Mitch Hedberg has died
Well it looks like the rumors are
true. Comedian Mitch Hedberg has died. The exact cause has not been reported. The rumor is a drug overdose.
Like I posted before it is sad, especially when the comics are so young.
I had tickets available to see Mitch a year or so ago when he was touring with Dave Attell and Lewis Black. Unfortunately I was on tour and missed the show. I'm really sorry I missed a chance to see this very funny guy.
Mitch Hedberg.....RIP?
So there are some rumors going around that
Mitch Hedberg the comedian as died. I read this on an entertainment message board and also on
Howard Stern’s website where it has been reported.
I haven’t been able to find out anything about it anywhere else on the web so far. Nothing on his
official website either. I hope this is some sort of early April fools joke.
Everyone must be too preoccupied with the circus in Florida.
If it is true. It’s sad, I always hate to see when a talented comedian dies. People like Belusihi, Candy, Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison and Farley, these comedians dying way too young.
These are the people that will always make you feel better when you are having a bad day. Laughter is the best medicine.
Planning a vacation...umm....I mean tour.
Mid week and I’m deep into piecing together the details of
Mindy’s tour. I’ve spent the last two days figuring out hotels and flights. As with most tours I’m letting a travel agent book them, I get better prices that way. Still I need to figure out where and when I need them. This tour is pretty straightforward as far as that. I have a couple wrinkles to work out nothing major.
The good thing is the tour is still 3 weeks away. Is it April already?
Also Mindy's new video debut's on
CMT's top 20 on March 31.
A guitar technician was finally hired yesterday. People heard we we’re looking to hire someone and next thing you know my inbox is flooded with resumes. Well not all had
resumes. Some just had a name, phone number and a brief message saying I hear you are looking or a tech. I’m interested in the job.
A tip for all the roadies out there, just because most of us in this industry are blue collar, non-suit wearing people, doesn’t mean you can just say, "Hey dude hire me". A bit of a professionalism would be nice. Send a resume and please include some references.
_____________________________On a personal note, a good friend and his wife had their first baby, a boy on Monday. Congratulations again to them.
Commercial radio.....ZZZZZZZZ
For someone that works in the music industry I have no real idea of what is popular and any given day, unless I look at
Billboard Magazine or some other trade. I don’t listen to commercial radio, because like the video channels it’s the same two dozen songs 24 hours a day. FM radio hasn’t been the same since the late 70’s. Sure it’s a business and most people understand this. However the product is stale and predictable. Even the DJ’s or lack there of, most of them are recorded and what they call "canned".
So for the most part it’s CD’s in the car. If I’m listen to something while on the computer at home, it’s Internet radio. Which I believe is the future. Sure some say satellite radio, which I will admit, is very good, but you have to pay for it. Internet radio is free, basically. You get to listen to stations with any type of programming.
Now sure I find myself stuck in my teens as far most music these days. Like I said FM radio died just after the late 70’s. I really enjoy listening to
stations, which have that old format.
I find most of these songs still stand up to today’s music. I even hear teens today say they like bands from that time.
Don’t get me wrong there are some good songwriters and songs out there today. The thing is how many of them will people still be talking about and listening to in 25 years.
Ok.....now I sound like my parents.
Music and March Madness
So I finally locked down a tour to fill the spring. I will be tour managing
Mindy Smith who will be opening for
Mary Chapin Carpenter. Tour kicks off in St Louis on the 26th and wraps up June 18th in Birmingham, AL. Mindy will be touring solo; well she will have one other musician with her.
__________
On a completely different topic, I want to mention the men’s NCAA tournament. I’m a big
Syracuse fan; yes the lousy game they played last week still hurts.
Yesterday the four teams playing in the Syracuse regional held open practices. My nephew who happens to also be a big fan of North Carolina wanted to go. I said sure this could be fun, besides he had the day off from school.
We arrived mid afternoon caught some of the Wisconsin practice, well actually the players just shooting baskets for the last 30 minutes. Wasn’t much of a practice as far as I could see.
North Carolina came out did the usual warm ups and then ran some drills. Then they did some scrimmages. Now the highlight was the last ten minutes when their top players did a dunk demonstration.
I have the tar heels on all my brackets and I have to say they are very talented and very deep. I will be surprised if anyone can stop them.
The classic theater
The "city" I live in has a
wonderful theater, the old art deco type that were built at the turn of the 20th century. It had many good and many bad years. I believe at one point in the mid 70’s it was actually a porn theater. It was nearly torn down at one point in the early 80’s. Fortunately it has been saved and nearly restored to its original state. Actually one of only a handful of theaters of its type still left in New York State.
I love these old vaudeville theaters. The good thing is that some of them are still being used today around the world. I love touring and playing venues like these. The acoustics are great in most and that says a lot coming from a lighting guy (insert joke here.)
The other great thing is that many of these including the
Smith show movies. Sure you can always go to a modern theater, with the stadium seating and THX sound. But there is something about the old theaters; they just seem more comfortable. It’s more of an experience. It’s hard to explain unless you have been to one.
I went to see the movie Sideways at the Smith last night. Yes, I enjoyed the movie, which is quite good. The ending was a bit predictable, but not bad.
It wasn’t just the movie. It was the atmosphere too. I always find myself looking around at the theater's design during the film. Now granted I have been all over this theater. I mean everywhere in the building. The production manager that was there in the late 80’s was a fellow
I.A.T.S.E. member. So I worked a couple concerts and was given the grand tour on more than one occasion.
I guess like most people I don’t spend as much of my leisure time going to place like this. You know with cable television, DVD’s and the Internet in our homes. I really need to go there more often when I’m home. Hopefully more people will too.
Flickr
I like taking photos but hate having someone take mine. You know when people say, "let me take your picture". What am I posing for GQ? If you want to take my picture just take it!
That’s why I never tell someone I’m going to take his or her picture. The camera comes out and click, I got my subject. Usually I take photos of inanimate objects; they are generally more interesting and natural.
So I post my pictures on the web through
Flicker.com. Nice site, easy to use and its FREE. So yesterday I heard Yahoo has purchased them. Great now we probably won’t be able to link our photos to non-yahoo sites. It’s tough enough being a Macintosh user.
Hopefully they will leave the site as is.
Now I’m looking for a new digital camera in the $200-250 range. I like and have heard the Olympus 580 is a good one. The only thing is they use the smart card. I have a compact flash in my computer and my current camera. Yes I know they will connect with a USB cable. Of course I’m still using computers from the end of 1999.
Hey if it isn’t broke.
Of course if anyone wants to sell me an iBook cheap let me know.
Personal electronics
Gadgets, gadgets, I want new gadgets. I mentioned this recently that roadies love electronics. Computers, PDA’s, cell phones, gaming consoles, if it’s out there, we want them.
So the new
Playstation personal is hitting the US market this week. I already own the newer
PS2 slim model. This new
PSP is very cool and does a lot more than play games. It will play movies, display photos, play music and more. Do I want one? Does a fat kid like
donuts? Do I need one, well no? That is not the point. This thing is cool plain and simple and I want one. I swear sometimes that I’m still 12 years old.
The thing I really want and need to get a new
laptop. So the PSP will not be making an appearance in my house anytime soon. Which reminds me please click the ad banners on the top of my blog. You don’t have to buy anything. I know it's lazy way to make some
cash. Come on, I do it for other people on their blogs. Send me a link to your blog and I’ll click for you.
One man can do it all
Not much to say today.
I did want to pass along an interesting
website though. You may have seen the one-man band especially if you live in Canada. Check
this guy out. It might be a bit cheesy but you still need to be pretty talented to do this. Watch the whole video it fairly short.
24 hours later
Life can change quickly if you aren’t watching. Lately I’ve had some
time to spare and I haven’t missed much. Actually I’ve been at a bit of a crossroads. You know this if you’ve been reading
this blog recently. I’m continuing to do tours, even though I'm still thinking of retiring .
Well it seems that certain people will not return calls or emails. This is fine; time doesn’t stand still for anyone. So with that said I have decided to take another tour that was offered to me yesterday. There a still a couple small details to discuss. I will post more next week.
A couple days ago I posted about the
digital phone service I have now. I mentioned the problem with my old phone service transferring my existing number. Happy to say that it has been completed. This digital service is great. I was on hold to someone on the West Coast the other day and I didn’t have to worry about those old per minute charges.
It's amazing how one phone call can change your life and I'm doing it cheaper now.
Doppler, A Roadies View
This was posted on Roadie.net. Luckily no one was shot.
Shelton Tour Ambush
Posted by stagedaddy on 2005/3/17 17:50:39
Last night members of the Blake Shelton tour were accosted in their hotel near Lakeland, Fl.
2 unidentified men were found hiding in the room of new bass player Mark and a second band member waiting (with guns) to rob the duo. After being forced into the bathroom Mark grabbed a chair and forced the pair outside into the hallway pinning them briefly against the wall, at which point the 2 perps fled into a waiting car and escaped.
Plates were given to the cops and needless to say a quick address change for the tour was made.
This year's brass cajones award goes to Mark!
what the hell are you talking about??
I love the fact that it’s Friday and I was supposed to know on Wednesday if I was getting hired for a tour. Band managers are so predictable. They always give you a timetable and never stick to it. Then when you call them on it, they get all bent out of shape. I swear that sometimes they have bigger egos than the musicians they manage do. I was told I would have an answer today. I’m not holding my breath.
I’m still trying to figure out a way to make some income when I’m off the road.
Sure I could go get a part time job. Of course what do you tell the employer when the phone rings for that tour. Sorry, it’s been a fun month but I have to go. I hate to do that to people.
I’m still thinking of getting off the road at some point for good. I just need to find a job that would be worth doing for the next 20 years. I have a lot of experience and knowledge, but it’s mostly music related. I suppose I could be an electrician. Of course that means get certified.
I could always do bookkeeping or accounting, wait more schooling. It’s funny I handle ten’s of thousands of dollars and do bookkeeping weekly on the road. Yet to work in some
office I need a piece of paper from some school saying I’m qualified to work there.
The job I think that would be good is a
UPS driver. You get to be outside, you work by yourself, it pays well and they have a good medical and benefits package. You know
women dig a guy in short brown pants.
So I am suppose to go to a concert tonight. Three of the bands crew and I did a tour together a couple years ago. Unfortunately the show is nearly two hours away. I kind of hate to "hang" out at shows. It’s always nice to see road friends, but it’s a bit boring too. I think I will just stay home and do some stuff around here. Yes just another exciting day in the life of a
roadie.
Time travel...where's the bus?
If you had a
time machine what would you do with it? Would you use it for good or bad? Would you use it for personal gain?
Whatever your answer you may have missed your opportunity. The auction has ended on this
one.
Something I noticed about the winner of this auction, it is the folks from
Golden Palace Casino. You may remember they bought the
Virgin Mary cheese sandwich last year.
I wonder what they are going to do with them. Maybe they will go back in time and get her to sign it and then auction the autograph. You have to make a profit on the auction somehow.
The age of the new phone
I’m one of those people who are always looking to save a buck. Call me cheap, call me thrifty, call me, call me industrious, and call me whatever you want. Everyone else does. I guess it was my upbringing not to waste money. You know the "save for the future" speech.
Most companies only give you a break to get your business and could care less once they get you.
So right after the holidays as the bills came in. I tried to figure out where to cut some of the financial fat. It occurred to me that the phone bills were a bit out of control. I have a landline and a
cell phone. My cell bill is a bit high; but then again I have nationwide coverage and free incoming. I also have the walkie-talkie feature and some basic Internet.
The landline is another story. Local and regional calling only with my service and long distance are extra. I never really call long distance from that phone so it was no big deal. However, I was paying over $35 a month to have a phone to make a local call. This is a waste and I was thinking of just using the cell as my main phone.
Then I looked into
digital phone service. Did I really want another bill on my cable? I use
Earthlink as my ISP through my local cable provider. I like them, besides when I travel I can use my account to dial in from a landline. They sent me an offer for 30 days free to try the digital phone.
They send you the phone modem and you set it up. I took me all of about five minutes. A couple weeks go by and I find I like it. Besides I can call anywhere in the US and Canada, unlimited and no extra charge. This is only costing $32 which includes tax. The per minute overseas rates are also very cheap. London is 3¢ a minute.
I know I’m paying almost the same as the old landline, but I’m getting much more. They include voice mail, caller ID, three way calling, and all the stuff the bells charge extra for. Plus I cut back on the minutes that I needed on my cell phone.
Ok so I sound like a salesman here. Let me get to the point. You can keep your old number when you switch. You have to send a letter, which goes to your old phone company. It usually takes 20 business days. Well mine has gone a bit longer and I call the digital provider to find out what the hold up is.
Would you believe they gave me another month for FREE because of the delay? Now that is the way to treat you customers.
Say goodbye to the traditional landline.
Gig Butt
I received an email from a fellow road dog. He’s not sure if the product is real or not. So I check out the
web site and I wasn’t sure at first. So an email was sent and the reply was the product is genuine.
My curiosity is peaked and I might order a small jar to try it. This guy might make a bundle on this.
Family member
So I don't usually post about my family. I could create a whole other blog for that.
However, I did want to congratulate my nephew. He won the league MVP in his CYO basketball league this year. Next year he moves on to high school, so it was a great way to end his final year. His team went undefeated and won their second chamionship in three years. He really loves the game and he is also a very good student.
I didn't know
So my niece is in junior high and she has a project due in a couple weeks. She has to make cystal plants or something to that effect, using water, food color, salt and this
laundry item.I've never heard of this and I don't remember doing this in school.
Anyway trying to find this
stuff in the stores locally has been impossible. Looks like it's mail order on this one.
I guess I learned something new today.
$2.50 a gallon
Saturday morning already, where does the time go? It’s still cold here; at least the sun is shining.
So as many people who live in the states know.
Fuel prices have gone up again this week, an average of 12¢ a gallon in my area alone. New York State is turning into California as far as being above the national average. We have to pay for the ethanol that has been added.
It would be nice to get out and drive somewhere, you know just to get away. I just can’t seem to bring myself to do it. Money is tight these days and I guess I’m being cheap. It’s sad that we have to consider when and when not to travel just because of the cost.
There are news reports saying gas prices will average over $2.50/gal by summer. You can bet there will be a backlash. The
tourist industry will suffer. Hotels, restaurants, amusement parks, national parks are all going to see drops in customers.
My industry will be hard hit again. It’s already become very expensive for musicians to tour. Ticket prices are through the roof. Concert attendance’s are down. I hear people saying all the time they can’t afford to see more than a concert or two per year, if any. These are the same ones who would attend at least a half dozen or more.
What does it mean for me and people like me. Less work or working for less money. When we have less money we spend less money. People who work in the touring industry spend a lot of money on consumer products. We are
gadget freaks, if it’s new we need to have it first. It’s in our nature.
Do we always need these items? Well no not always and the way things are going we won’t be able to afford to pay the monthly bills.
Geneva, NY
This is where I call home these days. I didn't take this picture. Credit goes to the folks at www.ramairskyways.com.
Friday morning rant
I have read a lot of blogs lately…. I mean a lot. Everyone, including myself like to get traffic and readers. I just find it sad they need to constantly discuss certain people and events just for the simple fact of attracting hits.
I’m so sick of seeing and hearing about
Michael. Is he guilty, probably, is he going to be found guilty, I say no. I’m just tired of seeing it on the news constantly.
While I’m at it, a couple of other people that I’m sick of.
Martha please shut the hell up. I hated you before you went to your five-month retreat, I mean prison. Where was your ankle monitor when you were kissing everyone’s ass the other day during your company address? Her sentence was a joke.
Hilton, please people stop talking about her! Stop taking her picture, she isn’t even that attractive. She has no talent, well she may have
one.
The problem is the media and people on the net keep talking about these people. Stop it!! You know you only care about the traffic for your sites.
Ok, I’m done on this.
I need to check my site counter.
Seneca Lake Inlet
March 10 and still snow on the ground. The good news spring is just around the corner and it will look like this again.
How to waste your morning
So as I do most mornings, I check the email and take a look at the news headlines.
Then I usually read a couple of blogs, which I seem to do a lot of lately. Read a new one today, sorry I forget which one. The person had a link to one of those "which person are you?" This was one for the show
Family Guy. This is who I am.
Which Family Guy character are you?Oh happy days!!
Why I don't socialize
I spent this past weekend with my sister and my nephew out of town. My nephew plays basketball for a city youth league. His team, which went undefeated during the season, was asked to play in a tournament of other conference champions. They didn’t win it unfortunately.
The point of this is not the games. You see we spent the weekend at a hotel. Now I try to attend as many of my nephew’s games as I can. With winter usually being a slow time for me, I can. Most of the boys parents and relatives on his team know me, but not much about me.
So this weekend was the opportunity for them to ask 20 questions. I always find some of them quite funny. One of them was, "so you must stay in a lot of hotels?" Well.duh…that is a given. Then a discussion starts about the best hotels to stay in. Someone asked me my favorite hotels. I gave them a couple names, like the Westin in Chicago, the Inter-Continental in Paris and the W in San Francisco.
When I gave them my answers like hotel staff and comfortable beds. I received blank stares like I was speaking in another language. I don’t know what they expected me to say.
Then someone mentions a Holiday Inn near Disney World they stayed at which they said was great. I had to hold back my laughing.
A New Tour??
Well as my bitchin continues it seems as though there is a small light at the end of the tunnel. Next week's tour that was postponed may be rescheduled. I also heard of another tour manager position that is available. Hopefully, I heard about it in time as I sent off the resume this afternoon.
You know that feeling you get when they are drawing the lottery numbers. OK....maybe you don't. Well anyway that is the way this all feels to me lately.
Not another remake
I noticed this on a message board today. Some genious in Hollywood has decided to remake the movie,
The Bad News Bears.
Billy Bob Thorton is playing Buttermaker the coach. I like some of his movies, Bad Santa, Slingblade and Pushing Tin. I just don't see why they need to remake one of Walter Matthau's funniest and most memorable roles.
Now I was around 13 when the original was released, so I guess I have a soft spot for it. Of course the original, still to this day, is a funny and entertaining movie to watch. I just hate when they remake some of the great originals.
They remade another of my favorite movies The In-Laws. The original which featured Peter Faulk and Alan Arkin, a very funny and underrated movie. I never saw the remake, why should I.
Anything and Everything
It is Friday and an uneventful week for me so far. Besides looking for work, I spent a lot of time online. I’ve been fascinated with all the blogs out there. People talk about anything and everything. It’s fun to read what is on the average person’s mind. Actually, I have a bit of a headache from all the reading. It’s been entertaining though and sometimes quite informative.
The whole thing reminds me of when I was a kid. My folks would sit and drink coffee with either the neighbors or other relatives talking about anything and everything for hours. How anyone could spend three hours discussing the amount of junk in a neighbors yard was beyond me.
I suppose some folks still do but it seems like they are doing it online. Guess the table wasn’t big enough.
I’m one of those people that likes to talk and consider myself fairly intelligent, though I’m not the most articulate sometimes.
The old brain has so much time to think these days some of it ends up here. You know the mindless rambles of a bored individual. Posting things in my life that 99% of you could care less about. Wait, isn’t that what most of the web is any way?
One thing I did see today, wish I had copied the link, was a conspiracy that Hunter S Thompson did not commit suicide. It was debunked rather quickly though. I was wondering when the conspirators would come out of the woodwork on his death. Shit let the man rest in peace.
Spring is here
Well if you look outside my house....forget it. Over a foot of snow and it's below 20. Nearly two months with a snow pack on the ground.
The good thing is baseball season is just around the corner. I know there is all the steroid controversy. Still.... I'm a fan of the game. At least I know most of the guys on my Pirates are clean. Just look at their stats the last ten years.
So as I always do this year. I run a fantasy league on Yahoo. It's a points league and if you want to join its called THE SHOW. The league number is 160874 and the password is: 2005. Simple enough I guess. It's always a fun time.
