On the Horizon: 54 Below with Melanie Brook
/Looking forward to playing with winner of "The Callback," Melanie Brook on Tuesday at 54 Below. Broadway World ran a little preview about the show. Check it out here and perhaps I'll see you Tuesday!
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Baltimore! We Partyin!
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Baltimore was LIVE this weekend! Such a great time playing at Soundstage. Before the show we had some pizza at Joe Squared and afterwards we stopped by Brewer's Art for some tasty brews. The next day we stopped at Lost City Diner to #juiceup before heading back to NYC. It was a very Baltimore weekend and I can't wait to get back. Here we are with the legendary Kermit Ruffins after the show.
Southbound
/PitchBlak is about to take the road for our longest run of shows yet. Do you live in any of these cities? I always love meeting new people in new places, so let's hang!
What. A. Tour.
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I just got back from the first leg of PitchBlak's You See Us tour, which included stops in Buffalo, Traverse City, and Grand Rapids. We were lucky to play for amazing crowds at each venue, particularly at the Traverse City MicroBrew Festival. We met a lot of friendly faces and everyone was really enthusiastic about our music. It was an incredibly rewarding experience and I can't wait to hit the south for the second leg of tour in March! Shout out to Founders for the incredible hospitality! Free beer+ free food is unbeatable!
Thanks Nike!
/I had a great time at Niketown yesterday for the launch of the FuelBand SE. I played three sets on the street throughout the day with PitchBlak which delighted many and annoyed some I'm sure. Check out this video shot from above. I also thoroughly enjoyed playing on the above Yamaha Oak Custom. Great sound!
Drum Setup: PitchBlak at Brooklyn Bowl
/As expected, playing Brooklyn Bowl was a total blast. The staff do a great job to ensure everything runs like a well-oiled machine. We played well and the Bowl made sure we ate and drank well, too. A fed musician is a happy musician!
Last night, my Roland SPD-SX got a lot of use. I used a kit for almost every song (often just to run a click) and it ran so smoothly because of the kit chain function. At soundcheck, I was able to load some WAVs via USB and edit them and assign them internally. I really can't recommend an electronic device more highly. The possibilities are endless!
Horseplay: The Musical
/I'm very excited for the first full staging of Mitch Kess's new musical, Horseplay, which opens Friday, Aug 9 as part of the 2013 New York International Fringe Festival. I first met Mitch playing on his show, The Deciders (which was a part of the Fringe in 2008), and we have been working out the music (which totally rocks) for Horseplay over the last two years. We start tech at La Mama tonight. You can get tickets here.
Make Music New York
/Here is my set up for this year's MMNY. I didn't realize how challenging it would be to balance on one foot while playing bass drum for 40 minutes! I ended up flipping the splash for most of it, which provided a nice rhythmic effect that helped drive the band.
NY4OK
/Here is a picture from the NY4OK benefit I played last night at LPR of me, Eric Day (bass) and Mike Rosengarten (guitar) accompanying Gabrielle Ruiz (In the Heights) on "Live High" by Jason Mraz.
Chris Barron of the Spin Doctors also performed and my 10 year old self was totally stoked. He played two songs - the first was one he wrote about 5 years ago and was great. Of course he played "Two Princes" also and I just had to Vine it!
Delfest this weekend!
/Heading to Delfest tomorrow. 4 days of bluegrass in my hometown, including 2 sets from my hero, Trey Anastasio! Gonna really focus on how great pickers keep such good time and apply it to my playing.