Loren's Musical News & Ramblings

Energy Follows Thought...I think

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 16:11:00 +0000

I've had some thought-provoking experiences this past week.

Crystallizing it all and bringing it into a pattern that makes sense to me were the experiences I had last night at my gig in Livermore.

I'm a songwriter. To those unfamiliar, songwriters make their money from their words, which are fueled by their emotions, values, and experiences. Those who can make those words speak to the hearts of a large number of other people and affect them emotionally tend to make quite a bit of money. I'm not there yet, but it's something to aspire to.

My parents raised me with some values, as good parents should. One of those was a definition of the American way of life as, "I may not agree with what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it." Sadly, there is an element in American culture and politics these days that seems to have never learned that, or has chosen to repudiate it.

Without going into details, I've encountered a few individuals this week who seem to believe that "free speech" only applies if you agree with their limited views of the Universe. Not to put too fine a point on it, but that's bullshit. If you want to live in a country where only one viewpoint is acceptable and people who disagree with you can be threatened, damaged, or killed, move to China. Or Iran. Trying to intimidate people into either agreeing with you politically/religiously or shutting up is terrorism, plain and simple. If you don't believe me, look it up in a dictionary.

So with this background, I loaded up the car and headed off for Livermore for my show. I got there through rush-hour traffic, and there was a large group of very angry evangelical types "witnessing" on a street corner across from the venue. Very loud, dark looks on their faces, angry voices, and very in people's faces. And they were taking up the good parking. Needless to say, not my idea of a good time, and my initial thoughts were not friendly.

So I found a place to park a block or so away, hauled my stuff down to the coffee shop, and began setting up. I do have a few somewhat satirical songs about religion and idiots, and I began to think about working them into the show while psyching myself up to be "out there" for a couple of hours.

Two things stopped me.

First, I remembered that inconvenient First Amendment thing. If I want people to support me when I express *my* opinions, I have to be okay with them expressing *theirs*. And be willing to defend their right to do it.

Second...my show is about having fun and helping people escape from their stress, not rubbing their faces into it. If I start mocking the people across the street, then I've brought that nasty energy into my space and am propagating it to my audience. And that's not what I'm about, and none of us would have had a lot of fun. Especially not me.

So I did my regular show, out of a heartspace of wanting to have fun and share that fun with as many people there as were willing to let it in, and with the intention of making the coffee shop a bubble of positive, fun energy regardless of what happened outside.

Two things happened.

First, it was an *extremely* fun show. One group of a half-dozen folks - new friends - showed up early and stayed all the way through because they were having such a good time. A good-looking woman wearing a tiara came in to use the bathroom. I asked what that was about; she said it was her birthday. So I sang "Cabana Boy" for her, and I got a lovely hug and a kiss on the cheek (and a tip). One of the "table of six" women wanted her picture taken with me. Other people came, stayed a while, smiled and tapped their feet with the show, and then moved on. I told people about the Key West motto: we are all part of "one human family." People asked me for more original songs. It was certainly my best show at that venue, and one of my better ones in a while.

Second...remember the Jesus people across the street? About three songs into my set, a fight broke out right in the middle of them. As it turned out, it was several drunks, totally unrelated to them, who just happened to pick that particular place to fight. One guy got laid out on the sidewalk. Apparently the "people of God" packed up and left in a hurry after that, without helping either the victim or law enforcement. "By their deeds shall ye know them," and all that.

Now, getting back to that First Amendment thang, I'm glad that it wasn't the Jesus people on either end of that fight. There is more than enough urine in the well of public discourse without people getting beat up for expressing an opinion, regardless of how obnoxious it or they might be. But I'm not surprised that it happened there. Those people were generating enough negative energy to start their own quantum black hole. The drunks, already unhappy with one another, must have stumbled into that energy field and it may have put them over the edge.

I believe that energy follows thought. And it follows intention. Some people would call that "prayer." My energy and intention were to have fun and to share that fun and relaxation with other people. Ergo, the inside of the coffee shop was a fun place to be. Across the street, people were building up a major hate against "sinners," I guess, or anyone who hasn't agreed to talk with Jesus in just the way they'd want them to, and the hate popped loose into a fight, and the people spewing all the angry stuff felt a need to depart prematurely.

I got to finish my show, and people loved it.

It's a powerful lesson. I hope I remember it for a while.

Intend to have fun today. Live on "Island Standard Time," and make "Every Day a Holiday." Why not?

Seedstarting: Stuff that works

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:49:00 +0000

Yes, I'm doing a lot of gardening-related posts lately. I expect I'll do more. Gardening is almost as big a love of mine as music, and knowing what to do is likely to be worthwhile, sooner or later.

So I was looking at starting some seeds for a fall/winter crop. Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, USDA Zone 9ish (maybe 8.5), I can grow hardy stuff all winter long.

I went out to the tool shed to dig out my seed starter flats. I have a couple of "self-watering" kits originally from Gardener's Supply in Vermont. They're part of the APS (Accelerated Propagation System) line of seed starting trays. I discovered that I have everything but the dome lids to keep the moisture in until the seeds germinate. Rather than lose two weeks to hunting around for lids I might never find, I went to the Internet. And I discovered that not only do the folks at Gardener's Supply have additional APS kits; they have replacement parts.

I could have just gotten replacement lids. But I decided to replace the capillary mats too, because they're getting old.

Total cost for replacements and spares: $27. Cost to replace the APS units: $40 plus shipping. Mission accomplished; now I just need to wait for the stuff to arrive in about two weeks.

In the meantime, I may start fava beans and peas direct in the garden, or I might wait a few weeks for the weather to cool off a bit.

"To the moon!"

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 21:12:00 +0000

The US Human Space Flight Plans Committee has released the summary of its report regarding the future and feasibility of a US presence in space.

To be honest, it's disappointing. President Bush the Second, in a fit of impracticality, wrenched NASA's priorities away from supporting the International Space Station (ISS) and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) toward a new moon program. The sunny-side prognosis was that we would "only" have a gap of about five years between the last flight of the Space Shuttle and the first manned flight of the Constellation system. Personally, I thought the idea stank at the time. Not since Apollo has NASA been able, whether through mismanagement or budget Proxmiring, to develop and deliver a project on-time.

Well, the USHSFPC agrees with me. They feel that, given NASA's current and projected budgets, it will be at least seven years between the last Shuttle flight and the first manned flight of Ares/Orion. Fortunately, they appear to like this prospect about as much as I do. And after crunching the numbers, they've demonstrated that a return to the Moon is unrealistic under current budget constraints.

However, if we were to give NASA just three billion dollars more a year - what it costs to run the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for about a week - we could shorten that gap and *maybe* make it to the Moon in the 2020s sometime.

Now if you're one of those Luddites who says, "Who cares?" take a few minutes to read this discussion on the many ways that the space program has benefited each and every one of us. It goes *way* beyond Tang and the pen you can use to write at any angle.

I think that it's criminal to continue to starve NASA and our technological development. Yes, new technologies bring their own problems, and there is no shortage of good things to spend money on here at home, beginning with food and energy and healthcare security for all Americans. But we're only talking an extra ten dollars per citizen per year, so that maybe our descendants will be able to walk among the stars. I'd give them an extra ten dollars a year, if it would help us maintain a viable space program.

With all the money being thrown at incompetent bankers, arrogant automakers, and lawbreaking private security companies, it would be nice to see a few more of my tax dollars going to something I'm proud of.

One-man Stimulus Package

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 16:28:00 +0000

Now *here's* an article about someone who's giving back to the community.

I read a lot of stories about individuals and companies who seem to feel that the purpose of getting wealth is to enable you to get more wealth, and to do so in the most demeaning ways possible. Perhaps my imagination is insufficient...but after the first couple of million, what do you *do* with all of it? Put it in a big vault a la Scrooge McDuck and swim in it?

It does my heart good to see someone like Ludacris - an individual who is successful and who's financially comfortable - giving back and paying forward. I'm reminded of fellow Trop Rocker Brent Burns, who donates considerable sums every year to Habitat for Humanity.

Sadly, I am not yet financially comfortable enough to be able to help others on that scale. But people like this inspire me to continue doing what I can, however small.

Because true security is making sure that your neighbors have enough.

Salsa is easy

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:17:00 +0000

And here I'm not talking about the musical type, but if you want to imagine some hot, sexy salsa music going in the background while you read this, go ahead. :)

I have a garden, and long about this time every year, that garden gives me more tomatoes than I know what to do with. So I make salsa as one way of using and being thankful for that bounty.

Here's what I do:

First, I peel a half-dozen or so cloves of garlic, from the bounty of garlic I harvested in late June. The easy way to do this is to cut the bottom off the clove with a sharp kitchen knife, lay the flat of the knife on top of the clove, and whack it gently with the heel of your hand to semi-crush the clove. This loosens the skin sufficiently that you can just peel it off and toss it into the container of stuff going back out to the compost pile. Toss the cloves into the food processor.

Next, add a couple of chili peppers of your favorite heat level. This time I used two jalapenos I got from a friend who owns one of the wineries I play at; in the past I've grown these. I removed most of the seeds to keep the heat level manageable for me. To do this, you cut the stem end off the pepper and then slit it open lengthwise. Scrape out the seeds with the knife or a teaspoon, and add them and the stem to the compost.

CAUTION: If you get the pepper juice on your hands, DON'T RUB YOUR EYES or any other sensitive flesh until you've cleaned your hands THOROUGHLY. It *will* hurt if you don't pay attention to this.

Next, add the equivalent of one small onion, in big chunks, to the food processor. Once again, these are easy to grow in the average home garden, and most years I'd be using my own onions.

Now, run the food processor on high until everything is chopped and shredded into little bits. It won't take long, and it's a lot faster this way than chopping by hand.

At this point, I scrape all of the stuff in the food processor out into a separate bowl, but you can also add your tomatoes right in and mix it all together.

Cut up half a dozen or so tomatoes, more if they're smaller and fewer if they're huge. If your tomatoes are about 3" in diameter, use 6 or 7. Cut out the stem end and quarter them. Toss them in the food processor, and run the food processor until all the big chunks are gone.

If you took the other stuff out before adding tomatoes, now add your tomatoes to the onions, garlic, and peppers mix and stir thoroughly.

Presto! You're done!

At this point, you can add other stuff if you feel like it, to adjust the flavor. I used a quarter lime and some chipotle powder. If the salsa is too spicy, add more tomatoes. If you like cilantro, chop and add some.

Serves a roomful of people, alongside a bag or bowl of tortilla chips. Or use it in Mexican dishes of various sorts. If you grew all of the ingredients, let your friends know - be proud.

iHate the new iMovie!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 14:51:00 +0000

I love my Mac. I love how easy it is to use and how many things I can get done with it. It's worth the extra money one pays.

And I have gotten the hang of the version of iMovie that came with my old laptop, and like the various things I can do in it and with it.

The new version of iMovie, in my personal, humble opinion, sucks the Big Hairy Grotty One. It has taken the Mac design philosophy of "just tell us what you want and we'll do it for you" to new depths. I was, after quite a bit of trial and error, able to figure out how to properly load sound to a video clip and get it synched up (essential for making music videos around here), and I actually like the sound editor much better, as it gives you a graphic representation of the sound, much like ProTools or Amadeus, or even Garage Band. However, I wanted to be able to mix the relative level of the sounds from my camcorder and my board the way *I* wanted. And here, the new iMovie failed me. It assumed that I was obviously a total amateur who just wanted to slap together moving pictures and sound haphazardly, and while it was happy to help me do that, it was totally unwilling to help me create the music video I wanted.

So I reopened my old version of iMovie, and mixed up my music video in there. Just like before. Check it out.

Maybe some day before I die, someone will show me how to make the new iMovie do what I need it to do for my music videos. But I won't hold my breath.

New live CD is ready!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 00:32:00 +0000

I haven't got it up on my online store yet...but my new live/homebrew CD, "California to Key West," is finally done and available.

Whew! This one took a lot of time and work to get done. In the end, I needed to custom-record a couple of songs, because I didn't have good live recordings of them. And it worked out well. I have an excellent portable digital recorder, the Zoom H2. It's got very good mikes, and lets me make high-quality digital recordings, either as a direct line plugin from my mixer, or through the X/Y stereo microphones.

This particular CD has some cool stuff on it.

It's got the only decent recording - done in my living room one evening - of the song "Traffic Jam," in which I used a looper to harmonize with myself. Said looper has been a bit less than reliable, so I haven't been using it at shows for a while. I expect I'll sort it all out and you'll be hearing stuff using it again someday.

It's got my most-recent completed song, "Heartwrecked." I haven't even performed that out in front of people yet, outside of my songwriting critique group.

It's got the best live version *and* the YouTube studio version of "Bail Me Out." Because I figured that some people might be interested in the differences.

It's got the two best recordings from my set with TC Mitchell at the Blue Heaven in Key West last October.

I think it's got the best songs I've written to date on there, along with some excellent performances of things I've already released elsewhere.

Write me if you want a copy. I'll have it listed on my Website very soon now.

Great party last night at Wine Affairs

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:20:00 +0000

I love my "evening and weekend job."

Last night I instigated one of my musical parties out at Wine Affairs, a really neat wine bar in San Jose. Had some great conversations with the people there, including someone who grew up not all that far from where I did in upstate NY.

I got to introduce some of my friends to each other, and I could tell they were having a great time - they were exchanging contact info and having a good chat, while I was behind the guitar and mike making fun music. And we had this big birthday party in the back corner, some nice lady named Erin celebrating her 26th with about twenty of her closest friends, some of whom were extremely nice-looking. :)

If you weren't there...you missed a good time. Come catch the next one, out at Red Feather Winery in Livermore. One of the most fantastic views in the East Bay, good wines, and fun people.

2009 Trop Rock Music Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:16:00 +0000

This November, in Key West, I'll be attending the second annual Trop Rock Music Awards (TRMA). Organized by the good folks of the Margarita MAFIA (Members And Fans In Alliance), we will for the first time have our awards ceremony as part of the official schedule of the Meeting of the Minds! The ceremony will be held on Friday night on the Main Stage at the Casa Marina Hotel! How cool is that?

As I did last year, I have again signed up as a sponsor of this event. I believe strongly in the future of Trop Rock music as a viable genre, and this is one small way in which I can support that.

If you're not currently a MAFIA member, why not? Dues are reasonable, and you get a free T-shirt and breaking news about all of your favorite Trop Rock artists every month. Follow the above link to their Website and sign up!

This year, for the first time, I have an album eligible for the TRMA. My current album, Every Day's a Holiday, was released last August, and is therefore eligible for Album of the Year. I don't know yet whether I'll get nominated, but I've got my fingers crossed. Stay tuned.

WRPS Artist of the Month!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 28 May 2009 01:14:00 +0000

I've been named the "Artist of the Month" at Web Radio Puget Sound!

There's a very studly picture of Every Day's a Holiday on their home page, and they are featuring songs from the album on their streams.

It's just one of many places where my music is getting airplay these days. And I'm thrilled - it's great when folks get a chance to get the whole "tropical attitude" experience.

New shows on the calendar!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 20:00:00 +0000

Hiya,

I've just updated my Shows calendar into June. I've got a whole bunch of May dates in the Bay Area, and two southern California shows in early June!

If you'd like more information on when and where I'm playing, or just want to share in the ongoing story of my "escape art," join my mailing list. It's free, and you get free access to MP3s pretty much every month. There's a signup form right there next to my schedule.

Layoffs: Only the Beginning

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 20:45:00 +0000

I just read a fascinating article on MSNBC, about how a layoff can be an excellent time to travel *and* learn a new career. Some of the options included yoga, cooking, diving certifications, and more, in locations all around the world.

Of course, I've been talking and singing about this for some time. The title song of my current album, "Every Day's a Holiday," is about the last time I got laid off, nearly seven years ago now.

It was one of the best opportunities of my life. I got out of a job that I was becoming increasingly irritated with, got the free time I'd been complaining about not having, managed to get my first album recorded, and for the first time truly learned how to define myself by something other than what I was getting paid to do.

And when I *did* find a job, six months down the road, I had such a full life, with music and volunteering and social activity, that I had a bit of difficulty cramming it all back into the smaller time boxes that I had available. Plus I ended up with a better job, for a better company, for more money. :)

Yes, in times of economic hardship it's important to focus on survival issues first - food, shelter, safety. But once those are covered...enjoy the abundance of free time. You'll probably be complaining about not having enough of it later.

Making the best...

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 21:06:00 +0000

Here's a CNN article about how some people are making the best of our current difficult economic times.

I'm certainly amazed at the creativity that people are showing. In some ways, this feels to me like a time in which our society is undergoing tectonic shifts - the possible demise of conventional newspapers in favor of online, old business models falling by the wayside, people doing an array of things to get by rather than relying on conventional employment.

I've taken to rationing the bad news, myself. It does me no good to read about another 20,000 people laid off, and it can only make me depressed and fearful for my *own* job. I'd still rather focus on the positive as much as I can. That's why I make the music that I do.

So...what's been going good for *you* today? Your comments are welcome.

It's the Economy, folks!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:10:00 +0000

Like so many people, I'm pissed at what's happening to our economy. I'm annoyed at what's happened to what little nest egg I have, and even more annoyed that the people who seem to be getting the most goodies from the government are the ones who are contributing most to the problem - the billionaire big-shots who are still taking million-dollar resort vacations using *my* tax dollars!

Well, I say screw them! Bail *me* out instead! So I wrote a song, and recorded this video of it. Given that I'm bemoaning bad economic times, it's easy to get away with a *very* cheap production.

Check it out. If you like it, rate it, comment, and tell your friends.

And let's get this message out to Congress: Bail *us* out too!

Giving Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 18:10:00 +0000

It's about 10 AM here on Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, at the Holiday World Music Center, in scenic Castro Valley California, just a few minutes' drive from the beautiful San Francisco Day. The temperature is probably fifty-something and it's overcast, with prognosticators at the National Weather Service suggesting we might see the sunshine later. I just finished off a tasty breakfast scramble that worked out even without eggs - the ones I have, have obviously been in my fridge too long. That's the life of a bachelor for ya. But the orange-pineapple juice is still good, and goes well with a bit of rum and a slice of lime. And my iPod is currently giving me some lovely, upbeat steel band music.

Whats *not* to be thankful for? :)

I've been reading the new book about Captain Tony, the "Salt of Key West," and it's beautiful. It's roughly equal parts biography and philosophy, and the "life lessons" he offers are lessons I've been working toward understanding and embodying for years: "Compassion" is the most important word in the dictionary. Find the "jewel" in everyone you meet.

What hasn't been said so far, but that seems semi-obvious after a bit of reflection: Have compassion for yourself, and find your own "jewels." In order to "love thy neighbor as thyself," one must first love thyself. :)

I'm already starting to use these words in my own life in a stronger way. It'll probably be one of those "two steps forward/one back" things...but it seems well worth working on.

I'm still above ground, and that's always a big one to be thankful for - without that, we're kinda screwed anyway, after all.

I've got a roof over my head, food on the table, and some excellent friends and intentional "family."

I've got friends and fans who think that I create worthwhile stuff.

I have some excellent mentors, in real life and in the books I read.

And, to quote Candide, I live "in the best of all possible worlds."

Have a beautiful, thankful day, whenever you read this. And thank *you* for being connected to me and my life, even just by reading these words.

The Lyrics

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:16:00 +0000

I've had a couple of requests for the lyrics to "Let's Go Sailing, Gov. Palin," the song I posted to YouTube a couple of days ago. Unfortunately, the mike on a camcorder doesn't quite pick everything up clearly.

So here you are:

Let's Go Sailing, Gov. Palin
copyright (c) 2008 by Loren Davidson

I first saw you in my motel room; I was out on tour
You blew me away, like no governor before
I’ve always gone for girls in glasses
I like that competent look
Any woman who can field-dress a moose
Is okay in my book
I’d love to serenade you for a little while
And take your hand across some desert isle

CHORUS
Let’s go sailing, Governor Palin
No matter where I go, I still see you
Let’s go sailing, Governor Palin
With some Presidential treatment, you’ll never feel blue

With all those kids, a husband, and responsibilities
You need someone to take you away and put your mind at ease
Get carried away like Gov. Spitzer, like Hart and Donna Rice
Together, we’ll go farther than Karl Rove’s advice
I know you’ll make the right choice in this special year
You can leave your lipstick at home; it’d only smear

CHORUS

BRIDGE

I’m not doing this for myself; I don’t work that way
But I’ll bet my MySpace gets a million hits a day

CHORUS and end

Let's Go Sailing, Gov. Palin!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 14:25:00 +0000

America's got a new "sweetheart," and I've got a new song. Coincidence? I think not.

Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has popped out of obscurity and onto the television screens of America. We're still finding out who she is and what she's about, but virtually everyone agrees on at least one thing: She's damn good looking. Competent, too.

So yesterday, I let my mind drift a bit onto "what if," because "what if" fuels many a good story. And in a surprisingly short time, I had a song titled "Let's Go Sailing, Gov. Palin." It's kind of a love song. A quick trip out to the back yard to shoot a video, and presto! I've joined the "blog on camera for the YouTube" generation!

Go check out the video. It's light-hearted fun.

Personally, while I find quite a few things to admire about Gov. Palin (not all of them visible), I'm somewhat horrified by the woman's political and social views. But I don't have to let the scary parts get in the way of a bit of harmless fantasy.

New review!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 02:21:00 +0000

Here's what Radio Indy has to say about Every Day's a Holiday, posted to Digg.

NY Thruway Tour 2008

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 03:32:00 +0000

Wow.

I spent large parts of this past weekend on my old home turf, reconnecting with people I hadn't seen in as much as 36 years. And it turned out very well.

The whole thing started a couple of months ago, when I got email from someone in my high school class. I have heard *nothing* from these people in well over 30 years. I sort of shook upstate NY off my shoes when I moved to California in 1976, and never really looked back, which tells you how happy my younger days seemed to me at the time.

Anyway, my classmates were planning a reunion for August, and asked what it would take to get me there. I told them. They said yes.

I then was posting about this trip over on Meet The Phlockers, and one of my fellow Trop Rock musicians in a band called Pirate Dreams said, "Hey, we're playing this festival on Sunday in Buffalo that weekend; why don't you come out and play with us?

And that's how the whole thing started.

So I hopped a plane last Thursday for upstate NY, arriving somewhat late at night. I'd been out there last year, so I knew how to find my way around.

The reunion was up at the Saratoga racetrack - the flat track, not the harness track. We met there for the afternoon. We spent most of the time in one of the restaurants, watching the races on closed circuit TV. I actually got up and went over to the track side to see one race, just because I wasn't feeling entirely like I was *there*, if you know what I mean. We got about a dozen people out of a class of 38 - not a bad turnout.

Then we went over to Vapor at the "Racino." Craig, one of my classmates, knows the people there and got me booked for an early evening gig before the main band went on. So I did an hour or so show over there, closing with "Pirate Looks at 40," during which everyone came up and pictures were taken of the group of us. It was a touching moment.

On Saturday, I drove out to central NY to reconnect with several of my cousins. I went to Verona Beach to my cousin Dean's place - it's lovely. There's a particular feeling to a place by the water, where people are as much in and on it as on the land, and Verona Beach and its neighbor Sylvan Beach definitely have that. Dean took me on a tour of the area, including several rather interesting and comfortable beach bars that I wouldn't mind playing at.

In the evening, he and his band (DVD) were playing at the Turning Stone Casino. I went over and caught up with a couple more cousins, won $5 playing blackjack, and had a great time. If you're out that way, keep an eye out for DVD - they'll be playing some of my songs soon. :)

Finally, Buffalo on Sunday.

I stopped at the airport to print a boarding pass, to make sure I got into the A group. I discovered, to my horror, that I'd reserved my flights on the wrong day! I was very fortunate to have a good ticket agent, Joanne, who not only got me rebooked onto Monday flights, but didn't charge me any more for the privilege. Southwest Airlines, you have made a loyal customer!

The festival wasn't quite what I'd expected. We were a bit off on one side, so our audience wasn't what I'd been hoping for. But the folks in the band were very nice, and the crowd really enjoyed my stuff.

My flight home took me to some new territory - changing planes in Baltimore, and I got to see Washington DC from the air. I could clearly see the Capital Building and the Washington Monument - first time.

So I closed some circles and reconnected with some folks from my distant and sordid past. I had a great time, and I think I laid the groundwork for a return visit and mini-tour next year. Stay tuned!

Positive feedback on the album!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 23:47:00 +0000

Here's what some people have been saying about Every Day's a Holiday:

"I listened to the whole CD in the car yesterday. Really enjoyed it!" - DK, "Island Time Radio"

"*LOVE* the CD! Ten tracks are being added to the playlist rotation today." - Thomas, Permanent Vacation Radio

"I played it this morning and then I REALLY didn't want to go to work!" Mary Anne, Berkeley CA

"wow, every song is catchy and has a great hook." - Steve, El Cerrito CA

In addition, CDBaby has already sold out of their first shipment (more are on the way), and the song "Every Day's a Holiday" is already surpassing almost every song from my last album in popularity on iTunes.

Have you got your holidays yet? If not, listen now and then go and buy the album! The only thing you have to lose is your stress.

NOTE: Management assumes no responsibility for absenteeism as a result of listening to this album.

Holiday Now on iTunes!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 17:20:00 +0000

Wow! iTunes managed to get Every Day's a Holiday processed and available on iTunes in only a week! And people are already checking it out - the song "Every Day's a Holiday" is already being listed as my third most popular. When I get a link for the album, I'll post it to my "Buy" page.

And CDBaby already sold out of my first shipment to them. I've sent more, so if you haven't bought your copy yet, they'll be back in stock in a day or two.

We're playing from coast...to coast...to coast...to coast!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 14:28:00 +0000

The early response to my new album, Every Day's a Holiday, has been fantastic.

I've received broadcast play, starting with a pre-release appearance on KALX in Berkeley CA, on their "Next Big Thing" radio show, then spreading to the "North Coast" in Cleveland OH on WBWC-FM (Island Time Radio Show), and now I've got songs being added to rotation at WIIS-FM (107.1) in Key West itself!

Online it's getting even more exciting, with songs added at RadioIndy, and the pholks at Permanent Vacation Radio have added ten out of the twelve tracks to their rotation.

Come see what the buzz is about on my music page. Read about the album, and then click on the album cover to read more about the individual songs and listen to samples. And then buy a copy for yourself, and another for a friend. Be among the first to be a part of Trop Rock history in the making, and help make that history!

The holidays are just getting started.

Doubleclick holds Internet hostage - film at 11

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Sun, 03 Aug 2008 01:00:00 +0000

I accept that the Internet has to pay for itself *somehow*...but when many of the major sites all use the same ad server, and that ad server is running slowly or not at all...well, it reminds me of the Good Old Days of 56 KBps modems. And not in a good way.

Granted, part of it is doubtless my own fault. I didn't look at the posted schedule before setting my VCR last night. (Yes, 20th Century technology; I'm hopeless, right?) So I somehow missed recording a significant part of the Doctor Who season finale. When I turned on the VCR earlier today, Davros was busily monologging the Doctor and Rose, which implied that a whole lot of something had been going on before my VCR turned itself on last night.

Right. So I start poking around the Internet for a video of the part I missed - they've existed in the past. And every site - BBC's Doctor site, BBC America, SciFi Channel - is loading slowly if at all, and my browser status bar says they're all waiting for content from ad.doubleclick.net.

The gorram ad servers are holding the Internet hostage. On a Saturday, when nobody is likely around to fix whatever problem it is. And I'm pissed.

Wednesday's the day!

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Oasis has shipped my CDs, and they'll arrive sometime Wednesday!

First out the door will be pre-orders, to those individuals with the discerning taste necessary to get theirs ahead of the crowd. :)

Second will be disks for CDBaby, so I can get set up there and start the wheels in motion for things like iTunes.

Third will be all of the Trop Rock DJs and a couple of folks who are likely to review the album.

And I will, of course, have copies along with me at Migration.

I'm excited.

Posters

noreply@blogger.com (Loren Davidson) — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 22:57:00 +0000

Well, the first shipment is in from the duplicators, and it's my 11x17 posters for the new album. They look good, and I'll have to see about posting one somewhere online for the morbidly curious. :)

No sign of the CDs yet, which isn't necessarily a bad omen. Theoretically they were supposed to finish today and ship UPS 2-day. So if they ship Monday, I'll have them Wednesday. Needless to say, with Migration coming up next weekend, I have my fingers crossed. They could even show up on Thursday and I'd be good; I'm not planning to leave here until after rush hour Thursday evening.

I've added the songs off the album to my iPod mix, and they fit right in with the rest of my tropical mix. That's good.