THIS IS 56

This is 56.

Let’s get one thing squared away: I am proud to advance in age. Some people think I’m complaining but that’s the farthest from the truth. If you miss your youth, that’s cool. I don’t miss mine one bit. I’m better now in many ways than way back when.

Last Friday, I sat in with Rubber Duckie Riot at Mason Jar and it was a total blast! Seeing people dressed in various costumes, dancing up a storm, the vibes were right. Even got to play another Metallica song besides “Enter Sandman”!

The next day was a very last-minute gig with Crash, this time at Garnerville Arts Center in New York. Way different vibes, some good, some not to my liking, but the place itself was very cool! This was for a friend’s 50th birthday bash and it was good seeing him again. He was even surprised that I was playing (me too!) Played with different musicians than the last Crash gig back in July and made some new friends on top of that. So all was not lost.

And of course, Sunday was my 56th birthday! It was really relaxing, weather was great, and decompressed after a weekend of pretending to be a guitar god. True to form, I treated myself to a piece of gear that should be arriving at my doorstep today: a Strich wah pedal. A what?! I saw it and had to order because it’s orange!! (“Okay, Bello, back to bed you go!”) Here’s a screenshot of it from Amazon:

One other thing struck me yesterday: Am I still endorsed with Lock-It Straps? I went on their website and…I’m still there? Cool! I’ve not heard from anyone there since they were bought out a few years ago but saw a strap that I had to order. It wasn’t on Amazon but rather on Sweetwater. Check this out:

How could I not own this strap?! For someone who wears black all the time, my gear and accessories are neon and showy. I should be receiving this on Friday.

One serious matter I will bring up: A lot of people have distanced themselves from me over this past year. At first it bothered me, and then realized that I’ve been experiencing various enlightenments and awakenings since the winter time. Ever since June, things started to open up and by August, my soul aligned with the universe. But let’s be fair here: I have chosen to walk away from various people too. No harm, no foul, I wish them well. Just leave me alone. I learned to protect my peace finally. I thought I needed a lot of friends but learned that a lot of people truly never liked me.

They wanted me around though, huh?

Have I found my tribe? Perhaps. I am now aligned with some people who enjoy my presence. I don’t seek validation anymore, and as a result, things seem to be coming to me. The old version of me would people-please, and that’s gone. Am I a good person? Yes. Am I a nice person? I don’t want to be anymore. I now know where I belong, even if it means being in solitude on a bike trail, or sitting here on my laptop in the basement.

I do go out sometimes!

Back to more fun things: I have a gig with Supernova on Friday November 14th at The Thirsty Farmer (Sussex, NJ) so that’s cool! I have to learn some more country tunes as this place caters to that market, fine with me. We can still do harder rock, a tiny bit of metal and some pop. Being a sub for cover bands is perfect for me. No commitments, no drama, just give me the set list, tell me where to plug in, and pay me at the end of the night.

Oh and the 10th album that I’m finally working on with drummer Michael Sabatini. We have four demos, five more to go. I’m not putting a definite time stamp on when we will record and release this. It feels great to just be in the moment, work on heavy riffing and enjoy the feel-good energy that was missing from the last cd. The past is where it belongs; I have harnessed being in the present, and it shows in the music.

And yes, it’s still “fucking weird shit” 🙂