Copious Smoke

July 14th, 2005 by Luke

The show lastnight went really well. At least that is what people tell me. So either they really liked it or they are just blowing copious amounts of smoke up my ass. It was good. We’ll just leave it at that.

Everything was going well lastnight, however, until afterward. That’s when I got drunk and belligerent. I was on fire. Everyone was laughing. Whether at me or with me? Who knows. It would seem like everything was going well but I was definitely pissing one person off with snide, backhanded comments. It is true: when you are drunk you are simply more of who you really are. For me? I just lose the filter that makes me think before saying all the honest things that are running through my mind. I am simply less selective. Some may call it belligerence. I call it extreme honesty.

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Posted in personal | 2:24 pm | no comments

Anti-Hootinanny, a Few Bruises, and a Silly Hillybilly

July 12th, 2005 by Luke

I played the anti-hootinanny open mic at Sidewalk lastnight. Other than a few bruises, the show went really well. The crowd seemed super receptive to my stuff when I was handing out my flyers after I played. So that made me pretty happy. So happy, in fact, that I went to williamsburg and got shithoused.

Today I will be working on set for wednesday. Mostly, though, I will be working on the songs I am playing for a friend’s wedding in a few weeks. Since I have my friend’s keyboard, I need to (as we say in the sticks) make hay while the sun’s still shining. Which is a silly hillbilly phrase meaning “take advantage of an opportunity.”

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Posted in personal | 2:24 pm | no comments

Things Are Coming Together

July 5th, 2005 by Luke

So I set up this web page. It’s pretty simple, but I wanted to get something up by the time of my first gig here in the city. My brother is going to take over from here and basically trash all of the HTML I designed and put something a lot sexier up. Until then, however, this is the motif.

I have been prepping for my gig all day. Prepping, of course, started with dragging my ass to the dark side of Williamsburg and borrowing my friend Chiara’s keyboard. Why should I need to borrow her keyboard? Good question. The answer to that would be that my keyboard is severely hurting: several of the keys are broken. I do owe Chiara for this little favor. This will all be fixed when I get a new keyboard. I think that is going to happen soon too. Soon, as in the next few weeks.

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Posted in personal | 2:25 pm | no comments

The ‘Ole One Two

July 25th, 2005 by Luke

I had to play the prelude music for my friend Joe’s wedding on saturday. It was amazing. The music I played was a little weak because I couldn’t practice for it until right before the wedding because my keyboard is such a piece. We went camping on thursday before the wedding, and that was something I was relaly looking forward to. I haven’t been camping in forever, so it was great to sit around with friends and drink a few beers and smoke cigars.

Possibly the best thing that has happened since I came back to Ohio for the wedding happened on sunday. i was driving with my little brother and my dad when my brother threw up a west side hand signal in jest (making a joke about something on the radio or somthing like that).

At this point my dad asked me, “Luke, are you up on hand signals?”

I replied, “Exactly what do you mean?”

My brother then said, “He means this.” And proceeds to show me The Shocker. It looks like this:

“Drew!” I repremanded.

“I didn’t show it to him. He just saw it.” My brother replied.

“So what does it mean?” My dad chimed from the back seat.

I stalled for a few seconds looking at my brother, and looking back at my dad. Trying to decide whether or not I could really tell my dad (a fairly conservatively minded republican man) about something like this. So I decided to just go ahead with it:

“It’s The Shocker. Two in the pink. One in the stink.”

My dad looks at me, thinks for a couple seconds, and then just says, “Oh. I get it.”

That was basically the reverse of every pre-adolescent boy’s nightmare. That nightmare being the day their dad sits them down and has the “birds and bees” talk with them. I, however, had to have a more in depth talk with my dad. Makes me shiver.

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Posted in personal | 12:44 pm | no comments

Sidewalk, MoMA, and lots of free alcohol

November 2nd, 2005 by Luke

My shows at Sidewalk and MoMA last week went smashingly. Anybody who missed my show at MoMA should be bummed because it was the best I have ever sounded: you can decide for yourself what that really means. The second set at MoMA was loads of fun, though, because I played with a couple of incredible musicians. They did a lot of old-timey jazz covers, and I backed them up on Drums. Basically what I am trying to say here is that the MoMA show was the heat, and you may have missed it altogether. Shame.

I haven’t booked anymore shows for the coming weeks, but I will be booking them soon so you should stay tuned and then come out and listen to me.

The best part about playing any show is that people always want to buy you beers. The best part about MoMA was that I could drink as much as I wanted on the cafe’s tab. Perk. That launched me into the “holiday” weekend where I just hopped from party to party with my bloodied up face (I went as myself after I fell off my roof two months ago). So ending my weekend on monday night, I believe it is time for me to stop drinking a little and focus on something else. Something more productive. I’ll get back to you on that.

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Posted in music | 10:55 am | no comments

John Wesley Harding and some guy…

November 8th, 2005 by Luke

After work some people were going out for a drink and so I joined them. While we were sitting there, I suggested we go down to the Lower East Side and try our hand at finding some good music to listen to. We ended up going to the Living Room, and checking out the adverts lining the front window. I saw that Jesse Harris was playing and so we stopped in. Jesse Harris co-wrote a couple of the songs on Norah Jones’ first album, and his stuff is really cool. He had a full band and with an organ and his set was definitely the best of the night.

The highlight of the night, however, was when Mike Viola took the stage before Jesse. Mike Viola was par for course as far as New York City singer/songwriters go. He was good but showy and not so hot at it. Nearing the end of his set, he says, “I have three songs left so I want to call a friend up. We met a month ago, and became fast friends. Well…John Wesley Harding.”

I fainted.

No, but seriously…John Wesley Harding. I was in the company of a minor legend. It was a good night.

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Posted in personal | 1:25 pm | no comments

Long time coming…

March 6th, 2006 by Luke

Alright, so it has been a while and I have been getting backhanded comments about updating my page. So, now, in order to quell this harassment, I will catch everyone up on my life in the past few months.

I took a few months off from playing and worked on a few other things.

Satisfied?

Ok…seriously though…I did take a few months off from playing out, but in the mean time I have been working on other things related to music. I have been attempting to try some boot leg recording, computer style. That, however, is not really working out. In place of that, though, I have been talking to a drummer. Hopefully, I will soon be coming to a stage near you with a band behind me.

I also have been working with a photographer to start putting together some pro-grade pictures. Much thanks to Justin Walker, who does great work. So, the design of the webpage is going to be undergoing some changes in the near future as the boys at Jupitercow web design begin to integrate the pictures into the inner workings of this here page.

Also, I am beginning to play out again. I have one show booked at the moment. The coming weeks should bring more shows so pay attention and keep checking back. The show that’s coming up, though, is something I am kind of psyched about. I am playing as a part of a singer/songwriter showcase at CBGB’s Lounge. I am only playing a fifteen minute slot, but it’s a great venue and a hot event. Check the shows page to see further details.

Also, I am on Myspace. I conceded. It took me a while, but I finally caved into the revolution. myspace.com/lukewesley would be where you need to go. < — Or just click on that link. The one positive to going to my Myspace page is that, for now, it is the best place to hear my music and to get a sneak peak at some pictures.

I believe that pretty much sums it up. All of that has happened in the past few months. That and some alcohol.

Until next time…

-L

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Posted in music | 12:57 am | comment (1)

Nothing all that important…

March 15th, 2006 by Luke

I spent all day today researching clubs and booking info. Hopefully, this could mean that in the near future I will actually be booking some gigs at these places, but if I sent things out today I wouldn’t know for a couple weeks anyway. The good news, though, is that I was fairly proactive today. I just wanted to let everybody know that. Tomorrow I take over the world.

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Posted in music | 4:19 am | no comments

drinking and not thinking…

March 17th, 2006 by Luke

I went to a Johnny Walker tasting this evening. It was awesome. We did a tasting of the entire flight…including Blue Label (which, by the way, is quite possibly the greatest thing I have ever let touch my lips). Afterwards I went out with my brother and some friends and got some after party drinks.

On the way home I was walking over to City Hall in Manhattan to catch the JMZ. As I was walking, I saw a newstand that reminded me of one time when I was in High School I came out to New York with my family to visit my older brother Josh who was interning here. He showed us one of two (at the time) public restrooms that you paid a dollar to get into. I think it was an idea that was eventually scrapped for being kind of lame. It just reminded me of how in love I was with this city long before I ever really got a good taste of it. I think I truthfully popped out of my mom looking for something more than the small town I grew up in. Then I passed my subway stop like an idiot and kept walking. I’m retarded.

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Posted in personal | 12:38 am | no comments

The Bitter End

May 21st, 2006 by Jacob

147 Bleeker St. - $5
I am only performing for 15 minutes as a part of the Singer/Songwriter Sessions.

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Posted in shows | 10:15 am | no comments