ProTools, Day One

This Daily Journal was born in the fall of 2000 as a document of my creative endeavors. It often veers into the personal, and rightly so: my songs, stories, screenplays, and paintings are all personal. But let’s get back to our regularly scheduled programming, at least for a minute…

Truth is, I was blogging before I knew there was such a thing; before I knew there was this whole blogging phenomena. I had been writing these very third-person ‘news’ stories as if no one knew that I was updating my site myself. So as I closed in on mixing ‘Crash Site,’ I decided to make it a daily, first-person chronicle of the making-of. I just wanted to get people excited about the new record, and I’ve always loved the Internet’s mobility (you can post from anywhere with a phone) and immediacy (you can post in as much time as it takes you to upload some text and images). So I did.

All I ever wanted to do was sell some records (got one?), and get some people to my shows.

So in the spirit of my original intent, here’s an update on my creative endeavors:

I bought a DigiDesign MBox today. It’s basically Pro Tools light. Pro Tools is the industry standard for digital audio production. Kevin and I recorded ‘Almost Home’ on Pro Tools, and most albums you own are probably recorded on it. My goal is to get self-sufficient so that I can a) release more material b) more quickly and for c) less money. I also hope to work on some of my oft-threatened side-projects: a hip-hop album, a children’s album, and an electronica album. Rest assured, you’ll be the first to know.

I’m working on booking a big rock show in April (Sin-e) and an acoustic show in June (Open Center, or some similar space which I rent out for the night). I’m also doing two ‘livingroom shows’ in the coming months: March 27th at Rina’s here in NYC, and sometime In April at Rockin’ Robbie’s in Boston. I’ve written two new songs in the last few weeks: ‘Lost My Head,’ and ‘Everything Is Wrong.’ They’re in a different space than the uber-romantica that came prior. I expect you’ll be hearing them soon.

I’m almost as excited about my two other bands as I am about my solo stuff. Cockfight is due for a rehearsal soon (Goodman had to cancel last week’s), but we’re onto something big, loud, and fun. And The Smith Family Players is shaping up to be something special. I love singing these great Americana standards — Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash — and harmonizing with Kev. The pedal steel guy’s genius. I suspect you’ll hear from him at my solo shows, and forthcoming recordings. And we’re 99% on a 13-year-old drummer.

I’ve been listening to all kinds of new music, and loving the variety and influence: Air, Guster, Rufus Wainwright, Jason Mraz, Maroon 5, Lamb, Nick Drake, Incubus, Nada Surf, and The Postal Service are currently the top artists on my Ipod.

I’m submitting my screenplay, ‘Mo’ Hart,’ to the Nantucket Film Festival. Confidence is not so high that I’ll get in, but I plan on attending anyhow. Also, I haven’t heard back from Mrs. Rogers re: my proposed documentary, ‘Mr. Rogers & Me.’ I imagine that I’ll make a film either way (with or without her participation), though I won’t release it without her approval.

I started a novel a few weeks ago, ‘Handshake Drugs & The Social Registry.’ I made it to somewhere around 25+ pages before I stopped writing because, er, my muse quit on me. Plus it was feeling an awful lot like this here Daily Journal, excepting that it’s all the stuff I don’t put in here. We’ll see what happens.

And as you may have noticed, I got Ethan started early on the acoustic guitar. Seems that every time his father tries to practice his guitar, Ethan wants in on the action. He climbs all over Chris until he lets him strum and pound on the acoustic. So I got Ethan his own. He looks pretty into it, huh? That’s ‘cuz he’s the prodigal son, or the prodigal nephew anyway.

So, that’s the news from Hell’s Kitchen. Hope you’re well, and rockin’ out in everything you do. See ya’ around the ‘hood.