im writing this because for the past two weeks ive been playing in little italy with this brass festival band that ive been playing with for 4 years now. we play for the restaurants down there to get people in the christmas spirit and for tips (if it wasn't for the money i wouldnt be out in 15 degree weather) in the past two weekends of doing this, ive noticed something about people. its something i always knew about certain people but this year it just really irked me for some reason and i feel i should talk about it. The fact that certain people in this world dont like music, period. they dont want to hear it and they're annoyed by a band playing in their vicinity. This idea culminated when a restaurant, who we're really good friends with, told us not to come in because one table, ONE table, of people didn't want to be disturbed. The rest of the patrons at this restaurant were denied a little entertainment because the minority won over. Now this idea can be analogized into other situations not pertaining to music, but for the sake of your time and patience, im only sticking with the music aspect.
This is where i put in my tagline: Really? Come on....
i mean seriously. you dont like music? i mean its one thing to not like music. maybe you never had the chance or opportunity to learn a musical instrument or appreciate music when you were a kid or maybe you had a bad experience with music as a child, but to rob everyone else in the restaurant of some entertainment simply because you dont want to hear it is selfish and stupid.
on top of that, your in little italy. the band that i was playing with has been playing in little italy for over 30 years, we do this EVERY YEAR. If your coming to little italy for dinner and you dont expect the band to come around, your a fucking moron. Besides its little italy, people go down there to have a good time and be loud. you want a quiet dinner, go to the upper east or west side. dont come down to little italy. There are a lot of people and groups we see who love the band and totally appreciate what we do and get into it and i respect those people because they know what they're gonna get in little italy and thats why they come there.
Ive also noticed that most people who are guilty of this non appreciation of music are people in my generation. People these days are so used to listening to cds or digital music that live music has been taken for granted. I have my ipod and i listen to itunes and pandora, etc, but i try to listen to live music as much as possible. There is something about live music that recorded music will never be able to duplicate. With the advent of DJs and turntables, more people are more inclined to hire one person who can play their favorite songs from a cd rather than pay a group of guys to play the same song right there live in their faces. I know people like to save money (especially in these times) but for me live music blows recorded music out of the water. Im getting married next year and im hoping to get more than one live band for the reception, the money is not a matter.
so what does this tell us about ourselves? The worlds getting smaller, our attention spans are getting shorter, our speakers are getting smaller and our appreciation for the finer things is almost completely gone. Will it change? i dont know. i hope it will, but as a realist and a cynic, i find it highly unlikely. i would weep for society on its journey down this hole of unappreciation and this lost of something that made humans worth looking into, but i have no tears for a species that devalues all of the stuff that make it worth living. that is all...
-roach
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Our firstborn has arrived, Fontanas and Trash Bar, A farewell to Yusuke, Audition
hello and welcome back to Shot in Blogosphere: a 457 part series. Its been a while since the last blog and Shot has been busy. The biggest news is our first born has arrived. The Shot CD is here and is on sale. If you'd like a piece of Shot to grace your CD rack, shoot an email (pun intended) to Shot@shotnyc.com and demand that you have a copy.
the last couple of weeks have been really good for Shot. A performance at Fontana's followed by an adventure looking for chinese food. After being denied by the local dumpling place (i mean seriously the place is called dumpling house...how do you run out of dumplings?) Shot, accompanied by some fans, decided to roam chinatown and look for a place to eat. They entered the first restaurant they saw, being attracted by the large bright sign they had. The minute they saw the menu, they knew they were in for it. With dishes like duck tongue, rams balls, and hoof (?), the group settled on egg fried rice, the only dish on the menu they could understand. The waitress didn't speak any english so getting the order through was a challenge in itself. The food they ordered was very good however and the decor was great, a giant TV showing Obama meeting with the Chinese president. Needless to say, it was an interesting night.
Their second show, which was last night, was phenomenal. After Mama's Dirty Lil Secret finished their set (http://www.myspace.com/mamasdirtylilsecret) They took the stage and destroyed it. This would be Yusuke's last performance with the band so they wanted to make it something memorable. Everyone was into it, some people dance, some people cried, some people got naked, and some people tried to jump on stage to kiss Billy. In other words, a typical Shot performance.
After the show, Shot bid farewell to Yusuke "The Mad Bomber" Narita the only way they knew how. After a number of shots (that's not a pun, they really took shots) Billy jumped on the bar and almost broke his neck again. Maiko, who you may remember as the Shot Dancer from the R Bar, gave everyone a dance and showed her "versatility" when she made out with a Shot fan, Maria. Yusuke, meanwhile, rubbed Roach's beard for good luck, talked up the ladies in his neverending quest to get laid, hugged Besto, Hector and Billy, screamed "CAMPAI!" at the top of his samurai lungs, and walked into the distance in the direction of Michigan, Japan (or the airport, who knows...) Shot will miss Yusuke and they hope this won't be the last time they see him...
and now for the best part: the special section. In this edition Shot recommends Audition. A man looking for a female companion holds an audition for a fake movie and meets a nice young girl. Everything seems to be going well until he starts to uncover things about her past. Chaos, as they say, ensues, with an ending that will leave you in stitches...literally.
well that does it for this edition of Shot in Blogosphere. Go out and demand the Shot CD. Make them the rock stars they think they are. And for any ladies in the state of Michigan, if you see a lonely Japanese man with a bass guitar strapped to his back, help him out and save rock by sleeping with a rock star...
the last couple of weeks have been really good for Shot. A performance at Fontana's followed by an adventure looking for chinese food. After being denied by the local dumpling place (i mean seriously the place is called dumpling house...how do you run out of dumplings?) Shot, accompanied by some fans, decided to roam chinatown and look for a place to eat. They entered the first restaurant they saw, being attracted by the large bright sign they had. The minute they saw the menu, they knew they were in for it. With dishes like duck tongue, rams balls, and hoof (?), the group settled on egg fried rice, the only dish on the menu they could understand. The waitress didn't speak any english so getting the order through was a challenge in itself. The food they ordered was very good however and the decor was great, a giant TV showing Obama meeting with the Chinese president. Needless to say, it was an interesting night.
Their second show, which was last night, was phenomenal. After Mama's Dirty Lil Secret finished their set (http://www.myspace.com/mamasdirtylilsecret) They took the stage and destroyed it. This would be Yusuke's last performance with the band so they wanted to make it something memorable. Everyone was into it, some people dance, some people cried, some people got naked, and some people tried to jump on stage to kiss Billy. In other words, a typical Shot performance.
After the show, Shot bid farewell to Yusuke "The Mad Bomber" Narita the only way they knew how. After a number of shots (that's not a pun, they really took shots) Billy jumped on the bar and almost broke his neck again. Maiko, who you may remember as the Shot Dancer from the R Bar, gave everyone a dance and showed her "versatility" when she made out with a Shot fan, Maria. Yusuke, meanwhile, rubbed Roach's beard for good luck, talked up the ladies in his neverending quest to get laid, hugged Besto, Hector and Billy, screamed "CAMPAI!" at the top of his samurai lungs, and walked into the distance in the direction of Michigan, Japan (or the airport, who knows...) Shot will miss Yusuke and they hope this won't be the last time they see him...
and now for the best part: the special section. In this edition Shot recommends Audition. A man looking for a female companion holds an audition for a fake movie and meets a nice young girl. Everything seems to be going well until he starts to uncover things about her past. Chaos, as they say, ensues, with an ending that will leave you in stitches...literally.
well that does it for this edition of Shot in Blogosphere. Go out and demand the Shot CD. Make them the rock stars they think they are. And for any ladies in the state of Michigan, if you see a lonely Japanese man with a bass guitar strapped to his back, help him out and save rock by sleeping with a rock star...
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Slaying the Dragon at R-Bar, the next "leg" in our tour, EP news, get to know Shot...
Hello once again this is another installment of Shot in the blogosphere dubbed, "Shot in Blogoshot IV: The Reckoning" (because sequels are always better than the original...ok Robocop was better than Robocop 2 and Die Hard was the best of the series, but you know what I mean)
Last night Shot finally played their much anticipated, much previewed, and much hyped "R-Bar 3 - Son of R-Bar" show and the show was ridiculous. Billy performed his bar walking, acting like a monkey antics once again. Justin and Hector went back to back and melted the faces of everyone in the crowd with their shredding. Yusuke's head rolled off his body from all the head banging he was doing. And roach destroyed the foundation of the building with his thunderous drumming. As a result of this rock show, the R-Bar is no more. If anyone is looking for a techno club to go to (Das techno!) look up the S-Bar (apparently they go to the next letter when the building gets destroyed. i really dont know why they continue to have Shot play there. They've already obliterated A-R. They'll never learn.) With this show the "Impregnated by Rock" Tour comes to an end. But fret not! Shot has some more shows coming up and they are not without ideas for ridiculous tour names. The next show will be on November 17 at Fontanas. So check your local Shot listings for details and remember, good rock...is a terrible thing to waste.
::EP ALERT EP ALERT::
yes the songs are done, the cds are being copied, the covers are being heated and pressed, and soooooon the very first Shot EP will be available for you Shotians (thats trademarked so dont even think about using it) to get your hands on. The talk going around is that the EP will be sold for 7 bucks a pop, but theres a couple of special people out there who might just get one for free. They might even hold a Shot contest. First female to show their boobs or ass to Shot...well any woman who shows their boobs or ass to Shot will get a free copy. Who knows...only Shot does.
Ok now onto the special Shot Section. This installment will be the first in a five part series called "Get to know Shot." You've seen them play, you've heard the music, and maybe you've even hung out with them, but who are these guys really? In the first installment we take a closer look at Roach, the man behind those gut busting drum beats and demolishing solos.
Roach was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He started his musical career at age 9 when, after acing a simple music quiz, was given a bass drum to play in the school band. the following year the music teacher needed a clarinet player in his band and he gave Roach that job. Roach picked up the instrument pretty quickly and by the first couple of months was already ahead of the rest of the band in terms of musical ability. Amazing but true note: At the age of 11 for his sixth grade graduation he played conga drums, clarinet, and piano for different songs.
by high school (Fiorello H Laguardia school of performing arts) he was already a top clarinet performer and had already performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He went to Mannes Prep School where he learned theory, ear training, and played in the orchestra. It was this time that he was the busiest, playing in three different orchestras, taking lessons, and playing in small groups around the city.
College was no different. Attending the Aaron Copeland school of Music in Queens college, he continued his studies in composition, theory, and performing in the orchestra. by this time he was playing clarinet full time. He felt like something was missing though. he could hear the thunder and lightning crashes of the drums in the back of his mind. He needed to go back to it.
So, after switching colleges, he decided to take up something that he had left behind years ago...the drums. After a couple of years of taking drum lessons, Roach was already playing in bands and performing in marching bands for various parades. During this time, Roach honed his on stage performance, already having mastered the drum rudiments and the music he was performing. After a couple of bands and years of performing under his belt, Roach met Justin Best and Hector Marin through a craigslist ad looking for a drummer. From the first moment he played with them, it seemed like a good fit. Through their years as Mother May I and Rain of the Rock, Roach, Justin and Hector worked on their collective sound together as they continued to look for a bass player. Roach is a founding member of Shot and anyone who's seen him play can see why they kept him around.
well that does it for this installment of Shot in Blogosphere. If you havent already subscribe to it and tell your friends and tell them to tell their friends...and so on...and so on...and so on....and so on...
Thanks for listening and if a little got on your leg...theres a washcloth on the dresser.
shameless plug section:
http://www.shotnyc.com/
www.myspace.com/shotnyc
www.reverbnation.com/shotnyc
Last night Shot finally played their much anticipated, much previewed, and much hyped "R-Bar 3 - Son of R-Bar" show and the show was ridiculous. Billy performed his bar walking, acting like a monkey antics once again. Justin and Hector went back to back and melted the faces of everyone in the crowd with their shredding. Yusuke's head rolled off his body from all the head banging he was doing. And roach destroyed the foundation of the building with his thunderous drumming. As a result of this rock show, the R-Bar is no more. If anyone is looking for a techno club to go to (Das techno!) look up the S-Bar (apparently they go to the next letter when the building gets destroyed. i really dont know why they continue to have Shot play there. They've already obliterated A-R. They'll never learn.) With this show the "Impregnated by Rock" Tour comes to an end. But fret not! Shot has some more shows coming up and they are not without ideas for ridiculous tour names. The next show will be on November 17 at Fontanas. So check your local Shot listings for details and remember, good rock...is a terrible thing to waste.
::EP ALERT EP ALERT::
yes the songs are done, the cds are being copied, the covers are being heated and pressed, and soooooon the very first Shot EP will be available for you Shotians (thats trademarked so dont even think about using it) to get your hands on. The talk going around is that the EP will be sold for 7 bucks a pop, but theres a couple of special people out there who might just get one for free. They might even hold a Shot contest. First female to show their boobs or ass to Shot...well any woman who shows their boobs or ass to Shot will get a free copy. Who knows...only Shot does.
Ok now onto the special Shot Section. This installment will be the first in a five part series called "Get to know Shot." You've seen them play, you've heard the music, and maybe you've even hung out with them, but who are these guys really? In the first installment we take a closer look at Roach, the man behind those gut busting drum beats and demolishing solos.
Roach was born and raised in the Bronx, NY. He started his musical career at age 9 when, after acing a simple music quiz, was given a bass drum to play in the school band. the following year the music teacher needed a clarinet player in his band and he gave Roach that job. Roach picked up the instrument pretty quickly and by the first couple of months was already ahead of the rest of the band in terms of musical ability. Amazing but true note: At the age of 11 for his sixth grade graduation he played conga drums, clarinet, and piano for different songs.
by high school (Fiorello H Laguardia school of performing arts) he was already a top clarinet performer and had already performed at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center. He went to Mannes Prep School where he learned theory, ear training, and played in the orchestra. It was this time that he was the busiest, playing in three different orchestras, taking lessons, and playing in small groups around the city.
College was no different. Attending the Aaron Copeland school of Music in Queens college, he continued his studies in composition, theory, and performing in the orchestra. by this time he was playing clarinet full time. He felt like something was missing though. he could hear the thunder and lightning crashes of the drums in the back of his mind. He needed to go back to it.
So, after switching colleges, he decided to take up something that he had left behind years ago...the drums. After a couple of years of taking drum lessons, Roach was already playing in bands and performing in marching bands for various parades. During this time, Roach honed his on stage performance, already having mastered the drum rudiments and the music he was performing. After a couple of bands and years of performing under his belt, Roach met Justin Best and Hector Marin through a craigslist ad looking for a drummer. From the first moment he played with them, it seemed like a good fit. Through their years as Mother May I and Rain of the Rock, Roach, Justin and Hector worked on their collective sound together as they continued to look for a bass player. Roach is a founding member of Shot and anyone who's seen him play can see why they kept him around.
well that does it for this installment of Shot in Blogosphere. If you havent already subscribe to it and tell your friends and tell them to tell their friends...and so on...and so on...and so on....and so on...
Thanks for listening and if a little got on your leg...theres a washcloth on the dresser.
shameless plug section:
http://www.shotnyc.com/
www.myspace.com/shotnyc
www.reverbnation.com/shotnyc
Monday, October 26, 2009
R-Bar III: Son of R-Bar, covers and more original work...
Hello and welcome to the second installment of the adventures of Shot in the blogosphere. Today is monday the 26th and tonight Shot will have another practice to tighten and fine tune their...tunes and work on some new music. That's right Shot has some new material coming in the next few weeks and we hope to unveil them at some of the upcoming shows. HEY! speaking of shows we will have one on November the 6th at R Bar. Remember ladies and germs this is our third visit to R Bar so we hope to be fighting the same monsters and goblins we saw the first two times. We've got their strategies and timing down to a T now so we should dispatch them quickly before we get to the show.
In addition to new original songs we're working on some covers. Your job is to come to the show and try to spot them in our set. there will be a quiz after the show so make sure you bring your no. 2 pencils and thinking caps with you.
seeing as this is the week before halloween and Besto from Shot will be in California dressing up as George Michael from his days in WHAM!, we want to ask our fans what you will be for Halloween. Billy Glaze will be a monkey dressed up as a gimp, Hector will be Jimmy Page, Yusuke will be Kim Jong Il in drag and Roach has gone on record as saying he will be Fred Flinstone. just kindly send us an email at Shotmusic@gmail.com and let us know your decisions. Hey maybe we'll see some of you in the city and give you a shout out on the street.
Now its time for the special segment in the Shot Blog. This time we're recommending a band. their name is Will Killmore. Roach just saw them on Saturday and thought they were pretty cool. you can check them out here http://ww.myspace.com/willkillmore remember folks, people dont support you in your endeavors if you don't support back so check em out and let em know that Shot sent you...even though they dont even know who we are, but you get the idea.
That concludes this installment of Shot in Blogosphere. I'm thinking of making this a weekly occurrence but you guys have to reply back and let me know if you want more or less of Shot. More is always better and too much of Shot...is a good thing. Dont forget R-Bar III: Son of R-Bar Friday November 6 8:30pm 21 and up $10.00 because good rock...is a terrible thing to waste.
now for the shameless plug section:
http://www.myspace.com/shotnyc
http://www.shotnyc.com
shotmusic@gmail.com
In addition to new original songs we're working on some covers. Your job is to come to the show and try to spot them in our set. there will be a quiz after the show so make sure you bring your no. 2 pencils and thinking caps with you.
seeing as this is the week before halloween and Besto from Shot will be in California dressing up as George Michael from his days in WHAM!, we want to ask our fans what you will be for Halloween. Billy Glaze will be a monkey dressed up as a gimp, Hector will be Jimmy Page, Yusuke will be Kim Jong Il in drag and Roach has gone on record as saying he will be Fred Flinstone. just kindly send us an email at Shotmusic@gmail.com and let us know your decisions. Hey maybe we'll see some of you in the city and give you a shout out on the street.
Now its time for the special segment in the Shot Blog. This time we're recommending a band. their name is Will Killmore. Roach just saw them on Saturday and thought they were pretty cool. you can check them out here http://ww.myspace.com/willkillmore remember folks, people dont support you in your endeavors if you don't support back so check em out and let em know that Shot sent you...even though they dont even know who we are, but you get the idea.
That concludes this installment of Shot in Blogosphere. I'm thinking of making this a weekly occurrence but you guys have to reply back and let me know if you want more or less of Shot. More is always better and too much of Shot...is a good thing. Dont forget R-Bar III: Son of R-Bar Friday November 6 8:30pm 21 and up $10.00 because good rock...is a terrible thing to waste.
now for the shameless plug section:
http://www.myspace.com/shotnyc
http://www.shotnyc.com
shotmusic@gmail.com
Sunday, October 18, 2009
New Bassist, Tour continues, necrophilia
Shot here with the first ever blog. Yes we're doing that. we are harnessing every facet of this thing we call internet to bring our brand of rock, humor, and awesomeness to our fan(s). That being said every blog will be followed with the "shameless plug" section. emails, websites, youtube videos and the such will be at the end of every blog so you people with the ADHD (you know who you are) won't have any excuses for not knowing where to get your daily dose of Shot.
Well, let's begin.
First I'd like to welcome the latest addition to the Shot family. Yusuke just had his first show with us last night at Desmond's Tavern and he was amazing. Straight from Michigan, Japan, Yusuke has definitely brought something to the Shot sound and presence. From the first time he walked in and jammed with us, we knew he was the guy. Since the inception of Shot, finding a permanent bass player has been problematic. We've heard good bass players, bad bass players, bass players with personal problems, bass players with impersonal problems, but like a musical samurai, Yusuke sliced through every song we threw at him and learned them all in record time. So next time you see Shot live, walk up to the japanese guy, tell him hes awesome, and take a shot with him.
Now that we have a permanent bassist ::fingers crossed:: A lot of things are on the horizon for Shot. The songs for the first album "Impregnated by Rock" are finished and the album is forthcoming. There's been talk of merchandising, merchandising, merchandising, where Shot makes the real money. T shirt ideas have been thrown around among other things. So be on the lookout and save some of those hard earned clams for your chance to support us.
Speaking of pregnancies, The Impregnated by Rock tour continues on November 6 when we make our third appearance at R bar. There's already a buzz going into this show because R bar is a good place to play at and its on a friday this time so you guys NEED to come to this show, get drunk, and listen to some real rock from some real guys. The shows been dubbed "R bar 3: Son of R bar" so expect some familiar faces from the first two appearances to reemerge. and remember people, in the third movie of a trilogy, all bets are off. Someone from the Shot band will be....MURDERED!
Shot will be having a practice tomorrow night, tightening up any loose ends like a woman going to a liposuction clinic.
Now with every blog, we will try to add in a specialty segment, sometimes related to the band, sometimes not. For the first specialty segment we are recommending a movie. It could be seen as a love story. It could be seen as a romantic comedy. We just see it as a great movie in the history of cinema. That movie...Deadgirl. Heres the official website for the movie deadgirlmovie.com If you dont know about the movie, here are a couple of key words: zombies, prisoner, rape, necrophilia. I can already see by the look on your face that you realize why we like this movie.
and with that ends the first installment of what will hopefully be a continuing correspondence between Shot and our fan(s). be sure to check back daily for your latest dose of Shot. You don't know when the Shot will hit.
Now for the shameless plug part...
shotnyc.com
myspace.com/shotnyc
reverbnation.com/shotnyc(where the songs are downloadable)
email: shotmusic@gmail.com
Well, let's begin.
First I'd like to welcome the latest addition to the Shot family. Yusuke just had his first show with us last night at Desmond's Tavern and he was amazing. Straight from Michigan, Japan, Yusuke has definitely brought something to the Shot sound and presence. From the first time he walked in and jammed with us, we knew he was the guy. Since the inception of Shot, finding a permanent bass player has been problematic. We've heard good bass players, bad bass players, bass players with personal problems, bass players with impersonal problems, but like a musical samurai, Yusuke sliced through every song we threw at him and learned them all in record time. So next time you see Shot live, walk up to the japanese guy, tell him hes awesome, and take a shot with him.
Now that we have a permanent bassist ::fingers crossed:: A lot of things are on the horizon for Shot. The songs for the first album "Impregnated by Rock" are finished and the album is forthcoming. There's been talk of merchandising, merchandising, merchandising, where Shot makes the real money. T shirt ideas have been thrown around among other things. So be on the lookout and save some of those hard earned clams for your chance to support us.
Speaking of pregnancies, The Impregnated by Rock tour continues on November 6 when we make our third appearance at R bar. There's already a buzz going into this show because R bar is a good place to play at and its on a friday this time so you guys NEED to come to this show, get drunk, and listen to some real rock from some real guys. The shows been dubbed "R bar 3: Son of R bar" so expect some familiar faces from the first two appearances to reemerge. and remember people, in the third movie of a trilogy, all bets are off. Someone from the Shot band will be....MURDERED!
Shot will be having a practice tomorrow night, tightening up any loose ends like a woman going to a liposuction clinic.
Now with every blog, we will try to add in a specialty segment, sometimes related to the band, sometimes not. For the first specialty segment we are recommending a movie. It could be seen as a love story. It could be seen as a romantic comedy. We just see it as a great movie in the history of cinema. That movie...Deadgirl. Heres the official website for the movie deadgirlmovie.com If you dont know about the movie, here are a couple of key words: zombies, prisoner, rape, necrophilia. I can already see by the look on your face that you realize why we like this movie.
and with that ends the first installment of what will hopefully be a continuing correspondence between Shot and our fan(s). be sure to check back daily for your latest dose of Shot. You don't know when the Shot will hit.
Now for the shameless plug part...
shotnyc.com
myspace.com/shotnyc
reverbnation.com/shotnyc(where the songs are downloadable)
email: shotmusic@gmail.com
Friday, October 16, 2009
Major Rock Discharge!
Major Rock Discharge @ Desmonds Tavern!
Sat. 10/17
10pm
433 Park Ave South (Park & 30th)
$10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
