Hey, so another year in ending and I'm looking at booking the new year stuff as we ease into another year. I'm finishing up another Cd, probably out in February. Been recording with Rich McCulley for the last two years. Wonderful guy to work with. So another year and in February when I come around to give away the Cd I'm proud of, to the musicians I've been jamming with, understand that, I'm giving it away because (I've said this last year) because it's already paid for. I'm earning the money to pay for it, endless Markets for tips, private parties, gigs where they pay me (? !!!) and bizarre dismissals, for god knows what reasons. So if you don't like it for whatever reason, or you think I'm too old and nuts, then more power to you. If its not what you think is right, good for you. I had an Aunt (by marriage) that visited when I was remodeling my garage into a studio space and said: "I'm sorry, but your so-called studio, is a mess, they have already broken out all of your windows." Thankfully, her husband corrected her and said: "He's not finished, he hasn't put the glass into the windows yet." So, whatever you think, come and help if you want, but I'm going on irregardless. It's paid for. (And thankfully, I don't have to make a living to do it.)

Sorry

I've just signed a contract with a publisher for "Daydee" so no more teasing posts. I'll post info here about the book when it comes out in March or April.

Monday Night At World

Monday Night at the world. 

My rooftop restaurant gig in Anaheim cancelled because of the weather, she's gonna reschedule me probably Dec or Jan. Been putting in for every festival I can find for 2017. 
Recording tomorrow with Rich McCulley -gonna have to work hard. 

Lesson Wednesday. 

Weird looping recording at gallery in Santa Monica Thursday- a soundtrack for the exhibit they tell me (they can throw it away, if they don't like it) - (but I think I can do it, so) 

Sunday The Hat Factory rehearsal. 

Oh, and a Thursday Farmer's Market in Anaheim downtown. Something just keeps popping up. 
Sent out 15 come-ons to convalescent homes yesterday, actually got a couple good responses. It beats the markets for cash flow, $30.00/$50.00 for an hour as opposed to spending three hours at a market for the same money. Got a repeat birthday party gig in Nov. 

If anyone noticed my You tube of Country Roads, it was really put up for the Convalescent come-ons. 

There was a looky loo for a resident playwright at a Pasadena Theater Company on Craigslist list tonight- I waved my arm: "I KNOW THE ANSWER!!!" at them. I'm desirous of that one. 

Plotting to put my brilliant guitarist son on this new song while he's through here in December. 

Worried because my 1000s of hours at Farmers Markets have suddenly gone away. Where will I practice? Why is this happening? Maybe it's the forces saying its time to move on. But where will I practice for 3-4 hours every weekend? This was my way of making up for the twenty years I wasn't playing while everyone else I know was. 

Anybody got arthritis? My right shoulder is beginning to hassle me. How will I get to 120 BPM if my body gets too old? Oh well. This is really so much fun!!!

My first real country song:

New Song: but it's really in the key of E (capo'd up) 

D
Toni at the counter at the A & W
G
Wrote her name on my hand in ink
D
Didn’t wash it for a long long week
G
Kept in my pocket so nobody’d see it
D
She even told me she thought I was sweet
G
I was so stupid, boy was I stupid

CHORUS

G           A                 Bm                      A
D           A                 Bm                      A
I want that again, Can I have that back again
D           A                  Bm                      A
Just like it was        then
G           A                  Bm                     A       A

D
First honeymoon night at Grandma’s in Kansas
G
Truck and trailer outside ready to go
D
That old bed squeaked like thunder
G
We were sure we kept her up till dawn
D
Then biscuits and eggs and she’d always cry
G
When we drove off to the Utah sky

CHORUS

D
Teaching the boy how to play baseball
G
On the floor with the little Disney pieces
D
Making like Micky Mouse to make him giggle

G

D
Adding a door to the playhouse to make her a study
G
So she could hang with her books and her animal buddies
D
Both were something and they didn’t waste any time
G
To be gone

CHORUS

D                                    G
Sitting with wine and a little buzz
Bm                                             A
Watching the mountains in another sunset
D                        G
Just after making love

CHORUS

Capo to second fret

Title: I Want That Again

El Segundo Farmer's Market

Another weird encounter with the very odd creature - the Farmer's Market Manager. I was booked for one market a month for four months. I showed up, did well, and then the third was a bit awkward and the lady that booked me did not seem to remember that she had booked me. Looked at me with the evil eye and interrupted one of my songs with her PA. Anyway, so I emailed her to confirm the 11th of August, she didn't answer. I showed because I've not been told otherwise, she won't talk to me, another girl says they have a group booked, an hour of hula dancers. I say, well, nobody told me, but I'm willing to share. So I share. I do an hour and a half and it looks like she is going to do her ritual raffle of market stuff, which includes a CD I donated, and it seems very apparent to me that she will play her boom box after, taking away my last half hour, so I pack up and leave. I make $15.00 as opposed to the $30.00 I usually make. (Or more) It dawns on me, I spent 7 years on the USC main campus dealing totally insane people and it never bothered me because it was a fun game of negotiation and wheeling and dealing, and I never felt particularly bad and it never bothered me personally. And I suddenly realize this is not about me, it is about them. So just be aware, children, the Farmer's Market Manager is on an equal par with the best of the insane major education directors of your typical School of Business, Cinematography, Medicine. Don't let it get to you. It's because they have been given power.

Coming Up

 

You get lucky if you work hard enough

Well, if you point a video camera at something long enough, you eventually get lucky. The wind wasn't blowing. The train only sounded its whistle once. The sound guy helped me to get some footage of my audience. And I wasn't too off key. I did two sets that day and took a nap in the car in the parking lot in between. And drove home through the forest fire north of Santa Barbara that night. Got in at 4:00 am. What the hoot. None of us is getting any younger.

The Latest

Where I'll Be

The Paintings

First oil finished in eight years. 5 x 4 Inspired by my youngest dance group when she was in high school, eight years ago. (About when it was started)

There is a theme here. This painting I started just before she was born, and took seven years to complete, about the time she was in 2nd grade. So, this painting completes the cycle, eight years of when she started leaving home, until she really did. (Don't read too much Freud into this, the painting has always been a very hard thing to do, too much SuperEgo involved) Actually, it was mostly because of a very very busy life. 

Knowing too much too soon

au·to·di·dactˌôdōˈdīdakt/
noun
a self-taught person.
Do you know how hard, how easy this is? I'm watching my relatives and friends home school their kids. Having done it on my own, forever, for myself, I wanted to make sure my kids had the skills NOT to do it on their own. I taught myself computer and accounting skills and then created a fictitious Bachelors degree to get jobs. And then when they could check, had to disappear any reference to a degree. There are major steps you miss in doing this. My music is a case in point. I am succeeding on the basis of a decent singing voice and a very high ability to pick really quick, the rest of it, theory, sense of everything I'm only now trying to learn. The same applies to everything. If you home school, you are robbing them of how to schmooze, how to understand how to succeed in the real world out there. You are robbing them of theory, the way society thinks it should be done. For what reason? To protect them from what? You have to arm them. Having stumbled my way through life, being really smart and really stupid simultaneously, I really wish there had been someone to say: here is the path- take it.
Perhaps there was, but I didn't hear anyone say that. My kids heard me say it.

"On!"

I think I've found "on." It makes money fall magically into my banjo case. I can see if you are a younger person, it might lead you to drug dependence. Some moments will never be "on." But you know the difference. These folks throwing money at me think I'm really good. You and I know better, but we are not going to tell them.

Surge Events

Surge Event is now booking FULL BANDS at Bar 20 on Sunset http://www.bar20onsunset.com/ located in the Grafton Hotel on Sunset! Our first FULL BAND show is Thursday May 26th and we'd love for you to be a part of it. 

We are seeking low volume artists with a solid draw (20 plus persons) looking for a great opportunity at one of the best rooms on Sunset.

We have the following time spots available Thursday May 26th:

7-7:30
7:45-8:15
10:45-11:15
11:30-12

We provide backline drumset so you don't have to lug all of your gear too. Shoot us an email or call to discuss simple and fair terms and let us know if you would like to perform in the amazing new venue Bar 20 on Sunset Thursday May 26th. We look forward to hearing from you.

Take care.

Surge Event

Dan McNay	9:30 PM (1 hour ago)
to surgeevent

Really?

How fucked are you?

Dan McNay

Hi Dan

Remember me asking you to call me so I could discuss this with you last week?

I was trying to explain to you that they city is giving us a Special Event Permit for the Memorial Day Weekend only(May 26, May 27 and May 28) These event permits are quite costly (cost of permit plus having to provide proof of insurance - can't remember how many millions we have to demonstrate the hotel is insured for) and while this isn't a paying gig, it is part of our never ending effort to show the city that we can do this successfully so that we can get our Conditional Use Permit permanently changed. This way we don't always have to apply for a permit (we are only allowed a tiny amount per year and they usually go to Hotel events such as New Year's Eve etc -NOT bands) As I previously told you, you have NO IDEA what I am going through to try to permanently allow bands at the venue. A conversation between us certainly would have helped.

By the way - I don't have to tell you ANY of this because to be frank, instead of us having an intelligent and informative conversation about this last week, which I tried to give you as a courtesy despite your insulting and condescending attitude towards me, you instead chose to continue to go your current negative route (quote" how fucked are you?") without the facts. Dan. Seriously? 

Well I prefer to continue to keep it positive. While I have zero interest in trying to explain anything else to you (I tried that last week and you blew me off) I am sincere in saying that I wish you continued good luck in your career and endeavors. As a fellow musician (I play drums in one of the top drawing bands in LA) I only wish good things for all musicians and thanks again.

Good luck Dan

T

Dan McNay	11:12 PM (7 minutes ago)
to T

I've been posting our exchanges up to my blog and to Facebook, for the added interest. Your sound guy and your equipment are a joke. Your guy downtown told me I couldn't start early AND I had no vocals for the first half of my first song. He couldn't deal with my little preamp at Hotel 20 and I had to instruct him to give me a second mic so we weren't screwing around for 15 minutes. You are a fucking joke. You want to take advantage of these all these wanta be's, go right ahead. I had a really good guy out to my venue in Westchester and he's telling me you are still making him sell tickets. I'm glad somebody is letting you play somewhere, cause you are are fucking user and really nobody should be letting you play anywhere. Check out my blog numbers and my YouTube numbers, let's see what happens to your fucking shit.

Where I'll Be

For Locations & Times Go To https://www.facebook.com/dan.mcnay/events

Daydee

The one thing the music thing has taught me, is you have to be thick skinned and send out a 100 come-ons to get two gigs. So I'm sending out my come-ons about the novel I finished in January, "Daydee" a story of an aging hooker who gets her life together by going home after 25 years to a little farming town in Illinois. Some S/M, drugs, murderous villains, serious psychosis' throughout and a new born baby at the end. (C'est moi, as Flaubert said about Madame Bovary) Anyway, anybody got a connection, I could use it. Publishing is so much harder than music. I get to think that there is always some place else to play, and it's true for what I'm doing with the music. Tis regretfully not the case for literature, which I've really devoted most of my adult life to.

This all started because I played downtown LA

This all started because I played downtown LA at Crane's Bar as a SurgeEvent booked guy for no money. The sound guy there was the last guy I got at Bar 20. He was bad and had lousy equipment. I decided I could do better, and go direct with both venues. This was the exchange I got from Bar 20. It turns out that this guy: Troy Berry is "T Roy" that booked me with the SurgeEvent connection: Anyway - the exchange:

To: Troy Berry
Subject: Performer interested in your venue

Hi,

I’ve played up there several times with the Surge guy. The last couple of times, I’ve gone over really well, the Surge guy keeps asking me on other gigs at other places. I’d like to offer to work directly with you for future gigs. I have a four piece band that sounds young and fresh, but we need to be paid. We are not real costly, about what you are paying now.

Performers interested in your venue:
We have a four piece band: banjo, fiddle, drums and guitar & mandolin, two singers.
We do covers and originals. We’re adult oriented musicians with a family friendly sound.
We are currently booked for every Saturday in July at Golf N’ Stuff in Norwalk. We have our own sound.

On Tue, Apr 26, 2016 at 9:03 AM, Troy Berry wrote:

Hi Dan. Our Conditional Use Permit does not allow us to pay for performers but thanks for checking in.

Troy P. Berry
Director of Sales and Marketing | The Grafton on Sunset
8462 West Sunset Blvd. Hollywood CA, 90069
T: 323.654.4600 | D: 323.491.9009 | F: 323.654.2286

Troy,

You actually expect anyone to believe what you just replied?

Dan

Troy Berry 10:18 PM (18 hours ago)
to me
Dan I'm actually stunned by your response. Are you aware that Bar 20 was never zoned/approved for live music when it got its liquor license?? I

I certainly don't have time to get into all the rules and nuances and intricacies of our Conditional Use Permit in this email but maybe you should give me a call so I can give you a much needed education on zoning laws in West Hollywood for bars that were never intended for live music instead of responding in such a manner.

323 719 0280

Dan McNay
10:24 PM (18 hours ago)
to Troy

So I should contact the Permit office and tell them you have live music? You are not paying your booking people? They are working for free? I'm a booking agent. I can book better acts in than you got and do better sound.

Jesus.

Dan McNay
10:27 PM (17 hours ago)
to Troy

Maybe I should call ASCAP as well - see if you are paying those fees.

Troy Berry
10:27 PM (17 hours ago)
to me

Dan. Call me now. I'm going to tell you what we are allowed to do (have up to 3 people) and what we are not (live bands with drums)

Once I explain it to you, you will go ahhhh I see. But I'd appreciate it if you call me now and we have a positive conversation instead of your current tone. We are both musicians and both on the same team brother

Call me now 323 719 0280 and let's have a pleasant chat smile emoticon

Troy Berry
10:29 PM (17 hours ago)

to me

Dan call me now - I can simply explain to you how it works
Don't shoot the messenger!!! You act like these are my rules lol

Dan McNay
10:38 PM (17 hours ago)
to Troy

Troy,

It's not that hard to figure out. You are getting paid and I'm not. When you figure out how to get me paid, I'll come back and talk to you. I'm entertaining the folks that are buying drinks in your bar. I'm getting paid elsewhere. I guess I've just decided I don't need to do this level any more. It's like the open mics and the showcases I've done earlier. Either you outgrow them or you don't. Or you work up some scam shit or you don't. If I'm gonna play for free it will be at a non profit where nobody is making a paycheck or they are doing it for the love of it.

Thanks

Troy
10:54 PM (17 hours ago)
to me

Dan

You sent me an email about your 4 piece band playing at Bar 20.

Only duos and trios are allowed at Bar 20 per our CUP. That is the most the city will allow without a special event permit and proof of insurance.

We are working with the City on getting this changed and if/when this happens will keep you posted.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and take care