Watch Your E-Mailbox
Hey Soul Mates,
our official evite just went out for our CD release party at BB King's Blues Club set for Friday Sept. 23. We hope that you'll take the time to RSVP. There are also 2 fun polls we want you to answer. If you are not an official member of the Soul Mates, go to our website and sign up. It's the best way to stay on top of RHS news.
We also sent out invites to a dozen choice luminaries, celebrities and notables. You may be rubbing shoulders with some star that you can hip to Rush Hour Soul! We've already had one RSVP before the invitations were printed. As you can guess, this is going to be an exciting night. We hope to have plenty of surprises for you.
The run of CD's is going to be short. About enough for the CD release party. After the show, the tracks will only be available for download on iTunes, etc. It's a digital world, Sandy. The track listing for the CD can now be revealed:
1. A Talent For Loving
2. Everyone's Ingenue
3. Done Lost My Mind
4. Down By Love
This is a self-produced, self-released EP. To answer a frequent question I get, "no, we are not signed to a record label and no, we are not famous...yet!" That's why this next show is crucial. We will have in the audience several record industry executives and movers & shakers. These are the people who can get us signed, put us on tour, record full-length studio CDs and quit our day jobs! We are going to need everyone's attendance, good vibes, good juju, etc to open the eyes of the industry. "Yes, we've had mid-level record label types at the shows. But now, they Bosses is coming." This CD will also go to them as a calling card for Rush Hour Soul. Hopefully that paints a clearer picture.
I hope all of you have a pleasant Labor Day weekend. I'm going to spend today chillaxin' once the band's clerical work is done. Pictures (and there are 100's of them to go through) will be posted tomorrow. Be sure to look for your own sweet faces in the audience.
Love, Power, Peace
p.s. Props to Kanye West. And it was nice news to hear that Fats Domino had been rescued from the aftermath of Katrina. Right now, I'm listening to Louis Armstrong and Billie Holiday singing Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans? We all do, Satch.
Stone Cold Giggin' (Show Recap)
Hey Soul Mates,
Ah, I'm sipping some peach tea (with a healthy dose of honey) and reflecting on a show well done. Thanks to everyone who made it. There were so many people, I have to apologize to anyone that I wasn't able to thank personally after our set.
The show was 30 minutes of pure Rock 'n B, Rush Hour Soul style. We sported black and green. I wore a vest (Mike & Mark remember?) that I got as a teenager in Holland. I used to wear it at shows with my first band in high school. Figured it was time to exhume it. Check out the air I got!
Bryan played through the pain of a split finger nail. Purple heart, young. And I nearly blew out my voice on the third song. Other than that, the night was fun. Our set was nearly seamless, we'd been working particularly hard on transitions between songs. It helped us power through 8 numbers in a half-hour. The ladies held down the first 3 rows of the audience. Everyone looked great. Some new hairstyles out there!
Russell (the night's organizer from Pillow of Wrongness) and the Gig put together an impromptu fundraising for Hurricane Aid. Which was great. I hope some people donated. We dedicated Sucka to the city of New Orleans. Apples and oranges, but somehow appropriate. Fall Out got an extended ending (for the 12") that was completely unrehearsed but worked like a mug as Doug slowed us down to a primal crawl. Teeth fallin' outta my head, alright. We had our mojo working tonight. The set really flew by, but it looked like all the Soul Mates had a good time.
Here's the set list:
A Talent For Loving
Down By Love
U Had The $
Sucka
Excommunication
Saffron Dancer
Fall Out
Everyone's Ingenue
Of course, our big news of the night was our announcement. Our next show Sept. 23 at BB King's will be our CD release party. Our EP is finished and we are ready to share it with the world at large. You, our fans, have been so great, responsive and supportive. Get ready to party. This is your 3 week warning. Better go buy a new outfit and get your hair did. It's going to be HOT.
Love, Power, Peace
The Big Uneasy
Hey Soul Mates,I haven't been to New Orleans in nearly 2 decades. My fondest memory was sitting in Preservation Hall seeing the jazz band performing. I vaguely remember the Latin Quarter, my personal memories have been replaced by commercial images. But I know I was there. I recall the Superdome being this immense structure, like a wayward spaceship that landed off Bourbon Street. Recently, N.O. had been put into mind by the movie, Skeleton Key. And I've become quite a fan of Delta Blues in the past 5 years. Some of you may even remember a song called Southern Belle. Now, the lost city of Atlantis comes to mind.
The region is one of the cradles of American pop culture. The Mississippi and it's Delta spawned the first great American storyteller, Mark Twain. The Big Easy gave us Louis Armstrong, Jelly Roll Morton and Jazz. The plantations gifted us with the McKinley Morganfield, Robert Johnson and the Blues. There are apocalyptic stories of levees breaking along the muddy river circa the Depression. But never before has the damage and sorrow been so graphic. I know this is a heavier topic than usual, but I had to write about it.
If I was on vacation and my home flooded and damn near sunk into a marsh, I'd come home immediately. Yeah, the last time it was some neighbor down the street at Christmastime, so we thought we could wait a couple of days to say "Hey, need anything?" This time it's our own house and we're just watching it disappear. Somebody isn't moving fast enough. And that Somebody was probably the people's favorite in that part of the country this time last year. The reaction time is pathetic. It took 2 full days before an aerial tour was taken.
We as citizens will have to do all we can (even if it's only prayer) for the homeless and hurt in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. It's the poorest part of our country and the government isn't moving fast enough. Thinking fast enough. This is our tsunami. The natives you mainly see are the country's most destitute blacks. They have no drinkable water. No food. To see the faces of the hungry babies and angry parents is heartbreaking.
There are going to be relief benefits, drives, etc in the coming weeks, contribute wisely. This is the greatest natural disaster in America in our lifetime. Read the accounts. The toll of this disaster could be much worse than Sept. 11. That's no exaggeration and it's not to minimize the impact of 2001's tragedy. Can you imagine losing your home, maybe family members, then taking refuge in a deteriorating football stadium only to have your daughter assaulted and your last remaining possessions ripped off? That's what's happening. Oh, and parts of the Superdome were ankle deep in urine and feces by the time the evacuation started.
The local government has lost the ability to govern.
That is why Our response is crucial; we have to help our fellow Americans. The fate of the nation is at stake. If the gulf coast can't be rebuilt and resettled pronto we're going to feel the heat economically and politically. Refineries closed. Millions displaced. The estimate is 3 to 6 months. It could be a year. One of our biggest cities is gone. Can you imagine?
So with all of this on my mind, I'm going to suit up and be ready to entertain you tonight. That's what making music is to me: the power and liberation of the spirit. No sad songs this evening. Only a joyful noise so that we can re-energize for the times ahead and celebrate our ability to endure. That's the way festive mourners do it in New Orleans. That's good enough for me.
Love, Power, Peace to our Southern Brethren.
Hey Soul Mates,
less than 24 hours till our next show at the Gig. I'm at the computer with a new mouse pad. And it has my face on it. Kinda neat, kinda surreal. Of course, Doug & Bryan are there, too. The first of the merch came in yesterday. Had to check out the quality of Cafe Press' work. The sharpest items are the mouse pad and the mugs. Hey, Rush Hour Soul is on a mug. As much time as I spend drinking tea at the computer I figured this made sense.
This is Callie wearing the Dawg Pound shirt. Cute, huh? And the dog is adorable, too. It's not easy to find good models nowadays.
Tonight, I met the gang over at Trilogy. Bry just got his hair cut. Looks good. The other night after rehearsal he was sporting a serious afro. Justin T. would be jealous. So would Napoleon D.
Random thought: which rap artist should Rush Hour Soul have a feud with? Everyone is doing it. 50 Cent has beef with The Game; 50 has beef with Fat Joe; 50 has beef with Gore Vidal. I was thinking that if we ever had to get our hands dirty in a hip-hop brawl we should go against Oaktown's 3-5-7. Juicy got me krazy! Let me just say they better not try to step to us at the Gig tonight. Ok, if they aren't available, how about Shawn Brown, the "Rappin' Duke?" I think we could take him. Duh-huh, duh-huh. Does Malcolm McLaren still count as a hip hop artiste? Malc, you haven't done anything fresh since Buffalo Gals. Snap!
I'm not sure why anyone would have beef with a cat with shrapnel in his mouth or someone who outweighed half the Browns' offensive line... combined.
I think everyone coming to the show is going to like what we've put together. This is one of those showcase slots. So, we are only playing for 25 minutes. Don't be late or you'll miss it. It's going to be high energy. As Jackie said, "Baby, work out!" Dress to impress or dance. Come on out to the Gig, it's free and we've got some important things to discuss with you.
Love, Power, Peace
Hey Soul Mates,last night, Indie Airplay's weekly broadcast featured our song in the top 5 once again. That's right A Talent For Loving held tight at #2 for the second week in a row. You can veiw their top 5 chart online. Be sure to listen to the free streaming broadcast of Indie Airplay! Special shout out to DJ Jennifer Wicks for the support.
Don't forget we have a show on Thursday at the Gig on Melrose. This is a FREE show with our friends Pillow Of Wrongness. The night is being presented by Finlandia vodka. Ah, the Finnish. Immediately after us will be the Mojo Girls Burlesque show. That's right. No stripping to the nothings, but there is stripping. Actually there's more stripping in our show than in the Mojo Girls' but we're equal opportunity.
All for now. Try to beat the heat in LA, try to dry out deep south.
Love, Power, Peace
Hey Soul Mates,
last night, ABC reclaimed its place as one of my favorite bands. Here is a group I never imagined I'd see live and they performed a dream concert at the House Of Blues. It was a greatest hits revue spiced with a few choice later-day ABC tunes. At some point in life, I have owned all but one of their albums. I hyperventilated for much of the set and was probably one of the two the rowdiest cats in the joint. Only the one guy next to me knew as many words to their songs.
Martin Fry looked smashing in a smart robin's egg blue linen suit. He wore a matching shirt and tie: white with blue, gold and silver stripes. His belt buckle and cufflinks were pure bling. The rest of the group looked pretty sharp, too, in variations of white and black. The exception was original drummer David Palmer who had on jeans with a blue and yellow striped shirt. Palmer, by the way, looks like he's still in his 20's. And considering Martin bout with a severe illness in mid-80's, he looked damn good, feathered blond bangs and all. If I could choose one pop star to go shopping with it would be him!
We got to the HOB early enough to get front and center, about 5 feet from the stage. Afterward, I managed to get Martin's set list (which will help in this recollection), so here we go.
The show began with the lushly orchestrated Overture from Lexicon of Love. The curtains opened to reveal ABC launching into a brand new song The Very First Time, which was so catchy that I was singing along with the chorus on it's second go round. A very bold move for a group that most people think stopped making records in 1987. From that point on it was the veritable ABC jukebox.
Show Me was followed by a false start and then a full-run through their massively popular Poison Arrow. Martin was very humorous when he missed a lyric or two. Considering how infrequently ABC tour, no one seemed to mind. Arrow was followed by How To Be A Millionaire. With it's opening line, "I've seen the future I can't afford it," I was reminded of what a wonderful lyricist Martin is. Pop songs usually don't have that much depth. Of their catalogue, Millionaire was certainly my favorite song I thought they wouldn't tackle. They played the hell out of it.
ABC's most rock-oriented number came next, That Was Then But This is Now. Datestamp from Lexicon Of Love proved to be a challenge for the band, but from there the band hit their stride. The Night You Murdered Love was smooth. And then came the heavyweight tandem of Be Near Me and When Smokey Sings. Martin expressed his gratitude for both of the songs, basically saying "they've been good to me." Which I think is fitting and humble. Each of the tunes represented comebacks of sorts for ABC upon release. And of course, the audience (esp. me) went berserk and sang along.
Their version of the new romantic/new wave sound has aged very well. Part of that is attributable to ABC's current, muscular line-up (two keyboardists, guitar and bass players) led by Palmer on the drums. This allowed them to recreate the most ornate musical elements of their songs. Their most amazing instrument on stage belongs to Martin Fry. His voice has hardly aged a day. It's all there: the deep growls, the falsetto coos. His cheery demeanor and sauve presence made everyone feel as cool as him. And dang, he is suave.
The band slowed for a moment with a cover of John Lennon's Love. It caught everyone off guard. Martin said the band saw a picture of Lennon in their dressing room and were moved to learn it on the spot. They would do well to keep the song in the set. Love was a great showcase for Martin's voice with minimal accompaniment. The group returned to tear into Rolling Sevens from 1997's Skyscraping (and you didn't even know they'd put out a record that recently!). This version of Sevens was hellacious with better energy than the original.
The proto-house number One Better World and pure new wave Tears Are Not Enough got us to the climax of the night. ABC's best ballad, All Of My Heart was a show-stopper. They topped that by playing their signature song. Fry said, "20 years on and people still ask me if I've found true love" kick-starting The Look Of Love. Had ABC been a one-hit wonder, The Look of Love would be the quintessential throw-away pop song. But Martin Fry's performance gets the group beyond camp and the yelping "Yippee-Yi-Ya's" at the end are truly uplifting, a joyful new romantic noise.
It was an interesting contrast seeing ABC, a seminal MTV band, performing the night of the VMAs. The VMAs are vexing. MTV owes everything to acts from the 80's like ABC, the Durans, Culture Club, etc who put so much energy and fun into their videos. Now most videos are an exercise in vanity and who got da most ho's for they show. Annoying.
ABC, thankfully did an encore. I can think of 3 or 4 more songs I would have like to have heard, but I can't be choosey. Their encore, I kid you not, began with a brand new song, (One Way) Traffic. Again, this group is primed to release a spectacular new LP if they can; much like the Durans did last year. The last song of the night, and Martin had promised they might play it "10 times tonight," was a reprise of Poison Arrow. And everyone was thrilled. You wait 25 years to see a group play. They wanna play their best known song 3 times. Fine by me. I'll probably never see ABC live again. But I can sleep easier knowing that I did once.
ABC forever!The opener for the show was Naked Eyes. A relatively lesser-known 80's new wave group. They churned out hits like When The Lights Go Out, Promises, Promises and their chart-topping update of (and superior to Dionne's original) Always Something There To Remind Me.
I'm so very pleased that ABC finally made it back to LA. This is such a stylish and entertaining group. They are an inspiration to me to strive even harder to be as successful as they have been. If they are coming to your town and you're looking for an inexpensive ($22 tickets), hit-filled show, it's time to brush up on your ABC.
Love, Power, Peace
p.s. Happy Birthday to the King of Pop.
p.p.s I'd like to take a moment and acknowledge my thanks to Blogger. I've been at this for a year now, and I've almost figured out what I'm doing with this blog.
Finally, Lord have mercy on New Orleans.
