The City Veins

The title of this particular blog will likely send Charles running to the bathroom in tears. Get out of the stall, wiener, and go get your boss some coffee: it’s just that I forgot how to blog on our cityveins page again. For a band that wants to operate at 2.0, a couple of us are going to have to be at about 3.5 because I’m still a 1.0 (I understand that none of that makes any sense). I love getting involved in all of this on-line band stuff, but that doesn’t change the fact that I don’t understand how to do any of it.
So the band has now moved beyond its summer slump, its bickering about song-writing and general creativity, and (I believe) is now ready to make some real strides. We’re working on new songs without completely blowing up at each other, I at least think I understand where Spencer is coming from (This was a problem for a while, but having talked a lot recently I think we’re on the same page), and people are actually ordering our free CD! I know, ordering something that’s free doesn’t seem like a big deal, but if it was me I wouldn’t take the time to fill in my address (for someone else’s music I mean).

I know I’ve been yapping about this for a week or so, but I think having the band Lights Resolve around helped me a lot. When Charles and I were in Roosevelt Roosevelt, we were all great friends who really loved playing music together. These guys are the same way. Having them reminded me of what it was like sleeping on couches, being away from home for several days at a time (which does get tiring), and trying to haul your big van around small streets in a city. It’s an odd process to promote in a city you’re nopt from: you have to be extremely outgoing, just go to a well-populated area and talk to everyone. It hardly ever works, but if you don’t do it you’ll never gain any ground in a new market.

Those guys are hard-working for sure, but what I loved about them the most is the effort they put in to get along with each other. I’m sure it comes fairly easy, but even among friends you can find things to fight about in a band setting. But their attitude is almost completely devoid of that dynamic. It’s like in “Say Anything” where Lloyd Dobler turns to his sister and says “Get in a good mood. How hard is it to just decide to be in a good mood?” Well, the fact of the matter is that these guys have just decided to be in a good mood all the time, with each other and with other people. It may be that they know there is utility in being openly happy when you’re trying to attract new fans, so they just try to do it all the time. They have a great division of labor, primarily that they all just work to get things done.

Frankly, it made me want to quite my job, live in my parents basement and do everything I can to be a successful band. Right now, while Spencer and Charles are working (and I go back to work in two weeks) we are falling behind Lights Resolve and every other band that makes being a band their 40+ hour a week job. I don’t know if that’s necessary in order to succeed, but it makes you feel like you’re falling behind, regardless.