After not having visited Miami or the Keys in a long while, I found myself really asking why did I ever move. It’s really easy to take things for granted. And don’t get me wrong I live in Nashville and I love a lot of things about it. But, for sure, Miami, in its post-Andrew state is more beautiful than ever. I rented a Mustang Shelby convertible for my trip…it could possibly be the most uncomfortable car ever made and had it not been for the fact that it was a convertible I would have been miserable. I know, I know…I could just hear the guys “Man how could you say that?” Well, easy. The whole trip to key west was bumper to bumper and Miami has quite a bit of traffic as well. So the whole time you’re in this car…basically pick the lowest note you can hum and keep humming it and humming it and humming it. Thrilling isn’t it? But what can I do, Hertz was fresh out of 1959 Cadillac Eldorado’s.
I got to see some of my family while in Miami and driving them around in this most uncomfortable of vehicles was quite fun. They themselves pointed out that they don’t get to see the city like this because they’re always working. I was happy to drive around and see all the old haunts. South Beach is still beautiful and all the old places are there (but the names have been changed to protect the guilty ). Granada Blvd., in Coral Gables, is still one of the most beautiful boulevards in all the world. With its palm and cypress trees, and spanish villa-styled houses lining both sides, it rivals just about any place, anywhere. I found myself remembering childhood adventures on my bicycle that I had long forgotten. I saw my old house and my grandparents’ old house and not only did they bring back old memories, they also created a new sense of appreciation for what my parents did in bringing up my sister and me. So, of course, after a night of reminiscing and driving around we ended up at Versailles on 8th st at about 1:00am. This is what I miss most about my culture and living in Nashville. Cubans love to congregate and talk (especially about politics) and Versailles restaurant on 8th st. and 37th. Ave. is the Town Hall. Just don’t wear any Che Guevara t-shirts, whatever you do. So there we were, ordering cuban coffee at one in the morning. Ahh…living!
So after my night with family and catching up I woke up at about the crack of noon for my trip to the Keys. It’s three hours away…no problem. I just can’t believe how much Florida has developed. What a few years ago was a lonely highway past Dade community college is now completely developed and thriving from all I can tell. Once past Homestead, US One becomes the two lane- mangrove lined nightmare it always was. However, it was nice to see all the new construction going on around the mangroves. Proving once again, that with strict environmental laws man and nature can coexist. I thought to myself, imagine that…Florida at the forefront of progressive environmental thinking. Who knew? So, with the top down and the sun radiating, I popped in my new cd to see if it would pass the convertible test. And of course, as I’m driving along I’m seeing all these old places that I used to go to when I was in high school and then college. Some of them, of course, were a blur but some memories were crystal clear. Basically I was just remembering being a struggling musician, playing all these bars but somehow knowing that I would get out of that circuit and someday, somehow be doing my own thing. And here I am twenty-some years later driving around in a convertible listening to my new record going to Key West to play at the Songwriters’ Festival.
It’s amazing how some things never change. Key West is pretty much as I remember it. I thought Key West was absolutely beautiful and come to find it still is. I checked into the beautiful Pier House where they serve the most delicious conch fritters and banana coladas on the planet. As luck would have it, my room overlooked a top-less beach. I’ve never minded being stuck in my room so much (lol). I had my first gig that night at the Hog’s Breath Saloon. (Last time I was at the Hogs Breath, I was playing drums with a reggae band in their patio. It wasn’t a gig, I just kind of stormed the stage and decided to play drums.) Obviously these were different circumstances but i was nervous nonetheless. After all there were some heavy-hitters there that night-Don Schlitz, Scotty Emerick, etc…I haven’t had a “hit” record in a long time and so I didn’t know how my new songs would be received. After a couple shots of Patron (or courage as I call it) I got up and did my thing and everything was fine. From then on, I was a bit more relaxed at these gigs. It was great to hear some of Nashville’s finest like Jamie Johnson and Bobby Pinson, and James Slater. There was a lot of great music played down there and it seems like the whole town just opens up for the songwriters. It was great fun drinking banana coladas with Robert Earl Keen,his manager Charlie Walker, and Jamie Johnson. By the end of the trip we had developed our own language made up of a series of grunts and howls and cackles that i think can only be reproduced under the right conditions (beach, sun, rum or whatever). Anyways, I’m pretty sure that if I get asked back…hmmm, let me think about this for a minute…peace and love, RM

Why??

Is there a gas shortage? Has anybody heard this from (a) politicians or (b) the media?
Why are gas prices going up? They are supposed to be going down, after all our “IDIOT IN CHIEF” has declared “mission accomplished” in Iraq. I thought one of the reasons we went to Iraq was to “secure” the oil.
Why did I get a tax break a couple of years ago when I bought my Hummer (I have since sold it so hold your hate mail)? Why don’t we get tax breaks for buying hybrids?
Why is the fed lowering the special rate at which banks loan each other money? Something that hasn’t happened since, oh let me see… the “Great Depression”?
Why have we not declared a war on poverty? or hunger? We lost 63,000 jobs last month. In this 21st century, in THIS country, almost 1/3 of the population is at or near the poverty level.
Why do we still have an embargo with Cuba, yet almost everything we use in our homes is made in China?
Why do we spend billions on the “War on Drugs” yet there are more people using drugs than ever before in the history of this country (and yes this includes the 60’s)? The benefits of legalizing marijuana are far more effective than this “War on Drugs”.
Why can anyone of us be in a foreign country and receive immediate medical attention?
Why are our ports “secured” by foreign companies?
Why do we even pay taxes? Do you know that there is no law in the books that requires us to pay taxes. For that matter what the hell is the fed and why do they wield such power?
Lastly, why is our beloved “free” corporate-owned media continuing to talk about Obama’s “preacher” and his “fiery” rhetoric? I have to tell you I have seen the transcripts and the video, and I, for one, have to say that just about everything that he talks about in there is the truth. Also, when did it become unpatriotic to criticize this country? If you ask me I think we need more “fiery” rhetoric. If this country is not strong enough to withstand a little bit of a reality check then our fate is sealed.
Peace,
RM

Alright…so I’m home quite a bit now as I prepare to make this record. And in between writing new songs or making a “demo” of a new song I find myself pondering/reflecting/observing quite a bit. Sometimes the pondering pertains to the upcoming election…sometimes it’s the “Big Bang” theory…sometimes it’s nothing more than the systematic total breakdown of our society. (I know, I know… I need to get on the road). I think one of the major problems with the world at large is communication. Yeah, yeah, I know we have technology now we only dreamed of when we were kids. In many ways that same technology sometimes interferes with what used to be our once much-valued family time. For example, do you ever go to a restaurant and see a family out together and the father has one of those ridiculous “blue-tooth” ear pieces? And yes, it’s almost always the father that has one on. I never see a woman out with her family with one of those. (Maybe they can’t find anything to match…lol…just kidding).( For the sake of this argument and any argument for that matter, women never do anything wrong, so I am going to focus on the men). I always wonder what kind of job they have that they have to answer their cell so quickly and speak for so long that they have attached an extra appendage to their bodies in order to speak to whoever is going to interrupt their meal. Is it not enough to have a cell phone on vibrate and answer it quickly and keep conversation to a minimum in order to enjoy your meal with your family or friends? Also, what did we do before there were cell phones? We didn’t always have them and we seemed to get along just fine.
I am not anti-cell phone or anti-technology but I am against ego-driven narcissism and stupidity. I don’t care what you do for a living , nobody needs to wear one of those stupid things at the dinner table. (My God I sound like a parent!) I just want to see if anybody else agrees with me on this or am I alone in this matter( as I am for most things.) I mean every time I see one of these clowns at a restaurant with their stupid little “ear-piece” I feel like going right up to them, yank that thing right out of their ear and smash it on the table and proclaim to them in a very loud voice “You are not a Borg yet!!” (Star Trek reference for all you “trekies” out there).
Anyways, I’m through bitchin’…Happy St. Patrick’s Day everybody!
RM

Here is a true story of something that happened to me last week. I tell you this story because I was so enraged and disgusted at what happened, that I thought I would share it, if for no other reason than to let out my frustrations. Since my kids were born they have been taken care of by a prominent Children’s clinic here in Nashville. We are now going on thirteen years with no problems whatsoever. The doctors and everyone that works there have always treated my kids with loving care. Which makes what happened last week even harder to take. Well, the way I have my bills set up to be paid is that they go to my business manager’s office simply to ensure that they get paid promptly as I am always traveling. So, last week my oldest woke up in the middle of the night with a very painful headache. And I mean painful. I was very close to calling an ambulance but opted to let him fall asleep and take him to his doctor the next day if the headache persisted. Morning came around and off to school we went. Around noon I get a call from the school telling me that my son’s headache is back and he is in obvious pain. Naturally, I rush out of the house to pick him up and drive him to his doctor. Here is where this story gets ugly.
I call the clinic and the conversation goes something like this…
“Hi, this is Raul Malo, my son is experiencing really painful headaches and I need to bring him in…”
(receptionist)”Sir, we have an outstanding bill that needs to be taken care of before we can see him”.
(Me)”All our bills go to my business manager and they pay them, never mind that I was there a month ago with my other son and nobody said anything about this.”
After she told me that the bills had been going to my house I (again) told her that they should be going to my business manager’s office. After all they had been going there for about twelve years now. She still insisted that the bill be paid immediately or they would not see my son. So she proceeds to put the office manager on the phone with me who basically tells me the same thing…”We need to have this bill taken care of before we can see him”…even though I explained to her that the bills were going to the wrong place. Mind you, we are only talking about $400.00!! For four hundred dollars they were not going to see my son who had been going there since he was born! At this point in time I have had it. And I went on to tell this woman that she was exactly what was wrong with this country and with the planet.
I hung up the phone and picked up my son at school. He was feeling a little better and because of this situation with the clinic we went home. There was no way I was taking him there now. Worse case, I would have taken him to the emergency room at Vanderbilt. As soon as we got home I called up the clinic with my credit card, paid the bill and told the office manager to enjoy her $400.00. And that from this point on none of my kids were stepping foot in that clinic again. Now, what gets me throughout all this is that neither of them asked what was wrong with my son. But they sure have all the nice “Christian” sayings throughout the whole office about taking care of the “needy” and the “poor”…blah, blah, blah…Empty words from empty people, that’s what I say…
Here’s the funny thing about all this…earlier in the week I had the same situation with my veterinarian where the bills were going to the wrong place, etc…I had to get my puppy neutered and the other one had to have shots. They told me of my bill. I said it needed to go to my business manager’s. They said “no problem, Mr. Malo, we’ll see you later”. WOW! Wouldn’t it be nice to get that same kind of treatment for your children?
All the best, RM

Well here goes…I don’t know if this will help or not, (I know it won’t hurt, besides Ihave way too much time on my hands) so here goes…I want everyone to know that I am supporting Barack Obama. I have, as I do every election, followed these candidates and their campaigns and listened intently to what they have to say. Even though I lean towards the democratic side, I tried to sit through a Mike Huckabee speech without wanting to mutilate myself or anyone standing around me. (Enough about the question of evolution…can we please get our heads out of our asses and teach empirical scientific data to our children so that they may grow up to be scientists and engineers and maybe, just maybe, make a considerable contribution to the development of our species?) How can the President of the United States (aka leader of the free world) be taken seriously if he does not support the teaching of evolution in school. I went to catholic school all my life. And we were taught evolution in school in science class…then religion taught us about the bible. And yes it was ok to have two opposing thoughts in your head at once. Eventually you would come to resolve this inner conflict created by your enlightened education in that phase of our life we like to refer to as “Adulthood”. Sorry about my rant here…I’m just really tired of these “right-wing, holier than thou, Bible-thumpers”.
I guess I said all that to let you know that there would be no way I would support a republican (or at least none from this class). Mitt Romney? Please…anybody who spends 40 million dollars to get a job should be investigated, interrogated, and finally put in a room with no corners and never allowed to interact with humans again. The presidency of this country should not be for sale. Period. Mccain…I know he’s a war veteran, and for a republican, he’s not the most conservative of the lot. But I’m afraid with him we would get more of the same except with someone that can actually finish a sentence.
Which leads us to the democrats…here’s a thought that a very excited (first-time voting) eighteen year old pointed out to me the other day…in her life she has only known of a “Clinton” or a “Bush” in the White House. Guess what? That is not good for business as we now see…think NAFTA and the deregulation of the FCC. Hillary was there when her husband signed these papers ensuring that what we see and hear is controlled by a select few. So, I’m not one of those liberals that thinks Bill walks on water. Quite the contrary, I think he wronged us in many ways. And as far as Hillary is concerned, where she lost me is in her support of the Iraq war. When the president’s approval ratings were at an all time high, and the country had been sold on this war, she stood right next to the president to ensure that her place in history was preserved. And I’m sure that her advisors told her that they could overcome any “backlash” from this and basically blame it on the republicans (which they have). Through it all, but especially when it was not popular to do so, Barack Obama opposed this war. And to me, by virtue of that alone he deserves my vote. Imagine that…a politician putting personal gain aside for what is right (What a concept!)
I also don’t buy that “lack of experience” nonsense. First, there is no way to gain experience for the presidency of the United States other than doing it. Also, what experience did George W. have exactly? He was a failed student, soldier, oil executive, baseball executive, governor, and finally president of this great land. And look what he has turned us into and how we are viewed by the rest of the world. And I know that there are those who will still say stuff like “we’re America, we’re the best…blah, blah…” well guess what…we are no longer number one at anything, except consuming and polluting. We need real change in this country. I know that I may seem naive here thinking that Barack can do it (I’m actually more casually optimistic). But even if there is just a glimmer of hope then it is a step in the right direction.
all the best,
RM

Happy New Year Everybody!!!! 2007 has come and gone and the new year is upon us. I am looking forward to what this new year brings to us all. Every year around this time many people, myself included, reflect about the year and ourselves in order to improve our lives in one way or another. So we make these “resolutions” (eat less, drink less, quit smoking… quit smoking EVERYTHING, work out more, be a better wife, husband, son, daughter, student, dog owner…whatever). To most of us these appear to be rather attainable goals. But I’m sure that to some, or maybe just me, none are! (Just kidding, sort of. Although, I did quit smoking once.) So…in lieu of resolutions that I’ll never keep I am going to ask for something that is seemingly even more unattainable…a kinder, gentler world. Although I’m going to try like hell. Ironically enough, I write this as news of the assassination of Pakistan presidential candidate Bennazir Bhutto hit the airwaves.
I know that at times the situation seems hopeless (you know, the whole peace on earth thing). And perhaps on a global scale it may very well be. However, what I am referring to is an individual, personal effort that softens the “meanness” of our society. For example, at your local grocery store, as you wait in line to check out, the magazines in the stands read “So and so has too much cellulite… or so and so is dying of liver failure due to alcohol abuse…or so and so is just too fat to be at the beach” and on and on…Certainly most of us dismiss these as trite entertainment to pass the time. Nonetheless they are there spreading their venom to unsuspecting victims (aka general public). Do we really believe that K-Fed is a better parent than Brittney? Also, if cameras followed any one of us around for twenty four hours and we had no control of the content, chances are we would do something that somebody would not agree with. Those magazines and tabloids will always be there (after all it is a “free” society). So do we stop reading them? I wish. I certainly don’t read them but to each his own. All I am saying is that we should at least be aware of their presence and how they affect our attitudes about ourselves and how that “meanness” infiltrates our societal fiber.
This “meanness” that I keep referring to may very well be instilled in us from a very young age…a kind of “win at all cost” mentality that continues on through adulthood. You see it on tv,radio, and print. It is apparent in our electoral process, in our corporations, in our leadership (and not just Bush, although they have certainly perfected this attitude with diabolical circumstances).
I know I’ve rambled here a bit, so I thank you for sticking with me. I am well aware that I may be completely full of hot air. Nonetheless, my own self-importance(or the wine, I can’t tell) keeps me from hitting the delete button. If we lived in a kinder gentler world would atrocities still occur? Probably so. Poverty, hunger, war would all carry on. History has not shown otherwise. But we, as individuals, as a country, as a people can do our part for a better, brighter, future…and it starts within ourselves. Everybody will have their own way of going about this. Perhaps not watching so much television for some…reading a book…going to a museum… or doing something creative may work for others. I did something the other night that made my world kinder and gentler. After the kids had gone to bed ( which of course, immediately made my world kinder and gentler) I opened a bottle of wine and put on a Benny Goodman LP that I had not listened to in years. Yes, it had that wonderful scratchy noise. And yes you actually had to get up and retrieve it from a shelf and then walk over to the turntable and put it on…phew!! Exhausting!! Then the first verse of “Moonglow” plays through the house and everything is alright. For me, just knowing that a master craftsman, albeit, a supremely talented human being, not a machine with a microchip, is making those wonderful fluid sounds, sort of defines, for me, the world I want to live in. And I am reminded that at one point in our educational history we actually taught kids to play instruments. Not only enriching their lives while chiseling away that “meanness”, but making them better human beings along the way. Or, at the very least try to. (In Rockway Junior High in Miami, a public school in a very middle-class neighborhood, we had a full orchestra with strings and brass and woodwinds. Our teacher played every instrument in that orchestra). And for just a moment I was taken back to a kinder, gentler world.
Happy New Year Everybody
RM

I wanted to take a moment and wish everybody a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In spite of personal trials and tribulations we still managed to make it through another year on this planet. And, if for nothing else we should at least be thankful for that. After all, like this forum proves, we are not alone in our suffering nor are we alone in our joy. This year, for me personally, has been amazing, heartbreaking, incredible, exhausting, exhilirating, trying, and whatever other word that ends with “ing”. And, for many of you, I’m sure that this year can be described as such. Yet, I am home for Christmas and my kids will have presents under the tree on Christmas day.
I want to thank all of you that have attended the shows, bought cd’s, blogged, etc…your contribution is immeasurable. You have made me feel like a king when I have been but a pawn. When my path was filled with doubt you set me on one filled with hope. You have been there through and through and I cannot thank you enough…May you have a wonderful holiday season and may next year be even better than this year!!
Peace and love,
RM

First, I sincerely hope that everyone is having a wonderful holiday season. I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving with friends and family. Secondly, I would like to thank everyone that have come out (and will, hopefully) to our Christmas Party Tour this year. The crowds have just been fantastic and we (the band with the very talented Ephraim Owens on trumpet) have been having a ball. My voice has been holding up fairly well, despite leaving Nashville with almost none at all. I know I messed up a couple of songs in Pittsburgh (so sorry). However, it wasn’t because we were partying before the show. Besides, anybody that knows me, knows that I don’t party before a show. Now, after the show…well, uhum… I just made a joke (on stage) in order to not make any excuses about my voice. Luckily, we have a couple of days off and I get to relax at the Mohegan Sun. I know, I know…poor me!
It has been fun getting to meet some of the forum folks and getting to know you. You guys are the best and I thank you for all you do in helping to spread the word. I’m looking forward to the rest of the shows in all these great venues in all these great cities. I’ll check back in here after a while…
Peace and love,
Raul

What a wonderful, overpopulated, over-occupied, crazy, frenetic ball of energy that town is. I love it of course. It is like no other. By the way, we have said it for years but it is now official…It is actually quicker to walk ten blocks than to drive ten blocks in Manhattan. Nonetheless every trip to Gotham is worthy of remembrance. This one started with a visit to WFUV(Fordham University’s wonderful radio station). I usually visit the station by myself with my guitar. This time the band accompanied me as we had been driving from Nashville. The station has a wonderful new studio and its very capable staff rearranged a couple of things to make way for the expanded lineup. I don’t mind doing these visits by myself but if I have the band…Not to brag about my band here, but they really have the ability to sound great under any circumstance, regardless of equipment or situation. And of course, they lived up to their reputation as world-class musicians. Rita Houston was our very gracious host and we had ourselves a lovely interview. We got to perform several songs from the new record, we talked about the upcoming shows…mission accomplished. During one of the breaks, I pointed out to Rita that on their brochure/flier/ promotional pamphlet, used to promote upcoming events, there was a very unusual photo of me. It turns out it wasn’t even me! It was a photo of an impersonator from a television show from the UK! I laughed my ass off at their horror. At least the name was right, as was the time and place. Anyways it was very funny. After years in this business, trust me, little things like that are nothing to get mad about. Besides WFUV have always been very supportive and it is always a pleasure to visit with them. Now, it was time to get to W 29th St. from where we were (Brooklyn) and enjoy some midday traffic. Luckily, Rita gave us an alternate route to the one we received from Mapquest. It proved to be the right move for us.
We finally made it to our hotel with just enough time for a much needed shower and a change of clothes. We still had to make time for a soundcheck on the boat. We unloaded the van and checked into the hotel only to come out a few minutes later to the friendly welcome of a $150.00 parking ticket! $150.00! How’s that song go…”if you can make it there, you’ll make it anywhere…” Nothing we could do about it now. Chalk it up as another road expense. We had a boat to catch. So off we went to the pier with midtown bumper to bumper traffic accompanying us all the way.
After a brief soundcheck, Marty Smith (stage manager) showed us to our dressing room for some much needed “chill” time. Our dressing room was at the back of the boat (stern) and on a lower deck (very glamorous). After a while somebody came back to tell us that there was this wild crowd on board and they were ready to rock. We immediately threw that person overboard to fend for himself in the currents of the Hudson. (I’m just kidding here). However we did look at him with our usual bit of cautious optimism. Mind you, we really had no idea what to expect. Suffice it to say what transpired on these next two nights was really unbelievable. On the first night, the crowd was so loud I could not hear my introduction nor could I see who did it. (I think it was John Platt from WFUV). The second night Claudia Marshall from FUV introduced me. As crowded as it was on the first night, the second night was even more crowded. I never get to be a tourist in all these great cities that I spend time in. So when we pulled in front of the Statue of Liberty I stopped the show so that we could just take a moment and admire. Thank you to everyone that went on that boat. You really made it special for us, New York.
The next morning I was off to Sirius Radio for my guest spot on Jeremy Teppen’s Outlaw Country radio show. I had the opportunity to use my radio voice for an “After Hours” special which will air through August. (More details on that later). In speaking with Jeremy, we may even turn it into a regular show for me. (Deep radio voice) “this is Raul Malo on Sirius, with the “After Hours” radio show”…Anyways, it would be a heck of a lot of fun. After the taping at Sirius I had to make my way across town to the J&R record store in the financial district for our in- store performance. I was so tired at this point that I don’t think I ever took my glasses off. I wasn’t pretending to be cool I was just preventing people from a hideous site, my bloodshot eyes. In spite of my well worn hangover, the show went well and we got to do a little shopping. After the in-store, we had nothing to do. Done? Finished? What? No way. An afternoon in the greatest city in the world with no more responsibilities? Well, guess what I did. I went back to my hotel to my very, very cold room and went to sleep! Man I’m old.
Next stop, Amagansett. Now, on paper this gig really does not make a lot of sense. There are no hotels out there. (They are always booked.) So you basically go way out of the way only to leave after the gig. The traffic is, well, horrible. You take about an hour to travel a mile or so. The money’s pretty good, sure, but nothing to retire on. Yet no matter what, we always come back. For starters, it is always a really fun gig. The crowds are always ready to party with you and let their hair down, so to speak. The club (Stephen Talkhouse), though at first glance is probably nothing to look at, is one of those places that has a vast and rich musical history. And the staff (great folks) treat the musicians with respect and class and always find a way to turn a difficult journey into a pleasure trip. It’s one of those places that make you feel like you’ve been there and in some ways I have. There was a Stephen Talkhouse on Collins Ave. in South Beach where the Mavericks played often. (Back when South Beach was cool and you could actually go and hear live music.) So, I have a personal musical connection to the Talkhouse. Seeing as how some of the folks that worked the club in South Beach have at different times worked for the one on Long Island, it becomes a bit of a trip down memory lane for me. I’m not one to reminisce much, but it is nice to talk to folks from the old days. After all, in the end all you have are memories so they may as well be good ones.
Anyways, there is my story for that wonderful, crazy week in New York. Thanks everyone for coming out to the shows and for spreading the word. Take care…
Much Love,
RM

Well, it’s finally out!! “After Hours” has just come out and what a week it’s been. My journey started on sunday, July 15th, with a very delayed Southwest flight out of Nashville. For the record…I hate flying. And more importantly I hate flying in this day and age. It is so uncivilized. You have to take off your shoes; your shampoo has to be in a plastic bag; old ladies have to take off their jewelry; you can’t wear a belt; you have to take out your computer; you have to surrender your bottled water, your perfume, and what’s left of your dignity all to justify an annual budget of 80 billion dollars!!I secretly wish for the airlines to all go out of business and/or become so expensive that we as a people force our beloved and forward-thinking leaders to develop the railroads as they have say, in Europe and Japan. But, that’s just me…or is it? Anyways, after many,many Heinekens I was ready for my wonderful flying experience in the middle seat of an oversold flight. And because it was so delayed, my plans with Ozzy (Jefferey, tour manager) to go dine at our favorite Thai restaurant(Chandara on Sunset and Cahuenga) were now ruined. Oh well…we opted for option #2 which was to go to the hotel and get as much rest as possible since I had to be up at 5:00 in the morning to make a radio station visit to KKGO 105FM. Shawn Parr and Robin Banks do the morning show and their energy was much appreciated and needed, as well as Elliot Kendall’s (from Universal) who drove me around at that ungodly hour. Well, the show went off without a hitch. I sang a song… talked about the record… they talked about the record. Mission accomplished!
Next, we were off to breakfast at the Urth Cafe. For some reason this place has the best coffee on the planet. Come to think of it, I’ve never really bothered to find out why they have the best coffee. Partly because I don’t really care why, but also I’m pretty sure that if somebody were to tell me, or if I were to read it somewhere, chances are I wouldn’t retain any of it! (Between all the songs I have to remember, people’s names, etc.) my hardrive is pretty full. Anyways, breakfast was delicious. My favorite part, though, was watching Elliot put one of those anti-theft “Clubs” on the steering wheel of his Isuzu Trooper with 230,000 miles on it. All this, in spite of the fact that our table was on the sidewalk and we could literally throw our eggs at the car! Too funny! Anyways, a good start to a very busy week. After breakfast, it was back to the hotel for a 10:00 am interview with KGSR in Austin. (More on Austin later). Then at around 12:30 Robin (from Universal) came to pick me up to take me to a tv taping for “Extra!” That will air later this month we’ve been told. I was supposed to do this interview for the last record (You’re Only Lonely) but it was bumped because it was the day of Brittney Spears’ divorce! You gotta love pop culture.
As musicians we have to do all these other things to get your name out there (interviews, tv, radio, etc…). And you do all that to get to play your songs for a couple of hours. Is it worth it? Absolutely…we always have fun when we play. Add in a great crowd like the one at the “El Rey” theatre in Los Angeles, and you forget how tired you are. We played a lot of the new record for the first time. Once we got through those first six or seven songs we really started to loosen up. I want to thank everyone that attended for making it a special night for us.
Show is over. Back to reality. In bed by 2:00, up at 5:30 for a 7:30 flight to Austin. Luckily, the very friendly lady at American Airlines upgraded me to first class and I got to sleep a little. (I think she felt sorry for me). Landed in Austin around 1:30. Straight to the hotel for a shower and some lunch. I know this sounds like a crazy schedule (and it is). But this being release week you kind of prepare mentally for this and just accept that you are not going to get much sleep. Plus, I knew that we would have a lot of support in Austin. And believe me, that positive energy from a great crowd makes it all worthwhile. So, off to our in-store performance at Waterloo Records, truly one of the great record stores in the world. And one of the few independents left. When I first got there, there was nobody there. It was still early and it was raining, and everybody kept saying not to worry…”this is Austin”. Sure enough, in what seemed like minutes, a line formed around the outside and there were three hundred people there to greet us! Unbelievable! A lot of people helped us put that show together and I thank them…John Kunz(owner of Waterloo), Robin Kirby(from Universal) and her regional sales staff–Dale, William, Carissa and Zulma, you’re the best.
Austin has always been one of my favorite cities and it never fails in its support not only of my music, but the arts in general. I love it. And after a long day of travel, and a show, etc…we were ready for a night off. We ended up at Gueros restaurant on Congress where the margaritas are not too sweet and the fish tacos are actually fresh. After too many of each of those, I was ready for bed. I must have been really tired because I actually went to bed at a reasonable hour in a town that never allows me. (Noticed how I blamed the city!)
Thursday, July 19th…12:00 noon on the air at KGSR. Artists like me don’t get a lot of radio airplay. So when a station does play my music, believe me, I appreciate it. Brian Beck was our very gracious host. I played a song or two, talked about the record, he talked about the record, mission accomplished. Then, back to the hotel for a quick workout, a light lunch, and off to soundcheck at Antone’s. Antone’s is one of the many legendary music venues in Austin. And it’s late, great owner, Clifford Antone, was a legendary fixture and a main ingredient in the colorful stew of characters that somehow keeps itself replenished in this city. His love and support of the arts and its artist spilled out into the streets making Austin a haven for old troubadours, bluesmen, and honky tonk heroes.
For years, legendary blues piano player “Pinetop Perkins” resided in one of the offices of the club. I know because at our last show he was trying to walk across the stage in the middle of our set. At first, I didn’t know what to make of this. I didn’t realize he was alive, much less living in the club! Well, it didn’t take long to realize that it was actually “Pinetop.” Soon thereafter we went into full reverence mode. He wanted me to announce that he was selling his new cd… in the middle of our show, mind you. What am I to do? Never mind that I never announce that my cd’s are for sale. ( A very counterproductive policy I might add…I’m so full of it sometimes). Well, I’ve never been prouder to make an announcement with commercial consequences than that night. It was truly an honor and an experience that I’ll never forget.
Back to the show…a great crowd had assembled that thursday night. We basically played the same set we played in LA. I’ll leave the reviews to the reviewers. The crowd seemed happy and that’s what counts. After a small “after” show party, it was straight to the hotel for some much needed rest. Wake-up call was set for 9:00 am. as I had to be at WKUT at 10:00 am. It might as well have been 6:00am. My host this morning was John Aielli and he was very kind to me even though I sounded tired. Nonetheless, I played a couple of songs; he mentioned the record; mission accomplished. Then off to Magnolia Cafe for a much needed breakfast of bacon and eggs. Meanwhile the rain kept pouring down in monsoon-like tenacity making sleep the only real option for the day. After all is there anything better than going to sleep after breakfast while it storms outside? I think not.
For friday night we wanted to perform a special for the first one hundred fans who purchased the cd at Waterloo Records. Our friend, Steve Wortheimer (owner of the Continental) offered to let us do this party at the Gallery (above the Continental). It proved to be the perfect setting for a lovely intimate evening of socializing, cocktails, and music. Out of all the sets we did that week, this was my personal favorite. If for no other reason that we played a bunch of songs we had never played before. Also we were accompanied by one of Austin’s finest musicians, Ephraim Owens, who performs regularly at the Gallery. The sound of his trumpet reverberates in that room to create one of the sweetest sounds on this planet. If you’re in Austin, make sure and stop by the Gallery, especially if Ephraim is performing.
This pretty much sums up the week’s activities. It sounds like a lot of stuff, doesn’t it? It is really difficult to promote a record to say the least. But I feel fortunate to have a great team and a great band that can play in any situation and under just about any circumstance. And through it all, we always manage to have a good time…making all that hard work seem like no work at all. Thanks to everyone mentioned in this article for their hard work. And a special thanks to the fans for coming to the shows and buying the records. You’re the ones that really make all this happen. What a week!
thanks so much
RM
P.S. next week…New York