Texas Traveler: Eric Johnson blossoms, returns to Grant Street

The Daily Advertiser - www.theadvertiser.com - Lafayette, LA:

"Fans may notice a new Johnson release on music store shelves: Live From Austin Texas: Eric Johnson. The footage for the DVD and the audio for the CD come from a Dec. 14, 1988, recording of the PBS series Austin City Limits.

However, Johnson had little to do with the release. The footage and audio belong to Austin City Limits, he explained. It was the decision of executives with the popular music showcase to release the CD and DVD this summer.

Each release does something Johnson said he cannot reproduce in the studio: The vibe, sound and emotion the music takes on in a live performance."

Guitar Hero Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush Plan 35th Anniversary Tour

Guitar Hero Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush Plan 35th Anniversary Tour:

"Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush return with the two-CD concert album RealLIVE! , via Canada-based Just A Minute/Justin Time Records and confirmed 35th Anniversary U.S tour dates for October, 2006.

It is the first release for the Montreal-based guitarist/vocalist in three years, and it reunites him with longtime friend Jim West -- president of Justin Time Records, who once was the first-ever Mahogany Rush tour manager and one of the few people in the music business he truly and completely trusts."

Bayfest: Sept. 29 through Oct. 1

Caller.com: Local News:

"On Sept. 30, grounds open at noon and don't close until midnight. Check out hip-hop acts Omarion and Chingy, who will hit the stage that night, along with DeAnda.

For the final day, the festival runs from noon to 10 p.m. Performances include Ayala, rocker Pat Travers and country group Diamond Rio."

The Rock Radio: Mark Farner recalls Grand Funk Railroad's run-in with the NYPD

The Rock Radio: Mark Farner recalls Grand Funk Railroad's run-in with the NYPD:

"Just out is an expanded edition of the Grand Funk Railroad Greatest Hits album that was released in April. The new version pairs the 14 songs from the original release with a DVD that has footage from 1969, 1971, 1973, and 1997. The 1971 material is especially important in Grand Funk history, since it's from their show at Shea Stadium in New York City, which they sold out faster than the Beatles. Grand Funk flew to the gig in a helicopter, and singer-guitarist Mark Farner told us that the guys wound up in police cars soon after they landed: 'We land in the parking lot where the limo is supposed to pick us up -- no limo. This is the age of no cell phones back then. The guy runs to the corner telephone booth, this guy who was riding with us and happened to have some influence with the telephone -- in three minutes, there were three cop cars. We all jump in cop cars, come in to the Shea Stadium with the lights going and the sirens going -- it was the grand entrance! The police escort us to the stage! It was great!'
"

More headlines about GFR.

Grand Funk endures musical change - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Grand Funk endures musical change - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review:

"Don Brewer didn't expect Grand Funk Railroad's run to be lengthy. When the band disbanded after seven years, he was not at all surprised.

'We felt like we had a good run, from 1969 to 1976,' he says, 'and we were very thankful and thought that was about it. Let's all move on.'

Brewer, who performs with the band Sunday at Heinz Field as part of the Pittsburgh Steelers Kickoff and Rib Festival, didn't reckon with the American passion for nostalgia. When classic-rock radio re-emerged in the 1990s and the band's CDs began to be reissued, people started to ask, wither Grand Funk?"

Just a few news items I found today about one of my strongest musical influences.

Good Advice

If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once a week.

-- Charles Darwin

Roots

A moment of repose, a slight detour of sorts.
Today I was talking with my wife about a post about Dick Wagner I was preparing for another site I am writing. Well, one thing lead to another and I began to reminisce.
I was thinking back to when I first became interested in music and my first guitar. From there, a quick google directed me to this photo. There it is, not the exact item but the same model that was my first electric guitar.

Christmas 1971 -
In November of that year, I found a sale ad for a local department store of the day named Topps. They were running their specials for Christmas lay-aways and there, a half-page ad of a Teisco guitar and amp combo for $39.95. I tore the ad out of the paper and told my mother that I wanted this for Christmas. And nothing else.
I saved the ad. I looked at the ad every day. I studied it closely. I would fold the worn newsprint what must have been hundreds of times from that day until Christmas.

As you have guessed, under the tree that year was, in fact, an oddly shaped package that held the answer to my wishes. I know that my mother had to endure some hardships that year as she was recently a single mother of five and struggling with re-entering the workforce. She found a way to buy that gift for me and I have never forgotten the conditions we were living with at the time.

A few adjustments

Making a few changes to the color palette for ease of reading. Made a few adjustments in the sidebar too.

Before We Resume The Tale

I think the strangest part about this blog for me is knowing how the story ends and that it will end. As far as the saga of the Dead Dog years, which was relatively short.

My experiences as a musician continued beyond the time invested at DDE. I continue to play, write, and record original music, though not as frequently as I would like.

Whether I will take the telling of my tale further into the years after "The Dog" remains to be seen. I have a hunch but ....

Where'd it go?

Holy crap! A year has passed since I made anything close to a serious entry. Gotta fix that right away.

I am making some page adjustments. Some new features and coding going in currently.

Back shortly.....really.....I mean it.

New entry soon

Neglected and overlooked for a while, I will be posting more in the saga shortly.

Happy Birthday Jeff!

To my friend, Jeff Lightfoot, a person I admire and respect. Jeff is also one of the finest musicians I have ever known and had the good fortune to have worked with in more than 34 years of playing. I learned so much from Jeff while we worked together. He challenged me to improve my playing ability and to stretch beyond my current skills to become a better musician.

Thank you Jeff for making me push myself but most of all, thank you for your friendship, especially after all the years. I wish you the happiest of birthdays and continued happiness and prosperity for you and your family.

Friends We Made Along The Way

As our sessions began to develop, we started to "plan our plans" to market the band. We determined that there were some legal things to consider as well so we began to look for an attorney that would be able to assist us.

As our good fortune would have it, I met an attorney that was looking to develop his practice into the music industry. I met Howard Hertz while he was working with the public defender's office in Detroit. It is a long story about how we met, I'll leave it to your imagination. During this meeting, we had some moments that allowed me to ask him some questions about music business issues and he gave me his card.

Later, as we finished our next recording, I contacted Howard to help register our copyrights. We set up a meeting with the band a short time later. Howard told us that we were one of his first music act for his burgeoning legal practice. If memory serves me correctly, I think his first artist was a gentleman named Ted Strunck.

Today, Howard Hertz is a powerhouse in the music industry. His firm, Hertz, Schram, and Saretsky have represented many notables in the business. Here is his bio from the firm's website:

Howard Hertz formed the law firm of Hertz, Schram & Saretsky with Bradley Schram in 1979. He specializes in entertainment law and is the lead attorney of Hertz, Schram & Saretsky’s Entertainment & Sports Practice Group. Since 1976 he has represented numerous artists and entities in the entertainment field, including authors, screenwriters, recording artists, radio personalities, producers, production companies, record labels, agents, artist managers, music publishers, songwriters and athletes. Among others, his most well-known clients have been George Clinton, Sippie Wallace, The Romantics, The Bass Brothers, Eminem, Marilyn Manson, O-Town, The Go, Elmore Leonard, Warner Tamerlane, CDNow and Atlantic Records. Services provided to entertainment clients range from contract negotiation and litigation to entity formation and estate/tax planning. Mr. Hertz travels to MIDEM, the International Music Festival in Cannes, France, and to South by Southwest, in Austin, Texas, annually, on behalf of his clients.

Among the many organizations and honors to Mr. Hertz’s credit, he is a Michigan State Bar Foundation Fellow, a member of the International Association of Entertainment Lawyers, a member of the Board of Directors and President of the Motor City Music Foundation, a member and former chairperson of the Arts, Communications, Entertainment and Sports Section of the State Bar of Michigan, counsel to and a member of the Board of Directors of ArtServe Michigan, speaker and member of the National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences and is on the Advisory Board for Common Ground Sanctuary. He is the subject of biographical record in "Who’s Who in Entertainment" and "Who’s Who in American Law".

Howard Hertz has participated on panels and lectured on various entertainment related topics for organizations and schools such as: the Michigan Institute of Continuing Legal Education, National Association of Recording Arts & Sciences, Motor City Music Foundation, Wayne State University Law School, Cooley Law School, Detroit College of Law, the University of Michigan, Motortown Gospel Music Network and the Detroit Historical Museum.

Mr. Hertz graduated from Wayne State University in 1972 with distinction and received his law degree from Wayne State University in 1976, where he graduated cum laude.

Howard and his partners are featured panel members at the upcoming Motor City Music Conference 2005 on April 20-24th. If I am not mistaken, this is the second occurrence of this now annual event. Take a moment to check out the line up of talent that will be appearing during this event in addition to all the industry reps on the various discussion panels.

Oh, if you happen to attend the panel discussion with Howard, tell him Dave Stone says "hi".
Dave who?
Exactly.