COMFORT SWEETS(fictional)

There was something about Dad's eyes when he picked up his Martin and strummed along to James Taylor with 30 other middle aged men he'd never met before in his life. It was something strong and uncommon and somehow made us feel like we were a second best option for a man who longed only and always to pick Van Morrison, Jimmy Buffet, and Led Zeppelin before his family. Was his engineering job a false front for a man devoted to songwriting, or was it truly, as he put it, only a hobby? I think mom knew. But she wasn't telling. And she certainly wasn't frowning too heavily as she sat with all the other wives in the corner of the Hotel lobby, talking about whatever and whoever and whatnot. Did they think about whether their men would have still chosen to marry them if touring with label support were a real option? If deciding between a five album contract and a highschool sweet heart, what would any man choose?

Is it man's lot to despise his bread and butter? As these disgruntled government workers, tradesmen, and store owners entered heaven for each other for half an hour, did they yearn too strongly for the chance to hold their Martins for a living? And if so, did they not consider the chance that someone with the lifestyle they coveted, a man or woman supported solely from their art, would seem twice as old and dream themselves about some sort of steadier income? Something to provide food for their little Emily. And would the lucky professional musicians sit back and think decades later and wish maybe they had been a little less self-serving?

-Martin Guitar Club Convention-Nazareth, PA 2008

SOUNDIES

After much clawing and gnashing of teeth, the site is up.

http://www.athenssoundies.com

Designed wonderfully by the crazy talented Andrew Parker(whose thoughts can be found under "Andrew" in my blog links). Maintained and developed by the guys at Boxkite Media

Also, if you have money that you want to invest in a feature documentary about the music industry, then check this out.

http://www.fighttest.com/Business_Plan.pdf

other news in my life:

the cubs are done. we're trying to schedule a last show for a later weekend in august. more on that later.

i'm dating a pretty girl named lauren. she's really great.

i'm looking for a part time job to supplement for the times i'm not shooting commercials with my business associate/producing partner, Jason Miller. EIKONIC Check it out. He has a great eye.

i'm moving into a new place, leaving the graveyard house behind forever. it's best days were definitely in 2007 and it started declining after that, but it's been a great place and i'm sad.