We are confirmed to play at Arlene’s on September 19th @ 7pm.
The whole line up Raman Kia, Toby Evers, Simon Gibson, Rich Scanella, and Bryan Smith.
Archive
Posts Tagged ‘Bryan Smith’
Live @ Arlene’s Grocery
Iranian Democracy Vs Chinese Democracy
The Case for Chinese Democracy
It was probably 1994 when Axl Rose started writing Chinese Democracy. The album reportedly cost a few million to make as well as a few more million that Geffen records paid Axl Rose over the years to bribe him to finish his own record. I say, his own record, because non of the other members of Guns & Roses are in the band anymore anyway. Although Chinese Democracy, lyrically or stylistically seems to be in no way apropos to China’s democracy, it still went on to sell 2.6 million copies, which makes it, probably, the biggest platinum selling flop of all time. In the meantime, China remains an undemocratic country with infrequent elections, corrupt results, and no real free press.
The Case for Iranian Democracy
It was probably a month ago when I started thinking about Iranian Democracy, the EP, not the democratic movement in Iran. The EP has not cost anything to make because it features two songs from our album Ashes and an older song, recorded in various studios while touring, called Radioactive, all of which seemed lyrically very apropos to the democratic uprising in Iran. The songs feature Buddahead’s long standing members: Toby Evers, Simon Gibson, and Rich Scannella; our newest musical whiz Bryan Smith, and the incredible Nick Sneblen, who used to play with us all the time. The EP will probably go on to sell 2.6 copies, which may make it, the most profitable flop of all time. In the meantime, Iran remains an undemocratic country with frequent elections, with allegedly corrupt results, and no real free press.
So, all in all, I think Iranian Democracy and Chinese Democracy come out equal. But, then again, Iranian Democracy cost less than 1 millionth of the cost of Chinese Democracy, so Iranian Democracy wins!!
Why did I write this? I have no idea.
Rock n Roll Fund Raiser
Last Saturday night Rich, Bryan, Simon, and I, played a show in a fire station for a friends charity called the The Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation.
We played the show with a band originally called Drop Trou who changed their name, respectfully to Stage Fright, in honor of the organization they were playing for. They were cool and let us use all their equipment.
The night went well and the big auction piece which was a guitar signed by all members of Bon Jovi sold for about $3500. Gregg Pizzi whose wife Christine is suffering from a Desmoid tumor was awesome enough to ask us to play and I would never say no to him. When I had no job and no money, he was the one who employed me on the trading floor and gave me a sense of self-respect. We wish his wife all the very best.
Also, must thank Scott Randolph, another great soul, who also gave me a job in his acoustics factory when I had no job or money. I couldn’t keep down a job in a factory, covered in glue, everyday, and gave up on him back in the day. Still, Scott came through again and stepped in to play Bass for the show while Toby is recovering from back surgery, and let us wreck his beautiful home studio that afternoon. Not sure how he persuaded his wife to be okay with a group of us turning up and being rock n roller in her nice suburban house, but still thank you.
Last, but not least, must thank Bryan. He finished his day job, being pro-tools editor for the Tony Awards, at 6AM, slept a couple of hours, put on his Bjorn Borg head band, got on the NJ transit train and made his way to Flemington NJ, crashed by the second verse of Fix you in our rehearsal, stayed awake only by drinking Slap, and then crashed moments after the end of the set.
The photo says it all!
