Now I will  explain the title for this post..

I would assume if your reading this, you are aware that we set off on a weekend mini tour below the Mason-Dixon line last weekend. Our first stop was on Friday night in Knoxville, TN.  We pull out of Columbus around 3:15, hoping for the best that we make it there by load-in at 8:30. Note; this is a 6hr drive. As we type the address in the GPS, its telling us we wont arrive until 11pm!? We assume they’re accounting for traffic and that someone actually drives the speed limit. As we make it through Cinci rush hour relatively quick and cross into Kentucky, we took a hour off our GPS time. But about half way through Kentucky we start seeing construction signs saying that the road ahead is closed at the Kentucky/Tennessee line. As we pull up to the long line down 75 to get off at the bypass, we tune into the local traffic station to see whats up. “75 south bound closed for 30 miles due to a rock slide” Little did we know, the bypass would be a 2hr, 2 lane highway trip through the mountains. We knew we were gonna be late, but not this late. We got back on 75 right about the time the show should be starting and still over a hour away. We pushed the 55mph rating on the trailer and made it there a hour past our start time. Luckily, the club was gracious enough to let us play after showing up so late.  We played a slamming set to the people that stuck around to see us and we appreciate that. Knoxville has some great people and it wasn’t hard to make some new friends.

Day 2 was much less stressful as we took the 3hr beautiful drive through the mountains to Asheville, NC. We arrived there mid afternoon. We loaded in the gear about 4hrs early, just in case, leaving plenty of time to check out the town. The city has a great atmosphere; street musicians, hippies selling fruit, protesters against nuclear power and tasty local brews. We cap the night off by playing to some really cool people. Asheville was an awesome city with some awesome people.

  As we embark on another adventure this Sunday to Chicago, IL at the Elbow Room, we can only hope that the drive will be much smoother then last weekend.

-TA

Music has the power to motivate, inspire, comfort, and to simply make you happy. We sometimes take for granted what music does for our mental state. You could suddenly be hit by that nostalgic song that makes you think of a friend, lover, or family member. In the same sense, a song could come up on Pandora that you associate with generally good feelings and whatever turmoil was going through your head before is washed away.

Music has the power to inspire culture, counterculture movements, and even overthrow governments. Unfortunately many people get discouraged from making music. For whatever reason someone has told them that they will never “make it” or discouraged them to the point where is it hopeless to continue. Some people just simply say they have no musical ability. Well I’m here to tell you that’s bullshit.

Our society has continues to digress the priority of musicians and subsequently the amount of people who enjoy the joy of performing/writing music. Particularly many school districts have cut all after school extracurriculars, many completely eliminating the music programs. And ever more schools have done away with teaching music to students in grade school. As a music educator I am disgusted
to think that our government has done away with one of the only pure subjects that can be taught to students. Instead they are taught a biased curriculum of US History, building a future army of patriots.

In closing, if you already play music, continue to do so and don’t let anyone stop you. If you don’t then think about why you don’t, everyone has to start somewhere and it’s never too late to pick up an instrument. You might have to try a couple different ones and maybe your instrument of choice is your voice. And if you have kids, make sure they have every opportunity to enjoy the benefits of music, because eventually they will be the ones that create the soundtrack to your life.

Eric

Then again with all of the noise making of he’s right, no he’s right.  He screwed us, no he screwed us.  Vote for him he will save us.  Vote for her she will grace us.  I find myself both baffled and curious.  Curious as to the inevitability of the space and time in which we find ourselves.  We, Us, them, You, I.  We are all guilty.  We have all let the noise grow so loud that we have become blinded by the sound.  When did we become people that needed saving?  When did we relinquish our responsibility, for a safe, comfortable life?  When did we become a Union we didn’t fight to preserve, or the very caste system we died to escape?  Was it ever this way?  I offer this.  Maybe we were only sold it, like mortgages we couldn’t afford.  So somebody, some where, who already had more than he needed.  Could have more.  Maybe…….

Tim

Step 1: Close your eyes, take a deep breath

Step 2: Let yourself relax for the next 30 minutes

Step 3: http://youtu.be/Ko0kdCf0zTE

Step 4: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itF_wiFaiLU

Step 5: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0MzjZPmQFw

Step 6: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfIBLZVhk3Q

Step 7: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2JdIbOM6Gs&feature=g-like&context=G2862c9bALTx4hgQAIAA

Step 8: Take another deep breath

Step 9: Realize your mind is blown

Step 10: Remember that music can get you through anything and even save your life

Step 11: Repeat this process with some of your favorite music and post it here for others to enjoy!

Compared to Eric’s, it will not compete.

I could regurgitate some more of our dates

Or even try to start some sort of debate.

I won’t do one or the other.

I’ll leave that to my so called brother.

I know your waiting for some kind of pun

But that won’t happen because I’m almost done.

Make sure to check our calendar for all of our dates.

Be mindful of the times, you don’t wanna be late.

So there it is, my first blog is finished.

Now go back and rap this in A diminished.

-TA

tim