The Phish tank was in a hazy thick fog before the show, the enthusiasm was stimulating, and the buzz was a feverish feeling combined with elation and thrill calling out for the school of Phish to gather.  I have witnessed many shows from many genres but what I have witnessed this day was a feeding frenzy that I haven’t seen in all my years of attending concerts or that I recorded in the five hundred plus SCUBA dives.  The Phishing lines tangled up traffic lanes leaving the city to believe that the end of the world was only moments away.  It was Woodstock in Syracuse brilliantly colored in a spectrum array of vivacious colors fluttering from flags, the Birkenstock sandals that were apparently fashionable in thirty degree weather as they are on a ninety degree foot sweating mud-puddle-skipping day of yore.  Reflections of years gone by, of the deadhead clans, and of the seasons of love are long but over.  It’s still cool, man and the day was heavy, man.  What I witnessed was the gathering of one mind for one cause with Phish at the epicenter of this twenty first century hippie universe.  All this hit me when I stepped out from my conformist vehicle after my Michael Jackson’s history funkadocious in car concert.  After four hours, a raspy voice from singing, and some three thousand cows grazing on the pasture on my pilgrimage ride up North, I planted my Harley boots down on Syracuse pavement and took in a deep breath of Phish bated air.  It was the Phish Phan’s way of greeting me welcome while bidding adieu to any conscious way of thinking.

Everywhere you veered your eyes shined a bedazzled spectrum of rainbow stripes printed on long dresses and on so many tie dye suits you couldn’t help to feel groovy.  The smiling domino effect drenched Syracuse with free thinking Phishermen and Phisherwomen who spread their beauty in peace, shared their beers unconditionally, and who basked in their baking huddles with new found revelations under common displays of unleashed enjoyment.  The lady’s twirled their orbiting talents through acrobatic hula-hooping.  I am sure Ms. Sticks would have lead this event proudly on the parking lot stage.  i was shocked to know that it was only 1:00 PM and Phish wasn’t going to be taking stage until 8:00 PM.  Pre show parties filled out the schedule with regional music artists who displayed their talents on the street and at the official pre-show party at the Oncenter War Memorial Arena Complex.  The transformation downtown simulated a floral parade of twenty-first century hippies shocking and awing the locals who congregated for their annual free Turkey drive.  I was waiting for the bout to begin.  In one corner the fifteen pound Turkey and in the other corner the hemp granola bar, but the arbitrator by mother nature kept order and peace allowing the free spirits to dance, hula-hoop, and to remain toasty in the late autumn chill (Toasty being the emphasis).

I met an amazing woman whose energy and passion for her work exudes her.  The passionate Sandra Baker, VP of Sales & Marketing for the Oncenter received me with a great smile and a warm hug.  “The Oncenter is dedicated to all the men and women who gave their lives and limbs to keeping our families and our country safe from harms way.  It’s a remarkable venue with a wonderful museum displaying some of our hometown heros who served in the unfortunate wars and conflicts we have witnessed as a nation.  Our ability to memorialize our local Vets is something we are proud of and honor with great respect.”  Sandra shared insight with me to the history of the Oncenter Complex and welcomed me to take walk the glass enclosed memorial that also captured the attention of many Phish fans.  Everyone seemed to be touched by the artifacts, the uniforms, the names listed on the glass windows, and respectfully walked with a serene calmness before entering the Phishing hole.  It was here where I felt a sense of pride and a knot in the throat to see both doves and hawks uniting under one roof in the name of music.

The house lights blacked out and the venue fell into darkness swallowed up by the uproar of Phish fanatics making their presence clear.  It’s was time to put away the stress of yesterday and time to devour the jam band of our generation.  Phish walked out into the blue and white lit stage like ghostly apparitions of men walking into Vermont mountain scene.  The hysteria penetrated the through the skin piercing the heart.  I gathered flash frames in my mind of the faces in the crowd expressing awe, of emotional meltdown, of acceptance, and mostly of true appreciation.  The reception, just short of gaggle of screaming bobby girls in the Ed Sullivan theater welcoming the Beatles back to New York, thrust the crowd forward.  They waves of fans jumped high in the air reaching out to the boys from the Green Mountain State, and like that, the amps quaked the cameras in my hands and we were off on a very long strange trip that even Jerry Garcia would be proud to say he grandfathered.

The lighting captured the feel of a star burst beaming through thick forests cascading the mass in emerald greens, rich blues, luscious reds and vibrant yellows.  I was compelled to stop shooting and to absorb what was taking place right in front of me.  I turned around to face the crowd and took the entire moment in.  The lighting coursed through the arena much like a river refracting the sun.  Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon, Jon Fishman, and Page McConnell make up current day Phish.  Four simply dressed men took their individual talents and blended their instruments into a bending musical sound welded together in flowing harmonies and breezy riffs.  Phish took their place on stage, overtook and captured the minds of seven thousand plus adoring fans with a playlist set that had one beginning and no end in sight.  “Rift”, “Weekapaug Groove”, “Stash”, “Llama”, and “Tweezer” were just a few selections that were mixed into the massive overload of music performed by what will be the longest running show off-Broadway.  There are very few bands who can do what Phish has done by beating the odds as an American culture whose success was built mainly on their live performances rather then a concentration on creating new album material.  Phish is now and will always be an institution to their liberal viewing audience and fans.  These four free thinkers are going strong and face a long music journey ahead to play their innovative, improvisation, jam band music and have rightfully earned their place as heirs to the Grateful Dead throne.  Phish has been swimming upstream for over twenty years now and I hope they will keep swimming because what they leave behind in their path is a stream of the finest music and a live performance unlike anything you have ever been a part of.  All I can say at this point is, Phish on!

Joey Williams, Up close & personal

It’s 12:30 on a Wednesday morning.  Five Time Grammy Award Winner and Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient, Joey Williams has the keen insight from The Blind Boys of Alabama and he is riding co-pilot tonight.  After a bigger then life rehearsal for his upcoming show this Friday Joey opened up to me about his life on the road and a revealing portrait of his life through his own words and his own take on who he is from where has has come from.  The journey Joey explained to me on our two hour drive back to the Bronx explains clearly why he is essential to the music fans he plays for and the music artists who continue to acquire his talents on collaborative projects from Robert Randolph to future soundtrack work for films.  This is a unique night for me to witness the roots of Joey as a music artist, a humanitarian and a friend.  Tonight my recording and the interview that took place was as close to a storyteller experience as I have ever had.  Joey is the artist and I was the audience.

Williams is sitting in with with Marc Sincavage & Special Guest “The Breakfast” at Skappo (Playright, 144 Temple Street New Haven, CT) in New Haven, Connecticut.  The rehearsal was held garage band style in the basement of an Optometrist office in the middle of Hamden, Connecticut.  The feeling was relaxed and vibrant.  It’s just what happens when a local band and a music legend combine in the last place on Earth to play good music.  The harmonies were tight, the music was balanced, and the room was hopping to the chicken plucking guitar strings to the heart thumping beat of the bass drum.  A Hammond Organ became the cherry on top of this musical sundae sprinkled with the colorful culmination of throw back vibes to current day hit songs.  It’s not how you play the instrument, it’s how the instrument plays you.  Remember that folks because this night belonged to the love of music and not for the free meals of candy stashed in the upstairs containers of the eye doctor’s office of where we hid from the outside world.

The feel on the drive home had a different feel, but over all Joey and myself sat back to the sounds of Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash who collaborated together for a VH-1 story teller concert some years back.  It’s the kind of CD that never gets old and the where stories become fairy tales of days gone by.  “On the Road Again” started to play and Joey grew excited in the seat as a husky Pete passed out in the back from too much something-a-rather.  Just the sounds of mumbles and how Willie Nelson was talking to him through the music caught my ear in between my own personal momentary lapse of reality.  The movie in my mind played over and over again.  A looping picture of my soul’s mate walking towards me in the hallway of the JFK airport terminal.  The smile of smiles, the embrace of embraces, and the start of my new life some seventy, yes seventy, pounds lighter.  “..and I just can’t wait to get on the road again.”  The song ended and I pressed record on my digital recorder and what happened next was my first deep interview for backstage blogger.  An up close and truly personal insight to one of today’s most talented guitarists, Joey Williams.

“That used to be one of my mottos.  I used to be serious about that tune.  I lived that song right there.  I remember when the song first came out.  When I was growing up and I was on the road.  I hadn’t been home in a long time from being on the road and I would start singing that.”  Joey explained to me just before breaking into song, “…and I can’t wait to get on the road again.”  I asked him what is his road was and where his road was bringing him to.  He sat back in his seat, pressed his head back on the head rest and with a deep sigh said, “The road was a place to travel on to get to my friends and my family.  Back then we weren’t traveling around the world.  Traveling around the world came later.  Back then we were just traveling around the country.  We traveled on 95, 85 (Joey laughed lightly), all over the place.”  Joey’s traveling started at the early age of eleven when he was living in Florida.  He would travel with his father’s quartet, he would perform on stage with the band, and that is initially how he started his life on the road.  It’s been a grandiose road with collaborations and fill in cameos with such incredible musicians such as Robert Randolph, Dave Hollister, and Keith Sweat.  His family life on the road exposed him at an early age to the various cultures, the mindsets of the people, and the ability to grow up with no boundaries through his music.  “My mother and father would take us down to the Wilson, North Carolina area where my family and I would spend our summers being a family.  That was my road back then.  Today it’s about playing in the church and always listening to music.”

Unlike some music artists, Joey’s family is still alive for the most part.  His mother and father have shared each step of his success as did his siblings.  He recounted one of his aunts who passed some time ago and how her passing was short of the success.  She was one person who he hoped would be alive to witness his contribution to the music world.  Joey also brought up another person who he says would have truly appreciated his talents.  “I also wish my father-in-law could have seen the success I have made at this point and what I have been able to build for my wife.”  His wife attends a majority of his shows and she is very fond of Joey and his talents from the times I have shared with her backstage.  Being on the road with out your spouse can be tough and does come with its own challenges, but Joey’s love and dedication to his wife keeps their relationship moving in a forward direction where so many music artist relationships have fallen apart.  His passion for his music is essential and the inspiration he has for his wife is apparent through his music and a few glances from stage to her when the connect in their own personal moments.  His smile brightens as their eyes meet and its a beautiful moment which I have caught from time to time when I’m not fixed on getting that next shot on camera.

Joey exercises his guitar skills like a man running a triathlon.  Each day he wakes up and empowers his soul for music by practicing and looking deep with himself to learn new techniques of playing better then he currently is able to.  This is a daily ritual developed from the mind of a five time Grammy award winner who flows through life feeling good and keeping positive.  “I have like six statues (5 Grammy Awards and 1 lifetime Achievement Award) in my home from my music.  You don’t realize it until you start talking about it.  It’s special and I love saying it.  I’m a Grammy Award Winner.  I worked really hard in the studio with everything I have and for that dedication, and the band’s ability to remain on top of their game, we won the awards we have with great respect from our musical peers.  This band has achieved so much after so long of putting in its time, its energy, and its blood.  I remember the first time we earned our first Grammy.  It was me and Jimmy (Carter).  When our name was called we all just stood up on the middle of the floor and we could not believe it.  It was the most incredible feeling that I couldn’t even begin to describe.  The following year we were all sitting together again and we were so nervous as we were the year prior.  The feelings I had inside were just like the feelings I had racing through me on our first nomination.  We even went to the awards with Robert Randolph that year.  Robert was nominated for two Grammies and we were nominated for one.  We won another award for our category that night and it was like a double treat.  We played and we won our third Grammy Award.  The following year was number four with Ben Harper.  Even after five wins the feeling doesn’t get any less intense and I am always nervous as I felt the first time we were nominated.  It’s like each time the Yankees win another world series.  It never gets old.  Just I do.”

Joey is a simple man with a very focused goal.  To be the best at what he does.  His ability to pick up the guitar each day is a blessing that has been bestowed upon him with a higher purpose then to pluck strings or to entertain music fans for a dollar.  He brings out the best emotions from out of his fans who depend on his energy and stage presence for warmth of comfort of feeling good in their lives.  Joey’s musicianship talent expands over a decade and has touched millions of people over the years.  He still dreams of a time to collaborate with such music icons as Sting, Mary J Blige, and his mentor, Stevie Wonder.  What Joey would bring to their music is a flavorful root that is untapped and unheard by anyone they have partnered with.  His ability to capture the moment is done effortlessly with the highest regards from the music industry.  There is no project too big or too small for him and he is on the brink of becoming a legend in his own ranks.

“We recently went to San Francisco to do a few songs for a documentary with Anthony Hamilton and some other artists.  We are heading back to the states after our world tour with the Preservation Hall Jazz.  It’s an incredible experience coming from being a kid from the Bronx with a guitar and a dream to be able to see the world on tour doing what I love each day, and if I could do one thing before I leave this Earth I would like to do a duet with Stevie Wonder.  It’s a dream I have had that ever since I was a kid.  I look to Stevie as a mentor because if you are able to do what he has done and to accomplish the level of success he has achieved, then you have to give credit where credit is due.  Stevie is the man and a music artist I look up to with the highest respect.  He’s proven himself and you just can’t go wrong following in his footsteps.”

Joey Williams.  A name that shouldn’t be new to anyone living above a rock.  Joey will continue to play music until the good Lord brings him home.  He will continue to march forward and develop his legendary status.  There are so few music artists who can paint a room in music as Joey has done time and time again.  His free spirit will keep him fresh and keep his music fresh, anticipated, and exciting when it is created.  The life and future that will pour out of him in the years ahead are going to massive and it will be the loss of a music fan to not drown there heads in the cleanly baptism of Joey’s music.  Where there is bright light, warm reception, and love there will be Joey Williams on center stage with his fender in hand plugged into an amplifier ready to blanket you with music in its purest form.  It doesn’t matter if it is in a seedy bar or in a major venue, Joey keeps himself in check and the music he creates and performs doesn’t portrait a man who knows he’s accomplished the near impossible.  He is a true music artist who plays for the love of playing and nothing less.  I’m proud to call Joey my friend and I’m blessed to have had this time in our car ride to learn more about how two people can share the same passion for music on and off the stage.  Joey Williams.  Wow!

Chris Daughtry Trumps Taj Mahal

“Daughtry is the kind of band that plays music to chill out by.  All of Chris’s songs are like that.  His music makes me wish I kept up playing the guitar myself which I haven’t played since high school and that was over fifteen years ago.  There’s just something about his music lyrically that gives me good comfort in my own life with my own personal situations that I can relate to.  I feel like I can face my daily challenges with more confidence knowing that he and I can relate to each other with the things that people like us face each day.  I guess it’s nice to know that no matter what level of life you are on, be it a rock star like Chris or a medical billing collector like me, that at the end of the day people have similar life events that they must face no matter if they come off a concert stage or fill out a time sheet in an office cubicle.”  This was a one on one conversation between the angel from the front row and myself after Daughtry’s truly impressive twenty song play list live from Trump’s Taj Mahal in Atlantic City.

Our reflection on this concert continued with a deep conversation that I recorded on my blackberry.  What my angel felt about the show and each point she made was spot on.  Her view point maybe different from mine because I screen every detail of a live concert, from the synergy between artist and fan to the quality of the performance level.  This review has been colorfully described from an everyday fan’s point of view, and, to me, she validates Daughtry’s credibility derived from her personal experience at this concert, but this passenger is anything but ordinary.  As we continued back from Atlantic City I found that I embraced the music of Daughtry rather than reviewing his music on an analytical point.  I learned the value Daughtry brings to a person who connects to his music deeply rather than fanatically.

The night of the concert we raced from New York City to Atlantic City.  The air was intense with anticipation and we indulged ourselves in an evening free from her own personal struggles.  The evening exposed me to a beautifully sensitive woman who has gone through so much in her recent months emotionally and physically.  She insisted on paying both of the Daughtry CD’s over and over so she could learn the lyrics.  We made guesses on what would be the opening song and her her first Daughtry show impacted her to remain a fan of his music.  Three restroom stops and over one hundred miles later, we arrived to the show.

The tensity of waiting for Daughtry to begin his set was immediately washed away when the light show illuminated the darkened venue in a showcase of bold red and blue color tints completed with shadow silhouettes of Daughtry behind the translucent drop on stage.  This angel’s face went from the fear of being in front of the protection barriers to the most blinding smile when the drops raced off the hangers above the stage, falling to the ground mixed in a collection of blinding lights, heavy guitar riffs, and thunderous drums.  The raw excitement in her voice matched the intensity of that from the band, whose message has empowered her.  It was Daughtry who wasn’t aware of his power because his music became this angel’s ventilation outlet and supported her inner strength and ability to face her biggest challenge ever. To embrace a better life path through starburst flares and on a forward motion direction.

I listened to her voice raise with intensity as she continued to reflect on her own personal life and how Daughtry’s music gave her the insight and the help she was denied.  The music not only helped her to release her frustrations and stresses, it boosted her energy when she thought she had no more.  The anthem like tracks thrilled her, excited her and pulled out of her answers to confusing questions that would launch her on a new journey.   It was obvious to me, as I have seen in my own life, how essential life is to value music, and even more so, how motivational a public figure can be on a stranger’s life through his or her God given talent of artistic expression.

Daughtry brings an attitude to the stage that has been missing from the stage for some time now.  It’s a no holds bar work out that invigorates and enlivens his fans to switch on their spirits triggered by fortifying ubiquity.  His songs challenge you to tap into your inner self and to crest your absolute apex.  This former American Idol contestant was written off prematurely on the TV contest show which Taylor Hicks went on to win.  That was season five and Taylor Hicks, with the likes of Fantasia, Ruben, and Bo, has fallen into the seemingly popular American Idol category of “Where are they now?”  He is undeniably one of the best products the show exposed to the music world and proves that you can finish fourth on one of television’s highest regarded talent searches and still be a higher success then the person who was voted the Idol.

“The difference between my appreciation of Daughtry compared to a groupie’s reasoning is huge just from what I overheard standing in the general area section on the floor.  A groupie is still going to view Daughtry as a previous contestant on American Idol who is cute.  I feel like my connection to Chris Daughtry was made when my little sister was glued to the TV watching American Idol and so I turned the show on to see what all the hype was about.  The first person I saw perform on American Idol was a bald guy singing “Wanted” by Bon Jovi.  Bon Jovi is my favorite band and that was my initial spark instantly beginning my interest in his singing.”

Daughtry is the real deal consummated by his gritty sound and unequivocal history as a kid from small town North Carolina.  His journey in music began at the early age of sixteen as he sought out his placement in music.  His noted influences helped to chisel his music skills from Stone Temple Pilots and Fuel, to Soundgarden and Bon Jovi.  Daughtry’s contribution to music could be defined as one which adds flavor, infuses raw emotion, and is adorned on an angle of emblazoned realism.  From my own glimpse I noticed affirmation from the recoil of rock signs and air fists.  There was no retreating on this night.  If you came to this show you came for a greater reason to fulfill a mightier purpose.  Like the woman by my side I felt a solid connection through her animation and excitement.

“Every time Chris made a comment I felt a connection.  There was a few moments when I laughed because he seems so down to Earth.  One moment I remember was when he forgot the words to one of the songs.  It was cute.  I liked that they wore regular clothes and not costumes.  Although I was thinking that the guitarist with the long hair was wearing a normal plaid shirt, which I’m sure cost three hundred dollars and for me and you, we would have found that shirt in TJ Maxx for twenty dollars (Laughing), but I’m sure it was expensive from some high end store.  Even the black tank top Chris wore was probably expensive compare to my Haines shirt.  I just LOVED how they came started the concert with the curtain dropping to the ground.  The colors, the music, and the way they just appeared on the stage was really important because it captured the audience off guard.  I still can’t believe that the concert t-shirt was forty dollars, but I wanted to have something to remember the show by.”

The show lasted just over two hours and covered tune after tune from the Daughtry discography as well as a few surprise covers from The Toadies and Genesis.  Cover songs is not a favorite selection to everyone as I was told, “I don’t get why any artist feels it necessary to perform someone else’s song on stage.  I came to the show to hear Daughtry’s music and not a cover song.  I know some people find it cool to hear, but it just bothers me. I’d rather them play more songs that they were going to put on future albums then to hear a song from a band I’m really not into.”

The theatrics engulfed the audience with intense heat, flames, and a firework cascade, but the one stage prop that stuck out for me on this night was an object that I absolutely was shocked to see only because of the meaning it shared with me and the angel form the front row.  Next to one of the fire barrels sat a gold Meneki Neko (Good Luck Cat/the Beckoning Cat) with a waving arm which sat and survived flame throw after flame throw and the vibrations from the bass cabinet in which it sat on.  The meaning behind why the Maneki Neko was on stage and the significance of its onstage presence will have to be researched and answered on the next Daughtry review.  Chris took full advantage of the stage and treated the audience to up close and personal performances on the cat walk with great acoustic selections.

“I thought it is was so funny when he told the audience to make up words if they didn’t know them and also that the song he was about to perform should sound familiar if they listened to the entire CD he just released.  The one thing I did hear which I really found amazing was the common thread between Daughtry and Bon Jovi with their passion for DC Comic super heros.  I just find it interesting that Daughtry’s concert started with the sound track of Batman Returns and his ear piece has the Batman logo on it because Bon Jovi is really into Superman and I know how much Chris looks up to Jon Bon Jovi.”  The night came to a close after an amazing three song encore and an unsolved mystery surrounding a woman’s thigh high boot that was tossed on stage by a mystery fan.

We continued back from Atlantic City enriched with increased appreciation for Daughtry and his music.  The bottom line is that you can find new love, change your direction, and find comfort with the help of great music.  I saw just how someone, who puts everything they have into what the believe in, can openly express their messages to empower another person’s life.  Thanks to Daughtry my angel form the front row will return back to the life she is working to improve and has changed hopelessness into better tomorrows.  Through Daughtry’s lyrical and musical creation he brought light to his fans.  That’s the power of music and the power of Daughtry.  I will look back on this night as my first real inside look at how one music artist can open a very special person’s heart and allow her to believe in herself and to ease her mind about the changes she faces.

Daughtry continues his US tour from November through to February in support of his latest album “Leave This Town,” an album title that completely sums up the life of the angel whose heart was touched by the words of a stranger.  The concert may have ended for me, but this story will have to be continued.

The Almost On Tour

I stepped onto the tour bus parked outside the 53rd street side of the Roseland in New York City where I interrupted an essential meeting between “The Almost” and one of their team members.  The subject at hand, “Would you like a tall, a grande, or a Venti from Starbucks?”  The flavor of the night in question was the festiveness “Pumpkin Spice Creme” which would be accompanied by a ritual spike to be named at a later time.  The team member shot out into the rainy city street in quest of over priced caffeine beverages leaving me alone with the curious group wondering who was the dude with the recorder and camera in hand. I was wondering which one of these guys would be the one to expose the band’s weak spot.  The band was new to me and, unknown to me, would hit me with a few surprises of their own during our brief interview.  We sat in the common area of the tour bus as fans rounded the entire block for this three billed show of featuring Drive-A, The Almost, and The Used.

I have to admit the only thing I knew coming into this show was that Kelly Osbourne’s ex-boyfriend was performing in the Used and I was going to speak to the opener band.  Never judge a book by its cover and always prepare yourself for anything possible.  With a name like “The Almost” I jumped to think that I was going to be interviewing another band making minor noise and whose longevity would be measured in minutes, maybe days, but not by years.  I could have slapped myself relentlessly after meeting this group because these boys are the real deal.  I had the privilege to sit with Alex Aponte (Bass), Dusty Redmon (Guitar), Jay Vilardi, and Joe Musten (Drums) over a fifteen minute overview the opened deep talks about music, religion, and a great detailed insight to “The Almost” I “almost” wrote off before accepting them.

Dusty Redmon is a colorfully inked intellectual with many thoughts running through his mind.  His view of how the band formulated seemed very well thought out.  “Aaron needed  a band after doing the first album in 2005, by himself and when it came time to play shows he put the call out for a band and got in touch with Jay who knew Alex who brought me and Kenny in to form the first generation of “The Almost.”  Shortly after we announced our EP in 2007, our drummer Kenny parted ways when he took his vows and married.  It’s questionable of whose final decision that was (the boys laughed), but Kenny is still a very essential reason why “The Almost” grew and matured musically into the band it know to be today.  In his mind he was ready to move on from the band and to follow his personal dreams.  When it came time for a new drummer, Joe Musten was in my old band and Aaron took a real liking to his ability to play so he matched the missing void that needed to be filled.”

“As a Florida based band we each chose to explore ourselves by following our dreams outside the music and now we live in different areas of the country.  I lived in Florida for twenty years before moving to Salt Lake City.  Joe and Dusty now live in North Carolina and Jay and Aaron remain in Florida..” added Alex Aponte.  “I want to say that the initial discovery of “The Almost” occurred in Florida, but it wasn’t until we rolled out.  I was stoked when we hit the road on tour for the first time.  Things were happening, but we were lucky if we filled a one hundred seater.  With Virgin Records relentlessly promoting our album to radio and with us increasing our fan base through touring the states we had a team that would give us that next ring to climb up on our ladder of success as a band.”

I, being a traveling photojournalist, can absolutely back the fact that there are states of shame vesus states of fame.  Florida is a state of shame whose market is limited in producing great music.  The consistent transitional lifestyle of people moving in and out Florida can be of blame because outside of the Senior community gathering a fan base is near impossible unless you are a part of the metal market or an over commercialized circus act.  It’s hard to be discovered and unless you are fabricated by the likes of Lou Pearlman and molded into a boy band you chances at success are much more limited compared to a major music market like Austin, Nashville, or Manhattan.  The internet presence is certainly helpful to me as a photojournalist as it is for young music artists who know all to well of the politics and financials needed to achieve a high level of success in the redeveloping music industry.

“The internet has expanded so quickly and it’s hard to keep up with what’s hot and what’s not.  I feel like my dad sometimes when I finally get something like Twitter and then find out it’s not cool anymore.  Our team and the band is really trying  to make sure we stay in touch with our fans.  Each of the band members do twitter and update their own personal blogs, and we are trying to stay as hands on as we can while we tour or write music.”  Dusty explained and continue to touch the fact about creating this band in a theme park driven state not very well know for its music ties.  “Being in Florida was a very difficult market to start off in as a young band because it seems the majority of the bands that come out are in the Metal genre.  The first tour we were first billed on was our biggest break and is where we grew the majority of our fan base.”

“Monster, Monster” is an album internally viewed by its members as the band’s first album release because it’s the first album that the band each were able to record on and contribute to.  This coming from the incredible fact that Aaron released “Southern Weather” as a one man band.  Dusty popped a few peanut butter malt balls into his mouth and reflected a moment on the band’s new record release.  “It is kind of crazy to think about because the first album was completely created by Aaron, so for me this  feels like the band’s first album because we all played on the album during the recording sessions.  There was some pressure on the recording side for me because it was my first time appearing on an album being released by an major label.  i remember when we all came together to write the album we were able to do so pretty effortlessly and everything just gelled.  We ended up writing more music than we had room for on our first album so those will stay in storage for now until we can revisit them for a future release.”

Alex looked over at Dusty and added, “We try to write as many songs as possible and approach our recordings openly so to leave us with multiple options at the end.  We prioritize our music by what we feel is really working at that moment and decide at that point which will be our next single.  We have so many songs that we had to stop and figure out what we wanted to place in the new album.  It’s a process that has worked for us as a band and we feel confident expresses who we are.”

If it isn’t broke don’t fix it and understand there is no cardinal rule to what will make or break a music artist and their group outside of artistic differences and the occasional wife swap.  Each and every band I interview has made success on their own business model and it has worked for the most part.  “Monster, Monster” doesn’t seem to be an album created by twelve straight up radio singles.  This album consists of a flavorful song list that includes an off kilter country song as well as a long play release titled “Monster.”  The music is furious, it’s heavy, and it is fun.  The surprise of the evening dropped into the interview when Alex Aponte dropped the “C” bomb on me.  The Almost are aband with a top ten single in heavy radio rotation and a measurable fan base gathered feet from their bus outside.  I would think that the band would have been headlining and not supporting a group such as “The Used.”

“What is interesting about this tour is we are sandwiched between two bands that are pretty edgy like “The Used” and “Drive-A.”  We definitely stick out but I think music fans tonight and going forward are cool with it.  I guess it’s weird because we are Christians in a band and we are not afraid to say that, but we weren’t sure how the fans would take it and so far the reception has been tremendous.  Each show gets better and better and the fans are leaving having a real positive concert experience and not getting into, too much trouble.  I imagine there are fans who have been looking forward to this tour for weeks now or months now and we are going to go out each show and put on the best show each time.”

The cross over of Christian Rock into mainstream music is still a rather new concept and has not happened very many times.  The last band to jump that hurdle to a notable level was Creed and arguably by Amiee Mann as well.  When kids want to crowd surf and vent their frustrations it’s not very common to do it to messages of love and peace or other foundations principles of Christianity.  “There are a few songs more so than the last album where we do lyrically promote Christian view points, but the message Aaron writes lyrically with the album is more about how everybody on this Earth has a monster deep inside of them and it’s important to sort out your personal issues with your family, your friends and your faith no matter your creed.  I think everything is much more metaphorical and not so cliche, but we don’t hide the fact we are who we are.”  clarified to me.

Dusty and Alex continued to illustrate the group’s music manifestation was able to keep Christian view points in its lyrics. “We take the Christian principles and apply them to person the song connects to without stating the obvious or promoting religion directly into the lyrics.  We believe in the bible and we present that to a person a guide to getting help or to embrace themselves in order to get through life’s challenges.  It’s our way to say they aren’t alone but the fans can transcribe that message in their own person views how they want to.  We certainly aren’t asking people to jump on the Christian bandwagon, but I think every person can grab and take a part of our message and to apply to their own life and that is what makes music and lyrics so powerful.”

So what about groupies and the idea that a touring band is a party band?  That was squashed when I took notice of a giant Television wired to a Wii gaming system.  Alex tapped on one of the game boxes laid out on the table, “People have come onto our tour bus and we shocked to learn how calm we remain backstage or on a tour bus.  They tell us how the experience is unlike any other backstage experience they ever had because we are very laid back and pretty quiet compared to other bands.  It’s not because we are boring dudes, it’s because we are chill and like to have a fun time without the party scene.”  That is such a refreshing change to be a part of in my opinion because as the boys pointed out to me they are just five boys who know live in different areas of the country that come together to play the music they love and spread their messages of love, peace and harmony through a blend of very catchy music with great hooks.

“When we play in front of a live audience we go in with the thought to just play and to have fun with the music we created and the fans who we connect with.  The crowd sings along whether they heard us twenty times before or this is the first time they are exposed to our music and our live show.  We just want to have a good time and to share ourselves and our passion with the crowd.”  The interview concluded over a future prediction of what the each band member would like to do outside of the band and it was Joe who had the most colorful idea and which silenced the entire room.  “I thought about this more and more for the last two years.  I want to open up a super cool barber shop where I grew up in North Carolina.  You know to do regular salt of the Earth haircuts for cops.”  Adam Sandler as the Zohan ran through my mind and I tried to imagine Joe in cut jean shorts cutting Salt-of-the-Earth haircuts for Cops, Construction Workers, and other blue collar gents who would enter his old fashion Carolina barbershop.  “I want to do cool Rock ‘n’ Roll hair cuts. Not like sassy or Zohan style.”  Ok scratch Zohan and replace with Leather Face without the chainsaw.

The night was beyond anything I was expecting.  Three great bands took stage and put holes through my head with heavy action music and inspirational messages.  The ocean was deep this night and the crowd suffers poured over the flood gates one after the other.  From the first opener, L.A.’s “Drive-A” to the headliner, “The Used,” the Roseland capsized anyone brave enough to enter the pit.  The music was tough the electricity was a continuous output of amps mixed with blended metal.  The fierce and ravaging music by Drive-A was enhanced when Bruno Mascolo launched himself in the the waiting riptide of the crowd.  it was an unbelievable sight and the crowd immediately connected and accepted the little man with the enormous voice.

The Almost took stage to a hungry audience that was ready to be raptured.  Aaron parted his sea with a mighty salute and rock star roar.  The crowd replied back with deafening gratitude as the Almost made the unholy, holy and exorcised the frenzy of fans into a acrimony of fire flared fanatics powered by force of goodness.  The rise of hands, the yells for more, and the halo from the lighting illuminated the darkness of the Roseland into a robust blaze of imagery and theatrics.  The Almost sequentially played an uplifting playlist solidifying any doubts that a band founded on Christian beliefs could keep pace with bands whose image are raunchy remnants left over from grunge or Emo influences.  The Almost will continue their tour with The Used playing a number of cities throughout West coast.  The shows are limited and the tickets are in high demand so get online now and get yourself to one of these remaining shows.

Blind Boys of Alabama live at City Winery

Where words don’t succeed, music speaks and it was the Blind Boys of Alabama who have a spiritual agreement through soulful harmonies to honor God and the permissible delights of each individuals soul.  The Blind Boys are on the brink of a new album release titled “Duets” which includes collaborations with such music icons as Lou Reed, John Hammond, Jr., and Toots Hibbert.  The album also includes feature performances with Ben Harper, Timothy B. Schmitt, Randy Travis, Bonnie Raitt, and Jars of Clay.  The album will undoubtedly lead the group to its sixth grammy award and continue to give the Blind Boys of Alabama the vision of making a broken world a better place through their music.  Joey Williams, Blind Boys Guitarist, called me three hours before show time to join him at the show.  Without a second to waste I jumped into my car and raced (55 MPH) to the City Winery in New York City.

My friends, as I have mentioned in past articles, you will never ever have a full understanding of the treasures that are hidden in New York City because as soon as you think you have seen every venue and been to every restaurant you are smacked in the face by, yet, another venue that out does the last one.  Let me tell you that the City Winery is my new “King of the Mountain.”  The sound, the atmosphere, and the staff provide you with a truly rich, tasty, and impressionable experience that has exceeded my expectations.  The venue prides itself on the original private label wines that are made on location and the menu which diagrams which wines will accompany your chosen dish best, but enough about the food and venue.  The Blind Boys of Alabama were bringing their Sunday best out tonight headlining a double bill with good friend John Hammond, Jr..

John Hammond, Jr. opened the evening with an acoustic set of his blues music that reflected on his exposure to such influential artists as Muddy Waters , John Lee Hooker, and Duane Allman.  His barrelhouse singing style captures your attention and digs deep into your imagination of days gone by and the ties those days have on the day at hand.  His commercial success maybe moderate but his fans are strong and dedicated.  He has earned the respect from the likes of Robbie Robertson, Charlie Musselwhite, and other musicians who he has contributed his talents to.  From coffeehouses to major venues, festivals to major tours, John Hammond has shared over forty years of playing the blues, folk and rock music to the world.  His love for playing is how he has been able to continue his success and it’s his life.  His latest album titled “Rough and Tough” is his thirty-second album since his initial release in 1962.  The recording of the album is historical in itself because it was recorded in St. Peter’s Church in New York City due to the acoustics that the Episcopal church contains.

Tonight’s performance highlighted John’s best songs and showcased his ability to transition easily between his National Steel and Stubbs 6-String guitars all the while singing and playing the harmonica.  The Grammy winner and four-time nominee, unleashed his acoustic river flow with beauty.  His persistence to play the blues, as he did this night, attracts young artists such as a young German man who just moved from Germany to achieve his own American dream of being a successful musician.  John’s talent and technique are unique to his authenticity and anyone who loves blues music will find John traditional to the definition of blues.  His respect to the blues is inevitable and because of his dedication the art of playing the blues is inherent.

As quick as John Hammond walked on stage it seemed his set was over, and the excitement began to build again with anticipation of the headliners.  The current opened and from out of the corner came Jimmy Carter, Billy Bowers, Ricky McKinnie, and Ben Moore hand over shoulder and one behind the other in a parade of the blind leading the blind.  The beauty of their entrance was how without sight they sense how much they bring to people who are blind in their own ways and proving that you don’t have to see in order to visualize beauty.  What the Blind Boys lack in physical vision they capture and express more so through their four working senses and it was handed to the audience when Jimmy Carter grabbed his mic and shook the room with his raspy voice and raw emotions.

The night included performances of “Perfect Peace,” Take My Hand,” “Amazing Grace,” and “Free At Last” and other classic hits.  Jimmy, Ben, and Billy sat front row in incredibly robust pinstripe suits and the dark glasses which brand their unique gift to deliver new insight to those who think they can see.  I shared my table with a woman who, like me, felt a change in my soul thanks to our first revival and introduction to Blind Boy Baptism.  The power of God raised the boys from their seats and a concerned Joey Williams frantically worked to control the situation by tapping the shoulders of each singing member to sit, but the song kept the men standing up and shaking the goodness of the glory out from their contained bodies and the audience felt the good and plenty pouring out as came off their seats during the high energy performance of “Free at Last.”  Jimmy Carter even found his way off the stage and into the audience who all reached out to get one touch of Jimmy’s healing powers.  When the song was over and the members were tightly gathered on stage, the night exhaled and I found myself thinking to myself what a day I had.

What started off as an unpredictable day made complete sense to me.  You can’t control the world and what life has planned for you because at the end of the day you may think you can see what will happen next, but a blind man from Alabama may just prove to you that you really can’t see any more then he can and with that I found with in me to not predict the future and to accept that life will continue to unfold it’s story and I’m to just live each day better then the last.  I found a bible verse that would sum up my night with the Blind Boys of Alabama and it goes something like this.

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.  He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery for the blind, to set the pressed free.”  In my perspective tonight the Spirit was in the City Winery and in the state that our economy has fallen into I have some news to the poor.  The Blind Boys of Alabama are here to remind you to be free, to see the meaning of life, and to enjoy what you have now and not what you don’t have tomorrow.  Listen to the music, go see one of their shows, and rediscover your soul because this is a revival you are not going to want to miss.

“I write because it’s my way of expressing the words that I am unable to say out loud some times.  There has always been music with in me and at the age of 16 I started writing songs.  It’s been my way to tell the world about who I am and to say that I am going to be somebody with a strong message created through my own life experiences.”  Nanyana said to me when we met up in Washington Square park on the first brisk autumn afternoon by the chess section.  As the kids flocked around us seeking clues to their next treasure hunt Nanyana and I sat across from each other with the sun beaming down and the distant sounds of folk singers, a Jazz Quartet, laughter, and a few grunts from some of the chess players who may have lost their pants as their Kings were laid down in defeat.

“I put everything I knew and loved into my lyrics and even went as far as to mail music artists my lryics in hopes of getting a response back to validate with in me, that I could write music.  I was preoccupied as a teen with the life around me and that explains why I overlooked a postcard from one of the members of 311 who wrote me back and invited me backstage to attend a concert.  I remember walking backstage with my friend and the butterflies that gathered inside.  There I was with the band in the back and they knew who I was.  It was that moment I knew I could do something amazing.  I knew I could be a song writer.”

Nanyana has a look to her.  It goes beyond the appearance which, in my book, is a perfect ten, but because I’m friends with her husband I will keep this very PC.  Yes, Nanyana is married and to an incredible musician who has paid his dues and achieved success in his own rights.  Jason “JJ Boogie” Reichert of the much acclaimed band “Arrested Development.”  Arrested Development (AD) hit the billboard top 100 in the 1990’s with such hits as “Mr. Wendall,” “Tennessee,” and a very beautiful cover of “Everyday People.”  Jason has always been a supporter of Nanyana’s years before his induction into Arrested Development and this clearly explains how the power couple managed to succeed as well as they have.  Now that Jason has reached his star you can bet Nanyana isn’t too far behind her husband of reaching her own.

She continued to open up to me in regards to how the couple began their life journey together and how colorful their world has become thanks to their common passion and appreciation of creating music.   When he isn’t on tour or recording for Arrested Development, Jason plays a vital role in Nanyana’s music career on the road and in the studio.  “Don’t get me wrong.  There’s a little competition and while Jason was auditioning for AD (Arrested Development in cool lingo) I put my music on hold to some degree to support him and to work outside of music.  Now it’s my turn to taste the success of my music dreams.  Of course we get into arguments because he travels a lot and I miss him.  It’s hard sometimes especially when I have a gig and want him with me to play, but I know how important his career is and I support him unconditionally.”  Nanyana has played continuously throughout Atlanta and areas near to the Atlanta area, but on a whimm and the luxury of free sky miles, decided to come up to New York City to visit a friend.  That is how I came to meet up with this young starlit in the park.

“My friend said that I should look into booking myself a show while I was in town and I figured I would give it a shot.”  After a few emails, a few phone calls, and a mailing of a demo cd, Nanyana landed her first ever New York City gig.  All on her own, with no label, no management company, and no support from an investor.  Nanyana is the true definition of an Independent Music Artist .  She is one woman with a vision who, since she was sixteen, made it her life goal to succeed as a music artist.  Nanyana made her debut at New York City’s Pianos, lavishly located in the bohemian area of the lower east side.  “I didn’t know what to expect and of course I know people will think about here’s another girl riding on the coat tails of her husband success, but they don’t know my history with my husband and how much we have both given ourselves to each other as supporters and providers.  They will probably only see it as JJ Boogie’s wife from AD is trying to be a singer songwriter through her husband’s success.  It’s ok if they want to see it that way, but I know the truth and now you do as well.”   I did know the truth and I knew Nanyana had much to say, much to express, and benefited one gift via JJ’s success.   A rich and amber sounding Gibson Hummingbird Guitar.  Oh, it’s really pretty and it sounds much better then it looks.

Our interview wound down and Nanyana went off to prepare for the performance.  I walked away with a new insight to my new friend and truly excited to see if she would receive a New York welcome from the patrons of Pianos and if she would be able to prove herself in the toughest town to prove yourself in.  I think I was more nervous, but I had hours to kill and went off to discover new insights to me and my dreams of succeeding as a live concert photojournalist.  I walked around and listened to the interview with Nanyana and started to piece more pieces of her puzzle together.  Ideas started to pour out of my mind how and when she would be discovered by the industry.  As I wondered around Soho, the village and with a negative balance in my checking account, I came across a $20 bill.  Lucky was I because I needed to fill up the gas tank and I was starving.

Time flew by and it was time to head over to Pianos for the debut performance.  Ok, Pianos scares me a little because when you play upstairs you are playing Russian Roulette.  People may show or they may not.  I wasn’t sure what to think.  I arrived to an empty room with three people sitting on a bench and Nanyana dragging her own equipment across the darkened room.  Her set up was simple and if her choice of dress, combined with her fresh new green kicks, was anything to foreshadow the evening I was in for a real treat.  The New York welcome I was hoping for came a few minutes before show time.  Nanyana looked sensational in a long green dress, her hair perfectly placed and a the Humingbird guitar belted safely like a holy grail in a guitar strap.  People trickled in before her performance and slowly the room started to fill itself with curious music connoisseurs.

Nanyana’s set connected with the guests and, like a VH-1 Storyteller Show, the meaning behind her songs were spoken about.  Because of my own relationship with the couple I found one story in particular very entertaining and how it came to be.  A lovers quarrel over being away from each other and not listening to the meaning behind her words.  I do believe I have heard that song before many times with many women who think men, like me, don’t listen.  Oh we listen, but our attention span only allows us to pay attention until we are distracted by the television, the smell of food, or high heals.  It happens.

The crowd embraced Nanyana with a wonderful applause at the end of her set followed by the sale of her CDs.  Overall her performance was enriching to the music she writes and validates her credibility as a singer-songwriter.  With the support of JJ, her family, and friends Nanyana is going to continue to climb her ladder towards her success.  The sky is the limit and with her New York debut in the can she will begin to expand her touring to more cities with proof that she can be what she always wanted to be.  A songwriter.  After the show was over and the guests congratulated Nanyana on her performance she exited Pianos.  I had just snuffed out my last cigarette when she spotted me.  “So what did you think overall?”  I looked at her and smiled and said, “Welcome to the big leagues kid.  Today you hit a home run.”  After a hug goodbye Nanyana turned down the dark damp sidewalk with her guitar in case and walked into the New York City night.  She turned the corner of Katz’s Deli on Houston Street and as soon as my time with Nanyana began, so it ended.  What will happen next we will all just have to watch and wait.

Salman Rushdie & Dredg Collaborate for Spin Magazine's the "Liner Note" Series in NYC

Salman Rushdie sat between the members of Dredg sharing the spotlight of an unprecedented event hosted by Spin Magazine at Housing Works Bookstore & Cafe in New York City.  “Liner Notes” was created to bring various artists from different mediums of art together in a showcase presenting one artist whose art has influenced another artist who shares an equal yet unique perspective of that art piece.  The event Spin Magazine created allows a in-depth look at how one artist can express and manipulate another artist’s creation.  In tonight’s round, Salman Rushdie’s “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen” was the feature of the evening which influenced the Band Dredg to write their best recorded album to date “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion.”

The guests sat in anticipation with no idea of what to expect and not fully understanding how two totally different voices could be combined in agreeable terms.  Would these two artists put their views to the side and get through an hour long session together without the threat of artistic differences was a burning question in my mind which was answered and quickly subdued when Mr. Rushdie took center stage to read an except from his book “The Ground Beneath Her Feet.”  The book explores time and space in a conventional manner between two parallel universes.  The journey spans over forty years of pop culture and focuses on a gifted musician (Ormus Cama) and his soul’s mate, Vina Aspara, whose amber voice sings, lures, and traps her listeners instantly through a vocal canvas of color notes.  Despite earthquakes, heartbreaks, and a tare through a continuum of both time and space, the story happens to be Mr. Rushdie’s most optimistic book written yet.  The versus read this night pierced me deeply but the pain was soothing as I was able to find with in me a way to connect with my own soul’s mate who sits more then 1200 miles away from me.  If she could only know how I feel and how much experiencing this night would impact her own personal perceptions I know our 1200 plus miles apart would vanish to inches apart.

With my own idea of a book in the making I have written my love of loves one letter for each day since we met and the messages behind Mr. Rushdie’s writings have personally opened my eyes and made valid my theory of true love or what she has beautifully expressed to me my “soul’s mate.”  Salman Rushdie has inspired millions, perhaps billions across the world and now he can add one more to that list.  Thanks to the idea of synchronicity or that everything happens for a reason I have experienced my own personal light and understand with a new clarity as to the tests that have been put before me.  I understand why life has traveled up some of the highest mountains I ever had to climb and why I had to start in the lowest of valleys to reach this new insight as I perceive it today.  I understand now why I met Dredg and came to this latest event in my life and to witness this collaboration of artists goes well beyond the beauty of an album cover or chapters written by one man’s brilliant pen.

Dredg joined Rushdie on stage after the his reading to confirm their own claim as true music artists.  Dredg paints their shows with minimal glitz or glamour.  Going to a Dredg performance is allowing you to open up and listen to the roots of music without being distracted by flashy stage works.  The music is enough to draw the audience in and tonight I was even more impressed to listen to this particular performance by Dredg toned down to acoustic and electric instrumentation minus the percussion.  Loud music can deafen you when played at a lower level and being loud isn’t always best.  The blend of the music highlighted by Gavin Hayes’ vocals was tremendous.  The impression the band made was unholier than thou, if I may borrow the term, and it stole the air out of the old bookstore where the guests leaned forward in their chairs, drawn in tightly to the music Dredg exuded.  The set was a short and very sweet five song list.  “Pariah,” “Lightswitch,” “The Ornament,” “Information,” and “Cartoon Showroom.”

The night embraced the love of music with the importance of expression, but leave it to the last person you would think of in this story to break the serious tone of the evening with dark humor.  Rushdie managed to gather everyone in the room together with such amazing stories of his life and the collaboration attempt by Alex James of the acclaimed band “Blur.”  The eccentric Rushdie sat in his chair and impersonated a slob, alcohol driven, filthy mouthed Londoner ranting about a collaboration idea.  Another highlight came when one guest asked Rushdie if he meant for his controversial book “Satantic Verses” to be so affective to the believers that hunted him for a decade.  Rushdie sat back with a smile and said, “Being sentenced to death by the Ayatollah Khomeini really ruins your weekend.”

It’s 2009 and with so much energy going into two very impressionable pieces of written works, Salman Rushdie’s essay and Dredg’s latest album both surround a beautiful concept and view at humanity.  So how is it that the world we live in still finds the written word and the freedom of expression through music and books a threat to power?  Why do artists continue to create verbal and written ammunition knowing that odds are against them?  It is conceivable that the 6 billionth citizen could be in a country where he will never learn or hear about either Dredg or Salman Rushide and their life changing messages.

” This 6 billionth child could be in a country where such messages are censored which is sad.  A lot of the world now is like that now.  I don’t truthfully know the answer.  All I can do is put the message out there and hope that the message will reach this child somehow.  Another great thing about this musical collaboration is that it takes the message to another place where different people will hear it in different ways and it multiplies the message.  All you can do as an artist is put it out there.  None of us in this age can control the powers that say what we can listen to or what we can say.  All we can do is disregard them and do our work.  Maybe at the end it will find its audience.”

Orlando, Florida.  Vacation destination. Disney controlled and infiltrated with some of today’s most questionable members of society.  Not this night.  Downtown Orlando became the epicenter for American progressive and alternative rock band, “Dredg” to unleash the music from their latest album “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion.”  This is the band’s fourth full album release and the first to be released completely independent from a label’s backing.  Dredg, like many bands today, is seeing the value of being independent from the labels in order to properly express their message as they see fit and to keep better control over their creative expression and what a message this album has is nothing less than intense and truly brilliant.  “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion” is an aspiring anecdotal album aroused by the brilliance of author Salman Rushdie, whose book “The Satanic Verses” brought on controversy that sent the author into hiding for a decade.  The author also wrote and essay titled “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen” which became the backdrop to this latest Dredg album.

Dredg has been through a four album transmogrification in which has adapted a spectrum of sound and reclamation of artistry through music expression.  The detail of the production in this album is very conscientious and Dredg executed the recordings straightforward with their heart and soul.  The band has come a long way, but the effects of the economy and downfall to the music industry has put the band in a position to fend for itself.  Gavin Hayes (Lead Vocalist & Guitarist) and I sat off to the side stage and discussed his view of the bands approach to recording music in the state that our economy has fallen onto and the current pattern to music sales because with eighteen tracks to absorb off the latest album tracks need to be carefully written in order to attract dedicated fans and new fans to make their purchase online rather then in store like the “old days.”

“We haven’t really changed our approach so much from a writing stand point.  We are still focused when we are creating a record.  Our goal is still from the packaging to the songs to having a complete record under lined with theme and identity.  That’s always going to be important to us no matter which way the business turns.  We never think of the records as a song by song compilation.  We try to create something that is cohesive.  The only difference on this record is that we are independent now and partnered with ILG (Independent Label Group) which is mainly promotion and distribution.  I felt like a little weight was lifted and I feel we went more back to our roots on this record.”

The third release “Catch Without Arms” was viewed by Gavin as an album that was created on a song to song manner.  It was a record based on opposites and conflicting opinions.  The rebellious take on the record was emphasized instrumentally and felt a little more cohesive.  Dredg didn’t want to regurgitate the same record this time and it was a direct reaction to the touring of that album that brought them to dig deeper within their recordings.  They toured with a lot of rock bands over the years and at that time felt like their shows were coming off a little passive.  “We didn’t really write that record with touring live in mind.  Our last record was kind of how we wanted to write songs that better translated in our lives and I think this new record is a combination of the first two.  There are a lot of elements that could be on LCO and even on our first record with instrumental pieces.”

Leaving Interscope to become an independent music group wasn’t a surprise to anyone.  The business has completely changed over these last nine years and it were at the tail end of people buying CDs.  From there the business flipped itself upside down and Dredg really didn’t fit the label’s model anymore because the label had to adjust their business model so they could make money.  There were bands around Dredg who were selling more albums then they were at the time and those bands were getting dropped.  To go independent made sense

“Our manager approached us about working with ILG after ILG approached him.  It just felt like the right step to take because to distribute an album takes a lot of capital and we needed the backing to release our new album.  It was important to us to see the records on the shelves and to build a small budget to promote that record is now available.   Technically we are part owner of DCI on that level and we can be viewed as running our own label even though it’s just us on that label.  It’s not like we are going to be out there signing bands but it feels good and I feel more in charge.  It’s kind of similar to a distribution deal where we are running our label with them.  It just felt right and together we are going to increase our fan base.  If this was ten years ago it wouldn’t have been the right decision for us, but for where we are at in our career it’s like a perfect marriage.”

Once Dredg is about to recoup expenses from this last album they will be able to see gain unlike what they saw with Interscope.  As an true independent band they are supporting themselves on costs and anyway to save a dollar is money they need to invest back into the group.  This is what it means to be a struggling artist.  Their tours are increasing and it has taken them around the world.  It allows them to network with other bands and to create new tours with bands they have co-headlined with in the past.  Dredg submits the bands they have worked with to their booking agent and management and create the tour around what they want and not what a label wants.  One of those creative controls the band has as an independent is artistic control.  If you are a fan you understand what I mean just by viewing their album covers and colorful lyrics.  Gavin painted me a picture between the art and the music as it is created for Dredg.

“The arts are a big influence for the group.  Drew (bassist) and I met in art class where we were drawing and painting long before we were playing music and the other members add to our appreciation for art through cinema and even books.  This last album Drew and I painted a picture for each song and we created them to connect with our fans by adding images that evolved into a treasure hunt which allowed us to connect with our fans on a much deeper level.  Fans end up purchasing the paintings as well as the albums.  The clues to the treasure hunt go up on our website and the fans get really involved with the hunt.  Cinema became an avenue for me as well as Mark in which we separately scored different movies.  Film scoring is something we want to get into even on an Independent Film level.  There something behind that format that is cool because it’s behind the scenes.  I think aspects of our music blend in well and can transition over well to cinema.  The one movie that really stood out to me as the score of scores was Kubrick’s 2001 Space Odyssey.  It’s visually stimulating and with minimal dialog supported by incredible music.  Overall it just works flawlessly.  I have read something that the creators were using some of the music just for screening and it worked out really well so I don’t know if it was a mistake that the music became the emphasis of the movie but what a great mistake if it was.”

Art has been a heavy influence to people on all levels and it is no surprise to see how a man’s essay such as Salman Rushdie’s “Imagine There’s No Heaven: A Letter to the 6 Billionth Citizen” would influence a band receptive to artistic expression to write an album influenced by another man’s written imagery.  Gavin views progress as an event that has always relied on strong efforts and courageous acts by individuals who are willing to chance themselves by drawing outside the lines so to speak.  To get away for the old traditions and to break away from old beliefs in order to make a better tomorrow.  Salman Rushdie is a beautiful representation of such courage and a major reason why the band chose to use his essay as the foundation of “The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion.”

This Thursday Dredg will be sharing the stage with the renowned author and believe me it’s not very often that an internationally acclaimed author will share a spotlight with a band from San Francisco, but the rockers have shown their sincerity and their dedication to writing music for the love of music.  Together Salman Rushdie and Dredg will come together at New York City’s Housing Works Bookstore Cafe for SPIN Magazine’s third installment of Liner Notes.  The event brings together musicians and authors as part of a continuous event to raise funds for the Housing Works non-profit group which was created to provide homeless and low-income people living with HIV/AIDS and their families with adequate housing, food, social support, drug treatment, health care, and employment.  Liner Notes has been a success thus far and I am truly excited to see what comes from the uniting of Salman Rushdie and Dredg.  The band is extremely excited and flattered to share an evening with such a talent.

Live form the Hard Rock Live

The parishioners gathered outside in their biker bests and long raggedy hair ready to raise hell in the eyes of Judas Priest. The star studded event went beyond the pierced jugulars, faded tattoos, and ritual beer chugging baptism of one Judas Priest first timer. Everywhere you glanced another head banger was parading through the cigarette butt lined walkway with a holier than thou commandment boldly printed across the chest such as, “I (heart) Big Fake T**ts” and “Find a face and sit on it.” The not-so-virgins lured these men like the Silicon Sirens trying to lure Ulysses on his ten year journey home form the Trojan War. The only sign of the trojan war here were a few wrinkled packets stuffed iin the baskets as free giveaways. The Godfathers of metal chose this night at the Seminole Hard Rock to be the setting of their most historic recording to date. For the 30th anniversary celebration of their 1980 release, “British Steel,” Judas Priest chose to honor the anniversary by capturing this one performance on video to be released on DVD in the near future.

The celebrities came out from the metal yard including Lita Ford, Nicko McBrian (Iron Maiden – Drummer), and Jim Florentine (Comedian) who co-introduced the metal salute to Judas Priest along side of Eddie Trunk (SIRIUS Radio/VH1 Host). After an “Eddie is Sexy” chant from the arena and followed by a metal breaking sound check, the lights blacked out and the pandemonium ripped through the crowd as the cameras began to roll. Seconds later the massive canvas draped in front of the stage came crashing down and the clergy of carnage appeared amongst the chaos of lights, rock horn salutes and camera strobes. The uproar of the fans, the turbulence of the sound, and the bedlam of the entrance made Judas Priest abundantly clear. Any disbelievers who think a band this vintage should hang up their jackets and perish, croak or give up the ghost need to succumb to their own conviction.

The Priest brought out all the guns for this show. Rob Halford has stood the test of time with his quasi-operatic vocal style and high-pitched screams rumored to hit an ear piercing G#6. He is living proof that a man can remain a Metal God among his fans no matter what his preferences are sexually, faithfully, or otherwise. As a songwriter, a performer, and now the label owner of Metal God Records, Rob encompasses the true definition of “living the dream,” but it’s with the Priest-hood he shares the stage with that Rob exemplifies as a leader manifested by his band. Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing ravaged their fans with guitar thrashing riffs while Ian Hill underlined the motion with his bass and Scott Travis detonating the drums. The explosive performance gathered tremendous acknowledgment and astonishment from the fans, the music professionals, and especially this photojournalist on what will forever be a monumental evening for Judas Priest.

The tour is winding down and if you have any chance to get to either of the remaining four shows then do it. Reading this review, watching an internet clip, or waiting for the DVD to be released is in no way shape or form comparable to the feeling you could receive from over 1 million watts of pure metal energy condensed into infuriated sound, bursting through the blinding light show, and exhaling voice that is Judas Priest. The closest experience I can even imagine will take place ions from now when the universe collapses on itself and history is reborn. It is just what happened last night at the Hard Rock Live. Judas Priest “British Steel” was reborn and it was fantastic. Thank you Metal God for this honor. Your worshipers are rejoicing this morning to your sons, Judas Priest.

LIve form Culture Room

The Culture Room is one of those clubs that you just happen upon when looking for an open deli at ten o’clock at night. With the exception of an airy courtyard, the club is a venue for the up close and very personal. The room was tightly packed leaving me to fight for space towards the front. After a few pushes and even fewer apologies or thanks I found an amazing spirit named Bianca defending her two square foot area with all of her might. This full figured beauty reminded me of the days long gone. The days when fans would go just about anywhere and at anytime to buy a ticket to see their favorite band. Bianca was fused to her sister and their cousin at the hip and the cost to squeeze yourself in set the the ladies back a whopping seventy-five dollars and that was before the beers that Bianca shared with my camera bag and Custo Barcelona shirt. I learned for an additional fifteen dollars you can meet the band after the show without any opportunity to snag a photo. Ok, don’t get me wrong. The twenty-five dollars to see Sugar Ray with Fastball opening as the support is not bad. Tack on another ten dollars for parking and fifteen for the magical pink sticker bracelet and you were fifty dollars in the hole of this overly cramped evening with 350 of your newest friends. By the looks of the fans that fifty dollars is a full day’s pay. Sugar Ray’s popularity peaked in the latter half of the 1990’s, but seriously?. In a time when music is being mishandled by the labels and intervened by the government this is hardly the time to milk your fans for the extra buck.

With that said I will add that as inclined as I was to not dip into my pocket for the bracelet Sugar Ray did knock out the audience with hard rocking hits one after the other. Mark McGrath is one frontman who is absolutely 41 going on 28. His delivery and stage presence was fluid, jarring, and colorfully vibrant with excitement. While most men in their forties have lost their hair, gained their “Daddy/Beer Guzzling” 50 lbs, Mark has preserved himself as a truly fit man who will steal your daughters away with his alluring glances, his pulchritudinous smile, and admirable ability to connect deeply to his fans while on stage. I was expecting to see a show that would be downscaled and delivered by an ego driven front man, but Mark McGrath is the real deal and lead Sugar Ray with such forcefulness and intensity that the potency of his leadership and his spirit left me with a get-up-and-go drive. His devotion for his craft is visually stimulating to watch. Constantly unfixed on stage and pumping the crowd up into a conniption of devoted zealots, McGrath is committed to Sugar Ray and loyal to the music first. He may have gone Co-Host Extra crazy in Hollywood, but he’s still pure Sugar Ray at heart.

Sugar is now touring in support of their latest release titled “Music for Cougars” which I am assuming is a title referencing the young ladies who once attended the shows over the years or more likely dedicated to the Mother’s who picked their intoxicated daughters off the floors after a solid Sugar Ray performance. Whatever the meaning behind the album’s sultry title, tracks like “She’s Got The (Woo-Hoo),” “Love Is the Answer,” and “Morning Sun” are substantial evidence that being contracted to a major label or not you have to believe in yourself and the songs you create or your window of opportunity will shut you down. Sugar Ray isn’t done by a long shot and their tour bus window is wide open. The tour continues West with stops in Tennessee, Texas, Washington and California but I think we will see them again real soon. Keep this in mind. If you have to wake up early “Every Morning” for work to “Answer the Phone,” “When It’s Over” Sugar Ray will continue to sweeten our most bitter day. “Someday” you will understand what I am talking about.

LIve from American Airline Arena

Miami has come a long way since the blue collar trend setters of the 1980’s, Crocket & Tubbs A.K.A – the blazer jacket fashion police of Miami Vice, and even more so from the spectacular rainbow connection faux showgirls of the Bird Cage. No matter which image you mirror your wardrobe after, one thing is for certain, tonight not all Miamians slipt themselves into Custo Barcelona like I did. Green Day and Kaiser Chief made an “All Post Bulletin” for all in need of economic rehabilitation and who want to infuse diesel driven energy, raw metal music, and tantric lyrics to relieve their personal woes. American Airlines Arena was the epicenter of this quake and it burst at its seams with the infestation of dedicated fans and a trickle of a few newbies. The local radio stations gathered under the palm trees just adjacent to Biscayne Boulevard where a mirage of CSI Miami’s Lt. Horatio Caine would preparing to investigate the onslaught about to take place on center stage.

Kaiser chief is a music experience that never ceases to shock me and thanks to the brilliant organization and guidance of manager, Mike Darling, the lads from Leeds have made a brilliant british march across the pond that make even the snootiest of Brits loosen their nickers for a night along with a grinning nod of approval. Their ability to make instant connection has been followed by the increase of their ever expanding nexus of a fan base. Lead vocalist, Ricky Wilson, blitzed the stage and posed statuesque like front and center atop his stage monitor. His fists punched the electrified air with his glory stick in hand to pay homage to the gods of rock above. They must have given him the green light because the reception from the fans pushed the air out of the building and the deafening answer was, “WE ARE READY TO GLORIFY YOU!” Kaiser Chief brings a new attitude to the stage underlined by the homage they pay to the influential bands before like Blur, Madness, and The Jam.

“Off With Their Heads” is the fourth Kaiser Chief album under the Universal Music label. The band shows no signs of slowing down and like a fine wine fermenting on a Napa Valley vineyard Kaiser Chief will only become more substantial to young music fans yearning for a unique blend of fresh music. Let’s face it. Generation “X” & “Y” are victims in the political game of radio and MTV to the point that they are dumbed down to a cookie cutter lifestyle that just doesn’t extend past Juicy wear and Nickel Back. Kaiser Chief’s song list was heavy and flavored including their recent money song “Never Miss a Beat,” “Good Days Bad Days,” and “Like It Too Much.” Once again I spun out of the photographer radar in a spiral to the first riff of “Ruby.” As quick as the boys jumped on stage they were off and the unlucky lost souls outside were surely green with envy to not be inside because the arena’s foundation fissured from the opener and the Gods of Rock could only guess what would happen next.

It amazes me to see that no matter who you are at a concert, no matter what your role is, when the lights black out your heart races, your eyes widen, and you lose yourself completely. If our own exits from this planet would mimic the feeling of waiting for a band to take stage then my exit will be one with the horns of rock blazed in the air on one hand and a flickering lighter in the other. Miami roared so loud that the sound track playing on stage sounded more like a gnat buzzing in your ear outside during a hurricane. Green Day’s entrance immediately followed when a spectrum of LED lights broadcasted an eye popping scene of the Manhattan skyline stunningly portrayed on stage. Views of the Empire State Building, Midtown, and Downtown areas were broken by the bullets of spotlights targeting their aim on Green Day. One by one the mayhem crept out from behind the stage much like a grungy New Yorker exiting a Bleecker Street night club just before dawn. The adrenaline poured through the stoked fans, the band was pumped, and I was numb because it’s moments like this I get to look back on my life as a music fan who once swore I would always be in the front row of a show. Twenty some odd years later and a life filled with enough events and adventures to write a full feature screenplay about, I was where I wanted to be. In front of the tall guy who was blocking my view.

Green Day is an atomic blast that erupted over a decade ago and the power they push increases with no tell-tale sign of a break up or side project. Their days of grunge and ripping the listener a “new one” still dominates the music industry. Their longevity is partly due to their consistent sound, radical presence, and most importantly, “keepin’ in real” (staying true to their sound) while other bands have faded and vanished during their unjust reinventions. Green Day is what they are and have always been. The sentinels of rockdom. The song list expanded over three pages and well past the 10:30 PM curfew that a majority of the fans were given this night and who without a doubt will sleep tonight tucked in their beds happily dreaming of moshpits, fists of fury, and a band-aid box worth of battle scars. Green Day and Kaiser chief continue their march forward to bring sheer madness to a city near you and I will have to remind you of this. Don’t wait for the golden reunion tour. Get yourself to the show now because this will haunt you as the “would of, should of, could of concert” your kids will hark on you one day for missing.

Live from the Hard Rock Live

The Hard Rock Seminole Hotel & Casino was the hotspot for big card hands last night as the dealer sent this journalist home with more riches than he imagined working in with only twenty dollars for parking, a maxed out credit card, and debit card recently replenished by unemployment. I walked into the Hard Rock Live! arena to the bittersweet songs of Michael Jackson flowing throughout the energized venue. The tickets sold out and the awaiting crowd inside paid homage to Michael Jackson in dance. The venue playlist spanned Jackson’s career from his earliest days with the Jackson Five through to his last recordings on “Invincible.” One surprise track of Jackson’s that played over the crowd was “Another Part of Me” which premiered in the late 1980’s Walt Disney 3-D action adventure movie “Captain EO” at Disney’s EPCOT Center exhibit “Journey Into Imagination.” The music interrupted by the cheers from the crowd as one woman became possessed by the King of Pop and danced furiously without missing a beat in front of the sold out arena. The classy venue served up a fine spirit for the guests to sip. The audio popped off, the crowd bubbled, and a new face walked alone to front and center stage with her acoustic guitar strapped to her glass figure body.

Porsche Smith is a new singer/songwriter hitting the circuit now increasing her fan base seven fold as the recently proclaimed grand prize winner of John Legend’s “Be Legendary Radio One” Competition. Porsche is one music visionary whose self written music and performance is purely from the heart. Her one song set was a flush of hearts to astonished crowd seemingly ready to Simon Cowell the new singer off the stage. This natural and undiscovered artist received a well deserved applause from the audience reassuring an awaiting John Legend that his contest winner was the best choice and a person who will carry his name and reputation well and proudly. Her poise and bravery to step so calmly onto the Hard Rock Live! stage and opening for John Legend is one huge pill to swallow. I can only imagine she is resting well this morning knowing that she climbed and conquered her own Mount Everest and the most spectacular view ever. I will be definitely be paying close attention to Porshe Smith as she continues to adventure forward in, what I hope will be, a long and enriched career as a music artist. As fast as Porsche entered onto the stage she exited but she excited accomplished and one step closer to her goal to play and share good music from the heart for those who are open to listen.

The stage cleared and the crowd hustled to their feet when the lights went down signaling the arrival of my favorite spice, India.Arie. Rob Lewis (Musical director, Music arranger, Record producer, Music composer, Keyboardist) listed off a resume fit for a queen with his booming voice and the crescendo of his keys. The anticipation of India.Arie’s appearance on stage ended when the spot light popped highlighting a very colorful India.Arie wearing a flowing gown with a top that accented her curvaceous body and warm inviting smile. The connection between artist and fan was instant and India.Arie walked forward, mic in hand, with the greatest of ease. Her voice filled my ears with such delight and her presence on stage warmed me deep within. My yearning of wanting to see India.Arie live on stage started when I first exposed in 2001 to her first music video titled “Video.” Since that time India.Arie has proven herself to the music industry as a force to be reckoned with and really earned mediocre recognition that I truly believe she well deserves. It just proves to me that the state of the music industry in 2001 and currently still doesn’t understand the definition of good music. India.Arie is nothing less than masterful and pure.

India.Arie accepted the invitation to join the John Legend tour this summer and since then has added such depth and beauty to every show. Her forty minute set could have extended longer. Her fans were very vocal with thunderous appreciation after each song including “The Heart Of the Matter” where India.Arie metamorphosed from singer to elegant pixie. She walked up center aisle through the adoring crowd wearing a brilliant colored dress and a pair of waving wings that tinted delicate shades of color onto her bare bronze skin. The lightning of flashes strobed and captured the singer in a flip-book like motion with her hands reaching out and making contact with fans who stretched out as she walked by. My experience at this show was well worth the wait to encounter her live performance. It was less then one month ago that India.Arie fell ill, but she was in full health for this show and she laid down a full house at the Hard Rock Seminole Hotel & Casino.

John Legend. Need I say more? John Legend was the sure bet as the ace in the hole for the evening and how could he not be? Center arena became center stage when John Legend was illuminated in before the dazzled crowd. He opened his set with the most soulful and alluring rendition of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song” adding new meaning to Bob Marley’s album “Legend.” John was accompanied by an army of security who more or less reminded me of the defensive line of the 2009 Pittsburgh Steelers. The fans reached out as far as they could hoping to feel so much as a breeze when Legend passed by. He reached back connecting with every hand that broke through the security wall and making his way slowly to the stage. The fans elevated the temperature to sweltering and I was taken back by the enormity of John Legend’s voice bellowing out into the galvanized arena. It’s a whole new respect and admiration for John Legend, who has come miles from his days in his University of Pennsylvania co-ed a cappella group, “Counterparts.” His success, since his discovery by the cousin of Kanye West, has inspired a nation to take note that good music isn’t a thing of the past, but is here now and it’s coming to a city near you very soon. John Legend is touring in support of his latest release “Evolver” which is his third release and has once again grasped his fans in frenzy of sold out venues. Commandeering such a feat is becoming more difficult during a time of economic uncertainties, but John Legend has created a tour line up perfect for the fans feeling the financial squeeze and providing his fans with the perfect medicine. A night of feel good music during a not so feel good time. John Legend closed the night out at Hard Rock Seminole Casino & Hotel with a royal flush on the stage.

The John Legend tour is not to be missed as it continues touring around the U.S. throughout the North East and making it’s way West before heading to Ontario, Canada.

Bernie Williams Speaks at the 2009 Hillside Food Out Reach Gala

You can squeeze the diamond out of the rock, but you can’t squeeze the rock out from the diamond. The same can be said for 4-Time World Series Champion and New York Yankee Great, Bernie Williams. Bernie has astonished the world with the swing of his bat and the strum of his guitar by achieving success in two dreamlike careers that only a miniscule of the world will only virtually experience playing Guitar Hero or RBI Baseball at home on the Play Station. His cleats are hung up for now and the amplifiers are maxed out as Bernie takes center stage with his second music release properly titled “Moving Forward,” but Bernie brings even more greatness out of the studio and off the field as a contributing member in his community right here in Westchester County. Bernie took me through an undiscovered history of his life starting from the challenges he faced as a child growing up in Puerto Rico to his more recent days retired from Major League Baseball and refocusing his direction on Music.

As a young boy Bernie was faced with a very difficult education schedule reinforced by his mother, a highly accomplished educator in the public education system. His father underlined the good values and guidelines he sought to raise his family after, and his support of his family was unconditional. Bernie entered the ninth grade performing arts high school where his first real taste to compose music surfaced. The appetizer of guitar styles intrigued Bernie so much that he began his regiment of formal training on Classical and Jazz guitar. Practicing came with the small price tag of having to maintain an acceptable GPA in order to practice playing music, and it was here that baseball made a crescendo singing to Bernie’s sweet spot and it was loud and clear.

“My earliest memory of picking up a bat and glove was when I was playing at a game when I was seven years old and I actually had no idea what I was doing and the coach put me up to bat in the last inning because the team ran out of players. I hit a base hit and ran to first base when I realized the game was apparently over. I was angry that the game was over so I asked the umpire what happened and who won the game to which the umpire said to me that my team won the game because I hit the winning run in.”

Upon his high school graduation Bernie was shuffled to Sarasota, Florida to play baseball in an extended spring league where the prolific revelation of playing professional baseball turned from dream to reality. “That’s when I realized I wasn’t playing high school baseball anymore and I was playing on a minor league team straight out of Puerto Rico with no idea as to what I was doing. I think it really struck me that I was playing baseball on a professional level. Five and a half years later I was invited by the New York Yankees to play for their Triple-A team in Albany, New York and that’s when my feelings became tangled about staying in my home or to take advantage of this golden opportunity.”

Bernie was faced with the big league question to either make a run for home plate sliding into the dream of baseball or to hold safe on the college base and to earn a college degree. Bernie ran home and he ran hard. “I think between my mom and my dad they really took the initiative to lead me down a very wise path as far as making my decision of whether I wanted to play baseball or stay in school. I think I definitely took advantage of the opportunity to play baseball in that I could always go back to school even though that didn’t work out. I think my dad was more influential in that part more than my mother. My mother wanted me to go to college and get my degree before anything else, but that would have meant for me to not take the opportunity to play baseball. It was a tough choice because Puerto Rico wasn’t in the baseball draft at that time as it is now and for me it would have been very hard to get into baseball after my education was complete.”

Relocating from Puerto Rico to New York was seemingly difficult to a young and inexperienced Bernie Williams merely in his teens. Facing the intense pressure of entering the Big Leagues meant leaving his life behind and moving far from the only life he knew. With his choice made up to play ball Bernie embarked on a baseball adventure he couldn’t even have imagined nor could any optimistic sports journalist have imagined writing about years later. As he sat with the Yankee staff on his first flight to his new home Bernie reflected back to his picking up and leaving his roots for this new life abroad. It was a choice that the young Bernie couldn’t predict would launch him into baseball’s climactic history for the most successful championship winning sports franchise worldwide.

Bernie developed his skills, practiced hard and never gave up on his dream to play ball. The call up from Triple-A to the big leagues came just before Bernie’s scheduled game appearance at the All-Star Game in Louisville, Kentucky. Bernie was pulled into the manager’s office and told to pack his bags because he was going to New York to play Centerfield for an injured Danny Tartabul. The plane wasn’t the only thing shaking in the air that night, so was Bernie’s nerves all the way into New York City. In less then twenty-four hours Bernie would be in the starting line-up playing centerfield in the house that Ruth built, and in front of 42,000 die hard Yankee fans who, like a stadium of wolves, would smell the fear in Bernie taking to the field. The reception may have been less than ecstatic, but It wouldn’t be long after that first start where the Yankees would see the value in Bernie’s abilities as a starting centerfielder and offer him a seven year contract. This historic moment for Bernie meant making a permanent move to the New York area and the hunt for the perfect home began.

“A close friend from the Yankee organization suggested I check out little town called Armonk in because it was a quiet and nice. I think it was the second house we viewed that my wife and I fell in love with and we have been there ever since. When I think of the fond memories about making our home in Westchester I would have to look through my children’s eyes because they have been here in school since they were very little. My son began in grade school and my daughters have been in the same school system their entire lives. They have their friends here and their lives are here. Everyone our kids know live here and our kids consider themselves Westchester residents. They have been having such a good time making Armonk their home town.”

Bernie’s passion of the Westchester community expands beyond influencing the Yankee fans and his music fans. Bernie is passionate about giving back to the community that he has influenced as much as they have influenced him. A vibrant and vocal woman came to speak in front of Bernie’s church on a cold February morning about her Westchester County based Non-Profit Group that was established in 1993 and in need of financial aid as well as volunteers. The foundation focuses on bringing relief to people in need of Food around the Westchester/Putnam counties. Upon the close of her speech, Bernie walked to introduce himself to the warm reception of The Hillside Food Outreach Program’s Founder and President, Kathy Purdy. Her message of hope and her need for stronger community support pulled Bernie from his seat and with the shake of a hand the Hillside Food Outreach Program hit one out of the park. Bernie Williams would serve and prove once again that he was an MVP off the field as much as he was on.

“It’s a great organization and Kathy has been hard at work for a number of years to see her organization grow and help anyway it can for the people in need of its services. I took that as my cause and since I played baseball I thought that I would make an impact for the organization to bring more awareness to it’s purpose in hopes that I maybe able to bring more people in to help.”

Kathy’s program shifted into a higher gear that sparked new life and hope as Bernie’s involvement became broadcasted.

Kathy explained to me with excitement, “Bernie’s involvement has been and continues to be a huge benefit the Outreach and the work that we do. His name brings attention to the need within our communities and the events that he does for us bring in more funds that we could normally bring in. Many people are not aware and basically do not believe that hunger and obtaining necessary food is such a problem in Westchester and Putnam Counties. Bernie’s celebrity status as both a Professional and admired Ball Player and also as a musician had brought attention to this serious issue.”

Bernie wanted to give back to the community where he lives and his ideals and goals matched the work that the foundation does. The Hillside Food Outreach Program does not just hand people a bag of food but visits the home of the person, each delivery, they develop relationships with the individuals and as that develops the foundation members see if there are other ways that they can help them, many times it is just the friendship and visits that are so important and mean so much to the people. Bernie liked the fact that they get more involved than just getting them the food. Bernie recalled his first moment delivering food and meeting a family the program selected him to make his first delivery to.

“I remember when I did my first round of grocery drop offs for the organization because it was to Latin-American/Central-American families who were not that into baseball so I was able to sneak my way in and to come through in the light of someone who was just trying to do a good deed. It wasn’t until soon after that people started to recognize me as “The guy who plays baseball for the Yankees.

It was a thrill to be able to walk into a house delivering food to the community who needed the program’s help, but through Bernie’s view it is still a very rewarding experience to view the faces of the people who Bernie helps through the program. It’s not the fact that Bernie was a New York Yankee or that he hit a game winning homerun that raised their spirits. They cared about the fact that he was giving them a meal and providing them with a service during a time when they needed the program the most.

I was able to witness first hand the impact that Bernie has among his community when I photographed a recent fundraiser in hopes to raise donations to secure the future of the program. Bernie’s guest list included the likes of Robinson Cano, John Sterling, and members of the media who aided the program with extensive coverage over the YES network. Bernie even closed the night with select tracks from his latest CD release rightfully titled “Moving Forward.” This is Bernie’s second album release coming after his successfully released album titled “The Journey Within” which reflects back to moments that changed his life including a heartfelt track sadly inspired by the passing of his father back in May of 2001. “I made a song for that moment and it’s kind of like sketches of situations that have happened in my life that have been of some meaning to me that I was able to create these songs.”

Gil Parris, long time friend and guitar mentor of Bernie’s views the years of knowing Bernie to be some of the most inspiration times he has experienced in his own journey within. “I think his compositions have a nice depth while retaining a sense of melody. He started coming to see me play with my band about 4 years ago and we have been friends ever since. I have been playing over 30 years so every time we get together I always try to give him a little “master class” (as he calls it). I am totally inspired by him being talented in two areas and taking the responsibly to develop both.” Gil and Bernie can be seen weekly jamming away in White Plains where Gil hosts his live music jam along side of Curtis Winchester.

Bernie took a breath before we concluded our interview as he reflected for a moment about the life he led and where it would possibly take him going forward. “Whether I like it or not I am going to be remembered for many things by the people I met over the years. I know I have been touched by many of these people lives as well, but when all is said and done from my personal point of view I don’t want to have any personal regrets. When I am old I want to say that I did everything I wanted to do and had a full. I am a very blessed person and I was put into fortunate situations that I took advantage of. I want to know I did the very best I could.

Rest assured in knowing this Mr. Bernie Williams. As a lifetime resident of Westchester County I respect and admire your selfless actions. The man you have become will always have a open door to my community and I tip the brim of my cap to you. Whether you are called Bernie the baseball player, Bernie the musician, or Bernie the philanthropist you will always be Bernie Williams, the boy who climbed a mountain, moved a city, and who brought hope to the community you now call home.

Dienstag, 06.05.
Bei der Ankunft in Bad Birnbach die erste Überraschung: Unser Gutschein entpuppte sich als Ferienwohnung inkl. Terrasse. Das Frühstück war ein super Buffet und das Abendessen war spitze. Drei-Gänge-Menü, wobei der erste Gang ein Salat- und Vorspeisen-Buffet war.
Am Abend noch etwas den Ort erkundet, ansonsten erst einmal entspannt.

Mittwoch, 07.05.
Fahrt nach Passau, der Drei-Flüsse-Stadt. Dort fließen die schwarze Ilz, die braune Donau und der grüne Inn zusammen. Ein überaus interessantes Farbspiel. Zuerst haben wir die Veste Oberhaus zu Fuß erkundet. War ein netter Aufstieg. Danach wurde die Altstadt besucht. In der Künstlergasse wurden wir dann auch fündig und haben einige Dinge gekauft.

Donnerstag, 08.05.
Fahrt nach Burghausen. Die Burg Burghausen ist die größte Burg Europas mit einer Länge von 1043 m. Wenn man die hin und zurück abgelaufen hat, weiß man, was man getan hat. Die Burg ist mit sechs sogenannten Vorhöfen ausgestattet. Das Folterhaus war auch sehr interessant. Ich wurde mal kurzzeitig neben dem Leichen-Brennofen in die Todeszelle gesperrt.

Freitag, 09.05.
Ab nach Tschechien. Über Freyung ging es dann hinter Philippsreuth über die Grenze. Keine drei Kilometer gefahren und schon in die Polizeikontrolle gekommen. Nach kurzer Diskussion einigten wir uns dann auf 500 Kronen Strafe (ca. 20 Euro). Ich hatte meinen Führerschein vergessen. Zum Glück hatte meine Maus ihren mit, so dass wir dann weiterfahren konnten.
Diese Vietnamesen-Märkte sind der letzte Müll. Aufdringliche Asiaten, die einen nachrennen und „kaufen, kaufen“ jaulen.
In einem richtigen tschechischen Laden sind wir dann fündig geworden: Zigaretten (MOON) mit Banderole und Erdbeer-Limes. Nebenbei noch günstig Schmuck eingekauft.

Samstag, 10.05.
Eine kleine Einkaufstour durch Bad Birnbach gemacht und dabei in einem Esotherik-Laden etwas interessantes erfahren (dazu später mehr).
Anschließend ging es weiter Richtung Freising bei München. Heimatbesuch meiner Maus. Ihre Eltern leben dort.

Sonntag, 11.05.
Ab zum Tegernsee. Bei dem herrlichen Sonnenwetter war das ein Genuss. Oben auf den Bergen war noch Schnee. Beim „Rixner“ haben wir dann eine Motorboot-Tour mitgemacht. Danach die fertig restaurierte St. Quirinus-Kirche besichtigt.

Montag, 12.05.
Auf Einladung von Maus’ Mutter ging es zum Schloss Hohenaschau am Chiemsee. Dort befindet sich die Austellung „Adel in Bayern“. Eine überaus sehenswerte Ausstellung. Der zweite Teil dieser Ausstellung befindet sich allerdings in Rosenheim im „Lokschuppen“. Die haben wir ausgelassen.
Nach der Besichtigungstour ging es noch direkt zum Chiemsee. Erst waren wir in Bernau, danach in Priem.

Dienstag, 13.05.
Die erwartete Einkaufstour nach München. Das Auto hatten wir in „Studentenstadt“ abgestellt und sind mit der U-Bahn weiter bis zum Odeonsplatz gefahren. Nach dem Spaziergang über den Viktualienmarkt, Ruhepause am Wittelsbacher Brunnen und Besichtigung der Theatinerkirche St. Kajetan inkl. der Fürstengruft ging es (wie bei jedem Besuch hier) zum Hugendubel um ordentlich Bücher einzukaufen.
Abends dann Treffen mit Freunden von meiner Maus im Biergarten von Weihenstephan. Ein schöner Ausklang des Urlaubs.

Mittwoch, 14.05.
Nach ordentlicher Einkaufstour durch Freising (Essen, was man hier im Norden nicht so bekommt und Großeinkauf beim DM) ging es dann zurück Richtung Bremen.