JUST DAVE BLOG

GOODBYE EVITE, HELLO REVERBNATION

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 10:47:31 -0800

If you’ve been a fan for more than a few months (welcome new fans.... the next paragraph, and beyond, are for you!), you’ll know the “joys” of being on the Just Dave Band email list. For the past few years (wow, how long has it been?) I sent out my invitations to the next band show on evite, an archaic mix between a myspace event invitation, and a Hallmark card. Either way, it was a major pain in the mouse.

It started innocently enough (OK, third paragraph, new fans), you signed the email list, and expected that, down the road sometime, I’d email you and let you know when the band had a show near you. Then, you got the first evite invitation. “What the hell is this?” you might have asked yourself.

“Do I open it?”
“Is this the band I saw at that club I wandered into?
“Is this a virus?”

The title gave it away... it was a band announcement, but on some site that took forever to load, put your email address out there for the world to see, and made you click on this, then this, then this just to be able to read the announcement. And it happened again, and again, and again.

For all I put you through (OK, new fans, your paragraph is coming up), I’m sorry. Let me make it up to you...

Head to http://reverbnation.com/justdaveband and become a fan. It’s cool, it’s private, and it’s not stuck in the Y2K-era that evite is. Just Dave Band is moving forward, and with a new album in the works, a solid, new direction, and your help, we’ll be able to climb the ranks, and finally get the attention we’ve been working on... for so long.
 At the time of this blog writing, Just Dave Band was #8 for blues bands in Los Angeles. What does that mean? Go to http://reverbnation.com/justdaveband and find out! You have the power, now!

IN CELEBRATION OF 2012...

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:50:19 -0800

...released in theaters today, I offer up this amazing re-cut of a full scene from the movie.

This version, shows only the acting parts, and removes all special effects shots. Truly amazing. Watch it to the end... if you're a regular youtube-er, you'll die laughing... before 2012!

And... as an added “bonus,” here’s a clip from a recent songwriting session I did with Donny Kulp and Christian Williams. It was close to dinner time, and we were a bit punchy, yet... relevant.

Video by Tami Goldsmith, who shot a lot of cool stuff that evening. Check out more

WHERE THE HECK IS GREELEY, ANYWAY?

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:39:52 -0700

The town smelled like poop. The ranchers in the area say it’s “the smell of money”, but, being a musician, and not making as much money as the poop ranchers do, I’d have to disagree. It smelled like poop, at least, the side of town we stayed in did (and, after waking up to many Bakersfield morning “breezes,” I consider myself an expert!).

Greeley, CO, was a blast though. Imagine this industrial town, 1 college, a small mall, and a few divey bars having a two-story million watt sound-system live entertainment venue/danceclub open up out of the blue. That was Whiskey River, Greeley, and we were the 2nd band to walk on the stage. After 3 nights of getting tight in Grand Junction, we were ready to rock these people.

At first, it was like teaching school. When you don’t see a lot of bands, you need to be told how to behave a bit. I think it was the 2nd night, onstage, after about the 3rd or 4th song when I decided to speak up. “You can go ahead and put your beers down, and clap for the band. It’s appropriate,” is what came out. They erupted in applause and cheers. It went smoothly after that.

After four nights of cranking away on that brightly lit stage, however, it was time to head home. In fact, to make it back to California at a reasonable time, we had to pack up the trailer and leave right after we finished playing. The load-out (right after the sweaty show) proved to be tough, as the rain started to turn into snow. By the time we hit the summit, back around Breckenridge, CO, a thick layer of ice and fog was there to meet us. The white-knuckled trip over the Rockies began our journey home.

The crew at Whiskey River are the best, we really hit it off with them, and every once in a while, a text message would come through, checking on our progress. Can’t wait to head there again, hopefully, sooner than later. We’ll be back guys, promise.

DAY OFF DISCOVERIES

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:30:16 -0700

After an awesome few days in Grand Junction... you know what, I’m going to quickly tell you how the gigs went, because that’s important stuff. This combo of guys, even though not my regular group, really hit it off. They worked hard to get my songs down, and just as hard on all the cover tunes we’re tasked to learn. Clint set up a recording device to the board mix, and although pretty much all you could hear on it was me and the guitar, I could tell, we got very tight, very quickly.

I still miss my old band. I miss my friends. I miss L.A. Sometime during the few days off we had, I got a little homesick. Probably the best decision, was to explore the sights and sounds of GJ, CO. Maybe, just maybe, it could become ANOTHER hometown away from my own.

Chick-Fil-A, Grand Junction: It was my first time ever in this super-famous chicken sandwich joint.
It was.... just O.K. Sorry.... Chick-Fil-A-Fans. The view from the table was gorgeous though.

I may head to karaoke tonight even, for one more romp in town. Tomorrow we head out to Greeley, CO (Balloon-Boy-Land, I think) to play for the rest of the week. It’s about a 5-hour-drive. I’m ready to hit the road again. I loved the people we met, and can’t wait to return...

COLORADO ROADTRIPPIN’

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:40:09 -0700

We made it. After leaving Los Angeles at 9pm Pacific Time, we hit the road, bound for Grand Junction, CO. With the occasional stop for gas, crappy burritos and a bumper sticker that reads “I HEART Beaver” (courtesy of the gas station at Beaver, UT, which, as it turns out, was the end of my shift behind the wheel), we made it to the band condo in 12 1/2 hours.

After a short stop at the store for groceries, and
a quick nap, we stumbled into Whiskey River,
the club we’re playing for three nights.

The first night (last night) was rough, not going to
lie about that. No sleep, mixed with the fact that
this combo of band hasn’t played together made
for an “interesting” night. By the time the last set
rolled around though, there was a fun, yet loose
chemistry, and I can tell this will be a killer time.

This morning, to add to the fatigue, we hopped in the
Rav, and headed out to KEKB Radio to appear on “Mack in the Morning” with Mackenzie Dodge.
Tired as we were, it was a great time.
We talked about my harmonica journeys, the KEKB coat drive (where apparently somebody stole a
bunch of coats from one of the drop-off locations),
and in my scratchy morning voice, was able to
chunk my way through a version of “California
Wildfire.” Not sure how the folks in Colorado
will respond to it, but we’ll find out when we play the club tonight.
I’ll try to post the radio interview soon as I get a copy. It’s nap time for me, now.
-JDB