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

June in San Francisco

Glenn Hartman <glenn@docslabsf.com>	Apr 15 (4 days ago)
to me

I might have the 14. I’ll give you a second hold. Where are your shows on 10/11?

G

On Apr 13, 2016, at 10:45 PM, Dan McNay <info@indieonthemove.com> wrote:

I'm playing up there in the area on the 10th and 11th of June and doing The San Mateo County Fair

           on the 15th. I'd be interested in a booking on the 12th, the 13th, or the 14th of June

Dan McNay <dcmcnay@gmail.com>	Apr 15 (4 days ago)
to Glenn

I got a Friday evening sort of gig at Amnesia and I'm playing at the SF Free Folk Festival in the afternoon 

on the 11th.

Let me know about the 14th.

Thanks

Glenn Hartman	Apr 18 (1 day ago)
to me

We are a very “hard ticket” room, meaning that if you don’t bring your own crowd, no one will be here. 

We have basically no walk in traffic.

Dan McNay <dcmcnay@gmail.com>	9:58 PM (0 minutes ago)
to Glenn

How sad.