This weekend is gonna be an awesome one. Make plans now to be at one of these shows.

Friday- We're returning to our home away from homes, The Mercury Lounge, in Tulsa, Ok. Our good friend Travis Kidd and his band are on the bill with us this time. It's the weekend before school starts so I've been told there's gonna be some partying going on.

Saturday!! We'll be hooking up the trailer and hauling ass to Tecumseh, Ok for a show with good friends Turnpike Troubadours and No Justice. The TT's go on first at 3:00 I believe then we'll follow and then NJ will end the night. It's at the Little River Music Valley. Just type it in on Google and it'll give you all the info you need to know. We'll be leaving Tecumseh and driving to OKC  to the Wormy Dog that night to open up for some of our best friends in the whole scene, Back Porch Mary, from Austin, Tx. If you've never been to a BCB/BPM show, you don't know what you're missing.

Sunday- If you haven't had enough already, come out and relax with a few cold drinks at Los Cabos in Jenks, Ok on the Riverwalk. We'll have the BCB trio rockin out. That kicks off at 6:00 and to end the whole weekend, I'll be leaving Cabos @ 9 to head over to Mecury Lounge for Sunday Night Service w/ BC Acoustic. Starts at 9:30

Gonna be a good weekend fo sho!!!!

BC

Well, surprisingly we got nominated for a couple of these things.
BC-Best Male Vocal
BCB- Best Red Dirt Band
go to www.abotmusicawards.com if you want to vote

if you go vote, we'd urge you to vote for the following as well....
John Moreland- Best None of the Above
Turnpike Troubadours- Best Country
Hank Charles- Best Producer
I'm pretty sure Mercy Street and My Solstice are in the mix somewhere. Both are awesome bands fronted by my good friend Brandon Davis.
I think you'll find Vandevender in there on some categories as well. Can't go wrong with those guys. Anyway, go check it out and vote.....

BC

Well, as they say, "Every good thing can't last forever". Our good friend and founding memeber of BCB, Dave Duval (Super Dave) has decided to move on and and try something new. Sux on our end because Dave is a great guitar player, but even more than that, he's one of our best friends. Before the rumors or questions start flying--"NO" there is no hard feelings, we didn't have a fight, nothing like that. Dave has an opportunity that he wants to explore so that's what he's gonna do.
Me, Darren, and Heath will keep plugging along and looking for the person to fill Dave's shoes. We started as a 3 piece and can continue until we find the right person. We've got some people in mind, but we'll see how things work out. So.... Dave will be doing some shows to get us to a point where he can go do his thing. Be sure to come out over the next month and buy him one last shot or a jack and coke. Anyway....It's all good.

Brandon

We released our first cd, TALL. If you don't have a copy, go to itunes and get it. hehe Thanks to everyone who has bought it over the last year. We really, really appreciate it.

BCB

Just a quick note on things not to do to a band while playing a gig.
Don't show up and start yelling out "Play some Skynard, Toby Keith, Rascall Flatts..etc."
Don't come up to the guitar player and say "You guys sound like Rascall Flats and I hate Rascall Flats, they suck"
Don't stick around the club when you've been invited to leave on more than one occasion for being exceptionally rude.
Don't come up in front of the bass player at the end of the night and give him 2 middle fingers in the middle of the last song.
Don't go to the bathroom after flipping off the previous mentioned bass player.
AND.........
Never piss with your back to the bathroom door or the previous mentioned bass player will come in and punch you in the face 3 times before you even know what's going on!!!!! Even worse, more like an open handed bitch slap.
Really, don't expect to do all of these things and not get punched. Kids these days....
There is always one rule in bands. Don't ridicule a band in front of them. If you don't like the band, just simply leave. At least they have a gig while you and your bandmates are the ones setting in the audience. It'll save you the embarrassement of getting your ass kicked.

I got this forwarded to me from a friend of a friend of a friend. If you are a musician, it's a "must read". I found it to be hilarious!
 
HOW TO REQUEST SONGS FOR DUMMIES

When requesting a song from the band, just say "play ... my song!"  We have chips implanted in our heads with an unlimited database of the favorite tunes of every patron who ever walked into a bar and all songs ever recorded so feel free to be vague, we love the challenge.

If we say we really don't remember that tune you want, we're only kidding.  Bands do know every song ever recorded, so keep humming.  Hum harder if need be... it helps jog the memory, or just repeat your request over and over again.

If a band tells you they do not know a song you want to hear, they either forgot they know the tune or they are just putting you on. Try singing a few words for the band. Any words will do. It also helps to scream your request from across the room several times per set followed by the phrases, "AW COME ON!" and, "YOU SUCK!"

Exaggerated hand gestures expressing disapproval from the dance floor are a big help as well, such as the thumbs down or your middle finger up put-downs are the best way to jog a band's memory. This instantly promotes you to the status of "Personal Friend Of The Band." You can bet your request will be the next song we play.

Entertainers are notorious fakers and jokesters and never really prepare for their shows. They simply walk on stage with no prior thought to what they will do once they arrive. We don't actually make set lists or rehearse songs. We mostly just wait for you to yell something out, then fake it.

An entertainer's job is so easy, even a monkey could do it, so don't let them off the hook easily. Your request is all that matters. Once you've figured out what genre of music the band plays, please make your requests from a totally different genre. The more exaggerated the better. If its a blues band playing, yell for some Metallica or Slayer or Pantera.  Likewise, if its a death-speed metal band, be sure to request Brown-Eyed Girl or some Grateful Dead. Musicians need to constantly broaden their musical horizons, and its your job to see that it happens....immediately.  
"Mustang Sally", "Freebird"  LOL

TALKING WITH THE BAND

The best time to discuss anything with the band in any meaningful way is at the middle of a song when all band members are singing at the same time. Our hearing is so advanced that we can pick out your tiny voice from the megawatt wall of sound blasting all around us. And we can converse with you in sign language while singing the song, so don't worry that
we're in the middle of the chorus.

Musicians are expert lip readers too. If a musician does not reply to your question or comment during a tune, it's because they didn't get a good look at your mouth in order to read your lips. Simply continue to scream your request and be sure to over emphasize the words with your lips. This helps immensely. Don't be fooled. Singers have the innate ability to answer questions and sing at the same time. If the singer doesn't answer your questions immediately, regardless of how stupid the question may seem, it's because they are purposely ignoring you. If this happens, immediately cop an attitude. We love this.

IMPORTANT

When an entertainer leans over to hear you better, grab his or her head in both hands and yell directly into their ear, while holding their head securely so they cannot pull away.This will be taken as an invitation to a friendly and playful game of tug of war between their head and your hands.  Don't give up! Hang on until the singer or guitar player submits. Drummers are often safe from this fun game since they usually sit in the back, protected by the guitar players.  Keyboard players are protected by their instrument, and only play the game when tricked into coming from behind their keyboards. Though difficult to get them to play, it's not impossible, so keep trying. They're especially vulnerable during the break between songs.

HELPING THE BAND

If you inform the band that you are a singer, the band will appreciate your help with the next few tunes, or however long you can remain standing on stage. If you're too drunk to stand unassisted, simply lean on one of the band members or the most expensive piece of equipment you see. Just pretend you're in a Karaoke bar. Simply feel free to walk up on stage and join in.  By the way, the drunker you are, the better you sound, and the louder you should sing. If by chance you fall off the stage, be sure to crawl back up and attempt to sing harmony. Keep in mind that nothing assists the band more than outrageous dancing, fifth and sixth part harmonies, or a tambourine played on one and three and out of tempo. Try the cowbell; they love the challenge.The band always needs the help and will take this as a compliment.

Finally, the microphone and PA system are merely props, they don't really amplify your voice, so when you grab the mic out of the singers hand be sure to scream into it at the top of your lungs, otherwise no one will hear what a great singer you are. Hearing is over-rated anyhow. The crowd and the sound guy will love you for it.

BONUS TIP

As a last resort, wait until the band takes a break and then get on stage and start playing their instruments. They love this. Even if you are ejected from the club, you can rest assured in the fact you have successfully completed your audition. The band will call you the following day to offer you a position.

Drew Carey is terrible as the host of the Price Is Right. Ruined my morning television...
BC

Well, it's been quite a while since I've wrote one of these things. We've had a lot going on. Here goes...
BCB is still rocking, but we seriously need to take some time to kick out some new originals and get back into the studio for a new BCB cd by the end of the year. I've got a lot of new songs and I know Darren and has a ton of them as well. We just find ourselves with no time outside of the band to work on them. Family life will do that to you. I think I'm going to try for another round II live recording at the Mercury Lounge sometime soon. The first try just didn't really sound anything like I had in my head, but it was totally my fault. It's like listening to your voice on an answering machine. You say "Man, do I really sound like that?" hehe It's obvious that on the second try, the Jager doesn't need to flow as freely as the first take. So hopefully within the next couple of months, there will actually be a "Sunday Night Service @ The Mercury Lounge" cd coming out.
We find ourselves in tax time and realizing that our band made enough money last year to completely screw up any tax return money that we thought we might be getting. Freakin' taxes.
I ran sound for two bands last Sunday at Mercury Lounge. It was a surprise that no one at Mercury knew about. We didn't know any bands were playing. They just showed up with a signed contract from an agent from KC and said they were supposed to play, BUT, it was a pleasant surprise. The Mojo Guru's out of Tampa Fla had a really cool rootsy bluesy Black Crowish feel to them. Really enjoyed them and the second band from Ontario Canada was called the John Henry's. Probably one of the coolest bands I've heard in a long, long time. It was like the Jayhawks met up with 60's rock n roll and had a kid named Tom Petty that had a cousin named the hippy hippy shake... you get my point. Anyway, it was awesome. Always something cookin' at the Mercury Lounge that is just a little off center. Gotta love that place.
We've got a show coming up tomorrow at the Wormy Dog in OKC with our good friends from Austin, Tx Back Porch Mary. It's worth the road trip if you want to make it. It'll be bare ass rock n roll at it's finest. We met BPM at least 3 years ago and have done numerous shows with them since. I thought they were awesome the first time we played with them, but they keep getting better and better each time we see them now. If you want to see one of the tightest bands going, make the road trip to OKC Friday. It'll be worth it.
Not a whole lot of other things going on at the moment. This year is already flying by and we find ourselves doing the same things we did last year: playing way too much, playing way too loud, and drinking way, way, way, way....too much. Oh the life of being in a band......
BC
 

So............my wife checked into some disability insurance for us the other day since we're both self employed and if an accident happened we'd be down to one income. No surprise that since I'm a musician that plays in bars and clubs and travels (is what she was told), I didn't qualify for this "so called" insurance because the risk of me having an accident was extremely high and since my wife is a hair stylist and handles scissors all day, her quote was outrageous because of the odds of, and this is what the agent said "cutting off a finger". Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but what the f$%k is that? If I broke a finger and couldn't play guitar I'd be screwed, but yet I don't qualify for "disability insurance" because of my occupation. I guess the insurance agency will only cover someone if they are 99.9% sure that an accident won't happen. hehe  What a joke. What's the use of having this "so called" insurance if no one can qualify for it.