Reflections...

 What a great weekend it has been for me personally and for the band! I want to thank all of our friends in the Detroit area who came out to see us @Callahan’s. Thanks to all of our friends in London. It was so great to see so many of you and get a chance to play the first of 2 sold out shows! Thank you to everyone in Windsor. The induction into the Canada South Blues Museum is a tremendous honor and I’m still beyond words!

 You guys have always treated us with warmth and respect and given us so much joy through the music that I can’t begin to tell you how precious you all are to us. Thanks to my amazing band of friends; Dan EUbanks, Tom Larson and Chris “Wingnut” Fuller for once again saddling up and hit the road with me. Thanks to my wife and daughter for understanding me and my need to play music and allowing me to be free to pursue it. A woman like Buff is a very rare thing on this planet and I thank God for her!

 Next up; A new band announcement, some new touring info and some new recording. 2012 is gonna be hot! R U Ready???

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

  This year will mark the 7th annual Have A Blues Christmas benefit. It’s a concert/auction/feast that Xtreme 4X4, Natalie Stovall and I have put on for 7 years in a row. It was originally conceived as an “end of the year” concert in my hometown, basically, just a reason to play at home. I wanted to have an event at home to end our touring year and play for my family and friends. My brother, Keith Throneberry and I cooked it up over a BUNCH of Dos Equis one night with our wives (they had margaritas). As we brain stormed we decided that just having a concert wasn’t enough, we both wanted to do something for the community. To try and give back. 

 I moved a lot as a child. We lived in Texas, Mississippi, and all over Tennessee before settling in Columbia. My mother tells the story that I asked her, after kindergarten, where I’d be going to school next year and she decided then and there that we would be staying right here. 

 I grew up here. I made my life long friends here. I found my wife here. I spent some VERY formative years just south of here on my Uncle Carlton’s farm. I learned to drive a tractor, shoot a gun, drive a car, swim and play a guitar here. I learned about work and responsibility here. I learned to shoot a gun, found Jimi Hendrix, Prince and Buddy Guy here. My daughter was born here. My family’s here. This is my home. 

 On Christmas Day, my daughter will awake to a tree full of presents. Santa Claus will deliver on schedule! I’m blessed. Blessed because for one, I’ve got a home for my daughter to wake up in, a lot of folks don’t. A lot of folks don’t have a tree or stockings or presents. I’m sure some of you more “sociopolitical” brothers and sisters will say that it’s ‘their own fault’ or some other crap. Some can say; “it’s not really my problem” or “I’m sure they’ll be okay”. The thing is, I’m not preaching. I won’t be serving in a food line this Christmas, I won’t be offering a homeless person my home as a place to sleep. I’m not Mother Teresa. I’m not saying that if you just take care of yours you’re wrong or less or whatever. I told you to begin with, I started this as a selfish reason to play a gig for my family. What I can do, is one day a year, help put on an event and raise money for the kids in my area that might not otherwise have a Christmas and in the spirit of that, try and shame others into giving!

 This benefit provides vouchers for toys. Nothings else. ALL of the money goes to toy vouchers that can’t be used for anything else, so that kids can have something under the tree. Every kid deserves to have a visit from Santa. Santa is all of US! Every person that works at this event is working for free. Everything involved in the event is donated. Nothing is paid for so that all monies go to the kids. 

 We live in a very cynical world. We’re always braced for the next con. I got an email today saying that someone wants to transfer $94,000.00 into my bank account. Seems like everybody’s got a scam. But Christmas is my favorite time of the year. To me it’s a pure, invincible time. It’s owned by Santa Claus and he calls the shots. It’s about dreams and, as Abraham Lincoln once said; “the better angels of our nature”. I love this time of year. I believe that there’s a little Clark Griswold in all of us. Just because it won’t be perfect doesn’t mean we shouldn’t expect it to be perfect. (We’ve all got a “Cousin Eddie” I’m sure.) I can do without the commercialization, the debate about “holiday trees” versus “Christmas trees” (my take is I could NOT care less). But the spirit of Christmas; being the better version of ourselves that we can always be. Wishing people a merry Christmas, sending cards to people that we haven’t sent a letter to in 364 days, just keeping an extra smile in our pockets for emergencies. It’s a really cool time of year. 

 We’re putting on an amazing concert. Natalie Stovall http://www.nataliestovall.com is one of the most talented people you’ll ever see. Her music is phenomenal and her band is second to none, (well maybe second to mine:) JOKE!) My guys will play they’re butts off like they do every night. The donated items will sell for big $$$ and the BBQ and drinks will flow. The T-shirts will be the fashion item of the year. If you can be there, DO! If you can’t, at least consider donating to our pay-pal page http://www.xtreme4x4.net/donate  It’s secure and you can donate a dollar and tell others you donated $1000.00! I promise your secret is safe with us! 

 Wether you participate in our event in any way or not, I wish you and your loved ones a blessed holiday season. I pray that you’ll find a warmth and happiness in your heart and that you’ll allow yourself to express it to others. Trust me, it’s not as easy as it sounds!

Tom Larson

We’ve had some big changes in the last few weeks and after getting a lot of questions about it, I decided that I needed to address what’s going on. As many of you have noticed, Tom is no longer with us. This wasn’t an acrimonious split, no invectives were being hurled, and it was simply Tom’s decision to move on his own path. Tom has been the drummer in the SHB for a bunch of years. He was the first drummer after I left Buddy and played on the records Angels in Exile and From Lettsworth to Legend.
Tom and I met through our wives who worked in the same field. Buffy invited Tom and his wife Misty out to see a show and I called him up to jam. I knew from the first note that Tom and I had a tremendous musical connection. He’s that good. We’ve had some amazing musical moments over the past several years and I remember all of them fondly, from opening in Canada for Buddy Guy to opening this past April for Johnny Winter. We played some musically amazing shows and Tom always plays his heart out, never giving less than his all. Tom’s also been with us through some really hard times on the road, just like every band has to endure and he’s always been a great solid friend. As we move on, Tom’s moving on. I know that whatever project he pursues, he’ll be fantastic in it. If you’re in an area where Tom is performing, go out and support him just like you do us, after all he’s still family and we’ve all got to stick together. One thing I’ve learned in this business is that good musicians are easy to find but good people are more rare and precious. Tom is a genuinely good person as well as being a devastatingly good drummer. I thank Tom for all of his help in getting the SHB rolling and helping to push us further down the line. I thank him for his friendship and I look forward to watching him continue to grow, develop and create.

Dispatch: Scott's day off and I Spy

Some days, you’re on the road and have nothing to do. So how do you fill your time? Well some musicians do drugs or rob banks or race motorcycles. Some date supermodels, form peace rallies or invent new forms of punctuation. We go to malls. Not just any mall, but we look for the largest most diverse monuments to consumerism that we can find. Malls with more than one Starbucks, a Best Buy, a Victoria’s Secret, etc. Today is such a day at the Coconut Point Mall in Fort Myers, FL. After an evening watching The Bourne Ultimatum (great freaking’ movie! He dies at the end!...no, not really…or does he?...I wouldn’t spoil the movie for you…he dies…just kidding…no really…) We returned here today for lunch at Johnny Rockets (first restaurant opened on Melrose Ave in Los Angeles CA on June 6 1986) another tour around Barnes & Noble, and now were posted up at Panera Bread for the free internet, great atmosphere and friendly people…but mostly for the free internet. A strange bald guy was staring at us earlier, but he’s gone now. He had large glasses that reminded me of those “x-ray specs” that they used to advertise in the back of comic books. I think the couple at table in front of me is having an affair…shame on them! Tom seems to be shopping for yard tools online and Richard is expanding his ever growing legion of Myspace friends. His ultimate plan is to gather as many Myspace friends as possible and then mobilize them into an elite fighting force that will aid him in his quest for control of the free world, all to the dulcet tones of the Beatles…but don’t tell anyone! I am the patient observer, neither judging nor condemning, simply noting the comings and goings of the humans. An older couple to my left appear to be in disguise. You know large hats, dark glasses, etc. They’ve also not spoken a word to each other since they sat down. They may be blind. Maybe they’re not aware that the other person is sitting at the same table. The man looks like he might have killed someone at one point, while his companion looks like she might have commanded him to do it as a test of loyalty…or maybe they’re just old people eating lunch. As I said, I neither judge nor condemn. A woman to my immediate right just took an incredibly large bite of something. I think she should eat smaller bites and chew her food more. She’s looking at me now. I think she knows I’m writing about her…oh wait…no it’s okay; I think she has a lazy eye. 2 guys in front of me are chowing down. They seem to have spent more time on their hair than I do changing the oil in the van. I see a woman drinking beer. I didn’t know they served beer at Panera Bread…at 10:00am…on Sunday…lazy eye’s looking at me again…I think she knows the “hair brothers”…another woman is eating with a spoon, but she’s holding the spoon upside down and just licking the back of it over and over…Geez!...the hit man and his boss are reading the paper…probably about his last hit and how the police can’t solve the crime! Diabolical geniuses! Now a guy in front of me is online and looking up travel websites. Maybe he’s planning that surprise getaway for his wife…or girlfriend…or maybe he’s just planning to escape…into the night…with the money that he embezzled from his job at the Apple Store! Lazy eye’s coming this way…I’d better go.

Dispatch: Florida and the role of Quantum Physics as it pertains to socio-economic stability and global warming

Today we’re in Matlacha Fl., a beautiful little spot on the Gulf Coast of Florida, with a population of 735. Richard’s gone kayaking and Tom’s practicing his tai-chi. I’m working on developing my own language consisting of hand signals and lyrics from various songs that can convey the secrets to the universe that pertain to the colors of the rainbow. As I write this, CNN is on and Kenny Chesney is apparently going to play for the New Orleans Saints football team. I hope they make him an offensive lineman…because he’s offensive…and I like the song Wichita Lineman.
We played here yesterday, and it was great. Normally, we play at 9 or 10 at night. Occasionally, we’ll play at 7 or 8. So we got here at 1:15 pm and discovered that we were playing at 2:00 pm!!! My fault, I just didn’t look at the contract close enough, but my guys pulled it off. We loaded in, set up and were playing by 2:00! That included setting up the PA and I think Richard even got to smoke a cigarette first!
We play here again tonight and then we have a question mark for the next 2 days as we try to sort out what’s going on with the gigs in Port Charlotte. They were on, and then off and now we just don’t know. We just keep our heads down and keep steaming forward. It’s what we do. Well…we do other things to…like chess, or repairing the van or eating Chinese food.
Today we’ll be filming new installments for the YouTube channel. Richard will be beginning a series of bass lessons for beginners. It should be an entertaining yet challenging bit of film.
Listen to the album Dope Dogs by the P-Funk All Stars. Dog Star (Fly On) is a sonic orgasm. Required listening for all guitar players as well as other travelers down the aural stream of consciousness.
Morning rain snaps out the cadence that heralds the coming of the new dawn. Earth’s children await the call of “all clear” that proclaims the surface safe for the harvest once again. As the horizon glows with pregnant pause, the day to come whispers its promise into the dreams of the sleeping ones. Stars cast across the sky like a fistful of diamonds hurled from God’s own hand upon a robe of the blackest velvet, bid the night a glowing and peaceful farewell. A democracy of souls, a tribe of saints to be. Empty your cup.

It's all about your Angels

Sometimes, I have to stop and thank God for the amazing friends that I/we have. There are people in my life that uplift and inspire me every day. They support me/us in amazing ways that rarely get mentioned. People like our friend Kempf Poole. Kempf comes out and travels with us sometimes and after his last trip with us, he sent us a GPS for the van (I guess he got tired of us getting lost!) but it was a huge, profound act of generosity that, as always, leaves me speechless. People like Keith MF Throneberry, who gives us support on a daily basis, but recently fixed our taillights in the parking lot of the gig. Keith does too many things for me to type them all, but that’s the latest one. People like Chuck MF Lanza who’s been a friend for ever and gives support every time it’s needed. People like Randy Z who feeds us and has been a tremendously generous benefactor to our music from the beginning. People like Dino Corvino who devotes a tremendous amount of time and attention and energy to help us climb this mountain called music. As I type this, I worry that I’m going to forget someone, so let me say that this is by no means a complete list. These are just some of the people lately that have been there in the trenches with us. Uncle Wayne, Mark, Tim, Keith, all the Extreme 4X4 people, Gary, Arnie, Michael, NAPA auto parts, Gateway Tire, GHS, Eminence, Mike, Tommy, Tyler, Bobby, Ryan, the list could literally go on and on. People like Chip and Sara from South Carolina, Cody and Chris from Alabama, all the people that jam with us and share their talent and art with us. We are fed, both spiritually and sometimes literally by these angels that surround us. I thank God for all of you.

Damn Right I've Got The Blues

I wanted to post some more thoughts about the new record and talk about the song Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues. This song has special memories for me, because it’s one of the first ones that we were playing with Buddy when his first record for the Silvertone label came out. The intro, I think, Buddy copped from Cream’s Strange Brew, which was actually a lick that Eric Clapton borrowed from Albert King. Anyway, let’s just say that the song’s got some deep roots!
When I started trying to decide which songs of Buddy’s to put on the record, Damn Right was kind of a no-brainer. It’s so strongly identified with Buddy that it would almost seem weird not to at least attempt it. I really didn’t know what to do with it, so we just took the intro and then transformed the groove into a minor key and let it rip. I also listened to the lyrics, to make sure that the message of what’s being said can be accompanied and reinforced by the music and not detracted from it. We’ve all heard cover versions of songs that sounded like they just took some music that they had lying around and wrapped other words to it. Luckily, I think we came up with a nice little slant on Buddy’s version. I’ve said it a million times, but my goal in this project was to pay tribute to Buddy and try and reinterpret his work, not make a slavish copy of what he’s already done.
Playing this song live with Buddy, always used to excite me. This was a song that we knew the crowd would go wild on and Buddy always attacked this song full throttle which made you want to really dig in and get it. Looking back, I’m sure there were times when I probably hit it too hard, but fortunately for me Buddy always managed to forgive my excitement! Thanks again Buddy!
For you tech heads, this song (as well as every other song on this record) was recorded using my trusty Obrien 100 watt head through the Marshall 4X12 cabinet that I used when I was with Buddy. That thing’s got some vibe, let me tell you. It’s also heard Damn Right I’ve Got The Blues as many times as I have! If you listen close on the very first part of the intro, you can hear entire room vibrating! That’s how loud we were going on this record!

Lists and Lists

The new Prince record rocks. Currently I’m reading a book about pirates. Pirates are cool. The “Pig Out Inn” http://pigoutinn.com in Natchez MS, is in the top 5 of all-time for my personal experience with BBQ.

TOP 5 BBQ SPOTS:
1. Iron Works - http://www.ironworksbbq.com/ in Austin TX
2. Sam’s BBQ – 2000 E 12th St. / Austin TX / (512) 478 – 0378
3. Brickyard BBQ - http://www.brickyardbbq.com/
4. Pig Out Inn - http://pigoutinn.com
5. Mark Holt / Carl Counce – Lawrenceburg TN

It still wasn’t enough to make me forget that I missed Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Hubert Sumlin and Buddy Guy in Chicago this weekend! At least Chuck was there to give me daily reports. Thanks Brutha! The Vanity Fair interview with Sly Stone is great. Good to know he’s still traveling in our universe. The Sly & the Family Stone box set is awesome, by the way.

TOP 5 RECORDS I’M DIGGING:
Prince – Planet Earth
Elvis Presley – I Sing All Kinds
Sly & The Family Stone – There’s A Riot Goin’ On
White Stripes – Icky Thump
Funkadelic – By The Way Of The Drum

TOP 5 GUITARS I OWN:
#1 Fender Custom Shop Strat (signed by Eric Clapton)
White Gary Brinkley custom Strat
Paul Reed Smith Custom 24
White Fender Strat Pro Custom
Fender Tele Plus

TOP 5 GUITARISTS…PERIOD:
Jimi Hendrix
Jeff Beck
Buddy Guy
Earl Hooker
B.B. King


TOP 5 BANDS I DON’T LIKE…AT ALL…EVER…I MEAN IT…EVER!
Steely Dan
Kenny Chesney
Montgomery Gentry
Jethro Tull
Rascal Flatts
If I misspelled any of the names, it’s probably my subconscious emphasizing the fact that I really don’t like these bands.


TOP 5 THINGS I WOULD RATHER LISTEN TO THAN THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED BANDS:
Jack Hammers
Bagpipes
Pan Flutes
Esteban
A clothes dryer full of gravel and marbles (and the CDs of the aforementioned artists)

TOP 5 HOTTEST WOMEN IN THE WORLD
My wife
Buffy Holt
my wife Buffy Holt
my baby’s mama
my hot, hot, hot wife

Dispatch: Portland and the way things go

So the July run to Canada is now officially in the books, (thank you Canadian fans! You guys are awesome!!) But not without one last gasp of drama and intrigue. I usually don’t like to show the downside of what we do, but this story is an example of what musicians sometimes have to go through to do what they love. In short, this is what we get paid for. The last date of the tour was to be a charity event, benefiting battered women. As a side note it was to pay us a fairly substantial amount of money, not big money, but in the course of the way this particular tour was laid out, the money was going to be needed to get us home. Not that someone needs to pay me to be against hurting women, but it’s just how the business end of this particular show worked out. Anyway, the gig was in Portland ME. Stop reading this now, open another window, go to Rand-McNally.com and type in the distance from Nashville to Portland. Figure time and fuel and you’ll see that a gig has to be fairly lucrative to justify that kind of distance. Granted, we were in Addison NY (awesome gig!!) the night before the Portland gig, but it was a 20 hour drive home staring us in the face, with all that that entails.
To continue, unbeknownst to us, the “money man” for the Portland gig disappears about 2 weeks before the show. Why we weren’t notified of this earlier is just one of the many mysteries that fall into place in this narrative. We are under contract to perform and we are warriors, so not showing up isn’t really an option, but the knowledge that suddenly the financial bottom is falling out of the gig does give one pause. From Addison to Portland was a 9 hour drive, so we played Addison and then drove overnight to Portland arriving sometime around 10:00 am. The hotel has rooms for us under the “money man’s” name, but since they haven’t been paid for, we have to pay for the rooms if we want to get into them. We’ve been in constant contact with a nice lady who we’ll call “the coordinator” who after many calls in which she stresses her non-liability and the fact the she’s just “the coordinator” (even though her name and signature are on the contract, but we’ll get to that in a minute), agrees to call the hotel for us. After her call, we then call her back (which we did most of the day as no one seemed to want to call us first!) whereupon she tells us that under advice of LEGAL COUNSEL, she’s not going to put any money out of her own pocket lest she appear liable. The fact that “the coordinator” has sought legal counsel, doesn’t escape me on the warning meter.
Let’s pause for a moment and sum up; We are 9 hours further from home (20 hours total), with no money, no hotel, an uncertain gig (scheduled for 11:00 pm) and no one wanting to take responsibility for this fast sinking ship that only the SHB seems to be riding on. It’s pointed out to me by various people involved that if we don’t play, we void the contract and have no recourse to pursue legal action to get our money back. As I said before, we never really think of not playing because we are warriors and we don’t bend or back-up. Nevertheless, it’s quite a quandary when you think about it, which is really all I’m able to do since I, a) Have no hotel room to sleep or shower in, b) can’t start for home.
So it falls like this. “The coordinator” and a companion meet us and lead us to the gig for load-in at 1:00pm. She then agrees (I suppose against the advice of legal counsel) to pay for our hotel rooms so we can at least have a place to shower and sleep. She does also arrange with the folks at Chili’s to give us a discount for a meal. (Thanks to Chili’s!)We show up at 9:30 as we would for any other gig. We’re 5th on the bill and headlining. One act, a friend of “the money man” is a no show…hmmmm. We play a great set. My boys are bad no matter what the circumstances. We pack up and leave. No one thanks us for being professional and keeping up our end of the deal. No one commiserates our plight, offers us a hand loading out, or throws us some gas money, just the old after show disappearing act. They do, however, record our show (without permission) play it back over the loud speakers while we pack up and then tell us that they can’t give us a copy because they have to leave the venue and don’t have time, but we’re welcome to track them down and they’ll send us a copy when they have a chance.
So what have I learned? I remain staunchly against any form of abuse and I still think that anyone who would hurt a woman is a punkass bitch. I think that our life will go on much as before (albeit, with more conversations with attorneys in my near future.) I’m sorry for what we went through but I’m glad we played. We were professionals. We dedicated a song to Tammy Faye Baker who passed away the previous night. I would love to come back to Portland and play a regular gig. We had some great fans that came out to support us and it was awesome to see some friendly faces in the middle of the siege. “Moneyman” if you read this, I don’t hate you or bear you ill will. I am, however, going to hunt you down and you should pray that the only thing I do is sue the shit out of you.

Dispatch: Buffalo

Buffalo last night, night off tonight and then two more shows and home! Gigs have been going great. The band sounds ferocious (when they’re allowed to…hmmmm). Our gear still limps along battered and bruised but refusing to bow. Much like the SHB. We won’t stop. I’m so excited about the new record. I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. Some of our friends have heard it and they say they like it. These are people that I trust to tell me the truth. It’s much like the time I spent in the Congo working with the Peace Corps. Once I woke before the rest of the team and in the still quiet of the morning in the rain forest, I looked out of my tent and saw a huge silver back gorilla just feet from the campsite. We looked at each other for what felt like an eternity before he stood to his full height and beat his chest. He then disappeared back into the jungle and it was then that I realized what true silence sounded like. Even the birds were still. I smelled something. I was standing in a large pile of gorilla feces. I forgave the gorilla immediately, but I’ll never stand barefoot near one again!
William Shatner is brilliant!

Dispatch #2: London

Last night was London. Great town, great crowd. Very understanding considering the problems we had. My amp decided that she wanted to give me the silent treatment and in the short amount of time we had before we went on, I couldn’t convince her otherwise. Guitar tech #16 (a.k.a. Cedric) is just learning the ropes and has truly been thrown into the fire head first, but he made his way through and I hope someday he looks back on this time and realizes that he maybe learned something from the crazy bald guitar player!
The Canadian audiences that we’ve had the privilege of playing for are some of the most gracious and kind people I’ve ever had the joy to meet. I look forward to every visit to their country and hope that no matter what, we’ll always be able to entertain them.
Wayne Shorter’s Native Dancer CD is amazing.
Angels surround us all…

Dispatch #1: Windsor

So you play guitar. Or you work in a store, or you make shoes. Your work should be your art. It is your art whether you know it or not. Do what you love. Do what you love and let the rest take care of itself. Tonight we played in front of 2 or 3 thousand people, and it was great. The band played up. They played at that pro level that they live at. We attacked the people who don’t realize sometimes that you don’t play those kinds of gigs every night. Some nights are hard. Some nights you’re playing for folks who don’t really want to receive what you have to offer. Some nights God places you in a town or in a situation where you’re purpose isn’t clear. Maybe you’re not the key ingredient in the mix on that moment, but you better believe that if God’s got you there, it’s for a reason. At the end of the night, people tell you how much they enjoyed you, and they have no idea how much you need to hear that. How quiet it is some nights. How you doubt and worry and wonder. I love to play music. I love Buffy and Olivia much more, so if I didn’t love playing music, there’s no way I’d leave home for weeks at a time to do what I do. Tonight, as I write this, listening to Wayne Shorter, waiting on the pizza that Tom ordered (bad idea though it be), missing my love, my heart is full of the joy that people gave to me tonight. The light on Richard and Tom’s faces as they felt the love of their audience and knew that what they were doing was good, and well received. Good night.

Legend's (last time?)

Just got back from playing at Buddy Guy’s in Chicago. Since the club is supposed to move this year, it might be the last time we get a chance to play there. I’ve had a lot of great times at that place, (I actually slept there on a couple of nights!) met a lot of cool people, got to play with some amazing musicians and spent a lot of time learning. It was great to be surrounded by our friends and play loud! Our best friends from back home Keith & Jen were there, Randy Z (official gourmet chef of the SHB) was there, Tim O’Brien came in from Minneapolis to jam, even Superfan Mike was there in the front row, (thanks Mike!). If Buffy had been there, it would have been perfect. Chicago is one of our favorite cities, and I can’t wait to get back there soon and see our friends. Thanks to Harvey, Rich and everybody at the club for making it so special to be there.

My Band

I have a great band. I’m not saying that lightly, or trying to create truth out of nothing. I have a great band. Richard and Tom are truly two of the finest musicians I have ever played with. Being in a great band, however, doesn’t stop at talent. While they are great, creative, fluid musicians, who have devoted much of their lives to their craft, they are amazing human beings. They love their wives, they are loyal, and they genuinely care for others. They are truly good people. We’re not very different from any other band. We work hard. Sometimes we drive hundreds or thousands of miles to play to empty houses, people that don’t know us and don’t care, we play with all kinds of variables that should distract us and at times make us throw in the towel, but the mark of committed professional musicians doesn’t allow for giving up. To quote one of my favorite songs, “the show must go on”. We’re never too sick; the equipment is never too broken, there are never too few people or too little money. I see these things for what they are. I live under the philosophy that ‘that which does not kill us, make us stronger.’ and we are strong! But I’m just one guy. Just the guitar player. By myself, it isn’t much of a show. Tom and Richard are my brothers. They go through everything I go through. They make every mile of every drive. They eat all the same food, sleep (or don’t sleep) in the same motels, deal with the same problems and they do it all with the same positive, never say die attitude that I have. More so than me, they put their faith in me. They trust me. They protect me and look out for me. They hold me up. They take the music that I try to make and they create a beautiful foundation to put it on. I stand in front of them and I feel like we are the best band in the world. I stand in front of them night after night and I’m continually amazed and surprised at their endless talent, their endless enthusiasm, their constant ability to rise to the occasion, to never give in, show weakness or appear less than what I know them to be, which is to say they carry themselves as the excellent human beings that they are.
So why am I saying all of this now, in this forum? Many reasons. We’ve been rolling hard for the last 8 weeks. In that time, we’ve dealt with equipment issues that threatened to derail the entire show, personnel issues that threatened our sanity, business issues that threatened our livelihood, and through it all, I see Richard and Tom right there, not giving in, not collapsing under the strain, not allowing whatever clouds are around us to get in the way of what we have to do. I see them not only surviving, but getting stronger, and it makes me stronger. We have a new record coming out and it’s the first record that we’ve ever done, that will be toured and supported by the musicians that played on it. It’s right because these are the guys that are supposed to be here. I’m blessed. As a Christian, I believe that God guides and has a plan for my life. Music is ingrained in my life and these are the people that I feel closest to when I am creating that gift that God has given me. I’m also a part of their gift, because as God has seen fit to put me here, now, he’s placed me in their lives as well, and I am honored beyond description. In the van, it’s the 3 of us. Sometimes, we have others in the circle, but at the end of the day, I consider myself blessed and honored to be part of this trio and a member of what I truly believe to be the absolute greatest band in the world. Thank you Richard, my friend, for allowing me to share the stage and the studio with you. Thank you Tom, my friend, for allowing me to share the stage and the studio with you. I am better for knowing both of you. I am better for what I’ve learned from each of you. The world is better for every person who comes in contact with either of you.

I'm gonna try to post some blogs that deal with the specific songs on the new record. As many of you know, when we're on the road, we don't always get Internet and we stay pretty busy, so this little project might take longer than the actual record, but I think it's a worthy thing to do.
The first song on the new record is simply called "Intro". It's just a small piece of music, but it's very significant in my history of studying the work of Buddy Guy. I first heard this on a record called Folk Festival Of The Blues. it was released on Chess and is a sort of half live/half studio thing with canned audience noise added to make it seem like a real live recording. First of all, find that record and listen to the whole thing! Buddy and his band (Fred Below & Jack Meyers) back up Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf & Sonny Boy Williamson. The MC, Big Bill Hill, a Chicago DJ, refers to Little Walter being there too. Anyway, at a couple of points on the record, sort of as a set up between artists, Buddy and the band play this little riff. Both times, it's so cool because it's so out of context. The song following it is always in a different key! It just sounds raw and cool. Pure Buddy Guy. I next heard the riff on a Jeff Beck record. I then read somewhere that he had copied it from the same record. Good enough for Buddy Guy & Jeff Beck, good enough for me!

The Science of Abstract Theory Conception as it applies to earth and other planets

Listening to John Coltrane is like eavesdropping on someones prayers. Old people deserve more respect than we give them. Better to be poor and happy than rich and sad. Of course it's probably better to be rich and happy, I'll let you know if I find out! Politicians are not supposed to solve the world's problems, citizens are. Besides many politicians are really old and out of shape, so what the hell could they do for us anyway? It is never okay to hate. It is, however, okay to wish a severe skin rash on someone who has wronged you or disagreed with you in the hope that they will realize that the skin rash is a direct result of their inconsiderate behavior and change their ways. Hot sauce should be on every table. Everything should be open 24 hours a day. Kids are smarter than you think! In the 60's, music unified people and stopped a war, what does music do today except sell cars and electronic toys? If Mozart were alive today, he'd be really, really, really old! I'd still go see him though, if he gigged somewhere close by. I read a book recently about Henry VIII and they had this thing called the "sweating sickness" that historians have yet to be able to definitely identify! That had to suck! You start sweating and if you went to sleep within the first 24 hours, you die! No thanks! Elvis was really cool and that's just a fact, so if you disagree, look out for a skin rash! Guns don't kill people, it's the bullets in them that actually kill you. Aren't "energy bars" really just crappy tasting candy bars? Beverly Hills Cop is a great movie! Good workout music: Motorhead, Sex Pistols, AC/DC, Van Halen, Living Colour, Bad Brains, Billy Idol, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Bad workout music: Mozart, Buck Owens, Annie Lennox, Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, The Beatles (sorry Richard). My motto is Don't Try. Music contains the secret to human existence and the molecules that are constantly being rearranged by the movement of various notes cast into the air is the forward motion of time and the expansion of energy and light. Good Loud is good, remember it was a Big Bang not a barely audible sigh. What's Good Loud you ask? Guitars, joyful screaming, Rock and Roll, any good music, fast cars, etc. Bad Loud? hand grenades, angry screaming, bad music of any kind, land mines, Kenny Chesney. How come we have smart people like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Stephen Hawking and various scientists and business moguls and we can't stop global warming, our addiction to oil, stop genocide, feed the hungry, cure the sick or come up with a suitable answer to how to keep both sides of the pillow cool all night? I'm just asking...

¡Se hace el viaje de la costa oeste!

The West Coast tour is finally in the history books, and after everybody has a chance to take a little vacation, we get right back at it in Louisville on June 1 & 2. What a trip the last month has been! My Uncle Wayne is always kidding me about the fact that we take out 3 guitar amps with us when we tour. I finally had a chance to call him and tell him that, this time, 3 wasn't enough! I got my guitar back from the repair shop yesterday (Thanks Mike Lennon @ The Apprentice Shop!!) and Tim (Obrien) tells me that my red amp is fixed and ready to go. Still have to fix the 100 watt Obrien and my emergency back up amp. Maybe I should start taking 4 amps out with me! The new record is ready to come out on June 26 and we are playing the songs live every night in the show, so come check 'em out live! The June 17 gig at Buddy Guy's will be a special night for us since the record will be out a few days later. We are trying to figure out if we'll be able to sell copies of the record at the show or not. (fingers crossed!)
A lot of people asked me after everything that happened on the last leg of the tour, how I'm staying so up and positive? Even though I'm not really a negative person to begin with, I really think it's because I believe that 2007 is going to be the biggest, most amazing year yet for the SHB. We are sitting on the best record we've ever made, we have an amazing group of people supporting us and musically this band is the best I've ever been in. Just watch what happens!

The SHB and The Legend of the Lost Chord (or How Richard got online)

A harsh desert wind blew across the horizon in front of the group, burning their skin and robbing their vision. The trail curved first one way and then another. "This is worse than a pig trail!", said Tom. The equipment wagon rocked to and fro from the rocky terrain as Chris tried valiantly to hold the reins and steer. In the cloud of dust that surrounded the boys, only Tom, Richard and Chris could be seen. "Where's Scott?" Richard wondered, "Did he fall off a cliff? Was he lay ed upon by highwaymen? Did he find a record store?" Just then Tom noticed that the whine of the wind was growing louder and more pronounced. "What the hell is that?" wondered Tom, "It sounds like...like...FEEDBACK!"
Suddenly, right in front of the boys, a large silver ship descended from the sky. As it landed in the middle of the trail, 2 O'Brien 4X12 cabinets extended from either side of the craft and Scott's voice came booming out at 120db, "HEY GUYS! I FOUND THIS SPACESHIP IN THE DESERT BACK THERE. IT'S GOT ROOM FOR OUR HORSES AND A JACK TO PLUG MY GUITAR INTO!" With that, the air was filled with a flurry of notes that crashed into a whammy bar dive and the door to the ship opened. There was Scott, sitting on a large sofa playing his guitar. As the boys led their horses and the equipment onto the ship, Tom was struck in the back of the head by a cellphone. "Let's get out of here!", exclaimed Tom, "it's agents trying to change dates on our tour and they've got club owners and old people who just want to have dinner and not have to listen to music with them!"
"I'm trying to get us out of here, but the door's stuck!", said Richard, as another cellphone and a rock with a request for Sweet Home Alabama tied to it struck him in the forehead. Chris began to sob uncontrollably, "We're doomed! Doomed!" Scott grabbed his guitar and said, "Don't fret little bear, I have an idea."...

TO BE CONTINUED

The SHB rides again (or how Chris found the light)

The coals from the campfire were glowing with the last heat as Richard emptied the last of his coffee cup and swung into the saddle, saying, "Let's ride boys, we're burning daylight." The dust from the trail was held close with the morning dew as our four intrepid riders of the purple sage headed off into the violet dawn. With Tom riding point and Scott riding drag, they were sure that the equipment wagon would be safe from road agents. The first arrow caught Chris in the shoulder blade. "Injuns!" he cried. "No", said Tom, "it's worse...it's...clubowners!" With a bloodcurdling war cry of "TURN DOWN!" the pack of rouge club owner warriors swarmed our faithful little troop and tried to do them in. The air around the boys was filled with bar tabs and song requests. "Let's get out of here." said Scott, "We can out run them!" Suddenly Richard exclaimed, "Look! Up ahead!" It was a canyon rim, and the boys were headed straight for it...

To Be Continued

Western Tour '07 / Our story so far...

Blew up amp #1. Blew up amp#2. Blew up amp #3. Broke the headstock on my #1 guitar. Broke headlight dimmer switch. Broke trailer taillight. Lost 3 socks. Tom has dysentery. Have only 2 high "E" strings left. Can't find parts to fix amps. Paid amp repair man in Seattle to fix amps...didn't fix amps...Tom yelled at them and got half our money back. Tom threw up. It was very cold, now it's very hot. Motel 6 doesn't have Internet...they do have a Denney's in the parking lot...I hate Denney's. Borrowed amp (thanks Kyle). Richard says he's having a glorious day...I agree.