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Barroom Favorites
I have discovered the most demoralizing way to start one’s week: 45 minutes in a sticky, florescent lit post office. I stamped 108 press kits — one $1 stamp, two $.03 stamps — before trudging to work through the 90 degree Indian summer morning. Ouch. Not fun. But with each envelope comes the hope that…
Read MoreThe Rolling Hills Of Iowa
I went home to Iowa for 36 hours this weekend, and what a beautiful, amazing, grounding trip it was. So far from the gritty streets of New York. Unfortunately, I’m way to tired to share it all right now, but I’m so glad I went, caught up with a my family, at some catfish and…
Read MoreWhat came first: the music? Or the misery? Up at 5:30 to pubish the news to MTVNews.com that the Notorious B.I.G. put a hit on Tupac Shakur. Showered and went into work where I whipped up letters and kits for Michaela Majoun at WXPN in Philly, and Aimee Mann’s manager Michael Housman. Then worked. Then…
Read MoreTomorrow’s Big Story
Started the first full day of my 31st year running along the Hudson. It was a cool and beautiful morning. The sun climbed slowly over the buildings on the East Side, throwing deep orange rays of sunshine onto the silver water. I was glad to be there, happy to be alive, but weighed down more…
Read MoreWriting “Shiver”
I was born to David Wagner and Mary Catherine Bolster 31-years-ago today in Iowa City, Iowa. They were 25. I was induced on a Friday, and born on a Saturday morning at 12:51 a.m. Sunday afternoon, my father left for Waldorf, Maryland, to begin teaching chemistry at the local community college. My mother, brother and…
Read MoreThe Best Surprises Are The Ones You Don’t See Coming
It’s been an action-packed week, one of little sleep, and much commotion. The bullet points — since I’m catching a flight to Nantucket in 8 hours and have yet to pack — look something like this: MTV Video Music Awards: Worked about 70 hours this week prepping for and covering the year’s most absurd awards…
Read MoreThanks, Martin!
Almost set for the “Summer’s Gone” tour. New York CD release/tour kick off is 99% set for September 23d at the venerable Mercury Lounge. Just have to nail down D.C. Got all the final “Summer’s Gone” mixes today, and burned the whole thing onto one CD to hand off to VH1 writer Brian Ives to…
Read MoreOn The White Horse Tavern
I moved to New York City in 1996 with $400 and a fist full of dreams. In addition to my Big Rock aspirations, I though I wanted to be a writer. I networked like crazy. I remember meetings at The Daily News and The New York Times and thinking “Oh my God — this is…
Read MoreSuperman In Reverse
61 degree clear skies when I got out of bed at 5:45 am. I beat the sun out of the house, and headed uptown for the NYRRC 18-Mile Marathon Tune Up. Many things went through my head as I ran my three loops of Central Park. My primary distraction, though, was a new chorus I…
Read MoreA Fist Full Of Xanax
Raining again. Just in from downtown, where Kevin and wrapped mixing on the “Summer’s Gone” CD single. Now it just needs to be mastered, and duplicated (read below for details). Walked around the Lower East Side in the drizzle afterwards listening to Coldplay’s new CD, “A Rush of Blood to the Head.” Brilliant. Good accompaniment…
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