I FOUND MY PLACE

Credit to my friend Tami for this one

You are most likely looking at this picture and thinking “Has Steve lost his mind?”

I did that years ago, so keep up with me.

I will never ever profess to being knowledgeable at all about Buddhism or whatever. However, lately I’ve been feeling things shift, my energy being re-purposed in some cosmic way. Now you’re reading this and ready to sign off but please stay with me here.

The world has been in chaos for quite some time. I’ll never discuss politics, religion, anything that will spark controversy. Simply stated, a lot of people need to wake up and smell the coffee (mine is strong this morning!) Read that above post and mentally check off what you’ve done. I guarantee 20% of it has happened. I can speak from past experiences: I thought being busy was the answer. It’s good to be busy as long as it’s doing things you enjoy. Some people love running around like a headless chicken and then when they are able to slow down, a wave of guilt takes over. Why? Because society does not like when you’re happy!!!

Read that last line again.

Do I miss performing? Yes. Do I miss pushing tickets, stressing the day of a show, and feeling like I’m already tired tomorrow? No. I used to think all of those things were the key to feeling fulfilled. I was so very wrong. I never cared for “Well you only sold x amount so you’re on first, but the other band sold ALL their tickets (bought them in advance, really). Never about the music, all about playing the games. Not conducive to art.

(Oops! I forgot it’s about posing and being delusional!)

Do I miss the hustle and bustle of my last job? At times. When sales were great, I was invincible. But when sales were soft, I felt powerless. That’s no way to live. Especially when you worked with toxic people who didn’t and wouldn’t know how to chill out. Everything was rush-rush-rush, get those sales, or hear the wrath of “I could fire you right now”. Again, that’s how society operates.

Grind away until you die. No thanks.

I would get mocked for doing my walks. Yes that’s true. “Wait, you WALK?!” I’ve been walking since as a child and it’s never stopped. Yet some of my friends and family will scoff it off. Then they try it. And then realize, “Wait, this really is the best!” Even if I walk for 20 minutes, it helps wire me up for the day. Unless it’s freezing cold out, then I can’t make a move!

What’s the point of this blog? I’ll tell ya…

You all need to learn to appreciate who and where you are in life. It took me til about four months ago to suddenly have that light bulb epiphany. But isn’t that silly hippy-dippy nonsense? To those who enjoy being super-busy and “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”, yes. They don’t know any other life because they were taught “YOU HAVE TO KEEP MOVING!” Or maybe some are running away from a reality that they refuse to face, so keeping busy makes them feel a step ahead.

I may not always be right but am never wrong 😉

Also the company I keep has helped me. I had to back away from going to certain shows because the vibes don’t agree with me. Do I love metal? Of course. Do I love the wanna-be attitudes and posturing? No. And that’s really what most people do, no matter the profession. Everyone basically reading the same script, just change the job and don’t trip over the furniture. I never put on an act but was good as making it look like what I was doing was fulfilling. Deep down inside, I was a mess. Here’s the rub: PEOPLE LIKED WHEN I WAS MISERABLE! They felt a connection because, as they say, misery loves company. I shed that skin a while back and watched everyone disappear from my life.

Since the lockdowns, I have learned to embrace and appreciate my solitude. Long walks and finding quiet spots on bike trails and forests made me feel more grounded. I gained a bit more clarity and insight to myself, the world around me, and old wounds started closing. Years of unpacking is a chore, but I am ready to tackle it. And then the strangest thing happened…

I looked at life way differently. People I thought I knew showed their truest colors. I found a new tribe, if you will. They enjoy my company, bad jokes, and aren’t concerned with keeping up with their purported image. That’s so exhausting! These people are chill, no airs, no pretentious nonsense. And surprise surprise, sometimes I actually get invited places! They want me around?! Whodathunkit?!

My world is now more focused, less cluttered. Truth be told, some friends and family don’t like that. Too bad! I like my more relaxed life. I am busy with teaching, and it’s the most rewarding feeling in the world. As I’ve often said, my students love me and want to learn things. Other musicians don’t. Yeah, I found my place after all these years. I can only hope for others to achieve their next level before it’s too late.

One last thing: I’ve learned to protect my peace at all costs. I know/knew too many assholes, to be blunt. They enjoy being antagonistic, surly, basically a bully. Again, they don’t know any other life. I never fit in a lot of wheelhouses growing up. I was made to think nobody could ever like me.

Well, I like me. (Thank you, John Candy!)

I had to learn to like me over the years. I learned to let go of the constant need for validation. Do I want to be appreciated? Yes. But it had to start with me. Was I happy with things? If yes, great. If no, fix them. I had to stop depending on others to make me happy, when they were busy making me unhappy.

Enjoy your “scene” and your “cliques”, okay?

I’ll be here with my cats.

WHERE I NEED TO BE

When a student’s mom really listens!

That pic was taken Sunday afternoon after I gave a bass lesson to a student. His mom handed me this sign and I was like “What’s this?” She said, “You said this to my son and we both felt inspired to do this for you.” WOW! I am truly humbled for sure. I didn’t think my words had any impact whatsoever.

It has taken me a very long time to ever utter the following words: I am where I need to be in my life.

What brought such an epiphany? Since last November, well…you know the story. No sense rehashing that. In fact, no sense revisiting the past much anymore. I’m honestly tired of it, and some of you are as well. People and events that came into my life are nothing more than distant memories. Good to have some of those memories but better to move forward and rip the rear-view mirror off.

Damn it feels good!

These past three weeks have seen some unbelievable weather. Aside from a day here and there with rain, it’s been sunny, picture-perfect, clear blue skies. (No chem trails!) Weather like this inspires me, and it does wonders for my physical and mental well-being. I realize that this won’t last forever, so I’m absorbing every waking moment possible. I do my walks, observe the deer feasting on grass, and breathe in how wonderful the weather has been.

What’s wrong with me?!

Nothing! I am feeling like “This is where I need to be exactly in my life.” Teaching has been incredibly fruitful, and as I always say my students love and want to learn from me. When I hear things such as “You make this fun and easy” and “I look forward to this day”, it’s a tremendous feeling. I spent years thinking my guitar skills would skyrocket me into the stratosphere. Instead, my skills are being put to a way better use. It’s a more relaxed vibe, a lot of fun and I learn from my students as much as they learn from me.

And another kicker: I am surrounding myself with more positive people. It hasn’t been easy. I spent years thinking “The metal scene is my tribe” and I was very wrong. Granted, I am friends with some people in the metal community but let’s be honest: I’m too esoteric for some. And that’s totally fine. I’m proud to be the quirky/strange/eccentric person and guitarist. I was made to feel as if there was something wrong with me. There never was. I made/make people feel uncomfortable (not intentionally) because I am a pretty together person. I think outside the parameters of what’s expected. Am I better than some? No, just different.

Once I fully embraced who I truly am, all bets were off. Some of my friends accept me as-is. Others saw themselves out. That’s alright. I wish no harm but was never going to bend to their whims. I can’t be molded or corrupted…THAT’S why people ignore me or walk away over time.

So, as we round the corner of the last few months of 2025, I can honestly say that while it wasn’t a great year for me, it got better over time. I stayed in my lane and that’s that. It was the best thing to do.

Actually, the only thing.

THE FOURTH QUARTER

I love how this pic came out!

I’m typing this blog on the first day of September. Amazing that we are in the fourth quarter of the year, the “ber” months as some will call them.

There’s still some summer left, so let’s not speed things up, okay?

I am look forward to what the rest of the year brings. Those who follow my blogs, and/or know me in real life, can attest that the first half of 2025 was not kind to me. One thing I will always do is be straight up with everyone and today is no different. I had a rough winter, dealing with seasonal depression. On top of that, after I spent $1200 on struts and rotors (so much for a routine oil change), I felt very strapped. It sucked. Plain and simple. Private lessons were slow, as were any gigs on the horizon. Some bands who promised me “first call” never made good on their word. I could name names but why give them publicity?

Then on my son’s birthday (May 20), the planets shifted. I started getting gigs from bands such as Supernova (I am always first call with them), and also did some debut sub gigs with Blame It On The Girl, Crash!, and recently Vinyl Renegades. Started getting a couple more private students. I will never lie to anyone: having money instead of flies in my wallet puts me in a better mood. I enjoy performing and love teaching, and when extra cash is slapped in my hands, it’s a bonus.

Am I a mercenary? No. But when you’re broke, suddenly everyone and everything pisses you off.

I have my health though. That’s definitely more important. When the seasonal depression lifts, it’s the best feeling in the world. The weather has been incredibly amazing the past two weeks, and it makes for great walks. And when someone says, “Looks like you’re slimming down a bit”, that’s another bonus. Metabolism and gravity are not my friends sometimes!!!

I am also learning to surround myself with better people. Sounds strange but I know/knew too many miserable people. Am I perfect? No. Was I once a miserable prick? Yes. I have been doing a lot of soul-searching over the past few years and learned some cold hard truths about myself. And what people REALLY thought of me. Sometimes the trash takes itself out. Other times I have to haul it to the curb. Another thing people have noticed about me: “You look more content.” That is true. Not feeling this pressing need to impress anyone anymore is liberating. Looking back, I can’t believe how much of a people pleaser I was. I’m usually pretty aware of things but that was something I had to come face to face with.

I sought validation at every turn and would think “Will this ever come to an end?” It did last November, and since then, the skies opened up for me. I’m a good person, a great teacher and guitar player, write cool songs, and am looking after myself as I should have been doing years before. I learned that most wheelhouses are not designed for me. Everyone else can have their little cliques and weird eco-systems…bless them, really. Enjoy your phony friendships and pretend “scenes”.

I know my worth.

What will the remaining four months hold for me? I don’t know and that’s the best part. No more predicting or hoping for things. I learned to manifest my thoughts into reality and as my friend Glenn once said years ago, “The universe will provide.” All I know is, I have 10 demos waiting to become real songs. If a cover band needs me, I just throw a guitar in a gig bag and head out. If a new student emerges, willing to learn, I’m ready to teach.

I’m willing to learn too, so I’m ready, O Universe!

SIR REAL

Thinking of my next blog…

Last week I posted a blog about the possibility of foisting a 10-second clip featuring a rough demo/new tune. Twelve people upvoted, and nobody downvoted, so as promised, the clip went up on my various socials. Received some nice words, and a few people seemed genuinely excited that I have new music up my sleeve.

But I’m ever the realist here…

Two years ago, my latest cd ACT NATURAL was released on various streaming sites (a month before physical copies were in my hands). The reaction to the new album was, well, less than stellar. Some said the music was still ambitious and unique, others said it was weird. When have I not been weird?! As artists, we live and die by the next album/single/video. It’s a brutal way to live, really.

I distanced myself totally from that album for many reasons. I went into a depression for a while but still felt compelled to write new material. The earlier works were more angry, and while that satisfied my blackened soul for a brief period, I thought “If I don’t want to hear this over and over, what will make someone else want to?” So I created a batch of NEW new material, and while it’s not sunshine and rainbows, it’s not as angry. One drummer commented to me a few years ago that “Your music is SO direct and in-your-face, I can’t handle it!”

Now I see why few people supported my music and live shows.

If a piece of art is too forward-thinking or assertive, people shy away. I can think back to when thrash metal first came out. The old-school metal fans said it was “noise” and “there’s no melody” yet it appealed to someone, right? There’s always an ass for every horse. Anything that challenges the senses tends to be met with either “THIS IS PERFECT FOR ME” or “TURN THIS SHIT OFF”.

My music straddles between the two fences. Facts.

I posted the rough demo on August 25 this year, 10 seconds of a riff, nothing more. But again, being Sir Real (get it?), I have to come to terms with things: Nobody is going to salivate over what I do and that’s okay. I don’t write “drinking man’s music”, more like “thinking man’s music”. While it’s not as complex as Rush or Yes, it has its own set of speed bumps for people to drive over. I hear echoes of past band members asking me “Can’t you write something normal?” or “Can you write a tune like (insert band here)?” The fact is this: people want immediate results, and they tend to think very commercial-minded. Nobody is going to sit and think “Wow, you’re doing something unique. I like that about you.”

Does this mean I stop writing? No way in hell. If anything, the new stuff I’ve created has made me do something I’ve not done with previous demos in a long time: listen to them over and over. Not to come up with melodies, but to bask in the thought of “I did this!” Call it ego, I don’t care. I am proud of my work. Do I think it’s the best stuff? I leave that up to the public.

Judging by the nice responses the newest little clip received, think it’s safe to say that you want to hear something new from me that totally rocks. I am proud to have done some ambient music over the past year, that’s where my head was at during the times. But I want to get my hands dirty again.

Who’s with me?

WHAT A WEEKEND!!!

When the guitar tone is just right…

What a weekend!! Actually, the whole week was great. Haven’t said that in a long time. Getting more private students, as well as more students between the two stores where I teach. Oh and I did two gigs this weekend…

Let’s recap!

Friday night was the gig with Supernova at Black River Barn. I’ve played with this band quite a few times since 2022, and played in this room about 4 or 5 times. But this past gig was one for the books. Totally insane! PACKED room, wall to wall, people singing and dancing all night long. The vibes were phenomenal; the band was the best it ever sounded (at least with me filling in) and the energy from the crowd was thunderous. Even our Ozzy tribute with “Mama I’m Coming Home” got the whole place singing along and waving their phones in the air. Before I knew it, the show was over, felt like we only played for 20 minutes. It was that much fun!!

Supernova asked for my availability, and I said my schedule is wide open. So, they will get a list of dates to me. As of now, I only have the October 24 gig with them at Lentini Farms in Newton, NJ. But if more gigs happen before and after, great! I really enjoy playing with this band, as you can tell.

Onto today’s gig with Vinyl Renegades, my first time subbing with them. Met the band, got to chatting about gear and how nice the weather is. Decent turnout, great food (that’s always a plus) and the band were impressed with how well I did my homework, so to speak. Got to do songs by Joe Cocker, Blondie, Hall & Oates, and some slightly harder rock as well.

Was really great being on stage (well, the lawn) with Deb Tote Harvey again after a couple of years. Yes she will sing a song or two with Supernova here and there but we hadn’t done a full show together since July 2022. Her boyfriend Tony filled in on bass (he is in Supernova too). After we played, the band asked me for my availability as well! I had fun with them, and again if more gigs come about, then cool.

*Oh and I got to play with a violinist today for the very first time. It was SO cool!!!!

Now here’s the kicker: I play better than ever and am way more relaxed because I let go of needing validation from people. My friends have expressed this after seeing me perform, saying that I look more chill and more focused. That’s always a good thing. No, that doesn’t mean I am ready to get a live band going to do my music, far from it. I want to do one more album but that’s it! I don’t want to sell tickets anymore, don’t miss stressing and freaking over such trivial nonsense. In the words of the late great TM Stevens: “You have to sell TICKETS? You’re a musician, not goddamn Ticketron!”

But it feels good to strut my stuff, even if it’s with covers. I am grateful for any opportunities that come my way. And I will do my best to be as pro as possible.

Even if my sneakers are pink.

SHOULD I TRY SOMETHING A TAD DIFFERENT?

Pic from last Wednesday’s Q&A w/DJ Metal Mistress

As I get ready for these two upcoming gigs this weekend, I realized something. Between the two bands, I am doing ninety songs!!!

That’s like, um, a lot.

I am very much looking forward to throwing down with Supernova again at the legendary Black River Barn this Friday night. And then the next afternoon will be my debut sub gig with Vinyl Renegades at Marcella Community Center. No, it’s not my music that people will be clapping to, but I at least get to play to nice crowds.

I like that.

So what about my music? Huh?

I have been listening to the demos, not to come up with melodies but to just enjoy the vibes. I’ve written some pretty cool stuff. Easy to say, really. But while it’s been two years since my last cd (remember ACT NATURAL?), the new stuff I’ve been cooking up dials back a bit on the aggressiveness but is still quite heavy. Yet tuneful and melodic, even without extra melodies on top. Which begs the question..

Should I make a short teaser with one of the guitar demos for everyone to hear?

Anyone who knows me knows that I always do rough guitar demos, recorded into the Tascam and then uploaded to Bandlab for some tweaking so they could a bit more listenable. I might do a quick fade-in/fade-out on a future blog, or even a “shorts” clip on YouTube. Think if people hear something/anything (Todd Rundgren?) from me, they might have their interest piqued?

What do you think?

I will leave a vote tab below. And will wait a week to see the results. If I get a lot of thumbs-up, then I will make a teaser clip. If I get a lot of negative responses, then I do nothing.

Now start clickin’!!!

WHY YOU GOTTA BE SO HEAVY?!

“You rang?”

The late vocalist Paul Baloff of Exodus exclaimed something on that band’s live album ANOTHER LESSON IN VIOLENCE:

“Why you gotta be so heavy?! Why so heavy…?”

I just watched two videos on YouTube about “metal before Black Sabbath” and “metal after”, and there were a lot of bands I never heard of that were/are considered proto-metal, a term that I think is as over-used as “literally” and “narcissist”. I will post the links to the videos later on in the blog for your dancing and dining pleasure.

As far back as I can remember, I always liked the sound of a turbo-charged guitar, pounding drums and screaming vocals. Yes I like other genres too, but before I heard Judas Priest at the age of 11 in 1981, I was groovin’ to the obvious bands: Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Queen, Kiss, and Cheap Trick. I was “the weird one” in kindergarten onward because I was always singing along to these bands.

If I could really sing, you’d all see me perform more.

Anyway, when I first heard Judas Priest via the song/video “Hot Rockin”, I thought “Wow…look at the leather jackets…the sound of the guitars…the voice! I must know more!” Oh and my prayers were answered soon after with an Iron Maiden video called “Iron Maiden”. My mom actually walked out of the living room and said “This is noise! I hate it!”

Perfect!!

More bands followed: Scorpions, Accept, Dio, Deep Purple, Rainbow…oh this is my idea of dying and going to heaven…but wait…

Black Sabbath?! How come I never heard them before all these bands? Got me, but I bought the first Sabbath album when I was 13 back in 1983, and my ears were pummeled. THAT GUITAR SOUND!! This is where heavy metal began. Period. No dog in this fight. No room for arguing.

Soon after I heard what was considered “heavy metal”: Twisted Sister, WASP, Motley Crue, Quiet Riot, Dokken (ummm…no). Yeah I liked the stuff, but then a friend named Marc turned me onto…

Metallica!

Heard “Fight Fire With Fire” and I said “They make Judas Priest sound like the Monkees!” My stereo melted, my heart sped up faster, and this thing called thrash metal was perfect for an angry disillusioned 14-year-old. Soon I heard Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax, Exodus…this music was made for ME!!

But then I got hip to bands like Black Flag, Venom, Mercyful Fate, Discharge…all this metal coming at me so fast and furious, I couldn’t keep up. I had to hear more of this heavy stuff, even going as far as buying an album I never heard of because the cover was cool. Did it piss off my parents? Then it came home!

And then my tastes shifted to a different type of metal in the form of Living Colour. This was called “funk metal”…what? This was a different brand of heavy, and I ate it up for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Jane’s Addiction followed, then Faith No More and a band that would pummel me into submission: Pantera!

Now suddenly Metallica sounded like The Bee Gees!

So what’s my point to this blog? Simple: Watching these two videos introduced me to some bands that never hit the mainstream, or never got as far as their garage door, but for their time, there was some HEAVY shit: Proto Metal 1 and Proto Metal 2

Of course, people’s opinions of what’s “heavy” will vary but make no mistake, some of the really obscure bands from the late 60s into the mid 70s were pretty crankin’! Are they as brutal as early Metallica or Cannibal Corpse? No way. But given the time frame, I could picture brains exploding to such bands as Sir Lord Baltimore, Budgie, and odd-named ones like Socrates Drank The Conium (?) and Suck (?!) As a matter of fact, here’s the Spotify playlist created by the guy who did the videos: Beyond Sabbath

Can you tell I get excited about heavy music? 🙂

I’ll be 56 in a couple of months and still love stuff that’s heavy!!

Why do I have to be so heavy?

Why not?!

PROGRESS OVER PERFECTION

What did YOU do this morning?

Legend has it that Prince called a bassist at 2:30 in the morning and asked him “What are you doing right now?” The bassist said “I’m sleeping!” Prince replied, “Wrong answer I’m writing songs! Why aren’t you?”

Yes I know the bassist and won’t say his name out of professional respect.

While I will never ever do this to anyone, I definitely get inspired at odd hours of the day. Could happen super early in the morning, maybe during a guitar lesson in the afternoon, or when I do a quiet evening stroll. Could also happen when a friend (another bassist!) says something that jump-starts my brain.

I wrote a song at 6:40 this morning. What did YOU do? 😉

Just when I thought “I am done with song ideas”, the muse will tap on my shoulder and said “Not so fast, Sparky!” And when inspiration is combined with a cup of coffee that has the strength of jet fuel, you act fast!!

I am learning about progress over perfectionism. In the past, a demo had to be note-correct and it would drive me nuts if something was off by a 16th note, or a chord was flubbed. For me, it’s about getting the vibes (and what my friend Laura said but won’t repeat it here as it will be the song title). I had the riffs, played with the arrangement, and had to fire up the Tascam. The timing might not be quite on the money but the attitude is there. I normally want the riffs to move a certain way but this time, I left things as-is. No fancy endings, no twisty licks, just the riffs and “sissy chords” (as the singer in Quiet Zone said to me back in 1991).

As I was recording, this feeling hit me of “You’re finding your mojo after a couple of years.” I was also feeling a new energy, or a re-connected one, and have been for quite some time with the newest song ideas that have been bursting out. I feel like Prince in that regard, always coming up with stuff, and some musicians hate me for that. OH WELL! Learn to keep up, kids!!

I had ideas a couple of years ago but they weren’t fun to listen to. Strange, huh? Not really. A few people have said I do “fun guitar music”, even when it’s heavy. I’ve been more in-tune with my inner soul than trying to impress people (thank you, Living Colour!) Speaking of Colour, this tune definitely has those vibes, as well as Zep/Aerosmith, maybe traces of Jeff Beck and yes, Prince. Bold comparisons but I can back up my words.

Every. Single. Time.

DID I JUST DO THAT?!

This pic will make sense after you read the blog below…

“I’m done writing songs!”

Nope.

I thought I was done. But the universe had other plans.

This morning was a bit different. I was noodling around with two chords, not in a Taylor Swift way, but more of a “let’s see if these two chords go anywhere”. Stuck for ideas, I was going to put the guitar down and tell myself “Nope, fresh out of riffs.”

However, something as simple as a trippy effect can trigger things.

I have an Orange CR20LDX amp that I bought used a couple of years ago at Guitar Center for $100. It’s long discontinued but of course, I saw it and forked over the cash. I use it to write and record ideas onto the Tascam unit. I have messed with the effects on it, mostly chorus and delay. But what about this flange effect? Hmmm…I know a lot of people hate that sound, and I don’t know why. So with that in mind, I played these two chords with the flanger on.

WHOOSH!

Suddenly things opened up. The whole song won’t have flanger, don’t worry. But soon after, other ideas came to me. When a song writes itself, it’s a wild feeling. I quickly recorded on the Tascam, flubs and all, and listened back to it. Not once, not twice, but TEN times.

That’s when I looked at my hands and thought “Did I just do that?! Did I create this really cool song?! Could it be an actual hit single?!” I don’t write songs with hit singles in mind but the way this one flew out of me, it may as well could be. I’ve been excited over song ideas, licks, riffs, etc. but today I caught myself in disbelief.

The first time I felt this jolt was when I wrote “Turn To Rust” back in 2017. It was way out of my comfort zone, had ideas of channeling Hendrix/Trower/SRV, and it came out better than I anticipated. This particular song I wrote gave me the same burst of energy like “HOLY MOLY!”

For me to listen to a rough demo so many times is also rare too. I like the new ideas that are flowing through. I truly believe that the new batch of tunes are really great. I dare not say things like “This is the best stuff to date” because that’s such a cliche (I’m a PR rep’s worst nightmare). Just because something is new and fresh doesn’t necessarily make it THE BEST. It’s good to feel excited, that rush of energy and confidence is amazing. If the public says “This is your best stuff”, then great. Not my place to say it.

But the new tunes are friggin’ sweet!!

WHAT A WEEK?!

Tales from the basement…and a new pedal!

This has been some week. My socials look more like obituary columns. I won’t make this blog morbid, nor reminisce about the past. It has to be mentioned though that losing Ozzy Osbourne was the blow that nobody needed or asked for. Two weeks after the final concert with Black Sabbath in England, we lost the man who, along with Tony, Geezer, and Bill invented heavy metal.

Let that sink in. It’s the truth.

My students have been asking me about Ozzy, and I’m all too happy to talk about things. Yes, they want to learn “Iron Man”, “Paranoid”, and “Crazy Train” for sure. I told them all the same thing: it’s easy to mourn but better to celebrate his life and career. What a ride he had!

Onto happier thoughts…

I had to re-order the shirt that you see in this pic. Why? I apparently misplaced it at the Jersey City, that’s my thought. When I was getting changed, I totally sweat through that shirt, and must have left it hanging somewhere in the men’s room. So, I got a new one…life is good again!

But you see me holding a new pedal from Caline! Do I really need another pedal? No but I could not pass this deal up on Amazon. For one week, this Tiger Eye distortion pedal was $21! Normally $43, so I snagged it.

Glad I did, as it’s a cool pedal. It’s not groundbreaking by any means, just does its job really well. Reminds me of the Boss DS-1 for sure, has that chunky AC/DC-ish tone when used alone in front of a clean amp. It really comes alive when you use it as a boost for amp distortion…wow! The mids jump out a little hotter, and when I nudge the Gain knob a bit to the point of saturation, yeah it’s great!! I learned that trick years ago from thrash metal bands who pushed their amps hotter with a Boss SD-1 or Ibanez TS-9. Thank you, Gary Holt!

I made a demo video the day I received the pedal. Most guitarists will be fancy and hi-tech but my videos are the exact opposite. It’s like Tom Carvel once said, “My voice isn’t pretty but it gets your attention.” (I could go for mint chip right now.) The video features me unwrapping the package and trying the pedal for the very first time. What you hear is what I hear. I didn’t sit with the pedal beforehand. Just plugged in, turned on the camera, and that’s it. A genuine “reaction” video. That’s how you do it!

This pedal won’t be a staple on my live rigs but will be a spare in case something happens. I have used it at home, and it inspired another song! I plugged this pedal into the Micro Dark and HOLY CRAP, total heaviness!! Ah, the soothing sounds of my 7-string…sigh…

What’s my age again?