Highlights from 2009
Here are some personal highlights from the year 2009.
Sara and I have been together for over a year now.
Seeing AC/DC for the first time…which included a full size locomotive engine on stage.
LOST on Wednesday nights with Sara, the McNeely's, and Adam.
A trip to Chicago in March with Sara to see the Jimmy Eat World "Clarity 10 Tour".
Signing Abandon Kansas to Gotee.
My first show at the Ryman…Death Cab for Cutie.
A trip to Maui in May with Sara and her family…which included a day trip to Oahu to see filming locations for LOST.
My niece Eva Sephora was born on July 25 to my brother Brandon and sister in-law Samantha.
Holding Eva for the first time on August 8.
Carnton Plantation concerts from SixtyFour and an Eagles cover band.
Seeing Metallica for the first time…which included an encore with Lemmy from Motorhead.
Taking Sara to her first Penn State football game (a white out)…even though I was sick, it rained, and we loss.
Seeing Them Crooked Vultures...which included legendary bassist John Paul Jones.
A trip to FL in October with Sara to see U2 for my first time and go to Universal Studios.
Road trips with Sara that included visiting wineries off the Natchez Trace and Fall Creek Falls.
Seeing Jay-Z and Bruce Springsteen for the first time…a 3 hour set from the Boss included the entire "Born to Run" album.
Witnessing THE Titans win of the year at LP Field with a 99 yard drive and a 4th down last second touchdown pass.
Seeing SixtyFour go from a performance at a housing clubhouse in January to an electric show at 12th & Porter in December.
Spending Christmas in Indio/La Quinta, CA with Sara and her family that included a day at DisnleyLand, my first ostrich burger and date & banana shake, and evenings in the pool with 2 Buck Chuck.
Ending the year in PA with the Moist family.
Abandon Kansas
(L-R: Brad Foster (guitar) of AK, Nick Patrick (bass) of AK, Jared Fox (producer assistant), Mark Lee Townsend (producer), Jeremy Spring (vocals, guitar) of AK, yours truly, and Brian Scheideman (drums) of AK) Photo by Ethan Luck
I am proud to announce that the newest artist to join the Gotee family is ABANDON KANSAS. Since my return to Gotee in December I helped finish a deal with this band. It's hard to believe that it was almost a year ago that I saw them for the first time and now we're announcing their signing and the release of a brand new EP. It's been a blast getting to know these guys. Not only are they great musicians but their hearts are in the right place as men and as artists. We recorded the 6 song EP at the end of May with producer Mark Lee Townsend. I was then lucky have enough to have JR McNeely mix the EP. This is the same team that has help create albums such as Relient K's "mmhmm", House of Heroes "The End Is Not The End", Jennifer Knapp "Live", and The Wedding "Polarity". So sonically it sounds kick ass. I then had Ethan Luck take some photos and BoerHaus.com design the cover and packaging. In all 4 of my best friends helped the band and I create what I think looks classic and sounds famous. I am extremely proud of it and maybe it's because it marks the first true piece of new music that I have A&R'd from the ground up since my return. So do yourself a favor and check out a few of their tunes, read the bio, and dive into the world that is Abandon Kansas.
House of Heroes Meets the Beatles
Not many bands can pull off covers of Beatles songs. Only Bono's versions on the "Across the Universe" soundtrack and almost all the songs covered on the "I Am Sam" soundtrack have excited me. So I am proud to say that one of the other few that I feel can is a band I A&R at Gotee Records called House of Heroes. These guys are true fans, not scene kids who only wear "Let It Be" t-shirts saying their fans. Their producer, Mark Lee Townsend, even helms a Beatles cover band called SixtyFour. And not only was the bands producer a Beatles fan/historian but the band themselves pull off a sound that pays homage to the Fab Four on all levels especially vocally. Even their song selection ("Can't Buy Me Love", "It Won't Be Long" and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da") show the band picked the perfect songs for who they are but also leaves their fans wanting more. So do yourself a favor and pick up this digital only 3 song EP release at iTunes for $1.99 or AmazonMP3.com for $1.89. The only disappointment will be you'll be left wanting more...I promise!
PS - A big thanks to Jeremy from ThisIsHeroic.com for providing a classic design that also pays homage.
Tweets
- thx to my wife, the Powers, McNeelys @eddyboer A-Cates @hillbillyslim and the bearded wonder for the KILLER b-day surprise @CorsairArtisan
- RT @iTunesMusic: Fleetwood Mac's Rumours was released 35 years ago today. #70sClassic http://t.co/buRklHbI
- Do yourself a favor and go listen to one of the greatest albums of all time today...Fleetwood Mac's #Rumors. It released 35 years ago today.
- RT @AKJeremySpring: When you're doing what you were made to do you, you couldn't care less about what everyone else is up to.
- group shot from the last mix on the new @houseofheroes album @ Paragon Studios http://t.co/vIf4dtLV
Listening To
- The Shins – Simple Song
- L.A. Guns – One More Reason
- Kix – Blow My Fuse
- Europe – Cherokee
- White Lion – Wait
- Britny Fox – Girlschool
- Winger – Seventeen
- Bon Jovi – Bad Medicine
- Alice Cooper – Poison
- Iron Maiden – Wasted Years
Instagr.am
