Eric's House Of Ego
[Recent Entries][Archive][Friends][User Info]
Below are the 10 most recent journal entries recorded in the "Is It Safe To Gnaw Through The Straps Now?" journal:[<< Previous 10 entries]
|
07:52 am
[Link] |
Cheshire Moon
The question we most often get asked is "do you have a CD"? The answer is "not yet". We're starting on it now. Help us out.
Ways Of Wind And Water
Tags: cheshire moon, kickstarter
|
|
08:33 am
[Link] |
Bits and pieces
I've been asked a couple times in recent weeks about performing solo and songwriting so I thought I would address them.
I like to perform solo, but not enough to have a regular schedule of shows. Between Toyboat and Cheshire Moon and real life (I do have three kids ya'know) I'm a little busy. I don't seek out solo shows. I'm not going to. If someone wanted me to do a solo show, I most likely would, but I don't see that happening.
As for songwriting. In the last 5 years I think I have written 5 songs. A lot of my songwriting was fueled by strong negative emotions, especially the funny stuff. That isn't a part of me now. I'm looking for a different point of view, but it doesn't seem to be coming. I have two funny songs that need a bit of work. One I am going to hand over to a fellow songwriter, to see if he can doctor it up a bit. The other may just fall by the wayside. The others really aren't any good.
As soon as I remember to schedule it, there will be a nifty live version of Pine City Motel Blues up on the Fump (courtesy of the Mahtowa Folks Festival), and maybe the other song mentioned above. I do need a decent recorded version of FPN, I may get that done during the Cheshire Moon sessions. If that happens, it will show up on The Fump as well.
I don't write for Toyboat (except Would You Like To Play A Game). gundo and I were talking about that yesterday. Originally it was so Toyboat wouldn't be thought of as "Eric's band", since I was the best known person in the band. That has changed (except for one funny instance this week). Mike has become the primary lyricist, and usually the person who starts the music. gundo is the arranger, and the other person who starts the music. Raven, Jason and I are the facilitors. Once the basics are done, we all get together and start throwing things around. Having Raven in the band has changed the voice of the band a lot. It's fuller, and in a lot of ways more aggressive.
Between Mike and myself being hurt, Toyboat is, more or less, taking this year off. The new album is getting worked out, hopefully to release at Marcon next year. Mike is recovering. Starting in a couple weeks I go back to work on the drums. We're going to come back stronger.
But, back to the songwriting. More than anything, I don't write for Toyboat because my songwriting has always been a more personal thing than would fit in Toyboat. Game is actually a good example. It is very much about me and what I love. If I come up with anything else like that that is geekish, it will be a Toyboat song.
But words just aren't what I do at the moment. Everything I have to say is being said either with drumsticks or the various stringed instruments I play in Cheshire Moon.
Cheshire Moon. It really is the band I always wanted, but wasn't able to do on my own. Lizzie's magnificent voice and amazing words are something I could have never managed. That means, as a player, I can do the things that I always wanted to. Grander, larger, more cinematic. CM is very much about the imagery. Cheshire Moon satisfies my soul. I dig into my instruments and find myself.
Toyboat is the most fun I could have in a band. In rehearsal, on stage, it's just fun. Especially gundo and I. Watch us onstage. We get to be rockstars, at least in our heads. And the band just keeps getting better. We started as a cover band, and more and more it's about our songs. And it is very much our songs. I, jokingly, referred to us as an autonomous collective in an email this week (that funny instance mentioned above) but it's true. We don't have a leader. And that is a lot of what makes the band so good. Everyone contributes. I can't wait to get my hands back in shape, and back to rehearsal.
So, a morning ramble ... a bit self indulgent.
How are you this morning?
Tags: cheshire moon, solo shows, songwriting, toyboat
|
|
10:30 am
[Link] |
June 16th!
Ok, June 16th! Party at our place! We have a grill now! We have a huge backyard! We have a deck! We have a big house!
Oh, and we have Riverfolk doing a house concert on that deck! (weather permitting, otherwise it will be inside)
I'll get the FB event set up this evening when I'm home!
Just for good measure, here is another !
Tags: crowe and dove house, grill, party, riverfolk
|
|
04:47 pm
[Link] |
Demicon
What we played at Demicon
Stream of Consciousness
If I Were The Rain
Child Of Stars
Lighthouse
Out Of The Light
Caravan
Companion
World Walker
Calvin's Girl
Critters
Widows Garden
Family
The show went very well. Dybbuk Q. Klezmer brought wonderfulness to the songs. Lizzie sang beautifully. I played instruments. At the circle Saturday night Lizzie and I did Daughter Of The Red, with interjections from a young woman sitting behind Lizzie that were wonderful. After which we collapsed.
There was an unexpected addition to Eric's Quest For Pizza. I had intended to get to Pagliai's sometime soon, but since it was right down the street we went with Bryan and family (as mentioned before). It was yummy and I will get my review up shortly.
The music track went amazingly well. Lojo Russo and Adam Stemple were bad bad people. Adam also played with Chas Somdahl yesterday. Bryan had a sterling set with CW Smith backing up on cajón and vocals.
Robert from Orckes & Trolles said that this show wasn't as dirty as last years, he sounded a little disappointed.
The Rocky Horror Sing-A-Long went wonderfully.
The WSPA had a blast, we went to the pool every day. Jared was seen when it was time for food, although even there he tended to just go to the con suite. WSPA-3 had a great time and made some new friends.
I had a great time with my family this weekend, life is good. Collapse now.
Tags: cheshire moon, demicon, lizzie, wspa
|
|
05:25 pm
[Link] |
Demicon
Even though I wasn't there (although my hands did show up) rehearsal went very well for the Demicon show. Dybbuk has some up with come very cool parts for the songs, especially Rain and Calvin's Girl. This is going to be a good one!
Tags: cheshire moon, demicon
|
|
10:07 am
[Link] |
The latest
My hands are doing so much better (with a few glitches).
I played a lot of music this weekend, took an instrument to both days of WSPA-3's dance competition (there is a lot of downtime) and didn't have a problem. We had a rehearsal with Susan last night for the Demicon show. She had learned a short set for the s00j show, and last night was the rest of the stuff for this show. Everything went amazingly and just wait till you hear what she does to Calvin's Girl!
Today at work I am trying to do all my own stuff, not foist a couple things off on my co-workers. I am still staying away from lifting too much, but that is easy enough. We'll see how it goes when I have to enter orders.
The only problem I have at the moment is that most of the healing is internal. How do you scratch something that itches when it is inside?
Tags: cheshire moon, surgery, susan
|
|
08:19 am
[Link] |
About today
Things I love about this glorious woman who I share my life with.
1 - She is an artist and in so many ways. I could never be involved with someone for whom art is not a center of their life. She sings, she writes poetry and prose, she knits, she paints. She understands that art is life. It is as essential as breathing. Without art we are just marking time.
2 - She is brilliant, the width and depth of her knowledge amazes me every day. I love that she has so many interests. That I can so rarely stump her. That she can stump me so often.
3 - She is loving. Watching her with her friends, with her family … with our family. She is warm and fierce in her love. She is so protective of the people she loves.
4 - She is silly. I love her giggle, her witticisms, her odd view of the world.
5 - She is … maybe I shouldn't talk about this here, but in the words of George Takei … OH MY
6 - She is fun to travel with. Over the last 10 years I have driven all over the midwest, now I drive with her. We laugh, we tell stories, we spend hours in quiet or listening to podcasts and music and comedy. I love to drive, but I also love to look over and see her driving.
7 - She has a glorious voice. I had met this lovely woman, but didn't think much of it, just another lovely woman. Then I heard her sing. We started on music first, and the rest happened as it should. But her voice started it. She has such passion in her voice. She has such a range. Everything that is wonderful about her comes through that amazing voice.
8 - She is loved. Watch her at a con, the way her friends and acquaintances gather around her. So many are drawn to her kindness, her love, her warmth.
9 - She is cuddly. There is nothing I love better than curling up on the couch and watching TV with her. Wrapping her in my arms every night before we go to sleep, and every morning when we wake up. To wake up in the middle of the night with her snuggled up against my back.
10 - She is beautiful. Simply that. She is beautiful. Her beauty radiates from her every move, word, action. She is aglow in her beauty. In all the things she does. Yes she has gorgeous eyes, incredible hair, a lovely curvy body, but above all that, she is beautiful.
A couple of addendums. After Capricon I had to take off my ring. It was increasing the irritation of my thumb. I had developed the habit of moving the ring with my thumb, and it was aggravating the trigger thumb. Now that I have had the surgery, Lizzie put the ring back on my hand this morning. There is another reason for doing that today …
This was not public knowledge, but we went ahead and had a quiet, quick lovely, legal marriage a year ago today. My friends John Conlan and Isaac Norman were our witnesses. The anniversary will always be the wedding in front of our family, both biological and chosen, but this day will always be special to us. Which brings me to another thing I love about her, her intensity. She made the judge cry. The fervor that she went into this quiet little civil ceremony made the judge tear up.
Lizzie Crowe, you have made my life so wonderful. You are my perfect partner, the partner I looked for my whole life. Artistically, intellectually, emotionally the perfect companion. I am ever at your side, as you are mine. You are the love of my life.
Tags: lizzie
|
|
09:32 am
[Link] |
Doctors orders!
I just went into the warehouse with my bouzouki and followed doctor's orders!
My right wrist can't deal with much of anything fast at the moment, at least not for very long. I know how to cheat my way through a few of the faster things, so I can cope. My hands are doing fine over all. It feels so good to play.
Tags: surgery
|
|
10:48 am
[Link] |
Just got back from the doctor
I am without a stitch! The doc says that my healing is going as well as it could and that picking up instruments tonight will be great therapy. The sort of things one does on a stringed instrument will serve me well.
I am going to stay away from the drums for at least another month, after which I will have some serious work to get back up to speed. I have not played drums since February. I'm goin...g to rethink a lot of my playing. I need to lessen the impact. That means getting to be more of a finesse player. I was already heading in that direction, so it's a logical step for me.
There is a lot to do.
My thanks to my many friends, your comments have helped a lot in the last couple of weeks.
And my thanks to my love and my lady, the fabulous Lizzie Crowe. You have made this so much easier. I love you.
Tags: surgery
|
07:56 am
[Link] |
Again
My wrists are a little tight today. Work was tricky. I wasn't able to do a few things, but I knew when to stop. 10 key is just not going to happen for a few days yet.
I go back for my inspection at 10. Hopefully I will get the stitches out of my thumb then. They're causing the most discomfort now.
Tags: surgery
|
[<< Previous 10 entries] |
![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=92.1){kind=small}
ericcoleman's journal