Welcome to My World

Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

In a few weeks, it will be exactly one year since I've written in this blog. In one sense, I can't believe it; in the other, I know how busy I've been and am not surprised. Most of my year has revolved around Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo, the band I manage. The band released their sophomore CD "10:49" to a very welcoming fan base. What we didn't expect was for the CD to chart nationally in its first week (#44 on the RMR) and to take #1 in Wisconsin. I was fortunate to attend the CD release in Madison on August 13, and it was a blast. Immediately before the CD release, Georgia and I traveled out to see the boys perform at the Waukesha Blues Festival in Delafield. For some time, I've been wanting to see the boys in action in a festival setting. I was so not disappointed. I don't know that I've ever seen Aaron in that light. He really owned the stage. That is the type of stage on which he was born to perform. I've always felt that, but after seeing him on that big stage, I now know it for sure. Not only did I get to see the band perform to a standing-room-only crowd, massive applause, and a standing ovation at the end of their set, but I got to meet Eric's parents and a radio guy from the area. It was a great way to spend the afternoon, though we had to literally rush back to Madison to get changed for the CD release party.

When we arrived at the Harmony, there were a few people already there. By the end of the night, the room was PACKED. I don't know that I've ever worked with such a well-loved band. I don't know how long they spent after the party signing CDs, though I do know they sold well over 100 copies that night alone (after selling 70+ at the festival). It was a great night for the guys, and I'm so glad that I had the opportunity to be there for and with them. We had 105.5 WMMM MD Gabby Parsons there to announce the band, and it was just a special night all the way around. It was an experience I won't soon forget.

As if all that hoopla wasn't enough to hold me for a while, in October Georgia and I drove up to Evansville, IN and Paducah, KY to meet with the band. Typically, when I travel to Madison, there's little time for formal meetings, and I thought this would be a good opportunity to do that, as well as to see the guys perform. About halfway through the show at Lamasco in Evansville when the guys took a break, we received word that the band had been placed on the ballot for two 2012 Grammy nominations: Best Blues Album and Best New Artist. We didn't think a whole lot about that because we knew our chances were slim (and none) of making it onto the final ballot. Be that as it may, however, I decided to do a bit of campaigning, and the guys made the second round. That was pretty cool. Though they didn't make the final ballot, just thinking that an unknown band with two albums under their belts made the second round was pretty damned huge.

We had been pretty happy with the way things had transpired this year, and then, out of the blue, we found out that the CD was up for Best Self-Produced CD with the Blues Foundation. Yes, THE Blues Foundation. Of course, it was up with 73 other CDs, so we didn't think much more about it. As a member of the Blues Foundation, I receive emails from the Foundation that keep all of us up to date with happenings. That email contained a link to the 30 CDs that had made the first cut in the Best Self-Produced CD category, so I figured I'd check it out, right? Well, lo' and behold, "10:49" was among the remaining 30 CDs vying for the title. Well, we were just tickled pink! Sorry--I know that was bad, but I'm trying to get across how excited we were. Through it all, however, Aaron has remained grounded and very grateful for all the attention the CD is getting. He and I often reminisce about the fact that neither of us thought this CD would be "the one" but hoped it would be "a step in the right direction." I would say at this point that our initial assessment was very true. :)

As we move to the close of 2011, I'm reflecting on the year. It has been a great year for Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. My job is to keep it moving in the right direction. The guys are all ready to do that, and I'm already working on things that I hope to bring to fruition in 2012. I think that with a little luck, some huge blessings from above, and our continued hard work, we might just see that happen. So, here's to 2011 and looking forward to 2012. As I reflect, I can't think of a thing I would change. I love my boys, especially Aaron, who has become one of my best friends. It's great to have people in your life that you can rely on, but it's even better to have those people rely on you. I hope I don't disappoint them.

Wow!

2011-01-28T20:12:00.000-08:00

Have I seriously not posted since September? Saying that it has been an eventful four months would definitely be an understatement. We spent the end of September/early October in Dewey Beach, DE, at the Dewey Beach Music Conference. Someone tried to talk me out of attending this conference, calling it "lame," but it was anything but. I really enjoyed the format of this conference. The focus was on networking. There were panels during the day, but at 5:30, all work was done, and it was time to party. The conference hosted a party each night that featured free Budweiser beers and Absolut drinks, both of which were sponsors. They fed us until we couldn't eat any more, and all of the food was good. The parties were a great chance to sit down with the artists in attendance and talk about what they all hoped to accomplish. Dewey Beach was likely one of my favorite conferences ever. Dewey Beach is a wonderful little peninsula on the coast of Delaware. No matter which way we turned, we were on the beach. We're hoping to return next year.

None of our bands accompanied us to Dewey Beach, which was a bit of a departure from other conferences; however, I have been so very busy with Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. They are beginning to take off, and trying to keep up with them has become quite the challenge (in a good way). Ever since they wons five MAMAs last year, they have been flying high, not only in Madison but in several other locales. They have built a nice following in several Midwestern cities, and they are very well loved in Paducah, KY. We met up with them in Paducah last weekend. Paducah is one hell of a drive (13 hours round trip) for 3 hours of music, but there was a good reason for the trip. The guys are going back into the studio next week to begin work on their sophomore CD. Aaron and I wanted to go over a few things, and I wanted to hear the new songs (not to mention seeing the cigar box guitar). These guys just keep getting better, and what can I say about Aaron? He is driven, very talented, and is a joy to work with. But, back to Paducah.

The guys had a crowd, and I don't think I've ever seen so much dancing! They started almost as soon as the music did, and they didn't stop until the show was over. I got to hear lots of the music that is slated to go on the new CD, and I'm not going to talk much about it now. Gotta leave something to the imagination. ;-) It was a great trip, well worth the long drive. Aaron and I do a pretty good job of managing via email and the phone, but it's always nice to sit down and talk to him face to face. I'm so happy to see great things starting to happen for him. It kills the old cliche of "nice guys finish last." We've got some things in the works for the upcoming CD, and it's very exciting times here at SJK PR and with AWATH. I told Aaron at the end of 2010 that 2011 would be his year. At the rate things are going, that prediction could well come to fruition.

After a very late night (Aaron and I stayed up and talked until almost 6:00 a.m.), I got up at 8:00 and started getting ready for the long drive back to Atlanta, where we would finally see the full Josh Hill Band live--though it was a different band than we met two years ago because Josh moved to Huntsville, AL from Lincoln, NE. They put on a great show and had a nice little crowd. By the time I got home on Sunday night, I didn't get to bed until midnight (after two hours of sleep the night before). Needless to say, this week has been a bit of a challenge for me. I'm now working as a paralegal during the day, and we have a lot going on as well. Let's just say that "TGIF" had a whole new meaning to me today.

So, here I sit with my heating pad around my shoulders, following a nice neck rub from sis for my uber stiff neck. Am I pushing myself too hard? Could be, but I can't slow down until Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo reach the next level. Then, I can rest--a bit anyway. I know that we will continue work hard, even as success begins to come. Never forget that the fall down is faster and harder than the climb up, so we will keep working as if nothing has changed.

Finally, we welcome a new band to the booking roster, Train Company. This band is based in suburban Chicago, and they're pretty darned talented. Check them out and watch for them in a city near you, at least in the Midwest for starters. Stay tuned......

Peace,
Shirlz

Playing Catch-up

2010-09-22T05:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had planned to blog about our experience in New Orleans. It has now been so long and so many other things have transpired that I will touch on that, as well as some other things.

We had a great time in New Orleans. It was so great to spend some time with my friend John Luttrell, who is the host of Full-time Blues, a blues show that airs on WUEV 91.5 in Evansville, IN. We had met previously at one of Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo's shows, but it was really nice to spend time together in an atmosphere that allowed for talking. John was accompanied by his lovely wife Michelle, and they, my sis, my niece, and I spent my birthday at the Crazy Lobster. I enjoyed being able to relax before the conference activities began.

The next day, it was off to the airport to retrieve my second panelist, Bob Baker. Bob is the author of Guerilla Music Marketing, among other books and helpful resources, and I knew he would be a wealth of information for the panel attendees. He is also very adept at Internet marketing, and I was very much looking forward to meeting him.

On Friday morning, I attended the radio panel, which John had been asked to join while my sister and niece went to the airport to pick up Tom Barnas from WGN-9, who I also chose for this panel. Our panel would immediately follow the radio panel, so I was pretty much on pins and needles, hoping there were no delays at the airport. Tom had exactly an hour and a half to make it to our panel. Around 10:45 a.m., my phone vibrated, so I left the room to take the call. It was my sister, letting me know that they had just dropped off Tom and were taking the car back to the hotel. I went out of the conference area, just in time to meet Tom getting off the elevator. Our fourth panelist, Todd Weiss, had arrived on Wednesday afternoon, but I had not yet met him in person. I got to do that on Friday morning. Our panel went really well, but I've left something out: Sean Carey.

Sean is a protege of Eric Lindell. I love his music and think he's very talented. I had told Eric that I wanted to talk to Sean about taking his music on the road, and since we were going to his home base, I thought it would be a good time to introduce myself. Before we left, I dropped him a line at Facebook, giving him my cell and letting him know that I would be in New Orleans for a few days. He called me on Wednesday evening. We chatted for a bit, and I invited him to our press panel on Friday morning. Much to my pleasant surprise, he did show up for the panel on Friday. We spent the rest of the day with Sean, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know more about him. He also does a kick-ass impersonation of Eric and pretty much kept me in stitches.

On Friday night, Ordain was scheduled to perform at the House of Blues, and late in the afternoon, the Issues arrived. They joined us at Ordain's show. As always seems to happen in New Orleans, my eating patterns become somewhat strange. I spend so much time during the day running around that I lose my appetite. Then, I'm hungry at 2:00 in the morning, which is somewhat of a bummer because I know I'm going to lay down on what I've just eaten. But, we had to let nature take its course, and John, Michelle, Georgia, Teresa, and I stopped at a pizza joint on the way back. Tom had left us earlier to walk someone to another venue. We touched base by text but didn't get to see each other again until the next day, when we had planned to have lunch together.

Saturday was a dreary, rainy day, which sucked. I had to take Bob back to the airport, and Tom spent the morning walking around the French Quarter--in the rain in a plastic poncho he picked up. His excitement was not dampened by the rain, as this was Tom's first time in New Orleans, and he wanted to take in as much as he could. When I finally returned from the airport, we had a nice lunch at a little restaurant along Decatur Street. My sister and niece had taken a Hurricane Katrina tour that morning, and they walked right past the restaurant Tom and I had chosen! Georgia came in to rib Tom, which she really seemed to enjoy doing that weekend. The rain finally let up, and we all got together to go to the Issues' show at Maison.

We took two taxis down to Frenchman's Street, as it is just too far to walk (though we typically walk back, with stops along the way). The Issues really showed what they were made of, and Tom was really impressed with them. The ONLY complaint I have about the Cutting Edge venues that I visited is that the music was WAY too loud. After the Issues' show, we all (including the members of Ordain) stopped at the Market Cafe for dinner. That was a LOT of fun. Having stuffed ourselves sufficiently, we walked into the French Quarter. We (me, Georgia, and Teresa) had seen it all before, but none of our companions had, so we had a great time showing them around. The Issues soon joined us, but some of us were ready to call it a night. We left all the guys in the French Quarter and walked back to our hotels with John and Michelle and Scott and Rhi, Scott's girlfriend, who had flown in to spend Scott's birthday with him. That visit would turn out to be a source of frustration for me, as I don't believe girlfriends belong on tour, but that's another story for another time.

When I picked up Tom the next morning to return him to the airport, he let me know that he had returned to his room at 4:30 a.m. Ah, youth! We went around the block to get Todd and Joanne. While I very much enjoyed meeting everyone, Tom took a special place in my heart. He's very personable, and I really enjoyed getting to know him better. He is a wealth of information, and he is a great example of achieving success by working hard and being focused. He has done much in his young life to advance his career, and I really admire him. I hated to see him leave and had a special hug for him at the airport. He later texted me, at my request, to let me know he had made it safely home. Now, I feel that Tom is not only an important press contact of mine, but he is a new friend. I hope our paths cross again in the near future.

So, I ended up talking more about Cutting Edge and New Orleans than I had planned, so I'll save anything else I have to say for another post. One thing I learned from Cutting Edge this year: Take a pair of sneakers for walking. I had the hardest time finding a comfortable shoe! I ended up buying a couple of pairs, searching for comfort and, on Saturday, for dryness. It was another great experience at Cutting Edge, and I hope we'll be back next year. Until next time....

Peace,
Shirley

Tom Barnas and Me

A New Client (and Other Things)

2010-09-01T14:10:00.000-07:00

Well, my dearest friend pointed out to me that I have neglected to blog about SJK PR's newest client. How could I be so short-sighted? Could it be that I had to hit the ground running with him? Could it be that I was afraid I would sound like a babbling idiot, trying to talk about him? Whatever the reason, I have decided to rectify my shameless faux pas (I hope I spelled that right and didn't further shame myself, LOL).

Allow me to introduce you to the newest addition to the SJK PR family, Mr. Eric Lindell. For the ignorant or uninformed, Eric used to be with Alligator Records, the world's largest contemporary blues label. Because Eric decided to move forward with his own record label, Sparco Records, I am one lucky girl. Where do I begin when discussing Eric Lindell? He's likely one of the most prolific songwriters on the circuit today. His unique mix of blues, roots rock, soul, and a little New Orleans funk puts him in a class all by himself. Stellar vocals accompanied by pure musicianship make him a "must listen," but his live shows make him a "must see." As my friend is wont to say, no matter how long Eric's show runs, he always leaves you wanting more.

If you remember me from my freelance writing days, you likely read the article I wrote about Eric for the release of his CD "Low on Cash, Rich in Love." Just in case you don't, here's a link to the article: Alligator Records' Eric Lindell: Low on Cash, Rich in Love (and Other Things). Just a little shameless self-promotion to go along with the good news. ;-) I would go through how I met Eric and how we came together at this time and in this place, but I think that's all TMI. Know that I am thrilled beyond words to be working with him, and pushing Eric to the press is a no-brainer. He's already made two appearances that we secured for him, and we're working on several others. In other words, this man is golden. He makes my job easy, and he makes me look good. I can't ask for anything more. His latest body of work "Between Motion and Rest" is classic Eric Lindell, and it's a beaut. He decided to release this one in vinyl as well as on CD, and it's a very cool, slick product--and it sounds good, too. Or, did I say that already?

So, we have LOTS of work to do in the coming weeks and months, as Eric has me pretty much hopping. We'll likely also be working with a couple of his proteges, one of whom I got to meet while in New Orleans this past week. But, I'll save all that for when it happens. Just know that we're VERY excited to have an artist of Eric's caliber on our roster. Stay tuned for more news.

Peace out,
Shirley

Ordain Returns

2010-08-05T09:59:00.000-07:00

We sent Ordain off to Florida yesterday, goody bag in hand. The guys have two shows in Florida, one in Gainesville and the other in Pensacola. Then, they'll finish out the weekend in Alabama with their good friends and another great band Refuse the Fall. Those guys sound great, and those should be two awesome shows. They will play together a total of five times before the tour is over.

As always, we enjoyed having the guys here for a few days. Though they can create a lot of work, it's a labor of love. They pulled in on Sunday afternoon, and I already had dinner in the oven. I decided to try a new recipe called taco lasagna. It was pretty darned good, and the guys left very little in their wake (though there was a snack for Jeremy after the show on Tuesday). On Monday, the guys and I (literally) piled into my car and headed to Collinsville, AL, to tape radio at DreamField Productions. This place is unbelievable. There's a huge stage sitting in the middle of a field, and while standing there looking around, I had visions of what it would look like, filled with people. But, I'm getting a bit ahead of myself, as the ride proved quite eventful.

After getting through two fairly "hairy" traffic jams on 75, I realized that we had missed our exit. Scott was navigating--or I should say that he was supposed to be navigating. We hopped off on the next exit to turn around and stopped at a gas station/convenience store. I swear I didn't see the Slush Puppy sign ahead of time, though I did have to have one. They don't sell them here in too many places, so I always get one when I'm on the road! We left there to get on the highway to go back three exits, and damned if I didn't get back on the northbound ramp. Sheesh! I turned around again, and we kept moving in the right direction. Then, we missed another exit, and I formally fired Scott as the navigator.

Turning around again, we were finally going the right direction (or so we thought). The kind folks at DreamField had already told me that you can't find the place with GPS, and she was right: My GPS just looked at me like I was crazy when I tried to plug in the address. Scott, being more skilled at GPS than I am, figured out how to get Jason (my GPS voice) to take us to "the center of Collinsville." As we continued down a road that appeared to have no end, however, I decided to pull over and call Shannon at DreamField. Amazingly, we were 15 minutes away! You know that saying about how God watches out for children and idiots--well, you get the picture. Someone was definitely looking out.

We finally arrived at DreamField, and I'll pick up with me swooning over the pure expanse of the place. DreamField hosts at least two major festivals every year, and after seeing the place, I understood. I got visions of Woodstock (though I never attended Woodstock, but you know what I mean). Shannon and Donnie shared that these are camping/music events that can draw thousands. Again, I got visions of Ordain on that big stage, playing to thousands. Ah, what a place! The inside area was simply beautiful, with literally everything made from treated wood. Shannon and Donnie began the interview, giving the guys periodic breaks during which they shot pool, drank tea, and generally had a blast exploring the place. Shannon and Donnie, the awesome folks who run DreamField, are just wonderful and are personality plus. I forgot to mention that when we were driving down, Donnie called me to see what the boys wanted to drink. When asked, they all said "water," and Donnie responded with, "Cool. We have a pond." I knew then that we were going to have a complete blast!

We hung around DreamField for a few hours, and around 8:00, we started the long drive back to Stone Mountain. These drives beg me to answer a question: Why can't boys hold it? We must have stopped two or three times for bathroom breaks. The drive back seemed longer, as it had gotten dark, but we finally made it back for sloppy joes, courtesy of sis, which the boys scarfed down rather handily. Needless to say, it was a late night for us, and as is my habit, I was back up at 7:30 a.m., dragging a bit for the rest of the day. The guys were to play in Smith's 3 for $5 that night, and I had to find some energy to get moving.

Their slot at Smith's turned out really well, drawing the requisite 30 for the evening--on a Tuesday night, no less. They were in a bit of a weird line-up, with two solo acts playing after them. I don't think either of them drew one person, but most of Ordain's fans stayed and listened. I sold a TON of Ordain merchandise, and it was a great night. Back home after the show, "tacosagna" and sloppy joe hit the microwave, and we sat up for a bit and talked, but I was quickly running out of steam.

After the guys left yesterday, we went about the task of putting the house back to normal. I was happy to get back into my office and the desktop, which houses mostly everything I need to work with. I can get by a bit on the laptop, but I have to drag a lot of crap down with me, and there's so much on the desktop that I obviously can't access when on the laptop. It was good to get eight hours of sleep last night so that I could get back to hitting up press for all the clients. Speaking of clients, we have a new one. I'll talk about him shortly. In the meantime, we'll see Ordain again in a few weeks in New Orleans for Cutting Edge. I'm looking forward to that, as it's always a good time at Cutting Edge.

Shirley

When will I learn?

2010-07-25T05:35:00.000-07:00

The music industry can be a scary place. You meet so many people who want to blow smoke up your ass and still others who want to take from you. I've met both, but I've really been taken by one. The unfortunate thing is that severing relationships can be tough. I try to always maintain an amicable relationship with people, but sometimes, it's just not possible. My website has been such a headache for me, but it's a necessary evil. My last web guy was a sweet guy, but he just didn't really have the time to invest in his "side" job. It was taking forever for him to roll out the new site, and I thought I had found someone who could take care of that and all my technical needs. In hindsight, I don't think he was as skilled as he alleged.

When I got my first bill from the guy, I almost fell off my chair. By the time my website rolled out, it had cost me a small fortune. I found out the hard way that this guy charges you to talk to you on the phone. Ain't that some shit? The only people in life I've met who charge you to talk on the phone are lawyers. To complicate matters, the guy loves one of the bands, and we became friends--or so I thought. He would call and talk to me for hours, taking me away from my work. Then, I would get a bill with 40, 50 or more minutes of "tech talk." Well, like most folks, I never kept up with our phone conversations, which was related to my site and which was related to chit-chat. Thinking this guy was a friend who would never cheat me, I also began teaching him to do press work, hoping to lighten my load a bit. It's very time consuming managing two bands while working press for three others, and he needed to make money as well, so I thought it the perfect solution. It didn't take me long to figure out that he would similarly be gouging my clients, and when he tried to totally take over one of them, I had to give him the boot.

He was hosting my website, and when he got upset, I determined to move my website to another hosting site. He had the NERVE to withhold my hosting information until I paid one of the band's bills with him. He had previously quoted me $35 to build a "placeholder" for the band's site, and as was the norm with him, when the bill came, the price was double. To make matters worse, the placeholder he built looked like my four-year-old great nephew built it, so the band leader redid it himself. Even though my band leader had to redo the site, this jerk refused to reduce his charge and used it to hold my hosting information hostage. Needless to say, I paid him his blood money, got my information, and moved my site.

People are a TRIP. I had paid this jerk over $700 in three months, yet he was afraid I would not pay him $78. We were supposed to be "friends," and I have learned a valuable lesson in what that word really means to some people: We're friends as long as I have something to give you. On the bright side, at least I learned all this before I lost clients behind him gouging them as he did me. The main lesson I learned, however, is to not let people get that close without really knowing them. Thank God I called my friend Geoff and told him the story, as he was about to let rip-off man work on his site. He was grateful for the information. All this guy wanted to do was get next to me so that he could generate new business from my clients and friends. Well, that's over. I chalk it up to another great learning experience in the music industry. It is full of rip-offs and shysters, and the lesson could have been much more painful from a financial perspective, so I'm grateful that it wasn't worse.

So, life moves on. I've been rewarded for my pain with the signing of a fairly high profile new client, whom I will discuss shortly. I never reveal a client until the check is in hand and the contract signed. Stay tuned.

Peace,
Shirley

Eventful Week

2010-07-11T10:23:00.000-07:00

Another very busy week has drawn to a close. Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo seem to be growing by leaps and bounds. Today, they have the extreme pleasure of serving as support for the incomparable Jonny Lang. This is a real treat for the band, as even they are big fans of Jonny's. Such awesome opportunities don't come along every day, and the guys intend to take full advantage of their blessing. I was contacted on Friday about yet another impressive opening slot for the band, which I will share once everything is confirmed. These guys are on a serious roll and show no signs of slowing down. Every time something good comes their way, I have to work that much harder to take advantage of it. I think it's only a matter of time before these guys are more well known on a larger scale. Keep those eyes peeled.

Last week also ushered in the release of Ordain's full-length debut, "Broken Glass." We've been working hard to get the word out, and several fans have purchased download copies. We got a bit bogged down in getting the physical CDs ready, but they will be available during tour week. Speaking of the tour, it's shaping up quite nicely. A few holes remain to be filled, but I have the utmost confidence in Georgia (a/k/a GG, Gee, or G3--depending on the band that's addressing her). We are planning to join the guys in Gaffney, SC, so that Georgia can meet her talent buyer friend Beau. It looks like a beautiful venue and city, so I'm looking forward to it.

I'll keep this short and sweet, as I need to get ready for the coming week. Still much press work to do on Ordain's upcoming tour, and something is always in the works with Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. We're assertively moving forward with our press work and hope to see some thing popping up for all of our guys (and one girl, in CWB) very soon.

Peace,
Shirley

New Clients

2010-06-21T06:03:00.000-07:00

We're excited to have two new clients added to the press roster (and for potential bookings in the future). First, we have added the Charles Walker Band. This band is based in Milwaukee, WI, and serves up some funky blues flavored with R&B. Charles studied jazz at the University of Wisconsin (Eau Claire) and has been playing sax for over 17 years. He is joined in the band by Porsche Carmon (vox), Misha Siegfried (guitar), Kent Hamele (bass), and Keywan Ryland (drums). The band is playing some of the better venues the Midwest and south have to offer, including the House of Blues (Chicago), BB's Jazz, Blues and Soup (St. Louis), the Slippery Noodle (Indianapolis, IN), Bourbon Street Blues & Boogie Bar (Nashville, TN) and SummerFest, the world's largest outdoor festival. Look for exciting things from these guys (and gal). Their live show is energy personified, and with Charles having a background as an improvisational comedian, the band's shows are sure to entertain the masses!

Our other new client is the Issues, an Atlanta rock band. We're really excited to have our first Atlanta client! The Issues are likely some of the hardest working rockers we know. The band worked with producer John Briglevich (Sevendust, Bowling for Soup, Butch Walker, Outcast, Edwin McCain & Third Day) on their EP Alien Tattooed Lover, which is currently spinning on the national circuit. The Issues are an Official Budweiser band, were selected one of the top six original bands in the Southeast for BMIs Independent Music World Series, placed in the Top 500 in Billboard Magazines Annual Song Writing Contest, are licensed music for TV, film and national advertising campaigns, and were named winner of the DaveFM unsigned band battle.

Please join us in welcoming these two very talented bands to the SJK PR roster. We are excited to be working with both bands, and we hope to add others in the very near future.

Shirley

More Updates

2010-06-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Exciting things have been going on at SJK Public Relations of late. Thanks to TJ McManus and iCreaTech, our new website finally rolled out! After much delay and frustration, it was a real joy to work with a true professional to make this happen. Many thanks to TJ and iCreaTech! Check us out and see what all the buzz is about: SJK Public Relations.

About a week after that, we announced our management of rock band Ordain. Shortly thereafter, we also announced that Ordain has entered into an A&R/promotion deal with Big Noise. Check out some of the acts Big Noise has worked with: Christina Aguilera, Chicago, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, American Idol alums Katharine McPhee and LaKisha Jones, and many, many others. Big Noise is working side-by-side with us as we prepare for Ordain's full-length debut, "Broken Glass." The band is also getting revved up for their summer CD release tour to the states.

A few weeks ago, the SJK PR principals flew up to Madison, WI, to attend the Madison Area Music Awards with our other management client, Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. What a fun time! Fun aside, we were blown away when AWATH practically swept their nominated categories and tied with Mark Croft for the most awards of the evening. Likely, most exciting and most unexpectedly, the guys won Artist of the Year and will go down in history as the first blues band to receive this honor. We could hardly sleep that night after the awards! Even as we celebrated, we knew there was much more work to do, so we enjoyed the rest of our weekend and flew back to Atlanta to get to work.

We've been very busy on bookings for both Harmonious Wail and rock band One. One is proving to be a fairly easy "sell" as far as bookings go. We've secured a couple of awesome gigs for them on the West Coast with many more to follow. People are going crazy over Harmonious Wail, and we're getting some good gigs for them as well. So, when I say "busy, busy," I'm not just saying it. We're also going to be getting some new press clients on board, so stay tuned for some announcements in the future.

All is right in my world. 'Til next time....

Shirley

Update Day!

2010-04-24T12:55:00.000-07:00

Well, things have been moving along for all of us, albeit slowly in some cases. The nut I wrote about last time has continued to try to inflict her "punishment" on the band, but we all have decided to ignore her and move on. I think that's the best tactic to take with people who don't appear to be mentally stable. I'm not a psychologist, but I know a nut when I see one. Otherwise, I would definitely offer her some free services. Now, on to more positive things!

It looks like the new website is finally going to roll out in the next day or two. I have engaged the very capable services of TJ McManus of iCreaTech. Simply saying that TJ is "awesome" does not adequately describe him. He's quite knowledgeable in web design, and to top that off, he's a marketing genius. The new relationship with him has been very positive and will flow into the relationships with our bands. He has already imparted some very useful knowledge on me that I have begun to implement with Ordain and Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. Now, I'll talk about the bands for a bit.

Ordain played a "dinky" gig in Harker Heights, TX, that led to many great things. They met a gentleman who has contacts at SXSW. Though it was far too late to get them into that, he did manage to get them into the 5th Annual Bloomin' Temple Festival in Temple, TX, as headliners on rock night no less. We had to re-route the latter end of their tour to make it happen, leaving them with some heavy driving, but it was so worth the trip. The guys have broken into a Cumulus station out that way, and Jamie agreed to have them on-air the day before their festival appearance. Mitch, the man with the great contacts, also booked the guys a gig the night before the festival at an Irish pub in the area. Jamie at KLDT 101.7 The Eagle pumped the guys so hard that they played for 100 people on Friday night! That number increased tenfold for the festival, and the band played for 1,000. They were mobbed following their set, sold tons of CDs, and made a lot of new, die-hard fans. It was a night to remember, and I wish I could have been there to see them bask in the glory of their success. I truly believe this is only the beginning for them.

Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo are getting revved up for their appearance at the Madison Area Music Awards on Saturday, May 6. Coming basically from obscurity in their hometown of Madison, we have been working very hard on the band's press and bookings. All of a sudden, they were asked to play one of the biggest music events in Madison AND they were nominated for Blues Artist of the Year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry. Their CD "It Ain't Easy" has been named Blues/Rock Album of the year by Blues Revue, one of the more important blues publications out there. We will be flying up to Madison in a couple of weeks to join the MAMA festivities. To say all of us are excited would be an extreme understatement.

While things are going really well for the both of the bands, we still have much work to do. We'll be touring Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo to Kansas City and St. Louis early in the fall, and Ordain will be embarking on their fourth tour of the U.S., beginning in late July. I am pleased to announce that Ordain will be joining me at Cutting Edge this year and that I will be moderating the press panel this time around. Unfortunately, we booked Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo into a street festival around this time, and they won't be able to join us this year. But, Aaron and Scott have met and become fast friends, and Aaron is counting on Scott to fill him in on all the details.

In addition to all that's going on with these guys, we have added two new bands to the booking roster. Harmonious Wail is a gypsy jazz band from Madison, WI. We've never worked with this genre before, but we're very excited to get the opportunity. I have heard very good things about them. The second addition is another Canadian rock band called One. These guys are so very talented, and we love their music. They will be on their seventh tour of the U.S. in September, and we're booking them out for two and a half months. One has some pretty fantastic draws in certain areas, and we're looking forward to helping them do the same in new areas.

So, lots of excitement at SJK Public Relations these days. I should be announcing roll-out of the new site in the next fews days, and I have plenty of other exciting announcements as well. Stay tuned here, at Facebook, or at SJK Public Relations. Fun times!

Peace,
Shirley

Fans

2010-04-09T14:48:00.000-07:00

Fans--you can't live with them, and the bands can't live without them. I've seen everything from fans who simply enjoy the music and spread the word, to the nasty groupies, to the stalkers, and now, one who is a complete nut case. You know, I love all my guys. While I think they're awesome and amazingly talented, I could never see myself going to the lengths that some of these fans go to in their efforts to get next to them. Heaven help us should we ever break out of the indie realm. I'm so sure it will only get worse. The only consolation I have is that it will be much harder to get immediately next to them. Yet another reason to hurry and move things along. I have a great story for you today, and I'll try to keep everything as generic as possible so as to protect the innocent and the nut.

One of the bands has a "fan" who fancies herself a publicist. Her work is laughable. It is filled with typographical errors, including numbers instead of letters, errant capitalized words, and is just not well done. I wouldn't allow her to serve as publicist for my dogs, let alone my bands. Of her own accord, she began doing things for the band, even as I tried to discourage her. It's really tough to walk a fine line with fans. The bands need them. As a general rule, I don't interact with them, not because I think I'm better than them but because I don't need to interact with them. They're here for the guys, not me. I typically don't interfere in their "relationships" with the bands, but in this case, I had no choice.

She began creating things for the band that no one asked her for. As long as they remained among the band, I was cool with it. But, I found out last week that this woman has been publicly holding herself out as the band's publicist and has sent out "press kits" (God only knows what they look like) to television and radio. She also bought a domain name to build the band a website. This is the point at which I had to put my foot down. Don't get me wrong: I absolutely love fans who want to help the bands. We need people pumping the bands when they come to town by telling all their friends, handing out show fliers or handbills, and just about anything they come up with to help us promote. I'm open to ALL of that. When a fan crosses the line and tries to get involved in the band's business, however, I lose it. People don't understand that we have things we're already working on and directions in which we want to take the bands, and they're not privy to that for a reason. Most fans aren't interested in the business of the band, so this was a completely new situation for me. Those who know me know I'm not the most tactful person in the world (which is another reason I steer clear of fans). I can't afford to alienate any of them by being "me," so I don't deal with them. She's aware of my relationship with the band, but she wasn't aware of the full extent of that relationship. When one of the band members told her, she started tearing down posters and things she had built on the Internet, like a 6-year-old spoiled child. She has completely stopped supporting the band, confirming my theory that she was never a fan but instead saw the potential in them and wanted to "get in on the ground floor." People are a trip!

Being a band manager is very difficult. The pay is low, the work is 24/7, and it seems that I'm constantly dealing with people who have nothing to do with the band yet make my job harder. The guys in the bands don't always know what I'm dealing with, but when they're appreciative, it makes a huge difference for me. This band is especially appreciative, and they're just a great group of young men. I will not now or ever allow anyone to take advantage of them, and that includes any alleged fans. This woman was merely trying to worm her way into their good graces. Her actions have shown that she's not a true fan and is looking out only for herself. Thank God this relationship has ended. This type of thing is painful for both me and the band, and I will, from now on, ensure that we heed the warning signs that I should have seen a long time ago. They're big boys, but I feel that it's my job to keep the shysters at bay. I don't know why people want to try to take advantage of such wonderful young men. They would sooner hurt themselves than anyone else; all they want to do is play their music for a living. They're not looking to take advantage of anyone or doing anything harmful whatsoever. Why in the world do people want to harm them? I'll never get it.

I guess it's time to get off my soap box. I just had to get that off my chest.....

Shirley

Where has the time gone?

2010-03-10T06:46:00.000-08:00

Now, it has really been a long time since I've written (last year, to be exact). There's so much going on that I want to talk about but can't. I can, however, talk about how well Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo are doing. They're about to embark on their fourth southern tour, and they're doing so well down here. They were also asked to perform at this year's Madison Area Music Awards and have six nominations. The MAMAs will be doing a special tribute to Aaron's father, Cadillac Joe Andersen, and the band will play following the tribute. No need to tell you that I'll be in the audience. I'm SO proud of the guys for their work from last year. As the proverbial icing on the cake, we found out a couple of weeks ago that the guys have been nominated for Blues Artist of the Year by the Wisconsin Area Music Industry, which has previously nominated the likes of Willy Porter and American Idol's Danny Gokey. This is a true testament to how well the band is dong, and I couldn't be happier.

Ordain is also doing well. They're currently on their third U.S. tour, and the response has been pretty overwhelming. We had to re-route the latter part of their tour to accommodate several venues that wanted the band back before they head home. Now, we may have to do yet another re-routing, as someone saw them in Texas who is working on getting them into a big rock festival out there. Sweet! I think these guys are money in the bank, and I'm so glad they found us. The band also welcomes a new drummer on this tour, Jeremy Burton, who is a native Canadian. He has a drum kit like I've only seen in Michael Jackson's "This Is It." I'll change out their photo here so that the current band is posted. :-) We'll be doing some other things with Ordain, but those are the things I can't discuss just yet. I did have the pleasure of watching them live from Tulsa when they played out there last week. Scott, the band's vocalist, was on fire! If that's how he performs live, it is little wonder that the venues want them back again and again. I'm posting the band's video from Good Morning Austin to give a sample.

Well, that's about it from soggy Stone Mountain. We should be rolling our new website out soon, and I'm very excited about that. I can actually edit it myself now, which allows me to make announcements before they get stale. Thanks to my web guy Joe for agreeing to do this for me. Onward and upward!

Shirley

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-22T15:53:00.000-08:00

Well, it has really been some time since anyone's heard from me, and though I don't really have the time now, I want to share a few thoughts as the year's end approaches. I have so much to be grateful for.

We started out this year trying our hand at running our own business. While we certainly aren't "breaking the bank," we will close out the year in the black. Of course, I'm constantly working on things for Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo, but I'm also now working on press for Mike Droho (http://www.myspace.com/mikedroho), Ordain (http://www.myspace.com/ordain), and our newest clients the Seeds of Evolution (http://wwww.myspace.com/theseedsofevolution), who were referred to us by Ordain's manager. They're a neat little funk/hip hop/rock outfit, which is obviously new territory for us. Our chief booker, Georgia, is working on their tour, and I'll be doing a little press work with them. Fun times!

I have recently had the pleasure of discovering Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm (http://www.myspace.com/jukejointduo). We met at their show at Smith's and became instant friends. These are two great guys who play some funky hill country blues. They've recently filled their calendar, so check it out to see when they're going to be in your area. They are definitely a "don't miss." We keep in contact with the guys, and we'll see them when they're here again in February.

I've been busy the latter part of the year serving as the Atlanta Live Music Examiner. You can check out my work here: http://www.examiner.com/x-21447-Atlanta-Live-Music-Examiner. It's been a lot of fun checking out shows and sharing what I've seen with other music fans. I'm on a bit of a hiatus for the holiday, but I hope to see a show soon into the New Year so that I can get back to work. In the meantime, I have agreed to serve as the blues oficianodo for The Silver Tongue, Atlanta's widest read music site. Be on the lookout for my work there.

All in all, it has been a great year. I'm looking forward to sharing some exciting news about Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo, but I'm sworn to silence for now. Ordain starts a three-month tour on January 21 in Troy, NY, and will visit several areas of the country. I'm very excited to be working press for them this time around. They're an incredible band with a very mainstream sound, so I'm looking for lots of hits on them as their status continues to grow. Lots of other stuff going on, but I need to quit for the night and take some "me" time. Happy holidays to all, and my best wishes for a healthy, happy, and prosperous New Year!

Peace,
Shirley

Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo

2009-11-10T08:03:00.000-08:00

Well, it has been some time since I've written. Between managing the band, working press for others, and writing for Examiner.com, my time has become very limited for blogging. After this past weekend, however, I had to take the time to jot down some thoughts, the most prevalent of which is how grateful I am to manage Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo.

The guys drove down for two metro shows this past weekend and played to two very enthusiastic crowds, but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. They drove straight down from Madison, arriving here at 2:00 a.m. on Friday. We chatted for a bit, but I think all of us were ready for a little shut-eye. We had fittings scheduled with the guys's new clothing sponsor, Riejunio Premium Apparel, which also happens to be my press client. This is going to be a very good pairing, unlike the other ungrateful band I put with the company. This partnership will help me to forget about the other one and how poorly they treated their benefactor. Aaron, Z, and Eric are sincere in saying they like the clothing, and I know they will be great spokesmen for the company. Aaron and Z even bought some of the company's clothing, so I know they like them. We had a great time, trying on clothes and being fitted by the company's founder Harie.

We had dinner together, chicken enchiladas and the works. Thanks to my dear friend Denza for providing the main course and my favorite desert--Red Velvet cake. I love feeding Red Velvet to northern boys because it's such a southern thing that I know they've never had before. Though they were too full to taste it until later, when they did they agreed that it was quite tasty. With everyone full, the guys headed out to Darwin's to set up, and the ladies took our time getting ready. I'm always nervous about a band's first show here in Atlanta. It seems an almost impossible town in which to generate attendance, at least that has been my past experience with the bands I've worked with. As they have done so many times during our short relationship, Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo gave us another first: They had an incredible crowd at Darwin's. I have to thank our friend Mark for all his hard work, and I credit him for much of that draw. I wish I had a "Mark" in every city, but I digress. AWATH had the crowd jamming at Darwin's, including dancers. I had never seen Aaron do a guitar solo using a beer bottle as a slide, and I was quite impressed. I'm pretty much always impressed by his guitar prowess, but that took the proverbial cake. The man is very, very talented on guitar. When you add in the incredible bass stylings of Z and Eric's ridiculous drumming ability, you've got quite a show on your hands. They even prompted Val from the Silver Tongue to write an article after the show in time for Saturday publication! These guys are the shit.

The next day, we had our Riejunio photo shoot. While I always enjoy the photo shoots, they are very tiring. I felt pretty drained by the time we got done, but we took the guys down to Little 5 Points to look around and talk to people. It was a great time. I rarely get an opportunity to show the touring bands any of Atlanta, so I really enjoyed getting the chance. By that time, however, a couple of us were starving, so we decided to head to the house, get something to eat, and grab a quick nap before the late night show at Eddie's.

I had never before booked a band in such a late show, and I wasn't quite sure what to expect. While the crowd was smaller than Darwin's, they were no less enthusiastic. The owner of Eddie's was quite impressed with the band, and they have never sounded better. Eddie's has an incredible sound system and sound man, and the guys played their hearts out. It was amazing. To top everything off, Live 365's Jerry Wayne Inman drove to Atlanta from North Carolina to broadcast live from the guys's show. He said that it was the biggest live broadcast he has had to date, either at home or on the road. That certainly makes this band manager extremely happy.

We were up very late that night, with the guys needing to get back on the road by 10 the next morning. We didn't, however, want to miss the opportunity to spend our last moments together, discussing a little business and just spending some time together. It's tough on a band and its manager when they are thousands of miles apart, so we have to take advantage of every opportunity we have when we're together. We finally got to bed around 4:00 a.m., with me sleeping a mere four hours and getting back up at 8:00. My sis was already preparing something for the guys to eat before they hit the road, and it wasn't long before the smell awakened Eric.

As is usually the case, our last hours together were bittersweet. I love these guys--seriously. They are so professional, mature, and extremely talented. To top all that off, they are just real sweethearts, especially Z. Don't let the tatts and intense look fool you; he's just a great guy. I don't have any favorites among them, though, as they are equally wonderful. This is, hands down, the best band I have been blessed to manage. Talent aside, the reaction that we get to this band tells me that we're onto something big with them. All we need do is continue to get them out there. When people hear them, they can't help but dance. Sis says that's because they're "founky," which is beyond "funky," LOL. They are pretty damned founky, and they're easy on the eye. What's not to like? I'm leaving you all with a shot from their photo shoot. Now, was I lying about their ease on the eye?? These guys are destined to great things, and I feel totally blessed that they chose me to travel this journey with them. I couldn't ask for anything more.

Don't miss these guys when we send them to your town. They are completely addictive.

I'm on a roll!

2009-09-25T04:06:00.000-07:00

As I was writing the last blog, I got to thinking about the band I manage on their first tour. Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo had their first television appearance on Wednesday, and they did SO well! The guys were on KARE 11 TV's Showcase Minnesota. They had a great interview, and they performed the title cut from their CD "It Ain't Easy." Aaron looked so good on television, and he sounded even better. He seemed very relaxed during the interview and appeared to be very comfortable. I always worry about my guys when they first start doing this stuff; I can stop worrying about these.

Yesterday, they were in Waterloo, where we couldn't get them any press, but tonight is Dubuque. They got a nice write-up in 365ink, and they have an in-store today at CDs for change. We thought we were pretty much done with appearances until next Friday in Madisonville, KY (except we are getting spins in the other cities), but I got word the other day that Fox 4 in Kansas City wants them on. Sweet! While it varies from city to city how much these appearances help to generate audiences, these are still very nice opportunities for the guys. You just never know who's watching.

Though they had no press yesterday, the guys apparently had a good show. I received a text from Aaron in the middle of the night that their show went well. I'm surprised it didn't wake me, as the text signal is pretty loud. I must have been seriously knocked out last night. Had it awakened me, however, I would have been cool with that. I love hearing how things go for the guys at new venues, which helps us to better design their next tour. Last night goes into the "yes" column.

Wednesday night's venue goes in the "no" column, but the guys took it in stride. Aaron said, "It was worth it for the TV." Great minds think alike, as that's exactly what I was thinking. I LOVE working with Aaron. (I love the other two guys as well, but I mostly have the day-to-day contact with Aaron, so this is definitely no slight against them.) Aaron "gets" it in every sense of what we do, and I love that. No fighting with him or arguments about the importance of giving up a little sleep to take advantage of the opportunities we're blessed with. I used to work with another band that, after a hand full of press, decided they were big enough to move on without it. They would rather have their sleep (and drink and party all night). While we don't have any stats that tell us that press appearances help, it just makes sense to me to at least give it a try. I'll never forget how that band was 30 minutes late for their WGN-9 appearance and brushed it off like "no big deal," even though it took me a year of convincing to get them on. Fortunately, that year paid off for Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo, who will be appearing on the show on October 9. Aaron immediately said that they would spend the night before in Chicago to ensure that they arrived on time. I knew then that I had a gem. We ended up getting them three Chicago area shows, and they will now be spending the weekend in that area. The guys already pumped those shows with their appearance on WDCB 90.9 two weeks ago, and we're hopeful that folks listening in will remember. They certainly made a good impression on Hambone's listening audience, as several called in and emailed during the band's appearance. This alone tells me that these appearances do help, and we will continue to do them for the foreseeable future.

We should start collecting some of our appearances soon. Hambone advised me that he has mailed a CD of the band's appearance to me, and I have ordered a copy of their appearance on KARE 11. Once we get them, we can put them up for others who missed or couldn't tune into the actual appearances to enjoy. I'm really looking forward to future activities with this band. They are, far and away, the most professional band that I've had the pleasure of managing. That professionalism and their talent will continue them on their chosen path with success.

Shirley

Ordain

2009-09-25T02:59:00.000-07:00

When we first began working with Ordain, I dealt with the band's manager Kurt. Kurt "met" me through Mark Berry, a producer. I wasn't sure whether we were in a position to take Ordain, but I talked to sis. She agreed to get a couple of the agents together and book a month-long tour out for them. The band's manager tends to be a bit grandiose, and twice, I wanted to cancel the tour. We had just gotten out of a relationship with a band whose manager was a complete jerk, and I promised myself that I would never again work with a band with a manager. The former band's manager would tell us to book certain shows, but when the guys found out, they didn't want to play them. We spent so much time booking and canceling shows that we had no desire to get into that type of situation again. After a point, however, I began to speak to Scott on the phone, and given that the ladies had already invested time, I decided to allow the tour to move forward. I'm glad I did.

Given both of our "different" accents, Scott and I had a bit of a language barrier at first. Yes, we both speak English, but Scott has an Australian accent and I have the southern accent from hell. I didn't even realize that Scott was experiencing difficulty understanding me until we finally met in person. That became a running joke between us, though there remained a few difficulties when we met. For some reason, when Scott and Trent talked together, I could swear they were speaking another language! Also, the pronunciations sometimes puzzled me. I cannot tell you how long it took me to figure out that Scott was asking me if we had a "kettle" for boiling water. It came out as "kittle." I must have said "What?" a million times until he picked up a pot off the stove.

We had invited the guys to stay with us while they were in the metro area for shows. They were supposed to arrive on a Sunday night, but I kept getting a nagging feeling that we might see them sooner rather than later. They played Johnson City on Monday night, and they didn't have another show until Thursday night in Florida. I told sis that they might come in early, and she said, "Nah. Surely they'll call first." They didn't. I was working in my office, which overlooks the street, on Tuesday when I noticed a van pull up across the street. As soon as he got out and started across the street, I recognized Scott. I ran to my sister's office and said, "Ordain is here!" She immediately panicked. My sister is the cleaner of the two of us, and she doesn't like people seeing the house until she's had some scrubbing time. She was like, "Send them away! I need to clean!" She finally agreed to let them in but demanded that they stay downstairs while we cleaned. Almost immediately, Matt asked if he could help. My sister and I looked at each other. We've never had a band member offer to help us clean. That wouldn't be the last "first" with these guys.

Scott, Matt, Trent, and Phil turned out to be the most well-mannered, respectful band members we have ever met. I never heard so many "pleases" and "thank yous" in my life. I thought to myself, "These are some well-raised boys." Poor Matt drew the short straw and slept downstairs. He was awakened prematurely almost every morning by our five dogs. They don't care what time we all went to bed; when it's time for them to get up and out, they're up and out. When Matt woke up the first morning, I was getting ready to answer my coffee addiction, so I offered him a cup. "Yes, please. Thank you." Okay. Sitting in the kitchen with our laptops and coffee became a daily ritual for me and Matt. It didn't take me long to figure out that Matt is one smart cookie. Imagine my surprise that he was a school teacher. He looks barely older than the students he used to teach!

What can I say about Scott? He's a character for sure, and I would say he's the most outgoing of the group, with Phil being the quietest. Trent loved our dogs, and I took a great shot of him trying to "steal" Gizmo by buttoning her up in his shirt (see last blog). How can you NOT love these guys? It's always so funny to me getting to know artists as people and then seeing them perform. They're like different people, but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself.

The guys left Thursday morning, heading for Florida. They had two shows in Florida and a third show in Columbus, GA, which is about two hours south of Atlanta. We told them we'd see them on Sunday and got back to our normal lives. On Saturday afternoon, we got dressed to go to a friend's show, and just as we were heading down the highway, I received a text from Matt. The guys wanted to come back Saturday night instead of Sunday. Sis wanted to do some more cleaning before they returned, so instead of being "all dressed up with nowhere to go," we went to dinner before heading back home to clean. The guys didn't finally arrive back until 6:00 Sunday morning, and they brought something with them: Scott, Matt, and Trent had all picked up a bug. Now, I catch EVERYTHING, so we pulled out the medications. Trent kicked it fairly easily, but Scott and Matt slept for 12 and 15 hours, respectively. Matt seemed better the next day, but Scott was still a bit under the weather and had to sing that evening. He took it all in stride and did what he had to do. They played Eddie's Attic's open mic. I always look forward to rockers doing an acoustic show because they do it with flair, and the singer's vocals really stand out. As Scott began singing, my sister and I looked at each other, and I mouthed, "That boy can sang." Even though the guys didn't have to perform long, it turned out to be a long night because we hang out until the end of the performances to make sure our guys aren't chosen for the finals. We've had two bands in the finals, but Ordain wasn't chosen (someone needs to clean out those ears). I was more concerned with getting Scott home and back to bed because their real show was coming up the next night at Smith's.

Watching the guys perform at Smith's was especially surreal. They became these "larger than life" rock dudes on that big stage. I probably had my mouth open most of the time. Again, the dichotomy of who they really are and who they are on the stage just blows me away. Gone was the mischievous Scott; meet rock star Scott. His real personality came through at the end of the night when he dedicated "Walk Away" to the band's "southern mums," which is the sweetest thing any band has ever done for us. We don't do what we do for recognition; we do it because we love it and because we want to help these young men realize their potential and their dreams by playing music across the country. Scott's declaration was the proverbial cherry on top. We spent our last night together up rather late. In a sense, we were saying our goodbyes early, as the guys would be up and out early the next morning. None of us got very much sleep that night, and my age was beginning to tell on me: I was so tired, exhausted in fact.

Even though I was exhausted and wanted nothing but a good night's sleep, I had already begun to miss those guys. I think I bonded with them faster and deeper than any other band that has stayed with us. They were here for the better part of a week. They were, again, mannered, extremely pleasant to be around, and they kept offering to pay for things. Again, that was a first, not to mention them being the first to not love my sister's sausage gravy and grits--Scott didn't like those grits at all, and he and Phil said "gravy is for dinner." At times, we weren't sure what to feed them! Of course, Scott did like the "scones," which we call biscuits, which led me to the question: "Are they biscuits or scones?" I guess it doesn't much matter.

I do know that we will never again meet a band like this one. We have decided to bring the guys onto the roster on a permanent basis, and I've sent them a year-long contract. We'll be doing some Canadian bookings because they need to play at home as well as touring, and Beth has already snagged a booking there for November. The guys had received (in my mind) the bad advice to not play at home, but we're going to change that. They need to play as much as they possibly can, including at home. They've got another label showcase in early October, which I secured yesterday, and if they're signed, it couldn't happen to a better group of guys. Matt graciously shared the new CD with me, and it is first rate. The music is tight, and Scott's vocals could melt cold butter. Even if they're not signed, they have a bright future ahead of them. As long as they continue to do what they do and stay true to themselves, they will continue to pick up fans, which is what will ultimately make them successful. I'm looking forward to seeing what the future brings to these guys who have worked hard and deserve success. I hope that we're able to do them justice. My girlfriend wants to know how I got a job that includes the perk of "hot young mens." I'm just lucky like that.

Shirley

So Much to Say.....

2009-09-15T07:19:00.000-07:00

After a week, I have a lot to say about the guys of Ordain, but I don't yet have the time to express all my thoughts. I read something this morning that made me take the time to write this "ditty," if you will. I belong to a group at Facebook called "A Little Spiritual Help." The messages are uplifting, and many times, I see myself in some of them, which always makes me think. Am I treating people as I myself want to be treated? Am I doing my best to add positivity rather than negativity to the world? These and other similar questions come to mind as I read my daily notes from Father John Brian. Today's message is called "Wholeness--An Orthodox Christian Perspective." I don't fancy myself perfect by any stretch of the imagination; however, I feel that reading and following the Scripture at least moves me in the right direction. This morning's note made me think of Ordain and their visit with us.

I often wonder why I get so attached to the young men with whom we work. They are free spirits indeed, something I have always wanted to be myself. In a way, I am, but not even close to the free spirits embodied in these very talented young men. Getting attached to them makes it easy to help them, yet makes it hard to say goodbye when our time together is at an end. Today is the guys's last day with us, and I'm feeling a bit nostalgic. Those feelings almost make me wish that I could keep them at "arm's length." Joy and pain are two diametrically opposed emotions that can wreak havoc on the brain. As I read today's note, I began to understand why these feelings are what they are. Allow me to quote something for you (as if you could stop me): "The whole person is not just a self-contained, self-centered unity. The whole person is a person who is on the one side open to God, and on the other side open to other human persons. The human being without God is not truly human. We were created to enter into a relationship with God, to be in dialogue with Him, and if that relationship is not present something essential is lacking from our personhood. Equally, we are created to relate to other human persons. It has been said that there is no true man unless there are two men entering into communication with one another. The isolated individual is not a real person. A real person is one who lives in and for others. And the more personal relationships we form with others, the more truly we realize ourselves as persons" (emphasis added).

This passageway made me realize that I have to become attached in order to realize myself as a person. This is who I am, and I couldn't be happier with who I have become. It is very rare that we as human beings take advantage of the opportunity to impact another's life for good. Indeed, there are those of us who live to be negative impacts on others, to use our energy to tear others down. That's not who we were meant to be. We are here to create community and harmony, and working with these young men make me feel that I'm doing that. We have had the distinct, unique pleasure of having Scott, Matt, Phil, and Trent with us for a week. We rarely get any of the guys with us for that length of time. In that week, I have gotten to know a lot about these young men and their hopes, dreams, and desires. It is quite compelling for me to listen to them speak of their struggles and their desires to, in spite of those struggles, remain true to who they are and continue to pursue their dreams. I want to help them do that. In doing so, I myself become the person that God would like for me to be, and that's a beautiful thing. All of the guys make me feel beautiful where it counts--on the inside.

As I watched Scott on stage last night and was mesmerized by his impeccable vocal talents, I thought of the jokester who looks like a big kid who has been at my house for the last few days and nights. I thought of Trent and Phil, both of whom are relatively serious all of the time, and watched them become even more serious as they displayed their talents for the crowd at Eddie's Attic. I watched Matt, with whom I bonded over coffee every morning, sit this one out while remaining a very important part of the group, watching his band mates with pride. I realized that they were unwittingly showing me the importance of being a part of someone else, even in a very small capacity. In doing so, we discover the importance of community and ourselves as humans.

A couple of days ago, Scott told me that his dad wanted to know when I was going to write about them. I obviously had no idea that Scott's dad was reading my blog, but then, we never know who reads what we put out here in the universe. We might want to think about what we write. I have much more to say about Matt, Trent, Phil, and Scott, but that will have to wait until this journey has reached its end. In the meantime, this one's for you, dad. All of you raised some pretty incredible young men.

Shirley

N'awlins and Back

2009-09-05T12:56:00.001-07:00

We spent the latter part of last week down in New Orleans for the Cutting Edge Music Conference. This year, I took part in three panels - Getting the Word Out: Publicity, Promotion & Press, Stupid Things That Bands Do & Getting Gigs, and Listening Session/Artist Demos. The conference proved an informative and fun event for all of us. We had just returned from Louis Armstrong Airport, where we retrieved Josh Hill, and had taken Josh to lunch when my phone rang. Imagine my surprise to learn that Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo had made it to town. They played in Southern Illinois the night before, an approximate 10 1/2 hour drive to New Orleans, but they opted to finish their gig, hop in the band van, and head on down to New Orleans. I was very happy to see them, as I have not seen them since I was in Madison in June.

After the panels ended for the evening, Aaron's band had a show at Banks Street Bar, so we chilled a bit at the hotel and hopped in a cab for the ride over to their show. Again, I haven't seen the guys since June, and I must have forgotten how good they are because they knocked me out. It completely surprised me when near the end of the set, Eric (a/k/a "Shack") got up from his drum and starting playing the kick drum, the hardware, and everything else. Then, he promptly left the stage and started playing everything in the bar, including the bottom of my shoe! When I turned back around, Aaron was leaving the stage, though his guitar never stopped playing. That's what the little black box is on the back of his guitar strap--he's wireless! How cool is that? He went on out the front door, but we could still hear the guitar. We went nuts! After their show, we took the guys to Bourbon Street. Because they had never been to New Orleans, I knew they had to see Bourbon Street. Aaron and I managed to squeeze in a little business talk by walking in front of everyone, but for the most part, we just wanted to have some fun. Mission accomplished--we were out until 2:00 a.m.

The next day, the guys were all gearing up for their showcase slots. Josh played upstairs at the Blue Nile, and Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo played downstairs at the Blue Nile. I really appreciate Eric setting the slots so that I could see both acts, but Josh needed more of a listening room as an acoustic solo. Had Ethan & the Ewox not signed up to go and canceled at the last minute, this likely would have been possible, but with three bands there, Eric did his best to ensure that I could see all three. Josh did well, though he had to struggle to overcome a few talkers who chose to sit right at the stage. Can you say rude? When he finished, we headed downstairs, only to hear the opening strains of Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. Wait! They're starting early! So, we literally ran down those stairs and got into the Blue Nile downstairs just in time. It not was too crowded when we first arrived, so I scoped out a spot near the stage to stand and take photos. Shortly thereafter, however, people heard the band from outside, and they literally stormed the venue. Now, I've been working with bands for a while now, and I have never witnessed such a powerful reaction to one of the bands. Just about everyone in the place was dancing. The greatest phenomenon for me, however, was watching the people sitting at the bar. Typically, people who sit at the bar aren't there to hear the live music, and they usually keep their backs turned to the band. Not that night. I watched them abandon their drinks and hit the dance floor with everyone else. When Shack and Aaron did the stage-leaving thing, a girl grabbed Aaron from behind as he walked by, and all of a sudden a huge conga line was going through the venue! Well, I NEVER. It was likely the coolest thing I've witnessed to date from working with bands. It was a great night, and we headed back to the hotel around 1:00 a.m. Aaron, Z, and Eric opted to stay at the venue and do a little "schmoozing." They didn't get back until dawn! It was worth the lack of sleep, though, as Aaron made some very strong contacts. He is so very good at that.

For our last evening in New Orleans, we all went to dinner together at an Italian restaurant just outside of the French Quarter. Aaron and Z did some hat shopping, and we just generally enjoyed each other's company. Then, most of our group was ready to pack it in, so Aaron, Z, and I went to see Cedric Burnside and Little Malcolm, who were off the chain, after we saw Josh Weinstein, who I had met in the listening session. He's very talented, and I would love to add him to the roster. Cedric and Malcolm's show was PACKED, and we hung out there for a bit before starting the long walk back to the hotel. A tidbit about New Orleans: If you don't want to spend a fortune on taxis (because the parking is so bad), you'd better have your walking shoes on. We probably walked eight miles that night--no joke.

New Orleans was a super experience for us. I got a chance to do a little bonding with my guys, and they got to see and play in New Orleans (twice, no less). We did get the opportunity to see the guys off to Memphis for their next show, and we went to say goodbye to Cutting Edge by attending the closing brunch. As always, it was a great trip through history, this time with William Bell, who is likely best known for "I Forgot To Be Your Lover." I really enjoyed hearing about his travels through the history of soul music and to find out what he's up to today. Although William is now 70 years old, he's still quite active in music and has his own label, proving once again that black don't crack, LOL.

I'm sharing a photo of me and my boys. They are a group of really wonderful young men and stellar musicians. I don't know what I did right in this life to deserve them, but I am so very glad to be working with them. Don't get me started on Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo; I could be here all night, making a post of epic proportions. Next up for them: A live taping in Studio M at 105.5 WMMM on Wednesday and a live appearance at WDCB 90.9 in Illinois on Thursday. These guys are well on their way to the stardom they so deserve.

Peace,
Shirley

Slacking again....

2009-08-20T14:55:00.000-07:00

But only with respect to the blog and little else. By now, anyone reading my blog should know that when I disappear, things are going well. Now, I will enlighten all three of you, LOL, as to what's been going on in My World.

I used to represent another artist that I had dubbed my "golden child." When I first began working with him, we got some great press opportunities for his first tour. Time would tell, however, that we weren't ready for each other; mostly, I wasn't ready for all the typical musician baggage that went along with him, and he wasn't ready for the professionalism I require. Enter Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo, who I believe to be my real Golden Child (notice the capital letters). Not only are these guys stellar musicians, but they are truly wonderful men. They are likely some of the most professional musicians with whom I have dealt to date (though we have some pretty great ones overall right now).

AWATH (that's Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo for short) will be embarking on their first national tour at the end of September, and the press Galen and I are generating for them is ridiculous. I like to think I'm pretty jaded when it comes to this stuff, but the response we're receiving is surprising even me. Since we began hitting it hard about a month ago, we have added "It Ain't Easy" to 13 radio stations: Common Nonsense, New Orleans, LA (courtesy of Audio Independents Radio), the Midnight Blues Special, Paris, France; WRFG 89.3 in Atlanta, GA; KBRZ Blues Radio, Kansas City, MO; BluzNdaBlood (KC Online Radio), Kansas City, MO; WWOZ 90.7 in New Orleans, LA; WVUA 90.7 in Tuscaloosa, AL; Reddog Music, Paris, France; KPFT 90.1, Texas City, TX; WUEV 91.1, Evansville, IN; Blues.pl/Radio, Sfera, Poland; WDCB 90.9, Glen Ellyn, IL (#1 blues show in Chicago); WREK 91.1, Atlanta, GA, and Mojo Blues 94.1, Skopje, Macedonia. Whew! Some of these are in connection with that tour and others obviously are not. In addition to the tour radio stations, the band will be getting TV in Minneapolis, an in-store in Dubuque, IA, a feature article in Dubuque, IA, and an hour-long radio show at y106.9 in Madisonville, KY. We're not even close to being done yet. We've still got a good 30 days, and I've just started working on St. Louis. Knowing me, I'm leaving something out, but I'm so sure Galen has a handle on everything. That's why I pay him the big bucks. :-/

The CD is also receiving rave reviews from blues sites and magazine everywhere. The most recent one is likely my favorite. This review was written for Full-Time Blues, which is a show on WUEV 91.1 in Evansville, IN (yes, one the stations listed above). Here's a link: http://www.fulltimeblues.com/reviews.html. These typically don't stay up long, as the reviewers keep working on new CDs. If you don't find it, it's likely been archived. I am so proud of AWATH. They made a great CD, and people are noticing. I really appreciate it when a show host says that he's adding it to his personal collection. God knows they've got to be jaded about music, so it says a lot to me when a host keeps one for his or her own listening pleasure. Gotta love a great band. How I got so lucky, I'll never know. On the other hand, I've been through a lot of crap to get to this point. As I'm wont to say, I had to kiss a lot of frogs to find a prince called Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. Find out for yourself: http://www.aaronwilliamsandthehoodoo.com.

I can already let you know that I'll be absent for a bit. I'm off to New Orleans on Wednesday for the Cutting Edge Music Business Conference. I'm sitting on three panels, and some of the guys are joining us there. Josh Hill is flying in to play solo, and Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo will be routing down full band. AWATH has a show Thursday night at Banks Street Bar, and Josh has a show at Brasserie Marigny on Saturday night. Fancy! Both will play showcase slots at the Blue Nile, Josh upstairs at 10 and AWATH downstairs at 11. It promises to be a great time, as well as plenty of work. I'm looking forward to getting away from the ATL for a little bit, but before I go, I need to wrap up a few press items and get ready to get out of town, so it promises to be a busy next few days. I'll be back with a new post as soon as possible. Until then.....

Peace,
Shirley

Catching up.....

2009-07-19T19:22:00.000-07:00

I've been a bit busy of late, so I haven't been by the old blog. It's only been two weeks, though, so that's not too bad. Galen and I have been pretty busy, drumming up press for Cornerstone's first U.S. tour. We didn't get as much as we would have liked, but we did manage to get some cool things, such as an in-store, a TV appearance, and a radio interview. After having the band here last week, I am all "showed" out for the time being. We traveled up to Athens, GA, for their show on Wednesday. My dear friend Nathan Sheppard played an acoustic opening set for them. (Thanks again, Nathan!) Nathan still sounds amazing, and the band was great. They didn't have a big crowd, but if you ask me, the venue starts their shows too late on a weeknight. 10:30 on a Wednesday night is just a wee bit late, and we didn't get back home until almost 3:00 a.m. on Thursday. I've been recovering ever since!

I've also had to work on bookings this past week, something I had hoped to have given up by now. Some of the agents we hired haven't worked out, so it's back to booking, at least for the time being. We have to finish booking out Aaron's fall tour, and I want to make sure it's done right, so guess what? If you want anything done right, you might want to do it yourself. (Okay, so I took license with the cliche, but it's my blog.) Thank God for Galen, who is also doing some booking now. If I had two more Galens, my life would be perfect.

Many don't realize how hard it is to get a business going. Trying to find good employees is only part of the work. It's very disheartening when you have hired someone and put them to work, only to find out they're doing nothing. The latest agent we let go sent a text message to say that she couldn't get in her email. Well, she hadn't been in it for six days, so how much booking do you think she had been doing? I typically lock them out of their email and email them at an alternate address to let them know they've been fired. I guess she hadn't checked that email either. I'm trying to figure out what goes on in these people's minds. This may be a "side thing" for them, but it's our lives. It's also life for our bands, and when people don't do what they say they're going to do, they jeopardize our artists's careers. Again, this is so disheartening. I suppose I'll never figure it out, so why waste time trying? We're very fortunate to have Beth and Roxy, who have been working their asses off, my niece, and our newest agent, Tasha. I can already tell that she's going to be good. At this point, we're going to keep our roster right where it is until we see how everyone progresses.

As a reward for all their hard work, I've offered all the ladies (and Galen) the opportunity to travel with us to New Orleans next month. I'll take care of their hotel rooms, which should save them enough to have some "mad money." I've got to tell you, I am getting so excited about New Orleans. Josh Hill will be flying in from Lincoln on Thursday morning, and we're looking for a solo acoustic gig for him on one of the nights he's not showcasing. Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo are routing down from Madison, with a stop in Centralia, IL, booked by our friend Tommy, who is a promoter in that area. Then, they have a show on Thursday night in New Orleans. Beth also got some interest in the band, and she's trying to see if the venue can take them on either Friday or Saturday, leaving them one night to showcase. Ethan's band will come down to showcase on Saturday, and we booked them a gig on Sunday night in the city. The trip promises to be a lot of fun, in addition to a great networking opportunity and learning experience.

Lots of exciting things are coming up. In a couple of weeks, the Cazanovas get to open for Walter Trout at Smith's Olde Bar. Those guys mark my first time booking a band straight in without going into a 3 for $5. I think I have arrived, LOL. Now, I'm working on something similar for Ordain. Speaking of Ordain, I just booked a label showcase for them in New York. Yes, they're being looked at by major labels. I will keep my fingers crossed, as them getting signed would greatly elevate our agency's profile. Both Aaron's fall and November tours are coming along nicely, and we're working on local bookings for Ethan and the Ewox. Now, all we need is to get Josh Hill's regional bookings rolling, and I'll be happy. We're slowly digging out of the hole we were put in by the inaction of some of our agents. We just need to stay focused, continue to do right by our bands, and work hard. I have every confidence that everything will continue to fall into place. Until next time.

Shirley

How funny!

2009-07-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

So, we started this journey with pop/rock bands. Now, it looks like we're going to all blues. How did this happen? Well, first we found the amazingly talented Josh Hill, who has his own genre: blues/pop. Josh played with one of our former bands in Lincoln, NE. I suppose it was only a matter of time before he would come to us for bookings, and seeing as how he did favor after favor for the former band, we couldn't tell him no. We were very glad we didn't! Josh's first tour in January booked out fairly easily, save a day or two. Georgia came to the rescue and got both of those dates booked, both with small guarantees, mere weeks before the tour was to begin. Josh recently completed his second tour with our company, and the guys tell me they had a complete blast. We had the pleasure of seeing Josh and Dan play duo at Eddie's Attic, and they are really something else. Dan is such a fabulous keys player, and Josh's voice is just incredible. Galen's girl Angela was shocked when she heard him, and that reaction is what lets us know that we've got a good one in Josh.

A few months after we started working with Josh, I received what is likely the most eloquent email I have ever received from a band member. Aaron Williams emailed me out of the blue to inquire about bookings and management for his band the Hoodoo. The band is blues/rock/roots. I was so engrossed in the pop/rock stuff that I wasn't even sure how I felt about Aaron's music, but how I felt about that email goes without saying, so I gave him a good listen. To borrow from my girlfriend, Aaron's music is "a party in a box." How could I not like it? Then, when I got the opportunity to meet the guys in late February, I knew it was on. I could sit here and go on and on about Aaron, Z, and Shack, but I don't want to make you barf. :-P Suffice it to say that I am very happy to be managing this group of stellar musicians who just happen to be a great group of guys. Working with AWATH led to our third blues band, the Cazanovas.

We went out to Darwin's Blues one night to book AWATH, and the venue was having a blues jam. The hosts of that jam were the Cazanovas, an Atlanta area blues band. They blew us away. Talk about a party! These guys were off the chain. We later arranged to meet with them to talk about their needs and what our agency could offer. During the course of that meeting, I decided that I really like Danny and Reese, so we decided to give it a shot. Almost immediately, I secured a dream opening slot for the guys at Smith's Olde Bar, opening for Walter Trout. Sweet! The funny thing about that is that Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo opened for Walter shortly after I started working with them. Deja vu? I don't know, but it's pretty "creepy," huh?

I think the thing I like most about the blues guys is that they're mature and they're all about the business end of their music. I like that a lot. Now, Danny and Reese are older, so I'm not surprised they're mature, but so are Aaron, Z, Shack, Josh, Dan, Jake, and Andy. They're all pleasures to work with. The really funny thing is that I knew squat about the blues before I started freelance writing and wrote about LiMBO. That article was picked up by a Russian publication called "Jazz Quad," who, in turn, introduced me to Bruce Iglauer of Alligator Records, through whom I met, interviewed, and profiled Tinsley Ellis and Eric Lindell. Now, I feel that I've come full circle with three killer blues groups on the roster. Life is funny like that sometimes. Now that I have finally had the opportunity to see AWATH live, I know what we've got in them. The co-owner of the Majestic went nuts over them, and so did I!

So, we're busy with our blues bands, getting bookings for all three and with me and Galen working press for two. I want to do the best job that I can for all three bands, and I signed the company up for a membership with the Blues Foundation so that we can get more involved in this genre of music. I'm excited about the future possibilities with this genre and these bands. It's just funny to me that we end up in this place, so let's ride the wave and see what happens.

Peace,
Shirley

Madison

2009-06-29T07:06:00.000-07:00

What a difference a few months makes. I was last in Madison in October, and this time was a completely different experience (in a very good way). Georgia and I flew up on Thursday for Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo's first time playing the Majestic Theater, one of the bigger venues in Madison. It was an exciting time for sure. Before I get too much into the visit, however, I have to set the stage to let you know how crazy this last week was.

Josh Hill's band was on tour, beginning on June 19 in Kansas City. They have pretty much conquered KC, by the way. They had a great turnout, which set the stage for their tour. They played Johnson City, TN, on Monday, and we had planned for them to take Tuesday down here in the ATL with us. The plan was for the guys to drive the four hours to save money on a hotel and food, but the four hour drive turned into six hours! I won't go into detail on that, but the guys called me at 5:21 am so that I could get up and let them in. They didn't get here until the sun was up, around 7 am. Everyone immediately went to bed (including me going back). Since we knew everyone would be late getting up, sis and I grabbed a couple of pizzas to have ready for the guys to eat until I could cook dinner later in the day. We had a blast with the guys, grabbing a bite to eat and catching up on what everyone has been doing. Remember, we haven't seen these guys since January, so there was LOTS of catching up to do! It was a nice relaxing day before Josh and Daniel's show at Eddie's Attic the following night.

Eddie's Attic was awesome. The guys really stole the show from the headliners, even selling CDs to some of their fans! Josh had a few people come in asking for him, which surprised him but not me: Josh is so very talented. One listen to his music and you're pretty much hooked. He is really good at promotion, and I suspect he unearthed these folks through his MySpace activities. He's one of the best bands we've ever had as far as promotions go, and he ended up playing not one empty room on the entire tour. That's pretty impressive, especially when you consider this is only their second time out on tour. Gotta love a hard-working band. I know I do.

Now, while all this is going on, Georgia and I are trying to pack for Madison, as we would be flying out early Thursday afternoon. As fate would have it, we were up until 1:30 Thursday morning, knowing we would have to get up early to get to the airport. Josh's band also had to get up and out to make it to Tuscaloosa, AL, in time for their radio interview/appearance. Galen came over early to house sit, and my nephew Harie arrived to take us to the airport. When you factor in the seven dogs (three of which came with Galen), it was pretty much a madhouse on Thursday morning. I love it! Finally, we got out of there and headed to the airport. I love flying around noon, as the airport is typically fairly empty (which is saying a lot of Hartsfield-Jackson). We timed it just right, as we had just enough time to grab a bite to eat. When we arrived at our gate, our zone was boarding. Sweet!

After a nice, uneventful flight to Madison, I texted Aaron to let him know we had arrived. When he asked how I liked the "heat," I told him it felt like spring and that he should come to Atlanta to feel some real heat. We got our rental car (which we got cheated on--a Toyota Corolla is not a mid-size) and headed toward Madison. On the way, I called a friend I've made over the Internet, "Cactus" Joe. Joe writes CD reviews for Maximum Ink, among other things. We had been talking in the email for months and had formed a great friendship, and I was dying to meet him in person. So, we stopped off near his home of Lake Mills, WI. What a neat little town! Joe wanted food, but we would be having dinner at Aaron's, so Georgia and I shared an appetizer and a beer while chatting with Joe. He's a really nice guy, and I'm so glad I got the opportunity to finally meet him in person. After that, we continued our drive into Madison.

Aaron lives on the east side of Madison, so it wasn't really that much more driving to get to him. I'm not going to give a play-by-play here, but suffice it to say that I really enjoyed spending some time with the band. They are a great group of guys, and I'm so happy to be repping them. They're all very mature and very focused on the task at hand--getting their music out to the masses. No bullshit, no distractions. In short, they are the bomb. This would be my first time getting to see the guys live, and to say I was "excited" would be an understatement. Getting to see them for the first time on a big stage was even better. Later that night, Georgia and I went to see our old friend Robert J. and his band the Rowdy Prairie Dogs, another group of fantastic guys! They are so very talented, and imagine my surprise to meet their drummer, who produced the CD for the very first Madison band I worked with. Small world, right?

I got an unexpected treat on Friday when Gabby invited me to Studio M to hear Davy Knowles unplugged, on-air at 105.5 WMMM. Aaron's band was scheduled to open for Davy's band Back Door Slam on Friday at the Majestic, so this was a real treat. Davy is incredibly talented, and it was such a pleasure to hear him in that setting. He is extremely gracious, humble, and talented. While there, I secured a slot for Aaron in Studio M for September, which is a great opportunity for him. Following the Studio M experience, we had to rush back to Aaron's, change for the show, and head over to Robert J.'s for dinner. I knew I was trying to squeeze way too much into two days, but I'm so glad I did. Robert J. has a beautiful family, and it was a joy to spend a few hours with them. Talk about a slice of America: A beautiful wife, one cute, mischievous boy, an already beautiful girl, and a wonderful dog named Scout. How could you ever ask for anything more? In fact, we were having such a blast that we were a bit late leaving for Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo! Fortunately for us, the opening band was an hour late loading in, so Aaron's band would be late taking the stage. Now, I have to dedicate at least a paragraph to my feelings about Aaron's band.

Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo are incredible. I had read all the reviews and such about the band, but I wanted to experience them for myself. As all of the reviews share, Aaron is very charismatic on stage. It's not that I was surprised at that, but Aaron is so soft-spoken off stage that it's hard for me to imagine his "larger than life" persona on stage. Well, it's definitely there. Z and Shack sang one song together that had the crowd rocking! Shack is likely one of the most talented drummers I've seen in a long time, and Z gives me funk from that bass like I've never heard. They are really something else, and I am so proud and happy to be working with them. I think we'll be getting lots of attention for these guys, and in fact, the co-owner of the Majestic went nuts over them! When Scott came over to tell us what he thinks of the band, he asked Georgia if Aaron is her son! We got lots of mileage out of that one. When Georgia told him, "No, she's the band's manager," pointing at me, Scott said, "Your band is f-ing awesome!" Thanks, Scott; I think so too. ;-)

Of all the bands I've worked with over these last couple of years, I think Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo has something really special going for them. They're stellar musicians, Aaron has a great voice, and they have a powerful presence on stage. I am so happy that they are the only band I'm managing right now, as I need to give them my undivided attention. They're on a roll: They're getting press out the wazoo, and they've got some pretty dedicated fans. The band goes out on their first national tour in September, and I already know it's going to be a very positive experience. Much of what has happened along this journey has been the result of fate and following my gut. My gut tells me I've got a hot one here. So, let's follow that gut and see where Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo take us. I already know I'm going to enjoy the ride.

Peace
Shirley

Another one bites the dust.....

2009-06-06T17:50:00.000-07:00

So, we lost another band last week. They weren't satisfied with our work. We were dissatisfied as well. It's hard to book a band when they are not quite ready for the venues they want. Honestly, a venue that books American Idol winner, RCA-labeled rocker David Cook is not going to book an unknown band from another region, a band that has no proven draw. This situation definitely worked out for the best. What most indie bands have to remember is that not enough people are out there looking for them--yet. All we can do is present them, give all their good points, and hope the venues and press bite. No matter what I say, venue talent buyers know that if this is your first time playing in Chicago, you're not going to bring out many people. That's a given-- talent buyers also assume that most bands don't want to do the work to get people out to their shows. Thus, turning up one's nose at a venue in a small town isn't a good idea; they tend to be more forgiving when a band is building a fan base. What's wrong with drawing a full room in Milledgeville, GA, for example? I dare say that before you can draw a room full of people in New York, you need to draw ROOMS full of people in the Milledgeville, GAs of the country. It's called a grass roots effort for a reason. Unless you have unlimited sums of money (lottery, anyone?), this is the only way that indie bands have to approach making themselves known. Becoming known in "Small Town America" will lead to successful dates in New York, Chicago or the big city of your choice. It's a building process. One fan at a time, one town at a time. Maybe we were in the wrong markets, but we always try to give our bands what they want. We're going to stop doing that and be honest instead. Go to where they want you; you'll be much happier in the end. In the final analysis, I had to admit to myself and to the band that we aren't the right agency for them. I hope they find the one that is.

I never stress when we lose a band because I know there are many others waiting in the wings. Interestingly enough, before all of this happened a gentleman who sat on panel at Cutting Edge last year contacted me about a band whose CD he is producing. What I liked about this gentleman is that he didn't try to "sell" his band to me; he simply asked me to listen. I did. I thought they were good, but I wasn't sure what he wanted. When the band's manager called to tell me they wanted bookings, I was ready to tell him that we couldn't take them right now. How nice that a place opened up for them just a few days later because they are good. The band is called Ordain (http://www.myspace.com/ordain). They're based in Toronto, Ontario, though they are interested in relocating to the U.S. Originally based in Melbourne, Australia, Ordain has toured the U.S. on previous occasions. We've already booked three dates for them and will be handling others. This band is ready to tour, and when I asked their manager how long he wanted them out, he responded, "How long do you want them out?" O-kay. We have decided that this first leg will run a month. Now, that's a touring band! Whether Ordain becomes a permanent member of our roster remains to be seen. We'll know more in the coming weeks and months.

We have another young man who we've been considering adding to the roster, Josh Harty (http://www.myspace.com/joshharty). Josh is an Americana/roots/country artist who possesses an amazing baritone. He has had the pleasure of opening for Robert Cray and B.B. King. I think Josh is very talented, and he and I have been talking about what he needs and what we can provide to him. It is very important that we have these conversations with bands. We have a simple little entertainment company, not the William Morrison Agency. We don't have important contacts, and we can't put the bands on shows with megastars. We book shows. Josh wants to do a solo acoustic tour in September, something we've not yet booked before, so we're all weighing the options.

We're winding up our representation of another band as well. This is another band that wanted something we couldn't give them. They're a great band. I like to think we're a great agency. We just weren't right for each other. This is why I issue six-month agreements at first. I call it the "honeymoon period." A six-month agreement gives both sides plenty of time to see if we're a fit. Around the fourth or fifth month in, we knew this band wasn't for us, and we weren't for them, so we let them know that we would not be renewing their contract when it expires. I believe in being up-front with the bands. That notice gave them plenty of time to be looking for other agents who can better serve their purposes.

With all of that done, we now have three tours scheduled for September on which we've begun to focus. Ordain is starting out early in September, Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo begin the last week in September, and we're talking to Josh Harty about a September tour. I suspect we will go through a few other roster changes until we have the right formula for success. I'm very excited about all of the things going on with Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo, who will now be appearing on WGN-9 in October, giving them an opportunity at some national exposure. In just a couple of weeks, we get to see the Josh Hill Band (albeit duo in the metro area). They will be appearing on WVUA 90.7 in Tuscaloosa in connection with this tour. I will, unfortunately, likely miss their appearance, as I will be on a plane to Madison to watch AWATH open for Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam. I'm very happy, however, that Josh (Hill) will get this opportunity. He's a very talented young man, and he's such a joy to work with. I want to get as much going for him as possible on both the press and touring sides. We'll begin doing his regional bookings shortly, with a view toward helping him quit his job and taking his wonderful music to the masses at the same time. All is right in my world.

Peace,
Shirley

Rolling Along...

2009-05-31T10:10:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back sooner than I thought I would be, but so many exciting things are happening for one of the bands--Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo. First, we received word that two of the bands's songs had been chosen by two different radio stations for airplay. "Livin' On Love" (one of my favorites) was chosen by the Midnight Blues Special. It sat in the #3 slot all week. Aaron was very nervous about recording this song, as it was his first attempt at a ballad. Now, when you're a rockin' blues band, a ballad is new territory. Why this wonderful young man ever doubts his talent to do anything he sets his mind to is beyond me. It's a good thing, though, as that will keep him humble, even as he continues to grow. "Drinking Blues" was chosen by Audio Independents Radio for airplay. I don't have the numbers on that one yet, but given that the song will make you drop what you're doing and break into a Lindy hop, I have no doubt it's doing well. So, if you don't know how to Lindy, maybe a jig or jive will do you just fine. Whatever dance moves you've got in your repertoire, just be prepared to break them out.

Even as we sat on and enjoyed these two pieces of great news, the news kept coming. Keep in mind as well that AWATH's CD has been out for barely a month. Aaron emailed me one day to let me know that a UK blues act would be rolling through town, and he would love to open for them. I know how this stuff works, folks. It's typically about "who you know," not "what you know." Fortunately, I know someone. Aaron and his band will now be opening for Davy Knowles and Back Door Slam, a very talented blues group from the UK. Their new CD was produced by Peter Frampton, and they're sharing the stage with Frampton on one of their tour dates. Check Davy out here: http://www.davyknowles.com. He's a great musician and a great match musically for the Hoodoo. I can't wait for the show--that's right, I will be there. Before we could even fully wrap our minds around this accomplishment, Aaron advised me that we have an "interested" at Sonic Bids for a pretty big festival. I'm definitely keeping all fingers and toes crossed on this one. It would be some great exposure AND they pay. Rarely do you find both at a festival, so we're hoping this one comes through. Normally, I won't discuss things until I know they're a "sure thing," but it's an honor to be considered, so we're flying high on that.

Finally, I received word just yesterday that "It Ain't Easy" is among WORT FM's Top 25 Blues Release for May 2009 and is sitting in the #3 position. What is it with the threes? Good things come in threes? Bad things also come in threes, but we have nothing bad going on here right now. Maybe three is our lucky number. I'll be sure to include it in my next lottery picks, LOL. What's really funny is that this is my third month working with Aaron's band. Can somebody cue the "Twilight Zone" theme? I'm getting Goosebumps just thinking about it. Okay, so now I'm DEFINITELY including the number three in my lottery picks!

Aaron is something very special. I heard that in his music, and I realized it when I met him in person the first time. He's young, but his music is classic blues. I guess you could say he's an "old soul." As a result, his music is reaching people, as evidenced by these recent honors, and I have dubbed him the "golden child." Ever since I was treated so poorly by a band I had poured my heart and soul into for a year and a half, I decided to treat this thing like a business and to protect my personal feelings at all costs. As a result, I didn't realize until now that I had lost my passion and was simply going through the motions. I want to thank Aaron for returning that passion, as it is a necessary component to what I do. Now, that passion is extending to all of the other bands, and I'm ready to "rock and roll" (pun intended) with their press and management (as applicable). My wonderful intern Galen, who has become a permanent part-time employee of the firm, continues to do an awesome job, and we have Amanda joining us next week. Between the three of us and my newly found (or returned, as the case may be) passion, we are ready to make a mark on the indie music world. We truly are rolling along. Until next time....

Peace,
Shirley

The More Things Change (you know the rest)

2009-05-25T05:39:00.000-07:00

So, Blue Flashing Light's manager called me last week to let me know that the band is disbanding. They finally figured out that they're not going to be discovered playing once a month, so a couple of the members have decided to return to college. I think it's a good decision. In order to do anything in this business, you have to play. You have to play shows where industry insiders can see you, and you also have to play where the regular folks can see you. The more of a buzz you can create around yourself and your music, the more interest you'll generate from the insiders. Some of the bands get that, some don't. When they don't, I think they are better off finding something else to do. We currently rep another band with a similar mindset, and they will be leaving the roster in July. We most enjoy working with the bands that want to work--period. We're in talks with another Madison, WI, artist. He is very talented, but what we really want right now is another Atlanta band, so we're doing a little looking around and recruiting. We prefer that this band come with a following in the area, though we know we'll be helping them to create one when they get ready to tour, just like our other bands, but we don't want to have to help them create that following at home. In other words, we want an experienced band not a start-up. We'll see what happens in the coming weeks and months.

Speaking of Atlanta bands, Ethan & the Ewox are doing quite well for themselves. They were a pretty big band down in Jacksonville, AL, when they decided to pack it all in and move to the big city. They've been here for four years, and they weren't playing a whole lot, which is a shame. If you ever get the opportunity to hear them live, you'll know what I mean. We've been working on getting Ethan and the guys more of a following in this area, and it's coming together. I put Ethan's band in the 3 for $5 at Smith's last month. The object of this "game" is for the band to draw a minimum of 30 people on a crappy night (either a Monday or Tuesday). If they accomplish that goal, the venue will consider them for an opening slot on a Wednesday and slowly move them to a weekend night. Well, Ethan skipped to the head of the class. We were fortunate to get a Sunday 3 for $5 and have that Sunday fall on Ethan's birthday. The fans came out in droves--56, to be exact. Before we could say "happy birthday," Ethan & the Ewox skated right into a Friday night line-up at Smith's Olde Bar, one of our premier music venues. Sweet. The day before that, however, they did their thing at Vinyl, another high profile venue here in Atlanta. They did really well, so I knew their Friday night show would do even better. I was not disappointed. The guys were in great form, and the fans surged to the front of the room for a closer look and to dance. After their set, one of the venue's night managers complimented us on a job well done. I suspect we'll be playing Smith's more often. Again, sweet!

It's tough finding the right match with bands, and we know we're going to lose and gain until we find the right bands for our company. I have, however, gotten better at interviewing them prior to taking them onto the roster, and as a result, we will do better with matching. We have some other exciting things we're working on that I'll reveal at the appropriate time. Suffice it to say that since I left my job in January, things continue to move up, confirming again that I made the right decision. I love what I do, even with all the ups and downs. Remember: Anything worth having is worth fighting for. I wish everyone a very happy Memorial Day and a wonderful summer.

Lyin' Again

2009-05-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

That's the name of an Ethan & the Ewox song. I thought it apropos since I promised not to wait another month before blogging. Oh, well. Sometimes, life really does get in the way. We've been incredibly busy with tours, training new booking agents, and working on press. I have been very fortunate to secure an intern from Illinois, who moved down to the ATL last week. We spent a couple of days helping him and his lady get settled and took them out to see some of Atlanta, though they're doing fine on that front on their own. We had to take them to one of our favorite places--Eddie's Attic, so we did that on Friday afternoon. Sitting on the patio, enjoying mojitos and a nice breeze, it was sort of inevitable that it would suddenly begin to pour! Fortunately, it didn't last long, and we got the chance to walk Galen and Angela around on the famous Decatur Square. I love that place! Angela will be interning at Paste magazine, so I wanted her to see where she will be driving into on Monday. Galen is fortunate--I work at home, and they are bunking at my brother's house, which is only 15 minutes away. I'm also having him come in at 10:00 a.m., mostly so that I don't have to get up so early!

Galen has already done a great job, and I have elevated him to Executive Assistant. He's no longer a "lowly intern," and he'll actually earn some green. Now, WE need an intern, LOL. There is much to do: Josh Hill goes on tour in June, Cornerstone starts in July, and Afterglow rAdio will be touring June through the end of July. We are working press on all three of those tours. In addition, the bands I manage--Aaron Williams & the Hoodoo and the Sharp & Harkins Band--are getting booked up regionally, and we need to work press on them as well. So, we have LOTS to do, and I'm not sure the two of us can handle it alone, hence the addition of an intern. I met two potential interns the other night at the 7:30 Club meeting. One wants to learn both press and booking, so I hope she's ready to get worked to death. I'm waiting to hear back from the other, and I hope he wants to stick only with the press so that Galen and I have someone completely dedicated to us. Don't get me wrong: We can always use the booking help, so I am NOT complaining.

On the booking front, Roxy, Lauren, and Beth are hard at work, and we are so pleased to have them on board. My other sister Carolyn has also come on board, and she's doing a great job already. My niece Teresa has made contact with an awesome venue in Orange Beach, AL, and they have already booked several of our bands (AND they're paying guarantees--sweet). Trey and Ally will be training on Tuesday and should be set to begin shortly. I'm also still waiting for Sean to get settled in New York, and he will begin booking as well. This thing is slowly starting to come together, and I couldn't be more excited. Now that the booking seems to be in capable hands and under the control of my sister Georgia, Galen and I can focus on press, which is very important to our bands.

We anticipate other changes in the near future. Our contract expired with one band, and we aren't renewing it, so they're off the roster. Another contract that we won't be renewing expires in July, and we'll be dropping a third band in July. I have had my eye on a Wisconsin blues band for some time, and I have been put in contact with another Wisconsin artist that I like very much. We will be able to add both groups to the roster in the place of the bands we're terminating. I have been chatting off and on with one of them via the Internet, and I had a lengthy phone conversation with the other on Friday. Both are great artists and fit more into the "niche" category, which we believe will make them easier to book. One is blues/rock (and won the IBC Blues Best Club Band last year) and the other is Americana/blues/country. I think we're going to enjoy booking the blues bands, and I'm excited that we're getting more into that arena. It's also great to have another country artist, which we haven't had in some time. So, we're very excited about the upcoming changes.

Next week, we'll start getting geared up for our NACA submissions. The Southern Conference takes place in October in Winston-Salem, NC, and we will be submitting at least three bands for showcase opportunities. Georgia will accompany me to the conference, as she will eventually be taking over all bookings for the company, including NACA.

Now, I'm not going to lie this time and say that I'll be back to blog in less than a month. I will, however, try to blog whenever we have exciting news. We've now had two bands make it into the finals at Eddie's Attic's open mic, two months in a row. Cornerstone will be playing the open mic in July, and Josh Hill has a regular slot at Eddie's in June. We've got two shows coming up this week: Ethan & the Ewox and Afterglow rAdio at Vinyl and Ethan & the Ewox at Smith's Olde Bar. This will be a pretty crazy week, but hopefully, things are settling into some semblance of normalcy for us. We also now have company counsel, Kemp & Ali, who will likely be suing one of our former bands for fees. Ah, gotta love the business. That one negative aside, I am thrilled about the future opportunities for our companies. As I'm wont to say: Onward and upward!

Peace,

Shirley

Over a month???

2009-04-12T12:35:00.001-07:00

I can't believe that it has been over a month since I've blogged. Time really does fly sometimes (fun notwithstanding). We have been so incredibly busy at SJK PR and Opus Entertainment. The good news is that we have three new booking agents who I think are going to do a great job for the bands. One of them has already secured three bookings in two weeks, which is pretty incredible, considering that she hasn't ever really booked before. We're interviewing one tomorrow that I'm pretty darned excited about. Once he comes on board, both of my management clients will be in good hands, and I can stop worrying so much about their bookings. Eventually, we hope to have one for each band, though a couple of the bands are only part time and can potentially be handled along with the full-time bands. We'll have to play that one by ear.

Last week the Afterglow rAdio guys were in town for a couple of shows. What a great bunch of guys and stellar musicians. They put on quite a show at Smith's on Sunday night, along with our Atlanta band, Ethan & the Ewox, who lit the stage on fire. It was Ethan's birthday, and 56 people came out to see them. That's pretty incredible for a Sunday night! I expect Ethan & the Ewox to get an opening slot at Smith's shortly, which will be a great shot in the arm for them. They're all having to work day jobs right now, but we hope to change that. The more we can get them out working, the faster that will happen, so we're trying to focus on weekend bookings for them. They are another group of fantastic guys who are really good at what they do. We are so proud of the bands on our roster. They all take pride in themselves and their work, so we don't have to worry about the unprofessionalism we dealt with from one of our former bands. We still have some "house cleaning" to do, and we'll be in good shape.

I spent Monday with Jeremy, Eric, Jorge, and Preston (Afterglow), prepping them for their Good Day Atlanta appearance on Tuesday morning. We had a nice lunch and followed that up with coffee. I was happy to spend some time getting to know them better. For some reason that I now can't recall, I was up Monday night until 1:30 Tuesday morning, and I had to get up at 4:00 to shower, dress, and get out of the way for the guys, who arrived at 5:00 a.m. We went to Good Day, and it was a blast! Everyone was so nice and welcoming, and during sound check, they all knew they had a great band on the set that day. This was the guys's first TV show, and we have a little work to do for the next one, but overall, they did a great job. After the show, I returned home, put on my night gown, and promptly went back to bed! I knew we would have another late night because the guys had a show that evening at 10 High.

When we got to 10 High that night, Preston informed us that they would not take the stage until midnight. Good thing I had that nap. They, again, performed with abandon, and some folks came out who say them on Good Day that morning. Sweet! We ended up hanging out with the guys until 4:00 Wednesday morning, and by the time I got up on Wednesday, I was pretty much done in. My body kept telling me, "You're not 25 anymore....you're not 25 anymore" until I told it that I well realize my limitations, but sometimes, we have to push it out. I missed my 7:30 Club meeting that evening, as I really was wiped out, and I didn't get to see the guys before they left, though I did speak with them. All I was thinking was that I needed to get it together because Sharp & Harkins is coming to town next! They will be here tomorrow, so we're sprucing up the place and filling the fridge and cooler to get ready for them. I will very much enjoy this "down day" before the next band arrives. I was telling my girlfriend that, thank God, we don't have another band coming until June. Then, she reminded me that Afterglow rAdio is returning next month. Thanks, girl.....

Such is the life of a "rock star mom," LOL. I spoke at length with Josh Hill yesterday, and I will now be taking over his press. I also hired a law firm on Friday for the company, so things are moving right along and falling into place. I have an amazing press intern who should be coming on board the first or second week of May, and I will begin grooming him to take over the helm on the press work, as I need to be getting my management clients some sponsorships and other things. Business is booming, and life is grand, so I have no complaints. Now, it's time to do some things for me, so I'm signing off for today. Hopefully, it won't be another month before I can blog, but we'll see....

Peace,
Shirley

P.S. I'm posting Afterglow rAdio's Good Day Atlanta appearance. Enjoy.

Introducing....Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo

2009-03-04T14:51:00.000-08:00

Aaron, Zac, and Eric are blues musicians from Madison, WI. I had talked with Aaron off and on via e-mail, discussing the possibility of working together. The guys had shows booked down in Daytona Beach, FL, for Bike Week, and I had been searching high and low for a gig for them on February 26. When the Ungrateful One (remember him from my last post?) fired my sister as his booker, she put Aaron's band in a slot she had previously booked for him. Since the guys were coming down south, Aaron and I had spoken about getting together, and we decided that they would stop through Atlanta on their way back from Daytona Beach. That happened this past Sunday.

I swear, every time one of the northern bands comes south, they bring the cold with them. In this case, I didn't consider that possibility since Aaron was coming up from the south, but as fate would have it, they brought the cold--and snow! I couldn't believe the size of the flakes that were coming down. I haven't seen snow like that in Georgia in several years. Of course, being men of the Great White North, the snow didn't even phase Aaron, Zac, and Eric, though our household was going crazy, including the dogs. If you've never seen a 98 pound dog running while covered with snow, trust me when I say it was pretty hilarious.

I welcomed the guys, and we sat down to chat. I had planned to take them out to eat, but we had so much fun talking that time got a bit away from us. We spent our time getting to know each other, and we really seemed to hit it off. They had a million questions for me regarding the agreements I had sent them to look over, and I think I did a good job responding to them. They seemed satisfied that I am who I say I am, and that I'll always be straight-up with them. I feel that they will return that, and by the time my stomach started growling, I already knew that I wanted to work with them. My sister finally came down to join us, and we got ready to leave for dinner.

Because the snow appeared to be sticking, we didn't want to go too far from home, though the guys were planning to drive on to Nashville. They're used to driving in that mess, so I wasn't too concerned about them, but I was concerned about us going too far away. So, we took them to an Applebee's near the house. It turned out to be a great idea to go out that evening, as the restaurant was virtually empty. One of the things I love most about these guys is that they're not heavy drinkers or big party animals. We all had Cokes--except Aaron had lemonade. They are strictly business when they're on the road, and I could easily see that. One of the problems I had with my former band is that they partied too much. They treated their tours like vacation, and did very little to promote and bring people into their shows. I don't foresee that problem with any band that treats this like what it is--a business. These are the types of bands with which I prefer to work--like Josh Hill's band. They were awesome. I think Aaron's band will be the same.

So, they're now back home, and we're doing the final negotiations on our contracts. I am excited for the possibilities for this band, and I'm happy to have yet another genre with which to work, blues/rock. We're anxious to begin booking them to see how quickly they book out. We had two bands on the roster that were really hard to book, and one of them is now gone. We will likely be terminating the other soon. To do well in this business, we've got to have bands that book out relatively quickly so that we can easily keep them on the road, expanding their fan bases and profiles and enabling us to book more dates. I think things are moving in the right direction, and I am really looking forward to the future. Again, it seems that every time God closes one door, He opens another one onto a bigger, brighter future.

Here's to continuing to find the right bands with which to work and continuing to hone our skills in booking, press, and management. SJK PR is looking at a very bright future, and the great bands will continue to come. It's only a matter of time. Now, I have less than a month left to see Afterglow rAdio live for more than two songs, and they're playing with one of my personal favorites, Ethan & the Ewox. We have much for which to be thankful. Stay tuned.....

Shirley

Moving On

2009-02-27T02:59:00.000-08:00

I had been working with one of the bands for a year and a half. The leader of that band and I were so close--or so I thought. He turned out to be very disloyal. He spoke negatively of me to someone, and I assume he thought I would never know. As fate would have it, however, word got back to someone who knows me, and he shared what he knew with me. I suppose you can imagine how that felt--think a bucket of cold water to the face. At the same time, I shouldn't have been surprised. This young man has previously, freely shared his negative thoughts of those closest to him with me, so it was foolish of me to think I was immune to his disloyalty. I suppose this is a way of life for him. Indeed, I talked to another who tried to help him, and that person shared, "I could have told you about the loyalty issue." I wish he had. It's a shame because I really cared about him and had killed myself for a year a half, trying to help him. I had always thought that, when and if he ever "made it," I would eventually be rewarded for my hard work. Given this latest development, I thought reward unlikely. If he would turn on me like that while I'm still trying to help him, what would make him do the right thing when the time for reward arrived? That's a rhetorical question, folks, as you already know the answer as well as I do.

We moved quickly to remove his new bookings with the company. After all, who would expect him to honor payment for those bookings or to otherwise be honorable in any way whatsoever? In addition, he had, in the past, gone directly into new venues and secured the booking information so that he could easily book himself later, and we didn't want him to get easy access to these new venues. I should have known that he was never trustworthy, but my desire to help outweighed my good sense. Indeed, following the demise of our relationship, he immediately began re-booking himself into venues in which we had previously put him, having never revealed that he had secured the information. Disloyal AND dishonest. Good move on our parts. I wished I could take back everything I did for him, but that is obviously impossible to do. Instead, I learned a valuable lesson about pro bono work for musicians, based on future promises to pay. The funny thing is that immediately prior to his betrayal, I signed the publicity contract with the Austrian band. Even as I entered that agreement, I wondered whether I would be able to do an adequate job for them, as the disloyal band leader unmercilessly monopolized my time, making it difficult for me to work for any of the other bands on the roster. At the same time, I felt that I owed him because he's the one who really got me started in the booking end of things. Because I'm a loyal person, I would somehow work all this out, as I felt that I owed him that much. Too bad I was the only one in that relationship who felt that way. Once I understood the situation, I decided to cut my losses and move on. Enter Afterglow rAdio as a press client, Aaron Williams, a booking client and potential management client, and Cornerstone as a potential management client.

Though I don't spend as much time working on my spirituality as I should, I know that God sometimes closes doors so that He can open others. While that closing door may hurt us in some way, we must have faith that the opening doors hold so much more that is positive and good. In my case, that is exactly what has happened. I don't hate the young man who used me; I feel sorry for him. He doesn't know the value of relationships, trust, and loyalty. He appears to have difficulty maintaining long-term relationships, likely due to his inability to be loyal and his propensity to use. That makes me sad. We all have so much that to share with others, but if we can't maintain relationships, with whom do we share? Do we just move from person to person, hoping that we never run out of human contact? I don't want to know. I will continue to put myself out there to make personal contact with others. His betrayal will never change who I am; however, I will never again do work for a band based on future compensation. If I am compensated for my work, the band owes me nothing should our relationship end. They get what they paid for, and I get paid for the work I provide. While this is the most fair way to handle these situations, it saddens me because I always enjoyed doing my part to help these young men realize their dreams, even at no charge to them. I suppose I can always volunteer at the Red Cross.

While I am beaten and bruised, I am not defeated. God has ensured that. I was finally able to provide a booking to Aaron Williams (http://www.myspace.com/aaronwilliamsandthehoodoo) on his way to Bike Week in Daytona Beach, and we will be discussing our agreements this weekend. Aaron impressed me to no end the first time he contacted me. His e-mail was eloquent and his intentions clear. I pray that we are able to work out a deal, as I would love to work with him. Unlike my former management client, Aaron wants my advice and counsel. My other management client--Sharp & Harkins--have already sought out my advice and treat me with the utmost respect. Rather than crying over the proverbial spilt milk, I choose to embrace the gifts that God has given through these professional, dedicated young men. I owe Sharp & Harkins an apology, as they always took a backseat to the Ungrateful One, but I have been trying very hard to make that up to them. They have rewarded me with their loyalty and obvious intent to work with me, rather than against me.

Ever since I started working in the music industry, I have benefited from various connections and relationships. I am thankful to the Ungrateful One for bringing Sharp & Harkins to me and, unwittingly, bringing the rest of the bands to me who now make up our roster (save one). Though unappreciated by him, the work we accomplished attracted the other, bigger bands, and we're already finding them much easier to book, giving me plenty of time for my PR work. I am extremely grateful to God for never letting us down, even in the face of unpleasant, turbulent times. He is always there; no matter how dark things might look at any given moment. His light continues to shine and to right things in the Universe. That's a very comforting thought. I now know that no matter what, I must keep pushing forward to the goals He has set for me. I am continually blessed by the wonderful people who come into my life, even if for a short time. I continue to learn and grow through my interactions and work, and I really can't ask for any more than that.

I'm shaking off the negative vibes of the Ungrateful One and am moving on with the utmost of positive thoughts. He was in my life for a reason and a season, and that season has ended. Just as we are rewarded for enduring another cold winter with the brightness of spring, the coldness of negativity will be replaced by powerful, bright positivity. I pray for the Ungrateful One; I pray that he learns the value of loyalty, relationship, and trust before it is too late. I am grateful that this situation has not changed who I basically am. A friend of mine once sent me a beautiful, framed thought that so perfectly fits this situation that I will share it with you: "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment" (Ralph Waldo Emerson). Soon, those negative vibes will be but a memory. Here's to moving on.

Peace,
Shirley

Take Your Medicine

2009-02-18T12:02:00.001-08:00

Why do we hate doing things that are good for us? I started physical therapy this week. The therapy is necessary because of the bad car accident I had in December. Surely, you remember that. I certainly do, but I'm the one with the banged up right leg with the big knot on it! I also have some residual stiffness in my left shoulder, with intermittent numbness and tingling down my left hand, into my fingers. Oh, and the leg is still numb too. :-/ So, I probably need physical therapy badly, but you know me: I hate spending the time doing it. Now that I'm self-employed, time is a very precious commodity to me. I have the two new PR clients, and the booking agency has six bands, one of which I mentioned is going on tour for a year. So, we have LOTS of work to do, and spending an hour and a half at physical therapy is almost a nuisance.

I've always been bad at putting others before me and my own needs. Does that make me a "nurturer" or a "nut?" At least I now have some "me" time, which I already know is very healthy for me. I've been trying to get my power walking routine down. But this physical therapy thing is getting in the way. I know--it's only an hour and a half of my day, but when you figure in the hour it takes me to get there and back, it's 2 1/2 hours. When I get back, the first thing I want to do is get to this computer and get to work! Today, however, I'm slowing things down. I'm finally getting my home office organized. Once that's done, I'll be able to work more efficiently, so I HAD to take the time and do it. I received two shipments of CDs from my press clients yesterday, and I have to find somewhere to put them (other than in the big boxes they came in). That helped to push me to do the organizing thing that I've been needing to do since I left my day job!

Anyway, I'm going to quit complaining and take my medicine. I've got two physical therapy appointments next week, and then, I'll only have four more weeks of it. So, the good news is that this too shall pass. I think I'll look into some ways to relax so that I can stop being so high-strung about this work thing. I have to admit to myself that being high strung is sort of my nature, so I don't know that I'll be able to conquer it. I would, however, like to try. Too bad I don't have a nice whirlpool and/or sauna at the crib. ;-)

Well, back to work! I'm going to get this office cleaned today if it kills me!

Peace,
Shirley

Exciting Times!

2009-02-12T17:20:00.001-08:00

As I mentioned in my last blog, Afterglow Radio is turning out to be fairly easy to book. We've booked four dates for them in three days. We'll be putting them on a year-long tour, the thought of which we're trying not to allow to overwhelm! I've never booked a band out this far, but we've already got the first two months' routing done. We will likely have to adjust this tour as we get really into booking it out, but we've got a good grasp on what we need to do.

Ever since I started doing this entertainment thing, I have hoped for a big enough band that we could help to grow that would, at the same time, help our agency to grow. I think we've found them. They average 600 to 700 plays per day at MySpace; meaning, somebody's watching. They're polished, professional, and mainstream, all of which will serve them well as they tour the country. The band has a slot at South by Southwest, which is another very good indicator of the talent of this band. When I mentioned at a meeting last night that the company now represents them, several of the club members had heard of the band. In fact, one said that they were the ONLY band he remembered from Atlantis. I'm really looking forward to the southern NACA conference to try to get these guys a showcase. If they get a showcase slot, it is so over. But, if you don't want to believe me about how great they are, just check it out for yourself:

AGR Promo Preview

I will be traveling down to Orlando in a few months to watch the guys perform on their home turf. They have a very strong draw at home, and I'm looking forward to seeing them perform in their element. I've only had the pleasure of seeing them perform two songs at the Atlantis Music Conference, which is where I met them. Talk about being in the right place at the right time. I almost missed their slot, as I had forgotten the name of the band. As fate would have it, however, when I went to the Masquerade to see another band, Afterglow Radio's manager was standing outside and reminded me of his band's slot. Must be fate, and I'm one fortunate girl.

From the day I decided to quit my day job, things have been moving in the right direction. Afterglow Radio is not only a booking client but is now my paying press client. I also finalized a publicity contract with a band from Austria, Cornerstone (http://www.myspace.com/cornerstoneaustria). Check them out; they'll be touring the U.S. this summer. They're pretty darned awesome! You've got to love a great rock band with a very talented female lead.

Please take the time to check out these fantastic bands--before you have to see them on the JumboTron. ;-)

Peace out,

Shirley

Happenings

2009-02-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

I feel very fortunate to have a new PR client coming on board, and I'm excited about the possibilities. The band is from Austria, which is very cool. I'm also meeting with another manager to, hopefully, represent her client as well. Things are certainly looking up for SJK Public Relations. I'm tightening up my roster, getting rid of some dead weight, and moving on to bands that really want to take their product to the next level and who want my help doing that. I certainly don't have time for bands that feel that they no longer need my help. That's a waste of all of our time.

I'm talking to a pretty big band out in San Francisco about joining the roster, and I am really looking forward to having them come on board. Hopefully, we can do some exciting things with them, as they're already pretty far out there, making our job that much easier. I am also blessed to have Afterglow Radio (http://www.myspace.com/afterglowradio) join our roster as a booking client. I had added them to the NACA roster, but they came with their own club booker. I don't know what happened with that relationship, but I'm thrilled to have this incredibly talented band added to our roster. I've already booked one date for them, so I have a feeling they're going to be pretty easy to book. The easier they book, the faster we can book them and others.

I have recently met some incredible, connected people here in the city who can help us to elevate our bands's profiles. I can't even begin to tell you how thrilling that is! All of these events tell me that I did the right thing to dive into the business full-time. It has been a blast working at home, and I haven't once had to push myself to get out of the bed and get to work. No, I now look forward to getting up early and getting to work. Without an hour-long commute both ways, I have more time than I ever dreamed humanly possible to get things accomplished. I'm feeling very blessed and confident about the future success of this business. My sister is booker extraordinaire, and I'm trying to learn from her, as I used to primarily handle press. Now that I have been freed from some of those responsibilities, I can help her out. She's been a Godsend to be able to handle all this on her own, and she does a great job of it. I am truly blessed.

Shirley

Freedom is Sweet

2009-01-25T17:02:00.000-08:00

Well, if you read my last blog, you know that I decided to pack in the day job. Yep. I gave it up. I've been needing to this for some time, but I think I was afraid to let go of the security blanket. That's not a misplaced fear, given the current state of the economy. I have, however, for some time believed that my band work is what I'm supposed to be doing, so I know things will continue to transpire as they have the past year. It's pretty incredible what can transpire when you open yourself up to what the universe has to offer. If you've never done that, you should give it a try. Sit back, and watch the magic happen. Now, what happened to make me go ahead and take the plunge may seem like a negative event to some; I took it as the biggest hint I've ever had in my entire life.

I had been having some difficulties on that shitty job for some time. As time went on, those difficulties seemed to get worse. No one understood me, and I didn't care to understand many there. I came to work one Friday, and the clerk of court decided that the time was right to "shock me back to reality" by threatening my job. I'm so sure he wasn't expecting the response--a five page missive that is likely my best piece of writing to date. The end result of that missive was my resignation, effective immediately. If you've never quit a job with no notice, let me tell you that it is extremely liberating. The timing, which coincided with President Obama's inauguration, wasn't lost on me either. Talk about a big hint. We had already decided to have a few friends over for brunch that day, but we weren't expecting the day to turn into a celebration. Sometimes, life is full of very pleasant surprises.

Armed with a year's salary, five (make that six now) incredibly talented bands, and a whole lot of faith, I have launched my business full-time. I know there are those of you out that who will think I have completely lost my mind. No, that happened when I stayed on that awful job for five years too long. You would be completely amazed at the doors that have been opening since my decision. I'm not ready to share too much of that just yet, but suffice it to say that I don't expect to exhaust that year's salary any time soon. ;-)

One of the best things about leaving that job is my freedom--freedom to do the work I love and, more important, to come and go as I please. Take last week, for instance. I really needed to meet with one of the band leaders in person to discuss some issues. Normally, I would have to wait until the band will be traveling in the area, which would further depend on whether or not I had the leave in my bank. No longer a problem, people. I got my oil changed, packed my car and drove to them a few hours away. Trust me when I say nothing can possibly be more liberating than that. Okay, so the drive home seemed awfully long, and I caught the bass player's head cold. Minor hitches. Of course, we scared the crap out of them because they assumed they were in trouble, but that's another story for another time.

Tomorrow is my first full week in the business, though I tried to get started last week. I've still got some organizing to do, but I'll be taking care of some bookings/press this week, starting with radio follow-up. I already know it's going to be a real treat to be able to sit here and make the phone calls I need to make, without waiting for the break whistle and trying to cram as many phone calls into 15 minutes as humanly possible. I can get started and knock those out early and get to booking work in the afternoon. Ah, the life of the entrepreneur. I will likely be working way harder than I did before, but I am going to love every minute of it. So, I'm taking tonight off--something I haven't done in a year. Yet another liberating feeling. Maybe you'll be "seeing" more of me here; maybe not. I tend to be a workaholic. Maybe I'll have time to find a nice boyfriend to distract me from working so much....so many possibilities when you've been set free. Try it; I don't mean quit your job if you don't have a Plan B, but do something that sets you free, be it a long, hot bath; volleyball in the back yard; or whatever else you do to "get away from it all." Trust me: You'll feel refreshed and renewed--just like me, head cold and all.

Peace,
Shirley

Dr. King's Message - Apropros for Me

2009-01-11T07:59:00.001-08:00

Free at last, free at last. Thank God almighty, I'm free at last. As those closest to me know, I'm quitting my day job. Not next week, not next month, but right now. I'm not going to bore you with the whole story, but suffice it to say that the clerk of court opened the door for me on Friday, and I'm walking through it and not looking back. He helped me with a long-standing decision that I should have made a long time ago. I am so happy to be free of that oppressive place. They encouraged no creativity, no critical thinking, no nothing but sitting there, moving papers like a robot. I'm anything but a robot, honey.

I am excited beyond words to step into the business full-time! I have a feeling that sis and I will have this thing rolling in the money in no time. We've accomplished a whole lot with her in the business full-time and me in part-time; now, it's REALLY on. I will just have to be careful that I don't work 24/7, as I will tend to do. I've been working at the computer since 5:30 this morning, and I'm still here, working on bookings. I have taken a break here and there, but for the most part, I've been working on the business. It's funny how when it's your own thing, you'll kill yourself for it!

Good news abounds this weekend. Yesterday, I had lunch with a very pleasant, mature, seemingly hard-working young woman who I hope is going to become my intern. She's in her second year at my Alma Mater, Agnes Scott College. I couldn't be more excited. This thing is really happening, folks. We're even working on getting some additional warm bodies up in here, and then, we are really ready to conquer the entertainment world.

On top of all this good news, I went to the "new and improved" 7:30 Club meeting last Wednesday, and it was the bomb. We had a panel of experts--real experts--talking to us about the recession and its impact on the entertainment industry. The news is good, folks, and we can keep doing what we're doing. That's GREAT news. I am looking forward to a long, enjoyable career, and it all starts tomorrow. Yeah!

The last good news is no surprise to anyone: The 44th President of the United States will be sworn in on Tuesday, following the King Holiday no less. It can't get much better than that. I've been blinking back the tears all day. I'm afraid they're going to flow on Tuesday. We're having a few friends over for brunch so that we can all watch together. It's a momentous occasion, and I don't plan to miss a minute.

Well, that's about as much of a break as I can afford right now. I'll check back in soon.

Shirley

I'm such a slacker....

2009-01-07T17:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't been here since December 28. Shame on me! I do have a lot on my plate right now. I had planned to write a missive about how much I hate Microsoft, but I've since gotten over my anger (for now anyway). TLCB is getting geared up for their February East Coast tour, and I have tons of work to do. I wrote a press release that has been picked up by a lot of impressive sites, including the Washington Post. I like to think that's a testament to the band's talents rather than my wonderful writing skills. Of course, it could be a bit of both, not that I'm bragging, mind you. Writing comes fairly easy for me (as you can likely tell from reading my blogs), so that's neither here nor there.

Anyway, we've been busy shopping the release to local media in hopes of picking up a feature or two along the way. I've also been working radio promotions for this tour, and let me tell you, I could devote several hours to that per day and still never get it all done. We have, however, been rewarded with airplay at WIDR 89.1 in Kalamazoo, MI. But some of the most exciting news we've had came yesterday. Lucas said I was hyperventilating. Me? Never. The band is going to be on WGN 9 in Chicago on January 22, and that is a super accomplishment for us. With WGN being included on most cable menus, we have the opportunity for many markets in this great country of ours to get a sampling of one of the baddest bands in the land. Yeah, I'm prejudiced. Do you have a point?

Well, back to work. I just didn't want my blog to get stale or for all of my followers to think I had abandoned them--all two of them, that is.

Shirley

Clean Up/Recovery

2008-12-28T10:04:00.001-08:00

Well, it's time to recover from having the fam over for Christmas. Soon, we'll be un-decking the halls by taking down all the Christmas decorations. It's so funny to me how we anticipate this one day, go nuts with shopping and decorating, only to have the big letdown of having to clean up afterward. I guess it goes with the territory. Taking down the tree isn't nearly as much fun as putting it up! Today, I'm working in my room, which is a full-blown disaster area. When you have little time to devote to yourself every day, something will inevitably fall by the wayside. In my case, that would be my bedroom. I figure no one has to see it but me, so that's one I tend to let go. The downside of that is, of course, I then have to spend hours trying to straighten it up when if I would just keep it picked up, I wouldn't have to go through this every couple of months. Can someone explain to me why I do this over and over? Every time we have a band playing nearby and visiting, I am in clean-up mode. In this case, the band will be The Josh Hill Band. We, technically, don't represent Josh's band, but he's been a dear friend to the Lucas Cates Band, and we're all about paying it forward, so we booked out a tour for them. Chances are we'll do it again in the near future.

Speaking of bands, I've recently been approached by a blues/rock/roots band out of (where else?) Madison, WI, looking for management and bookings. The band is Aaron Williams and the Hoodoo. If you haven't heard them yet, please do (http://www.myspace.com/aaronwilliamsandthehoodoo). They're young, but they amazingly "get" blues/rock. I've spoken with Aaron both via e-mail and on the phone, and he seems to be a fine young man. While we haven't officially taken them on, I am trying to book them on their way down to Bike Week in Daytona Beach, FL for one night. You know how I love helping these guys out, so I hope I'm successful. Later, we'll talk about the possibility of working together. The hard part for me is that while I'm still working full-time, I don't have enough time to honor all the commitments I already have. I'm hoping that finishing up my business plan and shopping it for funding will alleviate all these problems. As my headline at MySpace says: "So many musicians, too little time." Ain't that the truth!

So, it's back to cleaning my room for now. This was a welcome, short break. I am slowly getting my life back to normal from the car accident the week before Christmas. I drove a new car home yesterday, a 2008 Mitsubishi Galant. The funny thing is that I totaled a Mitsubishi Galant several years ago, which put me in the Nissan Altima. Now that the Altima has been totaled, I'm back in a Galant. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come! As for how I'm doing physically following the accident, I still have some residual pain and problems, but I feel that I'm getting stronger every day. I have some doctor's appointments coming up, and I'm hoping and praying that I get all of the feeling back in my lower right leg soon. You know how your arm feels when you accidentally fall asleep on it? Well, that's how part of my leg feels. Fortunately, I can feel my foot, so I feel safe in driving.

Happy Sunday, everyone. If you're like me, you're getting ready to return to work tomorrow. The good news? I've got to get through only three days and can then enjoy another four-day weekend. I think I can handle that. Time off is another of the things I love most about the holiday season. Peace. Let's have one more burst of Christmas cheer before it's all gone for this year.

It's Good to be Alive

2008-12-18T13:44:00.000-08:00

Hello, all. I thought I'd take this time to reflect on my recent car accident. I don't know that saying it was the scariest thing I've ever been through in my life would adequately describe the experience. Here's what happened.

I was tooling along DeKalb Avenue, heading for the plantation. Suddenly, a Jeep in the right lane decided that he/she wanted to get in the left lane, except my car was in the way. Out of sheer knee-jerk reaction, I jerked my steering wheel to the left to avoid the collision. Because the streets were wet, my car immediately went into a tailspin. It spun until it made contact with a utility pole. After contacting the pole, it spun one more time to rest in the opposite direction. I was dazed for a second, and suddenly, my window was filled with faces. One was a very nice gentleman who wanted to know if I was all right and to inform me that he had called the police, firemen, and an ambulance. The policeman arrived first and asked me a few questions and for my driver's license and registration. Soon, I could see the fire engine coming over the hill. I reached to try to get out of the car, but the handle was missing. Upon closer inspection, it was inside of the door frame. Let me tell you that my car was literally in pieces, with parts of the car all over the place on the inside of the car. The review mirror rested on the dashboard. I was still sort of dazed but out of instinct knew that I needed to get out of the car. Two of the firemen climbed into the back seat and started checking me out, and one of them told the other that they had to get me out now. The driver's door had been permanently closed by the utility pole, so I got to see the "jaws of life" up close and personal. Once they got the door off, they found that the sliding mechanism on the seat didn't work, so they lay the seat back on the fireman in the back seat and started trying to maneuver me out of the seat. Let me tell you that my right leg (which had been jammed under the steering column) and my entire left side were screaming, so I decided to join them. I don't think I've ever felt that much pain in my life.

I also had the experience of riding in an ambulance, which was absolutely no fun. They wouldn't raise the top of the stretcher because they were worried about my neck, so I had to lay completely flat. Lying flat when you're going downhill at 60 miles an hour is a lot of fun (not). I told the paramedic that if he couldn't raise my head to at least keep me from asphyxiating on my own vomit, which would surely come after one more hill. Thank God, that was the last hill. They literally ran into the emergency room pushing the stretcher I was on, and I swear, I felt like I was on Grey's Anatomy or something. Upon entering the room, they immediately began looking for broken bones and any life-threatening injuries. My male nurse--I want to say his name was Derrick--was very sweet and tender with me, which was comforting. I underwent an ultrasound and x-rays, and thankfully, had no life-threatening injuries.

After hobbling (literally) out of the hospital, my sister and I went to the towing company that took my car from the accident scene to retrieve my personal belongings. I knew the car was damaged, but I was totally unprepared for what I saw there. It appears that my car tried to fold into itself, as the floor of the car was almost pressed against the bottom of the seats, and the roof was crumpled, though it never struck anything. Yeah, you know I'm giving you a photo, right? I want everyone to know how blessed I am to be sitting here typing this right now, and I also want to tell everyone out there who fails to wear seat belts every time they drive to change that habit. That seat belt saved my life. While I have a big, nasty bruise where the lap belt restrained me, had it not been there, I likely would have gone through the windshield. I'll spare you a photo of my banged-up leg; I'm trying to relay a message, not gross you out.

Four days later, I am still in a good amount of pain, but I'm going to try to go back to work tomorrow. Crazy, I know, but I'm almost out of leave. Plus, I think I'll feel better if I start getting more back to normal. I tried to be "normal" last night and go to a Christmas display with family, and my back is paying the price today. So, am I ready to go back to the plantation? I'm going to give it a shot. If I can't make the whole day, at least I will have tried. I still have lots to do from the accident. I've been to two doctors, with a third one coming up. I still don't know the identity of the person who caused the accident, as they rushed me to the hospital, and I didn't get an opportunity to get any information. I now have a totaled out car to deal with, and once I determine the identity of the other driver and his or her insurance company, I will deal with getting another car (not that I'm overly anxious to get behind the wheel again, mind you). I also want to thank the very nice witness who pretty much handled everything that I would have handled had I been able. It's great to know that there are still some nice people in this world, who will make themselves late to work (or wherever he was going) to take care of things for a stranger. That is likely sticking out for me more than anything in this ordeal, and I can't wait to determine his identity so that I can properly thank him.

So, life goes on. It's very good to be alive and to be able to count my blessings for being spared. I tell people that I guess God wasn't ready to call in my marker, which must mean I still have a lot of work to do here. I might as well get to it. Happy holidays to all and remember: Wear your seat belts, all the time, every time. Oh, and for anyone who has anything bad to say about firemen and the police, they will have to deal with me. Those men were a Godsend, and I for one am glad we have them. Peace, Shirley

Fa la la la la, la la la la

2008-12-16T11:54:00.000-08:00

As opposed to my "la la" post of last week, this is a good thing. I've always loved the holidays. It's the time of year when everyone is on their best behavior, a time to come together with family and friends, and a time to appreciate all that we've been given and celebrate with people about whom we care. The season has also traditionally been a time for me to curl up on the couch with a sappy ass movie that makes me cry and makes my heart swell three times it normal size. I typically start my Christmas shopping in August or September, so as to lessen the strain on myself, and I'm able to get one gift a week and be done way ahead of the game. Not this year. Things are so different in my life right now.

I had practically forgotten about the holiday altogether until recently, and I immediately went on line and ordered a couple of presents. Even though I was running behind schedule, there was no way in hell I was going out on "Black Friday." I don't like people enough to be in those crowds, and I don't have the patience for standing in line. Smart move. I waited until the Sunday after Black Friday, and I was in and out. I suppose everyone wore themselves out on Friday, so I had the stores virtually to myself on Sunday. So, I got LOTS of things accomplished that day, except for getting my sister's gift (because she was with me--duh). Besides forgetting about shopping, I've also not had time to watch any sappy movies. Shame on me. So, last night I took the night off to wrap gifts and watch my favorite sappy movie, "A Christmas Carol." My favorite version stars George C. Scott. I know--they're all the same story, but George C. Scott is the best Scrooge ever. And yes, I still tear up when Scrooge disappears into the sunset with the newly healthy Tiny Tim at the end.

While watching the movie, I received a text message from one of the band leaders. We handled his business, and I told him what I was doing. In response, he texted, "you'll shoot your eye out." Blasphemy! That's "A Christmas Story," you know, the one about the kid who wanted the Red Rider BB gun more than anything else in life. If you've never seen this one, please do. It's funny as shit--at least it was the first 100 times I saw it. Channel 17 ruined it for me forever by running it as a marathon, over and over and over, beginning on Christmas Eve night and running through Christmas night. Talk about sickening. Even though I watch "A Christmas Carol" every year, I watch it only ONCE. They've tried to ruin it for me by making all these ridiculous versions, like the singing, female Scrooge portrayed by Vanessa Williams. People, they call them "classics" for a reason: Leave them alone. But, I'm rambling now.

Even though I've had an unusual year (unusual in a good way), I'm still looking forward to Christmas. It's still a time to reflect, to celebrate with family and friends, and a time to do for those less fortunate. All of that makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. The best thing for me this time around, though, is two days off from my workplace, which I "affectionately" refer to as The Plantation.

I didn't get to finish this the other day, and now, my mind is elsewhere. I was involved in a serious car crash yesterday, and I'm happy to be alive today. I think I'll switch gears and write about that, but I'm still happy it's holiday season. This year, I get a new car. Oh, joy. Who's going to pay for it????

Another day, another nickel

2008-12-12T09:44:00.001-08:00

Excuse me for changing the cliche, but I have to account for inflation and the bad economy. Plus, it's not like I'm making six figures over here. I'm back on the plantation for more fun and excitement--not. Not only do they bore me here, but the "powers that be" don't appreciate that I have a life outside the court, so they make my life in the court miserable (at least they try). I've learned not to ever let anyone else steal my joy, so their attempts at making me miserable are futile. They can never steal my joy, as they will never understand from where it derives.

A lot of my joy derives from working with the bands--I love my bands (I know--if you had a nickel for every time I've said that....). What I love most about working with the bands is what they've brought out in me, how they've changed me as a person, and how they've allowed me to see who I really am. It's a beautiful thing. I said before how cool it is to reinvent oneself at 50, but I really can't take all the credit for that reinvention. Musicians are beautiful people--period. They make no judgments, they're not racist, and they could care less about any of the mess most people like to get into. Their number one priority is making music and finding people to enjoy what they've made. If you think about it, the ability to write a song and make it come to life is pretty incredible. Even more incredible is the ability to invoke emotions in people from the art you've created. Lucas has at least two songs ("Candlelight" and "Epic") that make me tear up, no matter how many times I hear them. Sharp and Harkins' "Freedom" brings out a lot of emotion in me as well, as I can totally relate to Ryan's lyrics. Most of Mike's music just makes me want to shake my booty, but that's an emotion too, though the song "Come For Me" from his last CD brings the "verklemptness."

What I finally realized (duh on me for taking so long) is that songwriters are the most sensitive people on earth. The beauty of a songwriter's soul can't be described here, and it most certainly can't be described by me. I wish. Now, for most women in society the terms "sensitive" and "man" in the same sentence would be considered an oxymoron, but I can only assume they've never met a songwriter. Hell, some of them are even more sensitive than I am. Okay--so that's not a good comparison. I tend to be a bit hard. But, they're more sensitive than a lot of other women I know. (How's that?) Because I know Lucas best of all the band members, I have to share that I recently discovered that he is a real live, honest-to-God free spirit. Yeah, we all claim to have some of that (and some of us do), but he is full-fledged, honey. I can't believe it took me so long to figure that out (just call me slow), but it brought me to a whole new realization of who he is and why he does what he does (so well, I might add). He is what I refer to as "a beautiful soul." I've spent a lot of time on the phone with Ryan, and I see those same qualities in him. I didn't pick that up as much in Mike until we got to spend some one-on-one time. I think Mike guards himself a bit more than the others, and I don't blame him: As sensitive as they are, I'm sure it's easy for them to be hurt. Not with Momma around. Anyone who does anything even slightly encroaching on any of these guys now understands why I'm such a pit bull when it comes to them. Yeah, we're all going to be hurt at some point in our lives by someone else. That's just a part of life; however, I am not going to sit by while someone intentionally, unintentionally or goes out of their way to hurt any of these guys. If they do, they are going to have to deal with me, who is not sensitive in the least when you cross me. Trust me: It is ass-kicking time, but I'm getting WAY off the reason I started writing today.

I was speaking of joy and how no one can steal it unless you let them. This has been such an eye-opening journey for me. I've learned that it's okay to be tough, as long as you allow some softness. It's okay to care to the point of being able to feel another's pain. It's okay to wear your heart on your sleeve. Most important, it's okay to reveal your true self to others and allow your connection to them to shape and mold who you are yet to become. At 49 years old and as a result of meeting Lucas Cates, I found that I still had a lot to learn to be even one-tenth the person that he and these other guys are. They see beauty in literally everything life has to offer. Once, when we were chatting via e-mail about tour plans, Lucas ended his e-mail with "I love my life!" I want to be able to say that. I'm halfway there now. How many of us do honestly get to say that? Even if we enjoy our personal lives, we sometimes have a work life we can do nothing else but endure (like mine). But, if you find that one thing--be it person, place, or thing--that brings you joy, you have to grab it and hold onto it for dear life. Embrace everything about it, and allow it to become your focal point rather than concerning yourself with the negatives. Let's face it: The negative things are part of life, and they are always going to be there. How you approach and deal with them is what counts. The more you embrace the good things in life--embrace your joy, if you will--the less important the negatives become. When I first started this journey, while I enjoyed my life outside of work, I would allow work to take the forefront when on the premises, thereby robbing me of my joy. I've learned to embrace the positive, to see the beauty in even small things, and to, pardon the cliche, turn a sow's ear into a silk purse. Thanks to my work with the beautiful souls in the bands, I'd like to think I'm becoming somewhat of a beautiful soul myself. Discovering that is joy in and of itself, and that is what I choose to embrace today.

I wish you all a beautiful weekend, though it's likely you'll be hearing from me again before it's over.

la la la la la la la

2008-12-11T08:23:00.001-08:00

Well, I'm sitting here on my day job, just as bored as shit. You know what happens when you get bored: The mind starts to wander. Mine is wandering toward all the shit I have at home that I need to be working on, rather than sitting up here in this hell-hole, picking my nose. We're working on six national tours for two of the bands, and there's a whole lot I could be doing to contribute to that right now. I need to find radio stations that want to play some good music for a change by accepting the bands's CDs for airplay, and I need to do a little venue schmoozing. Hey, as long as it's for the bands, it's all good.

I told y'all about my day job, right? I'm a paper-pusher. Except right now, I have no paper to push. Maybe my judge is off today. Who knows? They don't communicate with me. I'm just their little puppet, sitting here waiting for them to jerk my strings. The sad part is that I'm a waste of my own tax dollars. That's fucked up, isn't it? These people know they can waste some tax dollars up here. We have way too many employees for the amount of work, and the bulk of our management team is a joke. We have one supervisor who just shows up and walks around all day--no shit. When they try to give him assignments (because they know he ain't doing shit), he passes them along to his subordinates. Heaven forbid someone should sit his sorry ass down and read him the riot act. Please. That would require confrontation skills, which our clerk of court lacks--unless he's dealing with a woman. Then, he's all over it. Our operations manager is best at pointing her chubby little fingers at people and other than that, contributes very little to the "0perations." If it weren't for my direct supervisor, the team would be totally useless. She alone gives them cred as a "management team." The rest of them remind me of the snide remarks and jokes about "government employees" that I've always heard, and they, unfortunately, support those remarks and jokes. It's almost comical sometimes. We have people who walk around so slowly that I have a hard time seeing how they make it to the other side of the room. As I'm wont to say, they have absolutely no sense of urgency. Now, if I ran things here, the atmosphere would be a whole lot different, and you, my friends, would be saving hundreds of thousands in tax dollars. I hate waste--especially government waste. Ugh. Don't get me started, honey.

So, lots going on in the band arena, and we're all getting geared up for the tours that are coming. We're also getting ready for the NACA conference, which happens the first week in April. Now, I know you're thinking that's an awfully long way away, but in my world, it's just around the corner. You have so much to do to get ready for these things that the sooner you can get started, the better. My plan is to walk out of there with several bookings this time around, so we've got to get everything to the point where our shit don't stink. Besides that, the tours will need final touches, especially on the press end. Did I say that TLCB is playing an incredibly impressive venue in New York City in February? Well, I just did. That's a testament to their talent, plain and simple. If it's the last thing we do, we've got to get some serious peeps into that venue on that night, so we're all putting our heads together to come up with the best strategy to accomplish that. What's the line in that song? "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." If we do well in New York, the guys will be even more well on their way (they're already well on their way). So, lots of exciting things down the road, and that's all I can think about as I sit here and twiddle my thumbs (as opposed to picking my nose).

Well, I guess that's enough of my shout-out from the plantation. For all I know, they're capturing my keystrokes so that they can read what I've written later. Have at it. Hope you enjoy reading what I think about you. Back to more thumb-twiddling. Peace, Shirley

Meet the "Smoke Blower"

2008-12-07T09:18:00.000-08:00

I knew when I got involved in this thing that the music industry is chock full of messy, deceitful people. This is absolutely no surprise to me. I try to avoid that type of person as much as possible, but that's difficult because of the industry I've chosen to work in. I have to just suck it up and put up my guard so that I can recognize them when they come into the picture. Why, with everything else going on in my life, would I choose to do this, you ask? The bands. They live for this, and I want to help them. Putting my personal feelings aside and my hip boots on, I waded into the muck.

One of the most interesting types of people I've met in this industry is the "smoke blower," or people who want to blow smoke up my ass. I can feel it when they get anywhere near me. I like to say that my ass is big enough without the smoke puffing it out even further, but dealing with that type of person is a necessary evil. One of the prevalent things in the music industry is people who pretend to be what they're not and who convey an ability to produce things and people that they cannot. When I first started doing this, I worked with two men who claimed to have all these connections that would allow us to book the bands virtually any and everywhere we wanted. As you can guess, those contacts never materialized. As I continued to work with the bands, I began to notice people coming around, claiming to know this person or that person and telling us how they could get us the "hook up," be that hook-up venues, industry insiders, or whatever. To date, not one of those hook-ups has materialized into anything useful.

Don't get me wrong: I very much appreciate getting these lessons early on. Now, I'm better prepared to deal with them. Has it hardened me somewhat? Of course it has. I would like to think, however, that it has mostly made me a good judge of character. I can pretty much smell a smoke blower a mile away now, and while I will be cordial or even friendly with them, I never allow them to cross a certain line. No, I'm not psychic nor can I read minds. However, this type of person usually reveals him or herself very quickly and in a manner I've come to recognize. So, while I stand in the room and joke, cut up with them, and listen to all their boasting, I take it all with the proverbial grain of salt. If they can show me something or bring something to the table that proves they are who they say, then we can talk. Until that day, I have to keep my guard up. If I don't, I and my bands will be constantly disappointed in things that never materialize, and I can't have that. If nothing else, I am my bands' biggest fan. As I have grown to care about each and every one of them, I cannot stand by and watch people hurt them, all for the sake of talking shit and pretending to be someone they're not. I have neither the time nor the patience. As Tom Cruise said, "Show me the money," or an even better cliche: Put up or shut up.

Our time is better spent on people and things that have proven "sure things" (as much anything can be "sure"). It can be so frustrating to waste precious time on things and people that don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I work for eight hours and day and come home to get the most out of my evenings and weekends for band business. When that time is interrupted for bullshit, I'm not a happy camper. Some people say I'm "too tough" and others say I'm "too honest" for the music industry. Be all that as it may, our bands are happy with our work, and we've enjoyed some successes, no matter how small anyone else may perceive them to be. They are successes nonetheless, and that's why we do this. So, I forge on. As you can guess, something has transpired to dredge up all these feelings, but those feelings are now off my chest and I can get back to the more important things: Band business.

Peace,
Shirley

Why I do it.....

2008-12-05T16:12:00.000-08:00

You've read the "what;" now, it's time for the "why." I can think of many reasons "why." People who know me well and see me in action think the "why" is because I've lost my raggedy mind. I mean, how many people want to work a full day, only to come home and work another full day? You've got it: Crazy people. Honestly, you have to understand that my real life is here, not on my boring ass day job. I can't wait to get home every day to see what I can cook up (and I don't mean in the kitchen).

The first time we booked out a tour for Lucas and Kenny, the "why" became very clear: Their gratitude and their excitement. That's worth more than any money they could ever pay me to do this (if you're reading this, Lucas, don't take that too much to heart; I do have to eat, and I prefer to live indoors). After sending Lucas and Kenny all of the details on their first booking, the response I received from Lucas was so filled with excitement that I could feel it through the computer. As we continued to work on bookings for them, the excitement seriously reached a fever pitch. At the time, I didn't really realize the significance, but later, the significance would become clear to me.

I've spent most of my life "pushing papers," first for lawyers and then, for the federal court. What I did had little impact on anyone (other than the criminals for whom I issue the final judgments that lock them away), and I just went through the motions of doing my job, not giving a second thought to what I did. Nothing exciting, just the day-to-day grind. I'm getting bored just thinking about it. Working with bands, however, put me in a position to directly impact someone's life (in a positive way, as opposed to locking up criminals), and it didn't take very long before that impact became a rush. Then, I just wanted more. As we got more used to working with each other, Lucas and I settled into a routine, and the excitement became more subdued. Enter the Sharp and Harkins Band and their first national tour. Ah, the rush of the excitement, all over again. I would get daily e-mails from the band, telling me about their adventures of the night before. You would think I was there with them, as I could feel the excitement and get excited myself! At the same time, Mike and Anthony of the Compass Rose Quartet called from the road with their duo adventures. Could I stand all the excitement? Of course--I loved it!

Now, don't read anything into what I'm saying about Lucas. He's still excited but for different reasons. He's an old hand at touring now after six national tours in a year, but we're watching his MySpace page literally blow up, and that, my friends, is exciting as hell. From 9,000 plays to 36,000 in less than a year, all without languishing on his page, making random friend requests. Sweet! That is about as cool as it gets. I have very high hopes and big plans for all three of our bands, but Lucas has been our "guinea pig." He let us try all kinds of things, both orthodox and unorthodox, to get his name out there, and for the most part, we've been extremely successful. Once he fully blows up (which is coming--you can quote me on that), we'll take all the tricks we've learned and push the other bands out. I can't wait!

So, once we're successful with all three bands, what's left for me in the excitement arena? Plenty: red carpets, movie premieres, the Grammys! Okay, so I like to dream big. I learned it from our bands. Sure, I've had dreams in my life, but I never actively pursued them. What a waste! Now, I dream big, and I go after them. Whoever thought that a woman could reinvent herself at 50? That's supposed to be the prime of my life, not the beginning point. I'm sure you all know the saying, "You're not getting older, you're getting better." Well, I can top that: I'm getting younger. Thanks Lucas, Kenny, Mark, Jesse, Ryan, Andy, Justin, Colin, Mouse, Mike, Anthony, Ida, and Scott. They're all my babies, my friends, and my inspiration. Now, I know why God never blessed me with children: He would give me 13 later in life. And I didn't have to change one diaper. Nice.

What I do

2008-11-30T17:47:00.000-08:00

So, I never got to the part of "what I do," did I? I do whatever I have to do to get my bands's names and music out to the greater world--yes, by any means necessary. You see, I believe in my bands and their talents, and I am determined to help them realize their dreams. For now, I still have a full-time job, even though the band work is rapidly becoming a full-time job itself. Every evening when I get home from work, you can find me glued to this computer, sending out booking requests, press requests, working radio promotions, and other things. I am blessed to have my sister working in the business full-time, and she has become the Queen of Booking. She finds great venues and gets them to pay our bands good money (most of the time). Every now and then, we find a "clunker," but we all just chalk it up to experience. Speaking of experience, I had none when I started doing this.

I started out working press for a Wisconsin band. My dream was to become this high-powered publicist who could get her bands into any and every press opportunity available. That dream was re-routed when I met Lucas. He needed bookings. Though I was absolutely clueless about how to do this, Lucas loaned his expertise, as he books himself all over Wisconsin. When I met Lucas, I asked, "You're in Madison, right?" His response? "Yeah, and I'm trying to get out." Out he has gotten. He just finished his sixth national tour this year, three duo and three full band, all of which we booked. What do you need to be successful at this you ask? The gift of gab doesn't hurt. Talent buyers can be difficult to deal with, as they all have something we want: Bookings. And they know it. Fortunately, there are far more nice buyers than there are nasty ones, so it's not so bad. If you can chat them up and get them to like you, you've passed the first hurdle. Every now and then, my extremely distinctive southern accent helps me out a bunch, especially when booking in far-away lands--like California.

In addition to booking Lucas's tours, we helped the Compass Rose with a tour, and in November, we had all three bands on tour. Sharp and Harkins's tour was their first, and they had an amazing ride, due in part to their willingness to get to their target cities early and hit the streets for promo, which goes a long way toward interesting people in listening to your music. They played to some pretty impressive crowds, especially when you consider they never played those markets before. The Compass Rose Duo tour went okay, but they had a couple of "holes" we couldn't get filled, which left me somewhat depressed. They were, however, happy with the results of their tour, and they've left their music and merchandise all over the southeast, which is always a good thing. The economy isn't helping us either, as one of the venues we had a band booked in promptly closed, leaving a hole in their tour as well. Lucas has been down south six times this year, and he is finally starting to take hold, for which I'm very grateful. I think we'll be seeing more of him in the future. ;-) Once the economy picks back up, I think we'll have a lot less trouble helping the bands to entertain the masses all across this great land of ours.

So, that's what I do in a nutshell. Once we get the bands booked, I go back in and work press for them. Sometimes, I'm very fortunate and get appearances for them all over the places; other times, I'm not. A lot depends on the time I have to work with and the markets they're playing in. Part of the fun of touring is that we get to have the bands with us in our home. As long as they play in or near Atlanta, they know they have a place to stay and food on the table. That helps a bunch. Maybe next time, I'll share some "war stories" about band visits. Trust me: You haven't lived until you've had a band or two in your home.

No matter what, we all know that if we keep working hard at this, success will replace the dreams we all have. I feel very blessed to have such talented, down-to-earth, loveable band members with whom to work. Ah, life is grand. Until next time.....

How I Got Started

2008-11-29T06:13:00.000-08:00

Though I'm a writer by trade, I have yet to get into this blogging thing. One of the bands I work with had their first national tour this month, and they kept a tour blog, which was quite entertaining to say the least. Then, I found out that the bass player in one of the other bands has a blog, and I've been inspired to start my own. How did I get started doing all this? It's sort of a long story--the kind you share when you're sitting around drinking with friends and there's a lull in the conversation. To tell it, I need your undivided attention, hence waiting until we're drinking. I know--waiting until people are drinking may not be the best time to get them to pay attention, but it may be the best time to get everyone quiet. The short story for you is that this all arises from my love of a little TV show called American Idol and one of its contestants Elliott Yamin. If you own the CD, read the liner notes, and you'll see my name--seriously. Fast forwarding past many steps in this journey, I was in Madison, Wisconsin last year for a job interview and to do some work with another band (that I no longer work with) when a phone call came in on the manager's phone. He loves to brag, and he bragged to the caller that the band's publicist was in town, that she is very good, and that she could likely help the caller as well. He promptly handed the phone over to me, and on the other end was a young singer/songwriter named Lucas Cates. I knew from that first conversation that I would like Lucas, but I needed to hear his music and learn more about what he wanted to do with it and how I could help.

When I got back to the band manager's house, I immediately went to Lucas's MySpace page. While I didn't listen for long (mostly because we had a band party and people kept interrupting me), I sent him a friend request and figured I'd speak more with him when I got home. He approved my request and sent me a very nice message. What a d-o-l-l. It was love--okay, maybe not yet, but that was coming as well. I responded to his message and promised to listen and get back in touch with him upon my return home. My flight back from Madison was delayed by several hours, putting me off kilter for the rest of the week. Later in the week, however, I remembered my promise to visit this young man's site and promptly went there to listen to him. Cliche aside, I was completely blown away by this young man's music. His voice was sweet and innocent, yet forceful and manly (he sings in baritone). His music was catchy, and his lyrics forced me to listen to try to decipher their meanings, as it was obvious that he wrote in metaphor. Ah, a man after my own heart. I set out to touch base with him via e-mail and ended up writing a novella. I'm a writer, after all, so what did you expect? Anyway, we spoke a few days later, and the rest, as "they" say, is history. I have always had very high hopes for this young man's future, but those hopes have now skyrocketed--but I'm moving ahead of the story.

Lucas and I bonded over the phone--big time. By the time I met him in person three months later, I was already gone. His music was stellar, and his vocals will melt most heterosexual females instantly. I didn't see the dollar signs behind all that (because I don't necessarily think that way), but I did see that he could easily be huge once exposed to the masses. I also at that time met his guitar player, Kenny Leiser, who plays guitar like few I've heard. Then, he surprised me by whipping out his violin, and once again, I was gone. Seeing these two live was such a treat that I likely sat there with my mouth hanging open for the bulk of the show. After their show, I told Lucas that I had never met an artist who sounded BETTER live than he did on his CD, but as I would find out later, Lucas was still evolving as an artist when I met him. Again, I'm jumping ahead a bit, but I'm writing this from memory and this is the way it's playing out in my mind. I immediately knew that I not only wanted to work with Lucas but that I wanted to help him to get his music out to the larger world and to prepare him for the ramifications of doing that.

While I'm leaving out lots of this story (you don't have the time, and neither do I), Lucas asked me to be his NACA agent, something I had heard of but was not sure what it meant. To do that, I would also have to represent two other bands, the Sharp and Harkins Band and Mike Droho and the Compass Rose (n/n/a The Compass Rose Quartet). Little did I know the treat that would be in store for me. While it sounded like a lot of work, Lucas pretty much had me wrapped by then, and I was there to do his bidding, ha-ha. I actually helped Mike with a club booking before we ever went to NACA, and what a talent he is. I thought I had died and gone to music heaven with Lucas and Mike, but I was yet to hear Sharp and Harkins, who added yet another element to the fortune I had found, in Madison, Wisconsin no less, with me, way down here in Georgia.

So, that's enough for this installment. I hope I've interested you enough to come back for more. Sure I have. More to come.