November 2009
25 posts
Rockstar Brunch and other ditties...
Getting ready for brunch with the band in Williamsburg then a solid day of rehearsal. We’ve got a lot to get together for Thursday night at the Mercury! On top of that I just signed a lease on a new apt. It’s pretty sweet but I’m definitely gonna miss my old place (AKA the batcave). I’m staying in the same neighborhood, but getting a place with more light. Anybody want to...
W!W! In The Studio, Videos
This is me practicing the piano part to our new song “Light Outside”. We actually ended up re-recording this later, but I thought it would be fun to see a song in progress.
Here is the amazing Sarab Singh laying down the drums to the same track. For all of you rappers and songwriters out there, feel free to use it as an instrumental. Wakey!Wakey! rap remixes might be a new market...
Family's new home, Wakey blog launch
I’m excited to be typing today from Family’s new home, and on Wakey’s new Blog host! We’ve set up new offices for Family, and are sharing space with our good friends at Engine Room Recordings (Lowry, Bloodsugars, Luke Wesley). Wes is actually on the phone right at this very moment with Jason Rabinowitz from the bloodsugars. Now he’s asking if I’m really typing...
My third trip to NC...
Back at LGA on my way to North Carolina for another taping. I think the security line is long enough that I could eat breakfast on line, but i’m gonna wait til I get to the terminal. I’m doing the hoodie vs shades debate. Hood up or shades on? Right now i’m gonna stick with hood up. You can never do both. Especially if you’re as hairy and bearded as I am. Especially at the...
Then what happened???
So as anyone reading this blog regularly surely noticed, I kind of quit posting there for a minute. Here’s the story. You want the story? It’s a good story…
So the next day on the way from DC to NC, I got a call from Mark Schwahn (the creator of One Tree Hill). He asked me if I could come down and play a bartender for the next episode they were taping. This of course was crazy...
The lady prefers a helmet
Where did I leave off? Was it Boston? Was it really Boston? New York welcomed us for a great show at Public Assembly. We also picked up Tanya there. Basically putting Tanya in the van with us is like throwing a lit box of matches into a fireworks store. Let’s just say the party has started. The show ended with a late night jam at Matchless. Ivan Sandomire, Tarrah Reynolds and Alex Lowry...
Now that's style...
Last night we stayed in Boston with our good friends Andrew and Caitlin. They have a beautiful home and are the best hosts ever. At about 3 AM Andrew came forth with an amazing picture. It’s his family photo from when he was 8. Who knew he was such a ladies man. Love that glove, too. Scroll down to check it out. It’s worth it. Waaaaaay worth it. Last night’s show was amazing. A...
On the road again!
Well hello again Mr and Mrs East Coast! It’s nice to see you again! This time from the windows of a big ole tour van with the whole band. That’s right folks. Wakey’s on tour again. Last night we kicked off in Baltimore. I’m writing this during our long haul to Boston. More to come later. Must stop typing. Bouncy van. Much love, -M
East Coast Tour goes west- Day 14, West Hollywood,...
Wes and I rose late and headed to the Melrose Swap Meet. It was like 2 blocks from where we were staying, and totally worth the 2 dollar cover. I got so caught up wandering through the miles of wonderful junk that I earned myself a nice crunchy sunburn. Then we showered, and headed to Shaina’s. The NBA finals were in full effect, and the Lakers were playing, so downtown was insane. We went to her...
East Coast Tour goes west- Day 15 (the last day),...
We woke up the day of the Roxy show and headed to lunch around 11. There were a lot of last minute details to work out with the keyboard rental, soundcheck, etc. Before we knew it we were completely lost in West Hollywood with a gajillion pound keyboard in the back. It was then that we made an important decision. Regardless of how lost we were, late to soundcheck, or frazzled by LA traffic, we...
East Coast Tour Goes West- Day 13, West Hollywood,...
I woke up early and scrambled to pack for my flight to LAX. We Tumblrshipped my flight case to NYC, and I got to the airport with about 30 seconds to check in. The flights were smooth and easy and before I knew it I was in LA, in my Zipcar, and headed to Venice Beach to meet friends. We relaxed and basked in the sun at an outdoor café, and I really saw LA at it’s best. I guess a storm had just...
East Coast Tour- Day 12, Atlanta, GA
We woke up late, hazy from the night before, but in great spirits. I decided that Lisa’s family had been such great hosts that I should say thanks somehow, so I cut their grass. After a week of sitting in the car, it felt really good to get sweaty and clear my head with some proper yard work. It may sound weird, but I’ve always enjoyed cutting yards. There’s something so satisfying about standing...
East Coast Tour- Day 11, Atlanta, GA
This was a blessed day off with Lisa’s family. Her mom made some crazy German food that tasted like heaven, and I really fell in love with them. That night we went out to the Starbar and saw some great local acts. Just for the record I should note here- people in Atlanta are really good looking. We ended up closing the bar and having a really great time. It was nice to have a straight up day of...
East Coast Tour- Day 10, Athens, GA
We woke up bright and early to drive to Athens. We were booked to do a video performance for Soundies. I could go on to describe the taping, but I guess it’s easier to just show you. Click on the links below to watch!
Wakey! Wakey!: War Sweater by eikonproductions
Wakey! Wakey!: Brooklyn by eikonproductions
East Coast Tour- Day 9, Nashville, TN
We slept in, then bid adieu to our sweet mansion digs around 3. The drive to Charlotte was super easy. We listened to Howard Zim’s People’s History of the United States, and marveled at the seductive voice of Matt Damon. We were thrilled to share the stage that night with our dear friend Chelsea Lynn Labate. I just honestly love her so much, that watching her performance was like a massage. The...
East Coast Tour- Day 8, Charlotte, NC
We slept in, then bid adieu to our sweet mansion digs around 3. The drive to Charlotte was super easy. We listened to Howard Zim’s People’s History of the United States, and marveled at the seductive voice of Matt Damon. We were thrilled to share the stage that night with our dear friend Chelsea Lynn Labate. I just honestly love her so much, that watching her performance was like a massage. The...
East Coast Tour- Day 7, Raleigh, NC
The amazing thing about touring with Lisa, is she knows everybody in the world. I swear we couldn’t go to a rest stop without her seeing a friend. Evidently the term for this is a ‘Connector’. Anyway, her high school history teacher lives in Greensboro. (I know… I don’t even remember my history teacher’s name) He’s a wonderful German man named Steve, and his wife happens to be the president...
East Coast Tour- Day 6 Greensboro, NC
We woke up at 8 AM after 4 short hours of sleep for what was sure to be our longest haul of the tour. 10 hours of driving with a two hour break in Richmond, VA for lunch with my dear mother. We arrived at Richmond much later than planned because of DC traffic, but had a great lunch. My mom’s dog, Sadie, barked at birds, and we had soup and sandwiches and generally caught up on things. We hated to...
East Coast Tour- Day 5, Philadelphia, PA
I woke up and scrambled to repack for the long haul. It’s weird to lock your front door, and realize that you won’t be home for about 2 weeks. I unplugged everything, cleaned out the fridge, and headed to the van with my 1 million pound flight case in tow. Patrick (our violinist) was joining us for Philly, and we set out at about 4. It was later than we wanted, but we rolled in early for sound...
East Coast tour- Day 4, Home sweet home
We ended up leaving at 11 (haha), and hit horrible traffic, so our day off in NY was looking shorter and shorter. I rolled in, dropped off laundry, and headed back to the place for a short nap. My good friend from college was in town, and the war cry had gone out to all of the boys about a reunion. I’m going to spare you all the unfortunate details, but let’s just say, rest was not in the cards....
East Coast Tour- Day 3, Boston, Mass
We took our time waking up after the bonfire revelry of the night before. Lisa woke me up to a plate of eggs and bacon, and I was soon recharged, and ready for Boston. We’d played a big headlining show in Boston a few weeks before, so this trip was going to be just for fun. We met up with Ari and Josh from Melophobe and they made us a lovely meal. We were happy for a somewhat quiet night, and...
East Coast tour- Day 2, Burlington, VT
I could have slept for days. I woke up reeling from the few days before, and dragged myself out to find Lisa, chipper and happy, with a meal already lined up. Looking around the place in the light, I soon realized why she was in such a great mood. The day was gorgeous; and the house was full of windows with a back yard you could put a basketball court in. It was also then that I met our first...
East Coast tour- Day 1, Burlington, VT
So I woke up exhausted, and realized I still needed to repack and deal with the whole keyboard issue. Turned out the venue in VT had a piano I could play, and I could get my case when we passed through NYC, so I just packed a small suitcase and set out.
The flight was smooth. Then I went to pick up the first rental car. According to cheaptickets.com, the car was only 19 dollars for the day. What...
East coast tour- the night before
As I set out for our current east coast tour, the universe decided to set itself against me. I think it wanted to make sure i REALLY wanted to do this, so it set a few bumps in the road. First of all, there was the issue of flying my keyboard. Being raised as a classical pianist, I’m pretty specific about the keyboards I’ll play. Sparing you the details, they basically have to be...
