New Songs

January 14th, 2008 by Luke

So I decided to see what I could get out of a live recording last night and it turns out that some of the tracks weren’t too bad. I posted them on myspace because, seriously, it’s about time I put some new tracks up there. The new tracks include one of the tracks that used to be there, only live now (Fool’s Gold), and the rest are all songs I have written recently. As per usual I have, backing me up, two incredible musicians in Ryan Vaughn (drums) and Chris Anderson (bass).

For those of you looking for new music from me, I believe this should do. Feel free to comment the songs by clicking comment under the song title. I don’t really think anyone actually does that, but I’m more interested in finding out what people would actually put in that area (it’s not really gonna kill me if you don’t though…seriously). I guess I wouldn’t actually mind hearing what people have to say.

The wonderful World of Myspace

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 7:18 pm | no comments

that really was going to be my post…

January 11th, 2008 by Luke

I really was only going to post that last entry tonight, but then I clicked on a google adsense which was helping me decide whether or not I’m “fugly.” How would you describe my lips? thin, plump, juicy, or fat? I went with juicy. I think I answered wrong. I hope I’m not wrong.

Anyway, I believe it was the wise sage Dr. Phil who said, “The definition of stupidity is doing the same thing every time and expecting different results.” I just love the guy, can’t get enough, but that’s a story for a different day (I guess you can’t hear sarcasm in written text can you…). I bring this up because after I filled out the survey that would supposedly answer the burning question of whether or not I was truly fugly or not, I had to keep rejecting advertisement pages that kept asking if I wanted more information on anything ranging from Netflix to Crohn’s disease. Now don’t get me wrong, I understand it’s a serious disorder, but Netflix is something I thought we cured in the 1800s. Regardless, I just kept pressing submit on every page, and I kept thinking that maybe the next one is the one where I would find my answer.

Right before I quit clicking “submit” on pages, I saw an advertisement for a page that said, “Are you diabetic?” Seemed like a far more legitimate question to be seeking an answer to, so I just quit altogether. Why answer real questions when you can answer silly questions? And why answer silly question when there just doesn’t seem like there’s a point (or an answer in sight, for that matter)?

Maybe I’ll become a member of PeTA. That’s something silly and “important” at the same time.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 7:29 am | no comments

I’ve been told I’m too forgiving…

January 11th, 2008 by Luke

I just got off work bartending. I think I’ll probably kill someone now…

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 7:02 am | no comments

New Year’s…One Week Later

January 7th, 2008 by Luke

I almost missed the ball drop this year. I was at a party out here in Brooklyn and misjudged how much time I had left ’til the big moment, so I stepped outside to smoke with someone I’d met at the party. When I got back inside there was 5 seconds left of the old year and it was about time to shout and make noise in the way that we’re accustomed to when ringing in the New Year. Something else we’ve grown accustomed to? New Year’s Resolutions.

This is something that has always annoyed me. I think, basically, because I’ve always felt that New Year’s Resolutions are something to be made, but not to be kept. Awfully cynical right? What you call cynicism, I’ll call realism. Why? People don’t change. At least not over night. Every once in a while it happens (there’s always exceptions to any rule), but generally when someone sets down a New Year’s Resolution they are on their way to breaking it by the night’s end. So in lieu of this, I’ve always said, “I don’t need a specific day to bring about change in my life. If I want to change, I’ll do it any day of the year.”

That being said: I don’t change, but then, I don’t try to change either. I get into relationships (romantic or otherwise) and make the same mistakes I always make. My lazy self hinders the progress of my dreams still. But this is what I mean by people don’t change. Someone doesn’t generally turn from a slack-ass into a do-it-yourself motivator. Someone doesn’t generally turn from a selfish lover into the most giving counterpart for which one could ever hope.

I’m not really writing this to whine about my own insufficiencies as a human being. I’m not necessarily writing about your insufficiencies either. My point is that changing ingrained problems in your personality doesn’t happen overnight, that’s why there are therapists that make lots of money to counsel people for years and years. It’s one week later, so I don’t really care where you are with your resolutions today. If you already fell, then give it some more time: these things don’t happen over night.

As for me I’m good. I’m by no means perfect, but what I have seems to be working for me right now. Plus I’m stubborn and arrogant, so I think I’m better than I really am, and see no reason why I should change anyway.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 10:28 am | comment (1)

January 4th, 2008 by Luke

I got together with Chris and Ryan today to rehearse. That was good. It could have been better had I not had to work last night. I had nobody in the bar at around 1:15 and then this guy came in and drank two beers that lasted him until 4:15. He was sloshed by the end because he had already had a lot to drink prior to the whole thing. Nice guy. Really wanted to talk religion and philosophy though. My only problem with talking religion as a bartender (when no one else is in the bar to get annoyed) is that I don’t want to offend this person who is paying my wage.

Regardless, Louie (my visitor last night) was a nice man, and religion only consumed 2/3 of our conversation, so there was a full 1/3 where we had truly interesting discussion about a host of subjects (life, love, work, death). Louie (age 44) talked about the women he met and dated when he was younger and how they were better women than he realized then, wishes he could do it over again and hold onto some of those women which of course is impossible because you can’t step in the same stream twice. It made me think about my current and past affairs. I’m happy with where I am.

Also there was this lady that came in and ordered a Black Russian a couple hours before him. I made it. I charged her. She proceeded to bitch about the price for the next 1/2 hour to the old man beside her when I stopped listening and walked to the other end of the bar. Finally she stopped when I threw a glass at her face, shouted, “I don’t control the prices Bitch!” and tossed her out on her ass in the sub freezing windy night in the East Village. Then I woke up. She was still whining.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 4:31 pm | no comments

7 Things

January 3rd, 2008 by Luke

So a friend of mine named Tone sent out an email to an email list I belong to. Basically the email originally started from a guy’s blog: it’s the blog of a man who’s recording the last days of his life. check it out…

here

On his blog the guy shared seven random or weird things about himself. The point was for other blogs to follow suit. I was bored and decided to do it also. I suppose my “random or weird” things are really just 7 neuroses, but oh well…

1) I like looking at ugly people. The uglier the better. they have far more interesting differences from everyone else than attractive people. I am also always paranoid that the ugly people at which I am staring will think that I am interested in them romantically.

2) I don’t like talking on the phone, but I prefer actual human interaction to it…not texting or IMing or anything digital. That shit takes too long and drags out conversations to a point where they are exponentially longer. I suck it up. Most of my friends prefer texting to calling. this can bother me (see #7).

3) I think everything (and I mean everything) has a time and a place.

4) I’m really terrified of someone actually getting close to me and because of this I don’t think anyone really is. If everybody I knew got together and talked they’d have a good start, but I can safely assume that that will never happen.

5) I have anxiety attacks sometimes late at night, and I get up and smoke to while away the hours.

6) I can’t sleep with someone else in my bed. I generally don’t play well with others, and if I am playing well with others, things are either going exceptionally well or I am really really annoyed and just masking it.

7) Disorder and inefficiency (once spotted) clouds my brain and frustrates me to a level that I have a hard time thinking.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 3:11 pm | no comments

I’m Dreaming of a…

December 27th, 2007 by Luke

Sunny and 75 Christmas? I’m from Ohio (for those of you who don’t already know). This year for Christmas my parents decided to cash in on their timeshare and get a couple of condos in Sunny Orlando Florida. It’s weird to have Christmas without blistering winds and the possibility of snow. I’m getting by, but Orlando is taking it’s toll…seriously…

I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to Orlando, but most people have because of that giant bohemoth of an “entertaiment park,” Disney World. It’s been a long time since I have been to Orlando, long before I moved to New York even. I think that living in New York has made me hate the tourist culture with a really heavily acidic tongue. I mean, I always hated being a tourist, but now I can’t stop myself from from saying hateful things under my breath whenever tourists are around (and technically this time I am one of them). Anything remotely touristy makes my brain cloud and send a message to all my nerve endings that reads, “kill.”

It doesn’t help that I am staying in a huge (and I mean huge) resort. This place has seven different pools spread out and countless different condo complexes. Yesterday I was at one of these pools for a “BBQ” (which of course consisted of boiled hotdogs and some sort of beat-to-shit pork accompanied by potato salad and all the mustard you could ever want). There was some poor soul with a DJ set-up playing the greatest hits from every wedding or high school prom in middle-America. You know how this goes: Electric Slide, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Who Let The Dawgs Out. Basically what happens, I think, is that once you acquire your DJ equipment, you are given a list of the songs you are allowed to play and you can’t stray or you will be cut from the alliance…I may be wrong, but what other explanation is there?

Anyway, this DJ is playing this crap and trying to get the crowd involved (which is a chore because it’s a damned pool and everyone selfishly wants to be swimming instead of dancing to that fucking CHA-CHA song), and I just couldn’t help but think that his job is a job I could never possibly want…ever. I’d work in a factory before I would do that. Aside from that gentleman though, I am mostly stricken with disbelief at the sheer amount of white trash walking around this city in acid washed jeans and hats bearing the nascar emblem. This place is like my home town if people suddenly started getting really interested in corn and it turned into a tourist attraction. I guess that’s why Orlando sucks. I have thus far enjoyed being with my family, but man…this place is a little too close to small town Ohio while still lacking the things I enjoy…like snow.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 2:50 am | no comments

Catch-up

December 22nd, 2007 by Luke

I have decided not to release the recordings I made last year. The reason for this being that I am not entirely happy with them. The recordings I am talking about are the ones on the page here as well as the ones on my Myspace. It’s not that the recordings are terrible. It’s not that at all. I just don’t feel as though they are fully indicative of my music at this point. I made the recordings with Ryan Vaughn (he still plays with me but at the time had never played with me) and Brian Killeen (Plays with a lot of great people/bands including the Josh Dion Band). They are both incredible musicians and recorded great. What I want to do is get to the point that I have a steady band (which is where I am now) and that band and I have become very tight together (not there yet). At that point I will discuss going back into the studio and doing new recordings.

In the mean time, I am going to be posting some live songs on my Myspace page, and I will also be posting some video clips as well. I hope that sort of thing will tide everyone over until I get to the point where I am ready to go back in and record. I can make whatever, but I don’t feel right selling anything that isn’t good.

Also, I wanted to thank everyone who came out to Rockwood Music Hall on Thursday night. Thank you for making it another packed out show. That was an amazing show and you guys were brilliant.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 5:15 pm | no comments

The Annex

June 4th, 2007 by Luke

The show last night at the Annex went really well. Again, a show that I am really looking forward to ends up being at the same time that the heavens decide to unleash the liquid wrath upon the Earth, but it turned out alright. I brought an alright crowd for it having been nasty outside. the good thing is that people were responsive. That’s always good.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 5:31 pm | comment (1)

Two awesome things

May 16th, 2007 by Luke

1) I was featured yesterday on the Roman Games Diary. Hot hot heat kids. Check it out:

The Roman Games Diary

2) I played an open mic tonight at Bar 4 in Park Slope (Brooklyn for those of you who don’t know New York). Anyway, I killed. Alright, so it went well. Ok, so my sustain pedal broke/shorted out (I was on my keyboard), and I was forced to play the whole two songs with no sustain at all. Anyway, the response was very good. About an hour and half later, as I was leaving, I was waiting for the bartender to bring me my tab and there was this older black lady sitting at the bar. She hadn’t come with anyone (I saw her come in a few hours before), and she didn’t really mingle either. She just sat at the bar and took in the open mic. Anyway:

The Lady (quietly): Are you the boy who was playin’ the piano?

Me: Yeah. That was me.

The Lady (matter-of-factedly): Immense talent.

Then she turned toward the bar and that was that. Oddly enough, it was one of the coolest compliments I have gotten…ever.

The album will hopefully be finished this July…just to throw in an update.

Share This Post

Posted in Uncategorized | 2:51 am | no comments