Steve Lewis interviews myself and Dirty Pearls’ drummer, Marty E, for Black Book Magazine. Read it all right here:
http://www.blackbookmag.com/good-night-mr-lewis-1.109/rocking-out-with-the-dirty-pearls-1.52890#.UGnrxL6qWRo.facebook
Interview With “May The Rock Be With You”
I recently did an interview recently with “May The Rock Be With You”!
Check it out: http://maytherockbewithyou.com/mtrbwy/2012/06/the-dirty-pearls/
Be Like…Mike?
Everyday when I wake up, I see this plaque I won when I was in the 8th grade….and I smile. It inspires me to always move forward with my dreams and goals in life and that nothing can stop you but yourself from achieving those goals. Let me give some backstory…
Growing up I didn’t play school sports. I played sports with the kids in the neighborhood, but never at school. I went to private school, not public, so the neighborhood kids weren’t the same ones I saw in school on a daily basis. Otherwise, I probably would have played sports in school. But I didn’t. Thinking back, I think that I just wasn’t confident with my playing. Ya see in school you got the coach up your ass, pressure to win, practices and the kids being all jocks. I was this skinny kid who preferred listening to Elvis CD’s and playing guitar over watching Michael Jordan’s jump shot highlight reel and trying to be like Mike. I also think I was just insecure because I didn’t feel I played as well as the jock kids or even looked the part. But then one day when this kid “Michael” made fun of me…
He was making fun of me saying that I’m not on the basketball team because I’m not good enough to play. He was probably right to some extent..but man what an asshole..huh? But me being who I am…I told him that I am good enough, I just choose NOT to play, I’d rather play guitar. He didn’t buy it and just kept ragging on me more while getting the other kids involved to laugh along. Right then I remembered that there was a regional basketball competition with all the local schools, private and public, coming up in a few weeks. The competition was various basketball shots like 3 pointers, foul line, there was a bulls eye to hit and I believe dribbling as well. You went up against other kids in your grade. So I challenged him in front of the whole class. I actually stood up and made the announcement to everyone!
“Attention everyone! Michael here thinks he’s God’s gift to sports well I’m about to prove him wrong. I have decided to enter the regional basketball tournament and I promise I will beat everyone on this team, including Michael!” Some kids were in wonderment like what are you nuts? The jocks and their cheerleader girlfriends were laughing out loud and into their hands as they whispered to each other and snickered at the shaggy haired kid with the clip on tie and pants high up his ankles like he was ready for a flood was challenging the basketball star to a duel of the ages! He accepted…I was worried.
Everyday…and I mean EVERYDAY…I skipped out of playing with my friends afterschool and I went over to the a neighbor’s basketball court and practiced every single day. From the moment I got home from school until dusk, I was playing basketball. I remember my brother and others asking where I had been..I didn’t tell them just said I was busy or made up some sort of lie.
All the shit talking in school was non stop between the both of us. They used to laugh at me like it was a joke, but little did they know I had something they didn’t…I was driven. Finally the day arrived, the moment of truth. There were a ton of kids there…but I wasn’t there to beat them..just Michael and the kids on my school team. That’s all that mattered to me. I wanted that plaque!
They gave away 1st, 2nd and 3rd place plaques. 1st and 2nd went to these two kids from another school…and 3rd place? Well that went to me! I didn’t see my classmates that day when I received the award..they uhh…left kind of early. But Monday at school, I brought my plaque in and placed it loud and proud on my desk. Of course they had every excuse in the book for losing, but I had that plaque on my desk that gave me every excuse for smiling. The coach came into the classroom that day, he said he heard about how I did in the competition and in front of everyone he asked me if I wanted to play on the team. I told him nah, I play guitar.
The Dirty Pearls return to the stage on Wednesday March 14th as part of the Rivington Rebels Rock n Roll Revue (which also features Brian Newman and Luc Carl). Also performing: Breedlove, and Kelle Calco & The Colored Boys! Hosted By Murray Hill! We’re all gathering at the Highline Ballroom in NYC to celebrate the release of Luc Carl’s book, The Drunk Diet!
Get tix: http://highlineballroom.com/show/2012/03/14/the-drunk-diet/
The Dirty Pearls return to the stage on Wednesday March 14th as part of the Rivington Rebels Rock n Roll Revue (which also features Brian Newman and Luc Carl). Also performing: Breedlove, and Kelle Calco & The Colored Boys! Hosted By Murray Hill! We’re all gathering at the Highline Ballroom in NYC to celebrate the release of Luc Carl’s book, The Drunk Diet!
Get tix: http://highlineballroom.com/show/2012/03/14/the-drunk-diet/
RippleMusic Reviews The Dirty Pearls
My band, The Dirty Pearls recently got a great review by RippleMusic on PaperBlog! “If more modern rock bands were like The Dirty Pearls, then rock music would have never really disappeared from mainstream audiences.”
Read the whole review right here: http://en.paperblog.com/the-single-life-fun-butch-walker-the-dirty-pearls-and-general-fiasco-137166/
ENCORE!! ENCORE!!
A few weeks ago I went to see the legendary George Thorogood at BB Kings in NYC. Besides completely rocking the FUCK out of the place, George delivered all the hits (and more) that you expected him to play for a little over an hour. But the one thing I respected about George the most is that he performed a TRUE encore! Actually he got called out for two encores (consisting of two songs each).
The reason I bring this up is because an encore is NOT coming out again to play the “Hit Song/Staple Song” we all know you haven’t played yet. For example, if I go see AC/DC and they haven’t played “You Shook Me All Night Long” and they say GOOD NIGHT to the crowd…then SURPRISE they come back out and play their biggest hit then call it a night…does NOT constitute as an encore. Actually, I love KISS but they always pull the same encore “Rock And Roll All Nite” then the confetti cannons go off and its a sign that show is over. But it shouldn’t be…according to the definition….
Definition of “Encore”: A demand, as by applause, for a repetition of a song, act, etc or for a performance of a number or piece additional to those on a program or for a reappearance by the performers, as at the end of a concert.
The key line being “piece additional to those on a program”. We all now your #1 hit song is going to be on the “program” AKA “Set list” so waiting for applause for you to come out and do it is a cheap way out for an actual encore. Come out and perform a rare song on the album that you never play or a cover song or whatever.
Then again…I also use the band performing their staple as an encore as my cue to leave the venue and get a head start in front of the crowd! So scratch everything I just said….HA!
