Today I was asked if I wanted to speak on a panel at a major university about the music industry, to which I replied yes. I hope it happens, as I really want to start speaking to more than my friends about my wacky ideas about the ‘biz. It’s insane to think that years ago I was hauling a bass amp around at firehall shows, and now I’m the editor of Noisecreep. As I write this ‘Dammit’ from Blink 182 comes on the radio, reminding me about dingy clubs, JNCO jeans, crappy equipment and distro tables. The only thing that’s changed, besides the tightness of jeans and disappearance of distro tables, is I’m 10 years older and getting paid to do all this.

Today I was asked if I wanted to speak on a panel at a major university about the music industry, to which I replied yes. I hope it happens, as I really want to start speaking to more than my friends about my wacky ideas about the ‘biz.

It’s insane to think that years ago I was hauling a bass amp around at firehall shows, and now I’m the editor of Noisecreep. As I write this ‘Dammit’ from Blink 182 comes on the radio, reminding me about dingy clubs, JNCO jeans, crappy equipment and distro tables. The only thing that’s changed, besides the tightness of jeans and disappearance of distro tables, is I’m 10 years older and getting paid to do all this.




This weekend should be quiet and clam, as next weekend is a trip to San Francisco. Hopefully I’ll eat pancakes, ride my bike around brooklyn, and make music.

This weekend should be quiet and clam, as next weekend is a trip to San Francisco. Hopefully I’ll eat pancakes, ride my bike around brooklyn, and make music.




I grew up a vibrant music scene in North East PA in the mid 90s. As a young lad I saw older brothers listening to Iron Maiden and playing guitar in their bedrooms, but I never thought that would be me. In 1991 I started playing bass and quickly found myself playing in alterna-rock bands. In 1993 or so I came across this wondrous world of “hardcore.” The music didn’t grab me at first, but the “everyone gets to play” idea did. Kids were running their own record labels. There were “distros” at shows. Before the internet there were zines. This was also a nice break from the hirachal set up in high school. Popular dudes that played sports picked on the skaters and metal kids. Fuck them! That utopian dream scene died quick, though. Jock mentality seeps everywhere. It seems you can be part of something as long as you agree with the scene. Rock the boat and you’re done. One time a friend of mine who booked shows got the boot for two dudes from out of town. I spoke up about it. Thought it was unfair. Then I was threatened by the two dudes that they’d break my legs. Yes, for real. Hardcore unity, huh? And now just recently. A friend says something that someone with more “clout” doesn’t agree with. Suddenly my friend is full of shit. An amatuer. A hack. Everyone gets to play, just as long as there’s no differing opinions.

I grew up a vibrant music scene in North East PA in the mid 90s. As a young lad I saw older brothers listening to Iron Maiden and playing guitar in their bedrooms, but I never thought that would be me. In 1991 I started playing bass and quickly found myself playing in alterna-rock bands.

In 1993 or so I came across this wondrous world of “hardcore.” The music didn’t grab me at first, but the “everyone gets to play” idea did. Kids were running their own record labels. There were “distros” at shows. Before the internet there were zines.

This was also a nice break from the hirachal set up in high school. Popular dudes that played sports picked on the skaters and metal kids. Fuck them!

That utopian dream scene died quick, though. Jock mentality seeps everywhere. It seems you can be part of something as long as you agree with the scene. Rock the boat and you’re done.

One time a friend of mine who booked shows got the boot for two dudes from out of town. I spoke up about it. Thought it was unfair. Then I was threatened by the two dudes that they’d break my legs. Yes, for real. Hardcore unity, huh?

And now just recently. A friend says something that someone with more “clout” doesn’t agree with. Suddenly my friend is full of shit. An amatuer. A hack.

Everyone gets to play, just as long as there’s no differing opinions.




Above is Alison, my co-worker and roommate. I’m very honored that I’ve become enough of a character for someone to nail down my wardrobe, and people in the office actually “got it.” This past weekend was filled with great metal music, good food, new friends and assorted wondrous encounters. Life has become magic in the past few months, in ways I never thought possible a year ago. In two weeks I visit San Francisco. This will be the second time I’ve been there, the first back in 1998. My, how my life has changed since then.

Above is Alison, my co-worker and roommate. I’m very honored that I’ve become enough of a character for someone to nail down my wardrobe, and people in the office actually “got it.”

This past weekend was filled with great metal music, good food, new friends and assorted wondrous encounters. Life has become magic in the past few months, in ways I never thought possible a year ago.

In two weeks I visit San Francisco. This will be the second time I’ve been there, the first back in 1998. My, how my life has changed since then.




Another Weekend of Travel

Last weekend was Maine. This weekend it’s Bethlehem, PA. Last weekend it was security theater, this weekend it’s the joy of bus travel. The smells, the traffic, the lines - all that for about $40 and 4 hours of on the road bliss.




Working From The Airport

Right now I’m sitting on the floor of the Portland, Maine airport, next to an electrical outlet. The crummy departure parking, security theater and overpriced food isn’t bad enough, I suppose.  Charge me $8 for wifi, then ask me to sit on the floor so I can get online. Classy.

Aside from that, this has been a good trip. The downtown section of Portland was nice. Lots of brick buildings, good coffee and tasty food.

On Friday and today, Monday, I worked a number of hours without being at my desk back in NYC. About 95% of my job is tending email like sheep, so if I have a wi-fi connection (or at least my iPhone), I can do my job from anywhere. I made some stuff happen while walking through a mall here on friday. I dialed into a conference call this morning. I drank coffee at Coffee By Design with my hostess and confirmed this and planned that. There’s a few things I can’t do away from the office (eye rolling, notwithstanding), but with time I think those things will change, too.

Work is changing and the workforce is changing. If this is the new “permalancers run everything!” world, I’m all aboard.




Portland, Maine

Nice Downtown Buildings

My adventures so far have been quiet, and relaxed and chilly. The weather up here is brisk, of course, but not too terrible.  We spent a lot of time walking here, so it was comfortable. Of course we got some food and coffee and such, so we were quite good.

This area is Old Port in Portland. It’s really nice here (as you can see).




» A Bean Eulogy: Dropping the Coffee Habit Like it's Hot

zenhabits:

Good-bye, coffee habit. Can’t say you’ll be missed, but you were great while you lasted.


Gadgets and Blogs

I’ve been blogging in one for or another since about 1998. Way back in the day I spent hours writing words on Xanga, then in 2001 I began my own music blog called Buzzgrinder.

When I started Buzzgrinder the thought was to become so popular that I could start charging for ad space. That was the model back then. Swapping eyeballs for CPC’s. I got other perks, too. CDs, free shows, posters, shoes and even a trip to Norway (and hotel). It’s not until all these years later that I realize that those perks were payment. They might not have been a form of currency to pay the rent, but given the bottoming out of the ad market these days, well…

Again, I set out with Buzzgrinder to become big and sell ads. But it actually parlayed into a paid day job. I was countracted to start, develop, plan, organize and run a metal blog for AOL Music. And well, Noisecreep is doing quite well these days.

With all that, I don’t blog much these days. I’m trying to change that. It’s funny - I spent years and years reading about bloggers who travelled and lived a good life and well, now I’m travelling and living the good life. I need to blog about that for the sake of the upcoming generation who will be inherting an even crazier landscape of online media in the coming decade.




Seattle on My Mind

Just spent the past four days in Seattle, WA, and it was wonderful. The weather was gorgeous, the food was a delight, and my hostess was a pure gem. As with my Philadelphia, PA trip, this was another of those “wow, NYC is a different world” kind of experience. It’d say it’s hard to explain, but it’s not. People were nice in Seattle. Shop keepers and retail employees weren’t on their cell phones. Drivers were courteous. This world of NYC is tough as nails, and this October it’ll be five years that I’ve lived here.

That’s not to say I want to move, but damn - I visit these friends of mine and they’re content, and peaceful, and non-hurried. Maybe it’s my line of work. Maybe it’s my state of mind. I just know one thing;

I need to travle more.




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