Dig our Blog 2008 * 2007 * 2006 * 2005 * 2004
December 20th, 2004 I'm unsure what it means that I've started
out several of these missives writing about the weather. Maybe it's
a universal theme, something that touches us all and therefore unites
us. Maybe I'm getting old. Maybe it's just a bit surreal to be playing
reggae music, trying to share an island state of being between the band
and the audience, and to look over my shoulder and see Theo limned by
a snowstorm.
That's the scene last night at Charley Brownz in Wilmington. We played
the Sunday night reggae show. It took us the first set to shake the
rust off. Taking a six-week hiatus to write some new tunes, finish
some recordings and to begin incorporating some new technology into
our performance had its costs as well as its benefits. So be it. We
found the groove and played some of our new material to a receptive
audience and the fine CB's staff took really good care of us. We want
to thank Matt, Mason and Brian for their hospitality and for the invitation
to some return engagements. Thanks to Night Nurse Kim at 93.7/103.7FM
- The Bone for spinning our music on her Reggae Redemption show prior
to our gig and to our Wilmington area friends who braved the Alberta
Clipper to get their groove on with us.
A historical note: Last night's show was the first where no one asked
Mike if his dreadlocks are real. That new BMB baseball jersey must
be getting the word out!
-Ski
December 3rd, 2004 Where the heck
have you been? Good question. BMB's taken a month off of gigging
to finish up some studio recordings we hope to have available soon.
We'll be forking those tunes into a demo CD and then begin slinging
those demos onto various walls to see where they stick. We've also
been experimenting with some new equipment. Loop stations, triggered
samples, various and sundry electronic widgets to lend our live performances
a bit more tasty dub style goodness. I think you'll dig on the results
of both efforts. We'll be back on the road in a couple weeks at Charley
Brownz in Wilmington. See you then!
-Ski
October 31st, 2004 Happy Hallowe'en! We played two All Hallow's
Eve (eve) shows yesterday and lemme tell you, my fingers are tired all
the way down to my knees. We did an afternoon show during the Tricks-n-Treats
celebration in Raleigh's City Market. The show was a good time, even
if not heavily attended. We were competing with a Democratic candidates'
rally across the street in the park. They had the bigger PA, but they
sent a runner to City Market to ask us to turn down during their presentations.
So if you were wondering about that long break between our sets, well,
blame John Kerry.
Once the rally was over, though, we got a nice crowd that was dancing,
singing, screaming for more and otherwise really into the music. We
want to thank the City Market merchants who made our performance possible,
including Leigh from All Wrapped Up and Mike Conn from Conn-signment
Music. Thanks to the guys from The Exodus Lounge for stopping by to
hear us and thanks to all the other people who grooved along with
us, especially the ladies who came out to our evening show in Clayton
because they dug on us in City Market. Oh, and thanks to the York
Security guard. No offense with that whole I Shot The Sheriff
thing.
So, yeah, the Clayton show last evening was at our old haunt, The
Flip Side, at 105 S. Lombard St. It was their Hallowe'en bash and
we had a great time playing it. The band ended up serving as judges
for the costume contest, which was a real kick. It was lots of fun
to party with the Clayton contingent of Marbleheads including Father
Cliff, Jodi Fawcett, Captain Jack, The Shadow, The Phantom, various
and sundry angels, pirates, space aliens, the BMU womens' soccer team,
Farmer Ted, Lord Voldemort and Little Red Riding Hood. Hey, Red, what's
in the basket?
Special props to Brooks Barlow for minding the door for us!
-Ski
October 16th, 2004 Okay, last night at
Sears Landing in Surf City seemed like October. It was cool and crisp
and packed! We had a great time and debuted several new songs,
all in an instrumental dub stylee. Surf City's become our home away
from home and we really appreciate all the friends we've made there.
Thanks to Marbleheads Hap, Suzanne, Micky, Tate and all the Tuckers
(and there were a lot of them last night!), Paxton and Chip and all
our new friends, too. A shout-out to the SCPD chapter of Marbleheads,
good to see you guys again, and special thanks to Hap and Suzanne for
putting us up at Topsail's finest accomodations. We truly appreciate
it.
-Ski
October 3rd, 2004 October? Seemed like
August in Wilmington, NC yesterday! Temps and humidity in the 90s.
Yikes! We played the River Jam stage at Riverfest on Saturday October
2nd. Should've brought a mop, ninety-six degrees in the shade
and all, and the folks dancing and digging on the music were sweating
as much as we did.
Our forty-five minute set was mostly originals and it felt great
to play it and the audience response was everything we could want.
Thanks to the David Pray Jazz Trio for setting the bar high for us.
You guys were a tough act to follow. Thanks to Murry Mercier for running
an accomodating stage and thanks to Annette Warner of A. Warner Entertainment
for booking us at this gig. It was awesome to see Marbleheads like
Karen and Kathryn, Jill, Jessica, Wynette, David and Cecilia and the
Tuckers out in the crowd. We'll see you again, soon!
-Ski
September 26th, 2004 Just got home from
the Carrboro Music Festival. If you've never caught this yearly soiree,
you've gotta go next year. The whole town of Carrboro becomes a music
venue. And it's so close to home that we saw a lot of old friends. So
it was our hometown debut of sorts. We're really getting confident in
and comfortable with our original songs. It's a lot of fun not really
having arrangements set in stone, but instead having the luxury of working
each song dependent on audience interaction.
Really great to see Marbleheads Jessica, Karen and Kathryn, Ken from
the Bill Ely Band, Mark from Sold, Jay and Jeremy from
Stratocruiser and to meet lots of new friends like Melina,
Miki, David and Cecilia. Thanks to Gerry, Jackie and all the fine
folks in Carrboro who throw this party every year. We had a great
time playing today!
-Ski
September 25th, 2004 We must be doing
something right. Last night our second gig ended with fireworks during
our finale and the arrival of the local constabulary. We were back
in Surf City, NC to play Michelle and John's rehearsal dinner party.
We all had a great time. I love to see people removing furniture to
make more room to dance.
Party central was Micky Tucker's Pink Palace Bed and Breakfast. She's
got this amazing back deck that's right on the beach. It was a clear
and warm night with an onshore breeze. And dancing. Did I mention
the dancing? There was a lot of dancing. News travels fast on Topsail.
I heard this morning that "every girl on the Island" was
there and it sure looked like it from where I stood.
Congrats from Blue Marble Beat to Michelle and John. We wish you
many happy years together. Thanks to Micky for booking us to play
the party and thanks to Hap and Suzanne Alexander for lodging us two
weekends in a row.
-Ski
September 19th, 2004 Wow. The first
show went really well. It was Friday night, September 17th, 2004 at
Sears Landing Grill & Boat Docks in Surf City, NC.
We waited out the last remnants of Hurricane Ivan as they passed
over and through the area. It was raining horizontally for a few minutes
as we contemplated loading in. It was an outdoor show. So we got started
a few minutes late, but the audience didn't seem to mind. And neither
did the band.
I didn't know quite what to expect and I think the other guys were
just as curious. It felt great! Unleashing Mike as frontman showed
us a side of him we had only glimpsed. We'll all be seeing a lot more
of his dynamism. We were able to instantly create a rapport with the
crowd that grew throughout the evening. The crowd and the rapport.
We skewed the show a bit heavier toward the cover material than was
our initial plan but the original songs were as well-received as any.
And what a great audience. These folks really dug the reggae music
and they danced till they hurt. Literally. We met up with a lady Saturday
morning who'd been at the show. She told us she was stiff and sore
from dancing and was very pleased about it. Then she booked us for
a party the next weekend. And a big thanks and a happy birthday wish
go out to Vivi who drove all the way from Raleigh to the beach to
catch our first gig. We really appreciate her being there for us!
Thanks to Suzanne and Hap Alexander for booking us and for putting
us up and to the rest of the Sears Landing staff like Chip and Paxton
for making us feel like total rock stars. We'll be back as soon and
as often as you let us!
-Ski
August 23, 2004 I'm just about as happy
as I can imagine. BMB's finetuning our setlist, beginning to think about
a demo and the gigs continue to roll in by word of mouth alone! Gotta
thank Cliff, Annette, Gerry and the Sears Landing folks who've been
willing to book us on reputation. I just can't wait to play for you.
And I really wish I could link a title or two off the songs page, but
so far it's all basement tape quality. But I still get chills on playback.
The Web site's about as done as it can be without MP3s. So I guess
the major marketing efforts should commence sometime in the near future.
I'm just a little uneasy driving traffic to another band site on the
Web without some sounds. A lot of you already know us individually
from our last several efforts, though, so I guess we can start to
tell the rest of the world about BMB. Is it a tease without the music
online?
-Ski
August 5, 2004 Everyone who's anyone
has a blog. You have one, don't you? So do we. This is ours. It's
where we'll keep a running commentary on our adventures as Blue Marble
Beat goes on tour.
We're doing things kind of backwards, I guess. Usually you see a
brand new band play its first few shows in front of the hometown crowd.
You know, boost the collective confidence. Fine tune the set list.
Save on fuel, food and hotel bills.
Not us. Not Blue Marble Beat. Huh uh.
Our first shows are gonna be road gigs. Are we cocky? Maybe a bit.
But we've been playing together, some of us for four years, long enough
that we're comfortable with each other and those new band issues won't
apply. Not much.
Or so we hope.
This is a departure for us in the metaphorical sense as well as the
literal. In the last several weeks we've written sixteen new songs.
We'll spend the next several weeks applying the finishing touches
to them and adding a some tasteful cover songs to our set list and
we'll be off on the road. The emphasis on original material is our
point of departure. For me, personally, it's a newly found sense of
freedom. But freedom is very risky. We'll be free to soar if the audience
digs our music, but we risk a meteoric fall if they don't.
It's that whole creative thing, that urge to be recognized for not
just how you play, but what you play, for what you have to say as
well as how you say it. It's a driving motivation all four of us share.
We're gonna find out if we can pull it off. Come with us!
-Ski