Read a great Review of It's About Time at The Muse's Muse

Read a new interview with journalist Michael Manning:
part 1 - part 2 - part 3

Read a fantastic CD REVIEW and INTERVIEW
Read this Bud Buckley interview with Kid Mercury's ActoGuitar Blog. HERE
Read this Bud Buckley interview with Journalist Michael Manning. HERE
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Friday, February 05, 2010

National recognition has been way easier than local lately. I've been signed by both Musikfest 2010 in Bethlehem, PA (second year) and Singer Songwriter Cape May, NJ. I'll be showcasing Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg in two weeks, and have two Manhattan gigs in August. Still waiting to hear from the Florida festivals. Looks like an East Coast mini tour this August is shaping up.
posted by Bud @ 8:25 AM
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Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Seems like the only way I can post something on this fan page is to double post everywhere. Get with it, Facebook! I'll be on the radio tomorrow and it'll be streamed on the web at around 3:30 WSLR 96.5 or http://ping.fm/Kd8dT
posted by Bud @ 6:56 AM
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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Had a fantastic time at the Orion Independent Music Fest in Park City, Utah. Next up Millennium Music Conference in Harrisburg, PA
posted by Bud @ 8:10 AM
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Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Off before the sun to Park City, Utah for Orion Indie Music Fest. Three gigs in five days seeking face time with the Sundance Film Fest crowd. A little radio a little TV. A lot of trying to say warm. http://ping.fm/9iuh1
posted by Bud @ 4:11 PM
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Wednesday, January 06, 2010

My new CD, Sitting on the Wind, is featured on CDBaby's new releases. Go Listen: http://ping.fm/a0ZmA
posted by Bud @ 6:09 AM
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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Gotta keep posting this:
My
TWO for the price of one CD deal (Only $10 including postage) went out
just now to my Reverbnation Fan list. To get in on that deal, go to
this link and stick yourself on that list.http://ping.fm/xEw8F
posted by Bud @ 7:06 AM
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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Gotta keep posting this: My TWO for the price of one CD deal (Only $10 including postage) went out just now to my Reverbnation Fan list. To get in on that deal, go to this link and stick yourself on that list.http://ping.fm/qheZP
posted by Bud @ 6:24 PM
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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

You will get a two for one CD deal offer only if you join my official fan list on this link:
http://ping.fm/HCPvG
ONLY ReverbNation Fan list members will be offered a choice of free CDs when my new EP, ÒSitting on the WindÓ comes out very soon.
posted by Bud @ 8:50 AM
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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Listening to the first mix out of the studio of my new EP. You're gonna love it!
posted by Bud @ 1:52 PM
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Monday, November 30, 2009

Here's more on my Pre-Sundance gig: http://ping.fm/OpyQG
posted by Bud @ 11:03 PM
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This is the event I'm playing in January. Pass it on.
http://ping.fm/nZY1k
posted by Bud @ 4:20 PM
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Saturday, November 28, 2009

One week before I play concerts at Fort Myers Beach Baywalk. Good times that!
http://ping.fm/OLKB6
posted by Bud @ 7:23 AM
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Tuesday, January 27, 2009

THOUGHTS ARE THINGS

I'm never depressed although I find some things depressing or should I say depression worthy. And I keep reading references to this time we are in as a possible Depression. Not sure what the definition of that is if you're an econogeek. But damn! How many more jobs can be lost? There are many snarky things I could say but I'll leave that to people who do it for a living. Like Jon Stewart.

So far things are okay here despite the loss in business. I'm nothing if I'm not prepared. I'll keep it going, even though my music income is about 10% of what it normally is this year so far. There are still many things that can happen but it's a queasy feeling when your business depends on a whole bunch of maybes.

I'm in that place again where survival trumps creativity. It also trumps social time on the web. But I'm not giving it up altogether. Slowly I endeavor to stay in touch with my many cyber pals and real life pals who use the web. I've actually been richly rewarded lately in that regard. The coolest thing about having been a teacher is that there are so many lives you've touched that some of them stick with you through the years. It was worth all those years of totally crappie pay. There are laborers and office folks who made more than I did but they can't make the same claim.

I think we'll mostly come out of this downturn for the better. At least I know that's true for me because that's the way I think. Thoughts are things.
posted by Bud @ 10:36 PM
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Wednesday, January 14, 2009

HOW TO "INSTANTLY" IMPROVE THE MUSIC BUSINESS

I've discussed my caffeine consumption earlier this year. It's BIG. Now let's discuss everybody else's.

Two stories caught my eye as I was reading Google News Headlines. That's my primary source of news. It makes it easier to skip all the really "newsworthy" stuff about Britney and Saracuda and what the Obama girls are having for lunch tomorrow. With my journalism degree I'm well armed to know which headlines are non-stories.

The first is a story about how The Tampa Bay twin cities, is number one in caffeine consumption. Who ever conducted the survey must be weighing the coffee grinds in my garbage. Oh, yeah, and green tea bags. I pay cash when I'm buying out so there's no credit card record or this area might be number one with a bullet. Or would we use a steaming pot in this case? No word yet if this data has any connection to the fact that Florida has it's own tag on FARK news.

Other highly caffeinated cities include Seattle, Chicago, New York and Los Angeles. I found it fascinating that 82 per cent of people in the Tampa Bay area don't consider themselves addicted to caffeine. And Denial is a river in Egypt. I'm willing to admit that I'm addicted to caffeine. Nobody has ever tried to hold an intervention for me. They probably realize I'm a more likable when I'm "cookin'" and that I'm just a bit too on the comatose side when I'm not.

But then I stumbled on a story that really caught my attention. An English study has confirmed that the heaviest caffeine consumers are more prone to hallucinations. Like hearing dead people and such. I found this ridiculous until I read down and found that it cited people who drank eight or more cups of "instant coffee" per day. No wonder! One cup of that stuff and I hallucinate that my tongue is stuck to the bottom of a seldom cleaned coffee urn. Is it just me or am I showing some level of cafe'-snobbishness when I say that anyone who would drink instant coffee at that (or any) level is a bit off to begin with? You must be hallucinating to think you're actually drinking coffee to get past the first gulp, in my opinion. But that's just me.

Places that I love to play but seldom pay are coffee houses. Most of them in my area no longer have live music. Maybe they should advertise hallucinogenic instant coffee to generate some really strong business. So yes, the live music scene is still sucking wind but I'm working on making adjustments. No worries. I'm far from asking for donations to support my habit.
posted by Bud @ 3:33 PM
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Friday, January 02, 2009

SO FAR SO GOOD

Wish I had more to report but I've been partying a bit strenuously lately. Over this stretch, three parties in two days is not an unusual burst. I need to say something here to further convince myself that I can do it--I lost weight over the holiday. No I'm not bulimic. I can apparently do it any time I want. I just have to want to long enough to reach my ideal weight and shape. And then I have to want to stay that way.

I'm working hard on organizing the new duo act. It leaves me little time to do anything else.

I got selected through Sonicbids by two separate agencies that place songs in the movies and TV. One in Atlanta and the other in Hollywood. I also got selected by Radio Crystal Blue in Brooklyn, NY. I sold some music online in this most dismal of times. So I'm feeling good. But I have to tell you, I'd feel good anyway. Life is good no matter what comes my way or doesn't.

I notice a lot of people are feeling optimistic. I'm impressed as some of them are folks I'd figure to feel pretty depressed. I think we're in for some high adventure as a country but we'll come out of it in much better shape. No place to go but up.

Happy New Year, my friends.
posted by Bud @ 9:13 PM
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Saturday, December 27, 2008

DOING DUO

Christmas was busy and fun and here comes the New Year already. No resolutions here. Just keep doing what I keep doing. Win every hour.

Having visited my son and his family in the Bay Area the week before Christmas, and having my daughter and her family here for Thanksgiving, the rest of the family and I got together by phone, mostly. How bad am I for not flying north at Christmas? I worked my whole life to move to Florida to avoid winter and I'm not a particular fan of Christmas or any holiday for that matter. Every day is special to me. Merry Today!

That being said, we were invited by several families for the holiday and had a splendid time. Visited with some newer friends on the eve and had a smashing dinner and got to jam with the host. I avoided eating stuff that's not good for me by performing a few secular holiday tunes. Made some new friends. Earlier in the day Cathy hosted a brunch for a close friend and her Mom. I enjoyed the company and avoided the rich food. My weight has crept up to the point that I have to take control, holiday or not.

Ironic that we spent all of Christmas day with my trainer Jitka and her family. She didn't give me any dirty looks for eating or even beat me up the following day during our weekly session. Just looking at her strength and fine form is inspiration enough to get back down to size small.

New Year's Eve we'll have our annual brunch and beach walk with our great friends Nancy and Mark. Mark is a very talented musician and we are meeting this week to discuss the details of the duo we're forming so as not to drive our wives nuts with shop talk.

The Duo is going to be terrific fun for the fact that I can't help but have fun with Mark. Clearly in my top 5 people to hang with down here. The strange part about this is that we're organizing an act around prerecorded tracks. This is not what I had ever hoped to do to keep the business going. It has become more and more necessary, with the economic downturn, to deliver a big sound for less money to get gigs in these tourist joints and at weddings and country clubs. We seem to have no shortage of them. There is a severe shortage of places where I can do solo acoustic, however. So there you have it--Bud's survival plan for when the music business swirls around the toilet.

I'm still writing much more regularly than I have in the past year, though. Not finishing but that's the way I work.

My good friend Simon Wiffen, in England has put out an excellent EP of his acoustic alternative music and it really knocks me out. Head over to iTunes and give a listen, will you?

Love and Happy New Year to all my friends in Blogland and beyond.
posted by Bud @ 2:19 PM
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Thursday, December 18, 2008

GIVING IN TO THE GRANDPA TAG

I've been home from my Cali trip since mid-day Tuesday but still feeling lagged. A four hour delay in San Francisco caused us to miss our connecting flight in Houston for bogus reasons. We spent the night in some nameless motel and arrived back in Florida to company, three dinner parties in a row and a workout regimen that won't quit. I had promised Jitka, my dominatrix trainer, that, I'd lose two pounds this week. Losing two pounds prior to Christmas and while on a trip is like losing ten pounds . But I'm there.

The trip was wonderful for the contact time I spent with my Son, DIL and granddaughter, Stella. The little two and a half year old whirlwind stole my heart. Long time readers here know that I'm not at all thrilled with the title of Grandpa but rather love the privilege of being one. When she was put to bed the first night and screamed, "Grandpa, Grandpa, Grandpa!" from her gated room, I had to flea the apartment before I crossed the line between helpful father/in-law and pain in the ass grandparent. The following night she went to sleep early after Cathy and I left. My son called and said that Stella, just sighed, "I love my Grandpa and I love my Cathy." So the little bugger has me tagged but Gabe, when he is able to talk, will call me BuBu. My daughter's idea which I support. Cathy is steadfastly Cathy on both coasts.

The weather in the Bay area sucked about half of the time with cold rain and just cold the rest of the time. Anything below 70 has become uncomfortable for me. But I enjoy being in a pretty place where most of the people are on my wavelength. If they could get the weather and the earthquake thing straightened out, it'd be worth a move there.

Had some gigs lined up but half of them fell through. Pretty typical. I'm enjoying the down time by writing. Made two song licensing deals. One in Seattle with Audiosocket and one in Atlanta with Atlanta Movement Radio. People don't buy music when they can steal it so easily and the near depression is not helping. But I'd make music anyway 'cause I just have to. So we also arranged to rent a house in the Hudson Valley of NY next August and Helen Avakian and I will collaborate once again on some recordings. Lots of family and friend stuff too.
Wishing you all a Happy Holiday, Merry Christmas, Happy Hanuka, Happy Kwanzaa or whatever way you role.
posted by Bud @ 5:14 PM
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Thursday, December 11, 2008

GOING TO CALIFORNIA

Getting ready to fly out to the San Francisco Bay Area Friday to see family. Stella, the smiliest little dancing 2 year old I know. And of course, her parents. It'll be a long weekend but way too short.

Scrambling to get some more gigs together. The most hated part of the business. Why do all the booking agents I know suck so badly? I don't have time to be my own booking agent, Jeri Goldstein! Somebody out there, save me!

Speaking of Led Zep (Going to California--get it?) I desparately need a standard tuning version of the song Going to California. I do not want to drag a third guitar to a gig tuned to whatever Jimmy Page calls that weird tuning for one stnking song. I've Googled the snot out of it and gave up after three pages. So if anybody out there has a tabbed version of it in standard tuning, please let me know and link me up.

Finally, I seem to have lost some important contact info for my Cali contacts. No time to see any of you this weekend anyway but I'd love to give you a call and chat while I'm in the same time zone. E-mail me a number, okay? Bud.Buckley@gmail.com


Hope to post next week.
posted by Bud @ 3:02 PM
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Sunday, November 30, 2008

NO CONTEST, THE BABY WINS

The Baby or the Guitar? To answer the question posed on the last post, the Baby won big over the new guitar. I didn' t play more than a few chords until after he left. I did discover, however, that I could put Gabe to sleep by letting him sit on my lap while I play harmonica. Worked like a charm twice. Funny to see him jarred awake when I hit a bad note, too.

Fantastic few days with my daughter Bree and husband Josh and Gabe. It was very hard to see them leave. We plan to spend the month of August near them in New York. I'll have some songs ready to record up there and hope to have about an EP's worth. Have to cut my costs this time.

Gabe ready for the beach The new guitar is fantastic too. When I visited the Taylor Guitar factory a couple of summers ago out in El Cajon, CA, I learned that the primo tone woods from the five hundred year old trees are nearly gone. I made up my mind then to save for that before it became completely out of reach. I also learned that the famed Taylor neck of my 1999 model is now only put on the T5, their hollow body electric, which I already own. But I needed an acoustic/electric with that neck and so had to pay to have a custom neck built. And I needed an Indian Rosewood body so that pushed me into a 914ce. I won't be buying any more guitars in the foreseeable future. This thing is beautiful and sounds better than I could have dreamed. They set up the one piece Mahogony neck perfectly and it plays like butter. This is my sixth and best Taylor. Yes, I am their whore.

I'm writing songs. If they are presentable, I'll put a sneak peek up here. But I'm becoming a lot more anal about my lyrics. So nothing is being rushed.

But in the meantime, listen to this song by my dear friend Deni Bonet. She rocks my Christmas as only a pretty and talented Jewish girl can.
posted by Bud @ 6:50 PM
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Wednesday, November 26, 2008

THE GUITAR OR THE BABY?

Company on the way here and that is going to be very special. My daughter and SIL are bringing the new grandson Gabriel. Also Fed Ex informs me a new guitar is about to arrive here. Let's see, the guitar or the baby? Just kidding.

I have been writing new songs. I'm not as adventuresome as I used to be about posting them unfinished. But then again, nothing is ever finished. Nothing is perfect. And nothing lasts for ever. So who knows, perhaps I'll stick something up here you can listen to before Christmas. Not a Christmas song. I've managed once again to not book anything during the season that would require me to play and sing Jingle frigging Bells. I did narrowly miss a New Years Eve gig that would have had me singing country tunes. I must admit that it was wise of that person to realize that they didn't need to hear a New York transplant trying to sound like someone far more, well, rural. No matter how much they could drink that night, I'm not gonna pull off Kenny Chesney. I don't usually wear hats let alone cowboy hats. I ought to write a song parody about guys who wear cowboy hats. Not my nature to be deliberately offensive, however. Wouldn't want to start a Neal Young/Lynerd Skinnard kind of thing.

I hope to have pics after this holiday. What do you want to see? The guitar or the baby?
posted by Bud @ 7:34 AM
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Sunday, November 16, 2008

EMBRACING

I'm officially out of good excuses to avoid getting my to do list done. The internet has become a huge distraction and a fantastic way to avoid doing the stuff I should be doing elsewhere on the internet. Self promotion for one thing. Finishing songs for another.

I loathe self-promotion. It is the absolute worst part of being in the music business. At a time when I'm striving to ditch my ego, I am forced to brand myself. Interesting conundrum. Kind of like trying to hire White House staff that has never been involved with a lobby of any kind. And the later strikes me as a futile activity. Kind of like washing your hands in a public bathroom and then using those same hands to open the door. Those germs are everywhere.

My CD is fantastic, I played here and I played there and so and so said this and that about me. Now excuse me while I dump my ego and become one with the universe. This is an illuminating process. Must be a song in it.

Listen to me, I'm like Bob and John and Sting
Buy my records while my thoughts take wing
All my new web sites are always on go
Now excuse me while I vanquish my ego

Vanquish my ego, vanquish my ego
Trying so hard to let the ME go
I want for nothing, and you can't hurt me
I thought therefore I used to be

And so on and so forth. Can't be much market for that sort of thing. This life is such an interesting puzzle. I'm not complaining. I'm embracing, my sweet embraceable you!
posted by Bud @ 7:30 AM
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Thursday, November 06, 2008

WE CAN WORK IT OUT

Wrote a blog a week ago that put ME to sleep. So I didn't post. A weird cycle. I'm struggling to free myself. I've been working on new songs, playing rehearsal-intensive gigs. But mostly I've been addicted to following election polls and post election news and killing time in between watching Family Guy on Hulu.com. I'm starting to come to my senses but that was some entertaining stuff, I have to tell you.

I hope, if you're reading, that you're not scared by the Fox un-News prophesies of a terrorist/communist/Muslim takeover. If you do lean that way, I'd pray for you but that would be more hypocritical than, oh, being pro-life but pro war and pro-death sentence at the same time. Like being a strident Christian who can't ask the question, "Who would Jesus kill?" Kind of like being anti-welfare but pro-corporate welfare (bail-out). I could go on but it really isn't my intention to antagonize, as you know. I hope people who were frightened will breathe and see that none of that scary crap that the fox was spewing is gonna happen. But I understand, I've been very scared over the last eight years too. Somehow I survived and still have my house. Just lucky, I guess. The music business is in the toilet lately but I don't think anybody is gonna flush. I'm clinging to the side, anyway.

Obama was in Sarasota five days before the election. We attended the rally at a baseball stadium used by the Cincinnati Reds. 12,500 very diverse people sat and stood shoulder to shoulder in total solidarity. It wasn't predominantly anything. Equal parts black, white, brown and off-white. Male, female, young, old, hourly employees and salaried employees. All either off for the day or off for the recession. I even saw Amish people there. There were people wearing crosses and stars of David and risque T-shirts. There were disabled people and those showing six packs or impressive cleavage. We had it all. And we all had one thing in common. Belief that together we could make the world a better place.

Nobody yelled ugly remarks about the other side. We stood in line for two hours. Some camped overnight. Nobody got pissed off. Complete strangers just glad to be in this company. On the way out, the traffic jam was horrendous. Nobody beeped their horn in anger. People stopped to let others go. It was a very uplifting day. And Florida went blue. Had it gone red, I would still have been happy to have shared that experience. I hope the anger on the other side subsides because we all have a lot of work to do just to keep from becoming poor. We'll all scale back and gear up and we'll leave our children and grandchildren a more usable planet. It's okay with me if the other side wants to take credit for what we've accomplished in eight years. They tried to take credit for Clinton's surplus and blame the recession on him. Whatever, if it makes them feel better, they can say what they want. Let's just get people's jobs back and houses saved and fix the environment while we do that. Oh yeah, and there's that war thing. Let's cut that shit out.

For me, this is heavily political. And I most likely won't be doing that again, but that's what's been on my mind. Keeping me away from blogland. I'm gonna go write some love songs now.
posted by Bud @ 8:31 PM
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Tuesday, October 07, 2008

CAN'T WE ALL JUST BE NICE?

Unproductive and uninspired. Seeking distractions and finding them everywhere. Very odd and rare frame of mind for me. This is what I get for taking on more work than I actually want to do while at the same time inundating myself with this political news and having seen a controversial movie about religion.

But in the spirit of taking something from nothing I've come to rediscover myself. This election is getting very very negative and downright dirty. Yes I have very strong feelings about the side I'm voting for but I have no need to preach about it here or anywhere. I'm not going to change anybody's mind and they won't be changing mine. I remember the day after the last presidential election. I went to bed thinking Senator Kerry had won my state of Florida and thus the election. Yes, I believe it was stolen. Again. I was irate and depressed. But my neighbors, all Republicans, were exceedingly thoughtful to Cathy and me that morning. There was no smirking or gloating or even a mention of it. It was a powerful lesson in friendship to me. Even today, it is a rare moment when I'm baited into any discussion of politics with these folks.

If things hold up as they are going now, more in my favor, my neighbors can expect the same behavior from me. And if it goes the other way, even though it would have to be a result of the dirtiest kind of politics, I pledge myself to be nice.

If there is anything I believe in, any one law that is worth dedicating my life to, it's the pledge to just be nice. Cathy and I, along with another like-minded close friend, saw Bill Mahar's Religulous last weekend. It was fun to be in a large crowd of people laughing at all that we believe to be ridiculous. Namely religion itself. But it is not my style or intention to ever publicly belittle people who take comfort in religious beliefs and organized religion of any kind. They may cast judgment on this heathen but I don't judge them. Whatever gets them through the night is fine with me. As long as they don't get in my face about it. And when they do, they get no theological argument like Bill Mahar's. If they are obnoxious, they get a cold shoulder at worst. Usually, however, a plea not to discuss religion is enough. Every religion should be based on one belief. The belief to just be nice. And if the rest of what you do in that religion defies that one guiding principal, then you should be excommunicated. Just be nice and nothing else matters.

I'm not nice all the time but I've never started or condoned a war based on a religious, philosophical or political belief. Never tried to get money out of anybody to save their soul. Never blew anybody up to make a point. Never used a belief of any kind to justify something I did that wasn't nice. If I did it, I'm sorry. I screwed up. I will try not to let that happen again. Surely that's a more sane way to live and enjoy my time as this organism known as Bud.

Labels:


posted by Bud @ 6:31 PM
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Thursday, September 18, 2008

My Promo Reel

The thing I hate about being an independent musician is being my own publicist and booking agent. I'm hoping to get into a position to hand some of that work over.

I linked up with an excellent performance coach, Joe Yazbeck of HeartBeat Productions in Clearwater. We worked hard for about three months getting ready for the concert that became the stuff of the promo reel. I can't say enough about how good Joe is at what he does. If you're in the business, you owe it to yourself to check him out.

So here's the promo reel. It'll be on my Sonicbids.com site when they get it processed and I hope it nets me some more work. I hope to use the rest of the footage shot by Tony Rockliff to edit some performance videos. If you know anybody who likes to do that sort of thing, please send them my way.

Here you go:
posted by Bud @ 9:28 PM
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Monday, September 15, 2008

GOT MY BACK

I back up my files. I didn't loose many. But when my hard drive crashed I lost all my apps and my bookmarks and my organization. I'm rebuilding. Some of my app disks are strangely missing. My bookmarks are an even bigger blow.

First I bought a new MacBookPro to be sure I'd always have something to go to. Also my time on the road on borrowed machines and e-mailing by iPhone showed me that you can't keep a business together for three weeks like that. Then I fixed my Mac G5's HD and upgraded the OS so that now both my computers are backed up with TimeMachine so I can never lose my apps again. If the Mac itself isn't enough reason to own one, TimeMachine is the clincher. If your life revolves around your computer, this is the way to go. Hard drives always die. Brands don't matter much. Back up with TimeMachine on a Mac. 'Nough said.

Been worrying a lot about my Texas friends and their encounter with Ike. All Longhorns, report!

My promotional video is in it's last stages of editing. Then I'll have a bunch of raw performance footage I might fashion into Youtube vids. Anybody out there good at that sort of thing?


I haven't even looked at Loneboystore.com in a month. Haven't sent out any fanmail to send people there either. So I'm happy with having been number one for 10 weeks. My next focus is on using the new video to get some different gigs.

I have a blog post cooking about the lyric writing process and the way critics and judges look at them.

And over and above all of that, I'm still feeling warmed by my recent experience with my amazing daughter Bree and son-in-law, Josh and the baby Gabriel they produced. They're gonna be as good at parenting as my son Jason and daughter-in-law Anne. Stella is dragging them through the terrible twos but I'm certain everyone will survive.
posted by Bud @ 8:45 AM
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008

BACK FROM NY

Freshly back from the New York visit/tour. Sitting on the outer fringe of Hurricane Ike. No damage. Just needed rain.

I'm buried in things to catch up on. The trip was so full of fantastic stuff that it's easy to overlook the disappointments. First of all, I'm missing baby Gabriel. I may need to buy a doll 'cause I'm used to letting that little dude sleep on me for a few hours a day. I'll have to wait until Thanksgiving. And then December for Stella, my smiley dancing California two year old.

The number of friends, young and older that I connected with was impressive and satisfying. Yet there were so many more I missed completely. The pain of loving and missing so many is softened by those who make an effort to connect. Yeah, that's gotta be a song.

Played a gig far enough north from my old home to not expect many to show up. Sill I had a short list of possibilities. None of them showed but one completely unexpected one did. It was brief and sweet and blew my mind. The feeling that I'd run into people from long ago and having others show up instead was a recurring event over the three weeks I was in NY. That has to be a song too but it's already so much like the first line of my song Let Me Go:
Took so long to find you
I did me over and you found me.

That song, by the way, was just released as the number two song on a compilation CD called Chill Out, East Coast Edition Vol 14.

I'm long overdue to post about the lyric writing process. A lot goes on here but things don't get finished these days.

How ironic is it that I travel from my home in Florida to get pummeled by tropical storm Hanna in New York? It should have shut off my last and potentially best gig at Dockside Pub, a very cool haven for independent musicians in Mahopac. Nine of my fans braved the storm and the long drive. A small handful of locals showed up. But I enjoyed playing to that crowd and I was invited back so it went well despite the storm diluted attendance.

The following morning, Lisa B and her BF (who will as HCFG to bloggers but not me,) took me to breakfast. Lisa is about the 9th blogger I have met face to face. There are several others I haven't met face to face but I feel so close to that it's as if we had been friends for years. Lisa was a delight to meet and the conversation flowed as I expected it would into easy and entertaining fun. They attempted to make it to my gig the night before but were held off my the televised tornado warnings. It worked out better for me as we got to spend a couple of hours together instead of a quick chat between sets.

I left them to pick up Cathy at the airport. She flew up so I wouldn't have to drive 1500 miles home by myself. Just having her next to me completes my life. We met up with Bree, Josh and Baby Gabe at my sister's just forty-five minutes past the site of the Woodstock Festival in Bethel. My dear friend/producer Helen Avakian was playing there but we couldn't get there and also keep a newborn happy that long. We also needed to present him to my ailing 92 year old mother. She isn't able to say much these days but did smile and coo and hold Gabe. Later she managed to thank me for bringing him. She also can say, "I love you." We tell each other that a lot. Spending time with my sister and brother and brother-in-law and their various pets is always a treat I don't get enough of.

The drive home was easy and uneventful although we took two days. There were at least five other bloggers I didn't get to see on this trip. Some in the NY area and some in the Atlanta area and one in West Virginia. These are must meet people and I know it's gonna happen one day. I keep looking for festival opportunities in other areas of the country and Canada and England too. Just so I can finally rub elbows with those of you out there in Blogland I feel so close to.

Now I'm back to getting caught up in real life.
posted by Bud @ 11:03 AM
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Monday, September 01, 2008

FIRST NY REPORT

I recorded a song called First Time Home on my last CD. It tried to capture the exquisite feelings of returning back to the place of my entire adult life after I retired and moved to Florida. But this present trip deserves more than one song because it involves so many intimate feelings with so many people I love. Not quite an opera as I don't swing that way but certainly a suite. Or even a sweet.

The gigs are nearly over. One last big one to go. So far, so good. The first was the best at the Hyde Park Library Series. My timing for this event was the worst. All my college aged friends are back in school, the county fair was in full swing, my teacher friends were off on vacation before they had to start up. But I still filled the room and it was a fun evening.
Besides reconnecting with some very dear olds friends, young and older, I was the beneficiary of a special treat. I got to see a flower bloom by the name of Janette Marie. When she was my fifth grade student, I called her Janie and still do. She taught herself guitar and has started to write songs and is a real talent. Coincidentally, she works at the Library so it was only natural that I asked her to open for me. Great choice. It was rare fun to get to know her as an adult and work with her professionally. She also joined me on a few of my songs.

I reconnected with many friends but nothing can top the arrival of my grandson Gabriel and the special connections and reconnections he generated. My daughter, Bree, was in labor for 37 hours and Cathy and I were privileged to spend most of that time with her as well as the moments just before and after the C-section they finally decided to perform to bring Gabriel into the world as we know it. I'll skip the usuaL gushing. IÕll just say we really are bonding. And my bond with my daughter, step son and ex-wife has also become stronger. Yeah, Gabriel performed a miracle as Cathy and I finally have a normal and happy relationship with my ex. Let's just say that it's remarkable.

I'll have to post more as this story develops in my head. It keeps unfolding new feelings so it's pointless to try to describe it all now. My son, his wife and my granddaughter have just arrived and this will add still more to the story and my crowded emotions. Further scrawling here will have to wait.
posted by Bud @ 9:14 AM
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Monday, August 11, 2008

MY FAMILY IS THE REAL NUMBER ONE

Not certain when I'll be posting again. I'll be away from home for three weeks. I'll do the best I can to update.

The first round of video editing is done and I most likely won't get to see it finished until I return. And that is only the promo reel for getting gigs. No decisions have been made on what to do with the rest of the footage.

I've talked about nothing but concentrating on the the New York gigs. But more importantly I'm going up to meet a new grandson who has not yet arrived. He's due any day now. My daughter will be relieved when he finally graces our presence. Additionally, I'll get to see my California girl granddaughter, Stella who is making the trip to meet her new cousin and she's bringing her parents along. So this happy event will cap an amazing month of family. We'll also get that whole gang together to see my sister and brother and Mom. Mom will be 92 this December and it'll be fun to see her with her great grand children.

This is a lousy time to have to try to rally my troops of fans to get me back to number one at Loneboystore.com. I slipped to number two when a new artist emerged from nowhere. I hope you folks can help me out while I'm gone. It's a bigger crowd pleaser to be introduced as number one than the former number one when I do these gigs up north.

Vote at this link for Tattoo or any other song you like and vote every day PLEASE!
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posted by Bud @ 8:19 AM
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Monday, August 04, 2008

BABIES, KIDS, CHART TOPPING

This is gonna be baby and kid week. Things started off Monday with my Godson Patrik. Since the last time I baby-sat him he has learned to walk and he understands a lot of what is said to him now. Especially if it's in Czech. So he's harder to wrangle but easier to communicate with. Cathy organized some art activities for him involving scribbling with an enormous fat crayon on a pie plate and me fashioning it into a spider or a snake. But we never got that far.

When his Mom, Jitka, left, he was taking me out to the pool where he was content to splash his hands for about five minutes. Then he directed me to the golf course but we got in the way of some people with clubs. So he pointed out every flower in the garden, each of which he fondled very gently. Nothing died.

Patrik pointed to the house so I obliged and took him in. He pointed to his stroller because it was nap time so I rocked him to sleep and attempted to write a blog for the half hour he stayed there. He called me with the only syllable I've heard him utter. Probably something in Czech, like, "Yo, dude!" So I got him and gave him a bottle while I sat in a rocker but he flung it aside after one polite gulp, grabbed my face with a big smile and snuggled up to my chest, thumb in mouth. He stayed just like that for an hour until Jitka came in. Really sweet, I must say.

Several gangs of Cathy's relatives are visiting this week so we'll have a house full of babies, kids and their parents. half of them will stay across the street at Cathy's sister and B-in-law's. They would be Carol and Jack. We love having family so close. Fun time. It'll be very pleasant company between all my guitar lessons and video editing.

And oh yes, I'M STILL NUMBER ONE at Loneboystore.com. Please go there now and vote again. And again. Ten weeks is fantastic and I love you all for keeping me there. I'm thinking dynasty now, though. Keep it going my friends. Vote at this link for Tattoo or any other song you like.

You might also notice that I'm the Second Chance Featured Artist too. Sounds strange as I've ruled that chart half the spring and summer so far but it's just their way of saying that I'm featured again, as in a second time. Along with some others. Robert Lamm of Chicago is breathing close on my heals so please show me some love.
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posted by Bud @ 10:59 PM
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Wednesday, July 30, 2008

MY LATENESS AND MY NEEDINESS

I'm late getting back here this week. Wish I could say it's due to the lazy days of summer but my summer days have been rather type A this year and last. My summer days need some Ritalin. Oh wait, I'm an adult, that would only make me go faster, right? Bring it on.

The video edits are going slowly. But it will get done. I've invested a lot so this isn't gonna die on cutting room floor. Just had a conversation with a former student of mine who is starting her last year of high school now. We agreed that we really do know how to stay in shape but we have these lapses. We also agreed that lapses are a good thing to preserve your sanity I just didn't time this lapse very well. So my video editing will revolve around deleting the less favorable camera angles.

Two Big Things are happening at Loneboystore for me. First of all, I'm still number One with the song Tattoo. That's 9 out of 11 weeks, fans. Thanks you so much for your unending (I hope) support. Go there and vote again please but hurry. Their voting cycle ends Thursday their time so that's about 6pm EDT Thursday for us, I think. If you miss that deadline vote anyway for next week.


Here is that link again

The second big thing is the Second Chance feature. They essentially give me a second chance as the featured artist with some other artists.

So here is the link to gohave a look, PLEASE:

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I'm working hard on getting ready for all the NY gigs and the one more at Clearwater's Pangea, Cafe. I've been too busy to initiate any bookings after my return from NY. Dumb, I know, but sleep does become necessary at least once a day.
posted by Bud @ 9:11 PM
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Monday, July 21, 2008

THE VAMPIRE OF VENICE VISITS CLEARWATER AND RETURNS TO NUMBER ONE IN LONDON

I'm a vampire. There I said it. I have no taste for blood and I'm good in the sun but I have to admit I live off of the energy of other people. Especially if they're in my audience. My audience, most of my life, was made up of nine, ten and eleven year olds. My stage was my classroom. Since I moved to Florida and became a performer, my audience has been heavily on the other end of the timeline. But Saturday night was different.

I played a video shoot concert in downtown Clearwater's Pangea Cafe and International Market. My crowd was mixed but there was a group of teens there from a local drama class. They came with their teacher, Mona. They made me remember what I loved about teaching the most. The feeling of that give and take with young people and making the spark in their eyes turn into a bonfire of enthusiasm--that's what gets this old heart of mine beating with new life.

The one hour set I did will be edited down to a five minute promo reel and then I'll have the out takes to mess with and I hope there's enough usable stuff for Youtube. But I'll share what I can when I can and you'll see what I mean. They helped me take it to a new level. I'll keep that memory alive when I play more sedate audiences. That was the biggest learning of this past couple of months leading up to this shot. It's not about "look at me." It's about, "here's what I have for you." When you perform in a way that says, "here's my gift to you," it matters little that you don't have megastar looks. The payoff is that I gave them everything I had and still came away feeling like a grand prize recipient. A Lotto winner. I'm one lucky dude. My performance coach, Joe Yazbeck, is very very good at what he does.

Oh, yeah, and I did the shoot without glasses. I may not be thrilled with my close-ups when I see them but at least they won't be reflecting spotlights back at the camera. We got around that in the photo shoot for the album cover by tilting my glasses. That wasn't gonna work for this level of movement both by me and by the camera men. The jury is out on how I feel about this new image.

Back on Top in London's Loneboy!
I'm astounded to report that I'm back in the Number ONE spot on the Loneboystore.com chart in London. That would be the eighth week with ten weeks in the top ten. And this in a week where my link to Loneboy did not work. Thank you, my dear friends and fans! This means so much to me as I work hard to get on a solid footing with my bookings and placements.

I hope you'll keep voting for Tattoo at this link.
posted by Bud @ 10:14 AM
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