Volume 10 – #7 – July 2007
TYPICAL GLAMOROUS DAY ON THE ROAD. Wake up at The Red Roof Inn (or equivalent) around 10:30 AM. Check out at noon. Pack the van. Drive a little. Grab a sandwich at SUBWAY for lunch (please have spinach). Drive a few hours. Arrive at the venue between 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM. Set up and do sound check (takes 45 – 90 minutes). After sound check it’s about an hour before the show. The doors open. During this hour I do a lot of show prep, including changing clothes (believe it or not), making the set list, changing guitar strings, etc. This is the most important time to think and focus and the worst time to try to visit with people. Showtime starts between 8:30 PM – 10:30 PM and usually goes either 90 minutes or two hours. It takes about 30 minutes to say goodbye to friends and fans and about 30 minutes to gather our stuff and load the van. Then, depending on how far the next day’s gig is, we’ll either stay the night or drive a couple of hours down the road to the next Red Roof Inn (or equivalent). Either way we’ll stop soon after leaving the venue, usually at a well-rounded truck stop and get something to eat (to go). This is probably my dinner for the day. The next day, something very similar usually happens. Wanna come along and explore the world, Brave Combo-style? Did you know that motel/hotel television choices generally suck from 2 – 4 AM, just like television at home?
Making an album of music is just like making anything else, for instance, a cake; the sum of a bunch of ingredients, blended together a certain way. Sometimes one gets close to perfection, sometimes not. And one person’s idea of what looks good or tastes good or sounds good certainly may not be another’s. Creating a physical document these days requires a lot of discussion. Does the world need more stuff? In Brave Combo’s case, the most current physical document is our new CD, POLKA’S REVENGE. It’s a 20-song collection and almost an hour long. Between now and January, 2008, we’ll be selling POLKA’S REVENGE for just $10 at our shows. We want every music lover to hear our most recent attempt at perfection, but we also want it to be a true bargain (50 cents a track). Even if our live show turns out to not be the best thing you’ve ever experienced (though, it will be), it’s worth it to come out just to pick up a couple of the new CDs for $20. Keep one for yourself and give one to a needy friend. It’s as close as you’ll get to perfection in the “cheap gift” department, that’s for sure. Crowd favorites, so far, seem to be “Cajun Danish,” “I Can See For Miles,” “Joy Waltz,” “Kiss Me, Sweetheart,” “Trippy Town” and “The Stan Blout Medley.” Judge for yourself, but don’t judge your neighbor.
Let’s see. Who are the candidates currently running for ANTI-CHRIST 2007?
1. Osama Bin Laden – Of course, but way too obvious. Could still surprise us, though, so he stays on the list.
2. George Bush – Can’t seem to mention #1 without mentioning #2, and he’s even more dangerous. A bit too cartoonish (goofy smirk, etc) to take seriously, but that’s also what makes him so scary.
3. Dick Cheney – Can’t seem to mention #2 without mentioning #3, and he’s even more dangerous (and even bigger smirk). I hate even mentioning this person.
4. Radical Muslim Cleric A. or B. – Mmmm, probably not. Yesterday’s news and usually too hot-headed.
5. Dalai Lama – Already is, but in a good way.
6. J. K. Rowling – Most likely candidate (you know, sorcery and occult).
7. That Russian President, or Venezuelan President, or North Korean dictator President – No chance for these three; questionable charisma.
8. That Iranian President – He wants it too badly. Plus in his own country he’s even less popular than Bush.
9. A human torso with the surgically attached heads of Hitler, Saddam and Stalin all in a row, brought to life by some bumbling do-gooder scientist, thinking this creature will somehow benefit mankind – Good movie idea, especially if the creature actually does turn out to be nice and indeed does benefit mankind, like Gamara.
10. That guy in the Norwegian death metal band, Mayhem, that ate his dead band mate’s brains a few years ago – Maybe not the Anti-Christ, but certainly newsworthy.
There’s a respectable top ten. I considered putting one of those wife/unborn child murderers on it, but man, there are just too many of them for any one to be considered the one unique Anti-Christ. Plus, I figured most of them would probably claim to be “devout Christians.” So, how could they be against Christ when they followed his teachings and always DWJWHDHHBIYS (Do What Jesus Would have Done Had He Been In Your Shoes)?
Speaking of the unholy, I did talk to Satan the other day about reserving a special place for that football player with the Atlanta Falcons who was recently arrested for running dog fights (if he’s found guilty, of course). Satan said no problem and that he’d already had his eye on him. Isn’t that wonderful?
One of my favorite “driving-around” radio stations in the Dallas-area is 770 AM. They play music from the 40s – 90s. Most of it would be considered easy listening, but your chance of catching a cool melody is probably better on that station than any other. Anyway, one day recently they played that Willie Nelson/Julio Iglesius song, “To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before.” Why would Willie do that? Why? Why?
How does music figure into your life these days? Be honest. Do you seek it out on a regular basis? Would your day-to-day world really be all that different if you couldn’t seek out your own sound anymore? If your exposure to music was limited to what you happen to hear on the radio or television or in movies or in restaurants, would that be okay? Were you always like this? Is there a good reason to have music in your life above and beyond the norm (which is not much)? It’s possible that the entertainment industry, from neighborhood bars to arenas to TV and the Internet, has over-saturated everyone with music. And, it’s so ironic that, in a time of dwindling live music venues and shrinking CD sales, there are more musicians/bands than ever, way more. And, as I’ve said before, most of them are really pretty good, if not amazing and even brilliant players (have you checked out all the accordionists on YouTube?). Making artsy and artistic looking and sounding stuff has never been easier. Pulling off slick and well-designed is a snap. Even being innovative doesn’t take an enormous amount of creativity anymore. The reality boom has made everyone a performer, so that the whole notion of performer seems not so special anymore (numbers of TV sitcoms down 2/3 in 10 years). I often think how great polka is in this context; running on its own power and off the radar. Generally it’s still untouched by the mainstream machine. And it’s also not going away.
Brave Combo has recently been flattered to hear from some European bands that claim to be influenced by us in one way or another. From Italy came a CD by the band, Figli di Madre Ignota, with a polka track that admittedly copies our style and the jacket includes a written dedication to us. The German neo-polka outfit, Polkaholix, sport a radical mix of Brave Combo-like sounds and asked me to contribute liner notes to their amazing new CD. The Belgium band, The Moonshine Playboys consider us a major inspiration as they reinterpret of the sound of bluegrass and just today I checked out the web site of the Dutch group, Strange Combo (www.strangecombo.nl), the band most likely to be considered a Brave Combo tribute band. To be honest, from a pure ego perspective, this is as cool as it gets. I almost never feel like I deserve the good things that happen to Brave Combo and too much praise and recognition can make me feel pretty uncomfortable and even a little suspicious of everyone’s motives, including my own. But to know that there are musicians out there paying such close attention and appreciating our efforts means a lot to us.
TRAVEL FUN. We were boarding a plane the other night, after a show, for a midnight flight home and as I was taking my seat, I noticed that they were playing the beautiful and haunting Love (Arthur Lee’s band) song, “Alone Again Or” over the sound system. What a pleasant surprise. I wanted everyone to be quiet so I could really hear it, but no one would make eye contact with me. So I just sat back and caught what I could.
Speaking of travel, Brave Combo’s summer touring is beyond up and going. We very well may be headed your way, if you haven’t seen us already this year. Please check our itinerary and make your plans to attend one of our polka love fests. It could change your life, or at least divert your attention for a couple of hours. Think of us as a wonderful off-Broadway play that somehow got booked into odd and assorted music venues around the country. And the fun, for you as an audience member, is to see how we respond and adjust to the ever-changing environment. Bring it on, Baby! This is a time of marked evolutionary change in so many ways and adapting is everything. In fact, it’s what life is all about right now. It’s our duty to figure out how to enjoy it and I think the key word is still “perspective.” The name of the band is Brave Combo. It’s two words and each word has a meaning.