Oh, Christmas Tree

This is my Christmas tree! Its my first Christmas tree in my first apartment! I think she looks pretty darn good. I wish I could take credit for how good it looks but sadly, I only put about, 20 balls on it. My room mate Kendrah did ALL the hard work. I just couldn't find a minute to strap down and say "alright, lets do this!". So thanks Kendrah for the good looking tree! I'll try to not suck next year!

Modern Love?

"Be modern. Its the modern age. People swing. Theyre uninhibited. They fuck from the ceiling. They screw dogs, babies, chickens, fish..."
"I like to choose,i have to care"
"Thats so damn corny. The caring is already built-in. Then if you cultivate that caring long enough the next thing you know you think its love."
"OK,whats wrong with love,tony?"
"Love is a form of prejudice. You love what you need, you love what makes you feel good, you love what is convenient. How can you say you love one person when there are ten thousand people in the world that you would love more if you ever met them? But youll never meet them"
"alright,so we do the best we can"
"Granted. But we must still realize that love is just the result of a chance encounter. Most people make too much of it. On these grounds a good fuck is not to be entirely scorned"
"but thats the result of a chance meeting too"
"Youre god damned right. drink up. we'll have another"
"youve got a good line tony,but its not going to work"
Well,said tony,nodding the bartender over,"im not going to grieve about that either"

Barrel Snare

I think this snare is so badass! I don't think I ever posted my drum kit idea that I've had for a long time that I guess is supposed to resemble being made out of old floor boards. Excluding the 2 horizontal rings, since this snare is supposed to resemble a wooden barrel, the finish pertaining to MY kit idea is very similar. The hardware is PERFECT. I don't think I ever described it well enough whenever I told someone about this idea I had. Now there is a great picture representation of it.

One day this kit might be made!

Stude Dudes.

Healers in Trapdoor Studios getting work done! Our Ep is currently finished. Just needs mixing and mastering. Which will be taken care of during the months of December and January. We were hoping to have a complete finished product by January but the Holidays are a crazy time for everyone and we have some bigger plans in the works as to what to do with this EP once it is actually finished and in our hands.

We don't know what is in the future but we hope that its good. So as of right now there is no foreseen date to which these songs will see the light of day. Just know that it IS coming.

Giggin Vidz II

I almost forgot! Here are 3 videos taken from the Cake Shop show! They were taken on our friend Nates iphone. They aren't the best in the business but they work just fine!

Clementine

When The  Ship Comes In

Bad Days

New York, New York

The Fortune Healers played a show in Manhattan, NYC. The reason I post this is because this is a picture of the FIRST outside of New England performance of my life. I haven't played many live shows in my time but the ones I have played were only in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. Now I'm out of the box and out there showing NYC what I have!

I could not be any happier to be in a band doing things. No matter how small. I've had the dreams but I feel more grounded than I ever have before. It doesn't matter if there are 5 or 500 people there, I'm playing music! Every face I play for is an accomplishment. So many things to come and to happen. All I can do is be patient and wait to soak up every moment that happens. 

Heavy Petty

Now, I wouldn't even call myself a "Tom Petty Fan". To most, that might result in me being called an idiot but, I know the hits, I know Tom Petty. This song however, is completely fucking awesome! It's heavy, dirty, southern and it could not make me love it any more.

I heard it during a skateboard segment (one of many) that my friend Mark Choiniere does. I immediately recognized the voice and said "holy shit this Tom Petty song rules" and went to go find out what it was. 

The only bad part of this is, is that I REALLY wanted my band to cover it. Since it ideally fits our sound more than anything possibly could have. Sadly this song is on Tom Petty and The Heart breakers newest Record called "Mojo". Which came out this year. I'm not too sure if you are aware of the "things you just don't do" list, most notably is wearing the bands shirt that you're going to see, etc. I feel covering a song, regardless of how old and timeless the artist is, that only came out the present year to just be poor decision making but boy do I wish that this song came out a decade earlier.

head bang.

Publicity.

There is a write up on the Song Of Zarathustra reunion show thats taking place November 6th 2010 at The Cake Shop in Brooklyn, NY on a website called Brooklyn Vegan. This is cool because this is a show that my band The Fortune Healers is opening!

CHECK IT OUT HERE!

Tell Yourself...

LIVE!

Here is a  picture of my kit thats on the Dark Horse website!

AND here is what it looks like in action!


My band(blog coming soon) played our first show last Friday. It was the musical side to the Love Thy Neighbor Art show tossed together by Mcinnis Tattoo. A place where many local and New England tattooers can come and show off their art and sell it.

It was a fantastic event to introduce ourselves to Providence. Lots of friends and just an overall great vibe and scene to be apart of. I could not be any happier with how the night went and how we played. It was a blast!

photos by: Rich Gaccione

Not Kansas

I think its fair to say that anywhere you go there are things that feel familiar. People are people, cities are cities and the world turns as it should no matter where you are in it.

However sometimes you go some where or see something that really puts you in your place and it says "YOU ARE NOT HOME ANYMORE".


This is the first thing that I saw in Australia that really proved to me that I was there. It wasn't the airports, the conscious thought that I was leaving, the 14 hour flight, the fact that they drive on opposite side of the road and from the passenger seat or even seeing the Opera house 30 minutes after getting off the plane, it was this beach.

This beach was in Nelson Bay, New South Wales. How far out of Sydney I don't really recall. We landed at 6 in the morning, got carted around the city the "long way" from the airport and stopped by the Opera house. Finally getting to the house where we would be staying at around 930am. Took a 2 hour nap and had a shower. Then it was a blur.


We stopped by Kristys fathers to say hello and her step mother cooked us an amazing pasta dinner. Where her fathers house was, I don't even know but what I do know is that they had a handsome dog named Gus.

After dinner we made our way to Nelson Bay to the "caravan park". Caravan park basically being Australias trailer park where they will go off on holiday in the summer. I hear its a really good time too. This is where we stayed for a night. Its a friend of the families and they were nice enough to let us borrow it and stay there. That morning we had gotten up around 6am. Since the girls do not wake up that early, the gentleman and I being Americans in a new country, we went off to explore and thats when we discovered the beach. Since its about a 2 minutes walk from the caravan. I have to be honest with you. I really didn't know what I was going to see. I had no sort of preconceived image in my mind when I walked over the sandy grass covered knoll. You could say that I almost took whatever could have laid over that hill completely for granted.

Just Got Back From Australia

I have proof!



It was an amazing time! The flight was utter hell but as soon as I got off the plane, both going to and coming from, all was worth it. I feel blessed for being able to have met the friends I had there which opened the door to this and made it possible.

I've tried to make a phony "Bucket List" consisting of small joys I'd like to accomplish. However it never really took off and it only had 2 things on it. One was to ride a tandem bike with 3 friends and the other was hold a Koala bear. Well you can now cross that off the list!

I got the opportunity to be driven up the coast of Australia 11 hours from Sydney to Queensland. It reminds me a lot of the drive to Syracuse. Lots of open land and cows, So many cows. Its nice though, with little towns in between.

This photo was taken at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane and hour north of Queensland. I would argue on whether or not the drive was completely, "worth it" but it totally was. Considering Queensland is awesome and the only state in Australia where physically holding a Koala is legal. So its what HAD to be done because THIS was the WHOLE point of my trip! Lone Pine is the same place where all my other friends have gotten the chance to do this same thing. Not to mention the wall of photographs of bands/famous people in the gift shop who also cuddled a koala.

I'll slowly but surely start blogging about my trip or just posting a few cool pictures. I have a lot of pictures to start acquiring not to mention getting back into the groove of life and work.

Customs Are DONE!

Here is another sneak shot of them lugged up and assembled. Better pictures to come soon!

I cannot even express how I feel right now. They look PERFECT.

My Customs!

FINALLY! I got this sneak peek earlier this afternoon. I cannot tell you how stoked I am right now!

All they need is drilling, lugs and assembly and they will finally been mine. It's been quite a trip...and wait but it's finally happening.

This picture doesn't really do them justice, the inlay looks white, when it isn't and the glare is making the glitter make it look like a snow storm. I will be posting better pictures in September.

Epic Snare.

I found this video randomly poking around on youtube. Its of the Mars Volta performing the song "Goliath" at some large festival. Not only is this song is one of my favorites but holy shit!

I'm not too familiar with Dave Elitch but the dude is shredding right here. That roll set at 1:07 dominates. His energy is top notch and listen to that snare! I have no idea what it is, it would appear to be aluminum but I'm not positive. Thing must be cranked!

I only say aluminum because its shell looks like this snare that C&C did for Derek Grant of Alkaline Trio.

Giggin Vidz

I filled in for a friends band not long ago. They wanted to play a last show and since I had filled in for them before last summer, I said sure, why not and offered my services. After the original person that was supposed to play for them flaked (which I knew would happen) I took the duties.

I have always been a skilled drummer, well, not ALWAYS but I am now. I haven't been given much out of music. I've had the drumming blood flowing through me as a child until finally got my first real drum kit for my 16th Birthday. You would think playing 9 years I'd have something to show for it. I guess that I do, I have a Demo of the only actual band I've ever done, which wasnt very good and I have rough cuts of a handful of songs from my band that just never got off the ground. I only have a few pictures from these events.

Now however, I have video proof! I think that this is totally awesome! I'm also glad that I do not sound as bad as I thought I did that night. There is some minor misses but overall, I think everything is great!

If you'd like to see all of them you can go HERE. I'm just going to post the video that has me in it the most (natrually) and the cover of Martyr ADs "American Hollow".

Intro/First Song


Martyr AD "American Hollow"

Ode To Serotonin

The past few months I've been gearing up to the commemoration of my blogs first birthday. Only to realize I'm on my THIRD year of blogging. Whoops? So, HAPPY THIRD BIRTHDAY BLOG! You have been a good friend and I would like to take a few moments to talk about you.

As minuscule as it might be, this blog has had a very positive impact. It started out as an archive for me to jot down all the specs I had for the numerous custom drum kits I would create on a daily basis. I didn't really have any idea that it would turn into what it did.

I took it upon myself to steer this blog about as far away as possible from Live Journal as I could. Not only is Live Journal old news in the Internet world but I was also extremely guilty of being your typical "Live Journal user" in which I would disgustingly complain and pour myself into on a semi-regular basis about my troubles at hand and yes, they were mainly all about girls. I was no different than any other asshole on the Internet using that website.

Now, I've grown up. I've changed. It's time to personify myself appropriately. I will admit that I used to be a VERY melancholy person. From the ages of about 15-19, maybe even longer than that. I spent a lot of my years in all kinds of random holes. Some how all tied into "Love" in one way or another. What one even understands of love at that age is most likely complete bullshit anyway. So I guess that it was teens being teens. It was that, wasn't it?

In preparation for this, I've really tried to look at myself. So that I could properly distinguish who I am now, to who I was then. It's bizarrely all boiled down to 2007's down fall. The down fall of myself, if you will. If you have ever seen the movie Forgetting Sarah Marshall I'm sure you are familiar and in some way connected yourself to the dialogue between Peter and Rachel on the cliff. I too feel impervious to pain. I honestly feel as though I had hit the lowest point I ever had in my entire life that winter. Since then I have become a completely different person. It's obvious that there is only one way to go from the bottom and that way is up. I no longer worry about love. Sure things have not worked out for me since but I look at them so much differently now. My blog has occasionally been compromised with what I have dubbed "rule breakers" due to these missteps. Though instead of ranting on like a mindless baby, I try to convey the emotion artistically. I try to grasp it, understand it and profoundly express it.

I cannot even remember the last time I carried a melancholy vibe. I see this a good thing. This blog has given me a place to express who I am today and I think I do a good job at it. It might not be perfect, well followed an viewed across the Internet and my grammar might be complete shit but none of that matters to me. I don't look down upon the rule breakers. For it is human to feel pensive sometimes and it is just apart of me as it is anyone else. Its all in how you deal with it and I just choose to not make myself look bad any longer. There's no time to be sad and it sure as hell does not belong on the internet. I'm a bright, loud, smiley and fun personality. Thats how I try to keep this blog. It might be a bit corny to admit that I am always thinking of what I can blog next. What am I going to find or what am I going to have to say. I don't consider myself a writer and I probably never will. I wouldn't even consider myself a "Blogger" even though by argument I totally am. I feel that most dubbed "bloggers" are self-absorbed attention whores spewing their ideals across the web in attempts to gain some sort of credible mark in the world of journalism. (view what I'm saying here on my buddy Phils tumblr).

I am very excited for things to come. When I stop and think about how awesome life is going to be from late August-December it blows my mind. For those who follow, thanks. I'm glad you like what you see. I have no intention of stopping.

Happy Birthday Blog!

"those who escape hell however 
never talk about it 
and nothing much 
bothers them 
after that." - Bukowski

Best Commercial.

I wish that I could be as smooth as Keith Stone. I also wish I knew where to get that massive slim jim! Thing kills me!

Newspaper.

I was in it the other day. Small local paper for the city of Johnston where the company I work for is. Its a small franchised owned print shop. The headline says it all really. A small local shop, surviving off local businesses, which in this economy is very hard. Considering many local businesses, not to mention print shops, have closed down. Thankfully we are left standing. However with the insane rise of Health Insurance percentages, which my boss/myself have to pay out of our income. Who knows how long insurance will last.

I am thankful to have insurance. I've only had it a year but I've used it. It may not be the best coverage ever but its good to have. Even though I am paying about $150 a month to have it. Though it could be worse. I could not have it at all or I could be paying a hell of a lot more to have it if I paid for it personally. Thankfully when our rates went up last year my boss told me that I'm going to be paying the same amount and that he is going to cover the extra amount due to the raise. At what point though is that going to stop? Until I either have to pay more, which I don't think I could afford OR my work cannot afford to cover the amount of money to continue my current rate/insurance policy thus canceling my coverage.

Its a crazy thing unfortunate thing.

Women.

"A man didnt have to have a women in order to feel as real as he could feel, but it was good if he knew a few. Then when the affair went wrong he'd feel what it was like to be truely lonely and crazed, and thus know what he must face, finally, when his own end came.

I was sentimental about many things: a womens shoes under the bed; one hairpin left behind on the dresser; the way they said, "im going to pee..."; hair ribbons; walking down the boulevard with them at 1:30 in the afternoon, just two people walking together; the long nights of drinking and smoking, talking; the arguements; thinking of suicide; eating together and feeling good; the jokes; the laughter out of nowhere; feeling miracles in the air; being in a parked car together; comparing past loves at 3am; being told you snore; hearing her snore; mothers, daughters, sons, cats, dogs; sometimes death and sometimes divorce, but always carrying on, always seeing it through; reading a newspaper alone in a sandwich joint and feeling nausea because shes now married to a dentist with an I.Q. of 95; racetracks, parks, park picinics; even jails; her dull friends, your dull friends; your drinking, her dancing; your flirting, her flirting; her pills, your fucking on the side, and her doing the same; sleeping together....

there were no judgements to be made, yet out of necessity one had to select. Beyond good and evil was all right in theory, but to go on living one had to select: some were kinder than others, some were simply more interested in you, and sometimes the outwardly beautiful and inwardly cold were necessary, just for bloody shitty kicks, like a bloody, shitty movie. The kinder ones fucked better, really, and after you were around them a while they seemed beautiful because they were. I thought of Sara, she had that something extra. if only there was no Drayer Baba holding up that damned STOP sign."

Australia Here I Come!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You'd think I would look more excited? Well, in reality, I truly am. This is so huge! I'm going to be the first one in my family to go VERY far away. Everyone in my family is really tight knit and secluded. I'm sure other peoples families are like this too and I'm not alone here. Some people just don't have a desire to travel I guess? Members of my family get really stressed out even driving into Providence because of a simple merger onto a highway. Yes, its THAT bad. My sister has lived in Ohio and Kentucky. My grandparents have been to Montreal Canada, Cancun Mexico and Jamaica but I am going to be going to the other side of the globe. To places my mother, father and aunts have never and may or may not ever make it to.

However, booking flights gives me the biggest case of anxiety ever! It turns my brain to mush! After many many many and many months of procrastination, considering I've had the appropriate amount of money saved for a while. I finally buckled down this past week and scoped out flights and costs. No more than an hour ago, I got my ass off the couch and said "I'm booking a god damn flight, right now" and I did. 

So for the last 2 weeks of September I will be in the land otherwise known as OZ. I'll be back just in time for the Autumn lovin. While I am in Australia, you can bet your ass that I will be crossing off 1 thing on my "Things I'd Like To Do Before I Die" List . Which is something I have really been slacking on.

This experience is going to really open my eyes to the whole "Live your life" cliche. I've always really enjoyed traveling. Theres SO much of a world out there and YOU have the choice to see it. You can go anywhere you want to. So GO.

Australian Snacks!

The first interaction I've ever had with anything to do with "Australian Food" is this video right here. Its a Warped Tour video from a band called The Academy Is. One of the members of the band is Australian. That member being the infamous Michael Guy Chislett.

So needless to say when I first met my Australian friends I immediately asked them about Vegemite. After watching this video, my expectations weren't all that high...

And after trying Vegemite you can see that my expectations were right on this one. Its SO salty.
However, Australia has plenty of other great things to offer. They also seem to be A LOT better than things here in America. Using the word "healthy" I don't think would be correct, but they are still leaps ahead of us.

Here is a Cadbury "Crunchie" bar, which we do not have over here in the states.

Another Cadbury product "Furry Friends" showcasing the fine wildlife Australia has to offer

Here is what Dunkaroos look like in Australia. Not only is the Kangaroo different than the one advertised in America but instead of using that gross processed frosting, this uses Hazelnut Nutella.

Last but not least, The Nestle Milky Bar. I can't even begin to explain how much in love I am with this. I'm a large fan of white chocolate. This bar takes it to a whole new level.

Drum Tensions For Tama Swingstar

For personal reference.

10x12:
Remo coated emperor- 75
Remo clear ambassador- 80

16x16:
Remo coated emperor- 73
Remo clear ambassador- 80

18x22:
Remo Fiberskin 3-Reso: 70
Remo Powerstroke-kick side- 70

Kits In The Stude.

My good friend Jared is an Audio Engineer & Producer. He's a great guy and good at what he does. Recently Jared has gotten the opportunity to assist recording a record of a very recognizable band. I couldn't be anymore stoked for him. Jared sent me a bunch of pictures from the studio that he has been at for the past week or so. They look totally unreal!

I naturally took a liking to one of the photographs specifically.


Here is a shot of Joe Zizzos kit from The Sleeping set up in Applehead Recording Studio in Woodstock, NY.

Here is the kit on the Truth Drums website:

turquoise ripple, beavertail lugs, vintage spurs.

The most sincere congrats to Jared! Way to go man! I'm super excited to hear the record! I can't wait to experience all the new found knowledge he's learning the next time I lay anything down with him!

Book Snare.

I wish that I thought of it! I suppose that I could always still do it, but with Bukowski books. Still wouldn't be all THAT original, so I will most likely refrain. I just thought it was really cool.

The Internet Is Sometimes Cool.

There's this social networking site out there called Twitter. Have you heard of it? Well, if you haven't, I'm really interested as to where you live.

If you have it and use it, then you're probably guilty of following a "Celebrity" or two. Come on, don't lie. Now whats the best reward that you can think of when following a celebrity? Hoping that they will respond to something you've said at them. Whether you admit it or not, that burning desire is there and one day, you hope it will be fulfilled.

Well, I personally don't like celebrities nor do I follow any. Well, I follow one. AND GUESS WHO REPLIED BACK!?



DESIRE FULFILLED!

I'll totally take posting wrong information for a reply back from Louis CK! He's my favorite person. I have all his DVD's and also plan on seeing him live next time he comes around on a comedy tour.

He has a new show on FX coming out called LOUIE that I am very excited for. Lucky Louie sadly only made it 1 season on HBO before it got canceled. So to see him back doing something is awesome. Check it out next week!

Snack Modeling.

Thats right, Snack Modeling. Its going to be the newest craze sweeping the nation. And YOU, yes, YOU are going to have the pleasure to know where it all began.

FUCK YEAH. RHYS DARBY

fuckyeahrhysdarby.tumblr.com

if you enjoy Rhys Darby as much as I do, dont be ashamed, you have a home.

Wheres Your Showmanship!?

I totally back this! It doesnt show how many people are actually there but it could be 300 it could be 30 and that dude is going all out and having a blast as if he was playing to 1 million people. Thats exactly how I feel about drumming. I love stick tricks and he has a huge bag full of them.

Once you get past how ridiculous it looks, you start to appreciate how amazing it is. So into that flame Ludwig kit!

Makes me think of Animal from the Muppets. So here is a video of Animal and the mighty Buddy Rich slaying.

Amber

Stick To Your Guns "Amber"

STICK TO YOUR GUNS (NEW TRACKS POSTED!!) MySpace Music Videos

Here is the video for the new Stick To Your Guns song "Amber" off the new LP "The Hope Division" due out June 1st! This track is a little light but I assure you, the records got some "omph".

Give it a listen and check it out! They are positive fantastic people and I hope with the release of this record all their ideas and plans work out for them, they've got a lot of cool stuff in mind. Passionate people who believe that what they're doing could possibly make a difference some how. Something I feel a lot of bands have forgotten about.

Rawson has the gnarliest jumps of anyone I know!

Stick To Your Guns

Fairweather and Faulkner

I am posting a new blog/re-posting an old Myspace blog of mine. I plan on removing myself from Myspace soon and I figured that I should probably get to moving old blogs over to save. This blog has 2 points. Point 1, Fairweather. Point 2, about how I got into William Faulkner.


I essentially would have really liked to wait to drop a blog like this in the glory that would be the band reuniting. However, in the event that it never happens, I would rather just get it off my chest and out of the way.

What can I say, I love this band. I may be guilty of growing older and my taste changing. Though they may not be in my playlist every day, it does not change how I feel. If the world was ever so lucky to be blessed with the opportunity to hear this band 1 more time live. I WOULD BE THERE. Front and center. Screaming and sweating.

Everyone has that ONE band they latch onto. That ONE band that means the complete world. Whether it was the first band they ever heard, the band that got them to pick up and play an instrument, got them into a specific music style or scene. Fairweather is really what got me into playing poppy emotional music. I was for lack of a better term "raised" on punk and hardcore music. Even though I had liked bands such as Piebald, Saves The Day and A New Found Glory, who in 1999 were still in some way hardcore punk bands but were totally on the verge of something different. I was so young and new to it all that I didn't really fathom what was going on around me, what I was a part of and what it all meant. Fairweather was the band that really grabbed me and opened me up to the lighter side of punk.

Fairweather to me, was MY band. I discovered them when they signed to Equal Vision Records. Who at the time had tons of bands I liked and was an amazing label for both hardcore and Post Hardcore, indie, emo bands alike. During the course of their existence I didn't miss a single New England show. I caught ALL of them.

Fairweather even lead to a great friendship that I still have with me today with a gentleman by the name of William Wheaton. Bill and I met at Iodine Fest 2002. A musical fest thrown by the label Iodine Records, which was a Boston based Indie label. We were both front row center, screaming every word enjoying Fairweather to maximum potential. Halfway through the set we looked over at each other to notice not only are we both acting like lunatics but we are also wearing the SAME Bane T-shirt, only different color scheme. We exchange pleasantries as well as jokes on how "gay" we are right now and later, names. After that, we just started running into each other through being involved in the same scene and later discovering us having mutual friends as I started to attend more and more shows all over New England always meeting more and more people. We still tell this story today to humor ourselves.

I also consider myself lucky to have a minor personal connection to them as well. After going to all the shows, always being in front, always saying hello, I got to establish a small relationship with them. We were never really "friends" so to speak but I guess I was that friendly face that they saw every time they came to town. Even though they were not a band any longer when the craze of social networking sites exploded, I coincidently found Jay and we kept in touch that way. The others I became friends with years after when Peter and Shane started Olympia. After publicly displaying my joy on the internet and attending their shows when they came to New England, I was now "that guy from the internet!" instead of "that guy at all our old bands shows!". With that statement alone, makes me wish we could all go back to more primitive, less...creepy sounding times. Out of that though, I got to meet another man by the name of Phil Williams who sang for Olympia. Phil is a great dude and someone who I am pleased to say I know. Whenever I have been in Richmond, hes the man I call.

Now to the original point of this whole thing. Here is the original blog, as it was in October 2005.

now you wonder, why post this? well, to be honest i dont really know. ive always been very into music. when i actually discovered what music, actually is, i cannot remember but, id like to say it started 5 years ago. i wish i could say i discovered Faulkner through my own interest by learning about him in a class room or hearing something through the news or something and read tons of his work, etc but thats not true. i heard about him through one of my all time favorite bands and a large inspiration to me musically and at the time of their exsistance as a band, a large part of my life. that band being Fairweather.

i bought the CD the summer of 2000 when it was released. very eager to listen to it, i ripped it out of the human proof packaging and demanded that Kate stop her life in her own vehicle and put in my CD and thats where it began. later i read through the CD booklet with squinty eyes due to their very small, hard to read scratchy font and there is where i discovered the last words of the last paragraph of this speech. the last paragraph, is exactly what fairweather meant to me. though, this isnt about music, its about writing, books, poetry, etc but that all pretty much ties into music if you choose it to. so in a way it all works out. fairweather was more than a band, they stood for something and meant it. they wrote from the heart and not of the glands. with their release of their EP "alaska" furthered their explanation of what they stood for. writing music for the passion, to feel, to be used as an outlet. instead of being what a majority of the bands are today, a bunch of watered down bullshit, where effort and feeling are second best due to style, image and songs about things they have never experienced. ill stop here, but if you made it this far, please read the speech and this will all make sense.

William Faulkner: Nobel Prize Speech
Stockholm, Sweden
December 10, 1950

"I feel that this award was not made to me as a man, but to my work--a life's work in the agony and sweat of the human spirit, not for glory and least of all for profit, but to create out of the materials of the human spirit something which did not exist before. So this award is only mine in trust. It will not be difficult to find a dedication for the money part of it commensurate with the purpose and significance of its origin. But I would like to do the same with the acclaim too, by using this moment as a pinnacle from which I might be listened to by the young men and women already dedicated to the same anguish and travail, among whom is already that one who will some day stand where I am standing.

Our tragedy today is a general and universal physical fear so long sustained by now that we can even bear it. There are no longer problems of the spirit. There is only one question: When will I be blown up? Because of this, the young man or woman writing today has forgotten the problems of the human heart in conflict with itself which alone can make good writing because only that is worth writing about, worth the agony and the sweat. He must learn them again. He must teach himself that the basest of all things is to be afraid: and, teaching himself that, forget it forever, leaving no room in his workshop for anything but the old verities and truths of the heart, the universal truths lacking which any story is ephemeral and doomed--love and honor and pity and pride and compassion and sacrifice. Until he does so, he labors under a curse. He writes not of love but of lust, of defeats in which nobody loses anything of value, and victories without hope and worst of all, without pity or compassion. His griefs grieve on no universal bones, leaving no scars. He writes not of the heart but of the glands.

Until he learns these things, he will write as though he stood among and watched the end of man. I decline to accept the end of man. It is easy enough to say that man is immortal because he will endure: that when the last ding-dong of doom has clanged and faded from the last worthless rock hanging tideless in the last red and dying evening, that even then there will still be one more sound: that of his puny inexhaustible voice, still talking. I refuse to accept this. I believe that man will not merely endure: he will prevail. He is immortal, not because he alone among creatures has an inexhaustible voice, but because he has a soul, a spirit capable of compassion and sacrifice and endurance. The poet's, the writer's, duty is to write about these things. It is his privilege to help man endure by lifting his heart, by reminding him of the courage and honor and hope and pride and compassion and pity and sacrifice which have been the glory of his past. The poet's voice need not merely be the record of man, it can be one of the props, the pillars to help him endure and prevail."

06-01-10

The Hope Divison.

This Is Awesome

Lady GaGa "Telephone" drum cover.

I havent posted anything drum related in a really long time. I came across this browsing around and was like "okay, ill check it out" thinking it wouldnt be anything too special. Its actually really fucking good!

Touche to this gentleman.

BATS!

This is Luke Taylor. He is the owner and operator of a fine Providence business by the name of Hope Street Tattoo. He is also my friend and one of my favorite people.

Since moving into my apartment and being dead set that the vibe of my bedroom would be "October".  I thought of a cool idea. Since I cannot even draw a perfect circle, let alone a distinguishable image of any kind, I called in Luke Taylor to aid bringing my idea to life.

What was my idea? Well, it was bats and webs!!!

Here is the end result: Bats and web at the head of my room/web in the right hand corner on the right hand wall.

I'm very happy with how it came out. Its exactly what I wanted it to be. A big thank you goes to Luke Taylor for taking some time out of his day to do it and being a good friend and artist, even though I didnt exactly challenge his artistic ability with a standard of "the more it looks like shit, the better!" but hey, Thanks Luke!

Apartment!

Okay, so one of the "things to do" in 2010 was to move out of my house. CHECK IT OFF THE LIST! I will soon be a resident of Providence, Rhode Island. Officially.

Moving is something that has been on my mind for some years. Though I've never been so adamant about it until recently. I've mainly just been looking for the right moment, the right time and to fall into a very good situation. Well, that happened. Fortunately enough, I've found someone that fits all my criteria. Someone who I can trust to get shit done and be responsible and make having a roomate care free and enjoyable. Plus, she has cats!

I've found a really nice place. For really cheap. I'm pretty excited on it and it feels really good. It's a lot of work at the moment. They've done work to it since the girls who lived there prior apparently set the kitchen on fire (ha, WOMEN) so its really dusty and dirty right now. Also considering the fact that people who lived there prior probably weren't as clean as I am. So I've been cleaning all the windows, sils and as of tonight floors. 

I plan on moving in slowly throughout the week and will hopefully be in by next weekend. Im excited to finally be in and have cleaning and moving over with and get to decorating. Me and Kendrah have both painted our rooms and after I took the tape off my room tonight, it actually started to look like a room. I immediately began to feel my love for interior design. DESIGN period, really. If im given the right thing, my mind goes wild and creativity starts to just spew out of me. Whether its a bedroom or a drum kit and considering my career, I guess it kind of makes sense. My sister is also really into Interior design, since we are slowly realizing we are the same person in most ways, I see no surprise.

Heres some terrible pictures I took of the place. (click to see larger versions)

This is the entry/dining room(left) and the hall to the Kitchen, bathroom and bedrooms(Right). Fridge not pictured. Fridge is now in.


This is the bathroom and kitchen, both located to the left. The Stove wasnt in at the time and they broke the window putting the cabinets in. That window is now fixed & the stoves in.
This is the living room. Its pretty big and has tons of windows, but it looks really good, nice and bright! Technical double parlor.

So yeah, thats about it. Im saving my bedroom for an entirely different blog. Its going to be a "before" and "after" kind of thing. I'm really into it. The color, the art im going to put up, the ideas that I have for other things in the room. It should be really cool. 

I feel really blessed to have everything work out so well. Kendrah found a really nice place at the very last minute. Lucky enough to have pretty much everything redone in the apartment. To find a place as cheap as this one is in a fairly decent part of town. The city is rough, unless youre on the East Side but I feel that I wont have any problems. Theres children playing on the streets and I have a 80 year old woman who has been there 20 yrs who speaks very little english and fills the hall with delicious smells. All will be well. 

My Bike!

HEY! This is my bike!



She used to look like THIS but now she doesn't.

I'm SO pumped on how it came out. I decided that I wanted flat black EVERYTHING. So I've been slowly painting my bike since last summer. The other day I did the final thing, I painted my rims. Its only spray paint for car detailing that I purchased at Auto Zone but it seems to be holding alright. Though I know it wont last forever. Im already aware that my brake is going to peel away the whole side wall but it what can you do? Eventually I'll be able to start saving money for actual black parts but this will suffice for now.

Im VERY excited to ride it CONSTANTLY. Living in the city is what I need. Living in Woonsocket didnt do much for me bikewise. Bike paths alone got boring and I only rode with Mark maybe, once. When your only close by friend works 50% of his life and sleeps the other 50% you can't get much done in the buddy system department. Now I'll be able to ride everyday and probably with friends! I'll save gas and get a good work out. ALL positive things!

Now all I need is a good sunny summer. Unlike last years rain fest, bummer summer 09! Worst!

See you on the streets!

Signs

This appeared in my tea a few days ago. I pulled out my tea bag after letting it steep and this is what I saw.


I dont think this is a fluke, I mean look at it! It has 2 symmetrical bubbles for eyes! They're both completely even and the same size! Since when do you ever see something with bubbles for eyes!? You cant MAKE stuff like this happen!


Im not one to believe in higher powers but Im having fun with this one. Things are changing for me at the moment. Theres still some time to elapse but in a month one thing in my life will be very different. There will be more on that to come since there are some feelings I will probably be wanting to express.

Im taking it as a positive, not only cause there is pretty much zero arguement you could possibly have with trying to say that this would be negative in any way but because I really feel good about everything thats happening. Lets hope that this is right!

Art Blog #3

Its been a while since I have done one of these. I guess that I could consider the fact that I havent purchased any art or anything since art blog #2. FIXED THAT!

Theres a story to go with this one, sort of. Some time last year a friend sent me a link to an art related website, I think, maybe I found it actually. I also dont remember what the topic we were speaking about was which even lead to this discovery. Anyway, while I was browsing this webiste I came across a picture that I really dug hard. I dubbed it "Cereal Head". I said to her, and myself, "I WILL OWN CEREAL HEAD, YOU WATCH!"

A year later I still had the website bookmarked. A year later I FINALLY decided to take initiative and see what I could do about obtaining "Cereal Head".

This website was of a young artist who lives in Oslo, Norway by the name of Taylor White. I sent her an email asking if it was at all possible for me to get a print made up and how much it would be to do so for the size that I had wanted. Even without any sort of real organized "ordering system" for ordering prints she was still nice enough to email me back with the best and cheapest way to do so with different paper options that I could choose from. A few days later the money was sent and a lot later(ha, due to my paper choice not being in for some time) the print was in my hands!

Here is Cereal Head: 18x24 with a hand made mat that I had to do at work. 



I cannot tell you how much I am in love with it. From the first time I saw it, I HAD to have it. Knowing that I had plans to move soon and finally for the first time have a kitchen to call my own. This is the perfect touch. Im very excited to hang it and stare as I enjoy my morning coffee. The colors are so bright and awesome that on spring and summer days Im going to have no choice but smile every time I see it. SO awesome!

Taylor White, if you do infact see this. THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN!

If you are at all interested PLEASE look at her website, www.Taylor-White.com or check out her Behance to see any of her other work. I definitely like a few other things that in time I might considering picking up.

Letters And Packages Pt. II

I recieved another Australian care package from Kristy this week! Its a continuation of the first one that she sent last summer and this package blew it out of the water! Its a wonder what 6+ months of telling me "im terrible and im sorry, youll get this package eventually" can do!

This package totally exceeded my expectations completely and made me so extremely happy! 

I got:
- a wicked cool hat
- a australian track jacket! OI!
- australian flip flops!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- a koala tissue box cover
- pens, tattoos, magnet, oven mit, pencil sharpener, fake money
- vegemite
- a delcious australian Crunchie bar!

The perhaps bizzare stand out of this package is my flip flops. I cannont explain in words how friggin pumped on Aussie flip flops I am! It seems so god damn ridiculous and silly, but then again, thats TOTALLY me. I CANNOT WAIT TILL SUMMER! Summers going to get itself all kinds of fucked up in my aussie flops. Get ready for a shredding summer!

I also LOVE my boxing kangaroo pen! So cool! It has two little buttons on the back to control each arm!

Thank you Kristy! SO MUCH! YOU ARE THE BEST! I wish that I could reciprocate and send you cool shit from America. Even though I know that all you would want is single serving Ben & Jerrys ice creams. Sadly, those would totally melt by the time they arrived there. So Ill just send you myself instead. Sound good?!

Valentines Day!

Yes, the dreadful day for many has arrived again. This time I do not find myself wallowing in any sort of contrived self-pity for the sake of doing so simply because I have no "valentine" or do I dare say the fearful words, that I am "alone". No, instead I find myself smiling. Why, you ask? Could it be the friend filled events for this evening? Maybe. Could it be that im going to see some of my friends play a show, playing songs I enjoy? Well, yes, maybe, but in all honesty, for the moment atleast, THIS is whats making me smile...

I forgot where I found this gem. I think my buddy Phil may have posted it in his blog last year or something. I find this is extremely clever and cant help but love it to death.

Happy Valentines Day!

Matthew Richard, On The Internet!

WHOA! Is this true!? YES! IT IS!

I am now residing on the Dark Horse Percussion website. This is AWESOME!

Considering the fact that pretty much ANYONE who gets a kit from them gets on it, im not an actual "artist" OF Dark Horse Percussion. I still think this is cool as hell!

I wish I had a band to promote, was actually in a band and being Endorsed by Dark Horse or even had a good picture of me actually playing drums but I've got a long road ahead! Hopefully the future treats me well and I actually land something. Then I'll be able to get out there and show off a great drum company who I am proud to say that I represent, even on a unprofessional/personal level. Who knows, sponsorship maybe one day in life?

Im VERY excited for my kit to be finished and Im sure that it will be soon! Ive been waiting a long long time.

If youd like to check it out yourself, go to www.darkhorsepercussion.com and check it out! Site just got redone and stuffs getting added all the time, new pictures of kits and more artists. Check it!

St. Augustine Wedding Recap

Its was a long 4 days. It seemed a lot longer than I expected it to feel. My pessimism was leading the way on this one, like most things. However I feel it was the long nights and early mornings which made it seem like a week. I wish that it was a week!

I didn't really know what to expect out of the weekend but I can tell you that it was excellent from the get go. MAYBE it was the fact that I was going to be flying on a plane with 3 of my friends. MAYBE it was the 8am bloody marys and white Russians at the Detroit airport. MAYBE it was the fact that I found out that cliff took some happy pills before getting on the plane because he didn't think he would get on the plane with them OR, MAYBE, it was the fact that Sean totally got on the plane with weed. It could have been any of those really, actually, it was ALL of them. It pretty much set the tone for how the weekend was going to go and it pretty much kept pace.

5am departure out of Logan, pit stop in Detroit, landing in Jacksonville, Florida around, 11:30am. We got through the airport with ease due to lack of baggage and nothing but carry ons and after we got the rental car, we were off from there.

Stepping outside of that airport was magnificent. I cant really explain it. I mean its nothing THAT great or anything lots of people probably haven't experienced before, I'm sure theres a lot better. The sun being as bright as it was did no justice to my brain considering it gets bright as fuck here and yet its still 12 degrees outside. My New England conditioned brain tends to not fall for bullshit, atleast weather wise. I walked out to a warm breeze and shed my coat faster than a presumptuous virgins clothes before his first make out session with the reassurance that he'll surely be sliding into home plate.

We made our way to St. Augustine, Florida to meet up with Adam and Brando who arrived there Thursday. Having done little research I wasn't sure exactly what I was in for. I found out quickly that I was apparently in Americas 1st city. WHO KNEW!?

St. Augustine is actually a very nice place. Its pretty much a legitimate tourist city. EVERYTHING to do there is pretty much tourism. The whole city is littered with beach shops, antiques, art galleries and signs with historical education about whatever architecture it is youre looking at. I didn't mind it though, I'm actually glad I did tourist things. This has been the 3rd time Ive been to Florida and every other time I never really went and did ANYTHING. I'm glad I had a buddy with me that was very much into tourism as I was. Adam and I dominated St. Augustine. Sadly, there is still a place or 2 we didn't get to visit. 

Like Castillo de San Marcos! Which is a Spanish built fort. Otherwise known as Fort Marion from 1821 until 1942, and Fort St. Mark from 1763 until 1784 while under British control. Cliff was very much set on going and visiting the fort. We just never really got to it. Since also being a part of the wedding party we did have some sort of set itinerary for doing "wedding things" as disorganized it may have seemed. I dont even think adam or anyone else go to it either.  I believe the brides maids did. Bitches...

We did do some cool shit though. Met some crazy locals hanging out playing pool at the local American Legion hall post #37. Which Brando/anyone only liked because of $6 pitchers. That shit didn't matter to me! We went to a gator farm and saw alligators. Played some mini golf, visited the beach and visited Ripley's Believe it or not! Now I know this might not sound like much or fall under the category of "wicked cool shit", but I thought it was really fun and enjoyed every second of it.

I really did like the city though. It would probably become boring fast after all my friends were gone and Ive seen all that there is to see and do. After Ive exhausted the bars, restaurants, gifts shops and women. After Ive drained the town of all its romanticism and the "City Of Lights" is nothing more than a Christmas tree in April. It was a really nice place. I enjoy visual aesthetics and St. Augustine had it. As corny as most would think "The City Of Lights" is, I loved it. Its simple and quaint. Right up my alley. Definitely would visit again.

Overall the weekend was great. I got to travel around a bit with my friends, got to visit a new place in Florida I've never been to before, escape winter for 4 days and most importantly be a groomsman for a good friend of mine. I hung hard, laughed a lot and met some new cool people who I hope I'll get to see again at some point in the future. Congrants Juston and Lauren. New friends, nice to meet you. Bon voyage!

Photo of Lightner Museum by James Watkins