Hey all

The last run with King's X was hard but we got it done. They will be taking a break for now.

Did a month of our old Thursday happy hours at The Continental Club with The Mother Truckers for October. That was so much fun and the shows were amazing! Lot of great special guests sitting in like Earl Poole Ball and Brandon from Pat Green's band among others. The Truckers are playing Saturday 11/21 @ Antone's. Gonna be awesome!

Been playing shows with Eric Tessmer again, have three coming up this week  (11/12 @ Antone's, 11/13 @ Friends, 11/14 @ BD Riley's). More to come I am sure.

Shandon is out drumming for The Meat Puppets, so we are taking a break.

Am looking into re-recording some of the Red River Day Care material and doing some type of solo EP/LP, just to do it.

Am back to work with Triniti Young trying to get the Room 710 coffee table book rolling. Hopefully this will be a stepping stone to more books (a Red River one, in particular), and document all this underground musical history of the past several years.

In between I will be going to shows and taking pics of bands just cause I like to do it. Am talking to Austin420 Magazine about writing/shooting for them.

In the meantime check out Danny G's Rock Blog:

http://dannygrocks.blogspot.com

Click the ads. I get paid! I try to update it daily with whatever musical/creative things I have going on at the time, road journals and travel pics, show reviews and band photos.


Take care and rock on,

Danny G

I leave tomorrow for one more run with King's X as Ty Tabor's guitar tech. King's X will be supporting Porcupine Tree unless otherwise noted:

Fri 9/18  Birmingham AL @ Zydeco (King's X headline and my birthday!!!)
Sat 9/19  Louisville KY @ The Phoenix Hill (King's X headline)
Mon 9/21  Cleveland OH @ House Of Blues
Tue 9/22  Chicago IL @ Vic Theater
Thu 9/24  New York NY @ Terminal
Fri 9/25  Baltimore MD @ Rams Head Live
Sat 9/26  Philadelphia PA @ Electric Factory
Sun 9/27  Boston MA @ House Of Blues
Tue 9/29  Montreal, QUEB @ Metropolis
Wed 9/30  Toronto ONT @ Queen Elizabeth Theater
Thu 10/1  London ONT @ Norma Jean's (King's X headline)


See you on the road! Let's have a beer!!!


Follow my misadventures online via my BLOG.

and on Twitter.com.

Have started a blogspot to BS about my day-to-day misadventures. Started it last month during a 3 week run with King's X, finally added the pics.

Check it out!


http://dannygrocks.blogspot.com

With the imminent closing of ROOM 710 and the huge dent it will make in Austin's long-overlooked Red River Music Community, Triniti Young, myself and Asher from 710 are now working on a coffee table book for ROOM 710.

No one will write our history for us, so we need to take matters into our own hands before Red River is gone for good. This project makes total sense, as I have boxes of B&W prints dating back to fall of 2000 and have bringing my camera to shows ever since. I am honored to be a part of this, and glad to finally be doing *something* with the 1000's of pics I've been taking over the years at 710 alone.

SO -- Anyone who knows publishers, or people who know publishers, or know how to put a book together, GET IN TOUCH.

In the meantime, come on out and have some beers and support the scene before this unsung Austin rock n roll landmark goes away and is reopened as God-knows-what.


Thanks,
Danny G

Hey all

Got back home Thursday evening from the 5 week King's X tour. Just gotta say it was an amazing experience. Met a lot of amazing people and got to see two amazing bands almost every night, Orange Sky from Trinidad and of course the mighty King's X.

Orange Sky are some of the coolest motherfuckers to currently walk the Earth, buy them lots of Jager shots if they come through your town, and be sure to throw all of your money at them! Awesome band that I hope continue to do bigger and bigger things. Nigel, Nicholas, Mark, Rich, and of course Obasi, I hope to see you all again.

King's X was consistently amazing every single night, pulling off every song album perfect and nailing all of their harmonies without the help of freaking backing tracks. Watching Ty, Dug and Jerry completely destroy was inspiring. And then I'd get to hang out with them. Win/win! And I guess I did a decent enough job that I will be working as guitar tech for their August and September runs as well! GO OUT AND SEE THIS AMAZING BAND.

The crew are all excellent people and it was a pleasure to destroy my liver with them night after night! J Rab, Ryan, Josh, Wilson, Kolby, Mike (and Trent!), you all fucking rock. Hope to have beers with y'all very very soon!

I am still writing down the last week of the tour, got very behind in my journals and general burnout kept me from finding the time to finish them. Still editing the 1000's of pics that I and Trent took as well. Not having Photoshop on the new laptop effing sucks. If anyone knows any free downloadable photo editing programs, let me the F know! Tour blogs will be coming very very soon, you can count on it! That and there will also be more Mother Truckers "van tour" blogs to come as well, going back to our winter/spring/summer tours.

In the meantime, I hit the ground running. Got in Thursday (7/2) night and immediately played shows Friday (7/3) and Saturday (7/4) on bass with Eric Tessmer. Good times! Got paid nicely to basically get drunk and jam, heh! Will do the same tonight (7/6) at Friends on 6th Street as well! Also have an Antone's show (7/23) with The Mother Truckers and a special Shandon Sahm "Sahm Covers Sahm" show at the Continental Club in Houston (7/24), where we will be performing an entire set of Sir Doug tunes in preparation for the 10 year anniversary of Doug Sahm's passing later this year. That, and still casually talking to players/friends about putting together a line-up for Red River Day Care, and keeping a general ear to the ground for (musical) work.

Take care and rock on,
Danny G

When the Gods of Rock close a door, they punch a hole in the wall to make a window.

Was already planning on seeing Honky/Grady/Amplified Heat at the Continental Club last night. Got an email from a good friend inviting everyone to the earlier Happy Hour gig (the Mother Truckers' old Thurs night slot, no less).

Get there, meet friend. Go inside for a beer. At the bar for 2 minutes when Bobby from Honky comes up, purpose in his stride. We chat very briefly when he asks what I am doing this summer. "Trying to fill my schedule... why?" "How would you like to guitar tech for King's X for 5 weeks?!?"

No shit. I say sure, he gives me their tour mgr's number and says "Cool. Call this guy RIGHT NOW."

I call him, we chat on the phone. Says he'll be down to meet me in a few. Calls again, meet him outside. Says he 100% trusts Bobby's judgement for referrals and I basically get the job sight-unseen, and we'd leave next week Thursday. WOW. I tell him YES, but give me 90 minutes to really think it over (until Amplified Heat goes on, heh). Of course, I call him in 30 and tell him for sure I'll take it, heh.

I will have to cancel a month's worth of shows, 4 with The Truckers, 3 with Shandon, and at least 1 money pickup gig/video shoot. But fuck it. This will be 5 weeks of steady work going once again all across the USA, and some MAJOR fucking networking opportunities I will be able to apply directly to my own music career (being BROS WITH KING'S X, meeting promotors from venues I'd actually want to play, heh).

Wow. This is EXACTLY the kind of thing I've been needing, feels like a 1000 pound weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I won't be playing, but no biggie. Will be well worth it. But will be kinda weird to not play a show for more than a month tho, heh.

Thank you, Bobby Rock. You were right bro, there was much love in the room last night!

Thu 5/28 San Antonio TX @ Jack's Patio Bar & Grill

Fri 5/29 Helotes TX @ Josabi's Warehouse 

Sat 5/30 Houston TX @ The Meridian 

Mon 6/01 Austin TX @ Red Eye Fly

Tue 6/02 El Paso TX @ Club 101

Thu 6/04 San Diego CA @ Brick By Brick

Fri 6/05 Los Angeles CA @ Key Club 

Sat 6/06 Santa Ana CA @ Galaxy Theater

Mon 6/08 Portland OR @ Berbati’s Pan

Tue 6/09 Seattle WA @ El Corazon

Wed 6/10 Coeur d'Alene ID @ The Grail

Fri 6/12 Salt Lake City UT @ Club Vegas

Sat 6/13 Denver CO @ Owsley’s Golden Road

Mon 6/15 Omaha NE @ The Waiting Room

Tue 6/16 Kansas City MO @ The Riot Room

Wed 6/17 Lincoln NE @ Knickerbockers

Fri 6/19 Souix Falls SD @ Nutty's North

Sat 6/20 Fargo ND @ Venue At The Hub

Tue 6/23 St Paul MN @ Station 4

Wed 6/24 Des Moines IA @ House Of Bricks 

Fri 6/26 Milwaukee WI @ Shank Hall

Sat 6/27 Chicago IL @ Double Door

Sun 6/28 Mt Clemmons MI @ Freedom Festival w/ RATT/DOKKEN/NIGHT RANGER

Tue 6/30 Memphis TN @ Newby’s

Wed 7/01 Little Rock AR @ Juanita's Ballroom

Danny G SXSW Video Blog for ATX Live.com

Hey all

Check out part 1 of my SXSW video blog for ATX Live.com!

http://www.youtube.com/ATXLive411

Part 2 coming soon...

Courtesy of Blondy Rock Promotions:

QUESTIONS FOR ARTISTS/BANDS

1. What is your stage name, as a solo artist or band?

Danny G

3. What genres do you play?

Bass in a rock/americana band (The Mother Truckers), guitar for rock/metal bands (Ironclad, Shandon Sahm Band) and drums/bass/guitar for a studio solo rock/jam project (Red River Day Care).

What is your main genre?

ROCK

4. If you are part of a band, who is all in the band and what instrument does everybody play? If you are a solo artist, do you have a band who plays for you?

The Mother Truckers: Teal Collins (vox, acoustic/electric guitar), Josh Zee (vox, electric guitar), myself (bass)

Shandon Sahm Band: Shandon Sahm: vocals (ex-Pariah/Meat Puppets, son of Texas Music Legend Doug Sahm), myself: guitar, Jim Ortiz: Guitar (Amplified Heat), Trevor: Bass (ex-LIONS), Gary: drums (ex-The Spiders/Hognose, The Beaumonts)

Ironclad: Myself: guitar, main songwriter, Stuart Smith: vocals (TALL, San Diego CA), Tim "Tank" Casterline: bass (M.O.D.), Adrian Flores (Bound): drums.

Red River Day Care: me playing drums, bass and guitar. Full line-up pending.

6. Where are you located?

Austin TX

7. When were you established, as a solo artist or band?

I moved to Austin in Jan 2000 to get into music. Have been establishing myself as a player in Austin's Red River community for the last 9 years. Played in Southern Gun Culture from 2000 to 2004 and did some touring and records with them, good experience but I wanted to take it further and make music my career. Taught myself to play bass to broaden my options, since everyone in town knows 10 guitar players but ALWAYS need a bass player! Played/toured full time for a few months in 2006-2007 with The Ryan Bales Band on bass. Fun and good experience but still not where I wanted to be going. Formed Ironclad in 2006 and had some initial success but it folded in late 2007. The final step that got me where I wanted to be was joining The Mother Truckers in Oct 2007. That allowed me to quit my day job at a TV station and finally play full-time for a living in a well-established band.

8. Who has influenced you?

Growing up Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Guns N Roses, old Metallica, Nirvana, Sick Of It All, S.O.D and DRI. More recently The Who, The Allman Brothers, James Gang, Charlie Daniels Band, Monster Magnet, Queens of the Stone Age, Soundgarden.

Lot of great local bands that have been influential as well, Dixie Witch and Amplified Heat

9. Who do you think you sound like?

Bass: Geezer Butler + John Paul Jones + Cliff Burton
Guitar: Tony Iommi + Jimmy Page + Ace Frehley + Kim Thayil

The Mother Truckers are a great mix of traditional country (the GOOD kind) and old-fashioned kick-ass rock n roll.

Shandon Sahm is like The Stooges meets Ziggy Stardust. Iggy Stardust? heh
Ironclad is heavy rock/metal with some Southern Rock and with driving Axl Rose/Rob Halford vocals.

Red River Day Care is like heavy Allman Brothers, alot of two-guitar melodies

10. Who are your favourite bands and artists? Why?

Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, The Who -- hard to beat the classics. Josh Homme/Queens of the Stone Age, I like how he totally branched off from Kyuss and has been doing his own thing and writing really cool/experimental songs. There are also alot of local Austin bands that are personal favorites. Adrian and the Sickness is an all-girl rock band with one of my favorite guitarists/performers in town (Adrian Conner), watching her makes me step up my own game big time. Amplified Heat is another great rock band, like Cream on steroids. Three brothers, almost unfair how much talent is in the Ortiz family. I play opposite Jim (guitar) in Shandon Sahm's band. Dixie Witch and Honky, heavy and loud southern rock.
 
11. What is the goal for yourself(solo artist) or band? What would you like to achieve as a musician?

I want to remain gainfully employed as a working/touring musician for as long as I can, and make/write/perform music that makes people feel the way that music makes ME feel. I want to play multiple instruments in multiple bands in multiple genres, to be a musician in the truest sense of the word. Have a reputation as an individual player/songwriter instead of a member of any one band.
 
12. When and where was your first gig or show? Any story you would like to share about that? Funny or otherwise.

Playing guitar for Mad Taxi (thrash/punk/hardcore band) at Zero's in Corpus Christi TX in October 1992. I had just turned 18, was barely old enough to get in the door, got there way too early and had to sit around for a few hours. It was alright, I was nervous and just kinda stood there and played.
But I loosened up midset when we finished a song that I wrote and sang, when someone in the crowd yelled "That was BAD ASS!!!" I already knew what I wanted to do with my life (be a touring musician) but that pretty much cemented it! Thanks, drunk guy!

13. What is your favourite song you have performed? And why?

The Mother Truckers "Save My Soul" -- It's an eight minute rock extravaganza complete with jam part for a long guitar solo, a bass solo where i run into the crowd, and a full drum solo. I always put 200% into that one live, such a fun song.

Ironclad "The Picker" -- A very heavy southern-rock song, fun and challenging to play guitar-wise and really kicks ass.

Shandon Sahm "You're Gonna Miss Me" (Roky Ericson cover) -- Just flat out ROCKS. Fun to play. Me and Jim usually wind up trading solos at the end.

"Women Without Whiskey" a Drive-By Truckers cover I did with The Ryan Bales Band. Always gave me chills when we played it. Felt we really did it justice, and Ryan has such a great voice.
 
14. Do you have a funny story that you would like to share, something to do with your music?

Too many to tell. Crazy towns you never knew existed with even crazier inhabitants that turned out to be all sorts of awesome (Paonio CO and Pomeroy OH, to name a few). Mental breakdowns in the middle of nowhere. Blown tires in the Arizona desert. Genuinely good people whose hospitality and love for what you do that makes all the BS worthwhile. Inside jokes that make no sense whatsoever to any other human beings. Van farts are always comedy gold.
 
15. Do you have an inspirational story or a touching story, you would like to share?

I just gotta say the overwhelming generosity and hospitality of good people always makes being on the road worthwhile. People that open their doors to you and let you stay at their place and cook you breakfast in the morning. Things like that are never forgotten. Also when someone comes up to you after a show with a big smile on their face and says, "I was having a TERRIBLE DAY until I saw you guys!" That's what its all about. Getting up there to play some good songs, put on a good show, and having however many people are there (4? 40? 400? 4000?) all go home happy.
 
16. Have you ever played with a famous band? As a backup or alongside with?

With the Ryan Bales Band I opened for Lynyrd Skynyrd, 38 Special, Drive-By Truckers, Cross-Canadian Ragweed and Kevin Fowler.

Since' I've been in The Mother Truckers we've done dates with Mike Ness (Social Distortion), opened for Kenny Wayne Sheppard, The Cowboy Junkies, Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers and Asleep At The Wheel. Previous to that TMT opened for Merle Haggard and played Willie Nelson's 4th of July Picnic.
Ironclad shared the stage with underground legend Scott "Wino" Weinrich's band The Hidden Hand.
 
17. Do you have someone who you would like to thank? Someone who has helped you along the way?

My wife and my parents for supporting me over the years, a former boss for firing me (2 weeks after being awarded "employee of the semester") which first allowed me to try a career in music.
 
18. Are you signed to a label?

The Mother Truckers "Let's All Go To Bed" was released on FUNZALO
Shandon Sahm "Knock Yourself Out" was released on KILLING BIRD

19. Do you have cds out? What are their titles. Where can people purchase them?
1992 Mad Taxi "Functional Encopresis" (cassette) on my then-label Brainrot Records
1992 Front Lawn Revolution/Mad Taxi split (cassette) on Brainrot Records
2001 Southern Gun Culture "Art of War EP" self-released
2002 Southern Gun Culture "ROOM 65" on Monotremata Records
2003 Southern Gun Culture/Super Heavy Goat Ass SPLIT-EP on Arclight Records, purchase thru website
2005 Velvet Brick "Firewater" on Mesa Records, purchase thru website
2005 Shandon Sahm "Knock Yourself Out" on Killing Bird Records, purchase thru website
2007 Ironclad "American Dream" EP, self released
2008 The Mother Truckers "Let's All Go To Bed" on Funzalo Records, in stores

20. Do you have any videos of you on YouTube or Myspace video?

The Mother Truckers "Dynamite" video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2_dJ0dqq-l4
Shandon Sahm "Rock N Roll Demon" video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxFJ9hcA6XY&feature=PlayList&p=6508BBE2948C977A&index=7
Ironclad "Breakaway" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg4VPsaOOBU
Southern Gun Culture live (reunion in 2007) "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" (Black Sabbath cover) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ivwh-uqmiww

21. Do you have cds soon to be released, when are they being released? Or do you have cds in the works?

I've been writing and recording at home an album for Red River Day Care, submitted it to the RPM Challenge (an online deal where you write/record a full album in the month of February). You can listen at myspace. com/redriverdaycare.
Ironclad is currently writing new material, most of stemming from the Red River Day Care material.
 
22. Do you have an upcoming tour or show that you would like to advertise?

Last night The Mother Truckers opened for Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers at Antone's in Austin. Amazing show! Have future Antone's dates coming up: March 12 and April 9. During South by Southwest The Mother Truckers will be headlinging the Continental Club Saturday March 21 as our official SXSW showcases. That will be HUGE! Will be typically busy during SXSW week: The Mother Truckers are playing 3 shows, Shandon Sahm in playing 2, Ironclad has 1 or 2 pending. I usually do 7-8 shows with 2-3 different bands in those 4 days.
 
23. Have you ever had media coverage? Like magazines, radio shows?

The Mother Truckers have been getting a lot of great press: 3 page interview with Josh Zee for Nov 08 issue of Guitar Player Magzine and an album review in a previous issue, the cover of Austin Music & Entertainment Magazine Summer 08, the song "Streets of Atlanta" was featured on Little Steven's Underground Garage as the "Coolest Song in the World" for week of June 8 2008 and featured on his compilation, glowing reviews of "Let's All Go To Bed" in Austin-American Statesman and The Austin Chronicle, Josh and Teal just featured on cover of Valentine's Day issue of the XLent section of Austin-American Statesman.
 
24. What is your Myspace url and also a main website, where people can find you?
My personal page is http://www.myspace.com/dannygrocks

25. Any last things you would like to share with people?

For up and coming musicians, buy the best gear you can afford and play every show like it's your last. Set goals for yourself and work HARD to achieve them. You have to make things happen rather than wait for someone to hand it to you on a plate. I would also like to thank everyone who has let me sleep on their couch or floor, that was awesome and very kind of you.

Things like that are keeping the ROCK alive!

Now you can listen to my solo Red River Day Care album online in its entirety!

This is an album I started off as demos but turned in into a full length as part of the RPM Challenge, an online deal where you write and record an album in the month of February just to see if you can (an offshoot of the WPM Challenge, where writers pen a novel in the month of November).

9 songs, 35.5 minutes of instrumental music recorded on a digital 8-track in my dining room, me playing drums bass and guitar.

Enjoy!

http://www.redriverdaycare.rpmchallenge.com

Danny G!!!

http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Awards/MusicAwards?mode=browse&category=Best%20Austin%20Musicians&year=2008

This is awesome, exciting, validitaing, overwhelming and also a pleasant surprise. Great way to kick off SXSW week.

Thanks to everyone who voted, I really really appreciate it!