(Oh man) What to do

Greetings avid readers, and lost information highway travellers.
Today's lesson is about choices. Nothing more, nothing less. Well maybe something more.

I don't particularly enjoy blogging, it seems to remind me of people who talk to hear their own voices, only I'm typing just to see myself type. Also my spelling is terrible, and every time I mess up a word or 2, I must stop and go back... this stuff takes hours. I swear.

I know that you would think I'm avoiding the task by not keeping current, (perhaps you've noticed the giant lag in posts). The truth however is quite the opposite. I began this tirade May 12Th, and am now finally misspelling my way to the finish line.

So let us begin with the title, Stolen from a song on Thrush Hermit's Clayton Park album, now almost 10 years old. Why this particular number? I'm not sure. Perhaps it has something to do with the fact I can no longer remember where this CD lives in my collection ( I was looking for it today). Or maybe it reminds me when my eyes were wide and I was younger, and everything was easier.
Here I was, early 1999, a mere 18 years old. A rather handsome lad (if I do say so myself) second semester of grade 12 (we still had OAC's then... grade 13 for you out of towners), with the best Beatles haircut ever! ( I was down with the Indy rock girls.... god I love Indy rock girls).
I bought Clayton Park, and Sloan's double live album (probably the only one you need). Clayton Park became my go to., and it became the blue print for what I wanted out of life.

As a side note: we all go thru musical changes, as a wee boy I loved AC/DC (they turned me on to loud guitars and songs about boobs... who doesn't like those... c'mon admit it), from there it was Nirvana (I know, do the math... 1991, I was 10.... my older step brother Tyler had a profound influence on my musical taste, thank you to him) then as every boy who gets a guitar- METAL, I liked Slayer and The Dead Kennedys. I hit High School discovered KISS and my long time collaborator Steve Mills. I girl I loved turned me on to Elton John, and other "songwriter" types. Through out this entire time I loved the Beatles ( still do... for sale= the best)

Then Thrush Hermit. I loved how the guitars were loud, but the songs weren't screamed, but wailed, yet tuneful enough I could sing along. I bought all their other one's too. I have a great fondness for The Great Pacific Ocean. As a historical reference, i bought TGPO the night the guy won 1,000,000 dollars on who wants to be a millionaire. I also met a wonderful girl at a party that evening (she would eventually break my heart, but hey I don't regret a minute. I wish that she wasn't as smart as she is, so I wouldn't feel like I don't deserve to talk to her... damn you facebook... I also wrote 2 or 3 hundred songs about her... "when you call is by far the best one.... see if you can find it somewhere)

None the less. I went from Thrush Hermit to Pavement, to Wilco, to Ryan Adams, to Paul Westerberg, and now am trying to wrap my head around Dylan ( I want to cover his songs in our set, but I can never remember the words), and Hank Williams (I wish I could use this damned pedal steel for some thing other than a coffee table).

Back to the point more or less.

With Clayton Park, I heard my future. I could see where I was going. 10 years have passed and I still don't have a clue how to get there. But I'm closer, I've got a working band, that is more like a family ( like the carters, but not related) and a couple of opportunities

I'll never forget the Christmas morning when I told my mom I wasn't going to University (we have a large sense of drama in my family), or the sting in my drunken stomach when the only girl who ever made me laugh cast me aside). These vents were a couple of years apart but seem to shape the fabric of being (other stuff has happened, but these are the things....)

Lastly, I wrote a song after my grandma's funeral (on my fender rhodes, I can't believe I sold it). It is called famous last words, I walked through the door went to the piano, and out it came. The thing that struck me was that every time I played it, I could smell the flowers at the funeral home... sometimes even when I listen back to it... that one you can't find, only 2 people have ever heard it... I think. I wonder what would happen if I played it now?

So here is the moral out of this mess:
1. Trust your gut, you will be happier in the long run
2. Don't give up the things that make you happy.
3. Marry the girl who makes you laugh
4. Don't sell your Fender Rhodes
5. You will never master the Pedal Steel

Yes, all these little life lessons can be found on any CD in your collection too.
Cheers for now.

F*king web sites, and other disapointments

I think the title about sums up how things are going....
Don't you wish that were a computer nerd at least once in a while? Why will this cursed website building tool do anything except what I want! I suppose this is why you get a professional. It is time to put away my pedal steel guitar and read a book or 2 or 3. I just want to make something nice for you kids, but no! It has to take 2 hours to load a picture, add a song, then make it all fit in an I frame, write a little caption.... as my night was slowly passing by, I began to wonder if anyone actually looked at the web site, save for me of course. I need it to link back to this blog so I can rant and rave about things that you, the reader, could probably never care about if I paid you to read it and care. I'm not bitter, and I'm not giving up my dream of finding where the E is on the pedal steel!
Anyway, today I tried something that I haven't done in a long time. I tried to write a song starting with the words, no melody or chords, just words.... essentially it was a poem, and upon reading it back, I have decided to leave poetry for Dylan. I will stick to finding new ways to complain over the same 3 chords... It's not that I'm lazy. I just prefer to do it with a melody. Even if the melody is good and words flow free and easy as I sing the song over and over, the second I put the guitar down and start writing, it seems that I over think things and try to get too clever for my own good. Plus, I kinda feel like once it's on paper it is so final... I could always change them after but it feels wierd... so I never write them down. I scribble minutes before the vocals go on a recording, so what you get is a pretty good idea of what is going on in that moment. Or maybe I am just lazy, and making excuses.
Also, I think that I am going to start using this blog to talk about news worthy events, in fact I may even steal it for the news page on the website that gives me soo much joy.
Also, I am using this blog as a test to see if the Facebook link will update itself.... the suspense is killing me... of course I'm sure I know the answer.
Lastly, I promised pics from our Hamilton show... here is the link to the slide show.....

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26352711@N04/sets/72157604927865979/show/

Many thanks to Evan for all of his efforts.
Till next time.

Hooray for May!!!!!

Well friends,
After much hmming and hahing, it would seem that the foundation is being laid for The Alco Beat record....
There are plenty of great ideas kicking around, but very little time to execute them....
There are more gigs to play, new songs to learn, old songs to relearn... preproduction demos to record.... well you get the idea...
Our show at The Rivoli has been moved to Saturday May 24th, and we just learned we will be opening for Oliver Black at the Mansion House May 15th- The original date for the Rivoli show- this has happened a few times with cancellations and The Mansion House- thank you MH.
Our good friend Evan snapped some pics of us at The Freeway Cafe and we hope to have them for you very soon. He also mentioned doing a shoot... (I hate posing for stuff) but the band feels we need a promo pic (a good one) it's all out mutiny these days!!!!! I swear.
Anyway....
We'll see you all soon out and about.
Steve

It's been too long.

Hello again from The Alco Beat.
I can't believe it's been a month since I've done one of these. I guess I'll give you the readers digest version of events surrounding the group.
Since we've last spoke, we've played three shows, it feels like more but I'm sure it's just 3. All went well and we're preparing for our 4th on April 25. I'm personally quite excited as the band has been well received at every performance so far. Also in the personal triumph category... there have been naked ladies at every gig, I bet even Kiss played a few PG shows. (Me 1- Gene Simmons 0) of course the ladies in question we're painted on the walls/ ceilings of the clubs, and we have yet to see real boobs... (I guess I'm not that far ahead of Mr. Simmons after all)
If you happened to be at any of these gigs, thanks for coming out, and I hope you got the 3 song promo we've been passing around. (Known as the frisbee). But never fear, if 3 songs are not enough for you and you have money to burn- There are faint rumblings of a full length Alco Beat CD on the way. This is all very tentative, and it will take some time...
Now to address a point made earlier. We have all seen boobs before, just never out and swing at a show... you could be the first!
There is some footage floating around from our performance at The Mansion House April 19th that will be uploaded some where, if we can ever locate it, in case you hear with your eyes... I'll post a link when I have it.....
That about wraps it up.
Till next time.
Steve

Hello! Hooray!

Hello! Hooray! As a wise man in black grease paint wearing a live boa constrictor once mused.
Welcome to the brand new Alco Blog. All of us here in The Alco Beat are glad to have you along. In the near future this little piece of internet real estate will be used to give away obscure songs, as well as who knows what else. (Maybe live footage, incriminating photos, maybe even some swag that we'd try to make you pay too much for at a show)
But for now, you can enjoy our twangy-pop stylings courtesy of the Alco Beat Jukebox, and maybe even see a show in your area listed on our map.

Geez, where are my manners!

You probably don't know who you're reading about, so I'll give you a little piece of the puzzle....
We are a 5 piece rock and roll band. Imagine Neil Young fronting The Replacements, or something like that. (I have always hated stuff like that, but if we don't pick out influences in our discriptions, how will you know if it's OK to like us... even if you have no idea who we are, or what we do) So I guess to put it nicely, "We sing like The Byrds and stomp like The Stones!"
Any way if you'd like to know more check out our home page.

http://www.thealcobeat.com/

For all of you blogspotters in Toronto we will be at The Reverb March 30 round about 8 o'clock I believe. This is a showcase gig and it's split with a lot of ther bands. There is a $10 cover, some one's gotta pay the label guy's bar tab! But as a thank you to all the Alco fans that attend, we're gonna give you a little something special.
And for those of you that can't make it, we'll even put it up here so you can have it too.
See you all real soon.
The Alco Beat