So, we gotta a little more press

So here’s a few of us. L to R is Ron Donavon. Matt McCain and then Chad Watson then me, kt. They Missed Justin – who’s the prettiest of us. Their Loss.

Thanks to Jim Barsanti for forwarding that pic and thanks to The Voice for running it and Thanks to Marissa Amoni for knowing how to contact The Voice to thank them.

In other news, we did Add Ron Donavon to the combo.  He’s a Meathawk, now.

Jeepers.

Wow. This whole summer thing is starting to fill up. Meathawk has some gigs a-comin.  Here’s a link to the calendar @ thekevintrudo.com and there’s more coming everyday. There’s a link over there on the right side, too. You know the right hand navigation is the only way to go, right?

Turns out that the word sinister derives fro the word sinestra meaning left in Latin. we all know that the term right has become a word meaning correctness. Meathawk only uses Right hand navigation when available.

Not the point. Some up coming events that involve Meathawk and (hopefully) you.:

June 4th we’re at Culture Shock. I don’t really know a lot about it, but it sounds pretty cool. I’ll let you know as I know. The very next day we play for the Aurora Artwalk at 33 W Trattoria in Aurora, Illinois. That will be cool as hell.

July will be really special, the 2nd we’re playing at the House in DeKalb With some awesome guys Sitticus who are very graciously trying to let us make up for our conspicuous absence at the same venue on their CD release party where I (Kev) decided to lose my voice and miss all the damn fun. Then on the 3rd we play the Gil Pickle at the Kendall County Fair Grounds. See me about invitations.

at the end of the month is my excellent friend Ron and his Wife’s Birthday and a heckuva Hootnanny we’re planning and you’re invited.

I actually know those details but I’m withholding them to create a sense of mystery and urgency. If you make only one – make it July 31st. But don’t make only one.

We love you and we want to see you. There’s a lot of chances this summer. That’s just the so far.

kt

Thoughts at a graduation.

In no order:

if you're a girl in your early to mis 20's, odds are good your name is Ashley or Jessica.

Excessive celebration should be a mortal sin.

I love my wife and I'm damn proud of her.

People love to talk. Esp. Sue Gin. Wow.

Mad Maggies.

Mad Maggies. It’s in Elgin and it’s a very nice place. Have you seen downtown Elgin lately? It’s beautiful. I mean, it’s really damn nice.

We played there not so long ago with S.O.B. and had a ball. In fact, it’s a little sentimental to me, it’s where meathawk had our dysfunctional first date (our first show).

So, go. We’ll be there tomorrow night and here’s the facebook invite thingy with all details. If you don’t facebook, We’re on a little after 9:30. Directions are on the link at the very top of this post.

I also updated my site (just a tiny little bit), if you get a chance to check it out every bit of traffic helps me get found as a songwriter in Aurora, Illinois and as meathawk. But, if’n you can’t get over there today, let me give you the news ’round here:

We are recording in a bit. the date keeps moving with studio availability, but we have 5 tunes picked out to get out into the universe. What we don’t have – a title for this opus; any art work; a distribution plan. So far, I know we’ll primarily make this a digital thing and free. I am looking for a way to accept donations. Does that sound bad? I’m weird about this whole commerce thing. Hey, listen, we don’t wanna gauge you or beat you up, but we would appreciate the support, both at shows and by listening to the music and telling folks about it.

Look out, I’m contemplating posting some rehearsal type stuff to keep you hooked. Are you hooked? Who knows, but I’d appreciate a note on the Face book page or at kt @ thekevintrudo.com to let us know if there’s something we should do, or someplace to be. Whatever.

We’re trying to be an approachable band.

Remember, a lot of things are funny if they’re not happening to you.

Hope D. Wall School.

I grew up in this town, see, so this was a place you were threatened with or that you used Hope Wall to make fun of each other. I did it. I made short bus jokes and I called people some names I don’t want as a searchable term for this blog.

And it was funny. At the time.

It’s not any more. It’s fear we have now and, while mean things are funny, things that might happen to us are not. We have kids, now. We want for that generation an incredible life, an easier life than our own, a full and rich life with possibilities. We don’t want to think of the kids we have or might have as ever being made fun of for anything. You get old and they turn into people. People we might love.

Yeah, so it’s not funny anymore.

But it’s not sad, either. There’s a group of people who have found a calling making sure that special needs kids have some support and love. So, if it’s not funny and it’s not sad, what is it?

It’s beautiful.

We had the chance to play a benefit with Side of Beef and Captains of Industry and the Hix Bros All Star Band this last Sunday benefiting Hope D. Wall School. Ted Roman, from Side of Beef put the thing together and Ballydoyle hosted the fundraiser. Ted’s son Alex has special needs and Hope Wall has been there and been a god send to Alex and his family.

He did an amazing thing and gave back. He raised $2500 for a this school in tight economic times. I met some incredible people, from the teachers and administrators at the school to a few of the parents who were touched. I’ve rarely felt either as welcomed or as appreciated.

It was an incredible experience.

I’m tough, too. I don’t do charity, at least not large not for profits – I don’t think diseases get fixed and I don’t feel like paying a CEO. Yeah, but I live in this community and I know some of the folks this organization touches and I’m always ready to support this community and the people in it. Thank you to every one giving their lives and time for human beings who need love and a support network. Some folks who may not have the opportunities some of us have. Some folks who have a profound dignity and ethic to be: who are complete and insanely generous with their love whether they are laughed at or forgotten.

You see, you can laugh at a lot of mean shit, but it gets pretty hard to do that when you think about it and realize you’re laughing at people.

Thanks for the chance to do something right, Ted, and thanks to every one who showed up. Feel good about yourself.

So, we’re recording and you’re awesome for being patient with us.

I can't see any way not to be pleased. 

We have 260 fans as of this writing. This is without any legit content. By this I mean I spend my time putting up awesome things. I do it here, too, but on the facebook page all I really do is put up stuff I think is cool and people keep coming. We've had some pretty tremendous success at the two shows we've played together and a lot of fan interest. I know a lot of it is friends and family, but the thing is we haven't got any real songs up or info about us. We only play about once a month and I had to cancel the last one..So it's kind of amazing.

Either way we're gonna change all that. We're heading into the studio in May. Nothing huge and I'm still figuring out how to release it completely, but count on 5 songs and all it'll cost you is some love. Of course we'll take donations. I'll figure out the "how" on that in the next few weeks, but mostly we're pretty proud of ourselves and we really want you to hear this and share it with some friends – hell – make them our friends, too. 

So far, no working titles, where we are is that we picked 5 tunes and we want you to hear them. Feel free to tell me how exciting that is.  

Posted via email from Meathawk

There’s things you shouldn’t do if you wish to be taken seriously.

I think the idea of rock music as art is silly. I know there's a lot of navel gazing "artists" out there who would not agree with this statement, but there's certain behaviors that I think preclude the distinction of either art or artist.

To call it out: There's some things an artist just wouldn't do.

And I know there's arts and there's crafts and, and I won't put Bob Dylan next to a Color Me Badd Tribute band. Apples and elephants. Just not to be compared. I'm not the biggest Bob fan in the world – I love his stuff and think he's occasionally genius – but he's not the Tribute band, either. Tribute bands are essentially the birdhouse makers of music. Home Tweet Home. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's kinda tough to do but that don't make it fucking art. 'k? Believe me, I play in cover bands, it's not rocket science. 

Either way I'm not gonna play your battle of the bands. No one ever asked Cezanne to go "up against" Pissarro for a single slot in a museum sponsored by Coors Light. I'm trying to imagine the T.S. Eliot/Yeats poetry slam up in the Theosophical Society house. 

Then there's that quote from Joni Mitchell about Van Gogh: "Paint a Starry Night again, man!' You know? He painted it and that was it." (Miles of Aisles, 1974) It's bad enough that a songwriter could be an artist if we'd let them evolve. Instead we reward them for doing the same old shit. I love AC/DC, but their success lies in their consistency. You know what you'll get from them.

It takes an enormous amount of will and a bit of mental illness to keep a refined vision. The vision needs to be about being better and not about being popular. Popularity comes when you're better. At least in a just world. 

Thank you to Jeff Weber

And his awesome new camera. Thanks for being there and thanks for filming. Here’s Jeff.

Ballydoyle was a great time and we can’t say enought words of praise, thanks and love.

Now you gotta come out.

Turns out Justin bought a new shirt for this. You really are a big deal. Chad even spoke about trimming his beard. I got a haircut.

Wow.

kt

We’re Ready

So…Saturday. It’s on. 8:30. Ballydoyle. Aurora, Il.

If you hate reading and I’m too wordy skip to the end. I’ll highlight the last thing to read:

We made up the best songs we know how to make up. I tried to say it right; make it something you can relate to; say it well. We rehearsed. I think we’re playing a fair amount of tunes I’ve tried to get you to listen to before, but just in case we learned a cover so you wouldn’t feel like we threw strange songs at you all night. We told everyone we could think of. We told them again. We contacted newspapers and websites and facebook about it (just in case you haven’t heard). Then told everyone we knew to come and to tell everyone they knew to come. So you’re coming. Wonderful. I’m nervous. I want to put on a great show. I want to sell these tunes to you. I want to connect. I want this to be fun. I mean, I’m gonna have a good time, but it’s kinda more fun if you do, too.

Ultimately, though, It’s gonna be fun if you have fun. If you have some friends out and hear things you like. We got the tunes and I hope you’re bringing 10 of your closest buddies. We’re gonna have an amazing time. I want you to be there and I want you to like us, but mostly I want you to drink a couple and enjoy each other and laugh a whole ton. Come laugh at me and find Justin dreamy and marvel at Chad’s beard. We are our own sideshow.

We’re gonna do the best we can. I can’t wait to see everyone. This is an oddly huge night for me.

One thing I definitely want to recommend to you, I have a friend Maureen Gasek who is an amazing visual artist and who has been kind and welcoming and let me and Chris Bauler play in her living room then gave Chris a painting. she’s helped me out tremendously and introduced me to some great people I hope to introduce you to. But these are the reasons I love her. You should go to the Paramount arts center and fall in love with her work. Say hello from me, I’m not sure I can get there with our load in time. I will be missing a lot about it.

See you Saturday,

kt