Status: Single
City: New York
State: New York
Country: US
Signup Date: 2/9/2007
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Friday, October 23, 2009
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Current mood:  sleepy
Category: Music
Hello good people, I'm finally getting to the last blog. It's been quite a whirlwind since I've been back from the tour. Hard to believe I've been back almost 2 months. Here's the chronicle of the last week of the tour. This is gonna be twice as long as the rest of them (and they were quite long). Just givin' ya fair warning. But if you're into it, settle back, have a nice cup o' joe or some tea, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed experiencing it. Check out the rest of the blogs for the complete chronicle...
Monday, August 17- It was really hard to say goodbye to my old friend, John Coleman and my new friends in VA. This past weekend has truly been one of the highlights of the tour (see previous blog). Tonight I'm doing a last minute gig at a place called "The Electric Maid" a community arts center in Washington, DC. The second date of the tour was in the DC area way back in June. I've come full circle. This gig was rather uneventful and was more for the purpose of having a little respite in between shows. It was a monday night and the place was almost empty. The audience consisted of the four other singer/songwriters I shared the bill with, the fellow who runs the place, and four audience members who came in from the street; two of whom left early. One of them was a homeless man who heard the music, my music (I was the last to play, the "featured artist"), came in, and was the most appreciative, attentive audience member. We talked afterwards and I was touched. He really got what I was doing, really listened to the words, and his gratitude was overflowing and genuine. So, this was why I was supposed to be here. One of the musicians offered a place to crash, continuing the hospitality trend of this entire tour. Tuesday, August 18th-Thursday, August 20th - Okay, so my next show isn't until Friday in Bowie, MD. What was I going to do with myself the next few days? Where was I going to stay? I spent most of the day in a local, DC cafe that I randomly found. If you're ever in the DC area and want really yummy, inexpensive, yet unique gourmet food, fair trade coffee and a very friendly atmosphere, check out the Highlands Cafe. So I opened up the laptop and surfed the wi-fi seas to find my next destination. A town called Ellicott City, MD was only an hour away from DC and a half hour from Bowie. It seemed like the place to go. I searched for cafes, bars, venues and came up with a few. As I had done so many times before on this tour, I called to see if I could get some last minute gigs with just 1-3 days notice. I wasn't as successful this time, but one place had an open mic that night so I figured I'd take my chances there, meet people and find a place to crash. I pulled into Ellicott City late afternoon/early evening and was transported to another time. What a great old town. Ellicott City is an 18th century town with many of it's original buildings still in use in the downtown, historic area. It was founded as a mill town in 1772 and the mill is still in operation. What a find! So I showed up at the open mic, did my thing, met folks and to my dismay, for the first time on this entire trip (9 weeks so far) I could not find a place to crash. I had to suck it up and sleep in the car. Funny enough, I had a really good night's sleep! I woke up and found a local cafe serving up not only great coffee, but homemade vegan fare. This cafe was to be my home for the next 2 days, as I would spend all day at the cafe on my laptop trying to find my next gigs. Since the vibe here was extremely friendly and laid back, having not even met the owners I got an intuitive feeling that they might provide a place for me to crash. I inquired with the barista and told her my story - touring musician, need a place to stay for 2 nights, etc. She said "you can stay at my place." Not the answer I expected, but I was very surprised and of course pleased and grateful. I felt like I was back down south again! I want to thank Grace for being so kind and super cool. It turned out I had the place to myself, as Grace went to stay with her boyfriend. She totally trusted me in her place. But at this point, if I may paraphrase a certain literary character, I've become accustomed to the kindness of strangers. In my research for gigs, I found open mics at two other venues in Ellicott City on the next 2 consecutive nights. How perfect! Open mics for the exact amount of time I needed to spend until my Friday gig in Bowie. I also was able to book the last week of the tour. The remaining shows on the tour, with the exception of the last one, were booked with just a few days, to a week's notice. So I spent the next 2 nights singing, playing, making new friends, and continuing to have the time of my life. On Friday I left Ellicott City with a sense of excitement, enthusiasm and expectancy. Friday, August 21st - Bowie, MD and the Old Bowie Town Grill. This was a restaurant gig, and I was ready to do a restaurant gig - background entertainment for folks who are eating. Was I wrong! Bob, who runs the place is a musician. So he has the place set up right. Far from being background, the musicians perform on a stage with a full sound system and the patrons at the restaurant are there for dinner and the live music. The restaurant was packed and they were one of the best, most attentive audiences I've had on the tour. I sold a few CDs and made some new friends and fans. And a new fan from Ellicott City came to hear me play as well. What a nice, unexpected surprise. After the show Bob let me crash in the office, which was the small building across the street from the restaurant. Thank you Bob for another great experience. Saturday, August 22nd-Tuesday, August 25th - Two shows in one day this Saturday. Both of these shows were booked just a couple of days ago in Ellicott City. The first one was a particularly sweet slice of americana. Literally. I played an afternoon gig at a peach pie baking contest at Brown's Orchards in the small town of Loganville, PA. I found this gig as I found all of the rest. On the internet. It seemed like such an idyllic place. I called them up, told them my story, and they said they'd love to have some acoustic music at their annual peach pie contest. Another unusual, short notice gig. So there I was on an outdoor stage opening for, and then closing the peach pie contest. I had a captive, built in audience. I also got to taste a couple of the pies after it was all over. Well, more than a couple. Well... all of them. I had one bite of each pie, which probably came to the equivalent of half a pie. A big half. Each one could have won the contest. Mmmm! Then I gave myself a tour of the orchards. They stretched as far as the eye could see. In a half hour of walking I barely scratched the surface. I was told they grew not only peaches, but apples, grapes, and corn. It's a family owned and operated business and has been for three generations. I'm grateful and honoured to have played here. In the evening I was off to Mount Joy, PA for a gig at Bube's Brewery. I arrived to find myself at a gigantic, old complex that took up an entire city block. It was a former Brewery built around 1850 and is now 3 restaurants, a bar, a music venue and a hotel (also built in the 19th century). They still brew beer, but do it in a small microbrewery on the premises. But all the old brewing equipment is still there in catacombs that run under the brewery and connect the hotel and restaurants. I arrived and could not believe my eyes. I walked into this 150 plus year old hotel and was to be performing for the guests of a murder mystery dinner theatre after party. They do them here regularly, and it's a perfect place to do this type of thing. You see, Bube's is certified as having paranormal activity by the Southeastern Pennsylvania Paranormal Society. Yes, it's haunted. I ended up sleeping there for 4 nights and didn't experience anything. But in hearing the stories of some of the staff members, and in the way they related the stories (some with reluctance, some devout skeptics who could not explain certain occurences) I believed them. Check out the websites of both Bube's Brewery and the Southeastern PA Paranormal Society, bubesbrewery.com and sepps.org. So I came here to do the one gig and to crash one night at the haunted hotel, but I asked them if I could crash a 2nd night as I had a radio interview in PA on Monday. They were totally accomodating and let me stay in one of the unoccupied hotel rooms. They were all unoccupied. The hotel part of the place - just one floor of the original hotel building with the other floors being used as a bar, dinning rooms and a ballroom - was only recently renovated and being used again as a hotel, but hadn't yet opened for business. The rooms are themed - the Tiki room, the Goth room, the huge Manhattan style loft, the Native American room, the Cinderella room, the African room and the Middle Eastern room, the room I stayed in. What a fun place!
When I got an e-mail on Monday that my radio interview was canceled, I had nowhere to go until my next gig on Wednesday. I offered my services to play for two nights free in exchange for the room again. It worked out wonderfully and I now have yet another great place to play and some new friends. And although I didn't experience any paranormal activity, I must admit it was pretty creepy sleeping and walking around in that old hotel and through the catacombs at night. Can't wait to play here again! In fact, it's my first gig on my next tour in December. Wednesday, August 26th-Thursday, August 27th - First stop, Williamsport, PA for a gig in the town where the Little League world series takes place. In fact it's taking place today! I hit a serious traffic jam here! This gig was booked not even a week ago. Kimball's Pub is a college bar. In fact it's right across the street from the Pennsylvania College of Technology. The place was packed and I made the kids happy. Not much else to say about this gig. It was a pretty typical bar gig. Fun, but rather uneventful and went off without a hitch. The best part about this gig was the place I crashed at. Eric who books the place let me stay at his house that overlooks a creek and the forested hills on the other side of it. Breathtaking! Again, I was trusted to close up behind me in the morning as my host had to leave early. I spent half the day with the dog, gazing out at the creek and all the natural beauty. Breakfast, lunch and some laptop work surrounded by trees, country roads and wildlife. God is good. The work on my laptop was fruitful, as I found a town to stopover on the extra day before my final gig at the Clinton Arts & Music Festival on Friday and Saturday. I found an open mic at the Acoustic Lounge in Waverly, NY. I arrived in Waverly Thursday only to find the Acoustic Lounge closed. According to their website, the open mic was indeed tonight. What happened? There's a bar across the street. Maybe they want some spontaneous live music. I walk in and give 'em my pitch - "touring musician, passin' thru town, etc." Nope. They already have a musician. I'm told to try another place up the road. Nope. They have a DJ tonight. They suggest I try this other place. Nope. The place is extremely quiet and they definitely do not need any entertainment. They suggest another place. I arrive at Mickey's Pub. There's a guy in there doing Trivia. I give the bartender my pitch. She doesn't even pause to think about it. "Yes." Really? I'm playing after the trivia guy. Since I'm all acoustic on this trip, I introduce myself to the trivia guy and ask him if I could plug into his sound system. "Sure. But I have to get home to the wife and kids. I'll leave it here for you to use and I'll pick it up tomorrow." Every one is so nice to me! It's a small, but attentive crowd. I sell a couple of CDs and make some friends. One of whom offers me a place to stay. And the bartenders, who are also the owners of the pub are very pleased. They can't pay me due to the last minute arrival and the fact that they had to pay the trivia guy. But they ask if I'll come back for a weekend and do a Friday and Saturday for pretty decent pay, tips, food, and a place to stay. What a gift! Another wonderful, spontaneous experience. Since I've been back from tour I've already returned and did a whole weekend there and will be doing it again. Thank you Patti, Andy and Mike (it's their place and they're super people). Friday, August 28-Tuesday, September 1st - The Clinton Arts & Music Festival in Clinton, NY. The last stop on the tour. Has it really been 10 and a half weeks? I've been on the road the entire summer, since June 17th. Wow! Pinch me, I'm dreaming! This was a great way to close out the tour. The drive from Waverly to Clinton was breathtaking. It took me through some beautiful mountain farm country and some of the most charming little towns I've ever been through. I forget how vast and naturally beauteous New York is. Like a lot of people, I suppose, I so easily associate New York City with New York State. But the city is such a tiny part of the state, and much of the state is quite mountainous and lush. So I arrived at the pre-festival party at the Tramontane Cafe in nearby Utica, NY. There I met Nick and Jennifer Katona, the amazing people who put this whole thing together. I was immediately welcomed with their warmth and good nature. The festival was tomorrow, but this was a way for folks to gather, meet each other and hear some live music. Four of the acts from the festival were to perform at the cafe as a sort of "wet your appetite" kinda thing. When one of the acts didn't show up, Nick asked me if I would do a set. This was totally unexpected. But of course, it's what I love to do. I smiled, said yes, and an hour later I was playing a short 4 song set. Turned out to be one of the best gigs of the tour. This was a listening audience, a full house, and all eyes and ears seemed like they were on me. I launched into "Rita", "Life is Good" and "Ain't Dead Yet," all from my album, "Give." The audience was fantastic. Since they seemed to be on my side I had the spontaneous thought that I would experiment with something different. I pulled out a cover of "Love in Vain," the old Robert Johnson blues number. I did it as a mixture of the Rolling Stones version, the original, and my own style. I'd never played this song publicly before. I've barely even played it privately. It's just something I'd been fiddling with recently and was listening to Robert Johnson on the road earlier that day, so I just went with the gut feeling I had and did it. It turned out to be quite the hit and got me a few new fans. Some CDs sold, a delicious vegan meal had, some amazing, eclectic entertainment from a Boston acoustic soul/blues band, a Canadian Jethro Tull tribute band, and a local belly dancing troupe (talk about variety!), and I was fulfilled, satisfied, on cloud 9 and ready for sleep and the festival tomorrow. Nick and Jennifer let me stay at their lovely, quaint and rustic 18th century home where I was so very comfortable. I'm so grateful to these wonderful people whom I'm delighted to call my new friends. The next day at the Fest was a blast. This is an annual event in it's 3rd year. Nick and Jennifer put the whole thing together. Amazing what just two people can accomplish. Downtown Clinton is perhaps four square blocks total and every inch of the town was filled with artists, artisans, craftspeople, food vendors, and music everywhere. The local cafes, restaurants, bars, a park, and a community center were where the music took place, with nusical acts from all over the world rotating throughout the whole day. It was a wonderland. I felt like a kid in Oz. I was scheduled to play at 5pm and 8pm, so I had all day to soak it all in. What a trip! I headed to my first gig at a local coffee house. I was to play outdoors on their porch facing the street and front yard where a couple of the artists were displaying their work and some tables and chairs were set up for enjoyment of the music. I had a built in audience right there in the front yard and the endless foot traffic of the festival-goers on the street. This was going to be great! Then - the sky went black. The winds picked up. Sure enough, I got rained out. It was quite the downpour. But the porch was fine, as it was covered. So the show went on. But so did the storm. I lost my entire audience! Except for these three wonderful kids. These two young ladies and a young man (geez, I sound like my grandmother!) stuck around in the rain and were having a grand ol' time! Dancing in the rain to my music, laughing and shouting. The funniest part was when the dude decided to take a shower in the rain. He was part of the festival. He was body painted for charity (I don't recall the cause). You donate a buck and then you paint on him. So he was covered pretty much head to toe from a day's worth of being painted upon. With no audience left due to the rain, he called it a day and took a shower to remove the paint. We were all cracking up! This was too much fun! Losing my audience to a thunder shower was the best thing that could have happened! The 8pm gig was indoors. Although the rain stopped by then, the damage had been done. The festival was pretty much a done deal at that point. I played at O'Scugnizzo's pizza restaurant to a "crowd" of 6 people. But apparently O'Scugnizzo's is a local treasure. It's a family owned business since 1914. Their warmth and hospitality were infectious and genuine. I really felt the family vibe. They seemed to really appreciate having me there. And the pizza was sublime! It's not always about how many people you play for, but who you play for. The ol' quality vs. quantity thing. I spent another evening at Nick and Jennifer's house and shared a lovely breakfast with them the next morning courtesy of Jennifer. I then bid them a very reluctant "until next time", barely able to hold back the tears. Damn! I gotta hold them back right now just writing this! The tour is really over. I'm incredulous. What will I do with myself? I called my good friend Darcy who has a cabin near Woodstock, NY about halfway between Clinton and New York City. Sure enough she was there. I thought it might be a nice transition back into city life again to have a little respite in the woods and catching up with an old, dear friend. I spent a couple of nights there, recharged and enjoyed the company and the scenery. By Tuesday, September 1st I was back in Brooklyn. I want to thank you all so very much from the depths of my heart and soul for sticking with me and supporting me. I'm so grateful and honoured to have met all the beautiful people I have met across this great country we live in. And I'm so grateful to you, my old friends. This tour was the experience of a lifetime. This is what life is all about for me. I'm ready to go out and do it again. I'll be leaving New York again first week of December for another jaunt around the country playing music and sharing love and good times. I'm ready for more adventures on this road called life that is surely paved with gold. with love, gratitude and blessings, Randy Stern :)
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Tuesday, September 29, 2009
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Current mood:  relaxed
Category: Music
Hello my friends, There's still a lot more to chronicle. I thought I was going to be able to do it in just one blog. It looks like it's going to have to be two. Well, let's get right to it then... Monday-Wednesday, August 10th-12th - Leaving Johnson City, TN to go to Asheville, NC to spend a couple of days off in between shows with my new friends, the guys from Pondwater Experiment. They're a band I met when I opened for them in June (see blog #1). This was another unexpectedly incredible experience. When I arrived it was like a reunion of old friends who hadn't seen each other in years. Yet we had only just met 6 weeks prior. I felt so welcome and comfortable there. Great to see them again. What I didn't know was that I was to participate in an ancient Native American ritual, the sweat lodge. My new friends study and live Native American culture and spirituality. They have sweat lodges right there at their home in the woods. On my second morning there I woke up at the crack of a misty, gray dawn.
I was out there at 6:30am with 5 other folks hanging around the inipi. A smaller, dome shaped version of a tipi is the best way I can describe it. The ceremony itself is also called the inipi. There's a fire going outside the inipi that one of the guys started at 3am. In the fire are large stones that were out there baking for over 3 hours. We all go into the inipi and sit around a small pit in the ground where the heated stones are to be placed. One guy, Tim, stands outside and passes the stones with a pitchfork to another inside. 7 stones are placed in the pit and the passer joins us and closes the flap to the inipi. It's almost completely black in there except for the dim red glow of the stones. Herbs are placed on the stones and water is poured on them. It starts heating up in there real fast. The guy leading the circle, George, is chanting and praying both in Lakota and English. Nathan, the guy to my left is gently playing a drum, chanting as well. It gets intense. I'm drenched in sweat and feel like I can't breathe. I hear the hiss of the steam rising as the water hits the rocks. Colours are swirling in the air. My head is spinning. I can't breathe. I'm gasping for air. I start to panic. But then I realize that noone else is gasping. They're all used to this. It's just that my body is reacting out of fear, having never experienced anything like this before. The heat builds in intensity. The drumming stops. It's so still and quiet now. The leader continues gently praying, almost in a whisper, sending prayers out to people by name. Such a mix of sensations. On one hand it feels so supportive, nurturing, spiritual, and gentle. Simultaneously and conversely, my body is still reacting violently, gasping, head spinning, colours flashing. Let me out! Then they open the flap. Air! Sweet, cool, life giving air. Light. We exit the inipi on our knees as it's a low to the ground structure. Tim is there bearing a large jug of water. It's just water, but it's referred to as medicine. "Do you want some medicine?" he asks. YES!!! I shout silently to myself. To him I just nod in a daze and reach for the jug. His face is very close to mine and he's looking me directly in the eye making sure I'm alright. Angel, the young lady who was sitting next to me in the inipi gently grasps my hand and asks if I'm okay. I am. In fact I feel great! The amount of love and care from these folks is astounding. I'm overwhelmed with emotion. Steam is rising from everyone's bodies in the cool air. They all look like celestial beings. I suppose I do too. So, after a 20-25 minute break we're back in. What??? I thought we were done! 7 more stones are added. The heat from the first round pales in comparison to what is about to take place. More chanting, more prayers, more drumming, and an intensity of heat I've never before felt in my life. I'm drenched again. I'm gasping and rocking back and forth wondering how I'm ever going to be able to breathe. Yet I'm breathing and I'm alive. More prayers for unknown folks and then Nathan, the drummer, who's sitting next to me, starts praying for me and wishing "our new friend, Randy" a safe and blessed journey. With the combination of the heat, the lack of air (or at least the feeling that I had no air), and hearing those words of care and genuine support and friendship, I lost it. I started bawling. Then, just as it felt like it couldn't get any hotter, the flap opens. Cool air and light. Silence. It's over.
After a final break with some more "medicine" we go back in, flap open to the light and cool air, and Tim returns with 3 peace pipes. They're filled with various herbs. No, not weed or even tobacco. It's a mixture of healing, soothing herbs. This is how the sweat lodge is concluded. It's a way of bonding and coming back down to earth after an incredibly intense experience. We sit quietly in a circle and pass the pipes around to one another until they're finished. The only sound is the inhaling and exhaling of the pipes. The entire sweat lodge took 2 hours.
I feel so blessed, honoured and privileged to have been invited to join in this powerful ritual. I feel changed somehow; altered in some way for the better, and I'm empowered to continue the tour. I spend the remainder of the day sharing food and conversation with various members of the household as they come and go in their daily routine. Then it's late afternoon and I say my reluctant farewells, give and get hugs, and set off for my next performance. I'm so grateful to have made such genuine, beautiful new friends.
Wednesday-Friday, August 12th-14th - The Carolinas. My first stop after that wonderful respite with my new friends is back at Barley's in Spindale, North Carolina, where I first met them back in June. I'm greeted warmly by the folks there who remembered me from last time. It's a weeknight so it's a smaller audience than there was when I opened for Pondwater Experiment. It's a good, simple, uneventful, laid back gig. But I met some great people and experienced more of that southern hospitality that I've come to cherish on this tour. Tim (another Tim, not the stone bearer), a local musician, lent his sound system to me for this show. Barley's doesn't have one and I used the Pondwater system last time. When I arrived it was completely set up for me and ready to go. Cool. After the show I asked Tim if perhaps he had a place for me to crash. While he didn't have the space for me, his wife immediately started making phone calls to find me a place. I'm blessed and grateful. She finally got in touch with Ivan, who works at Barley's but wasn't working that night. Ivan let me stay in a spare room at his house. This total stranger trusted me to stay alone in his home and to lock the door behind me the next morning, as he had to get up much earlier than I did so he could go to work. Not only that, I woke up to find a plate of eggs and toast wrapped up and waiting for me in the kitchen. The dude let me stay alone in his house and made me breakfast! All together now - Life is good! :)
Next, it's off to Greenville, South Carolina. I arrived early, so I walked around town for a while before heading to my performance at Smiley's Acoustic Cafe. Greenville is a great town; a nice, dynamic, modern, yet laid back city. The center of town is vibrant and artistic. There's a concert by a local band going on in an open square. Kids playing in the grass, folks sitting on blankets, sharing food and listening to the music. I met the folks from a local radio station who had a booth at this event. I got their info and will keep them in mind for airplay for my next tour.
So, I arrived at Smiley's Acoustic Cafe. The name of the place conjured up for me an image of a small, laid back coffeehouse. I was surprised to find that it was a rather large restaurant/venue with a complete stage set up with lights and a full sound system. They also had a performance space outside in the back where a jazz band was playing. The place was electric with the energy of a full house. After a gourmet meal of seared Ahi tuna with mixed greens and risotto (Smiley is a real person and he's the chef, cooking up some fabulous, delectable delights), I was ready. They set up the stage for me and announced me. It was something like "for the first time ever at Smiley's Acoustic Cafe, all the way from New York City, Randy Stern." A round of applause and I was off. The audience was great and I wound up playing the entire evening with 2 sets of music. Oddly enough, this was the first gig of the tour where I got the biggest response for a cover song. Apparently this audience was impressed with my rendition of Bob Seger's "Against the Wind." Cool. Dave, the manager of the place and the guy who booked me, paid me more than what we agreed on and set me up with a motel. Another successful gig on this whirlwind adventure. I'll be returning to Greenville.
Next day, Friday, I'm in Raleigh, North Carolina for a laid back cafe gig at Loco Lu's Coffeehouse. Loco Lu is a super nice guy and his coffeehouse is a family run business with his wife and son. I'm grateful for their hospitality and delicious free coffee! :) Another place I'll be returning to.
Saturday-Monday, August 15th-17th - Visting Chesapeake, VA to visit with an old friend. John Coleman and I go way, way back over 20 years. When we were kids we played in a prog-rock band. Yes, it's true, I was 19, it was the 80s, I had a mullet and I loved Rush. :) I've seen John periodically over the years, but not often. I knew I was driving through VA, where he lives now, and made sure to contact him. Funny enough, his band, Motorpsychic, was playing this Saturday, as was I. It was perfect. After my little coffeehouse gig at Bean There Cafe in Chesapeake, I headed over to nearby Virginia Beach to check out John's band. It was so good to see him again and to reconnect. Great to hear him playing again too. They were jammin' on some great old Allman Brothers, ZZ Top, and Led Zeppelin tunes. So much fun! I played some harmonica with them and sang "The Weight" by The Band. I also got to meet John's lovely lady, Katy. They're soon to be married! My how time flies and people grow. But as much fun as that was, we had the most fun after the show. I met some more friends of John and was invited to spend the night at their house. Laurie and Butch opened their home to me and we all ended up singing and jamming on acoustic guitars into the wee hours. The next day and night was more of the same, with more new friends to be made, more jamming, and a real special treat from my old buddy. Apparently over the years, John has discovered and developed a talent for cooking. He's become quite the gourmet chef. Over the course of the day on Sunday John cooked and barbequed more than enough food for over a dozen people. But not just food. This was like 5 star stuff. Exotic ingredients, textures, flavorful sauces, curries, home baked foccacia from scratch, shrimp with some sort of balsamic/grape/glaze reduction, different pastas. It was crazy!!! He was in the kitchen literally all day. Like a mad, culinary scientist/artist whipping up concoctions you might find at some of the classiest restaurants in New York City. Another evening of acoustic jamming followed, and then, sadly, the weekend was over as soon as it began. It was Monday and I had to leave for DC. I'll stop there, folks. I know it's a lot. I hope you're enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. It brings me back as I put the words down. One more blog ought to cover it. Really. So, stay tuned. love, Randy :)
 | Currently listening:
Nocturama
By Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
Release date: 2003-02-11 |
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Wednesday, September 16, 2009
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Current mood: sleepy
Category: Music
Hi folks, Okay, so we're coming down to the wire. Two more blogs and I should have the rest of the tour covered. Here's the first one. As always, fair warning, these are pretty long. But if you're into this sort of thing, you might get a kick out of it... Wednesday, August 6th - Alabama bound. On my way to do my second radio show of the tour. This time I'll be doing the Wildman Steve Radio Show in Auburn, AL. Wildman Steve is a 30 year plus commercial radio veteran who now broadcasts independently and worldwide over the internet. He has a complete, fully functional radio station right there at home. Steve is such a friendly, happy, down to earth guy who loves what he does. "Gentleman Steve" might be a more appropriate moniker. I guess the name comes from his incredible energy. He's extremely energetic, animated, happy, seems to always be smiling, and has a genuine, from the soul, joyous laugh that says "life is a blast and I'm lovin' every moment of it"! Steve is totally in his element doing what he does and is clearly is having so much fun doing it.
He tells me he's been spinning my song "Deeper and Deeper" steadily since May. It's the most airplay I've received at any single station that's been playing my music. I'm so very grateful. So, I get up on the "stage", a section of the radio station that's set up like a music studio with mics, drums and amps. This is the performance space. It faces the radio console across the room where Steve does his DJ thing. In just moments I'm on the air. Steve introduces me, does a little interview, and then I do a little on air mini-concert. I breeze through my songs "Rita", "Life is Good", "Simple" and "Ain't Dead Yet". The 20 minute set feels like 20 seconds. So much fun. A little more on-air banter with the Wildman, a spin of the CD version of "Deeper and Deeper" and it's over. Damn! Did I just do a radio show? I hang out and chat with Steve for a while. True to the spirit of this tour, Steve asks me if I have a place to stay. Of course I didn't. My strategy the whole tour has been to just show up for the gigs, go with the flow, make new friends, and then either get asked or ask for a place to crash. And if all else fails, I grab a motel. Simple. Steve calls a buddy in a nearby town who owns a motel. He gets me in. Maybe I'll get a cheap room. The buddy discount. No. It's free. Wow. And the cool thing is this nearby town is nestled in the mountains of central Alabama. It's idyllic. I arrive at dusk and watch the sunset behind the mountain pines. And believe it or not, the next thing I do is go to bed! I know, I don't make a very good rock star. No late night stories of debauchery. Just early to bed, early to rise in a sleepy, peaceful mountain town. And I'm having the time of my life! Thursday, August 7th - Up before dawn at 4:30am! I have a very long drive ahead of me for another radio performance; The Blue Plate Special Radio Show at WDVX in Knoxville, Tennessee. It's an honour and a priviledge to be on this show. The WDVX Blue Plate Special is a live radio concert each weekday at noon at the Knoxville Visitors Center, where the station is located. The show is an hour and features two artists. It's broadcast from a cafe in the main room of the Center, on stage before a live audience.
Artists who have performed on the Blue Plate Special over the years have been Bela Fleck, Rodney Crowell, David Grisman, Marty Stuart, the String Cheese Incident, Charlie Acuff, and lots more. What a gift to be performing on this stage. The drive here was a little rough going. I drove through some beautiful country - through Alabama and through the gorgeous mountain and farm country between northwestern Georgia and Tennessee. But in Georgia I hit the first traffic jam of the entire tour. Atlanta is quite the bustling metropolis, and I lost about an hour of time, making me start to fear that I would be late for this most important radio show. I made it literally with just minutes to spare. I called from the road of course, and they were extremely cool about it as they had an artist performing before me. So, I made it into downtown Knoxville, raced to the Vistor's Center, saw the set up, and was quite surprised. You see, I didn't know until I got there that it was the live concert series that I described earlier. I thought it was going to be similar to the Wildman Steve show. On the air with just the DJ, play a few songs and go. I saw the stage, the lights, the audience, and the pics on the walls of Bela, Rodney, and all those other dudes performing at the place. I was still coming down from the adrenaline high from racing there in the nick of time, and then realized the type of show it was. The adrenaline kicked in again. I started getting a little nervous. But then I was very quickly greeted and whisked off to the green room. A quick change, tuned the guitar, caught the last few songs of the first act, and I was up. I was introduced to the live in house audience, the local radio listening audience, and the worldwide audience listening on the internet. Red Hickey, a DJ at WDVX was the host of the show and she was awesome! She introduced me as "Randy Stern from New York City who arrived here in true rock star fashion - flew in at the last second, changed, and jumped up on stage"! She was so cool, so professional, so much fun, and made me feel right at home. In between songs she'd interject and ask some questions. She really made me feel comfortable and relaxed. I felt really good about this performance and the audience was appreciative. Thank you WDVX for this incredible experience. I stayed at a motel in the nearby Smokey Mountains, a beautiful part of the country. I did a scheduled show that night, but had the day with nothing scheduled before my Saturday gig in Morristown, TN. So on Friday afternoon I started calling local Knoxville venues to see if they could fit me in that night. A long shot, but much stranger things have happened on this trip. True to form, and no longer surprising, I got a gig that night opening for a local band. Sold a few CDs, and got invited back. Knoxville rocks! Saturday, August 8th - Morristown, Tennessee and The Downtown, a venue owned by Alan and Patti Herbst. Two wonderful folks from Philadelphia who came down to Tennessee to set up shop and have a live music venue. I opened for a local band, The Tallboys. This was a great show! A packed house, a gracious, extremely receptive audience who were true fans of this band, and who were informed in advance of the acoustic opening act, some dude from New York City, and were there early for the entire show to show their support. They didn't just come to see their favorite band and leave. I was grateful. In fact, a couple celebrating their anniversary, Kathy and Rob, got in touch with me weeks before while I was in Austin. They found me on Myspace when they were on the Tallboys page. They started welcoming me weeks in advance and sent me periodic e-mails saying they were looking forward to meeting me and hearing me open for their favorite band on their special day. This was too cool! I'm so grateful to the people I've met! This show was a real, raucous, all out rock and roll show. The only one like it on the tour (as I've mostly played acoustic, laid back singer/songwriter gigs). The Tallboys from Morristown, TN kick ass! I'm serious! Look them up. I not only opened for them, but jumped up on stage and jammed with them. The crowd loved it! They were fun, LOUD, and were masterful at getting the audience going. It's rare to see a real, honest, no nonsense rock and roll band these days. I'm so thankful to have been a part of this show and to have jammed with such talented, down to earth dudes. Got to bed at 5am and slept in a room above the cafe.
Sunday, August 9th - I let myself out the next day and set out for Johnson City, TN. Back to the Acoustic Coffee House, where I played back in July. That was the place where I had to let myself out in the morning and scale a fence to leave. This was my frst repeat performance of the tour. It's also the first time I've ever played a gig and did my laundry at the same time! The Acoustic Coffee House is three connected stores - the coffee house itself which is the main performance space, a larger venue which gets used for bigger events and more well known artists, and a laundromat. How perfect for a touring musician. So, in between sets I was washing clothes. I ended up playing the whole night, as the other artist on the bill cancelled. Also, the air conditioning was down, so the audience was all outside, where the music is pumped out through speakers. So even though I had a listening audience, who were receptive, bought a couple of CDs and loaded up my tip jar, it was still a little rough getting into it as I get my energy from the energy of the people present with me. It was so strange to be playing to an empty house and a full audience simultaneously. The real fun began when the show was over. I went outside, met the folks, and ended up jamming with two local fellas, Jim and John, a guitar player and a fiddler. These were older, seasoned dudes, perhaps in their 60s, who really knew their stuff. John is a Vietnam vet who plays guitar and sings and seems to know every Johnny Cash song ever written! Jim is a musical genius who's a seasoned bluegrass musician who plays the fiddle and has toured the country over the years in various bluegrass bands. Apparently they heard me through the speakers outside and were waiting for me to finish so I could come out there and jam with them. Me??? These guys were incredible! Particularly Jim. He's one of those gifted musicians who could jump in and play anything. I played a few of my songs, which he of course had never heard before, and he played them as though he'd been in a band with me for years! We did some old Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson songs, and they jammed on some old bluegrass tunes that just floored me. We were out there in front of this cafe until 4:30am just playing music, joking around, and just having pure, musical fun! I finally got to bed at 5:30 and slept in the cafe just like the last time. Only this time I didn't have to scale any fences as I had no commitments and didn't have to be up at the crack of dawn before they opened. Monday, August 10th - Woke up in the cafe, walked out to the backyard and literally bumped into some guy who was walking in as I was going out. He asked who I was since he didn't expect anyone to be emerging from that part of the building. I told him I played last night, was on tour, etc. He said "cool, I'm in the middle of doing my radio show. Wanna come on the air for a while"? Uh... sure! So, apparently Jack does an internet radio show on a station called "The Detour"with a worldwide listenership of 80,000. He broadcasts right out of the shed in the backyard of the coffeehouse. How unexpectedly unexpected is that? I went on the air with him for an hour. He played almost my entire album and interviewed me. During the radio show people started instant messaging with Jack live on the air saying they were listening and liking what they were hearing. I even knew a few of the people, as I very quickly sent out an e-mail to my list after I bumped into Jack to let them know I'd be on the air. A person I met back in Austin, TX who was visiting Scotland and was listening checked in from Edinburgh. Two friends from New York checked in. I was overcome with emotion. Here I was so far from home, in Tennessee, randomly on the radio and people I know were listening from around the world and letting me know it too. Live and on the air. This was too cool! The show ended, and I said my huge thanks and goodbyes to Jack and the great folks at the Acoustic Coffeehouse in Johnson City, TN. Coming up - Adventures in the Carolinas, reunited with an old friend in VA, the peach pie contest, the haunted hotel in PA, and the return home. Thanks for sticking with me. Love, Randy :)
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Friday, September 04, 2009
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Current mood:  melancholy
Category: Music
Hi friends,
I'm back in New York. The last 10 weeks have just flashed by! So many incredible experiences. After the entire summer on the road, it feels sort of strange to be back here. Looking forward to connecting with my friends to bring me back home. Anyway, there's at least 2 blogs worth of experiences that I still haven't gotten to. So, if you're interested, check it out...
Monday, August 3rd - Shreveport, Louisiana and the first stop on the return leg of the tour. Have 6 weeks gone by this fast? Apparently they have. Unlike the first half of the tour which was mostly booked in advance, with the exception of a couple of shows, the return trip is almost all gigs booked while on the road with very short notice. This gig is at the Naked Bean Cafe. I booked this gig while in Austin. Pam Hairston, who runs the place with her husband, Dwayne, offered me the gig just a week prior. Turns out this gig was to be more like an audtion so they could hear/see what I do for future bookings, as it was a Monday night and not many customers were in there. So I played for Pam and Dwayne and perhaps 6 patrons. Pam is a talented singer in her own right and came up to jam with me on "Me and Bobby McGee." We had a lot of fun and once again I've made some new friends. And once again, just as I did in Johnson City, TN over a month ago, I slept in the cafe. There's a loft on the upper level of the cafe where they let me crash on an inflatable mattress. They locked up behind me and the Naked Bean Cafe was my house for the night. I'm touched by the generosity and hospitality of everyone I'm meeting on this tour. I woke up in the cafe to the sounds of Andrew Bird on the CD player. I went downstairs, had my morning coffee on the house and spent some time with Shea, the barista, and a few locals who came in and out throughout the day. My next gig, the Wildman Steve Radio Show in Alabama was 2 days away, so I opened up my laptop and my road atlas to find an open mic on the way. So, my next stop was Jackson, Mississippi, halfway between Shreveport and Auburn, Alabama. I found a cafe in Jackson and said my goodbyes to the good folks at the Naked Bean.
Tuesday, August 4th - Blowout!!! I never did make it to that open mic in Jackson. On a long, open stretch of highway, miles from nowhere in the middle of Louisiana, I heard a loud noise and felt the car shudder. I shouted "WHOA!!!" and gripped the wheel to keep control of the vehicle. I thought I ran something over. I pulled over to the shoulder and found that the entire tread of one of my rear tires peeled off and took off my bumper, leaving it hanging precariously from the rear of the car. Wow! what a rush! The good thing was that it wasn't a true blowout. The tread came off but the tire was still full and solid with air, so I was able to drive VERY SLOWLY to the next exit. Took me about 40 minutes. I found myself strangely calm and not in fear or worry at all. I just chalked it up as another adventure on this journey that for the last 6 weeks has been one adventure after the other. I knew I was going to be all right. So I pulled off at the next exit and into a gas station. They only pumped gas. No repairs. I started asking around. The staff, the customers, nobody knew where I could get a tire fixed at 8pm. Everything in this little town was closed. One of the guys I asked said he'd help me change my tire. He did, and I was back on the road in just minutes. I thanked him and said "my name is Randy from New York City". He said "I'm Fred from Louisiana." We shook hands and I was off, but not out of the woods yet. My spare tire was a donut, and you can't drive too fast or far on one. They're just a tool to temporarily get you moving until you can replace it with a proper tire. After another hour of driving I found a rest stop with a 24 hour truck shop. But they said they were only equipped to fix trucks. However they suggested going over the border into Mississippi, only a half hour way, buying a tire in Wal Mart and bringing it back to them to mount. Okay, Wal Mart here I come. I've never shopped at Wal Mart. Always avoided it. Those gigantic mega stores like Wal Mart and Target always make me feel uneasy. But I was happy to go there tonight! I crossed the Mississippi River into Mississippi, found the Wal Mart and bought the tire I needed. At that point I didn't want to drive back into Louisiana. I wanted to keep moving forward. I called roadside assistance. I told the operator that I not only needed a tire changed, but it had to be mounted, which I expected could be a problem for a simple roadside assistance repair. She said it wasn't a problem and sent someone. I was dubious.
Just 20 minutes later Robert shows up, an African-American southern gentleman, perhaps in his early 60s, very friendly and very professional. As I suspected, he didn't have the equipment to mount a tire. But then, going far beyond what his job calls for, he said "follow me, I know someone who could help. Now we're going to be driving for a while into the backwoods, but don't worry, it's fine." I appreciated his words, but I wasn't worried at all. In fact I was relishing this experience. This was all part of the adventure. After a half hour drive through some remote, unlit country roads we came to an open tire shop. It was 11:30 at night, nothing all around but trees and the tree frogs in them, the very air enveloped in their nightly mating songs, and... a tire place! It was a ramshackle set up with tires of all sizes everywhere! The main structure looked like what used to be a small house. Tires were strewn about the grounds all around the house, and piled up in front. This was tire heaven! I was incredulous. Does a place like this really exist? I met Dave and Tyrone; two very friendly, professional, no-nonsense guys who mounted and replaced my tire in just minutes. When I went to pay them the thirty bucks it cost for this miracle tire replacement job, I found I had spent most of my cash buying the new tire. "Do you take a card"? I asked. "No" said Dave, "just cash". Then Robert says "no problem, Randy, I'll just pay them and you can follow me to an ATM and pay me back." What??? Southern hospitality. He totally trusted me just as I had trusted him. We had a karmic circle going and I was giddy! I followed Robert to an ATM. I gave him 50 bucks for his awesomeness. He then asked if I had a place to stay. I said no and he grabbed a yellow pages from the passenger seat of his truck and proceeded to call motels to find me a good rate for the night. You can't make this stuff up! Robert is one the many supergood people I've met on this tour. I am eternally grateful for his humanity. I'll never forget this night. I'm so glad the open mic didn't pan out. :)
Wednesday, August 5th - On my way to Auburn, Alabama to do a radio interview and performance on the Wildman Steve Radio show. All of a sudden (isn't that how these things always happen?) I see the lights flashing in my rearview mirror. I instinctively looked down at my speedometer. Shit! Speeding! It's so hard not to on the open road. I pull over and there I am face to face with a Mississippi highway patrolman. He asked me to get out of the car and searched me! That's never happened to me before for speeding. At most they give you the drunk test. But a search? This guy was serious. He asks for my license, tells me to stand by the rear of the vehicle and not to move while he goes into his car to run my license. He honks his horn and it makes me jump. Apparently, I moved. He comes out after what felt like 20 minutes (it was probably just 5) and tells me my license is suspended and my registration expired. I had no idea why. He starts grilling me. "Ever been arrested"? "Any outstanding moving violations"? "Any outstanding child support or alimony"? No to all the above. "What's all the stuff in the car"? I told him I was just a musician on tour just trying to get to my next destination. All the stuff is my life packed into the car, as I'm on the road for the whole summer. As for the license, I have no idea why it's suspended. He's not buying it. Maybe it's because my registration is expired. I've been on the road so long, I neglected to renew my registration. At this point he asks if he's going to find anything in my car he doesn't want to find, like drugs or weapons. No again. Y'all know me, folks. Straight as an arrow. He asks me more questions as another patrol car pulls up. Apparently he called for backup while he was running my license.
So now the other cop is asking me questions. All the same ones the first guy asked. No to all the above. The first guy asks about the drugs and weapons again. "No". He asks what they should do with me. As with the tire situation the night before, I was strangely calm and not afraid. Not that ego driven, "I ain't skeered" kind of fearlessness, which really is fear, but just calm and with an intuitive feeling that all was going to be well. I said that I'd be happy to follow them to the station and I could register the car online there if they'd let me. He asked if he could search the vehicle. I said he could. Meanwhile the other guy is grilling me. The first guy picks up one of my CDs and says "is that you"? Yes. "Is that what's in these boxes"? Yes. He walks over to me, hands me my license and says "slow down and be careful out there." Unlicensed driver, unregistered vehicle and speeding. They could have taken me away and had my car towed. But they let me go without even a ticket for speeding. Just a friendly warning. Once again I found myself swimming in incredulity. I thought for sure I'd be following them back to headquarters, and I was totally ready for it. I thanked him and asked him if he likes rock and roll. He said yes and I handed him a CD. Wow.
I believe in a higher power and I believe it's been with me this whole tour. Thank you, God (what I choose to call it. Not some human-like, male figure who watches over us all and judges us, but an energy field that IS the entire universe and everything in it, and that we are a part of, and that we can utilize). Amen! Hosanna! Blessed be! Nam myoho renge kyo! Om! May the force be with you! Hallelujah! Mississippi, goddamn!
Next stop, Auburn Alabama and the Wildman Steve Radio show. Sounds like fun, doesn't it? By the way, I did get to register my car.
I should have the rest of the tour covered in just 2 more blogs.
Love,
Randy :)
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Saturday, August 15, 2009
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Current mood:  anxious
Category: Music
Hi friends, I've gotten behind with my blogs. I left Texas almost 2 weeks ago and so much has happened since then. But I have yet to chronicle the rest of my time there. So, here it is... Saturday, July 11th - Tonight I played at the historic Victory Grill here in Austin, where I'm spending the month of July (see blog #3 for all the Texas adventures up to this point). Back up to July 3rd and my gig at Thunderbird Coffee. This place looks exactly like my album cover, which was shot in Brooklyn. If you wanna get a picture of what Thunderbird Coffee looks like, just look at my CD. It might as well be the same place. Funny. Anyway, I played here with a local singer/songwriter, Glafiro. He's a very cool dude, very laid back and we liked each other's music, so we exchanged CDs and information and then went off on our merry ways. Fast forward a week. I get an e-mail from Glafiro. His band is having their CD release party at a place called the Victory Grill in 2 days and the opening act cancelled. They want to know if I'm available to do it. Of course I'm available. I want to play as often as I possibly can. So, I went online and checked out the Victory Grill. I couldn't believe what I found. This is not just another music venue in Austin. The Victory Grill is a registered historic site. Built in 1945, it's one of the last remaining operating juke joints in the country. The juke joints were the venues along the legendary "chitlin' circuit" at a time when segregation was rampant. The juke joints provided a safe place where African Americans could go to unwind, listen and dance to music free of racism and hostility. They also provided a place where African American entertainers could perform. So many of the early blues, jazz, rock and roll, and soul artists built their careers on the chitlin' circuit. The Victory Grill was one of these places. B.B. King played here, as did Bobby Bland, Ike and Tina Turner, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Etta James, James Brown, Janis Joplin and so many others. And now I was going to play here. I was incredulous. I had to check this place out. I went there the afternoon of the show to get a feel for the place. As soon as you walk in the energy there is palpable. Even during the day when not much is happening. Most of the original decor from over 60 years ago is still there. You can lterally feel, taste and smell the history in this place. I've never experienced another place like it. I couldn't wait to come back later that evening to play. The show turned out to be my best show in Austin and one of the highlights of the tour. Between Glafiro's fans, my small, humble Austin following and the few patrons coming in off the street it was a packed house. Truth be told, I was a little nervous. But I could feel the musical spirits of the past helping me along. There's magic happening here at the Victory Grill. After my set I went out front to the cafe where they serve up some outrageous soul food and which is separate from the performance area. I wanted to talk to Eva Lindsey, the proprietor. We ended up talking for an hour and I missed most of Glafiro's set. :P Eva is a lovely, wise, matronly woman whose dad, Johnny Holmes, opened the Victory back in '45. She has such a passion for the place and a genuine love for the music and what the Victory Grill represents. Talking with her was moving. She shared with me the history of the Victory and her desire to seek out other juke joints in the country and to make them historic landmarks as well, eventually creating a network of modern juke joints. Sort of a new chitlin' circuit for the 21st Century. But they're hard to find as most of them have closed down. She explained how, ironically, the civil rights movement inadvertantly led to the decline of the chitlin' circuit as things started opening up and people statrted coming together. What an incredible story. Eva is a remarkable person. When we were done talking she gave me the biggest, warmest hug and said "you're family now." I'm getting all watery just writing this. July 12th - August 3rd - Since chronicling the entire Austin leg of the tour would take at least 2 more blogs and I haven't even gotten to my post Austin adventures yet, I'm just going to touch on a few highlights here... At the Victory Grill gig I met Nique Bilbo, a painter who creates his works of art by going to musical performances, setting up his canvas, brushes and colours and spontaneously painting a picture inspired by the music being performed. By the time the performance is done he has a completed work of art. He was at the Victory Grill for Glafiro. I invited him to make a painting at one of my performances. He agreed and showed up to do his thing at my June 17th show at Thunderbird Coffee. Such a talented and unique artist. I wonder if his name is a play on the word unique. Check him out at www.myspace.com/b9art I was unexpectedly offered a couple of spontaneous gigs while in Austin. One was July 14th at the Austin Moose Lodge. My friend Justine from back in NY was in San Antonio that week visiting her son. She came up to Austin for this show. I felt so blessed to have her there. Here I was in Austin, TX, so far from home, and a friend from Brooklyn was right there in the audience. She also brought her son, his girlfriend, and another friend. So I had a nice little support section in the audience. What a gift! Thank you, Justine. The other spontaneous gig was at a place called BB Rovers. I showed up the week before for their open mic and ended up getting my own show there the following week. Life is Good! :) Dave Dunn who runs the place gave me the gig and also sat in with me on the washtub bass. What a cool instrument! He even gave me a lesson. Such a fun instrument to play. Also sitting in with me was Lisa Marshall, a supremely talented singer I met at one of the Kick Butt Coffee open mics. I totally fell in love with her songs and her voice. She sounds like a mix of Etta James and Janis Joplin. I liked her so much that I invited her to come to BB's and do a few songs. Please check out her stuff and support an up and coming, supremely talented singer/songwriter - www.myspace.com/lisamarshallmusic The final highlight of the Austin leg of the journey, and a real treat, was getting to see a legendary musician whom I've admired for a long time, Bobby Whitlock perform live and acoustically with his lovely wife CoCo Caramel. For those of you who might not know, Mr. Whitlock sang, wrote songs, played keyboards and guitar with Eric Clapton in Derek and the Dominoes. He has a regular gig every Sunday at 6pm at the Saxon Pub in Austin. There were only around a dozen people in the place. I was kinda surprised. But it did make for an intimate, personal performance that blew me away. There I was just feet away from Bobby Whitlock hearing him sing "Why Does Love Have to be so Sad", "Anyday", "Keep On Growing" and "Thorn Tree in the Garden". Damn! Another incredible gift. And I got to speak to Bobby and CoCo after the show. I got Bobby's autograph and then I was surprised to have CoCo ask for mine. I signed my CD and gave it to her. Wow! What an experience! And what a great way to conclude my time in Austin. The next day I had lunch with my wonderful mom and then, even though I was excited to continue my tour, I sadly and reluctantly left Austin. Damn! I'm getting all misty again! :P Speaking of mom, I just want to take this time to thank her and her supremely awesome husband, Sheldon, who is the quintessential nice guy, for offering a lovely, comfortable place to stay and for their love, warmth and hospitality. I love my family. Next blog - Adventures post Austin, including a blow-out on the road and a run in with the Mississippi police. Love, Randy :)
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Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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Current mood:  electric
Category: Music
Hello beautiful people, Well, here it is, tour blog #3. As always, these are long, so if this is not your cuppa tea, now is the time to make like a tree and vamoose... Saturday & Sunday, June 27th-28th - Farewell Arkansas. So far, this has been my favorite part of an already thrilling journey. What an experience it was being here! See blog #2 for all the weird, wacky and true exploits. Next stop, Texas! On my way to Austin for a month of performances in July. I'll be making two stops in TX first. First stop, Denton. I'm on my way to the Hydrant Cafe. After a 5 hour drive I arrive in town. Looks like a lovely place. After several attempts to contact the person who was going to put me up for the night, and not hearing back from him, I'm once aggain ready for the next leap of faith. I enter the Hydrant Cafe. The set up is unique - a cafe on the first level of a historic, turn of the 20th century 2 story building and a performance space on the 2nd floor. A fella named Chad, your barista for the evening, greets me and I head upstairs to prepare for my performance. The place is empty except for the two other musicians I'll be sharing the bill with. They reassure me that there will be an audience there, maybe not a big one, but an audience nonetheless. I was booked as the opening act, but one of tonight's musicians, the gentleman who was performing after me, suggested that we switch things around and put me in between the two acts for maximum exposure to their fans. What a guy! Thank you Matt Tirell from the Denton duo, Big Round Spectacles, who performed solo this evening. So I played to an intimate crowd of about 15-20 people. I learned later that Denton is a college town where a lot of people go to study music at the University of North Texas. Matt and the brilliant young singer who followed me and closed the show, Lisa Horan, are music students; and the audience was almost all music students. So this audience listened. They were there for the music, not to drink coffee, talk and maybe hear some music in the background. This was a listening room. That, along with the intimate feel of the space, made the gig more like chillin' by the fire with some friends and singing songs. I made some new friends, sold a few CDs and even got a brief piano lesson from one of the music majors! :) By the way, I just want to get back for a moment to the night's headliner, Lisa Horan. This very talented young lady writes incredibly gorgeous, deep, heartfelt, soulful songs and sings them with pure passion, heart, soul and pain. How she manages to write songs with such depth and wisdom at such a young age is amazing to me. Check her out on here on Myspace.
The performance ended and I met the proprietors, a lovely couple, Glen and Melissa. Glen warmly greets me and asks if I got in touch with his buddy with whom he had arranged to offer me a place to crash for the evening. I told him that I never heard back from him after a number of attempts. Glen was perturbed but assured me that he would make sure I'd have a place to stay. As soon as he said that, Chad the barista, who had overheard the conversation said "you can stay at my place." Problem solved. I had the living room to myself with a nice big comfy couch to sleep on. And for the New Yorkers who are reading this, just to give a little perspective; Chad lives in a lovely, large, spacious 5 or 6 bedroom house with wood floors and a fireplace and the rent is something like 1400 bucks or so for the whole place. Plus there are 3 other roomates. So these dudes are paying just 400 and change to live in this shangri-la. When was the last time you paid $400 rent?
So I stayed an extra day, since my next engagement wasn't until Monday, and checked out the town. Denton is a lovely town with some interesting history. Clyde Barrow apparently pulled his first robbery here. Some lovely independently owned shops, cafes, a century and a half old courthouse that serves as a town hall and museum as well, and my favorite part, the biggest and best pawn shop I've ever visited. I wanted to buy every mandolin and old Fender and Gibson guitar in the place. I had to be satisfied just looking at them and smelling them. Musicians, if you're ever down in Denton, check it out. The music scene is awesome here, owing to the population of music students. Denton was certainly a highlight of this tour.
Monday, June 29th - Next stop Stephenville, TX; another small Texas town which is home to 107.9 Mandatory FM, a real live independent free form rock and roll radio station. Of all the radio stations playing my album (thank you Joe Estrada of Upstart Entertainment for getting my music out there), this station has been the most supportive and has given me the most airplay. They're going to interview me today and have me perform live on the air. I'm excited. Shayne Hollinger is the owner, program director, music director and the DJ who will be interviewing me. Well, I'm not surprised, given the way this tour has gone so far, that Shayne is an awesome dude with a real passion for music and particularly new artists. He made me feel right at home and comfortable on the air. I performed a few songs and he played a few off the CD. He even played some tracks I wouldn't have expected him to play. It was clear that he had really listened to the album and knew it well. I'm honoured to have this great radio station's seal of approval. Shayne has made my day and has set the tone for my drive down to Austin and to visit some friends and be with family. My mom and her husband live here, and I haven't seen them since the first time I was in Austin back in September. So this will be a nice extended stopover after 12 days on the road.
Tuesday, July 2nd - First show in Austin. I'm playing at a place that has become my home in this town, Kick Butt Coffee. I met the folks at KBC that first time in Austin almost a year ago and they booked me for a couple of shows. I had such a great time that I knew I wanted to play here again. Back in Brooklyn when I was booking this tour I told them I would be in Austin for a month and asked if I could play a few gigs. Well, they gave me more than a few gigs. They gave me a residency, every Thursday in July. Plus, they had opened a 2nd location since last I'd been here and offered me a residency there too - every Wednesday. That in addition to 2 other gigs at a place called Thunderbird Coffee set me up for the month. I'm so grateful to Tom at KBC and Savannah at Thunderbird. So I did my 1st gig at KBC and was so pleasantly surprised that some folks I had met the last time I was here showed up to hear me play, along with some old friends and my folks. What a nice, embracing turn out. My set was followed by an open mic and I got to connect with many of the musicians I met back in September and also some new faces. We all remembered each other and it was like a reunion. And for the most part folks stick around here and support their fellow musicians. They don't just leave after they've sung their songs and take all their friends with them. Austin, TX is all about the music. You would think that in a city that's built upon music, where every other person you meet is a musician, where the culture of the city is live music, that it would be too saturated and competitive, and that audiences would be tired and jaded. But it's quite the opposite. It seems that people are always going out to hear live music, and the audiences really listen. They're focused on the performer. They want to hear what you're doing. They're supportive. And the musicians are supportive of one another. It's a real sense of community here. Artists at every level seem to really thrive here. From the beginner who's just starting out, to the seasoned professionals and local heroes, to the heavy hitters and household names who call Austin home. I feel so very blessed to be performing in this town.
Tuesday, July 7th - My TV debut! Thanks again to Joe from Upstart. This gentleman has gone above and beyond getting me on the radio, which he did a great job of and which was all I could ever ask for from a radio promoter. But he also booked a couple of gigs, which turned out to be amongst the best ones on this tour so far, and he secured a TV spot for me on Good Day Austin on FOX TV-7. What a great experience this was. Thank you, Joe. Good Day Austin is a local morning news program - weather, news, traffic, arts and entertainment. They have a musical segment where they interview independent musicians and give them a chance to do a couple of songs and showcase themselves. And the coolest part is that they lead up to you and let the audience know what's coming up. So at a few of the commercial breaks you're basically the "house band" for the fade to commercial as a teaser. I've included the link to the video here...
www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/good_day/live_music/070709_randy_stern
Also, since I'm including video links, let's go back in time to last month's performance in Nashville. This was taken by a friend in the audience. It's kinda lo-fi, but maybe you'll get a kick out of it...
http://www.youtube.com/v/yh0M68iwedw&hl=en&fs=1&%22%3E%3C/param%3E%3CparamThat's all for now. More on Austin, TX in the next blog.
Love, Randy :) www.randystern.info
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Saturday, July 04, 2009
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Current mood: relaxed
Category: Music
Hello friends, So, I haven't checked in with you since Nashville. LOTS of stuff has happened. This is gonna be a long one, so if this ain't your sorta thang, then you might wanna make like the government and bailout now. :) Tuesday, 6/23 - Memphis, TN. I've always wanted to play in Memphis. More so than Nashville. Nashville was truly awesome, and I had a blast. But Memphis has more of a mystique to me. Memphis is like Nashville's "bluesier", grittier sister. And it turned out to be one of the best shows on the tour so far. The first thing I saw when I pulled into Memphis was Graceland. There I was on Elvis Presley Blvd. waiting for my Memphis contact in the Graceland parking lot with Elvis' 2 private jets right there just yards away from me. I didn't even realize that Graceland itself was just across the street. I found out the next day when I paid a visit (more on that later). A little about my Memphis contacts. A friend in NY set me up with 2 of her friends who live in Memphis to help me out with a place to stay. One friend was sort of like a liason and the other friend let me stay at her place while she was away for 2 days. I'm so grateful to you, Mikii and Caili for being my angels in Memphis. You helped make this stop on the tour very memorable. And thank you Khristee in NY for setting it up. You're all angels!! I played at a bar called the Buccaneer, a sublimely ramshackle dive. I loved it! It was filled with friendly folks who wanted to hear live music. Except for the one dude who asked me not to play until 11pm so he could concentrate on playing darts. I was scheduled for 9. Sorry, dude. The band I was supposed to open for never showed, or at least not while I was there. So I played for two hours to the most appreciative audience since the North Carolina show (see tour blog pt. 1). The Memphis angels were there too, and their enthusiastic support helped get everyone else excited and it was one of those magical shows that I will always remember. The one drawback - smoking is allowed in bars in Memphis. By the end of the show I was gasping for air! :P
Wednesday, 6/24 - Still in Memphis. This was my first day off after 7 straight days of performances. I went back to Elvis Presley Blvd. Back to Graceland. If you've never been there I'll do my best to describe it. In an area around 3 blocks long are stores filled with Elvis kitsch and the Graceland complex right in the center with equally kitschy museums and shops. That's where you buy your almost 30 dollar ticket to Graceland itself, the mansion. You hop a shuttle that takes you just across the street. You can't just walk into Graceland. You go through those famous gates and drive up to the front door. The anticipation is palpable. But everyone crowds into the entrance to Elvis Presley's house and the rooms are roped off. You can only look in. You can't go in. So, nobody is moving, I can barely see the rooms, and I'm thinking "this is so cheesy. I paid $28 bucks for this"? The staff there is telling people it's okay to walk around and that it's not a guided tour. But still, no movement. Everyone is just gawking and taking pictures and seemingly, still waiting to be told what to do. This sucks. Graceland is a big disappointment. But wait. I see a few people starting to move and I go with that flow, leaving the gawkers behind. Finally, some space, and I can really start getting a feel for the place. I'm taking my own personal tour. I'm looking at these rooms, I can smell the house, I'm listening to the history on the headset that they hand out at the beginning. It's starting to sink in. It's becoming less cheesy and more serious. All the history, the impact on music, on the entire culture I live in. All the music I love and where it came from; blues, soul, country, gospel, R&B. As I'm walking through this house it makes Elvis more of a real person. A real person with real flaws, hopes, dreams, fears and desires. A real person who accomplished so much and gave the world so much. While I don't really agree with the term, I can understand why he was called the King of Rock and Roll. Of course there were many kings. That early rock and roll period was a fertile one. Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Bo Diddley. So many more. And yes, a poor kid from Memphis named Elvis Presley. To crown one person "the king" of it all is kinda silly. But he was the one that became the symbol of it all. Towards the end of the tour is a separate small building on the grounds that was his gym. It's now filled with his trademark jumpsuits, gold records and his guitars. And outside of that, the gravesite. Elvis, his father, mother, grandmother and stillborn twin, Jessie. And still, fresh flowers adorning his grave. Over 30 years later they still come in from all over the world. This is all a lot to take in. Very powerful. Very stirring. Whether a fan or not, there's an inescapable aura here. I happen to be one. And now a bigger one. I liked him as a kid, rebelled against him as an adolescent and erroneously wrote him off as just a relic, and in recent years as an adult have rediscovered him and grown to truly embrace his music. This trip has brought it all home for me. He was worthy of the hype.
Thursday, 6/25 - Leaving Memphis today. Problem is, I have two days until my next show which is all the way in Denton, TX. That's a lot of time and distance to cover. So I went on the internet searching for venues in Arkansas, on the way to Texas. I contacted the first place I found, Words & Afterwords Cafe in a town called Hardy. I told them my story - touring musician from NY, trying to fill some gaps in my tour, may I play tonight? It was a long shot, I know. But this trip has been all about taking chances, venturing into the unknown, risk, trust and pushing my comfort zones. The guy said "sure, come on down, we have an open mic tonight". Then the next thing he said, before I had a chance to ask him, was "do you have a place to stay"? I said "no" and he said I could stay at his Bed & Breakfast that he owns with his wife along with the cafe. Southern hospitality. It's all I've experienced for this entire trip. So I hit the road and started driving to Arkansas. It turns out Hardy is a very small town in the foothills of the Ozark Mountains. So the drive here is breathtaking. It's the most remote drive I've had so far. I stop at a railroad track with the gate down and the lights flashing. Just in time to see a freight train pass end to end. Another first for me. I put my car in park, shut it off, and just waited. That train had to be at least 8 miles long, and it was travelling pretty slowly too. So I just chilled for a few minutes and watched it go by. Amazing. I'll never forget this moment, and for another reason as well. I decided to turn my radio on. The timing was astounding, as the very first thing I heard was "...and Michael Jackson." I knew before the sentence was completed that he had died. Something about the tone of the announcer's voice. Sure enough the statement was completed, confirming what I instinctively knew but hoped I was wrong. What??? I was incredulous. And having just visited Graceland yesterday, it seemed rather poignant. Both incredibly gifted men, and yet troubled men, who gave so much of themselves to the world and had precious little left over for themselves, and who died too young, and who's gifts are timeless. Rest in peace, Michael. The sun was setting on this country road, the train passed, and I continued on my journey with a feeling of excitement, enthusiasm and expectancy, yet mixed with reflection and melancholy. I made it to the cafe about an hour after hearing the news. The musician up on the stage was just wrapping up. It was supposed to be an open mic, but none of the people in the house were musicians. They were all there to see the show. So Mike, the sole musician, finished his set and the rest of the night was all mine. I did an hour long set to an enthusiastic crowd, and Mike sat in with me on a couple of tunes with some sweet harmonica accompaniment. I learned later that they were expecting me. Greg and Beth, the owners of the cafe and B&B told the folks that a touring singer from NY was coming in spontaneously that night. And the cherry on top was when I walked in and saw a carved wood sign above the stage that read "Life is Good". That's the title of one of my songs. That song has now taken on a new significance. Indeed, life is good.
Friday, 6/26 - Farewell, Hardy, AR. I'll be back. One more unplanned day before my next performance. I checked the map and Hot Springs, AR was on the way to Denton, TX. No gigs booked, so I'll do what I did before. I found a place on the internet, took their number down and called from the road. A lady answered with the thickest accent I've heard so far on this tour. Not a southern accent, but an eastern european one. I gave her the run down as I did with Greg from Hardy and she said she had a band booked, but that she might be open to having me play a short set before them. Cool. She asked for my website to check out my music. I gave it to her and she repeated it back to me... "Andy Stern"? "No. It's Randy, R-A-N-D-Y." "Okay, Andy. I'll call you back." Then she immediately hung up. No chance to respond. Oh well. Maybe she wrote it down correctly when I spelled it out for her but just had Andy stuck in her head. I do stuff like that all the time. I followed up an hour later. The guy who answered said she wasn't there... "Is this Andy"? "No. It's Randy." "She couldn't find your website." "That's because my name is Randy." "Okay, I'll let her know." Immediately followed by a hang up. Must be their policy. That's okay. If the gig doesn't work out I'm coming through Hot Springs anyway, so I'll just show up there and talk to her in person. I drove through more beautiful country on the way. I had to pull over to the side of the road to get out of the car, smell the air, gaze at the trees and mountains and at the crescent moonlit twilight sky. This is truly God's country. And nestled in the middle of all this beauty is Hot Springs, a bustling, thriving town on a Friday night. Cars, motorcycles, restaurants, shops, bars, nightclubs and people everywhere. This is gonna be a great place to play. I found the club I contacted earlier and found the lady I spoke to. The conversation went something like this... "Hi, I'm Randy, the musician who spoke with you earlier." "We have a band tonight." "Yes, I know. When we spoke earlier you said you might be interested in letting me play as an opener. Did you check out my website"? "No." Of course she didn't check out my website. She thinks my name is Andy. "So, may I play just a couple of songs and then leave? I've come a long way." "No." "May I ask the band"? "No." Very terse, cold and unfriendly. The first unfriendly person I'd met the whole trip. Not a bad track record though. Truth be told, I really wanted to start getting into it with her. But I put my ego in check and politely asked if she knew of any other places that might be open to it. She mentioned one, I thanked her and said goodnight and went to a place called Capone's.
On my way to Capone's, driving up a hill on a one way street I saw a pick up truck rolling backwards towards me. I couldn't move out of the way, so I just stopped, he stopped, I got out and asked what was up. He said he was stalled and needed a jump. "Do you have cables"?, I asked. He did, and I pulled the car around, we opened our hoods and I gave him a boost. While his truck was charging he saw the guitar in my car along with all my stuff and he started asking me questions. I shared with him that I was on my first tour, told him the story and we had a nice little conversation. By the time the interaction was over he bought my CD. Too cool. The friendliness continues. The "No" lady must have been a fluke. I thanked the fella, he thanked me, and I drove to Capone's. I was greeted with the warmth and hospitality I'd grown accustomed to over the past week. I told the bartender, a dude named Frog my story. He was very cool, gave me a drink, said I could ask the musician if I could play at his break and even suggested other places to play. The musician was a guy named Brian Martin, a very talented, authentic acoustic blues singer. He was the real thing. Very soulful, intense and masterful. I introduced myself to Mr. Martin, we got to talking, and he let me play a few songs after his show instead of at the break. Which totally made sense, as we have different styles and he had a certain vibe going in the room. So far, so good. Now I needed a place to stay. Frog's place was unavailable. He asked a couple of friends at the bar. Nothing available. So, while I'm trying to stay in motels as little as possible to save cash, it looked like it was the only option for this evening. But it was 2am, and motels don't generally check someone in at that time. So Frog starts making phone calls. He's calling motels in town. I hear his end of the conversation. He's selling me - "great muscian, on tour, needs to sleep, great guy," etc. Nothing. He keeps trying. Finally it seems he's getting through to someone. It sounds like they're relenting. "I know you're not desperate for cash, but sometimes it's just about helping people... 50 bucks??? Come on, the guy just needs to take a nap"! Damn, this guy is good. "30... okay, 35. I'll send him right over." Thank you, Frog. You get a free CD.
Eric and Leslie are a couple from Scotland who gave up the corporate life and bought a charming little motel in Hot Springs, Arkansas, the Alpine Inn. They were so kind to check me in at 2am, so nice to me, and they let me check out whenever I wanted. I didn't have to race out of there in the morning. I was able to really relax and regroup for the journey to Texas. When I left and went to give Eric his 35 bucks, he said "make it thirty." Thank you Eric and Leslie. Thank you Frog. Next stop - Texas.
Well, I'll stop there for now. I'm in Texas now and will be for the rest of the month. In the next blog I'll chronicle my journey here. So, stay tuned for "Adventures in the Lone Star State". Love, Randy :)
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Monday, June 22, 2009
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Current mood:  adventurous
Category: Music
Hello beautiful people, After 5 days on the road I've finally gotten a chance to settle back and open up the laptop. For those of you who are interested, I'll be keeping a blog throughout the summer. Thanks for all your support... Wednesday, 6/17/09. I started out the tour this evening at the Crimson Frog Coffeehouse in Camp Hill, PA. I played to 7 people including the 2 baristas and had a great time! I've certainly played my share of empty houses, or as I prefer to refer to them - intimate rooms, in my lifetime so I'm used to it. And the 7 people gave me at least 14 people worth of love so it's all good. Plus, a delicious cup of decaf, fair trade, organic coffee, a vegan cupcake, and enough in tips and pay from the cafe to cover my motel and gas for the night. Who could ask for more? :) Thursday, 6/18. Washington and Alexandria, VA. I had a gig in Alexandria at 10:30pm, so I had an entire day free. I decided to go to DC, a hop and a skip (not even a jump) from Alexandria. I hadn't been to DC since I was a kid. We're talkin' like 30 years. So I wanted to go check things out. As I was approaching the Washington Monument and saw the White House and the Jefferson Memorial in the near distance something happened to me that took me completely by surprise - my heart started beating faster, the hairs on my arms rose as if in salute to the monument, and tears started welling up. What??? If you know me, you know I'm the last person you would think of as patriotic. But I got all misty being in the presence of these iconic landmarks. So many thoughts and feelings came rushing through me. The last 8 years, the current year and the entire sordid history (for better or worse) of my homeland. I was reminded of the extreme contradiction that is the United States. We represent the very best that humankind has accomplished and the absolute worst. We've contributed the greatest gifts to the world and foisted the greatest evils. We are the earth's best hope and it's potential destroyer. And to top it all off, here I was living my own life's journey, particularly the past 2 and a half years - the end of The Nerve, going solo, the creation of the album, the sacrifices I've made, the culmination of this now moment, on tour. In a short time that feels like forever, I've accomplished some major life goals. Damn! No wonder I was getting all weepy! And I haven't done this alone. I believe in a God of my understanding that has guided me, and continues to guide, throughout this process. And I am also grateful to you. Yes, you. You know who you are. The show on this night was great fun, but strange. The venue itself was incredible. It was at the Old Town Theatre in Alexandria. It's a 100 year old theatre. Movies by day and live events by night. A very cool, unique place. I played a few theatres on tour with Bumblefoot a few years back, and I love the theatre vibe. So this was a real treat. The strange part was that I was booked as the closing act following a blistering, all out blues/rock and roll set from a kick ass local band called Fat Roberta. And you all know what I do - the solo, acoustic, laid back, singer/songwriter deal. It was just a weird billing. It would have made so much more sense to have me open the show. And then, I guess being just as blown away as I was by the Roberta dudes, and then seeing just a guy with an acoustic guitar setting up next, not to mention it was a weekinight, most of the audience cleared out. I wound up playing to the guys in the band, who stuck around to support, their girlfriends, the staff, and a few stragglers who stuck around. But again, I ain't complainin'. I had a blast. Friday, 6/19. I pulled into a very small town called Spindale, NC. Very quiet, barely a soul around and churches everywhere. They were as ubiquitous as pizza joints are back home in NYC. It didn't seem like a rock and roll town. Why am I playing here? Well, I got to Barley's Pizzeria and Brewery and the place was electric. It was packed and alive with the energy of mostly young families with a sprinkling of deadheads, skaters, and college age folks out for a good time. I played my set and got the warmest reception of the tour. The crowd was with me and very supportive. I opened for a local band called Pond Water Experiment. They were a jam band from nearby Asheville, NC. These guys were SO good. Great musicians, singers, and songwriters. And man, could they jam! Their CD was rockin' in my car on the way to my next gig the next day. Plus, they were super nice guys and we hit if off real well. They offered me a room for the night at their 6 room house in the woods and mountains of Asheville. It was idyllic. If you've ever read the books or seen the movie "Lord of the Rings", I felt like I was in Rivendell. My peaceful respite after a long journey before embarking on the much longer remainder of the journey. Thank you guys. You've helped make this trip special. Saturday, 6/20. I said my farewells to Pond Water Experiment to head for The Acoustic Cafe in Johnson City, TN. The drive through the Appalachian Mountains that separates Asheville from Johnson City was breathtaking. A brief, but torrential thunderstorm erupted and I had to pull over and wait because I couldn't see, even with the windshield wipers on high. The storm passed within minutes and as I continued my drive I saw a complete rainbow, end to end for the first time in my life. I've seen pieces of rainbows before in NYC, but never the full arc. And in the mountains of TN! Wow. God is good. The JC gig was fun. Another small turnout, but it was worth it for one of the best burritos I've ever eaten and the enormous warmth and hospitality of the staff there. The Acoustic Cafe is a progressive, community oriented artist's space with three annexes linked together - the main cafe, the larger performance space for bigger shows and their own, attached 24 hour laundromat. They let me sleep in the larger venue, which wasn't being used that night. They locked me in and, since I had to leave at 5:30am to make my next gig in Nashville and noone would be around to lock the door behind me, they had me leave by climbing the fence in the backyard in order to leave the door locked to keep the place secure. This fence was solid wood and taller than me by about 2 feet, and I scaled it like a monkey. Albeit a clumsy monkey with equilibrium issues, but a monkey nonetheless. By the way, the laundromat stays wide open all night long with no staff whatsoever. What a great place! Sunday, 6/21. Nashville, TN. Music City. I pulled into town for a daytime brunch gig on father's day. I arrived an hour early and the place was closed. I later learned I was really 2 hours early due to crossing over time zones between JC and Nashville. I could have slept another hour! Sleep is a precious commodity on the road. Actually, this was a small town just 10 minutes outside of Nashville called White's Creek, TN. But 10 minutes from the city in Nashville is a lot diffferent from 10 minutes from the city in NY. There I was in the middle of a deserted, Sunday town nestled on the corner of a country road surrounded by rolling hills and farmland. Beautiful. So I sat on the front porch in a rocking chair. The 2 rocking chairs and wooden bench on the porch were unsecured and totally available to anyone who wished to acquire 2 rocking chairs and a wooden bench. In NY the furniture would have been either stored away for the night or chained to the porch. So I sat on this pastoral country corner and waited for a fellow named Richard to arrive. It's his place, "Richards Cafe - Live Music and Dead Crawfish". I'm in heaven. Richard arrived with a banjo in hand a few minutes after I did. He's a musician too and we had a nice conversation about music and life in general. Although we were talking while he was running around setting up his restaurant, so he really didn't hear much of what I had to say. But I enjoyed listening to him. An hour later the place went from empty, with just Richard and I, to completely packed and bustling with a frantic waitress and waiter, busy cooks, and families celebrating fathers day. I performed my set to this packed house and soon realized that these folks couldn't really hear me. I couldn't hear myself either out of the monitor, a small speaker placed in front of the musician in order to hear himself. But what comes out of the monitor is rarely what the audience hears in the speakers that they listen to the music through. A low monitor mix doesn't necessarily mean the sound in the house is low, and vice versa. But this time it seemed it was indicative of what the audience heard. The tip off for me was the fact that only folks up front seemed to be responding to me. If I was bombing they'd all be unreceptive, I reasoned. I motioned Richard over to ask him about the sound. He went to the back of the room, made an adjustment on the sound board and nothing changed. After another couple of songs I asked him again. He said it's the way I sing and I should just get closer to the mic. I knew this wasn't the case, but I didn't want to argue with Richard as I knew how extremely busy he was. His restaurant was packed on fathers day. I completely understood that the music was not his main priority, at least not today. I finished my set and sat down to a delicious Cajun lunch and to listen to the next act. My suspicions about the sound were confirmed. I could barely hear them, and apparently, neither could anyone else except the folks closest to them. Oh well, such is life. The best part of this show was that a friend of mine from Kentucky who I haven't been in touch with for over 9 years showed up unannounced with her husband and 2 year old son. What an amazing, lovely surprise! She found me on Myspace. I certainly didn't expect to be playing for anyone I know on this tour. What a gift. Another strange and wonderful experience that I wouldn't change for the world. And finally, 6/22. Tonight I'll be in Nashville proper for a songwriter's circle at the famous Millenium Maxwell House Hotel. Another friend of mine will be showing up. Turns out I'm not as alone on this tour as I thought I would be. I'd like to give a shout out to Cassandra Kubinski, a very talented singer/songwriter who I know from NY who is curently living in Nashville and working on her music. She's very awesome and you should Google her and check out her stuff. See you later Cassandra. And see you later everyone! Stay tuned for further adventures. Love, Randy :)
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Friday, June 12, 2009
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Current mood:expectant
Category: Music
Hi!
This is SO exciting. As a solo artist, I've never played the world famous Bitter End and I've never played with a band. Tomorrow night , June 13th, will be a night of firsts. My debut album has been out for 3 months now and was almost 2 years in the making. I'm so thrilled that my first gig with my new band will be the album release show. I'm very much looking forward to playing with this great band of seasoned professionals...
Richie Touseull - bass
Vinnie Cimino - drums
Jerome Brooks - keyboards
Jimmy Mack - guitar
And yours truly singin' them songs and playin' the gee-tar and the blues harp.
I'm so very grateful to all these great musicians, and I'm so grateful to you for all of your support. This will be my final show in New York until the end of the summer, as I'll be embarking on my first US tour from June through Sept.
See you at the Bitter End.
The Bitter End is located at 147 Bleecker St. in New York City.
Love,
Randy :)
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Sunday, March 29, 2009
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Current mood:  hopeful
Category: Music
Hello and greetings from Cape May, I'm here at the Singer Songwriter Cape May Festival and having a great time. What a beautiful seaside town. My room overlooks the beach and it's so peaceful, serene and quaint here. And it's the off season, so it's nice to have some solitude on the beach. But the conference is rockin' and I'm looking forward to playing tonight. I got to hear Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors speak and play a few songs solo acoustic. He did a couple of oldies, ''Two Princes" and "Funky Booty". So cool to hear those songs with just him and his guitar! And he also did a new solo song, "Kick the Habit". The Spin Doctors may have taken down their shingle, but Chris is still doing his thing and doing it well with heart, soul, and that great sense of humour. Then came a Q&A and he reminded us all about being of service and doing what you love to do. One young lady, an aspiring singer/songwriter asked him for advice for the up and coming artist. He simply said "just do it". His message was basically to do what you love simply because you love doing it, and do it as often as possible. The cash and prizes will follow. Don't make the cash and prizes the focus. The other message was to be of service. Do it with an honest desire to help others, however that help may manifest itself. If one person in some lonely bar hears your song and is moved by it, you've done service. Thank you, Chris Barron for sharing your positive, hopeful message. Thanks for being of service. As lots of you may know, I had my internet radio debut earlier this week. Thank you for listening. Well, I just learned that I will be making my broadcast radio debut this Tuesday evening, 3/31. You can hear one of my new songs from my new CD, "Give" on WBJB-The Night 90.5FM, Brookdale NJ public radio. I'll be featured on a show called "Fresh Tracks" with Jeff Raspe from 11pm to midnite. You should be able to pick up the station locally (NY, NJ). If you can't pick it up on the radio or if you're just not local, you can pick it up worldwide on the web at www.90.5thenight.org
Well, that's all for now, friends. Remember, whatever you do - musician, painter, gardener, accountant, do it beacuse you love it and wish to help others. Life's too short to sell your dreams short. Be true to your heart and go with your gut. Love, peace, joy and blessings,
Randy Stern :)www.randystern.info
 | Currently listening:
Nebraska
By Bruce Springsteen
Release date: 2005-07-04 |
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