A Bard's Real World Blog
Journal, Blog, News, and Diary

Soul of a Harper is Here!!!!!!!!!
Yessirreee, bob, the CD is here. It looks and sounds fantastic. Arrived just this morning, so I'll have them out tonight at the Irish Dragoon Pub. Tomorrow, I'll take some copies over to Things Celtic here in Austin. And very, very soon, you'll see them at Amazon.com and CDBaby.

Course, why buy them there when you can order them straight from me and get multiple copies for a major discount. Order them today so I can help pay them off. :-)

I'm so pysched about this. DiskFaktory did an awesome job and was sooo easy to use.

So, nearly four years after I started this project, it's done! I hope you all enjoy it.

Okay, time to get back to watching White Christmas, playing with kitties and procrastinating cleaning.

Middle Earth Bragging Song Hits #1 on SoundClick Comedy!!
Climbing, climbing, climbed... TA DA!!! Yup, it hit #1 today! Let's hear it for the bragging! Go download, listen, and share with your friends.

Aggressive guerrilla Billbard promotion
I've an interesting promo idea I wanted to bounce off some people.

There's a few companies out there who pay people to turn their car into one big mobile billboard. Well, we don't have the money to pay people to do that, but I know there are a lot of people out there who are always willing to help us out, esp since this is a great media hook. Here's the idea...

We would print up 10 sets of large magnets. These sets would go to 10 volunteer fans around the nation. For one month, they would be mobile billboard (Or is that a billbard? ooo. Good promo idea...) for our music. When the month is over, we would redistribute them to another 10 Nagians in different areas around the nation so that we can keep it mobile...

What do you think? Good idea? Bad idea? Anyone willing to try this out?

Soul of a Harper Shipped from the factory!
Yippeee!!!! It's gone out. I think it was two or three days. So that means I should get it Thursday or Friday. Woohoo! I'm excited as you can see. :)

Middle Earth Bragging Song hits #2 on the Comedy Charts!!!
No doubt the LOTR movies are helping, but my "Middle Earth Bragging Song" climbed to #2 on the SoundClick Comedy Charts. That's no easy task, so I'm pretty excited about it! Go tell your friends to listen and download!

The Original Celtic Renaissance?
I was recently contacted by someone who obviously has never played music professionally to explain how we could call ourselves 'The Original Celtic Renaissance.' Read the article.

Call from the CD Printers
I just got a call from the CD printers. They were checking on the CD label and planned to finish printing today! Hopefully, this means it'll go out tomorrow and arrive by Friday at the latest. Cross your fingers!

BTW
If ye know anyone in the Kansas City area who might like to see the show, please spread the word. Thanks!

Upcoming Gig, Dec 27th - Hamlet of Mid-Missouri Renaissance Festival
Nearly five years ago, I was contacting some Renaissance faires around the nation. I got a hold of some folks at the Hamlet of Mid-Missouri Renaissance Festival. They've been struggling along, but doing an absolute amazing job at bring summertime fun to Central Missouri. Since I was planning on visiting friends in Kansas City anyways, I thought this would be the perfect time to say thank you by having a benefit concert for the festival.

On Saturday, December 27th, this will be a reality. We're having a house concert in Kansas City. You can get advanced tickets for $15 that includes a live performance by me, followed by a bardic circle where you can share your own songs, poetry, whatever. There will also be some snacks and drinks provided.

Now the sad news, there's room for only thirty people. This means tickets will go fast. So we're doing advanced ticket sales now. If you'd like to be a part of the celebration, then you need to contact Christine at or call (913) 908-5345 to reserve your seat.

These tickets won't last long, so order soon!

Interested in having a commemorative T-shirt for the occasion?
We're gonna print a limited number of t-shirts to benefit the Hamlet of Mid-Missouri Renaissance Festival as well. White, full-color, 100% cotton, Hanes Beefy-Ts. Shirts can only be ordered in advance and cost $20. Shirts must be ordered by the 19th if they're to arrive in time for the show.

The Last Samurai Reflections
I saw The Last Samurai a couple times this weekend. Fantastic movie... and inspiring too. One scene that really struck me in this movie was when Tom Cruise was play fighting with a child when one of the samurai comes up and motions for him to drop the play sword. Cruise's character doesn't do it. Instead, he fights the Samurai. Gets beaten, but keeps getting up for more. Just before that scene, that same Samurai had told his Lord, Katusomoto, that the American should kill himself for having been beaten in battle.

That one scene did a brilliant job at showing the differences in our cultures. How we refuse to give up... even when we are beaten. We fight on.

But as the film progressed, you really get to know the Samurai virtues incredibly well... how it is better to die in battle. That was all brought the even more to light, when I saw Sadaam Hussein alive on TV yesterday. There was an old man... beaten... in hiding for months. It was really a pretty pathetic image.

I heard somewhere that he was responsible for the deaths of nearly 300,000 people in his country, yet I can't but help and feel sorry for him. It's not to dissimilar, I guess from Frodo and Bilbo's own sorrow for that other pathetic denizen of corrupted evil, Gollum.

I don't know for certain, but if I were in Sadaam's shoes, I don't think I'd like the world to see me hiding in a dirt coffin, but dead with a gun in my hand, fighting to the bitter end. It's by far a better image for his supporters, to be sure. Thus, I'm glad that's not how we found him.

Course as a pacifist, I hate to see anyone killed, but I am hopeful that justice will be served. I'm just a pathetic man of many hypocrisies. Forgive me.

Response to Random frustrations
In case ye didn't think about it, some of these ramblings are like Texas weather, give me fifteen minutes and my mood will change. Now a couple comments.

Yeah, I know what is "normal"? Who knows? I had another conversation about it last night with a friend. Any relationship requires some work. But some are easier than others. As for me, I still don't even know what I want, which is probably one of the reasons why I don't flirt much (or at least flirt with intent).

What do I want? Who knows... I think this is a good sign that I don't need to be in a serious relationship right now. Cuz all I really know right now is that I want to have a successful, full-time music career. And I'm getting close to that. So that I thank God for. The rest will have to come in strides.

Ye know I've been working that goal for a number of years now. And it's only now that it's starting to look possible.

I read somewhere that you have to take care of yourself... first. That's the reason I finally finished Soul of a Harper. I want some personal security there as well. Now that that's done, I'm also hoping to finish my poetry book. Then mayhaps I'll get back to my photography.

In other news, for all you Missouri folks, remember the Hamlet of Mid-Missouri Renaissance Festival next summer. I'm hoping that will be my job quitting tour.

Random frustrations
I was chatting with a friend last night about how frustrating relationships seems to be. More and more often I find almost dysfunctional relationships. Are there any normal ones out there? Probably not.

On the one hand, it makes me think I'll never have a serious relationship. On the other, perhaps it's a sign of hope that no matter how bad a relationship may be, at least I could probably have one.

I guess I've been a bit disheartened recently. Feeling like there's not much hope out there for me. I thought the faire season would inspire the flirt in me, and I'd be hooking up with women left and right. But they never even seemed to walk right up in front of me. Or maybe I'm just too picky? Who knows...?

I guess what's frustrating me is I just don't feel like I get much attention from women. But then I don't have a majorly flamboyant personality. It's much more subtle. But hey I make a great friend! ;)

But not to worry, I have my kitties. And I'm actually hoping to bring them up to Kansas City with me. Need to start reading up on travelling with cats. Haven't done that yet. Alrighty, laterz.

LA Over, KC Beginning
I had a brilliant time at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I'm left feeling the overflowing love from everyone there, and it makes me extremely happy to have been a part of that wonderful festival.

Andrew and I have already started working out ideas for next year. In fact, hopefully, next week we'll have a better idea where we'll be booked. I'm hoping to do a Job Quitting Tour in the middle of the summer. And if all goes well in the booking, I'll secure that!

Meanwhile, I may have a venue for Kansas City. Still working out the details, so keep your eyes and ears peeled in the meantime. And start telling your friends.

Also, feel free to download 3-5 of your favorite MP3s from me or The Bards, burn some CDs and give them away to people. The more people we can get out there, the better. I'm a wee worried that we won't have a huge number of people... but I'm hoping.

A Celtic Realization
In January, 2000, Andrew and I were invited on stage at Bass Concert Hall to play with The Chieftains. It was an absolutely incredible experience.

Afterwards, I posted a review of the experience all over the net. And my friend Logon from Emerald Rose responded. He told me that it was our turn to return the favor that The Chieftains bestowed on us. Have a session with less-known musicians.

Well, the idea really struck home. Unfortunately, I realized that Andrew and I don't play many reels and jigs. We focus more on songs. But the idea was reinvented this weekend when I realized there are other options... songs!

At the Sci Fi Cons we've been to, they have Filk Circles, where folks gather and share songs they've written, or they love, or whatever. So I decided to put the two together and want to start having Bardic Circles after shows.

A Bardic Circle
What is my idea? If all goes well, this will begin in Kansas City. The idea is that after the show, we'll circle up and share songs. Anyone can either sing a song, ask someone else to sing a song, play a tune set, or whatever. Doesn't matter how good or bad you are. Each person gets a small spot of the stage to share their musical talent.

So what ye think? Think ye'd be interested in joining the circle and sharing a song?

One Step at a time
Well, I have one lead thusfar for a venue, but admittedly this is one of the reasons we haven't done as much touring as we'd like. It's tough to find a venue. I'm very non-traditional when it comes to venues. I'd actually prefer to perform at a house concert with 20-30 interested people rather than perform in front of a hundred mildly interested folks.

Started looking into other venues. I'm getting anxious to have more gigs. Meanwhile, Andrew's not had much time for booking. He's getting a lot of computer jobs recently. Kinda takes away from our ability to fill up our schedule for next year.

It would be so much easier if our fans could go out and book all our gigs for us. But I guess that's just a wee bit too much to ask right now.

Guess I have the typical musician affliction... wanting someone to manage and book your group. Ah well. I'll get over it.

Speaking of House Concerts
I'm sick of waiting putting it off. I need a wee warm-up for KC (if it will happen). So I'm thinking about a house concert and Christmas Party at my place? Do an hour-long set featuring music from Soul of a Harper (God-willing, I'll have CDs in hand by then), plus maybe a couple Irish drinking songs for cat lovers. Then throw on some Christmas music and par-tay.

Then there's the anti-social in me saying, don't do it! Well, I'll bounce the idea off a few friends and get back to ye.

Great weekend and Kansas City booking and promotion help
Well, back from another great weekend at the Louisiana Renaissance Festival. I actually posted a whole long discourse about it in the Brobdingnagian Bards' Bard Tales. Ye can read it there.

But I am still looking for folks to help out with KC. Melissa said no one has emailed her yet. Not sure if it's an email prob or what, but I decided to setup a forum discussion area to try and organize stuff. Sounds like she has a lot on her plate right now. Big thing is that I need a venue. If ye can help, that'd be wonderful.

So if ye want to help please, please drop a message. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of time either to really get this organized. So I really need some helpers here. Thanks!

Oh, and anyone who helps out will get a free copy of Soul of a Harper when I get up there. (should be done by then. listening to Test Copy Six right now).

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Well if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer those as well.