Set-up for a column

I see a column forming in this circumstance!

I noticed that J.D. had commented in his blog about Saturday night, and I posted a comment over there - but in short, without creating too much drama, I'm not terribly concerned with what people think of my performance of the song (which is why the demo sounds the way it does, I've changed much of it since then, added chorale harmonies and re-tracked the vocals) - the vibe I was getting had more to do with the fact that I had put it together without the band. It's the same kind of vibe I got when I demo'd "Sanctuary". Sort of a "well, you're a one-man band, what do you need us for?" kind of vibe (that was actually spoken in jest by our old drummer.) It's obvious to me that the band sounds a hell of a lot better than anything that I demo, for the record. Since I'm not performing with Mohave for the money (even though it's great money and getting better all the time, thanks to Jae's hard work and our show, which continues to develop and improve), I know that most of my earnings will come from work that I do for other people, video, songs, jingles, sound design, whatever. This summer I plan on putting myself through "Songwriting Boot Camp", with hopes to churn out a song a week. I'll then post the songs on Garageband.com and see the responses that I get. Since I've forsaken listening to most music for the past ten years, I'm getting a re-education on production techniques and what kinds of things people like.

So what was missing, more than anything on Saturday, was any feedback. I'm looking to sell "Monsters" - I'm thinking commercial, but infusing it with the sound I've been working to develop since 1984. If I had my way, Mohave would always be around making music, with our current line-up and not some studio session players. But of course, that's up to everyone else. I'll not be the one to call it quits on Mohave - but I will be continuing to write songs with intentions to sell them to other artists. Obviously, that kind of methodology doesn't fit with Mohave's spiritually upbeat and laid-back groove and maybe that's what I was sensing. In any case - if it was a big enough deal, I'd make it so. But like I said, I think there are other circumstances that should be addressed at some point.

Now, off to the post office to ship eight more press kits! To Pennsylvania, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada and Spain!