I'm a Hardkor Traveler

Nashville w/ @crosskentucky

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 11:17:42 -0500

What a damn weekend it is/was. 10 1/2 hours Driving each way to Nashville from the great District…

Left in early afternoon, arrived to Johnson City, TN in late evening, still cranky from the weeks activities.. it took most of this trip to get over myself, but after that was nothing but needed. Luxury followed us in TN, hotels and such. Hotel in JC was few blocks from downtown…which reminded me of Menomonie WI (old college grounds), 3 bars downtown and an all-night diner where everyone looked 16, including the waitress. She needed to move to Mexico to get away from the man. I remember that innocence, what happened?

Morning fell like a sack of potatoes, and post-starbucks lazyness arrived us in Nashville TN, which included prompt registration at BMI. This does mean I am now a BMI Recording Artist now. Quick stop at the NSAI before they closed for the week..Friday arrivals…

After running into the fantastic band @jypsiofficial on Broadway over dinner, we decided not to take advantage of @davidnewbould ‘s couch situation, and got a room at the Holiday Inn (photo and view from balcony above), which so happens to be another venue named Commodore’s…and after meeting a few songwriters in-the-round, Harlan Pease & Joel Shewmake, we headed over to 3rd and Lindsley to meet up with Mr Newboulds friends on stage.

3rd and Lindsley Friday Night was something to see. Dave Panahish and his high-powered crew, which included every marquee Nashville songwriter in their 20’s/30’s killin, KILLIN, covering Joe Cockers rendition of A Little Help From My Friends…

After a failed attempt at going to see friends in Nashville band @heypennyband at a house concert, we crashed at the hotel once again… morning sunrise of groceries and Kinkos runs, we got our day started in the early afternoon. After a failed attempt at visiting friends at Sams Sportsbar on 21st, due to football playoff season, we became Mercy Lounge bound for the venues anniversary weekend bash…

What a bash it was, 80s cover band who rocked it probably as hard as the original thing… I haven’t seen that ever in my life, absolutely killin… Venue reminded me of 2xsize Rock & Roll Hotel in DC, with better decor… We stayed for 2 drinks. We went to eat sushi. We ate too much. We went to The Listening Room to see another in-the-round and met up with the booking agent. We told him we ate too much sushi. He laughed. It was fun. He told us to go to NashvilleMuse networking event. We thanked him. We met up with Mr Jeff Miller who was on stage that evening, and quite good. @crosskentucky and I will be playing with Jeff at Aslyum Rock & Roll Lounge back in Washington DC now, March 21st. You should come.

Back to bed, back to waking up, then to Nashville Muse. Muse is run by Mr Doak Turner, who has a networking event in his home. Many people I’ve been talking online with for years already showed up, I met them in person for the first time. It was good. It was 4-5 rooms of 10-15 songwriters per room, trading songs and stories. The Fried Chicken room was my favorite…although I still was full on sushi, from the night before. Here’s a photo of such activities:

From the Muse, a quick downtime, then The Bluebird Cafe. The line was around the block when we arrived. Room that should hold 75-100 was holding 150, and another 50 outside through the windows. Registration for the evening, and set-lineup was to follow. I tuned in the kitchen hall since that was the only room available. I played 9 out of 13, 3 song set. @crosskentucky played 11 out of 13. Critical acclaim. What a weekend.

After a quick stop in Bristol TN on booking duty, which I do believe I might be back in Sept for, the rest of the drive was done on Monday evening before a full week began.

Blogging this weekend on the bus to NYC today, will have travels and photos up soon after the weekend ends.. till then, your hardkor blogger?

-AHK

1st DC Show of 2010 - Pinky & The Brain Cover @ Velvet Lounge

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:20:50 -0500

I’ve been newly part of a ramshackle collective in DC known as Spelling for Bees, where residency nights, artist support, biz opportunities, social networking becomes central by a mastermind named David-Craig Mann.

Velvet Lounge in DC’s residency for Spelling for Bees, was Saturday Morning Cartoon Themed for the evening, in which I decided to throw some “Pinky & The Brain Theme Song” into my set.

Twitter press here: http://twitpic.com/wx59n

Here’s another member of SfB doing his trumpet thang with drums flaring the backset. All-in-all a fun night in DC.

You can download the song exclusively on the At Limbo Music Blog for DC, once I give it to them :) Keep checking, is what I always Say!

~AHK

Pittsburgh by way of Nashville - Kicking 2010 in the pants

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 13:10:00 -0500

So I scheduled myself a Saturday night in Nashville (never been before), and Sunday night in Pittsburgh (god thats a long way to drive from nashville) because I dont know how to read maps i guess.

Left night of Jan 1st, post catching up with Ken of @crosskentucky and Bill & Alissa of @starfkradium, we all went to go see Sherlock do his thang at the Verizon Center DC movie theatre.

Damn it was a cold weekend, like 10 degrees the whole trip…ew. Left DC around 7pm, got into Knoxville around 2am, couldnt sleep in my car cuz it was too cold, at a truckstop. Got some McDonalds at 5am and headed back down the road.

Got into Nashville around 10am, headed to Broadway to listen to some loud-ass music cuz thats what i do! Nashville has so much cool going on, its scary, and its really a musicians heaven and glorified tour-stop for all your 1-stop needs. BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, every major label you know, NSAI, Ryman, Broadway, Country Music Hall of Fame, and more that I havent found yet, all within a few miles off Hwy 40 exit.

Before heading to Douglas Corner for the night, with Nashville friends Haley Rossow & Daview Newbould on the bill, I stopped by The Bluebird where I’m playing a month later on Jan 17th (which is actually tomorrow night when i finally posted this haha) to find my posters in the front window, and my name in Metromix playing the famous, damn near cool.

I think you can see my poster in the bottom right hand of the window too..

Douglas Corner rocked! Haley brought some interesting crowd including her manager and people really enjoyed it! Here’s a snap of Haley doing her thang, we did 2 rounds of songs, and it was great to hear both Haley & David do some songs I haven’t heard in a while…love Davids Goldmines song… rediculus…

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After a night of stooopid amounts of drinking at Sams in Nashville with Haley, I got my hungover ass on the road and drove for the rest of it… Louisville, Cincinatti, Columbus, to Pittsburgh…wasn’t all bad post-whitecastle stop however :)

Pittsburgh was somehow colder than Nashville…snowing, bitter, empty, however Jo @ Howlers that night gave the bands some free food, and it was totally hardkor. Elliot Sussman of Pittsburgh fame hosted the evening, and some audience members sat in on harmonica and banjo for me to have some late night fun in my half-asleep half-tired state. Good to know I can push 8 hours driving and a good show at the end, if needed be.

Photo of me changing in the bathroom @ Howlers…such a rawkstar:

Im never doing that 8-hr-drive & show in 1 day thing again…lessons learning, no classes needed.

Pittsburgh load-out moved to Harrisburg hotel room, before arriving back to DC in time to work Monday morning.

Day 3 in the Studio, Bass Tracking :)

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:39:41 -0500

This is gonna be such a kick-ass LP when its finished…here mr @jeanfinstad laying down some sick bass solos for I Found You

thats whassup!

Additionally, heres Mike Smirnoff and Jason Chimola in the control room listening and pre-mix :)

Cyclops Baltimore w/ @justintrawick, @crosskentucky, and Jason Ager

Sat, 16 Jan 2010 12:20:10 -0500

First Post!!!

Justin, Ken, Jason, and I all drove up to Baltimore for a night at Andy Rubin’s Cyclops in a cold night in Baltimore.

Unfortuantely, when we arrived the heat was still not running at the club, and it was one of the colder nights of December 09, with huge snowstorms heading in our general direction…made for fantastic intamacy actually!

We pulled a few couches over for a small crowd to gather around us, and did 2 rounds of 4 songs each. Here’s some photos from the night :) Enjoy

First Post

Wed, 06 Jan 2010 10:56:19 -0500

The first post as it is :)

I’ll be posting my Touring, starting with Jan 1st-5th in the midwest, but for now?…tata