2009!

End of year blog post.

It was a good year for Davey G. I wrote my first draft of my first novel (Nanowrimo 08), played seven Davey G and the Keyboard shows, wrote, wrote songs, and wrote some more. So now what’s up for 2009?

--By June, hopefully you will see the final draft of my novel, The Best of Thunder Johnson. It is the story of a man who makes an unfortunate mistake in his night job at the cable access station, which causes him to become the focus of a disturbed mental patient’s rage. I’ve got good hopes for this one! Check this space for future details!

--A new Davey G set. I hope to revise my set to encompass all new material, including some of the new songs I debuted in 2008, with a sub-set devoted to the classics. (Don’t worry, Man-Friend isn’t going anywhere.)
And while I’m on the subject of shows:

--For this year, I am going to make every attempt to do my act only on weekends, or before holidays or barring that, early on weekdays. This “going on late” thing just isn’t working out for me.

Next show is March 14 at the Sidebar, where I should be going on third, sometime in the afternoon.

--Nanowrimo 09! Nanowrimo 08 changed my life. I hope to make the second novel one to remember.

Those are just a few of the things. I hope to see many of you out at the Davey G show, and hope you enjoy my book when it comes out!

Dave G.



http://www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Next Week at the Sidebar...Davey G!

Hi,
Next week at the Sidebar…
DAVEY G AND THE KEYBOARD
with
Rare Candy
Markitect
and
Contra

Thursday, December 11, 9 p.m.
7 dollars.

The Sidebar is located at
218 E. Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD 21202
http://sidebartavern.com/

Hope to see you there!

--Davey G.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Finished!

Finished writing my novel yesterday.
It is called "The Best of Thunder Johnson."

Details to come...


Davey G.

We are on the edge of the beginning of the far turn, heading toward the backstretch.

A-hem. As of yesterday, November 19, my birthday (thank you) I am at the 35,000 word mark in the National Novel Writing Month challenge of writing a 50, 000 word novel in a month.
The title for this, my first novel is: The Best of Thunder Johnson. I describe it as satire/parody, but it is at this point more about survival than quality. I hope to be finishing up this wonderful little mess I’ve been making (which hopefully will be a gem when I go back to edit later) before the upcoming holiday, but if not, there’s still the better part of a weekend to get this done. So here I go, hope to report back as a Nanowrimo “winner” (all those who get to 50,000 are considered winners) the next time I post.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312315

--Dave “The Novelist” G.

I got a new hat...

...to replace the one that got run over by a train.

Who looks better, me or Homer?

--Dave "The Time Waster" G.

Nanowrimo update

I am now at the halfway point in my 50,000 word novel that I am supposed to write in 30 days. It has taken many turns, and I’m not sure what will happen between now and the dramatic ending I have planned, but it’s been a good run so far.

In other news…I think I will call my children’s album “Rated ‘G’”

Anyway…
check on my progress here.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312315
thanks for reading!
Dave

Positive Press for Davey G and Friends!

Hey everyone,
I just wanted to direct your attention to this review of my last show at the Windup Space. It’s from the Baltimore Examiner.
http://www.examiner.com/x-1201-Baltimore-Band-Examiner~y2008m11d6-Review-Saturday-Nov-1-at-The-WindUp-Space
It's in 2 parts, got to part 2 for the Davey G review.
Thanks!
Dave

Week one of my quest for 50,000 words in a month.

I just wanted to post here to update on my progress on the Nanowrimo challenge of writing a 50,000 word novel in the span of 30 days. It has been one week and so far I am on pace and I just wanted to reflect on what I’ve noticed.
I’m learning a few things about myself, and my writing, and noting how this deviates from my usual writing habits. For one thing, this is not easy. It is very difficult to crap out words when you are unsure that it will ever make it to the re-write stage. For another thing, I have a very, very hard time killing my Inner Editor. My short stories are usually idea-based and they live and breathe through painful editing. This is the exact opposite of that. This is just me trying to plow forward and tell myself that, crap as it might be, I need to keep moving. Quality is not the point.
You see, in the first day or so I sat down and typed, typed , typed and built up a nice word cushion…and then promptly realized that I did not like what I was writing, at least not enough to spend a month with it. So I started to focus on a character I liked and made the story all about him, all the while keeping what I’d written for the sake of word count (and hell, it might still fit in later). So what I have is a delightful mess.
But as Chris Baty, the founder of this event writes, that is probably exactly the point.
Anyway…my word count is 12,008. My story is moving along, but I have no idea where it will go. Stay tuned, be my writing buddy.

http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312315

My First Foray into Novel Writing.

My First Foray into Novel Writing.

It is almost November, and I have been quietly preparing for the National Novel Writing Month, or Nanowrimo.
http://www.nanowrimo.org/

My wife has been encouraging me to do this for the last few years and finally, finally, I am going to undertake the epic quest of writing a 50,000 word novel in the span of 30 days. This a challenge that will trump any of my previous writing accomplishments.

I have an idea, and have been keeping a notebook--all of that will remain a secret until I can actually pump this thing out. My life is already pretty well-structured to accomplish this, with days that are blocked for creative pursuits, and I think I’ve laid down some pretty good writing habits in the last few years that will help with this.

So now I’ve told you. Now I’m Committed. 50 thousand words in 30 days or bust.

I encourage anyone out there to join me, to write their own novel and to be a part of my support group. You can find me at the Nanowrimo site. Be my friend! http://www.nanowrimo.org/eng/user/312315

Saturday will be Day One. It is also the day of my big show at the Windup Space (12 W. North Ave, 9 p.m. Davey G and the Keyboard with Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad, Bene Gesserit Witch and Markitect) I hope you can be a part of one or the other, or both.
www.myspace.com/thewindupspace

(This book will help. It is written by the guy who founded Nanowrimo.)
http://books.google.com/books?id=O8aRltYgWsUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=no+plot+no+problem#PPP1,M1
Thanks a lot! I’ll let you know how it’s going!

Dave.

This Document is 249 words. Now it’s 254. Now it’s 260...

So many video games...

For anyone interested...I am selling my duplicate copies of Atari Games on eBay.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&item=250312028035

Davey G and the Keyboard at the Windup Space!

It's been awhile, but now I have some new songs and am playing with a great line-up at a fabulous new bar. Come out and see!

Saturday, November 1
At the Windup Space
www.myspace.com/thewindupspace
12 W. North Avenue
Baltimore, MD
21201
Doors at 9.
5 bucks

With:
Davey G and the Keyboard
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad
www.betterhollywood.com/dmfs.htm

Bene Gesserit Witch
http://www.myspace.com/benegesseritwitch

Markitect
http://www.myspace.com/mindblowingrock

Come out for a great night of post-Halloween entertainment!

Stuff I'm Reading: Breaking Free, by Herschel Walker

Breaking Free by Herschel Walker

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
Herschel Walker's battle with Dissociative Identity Disorder should be a fascinating story, but I wasn't nearly as interested as I might have thought. I can't tell if the problem lies with the way the book is written or if it's the story itself: do I blame the ghost writers or the man himself for not having an interesting enough story?

I choose to blame the ghost writers, since it was up to them to shape his life in a manner that would make for a better read. (But it doesn't help that there is way too much Jesus in this book.) In better hands, this would have been a good read.

But I commend the fact that Walker came out about this bizzare illness, and it has helped to clear up my own misunderstandings about it. So I will just say that it is only ok.


View all my reviews.

Stuff I'm Reading: The Spy Next Door

The Spy Next Door: The Extraordinary Secret Life of Robert Philip Hanssen, the Most Damaging FBI Agent in U.S. History by Elaine Shannon

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is the true story upon which the movie "Breach" was based, about Robert Hanssen, the man who worked for the FBI and spied for the Soviet Union (and after the breakup of the USSR, Russia) for over 20 years. It is a fascinating story--how this pious, upstanding, downright boring man was able to fool everyone around him as he passed along infomation in "dead drops" as "Ramon Garcia." The more I read, I also gained a real understanding of how something like 9-11 happened without it being uncovered by intelligence agencies. The technology the FBI possessed was behind the times, the flow of information amongst intelligence agencies was poor, plus there was an attitude among the people of the FBI that their agents were of a higher caliber than most people, and were beyond reproach and incapable of such treachery.

The book is written pretty much like an extended magazine article, offering background when needed, trying to offer answers where possible, but still the best answer is that no one really knows why Hanssen did what he did. And to this day the information he sold to our enemies could still be used to hurt us. Frightening stuff.


View all my reviews.

More Davey G musical updates.

I have compiled over a dozen new songs since the last time I played live, and my hope is that maybe half of them are usable. Yesterday I wrote a song called “Frustrating Conversationalist” which will I will probably open with soon, and “Pimple,” a song about keeping your problems in perspective, because it is my solemn hope that Davey G will one day improve your life through my message of self-help and spiritual guidance.
The key to writing Davey G songs, as I’ve learned after all this time, is to just let go and tap into the inner shower-singer in all of us…to record those little moments in the car when I have no radio and I’m singing to myself things like “Bob Bob Bob, Bob Bob or Ann” and wondering if that Beach Boys song is really about a bi-sexual trying to decide if he’s going to spend the night with a boy, Bob, or a girl, Ann. And then someone tells me that the song is actually “Barbara Ann”…but I think that my version is funnier. I digress.

I have 2 shows coming up this fall/winter, with the possibility of a third. The first is Saturday, November 1, at the Windup Space at 12 W. North Avenue in Baltimore. I will be playing with The Dirty Marmaduke Flute Squad, Bene Gesserit Witch and Markitect. This should be a really great show where you can first hear some of the new Davey G material.

I will have another show on Thursday, December 11 at the Sidebar, at 218 E. Lexington Street in Baltimore. Details forthcoming, as this was just arranged yesterday.

Being on my mailing list is the best way to know when the shows happen. Go to the “Contact Me” link on my site and e-mail me, and I will add you.
Thanks for reading today!

--Davey G.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Stuff I'm Reading: America Between the Wars

America Between the Wars: From 11/9 to 9/11 by Derek Chollet

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is a refreshing history that steers clear of editorializing, cheerleading or any of the things that could have made this partisan pap. As the title states, this is a history from the fall of the Berlin Wall (11-9) to 9-11, and how in spite of what we think, 9-11 did not "change everything." The 12 years between the end of the Cold War and the beginning of the War on Terror were years where there was great struggle to determine what the role of the U.S in the world would be--how military and economic issues would shake out in the wake of the fall of Communism. Clinton does not get off easy, neither does Bush, but in revealing faults the authors also show how the U.S' Iraq policy in 2008 is really just an extension of policies that were already in place.

While I love a good book that gleefully trashes the current administration, I really benefited more from this type of history that puts the present into perspective.


View all my reviews.

Kyle, and why VEIP sucks.

Kyle, My hard-luck little car.

This is an update on the status of Kyle, my 1992 Honda Civic VTEC, and why I really hate the Maryland Vehicle Emissions Inspection Program (VEIP).

My car has been unable to pass the VEIP, which is a test that all cars in Maryland have to take every two years to help reduce carbon monoxide and hydrocarbons, thereby helping to control pollution. In theory, I am totally in favor of this. But in practice, it is a seriously messed up system, and here is why.

As some readers may remember, my car had a problem last year where my door did not shut, and therefore I had to hold it shut with a rope and then climb out the passenger’s side door. Because of this, I asked for an extension on my emissions test, as it requires the testers to get in and out of the car. I had three more months to put off taking this test while I tried to figure out the problem. Then, in what I referred to as the Christmas Miracle, Kyle was fixed, and I was overjoyed to finally be able to enter and exit my car like a real person. I immediately took him to the emissions facility…and failed, and was given another three month extension.

One of the ways to get a waiver for this test is if you can show you have spent at least $450 in emissions-related repairs. I took him to my mechanic, and he pretty much said that he’d have a really hard time working up that kind of a bill for me to get a waiver, and furthermore, some older cars just cannot pass this test. And furthermore than that, the VEIP level of $450 is not cumulative. In other words, you can’t drop $200, fail, and then spend another $250 and count it as $450 and get a waiver--you have to spend that much before the test. I decided it would be better to just wait until the three months were almost up and then give Kyle a tune-up and see if that would help.

I waited the three months, got the tune-up (this tune-up would cost about $220)
and went to the emissions place…and failed again. Now what? I wondered.

Question: What happens when your car keeps failing the emissions test?

Answer: Nothing.

Nothing happens. They gave me an inspection certificate with a new due date on it, one month from that date. I went into the office and I asked them, “What happens if my car keeps failing?”
“You keep coming back,” was the answer. And you keep paying $14 every time. And now I have come back and failed the emissions test every month since April. I now have a stack of papers from every failed test, and now I come to my point about why VEIP sucks:
My car, which according to their test which is designed to curb pollution, fails that test every month. According to their test, my car pollutes beyond a reasonable degree. But the only consequence is that I just have to keep coming back and giving them money every month, so that I am complying with the law. I had grave fears that failing emissions meant that I had to take my car off the road or something, but apparently that fear was unfounded. The state of Maryland apparently doesn’t actually care whether my car pollutes or not--they just want me to keep paying $14 a month to stay out of trouble.

What a fucking toothless law. Never mind the fact that my car averages less than 6000 miles a year, that the trip to the emissions place constitutes the most driving I do all month. (I ride my bike everywhere, I walk all the time and my car is mostly for errands or get my equipment to shows, so if anyone is going to accuse me of being “part of the problem” of climate change, they need to calm down.)

It is actually cheaper for me to go ahead and pay the $14 every month than it would be to actually fix my car (and believe me, while I love Kyle, he is 15 years old and I am not putting any more serious money into him).

So to review: My car, while running great, is not passing the VEIP test; the VEIP program is toothless and silly.

Not that I am unhappy that no one’s taking my car off the road or anything, but every month I do this silly pain in the ass trip to the emissions place and every month I fail and every month I give the state of Maryland $14 to keep my “polluting” car on the road.
How does this help the environment?

Davey “The polluter” G.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and his (Parenthetical) Album.

Creative inertia is all about killing the editor inside your head, writing what you want to write without going “nah, that sucks.” There will be plenty of time for others to say that later.
In the last three days I’ve pumped out more writing and new songs than I had in awhile because one idea paves the way for two or three more. For now, I will continue to write songs for the album for which I am using the working title of “(Parenthetical).”

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

New Davey G songs in the works.

I’ve been down in the studio the last few days, putting together words with tunes and I think the results will end up on the next album. As it stands, I have the makings of 8 new songs. This seems to be the way in which I work--a lot of material coming out all at once.
What to look forward to at the next Davey G show: A really bizarre tango song, and a country ditty. And I think my next album might all be songs with parenthetical (like this!) titles. Maybe I’ll call the album “Parenthetical.” Though it’s probably been done before.

With any luck…2 new shows are in the works. Check back, and if you’re not already, get on my mailing list, through the link on my site!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Stuff I'm Reading: Charlatan by Pope Brock

Charlatan: America's Most Dangerous Huckster, the Man Who Pursued Him, and the Age of Flimflam by Pope Brock

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Dr. J.R Brinkley, the world’s greatest quack in the golden age of quacks of the ‘20s and ‘30s, pioneered a technique in which he injected goat testicles into the testicles of men, in an effort to increase their virility. The operation was a fraud, but thousands of patients submitted themselves to this “treatment,” making Dr. Brinkley a very rich man and raising the ire of Dr. Fishbein, the man who eventually brought him down.

Along the way, however, Brinkley also pioneered some non-medical promotional techniques, many of which are still in use today. He helped to popularize early country music, bringing it to the masses as it had never been brought before. His “border blaster” radio transmissions and his airplane tours used in his campaign for Governor of Kansas were the predecessors of many modern political campaign tools. He was a uniquely American creation, almost a folk hero, for whom even the exposure of the fraud he had perpetuated failed to dull his image. And Fishbein’s actions in his effort to bring him down brought about the regulatory teeth of the American Medical Association, thereby (hopefully) ensuring that the doctor you see today has a real degree from a real college and is in fact, licensed to treat you.


View all my reviews.

Apropos of absolutely nothing at all…

I just downloaded The Dollyrots album, “Because I’m Awesome.” They just played in my hometown of Pittsfield Massachusetts, and for possibly the first time ever, I actually wish I could have been back there instead of here.
It’s a three piece power pop/punk with a female singer--lots of fun, great energy, reminds me of The Fastbacks. I got hooked on the title track “Because I’m Awesome” when I thought about changing my name to Mr. Awesome.

Andy Poncherello has hosted this band back in the homeland a few times now and the band itself now claims Pittsfield (my hometown) as its adopted home city on their Myspace page, which gives me a small swelling of pride.
I just wanted to spread the joy and hopefully maybe you’ll like them as much as I do.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Links, recaps...

I haven’t posted in about a month and now I think it’s hard to get back into it. As Jim Gaffigan says in his new routine, “You ever have a friend who you go so long without calling that you decide to end the friendship?” But it’s nothing like that with this blog, I just haven’t been on top of it lately.
So today I’m posting about the things that I have been up to, and maybe a few things that are upcoming.

*The July 3 show at the Sidebar turned out to be the best show of the 4 that I have played in the last 2 months (lot of numbers, I know.) There were lots of people there, and many of the more rabid new fans stood right up front, which was admittedly a little disturbing. I was a somewhat nervous when I realized that I would be unable to play through my second keyboard due to technical difficulties, and I had to reorganize my set. But 8 years of keyboardin’ means I have a lot of songs in the tank.

*Weird Al, July 11, Pier 6 in Baltimore. Great, once again.

*Jim Gaffigan, July 18, Landmark Theater in Richmond, VA. Hot Pockets! The Sexy Tour. He is a funny man.

*July 19. Visited the Museum of the Confederacy and the Confederate White House in Richmond. Not as disturbing as you might think. I’m a big history fan, and the White House is an absolute must see if you are another history fan.

*Saw The Dark Knight. Stop screwing around and go see this freakin’ movie!

I’m getting back to writing some more. I plan to come out with the next Davezine (#14) this fall, the issue about Bad Roommates. I decided that the format to my zine will change a little. After 3 years of short stories (a novella, even) I think I want to go back to a shorter form that may be more inviting to new readers. This one should also have some contributors.
We’ll see about the fall schedule of performances. I will of course post any new shows in this space.

That is all for now. Thanks for reading my blog today!

Davey G.

If you have been missing Davey G...

Davey G and the Keyboard at the Sidebar!
Thursday, July 3

Recently I have been playing some of the best shows of my Davey G and the Keyboard career, with eight year’s worth of songs, two keyboards and countless bottles of lotion. I invite you to come out to see the next one and see what you’ve been missing!

With
The Aggromatics,
Media Darling
Rocky 3
Singleton.

(probably a 7 dollar cover for this wonderful line-up)

The Sidebar is located at 218 E. Lexington Street, at the corner of Lexington and Guilford. On-street parking is available in front of the club, on Guilford, or on Lexington by the courthouse.

Metro Gallery. 6-15

With Everthus the Deadbeats, Person Parcel, and Quartet Offensive.

There is certainly an advantage to having done a show a few days earlier--this is as close as I get to a “touring” mentality, where I might play consecutive days. This time, it was the Metro Gallery, my first time there.
Nice space--good size, comfortable seating, the sound is really kick-ass. When their bar is in place, I believe this will become the trifecta of performance spaces: comfort for the crowd, good sound with a nice sized stage for the musicians, and a bar for everyone.

To the show itself…it was truly an eclectic mix, starting with my low budget musical comedy, and ending with Jazz.
I opened, and largely played the same set as I did at the Sidebar. The one difference is a change I will probably effect into all my shows now, and that is the inclusion of a plastic tarp to catch the lotion from the “lotion” bit. It made the bit funnier, because it was putting a lot more production into this silly-ass bit that I’ve been doing for eight years. Good show for me.

Everthus the Deadbeats (from Indianapolis, Indiana) played a great show--versatile musicians who switched instruments, I thought of it as a weird cross between the Doors, Country Music from another planet, and the Cramps. But I’m really not sure if that covers it. Good stuff!

Person Parcel (My second time with them.) Gary B. and Ryn with an acoustic guitar and vocals, a folky, catchy, sing-along-foot stomping show. They are a fun duo.

I was packed up and on my way out during Quartet Offensive, which is in no way meant to diminish their music, but such is the reality of the Sunday night show.

I hope that some of you can make it out to my next show, which will be at the Sidebar on Thursday, July 3.

6-11, Sidebar

Tough night. It being Wednesday, in the summertime, with many people either needing to get up for work in the morning, or still at work or just unable to be up at midnight to see a Davey G show…turnout was light. I had to summon forth the words of (of all people) Henry Rollins, who wrote about this in Get in the Van--he was talking about playing a show where only 2 people came. He was pissed off about it, until someone changed his mind and told him that it shouldn’t matter: those 2 people came, they paid, and they deserved to see as good a show as he could do. Remembering that, I did the best show I could do. And as far as that went, it was great. The people there, the other bands, their friends were very energetic and happy to be there.

Some of my best stuff came out last night. As I played to this room, “Fantasy World,” with its’ message about how nothing I do will ever matter, really rang true (but believe me, if you know me personally, you know that I am optimistic to the point of obnoxiousness, and this “message” is only half-serious). And when I rebounded from that depressing song with my happy anthem of self-affirmation, “I am a Champion” I really put my heart into it. I put “Wash the Dish” at the end, with all my annoyance and “professional” frustration on display. While I would liked to have played for a packed house, sometimes it’s just better to have those few people who really enjoy what I’m doing.

Fourth Grade Security Risk could be like my musical cousin--he plays with keyboards and his songs are really funny. He also has a really good singing voice. I told him so.
http://www.fgsr.net/

Markitect was again, great--guitars with sequencers a la (here you go again with this comparison) Atom and His Package. The songs are catchy, fun, and funny. He talks a lot. That’s what he says when he’s on the stage. But I don’t mind.
www.myspace.com/mindblowingrock


Rare Candy, an offshoot of Entertainment System, are a video game music band. There is some amazing musical talent here, performed very tight--I really think the keyboardists are terrific. They make me feel inferior about my own keyboarding.
http://www.myspace.com/rarecandyband

Books I'm Reading.

(I'm going to go back to putting my book reviews on my blog...here's one now)

The Ten-Cent Plague: The Great Comic-Book Scare and How It Changed America by David Hajdu

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
This book is about that period of time after World War II and before the advent of TV and Rock ‘N Roll, when Comic books were seen as a scourge, a threat to the moral fiber of the country, meant to be stamped out at all costs. It’s pretty shocking to realize how little has changed, how every few years there is some new thing that reactionary types need to hold as responsible for society’s evils. There is never a sense of the “shit happens” or the ability to see a big picture. As a result, the comic industry, with all the talented artists and writers were destroyed, giving way to a new wave of comics with superheroes with pure morals and no ambiguity. Lost forever were the great books of the pre-comic code era, some of which I have in reprints from the ‘90s. Comics were forced to become squeaky-clean, and the wave of comic book hysteria described in this book is to blame.


View all my reviews.

shows

Hi Everyone,
Come out this Wednesday for my next show!

If you miss that, I’m also playing a show on Father’s Day at the Metro Gallery.
Sunday, June 15
Davey G and the Keyboard at the Metro Gallery! With Everthus the Deadbeats, Person Parcel and Quartet Offensive. 1700 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Doors at 8!

Hope to see you there!




(to unsubscribe from this list, write “Unsubscribe” in the subject line of an e-mail)

The Summer of G!

Let's just make this official...it's the Summer of G!

The Summer of G!
Davey G and the Keyboard’s June/July Shows!


Wednesday, June 11
Davey G and the Keyboard At the Sidebar! With Markitect and Fourth Grade Security Risk! 218 E. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Doors at 9!
http://www.sidebartavern.com/

Sunday, June 15
Davey G and the Keyboard at the Metro Gallery! with Everthus the Deadbeats, Person Parcel and Quartet Offensive. Doors at 8!
www.themetrogallery.net

Thursday, July 3
Davey G and the Keyboard at the Sidebar! With S1NGLETON, Rocky 3(PA), Media Darling and Aggromatics.
218 E. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Doors at 9!
http://www.sidebartavern.com/

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and the Keyboard’s June/July Tour Dates!

Strap Yourself in, Kids!

June
June 1. No show.
June 2. No show.
June 3. No show.
June 4. Off
June 5. Off.
June 6. No show.
June 7 Off
June 8. Off
June 9. Nothing happening tonight
June 10. Or tonight.
June 11. Davey G and the Keyboard At the Sidebar! With Markitect and Fourth Grade Security Risk! 218 E. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Doors at 9!
June 12. Hey, I just played last night, what the hell do you expect?
June 13. Off.
June 14. Nope.
Sunday, June 15th, 2008. Davey G and the Keyboard at the Metro Gallery!
www. themetrogallery. net
with Everthus the Deadbeats
Person Parcel
Quartet Offensive
Doors are at 8pm.
June 16. Off.
June 17. No show.
June 18. No Davey G show tonight.
June 19. Nope.
June 20. Off.
June 21. Hey, Man, I got a life outside of Davey G.
June 22. No show.
June 23. Davey G will not be appearing tonight.
June 24. No.
June 25. No shows for a few days.
June 26. Off
June 27. Off.
June 28. Nothing.
June 29. Zilch,
June 30. Off night.
July
July 1. Off
July 2. No show.
July 3. Davey G and the Keyboard at the Sidebar! 218 E. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Doors at 9!
The last night of the Tour!
With other bands TBA!

Much excitement!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

I Saw a Laser Printer…

Davezine numbers 9 through the most recent Davezine 13 (not including number 11) have all been printed on the trusty HP PSC 750, an inkjet printer/scanner/copier which I have used the living crap out of ever since picking it up sometime in 2002 (or maybe it was 2001?). I have plowed ahead with this printer, using it far beyond its’ intended capacity, even as the panel instructions were displayed in French, refilling the ink after about every 400 or so copies. It has been a finicky, yet durable little guy, and as I am unnaturally loyal to inanimate objects (my partner is a keyboard), it is always hard to admit that I need to move on and make an upgrade.

I decided that Davezine Number 13 would be the last zine to come from the PSC 750. I can describe the process of assembling this zine at home with a printer that only does about 6 pages a minute, but let’s just say it takes an unnaturally long time to put out, say 100 copies of a 40 page publication with this kind of technology. It is with the zine, and my sanity in mind that I look to the future of the Davey G enterprise.

I am buying a new printer. Don’t know exactly when, or what kind (but I have some ideas) and it will be a laser printer. Life has been pretty good to me, and I can actually afford to move out of these dark ages and start printing like a real man.


UPDATE: …and I got one!

I wrote that last part this morning, then decided to look on-line, resuming the search I had started a few weeks ago. And then I went to Staples. And they had the one I was looking for: an HP LaserJet 3055. A clearance discount, and I got the very last one in the store.

I hooked it up, and let me tell you: HOLY CRAP!!! These copies absolutely blow away my old printer. Just for the hell of it, I am copying Davezine #10. Yes. I am now printing like a real man.


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
(if you can believe it, I have 3 new shows coming up to announce, so stay handy, or tuned in, or whatever the kids are saying...)

A Triumph...

Saturday, May 3, 2008
Free Comic Book Day.

This was an outdoor show at a rather large gathering. I find there are two types of shows that I play, and each is a different challenge. The first type is the one where people come to see a live performance, where they have paid money and know what they are getting into when they come. The second type is the one where I am playing somewhere, at a party or whatever and there may be a lot of people there but they are not necessarily interested in seeing me or my music. It is then the challenge of trying to win over those people who may or may not even care. This is essentially what this show was for me.

I was playing at one in the afternoon and I tailored my set to be what I called “PG-13.” That is, no STD’s, no I Love Crack and no F-words. Even so, my set will never be exactly child-friendly. I still use bad words like “ass” and “Goddamn,” but Goddammit my ass was at least trying. It went well--I did 12 songs, captured on my 3 dollar tape recorder. I had spent the week making practice tapes and as I listen to the tape made of this show, it is not very much different--which is kind of the point. I was pleased. Now if only I can start bringing my camera to these things, next time I will have more/better pictures for you--this was a colorful crowd of costumed superheroes, little kids, middle-aged comic book fans, punk rockers, and parents of little kids.

Big thanks to the Mandroids for inviting me, Pablonius Bill and Person Parcel for playing. Thanks to Collector’s Corner. Apologies to the bands I didn’t stick around for because I had to go to work.

Anyone who wants a copy of one of the remaining 4 cassette tapes from a week’s worth of practices leave a comment and I will see what I can do.

Thanks for reading! More shows coming up soon!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Saturday's Line-up for Free Comic Book Day!

The Line-up (with approximate times)

1-1:20 Davey G. & the Keyboard
1:25-1:45 Person Parcel
1:50-2:10 Mandroids
2:15-2:35 Pablonious Bill
2:40-3:00 Rare Candy

Saturday at the Collector’s Corner…
Free Comic Book Day!
8108 A Harford Road
Baltimore, MD
21234


Hope to see you there!

--DGK

Davey G’s Experiment in sales of single copy analog cassette tapes (OR…would anyone actually want that?)

Davey G’s Experiment in sales of single copy analog cassette tapes (OR…would anyone actually want that?)


I am trying something radically different for this next show…at least, I am offering something I have never offered before: a very unique look into my practice regimen. You see, for this show only, I am making recordings of my practices which will be available for sale at my show on Saturday. Only one copy of each practice will exist, making it one of a kind. Oh yeah--it’s cassette tape only. Analog. And there will only by 5: one for each practice this week. So you need to jump on it, if you want a copy.
Each tape is 15 songs long--my set, warts and all, and will be available for 3 bucks.

Saturday’s (probable) Set:

Handshake
Drinking Beer at Grandma’s House
Sandwich
Bed
Office Supply Store
Irritating
Chairman of the Keyboard
Fantasy World
I am a Champion
Wash the Dish
Atari Generation
Be My Friend
Lotion
Man-Friend
Breaking the Law.

Come out to the Collector’s Corner this weekend for free Comic Book Day!
8108 A Harford Road
Baltimore, MD
21234
With Davey G and the Keyboard, the Mandroids, Pablonious Bill, and Person Parcel!



Come around noon to catch the bands--I’ll try to update you on times as soon as I can!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G at Free Comic Book Day, May 3!

Yes, it's true. I'm playing the Free Comic Book Day at Collector's Corner on Harford Road. This is a free show, with the Mandroids!
Collector's Corner
8108 A Harford Road
Baltimore, MD
21234
Around 1 pm.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davezine #13 now available!!!

Davezine #13
With
Low Level Bureaucrats 3:
The Rise of the Collective
(the conclusion of the Low Level Bureaucrats Trilogy)
40 pages,
$3
Available now!

Order it now by going to my site and using PayPal.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
Or you can also send 3 dollars, plus a dollar for postage to me:
Dave Cookson
P.O Box 23568
Baltimore, MD
21203
I will send it to you immediately, if not sooner.

Or, finally, get it at these fine stores:

Atomic Books
1100 W. 36th Street, Baltimore, MD 21211
www.atomicbooks.com

Reptilian Records
2545 N. Howard Street,
Baltimore, MD 21218
www.reptilianrecords.com

Enjoy!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G shirt found at Goodwill!

"I donated it after he signed with a major label. Man, what a sell-out!"

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

My new zine will be available Monday!

After more than a year since the last one, Davezine #13 will hit the streets this Monday, March 31st. Low Level Bureaucrats 3: The Rise of the Collective. Look for it on-line (look for the link here soon!) or at many local stores (also to be listed here.) Initial readings of the zine have been positive, and I can’t wait for everyone to check it out.

Read Low Level Bureaucrats 3: The Rise of the Collective! THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE THE COLLECTIVE …

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Sidebar, 3-20 wrap-up.

photos by 1L Productions, Inc.
with Entertainment System,
Pieness,
Scout,
and
Markitect.
It was one of those nights where I might have had too long to hang around, resulting in a very “balls-to the wall” sort of effort that can only happen when you’re musically backed-up are really hyped up to perform.

Markitect opened the show playing with a guitar/laptop one man band set-up, a la Atom and His Package, and had a very professorly way about him as he explained his songs and responded to the crowd (or to the dumb comments I made). Pieness’ video game based solo act was a big hit, a great lead-in for the Entertainment System, who really rocked this evening. I really felt like there was a good fit here, with fans who truly grasped the esoterics of the video-gaming world. Scout played with great energy and seemed to win a number of fans from those assembled, even though this was the only non-electronic or video-game related act of the night.

My act was an attempt to move forward in the land of Davey G. I tried out some new things, played with two keyboards and did five songs I’d never before played live. It was a little bit of a curveball for me, and I think that was good. I might not want to scream so much next time, but it worked for this show.
I couldn’t find my bag with the lotion in it for that bit, but I started playing anyway while everyone hunched down in that “searching” position to look for it, to much unplanned amusement. Matty found it and the result of the search was the satisfying conclusion to a great show of 2008.

All in all, it was a good bill of many worthy champions of the Baltimore music machine, and I was proud to have helped put it together. I am thankful to everyone who came out for this, and as always, a big thanks to the Sidebar for having me.

See you next time!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
Check out some video from the show here!
gen.metacafe.com/watch/1176911/sidebar/

Something Very Special for Tonight.

Although the scheduled release date for the new Davezine #13 is not until March 31, for a limited (and I mean very limited) few, I have made advance copies, which will be available tonight at the Davey G and the Keyboard show at the Sidebar.

So if you are thinking about coming out, and need another reason, put availability of Davezine #13, The Rise of the Collective on your list.

See you there!

Doors/show at 8. 5 bands, me last. With Markitect, Pieness, Entertainment System, and Scout. Come!



www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

After St. Patty's Day...

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

After this day is done (I work at an Irish Pub, so I will be glad when the busiest days of the year are over!) and you’ve had a few days to recover, I invite you to check out a great show: my first of 2008, and my first with my new dual-keyboard set-up.
This Thursday, Sidebar Tavern, 218 E. Lexington Street in Baltimore!

Davey G and the Keyboard, Entertainment System, Pieness, Scout, and Markitect.


Hope to see you there!


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
--Davey G and the Keyboard

10 reasons why you should see the next Davey G and the Keyboard show

1. You haven’t seen me since November.
2. I’m going to be playing 5 songs that I have never before done live.
3. It’s your chance to see a grown man covering himself in lotion.
4. All the accompanying acts are great, hand-picked by Davey G!
5. You loved the new CD, but you missed the CD release.
6. You never got the new CD, and you really want it.
7. It’s on a Thursday, so if it sucks, at least you’ve still got the weekend (joke stolen from the late Richard Jeni)
8. The Cosby show has been off the air for years, so your Thursday should be free.
9. Speaking of TV…maybe somebody can TIVO “Lost” and we can make a party out of it the next night.
10. If you’ve never seen me before, then this would be a great chance. If you’ve never seen me before, man, where’ve you been?


Next Thursday at the Sidebar, 8 p.m. See you there!

--DGK.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

March 20th! Davey G at the Sidebar!

Hello Everyone!

I am pleased to announce the very first Davey G and the Keyboard show of 2008, coming on Thursday, March 20th!
At the Sidebar Tavern, 218 E. Lexington Street in Baltimore!
It’s Davey G and the Keyboard, in my first Baltimore show after the Chairman of the Keyboard CD release, in all my pre-set lotion-spewing goodness, with new songs to boot!
With
Entertainment System,
Pieness,
Scout,
and
Markitect.


Hope to see you there!


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

My hat was run over by a train.

Yes, I appreciate the irony.



www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davezine Myspace Page

Hey Everyone,

Davezine is my personal fiction zine, which I have been doing for about 13 years.
My stories are often about desperate people in unusual situations--comedic political stories, messed-up quasi gay Porn, stories about childhood issues, what have you. If you are the type of person who would enjoy reading a story about a person whose impotency medication makes him retarded, you are my kind of reader.

My influences, if this helps you: Christopher Buckley, Kurt Vonnegut, The Simpsons, Arrested Development (the TV show), Charles Bukowski, the city I live in, the city I used to live in, my messed up family.

The latest ones have been the Low Level Bureaucrats saga, about a troubled city not unlike Baltimore, who elect a mayor on the basis of his promise to eliminate meter maids.

My long dormant myspace page has been updated to serve as the page for all things relating to Davezine, and I am inviting you to check it out. It has links to the Davezine catalog, covers to all the zines, and a new blog with previews of the upcoming Davezine #13, which will be out this March.

Visit the page, be my friend, be my friend, be my fucking friend. And then look for the new Davezine, coming soon!

Thanks!

Davey G.

myspace.com/davezine

News about the up-coming Davezine 13!

At the risk of cursing myself-- with the exception of some proof-reading, some editing, a change or two here and there, I am proud to say that
Low Level Bureaucrats 3: The Rise of the Collective is done!

Working nearly every available day, getting frustrated with dead ends and a story that has gone through multiple re-workings, now I have a (mostly) finished story, which concludes the Low Level Bureaucrats Trilogy--at least as far as the print version goes. I have decided that any future adventures in Beatown will live on-line.

I started Low Level Bureaucrats way back in 2004. It was an idea I had to write a story about a guy who runs for mayor on a platform of eliminating meter maids. That story took me about 8 months to write, and ultimately it played a role in returning Davey G and the Keyboard to the stage at the 2005 Davezine 11 release after a 3 year hiatus.

In 2006, I wrote Low Level Bureaucrats 2: (Karl) Love Story , which turned out to be one of my easiest writing experiences ever, with none of the usual hesitation and re-working that had gone into previous stories. I had the idea, I worked on it steadily for 3 months, and it just came out.

Part 3 was not so easy. As some readers may know, I had worked on Part 3 for months and months and struggled along to get 12 pages of a story that I just didn’t like. Not that it was bad, but it appeared that I’d been watching the Simpsons too much, and had maybe unconsciously copped a plot-line that, while not bad, just wasn’t one that I was happy ending the trilogy with.

Then I came across the article about how a drug for Restless Leg Syndrome leads to the side effect of gambling. This inspired me to re-imagine Karl Love’s gambling addiction of LLB 2 into a side effect from a drug used to treat his Freudian Slip. And then I thought about things in my adopted home town of Baltimore that really irritate the hell out of me, and it morphed into a story that I feel effectively wraps up the trilogy, and serves as catharsis for…those things that irritate the hell out of me in Baltimore. (see: the Parochialist).
And even that story hit a snag. I blasted something out in two months, then had to go back and rework at least half of it. (The lesson here: plan your stories before you write them, you will thank yourself for it later.)
But very soon, Davezine Number 13, featuring Low Level Bureaucrats 3: the Rise of the Collective will come out for all to read.

Look for my new Davezine at the end of March! I will announce it here, on my blog, on my site, on myspace, mailing list--wherever you are reading this!

For back issues, (Davezine 1-12) here’s the link to my catalog!
http://davecookson.tripod.com/testcatalog.html

Your First Announcement for New Davey G shows!

After the big Chairman of the Keyboard CD release in November, followed by the final show of the year in Massachusetts (in front of a great hometown crowd!) Davey G and the Keyboard went underground. You see, I kept a secret from everybody for 6 months, a secret that by now is out in the open, especially to anyone who has taken a gander at my blog or my myspace page recently: Michele and I got married, in a Las Vegas ceremony.
If you didn’t get invited, don’t be insulted: no one did. It was completely planned, and had been in the works for 6 months, but we kept it from everyone because, well, we just wanted it that way. And because of this, I was busy, and then after the wedding, I extended the break.
Now, I am pleased to announce that I am returning to the stage in 2008 with 2 shows in the month of March.

Saturday, March 1, the Hole in the Wall Cabaret!
http://www.holeinthewallcabaret.com/
For now, they are doing their thing at “Loads of Fun” on 120 W North Ave, in beautiful midtown Baltimore Maryland.

And
Thursday, March 20, Sidebar Tavern.
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
The Sidebar - 218 E. Lexington Street - Baltimore, MD 21202
Doors at 9.
With Pieness, and the Entertainment System, and another act or two TBA.

All this info is preliminary--that is, the shows are confirmed but the details are still forthcoming. Just thought you might like to know, so you can save the date(s).

Keep reading, I should have more info to share soon!

--DGK.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Good Reads Plug

Hi there,
I have been on goodreads.com for a little while now, and I just wanted to invite anyone interested to check out my book reviews. It's a great site for people like me who are always on the lookout for the next "good read." Join, be my friend, we'll be smarter together, it'll be much more funner.

You can read more reviews like this one:


The Bluest State by Jon Keller

Being from Massachusetts and having a moderately liberal bent, I treated this book with skepticism at first, thinking that it was just another right-wing bashing of liberalism and all it’s supposed evils: it’s not. It is an examination of how the politics of the state are destroying the Democratic Party on a national level.
As a journalist who has covered Mass. Politics for almost 30 years, Keller does not have to look too far to see what is wrong with his home state, and at the end it seems to come back to Baby Boomer politicians, both Republican and Democrat, who infuse politics with their own narcissism and sense of entitlement. From the Kennedy excesses, to the debacle of the Big Dig (in which a structural problem was responsible for the death of 2 people a month after it opened), to rampant Political Correctness (“what the f___ is a holiday tree?”) this book opens it up and tells us what happens when one group is entrenched, in charge, and aloud to screw things up unabated.
I left Massachusetts 14 years ago and have never looked back, and apparently I am not alone.

What I learned: When any one party, Democratic, Republican, what have you, is in charge for too long, it is human nature for that party to turn corrupt in an effort to hold on to that power.


Note: This is a great companion piece to the brilliant “What’s the Matter with Kansas?” by Tom Frank.
I would recommend two other books: “Growing Up Fast” by Joanna Lipper and “Foul Ball” by Jim Bouton as great examples of books about my hometown which illustrate, on a personal level, how things are so screwed up in the Bay State because of cronyism (Foul Ball) and economic depression (Growing up Fast)

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Deleted Scenes.

I haven't posted much lately, what with just getting married and work and all, but I've really been workng my ass off on my personal writing projects. Plus, I have this idea for my next Davezine, which will feature Low Level Bureaucrats 3, and...deleted scenes from the story I scrapped!
This is the intro to that section that I am working on. I hope you enjoy it!
--Dave G.




Low Level Bureaucrats 3 has taken many turns since I began it so many months ago. I thought it might be fun if I presented the version of LLB3 that I scrapped as “deleted scenes,” like on a DVD.
The basic summary of that story was this:

Karl Love, disguised as a younger man named Kyle Jones, seduces Loretta the meter maid to get an “in” to the heavily fortified Beatown Parking Authority. Jones waits for a crucial piece of equipment to arrive that will enable him to execute his plans. While he waits, he stumbles upon a fetish for women in meter maid uniforms, which makes the sex between him and Loretta amazing. Meanwhile, Loretta, happy in her current position, gets summoned into her supervisor’s office and is promoted to a job she doesn’t want. She quits her job in protest and comes home to Jones, only to find that he is no longer as attracted to her now that she is not a meter maid.

Loretta spends her days looking for another job. She goes to job interviews and feeds the meters. Jones spends all day on the internet looking at meter maids and waiting for the device to arrive. Eventually he finds a meter maid that he brings home and has sex with, while stealing her security badge. Jones tries to pick up his package, but is frustrated by the incompetence of Shit Ex (the corporation formed when a local shipping company merged with a popular laxative) and is told to wait at home tomorrow. Loretta looks around at the crop of meter maids which are a “disgrace to the position,” but she turns her back to it-- “the world is just going to have to get by without the best meter maid in the department.”

Loretta becomes suspicious of Jones, who only stays because he waiting for his package. She goes to a job interview that takes three hours, thinking that she will be getting a parking ticket--then is pissed off when she doesn’t get one. “What the fuck! I was in there for three hours and I don’t even get a parking ticket!” She marches back to the Beatown Parking Authority to get her job back, roughs up William Shatner (the boss who was a dead ringer for the Canadian actor, who in fact changed his name to confuse everyone) on his way out to his car, and then suits up in her old powder blue uniform and goes on a tear, writing tickets left and right.
Meanwhile, the detonator arrives, and Jones is thrilled. He is just about to leave the apartment when Loretta comes back, full of confidence in her powder blue uniform. He drops what he’s doing to make love to her on the floor…
…then afterward discovers his cheating, and is more incensed that he is cheating with a meter maid of inferior quality.

He leaves, sneaks in to the BPA, plants his devices in the meters--”all I need is one!” and then she finds out what he has been doing on-line, and stumbles across his plan to destroy Beatown. She calls the authorities (“Don’t put any money in the meter!”), then follows him where she thinks he will be. The two confront one another, and Jones destroys Beatown.

I thought the idea was really funny, but as I worked on it for months and months and got stuck, I came across the idea that I really wanted to be working on. It came from an article about a drug used to treat Restless Leg Syndrome, which claims compulsive gambling as one of it’s side effects. For whatever reason, it got me to thinking: what if Karl Love’s gambling compulsion of LLB 2 had actually been the result of his taking a drug that he used to treat his Freudian Slip? And the idea morphed into the story I have presented as Low Level Bureaucrats 3: The Rise of the Collective, which I wrote in two months.

And I was left with 12 pages of material destined for the trash can (or the recycle bin on my desktop). But one again my plucky resourcefulness kicked in, and I thought, what if I just made Davezine 13 a sort of a collection of the best of the gags that would otherwise be lost…like the deleted scenes/alternate endings on a DVD? So here we are.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

ps--new show announcements soon!

A new year in Davey G.

I guess this may be a little late (seeing as how the new year started 2 weeks ago) but I wanted to offer a preview of what is on my agenda for this year, both in Davey G and the Keyboard and the Davezine…before my wife and I start having cats and I’m forced to end my career, get a real job and spend all my money on cat food.

* The Davey G live album (release date undetermined, but probably late in the year), courtesy of the Baltimore Taper. It is a great live recording of my last show at the Hamilton Arts Collective (really, really hope they can get back in business!)

* Davezine Number 13 (going to shoot for March), with Low Level Bureaucrats 3, which will conclude the saga of Beatown.

* 6 more shows, to keep up the “a show every other month” thing.

* My Autobiographical book, the “How I Became Mr. Awesome” story. This may take some time.

* An expanded collection of three of my longer stories, presented in a novel form. This may involve some severe revisions of stuff I wrote as long as 10 years ago, but I think I have some good stuff that would work together.

I also had a dream one night that there was a graphic novel version of my 2001 story Little Bits of Heaven, and the idea has never left my head. I may bug you more about this to help me make this a reality (seriously--I need an artist who would be willing to spend some time on this and probably make very little money. If you know anyone who might be good for this, let me know!) But for now that’s just a dream.

Anyway, I hope 2008 is a good one for you! Keep reading and listening and coming out to Davey G shows!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Criticism

Davey G and the Keyboard was recently the target of some vicious criticism, in print, from someone who apparently was not going to like it no matter what (Let me just say that this person objected to the fact that I play with a Casio keyboard, supposedly indicating a lack of seriousness--nothing could be further from the truth--and the rest of this blurb flowed from that rather unfair prejudice). Rather than respond to it directly, or dignify it by even mentioning it’s source [no, it’s not my arch enemy on Park Ave.] , I would like to offer some thoughts for others who may experience the same thing.

The best criticism, they say, is done in private, with a loving arm around your shoulder, and is never meant to embarrass or hurt.
And then there’s the other kind. The flat-out mean, the “I didn’t get it but I’m going to shit on it anyway” sort of unconstructive stuff that can only lead the person criticized to discouragement.

I invite myself open to criticism every time I get up on stage, or anytime anyone listens to my music, and though this may be shocking for me to admit, people don’t always love me. It’s just a fact of life, and I accept that.

It was especially obvious back in the days I performed at the comedy club. A lot of the times I would do two shows a night, and often it was bittersweet--the early crowd might absolutely adore me, and then a different later crowd would hate me. What it taught me is that I am the same every time: it’s the audience who changes. That is not to say that people are “wrong” not to laugh, or to enjoy my act--it is just to say that sometimes the situation can be stacked against you and there is just no saving it. That is when I just have to trust that I know what I’m doing and get through it, even if I’m not feeling the love from the crowd.

In the last three years of performing as Davey G and the Keyboard (of a total of seven), I haven’t really had a bad show (thankfully) and I have been doing this for so long that my act truly “is what it is.” If someone doesn’t like it, there really is no changing it. And that is what I tell myself, the thought that helps me deal with harsh words: I know what I do is good, because I feel it, because many, many people (who have nothing to gain by kissing my ass) tell me it’s good, because it is me, and it flows from me.

“All Art is a search for truth,” my old acting teacher said, and while I do not believe what I do is Art, for me it is truth. No bad words against me are ever going to shake me from that truth.

Thanks for reading!

--DGK.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and Michele D. just got Married!

More info here.
www.theAwesomes.com