It’s been six and a half years since the last Star Trek movie, the longest period between any of them.  The 11^th movie, Star Trek, is out and hopefully it can overcome the harm that the last one did to the franchise.  For the Trekkies who remember the saying, “even numbered Star Trek movies don’t suck” they will be happy to know lucky 11 breaks that “truth”.  Really though, the last movie “Nemesis” broke it first by being an even numbered one and, in my opinion, was the worst of them all.  This new movie however delivers and more than makes up for what Star Trek fans have had to endure.

 

For a while Paramount had a problem.  The Star Trek TV shows of late haven’t been doing well so they would not translate into success on the big screen.  The movies based on the second tv show, Star Trek the Next Generation, had petered out so what to do?  If you look at how Batman got reinvented with “Batman Begins” (2005) and how the James Bond franchise got reinvigorated by “Casino Royale” (2006), their strategy doesn’t seem all that unique.  They elected to take it to the beginning even before the Original Series from the 60’s.  They tried this strategy with the show “Star Trek: Enterprise” but it was not entirely successful.  This time however, they use the original characters from the original series but we get the whole, “how they met” carrot.

 

I won’t get into too many spoilers here but the general story is that a Romulan ship has traveled through time and wants to take revenge on the Federation.  At the same time, Kirk and Spock grow up, meet and all of the original characters get together on the Enterprise to fight them off.

 

Now J.J. Abrams, of “Lost”, “Cloverfield”, and “Mission Impossible III” fame put this together and it does have a good story, a lot of action, perfect special effects, and a cast that fills the shoes in a way I thought impossible!  I was really hoping to like this movie because I thought if it sucked, the franchise was in serious jeopardy.  No worries though since this movie rocked!  They got the famous lines from each of the characters in there and more importantly, it wasn’t cheesy!  They gave you little information tidbits such as why Bones is called Bones and how Kirk managed to be a “Lets rush in and Shoot to Kill” leader in an enlightened Federation of the future.  It kind of all works.  You even get a red shirt to go on an away mission and do the stereotypical; he’s the one to die thing.

 

Was it fast paced?  Yes!  Did it look pretty?  Definitely Yes!  On opening day, much of the audience clapped at the end and this day and age, that says a lot.  I look forward to the next one.

 

Now I have stated online before that when it comes to movies, I am very critical and I don’t dismiss things that could have made a movie better.  I did have a few things that really irked me.  One even was throughout the film.

 

The whole Shaky Cam thing bugged me a lot.  I mean, it is a stationary scene and the camera still shakes?  The camera never is still.  I mean never.  It jerks back and forth through action scenes and even in room scenes the director finds a way to pretend that tripods don’t exist.  It was enough to make me dizzy in some areas.  I know it is an artistic style but I think it is overdone.  My advice for you if you go to the movie is to sit near the back so the shakes won’t affect you as much.

 

Spoilers here so be warned! 

 

The other problem I had was the continuity with the rest of Star Trek.  With the introduction of the Time Traveling Romulan ship, history changes and Abrams sets everything up as a possible alternate reality universe which means, he can do whatever he wants and it won’t affect the timeline.  In this reality, Spock and Uhura are an item, The Romulan Empire may or may not be destroyed in the future, and before The Original Series five year mission, and the whole planet Vulcan gets sucked into a black hole!  I mean really…..  I understand the reinvention concept but this was a twist worthy of a season of the TV show Dallas in which, it is all a dream.  I guess it was hard for me to accept since all the other shows and movies worked so hard to keep that level of continuity.  My bias I know but you have to stop looking at this as a prequel because it’s not.  The way it is set up, there’s a clean slate and who knows where they will go in the next film.

 

Now bottom line, is it worth seeing?

Definitely!  It is a movie that even people who aren’t familiar with Star Trek will enjoy.  Those Sci-Fi movies are rare.  The writing is enjoyable and even if you don’t get the inside Trekkie jokes, it doesn’t matter.  They were popular on the Original Series for a reason and everyone will enjoy them now since they don’t come across as forced.

 

The best compliment I can give this film is that I am going to see this again in the theatre asap.  I already know I will buy the DVD.  I think the other May blockbuster movies are going to have their hands full trying to keep up.

 

Andrew

Yesterday was my birthday.  I’m not saying it was or should be a heralded event, but, of course, it was important to me.  I received many calls, texts, comments, and messages online throughout the day.  Each one meant a lot to me and I do thank everyone for their kind thoughts and remembrances.

Historically I have had some bad birthdays.  That has always caused me to just try to get through the day with an air of caution.  I have gotten better with that over time but one thing that hasn’t changed: I still do a lot of thinking on my birthday.

Each year on my birthday I think about the upcoming year, where I am and where I am going.  It may sound more like a New Years Resolution thing but I always thought that birthdays were a better time for that.  I spent most of my birthday this year driving which gives you a lot of time to think.  I did a lot of thinking yesterday about how great things have been and how optimistic I am for the next year.

There are so many opportunities out there right now for me and Flynn’s Folly.  To say I am happy and excited is a huge understatement.  Some of the projects I’ve been working on are done and many of the others are nearing completion.  It’s truly an exciting time.  I'm really happy with the direction of my songwriting and composition. Michelle is still a joy to play music with.  After a good start with travelling to gigs, we are looking at a lot of touring the rest of the year.  Being on the road that much is going to be a big change for me but one that I am very excited about.

The question that inevitably comes up on my Birthday and probably for a lot of you too is, “Is this what I should be doing and am I on the right path to do it?”  This year, it was an easy answer.  Everything is fitting well and although the next month will be busy, I am going to enjoy it like only someone who has a career they love can appreciate.

Thanks again to everyone and let me know how your year is going!

Andrew

Michelle was out of town this week so I used the opportunity to work on mixing and mastering on Season’s Melody’s CD.

The debut CD should be ready for release very soon. I take mixing and mastering very seriously and spend many hours working on each individual song. I think you will be able to tell how much of myself I put into it based on the quality that is coming out in each song. Of course it is easier when you have great work to start with. I have really been enjoying the experience of working with another artist who is so gifted. I’ll definitely let you all know when the CD is out and available!

Michelle and I will get back to work finishing our CD next week. We’re still set to be released in May so I’ll keep you updated on that as well.

Back to work now!

What an amazing month. We go from the dry warmth of Phoenix to the cold snow in New York and then end up back in Austin where it is 85. That is the life of a musician or, as I like to subtitle it, always bring a coat no matter where you go cause, you never know!

I’ve blogged about the individual things that went on but there is certainly a bigger picture that should be addressed. This last month was a learning experience, a growing friendship, a love of where the music is going, and a proof of concept.

It all started with a fun journey to Arizona. Traveling with Michelle was a blast and it was a bit like goofing around for 16 hours! When we got there, we stayed with friends and that can make all the difference. We spent the first weekend just figuring out where everything was and where we were supposed to be. We learned a lot! The Arizona Renaissance Festival is a beautiful faire. They take a lot of pride in everything. The site looks fantastic and the people are wonderful. We felt welcome right away and made many new friends.

Was it hot and sunny? Yes. Was it dusty and windy? Yes. But we had a great time. Maybe it is the climate, being so different from England, which makes them work so much harder to make it a great faire. It’s the details that make that faire.

Each weekend was better in all ways than the previous one. We tried many new things and most of them worked. I really look forward to getting back for a full run next year. If three weekends was great, imagine what eight weekends will be. I don’t know if I could have asked for a better start and that is the truth!

After we left, another 16 hours to Austin and then we had one day off before we flew to New York for I-Con, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy convention on Long Island. It was chilly up there, a drastic change. We saw many old friends and had a good time. We opened the music Cabaret and received a very encouraging response: People loved it! We played 5 songs and each was different than the others. I really wanted to show them our range. It was a good mix and I think the audience appreciated it.

I also conducted a panel entitled “How to Write Music.” The panel encompassed my theories on songwriting. I wanted to share them to help other aspiring songwriters out there. There was a good turnout and everyone enjoyed it and seemed to learn from it. I couldn’t ask for more than that. They even laughed at my jokes…… BONUS!

Whenever you travel you need to stop and smell the flowers so we managed to make it to Manhattan to Central Park. It was a fun day and I can’t wait to go there next year too. I want to stay longer though and plan some other shows in the area. Then we could really tour New York City with a bit of unmeasured time.

So what did we learn from this? Well… going into it I had several questions and they were all answered.


Question 1: Can we do well at Ren Faires?
Answer: You betcha!

Question 2: Can we do well at Conventions?
Answer: You betcha again!

Question 3: Having not done it successfully before, can we busk at faires?
Answer: You know it!

Question 4: Do Michelle and I travel well together?
Answer: Very well. We have a similar sense of humor and she’s fun.

Question 5: How difficult will it be to travel with that many instruments?
Answer: Difficult but not too bad.

Question 6: Are we ever going to finish our CD???
Answer: Yeppers. Should only be a few weeks away. It will be done by May.

Question 7: Is our group going to kick some butt and leave other groups behind?
Answer: Watch our dust!!!!


A lot of what I got from this past month was a new confidence that this is what I should be doing and that it is going to work out nicely. The Website is up and changes are being made and content being added almost daily. Our CD will be out very soon. I also expect to have a huge gig update next week so stay tuned for that!

Andrew McKee

Saturday was great. Woke up and played several songs on the Renaissance Festival Podcast. Then we made it to my panel on “How to Write Music.” The crowd was really into it and asked a lot of questions. It went smooth and I think they felt informed and satisfied.

At 8pm, we opened the Cabaret which is a music show with all the groups at the Con. We did a good mix of songs and had the crowd clapping along, singing along, and laughing along. Can’t ask for more than that!

It was a great day and now we can relax and spend the day saying goodbye to old and new friends. I’ll blog more about it soon!

Andrew McKee

We are in New York at I-CON, a science fiction and fantasy convention. It is good to be here and we are having a blast seeing old friends and making new ones.

Big news though… I have been working feverishly on the website and it should be up within the next couple of days! www.flynnsfolly.com So check that out! I’ll post when it is up and ready.

Many of you may have noticed that (get your wagers ready) that I have been blogging! I’ll try to continue this trend and blog on the website as well. Look for it and enjoy the novelty. My goal is to continue doing it until it isn’t simply a novelty, it is a standard.

I am looking forward to my music panel here. I am running a panel on “How to write music.” It is a condensed version of my theories, experience, and understanding of the process of writing music. In other words, I show anyone who is interested that they can write music and how they can do it. I’ll let you know how it goes. It will be Saturday at 1:30pm in the Matisse room at the Marriot.

Wish me luck!

Andrew McKee
Flynn’s Folly

The faire is flying by…. And not like the B-17 that flew over the site on Saturday!  I mean, a World War II bomber???  Not something you would expect but maybe not a surprise when you are next to a military base in Arizona.  That was a pretty big surprise for me this weekend, but one thing that wasn’t a surprise was that our shows were great and that we had a great time.  We have more fun at every show!  The cast has been wonderful and very supportive.  We have made many friends and it has been great to hear how they want us back next year.

From the King, the Mayor, the Court, other performers, on down to the peasantry, I have never had support like this from a faire.  They are all exactly as described to me by people who have visited here before.  I can recommend this faire to everyone.  It is different from other faires mainly because of the climate, but they make up for it by doing everything else as good as possible.  It shows!

As for shows, we have tried new things every show to keep it fresh and test out material.  We have had a good response but I am determined not to get complacent.  I’ll never accept things as good enough!  I declare that now to you all as a promise.  We shall always be evolving and always coming up with new things.  Now look, I’m getting philosophical.  Mondays after faire!!!!

I hope to see some familiar faces the Last weekend.  Everyone here says the last weekend is crazy with people and it is usually one of the best weekends!  I can’t wait.
I’ll try to curb my philosophical ways and work on more music!!!!

Well… as my Uncle Flynn use to say, “You get what you pay for as long as it’s free!”

What a time, what a weekend, what a faire!  For many years, I have only heard good things about the Arizona Renaissance Festival.  No one ever says anything negative!  I mean, it’s a faire and nothing negative?  This intrigued me and I’ve always wanted to check it out.  I now understand why everyone was positive about it.

The faire is laid out in one very huge circle but all the shops, stages, and the joust look wondrous.  The faire pays attention to detail and nothing on the site looks mediocre.  When I first heard about the faire, I was thinking, “Hmm… a faire in the sand???”  It is not like that at all.  Lots of grassy areas with trees litter the path of the faire like an oasis at regular intervals and it is so relaxing!  More than once, I saw a father sleeping on the grass with his hat over his face while the kids played!  I’ve never seen that at another faire.

That’s not to say it is a small faire.  On Saturday there was 17,000 people and Sunday didn’t seem like much less.  It didn’t have a packed feeling though like you get at some faires.  The way it is laid out spreads people around and it works.  I just wish I could have played here before now.

We had a blast.  Our shows were well received and we saw lots of old friends while making many new ones.  It was great seeing and talking to old friends like Owain Phyfe, Adrian from Tartanic, Pirate Shantyman & Bonnie Lass, Fool Hearty, and the Tortuga Twins.  We met some great musicians such as Abby Green and the Pierides.  I can’t wait to jam with them some more.

We had so many comments about our music and our instruments.  Many patrons and performers were asking what some of our songs were and where we got our instruments.  Michelle was a huge hit (no pun intended) with her drumming and her Octave Mandolin.  I know now that adding the Tenor Recorder was a good idea since it went over quite well.  I was stopped so many times on the street with people asking where I got my guitar.  I mean, I loved getting a good response from our music but I wasn’t expecting the response on our instruments.  I say, “BONUS!”

We are definitely a good match for Ren Faires!  I'll be adding more to our schedule soon so stay tuned for that.  I really am looking forward to next week and am already looking forward to Arizona next year.  If anyone is in the area, come out and see us.  We’ll be the ones having the great time!

Andrew McKee
Flynn’s Folly

Our show on Saturday, Jan 24th was a fitting start to what I am sure is going to be a wondrous bit of musical fun.  We played at the Grace Lutheran Church in Round Rock, TX for a fundraiser and our prayers were answered as everyone there had a great time.  Thanks to Jan Czenkusch for setting up the gig for us and being a true fan and friend.  She set this up since she couldn't wait to see our first gig.  Not a bad way to do it…. (Hint) (Hint)

This show was our first opportunity to try out all the crazy ideas and arrangements Michelle and I have been coming up with.  I'm glad to say that a lot of it worked very well and I finally can breathe a welcome sigh of relief.  The audience was great… laughed when they were supposed to…. Ooo'd and awe'd more than once.  We played some of my original compositions and with Michelle's help they went over great.

During the show, we switched between 6 different instruments and even switched instruments while we were playing!  If it keeps up that way, methinks we might have to change it into a juggling show.  That should keep people from sitting in the front row!  We played a good mix of instrumental and vocal songs both soft and uproarious.  I have always enjoyed comedy and beauty in music and now I can show it.

My favorite moment from the night was when the audience helped me write a tune on the spot so that Michelle and I could perform it for them.  They came up with some good stuff and I think we will have to arrange it for future performances.  Writing any song is a challenge, but when you have something to start with, you can build on it and sometimes create something marvelous.  That tune was a good example and thanks to everyone there who helped.  A job well done!

I am even more excited about Flynn's Folly after such a great start.  I can't wait till we get to play for all of you and I'll be trying to set up gigs for as many places as we can this year. If some of you are interested in hosting House Concerts, you could hear us sooner than later… (Hint) (Hint)

Thanks to all who attended our first concert and I look forward to seeing everyone in our travels.

Welcome to the Folly

Been way too long since my last post so before you burn me in effigy, let me provide a miracle by proving that I have been working:  We have some gigs to announce! 

The Church Benefit on Jan 24th will be our first official gig.  It is for a good cause as we'll be helping to raise funds to send some of the church youth to the ELCA Gathering in New Orleans and should be a relaxing but fun time.  It's going to be a very unique experience since it is our first public performance.  Michelle and I are going to be trying lots of different things and I am really excited to see what your response is.

I have been to many faires with the Brobdingnagian Bards, but never to the Arizona Renaissance Festival.   I'm excited to say I'll be making my first trip there with Flynn's Folly!  We'll be there the last three weekends of the festival and I am expecting three full weekends of gorgeous weather at a wondrous faire site.  That's only if all (and I mean all) the reports that I've heard are true.  Wish us luck and come see us there in our faire circuit debut!

Then, not to be left out of the mix, Flynn's Folly will be seen at I-Con, a Sci-Fi/Fantasy Convention in Long Island.  I have been going there for several years now with the Brobdingnagian Bards and was very excited to be invited back with Flynn's Folly.  The theme of the event will add another dimension to our show and, believe it or not, I might get a little goofy.  No really!  Come and see for yourself!

So there we go; a solid start for an exciting year.  I hope to see many of you at our shows and please let us know what you think of the new music.  Reinventing your sound is both fun and challenging so Michelle and I will take all of your comments quite seriously.


Enjoy this time with us.  Very few moments are as sweet as the beginning!