Entry #9 I was a geek, I still am a geek, and I will forever remain a geek.


Things are back to normal at least for a little while. It wasn't so good last week. A lot of my friends and colleagues were laid off recently, and it got me nervous as well. Currently, I'm still employed and relieved.

Feeling optimistic about my artistic endeavors however small. Got a nice compliment from someone out in cyberland. Zuniwind commented on my YouTube Lou Reed cover saying "love your version, can you do another video breaking down the chords and picking ? keep up the great playing eddie !"

Okay so he misspelled my name, but how cool is that?!! I'd say way cool. Thanks zuniwind!!

Well, I've put together my band for the big solo debut birthday show on May 13 at The Cinema Bar. Peter Kavanaugh, guitarist, and Million Dollar Dan (aka Dan Dungan), upright bassist, will accompany me as I sing, fiddle, pick the mando and even strum a few chords on the guitar! I'm real excited. These guys are super talented and very dear friends. It's gonna be a blast!

I'm also booking a headliner act, but that still has yet to be confirmed. Stay tuned.

Okay, now to the geek portion of the show, er . . . uh . . . I mean entry . . .

Here's the thing. I love and admire top lofty musicians in all genres and can be musically snooty with the best of them. Ah, but those close to me (and now blog readers) know I have some scary skeletons in my music closet and every once in a while they creep out.

My TV viewing somewhat matches my musical taste. MSNBC , BBC America and VH1 Classic are the only channels I watch but that's another story or entry or whatever or not.

Anyways . . . the other day VH1 Classic aired, One With Everything, a live concert of Styx performing with The Contemporary Youth Orchestra, and damn it I enjoyed watching it. That concert took me back to the days of high school when I listened to REO Speedwagon while going to countless rehearsals/auditions/concerts with the BCC Youth Symphony, Florida All-State Orchestra, All-County Orchestra (in Broward), and Coconut Creek High School Orchestra (not to mention the numerous school musical pit orchestras). But I never had the opportunity to combine both! Rock out while playing the violin? Man, those CYO kids were so lucky. I wasn't a fan of Styx or Journey back in the day, but I dug all their cousin bands like REO, Loverboy, Billy Squier and countless others just as embarrassing. Check out the YouTube clip. You can't help but smile seeing those kids having so much fun and playing with such joy WITH Styx in 2006! Who da thunk?

Anyway, I was so inspired that I wanted to keep the geek flame burning and made a donation to VH1's Save The Music Foundation. Music education helped a tasteless violin geek from a cracker town trailer park develop a true understanding and appreciation of the finer arts.

Another great rockin' music program is Electrify Your Strings! led by Mark Wood of Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Viper Violins fame. Above is a pic of me test driving one of Mark Wood's Vipers.

Rock on trailer park orchestra geeks!!

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