Music

If you didn’t make it to the Hotel Cafe (1623 1/2 North Cahuenga Blvd., 90028) April 5, YOU missed out! What a great night it turned out to be, packed with an energetic crowd that really got down to the groove. Two of our own, Christopher Hawley and the Rollers, and Bobby Syvarth, performed a truly fantastic show

If you DID miss the show, check out Christopher and Bobby’s tunes and make sure to be ready for the next great show.

The Hotel Cafe is a special place for musicians, and it is famous in the circles of true talented professionals as one of the best singer/songwriter venues in the city. It’s an intimate space that houses a fantastic sound system. Originally a coffee shop, the owners turned the place into a nightclub/bar because they found themselves turning off the coffee machines between songs and were unable to sell coffee! Well, what better to be, than a nightclub for LA’s music-going fans? The Hotel Cafe has become quite the success and prides itself on booking both amazing up-and-coming acts as well as established world-renowned musicians!

“Making it” in music or any artistic endeavor is a matter of perspective. From time to time someone will say to me, “I don’t know why you haven’t made it yet.” That sentiment makes me cringe. It’s all I can do not to scream out some insane shit back. I’ve made my living solely from music for more than a decade. In my mind I have made it, for quite some time, thank you. Sure, I have visions goals for the future, but all in good time. Through this journey, there are lessons I’ve learned along the way that have helped me carry on and “make it.”

1. Set reasonable goals.

As a songwriter, I first started performing in 1998. I remember my goal to play 40 shows that first year. I played 44; never-mind that I hardly made any dough. I was successful! The next year my goal was to play 75 shows and earn $50 each time I played. At the time, I lived in a cabin in the middle of the woods and had ridiculously low overhead. Today with a family to support, a mortgage to pay and cars to keep on the road my definition of “making it” has changed. We all start somewhere and “making it” looks different from day to day, artist to artist. Thus, setting reasonable goals for you, provides incentive to grow, and a perspective from which to look back on that growth.

2. Don’t let “the others” hold you back.

Friends and family, fans and the general public, aka “the others,” may have different standards for “making it”. Many see the Art and Entertainment Industries as all or nothing propositions: either you are ‘the next big thing’ OR you struggle all your life. Guess what? Even those who become ‘the next big thing’ struggle the rest of their lives to get back or stay on top. This is your journey so you make it up as you go along. It’s easy to get caught up in what “the others” are saying and doing, but ultimately this is about you. Go climb your mountain the way that works for you.

This Blog

In the weeks and months ahead I plan to interview fellow artists and industry insiders to gain different perspectives on “making it”. A friend once told me that there are 365 degrees of perspective and when you’re so focused on your own thing it can be hard to see past the one direction you’re moving in. I’ll be exploring opportunities to learn from fellow musicians and share ideas for DIY and independent artists looking to make connections and promote their works. This week, I’ll end my blog post with a very short manual for climbing mountains, written by one of my favorite authors, Paulo Coehlo. Enjoy.

[URL=http://paulocoelhoblog.com/manual-for-climbing-mountains/]Manual for Climbing Mountains[/URL]

Black, white, gay or straight…this song is f*cken Great! So…overturn prop 8. Gay love is better than str8 H8!!! Come on now!!!

Wiki-History: “Y.M.C.A.” is a 1978 song by the Village People which became a hit in January 1979. The song reached #2 on the U.S. charts in early 1979 and reached No.1 in the UK around the same time, becoming the group’s biggest hit ever. Taking the song at face value, its lyrics extol the virtues of the Young Men’s Christian Association. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was understood as celebrating the YMCA’s reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot, particularly for the younger gay men to whom it was addressed.^[1]

The song has continued to remain popular due to its status as a disco classic and gay anthem, even among listeners who are otherwise uninvolved in disco or gay culture. It is also known to be a favorite in school dances. A popular dance in which the arms are used to spell out the four letters of the song’s title may have much to do with this. It is frequently played during breaks in the action at sporting events with crowds using the dance as an opportunity to stretch, similar to the later “Macarena“.

“Y.M.C.A.” is number 7 on VH1‘s list of The 100 Greatest Dance Songs of the 20th Century.

On New Years Eve 2008, The Village People performed at El Paso’s 75th Sun Bowl’s Brut Bowl half-time show to break the world record of the most people doing the Y.M.C.A. at once. El Pasoans broke the record with more than 45,000 people doing the dance, beating the former record of 13,000 people.

It’s hard to pick a favorite song by these guys. There are soooooo many to choose from. This is a Sah-WEET stripped down version of one of their best!

Wiki-History: “Wasted on the Way” is a 1982 hit single by US-based Crosby, Stills & Nash. It was their first major hit in roughly five years, and went to #9 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles charts in August of 1982. It appeared on the band’s 1982 album Daylight Again.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riOnVUJAo3k

Man…the Beatles did the rooftop thing better than anybody!!!

Wiki-History: “Don’t Let Me Down” is a song by The Beatles, recorded in 1969 during the Get Back (Let It Be) sessions. Richie Unterberger of Allmusic called it “one of the Beatles’ most powerful love songs”,^[1] and Roy Carr and Tony Tyler called it “a superb sobber from misery-expert J. W. O. Lennon, MBE. And still one of the most highly underrated Beatle underbellies.”^[2]

An anguished love song Lennon wrote to Yoko Ono,^[3] Paul McCartney interpreted it as a “genuine plea”, with Lennon saying to Ono, “I’m really stepping out of line on this one. I’m really just letting my vulnerability be seen, so you must not let me down.”^[4] Lennon’s vocals work their way into screams, presaging the primal scream stylings of the following year’s John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album.^[5]

The song is in the key of E and is in 4/4 time during the verse, chorus and bridge, but changes to 5/4 in the pickup to the verse.^[6]

This song is hauntingly beautiful. When you stop to consider that Billy Joel’s father left Long Island, NY for Vienna when Billy was only 8 years old, it takes on a whole new meaning.

Wiki-History: “Vienna” is a song from Billy Joel‘s breakthrough 1977 album The Stranger. Although released as the flipside of his She’s Always A Woman single, it was played in a 1981 episode of Taxi called “Vienna Waits.” Marilu Henner‘s character Elaine Nardo refers to the song while on vacation in Europe with Alex Reiger, played by Judd Hirsch. The song can also be found on the soundtrack of 13 Going on 30.

Monday nights in Los Angeles, Life hosts a singer/songwriter night. A few weeks ago on March 2, 2009, Bobby Syvarth played a couple of his amazing tunes. Here’s one! For more about Bobby, check out the music and our about us pages.

Great song, great arrangement, great instrumentation, great band!!!

“The Man on the Flying Trapeze” -- Bruce Springstein with the Seegers Session Band (2006)

Ok…I swear I did not know that The Boss and International Silver String Submarine Band both did this classic old tune!

Due to overwhelming positive response and love for version ONE, I had to post version TWO of the sweetest song I’ve ever heard! The Seeger Sessions Band kinda reminds me of The International Silver String Submarine Band that the Little Rascals had together way back in the day!

St. Patrick’s Day

I was hoping to find a live performance of this song by my Irish ‘Brotha from Anotha Motha,’ George Ivan “Van” Morrison! The groove, the melody, the harmony, and the lyrics -- my favorite Van Morrison song for sure! Van, the Man…pouring out that blue-eyed Irish soul!!!

Wiki-History: “Whenever God Shines His Light” is a song written by Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison and released on his 1989 album Avalon Sunset as a duet with Cliff Richard. Although the album was released in June 1989, this song was released as a single in November 1989 for the Christmas sales market. Morrison and Richard performed the duet on the British music chart television show, Top of the Pops. The single charted at #20 on the U.K. Top 20.^[1]