Volume 16 – #3 – March 2013

We get lots of unusual requests. On occasion, it means playing for free or allowing someone to use our music for free and we do encourage all such inquiries. Fans want us to play their benefit, or they want to use a song in their DIY movie or choreograph one of our recordings for a dance recital. Often we’re invited to speak to students, grade school through graduate school. I’ve even been the guest speaker at a Lion’s Club luncheon. Recently, a local (Denton) artist/illustrator was making a Denton coloring book and wanted to include a page of Brave Combo doing something at a Denton landmark and it was suggested that we have a coupon on our page. Being in the book would cost the band some money, so we had to think about whether this would really make a difference. And what kind of coupon? Buy one CD, get one free? Or 20% off the fee for hiring Brave Combo for an event? The artist did a great job on the prototype and we certainly hope this will be a worthwhile venture, but we couldn’t exactly wrap our heads around the coloring book’s promotional value for us. Right or wrong, we passed on it. I felt badly for not supporting a fellow Denton artist, but this town is chock-full of creative entrepreneurs and we already give a lot to the community; there are myriad serious causes to support in our little town, such as the new animal shelter, which is schedule to open in about a year and a half and still needs a couple million dollars (give to DASF, the Denton Animal Shelter Foundation). I’ll pretty much do anything I can to make this thing happen sooner than later. In just the last couple of days we were asked for permission to use our song, “Flying Saucer” in a new movie; one about extraterrestrials, I bet. The day before that we were asked to speak at an upcoming career day at a local school. The organizer is a fan and thought we would be a good choice. The requirement for this particular event would be to speak to six different classes, for 30 minutes each, starting at 8:30 in the morning on a Friday. Now, as much fun as this sounds, that is really early for me. I don’t go to bed before 2:30 AM ever and am often up until 4:00 AM. Our drummer, Alan, is the same sort of night owl, so this would be painfully difficult for either of us, especially since, with it being a Friday, we would be going into a weekend of gigs. A dilemma, huh? Well, not really. I might try to propose a compromise, like getting all the classes together and doing one talk at 11:30, just before lunch. Then, if that doesn’t work, so be it. You gotta be hard to rock hard, Baby! Dig? And yes, I will give the movie people permission to use, “Flying Saucer” as long as it doesn’t involve unacceptable animal stuff. For instance, no BC music will ever accompany a scene which includes a dead pig turning on a spit at a luau. Rounder Records licensed our recording of “Happy Wanderer” to the movie ENVY, starring Jack Black, Ben Stiller and Christopher Walken. Unbelievably, our song was used in a scene where Christopher Walken and Ben Stiller are trying to dispose of a dead horse. Damn. My old buddy, Christopher, is even singing along with me through the whole thing. Of course, no real horse was hurt in any way making the movie, but it was still unsettling that our song was used when it was. The royalty money helped ease the sting, though. But, you can see how complicated this can get, even for a band at our level, which is somewhere between unknown and well-known.

NEAR MISS. You know the reality show, CAKE BOSS or the show, HOUSE HUNTERS? Well the company that produces those shows contacted us a few weeks ago about a new show in the works centered around, you guessed it, a polka band in the USA. And, as it turned out, we were high on their list of choices. We did a Skype interview, looked at our schedule for the next few months, checked on specific dates for them to fly in and shoot some scenes, discussed how we fit the polka world, in general, etc. It looked promising, if not likely, at one point, although we were not necessarily sold on the idea and one member of BC stated early on he probably would not be interested. The rest of us, however, wanted to see just what might be required of us, so we moved forward cautiously. It would involve the camera crews living with us for a couple of months, not just at our studio and the gigs, but also in our homes. Yet another thing to consider which has no easy answer. But, ultimately, the decision was made for us. We were not chosen. They really wanted the show to be about a band from an extended polka family, with definable ethnic roots, which we are not. I think we briefly side-tracked them from their original concept because we’re just too darn adorable and somewhat edgier than your average polka band and, honestly, a lot of bizarre, somewhat unexplainable things do happen to Brave Combo. Whatever, we wish them luck and hope they understand that polka musicians are tired of being considered dumb asses and having their music always be the butt of a joke. We polka folk have our radars set on sensitive and we’re quick to react and are united, at least, in that we don’t want anyone dissing our sound, especially in a goofy, cliché way. Whatever, I’m curious as hell to see who they choose and what kind of vibe the show gives off.

Speaking of polkas, my side project album with my buddy, Danny Jerabek, called THE NICE MUSICS, is finished! Three years in the making! We will have tangible CDs and downloads ready by the middle of April. If you are a polka promoter of any sort, please contact us for a complimentary copy. We want to reach every polka pusher in the country, whether you’re a musician, DJ, IJ, show promoter, blogger, booking agent, fan organizer or whatever. If you push polkas we want you to hear THE NICE MUSICS. Contact me through Brave Combo (office@brave.com) and Danny through his band, Copperbox (info@copperboxsite.com). We’re both super easy to find and ready to spread the love.

Okay, now it’s your turn. Get off the couch, get away from your computer or laptop or tablet or phone and come to one of our shows, where we actually play live music. There are so many great gigs coming up. And it appears we are gong to touring both coasts and the mighty Midwest this summer. This means if you live in the Los Angeles/San Diego area, here’s your chance and you better show up. But check our itinerary often. One gig coming up right away, in particular, that we’re excited about is at the Granada Theater in Dallas on Saturday, April 13. Brave Combo will be opening the show for the stately Richard Thompson and his band. Richard and other members of his legendary band, Fairport Convention, were early fans of Brave Combo and we have crossed paths with Richard and his guitar genius a few times over the years (decades). This will be fun on many levels. Hope you can make it out. No matter what, though, go on with life, even if nothing makes sense anymore and personal doubts consume you. Look at it this way, each new day allows you the opportunity to do basically what you did the day before. It’s like that around my house. Having lots of cats and dogs forces routine on you. I don’t care.