Chairman of the Keyboard...

I just (for the first time) heard the rough mix of “Chairman of the Keyboard,” the new Davey G and the Keyboard album, and I am so freakin’ happy with the results that I just can’t wait til this whole thing comes out and slays the general public.
“this will be the one that does it,”--quote from me, hours ago..
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Campaign 2007: The Last Week!

Hello Everyone!

It’s coming down the stretch now--my campaign for City Paper Best of Baltimore is in its last week! If you have yet to vote for Davey G and the Keyboard as Best Solo Music Artist, this is the time! The voting ends Friday!

http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp

I’d like to thank everyone who voted. It really has been great to see the support as I have pursued this. Let’s hope that all the effort pays off and we crown a new Best of Baltimore!

Also, I hope to see you on Saturday at the Sidebar, for Lastwave Festival. There is a potluck barbeque from 4-8, and 9 bands taking the stage for the rest of the night (I’m going on around 9, fyi). Bring your favorite dish and stay for the rock!
http://www.sidebartavern.com/

Thanks for reading!

--Davey G and the Keyboard



www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Wild Bill Hagy, a late tribute

Last week I was at work, looking at the paper when I saw this article about the death of “Wild Bill” Hagy, the biggest Baltimore Oriole fan ever, I couldn’t help but smile. Not because he was dead, of course, but because when I read this tribute to a man who obviously cared very much about his team and reflects many of the values I have as a sports fan, I saw something that truly, truly touched my heart. Here was someone who cared, who threw his entire being into supporting his team. I have bitched about the things that bother me as a fan of the Baltimore Orioles (the politics, the way we are treated as fans, etc.) and then I see someone like this, who was exactly the type of fan the team needed, and it makes me a little sad that I was not a part of this time in the Orioles history.
He went to every game, drank beer, led cheers, and most importantly (to me)--he got mad. When Memorial Stadium banned people from bringing in their own coolers and beer, he started a boycott, and he stuck by it. And that was what struck me--he did not simply accept it: he fought back. The lesson I learn from this, is that even if the protest means little to the people you are trying to affect, do it anyway. I wrote about it earlier, how I do not like being among “the Best-Behaved Fans in Baseball,” and from what I can tell, he wouldn’t have liked it either.
The one story I like: He drove a cab, and if an out-of-town fan entered wearing a Yankees hat, he ordered it removed. If the person refused, he refused the fare. (from the obit.) When now, we bend over backwards not to offend the “New York” fans (from Fells Point or from the suburbs) it makes me want to throw up.
Therefore, my personal tribute to a man I have never met: I will play Giuliani Time at my next show.

The next Davey G and the Keyboard performance!

Hey Everyone,

Davey G plays a pot luck Barbecue with 9 other bands: It’s the Lastwave Festival at the Sidebar Tavern!

LAST WAVE!
Saturday, September 1, 2007
4:00pm – 1:00am
$8
Sidebar Tavern
http://www.sidebartavern.com/
218 E. Lexington Street (corner of Guilford)
POT-LUCK COOKOUT- 4:00pm-8:00pm in the parking lot.

Please feel free to bring some meat, bread, chips or whatever to share and encourage others to do the same. They’ll have a grill and a good selection of starter stuff, but to make it a feast, they need you!

I have included the approximate starting times of the bands for your convenience, but as always I encourage people to come early to hang out and to be sure not to miss me!
12:00-12:40 – The Gonzo Circus
11:10-11:40 – E. Joseph (duo)
10:10-10:50 – Pontiak
9:20-9:50 - Davey G. and the Keyboard (that's me!)
8:30-9:00 – The Alameda
7:40–8:10 – Cult Hero
6:40-7:20 – Dorsal Fink
5:50-6:20 – I Am The Sea (duo)
(No time listed yet)Savory James
5:00-5:30 – Mike Pursley (solo)










www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Campaign 2007: Day 19

I am bloodied but unbowed this week as the campaign hit a technical snafu. For some reason, I had been unable to access g-mail or my blogger account from my computer (hence the lack of posts this week). It was a most inopportune time for this, and I strongly suspect foul play. I don’t want to name names, but I really think that the *iberal *edia had a role in this. There are some who will do anything to see my campaign fail, and that is why it is just so important that we stay strong and overwhelm them with our numbers. We cannot let odd or inexplicable boundaries cloud the fact that this campaign is picking up some serious steam. If you haven’t voted, please take the time to do so.
http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp
My Name is Davey G and the Keyboard, and I want to be the Best Solo Music Artist in Baltimore!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

To Hell with Writer’s Block!

I read somewhere once that when Inventor Thomas Edison’s Lab burned down, his reaction was something like “What a great opportunity! Now I can start over!” (not an exact quote) and I have experienced a somewhat similar feeling with my writing.

I was at work and it just totally hit me: “Scrap the story! Start over!” and as crazy as that sounded to me after having done so much work, it seemed really appealing. It occurred to me that in this great wonderful world of satire and ridiculousness, there is (theoretically) just too much to write about for me to ever claim writer’s block. Suddenly I’m having ideas left and right about where I want to go with the new story-line, and I’m filling pages and pages with them. And just now, today, I sat for a solid two hours and banged out the rough outline and some scenes for the story: Low Level Bureaucrats 3: A New Beginning. And finally, I can truly say that it will be the story I really want to write. Inspiration is crazy like that sometimes. But I’ll take it.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
ps--this inspiration hit while reading some article about how the drug they give for Restless Leg Syndrome has a side effect of making people want to gamble. I'm not making this up.

Campaign 2007: Day 13--Some of My Endorsements!

So you wanna vote for Davey G for Best Solo Music Artist, but you need another 24 categories to make your vote count? Then read my endorsements for Best of Baltimore! (not including bands or bartenders because that gets into office politics and I really don’t want to piss anyone off)

Best place to get a sandwich: Galley Café (on Centre Street). Disclosure: I worked here for 6 years under the old owners. But Judy still kicks out a good sandwich.

Best Gay Bar (I’m not gay…at least, I’m not that gay) : Leon’s on Tyson Street. Could also go for Best Dive Bar. Man those guys seem like they’re having man-fun in there! This place smells really odd. I mean, from the outside.

Best Sports Bar: Long John’s Pub (on 29th). I’ve always had a place in my heart for this Remington Institution. Plus, it’s a great cheap place to watch the Orioles on a big screen.

Best Athlete: Nick Markakis. He is the future of our team.

Best Greek: Nick Markakis. Look, he's being funny.

Best Place to get a Haircut: Joe’s Barber Shop in Locust Point. Maybe my hair is a bad advertisement for Joe. But frankly, paying a lot for a haircut when I could go to Joes and pay 7 bucks? Why not? The man can crank out a haircut in 8 minutes when he’s busy (I timed him).

Best Auto Repair Shop: Charles Village Exxon. Nick the Mechanic is a Godsend. He works fast, never tries to upsell me (take that, Jiffy Lube!) and didn’t even blink when I warned him that fixing my car (with the broken door that makes it impossible to get in unless I climb through over the passenger side) would be a pain in the ass. Bonus reason to vote for CVE: when my old roommate got a rat stuck in her car, the other mechanic, citing his experience in Vietnam, made it his mission to get it out. I don’t know crap about cars, but these are good people.

Best Place to Workout: Huh?

Best cup of Coffee: Peace and a Cup of Joe (on Pratt and MLK). Okay, I don’t live near there anymore, but when I did this place kicked out a fine cup. Additionally, it has a very liberal “stamp” policy--buy 4 cups and get the 5th free. Plus--this area really, really needs a coffee shop to stay in business longer than a year.

Best Reason to Pick Up City Paper: Henry Hong (Eat me!). He bitched and complained about the food column until City Paper gave him a column. True Democracy in action: he had a point to make and now he’s making it, which is what my entire campaign is about. Besides…I owe him one for getting his girlfriend to vote for me.

Best Reason Not to Pick up City Paper: The Good Old Boy Network that overexposes some and completely ignores others. I know what you’re saying: I don’t have cable and I don’t get that network. Or maybe that’s just me.

http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp


www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Campaign 2007: Day 12

Dear Readers,
If you are on my e-mail list and have not gotten any of my messages relating to my bid for Best of Baltimore, please check in your spam box--it appears that for many of you this is where it wound up--you can fix this by checking "not spam"
(this seems to be a problem with anyone who has g-mail)--that way you will be sure not to miss any future announcements for Davey G and the Keyboard Shows!

Next post: my endorsements for other Best of Baltimore categories!

Oh, and vote for me Best Solo Music Artist!
http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Campaign 2007: Day 11

Stressed. The City Paper Website was apparently non-functional over the weekend and many of my supporters could not vote. And an e-mail I sent out to promote my cause has not been delivered to my “base.”
But…as I understand it, the website problem has been fixed, and I just re-sent the e-mail to the Davey G and the Keyboard faithful. Hopefully these little technical glitches will work themselves out (insert some obvious joke about the 2000 Presidential election here).
Otherwise, the campaign is really going well--I urge anyone who might have had a problem voting before to please go back and do so now.

http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp

I want to be the reader’s choice for Best Solo Music Artist! Please help me to make this happen!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Campaign 2007: Day 9

We are deep in the heart of the campaign for Best of Baltimore (Best Solo Music Artist: Davey G and the Keyboard) and so far, support has been great! But I would like to address one of the darker issues of the campaign: Voter intimidation.
Yes. It’s ugly to think about it occurring here in Baltimore in 2007, but it is a reality. Powerful forces in this town don’t want to give the “Best of…” reigns to anyone else, but we can’t let them force us out! I realize that the polling places are overcrowded and the lines are very long, and in some cases Establishment goons are trying to force you to accept their candidate as the winner, before you’ve even made up your mind. We feel that this is wrong! We need to stand strong and cast our ballots without fear.
We here at Davey G Campaign Headquarters want to know your story. If voter intimidation is rampant in your area, we want to know! I won’t actually do anything about it, but together we can just be really really impotent with rage.
Fight Voter Intimidation! Vote for Davey G and the Keyboard for Best Solo Music Artist! Together we can do it and crown a new Best of Baltimore!



Okay, I’ve just been informed that there are no polling places, no lines, and no Establishment goons. My information was inaccurate. So just vote here! http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Campaign 2007 (for Best Solo Musical Artist!)

After selecting "Davey G and the Keyboard" for Best Solo Music Artist, Ian ponders over his other choices for Best of Baltimore.

Day 4
It’s going well so far. I’ve gotten out the vote to many who are fed up with the current administration and want city-wide regime change. It’s gratifying to see more and more people come out in support of what we’re doing here. People seem really excited to help; I think I might have experienced that post self-nominating convention “bounce” the political pundits are always talking about.
I preach a message of hope and unity. I stand for everyone who feels otherwise unrepresented in the pages of the Baltimore City Paper. We’re out here: we count.

Currently, I am gathering paper ballots for anyone who needs one, or you can vote on-line. Vote for Davey G and the Keyboard: Best Solo Music Artist! Thanks for your support! Continue to read the blog as I update throughout the campaign!

Vote here: http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Davey G and the Keyboard for Best Solo Music Artist!

(photo by Ashley Sauers)

Dear Readers,

It’s time for the Best of Baltimore! Vote for Davey G and the Keyboard!

In the past, I have never done this, but this year I feel the time is right. With 7 years of playing as Davey G and the Keyboard, I feel like nothing would please me more than to be named the City Paper Best of Baltimore Solo Music Artist. But I need your help.

The City Paper Best of Baltimore Reader Poll is open until August 31. Best of Baltimore is the time when various services and artists are recognized for their good work. The rules of the poll are that you must fill out answers for at least 25 categories, you cannot repeat the same answer in more than three categories, and you must fill out the information about who you are and where you live.

If you are a fan go ahead and vote for me! Or maybe you live in the area and are filling out the poll and haven’t decided who will be your choice for that category (Pick me! Pick me!). Or maybe you want me to do the same for you--I will! If you have a category that you want me to promote for you in Best of Baltimore (other than Best Solo Music Artist) just e-mail me or leave a comment on my blog or myspace page (wherever you may be reading this from) and I will push your category for you.
Please go ahead and take ten minutes to fill this out.

http://www.citypaper.com/bob/poll.asp

Thank you so much for your support! Please tell your friends and vote for Davey G and the Keyboard for Best Solo Music Artist!

Davey G and the Keyboard
www.daveygandthekeyboard.com
To hear my music:
http://www.myspace.com/daveygandthekeyboard

The One Month Hiatus Debriefing.

I didn’t want to panic anyone, but I basically took the last month off from Davey G and the Keyboard. I didn’t practice, record, write, or, for that matter, even take my keyboard out of the case after the last show at the Sidebar. Breaks can be tricky, as sometimes they just sort of start and then go on forever, but I think this one was necessary, and my future projects will be better for it.

A few announcements:

*Have you ever wanted to get your hands on old issues of the Davezine (the self-published fiction ‘zine I have been writing for the last 12 years) but don’t know how? Well…I have rectified that problem. For the first time ever, issues 1-12 (including issue 9.5) are available via my Davey G Catalog. All prices have the postage included.
I’ll be adding CD’s to the catalog soon, updating when I can. If you have any suggestions or there are any bugs, let me know--my web skills are what they are, so…I appreciate any feedback.

*I have restarted work on Low Level Bureaucrats 3, which will eventually come out in Davezine 13. It will be the end the Beatown trilogy, a plot line that has carried through since 2005 in Davezine 11.

*Davey G and the Office Supply E.P is still available (as are all my CDs) on the website. Keep an eye out for news of the Davey G CD Release Party (this November!) for my upcoming “Chairman of the Keyboard” CD. Initial response to the new songs gives me reason to believe this fourth CD will exceed all expectations. I think by the fourth time around, I probably am starting to get some idea of what it is I’m doing.

Thanks for reading! I will have a new show announcement coming soon!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

“Orioles Fans Have a Reputation for Being the Best behaved Fans in Baseball. We Trust you will uphold that reputation.” or…Giuliani Time Part 3

I am a Baltimore Orioles fan. Every game I attend at Camden Yards, this message is shown on the JumboTron: “Orioles Fans Have a Reputation for Being the Best behaved Fans in Baseball. We Trust you will uphold that reputation.”

And it has never really set well with me to be considered “well behaved.”

Football fans are not well-behaved. They are drunk, loud, obnoxious, most definitely not well-behaved. They never, ever, flash a message like this over at M&T Bank Stadium (btw, for all future writings I will call it Raven’s Stadium, as I hate hate hate corporations that name stadiums) during Raven’s games.

But this post is not meant to criticize the fans. This is a post about the management.

Just this message, shown during every game, like Communist propaganda, is an insult to me as an American. (I know, hyperbole, but bear with me.) Management, like the old Soviet state, has a great interest in keeping the fans docile, and passive and apathetic. It helps to distract us from the fact that the team has not put together a winner in 10 years. It helps to avoid nasty little incidents like the big walkout of last year, during which a thousand fans dressed in black walked out of the stadium at 5:08--“5” for Brooks Robinson and “8” for Cal Ripken.
I witnessed a refreshing sign of fan anger when I saw the O’s play a few weeks ago, right before Sam Perlozzo was fired, when upset fans stood up and booed, MERCILESSLY. They booed bad fielding. They booed poor hitting. They booed Sam Perlozzo coming out of the dugout to yank the starter. They booed, swore, and got mad. They were not acting like “the best behaved fans in baseball.” They were acting like human beings, pushed too far, made to suffer too long, like the little kid who is sick of the bully beating him up and taking his lunch money--they fought back.

Oppressive Governments, and Oriole Management, like it when people do not question their actions. They like it when people trust their leaders. They like when people sit at home and watch TV and just accept their lot in life. At the Yard, they like it when you sit, cheer when they tell you, and otherwise keep your mouth shut: Behave.
For a game that drapes itself in the flag and patriotism and the National Anthem and God Bless America, it really doesn’t seem very American to me.

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

The Davey G Archive!

Dear Readers,
Coming soon--the Davezine/Davey G and the Keyboard Archive!
That’s right: every Davezine ever made will be available on-line. I am working on the catalog, which will contain Davezine issues 1-12 (including the rare issue 9.5) as well as all of my CD’s as Davey G and the Keyboard.
You can finally complete your collection of “Davey G and the …” products!

Please check back--this will launch very soon!

www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

Stuff I'm Reading: Why People Believe Weird Things

Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Shermer

Michael Shermer lays out arguments refuting psychics, creationists, holocaust deniers, and all sorts of other bs artists in an enormously entertaining book promoting skepticism. Skepticism does not mean you doubt everything, he explains. Rather, it is the Missouri “show me” kind of thinking, which basically means don’t believe anything you can’t prove. He discusses fallacies of reasoning, hallucinations, bad thinking, and ultimately gives me some hope that one day the powers of light and reason will prevail in this world.
He explains why science really is of fundamental importance; how creationists and holocaust deniers misuse and abuse science to promote pseudo-science. Science is the promotion of knowledge, and is rife with conflict and competing theories. Pseudo-science uses these conflicts to say “See. They’re wrong!” without ever getting that this is the very essence of science: disagreement, aiming toward the common goal of gaining knowledge, rather than keeping one view point and never, ever, ever changing it.
Lately, after I have delved into issues such as pseudo-New Age thinking, reading about Amway, and maybe just generally losing my mind in a mild haze of mumbo jumbo, this book was a cold drink of water, reminding me of who I am and what I believe and that it is in fact okay to question everything. It is such a refreshing restoration of my faith in humanity to realize that there is a reason for believing…in disbelief.





www.daveygandthekeyboard.com

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