9/9/02: Back to work, sports?, TT back at Packees, photo shoot, 9/11

I am getting really revved up for this upcoming show(s). Getting some serious players together for the band. We are going to kick some ass. I need to start rehearsals, like, yesterday. Made a set list for the show. It's looking like 70% new stuff and 30% old (which one's do you want to hear?).

OK, I can't believe that I'm writing about sports again but I am. The NFL has started it's season and I'm pretty excited about it. With an opening day concert from Bon Jovi no less! Woo! (Sometimes it's hard to be from Jersey.) And the Jets won their first week (barely) against Buffalo. And the Eagles lost (hi, Andrew). All is as it should be.

In TT news, after a solid but poorly attended show at Packees Pub in Woodbridge, I worked out an opening slot for the hard rock cover band, Gotham, who plays there about once a month. After opening for them a few times and getting some good names on the list, maybe we'll be able to have our own monthly gig there. Other than that I am all out of ideas for this band. I have other things on my mind anyway. The Massimo project rolls on...

Finally shot some new pictures over the weekend. I think it went really well (good photographer: chadvegaphoto.com) but, man, I hate photo shoots. You have to think about all that image stuff you'd prefer to not think about. Of course I woke up with a most inconvenient and uncharacteristic zit on my cheek. Thank God for Photoshop. I think the pics will be OK. A bit more "rock" looking then they've been in the past. It'll be nice to have some new pics on the website finally. Damn website. I spent a good part of the weekend retouching a bunch of pictures for the Gallery section. I wish it was done already. Of course, it will be by the time you read this. If anyone reads this....

The city streets feel weird this week in the wake of the upcoming 9/11 anniversary and all the heightened security. I know I won't be traveling during rush hour Wed. My office is opening late anyway. I think it should be a permanent national day of remembrance. My heart goes out to anyone who suffered a personal loss in that tragedy. Those responsible can never be dead enough. Don't get me started...

8/22/02: Happy Birthday to Me!, summer wrap up

Yes, that's right, today's my birthday. I'm ## years old. (Yes, we have gotten to that point- I'm however old you think I am). Honestly, birthdays stopped being a big deal a while ago. And it seems I'm never growing up anyway so...

Went on an actual "vacation" last month to Cancun.

It was my first time out of the country; I finally had to get a passport. It was nice in Cancun but sometimes it was a little much. There's an inescapable party going on whether you want it to or not and attendance is mandatory. Snorkeling in the coral reef was awesome, like swimming in my fish tank. The hotel was nice. Three words: swim up bar.

But it's time to get back to work! Enough screwing around "writing". I'm a little nervous about it all. there's much to be done: website, band rehearsals/arrangements, promotion. I know it will all get done. It was nice calling the Bitter End the other day and not having to re-introduce myself after all this time. Should be no problem getting a show there every 5-6 weeks or so (And then what?) Just need to build some momentum first. All the songs for the new album are done except for one ("Big Idea"). Gotta finish it and rewrite the 7 oldies I'm going forward with. In fact, I have a lot of work to do. Why am I sitting here typing to you? Gotta go...

6/18/02: LA observations, TT gets uninvited from TX/AZ

Spent a long weekend in LA recently to visit a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. My first time there. On the surface it seems to be a place or many paradoxes. To wit: so many burger joints yet people barely eat and when they do it's usually tofu based, everyone's supposed to be so laid back but they drive like psychopaths, so much sun but almost no one has a tan, so much traffic but no turn signal streetlights that would completely solve the problem, so many stores yet most people can't afford to shop there.

Seems to me LA spends most of its time trying to convince itself it's as cool as NYC because the reality that it isn't would be too much to bear.

Unique cars abound; chrome rims a definite must.

Saw a live coyote! Like an emaciated German Shepherd with big ears.

No sense of community. Everyone kind of keeps to themselves. And for a big city, it's eerily quiet after only 1AM..

In general, I was largely under whelmed by LA. I had the same reaction to most of the tourist-y attractions: that's it? Mulholland drive at night was way cool. You get to see just how sprawling LA really is. Driving up the PCH through Malibu to Santa Barbara was also cool. Strange how almost nothing is being done to hold back the inevitable rock/landslides that occur there. The most popular method of holding back the land was a plastic bag weighted down with a sack of sand. We do have better engineering available, right? Talk about ignoring a problem. Not to mention the entire state is hanging on a fault line. But that's LA: blissfully soaking up the sun while the world around them sinks into oblivion.

A nice piece of real estate with strange inhabitants.

So the feud with TX/AZ has escalated. It seem sthey won't be needing our services anymore, citing poor turnout (we kept their lame happy hour crowd longer than most) and a failure to comply with audience requests (a flat out lie). But, OK. Whatever. It's a blessing in disguise. I was getting sick of that place anyway. I'm sure it had nothing to do with the argument with the manager last time we were there. For a more scathing take on the situation, check out he "Lane's rants" section on the TT site. (And the infantile entries in our guestbook). Feel the love. We have one more show there before we split. I say we do an entire set of "Killing In The Name". No matter. Coming up The Mad Hatter 7/20 in Sea Bright, Packees in Woodbridge, 8/2. Cadillac Bar...whenever the guy there decides to book Sept.; keeps putting it off...

4/29/02: NARAS annual meeting, discovering 8 minute dating, TT has busy weekend

Went to the annual NARAS (Nat'l Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, www.grammy.com) meeting the other day. After the usual Academy business (humanitarian/educational efforts, the Grammys coming back to NYC!, new membership) there was a panel of A&R execs (Jimmy Bralower - Atlantic, Michael Caplan - Epic, Tina Davis - Def Jam, Afir Mardin (!) - Manhattan) speaking about current signing practices and what's next for the industry in the wake of the Internet and flagging sales (down 15% in the first quarter alone). While it was nice to get some confirmation from industry folks on issues I've been griping about the past few years (no one's addressing the adult market, radio blows, lack of artist development, the attack of the clones, the cost of playing the game these days is too high to be profitable) no one has any plans or desire to change things. It amazes me how they're able to identify everything that's wrong with music today and yet act as though they have nothing to do with it. While some of the younger A&R people would like to sign new and exciting acts, they still have to answer to their dinosaur bosses on the bottom line of profits. And quickly, too. No time for the slow build anymore. It's seems that these older executives either have to die or retire before anything really changes for the better. In the meantime, the things that have been true in the past still are: find what you're good at and then be great at it and don't make music that chases the marketplace - sooner or later the cycle of music will swing your way. You just have to be ready when it does. More than anything else it's a matter of who can go the distance; it's a battle of attrition and time is on my side. The man who said "War is hell" must've been listening to the radio.

So, due to my lack of a social life and unsatisfied with the results of Internet dating, I decided to try something new last week - 8 minute dating: 8 "dates" in a row, 8 minutes each (www.8minutedating.com). Now, I consider myself to be open minded and not all that shallow but this particular event should've been called "8 minute grazing" due to the abundance of cows in attendance. I like voluptuous women but when I can't distinguish your breasts from your butt, that's a real problem for me. I'm blaming it on the Edison, NJ dating pool and not the concept itself. I actually think it's a good idea; I'll be trying it again next week but this time in NYC. Hopefully with better results.

Todd's Theory had a great weekend. We debuted at the Cadillac Bar on Fri. and did our steady gig at Texas Arizona on Sat. The shows couldn't have been more different. Fri. rocked: Cubby Bryant from Z100 was there DJing between sets (he even announced our gig on the air all day Fri!) and plenty of hot girls dancing (and drunk!). We played great and will be back in early Sept.

Sat. we did just as good a show and were soundly ignored at Texas Arizona. Plus, there was the issue of dealing with an irate bar manager arguing with Lane over who's fault it was that a circuit breaker blew out (see Lane's latest rant on the TT site). No matter: we got paid and we'll be back. The Power of Todd always prevails.

4/16/02: Bucky & John Pizzarelli at NJPAC, fish wisdom

Got a free ticket to see jazz guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli and his son, John, at the NJ Performing Arts Center in Newark yesterday (nice venue, brand new, check it out: www.NJPAC.org). Free concerts being my favorite kind, I went. It was basically just two guys sitting on the stage playing an occasional song or two while John talks about what it was like growing up in Paterson, NJ with jazz great, Bucky, as his dad. Bucky is a long-time jazz musician, known initially for his work with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, having a strange first name and being from Paterson. John is known mostly for being Bucky's son and, most recently, the Foxwoods theme (Of course there's more, he has a site: www.JohnPizzarelli.com). There was a Q&A session the audience, too. I learned Bucky's full first name is actually Buckskin, his Dad being a huge fan of the Old West and cowboys after spending three years living in Texas. Hanging with the mostly geriatric crowd, it was hard resisting the urge ask for a Metallica request or yell "Babba Booey". I am such a child. What I really wanted to ask him was how many times he got his ass kicked when he was a kid living in Paterson for having a name like Bucky. Watching them both jam on 7-string guitars was very cool. Sounded like there was a standup bass player off stage.

But it weren't no Metheny concert; I'll tell you that.

Did some fishing over the weekend at Lake Hopoatcong, drove past western-themed attraction , Wild West City along the way. Anybody who was a kid in the 70's in the tri-state area would remember the commercials. And the theme song: www.wildwestcity.com. Didn't catch anything, really. While I was fishing, I found myself envious of the fish and their simple lives, how they're not concerned with the complications of a career in music.

Then again, getting a hook through your lip when you're just trying to have dinner can't be that much fun either.

4/10/02: Metheny at The State Theatre New Brunswick

"You don't suck!"
- an autograph from Pat Metheny to yours truly obtained by a friend (thanks Ed) at an album signing after telling Pat how much I think I suck after seeing him play.

OK, first of all, the man gets a standing ovation for just taking the stage. If there was room people would have knelt and prayed. He was, of course, awesome and so was the new band. Played for three hours, sometimes wailing so hard you thought he might just spontaneously combust. Know him, love him: www.patmethenygroup.com

My guitar now seems to be mocking me.

3/18/02: MM still limping, meets Carly Simon

It's my leg and I'll cry if I want to. You would cry too if it happened to you. Still limping around from the tendon injury (see below). Walking is one of those things you take for granted until you can't do it anymore. I'm slowly healing but I'll still have to be considerably more stationary for Friday's TT show. I hate not being up to par. My doctor says I need to be patient. He obviously doesn't know who he's talking to.

So, I sit down at my desk this morning and immediately the phone rings:

"Hi, this is Carly Simon. I'm looking for someone to answer some questions I have about my contract for the "My Romance" TV spot."

"Yeah, right. Seriously, who is this?"

"It's Carly Simon."

"Seriously?"

"I could sing the song for you if you want"

"No, that's OK"

After taking down some information regarding her call I say "Someone will get right back to you. I'm sure they know how to get in touch with you"

"Actually they don't. HERE'S MY NUMBER" !!!??

No, I didn't tell her I was a singer/songwriter. No, I didn't ask to send her my music. And, no, you can't have her number. I'm taking it as a good sign that things are moving in the right direction...

3/5/02: Producer on board, new back up band being formed, MM injured

Yeah, I know it's been a month since I've written anything here. It's hard to write for a section of the website that isn't even up yet and won't be for quite a while yet. Unfortunately, there hasn't been much to tell. Things are moving forward but sometimes at such an imperceptible rate it might be mistaken for standing still. Met with the producer I spoke of earlier (see 2/5). Very cool guy, killer bass player, has experience with rocking singer/songwriter types and has a lot of good ideas. And he seems genuinely excited about working with me. We'll be getting together soon for some preliminary rehearsal/preproduction/jamming sessions. Actual recording may have to wait 'till I find more money via winning lottery ticket, a successful bank heist, a loan/grant from a generous fan. (Anyone? Anyone?) Probably will do just 3-5 songs just to get the hype machine started up. Finished a couple more songs for the album: "Anywhere But Here" and " Bonnie & Clyde". I've been thinking about debuting these songs with a band right from the start instead of doing a solo gig or two first. Then when I take the same band into the studio to record we'll be tight. I already have Roger (from TT) on board and he has a possible bass player but I still need another electric guitarist. Most of all I just want to finish all these songs first...

And now another installment of "Great Moments In Idiocy": I'm a few hours and several drinks into a poorly attended Christmas party when me and the host (Jack from TT) get the brilliant idea of racing two Razor scooters down the hill his house is on. Of course, halfway down the hill, in my intense struggle for victory I give the scooter a big push that only serves to upset it, sending me tumbling down the hill in a flash of torn winter clothing and aluminum. But I walked away from it. Or so I thought. One month later, a mild hamstring injury appears then dissipates. Two months later, after a couple of particularly vigorous TT shows, I wake up virtually paralyzed and limping from a now very aggravated pulled hamstring (or ligament or tendon. The doctor fails to pinpoint it). Pain always. Welcome to physical therapy. Still not walking normally as of this writing. Hope I'm OK for the 3/22 TX/AZ show.

Speaking of TT, bookings are kind of on hold right now as we search for a replacement bass player (Jack will be switching to guitar as Lane will soon be leaving us to record a solo project on Wall Street Records). Bar A said "thanks but no thanks" after our show there failed to break any attendance records. Been talking to the Cadillac Bar. Also, look for TT stickers cropping up on tollbooths everywhere and keep an eye on the website for constant updates: www.toddstheory.com)

And after all my previous blah blah blah about the Grammys and voting etc. (see 11/27/01) I didn't even watch them last Wed. Wound up seeing a friend's band play instead. It was the thing to do.