he's older, frail, unable to lift his body off the ground when cueing the band... but the songs are tanks, indestructible, bulletproof arena rockers. Everyone knew every word. Why he's not spoken of in the same breath as Bruce Springsteen is beyond me. They are easily on par, in my mind. Next up: another date with Willie Nelson, at Radio City. I hope you are doing what you can to see the older artists. They are geniuses. Let your friends laugh at you all they want. I'm telling you.

- I wrote the Blender.com Valentine's Day Gift Guide. I've been sent robots, vibrating toothbrushes, infused tequilas. With a little creativity, I can make a pretty good time out of those ingredients.



Blender.com Valentine's Day Gift Guide


If you don't know what they listen to, you shouldn't be swapping spit with them. If you do, give them these awesome gifts!

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM

- I've been doing a lot of radio interviews for various pieces, and to provide kooky opinions and sound bites. While on the air on Sirius last week, there was a thumping on the studio door, and Jackie "The Jokeman" Martling burst in, fresh from Howard, I guess. He was wearing a tight gray belly shirt with his belly literally stretching it beyond the capability of the fabric. His belly button looked like a distended inny which was now, against its will, popped into an outie. He walked up to me, smiled, punched me in the shoulder, grabbed my mic and began a series of "How fat was she?" jokes.

"Ask me how fat she was," he cackled.
"Uh...how fat was she?"
"She was so fat, when she goes to the movies, she gets two seats, and doesn't even notice the armrest in between!"

... like that. For about five minutes. Then he punched me again, and split.

- More pithy opinions, from AM New York yesterday:

http://www.amny.com/entertainment/am-dating0205,0,7990777.story?coll=am-homepromo-briefs
Dating Life

Going for the best Valentine's Day EVER

Special to amNewYork

February 5, 2007

No holiday so polarizes the American public quite like Valentine's Day. Arousing both derision and delight (sometimes simultaneously), we can't quite figure out whether we love or hate it. Is it a sweet chance to celebrate romance or yet another occasion designed to pressure anxious men, bolstering Hallmark's bottom line?

"It's pointless," says Sean, 25, "because there's an inherent need to be the best at gift giving. Either you're trying to beat what the last dude gave her, or you're trying to top yourself from last year."

Not to mention, he adds, "it's always an uphill battle. You can't give her a diamond ring one year and a teddy bear from Duane Reade the next. You have to top the diamond ring!"

Hmm. Beating, topping, being better at -- why is it men always make everything into a competition? Or maybe that¹s the right way to look at it. In the wake of the Super Bowl, perhaps men would enjoy Valentine's Day more if they made it into a competitive sport.

To that end, men, listen up: think of this year as the First Annual Best Valentine's Day EVER Contest.

Need some suggestions? I asked a few hundred readers about their 'best ever' Valentine's Day gifts, and here's what they said:

"The best gift ever? Being driven to an airport and you don't know where you're going, packing the bare essentials with just one hint of where you¹re headed," says Mike Errico, editor in chief of Blender.com. I second Mike on this one ­-- and I promise she won't care where she's going, as long as it's warm, sunny, and paid for.

Other Best Gifts Ever? One guy gave his girlfriend a pair of love birds ('obviously with the cage!'). Other men cited slightly more unconventional gifts as their favorites. "Stacks of 85% cocoa chocolate," "ice cream," "a plastic cricket in an applesauce jar," "home baked gingerbread man," "a subscription to Maxim," and "Tweety Bird balloon and a basket of sugar cookies." And yes, I got the inevitable male favorite response: "sex" (and various permutations on it), but to counter that, at least one fellow answered that the best gift he had ever given or received was "love."

Aww. See? It doesn't take that much to make a woman swoon.

...etc.


Actually, that's a lot. Let's leave it at that for now.
:: mike 12:03 PM [+] ::

So, yes, I'm going to see Bob Seger tonight. I didn't think it merited national news. But ABC seems to disagree.

Link: CLICK HERE

[NOTE: All misspellings, including the egregious "Zepplin" are theirs.

Sympathy for the Devil: Dead Rock Stars Sell Their Souls

Jimi Hendrix's Image Will Adorn A New Energy Drink, But Some Profits Go to Charity

By SUSAN DONALDSON JAMES

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/print?id=2820718

Jan. 24, 2007 ­ - In the booming energy drink business, one newcomer promises to help clear the purple haze around your brain: "Liquid Experience" will carry the iconic image of Jimi Hendrix, who died of a drug overdose after a short-lived, rock-studded career.

The non-alcoholic drink -- produced by New-Zealand based Beverage Concepts and due to hit the market in April -- is just one of many products from cars to baby clothing that are capitalizing on the star power of aging or dead rockers.

Celebrity and estate sales accounted for $3.5 billion in licensing ventures in the U.S. and Canada this year, according to Licensing Letter, a tip sheet that provides industry data for executives. "Celebrities and estates are getting stronger -- it's not just dead rock stars," said publisher Ira Mayer, a baby boomer who says he watched Hendrix's last performance of "The Star Spangled Banner" in 1970. "We all have our own audiences and emotional connections." Though Hendrix doesn't make Forbes magazine's Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, Hendrix's estate still made $6 million in 2004. The richest dead rock star is Kurt Cobain, with an annual income of $50 million, followed by Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, George Harrison and Bob Marley.

Healthy Drink, Unhealthy Lifestyle

To some rock aficionados, the message of "Liquid Experience" is paradoxical -- an ostensibly healthy vitamin-imbued drink tied to a raucous guitar player who suffocated to death from a barbituate overdose at the age of 27. And many who hold Jimi Hendrix in musical god-like status say his image as been poisoned. Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, told the Associated Press that the greatest guitar player of all time had been "cheapened" by commercial venture. But the Hendrix family defends the Liquid Experience deal. Janie Hendrix, Jimi's sister, who is CEO of the family's Seattle-based company, said Beverage Concepts agreed to give back a percentage of sales to education and music-related charities and to drug rehabilitation programs. They also hope to sponsor a guitar competition for young people. "Jimi was a huge inspiration to people," said Hendrix of her brother, who wrote 110 songs durings his tragically short career.

In the 1990s, after a series of lawsuits, the family gained control of his music. "He transcended generation, color, sex and race, and that legacy continues to last." Bob Merlis, publicist for the Hendrix Experience says the drink deal is not out of bounds."I don't think it's egregious," he says, "Its a standard grocery product, not arsenic. The market for his music is growing younger and younger."

Rock Still Rocks

Jimi Hendrix and other celebrity rock stars are effective advertising tools in a new era of cross-generational marketing, when age means less than lifestyle. In television commercials, Led Zeppelin is background music for a Cadillac commercial. The Who, The Rolling Stones, Bono and John Mellencamp shill for cars, insurance companies, iPods and trucks. Target's latest ad campaign features the Beatles' "Hello, Goodbye."This kind of advertising appeals to both young and old and is a new shift in marketing, according to Matt Thornhill of The Boomer Market, a company that advises the marketing industry on how to reach the 77 million consumers born between 1948 and 1960. "This is the generation that has been the traditional target of product marketing: the 18 to 34-year-old group. But half of those consumers have now aged out of that demographic -- yet refuse to believe they are getting old," he said.

As a result, companies redefined their strategies. Age doesn't matter in today's marketing -- its life styles. "I don't know why they would affix an energy drink to a dead rock and roll guy," joked Thornhill. Still, Thornhill sees the genius in the Liquid Experience marketing campaign: expanding a product's reach by appealing to 20-somethings, but designing it for the boomers."It's a perfect marketing tool and has the best potential to straddle two generations," Thornhill said. "Using an aging rocker is the best way to interest the baby boomers."

Good for a Gag Gift

But some in Generation Y are more skeptical about the appeal of "Liquid Experience.""When I see these ads, I think, 'Please don't ruin the image for me,'" said Amanda Schupak, 25 and a youth scene reporter for Forbes magazine. She listens to both the Rolling Stones and the new indie rock band Cursive. "The classic artists have idol status," she says. Still, she understands the power of marketing. "It's hard to argue when some stars are able to make more money from the grave than many are making while they're alive."Would she buy Liquid Experience? "I might just once and give it away as a gag gift," Schupak said.

[Blender.com] Editor Mike Errico's online music magazine caters to 26-35 year olds with a "snarky attitude." He says he is excited that he will be attending a concert with Bob Seger -- a 1980s rock star whose song "Like a Rock" is featured in Chevrolet commercials. Blender readers are still in awe of classic rock. Errico says, "It was a much different music industry then, with fewer choices, and these rock stars were able to make a deeper impression. Hendrix was pre-Internet, pre-MTV and pre FM radio in some cases...you didn't have an iPod, you had a record collection, and in terms of number of songs, it was vastly smaller."

The grand-scale living of the legendary rock stars was elevated to cult status and new bands have continually tried to emulate the sheer power of the 1970s rock culture. "It's like evolutionary biology," said Errico. "Smaller, more evolved and business savvy music makers are in awe of the days when dinosaurs roamed the earth. Today's bands make music in their apartments and garages. None have the gigantic studios of Led Zepplin and Pink Floyd, where they were blowing drugs and money out of the air vents." The danger, said Errico, is that the star is remembered for all eternity by the product he endorses. Does anyone care that George Forman, who now sells cooking grills, had a boxing career?

Neal Ferrassani, a 28-year-old web developer from Los Angeles, who used to work as a major-label recording engineer, has listened to early classic rock all his life. But he sees hypocrisy in marketing to his generation."Those are my musical heroes," said Ferrassani,. "I'm not sick of hearing the bands, but I'm sick of seeing them on TV. The day I hear Nirvana when Courtney Love is hard up for cash, it's going to kill me."

Hearing today's indie band Postal Service hawking for UPS doesn't offend him. But when he heard Led Zepplin on a Cadillac ad, he turned off the channel. "My heart sunk," he said."The sixties generation was anti-establishment and they gave us a lot," said Ferrassani. "We grew up with their music and thought they were a pretty cool generation. But now they chew themselves up and spit themselves out. They have lost their souls in the process."
:: mike 7:25 AM [+] ::

While wandering through galleries in Chelsea last weekend, I discovered a genius photographer named Henry Wessel. I just love it. Check it out.
:: mike 4:43 PM [+] ::

WTF:

http://mfrost.typepad.com/cute_overload/2007/01/unpossible_1.html

:: mike 1:28 PM [+] ::

Holiday Show 2006 images are up in the photo gallery of the site.

:: mike 1:30 PM [+] ::

Funny:

Hey Mike,

I was talking to my friend the other day and she started singing a line from
"Daylight"...and she sings, "...pull the panties off my eyes"...and I said,
"I think it's 'pennies'" and she says, "I've been singing 'panties' since I
first heard the song"...

I guess it kind of works both ways.
-T
:: mike 9:29 AM [+] ::

Witness the proliferation: now they're running with my expert Britney commentary. CLICK

:: mike 12:19 PM [+] ::

It's a brave new world when ABC starts asking me to comment on the fate of Britney Spears... and yet, it has finally happened. CLICK HERE.

Now that I'm an expert, I think it's time to start auditioning dancers. Changing things up. Wearing knee pads. Posing with a giant albino boa constrictor. Making out with Paula Abdul. Talking about, you know, the club or something.

But mainly just auditioning dancers.

I mean, everyone knows it's important to have a strong corps behind me so our moves crackle all the way to the Payless at the back of the mall.

Hot.
:: mike 2:33 PM [+] ::

The Best Bling Ever!

Reggie Ossé and Gabriel Tolliver, authors of Bling: The Hip-Hop Jewelry Book, pick 10 watershed moments in the history of bling.

CLICK ON THE PIC
FROM BLENDER.COM

:: mike 2:22 PM [+] ::

Happy Holidays.


See you soon.

m
:: mike 7:59 AM [+] ::

I drove through the Lower 9th Ward last night. So much to say, for some other time. If anyone tells you that the situation in New Orleans is under control, they are very, very wrong. It is improving, for sure - but there is still a vast need. Here is a way you can help - give it a minute. A contribution in your folks' names would cost the same any gift, and do a lot more. -m





----





Your dad has enough sweaters. Mom doesn't need another scarf. Give a gift you can see, hear and feel -- a contribution to the New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund. NOMHRF helps return displaced musicians to New Orleans, creates gigs in the city, and replaces instruments damaged and destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Your help could put an instrument, and a livelihood, back into the hands of some of the most talented artists in the country. What gift is more meaningful than your own generosity, extended in the name of your loved ones to people who need it the most?



Here's how you can help:






THE NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS HURRICANE RELIEF FUND


We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to humanitarian outreach for New Orleans musicians affected by Hurricane Katrina. By returning displaced musicians to New Orleans, creating gigs in the city, and replacing flood-damaged instruments, NOMHRF empowers musicians to earn a living and heal our community with music.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

FINANCIAL DONATIONS: All donations are tax deductible and are targeted to meet local needs. Donations can be made online by CLICKING HERE

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST: Sign up here and stay up to date with our progress and with fantastic NOMHRF-affiliated performances in your area.

BUY MERCHANDISE THAT HELPS FUND OUR WORK: CDs, shirts and more are available at the Web site. A portion of proceeds has been dedicated by these vendors to our cause.

INSTRUMENT DONATIONS: By donating instruments, you give New Orleans musicians the means to pursue their livelihood and revitalize their hometown. Notify NOMHRF by e-mail, and ship donated instruments to:

American Federation of Musicians

Local 174-496

2401 Esplanade Avenue

New Orleans, LA 70119

ORGANIZE A BENEFIT CONCERT IN YOUR AREA: E-mail aimee@nomhrf.org or call 800-957-4026 with any questions. You can download an information form HERE.


TELL A FRIEND: Forward this message. Create your own. Put us in your Top 8. Wear our shirts at concerts... Oral history is the foundation of New Orleans music and culture, and it is only fitting that it remains at the forefront of the city's recovery.


Thank you,

The staff of NOMHRF

:: mike 11:06 AM [+] ::

I thought I was going to be hammering nails, and moving bags of concrete. But now it looks like I'm going to be writing and helping organize the office and media portion of this organization.

It's still a mess down here, and I haven't even seen the real damaged areas. I tried to take a cab to where the levee broke, but my cab driver, an ex-New York City cop, said it is too dangerous to let me out of the car. Sure enough, there was a shooting around the second line parade I was hoping to see. Detroit's got nothing on this place.

The roof of the Best Western I'm staying in blew off in the storm and they're still trying to fix it. Broken windows and deserted store fronts are everywhere, even in the French Quarter. I'm working out of a four-room office with three awesome and dedicated people.

New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund

The New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization founded by Ben and Sarah Jaffe of Preservation Hall immediately after Hurricane Katrina. The NOMHRF mission is twofold: to provide humanitarian outreach to New Orleans musicians affected by the storm and to revive New Orleans’ unique musical culture. NOMHRF brings musicians home with rent subsidies and grants for home repairs, creates and underwrites gigs, and replaces flood-damaged instruments. We empower musicians to earn a living and heal the city with their music. Since the levee failure, more than 1000 New Orleans musicians have received these services from NOMHRF, as well as referrals to health care clinics, social services, and other relief organizations.

By actively locating displaced New Orleans musicians, NOMHRF disbursed nearly $400,000 in emergency relief in its first three months. Grants targeting leaders in the music community ensured that New Orleans’ bandleaders, music-related businesses, and educators would be part of the rebuilding process. Performers of all genres, from traditional jazz to hip-hop, from local churches to the Louisiana Philharmonic, benefited from this assistance. Funding for this outreach came almost entirely from private, individual donations.

NOMHRF relocated to Preservation Hall, in New Orleans, in December of 2005. Preservation Hall, the world-renown jazz venue in the French Quarter, stands on a sliver of high ground surrounded by waterlogged residential neighborhoods, still fighting for their survival. These neighborhoods are the source of New Orleans’ characteristic rhythms, which drove the development of jazz and R& B. Their streets are home to brass band parades and Mardi Gras Indians. NOMHRF supports these indigenous traditions by subsidizing second lines and other performances, and continues to help members of the music community return home.

To learn more about NOMHRF, please contact:

New Orleans Musicians Hurricane Relief Fund
828 Royal St. #833
New Orleans, LA 70116
1-800-957-4026
www.nomhrf.org
:: mike 1:01 PM [+] ::

It was great to see many of you at the Holiday Show this year. I had a great time, and the new songs just fly. It was also the fastest sell out in my history, which is an Omen in itself.

The set:
Strawberry Song // Skimming // Sooner or Later// How it Ends // Ever Since (solo) // You Could Be Anywhere (solo) // Daylight // Run // Underwater // Grace // Springtime (encore, solo)

While I was playing the show, a great friend was uptown, giving birth to a baby girl. Also, my friend Louis, who worked at the Chelsea diner and gave me most of the coffee that fueled my past five records, died of a heart attack. He was 49, and a sweet guy. He's thanked on Skimming and Pictures. I will miss him.



Next, it's off to New Orleans...
:: mike 11:55 AM [+] ::

Hi Mike,

Just want to thank you for an awesome evening. We took our daughters to see you play last night (both seasoned fans) and we all had a blast. And major thanks for the Omens - our ten-year-old got tequila and our fifteen-year-old got the Masters and Johnson book of Human Sexuality; clearly very disturbing things await us in the new year...





.
:: mike 11:42 AM [+] ::

Mike,

Amazing Show last night! It was good to see you again. I promise to put the Omen (the perfect piece jumped into my hand) to good use. It may be inspiration for my next line of jewelry.



.
:: mike 11:41 AM [+] ::

Mike

My Holiday Omen was a draidel (sp?)

Past omens for me included:
1) leopard skin women's panties: FACT
2) a crown
3) a leather wallet with chain: FACT
4) two visits to a personal trainer - never used FACT!
5) a draidel

All true.
All omens are true.
:: mike 11:39 AM [+] ::

Rock Star Holiday Wish Lists

Just because they already have everything doesn't mean they don't want more.

CLICK ON THE PIC





FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 1:17 PM [+] ::

Living in Europe must be hilarious:

Music for one apartment and six drummers
Uploaded by naly

:: mike 7:13 AM [+] ::

So, who came up with this? Not hard to figure out...







The graphic actually "snows" on the Blender homepage, which I'm psyched about.

Click on and take a look around - you might find some ideas for crap to buy family and friends. The iPod toilet rack was one of my favorites, but the portable stripper pole isn't bad, either. Close friends will be able to find a lot of inside jokes. And of course, getting "Rockstar Recommendations" from all those different artists was pretty hilarious.

Enjoy.

:: mike 4:02 PM [+] ::

:: mike 9:21 AM [+] ::

MIKE ERRICO - FALL 2006


NEW RECORD, ALL IN
Mike has finished ALL IN, the follow-up to the critically acclaimed SKIMMING. The 12-song disc picks up where the best of the previous work left off, and pushes forward to an entirely new level.

1. Something New/ 2. How it Ends/ 3. OK to Go/ 4. Girlfriend Weather/ 5. Packing My Bags/ 6. Run/ 7. Ever Since/ 8. Whatever You Say/ 9. Sweet Anesthesia/ 10. Please Stop Leaving/ 11. You Could Be Anywhere/ 12. Better Here

The record will release in early 2007.

Download the demo version of "Ever Since" at www.myspace.com/mikeerrico.

MIKE ERRICO 2006 HOLIDAY SHOW
Tuesday, December 12 AT JOE'S PUB
425 Lafayette St., NYC 9:30 PM / $15.00

Reservations strongly recommended. Your 2006-2007 Holiday Omens will be in attendance.
Tickets and info: http://www.joespub.com/caltool/index.cfm?fuseaction=detail&performanceID=2442

THIS IS WHAT THE SHOW WILL BE LIKE: http://tngrhapsody.ytmnd.com/
:: mike 8:39 PM [+] ::

The Filthiest Lyrics of All Time!

While swearing may not be clever, the joys of the four-letter word have exerted a strange pull on pop stars for decades. But which f@&#in’ song rates as the filthiest? Blender recruited a panel of experts to find out.

CLICK ON THE PIC





FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 8:45 AM [+] ::

Went to Game 6 and Game 7 of the Met/Cardinal playoffs. Oh well. There's next year.

They were amazing games, though.
:: mike 1:40 PM [+] ::

Michael Emerson: "I've always liked playing ambiguity."

Emmy winner Michael Emerson loves Captain Beefheart lyrics, hates athletic balladeering, triggers a House of Pain ringtone on his wife's cell - and recommends Bach if you're planning an extended stay in the Hatch.


CLICK ON THE PIC





FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 11:46 AM [+] ::

Shows this week: Sparklehorse, and Flaming Lips. Both were excellent. Lips were totally insane. Wayne is plugged into something large, and I really got into it. Might have been the Heinekens and the company, but even so...isn't it always?
:: mike 9:20 PM [+] ::

Happy Friday. CLICK HERE
:: mike 9:07 AM [+] ::

Oh, Jessica Simpson. You continue to disappoint.
:: mike 10:35 AM [+] ::

Art Alexakis: Orchestrating a Breakup

The Everclear frontman dishes hard-earned knowledge on getting out. . . and keeping your stuff.
(Hint: Get a restraining order.)


CLICK ON THE PIC




:: mike 10:00 AM [+] ::

DJ Qbert: Tour Video

The tireless turntable legend packs the 1's and 2's in the overhead compartment for a tour of Asia.

By Mike Errico


CLICK ON THE PIC





FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 1:27 PM [+] ::

New Found Glory: Our Obsessions

The punk-poppers stopped by the Blender.com office to reveal their offstage obsessions with World of Warcraft, collecting guitar picks and, uh . . . text-to-speech software?


By Mike Errico


CLICK ON THE PIC





FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 1:23 PM [+] ::

In case you were wondering, we are the stupidest species on the planet.
:: mike 7:34 AM [+] ::

Sometimes, life is scary. CLICK HERE.
:: mike 8:26 AM [+] ::

Drag your mouse around THIS. Look at you... you're a genius!
:: mike 2:31 PM [+] ::

Enjoy this beautiful thing.
:: mike 3:51 PM [+] ::

Cracker Barrel FINALLY enters the music business (though we know they've been in it for years): CLICK HERE
:: mike 9:48 AM [+] ::

Gene Simmons: Interview

The fire-breathing Kiss bassist and entrepreneur gives us valuable life lessons and a peek at the Family Jewels.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM














.
:: mike 2:23 PM [+] ::

I can't forget...
:: mike 1:49 PM [+] ::

Since we last spoke, I've interviewed New Found Glory... and Gene fucking Simmons. That was fun. Interviews go up hopefully in the next week or two.


More news as it falls out of the trees.


.
:: mike 12:13 AM [+] ::

More friends are checking the record out. The reviews trickle in.
:: mike 7:22 AM [+] ::

I'm OK to go.
:: mike 11:27 AM [+] ::

The reviews on the new record are beginning to trickle in from friends:

CLICK HERE
:: mike 8:01 PM [+] ::

Tweaking. Listening. Tweaking. Listening.

Done and done.

Going to shows. Inhaling. Exhaling.

Feels good.
:: mike 8:52 AM [+] ::

Went to Philly to master with Phil Nicolo, and now the music is complete. Party to follow.


GIRLFRIEND WEATHER

Something New
How it Ends
OK to Go
Girlfriend Weather
Packing My Bags
Run
Whatever You Say
Ever Since
You Could Be Anywhere
Sweet Anesthesia
Please Stop Leaving
Better Here

Cover shot is picked.
:: mike 8:14 AM [+] ::

Every '80s video you ever wanted to see again lives right here.
:: mike 7:54 AM [+] ::

David Lee Roth: Interview


Constantly laughing, clowning, dropping philosophy, threatening martial arts and cracking up his bodyguard, the ex-lead singer of the "real" Van Halen comes off like a benevolent Charles Manson trapped in the body of... well, David Lee Roth. We sat down to talk about the new bluegrass tribute to Van Halen, Strummin' with the Devil, and a bottle of Tennessee whiskey mysteriously appeared. It got blurry quickly. This is what we remember.


By Mike Errico

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 3:22 PM [+] ::

THE RECORD IS DONE.



.
:: mike 1:09 PM [+] ::

I'm bringing friends in to hear the record. It's good. Going well. Sequences are being discussed. I can't believe it.

Psyched to get this to you.
:: mike 7:42 PM [+] ::

check out a sample of the direction I'm taking on my new record.
:: mike 5:19 PM [+] ::

Happy birthday, America! Here's my favorite anthem.
:: mike 9:01 AM [+] ::

Last day of mixing, today. Song #12, "Something New." What a strange feeling, going back and forth between mixing the record, and then editing pieces with David Lee Roth, Edwin McCain, Slayer, Hatebreed, DragonForce, Zakk Wylde, etc. etc. It's a time of incredible stretching. I'm really digging it, when I'm conscious enough to enjoy.


A healthy diet of Fugazi and Mastodon are helping greatly.



post something.
:: mike 6:18 AM [+] ::

Darth Vader Calls the Emperor.


funny.
:: mike 12:56 PM [+] ::

Song #10 is getting mixed today.




















awesome.
:: mike 10:23 AM [+] ::

Keane: Interview

From the island that brought us the Anglican Church and the Sex Pistols, Keane crosses the pond with their sophomore effort, Under the Iron Sea. Keyboardist Tim Rice-Oxley filled us in.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 10:23 AM [+] ::

Last night, I drank a half a bottle of Jack Daniels with David Lee Roth. I interviewed him for Blender, and can't really explain the level of euphoria I was in. Plus we were drunk. So there was that.

This'll be a good article.
:: mike 6:27 PM [+] ::

Aretha Franklin: Live at the Apollo Theater

A crazed fanatic witnesses the Queen of Soul's triumphant return to New York's Apollo Theater and e-mails us, screaming. We encourage this kind of behavior.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 3:53 PM [+] ::

FOUR SONGS ARE MIXED AND FINISHED.



NOTHING ELSE TO SAY.



JUST FELT LIKE YELLING.





!
:: mike 3:36 PM [+] ::

JULY EDITOR'S PICK: The Deadliest Catch, Discovery Channel




CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 11:16 AM [+] ::

From: Blake Morgan
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 5:43 PM
To: Mike Errico

Subject: HA HA HA HA HA...


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !




sorry. mixing is fun.


B

.
:: mike 2:45 PM [+] ::

From: Blake Morgan
Sent: Monday, June 19, 2006 5:43 PM
To: Mike Errico

Subject: HA HA HA HA HA...


HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA !




sorry. mixing is fun.


B

.
:: mike 2:45 PM [+] ::

Something to consider.
:: mike 5:47 AM [+] ::

Jewel: Interview

After tussling with a fire hose on MTV, a more mature Jewel heads to the barn -- and the mechanical bull.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 1:41 PM [+] ::

Here are some weird clocks.
:: mike 7:39 AM [+] ::

Solo in "Ever Since" used to be harmonica. We listened down today and thought it sucked. So, it's a guitar solo, now. And it's really cool.

Chipping away... I'm getting impatient, now.
:: mike 8:22 PM [+] ::

We re-did the "Please Stop Leaving" choruses, and hit "You Could Be Anywhere."

And it's done. I have sung all the way through the record.

I would jump around, but today we listen to the whole thing, and tweak. We're not done yet. But the lead vocals are most likely finished.

someone's headed for a hangover....
:: mike 7:10 AM [+] ::

"Please Stop Leaving" is in the can. It's been an incredible week. Smooth, strong, and my best singing ever.

One song to go. "You Could Be Anywhere." It's a beautiful version of the song, just a sparse old Martin acoustic and me. I am ready to just float over that guitar part. Can't wait.

Eleven down, one to go.
:: mike 6:57 PM [+] ::

"How it Ends." Done.


What is there to say.
:: mike 9:49 PM [+] ::

Strange turn yesterday. We listened back to "Sweet Anesthesia" and didn't like it. We set out for it to be a chilly, almost robotic read that would melt into the arrangement, but somehow the entire sense of the song got lost. We recut the entire song letting me just do what I do, instead of going for an effect, and now it really flies, and fits with the rest of the pack.

So, we're still at nine down, three to go. But today's a new day. Ready to roll.


This was sent to me today:

The site (Ifilm) is annoying, but the video is worth it. I actually
got choked up, and I'm thoroughly cynical:
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2729140?htv=12
:: mike 6:02 AM [+] ::

I like this schedule. I sleep til whenever, get up, go to the gym with the NY Times, a bottle of water and a small coffee (little milk, one sugar). On the way back, I hit the deli and get another bottle of water, and two scrambled with ham on a wrap. No cheese. I sit down with Eileen, a 90-year-old woman with a black wig that's always on crooked, and eyebrows that are drawn on with a thick brown pencil of some sort. She reads the Post with a magnifying glass, and has some milk and toast. We talk about the Yankees (she's a fan) and the record. She likes how it's coming together. "I hope you got yourself a hit song on there, Mike. Sounds like it's goin' good." She thinks that baseball players now are more attractive than they used to be. "Time was, these guys were real...roustabouts. Not so, anymore. Good lookin' boys."

I finish breakfast, shower, warm up in time for a long leisurely walk to the studio to collect my head and decide the song we're going to hit. I've been alternating fast-slow, rock-ballad, just for the sake of pacing. Yesterday was a Pink Floyd fest, so today we're going to crank it up. I'm psyched.

All right, then. Time to do all of that.


post a routine.
:: mike 7:57 AM [+] ::

"Sweet Anesthesia" is in the can. Nine down, three to go. Fish in a barrel, man. I'm telling you.

It was so great to get this one done. It's been sitting around since the days of "Pictures of the Big Vacation." Finally, it's getting to see its day. I'm glad. I've been waiting for it. It's coming together great.

Tomorrow... more.
:: mike 10:09 PM [+] ::

"Something New" is in the can. Really fun, rocks hard and sounds great. Very psyched.

Done, done, on to the next one...
:: mike 10:08 PM [+] ::

"Ever Since" - I think the best lead vocal yet. Incredibly emotional, intimate, strong... it's something I'll be proud of for a long time. Only thing is that the harmonica solo sounds a little lost in all of the high-test arranging. We may have to pull it, and put someone else in. Talks continue.

Seven down, five to go. My early morning thought: "How it Ends"
:: mike 5:42 AM [+] ::

"Packing My Bags." Done. Six down, six to go.

As quiet, and "easy" as it is to sing, this was the hardest day in the studio so far - just finding the emotional balance within the song, and projecting it into the track. Did David Lee Roth think about this stuff? I don't know. Maybe.

Back in today.



post a background.
:: mike 8:42 AM [+] ::

Minor change. I warmed up and felt really strong, so instead we hit "OK to Go," the one inspired by the movie "Contact." Kind of inspired by it, anyway. It's all just going down smooth, and with plenty of time for a mellow dinner and hanging out with friends.

Today might be "Packing My Bags."
:: mike 6:18 AM [+] ::

OK



Here it is.



I'm walking into the final week of tracking. One straight week of vocals. I slept 12 hours last night, drank a ton of water, and my voice is on point. By next Sunday, all tracking will be complete. It's just unbelievable.

I'm thinking "Packing My Bags" today, though I'm not 100% on that yet. I have to look over some stuff and see what feels good. It all feels good: It's just a matter of choice and pacing.

God, I'm psyched.
:: mike 8:55 AM [+] ::

The laughing cure.

post a cure.
:: mike 8:48 AM [+] ::

Musical suggestion, if I may:


I'm not a Jon Brion scholar, but go to http://www.myspace.com/jonbrion and listen to "Here We Go." I think it's a great song.

post a rebuttal.
:: mike 8:11 PM [+] ::

Good times, out there with Lesley in PA. Back from it, and holy shit. A whole day off, since we decided not to stay over at the crappy hotel. Shocking, I know, to give up the opportunity to be awakened by the sound of distant vaccuuming.

June 1. The record will be fully tracked.

Psyched.
:: mike 2:50 PM [+] ::

New Hope, PA with Lesley, today. Two shows. Should be fun. I haven't played with her in a while. I've brushed off the solos, and the black shirt. I really like it there. There's a little Thai place called Siam that is possibly the best Thai food I've ever had. I wonder if it's still open. It's been a while.


post
:: mike 7:45 AM [+] ::

Lead vocal and backgrounds are done for "Whatever You Say." Rocking. I'm really happy. These are just going down easy, no sweat, no hangups... just setting em up and knocking em down. I'm digging this, for real.

comment.
:: mike 7:34 PM [+] ::

DragonForce: Video

U.K. "extreme power metal" band DragonForce shred up a conference room in this two-part video performance/interview.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 7:44 AM [+] ::

Lead vocal for "Run" is done. Backgrounds, too. Three songs are fully completed and ready for mix.

Ha.

That's all I can say.


say something else here.
:: mike 3:45 PM [+] ::

Vocals, doubles and harmonies are done for "Girlfriend Weather," possibly the title track of the record. It's beautiful, and fun, and all that. This is now the easy part, and I'm very much in the zone. Bring that shit on. Can't wait for tomorrow... "Run" is the planned track.


post a Mother's Day card.
:: mike 5:51 PM [+] ::

Vocals are done for the song we are still calling "Better Here". They're beautiful, I'm rested up nice, singing great. Really fun.

My thought for today is "Girlfriend Weather." I like the idea.


post a background.
:: mike 6:16 AM [+] ::

I will be talking on the radio today, discussing Blender magazine's "50 Worst Things Ever to Happen to Music" piece on WNYC

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS, PODCAST, DOWNLOAD

We may be taking calls.
:: mike 8:52 AM [+] ::

I can't believe it. All the music is done. On to the vocals. I can't believe it. I can't believe it's done. It sounds awesome. The "Sweet Anesthesia" tracks and solo... I can't believe it. "Packing My Bags" - the tag at the end... I can't believe it. The guitar on "You Could Be Anywhere" - I can't... I... the drums on "Girlfriend Weather," I mean, he's... KILLING them. I can't believe it. I can't believe how it's coming together. It's for real. And it reminds me of the best of "Pictures" with the best of "Skimming." How can I ask for anything more?

I'm totally loose, and totally free, and I just want to step to the mic and stroke the ball over the left field wall. It's all felt like that so far, and the plan is not going to change.

I just. I just can't believe it.


post a sense of disbelief
:: mike 7:31 PM [+] ::

Today may be the last day of tracking instruments. We are ready for vocals. I can't believe it. It just kinda crept up on me. Which is fine, but not how I pictured it. It never is.

This weekend has been amazing - solos on "Please Stop Leaving" "Run" and a desperately beautiful "Sweet Anesthesia" that just fell out of me. I was stunned by it.

Today we're finishing lap steels and keys on "Sweet Anesthesia" and then... we're ... ready for vocals? I can't believe it. But I think that's the story.

Amazing.

post a comment.

.
:: mike 6:44 AM [+] ::

The 50 Worst Things Ever to Happen to Music

Scott Stapp. Pop-opera. The braided goatee. These are just a few of the things even the most open-minded among us cannot abide.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 9:08 AM [+] ::

Stuffmagazine.com takes on “Saved by the Bell”


Stuffmagazine.com takes on Saved by the Bell

Ever wonder where the kids from Bayside High would be today if they really existed? Click on the pic to read our guess as to what Zack and the gang would be up to. Here's a hint: Mr. Belding is dead.







FROM STUFFMAGAZINE.COM
:: mike 9:00 AM [+] ::

Stapler Rock I

Stapler Rock II

Stapler Rock III

Stapler Rock IV


:: mike 1:44 PM [+] ::

MIKE ERRICO
SPRING 2006



UPDATE ON THE NEW RECORD
Mike is in the studio, working on the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Skimming. Follow along with the progress the band is making by checking here.

Download the demo version of "Ever Since" from the forthcoming record HERE


MIKE NAMED EDITOR OF BLENDER.COM
Mike is now in charge of content on this highly trafficked music site Have a look:

VIDEOS of Beastie Boys, Dresden Dolls, eXtreme Elvis and many more: CLICK HERE
Mary J. Blige, on the pop charts and the Oxford English Dictionary: CLICK HERE
Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Karen O lets loose on new songs, old flames and space suits: CLICK HERE
Interview with country-punk badass Hank Williams III: CLICK HERE

Check back regularly at www.blender.com


MIKE ERRICO RELEASES ARE AVAILABLE AT WWW.ERRICO.COM


"SKIMMING" TRAVELS TO SUNDANCE
Skimming is featured in the new film Puccini for Beginners, starring Gretchen Mol.

WORDS WE DONT SAY FEATURED ON THE L WORD
Performed by Lesley Gore, co-written by Mike and featuring him on acoustic an electric guitars, this selection from Lesleys Ever Since will be on an upcoming episode of The L Word (SHOWTIME). Check your local listings.

UNRELEASED VERSION of "GRACE"
Live From WTMD Volume 1 - From the Very Beginning is out and available to subscribers of this great Baltimore-based station (also accessible as a stream on the Web). A live, unreleased version of "Grace," from Skimming shares the CD with Son Volt, Marc Broussard, The Fray, Bruce Cockburn, Mike Doughty, and more: CLICK HERE FOR INFO


BABY PICTURES!
Not Mike's baby. In fact, we don't know whose baby it is, but she likes "Skimming."

MIKE ERRICO STREET TEAM
Fill out the form HERE and let us know that you're interested, and we'll let you know what you can do to help spread the word when Mike comes to your area.


MIKE ERRICO POSTER CONTEST
Just send us the email addresses of 15 friends who you think would also be into Mike's music, include the cities they live in, and we'll send you a free, signed Mike Errico poster! Don't forget to include the CITIES and STATES of the addresses you're sending, and to include your mailing address, so we know where to send you the poster (duh).

SEE YOU SOON
:: mike 5:48 PM [+] ::

eXtreme Elvis: Live Video

Elvis Presley was extreme. eXtreme Elvis is extremely extreme.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 2:58 PM [+] ::

New England College, Henniker, NH

Good people out there, five hours outside of NYC and beyond cell range. There was a moose sighting, which was unbelievable... a ten foot female who apparently stumbled over a guard rail and into the quad. Students screamed and chased her with camera phones while the intelligent Maine and New Hampshire natives kept their distance. Moose are wicked dumb, and as a result, unpredictable (their most human trait). The males can really mess a person up, Grizzly Man style, which doesn't mean that the ladies are particularly polite - they can do real damage, too.

But I guess a woman stumbling through a quad in a college always gets attention from guys with camera phones. How often have we seen this on late night cable TV?

Another hilarious feature of the college is a ramshackle old house right in the middle of campus, owned at some point by an angry old man who hated the school and put in the deed that it can absolutely never be sold to them. He's dead, but the house keeps rotting. Ironically, it looked beautiful, set in the long shadows of an early spring sunset. Long streaks of rust striped the boat-bottom green siding, and seemed like EXACTLY the kind of house the old man in "When She Walks By" would have owned. I brushed the song off and played it for them, which they really enjoyed. I haven't played that in a long while. It felt great.

post a comment.
:: mike 3:34 PM [+] ::

wow.


I didn't know these were still out there.


post an auction item.
:: mike 8:27 AM [+] ::

So, I've had to pass on the upcoming Lesley Gore tour in order to keep all the plates spinning over here at home. That's a rare moment - I don't think I've ever said no to a tour in my life. So it took a little time out and reflection on my part. But it's right. They got a great guy (who also has glasses) and that's important.

I'll be focusing on artwork while they're gone. I think we have the cover photo, and I am totally psyched about it. We'll work backwards from there. On the other side of the fence, I have interviews with lots of musicians, and upcoming plans for festivals. Oh, yeah, and a solo show in New Hampshire. Jeez. It gets awful complicated over here sometimes.


post a complication.
:: mike 10:07 AM [+] ::

Gorillaz: Live

The world's first virtual band rises above technical glitches to exceed a whole new set of expectations.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 12:30 PM [+] ::

Such sad news: some of you may know about the time I played at the Sandtown School in Baltimore. It was one of the true high points in my career. I just recieved word that their funding is being cut off (ironically, for being too good at what they do), and they may close.

READ THE BALTIMORE SUN ARTICLE

THE KIDS' REACTION TO THE ARTICLE

NEW SONG's BLOG

MY PHOTO GALLERY WITH THE KIDS









:: mike 8:05 AM [+] ::

BIG GUITARS ARE NOW ON THE PLATE: Big guitars for Girlfriend Weather, Run, and OK to Go are done. More today - I'm ready. I got my bottomless cup of coffee. We got a:

Gretsch Silver Jet
Gretsch Country Gentleman
Epiphone Casino
Ibanez AR-500
Danelectro wacky nonsense guitar
Epiphone flying V

Plus whatever we need to borrow. I'm playing loose, and strong. Feeling it. Digging it.

Artwork: The more I think about the original cover of "Skimming," the more I like it for this project. Just starting to look at that now. But I love the direction.

Hell yes.

post a root/fifth.
:: mike 7:47 AM [+] ::

Head-spinning week. OK, so what happened? Let me try to piece it together:

Thursday: Bates College, Lewiston, ME. The Silo is a performance space of theirs, and just sounds phenomenal. Got some requests for "Strawberry Song" and "Free," which always makes my night. I am also letting the new songs fly, and they are really surprising me. I don't know why, but they are. They are touching on deeper territory, and even though they aren't fully recorded yet, they are already pointing a way towards the next work I have to do. I'm really interested in what's next.

Friday: Massachussetts College of Liberal Arts. Great show, great students in a small college nestled in the Berkshires. Some of the most beautiful driving I've ever done - a clear, almost-spring day winding along hairpin turns through the mountains. I stopped several times just to get out and look at the valleys and brooks. Only four hours from Times Square, and it felt as remote and expansive as anyplace I've ever been. There is just more oxygen out there. I don't breathe as hard. I sleep well, and sing well.

The college had an interesting light show - it was a standard light tree, but somehow connected to a Clapper that sensed sound. So if I played a chord, the lights would change configurations. I played a couple of really fast chords, laughed as the lights strobed along, and asked them to turn the Clapper part off. I'd never seen that before.

Saturday/Sunday - drove like a freak back to NYC just in time to pick up Blake and Carolyn and head out for a two-night engagement with Lesley Gore at the Queens Theater, which sits in the shadow of the 1964 Worlds' Fair in Corona Park.



The shows were strong, and Lesley always lights it up. It's inspiring.

post a communication.
:: mike 7:23 AM [+] ::

BEASTIE BOYS: VIDEO

Awesome! Mike f*in' sat down with Beastie Boys to discuss the concept behind their innovative new concert film, Awesome; I F*in' Shot That!

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 7:18 AM [+] ::

hilarious little moment


http://maximonline.com/maximtv/461/BrookeBurns.video
:: mike 9:04 PM [+] ::

Totally, absolutely awesome electric guitar part on "Ever Since" went down last night. I'm really really psyched. My friend at Electro Harmonix hooked me up with all kinds of wacky machinery (Pog, Memory Man, Holy Grail...) and we're twisting knobs. So cool.

post an effect.
:: mike 1:32 PM [+] ::

ATREYU: EXCLUSIVE VIDEO INTERVIEW

Somewhere between preparing for the release of A Death-Grip on Yesterday and announcing their headlining slot on Ozzfest's second stage, Orange County heavies Atreyu sat down with Mike to explain the mysteries of the universe. OK, maybe not. But it was cool, anyway.

CLICK ON THE PIC


FROM BLENDER.COM
:: mike 1:31 PM [+] ::

Blake put some piano down on "Packing My Bags". Brilliant, a restrained little section, but these little things make so much difference, man, I'm telling you. I'll be listening to that 300 years from now, thinking, "Yeah, I'm glad we worked on that part, and got it sounding nice."

Then we got shithoused. I was smart to bring an extra bottle of Bushmills.

post a headache.
:: mike 10:04 AM [+] ::

Lap steel is done for "Packing My Bags". Really deep shit. Gotta say. Lots going on over here.

Also, interviewed the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. She's really funny, I'm psyched to see how that interview will turn out.

post.
:: mike 4:00 PM [+] ::

BLENDER INTERVIEW: MARY J. BLIGE

Read Mike's exclusive interview with the undisputed queen of hip-hop soul.

CLICK ON THE PIC





FROM BLENDER.COM


post a conversation
:: mike 7:51 AM [+] ::

I think all acoustic guitar tracks are done. We hit a weird stereo lap steel part for the beginning of "OK to Go" also. The weekend is off, which is a drag, but I'm working on parts here at home that we can either transfer directly, or recut really quickly.


post contact.
:: mike 1:47 PM [+] ::

SMASH MOUTH's STEVE HARWELL to appear on vh1's "THE SURREAL LIFE 6"

Beginning March 19th and running for three weeks, Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell joins the cast of vh1's "The Surreal Life", Season #6. Sequestered in Glen Campbell's former home on Mulholland Drive in Los Angeles, Steve and the cast spend 12 days creeped out by a suspected ghost… and occasionally, each other.

Joining Harwell are Sherman Helmsley from TV's "The Jefferson's"; 80's video vixen Tawny Kitaen, metal axeman CC Deville from Poison; Playboy TV covergirl Andrea Lowell; and the XX & XY of the Arquette family, Alexis Arquette. "The Surreal Life" is rounded out with the aforementioned Florence Henderson joining the show as the cast's full time therapist and advisor.
:: mike 3:07 PM [+] ::

Yesterday, I did a percussion track which will be the backbone of "Better Here" (I think that's the title, anyway...) We used brushes on my lap steel case, which sounded great and looked ridiculous, a guitar case, all mic'ed up like that. For the "kick drum" we just put the case on the floor and I stepped on it. We got it sounding great, and then decided that my demo take was better. It's creaky and I think you can hear some of the finger picks rattling around in there. Fun.

Weekend off. Thank God. Whitney Biennial. Shot some film. Took a nap. Fuck it.


post a dream.
:: mike 4:46 PM [+] ::

Yesterday, I had a half hour interview with Mary J. Blige. I learned a lot about singing from "What's the 411?" and it was just a total Chris Farley moment to talk with her. ("Remember when you sang 'You Remind Me'?... that was awesome.) It was a lot of fun.

I informed her that by 2012 I think the word "Hateration" will be in the Oxford English Dictionary, with her as the originator. She laughed. "I don't think they'd put something so ignorant in the dictionary." Really? "D'oh" is in there. "Hateration" is definitely on the way. And it may well say "See also 'Holleration'."

The interview will be up on Blender.com in the coming weeks. Today, it's a sit-down with Atreyu. www.myspace.com/atreyurock. I hear they like to spit. So I'm bringing a video crew.


post expectorant.
:: mike 9:40 AM [+] ::

Drums are done.



Bass is done.



25% of rhythm guitars are done.



We're moving.



I think: best record yet.



post a communication
:: mike 4:48 PM [+] ::

mike,

i read this on the jayfarrar.net
message board. i'm sure it's still up there somewhere.


About 3 or 4 years ago when I lived in Nashville, I was walking with
some friends from my Apartment to the Ryman to catch the Willie Nelson
and friends concert. At a red light we saw this guy in maybe a 1982
Ford Truck with mud tires and a Hank sticker on the left bumper. The
light turned green, he laid a black mark on the pavement about six
feet long and sent up a cloud of dust. We started laughing. Another
block or so, we saw he had circled around and finally found a parking
spot. He got out of his truck, had on cowboy boots held together with
duct tape, and some jeans that looked like that was the only pair of
pants he owned. The guy looked pretty rough. He took off with a bag
that he took out of his truck and started walking. About two hours
later, this guy along with Keith Richards, Ryan Adams and Willie
Nelson walked on stage and nailed "Dead Flowers" by the Rolling
Stones. Later I found out it was Hank III. I remember feeling strange,
here I was feeling bad for this poor guy who had a beat up truck,
clothes, and a plastic sack. Then he came on stage at the Ryman.
Anyway, I keep up with his music now, and yes I think he is good.
:: mike 4:40 PM [+] ::

BLENDER.COM EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: HANK WILLIAMS III

The grandson of a country legend goes Straight to Hell, and takes Mike along for the ride.

CLICK ON THE PHOTO


:: mike 8:46 AM [+] ::

Nine bass tracks are now done. Turner is killing it. Today: "Packing My Bags," "Whatever You Say," "Run," "Ever Since."




Meanwhile, good Omens everywhere: CHECK THIS OUT.


What's not to love?



post a baby.
:: mike 7:46 PM [+] ::

Bass has started: Turner just finished the first bass line, strangely choosing "How it Ends" to begin his work on the record. All but two of the bass lines have been written, so as he's putting them down, I'll be writing the last two. He sounds great. He's a friggin' animal. There is a lot of fun being had in the studio, and a lot of scotch going down, too. Not the worst combination.

Meanwhile, I got Mary J. Blige to give blender.com the "Romantic Playlist" that she'll be unleashing on her husband this Valentine's Day - all the songs you might expect with a couple of surprises. That'll be up on the blender.com site in the next couple of days. Tomorrow I interview Hank Williams III, grandson of Hank Sr. New record comes out, and it's cool. Think redneck Pink Floyd. If such a thing exists.


post a comment.
:: mike 9:16 PM [+] ::

Last night with Lesley: Best show we've done. I loved it.
:: mike 3:53 PM [+] ::

Drums for the record are done. Jonathan Ellinghaus is an animal. Elephantine. Terrifying.


Bass is mostly written, and Turner's working it out, now.


post a message.
:: mike 3:53 PM [+] ::

THIS JUST IN:

Good Morning, Music Fans!

It's official: Mr. Mike Errico, is now the editor of Blender.com! Mike's been with us on a freelance basis, and his dry humor and awesome glasses have made him an online legend. So, why's he's forgoing freelance for full-time? It's necessary to completely revamp Blender.com to be as big as we know it can be, so we needed a genuine rock star to make it happen. Imagine that, an actual musician heading up a site about music. Revolutionary!

In the coming months there will be a totally new Blender.com and Mike's been working tirelessly to generate new concepts on how we're gonna cover music. So stop by, say hello and congratulate our new King of Rock. (There really is none higher.) And any ideas you have regarding what you think the new Blender.com should include, feel free to send them along to him.
_____
Gene Newman
Editor in Chief, MaximNet
Stuffmagazine.com | MaximOnline.com
Blender.com | Theweekmagazine.com
:: mike 6:50 AM [+] ::

Live From WTMD Volume 1-From the Very Beginning is out and available to subscribers of this great Baltimore-based station.

A live, unreleased version of "Grace," from SKIMMING shares the CD with

Tim Easton "Baltimore"
Marc Broussard "Rock Steady"
Son Volt "Afterglow 61"
Butterfly Boucher "Another White Dash"
Fools & Horses "Frera"
Mike Doughty "Madeline and Nine"
The Duhks "Death Came A Knockin'"
Bruce Cockburn "Pacing the Cage"
Matthew Ryan "Little Things"
Brandi Carlile "Hallelujah"
Ben Arnold "Calico Kid"
Danielia Cotton "Take My Heart"
The Fray "How to Save a Life"
Alexi Murdoch "Orange Sky"

CLICK HERE FOR INFO:
https://secure.publicbroadcasting.net/wtmd/pledge.pledgemain?action=pledge&pg=pledgeForm

post a playlist.
:: mike 11:24 AM [+] ::

From the "WTF?" files:


ABSOLUT Launches ABSOLUT KRAVITZ:


A Groundbreaking Global Music Project Featuring a New Interpretation of the Brand by Lenny Kravitz

ABSOLUT is proud to announce the launch of ABSOLUT KRAVITZ - a new music project which sees Lenny Kravitz creating an exclusive new track based on his interpretation of the ABSOLUT brand.

'We are thrilled to have Lenny Kravitz with us on our creative journey and in this, our first high-profile music project' says Michael Persson, Global Brand Director for ABSOLUT VODKA. 'Not only is he supremely talented; his output, inspired by so many genres and eras of music, defies categorization, making him truly individual - a quality which means he is perfectly at home with the creativity of ABSOLUT.'

Kravitz said that he was inspired by the brand's core values of clarity, simplicity and perfection. 'There's nothing more simple, clear or perfect than the essence of true love,' he says. 'Once I'd felt that, the track just came.'


post a nightmare.
:: mike 9:42 AM [+] ::

The "Pacific Coast Hellway" podcast is featuring some of my music lately (http://www.pacificcoasthellway.com/), and the producers got a pretty funny email:


Dear Mark,




Firstly, may I thank you for bringing Mike Errico to my attention. I

have really enjoyed the songs of his you have played and will be

buying his albums as soon as the bank tells me I can use my credit

cards again. However, I must object to the song "7 Bottles of Bristol

Cream" you played on the "all music" show at the turn of the year.

Come on! 7 bottles?!? "Tonight I drink you all"!!!!




When I was a student, I used to spend the summer vacation working in

Germany. One night I was sitting drinking with a group of friends when

some bottles of the afore mentioned beverage were produced. I won't

bore you with the gory details, but suffice it to say that not only

did I drink a full bottle, but I woke up in a different country

(Switzerland) with a bunch of builders from Poland who I swear I had

never met before. And to cap it all, I had a hangover that lasted a

month.




Please tell your listeners not to heed Errico's call. Bristol Cream

truly is the Devil's brew.




Yours in abstinence,




Jack in Scotland.
:: mike 2:43 PM [+] ::

A play I music supervised has just opened off-Broadway. The New York Times liked it. I'm glad. I've been working with these people on and off for a couple of years.


NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW.



post a troubled dream.
:: mike 7:44 AM [+] ::

Happy 2006. I'm psyched.

The songs for the new record are all sketched out, and the drum arrangements are all in place. It'll be great to hear an actual drum kit, instead of me and blake slapping our knees, stomping the floor and spraying spit all over the place. yeah. drums are better than that. for sure.

Several bass lines are also done. I've bought some new studio gear which I'm very excited about, and that's going to help the process. As is listening. A lot. To good shit. Like Pink Floyd. Which I can't stop listening to. Just so good. So good.




"What Then," a play I'm music supervising, opens on Monday. What's it about? Well... Someone begins to blur the lines between dreams and reality. Others follow. Toxic airborne events loom in the near future. A big bag of blood splatters all over the set. I think I'm playing classical guitar. Eventually, there's no way to tell which plane of existence you're experiencing, and which one you're in.

Good shit.

That'll be at the Ohio Theater, Wooster St., NYC


post a complaint.
:: mike 11:30 AM [+] ::

more shots. click here.

Favorite:



:: mike 7:10 AM [+] ::

Happy Holidays.


The Holiday Show this year surpassed all of them, in joy, attendance, music, Omens... just everything.


some photos were posted here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/kookooface/sets/1639453/

post a complaint
:: mike 9:34 PM [+] ::

Holiday Hotties on Myspace:

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=40700571
(Who I'd like to meet: Clarice -- Rudolph tells me she's very nice!)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=27039859
(When Santa Rudolph and his friends come back I plan a special party but during the year we all just hang out and guess what I am now pregnate can you belive it!Rudolph is in my top 8)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=648411
(Who I'd like to meet: Lizadies who want to melt in my clutch.)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=39953999
(Smoke / Drink: No / Yes Body type: 4' 6")

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=38285597
(Television: Do you think I watch tv when I'm too busy ruining peoples lives?)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=23204968
(About me: "I came out of u this afterNoon".)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=35671545
(Status: Swinger // General interest: Tickle fights, eating cookie dough)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=38994267
(Rudolph does not accept add requests from bands)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=38449433
(About me: *heart* playing with the elves.)

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=37853172
(I'm coming!)
:: mike 12:11 PM [+] ::

Lesley, with another rave review, in


CLICK HERE
:: mike 8:23 AM [+] ::

God damn it's cold. Already.




There. That's better.


post a complaint.
:: mike 2:05 PM [+] ::

up late with some chilled vodka and my bass. wrote the bass line for "packing my bags." i felt roger waters walk into the room.




post a hallucination.
:: mike 12:18 PM [+] ::

Blake and I have sketched out five of the new songs for the record.

Something New
Whatever You Say
Ever Since
Packing My Bags
Sweet Anesthesia

This is going be fun.

Meanwhile:

Check out this ROCK AND ROLL HOLIDAY HOUSE.

And tell me, Why is it always "A fool and his MONEY are soon parted"? How about a fool and his TIME?


post a complaint.
:: mike 9:02 AM [+] ::

For those who don't know much about Lesley Gore, this from Billboard

Billboard magazine, November 26, 2005

Quincy Jones: QUINCY'S TOP 50 HITS
Quincy Jones is credited as an artist with 13 chart entries on The Billboard Hot 100 and 25 chart entries on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. His first was "Killer Joe," which cracked both charts in May 1970. In later years, his albums of collaborations with other jazz, pop and R&B stars yielded some of his top charting hits.

"Back on the Block" in 1989, for example, included the singles "I'll Be Good to You," featuring Ray Charles and Chaka Khan, and "The Secret Garden," featuring Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge and Barry White. Both hit No. 1.

Those two songs are included in this ranking of Jones' top 50 hits on the Hot 100 as a producer. Not surprisingly, however, this chart is dominated by songs Jones produced but did not perform—most notably the record-setting string of hits he recorded with Michael Jackson for the albums "Off the Wall," "Thriller" and "Bad." ••••

Data compiled by Chart Beat columnist Fred Bronson, based on a point system developed for the third edition of "Billboard's Hottest Hot 100 Hits."

1 Michael Jackson Billie Jean 1983 Epic

2 Michael Jackson Rock With You 1980 Epic

3 Michael Jackson Beat It 1983 Epic

4 USA for Africa We Are the World 1985 Columbia

5 Lesley Gore It's My Party 1963 Mercury

6 Patti Austin with James Ingram Baby, Come to Me 1983 Qwest

7 Michael Jackson and Paul McCartney The Girl Is Mine 1983 Epic

8 Michael Jackson Man in the Mirror 1988 Epic

9 Michael Jackson Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough 1979 Epic

10 Michael Jackson and Siedah Garrett I Just Can't Stop Loving You 1987 Epic

11 Lesley Gore You Don't Own Me 1964 Mercury

12 Michael Jackson Bad 1987 Epic

13 Michael Jackson The Way You Make Me Feel 1988 Epic

14 Michael Jackson Dirty Diana 1988 Epic

15 Brothers Johnson I'll Be Good to You 1976 A&M

16 George Benson Give Me the Night 1980 Warner Bros.

17 Brothers Johnson Stomp! 1980 A&M

18 Michael Jackson Thriller 1984 Epic

19 Michael Jackson Wanna Be Startin' Somethin' 1983 Epic

20 Lesley Gore She's a Fool 1963 Mercury

21 Brothers Johnson Strawberry Letter 23 1977 A&M

22 Donna Summer Love Is in Control 1982 Geffen

23 Michael Jackson Human Nature 1983 Epic

24 Michael Jackson She's out of My Life 1980 Epic

25 Michael Jackson Off the Wall 1980 Epic

26 Lesley Gore Judy's Turn to Cry 1963 Mercury

27 Michael Jackson Smooth Criminal 1989 Epic

28 Quincy Jones feat. James Ingram Just Once 1981 A&M

29 Aretha Franklin Angel 1973 Atlantic

30 Michael Jackson P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) 1983 Epic

31 Michael Jackson Another Part of Me 1980 Epic

32 James Ingram with Michael McDonald Yah Mo B There 1984 Qwest

33 Quincy Jones feat. James Ingram One Hundred Ways 1982 A&M

34 Quincy Jones feat. Ray Charles and Chaka Khan I'll Be Good to You 1990 Qwest

35 Lesley Gore That's the Way Boys Are 1964 Mercury

36 Lesley Gore Maybe I Know 1964 Mercury

37 Lesley Gore Sunshine, Lollipops & Rainbows 1965 Mercury

38 Quincy Jones Stuff Like That 1978 A&M

39 Lesley Gore Look of Love 1965 Mercury

40 Quincy Jones Ai No Corrida 1981 A&M

41 Donna Summer The Woman in Me 1983 Geffen

42 Brothers Johnson Get the Funk Out Ma Face 1976 A&M

43 James Ingram & Patti Austin How Do You Keep the Music Playing 1983 Qwest

44 Rufus and Chaka Khan Do You Love What You Feel 1980 MCA

45 Quincy Jones feat. El DeBarge,

James Ingram, Barry White and Al B. Sure! The Secret Garden 1990 Qwest

46 Aretha Franklin Master of Eyes 1973 Atlantic

47 Lesley Gore My Town, My Guy and Me 1965 Mercury

48 Donna Summer State of Independence 1982 Geffen

49 Diana Ross and Michael Jackson Ease On Down the Road 1978 MCA

50 Lesley Gore I Don't Wanna Be a Loser 1964 Mercury
:: mike 9:33 AM [+] ::

One of my favorite new bands, Look What I Did. Here's their video. Takes a while to load. For fans of King's X, System of a Down, explosions.


Post a complaint.
:: mike 1:03 PM [+] ::

A bad workman blames his tools. Or picks the wrong ones.

Sweet Child of Mine.

post a complaint.
:: mike 11:11 AM [+] ::

This beats the crap out of Madonna's version: CLICK HERE


post a complaint.



.
:: mike 12:17 PM [+] ::

Just like the real thing: CLICK




post a sweet comment.
:: mike 4:07 PM [+] ::

Any Port in a Storm
for STUFF magazine

Port wine is one of the great mysteries of alcohol: It doesn't come in keg, or six-pack form, so most guys don't realize it's the classiest way to end an evening (or start a morning). To prove it to you, Mike Errico and Cory Jones broke down six top-notch ports with the help of Bartholomew Broadbent, one of the leading experts on port in the world.

www.stuffmagazine.com/articles/index.aspx?id=1218


post a hangover.
:: mike 10:24 AM [+] ::

Feel free to lose your mind by clicking here.

Don't blame me. You clicked it.


post a comment.
:: mike 2:23 PM [+] ::

CB's Gallery - played another show. NOW the songs have jumped to life. It was really really intense. They're getting under my hands.

Every show, up three levels.

Same set as Living Room, with encore: "It's Better Here" - done quieter, and stronger.

This is good.


post a comment.
:: mike 3:33 PM [+] ::

Second Living Room show is over. Amazing. 10 new songs, and so much to process. I feel some itching to be recorded, and to be included with my best work. I can't believe how good that feels. Others need just a tweak or two, they just want a little structural work. A paint job. Minor buffing around the chrome. And they're going to kill, too. And they all have to find their way into my voice - which means I have to just run them, practice, play out, and all of that. I can't wait for the next show. Tonight, with Ari Hest at CB's. I need to hear them in the live context, out of the controlled environment of the lab.

post a comment.
:: mike 8:42 AM [+] ::

I mean, Buffalo '66 was good and all, but...



post a comment.
:: mike 8:09 AM [+] ::

Sat down last night with some very expensive tequila (thank you STUFF magazine liquor reviews), and recorded the bassline for "Something New" - it's pretty damn fine. A great, quiet night at home with a ton of noise as the main feature.




post a comment
:: mike 12:24 PM [+] ::

Wait. The importance level is... high?

Subject: NEW - LINDSAY LOHAN VIDEO CLIP!
Importance: High

Hey There,

Here is the new 30 sec clip of Lindsay Lohan's "Confessions Of A Broken Heart (Father to Daughter)." The video was directed by Lindsay herself and reflects the personal nature of the song. Although it's only a 30 sec clip, this is your chance to get a glimpse of the video that everyone is talking about. Also, if you haven't already posted the audio on your site, I've included the streams below.

Lindsay Lohan "Confessions Of A Broken Heart (Daughter To Father)" VIDEO CLIP
from the forthcoming A Little More Personal (Raw)

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/universalmotown/casablanca/lindsay_lohan/video/00_confessionsofabrokenheart-daughtertofather-30s.asx

http://boss.streamos.com/real/universalmotown/casablanca/lindsay_lohan/video/00_confessionsofabrokenheart-daughtertofather-30s.ram

Lindsay Lohan "Confessions Of A Broken Heart (Daughter To Father)" AUDIO

from the forthcoming A Little More Personal (Raw)

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/universalmotown/universal/lindsay_lohan/audio/confessions_of_a_broken_heart.asx

http://boss.streamos.com/real/universalmotown/universal/lindsay_lohan/audio/confessions_of_a_broken_heart.ram

For More Assets, please check our Asset Manager
:: mike 8:03 AM [+] ::

post a comment.


.
:: mike 12:45 PM [+] ::

xxCryBabyxx: I am outgoing and random, I like to do things on a wim. http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewProfile&friendID=33072865&Mytoken=137025FD-1280-10DD-DC2714F907EA3E9B45767090

Dorkus1337: i love that she's offended some losers want to fuck her

xxCryBabyxx: yeah, how are the guys getting the wrong impression? That's not what she's about, man.

Dorkus1337: i'm commenting...oh, wait, i can't. crap.

xxCryBabyxx: no, you have to be a 'friend'. you are clearly not.

Dorkus1337: i messaged her.

xxCryBabyxx: what did you say?

Dorkus1337: I told her it's spelled "whim"

xxCryBabyxx: HA. You corrected her spelling? Dude, you're never going to get nude photos now.

Dorkus1337: i'm going a diferent route.

xxCryBabyxx: Good thinking. If there's anything a lady loves, it's a stranger correcting her spelling.

Dorkus1337: Pimp hand...strong.



post a comment.
:: mike 11:20 AM [+] ::

post a comment.
:: mike 2:47 PM [+] ::

I get great mail:


Subject: HELLOWEEN - interviews for North American press outlets announced

"The benchmark by which most every power metal band is still measured"
- ALL MUSIC GUIDE

Helloween vocalist Andi Deris is currently taking interview requests, so any North American interview requests can be directed to Earsplit. He's generally available in the afternoon and evening hours most weekdays, so get me your best slots and we'll make sure you're taken care of. Thanks!
-dave

------------
SPV USA is proud to bring you a true heavy metal event:
HELLOWEEN's "KEEPER OF THE SEVEN KEYS: THE LEGACY"

Undoubtedly one of the most influential heavy metal bands to spring forth from the 1980s, HELLOWEEN proves to be one of the primary architects of today's power metal sound. Combining the melodic elements of masters like Judas Priest with the hard-edged speed metal sensibilities of the early thrash scene, HELLOWEEN crystallized these sonic ingredients into one singular force, becoming legends in the process.

Formed in Hamburg, Germany by guitarists Kai Hansen and Michael Weikath, bassist Markus Grosskopf, and drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg, HELLOWEEN released its self-titled debut in early 1985. The band soon found an international audience with its full-length "Walls of Jericho" album, as fans and critics gushed over the band's thrash-fueled interpretation of classic heavy metal. The band was ready for the big time, and evidently, the big time was ready for them as well!

In 1987, the arrival of "Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 1" was a landmark recording and the single most influential power metal album to date. It proved to be an inspiration to the next generation of metal musicians worldwide and is still revered today. Extensive global touring cemented their place among the greats, and the band set off to out-do themselves once again with "Keeper of the Seven Keys, Pt. 2."

While the world was opening up to their sound, internal troubles at the time kept the band from moving into the upper stratosphere: line-up changes (including the passing of original drummer Ingo Schwichtenberg) proved a major challenge to the band, yet rather than quit, they simply re-invented themselves. Over the next decade, HELLOWEEN went on to release some startlingly forward-thinking and experimental metal records, with the group always trying to push their abilities as songwriters.

Today, all has come full-circle with the release of "Keeper of the Seven Keys: The Legacy." This double-album is perhaps the truest reflection of the career of the band, combining their sincere hard-edged metal sensibilities with a flair for crafting memorable melodies that often wander far outside of the traditional. Forget the standard 'focus tracks' and the like: this album is meant to be enjoyed as a whole, as any great metal record should be. This is a undeniably grand return for the masters of HELLOWEEN!
:: mike 12:33 PM [+] ::

New article: Across The Narrows festival - with photos and video.

I think my Polyphonic Spree shots are my favorites


ACROSS THE NARROWS ARTICLE FOR BLENDER


post a comment.
:: mike 7:09 AM [+] ::

Last night's set. Psyched.

SOMETHING NEW
GIRLFRIEND WEATHER
YOU COULD BE ANYWHERE
HOW IT ENDS
RUN
EVER SINCE
WHATEVER YOU SAY
PACKING MY BAGS
OK TO GO
GRACE

Now, off to Vegas.
:: mike 6:59 AM [+] ::

Working on the set of new stuff for tomorrow. Should be 80% - 90% brand-new material. Let's see what flies. I'll let you know.

Blender article about Across the Narrows, with photos, has been submitted, accepted.

Tickets to Las Vegas have arrived. Hitting two shows with Lesley out there. Should be a whirlwind.
:: mike 3:44 PM [+] ::

The feel-good movie of the autumn.




post a comment.


.
:: mike 12:03 PM [+] ::

World Cafe sounded great, I think. Not sure how many songs made the radio cut but three strong ones were on the NPR stream (which is probably archived, and still up).

Another one of my pictures hit the ASCAP interview with Lesley in PLAYBACK magazine. I really really like that shot.

Went to Across The Narrows festival, covering it for Blender. I shot it, too, and we'll see how that comes out. I think I got great shots of Beck, Polyphonic Spree, Rilo Kiley, Raveonettes, Death From Above, Mando Diao, Belle and Sebastian, Built to Spill, and a bunch of others. Fingers crossed.

post a comment.
:: mike 1:19 PM [+] ::

WhiningBitch: http://www.myspace.com/kailayu. "I'm also a realtor, so contact me if you're buying or selling!"

XxCRYBABYxx: holy jesus

WhiningBitch: the music is incredible, perfect plastic, all about going to the club...the club...the club.

XxCRYBABYxx: ah, the club.

WhiningBitch: where is this club?

XxCRYBABYxx: And which way to the VIP. WTF.

WhiningBitch: "The Club"...it's a sandwich, to me

XxCRYBABYxx: maybe that's what she's talking about

WhiningBitch: "In Da Club...sandwich"

XxCRYBABYxx: Why are hos always going to the club?

WhiningBitch: what are they going to do, read "Slaughterhouse Five"?

XxCRYBABYxx: right but why not like...apple picking...or the ice rink?

WhiningBitch: wouldn't this just be a nicer place if the hos switched to apple picking.

XxCRYBABYxx: all the VIP rooms would be empty.

WhiningBitch: the orchards would be teeming with idiocy.

XxCRYBABYxx: is there scientifically verifiable information that says dumb people like bad music?

WhiningBitch: i don't know, but i love kylie minogue for the same reason, I think. it's mental intercourse with a musical blowup doll. That superficiality and nothingness is a kind of death. A finality.

XxCRYBABYxx: shut up

WhiningBitch: Death! Death, I say!

XxCRYBABYxx: i dunno

WhiningBitch: there just is nothing to find in any of the details of the work presented. it's like a basement in a Sartre novel.

XxCRYBABYxx: do stupid people gravitate to stupid music or is it learned?

WhiningBitch: both. i think community reinforces their desire to have Cristal dumped on their breasts. that kind of self-loathing is not innate, or we'd see similar behavior in other mammals.

XxCRYBABYxx: hmmm

WhiningBitch: meanwhile, talk about gravitating to stupidity, I'm surfing myspace all day: http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=94339&friendName=Myla+Leigh+Chenoa&Mytoken=367666D9-B1A9-4AEA-A62E84A70BF2D3741292480984

XxCRYBABYxx: brilliant

WhiningBitch: I am every bit as stupid as everyone I think is stupid.

XxCRYBABYxx: bullshit

WhiningBitch: gotta stop asking asian strippers from ft. Lauderdale to go to brunch.

XxCRYBABYxx: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=71676&Mytoken=06E43BCE-BED9-46A4-92BB9E130BCEEBBA1102443343

WhiningBitch: Interests: razor blades, birthday parties, Ted Bundy, hot pink lipstick, Chanel purses, dirty underwear, cum stains, insomnia, fake eyelashes, slit wrists, beauty queens

XxCRYBABYxx: fuck yes

WhiningBitch: take her apple picking.

XxCRYBABYxx: I think I have.
:: mike 5:06 PM [+] ::

so much happening, it's hard to put it in sentence form. i just clog up with stuff. i'll bullet point.


- went over to my sister's house, played her the songs for the new record. really weird to hear them, such infants, so unsure of themselves right now. even the heavier ones, the bright and shiny pop ones. they are wandering around in my voice, not sure how they want to come out. it's very discombobulating, and also incredibly affirming. there are some absolute killers on this next one. and it takes a lot for me to say stuff like that about my own work.

- friday night - huge flood in my apartment. my studio wasn't affected, but it rained in my bedroom, and traveled five more floors down the building. I'd just gotten a new queen size bed. apparently it was not the right one. It's now a queen sized sponge, and weighs about 2500 pounds. the place is a disaster, but somehow the episode felt cleansing, as it occured on the anniversary of the release of Skimming.

- World Cafe performance with Lesley will air this week. I'm psyched for her, and think we played great. WXPN in Philly has been so supportive of me, and reached out to her, too.

- so much else, just ridiculous. it's a blur. i'll sort it out, dole it on a need to know basis.


post a comment.
:: mike 9:36 AM [+] ::

Response to the last post:

dude you don't know how appropriate that was. im in l.a. living in a
garage with large waterbugs and a motorcycle. plumbing is difficult,
shaving not so possible. luckily i can shower at a distant location
once in three days.


ah, life.



post a comment.
:: mike 11:04 AM [+] ::

Boy, do the Germans get goofy in October.



post a comment




.
:: mike 1:16 PM [+] ::

Third meeting with Blake - "Whatever You Say" is locked shut, and is great. It'll make 'not so sad' sound mellow. "Please Stop Leaving" took a huge step forward - the verses are changed entirely. "The Big Vacation" is now no longer called that at all, and is now called "It's Better Here". I think. It is. Better, I mean. It used to be all quiet and fingerpicky, but no more. It's cooler, and makes room for "Packing My Bags" which is my favorite song on the record, right now. It's the song I play when I'm sitting around, thinking.



post a comment



.
:: mike 12:40 PM [+] ::

Philly, sold out. Strong show, and this guy, who silkscreened a Tshirt of a press photo I took of Lesley. Pretty cool. He also had 3 tattoos of Lesley on his arm. That's a fan.



post a comment
:: mike 12:26 PM [+] ::

Book review of VENUSIA, a new sci fi novel, in MAXIM magazine. Man, this book is great.

To read the MAXIM review, CLICK HERE



post a comment
:: mike 8:10 AM [+] ::

Your word of the day.

Sophist
Any of a group of professional fifth-century B.C. Greek philosophers and teachers who speculated on theology, metaphysics, and the sciences, and who were later characterized by Plato as superficial manipulators of rhetoric and dialectic.

soph·is·try
n. pl. soph·is·tries
- A deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone.
- Plausible but fallacious argumentation.
:: mike 8:01 AM [+] ::

With Lesley, in Hicksville, NY this month. Fun show, a couple thousand folks came out and brought hotrods from the '60s and all. For guitar geeks, yeah, that's a 1967 Gretsch Country Gentleman. Sounds so good, I can't stand it sometimes. You'll be seeing a lot more of it.



post a comment
:: mike 2:20 PM [+] ::

a guilty pleasure.

so, shoot me.

post a comment




.
:: mike 9:28 AM [+] ::

For the love of all things holy, get this record.

It's just beautiful.

Thank you Frank.



post a comment




.
:: mike 3:53 PM [+] ::

I generally hate mash-ups. Anyone with a Mac and too much time can do them. But still, I thought this Eminem mash was funny.



post a comment




.
:: mike 11:14 AM [+] ::

Music can be an ugly business, but this is beautiful: CLICK HERE.


post a comment



.
:: mike 2:26 PM [+] ::

Over the weekend, I played the second half of my new batch of songs for Blake.

OK To Go
Packing My Bags
Something New
(some song that may be named something else, but walked in as "The Big Vacation")
How it Ends
Please Stop Leaving

And one more, I think. A lot are in great shape, just walking in the door. We kicked the tires on a few of them, switched a couple things, and I have some homework to do on a couple. But it's all really strong. I'm really happy with these songs.


post a comment

.
:: mike 8:00 AM [+] ::

Lesley Gore, sold out, Joe's Pub 8/15/05

The last of five sold out shows, and I'm told, the best one. Certainly the loosest, with the most spirit, especially from Lesley, who was on fire. What an amazing run. Thanks for all of you who came out.

A new site has gone up, with another one of my shots: CLICK HERE.


post a comment


.
:: mike 7:54 AM [+] ::

Too much time on your hands? Let this help out.


I'm on a somewhat respectable level 6.


post a comment
:: mike 3:00 PM [+] ::

Yesterday, I sat down with Blake to play him the first of the new songs for my next record. I think it went really well. It's going to be a good one, I think. Songs I played him so far are
Run
Ever Since (like we don't know that one by now)
You Could Be Anywhere
Whatever You Say
Girlfriend Weather
Sweet Anesthesia

Blake came up with some cool edit concepts, many of which have strengthened the music, I think. We didn't get through the whole record, and when I got back home, I just fell asleep for two hours. It's amazing seeing the process starting up again. I'm really proud of these songs, and think a great record will come of them.

Today we travel to WFMU to record live on the air with Lesley. Tomorrow we drive to Philly and tape "World Cafe". It is non-friggin-stop around here.



post a comment
:: mike 7:52 AM [+] ::

Lesley Gore, sold out, Joe's Pub, 8/1/05

Great, great show. God, I love playing "California Nights." That's a fun one. I never knew it before all this. It's a great song.

Liz Phair was the early show. It was fun to see them together.


:: mike 1:32 PM [+] ::

Sirius radio interviews were amazing: They're staggering out, now - The Wiseguys, Out Q, David Johansen's "Disorder", Cousin Brucie, and Little Steven's "Underground Garage", upcoming.

Parsippany, NJ Outdoor concert - beautiful to watch the sunset from the stage. Thanks for coming out.

Joe's Pub Update: Aug. 15 is now sold out. There are just a couple tix left for Aug. 1. www.joespub.com.


post a comment

.
:: mike 9:33 AM [+] ::

Lesley Gore, sold out, 7/26, Joe's Pub, NYC

Whoo! Best show yet. She was wide open, and just kicking ass. "Someday" tore the room up. The crowd is beginning to cheer the songs on the new record as well as the hits. They're at home, listening. It's cool.

My guitar had new strings on it, and sounded just unbelievable. I bought a Dualtone Rat distortion pedal, and I'm just about the happiest guitar gear dork on my block.


post a comment


.
:: mike 11:22 AM [+] ::

Hey, everyone:

On behalf of Lesley and the band, thank you all for your warm embrace of Ever Since . This record represents another major step in a Hall of Fame caliber career, and you are among the first on board.

Below is a list of events that are in the works for Lesley. In addition to the many appearances she's already had, we are excited to announce that she will be on WNBC's Live At Five with Sue Simmons tonight between 5 and 6pm. Also, in the next two weeks, she will be taping World Cafewith David Dye, Chuck D.'s On The Real for Air America, and The Leonard Lopate Show on WNYC. Among press successes, a Jim Farber profile in the Sunday Daily News hit newsstands yesterday, and a Ms. magazine four-page Q&A with Kathleen Hanna from Le Tigre will land in September. Many more irons are in the fire, and we will keep you up to date as they confirm.

Recent and Upcoming Confirmed LIVE, PRESS, and RADIO/TV Events for Ever Since Campaign:

LIVE

06.28.05 - EVER SINCE RECORD RELEASE, JOE'S PUB, NYC (SOLD OUT)
07.19.05 - JOE'S PUB, NYC (SOLD OUT)
07.26.05 - JOE'S PUB, NYC (SOLD OUT)
07.28.05 - PARSIPPANY SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - PARSIPPANY, NJ
08.01.05 - JOE'S PUB, NYC (Special Show Added)
08.05.05 - MUSIC UNDER THE STARS SUMMER CONCERT SERIES - HICKSVILLE, NY
08.15.05 - JOE'S PUB, NYC (Special Show Added)
09.07.05 - PNC BANK ARTS CENTER - HOLMDEL, NJ
09.13.05 - TIN ANGEL - PHILADELPHIA, PA
09.16.05 - IRON HORSE MUSIC HALL - NORTHAMPTON, MA
09.24.05 - BODLES OPERA HOUSE - CHESTER, NY
10.07.05 - MOHEGAN SUN CASINO - UNCASVILLE, CT
10.08.05 - EMELIN THEATER (Fall Season Gala) - MAMARONECK, NY
10.15.05 - CASABLANCA RESORT AND CASINO - MESQUITE, NV
10.29.05 - HALF HALLOW HILLS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER - DIX HILLS, NY
12.03.05 - COLDEN CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS - FLUSHING, NY

PRESS

06.14.05 - VILLAGE VOICE, Michael Musto Column Feature
Writer: Michael Musto
06.16.05 - DAN'S PAPERS Profile
Writer: Staff
06.22.05 - VILLAGE VOICE's "Voice's Choices" (recurring)
Writer: Staff
06.22.05 - TIME OUT NEW YORK "Hot Seat" Profile
Writer: Beth Greenfield
06.24.05 - AFTERELLEN.COM Extensive Interview and Career Profile (http://www.afterellen.com)
Writer: Shauna Swartz
07.05.05 - BILLBOARD MAGAZINE, Feature Profile
Writer: Jim Bessman
07.19.05 - NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Profile
Writer: Harriet Lyons
07.21.05 - ALLMUSIC.COM Feature Review (http://www.allmusic.com)
Writer: Joe Viglione
07.24.05 - SUNDAY NEW YORK DAILY NEWS, Feature Music Profile
Writer: Jim Farber
08.15.05 - USA TODAY, Interview for Feature Article on "American Idols"
Writer: Elysa Gardner
09.01.05 - MS. MAGAZINE Feature Q&A with Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna
Editor: Robin Morgan
09.07.05 - BERKSHIRE EAGLE Review, Pre-press for Radio Show/Performance
Writer: Dave Madeloni
10.15.05 - PLAYBACK MAGAZINE Feature Q&A
Writer: Brendan Okrent
11.01.05 - ROCKRGRL MAGAZINE, Feature Profile
Writer: Audrey Bilger

(MORE TO COME)

RADIO/TV

06.14.05 - JOEY REYNOLDS SHOW (WOR, Syndicated)
Host: Joey Reynolds
06.20.05 - IN THE LIFE (PBS) Recurring Appearance
Host: varied
06.22.05 - MORNING SEDITION (AIR AMERICA RADIO, XM) Feature Interview and Live Performance
Host: Marc Maron
06.24.05 - THE MICKEY BURNS SHOW (Quest Media) Feature Interview
Host: Mickey Burns
06.30.05 - BORDER CROSSINGS (VOICE OF AMERICA, International) Interview and Live Performance with Full Band
Host: Larry London
06.30.05 - PHLASH PHELPS SHOW, (XM Radio) Feature Interview
Host: Phlash Phelps
07.07.05 - GAY TV USA (MCN) Feature Interview
Host: Andy Humm
07.06.05 - BREEZE RADIO NETWORK (Syndicated)
Host: Lauren Pressley
07.10.05 - THE SONG IS YOU (WLIU) Feature Interview
Host: Bonnie Grice
07.12.05 - HOT WAX DAILY (Syndicated)
Host: Mike McCann
07.15.05 - THE MORNING SHOW WITH ASHLEY (WRMX, WTXM) Feature Interview
Host: Ashley Adams
07.25.05 - LIVE AT FIVE (WNBC-TV) Feature Interview
Host: Sue Simmons
07.27.05 - OUT Q (SIRIUS) Interview and Live Call In
Host: Larry Flick
07.27.05 - LITTLE STEVEN'S UNDERGROUND GARAGE (SIRIUS, Syndicated) Feature Interview
Host: Steven Van Zant
07.27.05 - THE DAVID JOHANSEN SHOW (SIRIUS, Syndicated) Feature Interview
Host: David Johansen
07.27.05 - THE WISEGUY SHOW (SIRIUS, Syndicated) Feature Interview
Host: Vincent "Big Pussy" Pastore
07.27.05 - COUSIN BRUCIE SHOW (SIRIUS, Syndicated) Feature Interview
Host: Cousin Brucie
07.31.05 - ON THE REAL (AIR AMERICA RADIO, XM) Feature Interview
Host: Chuck D.
08.02.05 - MARK SNYDER SHOW (WROR, WMJX, WBOS) Feature Interview
Host: Mark Snyder
08.03.05 - THE LEONARD LOPATE SHOW (WNYC) Feature Interview
Host: Leonard Lopate
08.08.05 - JONESVILLE (WFMU) Interview and Live Performance with Full Band
Host: Glen Jones
08.09.05 - WORLD CAFE WITH DAVID DYE (September Airing) (WXPN, Syndicated) Interview and Live Performance with Full Band
Host: David Dye
09.15.05 - MIXED BAG RADIO (WFUV/XM/ Syndicated) Interview and Live Performance with Full Band
Host: Pete Fornatale

(MORE TO COME)



post a comment
:: mike 1:48 PM [+] ::

Almost too much going on, and no time to write it out. I'll try and be more specific later.

Sun: Chuck D.'s "On The Real" airs on Air America (link below)
Supposedly, a Jim Farber record review comes out in the Sunday Daily News

Mon: Lesley does "Live at Five", with host Sue Simmons, on TV - I forget which network

Tues: Joe's Pub. Sold out.

Wed: Sirius radio blitz. She'll be interviewed by Little Steven for "Underground Garage;" Cousin Brucie; "The Wise Guys," hosted by Big Pussy from "The Sopranos;" Out Q radio; and David Johansen. Huge day.

Fri: Parsippany, NJ Festival. Details at the web site.



post a comment
:: mike 7:09 AM [+] ::

Let's put an end to the debate.
Source: RotoRooter.com

Did Thomas Crapper really invent the toilet?

The debate over who Thomas Crapper was, or even if there was a Thomas Crapper at all, continues. Below are some of the facts flushed out by Dr. Andy Gibbons, historian of the International Thomas Crapper Society, and Ken Grabowski, a researcher and author who is writing a book on Crapper's life.

Myth: Thomas Crapper as a person never existed.

Fact: Though we do not know his actual date of birth, we can say a man, Thomas Crapper, was probably born in September, 1836, since he was baptized the 28th of that month. He died on January 27, 1910.

Myth: Thomas Crapper invented the toilet.

Fact: Although from 1861 to 1904 Crapper did have a successful career in the plumbing industry, holding nine patents for plumbing-related products in England, he did not invent the toilet. Albert Giblin holds the 1819 British Patent for the Silent Valveless Water Waste Preventer, a system that allowed a toilet to flush effectively. Giblin worked for Crapper as an employee and the most likely scenario is that Crapper bought the patent rights from Giblin and marketed the device himself.

Myth: The word crap is derived from Thomas Crapper's name.

Fact: World War I doughboys passing through England saw the words T. Crapper Chelsea printed on the water tanks and coined the slang crapper meaning toilet.



post a comment
:: mike 2:14 PM [+] ::

Lesley Gore, sold out last night at Joe's Pub, NYC -- best show yet. We are really getting that looseness that comes with time together as a unit. We added "California Nights" into the set, which we hadn't played since Vegas, and played the hell out of it. This whole show is a very different thing, for me, and a breath of fresh air. People say they're surprised to see me with an electric guitar, and that's just crazy. Electric is my first instrument; acoustic came much later.

Today, Lesley hit a Tennessee radio interview with Ashley Adams, and then to Chuck D.'s "On The Real" show on Air America Radio. It will air on Sunday. Lesley has been saying some beautiful things about "Someday," about how she feels it is the sequel to "You Don't Own Me." She's said it in several interviews, now, and as a songwriter, I'm blown away by that.



post a comment
:: mike 1:13 PM [+] ::

The July 8 Air America Broadcast, featuring a duet of "Ever Since" with me and Lesley, is archived and downloadable HERE

Marc Marron hosting. The broadcast took place in Brooklyn, in the pouring rain. I think it went really well, and Lesley was totally on.



post a comment

.
:: mike 7:51 AM [+] ::

From: Michael Bolton Website
Date: July 18, 2005 2:10:59 PM EDT
To: "'web request - michael bolton web site'"
Subject: RE: You suck.

Thank you for taking the time out of your day to write Mr. Bolton a fan
letter. We appreciate all fan mail and thank you for your support.
MichaelBolton.com


-----Original Message-----
From: web request - michael bolton web site
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2005 12:03 AM
To: inform1@boltonmusic.com
Subject: You suck.


Why do you suck?


Please stop singing. Please. You're a nice guy. Please spare us and let us
move on. Please.




post a comment

.
:: mike 12:14 PM [+] ::

A shout to my friends in Majestic Twelve in NC, who've picked up "Ever Since" and wrote really kind things about it. CHECK THEIR SITE OUT


Good people.


.
:: mike 10:18 AM [+] ::

Things you don't see every day: A SKATEBOARDING BULLDOG


.
:: mike 9:49 AM [+] ::

Things you don't hear every day: "Chuck D. called and wants you on his show." So, July 22nd, Lesley Gore will be taping for a July 24th airing of Chuck D.'s "On The Real" show on Air America/XM.

July 25, 7pm: Full band performance, live on WFMU with host Glen Jones. This is a fantastic New York station (one of the few), and there is a Web stream so you can check it out in other cities.

And - holy cow - Aug. 19th the band will be going down to Philly to tape World Cafe with David Dye. That show will air later in the year. I can't wait.


.
:: mike 8:45 AM [+] ::

This, from the Middle East TV network of Voice of America, which aired our Lesley Gore show. I haven't seen it, but heard it was fun, and that there are good shots of my guitar (a 1967 Gretsch Country Gentleman, for you guitar dorks out there). You'll need Real Player, and you'll need to follow the directions carefully, as the site is not in English. At all. Enjoy:

Mike- Here's something that might blow your mind. Go to www.voanews.com/persian then click on the link at the bottom called TV, then click on the last link on the right that says Next Chapter, and then click on the third file on the left side of the page.

When the video player opens up fast forward it to 13:30 and you will see the Lesley appearance which was a TV special aired on our Middle East Network.


.
:: mike 2:35 PM [+] ::

Blake's show went great. It was so cathartic to play that loud and sweat that much. The Marshall 4 x 12 was warm and gorgeous, and Flying V was crushing, though in the heat, it got a little hard to tune. Ah, who fucking cares. Ellinghaus (drummer) gave me the ultimate compliment: "You remind me of the guitar version...of me." I'll keep that for a long time. The crowd was strong and supportive, and the puppet show beforehand performed a really funny version of Jean Paul Sartre's "No Exit." I mean...puppets. You know? Lesley Gore came up to sing "Better Angels" and just blew the room away. The NYC Women Firefighters came up on stage and got a huge round of applause from grateful New Yorkers.


Then we all got shitfaced.


.
:: mike 9:18 AM [+] ::

Quick reminder (click on link): WEAR A SEATBELT


.
:: mike 12:02 PM [+] ::

I hope you were able to check out Air America (Web address is below) - I heard it sounded great over the air. Lesley and I did a duet of "Ever Since", with me playing the guitar on my lap, as the song was originally written. Marc Maron, the host, was phenomenal, totally pro, prepared, and... something else that starts with "p". Personable. Sure. He was that, too. Lesley told a great story about playing on Ed Sullivan, and watching Tony Bennett throwing up in a garbage can backstage from nerves. Comedian Shelly Berman bombed that night, and was so angry he stalked off stage, ripped off his toupee and threw it into the garbage can. I didn't get whether it was the same can. But it's a lovely image.

I've been getting asked about a Bounce commercial, and whether Lesley re-recorded "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" for it. She didn't. I don't know who that is. We're playing it live, with kind of a Coldplay/ "Ever Since" take, and it's going over really well.

Please keep your tequila recipes coming by writing me, or posting on the message board. (http://www.errico.com/messageboard.html) Some are God-awful sounding. Which is great.

Lesley will be making an appearance at Blake Morgan's release party this Tuesday, July 12 at Sin-E, NYC. She'll join us for "Better Angels", which Blake wrote. I will be on a Flying V, cranked up. Rehearsals have been deafening. It's been great. Details are in the tour section of my site, or again, on the message board.

.
:: mike 7:28 AM [+] ::

My tequila article has landed in STUFF magazine.

READ ARTICLE HERE

Now I have more expensive tequila in my place than I...well, I can figure out what to do with it. Of course, other tequila recipes (besides the ones I included in the article) have been coming in, so if you have one, leave it at the message board, or send it to me. Apparently shots just don't cut it this summer.


.
:: mike 9:01 PM [+] ::

We're hitting Air America's "Morning Sedition" on Friday morning. We'll be airing live, and most likely as a duo, me on guitar, and Lesley on vocals.

FIND A STATION IN YOUR AREA HERE.

Rehearsals are going well for Blake's CD release. It's nice to play a jet black flying V with the amp set to "crushkilldestroy".


.
:: mike 2:43 PM [+] ::

Lesley in Reuters: CLICK HERE

Things are moving pretty fast, now. You can tell, because the posts are getting shorter.
:: mike 1:28 PM [+] ::

Just back from DC, and radio for XM Satellite Radio, and Voice of America, which reaches 100 million listeners internationally. For the hour-long show CLICK HERE. I think it will be pulled in the next day or so, and then archived on the VOA site. Insane story to tell later, when there's a break in the action...
:: mike 10:40 AM [+] ::

Extended interview with Lesley on AfterEllen.com, with another one of my shots from the "Ever Since" shoot.

Hey - I learned stuff.


.
:: mike 8:17 AM [+] ::

RAMONES/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION
'nuf said.
:: mike 7:21 PM [+] ::

Lesley is in Time Out New York's "Hot Seat" this week. Back page, with a great animation of the cover of the record, and some insight into the new record. She's really good at being interviewed. That's a whole separate talent.
:: mike 9:37 AM [+] ::

Lesley hit the Joey Reynolds show this past Tuesday, which will be running over the weekend, and then replaying one more time late Sunday. She was hilarious, reminiscing with Joey about DJs, promoters, artists past and present. Joey loves the record, and likened her to Astrud Gilberto and Rosemary Clooney.
:: mike 12:43 PM [+] ::

Lesley just completed an interview with USA Today for a piece that should be coming out in the near future.

She also finished a Q&A with Le Tigre's Kathleen Hanna for Ms. magazine, for their autumn issue. I took the shots. Wild.

Lots going on...
:: mike 11:19 AM [+] ::

Taped Pete Fornatale's "Mixed Bag Radio" today, in the Gibson Showroom, which used to be the Hit Factory. The four of us picked up Carolyn Eufrasio from Shimmerplanet as a backup singer, and I think it went off great. Lesley was, of course, funny as hell, too.

segment one:
Ever Since (live)
It's My Party (original recording)
Not The First (live)

segment two:
You Don't Own Me (live)
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (from "When Pigs Fly" -- I'd played "You Shook Me All Night Long" when I was featured on the show, so Pete thought it was amazing that she's recorded AC/DC, too)
Someday (live)

segment three:
Out Here On My Own (Lesley solo piano, awesome)
California Nights (original recording)
It's Gone (live)

It should air in September.


.
:: mike 3:13 PM [+] ::

LEXA VONN/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

Lexa fronts Ophelia Rising, a hardcore grrl band reminiscent of Bikini Kill and described as "the Go-Go's meets Marilyn Manson". She rose to unexpected notoriety by wearing a White Zombie T-shirt to her Massachusetts high school and getting thrown in jail on obscenity charges, an act which briefly inflamed the national debate on censorship. Ophelia Rising cut a dark, sinister version of "You Don't Own Me" on 2001's Step 1: Acknowledge You Are Part Of The System.

Interview with Lexa Vonn
Q: What made you decide on doing the Lesley Gore song?
A: Pretty much the lyrics. I thought, for a female to be saying those things and making those declarations was kind of a controversial thing and it was one of the earlier songs of declaration of feminine independence. And being able to have a strong interior underneath a very feminine exterior. Because she was... the epitome of blonde femininity, but that song, along with a lot of her other songs, were "fuck the husband and kids, I want to do my own thing."
:: mike 5:55 PM [+] ::

SHUDDER TO THINK/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

Technically, "Own Me" is not really a "cover", but more of a "well-credited reimagining," although with it's chorus that reads, simply, "You don't own me..." it's hard to find where the original ends and the "reimagining" begins. Not that it matters much - it's a cool song. From a press clip: "1994's Pony Express Record is Shudder to Think's Big Rock Move, with production by Ted Nicely and a blast-out-of-the-speakers mix by Andy Wallace (of Nirvana's Nevermind fame). "Own Me" is a cunning Larson rewrite of Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me." Amazon has a clip of it here.


.
:: mike 3:10 PM [+] ::

RASPUTINA/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

This all-grrrl cello society brushes with Lesley on their 1998 Columbia release, How We Quit The Forest. "It might have been the dealings with Marilyn Manson (on a remix EP)...but whatever caused their new edginess is most welcome. Rock music thrives on uncontrollable urges, primal desires and passion, and Rasputina manage to infuse these elements into their well structured string arrangements. And that doesn't just mean volume. Their take on the classic "You Don't Own Me" is a sultry, minimalistic one, which carefully builds into a frenetic cry of empowerment."
:: mike 2:58 PM [+] ::

Thanks to all of you for coming out to two packed shows at Club Cafe in Pittsburgh. Thanks to Bill Deasy for putting on a great show, and putting me up for the night, too. I hope you check him out, if you haven't yet. www.billdeasy.com

Special thanks to Suzanne who worked the merchandise table for both shows.



.
:: mike 2:28 PM [+] ::

KLAUS NOMI/LESLEY GORE connection

dude:

can't believe you have not yet hit on the lesley gore-klaus nomi connection.

"Through then-RCA artist David Bowie's connections, the Klaus Nomi LP appeared on French RCA in late 1981. Side One closed with a razor sharp "metal" reinterpretation of Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me" (1963), complete with wailing female back-up singers and customized lyrics ("You don't Nomi / I'm not just one of your little toys")."

And that's not all: Klaus Nomi Lives on Rush Limbaugh



"You Don't Own Me" can be heard on the Rush Limbaugh Show as part of a category of update theme. Six degrees between chick singer, German homosexual opera queen, and conservative talk-show host! How much more rocking can THAT be? a pop-culture trifecta, if you will.

-k10

Wow.

Want to know more? Sure, you do. From a bio:

Klaus Nomi dared to be great. He dared to combine opera, 1930's German Cabaret, 1960's American Pop and 21st century synthesizers. He also dared to present the visual image of a high fashion, heavily made-up futuristic robot/alien. The world became aware of Klaus Nomi on December 15, 1979, when he backed David Bowie on NBC-TV's Saturday Night Live. Tragically, Klaus Nomi died of AIDS in August 1983. During his lifetime, he issued two albums, Klaus Nomi and Simple Man.

According to band member and songwriter, Kristian Hoffman, "Klaus was a face-- elfin and painted as a Kabuki robot. He was a style--a medieval interpretation of the 21st century via Berlin 1929. He was a voice, almost inhuman in range, from operatic soprano to Prussian general. He was a master performer--a master of the theatrical gesture. Above all, he was a visionary. He said the future is based on the needs of the artist, deciding how to live and living that way every minute. Klaus, the man from the future, lived that way in the present, and held out his hand saying, 'Come with me. You can do it too.' "


Documentary, "The Nomi Song"



.
:: mike 10:17 AM [+] ::

FABOLOUS/LESLEY GORE connection

Mike,
If you're going to make a hip hop/Gore connection, how about Fabolous and his hit, "This Is My Party," with its credited "interpolation" of "It's My Party" on his "Street Dreams" from 2003?
Jim

Done and done. My diary is now writing itself. Fabolous! (sic)

.
:: mike 7:52 AM [+] ::

LUDACRIS/LESLEY GORE connection

Luda has a new single out called "Number One Spot" which, strangely, occupies the number two slot on his new CD. The song is basically all about him, and his song, "Number One Spot", going to the number one spot on the charts. I have no idea if that has happened, although his video is getting played a lot. In it, Ludacris reworks an Austin Powers theme, even strapping Verne Troyer (reprising his role as Mini-Me) on his body for continuity. Perhaps he didn't watch Verne on VH1's The Surreal Life, where he battled alcoholism and his propensity to urinate freely.

The Lesley link? In the beginning of the video, Quincy Jones makes an appearance, while a sample of one of his songs plays in the background. Quincy produced, among other things, "It's My Party" for Lesley, which did, in fact, go to the number one spot. Quincy went on to appear in bit parts alongside The Surreal Life's Verne Troyer in hip-hop videos.

Oh yeah. And he produced Thriller, too. But don't make me post a Michael Jackson picture.



.
:: mike 1:38 PM [+] ::

SIMPSONS/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION: A DAILY DOUBLE

EPISODE: "Marge on the Lam" (Original Airdate: 11/5/93)


Homer and Chief Wiggum sing Lesley's #13 hit "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows" during a Thelma and Louise-styled police chase to catch Marge and Ruth. Just as Ruth is about to give herself up, Marge steers the car across the desert, unaware they are heading right for the Grand Chasm. Homer convinces Marge to stop, however, he and Wiggum go over the edge of the chasm, landing on a big pile of garbage.


EPISODE: "Bart of Darkness" (Original Airdate: 9/4/94)


Martin (above) sings "Sunshine, Lollipops, and Rainbows" at the end of the episode. Stuck in his room with a broken leg (a la Rear Window), Bart watches Ned Flanders through a telescope and thinks he sees his neighbor murder his wife Maude. After Bart and Lisa go through several crazy escapades, Ned breaks down in tears and confesses his awful crime: He killed Maude's favorite plant and buried it in the yard so she wouldn't know.



.
:: mike 8:12 AM [+] ::

DUSTY SPRINGFIELD/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

"You Don't Own Me" (which is also on "Ever Since")

What I found (I'll have to check it with Lesley): Originally recorded by Lesley Gore and produced by a young Quincy Jones, this record was only made because Lesley was asked by Quincy to record a song she didn't like and she made a deal with him to record it if he let her record one of her own compositions. She selected "You Don't Own Me" an anthem of women's rights that predated Helen Reddy's "I Am Woman" by several years.
:: mike 7:30 AM [+] ::

JOAN JETT/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

From the press kit for BAD REPUTATION: "She's perfected an "if-you-don't-wanna-fuck-me-fuck-off" stance that makes good on all the Runaways' potential for glittery sexual threat. The first song she recorded for the album, with ex-Sex Pistols Steve Jones and Paul Cook, was Lesley Gore's "You Don't Own Me," which includes its own litmus test for legitimacy--if you can cover Gore's protofeminist anthem without coming off as a pretentious spokesperson, you've got a right to its power."



.
:: mike 12:34 PM [+] ::

MICHELLE BRANCH/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

In 2002, Michelle appeared on an episode of American Dreams on NBC portraying Lesley Gore and performing Gore's hit "You Don't Own Me," which is also on the new one.

I have a feeling this game of "six degrees" could go on for a pretty long time.

Michelle Branch
American Dreams


.
:: mike 12:06 PM [+] ::

NIKKA COSTA/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

I'm just digging around... amazing what comes up.

(Out Here) On My Own (which is on "Ever Since") - written by Michael Gore and Lesley Gore for the movie "Fame," reached #19 for Irene Cara, and got an Academy Award nomination for Best Song. Nikka covered it on her first album, "Nikka Costa". It was a major hit in Europe.

http://www.nikkacosta.com/


.
:: mike 11:13 AM [+] ::

SPINAL TAP/LESLEY GORE CONNECTION

OK, so now I'm in heaven. People have been writing in, but this is the best piece of news I've heard. "Spinal Tap" is easily one of my favorite movies ever, and it turns out Derek Smalls, bassist for Tap, the "lukewarm water" of the outfit, claims that the first record he ever owned was "It's My Party".


>
:: mike 9:02 AM [+] ::

A great challenge of the Lesley Gore project occurred last night: I burned an advance copy and gave it to my folks. I was interested, since they know her music very well, already. They chose to listen to it in the car, which has a pretty lame system, but I figured maybe that's good, because that's how most listeners experience music. It's democratic.

I was particularly anxious about their reaction to "Someday", which has been a staple of my own show for years. Hearing me sing it solo with that little slit drum, people begin to think that there's only one way to play it. Not for long.

Mom left a message. "'Someday' is just perfect. Really incredible. We love the mood of the whole record, as well, the whole thing..." etc. I'll spare you the rest, but I was glad about the reaction (and believe, they would have told me if they hated it). I feel like the record itself passed a test with people who were already fans. That's a big deal.



>
:: mike 8:24 AM [+] ::

Halftime shows: pretty hilarious, generally, but THIS IS THE BEST ONE


.
:: mike 3:10 PM [+] ::

Packing My Bags

Packing my bags again
I can't believe I'm packing my bags again
Can't believe you still can't see me yet,
And I'm packing my bags.

Packing my bags, and letting go
All this time, and all I know
I went all in, I watched you fold
And I'm packing my bags.

Why believe
You're ever gonna see
Anything
Differently?

solo

Packing my bags, and giving up
The worthless stuff that cost too much
I came to play, you never showed up
And I'm packing my bags.

Why believe
You're ever gonna see
Anything
Differently?



>
:: mike 5:13 PM [+] ::

Ever Since

I dreamt you
I drew you
Long before I thought that I might never find you
I chased you
I traced you
And held your picture up into the light

All the weight of nights and days too long to list
All the parties I've been to
You were missed

I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since

I met you
Tried to forget you
Even though I felt somehow someone had sent you
Here, to me
And as if you knew me
We picked up where we left off in another life

At times I've tried to settle out for so much less than this
Saved only by the hope in every eyelash wish

I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since

Solo

All the weight of nights and days too long to list
All the parties I've been to
You were missed

I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since
I met you.
:: mike 2:10 PM [+] ::

Cover shot for Lesley Gore came back from the graphic designer, and looks great. Really classic, simple, vibey... I'm really into it.

Wild.


>
:: mike 2:05 PM [+] ::

Run


I don't think that I belong here
I had a different life in mind
If I were not so shot full of poison
I'd just leave it all behind
And move out of the city
If I could figure out where
Though everything that terrifies me
Would just be waiting for me there

I'm getting to
Escaping from
The rush of air that burns the lungs
But something there keeps telling me
To run

I went from having lots of bad friends
To feeling totally alone
I'm gonna have to call that progress
Though I wish I'd made it long ago
I'm still trying to find a woman
Who's strong enough to be with me
When I cry like nightclubs in the morning
For what's still so far out of reach

Chorus

What I need is some peace of mind
But it's just like me to make believe that everything's just fine
While I rub these wounds like pennies, like someday they're gonna shine
And they never do.

Solo
Chorus

Run
Run
Run
:: mike 2:02 PM [+] ::

Straight Outta Compton: The Director's Cut...

Use headphones

CLICK HERE
:: mike 11:37 AM [+] ::

We have a new pope.

I know what you're thinking. And no, I won't sing it right now.



Amen.


>
:: mike 10:13 AM [+] ::

Shot Lesley Gore for her CD artwork a few days ago. We played the record as we did the shoot, and it felt great. I'd never heard the finished version, in sequence and all, and even though the boom box has a blown speaker, it sounded great. I've heard it in headphones for the first time today, and I'm psyched.

The shoot turned out great - a lot of really strong shots. The label is psyched. I'm psyched. She's out on the West Coast, and when she gets back, she'll see them. I think she'll be into it.

I heard a great band the other day - the Hold Steady. Picture Bill Hicks ranting in front of a punky bar band - good shit. There's an mp3 on their site if you want to check it out.
:: mike 10:42 AM [+] ::

Evel Knievel


Call me crazy, but I bet he'd respond.



<>
:: mike 10:03 AM [+] ::

Piano lessons. They say they're good for you. Right? Wrong. Piano lessons can be very dangerous. Don't believe?

CLICK HERE
:: mike 8:44 AM [+] ::

LESLEY GORE
RECORDS NEW ALBUM

EVER SINCE

RELEASE DATE: JUNE 28, 2005
ON ENGINE COMPANY RECORDS

3 NYC PERFORMANCES AT JOE'S PUB

June 28 Joe's Pub NYC (Record Release Party)
July 19 Joe's Pub NYC
July 26 Joe's Pub NYC
All shows are 7:30 p.m.
$25 in advance, $30 at the door

(Tickets available now at The Public Theater box office or through Telecharge: www.telecharge.com or 212.239.6200. These are expected to sell out. We recommend advance purchase.)

The most commercially successful solo artist of the "Girl Group" era of the '60s, Gore quickly set herself apart. With a string of Quincy Jones-produced, chart-topping hits, including "It's My Party," "Judy's Turn To Cry," and "You Don't Own Me," she introduced the world to a brilliant artist with pop instincts and an independent spirit that stood out against the formulaic offerings on the radio. A full-fledged star by age 16, her smash hits rang like anthems for young American women, and pointed the way for future generations of rabble-rousing pop singers from Debbie Harry, to Pat Benatar, to Madonna, to Gwen Stefani -- all of whom remain in her debt.

Having maintained a constant touring schedule in major venues across the country, Lesley Gore is no less committed today. Her voice, now burnished from the years of "practice", deepens everything it touches with the hard-won wisdom of time, and in her care, songs take on new levels of meaning that less experienced artists cannot yet reach. On "Not The First," (written by Gore), she warns a friend about the perils of blind love ("you're not the first/ to think you'll be the last,"), but could just as easily be warning Avril Lavigne about the perils of the music business. When she lilts, "All the parties I've been to/ you were missed" ("Ever Since"), she draws listeners back to her #1 hit, "It's My Party," while ushering them gracefully forward into the new world she now inhabits.

Produced by Blake Morgan, Ever Since includes re-imagined versions of two Gore classics, "You Don't Own Me" and Academy Award-nominated "Out Here On My Own", and new songs written by national recording artists Mike Errico, Blake Morgan, songwriter John Fischer and Gore herself. Mixing and mastering duties are shared between Morgan and 2005 Grammy Award winner Phil Nicolo.

Gore is joined on the recordings, and onstage, by Mike Errico (guitars), Jonathan Ellinghaus (drums), John Turner (bass), and Blake Morgan (piano).

www.lesleygore.com
:: mike 3:38 PM [+] ::

LESLEY GORE LISTEN DOWN

We all got together and listened down to the unmixed version of "Ever Since," Lesley's new record. Indian food, a case of Veuve Clicquot...sure.

It sounds focused and thoughtful and brave and all of it. She sings the hell out of it. I think the Most Improved Player award goes to "Words We Don't Say" which I helped write. It's crazy good, and one of my favorite guitar solos I've ever played.

I think that's going to be available late spring/summer...? Can't be soon enough, to me.
:: mike 12:01 PM [+] ::

MD show on Saturday was awesome. I stayed with "Mayor Bob" for those of you in MD, maybe you know him and Laura. Good people.

I hadn't played in a while, and didn't know how badly I missed it. It felt so good to connect with a new group of people (it was a private function for them). After the show, I got some people asking which record that song about "see how it ends" was on. They had clearly connected to it. I told them that it's not on any record, and that it was the first time I'd ever played it. There's nothing better than the feeling when a new song takes off.

How it Ends

Shut the door
Don't talk anymore
I've heard your side
I want equal time
Let me make it clear
That I want you here
If you don't believe
Then it's time
For you
To leave

'Cause I don't need any more very good friends
I don't know about you, but
I didn't start this to see how it ends

Do you live in fear
While I stand right here
Trying to compete
With every ghost you meet?
Can you be strong, or
Did I peg you wrong,
Waste these words on you
When I
am terrified, too?

'Cause I don't need any more very good friends
I don't know about you, but
I didn't start this to see how it ends

How it ends
How it ends
How it ends
How it ends

Shut the door
Don't talk anymore
I have heard your side.


.
:: mike 7:57 AM [+] ::

Just found out the new Lesley Gore record is going to be titled, "Ever Since." That's pretty damn cool.


.
:: mike 12:43 PM [+] ::

Lesley has finished the lead vocal for "Someday". I haven't heard it yet, but I remember what she did in Vegas. People were cheering along with her. It was magic.


Meanwhile, VH1 just keeps on playing "My Coolest Years", which is cool. I think the "Metalheads" episode was my favorite. Jim Breuer really nails it.


.
:: mike 2:02 PM [+] ::

Ellinghaus got himself a nice review yesterday. I took the photos and played the guitar on the record, and we had a great time. "This album just might be the inspiration that Michael Stipe turns to when he wants to explore a more singer/songwriter feel." Go get 'em, Jonny-
:: mike 2:27 PM [+] ::

If Starbucks annoys you, this will only fuel you.

Go here, scroll to THURSDAY.
http://www.thestranger.com/2005-03-03/last_days.html

then listen at:
http://thestranger.com/specials/starbucks.php

There used to be a small, privately-owned bookstore near my house. When Barnes and Noble popped up a couple blocks away, the store went out of business. Soon afterward, the storefront became a Starbucks. A haunted Starbucks. I never, ever go there.
:: mike 8:31 AM [+] ::

Oh, my God. 'Hungover' doesn't explain it properly.

Dissembled. Fractured. Obliterated.

No. There is no word for it. These three lines have taken me thirty minutes to type. My fingers are so loud, and the effort is superhuman.

What have I done to myself?

Mike, you idiot.

Sweat it out, and sleep it off. You smell like Walter Matthau in "Bad News Bears." You smell like Nicholas Cage in "Leaving Los Vegas." You just... smell. Like ... what? Vodka and wine and scotch AND beer? You're a George Thorogood song. And that's never good.

Mike, you idiot.

Hit the showers.

.
:: mike 7:31 AM [+] ::

Lesley Gore just finished her lead vocal for "Ever Since". It is unbelievable. I can't help but choke up, the way she did it, her phrasing, her interpretation, the wisdom in her voice, the attachment to the lyric, the...everything. The unexplainableness. She's added dimensions that open the entire meaning of the song. When she sings "all the parties I've been to/ you were missed..." it's on a level I can only hope to achieve. She asked if she got to the heart of the lyric, and "if the composer was satisfied," and I practically collapsed on the couch.

This will be a beautiful record. I feel really fortunate to be a part of it, and to be able to turn around and share it with all of you.

.
:: mike 3:04 PM [+] ::

Last night's Motley Crue setlist:


Shout at the Devil
Too Fast for Love
Ten Seconds to Love
Red Hot
On With the Show
Too Young to Fall in Love
Looks that Kill
Louder than Hell
Live Wire

INTERMISSION

Girls Girls Girls
Wildside
Don't Go Away Mad
Primal Scream
Without You
Home Sweet Home
Dr. Feelgood
Same Ol' Situation
If I Die Tomorrow
Some new shit that sucked

ENCORE

Kickstart My Heart
Helter Skelter
Anarchy in the UK


.
:: mike 7:17 AM [+] ::

Went to Lez Zeppelin last night- an all-female Zeppelin cover band. Sweet. "Page" had the doubleneck Gibson, the Chinese dragon pants, and "Plant" was busting her ass on the songs. I was worried that "Bonham" wouldn't be able to hang (who could?) but you know - she was strong. "Jones" knew everything cold. Bassists are always mentioned last, and all they do is everything right. A thankless job for inconsiderate shits like all of us.

Of course, there were obvious differences. Instead of a half-empty bottle of Jack rattling on top of "Page"'s Marshall stack, our girl opted for Amstel Light. Perfect.


Lez Zeppelin


.
:: mike 1:33 PM [+] ::

Went to the Frames at Bowery Ballroom the other night with a group of fanatics. Really great. I got 'Burn The Maps' and am going back to get some others. The violinist is on maternity leave with his wife, which bummed out a few folks, but a guy was subbed in and played the parts on an eBow - I didn't know the originals, but the substitute really held it down. And they segued into "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" which is the best way to get me to wet my pants. That one guitar lick - you probably know the one I'm talking about - just too good.

The Frames


.
:: mike 12:34 PM [+] ::

I used to get asked why I never cut the ends off my guitar strings.





.
:: mike 1:56 PM [+] ::

Some days you just want to throw knives.

You know?

So, go ahead.

THROW KNIVES.


.
:: mike 3:19 PM [+] ::

Blink, and they're gone

"For over a decade, Blink-182 has toured, recorded and done non-stop promotion, all while trying to balance relationships with family and friends. To that end, the band has decided to go on an indefinite hiatus to spend some time enjoying the fruits of their labors with their loved ones. While there is no set plan for the band to begin working together again, no one knows what tomorrow may bring."

The world awaits.
:: mike 8:17 AM [+] ::

an official news brief from HQ: pretty cool. Congrats, Phil.


SUBJECT: "Across 110 Street," mixed by Phil Nicolo, receives Grammy Award

Hello friends,

Our own Phil Nicolo is a Grammy recipient in the Best Salsa/Merengue Album category for his work on "Across 110 Street" by the Spanish Harlem Orchestra featuring Ruben Blades (Libertad Records). He has previously been nominated for three Grammy Awards.

Phil, who mastered both "Skimming" and "Tonight I Drink You All," is an independent producer, engineer and co-founder of Ruffhouse Records which he started with brother Joe from their home outside of Philadelphia. Known as "The Butcher Brothers," they have gone on to sell over one hundred million records to date, and have established themselves as a force in all genres of music production. A short list of the diverse artists Phil has worked with includes Lauryn Hill; The Fugees; Cypress Hill; Pete Yorn; Train; The Roots; Billy Joel; the Rolling Stones; Aerosmith; Sting; The Police; John Lennon; Bob Dylan; Trent Reznor (Nine Inch Nails); The Moby Area One tour featuring Moby, Incubus, and Outkast; Luscious Jackson; The Pretenders; Stone Gossard of Pearl Jam; The Mighty Mighty Bosstones; Dishwalla; Cibo Matto; Urge Overkill; Anthrax; The Cult; Depeche Mode; and many others.

Phil will again be working with Engine Company as recording continues for the new Lesley Gore album, her first in more than thirty years. Engine Company's Blake Morgan is producing, and the record features songs from Mike, Blake, Shimmerplanet's John Fischer, and, of course, Lesley. The band -- Jonathan Ellinghaus (drums), John Turner (bass), Blake Morgan (piano), and Mike (guitars) -- features the lineup from "Skimming" displaying a lush, smoky side of their musical personalities.

If you missed Mike on Mixed Bag with Pete Fornatale, you can catch the hour-long interview and performances online at www.wfuv.org. Click on WFUV archives and enter "Mike Errico" in the search line. Pete was most gracious and inspiring. Enjoy!
:: mike 8:25 AM [+] ::

Westminster Dog Show


:: mike 7:41 AM [+] ::

For those of you who care about drums, here are John Bonham outtakes from the "In Through the Out Door" sessions. I don't know how long they'll stay posted, but they are pretty cool...
:: mike 9:39 AM [+] ::

One can't talk about Cold-eeze without a nod to NyQuil.

They have a Sleep Aptitude Test (SAT) Here is a potential score:


Z. GET BACK INTO BED AND PULL THE COVERS OVER YOUR HEAD - YOU FLUNKED! Not only are you terribly sleep-deprived, but you could be causing serious damage to your body and mind. You are a "walking zombie" and unproductive. And to make matters worse, you are sick! When you are suffering from a cold or flu there is no better remedy than sleep. Your immune system stops functioning properly, so forget about your body fighting off any viruses. The main goal is to get as much rest as possible. In order to relieve symptoms such as sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head and fever - reach for a bottle of NyQuil, which will help your body get the good sleep it needs to feel better.

Try to keep in mind that according to sleep experts, if you want to be fully alert, in a good mood, mentally sharp, creative, and energetic all day long, you might need to spend at least one third of your life sleeping. Over an average lifetime, that's a commitment of nearly twenty-four years in bed. If you want to start living up to your potential, "learn" to sleep better. Try to get at least eight hours of sleep a night, especially when you are feeling tired or sick. NOW, GO TO BED!

...mmm. coffee.
:: mike 9:28 AM [+] ::

ROCK ON MY BRUTHA

At this juncture, let me extol the virtues of Cold-Eeze. According to www.coldeeze.com's Common Cold Forecast generator:

Current Cold & Flu Level in: NEW YORK is HIGH, with 14-16% of the city's population exhibiting these top 3 current symptoms (in order):
Nasal Congestion
Chest Congestion
Coughing

This is consistent with my condition. What an amazing resource.

I checked other important zip codes:
zip code: 90210
Current Cold & Flu Level in: BEVERLY HILLS is HIGH
zip code: 60607
Current Cold & Flu Level in: CHICAGO is HIGH
zip code: 02134
Current Cold & Flu Level in: BOSTON is HIGH
zip code: 76015
Current Cold & Flu Level in: ARLINGTON,TX is HIGH
zip code: 30305
Current Cold & Flu Level in: ATLANTA is HIGH
zip code: 98230
Current Cold & Flu Level in: BLAINE is HIGH

I don't know where Blaine is. But it seems the entire country needs Cold-Eeze. Try your zip code and see if you need Cold-Eeze, too.
:: mike 10:43 AM [+] ::

Home. Studying.

Tom Waits, "Real Gone" - wow. He's created a world, and now he gets to stomp around in it any old time.

The Frames, "Burn the Maps" - great.

Brazilian Girls, "Lazy Lover" - made me laugh. And that's cool.

Louis XIV, "Illegal Tender" - also made me laugh. Maybe someone drugged me. Maybe that's why I'm laughing so much.

Hell with music. More laughing. Mick Mars from Motley Crue got sued for millions today by his girlfriend Robbie Mantooth. Mantooth. Mantooth. Never date someone named 'Mantooth.' God, the guys in that band never, ever learn.

See? I'm laughing again.

This is fun.





:: mike 1:11 PM [+] ::

LAS VEGAS

The cars open like oysters, and soft pink people ooze off the seats and into the casino car park. I decided to have my morning coffee in the only place that I've found that features actual sunlight. Inside, at a permanent 10pm, the slot machines are sucking money from seniors who slump over the handlebars of their cherry-red Rascals. They are attached by clear tubing to brushed steel oxygen tanks, and stare with eyes like salmon, indifferent to the bells, the flashing lights, the spinning numbers, the clusters of fruit, the pornographic depictions of boats and jewelry. They are vacationing.

I am working. I'm in between shows, running over my guitar solos, my choices of pedals and pickup positions. Unannounced, underground -- I'm kinda working on something... with somebody. Can't really talk here. But don't let the quiet fool you.

I can say: it's going great. I'm very psyched.

:: mike 2:18 PM [+] ::

happy new year

i was abducted, and brought here: http://www.vtculinaryresort.com/

then an ice storm hit.

we're stranded in a hotel room with a fireplace at a Culinary resort.

you want a holiday omen? there's mine.

at least i hope so.

happy new year everyone

m
:: mike 7:52 AM [+] ::

Last gig of the year

12.28 - Funk Box, Baltimore

About 3 traffic-addled hours into a drive to Baltimore, the booking agent calls us to tell us that the power is partially out in the club. Not totally out, just partially. He says it's up to Baltimore Gas and Electric to fix it in time, or not. The gig is imperiled -or I should say, partially imperiled. We decided to continue driving down and to hope for the best. It's an acoustic guitar, after all... they were meant to be played around campfires, on porches, while dangling bare feet off slow moving cargo trains. Power is not a necessity. This isn't Motorhead (which is sad, but that's another story).

We get there, and realize that the situation has not changed. The emergency flood lights have been redirected towards the stage, and the staff is antsy for a night off. I am not. A couple of calls are made, groaning emanates from the ticket office, from the promoter on the other end of the booking agent's phone, from the two opening solo acts, from various bassists, and finally, the club decides they can rig a sound system up from one of the plugs that works, and proceed with a very minimal system. The show must go on.

The show, in fact, does go on, and while the solo acts are playing, Blake and I head off to CVS to pick up a bunch of tea lights to spread around the darkened club and pitch black bathrooms. We figure if it's going to be dark, let's add some atmosphere to the joint. Plus, there seems something wrong about wandering through a pitch black public rest room. Nothing good can come of an activity like that.

The third band, a trio, manages with the very stripped down PA system, and the only disappointment for the musicians is that room has a great sounding main system - that is, when the electricity is available to power it.

We decide we're not going to change our set list to fit the candlelit nature of the club. We step on stage, strap guitars on, prepare to hit "Daylight" hard to wake the room up, turn to Ellinghaus for the count off, and suddenly we're standing in the dim glow of the 30 tea lights that we sprinkled around the club. The PA and guitar amps are dead. All the power has been cut off by the Electric Company and they will be working on it for the rest of the night.

So.

Turner and Ellinghaus step off. Ellinghaus lights the rest of the candles and places them, "VH1 Storytellers" style, all over the stage. Blake straps on my backup acoustic guitar. We place two chairs on the stage, look at each other, laugh, and play our set by candlelight. I'm singing my head off to fill the room, and playing hard, even though it's so dark I can barely see the neck of the guitar. And it was awesome. People sang along, and I left a section in the set to take requests, which included new material from "Tallboy", which I was very psyched about.

What a way to end an incredible year, just sitting around the campfire with friends, banging out songs and singing along. It couldn't have been better.

Happy New Year
m

:: mike 8:20 AM [+] ::

* What are Holiday Omens?

Holiday Omens are symbols, large and small, given out to the audience in random fashion every year at the Holiday Show. The Omens foretell a theme in the recipient's New Year: a career shift, a creative turning point, babies, weddings, divorces, and much more. People have been both ecstatic, and terrified, by what they pull out of the Omen Bags, and that is partly the point: the recipients receive an Omen, and from that point it is up to them to figure out why the Omen has picked them.

see you there



:: mike 1:24 PM [+] ::

New interview on Freshtracks.com




:: mike 1:12 PM [+] ::

HOW TO SWING

:: mike 7:10 AM [+] ::

HOW TO ROCK

:: mike 7:06 AM [+] ::

Ireland

played a radio show today, my second here. they gave a whole hour, and i just went nuts, played everything, added in recorded material, and tried to speak phonetically in gaelic, and destroyed it suitably. always good radio. the dj loved it.

www.wlrfm.com on monday, if you want to check out the streaming version...



:: mike 1:07 PM [+] ::

The Point

Damn, this is a good place. Nice to play philly solo. New material is good.

Ireland is coming together.

Things are good. I'm psyched.

m

:: mike 10:32 AM [+] ::

When I'm reading, I'm writing.

Why do I keep forgetting that? It's like the Marquis de Sade says in the movie "Quills": beware anyone who writes more than they read.

So, I read a great book, 'Rammer Jammer Yellow Hammer', about crazed fans who travel the south in RVs following the Alabama Crimson Tide's football team. Really smart, funny, and interesting. Road stories from a different kind of road.

As a result, I finished a song I'd been working on for months. The song has nothing to do with the book, but that's how it always is. It's like reading, and the jumble of words, knocks something loose. I think the song is called "Run". Nothing to do with football. I swear.



:: mike 8:39 AM [+] ::

playing catch up, here:

holy cow, i can't believe so much is going on. no choice but to give three sentences on everything:

FUNK BOX (MD): Great great band show, with the pics to prove it in the gallery section of the site. (not so) sad has become a total favorite, and the fans in MD are amazing. It's always such a joy to play that city, and we have WTMD to thank for much of it.

DETROIT: A great solo show, and a new song waking up and fitting into the set with all his brothers and sisters. It's fun to witness that. We got back to the Detroit zoo, but this time the polar bears really had that look of out-of-work actors moping around a coffee shop, groaning, "I was almost on "king of queens" - i gotta get my headshots together. uhhhh."

THE SPACE, CT: What can you say when there's an open mic after your set, and someone who's driven from Boston plays "When She Walks By"? I was blown away. He does it better than I do.

MAXIM SWIMSUIT DVD: Yeah, "be your man" playing under models with sprayed on sweat clutching vice grips and pretending to fix a catalytic converter while making out. Whatever. Should be out this October.

FUSE CLUES: New TV theme for a show on FUSE network, co-written with my man Blake Morgan. They're threatening to change the name. Whatever it's called, it's scheduled as a definite GO for October.

sure. somebody get some sleep for me. thanks.

:: mike 9:01 AM [+] ::

Last night in Farmingdale was pretty classic.

The Downtown is a cool place that has pretty big names for being in such a sleepy section of Long Island. Nice stage, hilarious double doors that open out into a big, low space that DEFINITELY was used as a strip joint at some point. The stage must have had a pole run straight down the middle once upon a time. And there I was.

As I started playing my set, I noticed a weird clanking sound coming from stage left. Spoons. Someone playing them. I looked over and saw an older guy - much older - holding a long neck Bud and playing the spoons along to my songs. I always think I've seen everything - when will I learn? I stopped before "Skimming" and asked him if he was professional. He kinda slurred his words and muttered, "Nah. I just come here every night."
"And you play the spoons while bands play here every night?"
"Uh. Yep."
I checked the schedule of coming attractions over the bar. "You know, I see that Flock of Seagulls is coming next week."
 "Yeah?" The name didn't register.
"Are you going to play the spoons with Flock of Seagulls? Because by now I bet they're so angry about playing 'And I ran' every night that they might jump off stage and kill you."
The old man smiled good naturedly. "Nah. They wouldn't do that."
I paused.  "Would you like to come up and play the spoons with me?"
The crowd cheered him on, but he became bashful. I placed my chair and a microphone up next to each other. "The invitation is open."

Half way through "God" he decided to stumble up on stage and sit in the chair. I gave him a solo before the second verse. He took it. I don't know what rhythms he was locking into, but it was vaguely interesting, and more just bizarre. Still, it was nice to have company. He was smiling and concentrating and basically having the time of his life. The crowd cheered him on, and after the song, he stumbled back off stage, but not before telling me, "I like you. You're good. I'm here all the time, I'm going to tell them to have you back. You're great. Thanks a lot."

Hey. Flock of Seagulls might kill him, but I won't.

:: mike 5:47 PM [+] ::

"As a result of the war, corporations have been enthroned and an era of corruption in high places will follow, and the money power of the country will endeavor to prolong its reign by working upon the prejudices of the people until all wealth is aggregated in a few hands and the Republic is destroyed. I feel at this moment more anxiety than ever before, even in the midst of war. God grant that my suspicions may prove groundless."


President Abraham Lincoln - November 21, 1864
:: mike 3:00 PM [+] ::

Animal from the Muppet Show, on eBay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=5907471755&ssPageName=ADME:B:LC:US:1


Animal from the Muppet Show has been sitting on the left speaker in the studio, and it's now on eBay, to make room for more buttons and knobs --

it'll be sad to see him go. he's the best drummer ever.
:: mike 1:00 PM [+] ::

july 4

coming up... i'm here, working on working...

shows dotting the calendar sparsely

writing about randomness and the feeling of being on the high dive. the pit in the stomach, the expansion of everything. and the dive.
:: mike 9:08 AM [+] ::

fish in the photo gallery.

thanks celia and kelly, whose 9 yr old sister named her fish mike-o and errico. as promised at steel city in phoenixville, pa., the fish are up in the gallery.

no one is sure which fish is which, but that's ok, i guess.

they're great.


:: mike 8:19 AM [+] ::

holy shit.

nickelback, feel the wrath for sucking

brutal.

deserved.


:: mike 3:51 PM [+] ::

mercury lounge w hamell on trial, solo

was i going backwards, or returning to my roots with this one? i struggled with the thought backstage. it felt familiar, reminiscent, and sometimes that can be unsettling.

hamell? what does he care? he's got a Marshall head and a Peavey PA cabinet. he's got an old gibson acoustic that ROARS. he's got more things to say than song structures to squeeze it all into. he's got a shiny head that's beaded with sweat before he hits the stage. he traveled 7,700 miles in 11 days for 13 gigs in one stretch. and he's very cool.

"what the hell do i open with?"
his friend, also clean shaven, recommended a few titles.
"yeah," hamell considered. "i ... i... i can DO those, i suppose. i just... wonder. you know, it's about the first song. once i know what the first song is, the rest of the set just snaps into place." he fell silent, and continued violently stretching the strings out on his beat-up Gibson until the top string snapped. "God damn, I hate that. Better now than later, I suppose. have you read dante?"
"me?"
"yeah. i'm reading this book about dante. fucking great. so what do i open with?"
i didn't know his stuff well enough to call out titles. "how about that one that everyone loves? why don't you open with that?"
he smiled. "hey, that's an idea. you better put that one in your set, too."
"yeah, i plan to."
"atta boy."
"what do you do about that one that you love, but everyone else is confused by?"
"oh, i have one of those." he paused. "tough call. i say play it. but play it with an open ear and mind. sometimes they'll tell you what you can't see, the fucked up part that you been hanging on to from the early incarnation of the song. take it up, take it down. i'm not saying the bastards are RIGHT, mind you. i'm just saying that they may have a valid point that you can learn from."
"what about that really fun one that everyone needs to hear, but you don't like to play anymore because it's from an earlier incarnation of your life?"
"mmm." he stopped tuning, and ran his hand along the top of his head. "my 'walk this way', you mean."
"sure."
"tough call. actually, no, it's not. fuck the audience. i mean, not FUCK THE AUDIENCE, but don't expect them to know what they want. they're going shopping. they might pick up a hat, or a chair or a lamp that they didn't even know they wanted. you gotta make room in the set. room for the new. people are reluctant. we can't be."
i smiled. "ok, then, what about that new new one that you just wrote this morning, that's still wet and screaming? do you kick it out of the nest and play it, or hold off?"
"hm. what is this, fucking twenty questions? but they're good ones... don't play it. not here, not in primetime. get it together where you want it, then kick it out of the nest. but i know guys who'd disagree with me. like they need to know what's working by throwing prototypes out the window. i don't like it. we're...entertainers, after all. they paid money. i say don't play it. but you... you go right ahead." he smiled, devilishly.
"nah, i'm not planning on it, either. how do you structure your set list."
"it's shaped like a 'W'. every time. all the time. hit em hard, first. first impressions, right? right. then you bring it down, give them the softies, for the ladies, and all. kick a couple killers in there for energy, then back down, then... and this is what i do... open it up for requests, and leave 'em screaming. works for me, man. i've seen people do other shit, like being all weird at the top, and then building steadily over the course of the set, and leaving everyone totally hyped. i can't do that... i don't... don't have the balls, or something. i need 'em from note one. gotta be nailing it from the top. but i respect the other way of doing it."

the soundwoman, jessica, knocked on the backstage door. "mike, five minutes."

"cool. just out of curiosity, would you play..."
"what the fuck, are you the CIA tonight? i'm giving you all this advice, you're not helping me pick my first song at all." we laughed.
"well, i'm not TAKING any of the advice."
"that's wise, because i've given you all of my worst ideas."
"fantastic."
"don't mention it."
"i'm sure you'll find the right one."
"you, too. have a great one."
"you too."

i got on stage smiling, and smiled through the show. thanks, hamell.


:: mike 1:11 PM [+] ::

pet peeves for june:


tv game shows with categories named "TV". this category quietly elevates the medium into the realm of "knowledge", using itself as its own propaganda tool.

airlines that serve chicken on planes. eating birds that can't fly while floating effortlessly in mid-air is difficult for me to reconcile.

unmarried people over 25 who refer to their lives as 'extended adolescence'. i wonder what they think they're late for.

inanimate products wearing sunglasses in commercials. it's just annoying.


:: mike 8:52 AM [+] ::

Cornell graduation

My sister Melanie graduated Cornell this weekend, I was up there with the family, walking those crazy hills, watching her friends fire potato guns into the lake. In case you don't know how to make one, here you go.

Congratulations, girl. NYC will be more fun with you here.


:: mike 11:52 AM [+] ::

the WBAL Baltimore Five o'clock news piece apparently came into the label today. so psyched to see it. little kids, sitting around, singing every note of "god" and "someday"... too good to believe.


:: mike 5:43 PM [+] ::

at a coffee shop this morning, someone asked me the last CDs I bought.

1) the walkmen - bows and arrows
2) mercury program - a data learn the language
3) paul mcCartney - RAM (i think it's the record he made after the beatles ended)
4) morphine - best of morphine

playing them over and over and over and over...
:: mike 12:01 PM [+] ::

NYC

Benefit for the Lightning Strikes Theater Company, with several actors, singers, including Mary Lee Cortes, again. Funny, never met her, now it's twice in a week. She's cool, I like her work. Turns out I know her husband, producer Eric Ambel. Alt rock guy.

variety show style, bad sound, but good crowd. i'll take it.

played:
springtime
daylight
happy
:: mike 8:47 PM [+] ::

god bless christopher walken

god bless the cowbell
:: mike 12:01 PM [+] ::

writers in the raw, asbury park, nj

w/val emmich, mary lee cortes, patrick fitzsimmons

asbury is hilarious. i love it there. it's always raining on the clowns' faces that are peeling off the walls along the beachfront. they drip in a sad way, and the streets are almost completely empty and shining.

harry's roadhouse was different, though. it's very new looking, and the place was full. people have been hearing 'grace' on WBJB, so it was great to give it to them live.

i passed the Saint, and a big ol' tourbus was parked outside, violating a major rock rule: never arrive in a vehicle bigger than the venue you're playing.
:: mike 11:55 AM [+] ::

WTMD Concert in the Park Series

One of the greatest days I've had in a long time. I hope to get a gallery of shots together for it. WBAL picked up the story of a school that's been singing my stuff. I can't put into words how great it felt for me to hear a class of 3rd graders singing along with me to "someday" and "god"

THE NEWS LINK
:: mike 1:01 PM [+] ::

wolf trap, DC with da vinci's notebook

these guys are a lot of fun. they travel the comedy circuit, mostly, and do a lot of a cappella. they have a morning show hit called "enormous penis" and have cracked the code on how to find an audience. i have a lot of respect for that.

we sang "shook me all night long" together. fun.
:: mike 12:58 PM [+] ::

state college with matt nathanson

great guy, great show. i hope to play with him in the future again.
:: mike 12:57 PM [+] ::

someone smashed my front windshield with a 2 x 4 the other day. how do i know it's a 2 x 4? because it was left next to the car, along with a pointy 80s shoe.

some one-shoed junky too weak to break the glass with his best shot is now on my shitlist. if you see him, beat his ass.

thank you

m
:: mike 12:56 PM [+] ::

unbelievable new gallery of shots from the mexicali blues show in new jersey:


http://www.pseja.com/errico/


a thousand thank you's to eric



:: mike 3:53 PM [+] ::

You Could Be Anywhere -
2004 mike errico


Have I been mistaken
To believe that you’re even out there to find?
Haven’t I been patient?
Have I waited long enough to have seen a sign?

All I know is that I’m here and all alone
And you could be anywhere, anywhere

Are you just a rumor?
A thought that crossed my mind while thinking up ways to pass the time, are you
Wishing I’d thought of you much sooner
While you force a wounded smile for one more store bought Valentine?

High and low, I’m searching but I just don’t know
And you could be anywhere, anywhere

I’ve been sleeping on my feet
I’ve been all the secrets I can keep
Inside me
I don’t know what more I can do
If I can’t find you
Will you find me?
Will you find me?

High and low is all I know, and I’m just talking to myself until you show
And you could be anywhere, anywhere

You could be anywhere.


:: mike 3:50 PM [+] ::

some time has passed.

we've played a lot.

maybe you were there.

maybe not.

we had a great show with Carbon Leaf at the Recher in Baltimore, and several other awesome shows in NYC and surrounding areas. New songs? sure. that is happening. i'm doing a residency in brooklyn to work some of them out, now.


:: mike 3:34 PM [+] ::

March 3
Oops

I woke up at the Comfort Inn in Cave City, KY, and checked my email. Penis enlargement. Breast enlargement. Stomach reduction. Debt reduction. Nothing in this world is the right shape or size, is it? If it were, no one would be able to make a buck. We'd all be ... gasp ... happy.

I checked the message board to see what was up. One subject read, "Where's Mike?" or something. People had gone to Birdy's to see us. The gig had been scheduled for last night. I was in shock. The club never called. No one ever called. I checked my mish mosh of itineraries. There it was. March 2, Indianapolis. Holy shit. In all my life, I've never straight up missed a show. I've not been able to get to shows in time, but I've never 'missed' a show. Until today.

It's been a hard day. I apologize to you, if you went out to the club.


:: mike 3:29 PM [+] ::

March 2
day off - i thought

As you may have noticed, our schedule has changed over and over. Contracts and directions and advance sheets have been sent by fax, email, word document attachment, voice message, everything but smoke signals. As a result, confusion has reigned, and I thought we had a day off. So, we went to a National Park. For those of you who don't know, but have keenly sensed the foreshadowing, it was not a day off. We were supposed to be playing in Indianapolis, at Birdy's, the place where the woman swam across the dance floor in a tiara, clutching a bent princess wand... you'll have to look back at other tour logs to find that story. The three of us didn't get a chance to make new Birdy's magic like this again. We, as I said, went to a National Park.

This is not a rock and roll thing to do. I was against it. I suffer from exposure when I'm standing in a parking lot, or beyond a 1/2 mile radius of a club. But you know? This isn't a solo tour, anymore. One must quicken to the new life, as Queen said. So we took into account group tastes. Toby happens to like the outdoors - he's a very earthy, cool guy who's been trying in vain to eat well and live according to some unexpressed principles of chill. Turner, it turns out, is an avid bird watcher, and saw a big National Park on the map while consulting it instead of our itinerary, which was, as I said, out of date. He made it known that, after all this sticky-floored club crap, and all the hours in the car (many of which he drove), a little nature hike might suffice for two recent, thwarted bowling excursions where we couldn't get a lane. (we only seem to want to bowl on league nights). As if to underscore the point, he suddenly whipped bird watching binoculars out of his backpack, topped himself with a hard cover copy of "Field Guide To Birdwatching," and stared at me, daring to call him a sissy.

Me? What do I care? I am awash in the world of tour, with no idea if the shows we're going to are still going to be there when we get there. Plus, I love it any time somebody knows something I don't know, and God damn, do I know nothing about bird watching. So we turned on Queens of the Stone Age and veered off the highway, en route to an off-season bear and cougar sanctuary known as Mammoth Cave National Park.

There were maybe four cars parked in a lot the size of Yankee Stadium. I thought of our tax dollars. I thought of New Deal programs. We were off the grid, off peak and off season. Souvenir shops were closed, their proprietors ambling around decrepit house boats off the Florida Keys, whistling Jimmy Buffet tunes for at least another two and a half months. Camp sites and cabins were boarded shut, winterized, and trees still only vaguely considered pushing out a new bunch of greenery for the tourists. The park ranger, who looked like a depiction of a young, fat Abe Lincoln at a wax museum, smiled from behind the empty visitor's center desk, and when we asked where we should hike, he simply pointed towards the woods. We stared at each other in silence, and Turner finally shrugged. Toby and I followed him into the trees.

We saw a yellow rumped warbler, apparently uncommon, as they usually are in Mexico by now. Several species of woodpecker were observed, as well. Turner seemed disgusted at my every move - somehow I routinely found the loudest twig on the dirt path to snap while he was trying to focus on a cardinal, or hawk, or something. Every time I saw a beast with wings, I'd yell back to him, incurring about 40 code violations in the bird watcher's book of etiquette. He is incredibly patient, though, and eventually we quieted down. "We" being mostly me.

I don't remember the last time I was in the woods. The quiet calmed the three of us down, and after about 15 minutes, we began whispering, and then only occasionally. I am amazed at all the ambient noise in cities, New York City most of all. Being in the woods was the greatest rest my ears could have gotten. It was blissful. After they had rested a while, I began picking up all the crazy sonic details of the woods; hundreds of bird calls, woodpecking, squirrel emergency bells as a hawk swooped overhead, looking for lunch. I looked over at Turner, and he just grinned, as if to say, "Told you so."


:: mike 3:28 PM [+] ::

mar 2-3

deleted.
:: mike 7:03 AM [+] ::

March 1
exit in w/ Keller Williams

sold out show. kind of a blur. keller williams is the nicest guy on the planet, rivaled only by Lou, his soundguy. i only got to play a short set, but it was a worthwhile one, in front of a great crowd. many were not sober. i love people all blasted on ecstasy. they're so kind. they see the good in people, in themselves, in music and art and life. is it the drug talking? sure it is. but that's ok. i like talking to the drug. unfortunately, the drug needs people to inhabit in order for us to converse. so it wears people like a summer dress, or sometimes several at a time, and what fun we have! we talk about all sorts of things! other drugs! barfing! the urinal in the men's room that's overflowing all over everyone's Birkenstocks! i enjoy talking to the drug, no matter who it's in.

the show was solo, and the boys left early. turner has caught a cold. toby is concerned about some stomach thing. me, i'm ok, for now. i'll probably contract both conditions in the coming days. i have a long, long way to go.

:: mike 7:01 AM [+] ::

weird junk mail. but junk mail from the dalai lama can't be that...junky, right? i don't know. i don't fuck with the lama. if he says it, it's completely and totally correct. we americans have nothing to say that can top the lama. we have no culture. we eat burgers and jog the mall, even when it's sunny out. we wear sweatsuits for the elasticity of the waistband. we take our loved ones to Shoney's after church, and stare vacantly at them for decades. we squint into the fog of the future, and think the lama is cool, because he seems to have a pair of glasses.

actually, i think he does.

so, anyway, this was forwarded to me today, sandwiched between penis enlargement e-mails, and something about group sex with a dog. enjoy, and please send me my very pleasant surprise:

This is what The Dalai Lama has to say on the millennium, which began 01/01/2003. All it takes is a few seconds to read and think about. Do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands within 96 hours. You will get a very pleasant surprise. This is true even if you are not superstitious. Instructions for Life in the new millennium from the Dalai Lama:

1. Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk.
(what do you think i'm doing out here, lama? sittin' on the couch watching golf?)
2. When you lose, don't lose the lesson.
(that's a michael jordan quote: quit stealing wisdom from mumbly basketball players.)
3. Follow the three Rs: Respect for self, respect for others and responsibility for all your actions.
(you know? aretha said it better, and she doesn't send me junk mail.)
4. Remember that not getting what you want is sometimes a wonderful stroke of luck.
(i never understand things like that. i find it hard to pat myself on the back for lack of self knowledge, inability to actualize, and THEN having good fortune to step into something better. it seems undeserved. although i hate to crap on being in a better place than the one I thought of, so i'll shut up. preach, lama.)
5. Learn the rules so you know how to break them properly.
(is proper rule breakage technically "breakage" at all, or am i just being a dick? both, probably.)
6. Don't let a little dispute injure a great friendship.
(the hidden lesson of "goodfellas")
7. When you realize you've made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.
(except if you're playing music. if you make a mistake, go to the nearest half step, and you're most likely in key. and then either repeat it a few times so it sounds like you meant it, or forget it ever happened, because you'll only make another.)
8. Spend some time alone every day.
(on stage?)
9. Open your arms to change, but don't let go of your values.
(this is why i switched to the Mach 3. that, and because i left my Sensor in a Comfort Inn bathroom.)
10. Remember that silence is sometimes the best answer.
(oh. right. damn.)
11. Live a good, honorable life. Then when you get older and think back, you'll be able to enjoy it a second time.
(shh. i'm still on 10)
12. A loving atmosphere in your home is the foundation for your life.
(new TV show: "lama - eye for the straight guy who's never home")
13. In disagreements with loved ones, deal only with the current situation. Don't bring up the past.
(lama just earned his robes with that one. he's definitely not Sicilian)
14. Share your knowledge. It's a way to achieve immortality.
(tryin)
15. Be gentle with the earth.
(tryin)
16. Once a year, go some place you've never been before.
(how about every damn day)
17. Remember that the best relationship is one in which your love for each other exceeds your need for each other.
(yeah. takes money. and a car. but i'm with you.)
18. Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.
(jesus h christ. i'm the most successful person i know)
19. Approach love and cooking with reckless abandon.
(you bad lama, you. mix the two, and boo yah. she'll call back. oh yes she will. she'll have you next to 'fire dept' and 'mom' on the speed dial)

Do not keep this message. The mantra must leave your hands within 96 hours. You will get a very pleasant surprise (this is true even if you are not superstitious) if you send it to:
0-4 people: Your life will improve slightly.
5-9 people: Your life will improve to your liking.
9-14 people: You will have at least 5 surprises in the next 3 weeks.
15 people and above: Your life will improve drastically and everything you ever dreamed of will begin to take shape

:: mike 9:04 AM [+] ::

got into nashville last night, so today is like our day off.

the boys have gone off in the car to see "monster". i'm doing laundry, being mundane. sitting in a coffee shop. it's raining. wilco's on the overhead. "yankee hotel foxtrot". nice instrumentation ideas. sure. if thomas dolby were on right now, i wouldn't complain, though. i've been getting into him for some reason.

touring with a band is great. there's a lot to recommend it. I swear, over there at Mountain Breeze, had I hit that alone, I would have been wandering casket supply stores the following day. but with a band, it's like having a team. a gang. the drums allow people to really feel the pulse of the songs. I put a lot of work into the bass lines on "skimming" and now they can be heard by the people i've wanted to play them for. it's more satisfying. and a lot easier to sing over. it's like i've been sleeping on a cot for 5 years, and i've been upgraded to bed. nice. sweet dreams.

we're half way, today. we're making friends out here. making fans. there is a lot of hardship and exhaustion, and mixed in, there is a deep contentment that goes all the way back to the first time i ever felt free in my life. i was standing on a gas dock, in a warm wet breeze, somewhere in the south, on tour somewhere with some other group. the car was filling up with the cheapest grade gas, the band had gone to pee and stare at obese graybearded truckers and highway trinkets in the gift shop. alone, momentarily, i felt like i could have been anywhere, and that after all the practicing, suffering, miles, and mistakes, Art was beginning to talk back to me with a wild horizonless view of the universe.

the metaphors run wild and horribly shallow, unfortunately: the potential of the highway, the replenishing of energy and mobility expressed in the gas, the strange capsule of the car, etc. all boring thoughts to me, now, but still, thoughts i haven't ever escaped from. you'd think i grew up in a skinner box, in the monkey cage in some poorly-tended, understaffed zoo. like i was fed through bars and never touched in any meaningful way. like i starved myself until i was thin enough to slip out of the cage, and no one to come looking for me.

fine.

:: mike 10:44 AM [+] ::

Exit/In
2208 Elliston Pl
Nashville, TN 37203-

Lou is Keller's Tour Manager/Sound Dude - He'll be hookin it up and will rock sound for you.

Load In is 6:30
park near keller's bus (it's a big bus)
you'll do soundcheck before 8pm doors

things to discuss with lou when you get there:

- who is paying you. not sure if its coming from Keller or venue
- keller doesn't use monitors. need to figure out how to work it out.
:: mike 10:38 AM [+] ::

2/29
day off


Turns out we're going to Nashville after all. I'm going to be opening for Keller Williams. Awesome.
:: mike 8:11 AM [+] ::

2/28 Mt Airy, NC
Mountain Breeze Music w/Jerry Chapman

the sign on the door read

NO FIGHTING
NO WEAPONS
NO DRINKING IN THE PARKING LOT
NO BROWN BAGGING

great.

something about this low, long roadhouse in the middle of Mt Airy reminded me very much of the bar scene in "Blues Brothers", with the chicken wire and the strange stares. Also, I thought of Thunderdome. But for other reasons. Mt. Airy, it turns out, is the birthplace of Andy Griffith, and the inspiration behind the old TV show with the whistling on the theme song. There are lots of stores that talk about Mayberry, and the various characters. We went to a Salvation Army and I picked up an REO Speedwagon tour t shirt from the '84-'85 tour. it's blue, and I can't think of anyone who'd look good in it. but it cost a dollar.

Jerry's great, and knows this kind of 'bar/roadhouse' playing really well. His set was full of fun Kiss and classic rock covers, and he has an infectious smile that makes it all work. A very generous soul.

Unfortunately, we don't have any covers worked up, and though i'm sure it wouldn't take long, i'd rather get new material of mine up, or simply write more material. that said, they were dancing to "be your man" which was cool to watch - i wonder if they were two stepping, though i wouldn't know if they were - but towards the end of the set a couple shouts of, "PLAY SKYNYRD!" came from the back of the bar. man, it's always disappointing when people step into a big stinking pile of their own stereotype.

then we all got hammered.

:: mike 8:11 AM [+] ::

2/27, Charlotte, NC
Neighborhood Theater

one thing i've noticed is that it's hard to write with a band on the road. the bottomless cup of coffee and the wall of silence and fluorescent light has been replaced by human conversation. Many would call that a fair trade, but the price is the writing.

17 inches of snow have fallen, and no one here owns a shovel. for real. no one owns shovels here and the city has no plows. the snow has sat on highways and sidewalks over night, and has pooled and frozen, and it's kind of treacherous out here. cars are stacked up all over the interstate. but for us northerners, this is a school day.

Peter Jennings has been talking about Charlotte's accumulations on World News Tonight. Bad sign for the show.

but it sounded great again, and a couple of diehards with four wheel drive came down and danced in the aisles. Thanks especially to Derel and Ellen for making the trip from Ashville to see the show.

We'll be back.
:: mike 8:03 AM [+] ::

new one. not sure of the title yet. played a couple times, so far. sounds nice.

ever since- mike errico

I dreamt you
I drew you
Long before I thought that I might never find you
I chased you
I traced you
And held your picture up into the light

All the weight of nights and days too long to list
All the parties I've been to, you were missed
I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since

I met you
Tried to forget you
Even though I felt somehow someone had sent you here
To me
And as if you knew me
We picked up where we left off in another life

At times I tried to settle out for so much less than this
Saved only by the hope in every eyelash wish
I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since

(solo)

All the weight of nights and days too long to list
All the parties I've been to, you were missed
I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since
I've waited ever since
I met you.

:: mike 7:51 AM [+] ::

I found out the EYELEVEL CD, elevator plans, is out. I played lap steel on about half the record, and took the photography for the packaging. I'm psyched with how it turned out.

Also, found out that the photos I took for the cover of the new Jonathan Ellinghaus record Leaving it all Behind have been approved and are now going to the graphic designer in Austin, TX. I played acoustic, lap steel and resonator guitar on a lot of it, and it's probably some of my best playing, if you ask me.

The photography also came out great. He's got a big bald beautiful head, and I took all sorts of crazy lunar landscape shots of it. I love that head. I can't wait to see what they do with the shots.

You can see these shots/buy the discs at Engine Company Records.

Cool. Now it's off to Charlotte, NC. What is next?


:: mike 9:12 AM [+] ::

2/26 winston salem, nc
ziggy's w/jerry chapman

snow is terrifying to these people. there are about 4 inches of it on the ground. scary white stuff. cold. disappears on lips and cheeks. cannot operate vehicle in it. must stay home.

a few brave souls showed, and for our efforts, the club called the gig off minutes before we went on. I somehow managed to guilt them into giving us a 25 min set after grabbing the mic and inviting everyone back to my hotel room for a solo acoustic set with a couple of six packs bought from the bar.

it was 25 degrees in the place, and we played with sweaters and hats on. we could see our breath. i grabbed the kerosene space heater from the bar area, brought it down to the stage area, and the brave souls huddled around it for warmth until we played.

but you know? we played great. they danced, and knew the words and had a good time.

I will not be daunted. you cannot stop the rock.

:: mike 9:29 PM [+] ::

Good news: Monday Morning goes to radio on March 1st. It will be the second single from Skimming. We're all very excited to see what will happen. A question came from upstairs:

Mike,

The label and the radio promoters like Monday Morning, think it’s a very good song for radio, and want to take it. Congratulations.

By the way, you are going to be asked about the "Lee Harvey Oswald on the ceiling" line. Jarring, to many people, which is not necessarily bad in a commercial context. Question is, why? Know I asked u this before, but can u give me some explanation of your thought process again?

Answer:

great news about radio promotion, and the next single. if you're psyched, i'm psyched. let me try and clarify "monday morning" if they feel it important to get on the radio.

but

i have to fly my 'artist' flag for a second and say that explanations kill a lot of the magic of a lyric. i realize we're interfacing art with commerce here, so i'll fold up my artist flag and put it back in the cedar closet. think of me inhabiting roger ebert's body for a moment, if that makes this any more fun...

there are many explanations. here are two:

1) lee harvey o. is in the song as a tribute to my friend Hal, who knows every single thing about the JFK assassination. we're close friends, we both cheer each other up when a date goes wrong...it's an inside joke. he also wrote a one man show called "acting alone" that i don't think he ever finished. lee harvey oswald is my friend hal.

2) lee harvey oswald is "the patron saint of those who act alone," a harbinger, a warning to lonely men who are afraid of telling the women they love that they actually love them. He's a lot like the Ghost of Christmas Future in "A Christmas Carol." when oswald warns the main character to "trust (his) feelings," it is pretty obvious to the listener what those feelings are...for those who don't know, the entire last minute should explain:

"i love you
i love you
i love you
i love you"

exhausted with acting alone, and reaching out, as scary as that is ("i've been here once when it wasn't right/i'd hate to blow it that bad twice"), the character pushes himself into that vulnerable world of romantic love. ironically, he does so by following oswald's advice, albeit to a completely different end.

the good news: the word "ass" is never mentioned.

hope that helps.

m

:: mike 7:10 AM [+] ::

Feb. 25 – Blacksburg, VA
Attitudes

Strange breakfast. An old lady looked at us and repeated, “A guy in here had size 16 ½ feet. Craziest thing. 16 ½ feet. This was about 3 weeks ago. You want more coffee?”

We bought a soft shell roof rack for the top of the car. Now there’s some room in here. Now we look like…well, what we are. A band.

I wasn’t expecting much from Attitudes. I was expecting attitude. I had a bad attitude. We pulled up to Attitudes, and it was connected to a restaurant called Latitudes. I drew conclusions. But I was wrong.

Drew, the promoter, is a senior at Virginia Tech, and one of those totally inspired, and inspiring guys that bands love to get out of the van and meet. He gets the Matt Wisotsky Award for Blacksburg, VA (SANAP). He had our hotel, food, sound, and load in totally wired, and made it easy for us to do our jobs. Thank you Drew.

Several fun bands were on the bill, and students who came down had a great time, even though I think I inhaled a small ball of dog hair that flew out of the harmonica at the beginning of “Springtime”. Jeff, the soundman, did as good a job as possible, muttering slightly under his breath about the DJs who come in and compromise the club’s sound system. What a team: a promoter who cares and soundman who cares. That’s rare. I wish you guys the best, and I hope to be back soon. We definitely made some new fans

:: mike 7:04 AM [+] ::

Tuesday, Feb 24 – Vienna, VA
Jammin Java

I’ve tried to play here about three times, and every time, something horrible has happened… the storm of the century, hurricane Isabelle, and the power grid explosion that darkened the east coast all occurred on days scheduled for mike errico at jammin java. I woke up to a light snowfall, and thought, ‘here we go again.’

Undaunted, I picked up Turner at his studio and then drove way uptown to pick up Toby. We quickly realized that the truck is too small for the gear. Luckily Toby had some straps, and we tied stuff down on the roof. It looks like the damn Beverly Hillbillies.

Jammin Java is a cool spot. I can’t believe we made it, this time. We sound good, and will tighten further as the tour progresses. As a band, we rolled out “underwater” for the encore, and solo, I played a new one, kind of untitled, though something like “Ever Since” or something might be the title.

After the show, I was backstage walking around with a beer in my hand, and leaned over to pick up my cell, forgetting the beer was open; I dumped half the bottle into my open bag of fresh clean tour clothes. Tour has begun.

:: mike 6:50 AM [+] ::

time in.

I’d like to dedicate the first part of this diary to the guy in DC who asked me to start it up again. He sells what he calls “Intimacy packs” to hotel chains. Intimacy packs are little boxes that high-end hotels leave in bathrooms. They contain condoms, lubrication, and of course, shampoos and conditioners. Thank you, Mr. Intimacy Pack-man.
:: mike 6:39 AM [+] ::