June 8, 2009 Morning Pages

Wow. It's been a while.

Lots of stuff going on. A milestone birthday came and went. Not as traumatic as I thought it would be, and truth to tell it sort of passed by as a non-event. Not as many friends were able to make the party as I'd hoped, so I'm hoping to connect with a lot of those people soon.

Big month for the band. We've got the IE Jazz and R&B Fest this weekend in Moreno Valley. Should be a great event, and if this weekend's preview at It's a Grind coffeehouse is any indication the band is going to sound fantastic. We're really starting to gel as a group. No longer worried so much about format and learning songs, we're finally getting into a groove and getting to know each other as musicians. All the little nuances and style that each player brings to the table. It's my favorite part of playing in a group. Saturday's gig at It's a Grind was a lot of fun. I love being able to just show up at a place and start calling out tunes that we play without missing a beat.

Mocca was also this past weekend, and I guess the debut of CAG's ICONIC went pretty well. Most reports from Mocca confirm one thing: it was hot. Roasting hot. Why on earth you'd have a huge indie comic convention with thousands attending and not have basic ventilation and air conditioning is beyond me. From the sounds of things, it needs to go back to the Puck Building. Anyway, Keith from CAG touched base with me, and it sounded positive. I'm eager to hear what the feedback on the book is.

Picked up a quick lettering gig at the beginning of the month. That worked out nicely, because I could use a little extra cash for San Diego Comic Con. That's coming up soon, and the next month will be spent writing up treatments for the other ideas I've had brewing in my subconscious. As QUANTUM is sort of in a holding pattern, it's been refreshing to build some of the other universes I've had in my head for a while.

Lots to catch up on, actually, but I'm reaching the end of my carpool, so I'm going to have to wrap it up. More later.

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June 8, 2009 Morning Pages

Wow. It's been a while.

Lots of stuff going on. A milestone birthday came and went. Not as traumatic as I thought it would be, and truth to tell it sort of passed by as a non-event. Not as many friends were able to make the party as I'd hoped, so I'm hoping to connect with a lot of those people soon.

Big month for the band. We've got the IE Jazz and R&B Fest this weekend in Moreno Valley. Should be a great event, and if this weekend's preview at It's a Grind coffeehouse is any indication the band is going to sound fantastic. We're really starting to gel as a group. No longer worried so much about format and learning songs, we're finally getting into a groove and getting to know each other as musicians. All the little nuances and style that each player brings to the table. It's my favorite part of playing in a group. Saturday's gig at It's a Grind was a lot of fun. I love being able to just show up at a place and start calling out tunes that we play without missing a beat.

Mocca was also this past weekend, and I guess the debut of CAG's ICONIC went pretty well. Most reports from Mocca confirm one thing: it was hot. Roasting hot. Why on earth you'd have a huge indie comic convention with thousands attending and not have basic ventilation and air conditioning is beyond me. From the sounds of things, it needs to go back to the Puck Building. Anyway, Keith from CAG touched base with me, and it sounded positive. I'm eager to hear what the feedback on the book is.

Picked up a quick lettering gig at the beginning of the month. That worked out nicely, because I could use a little extra cash for San Diego Comic Con. That's coming up soon, and the next month will be spent writing up treatments for the other ideas I've had brewing in my subconscious. As QUANTUM is sort of in a holding pattern, it's been refreshing to build some of the other universes I've had in my head for a while.

Lots to catch up on, actually, but I'm reaching the end of my carpool, so I'm going to have to wrap it up. More later.

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New Writing - The Life and Death of Talos the Bronze

Wanted to take some time today to plug some of my recent comic book work. I'm proud to announce that I have a story coming out in the soon-to-be-released ICONIC graphic novel from the Comicbook Artists Guild.





The concept of ICONIC is simple: new twists on old tales of classic literature and history. The heroes in ICONIC are folks you're already familiar with: Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood, St. George and the Dragon, and others. It's 112 pages of fun and adventure targeted to comic book readers old and new.

My story involves Talos the Bronze, the mythical creature who fought and was eventually defeated by Jason and the Argonauts. Only this time, we get Talos' point of view on how it all went down.

















This story was a lot of fun to put together, and my creative partner on it, cartoonist Rafael Gonzalez has a really fun style. Rafael is an expert on giants and monsters, so it only made sense that he take on Talos.

The book itself is a monumental effort by CAG, the first truly worldwide collaboration by its members. It's debuting at the MOCCA Art Festival in NYC next month and will cost you a mere $10. More info on CAG and ICONIC can be found at http://comicartguild.com

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May 4, 2009 Morning Pages

I know it's been a long time since I've logged in here, and I'm sorry. I could blame all those things: busy, busy, yadda, yadda; but it's all a load of crap. I've needed to knuckle down and get to writing, and it's high time I did so.

So, overall, things have been going pretty well. Really well, in fact, on a musical end. The band is probably the highlight of the past few weeks. The fellas are bonding and are very ambitious about the immediate future. We did our first full night of covers last Friday. I have to hand it to them, we did 4.5 hours without excessive delays between songs or any repeats. I've got a good group of musicians. They're professional, open to teaching and criticism and also just good people. They're also very good at getting their own people to come to gigs. Reception at the past couple gigs has been really favorable. We didn't bring as many people into the last Genghis Cohen gig--and my voice was not up to snuff that particular night--but it was a good night nonetheless.

Starboard Attitude went off pretty much without a hitch. Folks were very enthusiastic about what they heard, and I actually sold a few EPs. It was good to see the Starboard folks again, and I'll probably be trying to set up a once-a-month with them. Plus, we made money! Officially the first gig that I didn't have to pay them out of my own pocket. We need more of those. At this point I can probably be able to do one original and one cover gig a month to keep the momentum going. Next goal: teaching them the rest of the originals for the next record. Question now is if I can do that before Moreno Valley. I have a feeling we'll play a similar set to our first Genghis Cohen gig at Molly Mallone's (May 12, 8PM). We've been working really hard lately; I'd like to give the guys one no-stress, no-cram gig for a change.





On other fronts, I've been prepping the highly-awaited ICONIC anthology for the Comicbook Artists Guild. The book will be a collection of new twists on old stories such as Robin Hood, Prometheus, St. George and the like. I co-wrote a story for the book with Raphael Gonzalez. It's the story of Talos the Bronze, the giant that is eventually defeated by Jason and the Argonauts. This book has been a tumultuous journey. It's both shaken and unified the group, and in my opinion will be the best thing they've put out. Clocking in at over 110 pages and catered towards education and literacy, it will be a perfect addition to any bookstore or library. Initial sales on the book look good. I'm hoping even more people get excited about it and order their copies.

On a personal level, it's a mixed bag. Things are actually going pretty well for me in my relationships. Sadly, I've lost a couple friends to death a couple weeks ago. I have another friend who's battling cancer right now. I'm turning over a new leaf, which is difficult. I have a birthday coming up, a big one. Every time that happens, I hold a mirror up to my life. Maybe that's what's contributing to some of my stress. Woke up sobbing this morning from some stupid dream. That always sucks. Obviously Freud is trying to tell me something, and maybe I'll have to find someone to talk to about it. More on that at some other time.

Anyway, it's a new day and time to take on another week. Off to the races.

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March 27, 2009 Morning Pages

So, how the hell do I start?

Oh, hell. We totally killed it!

Words cannot begin to describe how well things went last night @ Genghis Cohen. It was simply a near-perfect night. Not a perfect gig--at least on my part--but pretty damn near. Pretty much everything that could have gone right last night did. It was a nice change of pace. After a couple years of playing one-man-stupid-cover-gigs at sports bars for the bartender and sometimes 2 other people, it was a pleasant change of pace to be playing my own material hang having a whole room of folks enjoy it.

But before I get into all of that, though, let me comment on the restaurant that is Genghis Cohen, and then I'll later focus on the music venue. Although Christy knocked the décor as 80's retro, I actually enjoyed the look and feel of the place. All of that paled in comparison to the food, which was top notch. We downed a helping of pan-fried pork dumplings that totally got us stoked for the main course. She had the Kung Pao Chicken (her go-to dish) and I had the Cilantro Spicy Shrimp. Have to say it was all very tasty. We were very well taken care of by the staff had and weren't rushed out of the booth after. A very pleasant dining experience overall, and I definitely recommend it to anyone who's looking for good Chinese food in Hollywood.

Now for the gig. First of all, kudos to Lindsey, who was working the door at the place and made sure everything was taken care of for us professionally. The only disappointment was that for some reason the terms of my contract with the venue changed over the past month. So I had to clarify a few things with her. More on that later. Also deserving of big ups was Evan, our sound man. Haven't listened to the board mix that he recorded for us, but from what I could hear in the house and the feedback from the audience, we sounded pretty tight. He paid attention to my cues (less reverb on the lead vocal) and kept everything well balanced.

I couldn't be more proud of my musicians last night. Every single one of them. First off, they were all punctual. Didn't have to worry about anyone showing up late or not having their poop in a pile. Second of all, they looked perfectly classy, which I had requested at the last rehearsal. We were a good looking group, completely appropriate for the type of music we were playing. And then there's the actual execution of the songs last night--like I said, not perfect, but pretty damn near. The only thing I can remember being off was the ending of “Big Blue Sky,” which we flubbed, and maybe the tempo of “Twenty Days,” which was just a little rushed. Very slight mistakes which in no was affected my feeling of the performance. For my part, I have to say I was in really good form. I felt confident, no vocal issues at all, and it felt like the gig as a whole was pretty well paced. In the actual moment, I could see people in the crowd grooving in their seats.

That was gratifying, to actually see folks enjoying what we were doing. I guess I'm used to the indifference I get when I did my cover sets, also known as musician's hell. I think I almost got resigned to the fact that I'd never have a good show again. Last night was a breath of fresh air and something sorely needed to break the sports club curse.

I'm going to wrap this entry up soon, but I can't do it without thanking a number of people who went out of their way to show up last night. First up, my South Bay peeps: Wellman, Scott, Ram, Robb Fulcher, Susan. Every single one of you made my night with your enthusiasm and presence. My workmates: Jason, Patricia, Steve and Keon. Please tell everyone what they missed out on and how much they need to support the next time. Christian Beranek! Dude, I know how busy you are; thanks for taking time out of your night to be there for me. It meant a lot. Jeremy Ross, what a pleasant surprise to see you! Dax, thanks for coming with CB. I look forward to jamming with you sometime soon. Also, friends of my bandmates and folks that hung out after the preceding act: THANK YOU! Angela Meday! You rock my world!

Ok, more later. Did I mention I feel good?

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March 26, 2009 Morning Pages

Well, today's the day.

Really crossing my fingers that all the begging and bribing I've been doing will pay off in actual butts in seats. Sure, everyone says “I'll be there.” But it's really not until downbeat that I'll truly know who's simply give me lip service or who's serious about supporting. This is the worst part about being a musician. Day was, I used to believe there was a “if you build it, they will come” mentality to what I did. But in a music town like LA, clubs expect--nay, demand--that the acts that play their venues bring their following. So the responsibility has moved from the venue itself to try to fill the audience to the acts that are performing.

It's a real catch-22 for new acts. It's what makes it the toughest part of what I'm having to do since I moved out here. I took me a good 2 or so years to build my New York fanbase. Sadly, a lot of people in LA haven't even heard of me. So I've been working my ass off to try to change that.

Thank God for the internet. Facebook, Meetup, Google and ReverbNation have really made my life a lot easier in terms of dealing with this. I can, at the very least, keep my friends in the loop easier than knocking on doors and making phone calls. The ease of creating events and inviting folks with a certain region to said events has mercifully been streamlined for the artist who is self-managing and promoting. So has circulating PR. Thankfully, newspapers and media outlets are now just an email blast away.

Anyway, here's hoping all of that homework will get my numbers into the club so I can actually pay for this shindig. I realize that I've only got one or two more of these pay-for-play gigs in my budget, then I'm going to have to do something else. But I'm in it to win it, and this is an investment I believe will pay out in the end.

I fell pretty confident, actually. The only question marks in my mind are with the first new song. It's physically challenging, for both me and my bass player Noah. It'll also be a WTF moment for the audience, and I'm not sure they'll know what to expect. Volume will be a concern, as Genghis Cohen is a pretty small room. The first two songs of the set are powerful, so I expect some stern looks from the soundman. Then we'll settle into the groovier stuff. I guess my biggest fear is that I don't scare the crowd off in the first two tunes. But recently I've come to learn that sometimes art has to challenge its audience. I'm genuinely interested in seeing what the reaction will be. Let's hope we execute it well. I have no fear after the first two songs. We're just coming out of the gate with something no one's expecting from me.

For the bands part, they're pretty tight. Nikki, God bless her heart, has been working her ass off to learn these songs in a short amount of time. She's got a lot of talent, and it's great to have a feminine element to the band. Man, if I could also add a female keyboard player who could sing, I'd be gold. Putting that out to the internets.

Calm, reflective and relaxed today. Really trying not to think about the gig too much. I'll listen to a couple songs over my lunch just to mentally visualize performing those first two songs. But I really don't want to be bothered with anything until tonight. To anyone reading this in the LA area, you're going to catch an amazing show. Please spread the word if you can not attend to your friends. We're going to have a really fun time, and the band is going to tear it up.

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March 13, 2009 Morning Pages

Carpooling again. What a fantastic way to get a little writing done.

Well, it's official. We're in the two-week window where I'll really start pushing the Genghis Cohen gig. That's right, on Thursday the 26th I'll be bringing the band to LA and rocking the stage. So please let this go out as a general call to everyone with the in the view of this blog that lives in the greater Los Angeles area. I need you to come out and support! This is the only local gig on the books for the foreseeable future. Depending on how it goes, I may book more, but I know I'll be focused on rehearsing the band for the next record. To that end, the set list will probably look something like this (not in order):

Flipside in the Ghetto
Free My Mind
Romeo and Juliet
Thinkin 'Bout You
*undisclosed cover tune*
Tootie Got Bootie
Big Blue Sky
It's Only Love
Twenty Days
Only Woman on the World (time providing)

See that? There are two NEW songs that are going to pop into the set this show. That gives you, the audience, the opportunity to hear brand new Philip Clark material before anyone else in the world! How cool is that? Plus, you really need to hear this band. They really are talented, exceptional musicians. There's really only so much pimping I can do; you really just need to come see this for yourself.

Please go to http://reverbnation.com/philipclark for more info, or if you're on Facebook you can probably search for the event there, too. As long as your there, please add me as your friend and also add my fan page.

As long as we're talking about links, here are links to my various homes in the social networking scene. Please feel free to add these:

http://twitter.com/philipclark (my Twitter feed)

http://blip.fm/flipside (my DJ handle)

Speaking of, my friend Scott and I were having an interesting conversation last night. What with all these social networks out there, it's very easy to get your message to the masses, whatever it is. Scott was reading an article and pointed out that there are basically three kinds of twitterers: Mindcasters, Egocasters and Marketers. We observed that the best people to follow are the mindcasters--those that have interesting thoughts and observations and simple share them with the internet. The worst kind are the egocasters--those that simply tweet "check me. Me, me, me." Marketers are a necessary evil to any social situation.

That said, I know I try more to be a mindcaster, although I know that early on I started as an egocaster. with all the new sites and features coming out, it becomes more and more apparent that this is the age of digital narcissism. It's a potential danger for we as artists to get swept up in it all and stick to the business of creating.

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March 11, 2009 Morning Pages

I always say it's been a minute. Well, it's been a minute.

Carpooling with the girl today. Instant advantage is that I can sit in the passenger seat and write while she drives. It's a better way for me to take care of business on what is usually a wasted hour while I commute to work. In New York it was easier: sit on the subway and take care of whatever work I had. Out in La-La Land it's a little more complicated. Being a slave to the 405 only gives me a couple three things I can knock out during drive time. I can make phone calls, sadly, only to the East Coast; because, of course, it's too early to call anyone in LA. I can record voice notes for either story or song ideas. That, I don't do enough. Just haven't organized enough to do it, plus there's the added step of having to transcribe any such notes to the computer later. Most of the time, I listen to music; either stuff I look to for inspiration or rehearsal tapes or new compositions that I've bounced down to perfect. I just hate feeling like I'm wasting that time. It's two hours out of my day, and I don't get paid for it.

And so it is that I'm actually knocking out a morning page while my wife cranks out fair-to-middlin' Top 40 and Country music from the radio...

Oh, quick aside here. WILL EVERY PRODUCER ON THE PLANET STOP USING AUTO-TUNE?? Every fucking song I hear now has some gimick-y vocal track that's over-saturated with the god-damned Auto Tune plug-in. I think 10 years is long enough for this trend to die a quick and painful death. And let me add, DOING IT TO STEVIE WONDER'S VOICE IS A CRIME WHICH SHOULD EARN WHATEVER PRODUCER A LIFETIME SENTENCE IN GUANTANAMO BEING ASS-RAPED BY GREAT DANES AND FED COCK SANDWICHES EVERY MEAL. It is singularly the worst thing to ever happen to Popular music. The fact that the watershed moment for Auto Tune was a Cher tune should be a major fucking clue that it was a bad, bad, bad idea. Here's an idea, learn how to sing or perhaps even work a talk-box. Something that takes actual fucking talent.

Oh, and the Gitmo thing should just happen to Kanye anyway.

There, rant over. Ah, that felt good.

This is awesome, halfway to work and I've already generated over 400 words. As much as I fought the whole carpool thing with the wife, it might actually be a good idea. Plus, added bonus, I'm keeping miles off the leased Mazda. Lesson for next time: make sure the iced coffee is made. Winchell's will be the first order of the day once I get out of the car.

Ok, lots going on lately. Taking care of promo for the upcoming gig at Genghis Cohen (March 26th at 10PM, folks. I'll be making a big fucking deal out of it soon). This is one where I simply have to bring out bodies to support, so I'm a little nervous about it. Also, it's really the first real visible original gig here in LA-proper. Will probably be begging, borrowing and offering sexual favors to all of my friends and colleagues in town to get them to come out. The good news is that the band sounds pretty awesome and I'm adding new material to the set. I guess I shouldn't be to concerned with playing old SOBES songs, considering not a lot of folks out here have heard them. But I'm really trying to get into the head of the new record, and definitely after this gig I'll be teaching the band all the new stuff. I think the strategy will be to have rehearsals at least twice a month for the foreseeable future. I like rehearsing. I miss it. It gives me a chance to bond with my musical family. Not only will I be able to get the next record tracked, but I'll also be able to work up some cover sets. Doing to original showcase is well and good, but I know building a fanbase will entail getting to the regular clubs and doing some cover gigs every now and then. They're also arguably more profitable. Every gig and rehearsal is a financial investment at this point. I'd like to be saving money for the stuff I know I'm going to need later this year, like video production and recording costs. Regardless, it will all be seriously underground budget. The key is to come up with quality ideas that don't require a lot of overhead.

Well, rolling up to the jobby job. More later.

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