David Dewese and I headed down to E Street Cafe in Encinitas last night for their open mic. We had no idea what to expect.
E Street is an awesome coffee shop with a decent-sized room. There’s no PA just a two channel amp. So it’s a bit weird not to be able to check your levels properly. But also fun and slapdash. Very Carter-Admin-practice-in-Todd-K’s-apartment vibey.
The open mic was just the kind I like with a mix of different styles and ages and proficiencies. And a couple of experimental performances. Although that “slapping on chair” solo did seem to go on a little long…
We met a few awesome people. Cleopatra Degher, Justin Froese and a Sierra whose last name I didn’t get. DD really did all the “meeting.” I just enjoyed their songs. We’ll be back to E Street soon.
1. Networking is just another name for using people. And it’s a shitty way to live your life. Success in this business (or any other) isn’t just about who you know. You have to actually do something and offer something of value or no one is going to do anything for you. It’s true and it’s a good thing.
Yup. It is shitty. But it still seems like it’s the networkers who get somewhere.
2. This business is full of icky old guys who have made a lot of money and will promise you the world just so they can hang out with a hot young woman (or worse). If you do it thinking you’re getting something for nothing, that makes you just as icky as them. Oh, it also makes you stupid.
Yuck. But from what I’ve seen, totally true. If you’re a female musician you are about 100 times more likely to have smoke blown up your ass by a “producer” who wants to get you in his “studio.”
3. Making something isn’t just an afterthought. It’s the point. Whether it’s a song or a show or a video or a business venture. The greatest idea in the world is just an idea. It’s worth nothing until you put it into action. Concentrate on less promises and more production.
I love this statement: “The greatest idea in the world is just an idea.” I have a variation on it that I use: “Do or do not. There is no ‘planning to.’” (With apologies to Yoda.)
We were playing at Red Rocks, the big prestigious venue in Denver, to a sold-out crowd of about 10,000 people. We were working our smoke machine backstage, and it kept triggering a fuse blowing the electricity. We’re there all day fucking with our gear and all that, so I went to one of the technicians at the place and said, ‘We’re blowing a fuse here. I’m worried about that when we go onstage we’re going to blow the electricity.’ He laughed and said, ‘Look, dude, we had Slayer play here. Give me a fucking break.’ So I put it to the back of my mind. That having been said, we go onstage, the smoke machine goes, and the fucking whole place blows. We stand in the dark apologizing best we can because there’s no microphones working.
Hi, I'm Todd A. I write songs for nerds, geeks, misfits, oddballs and outcasts. You can watch videos and listen to mp3s and download it all for free at toddamusic.com/songs.
David Dewese and I headed down to E Street Cafe in Encinitas last night for their open mic. We had no idea what to expect. 
