CAVE DWELLER: Perhaps it's fitting that one of the songs on my upcoming second record almost perfectly describes where I've been since the NAMM show. Essentially, in mid-January I drove to California from Nashville to attend NAMM, then stayed in California for almost a month to do the bulk of tracking for said upcoming second album, then came back a week later for WesFest 3, then returned home for furious catch-up at home and additional tracking and editing on the record, and then spent 11 of 14 days doing 12-hour mixing sessions, and then was back in California a week later for mastering, plus some Keneally recording sessions, and a gig with Keneally and avant-garde acoustic guitarist Janet Feder. And now it's mid-April. That was fast.

THE LONG MARCH: About Thanks In Advance...forget about the tracking; producing it is one of the most rewarding and totally draining things I've ever done. It's far more intense a record than View, and capturing what I've long imagined it to be from basic tracking all the way through to mastering has taught me more about making records than anything I learned while doing View. I did View so fast I didn't have time to think about it, which was good and bad (ultimately I wish it were mixed and mastered a little differently). But that experience prepared me for this, and I'm deep in the weeds of mixing and mastering details that I didn't even know existed when this project started. Right now we're on the second shot at mastering, which I sure hope to be the last one. Getting the right mix of overall level, presence, EQ and compression for all of these tracks recorded in such different environments is challenging, but doable. I can see the end in sight.

HIGHLIGHTS: Some of my favorite things so far: Spending so much time and appreciating the superhuman talents of main mix and editing engineer Mark Niemiec, who brought these songs to life and tolerated my many moods and requests...watching the reactions of Mike Keneally, Joe Travers and Rick Musallam as they heard the final mixes for the first time...playing the 10-minute epic "Love Terror Adrenaline" over the house P.A. for a select few bunch of folks after the Keneally/Beller/Feder gig in San Pedro...I could go on and on. But then there's the dark side, which is having to listen to your own album 100 fucking times while you try and figure out if the kick drum should come up 1db in this spot right here or not. I still get a kick out of watching others react to it, which is a big part of what the album is all about in a deep sense, but for me, the thrill of hearing it is long, long gone. I just want it to be as good as it can be, and then give it to the world, and then it will be a long time before I listen to it again.

ALL THAT TO SAY: If you liked View, I promise you will not be disappointed in this album. It's everything I've ever wanted to say in music, and I've got nothing left in the tank. All I have, it's all there. And look for a sneak preview track to be posted sometime in the next 30-45 days.

THOSE KENEALLY SESSIONS: The day after the first mastering session, I found myself back in the studio with Keneally, Musallam and Travers for some new groovy tracks for Mr. K. We were recording on...wait for it...tape! Yes, a real analog studio. I even got to hit the punch button for Mike a couple of times. I'd forgotten, but it really does sound different in the analog world, and probably better. Does that mean I'd trade it for the digital flexibility? Hell no, but it was fun to go back in time for a bit, and as always, Mike's new tunes are filled with vim and vigor and coolness. It never stops being fun for me to make music with him, no matter what style it happens to be. Which is a good thing, because...

DETHKLOK IS BACK: You probably saw this on the front page, but if not, there's a Dethklok summer tour afoot. Dates are posted here. Go to the show and then, as Nathan would say, you may go die.

BASS PLAYER MAGAZINE: I haven't been updating everyone regularly on what I've been writing for Bass Player, but it's safe to say that if you pick up an issue, there will be something I wrote in it. Recent folks I've written about include Victor Wooten and Ricc Fierabracci, and full transcripions I've done include Radiohead's "Airbag," Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity," and Nirvana's "Lithium." I've gotten to review some really cool CD's for the mag as well, and more fun stuff is in the works. This is a really nice gig, and I certainly appreciate the many positive comments I've gotten about it already.

SPEAKING OF TRANSCRIPTIONS: I'm available between now and the end of May to work on some of those custom transcriptions I mentioned a while back. Any BASS part, any tune, I can probably do it. Not to get all TV-pitchman on you, but there are those out there who could be called "satisfied customers." Feel free to drop me a line and ask about it.

SESSION WORK: Same goes for private session work, by the way. For a while there I wasn't able to take on anything new, but that time has passed. From one song to several, it can be done.

WESFEST 3: We did it! We raised another $10,000 for the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at Berklee College Of Music. Thank you to everyone who supported this year's effort. The show, in my humble opinion, was the best yet. Go here for a complete roundup, plus pictures of the event...and while you're there, marvel at the newly-redesigned Official Tribute to Wes Wehmiller website.

JANET FEDER: I'll close this already-too-long blog post by mentioning what a wonderful time I had playing with Mike Keneally and Janet Feder last week in San Pedro at Alva's. It was a completely improvisational gig, with the three of us trading motifs and ideas on a totally blank canvas. Janet's "treated" acoustic baritone guitar was a really unique and cool timbre to mix it up with, especially when she puts a roach clip on one of the strings and lets it vibrate against the next string while she plays. Each of us also played a couple of solo pieces. I did "Backwoods," "Bear Divide," and I even debuted a new one: "Life Story" from the upcoming record. And while Keneally I had a blast breaking out "1998" while she changed strings, the biggest kick for me was playing on Janet's tune "Opening" from her beautiful and haunting album Ironic Universe. Worth checking out.

NEXT UP: Reviewing DVD video, CD artwork, and a revised master of Thanks In Advance....
--04-16-2008 12:38

THANKS IN ADVANCE TRACKING-MANIA: As I sit here writing to you from Rick Musallam's guest bedroom, I am thrilled to report that the past three weeks of tracking for my upcoming second solo album Thanks In Advance have been a complete, unqualified success. I now am the proud owner of two 250GB hard drives filled with amazing tracks from Mike Keneally, Rick Musallam, Griff Peters, Joe Travers, Marco Minnemann, Jeff Babko, Nick D'Virgilio, Chris Cottros, Jody Nardone, Marcus Finnie, Jude Crossen, Bruce Dees, Clayton Ivey, and Scheila Gonzalez (yes, from the Zappa Plays Zappa touring band). Some of these names you probably know, while some you may not...but a quick Google search will fill you in quite nicely, and I've always been of the mind to choose players I know and feel would be right for the tune, rather than trying to go out and just choose super-high-profile "name" guys for the sake of just doing that. Regardless, I'm beyond stoked at what they did, and I'm betting you'll love it too.

Then there's the engineering crew: Mark Niemiec, Erich Gobel, and Jeff Forrest (yes, of Double Time Studios!). The sounds we're getting are just incredible across the board, the best I've ever gotten. And the project is more challenging and complex in many ways than View, it's been super-smooth all the way around, even though we've tracked in eight different locations so far! It's a good thing Dave Foster and Steve Laub were there capturing it all on video for the special edition DVD, don't you think?

That's part of the beauty this time around. Last time, we worked in one studio and had everyone come to us. This time, I'm a cowboy...I walk these streets, with a loaded hard drive on my back...[/Bon Jovi]. Seriously, the movable nature of this feast has led to all sorts of cool, organic-type events that contributed to the recordings. This woul be a good time to thank the folks who let me crash at their places during this crazy trip: Griff Peters, Rick Musallam, Lee Graham and Stacy Ferguson, I salute you and your fine accomodations.

Some truly special things happened at Griff Peters' brand-new home facility, Hilltop Frog Studios. You think he got a good guitar sound on View, you ain't heard nothing yet. It's a wonderful, magical, esoterically groovy place on a mountaintop in San Diego with the best room sound I think I've ever heard, and I encourage anyone interested in working there to stay tuned to updates 'round these parts, as he's opening the place to the public very soon.

And now I go to bed, wake up tomorrow, pack up the minivan and start the three-day drive back to Nashville. Remaining tracking will take place in Febuary and March, and mastering is scheduled for April. You may want to be on the lookout for special preview audio sometime in the spring. I promise I'll get it out as fast as I can.

In the meantime, it's getting closer to February 25. Shouldn't you be buying a WesFest 2 Concert DVD right about now? Or buying tickets for WesFest 3 if you're in Los Angeles? Just sayin'.

BB
--02-09-2008 22:42

THE WESFEST 3 FUNDRAISING DRIVE KICKOFF: Those familiar with my efforts in raising money and awareness for the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at Berklee College Of Music know what's up - it's that time of year again, and we have a great concert and a great DVD to promote for a truly worthy cause. Read on for the details.

If you're new to this blog and want to know why I'm so excited to share this with you, just go here to learn about my dear friend Wes Wehmiller. Then come back here and join us!

Happy 2008 to all...BB

*******************

WesFest 3: February 25, 2008

When I say it's that time of year again, this is a big part of what I
mean: We're gathering once again for a great night of live music to
honor the memory of our dear friend Wes Wehmiller, and to raise money
for the Wes Wehmiller Memorial Scholarship. It's the official launch
of the WesFest 3 fundraising drive!

This year we've got the concert itself *and* WesFest 2 DVD (more on
that later) as twin efforts to make it all happen. First, let's talk
about the concert...and about how freakin' excited I am about this
year's headliner, premier gospel/R&B bassist/producer Andrew Gouche!

February 25, 2008
WesFest 3: A Concert to Benefit the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at
Berklee College Of Music

at Paladino's
6101 Reseda Blvd.
Tarzana, CA 91335
818-342-1563
Doors open at 7:00 PM

Band Lineup:
Andrew Gouche - HEADLINER
*The Mike Keneally Band
Kira Small
*Mother Eff
Danny Mo & The Exciters, featuring 2007 Wes Wehmiller Scholarship
winner Claire Finley

*Bryan Beller appearing

Ticket Pricing:
$30 per pair of tickets in advance [advance tickets are available
until February 18]
$20 for single tickets in advance
$30 for tickets at the door.

BUY YOUR TICKETS NOW BY CLICKING HERE:

http://www.weswehmiller.net/wesfest3.html

(Just read the instructions on the page for purchase.)

WHO'S PERFORMING

Please allow me to introduce this year's headliner, Andrew Gouche. He
is quite simply **the** most recognized bassist in gospel, achieving
widespread acclaim for years of work with The Rev. James Cleveland,
Andrae Crouch, and The Hawkins Family. He's also a premier player in
the pop and R&B arena, working with everyone from megastars like
Michael Jackson, Julio Iglesias and Madonna, to hip-hop artists such
as Coolio, Warren G. and Montell Jordan, to R&B legends The
Temptations, Smokey Robinson, Patti LaBelle, and the legendary Chaka
Khan, for whom he recently served as Musical Director on a year-long
tour. Gouche's own band, Prayze Connection, pushes the boundaries of
gospel music into the rhythms and versatility of the secular music it
inspires, without losing its soul.

Andrew Gouche is an incredible bassist, just jaw-droppingly awesome,
and we're incredibly fortunate and blessed to have him as our
headliner.

Danny Mo & The Exciters will feature Wes' Berklee Bass Professor and
dear friend Danny Morris, and puts your generosity into action by
showcasing the winner of last year's Wes Wehmiller Scholarship,
Claire Finley.

Though he needs no introduction in these parts, I'll give him one
anyway: Virtuoso guitarist/composer Mike Keneally, the original
WesFest headliner, has graciously agreed to perform once again, in
what will be the first Mike Keneally Band performance in Los Angeles
in many months.

Soul/R&B singer/songwriter Kira Small is once again coming out from
Nashville for a smoking set of original compositions, including
several new, unreleased tunes.

And Mother Eff is the brand new boulder-heavy rock project of singer
Colin Keenan and guitarist Rick Musallam, featuring material from
their soon-to-be-released debut CD.

It's a Monday night...almost two months away. SAVE THE DATE!!

And if you're new to this list and you want to know who Wes Wehmiller
is and why he's so special to us, just go here:
http://www.weswehmiller.net

Note: If you want to be kept up to date with WesFest events, just go here to join The Wes List: http://www.weswehmiller.net/list
****************

WesFest 2 Concert DVD Release

I can tell you firsthand that, if you're into the music that our
loose circle of musicians has been playing, you will absolutely love
this DVD.

And if you purchased the WesFest 1 DVD and loved it, you'll love this
one twice as much. We went the extra mile in capturing the audio and
video, it sounds like a record and looks amazing, and it's got bonus
features like a real professional DVD and everything. The concert
itself runs seventy-five minutes and contains live performances from
the following WesFest 2 performers:

Stu Hamm - virtuoso solo bassist and WesFest 2 headliner

The Dirty Janks - late 60's/early 70's-style psychedelic funk and
groovalicious grease, featuring keyboardist Arlan Schierbaum,
guitarist Rick Musallam (Mike Keneally Band), bassist Dorian
Heartsong (Powerman 5000) and drummer Joe Travers (Zappa Plays Zappa
touring band, Mike Keneally Band).

Danny Mo & The Exciters - featuring 2006 Wehmiller Scholarship award
winner Will Snyder, Berklee Bass professor Danny Morris, and
legendary R&B drummer James Gadson (Bill Withers).

Jude Crossen - power pop and even more powerful lead vocals from L.A. session ace and Berklee grad
Jude Crossen

Jariya - all-female eclectic trio blending rock, jazz and electronica, featuring Eve Buigues on searing lead vocals

The WesFest All-Stars - debut frontman (and frontwoman) performances
from WesFest veterans Griff Peters and Tristana Ward (featuring Kira Small)

Janet Robin - acclaimed veteran Los Angeles singer/songwriter, in a solo performance that righteously
opened the show

I, Claudius - Wes Wehmiller's former rock band returns, louder and
heavier than ever, featuring singer Colin Keenan and guitarist Griff
Peters.

And there's bonus DVD features that include:

Intro To Wes (a biography of Wes Wehmiller set to still pictures and
music)

Tribute To Wes (a slideshow that was shown at WesFest 2)

Band Biographies (pictures, information and weblinks for each
performing act, set to music)

Carrying It On (featuring mission statements for both WesFest and
Berklee College Of Music, and invitations to further the goals of
WesFest and the scholarship fund, set to music)

If you can't make it to the show, this is a great way to support the
event and the fundraising drive! And it's a great concert DVD in its
own right as well.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE THE WESFEST 2 DVD!

http://www.weswehmiller.net/wesfest2dvd.html

(Just read the instructions on the page for purchase.)

Thanks for your support...hope to see you there, or at least hope to see you buy a DVD (which I'll ship to you, since I'm the fulfillment dude)...BB

--01-03-2008 23:39

BellerBytes #44: Philly Clinic & Ultimate Metal Edition

(reprinted here for your pleasure)

I'm home, my minivan's being worked on, and the customer lounge has high-speed internet. Life is good.

1. Beller Solo Clinic At Bass Specialties In Philadelphia
2. DETHKLOK Tour Dates Announced...and What Is DETHKLOK Anyway?
3. Steve Vai U.S. Tour Wrap-Up


********

1. Beller Solo Clinic At Bass Specialties In Philadelphia

As much as I love playing Steve Vai's music, it's a pleasure to be returning to my own material. The all-too-rare Beller solo clinic is happening this weekend in Philadelphia. Details below:

Bryan Beller Solo Clinic Appearance
Saturday, October 13, 3:30PM
at Bass Specialties
2846 Street Rd.
Bensalem, PA 19020
(215) 244-4079
E-mail: info@bassspecialties.com

Lead sponsored by Mike Lull Custom Guitars
Co-sponsored by D'addario Strings

I'll be happy to talk about life as Vai's bassist, the DETHKLOK tour (see below), my own material, and current events in general.


********

2. Official DETHKLOK Tour Dates Announced...and What Is DETHKLOK Anyway?

For those who know what this is all about, here are the tour dates right off the bat. (For those who don't, keep reading past the dates.)

Dëthkløk Tour
(tour to promote Cartoon Network show Metalocalypse)

Brendon Small - guitar
Mike Keneally - guitar
Bryan Beller - bass
Gene Hoglan - drums

Also performing:
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead

[updated 10/17/07 to reflect official release]

October 29, Albuquerque, NM, Univ. of New Mexico
October 31, Las Vegas, NV, UNLV
November 1, Los Angeles, CA, UCLA
November 2, Berkeley, CA, UC Berkeley
November 5, Fort Collins, CO, Colorado State
November 7, Minneapolis, MN, Univ. of Minnesota
November 8, Vermillian, SD, Univ. of South Dakota
November 11, Boulder, CO, UCB
November 13, Carbondale, IL, Southern Illinois Univ.
November 15, Norman, OK, Univ. of Oklahoma
November 17, Lawrence, KS, Univ. of Kansas
November 18, Chicago, IL, Northwestern


What is Dethklok?

In a world...where there is one undisputed, most popular, most powerful, most deadly heavy metal band in the universe...one animated man with a large mustache will play bass...and another man will attempt to imitate him...and that man is me.

OK, here's the scoop on this Dethklok business. There's an animated show on Cartoon Network's Adult Swim program called Metalocalypse. The premise is that one heavy metal band is the most powerful force in the world - commercially, culturally, you name it - and that band is called Dethklok. The members of the band are Nathan Explosion (lead vocals/brutal visionary), Skwisgaar Skwigelf (fastest guitarist alive, from Sweden), Toki Wartooth (2nd fastest guitarist alive), William Murderface (bassist/filled with ultimate hatred), and Pickles The Drummer (from the Midwest). Metalocalypse is essentially a show about their lives and how they go about being in Dethklok on a daily basis, and it contains real heavy metal music by the "band". So it's an animated...parody...reality...music...sitcom. Call it Spinal Tap meets The Ozzy Osbourne Show meets The Monkees meets Beavis and Butthead. Or something.

Anyway, the show's co-creator, Brendon Small, is a friend and fan of Mike Keneally. I first met him before the show ever aired, at a Keneally show, and he told me about it. I laughed just at the premise of it. Sure enough, the show's a hit, so much so that there's now a real Dethklok album (The DethAlbum, sitting at #21 on the Billboard charts!), a first season Metalocalypse DVD, and...wait for it...a tour with real-live musicians to promote the second season, now airing as premiere episodes.

The record was done almost entirely by Brendon, who for my money is a damned good guitarist and songwriter. You can tell he really loves and gets heavy metal old and new, and some of the riffs are downright HEAVY. (I heard Metallica, Judas Priest, Meshuggah, Iron Maiden, Slayer, and other deadly influences in just 12 songs.) For extra street cred and massive metal groove, he got Gene Hoglan of Strapping Young Lad and other huge metal acts to play drums on the album. I am a huuuuuuge Strapping Young Lad fan and Gene is one of my heroes. So who's going to play second guitar and bass? Why, none other than Mike Keneally and myself, respectively.

I can tell you that I've always, always wanted to be in a metal band, and at one point I knew the entire Metallica catalog (up to the Black Album). I even developed special finger techniques, specifically so I could play thrash grooves on "Battery" and "Damage, Inc." without having to use a pick (which I still don't). So this is a real dream come true for me, and it's going to be a challenge and tremendous fun. Keneally and I are going back to metal school; Gene is a one-man metal machine, the real ringer in the band; and Brendon will be playing and "singing" in full-on cookie-monster mode. My fingers are tired from galloping already.

We'll be playing along with a huge video screen, in an extended episode of the show. I don't know how it's all going to work out, but it's going to be fun no matter what. And the shows are FREE, on college campuses throughout the west and midwest (sorry, east coasters!). If you're anywhere nearby, you've got to see what it's all about.

Interested in getting into the Dethklok online subculture? (Warning - this humor is dark and often bloody.)

Go here to see the band's Cartoon Network home page:
http://www.adultswim.com/shows/metal

(hint: if you dig deep enough, you'll find an episode online)

Go here to meet the band:
http://www.adultswim.com/shows/metal/meetDARK.html

See Dethklok on MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/dethklok

Yeah, it's pretty out. Should be fun, though.


********

3. Steve Vai U.S. Tour Wrap-Up

For anyone who's wondering, it was beyond great to tour the U.S. with Steve Vai this past month, really like a dream come true. I haven't and am not going to do the big tour blog about it, because I said quite enough about the European trip. There is an official Vai Tour Blog, however, which contains tons of pictures taken from various band members' iPhones, and if you go far back enough you'll find a long text post from me.

Click here to see the Vai tour blog.

I'm forever grateful for Steve trusting me with playing his music live around the world, and I have a feeling that this is just the beginning. I certainly hope so.

And to anyone who's put two and two together on the scheduling conflict between the Dethklok tour and the upcoming Steve Vai South American dates, look for an announcement from the Vai camp on who'll be going to South America instead of me. Longtime readers will appreciate the circle-of-life aspect to it.


********

Your bonus for reading all the way to the bottom is the following news: tracking for my next solo album will take place in December, January and February. It's really going to happen this time. But right now I need to practice making my fingers be more metal.

As Nathan Explosion would say, "Now you may go die."

Cautiously optimistic,
Bryan Beller

--10-11-2007 12:44

HOW MUCH FOR A RIB?: Now, at long last, I know the answer. It's $2.10 for one rib at Whole Foods Market in Austin, TX. It was damned good, too. Chris Rock, call your office.

(If you have no idea what I'm talking about, then you're probably a lot younger than me. Points to anyone who gets this reference.)

LAZY PHOTO-BLOGGING: Our Canadian friend MJ sends this pic from Highway 17 West, near Nipigon, Ontario, Canada (the north end of Lake Superior, MJ notes). That's three "Seven Percent Grade" sign sightings know of so far. The first is off of I-5 south on an exit ramp somewhere near San Clemente, the second I can't remember but I know I saw it, and here's the third. Nice.



LOTS GOING ON: More news soon. Right now, it's chill time. See you out there in the US on the Vai tour, right?
--08-26-2007 17:20

THE TOUR IN PICTURES: As promised, here's 30 pictures from the Vai European tour, with clever captions for (at least) my own amusement. These pics are generally cameo shots, the kind of stuff you'd only see if you were in the band. For live shots, the incomparable Mike Mesker (who took all of the Vai.com cover photos, including one of yours truly) has a treasure trove full, and I should have the best of them in hand at some point. Also, photographer Nick Askew took a bunch of good shots from the show in Amsterdam, which you can check out by clicking here.

PHOTO CREDIT CODE: I have to thank violinist Ann Marie Calhoun and opening act Zack Wiesinger for taking so many great pictures and sharing them with me. This photo-blog wouldn't have been half as good without their contributions. To find out who took the pix below, I marked them with either an (A) for Ann Marie, a (B) for me, or a (Z) for Zack. If there's no marking, I just don't know.

OK, then...here we go.


Ann Marie Calhoun and Dave Weiner prepare to start the tour in Luxembourg, and Dave shows off the official "Riff Of The Week" video camera for good measure.


Alex DePue, a.k.a. The Fiddler, poses pensively outside the venue in Luxembourg. Pix are from Luxembourg until further notice. (A)


Your typical dressing room scene - laptops and day bags strewn about in a space fit more for three people than seven or eight. Dave Weiner goes kung fu fighting, I'm kinda scared, and Steve's nephew and personal assistant Roger Vai practices the art of Skype-ing. (Z)


Drummer and avowed rock purist Jeremy Colson walks on the wild side for the String Theories tour. No word on how that concerto is coming. (A)


And in this corner, standing at 6'10" and weighing in at 310 pounds, from Kentucky...Tour Manager Todd Carter! That's not a Willy Wonka set he's walking through - it's a real doorway. If you were a club owner, would you not pay this man? (A)


Steve Vai prepares and reflects, just moments before the start of the first show of the European tour. I thought twice about posting this, but I think there's something cool and ethereal about this shot, so I got over myself and did it. Nice shot, Zack. (Z)


On to Paris, where the crew prepares the stage at Le Grand Rex for a sold out show. (Z)


The band does the traditional bow after the Paris show. The venue in Luxembourg was small, so this was my first taste of taking this in after a Vai show. (Z)


One of the many things Steve taught me on this tour (by example) was how to wave to the upper deck of a three-level venue after the encore. Or perhaps we're running for office? (Z)


Somewhere in Germany, fearless performer and intrepid photographer Zack Wiesinger poses with a very strange German dessert apparently inspired by Jack from the Jack-In-The-Box commercials. (A)


Depth perception is tricky here, as Vai Webmaster/EVOmaster Mike Mesker really is much larger than Ann Marie Calhoun, but perhaps not as much as implied in this photo. That said, between Mikey and Todd, we never lacked for physical security...all with a gentle, soft-spoken demeanor. (B)


Leave it to Zack to nail the shot everyone was trying to get - a closeup of Steven Tyler, backstage at the Arrow Rock Festival in Holland. (Z)


Onto Ulm, Germany, where we literally played in a circus tent (note the decor in the background). Guitar/keys/bass/violin tech Vince Dennis manages a smile, despite his ridiculous job description. (A)


A group outing in Barcelona, Spain, where our hotel was right on the water. From left to right: Jeremy Colson, Dave Weiner, Zack Wiesinger, Roger Vai, and Ann Marie Calhoun (kneeling). (B)


Behold, the pool at Hotel AC in Barcelona. What you can't tell from this shot is that it's an upper deck pool, about 15 stories up. From there you get the ocean view. Breathtaking. (B)


And here it is, the wild and crazy scene backstage in Madrid on the Steve Vai European tour. Is it any wonder the crew called us "nerds"? From front to back: Roger, Mikey, Ann Marie, Zack, Steve, Dave, and finally, Todd. (B)


Is it just me, or was this Madrid backstage shot of Zack and Steve staged? I wasn't there when it was taken so I don't know, but check the seating position, pants, and right arms. Alex (in the background) probably knows, but he isn't telling.


I always bring the rollerblades in case our venue just happens to be across the street from the most beautiful beach I've ever seen, like this one in Almeria, Spain.


Zack enjoys himself on the beach in Almeria. (Z)


During one of the few times we stood still long enough to party, yours truly and Front-Of-House Engineer Chip McDonough enjoy mixed drinks by the crew bus after the show in Almeria, Spain.


In a scene out of my dreams, our gig in Lorca, Spain was literally on a mountaintop, next to the historic 13th-century Fortaleza Del Sol castle. As a bonus, EVO ticket holders got to watch me struggle through "The Audience Is Listening" for the first time during soundcheck. (B)


All in the family: Steve checks his guitar while nephew Roger Vai looks on and guards the Lorca stage. (Z)


Jeremy Colson channels Johnny Rotten in a very hot, very uncomfortable dressing room at the Pistoia Blues Festival in Italy. (B)


Your Steve Vai rhythm section not-so-hard-at-work, and also a rare photo of Jeremy cracking up, taken on the bus after a gig somewhere in the U.K.


My sweetheart, Kira Small, joined the tour for just under a week during the U.K. leg. Here, she joins Alex DePue for some adult recreational activities - on the crew bus, of course. (B)


Your humble narrator plays toy soldier at Red Square in Moscow. Note the fanny pack in hand; the touring entourage did, to their endless amusement.


Insert your very own Beller-gets-the-monkey-off-his-back joke here. Also taken in Red Square.


Our Russian hosts arranged a sightseeing tour for us, and you're looking at the folks who took them up on it. Left to right: Me, Dave, Ann Marie, Mikey, Alex.


Mr. Vai and I, taken just after the end of the last show of the European tour, backstage at B1 in Moscow, Russia.


And that's that. See you in America!
--08-05-2007 07:54

WELL, THAT WAS FAST: Silly me, I thought I'd have plenty of time and energy to blog throughout the remainder of the Steve Vai European tour. Yet here I sit in Schwaz, Austria, in the midst of my next commitment, four days after the tour's end in Moscow, wondering what the hell just happened. I guess all I can do now is pick a few highlights and relay them as best I can. (One note - right now I only have a dialup connection, so the best-of-the-best tour pictures will come in a separate blog once I get back to high-speed land.)

AFTER AEROSMITH: We left that crazy rock festival in Holland for four dates in Spain and two dates in Portugal. Goodbye cloudy skies, hello skin-pounding sun (just the way I like it). Much talk ensued about how this was the real start of the tour, because we were heading for six shows in a row. That meant that, once we started, there would be no hotels until the run was over (shower in the venue, sleep on the bus - yes, Steve did it along with us). Before we started the run, we stayed a night at a swanky hotel on the water in Barcelona. It was a high-rise with an upper-deck pool, ocean view jacuzzis, and enough marble to choke at Italian sculptor. Within minutes of arrival I was happily rollerblading along the water, getting used to the idea of staring at the ocean and pointing east, towards New York City. Weird.

OH, WAIT: Before we got to Spain, there was a show in Ulm, Germany, in a circus tent (literally - pix to follow), that was one of the highlights of the tour. Why? Because a teenage female guitarist named Yasi got up on stage with us, Ibanez Jem in hand, and played "Answers" alongside Steve. She did more than hold her own - she was really, really good, and a hometown girl at that, and the roar of the crowd after we played with her was one of the most special things I've ever heard. It's on YouTube somewhere.

OK, BACK TO SPAIN: Hot, dry, weather. Loud, large audiences. Interesting venues. The hall in Almeria, Spain was across the street from the nicest beach I have ever seen, period. Nicer than anywhere in California - more scenic than even Malibu, with mountains in the background and crystal-clear, warm water to splash around in while topless girls walked around. Not to be outdone, the next day's gig was literally on a mountaintop, next to a historic fort. The stage was built on a peak, and had the kind of panoramic view I dream of retiring to. Led Zeppelin, eat your heart out. (There will be pictures of this, you betcha.) Finally, Madrid - you guys win for loudest audience of the tour. Moscow might have been louder overall, but that was over 3,000 people - Madrid's 1,500 matched them. When I took my earplugs out at the end of the show, the sound impact of the crowd nearly knocked me over.

ITALY: If you ask a touring entourage about Italy, you'll get two different answers. One from the band, usually expressing excitement and anticipation of good food and scenery. You'll get another answer from the crew, which can't be printed here. I don't know what it is about Italy, but the level of technical facility is always more than a little underwhelming. Thank god it wasn't not my job to deal with it all. This would be a good opportunity to thank my tech, Vince Dennis (also the bassist for Ice-T's Body Count!), Monitor Engineer Roger Cole, FOH engineer Chip McDonough, Tour Manager Todd Carter, and everyone in the crew for being so awesome. They hit all the curveballs out of the park, and they saw some nasty stuff if you know what I mean. Meanwhile, more hot weather, all outdoor shows (the mosquitoes were loving the shows, I know that much), large crowds, and a lot of guys in Rome who really liked Ann Marie Calhoun, and were quite vocal about it during her violin solo.

AMSTERDAM: Felt like home again. I got to hang with some of the folks from the Metropol Orchestra, and it really hit home that we'd all made Vai's Sound Theories record together, and now that work was coming to fruition (essentially, this tour was set up to promote that project). We played a knockout show, and it set the tone for what this band seemed to be really good at doing, which was rising to the occasion of playing the best shows in the biggest and most important places. Paris, Amsterdam, Madrid, Rome...all superior shows in some way. Sometimes the best shows of a tour take place in the out-of-the-way places. Not this band. Steve was thrilled.

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND: First of all, anyone following this tour closely knows about our adventure in getting to the Birmingham gig, which was the first show on the UK leg. For those who don't know, we got held up clearing customs on the French side of the Dover Ferry for 7 hours, and the gig came t-h-i-s close to being cancelled outright. Here's what it was like for us: We partied in Amsterdam the night before, went to bed at about 4AM like we always did, and then were woken up at about 7:30AM to clear customs before getting on the ferry (that's fairly normal; you can't always just stay on the bus). Once we got there, it became apparent that work permits had not been sorted out for us, and without getting into why, that's what was holding us up. We stood in line for about 45 minutes before all heading back to bed, one by one. Most of us woke up about 3 hours later, thinking that we'd made it to the other side. We hadn't, and the clock was ticking. We finally cleared customs and got on the ferry sometime in the afternoon, and we all staggered around like zombies wondering what the final outcome was going to be. For nearly 30 minutes the show was officially cancelled, but somehow the call was made that, indeed, we would do it no matter what. When we got to the UK side and reboarded the buses for the drive to Birmingham, Tour Manager Todd Carter gave his cell phone to the crew so they could help the UK venue set up the PA via remote control. The phone eventually died, leaving Steve's personal cell as the only working phone in the entourage. We pulled up around 9PM, and the crew jumped out and began setting up like crazy. Somehow they got everything up and running in 80 minutes, with line checks only, and we were just about ready to hit the stage when we heard...booing. Folks, I can tell you that I've never heard boos before in my life, let alone before the show even started, and it was disconcerting to say the least. But how could you blame them? They'd been standing there for hours, sweating, hungry, probably needing to go to the bathroom, and maybe they knew what happened to us and maybe not, but either way, they paid to get in and we were hours late going onstage. So we went out there an did the best we could. That's all we could do. To anyone who was standing there, all I can say is, thanks for sticking around, and I hope we get back there soon to play a full show, on time, as promised.

UNITED KINGDOM AND IRELAND: Making things personally complicated for me was that my girlfriend Kira was flying in to travel with us for the UK leg, starting in Manchester (the show after Birmingham), and the mad scramble to make the Birmingham gig threw our initial meeting plans into the blender. But she eventually got there, met us, and joined a ride that was already in high gear. With much better catering than before, and with venue staff that spoke English, we were able to share the ups and downs of a real rock 'n' roll bus tour and everything that goes along with it. We saw Dublin and Glasgow (she's Scotch-Irish and had never been to Europe - you should have seen us on the Jameson Whiskey distillery tour) and did both downtowns in style. We even got two hotel night inside of a week, a luxury on this tour. We also found out that you really can't fit two people our size in a bus bunk for sleeping purposes. It was worth a shot, though.

UK AND IRELAND - THE SHOWS: All I have to say is, if you saw the London show, you saw the show of the tour. I don't know what happened, but we just put it all together that night and won over a notoriously discriminating crowd. After "Whispering A Prayer" we received an ovation that was as intense and sustained as anything we got all tour long, and coming from the normally reserved Londoners, we were totally blown away. In the encore, during "Answers," we were running all over the stage and getting up close with the audience while playing in a way we never had before. And musically, we just couldn't do anything wrong. Backstage, after the show, we all just knew it, and Steve was elated, saying it was the London show he'd always wanted to have.

TOUR-ITIS: Unfortunately, after that show Steve fell ill, and Dublin and Glasgow were a bit of a struggle for him. Glasgow especially, I don't know how he got onstage and performed at all considering how sick he was. But he did, he threw himself all over the place anyway, and that's why he's a pro. He wasn't the only one, either - Dave Weiner and Ann Marie Calhoun were both sick as well, and Jeremy was lightheaded during the set. Only Alex and I escaped the bus bug (must have been all that drinking we did in Dublin - we simply made our bodies unsuitable hosts for germs).

MOSCOW: This is already way too long, but I could fill pages and pages about Moscow alone. The scale of the place is huge, almost beyond understanding. Here's what I mean by that. You know how New York, Boston and Philadelphia have a small scale to them, with narrow streets, buildings right next to each other, all that? And then if you go into the midwest, the streets are slightly larger, things are a bit more spread out? And then when you get to the western cities, like Phoenix, Denver and Los Angeles, the scale is even bigger still? Well, Moscow's scale dwarfs any U.S. western city. Imagine a major city street with seven lanes on each side of the road, and buildings whose size matches that kind of urban-engineered ambition. It's almost as if the city planners said, "OK, we'll show everyone, we're going to build the biggest, baddest city in the world!" And while their ultimate vision didn't quite turn out as expected, it's still unique and amazing.

MORE MOSCOW: We saw Red Square, the Kremlin, the amazing multi-colored cathedrals, ate traditional Ukrainian food, drank cranberry-flavored vodka, and yes, played a show for 3,000 people in a new venue that used to be a heavy machinery factory (the 30-ton lift and 1-ton motors were still mounted in the ceiling!). There I was, playing a show with Steve Vai for thousands of screaming, ecstatic music fans...in Moscow. It was one of many times during the tour that I had to pinch myself in disbelief, and once I felt the pinch and didn't wake up, deep gratitude ensued.

AND THEN: Three hours of sleep, off to the airport in Moscow, a 2-hour check-in for an Aeroflot flight to Munich (I flew first class because they ran out of economy seats!), and a 2-hour van shuttle ride to Schwaz, Austria, where I was deposited at a hotel in a mountain-and-river setting right out of The Sound Of Music. Three days off, nothing to do but rest. Sure enough, the bus bug caught up with me, but here I let it run its course while I slept and slept and slept.

PERSONALLY SPEAKING: As I sit here in Austria, getting ready to play the Austria Outreach Festival with Mike Keneally and Marco Minnemann, a few things come to mind about the experience of touring Europe at this level, and with Steve specifically. First, it's a great exercise in being cool with whatever's going on, because touring (even with Steve Vai) has its challenges - you can't always get what you want right when you want it, you're in a close space, there's very little privacy, people don't speak your language, etc. etc. It takes a lot not to get crazy in a situation like that, and everyone in the band and crew was awesome about it, and I learned a lot from them. Second, Steve as a bandleader is inspiring, and not in a rah-rah kind of way, but more in where he stands metaphysically while the touring machine whirrs and roars its way along - he really helped me get that whatever my concerns of the day were, showtime was the time to put them aside, be grateful for the opportunity we had, and put on the best possible show for whoever was watching. That made a big difference for me more than once during the tour. Third, I learned a lot about being on stage, period. Given the chance, I'd probably just stand there and play my parts, maybe rock back and forth a little bit, and call it a good show. Steve - and Dave and Jeremy especially - showed me that it takes more than that to play a rock show, and Steve always drove it home to me that "This is a rock show!" I got the picture, and adjusted accordingly. Fourth, speaking purely musically from a performance standpoint, I had nights where I felt like I owned the crowd and could do no wrong, and other nights where I felt like they all thought I was an idiot and who's this schmuck anyway and where's Billy Sheehan? Well, you can guess which approach yielded better results. Every night I had the opportunity to practice being in the right frame of mind to deliver the kind of show Steve hired me to do, and I am much the better for it. (Of course, the punch line is that most of the crowd wasn't watching me anyway, something I always noted when I looked out and saw thousands of heads looking to my right.) And sure enough, when I practiced my own material after the tour was over, some licks that had been technically challenging for me in the past were suddenly flying off my fingers. An unexpected and most welcome benefit.

A CLOSING GRATITUDE: Personally, from where I sit now, everything I've wanted to accomplish in my music career from a notoriety standpoint, I've pretty much done. People were so incredibly kind on this tour, so effusive with their praise, that this, on top of the experience I've already had, has left my admittedly sizable ego sated. Gratitude isn't strong enough a word for what I've been feeling lately. What I really wish I could do is beam my experiences directly into the brains of fellow musicians who've ever wondered what this is like...because, really, this isn't about me anymore. Whatever comes next - the Vai U.S. tour, my next album, working with Keneally, or anyone else - will, hopefully, be about the impact it has on those who are listening, whatever that is, and I'll just get out of the way. That's where I want to come from. Because I've noticed that, when I do, there is nothing but joy.

(Tour pictures to follow.)
--08-01-2007 16:31

STEVE VAI TOUR REPORT: From somewhere in Germany, in the middle of the night, at our first hotel in three days, comes to you this brief, picture-laden tour report...

LUXEMBOURG: First show, had the energy of a first show, felt like a first show. Yours truly, Mr. So-Called Veteran, took about six songs to get his sea legs under him. But once I did, things got a lot more fun, the noise in my head ("omfg omfg omfg I'm playing with Steve Vai and it's really loud up here and there are a lot of people out there and they're all screaming and...and...and...) quieted, and it started to hit me just how lucky I was. It also hit me how amazing Steve is - not just in how he plays, but how he puts on a show and commands the audience while playing all of this ridiculous music. It's enough for me to stand there and pull this off. He's freakin' dancing and hopping and looking away from the neck of his guitar and god knows what else. He floors me.

PARIS: A dream gig. Beautiful venue, three levels in a gorgeous ornate theater, totally sold out, unbelievable crowd, great sound onstage, awesome band communication. Starting to get really comfortable with Steve throwing me a solo in "Freak Show Excess" (if you ever try soloing in 7/16 with a 5+5+7/16 turnaround at an insanely fast tempo, I recommend using effects). Jeremy Colson is a rock god. Alex and Annie are running up to the front of the stage and rocking out with Steve. Dave Weiner's solo tune is a trio piece and it rocks the house. Even I get up front for "Juice". Feels good. May do it again. Looking up at three floors of fans all standing and cheering at the end of the show was a moment frozen in time for me...I'll never forget it.

BIDDINGHUIZEN: The Arrow Rock Festival, featuring Aerosmith, Toto, Scorpions, Tesla, Europe, Thin Lizzy, and more. No sound check, a cursory line check, a total kamikaze run. A new challenge for me, a familiar challenge for Jeremy, Dave and Steve. The show had its ups and downs, some technical issues, but basically the crowd of about 5,000 loved it. There's an art to staying calm amidst the frenzy of a festival atmosphere, and it looks like I'll have several chances to practice it on this tour.

TOTO: Lee Sklar, session ace and kind soul that he is, e-mailed me a day ahead of time to let me know he was going to be there. We hooked up, talked, and I saw him and freakin' Steve Lukather (a friend of Vai's) watching us from sidestage. Afterwards, we all hung, they were very kind (too kind, perhaps) regarding our show, and pictures were taken. Like...


Me watching Toto on the main stage, estimated crowd 15,000 people.


Lee Sklar and I, backstage at the Arrow Rock Festival.


Steve Lukather and I. Met him for the first time.


Left to right: Lee Sklar, me, Steve Vai, John Sykes (formerly of Whitesnake!)

So the whole Vai band watched the second half of Toto's set from sidestage, with Simon Phillips on drums, and they were amazing. Such great songs, such a deep groove, all of them singing their asses off. A real thrill.

STAR POWER: Then, it was time for Aerosmith. Let me tell you something, it's tough to get star struck in the middle of something like this, but when you see Steven Tyler walking around, it happens. We were like, "Wow, that's really Steven Tyler right there." (OK, not so much Vai, but the rest of us.) It wasn't easy to get sidestage for Aerosmith, but who should come to the rescue but...Magee! Longtime readers will remember John McGee, Mike Mangini's drum tech on the infamous Vai Fire Garden tour (and opener Keneally's "Half Alive In America" tour, documented fully here), as the funniest person I've ever met in my life. Well, he also lost over a hundred pounds since then, and got us in a position to see the band from point blank range. My hero!


Me and Magee, together again after eleven years.

(Also, a BIG shout-out to Bobby, Brad Whitford's tech, who let us stand right in his work area for the whole show!)

So the show started, and I got to see what it really looks like at the highest possible level. Steven Tyler does not take one single minute off on stage, not one! He is in constant motion. I took about forty pictures before I finally got this one:


Living legend Steven Tyler, two feet from me.

Eventually, the whole Vai band, plus Lee Sklar, Steve Lukather and Steve Vai, were all watching the show together. At some point, Steven Tyler noticed the collection of heavies sitting at stage right (Sklar, Luke and Vai, I mean), and during "Love In An Elevator" (or was it "Livin' On The Edge"?), came running towards us at full speed and shoved the mike in Lee Sklar's face, and they shouted the chorus together.


Steven Tyler leans into Lee Sklar, while Steve Lukather sits to his right. Vai was just out of frame on the right.

I am a very, very, very lucky man.

The amazing Mike Mesker (Vai's webmaster and online marketing guru) has live shots of me and the band playing, and you'll see those soon, plus candid stuff of the band. But I couldn't wait to share with you what happened at the festival. Onto to Germany...
--07-01-2007 18:51

JUNE REFLECTIONS FROM LUXEMBOURG: The past three weeks were a complete blur, or else I'd have written sooner. Here's my excuse - while I was rehearsing with Steve Vai in L.A. throughout June, I tracked a complete record with Mike Keneally Band guitarist Rick Musallam and singer/songwriter Colin Keenan for their new rock project called Mother Eff, and the result was nearly 20 straight days of wall to wall musical work. It was all great fun, don't get me wrong, but the days and nights were full, and I left it all on the various basses I was playing. So as I sit here in Luxembourg with a blessed day off before the first show of the European Vai tour, here's what I remember of June...

THE 9-STEP STEVE VAI REHEARSAL METHOD: 1) Play something incorrectly. This is inevitable, as what you think is correct from listening to the album is highly unlikely to be exactly what Steve wants. 2) Watch Steve shake his head 'no'. 3) If passage is fast, slow tempo down greatly. 4) Play small part of passage several times. 5) Watch Steve shake his head 'no'. 6) Listen to Steve sing the desired inflections and accents in strange, newly-created syllabic language. 7) Play passage many, many times in a row, cycling it like a loop over and over again. As many times as you think are necessary to gain facility of the passage, multiply this number by three. Eight) Upon Steve's approval, stop and speed up tempo. 9) Play many, many times in a row at faster tempo. If passage falls apart, return to step (5). If not, move on to next passage and return to step (1).

HEY, IT WORKS: I'm not one to brag about my own technique - because there's little to brag about - but I can honestly say that, thanks to four weeks at Camp Vai, my hands can now do things I didn't think they could do when I got there. I've heard Mike Keneally say many times at clinics that his time in Steve's band was like the best free guitar lesson he ever got. Well, the bass lessons aren't bad either. People don't realize how much of Steve's tracks feature Steve himself on bass. His left hand is Steve Vai's left hand, which can do anything he wants it to do, and he's pretty nasty with a pick. He really gets rock bass playing at a deep level.

SCORE ONE FOR REVERSE PSYCHOLOGY: Which leads me to one of my favorite rehearsal stories...early on, Steve was trying to get a more aggressive bass sound out of me, and I was working with my finger technique and the Xotic BB Preamp's gain stage to get the grindy overdrive he was looking for on "Building The Church." Frustrated, he came over to my station, picked up my bass, and played the part as he'd tracked it, with a pick. Not to be outdone, I said haughtily, "You want me to play with a pick? Give me a pick, I'll play with a pick!" He raised his eyebrows, handed me one, and counted off the tune. I hacked away for less than two bars before he waved off the band and held out his hand, shaking his head and saying, "Gimme that back, now." We were both laughing. He never asked me to play with a pick again.

THE BAND: Now that I've rehearsed with them for a month, here's some quick thoughts on the folks with whom I'm honored to share the Vai stage...

JEREMY COLSON: Aside from a huge groove, blazing chops, killer rock drum sound, and an almost inhuman consistency, Jeremy is just totally Rock. (He might use the term Metal - more on that in a bit). He's seamlessly incorporated some really cool arm-and-stick moves into his natural playing, and he never takes a bar off. His stamina is like nothing I've ever seen; we were at the end of a 12-hour rehearsal and he was pounding out the show closer (a surprise Vai live debut, watch for it) like it was the first song of the night. We've made a deal - I'm supposed to teach him some rhythm theory tricks I've learned throughout the years, and he's going to teach me "how to be metal." I think I have the longer way to go. And wait until you see what he'll be playing during the acoustic set of the show. Hehehe.

ALEX DEPUE: You haven't heard anything until you've heard this guy start pulling off double-stops that shouldn't even be possible on a violin. Part of the show involves Alex quoting a violin cadenza from the Sound Theories record (the orchestra album), and the double-stop intervals involved are totally unfair on that instrument. I've never heard them played better, and never with such fearless and powerful emotional abandon. He does all that, plus he has the ability to improvise pretty much anything he wants at any time, and manages the lion's share of the keyboard parts. Freak.

ANN MARIE CALHOUN: Have you ever watched someone who plays an instrument do it in such a way, with such flowing and flawless technique, and with every motion perfectly and economically measured, that their body seems almost a piece of the instrument itself? That's what I get when I watch Annie (that's what I call her) play violin. I've seen this flawless-technique phenomenon with certain bassists - Gary Willis and Jeff Berlin come to mind - but even that's not a perfect parallel, and not just because Annie's a beautiful woman and Gary and Jeff are, well, Gary and Jeff. Her tone and motions on stage all speak of a grace that I've come to know and appreciate personally, and the way that her and Alex's styles contrast and complement each other has been one of the real joys of being in this band.

DAVE WEINER: The one guy (other than Steve) who hails from my part of the country (the northeast), Dave has been to the fair and seen the bear when it comes to all things Vai, and we've been locked at the hip on the heavy rhythm parts throughout the show. It's pretty amazing to see him causally pulling off the Vai harmony and unison lines, essentially occupying a chair once held by Mike Keneally and Tony MacAlpine. No big deal, right? He's always going back and forth between seven-string guitar, acoustic, and sitar, playing impossible parts, and just getting Steve in a way that few musicians do. He is also unmistakably a Philadelphia guy through and through, and when he gets going on a tear of wise-assery, look out.

STEVE: After leading the band through a final week of rehearsal that saw us hitting the 10, 11 and 12-hours-a-day mark, he thanked us and acknowledged us graciously and profoundly. (Trust me, he's very aware of how "specific" he can be at times, and we all laugh about it at the end of the day.) I'm obviously grateful to him for this incredible opportunity, but I'm also gratified by his trust in us as a band to deliver what he wants from his music. He's also opening up sections in certain tunes for more improvisational opportunities, and I think that each show is going to be really special in its own way. But I have to mention this one thing: After watching him play for a month, I'm floored by the amount of theoretical complexity that goes into each one of the melodies and solos he performs. Sections that sound like just a fast flurry of notes invariably contain rhythms and inflections so dense and specific, it's hard to imagine any human being could possibly keep track of it all, let alone execute forty successive variations of such passages. But that's Steve Vai, and there really is no one else that does what he does. It's completely unique, and it's literally amazing.

GEAR: I'm playing three Mike Lull basses on this tour - my main axe, the 5-string active jazz; a 5-string active fretless; and a 4-string passive jazz. They're all superb. Plus, I'll be using the ultimate SWR rig: the brand new SM-1500 head (right on the front page of the SWR site), which powers an SWR Megoliath 8x10 and two SWR Goliath III 4x10's all by itself with the master volume just under '3'. To paraphrase Pantera, it's a vulgar display of bass power.

I HEART BASS PLAYER MAGAZINE: And they heart me right back, but never more so than in the July issue. It contains the feature I did on Tool's Justin Chancellor as the cover story, the Masterclass column I did on Adam Nitti, plus 3 CD reviews...and Editor-In-Chief Bill Leigh's monthly one-page column is all about me, me, me. If this doesn't get you to subscribe, nothing will. Seriously, there's more really cool stuff to come, so keep an eye out for it.

TOUR BLOGGING: Coming soon to a browser near you, in more easily digestible bites. I'll probably be triple-cross-posting on bryanbeller.com, MySpace, and Vai.com, so no excuses for not keeping up, OK?
--06-27-2007 10:26

THE REHEARSAL VAI-BE: So we're a little over a week into the Steve Vai rehearsals, which last anywhere from 7 to 9 hours a day. It's been incredibly challenging and invigorating from a stamina standpoint alone; I haven't done rehearsals this long since the Dweezil Zappa days. (Mike Keneally wouldn't run a 9 hour rehearsal for his own gig unless the show was the next day and we didn't know any of the material...and sometimes not even then! Ah, those were the days...) And we're playing LOUD. I mean, really loud. Me included - I'm more than an equal opportunity decibel-blaster with my 1500-watt SWR head and sixteen 10" speakers rumbling the room. I've stuffed little bits of tissue paper in my ears on a regular basis for the first time ever. Have I mentioned that it's loud in that room? What did you say?

THE BAND: Guitarist Dave Weiner and drummer Jeremy Colson are the band vets and really get Steve, how he thinks, how he operates, all that. They're ridiculously incredible musicians, have been nothing but great to me, and have graciously tolerated my tendency to be, uh, controlling at times. (True confessions: It's hard to break the habit of acting like the longest-serving-guy-in-the-band, as I've been with Keneally for almost ten years now.) The violinists, Alex DePue and Anne Marie Calhoun (such great names!), are both freaks as well, and have been tasked with playing and harmonizing Steve's most extreme melodies and solos in an environment about 43 times louder than anything they've ever experienced...and double on keyboards to boot. They are brave souls and will be rewarded by open jaws and wide, amazed eyes of audience members everywhere.

ALL ABOUT STEVE: He's very particular in what he wants from his musicians. This is not news. It is news to my fingers every once in a while, and as a result I'm learning new techniques, which is just way too cool. So cool, in fact, that I've written a Bass Player Magazine column on my experience with learning "Freak Show Excess" exactly the way Steve wants it played, which is unorthodox to say the least. It'll run later this year and should be a hoot to read.

THE MUSIC: More ambitious than ever. Not just in the repertoire, but in the arrangements. It's like chamber music on trucker crank. The Steve Vai sextet? The Steve Vai small ensemble? Whatever it is, I'm damned glad to be the bassist for it. If this tour is coming near you and you haven't bought a ticket yet, well, that's just wrong.

STEVE SAYS: Check out his first-person musings on the band right here.

SOUND THEORIES: You'll see from the front page of Vai's website that the CD/DVD of the shows he did with Holland's Metropol Orchestra (with your humble narrator on bass throughout) is about to be released. Sound Theories hits stores June 26. There are all sorts of special order opportunities and instructions as well. I couldn't be prouder to have been a part of it. I recommend the digi-pak straight from Vai.com. Totally worth it.

IDIOCRACY: Mike Judge's latest studio-killed movie was just released on DVD. Funniest thing I've seen in years. See it now. One word: "Batin'!"
--06-07-2007 10:06

THE STORY: If you're reading this, chances are you already know that I'm fortunate enough to have landed the Steve Vai gig for a Summer 2007 tour in Europe and the U.S. It's really quite difficult to put into words just how grateful I am for this...and one of the first things that came up for me was the desire to share the experience with fellow musicians, because in a perfect universe, everyone should be able to feel the joy that I felt when I realized I got the gig. So let me just say that I plan on sharing the experience along the way - perhaps not in a long-form "This Is The Story Of The Tour" retrospective type of format, but with little morsel-sized experiences and insights as they happen. And I'm doing it with the intention for those who choose to read along gaining something from it for themselves, whatever that may be.

MORE ON THAT "TELLING THE STORY" BUSINESS: Honestly, in the past it's likely I would have felt compelled to write a 20-page treatise on How It All Happened and What It All Means. To be even more honest, usually that kind of story was informed by some need to make it all Really Very Important, that whatever I was doing was more significant that those around me. Well, that's a crock, I realize now. What everyone's doing is significant in its own way. I just didn't want to hear that because I was often caught up in reliving my own drama about whatever it was that was going on. The first piece of writing I ever did that didn't come from that place was the most recent Act of The Life Of Bryan, "Relearning To Fly", and it was the most rewarding piece of writing I've ever done.

DON'T GET ME WRONG: I'm proud of what I've written over the years, and the story of what it's like to be a professional musician trying to figure it all out is one that many have written me to say how much they got out of it. All I'm doing here is copping to where I now realize that writing was coming from, and that there was an impact in reality to looking at what was going on for me in that way. To bring this back home - in the past I looked at things as if they "Were happening to me," and so they did, and I'd write about them, usually in the form of a somewhat interesting and articulate complaint. More recently, my view has shifted, things don't "happen to me" anymore, and I spend a lot less time complaining and a lot more time being grateful. And life is a hell of a lot more fun this way, no matter what I happen to be doing or what gig I happen to be playing.

ELEVEN IS A MAGIC NUMBER AFTER ALL: Eleven years ago, I auditioned for the Steve Vai gig against only one other candidate, and I didn't get it. This month, I auditioned against many more candidates, and I got it. In the past, it happened to me. This month, it just happened. End of story. Is it possible for a view of life to impact life as it happens? You tell me.

(BTW, the title of the above paragraph's post is an inside-joke shout-out to the longtime readers of this website - you know who you are, and I thank you endlessly for your support.)

MAJOR PROPS TO BILLY SHEEHAN: He's amazing. It's hard to believe that I have been tapped to follow him in Steve's band, and it's my honor to do so, and I do so with the utmost respect. I'm not even going to try and fill his shoes; my feet don't move that fast. Back in 2001 I had the privilege of interviewing him for the Taylor Guitars' house publication Wood&Steel, and he was a pleasure to meet and a perfect gentleman to speak with. I mention this because I feel it deeply, and also because, apparently, there's some untrue noise about Steve and Billy somewhere on the internet, and Steve sets the record straight right here. My un-asked-for opinion: There's no need to create problems where there aren't any, and there aren't any. Life's too short for that kind of stuff anyway. We all have a lot to be grateful for.

NOW THAT YOU'VE READ ALL THAT MUMBO-JUMBO: Here's how it went down. I did know about the open auditions in early May, but because of a crazy schedule leading up to it (from April 24 through May 1 I went from L.A. to Sacramento to Las Vegas and then back to Nashville), I wasn't sure how I was going to get there without some massive last-minute air travel re-routing. Steve and I had dialogue about it, and he said that he knew my playing and loved my playing, but wanted to hear who was out there, which I understood, and it wasn't immediately necessary for me to come out in the midst of that, though he wasn't opposed to it. He left it up to me, and after a few days of thinking about it, suddenly I got some work in Nashville for early May, and thought to myself, "well, that's what there is to do, then." So I booked the Nashville work, let Steve know that I was available and willing to get back to L.A. whenever he wanted, and just allowed myself to be OK with whatever happened.

SURE ENOUGH: I got the call to come on back to L.A. the day after I got home from Vegas on May 1. I already knew "The Crying Machine" but didn't know "Freak Show Excess," which is difficult...and to make a long story short, between the necessary schedule and my work in Nashville, I had about five hours to learn it. I gave it the best shot I could, got it to the point where I could play through it (if not perfectly), and got a little precious sleep before taking off to L.A. on Friday, May 4 on an 8AM flight. At 12 noon I was off the plane, at 12:30 I was in the rental car, and by 1:00 I was playing with Steve, drummer Jeremy Colson, a young guitarist, and several violinists who had come down for the audition.

WHAT IT WAS LIKE: I was too tired to be nervous. It didn't actually occur for me to be nervous. It was all very Twilight-Zone-y because of the travel and lack of sleep. We ran "Freak Show" and I made it to the end in one piece, notes be damned. Jeremy and I locked right away; he's a great drummer and you could drive a truck through his groove and pocket. Then we did "Crying Machine" a couple of times for the various violinists, who were damned good. After that we jammed for a while in 13/8, not my all-time fave time signature, but something happened and music was made. Finally we jammed for a while, and it was a lot of fun, but I have to admit, near the end there were a couple of moments where I was so tired that I was thinking, "When is this going to be over so I can go pass out somewhere?" Yeah, at a Steve Vai audition.

AND THEN: We exchanged heartfelt compliments all around. Good vibes were definitely happening. Or was I delirious? Didn't matter. I left to have dinner with a friend. Eventually (the when really doesn't matter), Steve called to say I got the gig. And it was good. Really good.

AND THAT'S ALL?!: Like I said, I could go on and on, but I'm going to choose not to. I'll have more to say from the road, and maybe even from the rehearsals. For now, I just want to reiterate how grateful I am, and how lucky I am to be able to share this with whoever's reading along. For any player who's ever wanted to have a moment like the one I'm experiencing, this blog's for you. Cheers, mates.
--05-23-2007 07:34

WESFEST 2 BRIEF SHOW REPORT: Many of you have asked how WesFest 2 went. All I can say is that it was simply amazing. It was bigger, better, and more celebratory than last year. The show itself was 6 1/2 hours of incredible music, and each of the seven bands delivered the goods and had people in the crowd losing their minds. Over 200 people came through the doors, and at one point the place was so crowded you could barely move. From Janet Robin's sizzling acoustic set, to the eclectic Jariya's final show in L.A., to the searing vocal rock of Jude Crossen (god, can that man sing!), to the show-stealing, Hammond-organ-fueled funk thunder of The Dirty Janks, to the collective power of the 7-bands-within-a-band WesFest All-Stars, to the mindblowing virtuosity of Stu Hamm, and finally to the super-bad and ultra-legit R&B of Danny Mo and The Exciters, the whole thing was so massively cool it almost doesn't do it justice to even describe it in words.

A MOVING PICTURE IS WORTH...: That's why we captured the audio in full multi-track splendor. This time, with a multi-camera video shoot and pro-quality audio, the resulting DVD will capture the spirit of WesFest 2 and then some. Look for that in a few months.

GRATITUDE: In the meantime, the financial results are still rolling in, but suffice it to say that it was an over-the-top success, and an especially rewarding night for everyone involved. I certainly felt privileged to be playing the role of MC and general circus ringleader. But this would be an opportunity to extend my thanks to everyone who helped put the event together - you know who you are - and to everyone who contributed financially and otherwise. Without a powerful group effort, things like this just don't work. It was a reflection of how strong the Wes Wehmiller community is that the event was so electric. Props to y'all, on and on.

NOW, ABOUT ME, ME, ME!: I just finished recording an album for Mr. Phi Yaan-Zek. It's always a thrill to hear someone who's managed to combine the Zappa, Vai and Mike Keneally influences, along with several others, put them in their own blender, and come up with a compositional voice that does the eclectic genre proud, and that's just what Phi did with the material for this upcoming release. Plus, the drummer for these sessions was the soon-to-be-world-famous Marco Minnemann (he's going to be on the cover of the June issue of Modern Drummer - congrats Marco!), and it was my distinct pleasure to be in his and Phi's musical space for four days. I was able to stretch out and really push my own playing; soloing, solo pieces, slapping, crazy sounds and textures, it's all there. It's going to be a very cool, very odd, very interesting record, and I recommend it to everyone reading. By the way, Phi and I met through MySpace. See, it really does work. Just a hint for anyone out there thinking about having me on their record...it's really gratifying for me to be a part of someone else's cool musical vision, and I welcome the opportunities when they come up. In other words, I'm always available to talk or e-mail about your project. (Really? Yes, really.)

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT: Two days after WesFest 2, I was fortunate enough to play a gig with my super-talented hottie girlfriend, Kira Small, at the renowned West Hollywood listening room Genghis Cohen. I've played there a ton of times in the past, but I don't think I ever had as much fun as I did this time around. Kira's very first full-set gig in L.A. was an absolute smashing success, with a packed house of friends, fans, and folks Kira hadn't seen in as many as 15 years. The band was pretty cool too: Rick Musallam on guitar, the one and only James Gadson (Bill Withers) on drums, Kira singing and playing keys, and yours truly on bass. Gadson has that crazy old-school swing to everything he does; it's almost impossible to describe, but you know it when you hear it (think old Motown) and it's mindblowing to play with. Kira owned the room, sang her ass off, and got a rousing ovation. Thank you, Los Angeles, for showing my gal a good time. And if for some reason you've never heard her stuff, getcha some at her MySpace page or her website.

THIS IS YOUR LIFE, THE SPECIAL EDITION DVD: (If you're a long-time Keneally fan, you'll want to check this out. If not, you may not get the next two paragraphs. You've been warned.) One last thing on this long and wacky SoCal trip I just completed...since I was staying at Chatfield Manor during the Phi Yaan-Zek sessions, I had the opportunity to watch the special-edition DVD package of Boil That Dust Speck. I don't know what to say about it other than my mind was totally blown. I didn't remember that there was video rolling while we tracked "'Cause Of Breakfast", "My Dilemma" and "Land Of Broken Dreams", but there is, and when I saw myself pop up on screen, with long hair and no goatee and a look on my face that screamed "what the hell am I doing here?" I practically fell out of my seat. I watched myself play the solo from "My Dilemma", the one that went on the record, for the first time ever. Throughout it all, I almost didn't recognize myself, in more ways than one.

ENOUGH ABOUT ME: The real magic starts with Doug Lunn and Toss Panos. Try and imagine the one spot on the album - "Sooth", "Skunk", "Top Of Stove Melting", "Natty Trousers", "In The Bone World" - that you wished you could watch video of it as it went down. Chances are it exists and that it's on this DVD. 1994 might not be a million years ago, but it's far enough back to be amazed that it could be brought back to life in such stellar fashion. Dave Foster has really outdone himself this time. Super-highly recommended.

COMING SOON: Wish I knew. I've got six or seven balls in the air and I don't know where any of them are going to land just yet. Supporting your career as a solo artist by being a freelance musician sure is exciting sometimes. Yes, in a good way.
--03-20-2007 08:26

WESFEST 2 FUNDRAISING DRIVE HOME STRETCH: Please indulge me for this brief announcement...if you're on any of my mailing lists (and if you're not, you should be), you've probably heard about WesFest 2, the second annual benefit concert we're doing to benefit the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at Berklee College Of Music. The event takes place on March 6 at The Gig in Los Angeles, and it's going to feature the one and only Stu Hamm as headliner, plus a ton of other great performers. I mention this because there's only one week left for advance ticket sales, and also because even if you can't make it to the show, there are plenty of other ways to contribute to this worthy cause.

To buy tickets, and for all the information you'd ever want about the event, including location, time, and donation procedures, just go here:

http://www.weswehmiller.net/wesfest2.html

PICKIN' WITH JOHNNY HILAND: For the guitar enthusiasts out there, the name Johnny Hiland may ring a bell. He opened up for the G3 tour not too long ago, he's an artist on Steve Vai's Favored nations label, and he's one of the hottest guitarists I've ever seen, bar none. Absolutely Nashville-based, he's kind of where blues and muzo meet and do cartwheels together. Put another way, he takes blues, country and rock, and combines them in a way that practically defies description. I'll be doing some gigs with him in Nashville this month and next (see the Upcoming Appearances for details). He's just fantastic and I'm honored to be playing with him. Plus, he has this charming way of referring to his musicians as "pickers". Let's see if I can keep up with him. Nashvillians may want to come out just to see me play "Orange Blossom Special" for the very first time in my life.

MOVING: A personal note - I just moved into a charming house in the West Meade section of Nashville with my superawesomegirlfriend, Kira Small. This is the first time I've lived in a house (and not an apartment) since living with my parents 18 years ago, and it's just so damned wonderful I don't even know where to start. The process of moving, however, was everything we all know and love it to be. As such, I've been way off of MySpace and website updates for some time, and haven't responded to folks who've sent me CD's to check out in my usual timely fashion. If you're reading this on MySpace (this is a crosspost), just know that I'll eventually respond to messages and comments where appropriate, and beg your patience in the meantime while we make our cool new house a home.

OTHER NEWS IN BRIEF: The NAMM Bass Bash was a breakthrough success for the Bryan Beller Band. For pictorial proof, just go here and scroll through the pages...I'm proud to announce that I'm now a Contributing Editor for Bass Player Magazine, so look for more frequent Beller sightings in the pages of BP (thanks to everyone there for being so cool with me all these years)...don't forget about the gig I'm doing with Kira at Genghis Cohen on March 8 in Los Angeles...I may be doing some bass clinics in Southern California in April and July, so stay tuned for that...and while progress on my next album, Thanks In Advance, has been halted due to moving, I've got 45 minutes of music written and only 3 songs to go. When I'm done with the writing, I'll post a demo on the website to show my appreciation for your patience. Was it really over three years ago that View came out?

FINALLY: You're cool for reading this.
--02-21-2007 20:26

SOMETHING TO KICK OFF 2007 WITH: You can probably tell from looking around that this website is largely about my solo artist thing. But do I have time for other projects? Yes. Do I play all kinds of music, not just jazz/rock/fusion? YES. Would I be interested in tracking bass for your project? WHY, PERHAPS, YES!

Just click on the navigation bar above where it says "Links & Contact" to e-mail me if you're interested in any of the following:

* Local sessions or gigs in Nashville (I have a car)
* Remote sessions via files (I have a great Pro Tools guy here in town)
* Sessions or gigs involving travel (I know where the airport is)
* Clinics or educational appearances (I play well with others)
* Custom bass transcriptions of Keneally, Beller, or any bass material you want to see on paper (I *heart* Finale)
* Freelance writing (articles, interviews, advice columns, whatever)
* Something I haven't thought of, but you have (I'm not omniscient. Yet.)

NOW THAT I'VE SAID THAT: The writing process for my second solo album, Thanks In Advance, continues unabated. I've just returned from an awesome eight-day holiday trip and am recharged to the fullest. I'm shooting for the end of April to be done with the writing for the record, I'm looking forward to bringing the Bryan Beller Band to NAMM for the first time, and a WesFest 2 announcement is just around the corner. That's all for now - stay tuned. Big news coming soon on that, and more.

BEFORE I FORGET: Happy holidays and happy new year, y'all! This one's gonna rock, I can feel it...

--01-02-2007 20:24

BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER: Have you bought the WesFest DVD yet? If not, all I ask is, click the above and have a look at what I'm talking about, and then make up your mind. And now back to your regularly scheduled program...

THE SLICK FAMILY: You probably have heard about the amazing new young phenom drummer Eric Slick, who played a gig with Keneally and I in St. Louis back in October and kicked major ass. He also has a bass-playing sister named Julie, and the two of them are currently serving as the rhythm section for none other than Adrian Belew (is that not the coolest, cutest thing you've ever heard of?). So when a female Slick found me on MySpace, I quickly approved the friend request and wrote her back, telling her that I couldn't wait to see her play with Eric. Imagine my embarrassment when Robin Slick wrote me back and informed me that she was, in fact, Eric's mother. But that miscommunication turned into a new friendship with a very cool self-confessed "rock 'n' roll Mom" and professional, published novelist. I highly recommend checking out her voluminous, constantly updated blog, as well as her brand new website (and not just because she has kind things to say about about my album View). She's a warm, wonderful spirit and, obviously, she brought those kids up pretty damned well.

BASS PLAYER LIVE REPORT: I gotta admit, it felt a little weird to be doing a clinic as me, Bryan Beller, at the big bass brouhaha Bass Player Live in New York City. Practically every hot bassist in the county was there and performing - Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Steve Bailey, Jeff Berlin, I could go on - and there I was, teaching a clinic I called "Extreme Bass Lines," which frankly I came up with just because I had to come up with something. I had no idea what I was really going to do until a couple of days before the event.

SONGWRITING, MUZO STYLE: What I came up with ended up being really rewarding for both myself and the audience. I chose to share how I go about writing instrumental music, and how, while the bass parts have plenty of meat and complexity to them, I always try to make sure that whatever I do on the bass is aligned with the song's groove, feel, vibe, and, ultimately, its meaning. Attendees got partial transcriptions of (and detailed conversations about) "Supermarket People", "Seven Percent Grade", "Get Things Done" and Keneally's "'Cause Of Breakfast" (I explained the infamous middle section!), and I played all of those songs along with a bass-less mix for good measure. I'll share one question and answer with you that seemed to really make the audience do a double-take. Someone asked me how I start the writing process. Did I start with a melody, or a groove, or a chord structure, or a bassline, or what? I told him that, actually, I start with a series of song titles that give a hint of the meanings of those songs, and then I start writing to the title and meaning of each particular song, and that could happen in any number of ways. I swear I saw the majority of the audience cock their heads to the side and say, "Huh?" I don't know...seems normal to me. Anyway, it was fun, and I look forward to the opportunity to do more of these types of events in the future.

BONUS BASS PLAYER ITEM: I was commissioned on very short notice to write a feature story on the event's concert. This involved transcribing excerpts of solos from Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Stu Hamm, Jeff Berlin, Billy Sheehan and Sekou Bunch, and writing a bit about each of them. Yes, for a brief moment in time, I could play each example, if not 100% a tempo. Look for it in an upcoming issue.

RETURN TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: I don't know what it is with when Keneally asks me to pay a Circus Of Values all-improv gig at Dizzy's in San Diego, but it always seems to be with a complete freak of a drummer. Last time, a couple of years back, it was with Virgil Donati, whose mindblowing combination of independence and aggression left Keneally and I dazed, not to mention exhausted. This time we did it with Rick Musallam and brand new San Diego resident Marco Minnemann filling the freakdrum slot, and I've never had a better time on an all-improv gig. Shortly before the first set began, Mike let us know that he wanted the entire first set to be one continuous song, a 45-minute orgy of unplanned musical mayhem. And so it was, as we careened from groove to groove, solo to solo, texture to texture, and made sure to leave enough room for Marco to play a drum solo that blew the entire audience into next week. If you're a tape collector, you'll be wanting that one. And also...

MARCO DOES THE BAKED POTATO WITH THE MKB: All I can say about this gig is that is was the most powerful MKB throwdown since the show that spawned Guitar Therapy Live. The longtime hardcores were there, the ones who've seen us do it a hundred times, and they walked out headless. I walked out thoroughly satisfied. If I didn't see you there, I'll next be back in SoCal for NAMM in January of 2007.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA VS. MIDDLE TENNESSEE: I forgot how much better the weather is and how much worse the traffic is there. Now I remember.

MIDDLE TENNESSEE VS. THE BLACK HILLS OF SOUTH DAKOTA: Don't ask how or why, but my gig with up-and-coming country artist Kyle Wyley took me to Rapid City, SD less than a week after my return to Nashville from SoCal. We flew into Billings, MT and drove seven snow-filled hours to Rapid City from there. The next day, when things cleared up, our entourage chose to take a slight scenic detour to...wait for it...Mt. Rushmore! I'd never been there before. It's not easy to get to for most folks, 'cause Rapid City ain't near nowhere. But if you ever get close, it is really, really worth it. Even the clouds partially obscuring the view didn't dampen the festivities. Photographic evidence is shown below.


Under a partially obscured Mt. Rushmore, from left to right: drummer Dave Spak (India.Arie), keyboardist John Maddick (Alabama, The Righteous Brothers), me, guitarist Danny (forgot his last name) and background singer Lindsay Hager. Fun times on those seven-hour drives.


Once the clouds cleared, I got the shot I came for.


This time, with a little extra zoom engaged. Score one for being a musician.

FAMOUS MONTANAN SIGHTING: On our flight home, sitting in first class, was none other than soon-to-be-ex-Sen. Conrad Burns (R-MT). If you don't have any interest in politics, now's the time to sign off. If you do, the rest of this entry is for you...

THOUGHTS ON THE ELECTION: As some longtime readers know, I used to comment regularly on politics. I've pretty much retired that hat, as I've come to realize that a lot of my commentary was designed primarily to make me look smart (which only intermittently worked anyway), and served very little purpose other than a redundant contribution to the partisan noise machine that constitutes most political debate in this country. So now I just put my money where my mouth is and contribute to Democrats, as they come far closer to the fiscally-moderate/socially-liberal/foreign-policy-realist camp I find myself in than the current crop of Republicans. There are far more insightful political writers than I currently deducing the meaning of last week's Democratic victory, so my addition to this conversation is with all due humility, and won't be repeated anytime soon.

ONE POSSIBLE MEANING: The American people, in my view, are far smarter than the professional politicos realize. They sorted through myriad media-driven messages on hundreds of issues, some real, some designed to serve a specific purpose, and chose based on the results of the past few years. I hold no quarter for today's GOP, but its difficult to argue that, when they took power of Congress in 1994, they didn't stand for something, because they did: limited government, stronger defense, lower taxes, and a more conservative social society. That vision was somehow supplanted by an argument that, to the best of my knowledge, went like this, "Regardless of how things are going, it will be bad for you to elect someone other than us, and here's why..." The dictionary definition of the word "cynicism" is as follows: "An attitude of scornful or jaded negativity." For a political party to believe that voters would ignore events simply because someone told them that things would be worse - and not just worse, but a defeat for America - if they voiced their displeasure about it, is, to me, as perfect an example of jaded negativity that one could muster. This year, if anything was defeated, it was that cynicism. That's a result I can celebrate, and I did just that.

SO, WHAT NOW?: We'll see if the Democrats can do any better. I hope they do. I'm trying hard not to be cynical about it.
--11-13-2006 19:55

WESFEST DVD AVAILABLE NOW: You've probably noticed from the front page of the site that we've created a DVD of the WesFest benefit concert you heard so much about back in February of this year. And it's available now. And net proceeds will go to benefit the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship Fund at Berklee College Of Music. And I'm fulfilling the DVD orders!

It features a live, super-funky performance of "Supermarket People", plus the Guitar Therapy Live-era Mike Keneally Band (Keneally/Beller/Musallam/Travers) absolutely rocking on "Top Of Stove Melting" and "'Cause Of Breakfast", and Kira Small getting silky smooth on "(When You Call Me) Lover", and SMUG, and Dan Rockett, and Ali Handal, and Touched, and more, more, more.

It's $25. It's for a great cause. Already ready to buy it? Just go here:

http://www.weswehmiller.net/wesfest.html

Don't know who Wes Wehmiller is? Just go here:

http://www.weswehmiller.net

and click "BIO".

Want to know more about what's been going on with events honoring the spirit of Wes? Just go here:

http://www.weswehmiller.net/

and click "NEWS".

Still curious? Here's a reprinting of the e-mail I sent to The Wes List, a list dedicated to keeping folks informed on events honoring the memory and spirit of Wes, and events to help raise money for the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship. (If you want to be on this e-mailing list, just go to the link directly above and click on "Subscribe".)

Here's the full version of the e-mail I sent out:

********

Hello, everyone. It’s been a while, but we have a new initiative to support the Wes Wehmiller Memorial Endowed Scholarship at Berklee College Of Music, and I’m eager to fill you in on the details.

Many of the folks on this list were able to make it to Los Angeles for the first annual WesFest, and the event was a great success, raising over $12,000. for the scholarship. But not everyone was able to attend, and many asked me and others to keep them informed of ongoing events, especially ways to contribute in the future.

In that spirit, we are proud to present the Official WesFest DVD!

WesFest: A Concert to Benefit the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at Berklee College Of Music, is a full length (about 90 minutes) DVD, and serves as the official document of the first annual WesFest. It contains live performances from all eight WesFest performers:

The Mike Keneally Band
Dan Rockett
Ali Handal
SMUG
Kira Small
Touched
Bryan Beller
I, Claudius

It also includes heartfelt speeches from Peter Gordon (Director of the Berklee Center in Los Angeles), Roger Brown (President, Berklee College Of Music), and Wes’ parents, John and Paula Wehmiller.

Like many things about WesFest, the idea for the DVD came about spontaneously. While the event was not originally intended to be professionally documented, months of work on several sources of audio, plus three different video camera shots, provided the raw material. The end result is, in my view, a truly special, high-quality document that reflects the spirit of WesFest in every way.

The great thing about this DVD is that it can accomplish so many things at once:

1) It serves as a document for all those who were there and want to relive the experience
2) It allows those who weren’t in attendance to experience the event, and share their thoughts and memories with those who were there
3) It demonstrates what WesFest is all about, and raises awareness for future events and opportunities to raise money for the fund
4) It empowers the spirit of Wes to live on into the future, both for those who knew him, and also for those who didn’t.

The WesFest DVD can be purchased for $25., which includes all shipping and handling charges. All net proceeds from the WesFest DVD will go to benefit the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at Berklee College Of Music. So I’m inviting you to continue to support the scholarship fund through the purchase of this DVD.

Payment will be accepted in two ways: 1) check or money order; 2) Credit card/PayPal (PayPal takes credit card payments even if you’re not a PayPal member). Fulfillment will be through Onion Boy Records (a.k.a. ME!).

Complete ordering instructions and procedures can be found here:
http://www.weswehmiller.net/wesfest.html

At this page you'll see a box in the right hand corner. Click "add to cart" for credit card/PayPal purchases, or click "check/money order" for a mailing address.

(A note about PayPal - I've been using PayPal for years and have had nothing but great experiences with it. With PayPal I can accept credit card payments for the scholarship without the cost and hassle of creating my own separate credit card merchant account. I hope and trust you understand. Don’t want to deal with PayPal? Then just send a check or money order!)

This is the kickoff of a new season of WesFest related activities. First, we’ve got this DVD. But the next WesFest is not too far away. Details will be forthcoming on that soon. For now, I hope you can support the mission of WesFest by purchasing this DVD and spreading the good word about the event, so that future WesFests have the potential to be even bigger and more successful than the inaugural event. Feel free to forward this e-mail to anyone you feel would be interested in supporting the mission of WesFest.

And new information will always be posted at the Tribute To Wes Wehmiller Website, so stay tuned for more info.

I hope all is well for you and yours, and I look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes,
Bryan Beller

********

If you're still reading and you're trying to figure out whether or not you're going to buy it, let me make this easy for you: BUY IT!

WesFest DVD order page:
http://www.weswehmiller.net/wesfest.html


FOR Z HARDCORE FANS ONLY: E-mailer Mike has alerted me to the online presence of some tracks from the Z days that have been redone without vocals, remixed, renamed, and in some cases, added to with additional guitar tracks. They sound way, way, way better than they did on the original release of Music For Pets. If you're interested, here's Mike:

The three tracks are: "Bad Intension" (formerly "What It B"), "Hard 2 Swallow" (formerly "Pure"), and "Axe To Grind" (formerly "Badass"). To check out the tracks:

1] Go to the website: http://www.extrememusic.com
2] Click on "Get Music"
3] Click on "X-Series"
4] Click on "Composer"
5] Scroll down to "Dweezil Zappa".

I dug it. Maybe there's a few folks out there who will too. Thanks Mike!
--10-20-2006 20:40

TAYLOR TOUR PHOTO-BLOGGING: This tour has been great. Lots of old friends and plenty of new ones, especially in North Dakota. Since I'm going to be traveling a lot even when I get home from this tour, I figured I'd just post four pictures and let them do the talking for me.



Our hotel in La Crosse, WI was right next to a Harley dealer, and it was on. Scott Chatfield and I rented a couple of hogs and rode up the northern Mississippi River on the Minnesota side. I didn't have my riding boots with me on this tour, so, yes, the sneakers are kinda dorky. But man oh man, my Dyna Wide Glide could move. Much fun.



The Phaaaaaaaan-tom Of The O-pe-ra is heeeeeere...in-siiiiiide this truck... (note the GPS mounted to the dashboard of the touring vehicle, a.k.a. my minivan)



Standing on the bridge/monument that separates Fargo, ND from Moorhead, MN. I learned all sorts of things about the Red River Valley at this place. Like, the Fargo area is one of the flattest landscapes not just in America, but on planet Earth. Yah, sure, you betcha.



One of the gorgeous parks in Fargo, ND, where it was 80 degrees during our visit. This locale might just pop up in the special edition DVD of the Boil That Dust Speck reissue.

I'm in St. Louis right now. The gig with Eric Slick on drums is tonight. He's cool. I'm thinking it's gonna sound good. If you're in St. Louis, get your ass on down to Off Broadway tonight.

Very much looking forward to getting home to Nashville tomorrow night, I remain...

BB
--10-13-2006 08:35

IT'S NOT ALWAYS ABOUT ME: I try and remember to say that to myself every once in a while, but now I actually have the chance to walk the walk. Kira Small, my sweetheart of a girlfriend - and the reason I moved to Nashville, in case you weren't paying attention many blogs ago - is, in my humble and totally objective opinion, a complete and total badass of a singer/songwriter. She does the slinky, sultry, R&B/soul thing with scary authenticity, and I've been digging her material (and her unshakably groovy bass player, Steve Brantley) for months now. That material comprises her new CD, the about-to-be-released Love In A Dangerous World. She's D.I.Y.-ing it something fierce, releasing it online and independently, and this is my official invitation to check her out for yourself. I proudly present to you, in her own voice, Kira Small:


********

Hi everyone -

I am beyond delighted to announce that my new CD “Love In A Dangerous World” is DONE and will be available very, very soon. This has been a labor of love and sweat and tears and miles and Jameson’s Irish Whiskey and I am extremely proud of the result. 11 soulful, old school R&B songs, 6 of which I wrote all by my bad little self. Y’all – it sounds soooooo gooooood....if I do say so myself.

I’ve got a few songs up on my myspace page if you’d like to try before you buy. Click here to listen:

http://www.myspace.com/kirasmall

I should have them available to ship in 3-4 weeks. So I’m taking orders (for CD’s, mind you) starting now. Order by 10/20/06 and get your CD’s personalized and autographed! (Be sure to tell me who to sign ‘em to) Here’s the breakdown:

CD’s are $15 each

For 1-4 CD’s add $3 total for shipping
For 5-10 CD’s add $6 total for shipping
(Example: 2 CD’s: $15x2 + $3 shipping = $33 total)

Make checks payable to Kira Small and send to this address (no I haven’t moved):

Kira Small
7051 Hwy 70-S PMB#307
Nashville, TN 37221

I’ll email you a receipt and let you know when they’re headed out to you. Credit card sales will be available soon on CD Baby and at my live shows but not just yet. I’ll keep you posted on that. If you want a new CD in your hands soon, get yer check in the mail!!

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU for your support.

Much love,
Kira

********

One additional note - she does accept PayPal. If you're interested in going that route, just let me know by contacting me through this website's contact page and I'll make sure she gets the message and takes care of you.

OPPOSITES ATTRACT: Kira and I often joke about our peculiar cross-breeding of MySpace friends. Whenever I get a request whose page launches a Vince Gill or Dale Watson tune, and whenever she gets one that starts cranking out King Crimson or Frank Zappa, we have a pretty good idea who sent who which way. I guess Paula Abdul and DJ Kool Kat (or whatever the hell his name was) had a point after all. If you know what I'm talking about, you're old.

ROAD REPORT: The Taylor clinics are going great so far. I'm having a blast playing the ssssh-it's-a-big-secret Taylor Protoype Electric Bass, and Mike's getting wilder and wilder with the T5, but we still play acoustically (me on the AB-4, Mike on a Taylor GS) for the first half of the clinic. We're headed for serious northern territory, including the oft-mentioned North Dakota, so if you're from around those parts and you've never seen us live before, this is your chance. I can't even begin to describe how lucky and grateful I am for the opportunity to do this.

I HAVE A HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTORCYCLE: And I keep forgetting to post a picture of it. It's a 2006 Sportster 883XL, the base model, with custom low handlebars, a two-up seat, a removable windshield, and forward foot controls. Not the biggest or fanciest Harley, but it's enough that it's a friggin' Harley. I get it. As Ferris Bueller once said, it is so choice. If you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.

BEATLES GIG REPORT: I learned 45 Beatles tunes in three days for a gig with Nashville's Beatles tribute band, FAB. We're talking five guys, each of whom possess first-call-session lead-singer voices, playing drums-percussion-keys-guitar-guitar, and me, reading charts of Paul McCartney's bass lines. I always knew he was a badass, but I HAD NO IDEA how cool he was until I did this gig. Listen very closely to the following tunes and you'll know more about what I mean: "Nowhere Man", "With A Little Help From My Friends", "Drive My Car", "You Won't See Me". Just genius. Anyway, the gig was way too much fun. The FAB guys kicked my ass. You should have heard them singing "Paperback Writer." Blew me away.

SIGNING OFF FROM LA CROSSE, WI: That's all for now, but stay tuned for news about the WesFest DVD...live performances from The Mike Keneally Band, Rick Musallam's band SMUG, Kira Small, the full six-piece Bryan Beller Band, and more, with all net proceeds going to the Wes Wehmiller Scholarship at Berklee College Of Music. You heard it her