Transformers Movie

Transformers is about a group of robots with the ability to transform into automobiles and various other mechanical things, who come to earth to find the Allspark, the source of power and creation on their world, which was long since decimated by war.
This is a wet dream for anyone of my generation... (continued here)
http://imdb.com/title/tt0418279/usercomments-568

all my comments... http://imdb.com/user/ur15766810/comments

Monday...an important Davey G post!!!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

IMDB.com for future movie reviews

Lately I have been putting my movie reviews up on IMDB.com, and now I would like to direct readers to this site for all future reviews. I realize the blog hasn’t been about Davey G and The Keyboard stuff lately, but I still feel like I have a lot to say regardless. I will put part of all reviews here and if anyone is interested in the whole thing you can click on the link. Enjoy any and all my reviews on IMDB.com!

Sicko

Sicko may be Michael Moore’s best, though I will always hold Roger And Me close to my heart. I’ve never seen another film that so effectively makes me laugh while making a point about something horrible, like the U.S health care system…
http://imdb.com/title/tt0386032/usercomments-143


http://imdb.com/user/ur15766810/comments (all my reviews)

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Stuff I'm Reading: Amway--the Cult of Free Enterprise

Amway: The Cult of Free Enterprise by Steve Butterfield

Amway is more than just a company: it is a movement, based on conformity and a devaluation of human relationships. Everybody exists either to help you sell stuff or they are “stinking thinkers” who are of no value to you.
A lot of the time this book is so shocking because the author’s tone (up until the climactic chapters) is so dispassionate and matter of fact. He really just lays it out: Amway’s approach on marriage, the family, sex, etc., to the point where it is easy to forget that we’re talking about a company and not an actual cult. I have found myself so shocked at the information within this book, and it is compounded by the really great job Butterfield did in capturing the culture of this group.
Of course, I think Amway is only an extreme example of what goes on in a corporate mentality--even the smaller ones. It is easier to control and maintain people who think that what they are doing is in their own best interests who "love" the company. Amway's perverse use of love to sell their products is enough to sicken anyone, making one doubt the very meaning of love.
I did a six month stint at a grocery store a few years back, and the attitude of many of the workers reminds me of the Amway mentality: people thrilled to work overtime, praising the company’s health plan (which I was screwed out of because I was “part time” at just 39 hours), just a general feeling that The Company Saved my Life. It was a little eerie.
A job is a job and that’s it. Let me work and leave me alone.
This book was chilling. Even though it is over 20 years old, the web research I’ve done would indicate that little has changed. A quick google search shows me that the author died about 5 years ago. This work is an excellent testament to this man’s writing ability and his desire to use the truth to set people free.

Amazon link.

A great site about Amway that led me into the quest for this book.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

I’ve got a secret…a dirty secret.

The Secret: a movie I watched today.

I was writing, or trying to write a post about this movie but it just got so ridiculous I didn’t really feel like exposing everyone to what I thought about it. I did something that I never, ever do, and I actually read through nearly all of the user comments on IMDB about it. For some reason, this movie inspires a visceral reaction to it’s ideas. I admit, I’m fascinated by the way people hate it.

So screw it, here goes.

The basic premise of this movie is that the energy you put forth teaches the universe how to treat you--whatever you feel, whatever you want, the world has a way of making sure you get it, whether it is good or bad. Put forth positive energy, and good things tend to happen, and vice versa for negativity.

My criticisms: some cheesy production, and the ideas presented, as I understand them, are not new. And in all honesty, the assumption is that everyone who wants something is essentially good, with no bad motives or desires. Adolph Hitler can visualize the destruction of the Jews and it’s okay because he just really wants it (I stole this idea from Dan Savage in his book The Commitment, thank you!). People are not inherently good. They are not bad either, they merely are. The Secret is pretty much like watching an episode of Oprah except Oprah never shows up. Which is weird. (I actually think that Miracle Man guy they showed was on Oprah.)
One of the things that I think is so hilarious is reading reviews on IMDB and seeing how violently against this movie people are. I just read one that called it a “scam.” And a “lie.” Like they are selling Amway or something (but this site is more fun!) . Where exactly is the scam, or the lie? I just wonder what about this so plainly irritates people. (Granted, the internet is probably not the best indicator of opinion--I think people are much more likely to go on-line about stuff they hate then about stuff they like, but come on.)
I have read reviews that say how much this movie insults poor starving children in Africa and Jews who died in the Holocaust because apparently they didn’t wish hard enough to get out of their situations. I say this is bullcrap--if you understand Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, you see that self-actualization occurs after all the other basic issues of food, safety and security are addressed. (if you believe in Maslow, but as the internet keeps teaching me, not everyone does.) So saying that this perpetuates a “blame the victim” mentality is false. What it says is that now that we have come to this point in our history that we do not need to be hunting and gathering for our very survival, we can in fact concentrate on happiness. God forbid.

Yeah, I know, just shut up and play the damn keyboard.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

The Ballad of Kyle

My car, the Kyle, has cheated death more than once. After three years with him, he has survived two very serious challenges, as well as a few smaller ones.

The first came two years ago, when I broke down in upstate New York, on my way back from recording “Prepare to be Keyboarded” in Massachusetts. As I cruised down the Taconic State Parkway, idly doing an Andy Rooney impression (“don’t you hate when your car coffee cup holders are…just a bit too small?”) suddenly the engine began revving, and revving, the RPMs going off the scale, the shift light coming on, even though I was already in 5th gear. By the time I reached the top of a big hill to limp into a “scenic overlook,” I knew I was in trouble. Hours later, as the tow truck came and took me to Red Hook, New York, little did I know that this would be where he would stay for 3 weeks as I debated whether this was the end for Kyle until the mechanics finally got around to putting in my new clutch.


A few months after that, I was rear-ended as I was driving in the rain while rocking out to a Bad Religion song. This caused my trunk to be permanently shut. Then sometime last year, my radio was stolen as I was at work--I mean, who the hell steals radios anymore? And then at some point last year my driver’s side door latch broke, causing the door not to shut and making me use rope to hold it while I am stuck climbing in the passenger side.

And lately there has been the problem of Kyle not starting…which is what led to the second major challenge to my ownership of him. As the car sat, not starting at all, in its spot in front of the house, I made calls and inquiries about other cars, assuming that Kyle was dead (or at any rate, too expensive for me to bother with anymore). The next day, for the sheer hell of it I tried to start him up…which he did. Confounded, wondering what to do, I decided to drive him to the local service station. Ever since the “rope holds my door shut” thing, I’ve been hesitant to take him to any mechanic, for fear that he would laugh at me and tell me he didn’t want to bother with my little piece of…Kyle. But he looked at him, and figured out it was the main relay and now he lives. He lives!

I guess I love this car because I feel sorry for it. And yeah, I know it’s gay to call your car a boys name. Shut it.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Stuff I'm Reading: Dishwasher 16

Dishwasher #16 by Dishwasher Pete
Dishwasher has been the chronicle of Pete’s quest to wash dishes in all 50 states, always hilarious and fun and an inspiration to me as a writer (and a dishwasher). This is a zine that has always spoken to my sensibilities, easily making my top 3 list of favorite zines of all time. And as entertaining as it is, it only ever costs a dollar or two, making it a wildly good value, much better than any comic book out there.
Number 16 is bittersweet, because it is the last issue ever, and for that I am sad.
By this issue, we learn that Pete has given up the 50 state Dish quest and he accounts for the long, long hiatus since issue 15, during which he attempted to do an all cafeteria tour, then eventually moved overseas and got married. He talks about his stint at a women’s college cafeteria in Pittsburgh, working in a dish room where all the dishes came through a window from seemingly disembodied hands, to pile up on him and his comrade Curly.

There is a section of 18 arguments against raising the minimum wage: REFUTED! Which I think should be required reading in this “debate.” And there is a page of dishwashing-related mini-comics at which I actually laughed out loud.

I’m sorry to see this zine go, but I certainly understand the need to move on. This song’s for you!


http://www.dishwasherpete.com/
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Help the Hamilton Arts Collective!

I don’t usually do this, but today I’m going to re-post info from the Hamilton Arts Collective blog about a very important meeting this Thursday. They are a great bunch of people whose establishment is in jeopardy because of apparent zoning and neighborhood issues.
I played there over the last year, and I can tell you that this a worthwhile bunch of people to support. They have a great set-up where anyone with a good proposal can book a show on their stage, and an audience can lounge in comfort in any of their comfy couches. It would be a real shame if something were to happen to make this wonderful organization go away.
If you have the ability, please, please try to come out for this meeting on Thursday, and tell others to do so as well!
Thanks for your attention!

Davey G. and the Keyboard


Visit the Hamilton Arts Collective website for more information about who they are and what they need from you!


http://www.hamiltonart.org

(the text that follows is from their blog)

HAC Meeting: Thursday, 14th June, 7pm
EMERGENCY MEETING

Thursday, June 14, 7pm
Church of the Messiah
5801 Harford Road at White Avenue
(about three blocks north of the Hamilton Arts Collective on Harford Road)

An emergency meeting for the Hamilton Arts Collective will take place this Thursday evening at 7pm. The Rev. Lee Ann Tolzmann, rector of the Church of the Messiah, has graciously offered a meeting room to discuss the future of the HAC. Light refreshments will be provided.

In a time when violent crime has invaded our peaceful neighborhood, there is something dreadfully wrong with closing down the one establishment that offers community activities in an open and positive manner. No one has broken the law, disturbed the peace, or destroyed property. Our patrons come in all sizes, colors & ages. And they come quietly from all around the city to enjoy art-related activities such as live performances, foreign films, theater projects, art openings, yoga, children's art shows, Baltimore Improv Group, and a lot more!

You are invited and encouraged to bring your talents and ideas to be a part of the solution to our problem. We want neighbors to join with us in our commitment to make Hamilton a better & safer place to live, work and play.

Art is the answer!
http://www.hamiltonart.org

Stuff I'm Reading: Optic Nerve 9-11: Shortcomings by Adrian Tomine

To me, this 3 part story demonstrates two things: Tomine’s growth as a storyteller but also (unfortunately) his strength at creating utterly unlikable characters which I truly, truly hope are not meant to be autobiographical.

The story is about Ben Tanaka, an Asian-American movie theater manager, and his filmmaker girlfriend Miko. Miko goes from California to New York for a job, leaving him alone on a somewhat ambiguous “break.” The issues center upon his lusting after non-Asian women, and acting on a few of his opportunities, while in the meantime Miko engages in a few opportunities of her own. The three part series follows Ben in all his anger and sarcasm as the relationship reaches an inevitable climax.

The first point: I have been reading Optic Nerve for more than ten years and have every issue so far. It has gone from being a funny mini-comic to a serious and not-funny regular-sized comic. He used to drive me crazy with writing these incredibly compelling slice of life style stories (usually about relationships) and then just ending them at the dumbest time with no real resolution and no real reader satisfaction (just like real life, I guess, but in all honesty this is not why I pick up a comic book). Now, he does wrap up his stories with some degree of reader satisfaction, but then I get stuck on…

The second point: This main character, Ben, completely drains me of any sympathy by the end. He is a douche bag: a man who is unsupportive of his girlfriend, quick to anger, flawed in ways that don’t make him interesting to me. They are simply characteristics that make me say “Good, he deserved that,” after his girlfriend leaves him, the barely legal movie house girl rejects him (all right, she‘s actually 22, but no one is rooting for him to score with her), he loses his job, etc., etc. Even as I pick this book up again to review it, I am immediately turned off by the main character’s negativity. I just find it hard to deal with, even though the whole thing is done very well.

I guess one of the things that bothers me is the thought that the Optic Nerve I used to like is never coming back. The Optic Nerve of the mini-comics, the funny little shorts, the rough drawings have given way to the more adult style, but the stories are…I don’t know…not very fun. It’s still (and always has been) a quality product, but man, I just wind up feeling so down on it that I hate myself for it. And I hate myself for saying anything even remotely bad about it, because I am naturally inclined to be forgiving to artists who stray (except for Sam Raimi. Curse you Sam Raimi for that god-awful Spiderman 3!) and also this is, at the end of the day, a good comic. So…a well done book, I’ll probably keep reading, but man I miss the old days.

Pittsburgh Trip!

Last week 1L and I went to Pittsburgh and stayed with her brother and his fiancée.



We drove up Wednesday night and then on Thursday we went to the Phipps Conservatory, where there was a glass exhibit.

Later we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo, where there is a new polar bear exhibit. There were also other animals.



We got stuck in some traffic in the rain, but ultimately made it back in time to go to the Pirates game. We left in the 9th, with the Bucs up 2-0, then as we were leaving the Padres came back to win it in extra innings. (coincidentally, the Orioles had won 6 in a row in my absence.)

The next day we went to Kennywood, an historic amusement park with old wooden roller coasters. It was hot, we spent all day there. It was great!


I go places sometimes.

May 25, Sidebar Tavern Wrap-up

(pix by Holly, thanks!)

May 25
Davey G and the Keyboard at the Sidebar
with
Eric Crapton, Temp Sound Solutions, Broken Consort, and the Entertainment System


Wow, this show just about had it all.
Sidebar Ken announced that Eric Crapton couldn’t make it, as he died in rehab just that morning. But the good news was that his brother Derek Crapton was available, so this bearded hillbilly took the stage and sang Karaoke to the “Batman” theme. Then…Eric Crapton showed up (he’s alive!), stabbed his brother with a knife, then assumed the stage. He played for about 10 minutes, with a banjo, doing a song about Superman and all the other superheroes, getting angry when people laughed at his jokes and then getting angry when people didn’t laugh at his jokes. The show ended abruptly when Eric had to run for his life from the cops. I really hope he’s all right.
Temp Sound Solutions was a one man guitar/metal player, playing against a sequencer, very rock-tastic. Broken Consort is three guys using samplers and guitars to form an experimental sound. Entertainment System, who played after me, were tight, video game music and a lot of lights. Cool…

I felt really good at this one, I feel like the Sidebar is becoming a good second home. Turnout for this show was great. I did 16 songs of my evolving set, as I try to work my way out of leaning so much on the songs from the second album. I did Handshake, Bad Posture, Childhood Pain, You Triumph when You Quit, and Office Supply Store, all from the upcoming CD, plus Kill You and Drinking Beer at Grandma’s House, old classics. It was dark, I had my sunglasses on, and I had to take them off and put my near-sided self right next to the keyboard to make the necessary pre-set and sound changes. There was a big sing-along during Wash the Dish, which was awesome.

I threw in an inside joke for all the fans who had seen my act before (about half the crowd): when I got to the Lotion bit, instead of erupting into seizures of lotion spewing all over the place, I very calmly took out the lotion bottle, rubbed some on my hands, and then put it away and resumed playing. People were screaming at me to take my shirt off!
During the second chorus, I used my “stage lotion,” which I unfortunately didn’t refill before the show. It was mostly water, and did not have the desired effect. But it wasn’t as gross, either.

Here’s hoping for more Sidebar shows sometime soon!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Tomorrow night!

I’m very excited to be doing this show at the Sidebar, a big Friday night. I got a listing in the Short List (always nice) and I just feel that the stars may be aligned for a good carnival-style show. After all, there’s a nice thematic connection with a band that does video game music and a guy who sings a song called Atari Generation. I’m also looking to return to a few “classic” Davey G tunes, ones that have lain dormant since 2002, when I put down my keyboard until the triumphant return in ‘05. Those, plus a nice healthy smattering of new songs from the upcoming CD.
Come out come out come out! I may have a surprise for the unsuspecting fan. And if you’re running late, it looks like I’m going on next to last…so there’s time.


Tomorrow Night! Friday, May 25
Doors at 9.
The Sidebar Tavern
218 E. Lexington Street - Baltimore, MD 21202

Davey G and the Keyboard
With
The Entertainment System
Broken Consort
And
Eric Crapton




www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Friday at the Sidebar...me!

(photo by http://www.flickr.com/photos/joewilk/)

Friday, 7 bucks (9 if under 21)
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Stuff I'm Reading: Resolute by Martin Sandler

Resolute: the epic search for the Northwest Passage and John Franklin, and the Discovery of the Queen’s Ghost Ship by Martin W. Sandler

One of the main appeals to me for reading non-fiction is that the title tells you everything. I am in fact a fairly non-discriminate reader of whatever, but I feel like if I’m going to spend time with a book that I will inevitably forget to return to library before paying those annoying 20 cents a day fees (I wrote a song about this that probably won’t make it to the album) then I like to at least learn something.
Arctic exploration fascinates me--the idea of being out in the absolute middle of nowhere and trying to do some good for the sake of humanity is so absolutely alien to me that I feel like I must study it. Actually, I have no idea what good was done by anything that happened in this book--it was about John Franklin, a renowned English explorer who was sent to finally discover the famed northwest passage. He failed, of course, and then lots of others followed to find out what happened to him (lots of dying and cannibalism). Tales of people getting scurvy, going mad, hallucinating. I just wrote a song for the new album called “You Triumph When You Quit” that is about the exact opposite of this: Doesn’t it just feel so good to be in a warm bed, cracking open a cold beer and eating a hot burrito? (that is the single stupidest sentence I have ever constructed) I say, screw all that going to the artic crap. It’s so much easier than trying to stretch the capabilities of humanity or something and losing all your toes. That makes you walk all funny.
This was a really good book. I hope my “review” helps you, and maybe all of humanity.


WTF?
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and the Next Great Friday Night at the Sidebar!

Hey everyone! Check out my next show at the Sidebar!

Friday, May 25
Doors at 9.
The Sidebar Tavern
218 E. Lexington Street - Baltimore, MD 21202

Davey G and the Keyboard
With
The Entertainment System
Broken Consort
And
Eric Crapton


This show was pitched to me as “a great Friday night” and from what I’ve heard from the Entertainment System, I believe this will live up to that billing. This band does video game music, which to me gives them a really awesome Iron Maiden sound, and of course there is me, Davey G and the Keyboard, with hopefully some surprises for old fans and new. Plus, when I first heard the name “Eric Crapton,” I giggled out loud, but maybe that’s just me.



See you there!

Davey G and the Keyboard

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Weird Al At Rams Head! (Sorry I'm Late With This!)

Certain obligations kept me from blogging this week, or else I’d have done an extensive analysis, critique, or review of Tuesday night’s Weird Al show at the Ram’s Head in Baltimore. So instead of a review as such, I just want to share my thoughts that I’ve been having about it, in no particular order.

* great set! Mostly a heavy dose of Straight Outta Lynwood and Poodle Hat, with medleys of parodies, complete with appropriate costume changes. Al and his band (he’s been playing with the same guys all throughout his recording career, so I have to assume he’s not mean or hard to deal with or anything) played for over 2 hours, with songs interspersed with videos an fake interviews with celebrities. The show seemed to go by so fast, it was hard to believe it was a whole 2 hours.

* Al messed up lyrics on at least 1 or 2 songs; he and his band covered like true pros--this is absolutely something I have worked on in my last year or 2 of playing. It’s so refreshing to see that someone as professional and enduring as Weird Al can still mess up and get away with it because he in fact is so professional that he knows how to compensate (as do the great guys in his band!) with only the hard core fans noticing.

*I am totally ripping off at least one or 2 of his tricks. I won’t say which ones.

*I am totally going to work on my entrances…something about running on stage to music is so much better than saying “okay, I’m ready” and then just starting.

*He ended with Albuquerque, a rambling funny song that closes the Running With Scissors album. I found it to be an interesting choice: a non-parody song with no costumes and Al obviously really enjoying himself (he doesn’t seem to ever step out of character on-stage, if you’re willing to accept Weird Al as a “character”, though I doubt he goes home and becomes like Serious Al or anything). I’ve read a few words from him on his blog and site and I get the impression that while he enjoys the success the parodies have brought him, he kind of wishes that the originals would get more attention. To that end, this show featured a lot of his originals, the stylistic parodies (I’ll Sue ya!, for example). Albuquerque is not one of his better known songs, which makes me think of my song, Milwaukee: not my funniest, but my personal favorite, a song I play for the sheer joy of playing it.

I’m not saying I want to be Weird Al when I (a-hem) grow up. But he is the standard and the inspiration for anyone who has a funny dream of writing funny songs and just running with it. A great show!



Watch for a show announcement next week!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and Radio Airplay!

Hey Fans!

If you live in the Baltimore area, there is a radio show on 1620 a.m. on Monday nights from 9 to 11 called Shut Up! I’m on the Radio that has a copy of my CD and will play a song if you request it!

Songs they have:

Bed (they played this on the radio!)
Sandwich
Drinking beer at grandma’s house
Wash the dish
Milwaukee
My friends laughed at me and my family
Life is so depressing
Man-friend
Breaking the Law

Shut Up! I’m on the Radio!

***********************
If you live in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Rebel Sound Radio on 89.7 f.m. is on Thursdays, from 4 to 6 p.m. They’ve got the new Davey G and the Office Supply E.P!
(he seems to really like “Name in the Machine,” as well)
Rebel sound Radio (myspace)
If you don't live in either of these areas, visit www.pittsfieldtv.org (click on the ETV link) It's not streaming all the time, but it will be streaming from 2:30 pm - 5:00 pm Eastern Time on Thursdays and Fridays beginning this week, so you can hear the first hour of the show from 4 to 5 on Thursdays (today, even)!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Stuff I’m Reading: The Millionaire Next Door

The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J Stanley, PhD, and William D. Danko, PhD.

The authors study the lives of millionaires to determine their habits--how they gain and maintain wealth--and reach surprising conclusions about “inconspicuous consumption.” Basically, there’s a difference between looking wealthy and actually being wealthy. Many seemingly upper middle class people are actually huge financial underachievers because of the money spent maintaining the image and the lifestyle, vs. millionaires who are still at heart cheapskates.

This is the kind of book that makes me feel a little bad about some of my past spending habits, and my choice (or lack of choice) of an occupation. I am a cheapskate, low-spender-hate-to-spend-money-on-anything-that-isn’t beer (see past blog posts for confirmation of this) so I am on board with half the plan, but as for the “choosing the right occupation” part of the formula…being Davey G is apparently not in the top ten.

I also, like millions of Americans, have debt, mostly the result of car repairs, 7 years of on and off wanderlust, and some bad habits. It’s a little embarrassing, incongruous with the way I feel now about credit and spending, but there it is. I feel like the former smoker who preaches against smoking but then sneaks one when no one is looking.

But if I learned anything from Rocky’s speech at the end of Rocky 4, it’s that you can change (how’s that for a reference?). Everyone can change.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0089927/quotes
(scroll down, it’s there--it’s in the speech he gives after he improbably beats up Dolph Lundgren)


E.P for sale!!!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

I’ve got some new pictures!

These are also up on my myspace and virb (join! Friend Me!) pages, courtesy of http://www.flickr.com/photos/ashleysauers/,who took these at the Whole Gallery show. (thanks!)

Davey G and the Office Supply Store E.P. is on sale, 2 bucks at
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

The new Davey G and the Office Supply Store E.P is available now!

The new Davey G and the Office Supply Store E.P is available now!

Visit www.daveygandthekeyboard.com and click on the PayPal icon, or send 2 dollars to
Dave Cookson (not Davey G--they don’t cash my checks when it says that!) P.O. Box 23568, Baltimore, MD 21203.
This CD is about 10 minutes long with 5 songs, and it contains a song from the forthcoming Chairman of the Keyboard CD (out this November), a B-side, and 3 live tracks. It was made for you, the fan, so if you’re jonesing for the new album, this will tide you over!

To follow the progress, or just to find out anything about the road to the fourth Davey G and the Keyboard CD, check back here!

http://daveygandthekeyboard.blogspot.com/

Thanks! See you soon!
Davey G and the Keyboard

Recap: Smartish Pace Issue 14 release party @ The Whole Gallery

www.flickr.com/photos/ashleysauers

This show had some casualties: too late did I realize, as I was rolling around on the floor in my lotion, that in my back pocket was my main set of glasses.
As this was a release party for a poetry journal, it opened with 3 poets reading from their work. Poetry really isn’t my thing, but it brought back memories of when I first came to Baltimore and went out to read my stories for audiences who had no idea what to make of me (I even recognized at least one of the people in the crowd as an old school poet from those days). Then the opening band--the bass player from Mr. Moccasin and a drummer doing minimal-Sebadoh/maybe little Nirvana style songs, which I enjoyed. Gauging the audience, it seemed like it would be a really hard room to get people’s attention. I really just wanted to relax and do the best show possible for whoever was paying attention.
I got up, did a cursory sound level check, then took off with it. I feel like it went okay. When I got to the lotion bit I definitely overdid it--there was such a nice wood floor with clear space in front of me it was hard to resist the urge to just use that space to maximum effect. And, as I mentioned, my glasses were in my back pocket, and they got bent out of shape as the result of this (gonna have a funny story for the people at For Eyes).
I am lousy at determining who will like my stuff. People that I think look like they will be totally offended by me are the ones who come up and tell me how great it was. Here, it seemed like if you were my age or more, you liked me, if you were younger (as most were) you were kind of scratching your head and smiling. I had fun.

Davey G and the Office Supply Store E.P. tomorrow!




www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and the Office Supply Store E.P.

Tuesday...
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and the Keyboard at the Whole Gallery this Saturday!

This is a copy of the e-mail my subscribers got this morning. If you want to get on my mailing list, visit my website and click on the "Contact Me" link, and I will add you.



Hi Everyone,

My next lotion-filled keyboard fun fest will be this Saturday, at the following time and coordinates:

Saturday, April 28, 8 p.m.
405 W Franklin St, Third Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
$10
Smartish Pace Issue 14 release party @ The Whole Gallery, with Mr. Moccasin!

For more info, click here!

http://www.smartishpace.com/home/release.html

*
And secondly, the new Davey G and the Office Supply Store E.P will be available Tuesday, on my website. It will contain a song from the forthcoming Chairman of the Keyboard CD (out this November), a B-side, and 3 live tracks. Get it, if you're jonesing for the new album, this will tide you over!

*
Speaking of the new album--I am close to finishing laying down all the tracks for Chairman of the Keyboard, and I truly, truly feel like this is my best effort yet. To follow the progress, or just to find out anything about the road to the fourth Davey G and the Keyboard CD, visit my blog, which I update regularly (and plug all the time).

http://daveygandthekeyboard.blogspot.com/

Thanks! See you soon!
Davey G and the Keyboard



www.daveygandthekeyboard.com




(unwilling subscribers to this e-mail list put UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line and I will take you off, with my apologies)

I think I may have an album here…

Fourth recording session today, and 5 songs later I kind of think I just about have an album’s worth. I threw in a cover of an old Minor Threat song that just killed me--way better than I thought it was going to be, if I may say so myself. And now, Chairman of the Keyboard seems like it is coming to completion, as far as the song recording goes. I re-recorded a song I did last week, learning the lessons of the past: when you make one bad recording, or bad copy, or whatever, every copy you make amplifies it. So get it right the first time.
That picture is a close-up of my crusted, lotioned-up kawai X20 keyboard, with “x’s” I wrote on the keys so I would not mess up one of my songs.


This is blog post number 101, by the way, and unfortunately, I didn’t high five very much today, to celebrate National High Five day--I only interacted with three other human beings and I totally forgot about it. Next year.

I’m playing a show next week, at the Whole Gallery. Just in case you’re interested.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

National High Five Day Tomorrow!!!

I feel like I must get on board with National High Five Day, the Third Thursday in April, (since, you know, I have a song called “High Five.” Actually, I also have a song called “Handshake.” Maybe I should do a whole album with songs about greetings, like maybe with songs called “Hug” or “Friendly Wave” or “Polite Nod” or whatever. )
This site explains it all. The video is sort of rambling, but amusing. At any rate, the concept of just randomly hi-fiving people amuses me to no end. So tomorrow, put your hands up and just go for it.
High Five.



www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

They Call Me Chairman of the Keyboard.

I completed the third day of Davey G and the Keyboard: Chairman of the Keyboard recording, so now I’m up to 11 songs (10 for the album, 1 for the e.p). It’s very exciting to have this new album taking shape--I just did “Be My Friend” (which I’ve played out at 2 different shows), plus “Chairman of the Keyboard” : the theme song for the new album. A minimal, minor chord using rag with low notes and very few words (unusual for me, I know) and “You Triumph When You Quit.” I swear, I never thought this song would be so much trouble--it’s an idea I’ve had for so long--the anti-inspirational song--but I could never settle on lyrics, or a tune, or anything about it. I just had a few lines that I knew I wanted to use:
“the last time I failed I heard someone say
‘it’s a good thing that you failed ‘cause your dreams were stupid anyway.’ ”
And until a few days ago, I had nothing that made me happy. But now I do, and it will appear on the CD.
So I’m 11 songs in. I’m sorry if sometimes my blog is just a big wet promotion for this new CD, but it’s going to be really good. I’m hitting a stride with this whole “Davey G” thing and I think by the time I finish I will have something I’m very proud of.

A few more things: a few more blog posts and I will have done 100 (give or take). I may do a “clip show” gimmick for number 100, but I thank everyone who reads and hope you keep doing so!
The next show is coming up in about 2 weeks. I will start another 2 week training period but not subject you to the pain of reading about it…at least not like the last show! At any rate, I’m still fresh from the last performance, so it might not be as intense.


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007

What can I say that others aren’t already saying? But I can’t let the death of Kurt Vonnegut pass without a few words. Welcome to the Monkeyhouse, Slaughterhouse 5, Breakfast of Champions, all brilliant books, of course. I got the chance to hear him speak at the University of Massachusetts many years ago as he examined the greatest work in the English language (Hamlet) and plotted the course of Kafka’s The Metamorphosis on a blackboard--drawing a straight line that drops immediately after the first sentence: “Oh s-----!”
The story that he told that stuck with me is this: someone asked him if he had a word processor (this was 1992, BTW) and he said no, and went off on a long description of how he writes up his work, goes to the drug store to buy an envelope, hangs out and farts around with the people in line at the drug store, goes to the post office to buy a stamp, hangs out and farts around with the people in line at the post office, then mails it to his secretary in upstate New York, a process that takes about an hour. Why does he do it this way and not just have stamps and envelopes on hand? Because doing all that gave him the opportunity to hang out and fart around: “life is all about hanging out and farting around and don’t let anybody tell you any differently!”

Advice we can all take to heart.

Kurt Vonnegut, 1922-2007

31 Days: Stuff I'm Reading

31 Days by Barry Werth


is about the first 31 days of the Ford administration, after Richard Nixon resigned over the Watergate scandal. The chapters are all one day in this series, and it is interesting to see the events played out that mention future characters (Donald Rumsfeld, Cheney, etc.) but only as their roles were in 1974. The immediacy of this writing appeals to me, and then it ties it up in the end by explaining how these events shaped the government today. I think more than anything this book explains the thought process that went behind Ford’s decision to pardon Nixon--politically ruinous, but given Ford’s own personal history (his father was a jerk who didn’t pay child support and was involved in a long-running court dispute over this) his desire to forgive and put things behind him was understandable.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

New Show Announcement!

You heard it here first: the next Davey G and the Keyboard Show!

Saturday, April 28, 8 p.m.
405 W Franklin St, Third Floor
Baltimore, Maryland 21201
US
Cost: $10
Description: Smartish Pace Issue 14 release party @ The Whole Gallery, with Mr. Moccasin!

For more info, click here!


And maybe I will have the new Davey G and the Office Supply E.P available? A whole 3 days before its’ scheduled release? You’ll just have to come out and see!




www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Giuliani Time, Revisited

As fans know, two years go I wrote a song called “Giuliani Time.” Specifically, this song was about how I tried to go to a baseball game with a “New York Sucks” T-shirt and they wouldn’t let me in, but more generally about how as a Baltimore Orioles Baseball fan, we are consistently pooped upon (note: trying to swear less in the blog) by the ownership and management of Camden Yards.
It is now two days into the new baseball season, the Orioles have lost two in a row, but part of me is already not caring. Opening Day is one of the most revered day in sports. No matter how awful your team is (and mine’s been pretty awful for the last 9 years) there is always this magical event all throughout the baseball world where all the sins of the last years are washed away, at least for a while. It dissipates, of course, but for one brief day the world is right, my team is at .500 (0-0) and I feel good about being a fan, either attending the game, or watching it on TV.

So imagine my disappointment and disgust with the management of the Peter Angelos-run Mid Atlantic Sports Network when I discovered that Opening Day would NOT be broadcast on free TV, as it should be. Please, please give a moment to think about how utterly silly this is: Opening Day! It would be as if they put the Super Bowl on cable (which I imagine is not far off, actually). The only way I could watch my team lose to Minnesota (7-4) would be to either have cable, or go somewhere with cable. And to be honest, I don’t have the money to drink at a sports bar any time I want to watch a ballgame (loyal readers will note that I have already declared myself to be a proud cheapskate) and I sure as heck (“heck?”) don’t want to spend the money on cable just to watch baseball. So for the first day in many, many years, I missed Opening Day.

And finally, there is no relief: the TV schedule has painfully few free games I can watch. There are games on Sunday, and the occasional Saturday, but for the most part, I will be stuck listening on the radio as baseball goes the way of professional boxing (as in, the only way to follow it is to pay through the nose for special “pay-per-view” fights) That is, of course, if I still care enough to be following the O’s.

(all right, who am I kidding? I’ll still be a fan, because I love Baltimore and by now I’m used to the abuse.)

I came out to support my team but my team won't support me.

Special Announcement for Fans who Can’t Wait for the New Album!!!

I have decided to release a Davey G and the Keyboard 4 song EP, on May 1 of this year. Partly as a result of the feedback from the Sidebar show, and also knowing that November is a long time for people to wait for the new album, this project will be assembled with the fan in mind.
It will include “Office Supply Store” (from the new album) and one B-side song, plus two songs from a live show. This will all be available on my site, which I dutifully provide the link for at the end of every post. So keep your eye out: May 1!
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

The Sidebar Show: The Culmination of my Training

(photo courtesy of Mike R)

The Sidebar show with Lebanon and Mr. Moccasin, the one I’ve been writing about for weeks now, was a big success, and after I finished, I got the weirdest compliment (?) yet, from one of the guys from Lebanon (from Israel) : “If you’re not a Jew, you should be.” Thanks.
Turnout was good, new songs went off well, I made a few new fans, the lotion was somewhat clumpy.

I took a one day break from blogging and doing anything remotely productive, but I still had to send this e-mail to my supporters:

Hi Everyone,
Just wanted to send a big "thank you" for all who attended the Davey G and the Keyboard show at the Sidebar Tuesday night. Turnout was great, especially for a Tuesday, and as always, I am so grateful when people come to see me play.
I am not-so-secretly hoping that this good showing on a non-weekend night will be a good sign for future shows at this club. So I truly thank anyone who supports all things Davey G, and hope that you will continue to do so in the future. If you didn't make it out this week, maybe I'll see you at the next one. Stay tuned.
And one big favor, maybe? If anyone can send me pictures from this show, I will post them to my site/blog and give you picture credit and a good firm handshake.
Thanks!
Davey G and the Keyboard

As far as the effect of the 2 weeks of Davey G training beforehand: I still was just a bit sloppy at times, forgetting things or losing track but managing to cover well. I think it is really hard to ever simulate the conditions of a live performance while I am practicing in my basement: for one thing, I don’t drink at home when I’m practicing, I don’t have people watching me (as far as I know) and the adrenaline doesn’t ever reach show level when I’m by myself.
But…I can say that the fact that I put a lot into practicing this time helped a lot with smoothing over rough spots--I felt comfortable, even after a 4 month break. I would say that the possibility for a few more shows this year (before the big CD release in November) is very good.


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G Training, Final Day and Stuff I’m Reading

Not much more to say other than if you’re going to the Sidebar tomorrow to see me, come early. Show starts at 9:30.
www.sidebartavern.com
*
Stuff I’m Reading:
Stealing the General: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor by Russell S. Bonds

The story of a group of 22 Union men who went into the South during the Civil War in 1862 and stole a Confederate locomotive right out from under its engineers. Wildly entertaining, at least for most of it, when it focuses on the actual theft and their subsequent chase, capture, and then some of their escapes from captivity. However, in the book’s attempt to do a thorough history of the Great Locomotive Chase, it does get bogged down in details I didn’t find myself caring about--the thoroughness is its main weakness. It winds up with a whole section about the Medal of Honor, which rounds out the story, but doesn’t really make it more interesting.
But all of this is a quibble, really, as otherwise this is a really great book. It didn’t focus on politics or morality of the war--just told of a good old-fashioned chase that ultimately could have greatly affected the outcome of the Civil War.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

And The Studio Went Dark: Day 11, Davey G Training.

This was it. A short and bittersweet practice at my old studio, then I packed up and the studio went dark.

Goodbye, Southwest Baltimore.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Day 10, Davey G training

Tomorrow will be my last practice at my old studio--I have been clearing all my possessions out of my old house and then practicing and now I’m done. It’s been a good spot for me the last 2 years I’ve been back playing as Davey G and the Keyboard. But now it’s time to go.

When I practice, I’m having a fucking hell of a time with “Childhood Pain,” one of my songs from my new album. It’s not hard, it’s just I fuck up the lyrics and wind up playing this damn angry depressing song over and over again. Word.

By the way, had an idea for a future album title: “It’s not Awkward, it’s Heavy,” and the cover would be some fat guy carrying a box and falling over.


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Day 9, Davey g Training

Feeling stronger now, like, like, I almost could do this show. 5 new songs from the new album in a set of 15. It’s been a grind, trying to move all my stuff out of one place, then practicing, then packing up a carload of more stuff. I’m still playing out of the old studio, just to keep up the continuity. But after the show, hopefully my new studio will come together.
Have suddenly remembered what my old acting teacher said about “blocking,” or those actions you perform while you’re giving your lines that make you remember the lines. I realize that songs that are more “complicated” are easier to remember because of this blocking phenomenon.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Day 6, 7 and 8, Davey G Training.

Busy busy, no time, at a public library and late for work.
1. I moved.
2. no internet yet
3. myspace account compromised
4. had radio play last week
5. Have the rough mix of my new songs for new album.
6. My show at the Sidebar will rock.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Day 5, Davey G Training. (I should be asleep)

I have to admit, I’m a little stressed out this week, with the moving to a new studio and the forcing myself to practice thing. And then today, at work for 14 hours, I find out that my myspace account has been hacked, and I can't do anything about it for like 8 more hours…well, it’s a bit much. I shouldn’t be up blogging right now.
But I will say that it seems like most people know that I would never spam them with some stupid shit about an I-phone (or whatever it is.) But I did lose 3 myspace friends over it. I won’t miss them, ‘cause as I once read on a sugar packet at the bagel store back home “Never explain--your friends don’t need it, and your enemies won’t believe you anyway.”

I don’t even know what the thing that they’re selling is.

Day 4, Davey G Training (of 14 days)

I give and give but what does the keyboard want of me? It gives out after 10 minutes into set practice, I curse myself, it curses me--the batteries are dead. I need to buy more…
Again, the soreness, the tightness, and the despair…can I make a comeback after 4 months offstage? Can I make it another year? Another year of grueling basement practice, playing with a Kawai X20 that hates me, hates me because of my new mistress, the Casiotone…is it possible to love two keyboards without hating yourself?

I’m losing my mind.
*

Hey, everybody, check out my show at the Sidebar!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Day 3, Davey G Training

Raw. Sore. In pain. Hours in the basement, banging out a tune that’s been stuck in my head for days. I’m tortured by my own songs stuck in my head. How do others bear it?

Um…an old friend of mine was biking in the heat once, going uphill, tired, exhausted, overheated, and felt like there was no way that she could ever make it up the hill she was climbing. And then, out of nowhere, she heard the opening horns to the “Rocky” theme, and suddenly she got pumped up and was inspired to get over that hill.

Hearing the “Rocky” theme while I’m trying to rehearse really fucks up my timing.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Day 2 of Davey G Training.

Gotta get in shape. So very old and weak…

Um, yeah. Day 2, rocking out. My set is sexy and compact, 14-16 songs, depending on whether or not I throw in 2 more of my new ones. I may play as many as 6 from the new album. And all within a half hour.
Like I always say, if you hate one of my songs, at least it’ll be short.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G Training

One of my goals for this year was to devote 2 full weeks of practice for every show, to avoid the sloppiness of some of my past performances. The two week period before the Sidebar show begins today. And then somewhere in there my lady and I are moving uptown, the whole Davey G Studio and all.
Last week I recorded 3 more songs for the new album, upping the total to 8. The highlight for me so far? An absolutely retarded closing song of self-affirmation, called simply “I am a Champion.”

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
*

Tuesday, March 27.
Doors at 9, show at 9:30.

http://www.sidebartavern.com/shows.html

Jared Can Suck It

I wasn’t going to do this today, but…

I hate Subway. Officially, and without remorse, and here’s why.
I am at heart a cheapskate, and also I do not eat fast food (for the most part) except for Subway. I also don’t drink soda or eat chips (partly as a result of my cheapness). The Subway daily specials (Wednesday: Turkey, Thursday: BMT) for 2.93 were, for what it is, the highlight of my lunch week. Until the one day a few weeks back I went in and was told it was no longer possible to get a sub for 2.93--now they only have the daily special with chips I don’t eat and soda I don’t drink for 3.99--I can no longer just buy the sub for 3 bucks and then go home and drink my beer to wash it down. Strike one.

I live in Baltimore, where Subway has made a surge, seeming to triple in the last several years. You can walk outside and literally find a Subway anywhere you go. Which is fine, but honestly, the food there isn’t THAT GOOD. And up until they took away the daily special, it used to be cheap. But now--it’s overpriced, sucky, and ubiquitous. Strike two.

And last night, I went to Subway with my girlfriend, armed with coupons that were supposed to allow us a free sub with the purchase of another sub. Only the Subway wouldn’t take them. They said “we don’t take those coupons.” I said “You mean these coupons? The ones that say ‘Subway’ on them?” I was pissed. Strike 3.

Bonus strikes: you know that fucking gross pastrami ads you see on TV? Didn’t even have pastrami at this stupid fucking Subway (yes, yes, these complaints are less about the corporation and more about the individual Subway, but fuck it you’ve read this far, right?). And the whole “Eat Fresh” thing? Please. They are not slicing the meat right in front of you, they leave chicken in a tub of water all day, the only thing fresh is the bread; they are a glorified McDonalds and it pisses me off that they have ever tried to sell themselves as anything else.

Chinese lunch--that’s my new play for cheap lunch. General Tso, rice, soda I can give to my girlfriend, and home for a cold beer, same price as that crappy Subway “Value” Meal.

Jared Can Suck It.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G at the Sidebar March 27!

Hey Music Fans!!! Come to my next show,
Tuesday, March 27.
Davey G and the Keyboard LIVE!
At the Sidebar Tavern
218 E. Lexington Street - Baltimore, MD 21202

With
Mr. Moccasin
and
Lebanon (from Tel Aviv)
7 bucks, (9 if yer under 21)
Doors at 9, show at 9:30 (I'm opening!), and they tell me they mean it, so
come early, or die trying.

http://www.sidebartavern.com/shows.html

http://www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Rebel Sound Radio Starts Today!

Today I am reposting a press release from legendary punk rock zine editor, Poncherellos’s front man, and former porn star Andy Poncherello about his new punk rock radio show Rebel Sound Radio, to air on WTBR 89.7 in beautiful downtown Pittsfield Massachusetts. I believe his words will describe this show better than I can, so I have reprinted them below.
The show begins today and will have an interview with my friend, old band-mate, and producer of the last 3 Davey G albums, The Beat Machine.
If you live in Pittsfield, Mass, please tune in at 4 today, and on subsequent broadcast days (you might even hear some Davey G!).

Unfortunately, the station web site appears to be outdated and not current--
http://www.angelfire.com/music4/wtbrfm/
So I believe that getting the show over the internet will not yet be possible. But maybe soon?
Enjoy!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com



REBEL SOUND RADIO Begins March 1, 2007 @ 4:00pm on WTBR 89.7-FM Pittsfield, MA

To some, it may not seem like a big deal, but to others who have nothing, the beginning of Rebel Sound Radio on 89.7 WTBR-FM is a milestone. Rebel Sound Radio is the first time an exclusively punk rock radio program has been produced on WTBR in the station's history. Throughout the 1980s, the station was programmed with music that college radio eventually became famous for. The music was an incredible mix of everything under the sun, WTBR had quite an extensive library and DJs who actually had an interest in keeping air shifts and taking listener requests. Eventually the station fell out of favor with the school administration and went "dark". WTBR-FM was all but dead until local radio celebrity Larry Kratka stepped in at the 11th hour and saved the station from becoming nothing more than a glorified public radio station with substantially less interesting programming than NPR. Currently WTBR is playing a mix of classic rock, oldies, metal and rock. While none of these genres will likely interest a punk rocker, they're important since you can rarely hear any of these genres of music on local radio to begin with.

Larry has worked with the school and has done a tremendous amount of free work at WTBR including equipment upgrades and repair, station remodeling and a computerized music library. The work is far from even being close to the halfway point. What he has done is found a small, but important group of individuals who care about the station and how important the station is to the area.

A meeting was held in mid-February with Kratka and Andy Poncherello with Rebel Sound Radio getting the green light to begin broadcasting on March 1, 2007. The show will run for two hours initially, but could be expanded either in length of the show or in frequency of the show per week. It depends on listener feedback, requests, input and participation within the show. It also depends on the use of My Space as a way to get the word out to punk fans in Pittsfield and anywhere where WTBR 89.7 can be heard on the FM dial. This is basically grass roots networking in the computer age.

If no one responds, how will we know anyone is listening? Please sign up to be a friend of Rebel Sound Radio. We'll post playlists, list upcoming on-air guests, pass along any important information and run contests over the air. We'll also use My Space to take requests. All of the music for the first few shows will be from the Rebel Sound library and while extensive, don't have a cow if we don't have that rare Negative Approach song at our fingertips.

The first Rebel Sound Radio show will feature two hours of punk rock from the past 30 years and will also have a live in-studio interview with Pittsfield's own cyber punk The Beat Machine (ex-Lampstand, Immature Morons and Atari). The Beat Machine will discuss the history and future of punk in Pittsfield as well the challenges involved in self-producing and distributing truly independent albums.

Please be a friend of Rebel Sound Radio at www.myspace.com/rebelsoundradio and please repost this to anyone interested!

Thanks-

Andy Poncherello

Roberto Clemente (stuff I'm Reading)

Stuff I’m Reading.

Clemente: The Passion and Grace of Baseball’s Last Hero by David Maraniss


The book makes the case for why Roberto Clemente,who played 18 seasons in right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates,
is to Latin Americans what Jackie Robinson is to African Americans. It makes the case that he was not only a great baseball player, but a genuinely great human being. It is definitely written from a hero-worship perspective, but by the time you have gotten through it, you realize it is totally justified.
Just the descriptions of the ‘60 and ‘71 World Series make this a must-read for all baseball fans. And, no shit, I was almost in tears by the end (but, you know, I didn't cry because I'm a man {sort of} so I can’t cry. Instead I went out and chopped some wood and changed my oil like 50 times), after the telling of the plane crash that killed him in his effort to help earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

One thing I thought was interesting: the Author’s juxtaposition of Clemente and Howard Hughes. Hughes, who in his later nutball years, was holed up in Nicaragua, isolated from the world and then being hustled out of the country by his entourage. Hughes, with quite literally limitless resources and the great ability to help the people of Nicaragua, fled the country, while Clemente died trying to help them. Yeah, I know Hughes was crazy, but which one do you think is burning in hell?

With Spring Training getting going, this book made me excited as hell for the season to start, even if my team is the perennially sucky Baltimore Orioles.





www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Early News of the Davey G CD Release

The Davey G and the Keyboard CD release is officially on, scheduled for Saturday, November 10. It’s a long way away, the theory being that giving my songs time to settle in to the public consciousness will make it all the sweeter for the fans when the album actually comes out. Also, it will give me time to play the songs out live and see if they work. And time to write and throw away songs. Time to do an album cover. Time to heal, and move in to my new studio (very soon!).
Many more details coming…for now, just forget about it, and come to the show at the Sidebar on March 27.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Dr. Demento

This is the rejection letter I got from Dr. Demento in 1992 for my album “Wicked Personal Experience.” Just yesterday I sent him another CD--apparently he’s still kicking, 30 years in.
I used to listen to the Dr. Demento show every Sunday night, back in Pittsfield, even taping the shows, and I’ve realized how much of my musical taste and selections have come from that show. It was the first place I heard They Might Be Giants, Wild Man Fischer, many Frank Zappa and Weird Al songs.
Here’s hoping that my Davey G and the Keyboard incarnation makes it to the Funny Five!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Very Exciting News!

(photos by Alex J.)

The first 5 songs for the new album, Chairman of the Keyboard, have been recorded! There’s a long way to go, but we’re hoping for a November release, maybe at a real place.

Thursday, in the remains of the snow we had a few days earlier, which makes parking and getting around more difficult, I brought my stuff and a case of beer to Alex’s and got to work.

Now, hopefully very soon, I will put a new song up on my site for all the world to hear, probably “Handshake,” which those of you who have been to my last two shows have heard but others haven’t. I also have “Bad Posture,” which came out better than expected, with a lot of impotent rage coming through on a screaming background track. It’s coming along well.
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Anyone have thoughts on a new Davey G Cover song?

Writing is hard. Music is easier. When stressing about writing, doing my “music” works for me so much better. After a few hours of practice today, my brain hit upon a new song that poured out of me in a stream of ridiculousness. It’s called “I Wanna Be a Real Musician.” I think it could be a hit.
I toy with the idea of doing a new cover song for the next album, or even for the Sidebar
show next month (March 27). I have been doing
Judas Priest’s “Breaking the Law” for over 5 years, and I love it so, I do so love it, but sometimes I think the act could benefit from a freshening up. My new songs will help, but a familiar cover never hurts. My particular challenge: doing a song I can handle, that I could gently make fun of, that people would recognize.
Any thoughts?

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

A special announcement for readers of the blog!

Ever been screwed over by a bad roommate? Do you have an awful story about someone you lived with that you just have to share? Can you write it yourself so I don’t have to? Then submit it to my new project!

Hello, I’m here to destroy your Life: A zine about Bad Roommates

In modern society, it is often practical and expedient to find a like-minded individual with whom to share a living space and expenses. This ‘zine is about when that arrangement goes bad. I’m talking about that person you live with whose very soul is pure evil. Whose very presence sucks the life out of an otherwise good house, or good apartment. The person who does such harm to you, intentional or unintentional that it scars you and makes you unwilling to ever trust another human being again.

Do you have such a story?

I am looking for your best story about your worst roommate; you write it however you want, and send it to me--preferably in an e-mail and I will get it printed and send it around to the local stores in Baltimore that sell ‘zines, as well as put it up on my site, and myspace, and all that, and see where it goes. I am not talking huge exposure: just a small run ‘zine that hopefully people will read and love. It may look alarmingly like my Davezine.
If that is okay with you, then we are in business.
This is an idea that I have had for years as roommate after roommate has screwed me over either financially or emotionally. Here’s hoping that sharing our collected pain will help the healing process.
Go to www.daveygandthekeyboard.com and go to the “Contact Me” link. Don’t get mad if I don’t use your story, or if it takes me a while to get this done. I am just a lowly ‘zine editor who isn’t used to collaborating--your submission will help me to push through and get this idea out of my system for good. If you have any questions, comment or contact me via my site or myspace.

Thanks!

Lost Bureaucrats

Watching a “Survivor’s Guide” for “Lost”
last night, the creators talked about planting “Easter Eggs” in their episodes: little threads where certain characters we know from the island interact in the flashbacks. In my new story, Low Level Bureaucrats 3, I am attempting something similar, by tying minor characters from part one and two into the action of part three, possibly giving them more depth from their previous appearances. Of course, the TV show is a mystery and my story is sort of a political satire, but I can appreciate the difficulty of continuity and figuring everything out.
Of the creative projects I am undertaking lately, this one is the hardest. Basically the plot has to do with Karl Love’s final revenge against the city of Beatown and I’ve had to go over it a lot to make it make sense, especially with new ideas that I know would make it better.
One thought about how everyone is bitching about the new season of Lost and how much it sucks: if you have been a fan of the first two seasons, doesn’t this show deserve to be cut a little slack for lagging a little? I mean, after all, hasn’t it entertained us for free for two whole years?
Maybe I'm just too sensitive.


I watch TV.

Early Announcement for Next Show!

Save the Date:
Tuesday, March 27
Davey G and the Keyboard With Lebanon (Tel Aviv!)
at the Sidebar, 218 E. Lexington Street
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
Doors at 9, bands at 9:30.

My first show since December, assuming nothing else comes up, and also my first opportunity to play new songs live. I’m excited to play this club--I feel like there is a void since the Talking Head closed shop, and maybe this place is ripe to fill it. It’s at least fortunate that it is only a block from where TH was.

http://www.sidebartavern.com/shows.html


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com