7/26/16 - 2 new CD Releases!
I've got 2 new CD releases to talk about and they couldn't be any farther apart in style. First up is Pete Laramee's umpteenth record - Chin Music. It's a baseball-themed prog metal record. I'll let you chew on that for a moment. If Pete's name sounds familiar it's because he's the "L" in the band H.O.L.D. that released a record last year. That would make me the "D". Ha ha! For Pete's record I was recruited to play synth solos and I had a blast programming the patches and summonsing my inner Gregg Guiffria.
Next up is the latest from MD's fastest rising country star, Richie Fields - his latest titled Good Ride. I played in Richie's band for a spell about 10 years ago so it was great reconnecting with him to make some new music.
So whether you prefer to twang out to some good ole Americana or to get out your protractor, stand with your arms folded firmly across your chest and methodically head bang in odd meter, I hope you'll check out the new releases from these worthy and talented musical beings. After all, we make this music for you guys...
10/4/15 - New Crack The Sky CD Release
I'm very stoked to announce my 4th CD release of 2015, the latest from Crack The Sky - The Beauty Of Nothing. The first single, "Rachel" has been getting steady airplay on Baltimore's 100.7 The Bay and so far the reviews have been great! Like 2012's Ostrich, this record is all over the map but is a good bit heavier than its predecessor. Lyrically, you can expect more poignant social commentary and introspection from our guiding light, John Palumbo. I'm hesitant to say more; I'd rather you ingest it without the influence of my commentary. Let me know what you think!
5/5/15 - New Music and an Interview
Blame Facebook for the large lapses of time between news updates here. So far this year I've had 2 CDs come out. The first is from a "studio band" called H.O.L.D. (an acronym for all our last names) and is modern hard rock with a prog edge. The band features all Baltimore-area musicians who have never played together before. The next CD is the self-titled debut from Raven Tree - it's a timeless classic rock record that I'm really proud of. In addition to bass I got to play keys, mandolin and lap steel so I really had fun with this one. For both of these records, all my parts were recorded remotely from my home studio. Please visit my Soundcloud page to check out some tunes from these cool records!
Lastly, I was recently interviewed on WKHS 90.5 as part of their 41st Anniversary broadcast. It's a 2-part interview conducted by 2 DJs, the latter of which being the legendary Bill Wright. We talked about all my current bands, the scene, some local clubs and played songs from a slew of my CD releases. I edited it down to a listenable length so you can check it out here:
1/27/14 - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Podcast
Ok, so only 4 months since the last update. In that time I've joined the long-running Pink Floyd tribute band - Several Species and had my first show with them at the gorgeous Lincoln Theater in DC. More great shows with them this year to follow...
9/10/13 - Catching up!
Gee, has it really been 2.5 years since I updated this page? The numbers
don't lie so I guess it has been. I blame social media! So if you really need to know what I've been up to these last few years, head over to www.facebook.com/davedemarcomusic. While you're there, click the "Like" button so you won't miss any other updates, just in case I don't make it back to this page for another few years.
Tonight I was honored to be the guest on a great internet radio show which is put on by musicians, for musicians - the Real Time Radio Network. We talked about all my current musical goings-on: the upcoming "Dark Side of The Moon - Reimagined" show, session work, bass lessons, peanut butter and they were kind enough to play songs from some CDs I've played on. If you missed it, you can listen to it right here, right now:
While we're on the topic of interviews here's a link to one I did last year for the Procrastinating Musician podcast. This one focuses mostly on the session work that I do "remotely" from my studio.
2/10/11- Oh Yeah Sure and thinning the herd.
You may have noticed that there's been a serious increase in the number of Dave DeMarco Band shows in the last few months. This is no accident! You also may have wondered why the list of bands on my Current Projects page has been shrinking. It was only a year or so ago that I was in twelve (12) bands and now I'm down to four. No, it has nothing to do w/ the economy, gas prices, the crisis in Egypt or the cast of the Jersey Shore. Here's the deal:
When I signed with Prophase Music last year, I knew this would mean I'd eventually need to clear a path for more DDB shows in preparation for supporting my upcoming CD. To do this, I would have to thin the herd. I gave the OYS guys plenty of notice so that they could begin scouting for my replacement. That person is now in place so all that remains for me are a few remaining shows at venues which I booked. Plus I'm always happy to fill in if they ever need me.
So while I'll miss playing with Drew and Vince, the upside is that my schedule is more open for spreading some DDB love. And...I'll still get to play with the guys when we do our Wes McDonough Band reunion shows a few times a year.
In a nutshell, I feel I've pushed the envelope of what a freelancer can accomplish and now it's nice to refine my focus. I'll ride this wave as long as it lasts....
12/29/10 - Read my monthly Newsletter & Giglist online!
As some of you are aware, for the past 10 years or so I've been sending out a monthly Newsletter & GigList to those who have subscribed via email. Today a little bird (who is actually a monster guitar player named Ben Sherman) gave me the bright idea of including a link on my website so that EVERYONE could read them. It was truly one of those "I could have had a V8!" moments. I actually said "Duh" so loudly that birds flew off the nearby telephone pole.
Here then, is what should have been here, all along. Enjoy. And if you want to subscribe so that you get it delivered to your inbox each month, email me.
11/17/10 - Bass tracks completed for Six Elements!
Six Elements is an "orchestral prog" band from Atlanta which hired me to play bass on their debut CD. Band leader Michael Shengaout found me via my website www.YourSessionBassist.com and asked if I'd be interested in playing on their CD. It only took one listen to the track "Nightmare" to know that this would be a fun project. The music is lushly orchestrated and has all the trappings of early Genesis and Gentle Giant with occasionally pop-y flourishes ala Radiohead. Michael gave me lots of room to stretch out so there are some seriously bass-centric moments. I had a lot of fun tracking from my home studio can't wait to hear the final product!
11/1/10 - Bass tracks completed for Steve Fields's new CD!
Steve Fields is a gifted singer/songwriter/pianist and former member of Blood, Sweat & Tears. His first CD of new music in over a decade is being released to raise funds to help pay for his daughter Brittany's medical expenses as she battles RSD (Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy). There will also be a benefit concert in NJ in January 2011. For more info or to donate to the cause, visit www.helpbrittbeatrsd.org.
9/13/10 - Solo deal signed with Prophase Music!
BREAKING NEWS: It's official - I've signed my solo deal with the Prophase Music label. This all came about when I left Oblivion Sun last year and label president Michael DeMonte told me "You'll always have a home at Prophase". So I've spent the last year making some serious upgrades to my home studio, getting comfy w/ ProTools and demoing songs.
My plan is to deliver two CDs in 2011. One will be more or less "hard rock", encompassing all my influences from King's X, Black Crowes, Elton John, Kevin Gilbert, et al and will feature my new 15-string bass. I've been tweaking some really insane sounds lately, one in particular that I've been hearing in my head for 20 years now and I finally have it! More on that later. For now though, all I'm going to say about this record is that I'm going to pull a Grohl and play all the instruments (aside from maybe calling in some help for the guitar solos). The songs from this CD will be performed by my trio - the Dave DeMarco Band.
The other CD will appeal to the Oblivion Sun crowd - a total prog/fusion meltdown and will feature songs I've written on keys and baritone guitar. Expect the unexpected with this one; some Latin jazz and even country may get woven in here. This CD will include other players from a new band I've assembled which will also be the live band and will be different from the DDB.
So to recap - two CDs, two live bands, two different genres, one label - Prophase Music. I'm very grateful to be given the enviable opportunity to release music as diverse as this and have it all live under one roof.
Now, I've just gotta deliver some brilliant music to justify my place on the roster!
Thanks for tuning in. More soon...
9/16/09 - Discography Update!
Just updated my Discography page with the two latest CDs which I played on:
Stranger Inside's music is modern heavy rock with a southern tinge. The tunes are organically hard-driving (free-range metal, anyone?) with meat and potatos riffage and soulful vocals.
Damion's song (it's a CD single) is an irreverant roast of all things inherently Maryland - from the Baltimore's hard to mistake accent to the state's polarized geography. It's an infectuous tune which, much like the lingering scent of Old Bay seasoning on your fingers after an afternoon picking crabs, will not soon be washed away.
Both sessions were loads of fun. Much thanks to Ross Hancock and Joe Amey at DMSN Studios in Millersville and to Damion Wolfe for bringing me on board for the sessions!
7/12/09 - Schedule Update + Twitter!
So I finally got around to updating my gig schedule here on my site. Instead of waiting for me to get around to that every month, why not use the latest hipster social networking appliance - Twitter! You can check out my thang at www.twitter.com/davedemarco1. Just think how cool it will be to get my gig updates right on your cell phone. And ya know, with all the bands I play with, it'll always be something interesting.
Aw, go ahead. Don't be twit. Follow me on Twitter. You'll be glad ya did!
3/15/09 - Oblivion Sun -> Cloudbreak -> the future....
It is with mixed emotions that I announce my decision to leave Oblivion Sun. I hate to offer a vague, if not cliched reason, but it really did come down to....yup...you guessed it - "musical differences". I'm going to miss the fun shows and camaraderie w/ the OS guys and I'll always be grateful for my time in the band and being able to make a great record with them.
Moving forward, I've recently joined the band Cloudbreak which reunited last year. The band's original material is progressive (but not prog), funky and sometimes heavy and they have a large local fanbase. I've been a big fan going back to when I was in Rebel Amish Radio and we competed against them in a battle of the bands. Cloudbreak won and I've been friends with the guys ever since. Over the past few years I've played in a few side projects with the guys (Wes McDonough Band, The Name, Undershot) and currently Drew and I play in Oh Yeah Sure - a modern rock cover band and Vince and I play in Seventh Son - an Iron Maiden tribute. Coming full circle now and playing in Cloudbreak is going to be great and I'm having fun learning the material from their 1st CD as well as the newer songs which we hope to have out next year. I've gotta give props to their original bassist, Ryan. He leaves big shoes to fill and I wish him the best in his future pursuits.
Also in the "new horizons" category, I've recently assembled a project which will appeal to the OS crowd as well as fans of fusion and experimental music. We'll be in the shed for quite a while so don't expect to see this one out anytime soon. I'll make further announcements in the coming weeks but for now I'll leave you with this: I won't be playing bass.
8/29/08 - Stanley Whitaker Benefit Shows and Gift Foundation
By now, most Oblivion Sun fans have heard the news regarding our guitarist/singer/brother Stan Whitaker's health: earlier this summer he was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called Adnoidal Cystic Carcinoma. During the surgery for this it was learned that he also has chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Each of these diseases are formidable by themselves; together - well, you can imagine.
Like many fulltime musicians, Stanley and his wife LeeAnne do not have health insurance. Additionally,the surgeries and radiation treatments have forced Stan to cancel all his acoustic duo shows for the rest of the year. Between the loss of income and the medical expenses, Stan and LeeAnne are in dire financial straits and they need our help.
Two benefit shows are being organized and 100% of the proceeds from both shows will go directly to Stan and LeeAnne. The first show is Saturday, September 27th @ Orion Studios in Baltimore. Oblivion Sun (sans Stan) will play and then we'll be joined by many of our friends and we'll play cool prog and fusion covers and jam and have fun, all for the cause. For tickets, email info@orionsound.com.
The second show will be Sunday, November 9th at Timonium Fairgrounds and will feature Crack The Sky, The Rayvns, Oblivion Sun, Hectic Red, Paul Reed Smith and a special performance by the Baltimore School Of Rock.
We hope that anyone who has been touched by Stan's playing and singing or the music of Oblivion Sun and/or Happy The Man, will consider attending one of these shows. Additionally, if you would like to make a donation to Stanley, The Whitaker Gift Foundation has been established to help him through this hardship.
On behalf of Stan & LeeAnne, thanks for any support you can lend.
4/2/08: Oblivion Sun plays 8x10 in Baltimore!
So many folks have been asking when Oblivion Sun is going to play a local show. Mark your calendars for Friday, May 2nd as we'll be headlining a show @ the 8x10. It'll be a great night of music as we'll have two wonderful support acts on the bill - the David Glaser Band and the Anthony Setola Band.
12/27/07: Oblivion Sun makes Village Voice Top 10!
Jeffery Morgan of the Village Voice has released his Top 10 picks for 2007 and Oblivion Sun's debut CD came in at #7, beating current releases from Ted Nugent and Megadeth! Pretty cool! Thanks, Jeffery!
10/9/07 - IT'S OUT!!!!
You've been reading about it now for quite some time and now the Oblivion Sun CD has officially been released. YAAY!! Run, don't walk to your nearest Record and Tape Trader location or pick it up at Amazon.com, or BestBuy.com or iTunes!
9/18/07 - Oblivion Sun CD and gig news!
Wow...that's right...exactly 3 weeks from today, you'll be able to purchase our debut CD. But why wait? You can pre-order the CD at Amazon.com and then it'll be shipped to you on October 9th (European release date is November 16th).
Our first CD release party is scheduled for 10/28/07 @ Jammin' Java in Vienna, VA. We'll follow that up on 11/7/07 with a show at the Knitting Factory in NYC. These are going to be some seriously fun gigs!
7/25/07 - Oblivion Sun CD release info
Mixing for Oblivion Sun's self-titled debut wrapped yesterday so that means we're on track for our street date of October 9th. We're still coordinating the details for the CD release party so I'll post those as plans firm up.
We're all very excited about the record. While it is first and foremost a somewhat prog-ish sounding record, the other elements - rock, fusion, funk - make it hard to classify in a specific genre. And hey - who cares anyway? File it under G, for "Good Music". Suffice it to say, we are beyond pleased with how it turned out and can't wait to share it with everyone!
4/5/07 - Oblivion Sun inks deal!
Several months ago I mentioned that this was coming down the pike but now it's official....my prog band, Oblivion Sun has signed a deal with a very cool indie label out of Philly called Prophase Music. They've got some great, experimental artists on their roster already, including guitarist Eric Mongrain. If you haven't seen him yet, do a search on YouTube and prepare to be floored.
In addition to being an extremely artist-friendly label, Prophase's distribution arm (MVD) is about as strong as it gets. A large percentage of the music DVDs and CDs you see @ Best Buy and Walmart were put there by MVD. They did Cream's reunion DVD and scads more that you probably own. They also just signed Marillion to a new distribution deal. Kewl!
So needless to say, we're very stoked about our new relationship w/ Prophase. Label president Mike DeMonte and I go back a long way and it's great to have him as part of our team.
OS is currently smack dab in the middle of recording our debut CD at Paul Reed Smith's Dragon Crossing Studio. Things are going exceedingly well and we're having a blast. I'll post some pix soon. We're shooting for a late summer CD release.
3/21/07 - How cool is this?
Reason #356 why Steven Tyler is the man...
1/11/07 - Song in new movie, Arthur and The Invisibles
If you're planning to go see the new movie Arthur and The Invisibles, pay close attention when you hear a cover of the song "Black Betty"....that's me singing. It's only a little over a minute in length and I'm not sure exactly where in the movie it occurs but I do know it's in the animated part.
The movie stars Mia Farrow and the kid from "Charlie and The Chocolate Factory". The animated part features the voices of David Bowie, Madonna, Snoop Dogg and Robert DeNiro. I watched the trailer and it seems like a cool flick.
I guess we'll have to start doing "Black Betty" in the DDB now.....
(1/14/07 Update: Well, I saw the film tonight and they only used a few seconds of the song before the vocals come in. Kind of a bummer but oh well. Easy come, easy go!)
1/3/07 - Two new bands for 2007!
Happy New Year, one and all! I hope everyone had a great holiday season! So, it's been a while since I added any new band projects. I'm excited to announce the debut of 2 new bands I'll be playing with starting this month. First up:
The Waffles. This fun little trio consists of Tom Moon from BiggerBetterFasterMore on drums and Todd Edmonds from the DDB on guitar. We'll all be sharing lead vocal duties and the song list comprises the greatest hits of both bands' sets. Our 1st show is this Friday, Jan 5th @ The Stone Cellar in Ellicott City. We're not looking to set the world on fire with this thing and we'll only be playing out once a month or so, so catch it when you can! Next up:
The Name. This once covert operation has all the makings of a Baltimore super-group. We've got David Jones (formerly of Burn) on vocals, Ben Sherman (Hectic Red) on guitar, Drew Yount (Wes McDonough) on guitar and Shawn Hocherl (Vs The Earth) on drums. The setlist reads like a Billboard Top 100 list but focuses on the heavier stuff: Tool, Disturbed, Van Halen, RHCP, System Of A Down, etc. With this one, we're going all out and will be bringing the biggest rock show the clubs will allow! Our partners in crime will be the boys from Showtime Sound. Scott Tydings and crew will be handling production at every show and they're working on some new things just for us! Our 1st show will be Thursday, February 1st @ Putty Hill Station. What started off as a private, one-hour show for our friends has turned into an open-to-the-public show. This will probably be your only chance to catch the band for FREE! Show starts @ 7pm.
Some people think the Baltimore music scene is incestuous, but not me. I think it's just like highschool. When you were putting a new band together, you called your friends - the people you enjoyed playing with the most. With both these bands, I'm very thankful to be in such good company.
12/19/06 - Change of plans for New Year's Eve
If you subscribe to my Giglist or you check the Schedule page often, you may have read that I was booked to play keys w/ BBFM on NYE. Well, I ended up getting a last minute booking for the DDB @ The Columbia Ale House so that is now where I'll be. The BBFM-sters graciously allowed me to step down from my gig with them in order to take the gig. I kinda felt bad doing this since I actually did it last year as well when Plunge needed me for a few shows. The BBFM guys reassured me that it was cool though; a testament to their own coolness!
So....cover is only $5 on NYE @ The Ale House. It'll be a rocking time and I'd consider it a privledge to ring in '07 with you there. Hope to see ya!
11/2/06 - On The Radio
Hey...who remembers 97 Underground? Well in case you haven't heard, they're back as an internet-only radio station, playing only the best hard rock and metal. On Friday 11/17, I'll be Mike Brilhart's (yes, that Mike from 100.7) guest from 9pm-midnight. We'll be hanging out, chatting about bands, taking your requests and playing some music from my past and present. We might even give away some CDs to those of you who have your music trivia down.
All you have to do is go to wwww.97underground.com and you're a click away from listening to the show. Nothing to download or install. Don't forget, you can call in and request your fav hard rock song. Remember - Friday 11/17!!
9/30/06 - Dave DeMarco Band @ Ram's Head Live, Wed 10/4!
This just in...
The DDB will be opening for Iron Butterfly (remember "In A Gadda Da Vida"?) @ Ram's Head Live in Baltimore, this Wednesday 10/4. This will be a cool gig for us not only because it's at my fav place to play but c'mon....Iron Freakin' Butterfly? Who hasn't air drummed along to that 10 min solo? I remember playing along to it as kid many times...
So...doors at 7:00, show starts at 8:00. We'll be doing an hour set of cool 70's tunes selected especially for this gig. The lineup for this show is:
Todd Edmonds - gtr/vox, Ross Tyrie - gtr, Keith Larsen - drums
Tix are $17 at the door but if you email me, I can save you a coupla bucks and hook you up for $15.
Cya there!
8/16/06 - Two new CDs released!
Man...we's just got all kindsa news this month! Two CDs I played on, one recently and the other last year, have officially been released:
- Turn It Up & Lay It Down, Vol 6 - Messin' Wit Da Bull is the latest installment in the instructional/jam-along CD series for drummers and it also becomes the 3rd CD I've helped create for the series. If you remember me writing in my newsletter last summer about composing for "Volume 4" and are wondering what happened to that one, well...Vol 4 became Vol 6. In the interim, producer Spencer Strand put together a jazz CD and that one became Vol 4. So, this one, Vol 6 is the 70's funk CD I wrote about last summer. It features my good friends Doug Mattingly on guitar and John "Dixon" Hall on keys and has a whole slew of fun-n-funky tunes I wrote in the spirit of all things 70's. Check it out here!
- Angel With Dirty Wings is the latest release from blues singer Gina DeLuca. It features the talents of Kajun Kelley, John Thomakos and Chuck Fuerte. Great tunes from the one and only Fells Pt Diva!
8/14/06 - Ross Tyrie joins DDB!
Shame on me for not mentioning this earlier, but Crushing Day's Ross Tyrie has joined the DDB and will be splitting up the gigs w/ Kajun Kelley. He's actually done 2 gigs with us already! Fear not, fans of CD, he has NOT left Crushing Day. He's just sowing his oats with us when CD's schedule permits. Good times...
7/2/06 - More Movie News!
I recently began composing for an independent film called Night Sounds which is being released via Sick Rose Films. The film's producers, Matt O'Connell and Joe Provenzano told me they wanted moody, atmospheric tracks similar to what they heard on my site but otherwise gave me full creative license. After viewing the film's trailer, I composed a piece titled "No More Rain" (so named because it was written and recorded last week during the non-stop rains) playing bass, keys and guitar. The chordal work and the stuff that sounds like classical guitar are actually bass tracks. Click here to view the trailer and hear the song.
Thanks to Hilltown Media's Jeff Davidson for making this happen. And now I'm off to Darren Saxton's studio to record more material for the film.
6/30/06 - A Day in the life of...
A friend and indie film maker named Zach Ruszala will be following me around with a camera tomorrow gathering footage for his documentary about working musicians. It'll be a long day, starting off bright and early with lessons at Orion Studios followed by a double header of gigs. The first is a duo with Kajun Kelley at Dulles Town Center in VA and then we head up to Frederick for full-on rock show w/ BiggerBetterFasterMore at Olde Towne Tavern. It'll be a fun...and long day! Oh, and if you want to be in the film, come on out to either gig.
5/24/06 - New songs posted!
So I finally got around to uploading some more songs to the Music page. A lot of stuff had been accumulating over the years! A few of the tracks come from the Turn It Up & Lay It Down instructional CD series, while others are various sessions I've played on. The track "Kuchuka" was actually licensed to ESPN for a few of their programs. I pulled a Dave Grohl and played everything on that one. The track "Sing Outside My Window" is a cool roots-rock tune written by one of my favorite local singers, Rick Olaguer. More's a-comin'! Enjoy...
5/17/06 - Pedals have arrived!
Several months ago, I reported that I had secured an endorsement deal with a boutique pedal manufacturer called Vintage Tone Project. A few days ago, two of the pedals arrived - the Blue Ripper bass overdrive and the DDEF1 envelope filter. The Blue Ripper is based on the old Dan Armstrong Blue Clipper pedals from the 70's and definitely has that vintage vibe to it. Think John Wetton on the live King Crimson records. The DDEF1 is a one-off which VTP's Robert Rush created for me after we had some conversations about what I'd want in an envelope filter. I'm pretty impressed with the outcome, especially since it's basically a prototype. I'm anxious to hear the 3rd pedal, the Orange Crusher compressor which should be arriving soon.
I used both pedals at Oblivion Sun's debut gig this past weekend and they sound especially cool with the fretless 8-string. I'll have some audio samples up soon but for now, here are some pix of the pedals. As you can see, they let me supply my own graphics for the top of the pedals and one of them in particular should look pretty familiar. Have a look.
4/12/06 - My new band!
As many of you know, I play every other Wednesday night @ Dick's Famous Halfway Inn in Rosedale, MD with the band Merge. Starting tonight, I'll be doing the alternate Wednesdays as well with a new little project called the Dave DeMarco Band. How funny is that? I've got some smokin' players on board: Todd Edmonds and Kajun Kelley will both be playing guitar and singing and Keith Larsen is on drums. I'll be doing a good bit of the singing as well. The setlist reads like radio station playlist from the 70's through today; cool classic rock, some deep cuts and handful of hits - all of it with 3-part harmony.
So for the time being, I'll be camped out at Dick's every Wed night. Come on by and keep me company!
3/26/06 - Oblivion Sun's debut gig!
Ok, all you prog rockers...mark your calendars for Sunday, May 14th. Oblivion Sun, featuring members of Happy The Man and Iluvatar, debuts at Orion Studios.
Show time: 7pm
Yeah, I know it's Mother's Day. Bring her along. My mom will be there! All the moms can get together and talk about yarn, protein shakes and Regis Philbin.
Oblivion Sun also features Stan Whitaker - gtr/vox; Frank Wyatt - keys/sax; Bill Plummer - keys; Chris Mack - drums.
We've been working up a great set list of original material which may also include some things which will be familiar to the HTM fans. Click here for info and directions to Orion Studios.
2/26/06 - Mickey Cucchiella's Rockstars of Comedy
On Saturday, March 4th I'll be doing a fun gig backing up 98 Rock's Mickey at his Rockstars of Comedy Show at the Recher Theater in Towson. Mickey has assembled a roster of his favorite comedians and will be filming a special show which features stand up comedy along with music. Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? The backup band also features Spike and Ron from Never Never and John Davis on drums. Keep in mind though, this is NOT a NN gig! Still, some of the songs might sound familiar if you know our repertoire.
There's been a long-standing joke that all comedians want to be musicians and all musicians want to be comedians. Come on out Saturday night and see what happens when the roles are reversed.
2/7/06 - Wes McDonough gigs
Tomorrow night will be my first gig w/ Wes McDonough's band. We'll be at the Bayou Blues Cafe in Whitemarsh from 9:30-close. Fans of singer/songwriter rock (Dave Matthews, David Gray, Lifehouse, et al) will dig the covers and the band's original tunes. Cya there.
1/3/06 - More new bands! Still Counting and Wes McDonough
Can't think of a better way to start off a new year than adding some new bands to the schedule. First on deck is Still Counting, which some may remember me playing with a few years ago. I did every Thursday with them @ The Horse in Fells Pt. Starting this week I'll be doing a few gigs a month with them at places like Sonoma's and Olde Towne Tavern in Frederick.
Next up is Wes McDonough. I'll be doing some of the full band dates with his band which also includes former Cloudbreak members Drew Yount and Vince Barille on guitar and drums, respectively. Check the Schedule as new shows are being added.
1/1/06 - New site design for 2006
Happy New Year one and all! As I do every other year or so, I spent the week between Christmas and NYE doing a little overhaul on the site. As you'll see, overall functionality remains unchained; it was more about getting some new feng shui happening than anything else. Poke around and see what's new. Hope you dig.
More news to follow in a day or so.
12/7/05 - New Year's Eve
This NYE I'll be gigging with PLUNGE at Raven's (M&T Bank) Stadium in Balto. We're playing the Big Night Baltimore show with SR71, Crushing Day, Kelly Bell, Right Foot Red and Fools & Horses. Sounds like a great way to cap off an amazingly great year! Get your tickets here.
11/23/05 - New band: Oblivion Sun
I'm excited to announce a cool new addition to the band roster, Oblivion Sun. Fans of local prog will recognize the personnel list: Stan Whitaker and Frank Wyatt come from Happy The Man, Chris Mack comes from Iluvatar and Bill Plummer works with Paul Reed Smith's band. So far we've been writing and rehearsing the all-original material, which not suprisingly is mostly prog/fusion but with more open-ended arrangements and bit of a jam-band vibe. There's a CD in the works for '07 and a handful of shows as well. Check out the bboard at www.happytheman.com for OS updates as well as all the HTM goings on.
And btw, Happy Birthday, Mom!
10/19/05 - Endorsement deal
Way cool news! Vintage Tone Project, a company which makes boutique effects pedals for guys like John Fogerty and Brad Paisley has offered me an endorsement deal! The first of three pedals will be on its way in a few weeks. Read all about it at www.earvolution.com.
10/10/05 - Carmen Grago - R.I.P.
Earlier this evening I was informed that Carmen Grago, guitarist for the band Charlie Don't Surf, passed away this past Saturday evening. I didn't know him extremely well but I've done a handful of gigs with him and earlier this year we discussed putting together a side project and we jammed a few times. I'll remember Carmen as a very kind person, always gracious and a good solid player who knew every Beatles tune! I was looking forward to playing with him again in November. He will be missed.
If you knew Carmen or saw him with CDS and would like to leave a comment, stop by www.dontsurf.com and sign the guestbook. Have a look at the photos while you're there to see Carmen doing what he loved to do.
10/6/05 - I'm hitched!
As the old saying goes "Behind every successful man, there stands a supportive woman". Knowing that there's a lot of truth in those words, Mary and I exchanged vows and became legally betrothed. We were able to work it out that we got married on the 3rd anniversary of the day we met. My beautiful bride and I had a small but exquisite outdoor ceremony with only our immediate family in attendance. We really couldn't have asked for a better day. Click here to see a few pics.
9/7/05 -A better option for Katrina relief - PLEASE READ!
Hopefully by now, everyone has been able to contribute in some way to the various Katrina relief programs. Whether you haven't gotten around to it yet or perhaps you want to give more, I wanted to let everyone know about an alternative to the Red Cross which will ensure that more of your donation dollars get to where they're needed.
There's an organization called The International Orthodox Christian Charities(IOCC), which provides humanitarian aid in the form of money, food, supplies, medicine, personnel, you name it to needy people all over the world. IOCC headed up a tremendous effort for the tsunami victims earlier this year and now they're doing it in Louisiana and Mississippi. Basically IOCC does the same thing as the Red Cross, but whereas 29% of the Red Cross's income goes to pay overhead, IOCC only uses 4%.
That means that out of every $100 donated to the Red Cross, $29 goes to overhead as opposed to only $4 with IOCC.
IOCC has offices all over the world but their headquarters are right here in Towson, MD. Don't get me wrong, the Red Cross is a great organization and they do wonderful work. In fact IOCC is even working with them on the Katrina relief efforts. But I'm sure you'd rather see your money go as far as it can to help those in need. I know times are tougher than ever with gas prices soaring, but please consider making a donation through www.iocc.org. Mary and I will be making donations on behalf of our wedding guests later this month. Thanks for reading!
7/25/05 - It pays to turn on the TV once in a while!
In the world of studio sessions, sometimes we end up writing and/or playing on songs, having no idea how they'll end up being used. Such was the case for three songs songs I wrote/co-wrote and played bass/keys/guitar on last year. These three songs ended up being used in three different sports shows on cable sometime during the 4th quarter of 2004. I'm not intentionally being vague; truth is, all I know about the shows is that one had the word" Meltdowns" in its title, another was some sort of Super Bowl retrospective and the last was something about "NFL Teams". We can thank the fine folks at ASCAP for their lack of descriptive statement verbiage. Oh well, at least they spelled my name correctly on the check. I guess it wouldn't kill me to flip on the TV once or twice a month!
6/17/05 - The producer's chair.
I'm really excited to announce that I've signed on to produce the debut CD from an up and coming, young southern rock/alt-country band called The Perfect Poor. These guys are really passionate about their music and I'm honored to be a part of their team. Tracking has begun and we're shooting for a Q1 2006 release.
The broken links to the articles I wrote for The Music and Film Network have been fixed and are again available for reading. Enjoy...
5/18/05 - A Rebel gets his wings.
I have just learned that my Rebel Amish Radio brother George Bold passed away last night. I'll write some more about this when I'm able and tonight's Merge show will be dedicated to George. I'll miss ya, bro.
UPDATE: I wrote a tribute to George which will be published in June's edition of Music Monthly Magazine. Click here to read the article.
5/10/05 - A new "Merge"-r.
It's been a while since I added a new band to the roster, but this one was worth waiting for. Two of Baltimore's most loved bands, Never Never and Burn have joined forces to create something which neither band has done before. The aptly named Merge is an acoustic trio and tackles a wide span of music from the 70's right up to today. Merge is:
Spike Settles - vocals, guitar
Steve Shaffer - vocals, guitar
Yours Truly - vocals, bass
Fans of NN and Burn rest assured, Merge is not meant to be a replacement for either band. Our goal in creating this project was to have something fun and creative to do on our off nights and give the fans something unique to enjoy as well.
Merge's inaugural date is Wed, 5/18 at Dick's Famous Halfway Inn, in Rosedale. We play from 9-12:30. Hope to see you there!
5/9/05 - Gig Preview added to Schedule page.
Since we all seem to be planning our summer calendars well in advance these days, I thought it might be helpful to include a sneak peek at some upcoming gigs from the months ahead. The Gig Preview section is listed at the bottom of the Schedule page.
4/22/05 - HBO's "Point Pleasant" DVD.
Last week I played and sang on a few tracks for HBO's forthcoming DVD set of "Point Pleasant" episodes. This was an exclusive HBO series that was on a year or so ago. Honestly, I had never seen the show so I went in blind on this one. I played bass on one track which sounded very much like 60's, southern Cali pop, ala The Byrds. Then, get this, I wrote some lyrics and sang on a hip-hop tune...kinda Black Eyed Peas-ish. Bizarre! Guess I'll have to buy this DVD set when it comes out...
3/23/05 - UPDATE!!!!
Just found out that Fox is bumping Life On A Stick to tomorrow, Thurs night, same time. I don't know why this is but I just got the call and wanted to pass it along. If you're not at the Steve Vai show (which is where I'll be) tune in tomorrow.
3/21/05 - Dave on new FOX sitcom theme song.
Just a reminder to tune into your local Fox affiliate this Wed 3/23 at 9:30pm. The new sitcom, Life On a Stick starring Amy Yasbeck will premiere at 9:30 and it features yours truly on bass. It's a cool, punky little ditty and the bass is right up front in the mix so you'll have no problem hearing it. The show comes on right after American Idol so just keep the TV on and you'll hear it. Previews having been running the last few weeks so chances are you may have already heard it if you watch FOX regularly.
3/14/05 - Judge not, lest ye be judged...
Tomorrow, Tues the 15th, I'll be judging the big Guitarmageddon contest at Guitar Center in Towson. If you're one of the contestants ,you've got 24 hrs to get your bribes in! You think I'm kidding...
3/7/05 - On the air, again!
Tonight I'll be on WMUC 88.1 FM again with Elise Major from midnight-2am.
We had way too much fun last time! My favorite part was when they let me "sing" a public service announcement in my best 80's metal lead singer voice. Who knows what mayhem will ensue tonight? Call in if you'd like to be a part of it - 301-314-8800.
2/17/05 - On the air!
If you missed Never Never on 100.7 this morning, you'll have another chance to hear us this afternoon, just head a little further down the dial to 98 Rock. We'll be on with Mickey and Amelia at 4pm!
2/15/05 - In memoriam, guitarist Terry Gleason.
Over the holidays, a friend and truly gifted guitarist, Terry Gleason passed away. Click here to read the memorial I wrote for him which was published this month in Music Monthly magazine.
2/5/05 - Elise Major live on the radio!
Just a heads up that I'll be playing and chatting live on WMUC 88.1 FM this Monday night, 2/7 from midnight to 2am. Ok, so technically that's Tuesday morning. We'll be doing the unplugged thing and talking about upcoming events with the band. This will also be our first gig with new drummer Brian Potts, formerly of the band Product. Feel free to call in and harrass us or request a song - 301-314-8800.
12/22/04 - New for '05: "The Bassist's Toolbox"
Starting next month, there'll be a new value-added bonus for bassists who sign up for lessons. The Bassist's Toolbox is a collection of tips and useful info covering a wide array of topics of interest to bassists at any level. Profiles, gear info, you name it! If it matters to bassists, it'll be in there. Current students, don't fret - you'll get it too! The first issue will arrive in your inbox shortly after the new year. Subsequent issues will arrive the first week of every month.
Everyone - have a great holiday season and a funky new year!
11/30/04 - New pics added
Just added a bunch of pics from the Jeff Reid benefit at the Thunderdome. Click here to see the new photo albums.
11/09/04 - Turn It Up and Lay It Down - Vol 3 released!
My latest installment in the Turn It Up series of instructional CDs for drummers - Rock-it Science, is now available at www.drumfun.com. Rock and funk drummers will love this. It's 17 songs in the vein of today's hottest bands - Foo Fighters, Tool, Primus, 311, No Doubt, Santana, Chili Peppers...with one thing missing. THERE'S NO DRUMS! Drummers can play along and work on time, fills, grooves and most importantly, feel!
I had a blast writing and recording the tracks as well as producing the CD along with TULD creator and mofo drummer, Spencer Strand. Guitarist Doug Mattingly shines on the disk as well. The CD was recorded at Mitch Shaivitz's Greenhill Studios.
Special thanks to Spence and Steve Killgallon for getting me involved in this back in '01 when we did Vol. 2.
11/03/04 - Upcoming Benefit Shows
This month I'll be playing in 2 really cool and equally important benefit shows which I encourage everyone to check out and attend:
The first is Rock Against Landmines, an off-shoot of Adopt-A-Minefield. This is a charity sponsored in large part by Paul McCartney and his activist wife Heather Mills which raises funds and awareness in an effort to remove landmines from formerly war-torn areas worldwide. RAL comes to The Royal in Baltimore's Federal Hill area on Thursday, November 11th. On the bill will be The Streamers and Todd Deatherage, both from NYC plus Co Pilot and I'll be playing with Elise Major. This is an all-ages show and a great opportunity to check out 4 cool bands while supporting a worthy cause.
The second show is the Honor Among Friends memorial benefit for SR71's Jeff Reid, who succombed to cancer this past summer. This will be at the Thunderdome on Sunday, Noverber 14th. On the bill will be SR71, Vs The Earth, Nine Days, Chip from Enuff Znuff and I'll be playing with Kirk's Money Brothas. The show's finale will be an all-star jam where we'll get together and play some of Jeff's favorite songs. All proceeds from the show will benefit the St Agnes Cancer Center. There's also a really cool auction for some of Jeff's basses and a lot of other rock memorabilia. Check out the site and mark 11/14 on your calendars. The show starts at 5pm so it'll be an early night.
Hope to see you at one or both shows.
09/20/04 - Jumping off The Horse
Effective today, Still Counting ends its three year, Thursday night residency at The Horse You Came In On Saloon in Fells Pt. Seeing as how Thursdays are the only shows I do with the band, this also means I'll no longer be playing with them, save for the occasional fill-in. It's been a great ride but all good things must come to an end. Thanks to Chris, Joe and Dave and thanks to everyone who came out and made Thursdays a consistently great party.
This will be an on-going collection of true stories that could only happen to those who have chosen a career in music (or those who were trying to be rockstars for a few months).
08/11/04 - Student gets honorable mention
08/01/04 - New Instructional CD finished
At long last, the follow-up to 2002's Turn It Up and Lay It Down, Vol. 2, the aptly titled, Vol. 3 is wrapped up and in the can. This is the instructional series for drummers created by Spencer Strand of RhythmTech and drumfun.com. Whereas Vol. 2 had me playing alongside uber-bassists TM Stevens and Chuck Bergeron and had more loop-based, shorter ideas, Vol. 3 consists of 14 original tracks composed by yours truly. My good bud Doug Mattingly laid some killer guitar tracks on the tunes. Vol. 3 should drop sometime this fall. Stay tuned!
So what can I say? It's been an unusually productive month here at dd.com. This new page consists of links to articles I've written for Steve Zuckerman's Music and Film Network as well as an article inspired by one of my students (thanks, Geoff!). There's more to come!
Also, I got a head start on July's gig schedule. It's looking like another typical July with oodles of gigs with most of the usual culprits. If two more gigs come in, I'll break that all-time record for most gigs in a month (Oct '03) that I was trying NOT to beat. Those of you who vaca in O.C. will have ample opportunities to check out a gig in July. We'll be hitting most of the better venues. Cya somewhere!
One last thing - astute, returning visitors will notice a somewhat different look here on the site.
davedemarco.com - the site that cares!
06/15/04 - New FAQ page added
Recently, a new student apologized for asking so many questions during his first lesson. When I told him it was cool and that everyone usually asks the same things he was, he jokingly suggested that I put up an FAQ page on my site. Never one to turn away from a good joke, I took his idea and ran with it, adding questions which also come up at gigs. I'll update the page as new questions come in. Have a look!
Also, I fixed the guestbook and it's now working again.
06/02/04 - From the MIA file
People have been asking for updates on Kirk's Money Brothas and Never Never since they've both been MIA from the gig list for a few months now. I'm sure everyone knows the deal w/ the Nevers. The band will be back out there as soon as Spike is ready. When that will be is anyone's guess.
As for K$B, guitarist Greg Meadows is to blame for our hiatus. It wasn't enough that he and his wife have a baby due any time now. He also had to go and break his hip. Smooth move, X-Lax! We're looking to kick off our summer season on July 23rd with our 2nd appearance at Camden Yards' 98 Rock Day!
In the meantime, I'm keeping busy with a cool lineup of bands. Cruise on over to the Schedule page and see for yourself. This month will feature the usual double-headers, plus one TRIPLE-HEADER thanks to a last minute gig with the band Charlie Don't Surf on 6/5. CDS is a fun band that takes "sitting in" to a new level. What was supposed to be one song at a gig a few weeks ago ended up being the entire 2nd set, and most of it on drums. I'm looking forward to this Saturday!
05/02/04 - Fun Fillin' In
Had a great time this past Saturday doing a fill-in with the band No Stringz Attached. It was super short notice but I was glad to sacrifice a rare night off in order to make some new friends and jam some great tunes. It was a great lesson in how to stretch 2 sets of material into 3 sets! Special thanks to drummer Matt for relinquishing the drum throne for a few songs (that killed some time!).
03/11/04 - A new addition to the family.
No, it's not a baby! It's been a while since I added a new band to the roster so I figured now would be as good a time as any. Effective next month I'll begin gigging with BiggerBetterFasterMore - a really fun band that puts on a great show in addition to being able to throw down. I'll be sharing the bass chair with good bud Adrian Cox, reprising a similar role from when he and I both played for Smash Radio. Check the Schedule page for info on my first gigs w/ BBFM next month.
02/09/04 - Live on 98 Rock!
Hey all you early risers! Tune into 98 Rock (97.9 WIYY) at 7:30am tommorrow (Tuesday the 10th). I'll be a guest on the "Kirk, Mark and Lopez Morning Show". Call in and harrass me, if you dare!
01/07/04 - What the ??
Happy New Year! As you can see, what started as the simple task of adding a Schedule page over the holidays turned into the project of doing a long-overdue site facelift. In addition to creating the Schedule page, the newly created Toys page (formerly known as "Gearhead Central") has its own album located with the rest of the Visuals. I hope you dig the new look of the site. If past performance is any indicator, you'll be looking at this for the next two and a half years!
12/12/03 - New pics added.
Just did a complete overhaul of the Visuals page. It not only looks better but the pics load faster AND, I uploaded a whole slew of new and old shots from all the various bands. Have a look and enjoy...
12/01/03 - Ho! Ho! Hoey!
Had a blast this morning jamming with guitarist Gary Hoey. Fans of instrumental guitar music will remember Gary's high-octane remakes of "Hocus Pocus" and "Low Rider" from a few years ago. 98 Rock was doing a live broadcast from Padonia Station for their annual Ho! Ho! Hoey toy-drive and Gary was there to promote his two new CDs. Gary walked me through the arrangements of a few tunes and then we dove right in. It's always fun doing the off-the-cuff thing! Thanks to Kirk McEwen for making it all happen and to Gary for allowing me to sit in.
11/06/03 - The Write Stuff
And by all means, check out GEMS. I have met so many great, cool and positive people here who continue to inspire me. If you feel disconnected from "the scene" and are looking to make new contacts, consider attending the next Summit - April 2004.
11/04/03 - Long time, no update...
Guilty as charged. Between learning new songs, writing new songs, fighting a month-long cold and gigging like a mofo (27 in October!), something had to fall between the cracks...so I took a little vacation from updating the site and sending out the newsletters.
Part of the reason for not sending out the newsletter was that things got a little crazy in September when I was given the opportunity to help Never Never with their recently vacated bass player position. My gig schedule was changing on a week-by-week basis and I felt it best to put the newsletter on hold until things got straightened out. Many thanks to Charles Parker, Kirk McEwen and The Nevers for their flexibility while all this was going down. I was able to continue playing with everyone and the last few months have been a blast!
I'll be getting back into newsletter mode soon so those of you who subscribe should be getting something soon.
7/21/03 - Not another band...........
OK, so I'm a little overdue for a news update. As anyone who subscribes to the monthly newsletter will attest, it's not been for a lack of things going on. So as what may be my busiest gig month ever winds down, I'm excited to report that I've added yet another band to the roster. Effective immediately, I'll be doing Thursdays at Baltimore's famed The Horse You Came In On Saloon with the band Still Counting. SC have been tearing it up at The Horse for quite some time now so this promises to be loads of fun. My first day on the job is Thursday 7/24. Cya there.....
4/02/03 - A cool session
Just returned from Cape Cod where I layed tracks for the debut CD from Bill Harrell, a local singer/songwriter. Bill's music is influenced by such diverse elements as Paul McCartney and 80's synth-pop bands like ABC and Human League, albeit with a darker, vibe and thought-provoking lyrics. The sessions were a lot of fun; Bill gave me a lot of freedom to create cool lines and textures with both the 6-string and the fretless. I think he later regretted it when he told me to "go off" on one song's outro. We'll see if that survives the final mix! Special thanks to Bill and his brother for the heavy doses of New England hospitality which made the trip a whole lotta fun.
3/24/03 - And the winners are....
Back in November of last year, I posted that the musician's organization Just Plain Folks had nominated Battery Apple in two categories in their version of the Grammies: "Full Speed" was nominated for Best Hard Rock Song and our CD 6-Pack Of Shame was nominated for Best Hard Rock CD. The awards ceremony was held earlier this month in Hollywood and it turns out that we came in 2nd place for Best Hard Rock Song! Not bad considering how many other great songs were nominated. So I guess this is where I get to make my acceptance speech <clearing throat>...
"Esteemed colleagues, members of the academy and fellow road warriors; on behalf of my former band - the now defunct Battery Apple, I just want to say thanks for noticing and appreciating our work. We always believed in our music and we had great fun writing and producing our songs, despite the fact that we rarely as a group agreed on anything and were plagued with 11 months of in-between-singers-purgatory. It's rewarding to me that good things continue to happen in the BA camp so long after our demise; perhaps a testament to the quality of the music...as well as the fall-out from a lot of promo and some good luck thrown in as well. And a note to my fellow bass players: this award is proof positive that you can write a ridiculously over-the-top, bass-centric song, have it become a crowd favorite, end up as the lead track on your CD and have someone in a tux at a fancy Hollywood ceremony catered by Wolfgang Puck announce to other tux-festooned attendees that said bass-centric ditty beat thousands of others to win 2nd place. Thanks and mahalo......"
3/14/03 - Undershot
This week I had the pleasure of doing three fill-ins with the band Undershot - the new predominantly modern rock band which has arisen from the ashes of Cloudbreak. Undershot also features drummer Frank Bohle, my bud from Soulcage and current skin basher in Kirk's Money Brothas. All three dates were great and a fun time was had by all. Be sure to check these guys out; great set list of retro/modern favs and B-sides.
2/25/03 - The other side of the stage
Due to a gig cancellation this past weekend, I found myself someplace I haven't been for quite some time: in the audience watching a band. I took advantage of a rare night off to see my good buddy Lathan Ritter's band The Light Street Project. It was fun getting to watch a great band and hearing songs most bands would never dare attempt playing. It wasn't long though before Lathan and bassist Chad Boston both graciously had me up to play. Playing Lathan's great vintage Ludwig kit reminds me how much I miss playing drums. Be sure to check out LSP. With their 6-part harmonies, they're the Mormon Tabernacle of Rock!
1/22/03 - A great double bill!
Last Friday I got to play an amazingly fun gig. I've always wanted to team up 2 bands I'm playing in and put them on the same bill so I could play all night. I finally got to when Rebel Amish Radio opened for Kirk's Money Brothas at The Loft At Nathan Henry's. The mix of RAR's groovin' originals and K$B's current radio favs made for a tasty combo platter that went over well with all in attendance. And I got to play with 2 of my favorite bands. Good times...
1/06/03 - ...and a funky New Year to you too.......
Ah yes, it was a banner year, 2002. How banner, you ask? Well, 173 gigs went down with 14 different bands. And then there were the studio sessions, transcriptions and countless lessons given. I was going to count those, but after 173 gigs, I'm a little tired....so that's why they're countless! OK, so now it's time to acknowledge and say thanks to the bands and artists who allowed me to thump out some low end with them last year. In no particular order, they are: Rebel Amish Radio, Kirk's Money Brothas, Never Never, The Charles Parker Band, Soulcage, Chaz DePaolo and Bleu Sketch, Too Many Daves and The Brass Soulution, Trinity Lutheran's Praise & Worship Band, Smash Radio, Doug Mattingly, Mascaraid, Clarissa, Stuart Hart and Alex Makarovitch and Friends.
I also want to acknowledge some great people who make a difference in my world, musical and otherwise. Again in no particular order: John Davis, Garner & Tiffany Schafert, Jeff Merson, Todd & Christa, Lathan Ritter, Ri & Larry Rush, ZRD and of course....MFL. By being who you are, you all make it easier for me to be who I am.
Looking back over the news from this past year, it's easy to see what a great year it's been. Looking ahead, first quarter '03 projections are shaping up nicely with many gigs on the books and some fun recording projects in Nashville and Boston. And speaking of schedules, at the behest of various people who repeatedly ask me for a list of upcoming gigs, I have finally assembled something resembling a newsletter. To receive the monthly newsletter, click here.
11/14/02 - And the nominees are.........
Just found out that my previous band Battery Apple has been nominated for Best Hard Rock CD (6-Pack Of Shame) and Best Hard Rock Song ("Full Speed") by Just Plain Folks, which is an indie musician's organization. Apparently JPF is the largest musician's organization in the world with more members than ASCAP and BMI combined! They received over 102,000 submissions from over 7,800 artists so it's a real honor to have been nominated. The awards will be given out some time early next year.
11/07/02 - New Interview
A few weeks ago I was interviewed by Hedi Henderson of GenX Effect for their website. The interview is now up - check it out here. Be sure to peruse the rest of the site as well. Cool stuff.....
8/12/02 - Soulcage - R.I.P.
Last month Soulcage played its last gig. As promised, I'm going to get all mooshy about this. Click here to share the moosh.
8/02/02 - A new world record!!
Without even trying, I beat last month's gig record and played 22 gigs with 7 different bands in the month of July. Effective immediately, the self-competition officially stops!! Let me again underscore my gratitude to all the great bands I played with. I'm eternally grateful to all of you for keeping my phone ringing. Selah and selah....
6/30/02 - Maximum Gig-o-rama!
Wow....June was one month I'll not soon forget. 17 gigs with 7 different bands! I think that's a record for this guy. In addition to regular shows with Soulcage and the Trinity Band, I also played with Rebel Amish Radio, Never Never, Too Many Daves and The Brass Soulution, Smash Radio and Clarissa. What an honor to play with such a diverse collection of bands. July is looking like more of the same. A friend of mine called this my "Summer Endurance Tour of Duty" and I think he's right on the money.
6/13/02 - Drop 2 bands, add 2 bands!
OK, sports fans, get out your score cards! First off Battery Apple, my primary original band for the last 5 years has called it quits. Two members are channeling their efforts into other non-musical pursuits. We had a great run and released two CDs which I'm very proud of. Secondly, the band Soulcage with which I've been playing since last year is also calling it a day in July as two of its members are relocating to Nashville to ply their craft in a more suitable market. I'll wax nostalgic on Soulcage in a later post sometime after our last show goes down.
So.....this leaves me with 2 openings!!!
What am I going to do????
Step 1: Replace Battery Apple with Rebel Amish Radio.
Step 2: Replace Soulcage with The Kirk McEwen Band.
Click on over to Current Projects for more info about each band and check back here for more news about these two notorious bands. {Note: Obviously, this whole band switcheroo thing was not nearly as easy as I've made it seem here. Although I'm very bummed that BA has gone bye-bye and I'll truly miss playing with Todd and Christa (aka Christodd) and Frank from SC, I'm also very thankful for the opportunity to be involved with both RAR and KMB. Onward and upward for us all......}
4/26/02 - Wings Of Hope - National Release!
At long last, the film "Wings of Hope" in which Battery Apple was prominently featured has been released to select theaters around the country. I got to see the film at its premiere last year and let me tell you, we've all seen ourselves on TV thanks to camcorders, but it's a real trip seeing yourself up on the big screen. Battery Apple performed the track "Get Inside" from our self-titled 1999 EP. Now normally when a band gets a part in a film, they're lucky if they get 15 or 20 seconds of exposure. Well not only is our part in the first 10 minutes of the film, but they used the entire track! I also worked with the film's producer as a music consultant and managed to get the track "Look At Me" from my previous band Dixon Hall into a sequence later in the film. A Bill Dickson and MTT track was also in there but that sequence wound up on the editting room floor. Click here for a listing of theaters around the country currently running the film.
1/23/02 - Just found out that the Archetribe CD I played on, Earthtones is at #5 on the Echoes chart. Echoes is a nationally syndicated radio show which plays world music, ambient and instrumental music by a wide variety of artists; everything from Micheal Hedges to Tangerine Dream. Needless to say, this is very cool! Click here to see what stations carry the program in your area.
1/15/02 - Turn It Up and Lay It Down, Vol. II released!
RhythmTech's latest instructional CD for drummers, Turn It Up and Lay It Down, Vol. II has been released. The bass tracks were divvied up between T. M. Stevens (Steve Vai, Pretenders, James Brown), Chuck Bergeron (the last person ever to play with Buddy Rich) and yours truly. T.M. handled the wicked funk stuff, Chuck contributed some stellar upright work and I handled all the rock stuff. There's something on here for everyone! The producer had heard the wacky Primus-y stuff I did with Battery Apple and wanted me to lay down something similar to that as well as some heavy rock grooves in the vein of Korn and Godsmack. It was a lot of fun and I'm honored to be on a CD with cats like T.M. and Chuck.
OK, so what exactly IS this CD, you ask? It's a tool for drummers to improve their meter and work on fills over different grooves. It consists of bass licks in one channel and a click track in the other so that drummers can not only practice grooves and licks, but make sure they're keeping it tight. There are straight loops to play to as well as loops with tacets for drummers to solo over. It's really way cool. I plan on using it to work on my drumming too!
The CD will be in all your finer music chains like Guitar Center and MARS. Click on over to www.drumfun.com for more info on the CD.
1/10/02 - Battery Apple goes to Afghanistan!! Well not really, but we did send a shipment of 6-Pack Of Shame CDs over to the boys on the front lines. We figured songs like "Full Speed", "Time For Me To Fly" and especially "Bullseye" would keep them pumped up while they're over there. Incidentally, you can pick up a copy of 6-Pack for only $6.00 at CDBaby.com.
12/13/01 - Wow, where do I begin? Yesterday was one of those days that will be forever etched in my memory. I had the incredible honor of getting to interview one of my all-time fav bass players - the legendary John Paul Jones. Ah, but the fun didn't stop there, I also got to interview King Crimson's Pat Mastelotto and Trey Gunn. JPJ is the opening act on Crimson's current Level 5 Tour which made a stop at DC's Lisner Auditorium last night. So first I meet JPJ at his hotel and we adjourn to the hotel's pub where they sequestered us in a private area of the bar. What can I say? He was a great interview. Funny, warm and very direct. We talked about his new record and he answered just about all of my prying questions about Led Zep with enthusiasm and much wit. After the interview proper was over, we sat around and chatted for a while about recording, gear, politics and various other topics while my buddy Rob Zastawski snapped pics. Of course, I had to geek out on him a little and I told him what a huge fan I was and that I've spent countless hours learning his material.
Then it was on the the venue to meet Pat and Trey. They were both very friendly and warm and also gave a great interview, clarifying many questions I've always had about the band and its notorious leader, Robert Fripp. Both Pat and Trey have great careers going outside of Crimson with their various side projects. It was just amazingly cool to sit with these guys and pick their brains and hear their perspectives on things. What things, you ask? Well, you'll just have to wait until the Feb 2002 issue of Music Monthly hits the stands to read what they had to say.
Needless to say, both JPJ's and Crimson's shows were great and I'd even go as far as to say that it was the best KC show I've ever seen. But more than the shows, I'll treasure the experience of getting to spend some time with a true legend and one of my greatest bass heroes. And that Trey Gunn is no slouch either. Click here to see pics with John Paul Jones as well as with Trey and Pat (scroll to bottom of page).
12/03/01 - Matthew Davidson's project ARCHETRIBE released its new
CD, Earthtones last week. It's always a trip to hear the finished product many months after tracking your parts, but even more so this time since I was basically unfamilar with the music prior to the session and Matthew wanted my playing to be a spontaneous reaction to the existing tracks. The music is best described as ambient, world-music and is reminiscent of Peter Gabriel's soundtrack to the film The Last Tempation Of Christ, Passion. To that end, Matthew enlisted PG's former keyboardist, Larry Fast who currently plays with Tony Levin in addition releasing his own music under the project name Synergy.
11/30/01 - Been playing some dates with the band Coldwater in support of their upcoming 2nd CD. The music fuses old-school country ala Johnny Cash and Hank Sr. with the angst of Black Flag and Social D to create a kind of modern alt-country vibe that's waaay cooler than anything you'll hear on CMT these days.
11/13/01 - Garageband.com has selected the Battery Apple track Bullseye as their featured "Track Of The Day" for Monday, November 19th. The track was selected as a result of the numerous positive reviews posted from Garageband members. Click here on 11/19 to see BA's listing.
11/01/01 - At long last, Battery Apple's 2nd CD, 6-Pack Of Shame was released today! It took longer than expected, but the results are worth it. The artwork turned out great and the CD sounds killer! It should, considering what went into it (see 8/7/01 news). Every musician should get the opportunity to work in world class studios with a top-shelf production team like we used. Mucho props to Doug Johnston and Ken Schubert at Cue Recording, Drew Mazurek for his ears and expertise and Doug Milton at Cyberella for putting the icing on the cake and bringing the final product to our doorsteps. These guys totally understood the vision of where we were going with this record. I was very pleased with the sound of the bass as well. I used my fretless Alembic Spoiler on all the tracks except our remake of REO Speedwagon's "Time For Me To Fly" where I used my Gibson T-bird. That track also ended up being our big production piece. In addition to our typically heavy use of percussion, I got to play cello, piano and celeste during the outro. Fun stuff!
10/10/01 - Next week I'll be doing a gig with The Stuart Hart Jazz Ensemble at The Guinness Oyster Fest in Fells Pt. Stuart is a monster jazz/fusion guitarist whose debut CD Inner Voice (Mother West Records) featured other uber-monsters such as Dennis Chambers and bassists Gary Grainger and Matthew Garrison. For this gig, I had the daunting task of learning both Grainger's and Garrison's wicked bass parts. This incarnation of Stuart's band features a fantastic drummer named Frank Young and a keysman named Evan Miller who came up with some eerie chord substitutions for our version of Coltrane's Equinox. It's a real honor to play with cats like these.
9/28/01 - Free To Be, the debut CD from the band Clarissa is now available. I did a few fill-ins with the band when they were called Yellow # 5 and was honored that they asked me to play on their CD. The tunes are modern-rock; sometimes heavy, sometimes acoustic, but always engaging. I know they're very proud of this record and I hope it will open some doors for them.
8/16/01 - Did a few fill-in gigs with the almighty Never Never this week. In addition to playing textbook versions of the greatest Zep tunes ever, we muscled through an impromptu version of Paul McCartney's "Let Me Roll It" and a few other songs I've never played before. Many thanks to the guys!
8/7/01 - The new Battery Apple CD 6-Pack Of Shame will be released in October. The CD was recorded at Cue Recording in Falls Church, VA and Sheffield Audio/Visual in Phoenix, MD. Mixing was handled by Drew Mazurek and mastering by Doug Milton at Cyberella Studios. The CD was mastered using the HDCD (High Definition CD) encoding process; anyone with a CD or DVD player equipped with an HDCD decoder will notice enhanced highs and lows..
7/10/01 - Just got back from Boston where I played on a session for Matthew Davidson who is the chief software designer for Mark of The Unicorn, the company which created the recording platform Digital Performer. Matthew has an impressive resume, having played with synth pioneer Wendy Carlos, Dream Theater/Dixie Dregs keyboardist Jordan Rudess and former Peter Gabriel/current Tony Levin keyboardist Larry Fast.
Matthew is taking a unique approach to recording his new CD. Rather than giving the musicians specific parts to play, he allowed us to improvise within a certain framework over his music. He would then take the performances and manipulate them using the software as an instrument. Prior to our meeting, I told him that I had been experimenting with using an E-bow and a slide on my baritone guitar and running that through a wah pedal into a phaser. He seemed intrigued by that and allowed me to play that on a few pieces. The results came out sounding very Fripp but he warned me that by the time he was finished manipulating the tracks, I may not recognize my own playing. I also ended up playing bass on 1 or 2 tracks. In a few weeks, Larry Fast will be adding his parts, so I'll be anxious to hear the finished product.
