We’re coming back to gig at the Eagles Club in October. Same players. Tony, Bruce and Keith. We’ll see how it goes from there. Been thru a ton of changes. Been in the woodshed trying to figure out my music. My voice. My guitar. I don’t have to do anything for money. I don’t have to […]
Before all this went down I had a nifty little plan to start doing solo shows in nursing homes after I retired from my dayjob. I was going to be booking a ton of gigs with the band and branching out into sideman work again. But my plan was not to be. I had underestimated […]
There’s this one regular who gives me cards and checks for tips at the gig. I’m fairly sure this person is not rich and lives on a fixed income. The tips are generous. Very Generous. Having this kind of support is so unusual and surprising. The Christmas show was a longtime desire of mine to […]
Joe Demko of Maple Grove never attended college, but he has received a priceless, Ph.D.-level education in music and the music business from many teachers—some of whom are familiar names to music fans—names like Bonnie Raitt, Bob Dylan, Benny Goodman, Willie Murphy and Bruce Henry. In six decades as a working musician, Demko’s had some […]
It’s 2:30 am after a gig in Rock Island, Ill. There is nothing on tv in the hotel room except for a still about the weather, which has been rainy and lousy all day. The gig didn’t go that well. They didn’t dig us. They ate they drank but not our audience. I’m maybe half […]
People ask me” When is your CD coming out?” When I get it done is the usual answer. There are some songs in this collection which are so emotionally true and good, I’m amazed and gratified that the process has worked so well and the idea that was in my head is actually what is […]
It’s 6pm after an eight hour work day which was real busy. I sit down to cut a comp vocal at the secret studio. 10 takes to edit to make a good lead vocal from. It’s starts to go bad right away when the phone buzzes with a text about a gig I can’t do, […]
I’m about four songs into the rough mixes for this next CD release. Twelve songs to go. Not all of them will make it to the mixdown and master. Been jamming time in to mix between work days, family stuff, mowing the lawn. You know. Normal stuff. Working on original songs that you have […]
Here’s the thing. I’m not a big deal. I’m not an incredible singer or guitar player. Not flashy. On a good day I’m an okay singer and an okay guitar player. I can do some songs really well. Others, well, I’m still learning. The PROBLEM is: I stumble onto these songs and they make me […]