Lots of new shows coming up to finish out the year, hope all my Ky friends will come out to listen and say hi. I've added several new original songs to the setlist as well as covers by Jim Croce, Kings Of Leon, and others. The Ky acoustic music scene really seems to be growing steadily, come on out and support!

First of all, if you're not sure what I'm talking about here just google The Boxmasters, which is Billy Bob's music project. You'll see many headlines about him refusing to answer a Canadian radio interviewer's questions because the interviewer mentioned his acting career. Billy Bob gets offeneded when people think his celebrity status has anything to do with the publicity that his band is getting.

OK, I'll give credit where it's due here. Billy Bob is a great actor/director/screenwriter etc. He's proven himself here time and time again, without a doubt. But the notion he's trying to portray that his movie career has nothing to do with his record deal and the fact that his band is opening for Willie Nelson and ZZ Top is obsurd, to say the least. If he truly didn't want his name to promote his band and wanted his band to be successful only on their musical merits, he wouldn't be using his real name with the band.

  During his interview, he asks the interviewer "Would you ask that question to Tom Petty?". Well Billy Bob, you are NO Tom Petty. Tom Petty payed his dues playing in small clubs and building a fan base before he got a record deal. He built his success on writing great songs that were loved by millions. People love him because he's a real musician who devoted his life to music. He now plays big shows, but in the beginning he was playing anywhere he could for a handful of people at some hole in the wall club, just like everyone else who made it solely on musical merit.

  If Billy Bob wanted to make it on musical merit, he would build his following in the clubs like everyone else.

  Now I'm not saying that using his celebrity to promote his music is a bad thing, that's not the point at all. But if he expects those of us with any intelligence at all to think he's not trying to do just that, he's just plain frickin delusional. And in my opinion, he's and egotistical jerk. The fact that he thinks he should be treated as a Tom Petty or any other musician is ludicrous, no matter how good he may or may not be. He loves the spotlight, and has always done everything he can his whole career to stay in it and exploit it. To pretend his celebrity has nothing to do with his musical success is an insult to struggling musicians around the world, as well as the Tom Pettys of the world.

I hope audiences continue to boo him off the stage, as they have been doing in Canada. All he has to do is admit who he is, and explain that there is another side to his creativity, and explain what he's trying to say with his music, not pretend he's like every other struggling musician out there. The other struggling musicians don't have millions of dollars and a household name behind them, and aren't being offered opening slots for ZZ Top and Willie Nelson in spite of the fact no one's heard of us. The real struggling musicians in the world are driving 3 hours to play in a new town for the 4 or 5 people who happened to show up hoping the next time those 4 or 5 people will bring 4 or 5 friends and so on and so forth. That Billy Bob, is making it on musical merit.

People need to buy cars. Cars emit toxins which are helping destroy our planet. Cars take us to work so we don't have to walk. Lack of exercise is making too many of us fat and lazy. The diet industry is getting rich of the fat and lazy people who buy the newest diet fad. Said diet fad spawns way too many infomercials which are taking up time that could be alloted to good shows like reruns of House or Heroes. Oh, I still have last night's Heroes Tivo'd and get to watch it later tonight. TV is making me fat and lazy. Here we go again.

Booking shows can be interesting, and sometimes a little frustrating, and sometimes just plain strange.

I was scheduled to play at Expressions in Winchester this past Friday night, or so I thought. I had confirmed with the girl who does the booking, who seems really nice although I haven't met her yet since this was to be my first show there. I was listed as playing there on their Myspace page, had confirmed through email a few days back, and thought everything was a go.

So anyway, I'm sitting in front of the computer surfing the net Friday morning, the day of the show. The phone rings, and it's Bradlee Burtner, another local musician and all around great guy who I've been friends with since playing a show together at Common Grounds over a year ago. (a great musician and songwriter, check him out. He's in my top friends). He tells me he's been getting calls from his friends and family who plan to come see him play that night at Expressions. At first he doesn't understand, since he's scheduled to play common Grounds in Lexington and according to Expressions web site, I'm scheduled to play there. He calls the good folks he knows at Expressions and finds out they've been advertising him all week in the newspaper and such. And since Winchester is his hometown, apparently they are expecting quite a few people to show up to hear him.

Now is where it gets really weird. If he doesn't show, he'll look bad because all his friends show up to see him and he's not there. And Expressions will look bad because they've been advertising him all week and someone else is playing. As for me, I'm going to feel uncomfortable as hell when I walk in because they were expecting Bradlee. Now here's the twist: Bradlee wants to swap gigs, he'll play Expressions and I'll play Common Grounds. I think about it for a minute, and I'm thinking yeah, that makes sense. Besides, I love playing Common Grounds, and it's closer to home. So Brad calls up Eric, who does the booking for Common Grounds (another all around great guy and musician/songwriter. Check him out as well, he's also in my top friends).

So, long story short, I play Common Grounds and Bradlee plays Expressions. I had a GREAT show, and made some new friends in the band called Dementia Cookie Box who played a set before me and gave away free Oreo cookies. (apparently they do this at  all their  shows. GREAT idea!) An old friend and awesome musician from my old high school drives up from our hometown of Beatyville to see me, courtesy of Facebook. Hopefully he'll be playing some saxaphone, piano, and bass on the new cd I'm currently working on. Maybe he'll be able to join me at some live shows as well, we'll have to wait and see.

That my friends, is the story of this past Friday night. Sometimes you just need to go with the flow and everything will be OK.

Got a lot of shows coming up over the next couple months. First time gigs at Expressions in Winchester and Now & Zen in Cincinatti Ohio, which will be the first out of state show I've done as a solo. Should be back around the lexington/Nicholasville area in May or June.

Thanks to everyone from here on myspace who came out to the show last night. The crowd was great and the atmosphere was cool and laid back as always. The perfect situation for making some acoustic music.

Common Grounds rocks.

Due to a cancellation I have a last minute show this friday night at The Hub in Danville from 8:30 till 10:30. The first show of the new year!

Hi everyone, its been a while since I posted a blog so I thought it long overdue.

I've got 2 shows coming up in February, and am working on booking more.

I've been writing and recording new material for another cd which will hopefully be complete sometime this year, and will feature some songs with a more rockin vibe as well as acoustic material.

Thanks to everyone for their support in '08, I can't express how much I appreciate it. I'm looking forward to a busier '09!

I hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Year!

Thank,
Mark

Check out my version of jimi Hendrix Wind Cries Mary on youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AueONESsLY

Leave a comment and show some love if you like it, tell how much you hate it if ya don't!

New shows coming up in Cincinatti Ohio and Winchester Ky, come check 'em out if you can make it. We'll have a great time!

I was just reading in the news how an atheist organization is posting messages on billboards in Phillidelphia. I didn't even know there were atheist organizations. Most of the time people organize based on a common belief, I've ever heard of one based on non-belief. They even have a website events, meetings, etc. It's like a church without God!

I just found the whole concept of this somewhat amusing. I don't believe in vampires. I think I'll start an organization based on my non-belief in vampires. You can donate, I'll be happy to take your money to help perpetuate our non-belief. We'll get together, have a cookout, and talk about how vampires couldn't possibly exist based on current scientific studies. We'll have a blast.