Every Guitar Tells a Story: Phase Two

November 6, 2010 //

Sitting in/Band Practice/Cabimas, Venezuela, 1983

I left for Venezuela for almost two years in April 1982, leaving behind all my sold dream rock guitar gear, The Dean ML, Gibson White Double neck, Marshall MKII 100 Watt stack and the van to carry it all in, a 1972 yellowish Chevy van. I figured if I was meant to get back into music, the right gear would come back into my life.

My Venezuelan Cuatro and Laud

After about a month in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, I went down to the shopping district to buy a Cuatro, kind of a Venezuelan oversized ukulele, A Tenor Uke of sorts, used to play traditional Venezuelan Folk Music. The cassette recorder I had to record my voice and send home began to be my portable studio, developing Caribbean flavored non sensical flavored blues a Van Halen.

I played some stuff for the locals and it left them totally confused. That Cuatro became my free day muse until months later when I found a Spanish Laud, a twelve string short scale in the flea market in Maracaibo for about $100. I was able to do almost Classical Acoustic Guitar pieces on that thing and by the time I was living in Cabimas, Venezuela, I would enlist the closest person in the house to help make up songs like “Junkyard Dog” and “U.S. Girls”. For a period of 16 months, these were the only stringed instruments I had.

Moviescreen, 1983

When I got back to Salt Lake City at the end of 1983, I got a crash course in the current Metal scene going to a band practice with Parrish Hultquist and his band Moviescreen. Parrish handed me one of his Charvel Star guitars and I nearly blead to death riffing some of the old riffs I wrote two years prior. It felt good just to be playing through a Marshall before the band got practicing. It had been nearly two years since my last encounter with an Electric through a Marshall rage.

Wally in doorway,me in yellow/blue,Snow College 1980

I went to College in Provo, Utah in the winter of 1984 and my old band mate, Wally Gerrard from Karma would stop by my place at Raintree Apartments on the weekends and ended up letting me borrow some kind of no name half stack and a Japanese lawsuit Black Les Paul to practice some guitar. I ended up jamming with a group called the True Detectives with that rig in Provo, a bunch of Orange County, California semi punks playing “Breathless” X style and a few other punk gems. It was a little mismatch to my still metal ways but it was fun.

Mosrite 12 String

The summer of 1984 I was off to work in Southern California with the intention of returning to school but it never happened. Parrish had loaned me a guitar he had borrowed from Dana Freebairn, a vintage Mosrite Ventures 12 string with a vibrato bridge. I strung it as a six string, bought a Tom Scholz Rockman and spent the summer jamming in the sand at Newport Beach, California for the summer.

Eventually, I pulled some cash together and purchased a Gallien-Krueger twin 12 similar to the stuff that Alex Lifeson was using at the time. I thought the cool thing was that it had a built in Chorus circuit and had kind of that post punk sound, like Warren Cuccurullo licks. Living in Orange County, I was getting pulled all different ways, I was still listening to Randy Rhoads but got tuned into bands like U2, The Cult, Souxsie and The Banshees, The Fixx, Missing Persons. It was Orange County and even if Leatherwolf was hanging at the house where I was staying in Costa Mesa, Metal was kind of an inland music; the beach had punk and related music going on.

Kramer DMZ1000

Near the end of summer, Parrish sent out some copies of the Moviescreen Cassette and wanted me to come back up to Utah and play second guitar. I was having a good time in Orange County but I heeded the call and went back up with my Duran Duran style hair, Gallien Krueger and ended up picking up an aluminum neck Kramer DMZ 1000 at a pawn shop in Provo to get more of the heavy rhythm sound he needed. The problem was the Gallien Kruger didn’t sound like a Marshall and at that point in 1984 it was all about the Marshall. We were supposed to open for a band called Exciter at The Salt Palace when Brian Sorenson, the drummer, got hit by a drunk driver and his hand was busted. I ended up taking him to physical therapy several times a week and within two months I had moved back down to Orange County, California.

I had the exact same White Kramer/1985

When I moved back to Orange County at one time I pawned the guitar and amp to pay for a ring for a girl I was serious about. That relationship ended and made me re-think, don’t ever sell gear for a girl. I went and bought a cheap white Kramer van halen style guitar at Guitar Center when it was still in Santa Ana with the Floyd Rose vibrato on it. It was the budget model but still did the dive bombs.

I started to settle into the Huntington Beach, California scene where it was almost open warfare between the kids from Downey and Anaheim coming down in black leather listening to KNAC and the surf punks listening to KROQ. In fact, I lived above Jack’s Surf Shop at the corner of Main and PCH Highway and one night when it was still old town with bars, small stores and surf shops there was a full scale riot going on.

I watched from my bedroom window as the KNAC Metalheads numbering about 100 and the surf punks who were into surf clothes, The Ramones, The Toy Dolls and looking the part actually got into a full out fight on Main Street at about midnight in about 1985. I would just rock riffs with the White Kramer/ Floyd Rose/ Van Halen type setup through my friends Fender Deluxe with a distortion pedal. Finally, somebody got thrown through a plate glass window store front and the cops were coming and everybody scrambled. I could crank that guitar any time of day and nobody cared down by the beach.

Halloween 1986,me in smoking jacket, Derrick Lee-Glam Rocker

Derrick and I put together a group and called them The True Detectives after the band that both of us had jammed with at one time or another. We practiced in the apartment above Jack’s Surfboard Shop and in south Orange County. We were doing covers like “Dancin’ With Myself”’867-5309”and other party favorites around 1986. When my Aunt died and I left for a funeral and didn’t make a gig I never got called for band practice anymore. What can you say?

I wasn’t satisfied with the Kramer and wanted a more serious guitar. I was into jazz guitarist John Schofield after catching a video from the album “So Warm” on an L.A. afternoon rock video show. He was playing an Ibanez AS 200 semi-hollow burst guitar and I went in search of one and found one used and traded the Kramer for the Ibanez. I had studied jazz in college but this was the first time I had tried to start incorporating jazz inspirations into my own playing.

Ibanez AS200-my jazz period and beyond

I was kind of on my own, playing my John Schofield-Pat Metheney inspired chord patterns. My friends in Orange County were still into a kind of post punk thing while L.A. strip bands were getting signed left and right and touring the Midwest. I would keep that Ibanez for nearly 20 years and it would survive the rise and fall of a couple of bands, several amps and an upstairs recording studio that is all now part of the past. In an interesting twist, although I had practiced with Moviescreen and The True Detectives, I never did end up playing live; in fact I had not played in front of an audience since Karma back at Snow College. It was like I spent the rest of the 80’s figuring out what I wanted to do with my music while I was busy dating girls and going on with my life.

Snow College -Me,the Tall one next to Professor, Wally dead center on sax

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Derrick Lee, Eddie Van Halen, Gallien-Krueger, Guitar, Ibanez Guitar, John Schofield, Kramer Guitar, Leatherwolf, Mosrite Guitar, Moviescreen, Music, Rock, Rock Music, Snow College, The True Detectives, Uncategorized, Van Halen, Wally Gerrard

Nashville Loses Bobby Lee Morgan Last Friday

November 1, 2010 //

Bobby Lee Morgan, 45, Musician and Songwriter of the Nashville, Tennessee late 80’s-early 90’s rock band Badd Attitude passed away on Oct. 29^th just weeks after a Rock and Roll showcase that saw the reunion of what was the “Hometown Hero Hair Band” waiting to be signed back in 1990 before the onslaught of the grunge scene.

Bobby Lee wrote well crafted, melodic, catchy rock songs about girls, parties and love that set Badd Attitude apart from the rest of the local Metal scene. The Badd Attitude album never saw the light of day in 1990 and sat collecting dust until being released this past July by FNA Records. After the CD release there was talk of more shows as well as the opening of a nightclub in Printers Alley that Bobby Lee had been working on for some time. Bobby Lee was well loved among the Nashville Rock Scene and was in the middle of one of the most successful periods of his life.

Bobby Lee is preceded in death by his Grandmother and Mother who he had thanked in the CD liner notes for their support and love. On Nov. 7^th a benefit Concert will be held at Nashville Center Stage. FNA Records is donating Five Dollars towards funeral expenses for every Badd Attitude CD purchased before Nov. 30^th. The charitable balance will benefit his niece and nephews.

Badd Attitude, 1990

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Badd Attitude, Bobby Lee Morgan, FNA Records, Hair Metal, Nashville Center Stage, Obituary, Rock, Rock Music

Mike Farris Launches Cumberland Came Alive

October 27, 2010 //

Mike Farris and The Cumberland Saints at Grimey's

Mike Farris played with one of the largest bands ever to do an in-store at Grimey’s the night of October 26^th, sharing that honor with Dark Meat and Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings playing a set list from The Night the Cumberland Came Alive which is already number twenty two on the Americana charts on its first day of release.

The album was recorded live just weeks after the Nashville flood in just six hours. Kenny Vaughan (Marty Stuart), Ketch and Gill (Old Crow Medicine Show) and The McCrary Sisters were a part of that session and were able to be a part of the CD release party.

Kenny Vaughan Breaks out at Grimey's

Sharing time with found Pre-War Gospel Blues gems were the originals “The Night the Cumberland Came Alive” written by Mike as well as “Dear Lazarus” that Mike co-wrote with Ketch Secor.

The all acoustic set lead to some great jamming between Ketch on Harmonica, Kenny leaning into the Guitar and some fiddle, Resonator and Upright Bass. It may have been Grimey’s but it might as well have been a church in rural Louisiana or an old juke joint in the Hill Country not long after the Memphis Jug Bands.

Mike even got an encore as he noted that only in Nashville can you walk in with a framework of songs that you would like to do and come up with such a great recorded list in only six hours. Mike will be at Music City Roots Wednesday night with special guest Jerry Douglas at The Loveless Barn which can be heard on WRLT-FM, The Lightning 100.

John Carter Cash

It was too early to head home so I stopped by The Rutledge for The Billy Block Show to listen to John Carter Cash play a more rocking set of songs off his latest release The Family Secret as well as Billy Block on drums with Mary Hartman and the Mistakes. Mary Hartman had garnered some interest with a few fans coming in from Kentucky and Chattanooga after seeing her set from last month on The Billy Block Show on YouTube.

Mary Hartman and The Mistakes

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com all photos Brad Hardisty

Categories Americana Music, Billy Block, Grimey's, John Carter Cash, Kenny Vaughan, Mary Hartman and The Mistakes, Mike Farris, Music, Music City Roots, Old Crow Medicine Show

Every Guitar Tells a Story: Phase 1

October 25, 2010 //

Epiphone Broadway

Neil Young said that if you are not getting any new inspiration get a different guitar. Just a change in neck action, pickups and tone can lead you in new directions, so I was just thinking back on the path that lead me to my current main guitar the Epiphone Broadway, so let’s do a rewind.

I was hooked on The Beatles at age five so my Mom bought me what looked like an old Sunburst Gibson acoustic, but must have been a $35 guitar. I couldn’t chord it or anything so I just strummed along to records. That guitar just disappeared after I left San Jose, California when my parents died at the age of six.

Japanese Lyle SG

Growing up, I spun a lot of records, wasn’t much interested in school sports, finally when I was thirteen my Uncle said “you don’t play sports, you should learn to play an instrument since you listen to records all day.” I told him it had to be an electric guitar so he bought me a Lyle SG Copy that was an awful piece of work with pseudo-Gretsch pickups, high action for about $100. I took some lessons and learned to play “Smoke on the Water” on that thing.

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe

After I had played for about a year and a half I complained enough, saying that I was going to play in a band and needed a guitar that played right, so, my Uncle let me use some of my parents inheritance to get a Gibson Gold top Les Paul Deluxe (it was $150 cheaper than a Les Paul Standard) and a Kustom 4X12 rig. It wasn’t the best, but I figured out how to get distortion by plugging into an old tape machine first. I used it to play my first gig doing covers in Fresno, California with Ambush with Gary Lomprey, Dennis Morrison and Victor Blue on drums.

We left California in 1977 when I was getting into punk rock and I started playing Bass for a cover band, Magnum Force with Parrish Hultquist, Dusty Crawford and Jerry Barth, while I was a senior at Cottonwood High School in Salt Lake City, Utah, doing UFO, Queen, Kiss, Nazareth, Joe Walsh whatever. When I turned eighteen, for better or worse, I could tap my inheritance without going through my Aunt and Uncle. I finally got gear that I had dreamt about for six years.

Derek Roberts/Joker/1979/my Gibson Explorer,note Marshall “fawn”

I picked up a full Marshall MKII 100 Watt stack in Fawn finish because Guitar City in Kaysville gave me a better deal than the black stack. Back then, there were only 5 or 6 players that had Marshall Amps in the entire state.

Okay, now guitars got fun, I bought a Gibson Cream White Explorer in 1978 and had Guitar City fit it with DiMarzio Super Distortion pickups. I used that during my first real recording of one of my original songs, “High Rollin’ Rider” with Equinox with Parrish Hultquist, Jerry Barth and Brian Nolan at Bonneville Studios. The Gibson Explorer lasted my first year of college before I had to sell it to get some cash in 1979 to Derek Roberts of the band Joker . He still owns it. At least I can get on YouTube and see one of my family guitars.

Me on the Dean ML / 1980

I saw a showcase for a new band called Lois Lane at a Salt Palace Conference Theater in the spring of 1978 and the guitarist was playing a Dean ML. I had never seen anything like it; A combination Flying V and Explorer. I found one, first year Dean ML, Black with cream binding and it was just under $1000. That was a lot of money in 1978. It was more than what I paid for the Les Paul or the Explorer. It became my main rock guitar. I used it when Parrish Hutlquist and I started our band Roxx.

I used the Dean ML when I was at Snow College playing in the Jazz band as well as my rock band, Karma with Wally Gerrard, Matt Udall and Doug Johnson. I took it on our Jazz band tour when we went to Chaffey College, Rancho Cucamanga, CA (Thanks Wally) in 1980 to compete against other Colleges. I sold the Dean to Parrish’s girlfriend who gave it to Parrish as a gift, when I went to Venezuela, but not before writing a bunch of Michael Schenker inspired original songs with Karma, like “Doing the Detective Work”, “L.A. Heat” and “On the Beach”. Parrish played it in Moviescreen with Matt Udall, Dana Freebairn and Dave ****before it was stolen.

Moviescreen /1982/ Parrish with my Dean ML

One side note, I met Eddie Van Halen when they played at Utah State University the day after Van Halen II was released, hanging backstage we talked about guitars and I talked him into checking out a Dean. He bought a Dean V and it was in a photo shoot just two months later, the first time he was voted Guitarist of the year in Guitar Player Magazine. He is in a pink jumpsuit and his Cherry burst Dean V is in the photo shoot. I got to tell Dean Zelinsky this last Summer NAMM about getting Eddie to try out the Dean. He said he tried to get Eddie to try one back then, but, Eddie just said ‘that guy in The Cars plays one, I don’t think so.”

Eddie, note the Dean V on the floor

I also got a Gibson white double neck just like Alex Lifeson’s from Brent Brown who had a band called Roadwork when he was leaving for Europe. I paid $1000 for that mid 70’s Gibson. I used it for the Snow College Jazz Band and I also used it when Karma played “Chemical Reaction” and “Wind Song” in order to utilize the twelve string. When The Snow College Jazz band would perform, horn section and all, I would be up there with my Gibson double neck and my Marshall full stack. I would always have a crowd come up afterwards and ask questions in the small town of Ephraim, Utah.

Gibson White Doubleneck just like Alex

I kept the Dean ML (Parrish Hultquist got the DeanML as a gift from his then girlfriend, Kindra who purchased it from me), Gibson Double neck and the Marshall MK II stack until I left for Venezuela for two years in 1982. I needed some cash. If you want to know, I took a big loss. Nowadays, that first year Dean is worth some serious cash, so is the Gibson Double neck. The Marshall was irreplaceable. I have discovered that even the same model Marshalls don’t sound alike and that one had the Mojo.

Let’s just call this phase one.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Me with my Dean/Matt Udall/sold the Dean/he joined Moviescreen

Categories Brent Brown, Dean Guitars, Gibson Guitar, Joker, Matt Udall, Music, Parrish Hultquist

Gwyneth Paltrow, Nashville Loves You

October 21, 2010 //

Filming "Country Strong" at War Memorial

When Gwyneth Paltrow was in Nashville months ago filming Love Will Find a Way, I got the call to be an extra at the War Memorial where Gwyneth was filming sequences that featured her “comeback” in the movie that will be released now with a new title Country Strong.

Gwyneth was singing live with a band of Nashville natives to canned tracks for the actual film. She really did work the audience and was “in the part” enjoying herself as a send up of something in between Shania Twain and Taylor Swift.

It’ s hard for me to remember the words to the songs but, the upbeat song was kind of a Country version of “Shake Your Booty” got the crowd going and we were having a good time running through the song several times for several shots.

Gwyneth in Nashville

When Gwyneth did the ballad “Country Strong” we were cheering even after the filming stopped the first time she did the shot. We didn’t stop. I think we were all in shock at how good the song was and how good her voice was. Gwyneth was surprised too and while the Director was talking to her about her next shot they finally stopped collaborating. Gwyneth walked back out to the runway and took a bow to the thousand of us that were there. We didn’t stop cheering for probably 10 minutes while the cameras were turned off.

The Director finally walked out and talked to us about who wrote the song. It was an all star team. It may be the old formula, but, picking a great song made all the difference. I will not be surprised that it will be a huge hit and could even get Best Song at the Academy Awards.

If you get the chance, watch her performance of “Country Strong” at the CMA Awards on November 10^th. I don’t write about stuff I don’t believe in. Gwyneth made me a believer. In reality, Nashville is full of people from all over the world that come here to sing Country just like there are plenty of Blues musicians that didn’t grow up in Mississippi or the wrong side of Chicago.

Gwyneth and Tim McGraw

If you haven’t noticed, Gwyneth loved Nashville and talked positively about her experiences while filming Country Strong including the food and the lifestyle. Gwyneth was absolutely polite, warm and she won a lot of fans who worked as extras while she was in town. This film also stars Tim McGraw and features Nashville in a big way with a lot of city venues and vistas. I am looking forward to seeing the finished work and hope you will too.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Country Music, Country Strong, Gwyneth Paltrow, Music, Sony Pictures, Tim McGraw, Uncategorized

Sam Cooper Caught Between Noshville and New Jersey

October 20, 2010 //

New Jersey Cat, , Sam Cooper, has been busy criss-crossing Nashville, splitting time producing, co-writing, hosting or playing songwriter rounds at The Bluebird Cafe, Commodore Grill and Douglas Corner, where he gets nuttin’ but the best entertaining songwriters on his tilt-a-whirl sets as well as gigging with Mary Hartman and The Mistakes.

Sam with Jamey Johnson on "Orange Man" Set

Things are getting interesting on this side of The Cumberland River, Sam may get his first official Nashville cut with his co-writing partners-in-crime Chris Gantry, Alex King, Brenda Enderson and Kate McCoy’s Dark Horse Hip Hop Country flavored “Orange Man” which features cameos by Kris Kristofferson, Jamey Johnson and others may see the light of day with recording artist, Alex King.

Getting a significant cut in four years is a big accomplishment, but, the coffee percolates when he talks about playing with Mary Hartman and The Mistakes. “Billy Block posted a mention on his Facebook page to play drums. I called him up and he didn‘t hesitate to join. We are really excited to work with Billy. He does so much for musicians with The Billy Block Show and he was Lucinda Williams’ (Back in her Nashville days) drummer”. “I can’t say enough about Mary Hartman she oozes personality and sexuality, she is magnetic, a great performer.”

Billy Block

Being a performer comes from what he learned watching acts like The Bruce Springsteen Band opening for Cactus before they became The E Street Band. “One of the things missing here sometimes is presentation. I’m use to a song being a performance. A lot of songwriters just sit and play and could use some vocal coaching but they don’t bother.” Performance of the song is as integral as the lyrics to Sam.

In fact, Sam comes with a background touring that includes the Northeast chitlin’ circuit soon after he and his father had an argument. Dad told him to pack his bags back in 1971. He left Virginia not long after starting his sophomore year of college in Richmond with nothing but the clothes on his back and headed to New Jersey where he found a room to rent with some friends for $100 a month. He eventually settled near the ocean in the Asbury Park area where he remained until 2006, when he discovered “home”–Nashville.

Sam had a background as a radio DJ, concert security, announcing bands and even started playing guitar and trumpet in the fourth grade but he never thought about actually being in the music business professionally and writing songs regularly until that move to New Jersey. He joined a bar band and hit the road. He got the bug performing many genres, but especially “soul” music. “The Beatles were a huge influence on me especially when “A Hard Day’s Night” came out, but soul music is something that you just can’t fake. My biggest influences are Ray Charles, Delbert McClinton, Stevie Wonder, Dan Penn, Isaac Hayes and a lot of horn-flavored desert island soul. I was really upset when I heard that Solomon Burke had died”.

Sam brings his own Jersey Shore rock and soul roots to songs like “East Nashville Girls”. Many of his songs are a celebration, a party; in fact he has a song called “Time to Party”. He has a wide palette that comes from his formative radio listening days. “The first three songs that I got hooked on were Ray Stevens’ “Ahab the Arab”, “Speedy Gonzalez” by Pat Boone and Bobby Darin singing “Dream Lover”. Anybody who has worked with Sam can’t help but laugh about that.

It makes sense since Sam can go from the romantic cinema “You Bring the Sunshine”, where one can envision sharing smiles and kisses with a sun tanned babe in the Florida Keys and then turns around and writes “Lee Ann Womack Truck” which he affectionately calls his “Bless your little heart” song to Music Row.

In a town where you get what you bring to the table; Sam is a Muscle Shoals laden Beatle beat master. One of his strongest songs “Red Bulls and Caffeine Pills”, an ode to the modern trucker or just commentary on a late night ride back to see his wife, Dawn, in New Jersey veers with bounce- in- your- car seat rhythm ala “Get Back” to Preston Starr-ing in a McCartney Bass boogie thriller of a hook.

When Sam works, which is almost all the time, it’s like he is running his own club house, signing up memberships on his mailing list and getting friends out to shows like it was Madison Square Garden or at least CBGB’s when Blondie, The Ramones and The Talking Heads were breaking and making new rules. He always thinks about presentation whether it is a song sampler or sitting on a stool playing at The Bluebird Café.

Sam not only thinks of himself, but those he admires, keeping everybody in touch with up and coming news through his website and social networking pages. The most important thing is he can sing his songs breaking bread with an Eddie Hinton– Dan Penn- Donnie Fritts kind of gravel and whiskey excess and turn around and deliver what the song asks for, whether it is Tom Waits or Peter Tosh.

This year seems to be playing out like so many well-placed notes in a melody, a culmination of years of bar band covers and the last few putting pen to paper where songwriting and publishing are an art. If there have been any setbacks for Sam in his Nashville life, he has taken them like the Pinball Wizard getting a match for an extra game on a Kiss Pinball Machine.

Mary Hartman

Sam has a couple of upcoming gigs; John Carter Cash will warm up for Mary Hartman and The Mistakes at The Rutledge on Oct. 26th, followed by a show at Douglas Corner Cafe on November 20th.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Billy Block, Bruce Springsteen, Cactus, Chris Gantry, Dan Penn, Douglas Corner Cafe, Eddie Hinton, Jamey Johnson, Kris Kristofferson, Mary Hartman, Sam Cooper, The Rutledge Nashville, Uncategorized

Mike Farris Benefit Release Set for Tue. 10/26

October 20, 2010 //

Mike Farris was stuck in his own home surrounded by flood waters and with the power out; he was unable to get into town for days after the Nashville flood in May. He wrote “The Night the Cumberland Came Alive” in the next few days and within weeks he was recording his new CD to benefit flood survivors.

Mike Farris and The Cumberland Saints’ The Night the Cumberland Came Alive features all star performances by Sam Bush, Byron House (Robert Plant) and members of Old Crow Medicine Show. This could be Mike’s best performance recorded live with more acoustic flavored pre-war covers and original Gospel Blues.

Mike Farris will be at Grimey’s record store on Oct. 26^th at 6PM to celebrate the release of a disc that will benefit children that are still homeless from the floods at Christmas time. The funds will be administered through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

The interview we did is being published by national print media. My review of his disc dated Oct. 13^th can be found at Performer Magazine’s website through the following link:

http://performermag.com/Blogs

Interview with Mike Farris prior to Spain Tour

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Americana Music, Byron House, Grimey's, Mike Farris, Music, Old Crow Medicine Show, Sam Bush, The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee

Life Without a Net: Part 2

October 14, 2010 //

We are in an age when a band needs to create self awareness and market their “brand”. There have been new unique ways to build a community; websites that get fans to be a part of fundraising for the groups’ next project to musicians being involved in Charity organizations and even starting non-profits.

It is getting increasingly difficult to do what Panic! At The Disco did on MySpace and get one million hits and a record deal or a YouTube video of a band performance at the local dive turning unknowns into mega stars. What worked just three years ago will probably not work again.

Country newcomer label Big Machine blew up Taylor Swift into nationwide music domination beginning with MySpace and using an online business approach that had not been done in Country Music before. The music business is a moving target and attracting press release attention in the age of democratization creates new methods.

Fragile / Hands Foundation

A new approach is being forged by bands like Fragile out of the Minnesota area. Darrell and Chauncey Marrier of Fragile started a non-profit organization called The Hands Foundation after a youth trip in 2003 to Monterrey, Mexico. With the help of family and likeminded individuals they formed the 501c to help as many people as they could in the Monterrey area. They have helped in restoring over 150 homes. Instead a being a recent publicity stunt to develop awareness, they were self motivated individuals long before the music business took notice.

In addition, they are involved with an epic project called Save St. Hedwigs, converting the second-largest country church in the U.S. into a multi-media center and recording studio. Until Fragile and their foundation got involved, the dilapidated church was set to be demolished. Consequently, the property was donated to them “for life” for $50. Their story has gained the interest of world-renowned acoustic designer Michael Cronin to help design the studio for the church. Cronin designed and constructed Blackbird Studios, Ocean Way/Nashville, Masterfonics, private rooms for Ryan Tedder (One Republic), Shania Twain, Clint Black, and Taylor Swift to name a few.

The personal philanthropy of the band and the Hands Foundation did not go unnoticed and time was donated by world-renowned mastering engineer Bob Ludwig and mixing engineer great David Bottrill who were kind enough to give some of their time for This Land Will be Civilized was released this year.

One of the three most popular music blog sites in Nashville is Brite Revolution where every Artist involved on the site needs to support a charitable cause. With their slogan “Discover great Artists. Support great causes. Get great music…all for free”. It is a site that appeals to fans, musicians and people who like to get involved in charitable causes.

Dead Confederate

A plethora of artists from indie rock to Americana are listing up including Atlanta band Dead Confederate, who has three songs that a site member can download for free. On their page it lists they are supporting Project: AK-47which helps kids get in Southeast Asia to get out of the military and have a future.

Kickstarter.com is a platform for fans to get involved in actually funding a project be it music, film or whatever. It can be a place to start or a place to go to when your record deal ends. The old adage “it takes money to make money” is still King. The difference with Kickstarter is that rather than waiting for a wealthy philanthropist to get behind your band that shares a one bedroom apartment to record the music you want, this will allow you to share in the financing. You are invested in your favorite artist.

One recent addition is Mike Farris who has been through the music business more than once with Nashville band, Screamin’ Cheetah Willies and his recent releases on INO/Columbia, Salvation in Lights and Shout! Live that garnered Mike the Americana Emerging Artist in 2008 at The AMA Awards as well as a Dove award for his old-time Gospel Blues.

Mike notified via his fan e-mail list that he would be going with Kickstarter.com to finance his next project tentatively titled “Already Alright!” while shopping for a new label and distribution deal. Once the funds are there, a project gets the green light and the work is recorded, pressed and released.

Although, these ideas are starting to take root, I have not seen much about it at any of the current music PR seminars. This is a way of finding new fans, possibly fans that are out of the loop on buying any kind of legal download or CD, to get interested in your group or you as an Artist and want to own and proudly show your work to friends. Imagine the conversations that could happen about your philanthropy or what it took to get your CD to be pressed.

If your band or somebody has a great story to tell, contact me. I would love to share it with the music Community.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Alternative Music, Dead Confederate, Fragile, Leadership Music Digital Summit, Mike Farris

Kenny Harlan Celebrates Birthday at Commodore Grill

October 14, 2010 //

Kenny Harlan at Commodore/photo/Brad Hardisty

Kenny Harlan, Nashville Singer/Songwriter, celebrated his Birthday at Commodore Grill last night with friends including long time co-writing partner, Suzahn Fiering performing in his first songwriter round at Commodore Grill in almost two years.

Debi Champion longtime host of the successful songwriter nights played the gracious host delivering a slice of Chocolate Mousse Cake when he was on stage and getting the crowd to join in a round of “Happy Birthday”.

Kenny performed the song that got a lot of buzz on triple-A/Americana radio and in Europe in 2008, “Waiting for You”. It was not a trip down memory lane but a reminder of the strength of his ever the romantic lyrics that give thought to longing love and a bright hope for the lonely hearts club.

It was an all-star round prior to Kenny’s performance featuring Gary Hanan who co-wrote the top ten Country hits, “When I Knew It All” and “Tequila Makes her Clothes Fall Off” and Sam Cooper with his cinematic ode to walking poetry “East Nashville Girls”. If you live here you know what he is talking about.

We got a chance to catch up that evening and I found out he has been busy being Dad. His daughter, who turns three and his wife have been the center of his attention for the last couple of years in Franklin, Tennessee. Nashville is not only a great town to be a singer/songwriter but also to raise a family as one can tell by the number of Artists who have moved here over the last few years.

Kenny shared lyrics of a song he wrote as a tribute to his father who passed away recently. We reflected on past accomplishments and Kenny shared I Phone videos of his daughter while talking about new material that should be coming out over the next year.

Suzahn who has been busy instructing songwriter workshops in Prague and working for Sir Paul McCartney’s Organization for the past several months was hoping to get some writer’s nights going with Kenny before she goes back to England.

Kenny who knows to always travel with his trusted Martin guitar, was not planning on playing, but hoped to get in on the action and had a wonderful Birthday at one of the Nashville’s finest venues.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Commodore Grill, Country Music, Debi Champion, Kenny Harlan, Music, Sam Cooper, Suzahn Fiering, Uncategorized

Black Mountain Vol. 4

October 11, 2010 //

I first got turned onto Black Mountain in 2006 when my drummer, Daniel of “Waiting for Daniel” fame said you got to check this out as we hung out back of the practice space, The HotEL Birmingham in his Volkswagen Jetta with the music cranked.

I was like the “what tha?” It was twin vocals kind of “Grace Slick and Marty Balin- Jefferson Airplane style” over music that veered from the mysterious realms of Jethro Tull to heavy Black Sabbath riffs. Although it was electric it was really organic sounding, like heavy Rock being neither Stoner Rock or Heavy Metal.

The first cover of black on black mountains, like flying over the Rockies in the winter at night was ominous like the sound. I started looking forward to the next release. In the Future was again very heavy and kept this brigade of late 60’s romantics cooking. The cover again with the cubist art was like retro-future with how 1960’s culture viewed itself. We had to look toward the future.

Black Mountain / photo/ Ryan Walter Wagner

This is Black Mountain‘s fourth outing and still no picture of the band on the cover. If you want to see the band, you’ll need to go to YouTube or go see them live. They seem even more focused and the artwork is no less compelling with a reflection of a great white shark in a mirrored office building coming out of the clouds, it’s like nature itself is pissed off.

Wilderness Heart kicks off with almost a Led Zep-Kashmir quality and keeps the retro stew going with “Old Fangs” coming out of the speakers like a Martin Birch engineered track off Deep Purple’s Fireball.

Amber Webber is a key element that keeps things from getting formulaic with her counter vocals, Stephen McBean and Amber still remind me of a modern day Marty Balin-Grace Slick team or if you want to get punk, Exene Cervenka-John Doe team. This type of work could not be auto tuned, there is some room for synthesizers but they will remind you of the synth work in Zeppelin or Sabbath.

The sound still stays organic and sounds as if they are still recording on big Ampex Analog 16 track machines. They are at the forefront of something that bridges the late 60’s haunting post hippie scene with lyrics that will stir the Syd Barrett in everybody. In fact, there is even a reference to Piper at the Gates of Dawn, but I’ll let you find that yourself like discovering the hidden meanings on The Beatles’ White Album .

This groups possible believers may not even be listening yet. Black Mountain bridges the gap between the kids that find the music of the late 60’s and early 70’s had something that music doesn’t have now and the fifty somethings that listened to the music in the first place. Wilderness Heart could sit comfortable between Jethro Tull’s Aqualung and Deep Purple’s Fireball in any relic’s record collection.

The Psychedelic Vancouver, Canada band will roll into Nashville on November 11^th at the The Mercy Lounge/Cannery Balllroom. You can get tickets at Grimeys, this is 9 on a 10 scale kick back in your room music.

– Brad Hardisty, Nashville, TN thenashvillebridge@hotmail.com

Categories Black Mountain, Black Sabbath, Jefferson Airplane, Music, Rock, Uncategorized