New endorsement deal

ETB's publicist Suzanne Penley has landed us endorsements through WB Gear (www.wbgear.com), which is affiliated with SIT Strings and several other useful companies. Awesome! And tho via ETB this is a deal for me as an individual artist. Also awesome. This in addition to the amazing deal she landed for a new set of cymbals for Rob.

She's really been making things happen. Can't thank her enough, and Eric Tessmer Band looks forward to having a big year!

ETB wound up working another double Friday as well. Called in for early set at Friends before our set at BD Riley's. Towards the end the cops showed up amidst noise complaints. Live music capital of the world, just keep it down even if Friends is completely packed during our last song. Seriously? Other than that, fun sets and a good night.

Also on Friday met Lisa and Trace from the upstart paranormal investigations show, couldn't talk to them while playing heh, but had a business lunch with them next day.

Went very positive despite me dragging ass from the previous long night. I am the official musical director, they want to use parts of "House of Leaves pt 2" for the title and I'll have free reign creatively for whatever i'd like to produce for the show. Only rule is nothing obviously/predictably spooky. Done. Pro bono work for now til the show is in production and starts earning money. But looks great on my resume nonetheless.

Other developments include me bass teching for Dug Pinnick on a King's X West Coast run late March thru mid April. Will be great to work with those guys again, haven't travelled with them since 2009.

Yesterday had a photo shoot for Arcana Mundi at Matt Smith's studio. All I have to say about that is that Tim will be having Matt Smith personally and individually sit down with myself, MJ (keys/guitar) and Natalie Zoe (backing vox/guitar) and going over guitar parts. Awesome. I haven't had a guitar lesson since age 14, and will be looking forward to sitting down with the man himself.

Last night at our Monday residency at Friends was abysmal. Note to self: don't book Monday after the Super Bowl, or whatever such big sporting event that apparently happened Sunday which I heard about on Twitter (don't own a TV and don't give a fuck about sports).

And finally have been demo'ing music for RPM Challenge. Have an 8 minute orchestral epic, a spanish classical piece and am working on a 3rd idea as well. Not sure how/where I'll record them, but have half the required 35 minutes of music ready to roll.

Feels good to play guitar. Don't get me wrong, I love bass as well. Just haven't had the opportunity to play much guitar past few years.

Today had another low key jam for Arcana Mundi. Tomorrow full rehearsal at Tim's being-rennovated house in North Austin. After dropping Triniti off at Tattoo 23 for a birthday piece by Karen Slafter I finally got a new handle for my Paul Stanley Iceman case. Been broken for 5? years and held together with some string. Punk as funk but not very functional.

Of course, South Austin Music has a Dietz touring 2x15 bass cab with Eminence speakers. Since having my Mergilli Innovations replica Dietz cab built (couldn't find the real deal anywhere), the damn things are now everywhere.

#life

RPM Challenge time is here again

www.rpmchallenge.com

And like the last 3 years, I questioned whether or not I should even attempt only to say fuck it and register last minute.

Yesterday was on my 8-track messing around and wrote a rather symphonic 8-minute piece of music. Great. Good luck finishing that on time, heh! Why can't I just write a raunchy punk record and make it easier on myself? But part of the challenge for me is to top what I did the previous year.

Red River Day Care (2009) proved to myself that I can write a full record and play all the instruments. Ocean of Stars (2010) proved to myself that I can write a fully realized album within the time constraints, and the results were such that I pressed 130 copies myself and sold most of them. Sunrise on the Sea Floor/House of Leaves (2011) had me go further and attempt a concept EP based on the book "House of Leaves", which drastically changed gears from the first songs I was working on. I came up short and didn't finish a full album, but am not admitting defeat as I was slowed down by the sheer ambition of what I was trying to do.

So this year I am at the Hobbit Hole without adequate home studio space. Have talked to my good friend and ex-Southern Gun Culture bandmate Amber Lucille about recording at her home studio. Which would be amazing but that also severely limits the amount of time I can spend noodling and writing as I'd be working around another's schedule. SO. Do I attempt a full RPM record of new music at her place, or do I use the recording time to re-record "House of Leaves" and make it release-worthy as well as finish the Sunrise on the Sea Floor cuts with guest vocals and guitar...?

Hmmmm.

Either way, my schedule has freed itself for today, ETB practice has been postponed and Trin will be in Lakeway with the van all day. So I will be working on music, swapping out the stricken toggle switch on my Paul Stanley Iceman, and in general making myself useful around the house. And what an amazing feeling it is to have our own place. Had the Hobbit Hole solo yesterday evening and almost didn't know what to do with myself.

In other ETB news, we are talking gear endorsements through WB Gear. See what they have to offer. All I know is 2 people could go out for a nice dinner on what a set of bass strings cost. And will need guitar strings soon too. Have few dozen assorted DR sets from various sources but about to run out of the guage I actually like (11-50).

Still waiting to hear how ETB Europe plans are coming together, I've been offered a King's X tour for same timeframe and need to tell them something in the next few days...

ETB is at BD Riley's tomorrow night, and on Saturday I meet with the contact for the paranormal investigations TV show who is interested in using my music.

In personal news, I cannot get over how good I feel now.

It's like I finally have my life back since my separation and divorce in Fall 2009. Staying with Tim and Tracey in Lakeway was an amazing and needed sanctuary, tho I was slipping into a very dark period towards end of the year. But it opened the doors to so many things, Trin getting back into doing Reiki professionally and myself getting back into playing guitar for Tim's band Arcana Mundi. Can't thank them enough. Plus the spark is back with ETB, we look forward to working on a new album and having a busy and great year.

Life is good.