What’s going on?

So, this morning I could’ve sworn I distinctly heard the sound of an accordion playing Free Falling by Tom Petty.  That’s pretty specific, I know, but it was clearly that chord progression.  Turns out my 11 year old son had found my old accordion in the basement.  I asked, “Is that Free Falling by Tom Petty?”  He laughed and said, “Yes.”  Then he started playing the melody with his right hand while playing the familiar chord pattern using the chord buttons.  It was the kind of moment that just makes a Dad happy, so I snapped this pic.

Anyway, just thought I’d post today about what a few of us in the 1ATL community are up to right now.

Tomorrow night, several of us are going to Safehouse Outreach to play a few songs.  If any of you want to come listen and, more importantly, volunteer, then please drop me a line.  It’s a great experience.

Dan Hannon is in the studio with Manchester Orchestra and fellow producer Joe Chicarelli (U2, Counting Crows, The Shins, Tori Amos).

Jamie JAMM Portee has meetings this week regarding one of Akon’s new artists, who is on Universal Records; he might be producing her next record.

Moxie Davis and his wife are returning from Puerto Rico.

Rudy Vaughn is gearing up for the big announcement that you’ll read soon here on this site.

And, by the way, here’s an update on our filmmaker buddy Brandon McCormick; he is recovering from a Vespa scooter accident last week in which he apparently had to slam on brakes while going 50 mph.  He will have to have teeth replaced and some facial reconstruction.  He’s covered with road rash, and has two badly sprained wrists.  He reportedly looks like death.  But he should fully recover. 

Anyone else want to tell us what you have going on musically right now?  Or, for you non-musicians who read this blog, you can tell us what you’re up to as well….

I have road stories, too. (2 of 2)

by Moxie

So the second story goes like this…

My old band Sundry was playing at a festival in the Midwest called…yeah, right; I’m not saying any names. We played on Thursday, I think, and we were just hanging out until Saturday to see our friends Smalltown Poets and Third Day play. Well, the Poets finally arrived, and I wanted to say hello and help them get their stuff onto the stage.

But there was a problem. We were a “side stage band” with “side stage passes.” If you aren’t familiar, that means we don’t have main stage backstage passes! So I’m thinking, “Who cares?” I walk back there and hang out for about 15 minutes when all of a sudden the person running the festival came up and interupted the conversation I was having with Poets’ bass player Miguel. She said ” WHAT ARE YOU DOING BACK HERE!??” I said, “Helping The Poets load in.” She said, “YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO BE HERE!!” The entire time she was LETTING ME HAVE IT, Miguel was standing behind her making faces at me trying to get me to laugh. Well…he succeeded!

She WAS NOT happy and called Danny to say that Sundry would never play there again. Thanks, Miguel! However, before we left that night, Third Day was playing “Sky Falls Down,” and Mac invited me on stage to sing it with them. I didn’t go on from the back; I went on from the front! LOL! So I made it onto Main Stage after all!!! I have the picture to prove it! (Can’t find it right now, or I’d post it.)

Thanks for reading.  Hope to see you soon whoever you are.  

Mox

I have road stories, too. (1 of 2)

by Moxie

Well hello ONE Atlanta readers! My name is Mark, but the people close to me call me Moxie. 

I was looking at this blog yesterday and saw Danny’s “Top ten stories from the road” and even though I have heard all of those before they are still just as funny the third, fourth, and 70th time!!! So…I figured I would tell 2 road stories of my own. The first story is a Danny story that he has conveniently forgotten to share.

In 2000 or 2001 I was traveling around the East coast in a band called Sundry (pictured).  I was the lead singer. We were in Ashburn, Virginia, I think.  It was about 5am in the morning and I was sleeping in my bed in the RV when the WORST PAIN EVER hit me in my stomach! I figured it was the Friendly’s milkshakes that I’d devoured the night before, but when it got worse I knew it was something else. I got out of the bed and started crawling on the sidewalk to the concert promoter’s house about 100 yards away. Got there and she said, “We need to go to the hospital!”  So we went and I had to have emergency surgery to get my appendix taken out. Well, we had a show the next day and we weren’t the canceling type, so without hestitation Danny stepped in and said, “I can sing for the show.”  Little did he know…

After I flew back to Atlanta, I met up with the guys and realized that there was a video of the show! Now if you aren’t familiar with Sundry, we were what you would call a rock and roll gymnastics show! The video starts out with our opener “Famous” in which Chris Coleman the drummer took the lead. THEN…..it goes to Danny; at the very front of the stage singing from the keys he goes into “The Least of These.”  He gets done and the promoter walks up to the edge of the stage and whispers to Danny, “You guys have to be more energetic and get these kids into it!”  LOL!  So for the rest of the 35 mintue video Danny is RUNNING from one side of the stage to the other, not really concerned with lyrics or keys or pitch, JUST RUNNING!!  When they were done, I could see the exhaustion in Danny’s face.  It looked like he had just swum from Europe to America!!!  LOL again!

I’ll post story number 2 tomorrow.

Mox

Thank you, Jamie Pierce.

Our Tats For Tots party was a success.  I’ll let the video explain.  There are so many more people who want tats that we’re already planning another such party to benefit a different cause we believe in.  I’ll keep you posted.   Thanks to the raddest and baddest tat artist, Jamie Pierce.     Btw, the musical underscore is an old Moxie Davis song I found that was never released.  I like it.

The Write Stuff. (updated)

With Third Day being on the cover of the latest Billboard, it got me thinking about a song I wrote with Mac Powell of 3D and with Michael Johnston of Smalltown Poets.  Yes, I’m namedropping.  Seriously, though, I loved the song idea.  We were writing it for a particular compilation about the 23rd Psalm, as I recall.  But it got beat out by a DC Talk song.  An mp3 sample is below.  Hope you like it.  If not, act like you do, to make me feel good.

You’ll hear Michael on the verse, Mac on the chorus, and me on piano.

Songwriting Demo Clip

(Weeks after the original post, I stumbled upon a version of this song that was recorded by Moxie Davis and Smalltown Poets for an album released by the See You at the Pole organization.  There was limited distribution for that record, but I’m glad to have remembered that the song was indeed used for something.)

I Could Sing of Your Dove Forever

The Gospel Music Association’s annual Dove Awards happen tonight, and our own Dan Hannon is nominated for Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year for producing Aaron Shust’s “Whispered and Shouted.”

Other nominations for Atlantans include:

Spanish Language Album of the Year

• De Corazon A Corazon; Seth Condrey; Seth Condrey, Mark Balltzglier; CanZion