Getting Tighter...

We've been practicing for our gig coming up on October 1, 2010 at Angelica's Bistro in Redwood City, CA and we can't wait to share with you the new arrangement for "Jennifer Alone". Rather than everyone playing their respective instruments, Dave will be accompanying on keyboard with Robert, Dave and myself singing.

We've been recording what we've been doing like a football coach and playing it back to ourselves to see what can be changed or to make fun of ourselves, but over all, I've discovered that moving from "solo" to "band", (with actual people playing with me), has been more rewarding than I had anticipated.

Stay tuned for more and thanks for listening!

Junkyard Lewie

You don't need hands to hold someone's heart.

Today's blog will consist of a video.

A friend of mine posted this on is Facebook page and after viewing it.....I don't think I need to say much more than, "We're all good enough"

No Arms, No Legs, No Worries.

Sing, Dance, Live.
Junkyard Academy

Falling up....

Directions for falling up are as follows:

Provision 1

Plan for a two-day period of time preceding the act to be event-free, ensuring that the subject’s brain is susceptible to open thought (and as little reason as possible) on a subconscious level through the simplest means possible by providing the viewing of copious amounts of satellite television consisting of a mix of reality shows, action thriller movies, cartoons and documentaries, (so as to induce a ‘nap’ state of mind for at least two hours during the aforementioned two-day period).

Provision 2

Ensure the subject is in a horizontal position at an optimal viewing angle to the source of entertainment throughout the execution of provision 1 by providing ample padding, pillows, and, if at all possible, ‘woobies’.

Provision 3

The subject should be urged to stay in bed clothes throughout unless said subject sleeps sans-clothing, in which case, urge for a loose fitting clothing option. Bathing is optional as the only other subject, (spousal relation), within reach should also be in the same state.

Provision 4

Provide subject with only enough sustenance to keep the brain engaged throughout the process. Examples of said sustenance may include such items as; Chips, chocolate, extruded and scientifically packaged square orange cheese, and some form of hydration which may include, (but may not exceed), one cup of coffee.

Provision 5

Be sure to keep the subject awake until such a time as the subject’s eyes begin to redden, water and sag. Only allow 6 to 7 hours of sleep and repeat all provisions on the second day, stopping intermittently only to allow the spousal relation to bake apple muffins and to consume up to but not more than two muffins each.

Provision 6

Allow one subject to go to bed at the acceptable and pre-determined time and allow the other to stay up past his bed time by two and one half hours.

Provision 7

Before the sleep-deprived and addle-brained subject is allowed caffeine on the morning following the experiment, allow said subject to perform a manually dexterous task involving a guitar case, limited vision and stairs

Result:

Falling up the stairs.

……no, really, I’m fine…..Where’s my coffee….?

Once more into the beech....

...Or to be more specific, my front yard...(and that's right, I said "Beech"). We have a tree in our front yard that drops these little spikey seed pods on my very delicate front lawn, that if you combed it with a brush, it'd come out of the ground about as easily as and over inflated and subsequently greased exsersise ball would fly
out from under one's equally greased, (and dare I say, overinflated), Bum. What better way to illustrate these little demons of the tree than
by providing an illustration, (motions to my right with white gloves)-->

And for those of you with a penchant for the written word, a definition.

a. A deciduous tree of the genus Fagus having smooth gray bark, alternate simple leaves, and three-angled nuts enclosed in prickly burs.

Okay, that was a stretch, but it illustrates my point that when these little seed pods land on my very delicate and fine grass, they grab on and won't let go, especially when using a plastic leaf rake. Stepping on said grass only leaves footprints and going over the whole lawn on my hands and knees only makes it appear matted and it stays this way for days. I may go so far as to invent a rudimentary gantry constructed from spare Lego's that I have laying around, and before you laugh, all I have to say is if it's good enough for James May, it's good enough for me.

I can hear some of you saying, "well, why did you plant that kind of grass?" or "Why did you plant that tree?" I didn't. We rent to own this place we plan to grow old in, but before that happens and after we buy this place, that tree is going DOWN.

...'think I'll plant a redwood.....

To dream the egregious dream

"To dream the egregious dream"...somehow, I'm sure I'm making Andy Williams turn over in his....wait.....

...what was that?

....come again?....

REALLY?

....he IS still alive?.....

oh...okay....

(ehh-hem)....

I'm sure I'm making Andy Williams pause at what he's doing, (perhaps his daily regimen of boxing with the hired help?), to look up a little and go..."hrrm??" when I butcher the title of his song, (so expertly sung by Peter O'Toole in Man of La Mancha), and I know that the definition of the word is really "outstandingly bad, or outrageous", but I'm leaning more toward the latter of the two because well, heck...four years ago, on my fortieth birthday when my lovely wife gave me a guitar, rather than a sports car, (mid-life crisis, indeed), I'd never have considered that I'd be where I am right now.

...what?...sitting in my pajamas, typing up a blog entry from the relative safety from zombies and politicians* {same thing}, in my computer room in a house on a hill in Benicia, California?

Nope, but the the simply "outrageous" thing to me is that with that same guitar, I have managed to pen upwards of 43 some-odd, (some serious), tunes, which, when finally recorded, packaged, sterilized, distributed and forced upon the airwaves *might* just get me to a place where I could get a few sports cars. It can happen.....just sayin'....

*(Yes, these little asterisks are usually found at the bottom of an article, but, hey, this is my blog so 'nyahh'); The fifth definition for the word 'Outrageous' in the Urban Dictionary, (epic-love for this site), reads; "Used to describe the actions of democrats, republicans, or any sort of politician". Oh......(laughing out loud)......I think I just peed a little...

('you ever do that? 'pee a little'?')

So, while forging on with the songwriting, I made a rather pleasant discovery.

People like the music.

And not just any "people", I had a Grammy award winning Ex-A&R Executive from Motown compliment me on my stuff. Why does this man get the moniker of "Ex", well, give the guy a break, if you worked with Eric Clapton, Santana, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Marvin Gaye, Jermaine Jackson, Rod Stewart, Diana Ross, David Bowie, The Commodores, Rob Thomas, Wyclef Jean, Rick James, Fleetwood Mac, Sir George Martin (The Beatles producer) Dave Matthews Band, Lauren Hill, INXS, Ice-T, Sly and the Family Stone and Cher, you'd deserve a break to raise some children yourself, wouldn't you? In any case, it's high praise to have a guy like this chat with you on the phone for 45 minutes about your music and subsequently waive his $100.00 an hour rate in favor of a percentage deal, (any lawyers out there who wouldn't mind pouring over a potential contract for me?)

Okay, so I brag......

('you ever do that? 'brag a little'?')

With the band members finally coalescing, (MAN...I never get to use that word, awesome!), with the songs continually being written by not only me, but the other guys involved, with the dedication of everyone involved, (Paul, the Bass player is moving from Indiana to be in the band), and with our upcoming gig at Angelica's Bistro in Redwood City, CA, <--(hit that link!), it's hard not to think that this is all just plain outrageous - but - it is...and it's good.

At the beginning of this year, I just knew that things would start to come together for Junkyard Academy as well as the household with which I share with my lovely wife. All this is proof-positive that there may be something to thinking positive and listening to the universe, rather than rebounding around in it like a nerd in a mosh pit. (there's a visual...)

Bottom line, I've always knew, even as a child, that this life will offer up something simply great, I've just been too preoccupied with the mechanics of it all. Like Alton Brown says about making and omelet;

"Walk away, do nothing for ten seconds. At this point, there is no amount of prodding, poking, or fiddling that will make that omelet cook any quicker, in fact, messing with it now will only result in an omelet that stuck to the pan. In other words scrambled eggs, not that there's anything wrong with that it's just not really what I want today."

Okay, so I'm a foodie too, but how this translates into life? Sometimes you gotta step back and let things work rather than forcing them....scrambled eggs is what I got last year when I tried to rush the creative process and those of you in the know understand...you just can't rush art.

Enjoy your omelet.

Lewis