Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Greetings y'all! I hope ya don't mind the email list sign-up above... I'm making a switch to a different email service. The price of gas, and subsequent touring, have forced me to switch to a less expensive, but actually better service. If you haven't done so, please feel free to add yourself. And rest assured, your information will not be shared with or by anyone. And, I'll only send information when it's pertinent - mostly showdates, news, etc. Okay, so now that the business portion of this blog is over...

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! Let's all remember what this upcoming holiday is about: Our fellow Americans that dedicated their lives to the success of this great nation of ours. I'll put aside my tree-hugging, semi-vegetarian, granola eating, progressive, liberal pride for a moment, and just say hey... we all live here, and these are our United States. Many of our families gave much of themselves to be where we, the descendants are today. I hope we can all come to a consensus about this, no matter what our divisions are.

And again... Happy Memorial Day Weekend, in terms of sharing time with friends & family and the like. Let the summer begin, eh? I get psyched around this time. I love summer. It's always held a special place in my heart. Some of my fondest memories are from summertime with my family when I was younger. I miss those days! But every summer creates new fond memories, and I'm sure this coming summer will be no different.

Alternative Addiction - Well, we made it to Round 2, but not on to Round 3. I want to thank everyone that voted for us. Honestly, I've never been one for "competition" with music. Seems like an oxymoron to me. Art is art, and not a competition. It would've been nice to win, but the games not over. I still get to play... I still get to make my art. I'm getting way too deep on this... Thanks for voting!

Did an in-store at Borders in Concord NH last weekend. Nice folks up there. The ride wasn't too kind. Imagine pouring rain while driving on the interstate. Now imagine that the rubber portion of the wiper blade is slowly coming out with each pass of the arm. Now imagine having to get out of the car and trying to fix that damn blade twice, getting poured on each time. Well, that was my trip. That and other drivers traveling at 40 mph. Ah... it always makes for good stories. Showed up an entire hour late. But all was good because, as I said, nice folks up there!

Got to head back up to Boston last night. Always a good time. Got to see a couple of friends that I hadn't seen in a while... Which is always nice. My friend Chris, whom I've known since the Green Inside days - dating back to the original Radio 104 - was there. I hadn't seen him in about 2 1/2 years. Dude, I'm sorry... I owe you a "Madison." Unfortunately, our set was cut a little short. My other friend Mike was there too... we kinda grew up together. I get to see him every now and then, but he's busy with his band Damone and writing songs like a MoFo. He's really talented. Of course my pal Kelly was there and I'm always happy to see her. It's always nice to travel to different cities and see my friends. Thanks y'all! The show was very cool. And as a matter of fact, a really good band from Toronto called The Free Press played after us. They were also gracious enough to let us use their gear. Thanks fellas! Check them out. I think you'll dig 'em.

Gerry and I head up to our favorite Northeast Coffeehouse, Mocha Maya's, tonight. These guys are just absolutely, stand-up guys, who are staunch supporters of music. It's always a pleasure to play there. If you feel like a FREE acoustic show, then do stop by!

Busy week next week. We'll FINALLY be back in NYC. Can't wait. It's early too, so we can go celebrate our pal Maureen's birthday. Woo-hoo! And then there's the big hometown Toad's Place show. I hope to see y'all there!

As always, thanks for your support. Keep on spreading the word. Cheers!

-Seth

Round 1 is done! On to Round 2!

Thanks to you, we made it to Round 2!

The next cut will be made on 5/21/08. Please keep the voting strong for us at AlternativeAddiction.com. Winning this contest will help to expose us to a wider audience, something we are always striving for. Thank you for being a part of this!



Click on the image above to cast your vote. You can vote once per day, per each email address. In other words, if you have 5 email addresses, you can vote 5 times per day!

You guys are awesome!

Peace, love, rock & roll...

-S

So I'm on my way to Asbury Park NJ...

So, I'm on my way to Asbury Park NJ about a week ago. The previous days' rain storms have passed, it's sunny outside, and I'm reflecting on where I am in my life. A 3 hour trip to from New Haven CT to Asbury Park NJ may be a hassle to some, while others may see playing a show in another state as a really cool thing. I fall somewhere in the middle. I'm ecstatic to be proactive with my music, which often requires me to trek from town to town, often far from the comfort of my familiar surroundings. I know that many people don't have that opportunity. On the flip side, the cost of gas is well, you know, outrageous. Traveling/touring almost always incurs a monetary loss. And if I'm playing a free show and I don't sell CDs, it gets expensive.

So I have these two diametrically opposite feelings to contend with... luck and loss... on levels that aren't even mentioned above. I'm pacing back & forth, over & over again in my head. Meanwhile, the drive is simply fulfilling the luck... or the loss.

I'm driving over the Tappan Zee, crossing into New Jersey and what comes on the radio?

"The screen door slams
Marys dress sways
Like a vision she dances across the porch
As the radio plays
Roy orbison singing for the lonely
Hey thats me and I want you only
Dont turn me home again
I just cant face myself alone again"

And I am alone on I-87, but Bruce is on the radio keeping my company. A pioneer, perhaps, of the Asbury Park music scene, his song is on the radio and I think to myself "It's going to be a good day on the Jersey Shore."

And I can't stop. I can't ever stop. Music is my Mary. She is dancing in front of me, appealing to me... teasing me... I am always working for her, wanting to be closer to her. If were to stop, I wouldn't be able to face myself. Through all the "what ifs," "are you ever going to settle downs," "you're not making any money, why are you doing this," and other indications of disapproval, I can't stop staring at her... desiring her. She gives me purpose.

I continue driving. Bruce made 3 albums on a major label before he had any "big" success. He kept driving too.

I arrive at my destination. Guitar in hand, the weight of cables, a microphone, a notebook, pens and other items in my bag weighing on my back, I walk into the cafe with the hope of affecting somebody with my art today. It's completely egocentric. I yearn for approval. I'm kind of a shy person, and music is my initiation to conversation. I set up my things, and begin to play.

It's a far cry from a sold-out show, as there are only 4 people in the cafe on this particular Saturday afternoon. It's too late for lunch and too early for dinner, and to "middle of the day" for coffee I guess. But I meet the approval of the folks there, including the guys that are playing after me. It relieves the tension of performing in front of a small audience.

I hang out for a while, listening to the sounds of Sean Cox. He's got some great songs, and we share the same work ethic. That is, to travel far from home for a chance of sharing our art for 30 minutes is completely worth it.

I'm driving back home, surrounded by some tranquil spots on the Garden State Parkway. Once again, I'm alone with my thoughts, wondering if what I just did will have any impact on my career. I think in some way it will, even if I can't see it now.

This whole trip is indeed, a Thunder Road.

"Well I got this guitar
And I learned how to make it talk
And my cars out back
If youre ready to take that long walk
From your front porch to my front seat
The doors open but the ride it aint free"

So come with me Mary... Music... I'm ready to go, even if the journey isn't free. It's already cost me more than money... friends, relationships, family... But I still have to do it.

"On the wind, so mary climb in
Its a town full of losers
And Im pulling out of here to win."

And that's a big reason why I have to do what I do. I grew up in a town that was reclusive and yielded to the safeties of the status quo. I never wanted a part of that. I've always wanted to be something bigger than where I came from. In some ways, I feel I've succeeded because I left. But I still feel like I'm in the process of leaving.

Still driving on the Garden State Parkway, almost at the I-87 exit. And you won't believe what comes onto the radio again: "Thunder Road."

And I'm still driving...

-Seth