We have been nominated for Best Blues Album & Single of the Year (Calling for You) @ this years Canadian Aboriginal Music Awards.  This year, the awards and Aboriginal Festival is taking place in Hamilton, Ontario.  The awards is at Hamilton Place on Friday November 27th.

We are all so happy and more so, RELIEVED,  that the new CD is finally done and available.  Right now, its only available by mail out, or if you can make it to a few choice locations including CKRZ Radio on Six Nations, Ontario.  Soon, it will be available for download on itunes and a few other on-line stores.  You can hear the NEW SONGS on various radio stations across Canada including CKRZ 100.3FM, Ontario...NCI-FM, Winnipeg...CFWE, Alberta/Saskatchewan...89.5FM The Eagle, Oneida/London Ontario...CFUV 101.9FM, Vancouver B.C, and Aboriginal Voices Radio, National Airplay based in Toronto.  You can also hear us South of the Border in Western NY, on WBFO.  Most or all of these stations broadcast on-line which means you can log on and listen to any of them, so by all means...e-mail and request our tunes!! 

The best way to score yourself a CD is to come see us live...We are ALWAYS looking for gigs...feel free to contact us here if you need a band for your event.  It would be a pleasure!

Take care,

Joshua Arden Miller

Something for ALL musicians to read

An observation......

I was in Owen Sound yesterday on a bit of a holiday. I stopped by a club that hosts Jazz weekly..... or maybe that should read "weakly". The Owner said she doesn't pay most of the players.... but that the good ones...the ones with a "following"... might get $100.00. Now let's take a moment here to think this "following" comment through.

We are expected to bring people into the club on the night of our performance. What that really means is.... not only do we have supply the equipment to play, and spend years to learn how to play it... we are expected to Advertise the Club and the gig to all... and maybe even rent a Bus to bring people to the Owners place! Does any other "Profession" have to do this? When does the Club Owner take responsibility for Promoting, Advertising and Marketing their Club? Isn't our official title.... ENTERTAINER? That means we're hired... and paid.... to Entertain their Customers. If we're doing it all....why don't we just run our own events!

Here's an example of NO RESPECT..... or at least....very little for our Talent...
A Club Owner told me last week he was able to purchase an eleven....yes folks.... ELEVEN piece band for $500.00! That works out to $45.45 each for four hours of work. That's $11.36 per hour..... BUT..... the band has to bring in...what..... $10,000 worth of equipment to play the gig? Maybe even rent equipment like Lights and Sound.... Practise in advance of the gig..... purchase gas to get to the gig and the practises..... That $11.36 is probably more like MINUS $20.00 per hour. And get this.....the Club Owner said he did...... $9,000.00 worth of Bar Sales that night!!!! Why was that? Well... the band worked hard... advertised the gig and got all their friends to attend.... (there's that following thing again) and filled the Club. Wow.... Great eh! If the Band was able to do this, why didn't they charge $2,500.00 for their work that night? Or better still...why didn't they just rent a Hall somewhere and run their own Show? This is just not Good Business. It's an example of a situation created by Fellow Live Entertainment Artists, that makes it almost impossible to compete against to get a gig. You can imagine what the Club Owner is going to pay a Four piece with no "following" after this experience. Are we working for ourselves or the Clubs? This is the Music Business...... "Business" being the operative word here. There's good business and there's bad business. This is a great example of Good Business for the Club Owner and Bad Business for the Band. And it wasn't the Club Owners fault... it was us! If we have a following.....that's worth money..... sooooo... charge for it!

Back to the Club in Owen Sound.....
The Owner says the players are lined up around the block to perform in her club. She said 90% just want to play and aren't interested in what they get paid. A lot of Live Entertainment Artists have no respect for their own talent or that of their fellow Artists. By performing for nothing or next to nothing, they put their fellow Artists in the position of having to play for nothing or next to nothing in order to compete.... and on and on the cycle goes. No wonder our Business is in trouble. Just imagine if other Professions acted like that.... Doctors, Plumbers .... Lawyers.... etc..... and yes.... this is a Profession. It can be a way to earn your living if you wish it to be. Wouldn't that be great eh? But how are we going to earn a living if we just "give it all away?" It's our responsibility to attach the value to our work. It's like this example.... "Mr/Ms Club Owner.... I'm really good and I'm going to play your Club for nothing. I'll be the best GOOD FOR NOTHING Entertainer you've ever seen!"

This is why the Clubs don't feel they have to pay much if anything, for our Talent. If it's not even valued by the people that perform it!, why should they? It's not the Club Owners who are at fault here....it's us... the Live Entertainment Artists. We've created this situation. It's up to us to change it. If we don't respect our own Talent, why should we expect that Club Owners should? Oh....you say you're looking for "exposure". Here's the reality..... when you play for free.... all you get is an opportunity to work again.... yup... for FREE!

We must start to respect ourselves and our Talent. Only then will others do the same.

Michael Keys

The FANTASTIC Pappy Johns Rhythm Section, Don Powless & Oren Doxtator perform every Sunday evening (when not on the road) @ The Paddy Wagon, Crystal Beach, Ontario. 

Never knowing who may show up at this Open Mic style Jam can make a great night of Blues n Rock.  Bring your instrument.

4060 Erie
Fort Erie, ON
(905) 894-1433

CRYSTAL BEACH

For all my musician friends...as you may or may not know, aside from being the singer/guitar player for Pappy Johns Band, I am also the morning radio DJ for CKRZ 100.3FM.  Feel free to send me any and ALL of your music to be reviewed and added to the CKRZ playlists!

CKRZ 100.3FM

P.O. Box 189

OHSWEKEN, ONTARIO CANADA

N0A 1M0

ATTN: JOSHUA MILLER