Joe Paterno: The Facts

Joe Paterno passed away at the ripe old age of 85 from complications stemming from lung cancer. That's a fact. To say that he died of a broken heart or any other romanticized drivel is just pure crap. That's the type of wording used by hack journalists to get YOU to read their overly sensationalized stories.

I'm not a college football fan. I never have been. I think that far too much emphasis is placed on sports in this country. I, for one, would much rather go to a school known for academics rather than football. But ok...for some schools, sports help pay the bills, so I'll have to deal with it.

I have never been a Penn State fan. I could give a rat's ass about it. I've done a lot of shows at Penn State and I can tell you, the kids there love their school and have always loved their "Joe Pa". I will most definitely give the man credit for bolstering that level of school spirit.

Since the Sandusky story broke last year, a lot of bad things have come to light. One of the big questions was what did Joe Paterno know about the allegations against Sandusky and what did he do or not do about it. The media has made all sorts of wild speculations and public opinion, in large part, turned against Joe Paterno because of this. The man lost his job after 46 years as head coach. That's longer than I have been alive!

Shortly after losing his job, and his career, Paterno was diagnosed with lung cancer. Any man in his mid 80s who receives a diagnosis like this has been pretty much given a death sentence. At that age, the body just (usually) isn't strong enough to fight back. In the end, Paterno lost the battle.

Now, not even 24 hours after the man's death, I'm reading all sorts of, what I consider tasteless and disgusting, posts about the man. Calling him all sorts of nasty names. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. For Pete's sake people, the man has a family.

What troubles me the most is that a large number of the people calling names and posting all of this crap know little about the cases aside from the headlines. That said, here is the PENNSYLVANIA STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S REPORT on the case. If you take the time to read it, you'll see very little mention of Joe Paterno, and in a minute I'll explain why not.

For those too lazy to read the entire report, here is the only mention of the man in the report:

One of the most compelling and disturbing pieces of testimony in this investigation came from an eyewitness to a late-night sexual assault that allegedly occurred in March of 2002, in the locker room of the Lasch Football Building on the University Park Campus,? Kelly said. ?Hearing what sounded like sexual activity in the showers of a building that was supposed to be empty, a graduate assistant reportedly observed Sandusky sexually assaulting a naked boy who appeared to be about 10 years old.?

According to the grand jury, the graduate assistant had returned to the football building that evening to put a new pair of sneakers in his locker and to retrieve some recruiting films, only to be surprised that the lights were on in the locker room and showers were running. The assistant immediately recognized Sandusky.

Kelly said the assistant, who was extremely upset about what he had seen, immediately called his father to relate what he had discovered. Together, the two decided that the assistant should promptly report the incident to head football coach Joe Paterno.

The next morning, the assistant telephoned Paterno and then went to Paterno?s home to explain what he had seen. Paterno testified that he then called Penn State Athletic Director Tim Curley and met with Curley the following day, explaining that a graduate assistant had reported seeing Sandusky involved in sexual activity with a young boy in the showers at the Lasch Building.

Yes. Some absolutely horrible things happened. My heart goes out to the victims and their families. This is something that NO ONE should ever have to endure. I can only pray that they will all find some peace.

That said, Joe Paterno did his job. Period. Joe Paterno was a football coach, and from what I understand, a damned good one. He was not a social worker. Or a cop. It was not his place to play detective. He was informed of what happened and he reported it immediately to Penn State Athletic Director Curley and then met with the man the next day. Paterno followed official university protocol. No where in the official report does it say otherwise.

If you've never been in a position of authority (I have), then allow me to explain this to you: One rarely, if ever, gets the chance to just discipline or terminate someone unilaterally. It just doesn't happen. Especially not in Pennsylvania!

Paterno did what he was supposed to do. He reported it, met with those he needed to meet with and then resumed his life. If that sounds cold, it's not. It was professional and ethical. For Paterno to have done anything else would have been wrong. No, he did not meet with the victims or their families. Why would he? It was not his place to do so. The man cannot be held accountable for the actions of another, regardless of how heinous they are. Paterno did not make a spectacle of himself, as many would have. The man kept his dignity and did what he felt in his heart was the proper way to handle the situation. I'm sorry if this made him seem cold or distant or didn't enable the media to make a circus of his life.

Joe Paterno was fired after 46 years. His career ended in scandal. All because another man has serious issues. Paterno did not cause Sandusky's issues. Paterno never condoned them. Paterno never swept anything under the rug. He merely did what he was supposed to do. Quietly and with self-dignity. No, it wasn't like a TV show. Real life rarely is. No matter how much the media tries to turn life into a circus.

I don't know anything about Joe Paterno's private life except this: he left behind a wife and five kids. According to Wikipedia Paterno was also a philanthropist. "In addition to his legacy as a coach, Paterno is highly regarded for his contributions to academic life at Penn State. After the announcement of his hiring in 1966, Paterno set out to conduct what he called a "Grand Experiment" in melding athletics and academics in the collegiate environment, an idea that he had learned during his years at Brown.[64] As a result, Penn State's players have consistently demonstrated above-average academic success compared to Division I-A schools nationwide. According to the NCAA's 2008 Graduation Rates Report, Penn State's four-year Graduation Success Rate of 78% easily exceeds the 67% Division I average, second to only Northwestern among Big Ten institutions.[65]

Paterno is also renowned for his charitable contributions to academics at Penn State. He and his wife Sue have contributed over $4 million towards various departments and colleges, including support for the Penn State All-Sports Museum, which opened in 2002, and the Pasquerilla Spiritual Center, which opened in 2003.[66] After helping raise over $13.5 million in funds for the 1997 expansion of Pattee Library, the University named the expansion Paterno Library in their honor.[67]

In 2007, former player Franco Harris and his company R Super Foods honored Paterno for his contributions to Penn State by featuring his story and picture on boxes of Super Donuts and Super Buns in Central PA. A portion of the sales will be donated to an endowment fund for the university library that bears his name

He was also a Republican. No one's perfect.

All in all, Paterno sounds like he was an exemplary man. One to be respected. Sadly, all of his good will probably be forgotten and he will forever be attached to this scandal. A scandal which he was not really a part of. A very sad end to what should be a wonderful legacy.

To those vilifying the man; you should be ashamed of yourselves. Get your facts straight before you point fingers and call names.

My deepest sympathies go out to the family, friends, and fans of Joe Paterno. Your loss is shared by many. It appears that the world has lost a good man, regardless of what the small-minded lemmings of the world say.

Farewell Joe Pa!

Dear Ladies...

It seems like almost anytime I get on the Internet, I notice some post or article about women and their bodies. The main reasons for this is probably because A) All women have bodies and B) a lot of men enjoy looking at them.

However, you women have been duped. I know this, you know this and most men know this. The media and fashion industry (which is mostly made up of gay men who like scrawny little twinks) have led you to believe that there is something wrong with your body. HOGWASH!

Women have curves. Men LIKE those curves! Some women are curvier than others and some are not very curvy at all (but still have curves). Guess what? We men like that too! Some women will have scars. Some will have laugh lines. Some will have less than perfect teeth. Hell, some might have webbed feet and/or an extra or missing digit! Guess what? We men are OK with all of that too!

In my life I've had the distinct pleasure of working with a lot of so-called "famous women". You women know who I mean...the stars! The ones that YOU're led to believe you should try to emulate. HA! Let me tell you a few stories that I've witnessed first hand.

There's a very famous actress I worked with once. Tall, lean, blonde...a real beauty. On the screen that is. In real life, she tends to be dirty (as in DOESN'T LIKE TO BATHE!), smelly, weird and badly dressed. She also tends to lie about her food choices too. For a vegetarian, I've seen her scarf down some large quantities of meat. Maybe she was researching a role as a carnivore. Her hair tends to be greasy and stringy. Her skin is blotchy. She is gangly and not particularly graceful. But...she has personality and was actually a bit of fun. If you saw her off-screen, you probably wouldn't give her a second look. Onscreen, she looks HOWEVER THEY WANT HER TO LOOK!

A famous singer I know comes to mind. My ex girlfriend always referred to her as "that fat-assed bitch". Having no idea who she was at the time, I thought she was a hooker. Badly dressed, way too much make up and spending an obscene amount of time trying to get my attention...even though my girlfriend at the time was only a few feet away. Her hair was a mess, her posture iffy and she looked nasty. But to see her in one of her music videos or on a magazine cover, you'd think she was H-O-T!

I could list numerous gals like this. Guess what ladies...they all wake up with morning face and dragon breath just like the rest of us. Their "looks" are bought and paid for. Nowadays, most actresses and models workout 4-8 hours per day. They have to. It's part of their job!

You "normal" ladies...you're the lucky ones! You get to look good without even having to try! I love going to the grocery store and seeing a beautiful woman all dressed down. No make up, sweat pants, not giving a crap about much aside from getting her shopping done and getting the hell on home! I have news for you; we men like this! Sure, we like to see women dolled up now and then but really, we like you just as you are!

At the ripe old age of 45, I consider myself blessed. I can, without risk of feeling overly creepy, check out women of all ages. I've seen some gals in the late 50s look a helluva lot hotter than some of the 20-somethings I've seen out there! Let's face it, Emmy Lou Harris looks better now than ever!

So, the next time you're fretting over not looking just like a model in that new outfit, remember this: you look great! You really do! If you want to exercise and eat all super healthy to feel better, that's great. But you should feel good about yourself just for being YOU. That's who us guys really like. Sure we like some eye candy...who doesn't? You can make yourself look like a super model...but if you're a boring, stupid, or mean person...guess what, us guys will walk away. And a note to you women who look like supermodels and have a great personality but still can't land a man: guess what, most men will consider you beyond their reach. You may have to reach out to us. We're OK with that too! How do you think I got together with MY girlfriend?

In closing, women...we men love you! All of you! It's our nature. But remember...we also like football and sitting around in our underwear drinking beer. We're simple. That's really how we like things. Don't try to change us and we won't try to change you.

And no...your butt doesn't look fat in those jeans...and if it does, we probably like that too!

The Greatest

"I shook up the world!" - Cassius Clay upon defeating Sonny Liston

I'm not exactly known to my friends as a sports fan. The reason being, I've found that most professional athletes are a let down. Most of the 'sports heroes' of my youth have proven to be less than spectacular people (right O.J. Simpson?). That is, with the exception of The Greatest, Muhammed Ali.

I guess even as a kid, I held people to high expectations. We are all endowed with the ability for greatness and most fall way short of the mark. It's easier to glide than excel.

Not so for Muhammed Ali. Born Cassius Marcellus Clay Jr. 70 years ago today in Kentucky, Ali proved from an early age that he was the greatest. Fuming over the theft of his bike (at age 12), the young Clay wanted to "whup" the thief. A cop suggested he learn to box first. And learn to box he did!

The young Clay proved to be an amazing boxer. 6 Golden Glove wins. A gold medal in the light heavyweight division in the Olympics. If he had never turned pro, those achievements alone would have given him a lifetime of bragging rights. But there was so much more in store for him.

Let's keep to the highlights here: Clay's career was impressive enough to land him in the ring against the heavyweight champ, Sonny "The Bear" Liston. Clay was only 22. At the pre-fight weigh in, Clay's pulse rate was an astonishing 120. Liston assumed this was anxiety on the young boxer's part. It was not. It was the Greatest's internal engine firing up!

It was one helluva fight! If you enjoy boxing, look for the fight online. It has been alleged that Liston attempted to cheat by smearing a substance on his gloves to burn the eyes of his opponents (a number of previous opponents also claimed that their eyes burned during fights with Liston, yet nothing was ever proved). Clay was partially blinded at one point during the match but kept on going. His speed and fancy foot work kept him in the fight long enough for sweat and tears to clear his eyes. Clay eventually defeated Liston. He shook up the world. He even knocked Liston out with the "phantom punch" in their rematch.



But Ali was more than just a boxer. He is a man of principals. He converted to Islam in the early 60s and took the name Muhammed Ali. This upset many here in the heavily Judeo-Christian US of the 1960s. But he kept on fighting.

Ali was first considered unqualified for military service due to poor reading and writing skills on his pre-draft examination. Later revisions classified him a 1A and fit for service. Ali flatly declined the draft. At a time when celebrities didn't feel it their place to voice their personal opinions, Ali made it clear the he had no intention to go to Vietnam to kill because "no Viet Cong ever called me a nigger". Ali was arrested and stripped of his hard-won title and his license to box. Oddly enough, he never served time.

The next four years were spent fighting for his right to box, which he won at the Supreme Court level. After his first match back, the state of New York also reinstated his boxing license.

The rest of his professional boxing career is well known. The Fight of the Century. The Rumble in the Jungle. The Thrilla In Manilla. Anytime Ali fought, it was an event. It was more than just a boxing match. It was real entertainment. The pre/post fight interviews with Howard Cosell were always hilarious as well as engaging, with Ali quipping "I float like a butterfly and I sting like a bee!" and of course, "I'm so pretty!" to name just a few. Ali has always been a class act!

After retiring, Ali has given much time and money to numerous charities he believes in. Diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 1984, Ali could have snuck away into history but remained a very public figure. In 1987 he was selected by the California Bicentennial Foundation for the U.S. Constitution to personify the vitality of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights in various high profile activities. Ali rode on a float at the 1988 Tournament of Roses Parade, launching the U.S. Constitution's 200th birthday commemoration. He published an oral history, Muhammad Ali: His Life and Times by Thomas Hauser, in 1991. That same year Ali traveled to Iraq during the Gulf War and met with Saddam Hussein in an attempt to negotiate the release of American hostages. Ali received a Spirit of America Award calling him the most recognized American in the world. In 1996, he had the honor of lighting the flame at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.

On November 17, 2002, Muhammad Ali went to Afghanistan as "U.N. Messenger of Peace". He was in Kabul for a three-day goodwill mission as a special guest of the United Nations.

On January 8, 2005, Muhammad Ali was presented with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President George W. Bush.

He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on November 9, 2005, and the "Otto Hahn Peace Medal in Gold" of the UN Association of Germany for his work with the US civil rights movement and the United Nations.


On November 19, 2005, the $60 million non-profit Muhammad Ali Center opened in downtown Louisville. In addition to displaying his boxing memorabilia, the center focuses on core themes of peace, social responsibility, respect, and personal growth.

According to the Ali Center website, "Since he retired from boxing, Ali has devoted himself to humanitarian endeavors around the globe. He is a devout Muslim, and travels the world over, lending his name and presence to hunger and poverty relief, supporting education efforts of all kinds, promoting adoption and encouraging people to respect and better understand one another. It is estimated that he has helped to provide more than 22 million meals to feed the hungry. Ali travels, on average, more than 200 days per year."

Now, age 70 and still battling Parkinson's Disease, Ali is still known the world over. He was,is, and will always be, at least in my humble opinion, The Greatest.

In a day and age where there are few true sports heroes left for the kids to look up to, there is still Muhammed Ali. He never murdered anyone, raped anyone, or more importantly, never cheated anyone. He is living proof that hard work and determination are still the name of the game. No one ever handed him anything. He worked for it and he fought for it. And that folks, in my book at least, is a hero.

Happy Birthday Champ!

M

Cedell Davis: A Lesson In Inspiration & Determination

I was lucky. Playing guitar has always come to me naturally. I'm not saying I didn't work hard at it, because I did. But, it seemed to come easier for me than most. Some folks even say I'm pretty good at it. (Thank ye kindly!)

I always wanted to play slide guitar...that old deep south, Delta style of blues...but I always sucked at it. I made a bit of a joke of it...playing with a beer bottle just for the attention. I still wasn't very good at it!

A few years ago, I was inspired to try, try again. I'd been watching a documentary on Mississippi Hill Country players, like R.L. Burnside & Junior Kimbrough, when I saw a few scenes about a guy named Cedell Davis (born Ellis Davis, June 9, 1927). His style of playing was like NO ONE I had ever seen or heard before! To say I was intrigued would be an understatement! You see, Cedell Davis plays with a knife. Not just any old knife...but a butter knife. Oh yeah...and he has some serious health problems too.

I've given guitar lessons off & on throughout my career. I suck at that too! It drives me crazy to listen to some kid give excuse after excuse why he/she hasn't practiced. Simply put, they don't really want to play. The kids that really WANT to play tend to pick it up like I did. On their own and quickly. The rest...well, sometimes they need some inspiration. They'll SAY that they really want to learn to play guitar...but they have no determination.

So you think YOU have it bad? Imagine coming down with polio and spending better than 2 1/2 years in the hospital...and then having to relearn how to play all over again! That's what happened to Cedell Davis. At age 10, he contracted polio. 31 months and 2 major surgeries later, he was sent home. With little use of his hands. He was determined to still play guitar. I can tell you from experience that once you get the music bug, it don't go away! You're hooked for life.

One day, Cedell snatched up one of his mother's butter knives and took it to his room to try to figure out how to play guitar with it. He strung his guitar left handed, tuned it to an open tuning, and was off and running (so to speak). His style of playing is different for sure. At first, it might sound a little out of tune. But in no time, it sounds perfectly natural.

Like most Southern blues musicians in the 1940s, Davis traveled around alot. By the 50s he was a regular on the King Biscuit Flour Hour radio show. By 1953 he was playing with the legendary Robert Nighthawk. He achieved all of this success...with a handicap that would've stopped any picker I know of!

One night in 1957 while playing a gig in pretty rough joint, Cedell Davis' life was to receive yet another bad break. A fight broke out, one guy had a knife, another had a gun, and blood was shed. The police were called and they raided the joint. The crowd went berserk and made a mad rush to get out. In the stampede, Davis was trampled under the feet of dozens and dozens of people. Both of his legs were shattered.

Another lengthy hospital stay, more surgeries, and now Cedell Davis was confined to a wheelchair. Did that stop him? No way! He continued playing with Nighthawk until 1963 and has kept on playing ever since. His has been a life of small successes. Traveling long distances to play a house party, or a school, or any old gig that will pay him, Cedell "Big G" Davis continues to play the blues. You'd think he'd be bitter but in every interview I've seen with him (and the few times I've spoken with him on the phone), he seems happy and content with his life. It's pretty tough to bring a man down who has gone through all of this and more.

At age 84, Davis still does the occasional show. A stroke finally robbed him of the limited use of his hands that he had but he can still sing and sing he will. Put a band behind him and he'll let it wail. Cedell 'Big G' Davis is one of the last of the real bluesmen out there...and to me, he's been an inspiration and a lesson in determination. If you want it bad enough, you'll work to achieve it!

For those of you who have never heard the man, I've attached a video of him. Like I said, his playing might sound odd at first...but give it a minute. YOU're just not used to HIM yet...but he's used to you.



As for me, I'm still playing and I'm finally (after 33+ years) pretty happy with the way I play slide. Maybe I'll play some for you sometime....

M

Suggestions For New Hollywood Blockbusters

OK, so not only did Hollyweird turn the adventures of Sherlock Holmes (and Dr. Watson) into an action-packed adventure movie, they've made a sequel! Many people lined up to see both movies...because the media told them to.

It's pretty much a given that Hollywood has run out of new ideas. Long gone are the days of movie studios taking chances on a new idea or a new face. Everything is merely a rehash of an old idea. So, given that, I've come up with some ideas for some serious blockbusters! Listen up Hollywood, if you want to make a fortune, here you go! Just remember, these are MY ideas!

Jane Eyre
Jane, after years of being treated badly by her stepsisters, gets locked in the Red Room (where her biological family was massacred by Muslim terrorists), freaks out and goes on a killing spree.

Anne of Green Gables: Woman Of Mystery
Appearing out of nowhere at the door of Marilla & Matthew Cuthbert, this mysterious and interesting beauty seduces the couple and then goes on a killing spree.

Tom Sawyer & Huck Finn 2012
A modern day version. Tom & Huck are best buds, crime fighters and occasionally lovers. See them track down the evil Uncle Tom and blow him up real good!

Paddington Bear: Lost In The Woods
Paddington Bear, a well-dressed bear-about-town, becomes lost in the woods after his car breaks down. Here, he encounters mutant hillbillies hell bent on killing & eating him. Paddington must fight to survive using his street smarts and tricks learned from watching many episodes of MacGyver.

David Copperfield
After a fight with his evil stepfather for falling behind in his studies (during which young David bites his stepfather), he is sent to a "boarding school"...which in reality is a juvenile detention center. After much bullying, many fights, and a brief romance with a young Hispanic pyromaniac named Luis, David learns his lesson and returns to society a much better man...or has he? Murders soon occur with alarming frequency and the occasional fire.

Ann Frank
This movie details the real goings on in that attic! A mentally disturbed young lady named Ann and her sister move into the attic to hide from the world. Disturbing images are brought on by Ann's increasing psychotic episodes and paranoia that "the Nasties" are out to get her! Ann and her sister Margot plot to destroy the world, all the while carrying on a thinly veiled incestuous relationship until daring young soldiers capture them and take them to the safety of a government facility for the criminally insane.

More to come!

I'm An American

I'm an American.
I vote.
I pay my taxes.
I don't cheat on my taxes.
I drink. Sometimes too much.
I smoke.
I inhaled.
I've done a lot of drugs.
I've had sex. Lots of it. With a lot of people. Sometimes more than one at a time.
I've been arrested. Not always for things I've actually done.
I try not to hate.
I have friends and family of more than one race.
I have friends and family of more than one belief.
I've always worked hard.
I've always tried to help my fellow humans. And animals.
I don't believe in being greedy.
I don't believe in war.
I believe in always trying to do the right thing...AFTER taking the time to figure out what the right thing is.
I've been rich. I've been homeless. I've been everywhere in between.
I've gone to other countries and lived with the natives.
I've spent time on both sides of the tracks.
I'm pretty sure I've helped people.
I'm pretty sure I've hurt people.
I believe in God.
I distrust organized religion.
I believe in the separation of church and state.
I am conservative.
I am a socialist.
I believe that consenting adults have the right to marry whoever they love.
I believe in a government of the people, for the people, and by the people.
I believe the government should help ALL people.
I believe that some people choose not to work.
I believe that some people choose to work too much.
I believe that one should give back to their community.
I believe that Christ died for ALL of OUR sins.
I believe that politics should not be a career.
I love our country.
I believe that our country is divided and as such, cannot continue to stand.
I believe that all politicians are liars.
I believe that some taxes are necessary.
I believe that taxes should be used to benefit ALL Americans.
I do not believe in lobbying.
I do not believe in special interest groups...regardless of what they're for.
I believe in the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
I believe the rich should pay more taxes.
I believe in universal health care.
I believe that corporations have ruined this country.
I do not believe that corporations are "people".
I do not believe in a two party system.
I believe in term limits.
I do not believe in advertising prescription medication on TV or any other public media.
I believe that all men and women are created equal.
I believe that all men and women should be treated the same.
I believe that trust and respect both need to be earned.
I believe that God does not create garbage. No matter what certain people want us to think.
I believe that Americans place far too much importance on possessions.
I believe America has lost its way.
I believe America can be great again.
I am an American. I believe all of this and much more.
I am an American.

The Cost of Touring

A friend (jokingly) suggested that I do a "World Tour" while I'm enjoying my unemployment. Nice idea...but....

A lot of folks have probably never really thought about how much goes into a tour. I know some folks that I've talked to over the years who think that someone else pays for everything and the band just gets paid to rock and/or roll. Don't I wish!

OK, there are some instances when a performer can get the promoter to foot the bill...but you better be one helluva draw to get that deal! I've had only a handful of those shows in my 30+ years of performing. For the majority of us, it goes something like this:

Figure out where you want to go...and why you want to go there. Is the region going to be open to what I'm playing? Example: you don't want to book a bluegrass band into a hip hop venue. It probably won't go down well.

Next, figure out HOW you're going to get there. Here's where the expense starts to add up. Say I want to tour Australia. I can always get gigs there...some nice paying ones too! But...just to fly my fat ass there is gonna be roughly $2000. And that's before I've even packed my bags. Factor in extra costs to fly my gear there. And what about the band? Figure an extra $2000 per man. Once there, we're gonna need someplace to stay. So there's gonna be hotel bills. I don't need to stay in a 4 star joint...but I do expect CLEAN. So that's gonna be at least $100 per man per night. Then I'm going to have to get from one place to another. Van rental! If you've ever rented a car, you know this can get pricey. So before I've played my 1st note of the tour, I'm looking at spending close to $10k. I BETTER be getting paid WELL for these shows.

Merchandise is a must! And you better hope the stuff sells! Its gonna cost extra to ship the stuff or fly it with you. We lucked out on our 1st tour of Australia and sold out in 2 days. That was a fluke. But remember, it costs money to produce merchandise (CDs, t-shirts, etc) so this is just one more cost to cover. Gotta learn to pinch pennies on production while ensuring a quality product!

Let's not forget work visas. They usually don't cost much...but they can...and its entirely up to the country where you plan to perform to decide how much you're gonna pay. You really don't want to fly 21 hours just to be put back on the plane and sent home. It happens. I know people it's happened to! And if you're going to lie and say that you're there for a different reason (which is a way around work visas) you better hope you don't get caught. You won't be going back there again.

If you're smart, you'll buy insurance for yourself, your band, you gear, etc. for the tour. There's one more expense. We all know, insurance ain't cheap. But sometimes, it's a necessity.

So the next time you bitch about how much it's costing you to see your favorite performer when they tour, remember...its costing them a LOT of money for the chance to play for you. They play for free. They charge for all the other bullshit. ;-)

Most acts when they tour will do weeknight shows. A promoter can usually get the act for less money on a weeknight because fewer people are going to come out (unless you're the Rolling Stones). For acts, these are usually referred to as "gas money gigs". We need to get from here to there, your city is on the way and we'll be heading through sometime on Tuesday...where can we play and hopefully make a few bucks. If you go to see a band on one of these nights, make sure to buy a CD or something. For a lot bands, that $15-20 for that CD may decide whether or not they eat that night (usually something nutritious like a drive-thru burger). While it's nice of you to buy the band drinks, all you're doing is increasing the risk of whoever driving getting a DUI...another unwanted expense.

As you can see, it costs a lot of money to be a musician on the road. Plus we need to buy gear, strings, picks, etc. And clothes. You really don't want to see most of us naked. Last but not least, my favorite road expense: LAUNDRY! Yep...even musicians need clean underwear! (remember that one groupies...kinda gives a new meaning to "funk") If you're on the road for 3 weeks, you'll hopefully get to do laundry once a week...in a laundromat or hotel laundry. Either way, its gonna cost ya a few bucks. But well worth it!!!! (To my friend Sooz in Australia and my friend June in the UK...THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!!!!!!!!)

So get out there. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC!!!!! If no one shows...it's not worth it (financially at least) for us to play for you.

For Double K!