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I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing about Google Circles, but it’s nice. You can find me on it here. Are invites still a thing? If so, just send me your email address.

It’s still early on and I have my complaints and suggestions but so far I’m finding it easier to manage than Facebook, where friend lists & groups are annoying. And it’s so far been a lot more social than Twitter, I feel like I’m discovering interesting people on it and conversations are happening more. Some of that could be the novelty of the new platform but I feel like it promotes casual socializing in a way I haven’t really felt since BBS’s. Also the Google Hangout multi-video chat is fun.

The other point in Google’s favor is that I don’t trust Facebook and never have. Google has a good record of openness and being pro-web, whereas Facebook has been intent on creating a locked-in walled garden from early on. I believe my interests align more with Google than Facebook, but time will tell.

I’m trying to up my live show’s lighting game. Since it’s me, I’m heading towards the compact, DIY and cheap. Here’s what I’m trying out:

The Chauvet 4BAR - you can get these guys for like $320 USD off eBay, which seems like a great deal since it comes with the tripod, foot pedal and carrying case. Unlike the cheaper Mini 4BAR, this one’s DMX-controllable, so I should be able to sync a couple of these trees to the laptop that drives my live show and plan my lighting out nicely ahead of time.

Enttec USB Pro – to get DMX sent to the lights I need an adapter for the laptop and after a lot of research this seems to be the good one. The cheap guy in me wanted to get the Open DMX Usb which is less than half the price, but most software specifically mentioned the Enttec USB Pro and I didn’t want to risk buying something that wouldn’t do the job.

DMaX – I’m waiting until the lights and adapter arrive but it looks like the DMaX devices for Ableton Live with Max For Live (along with the dmxusbpro external) should let me control the lights from Ableton all easily (I hope this works).

Sound Activated EL Wire – I ordered some sound activated EL Wire to test out. It’s not DMX controllable so it won’t be in sync digitally, but it’s only like $15 and I’m gonna try putting some on the guitar amps and drums and see if we can get it blinking in response to our playing which should be on the beat assuming we’re playing OK. I’m not sure how well it’ll handle the noise level at a show but we’ll see. Worst case scenario I can just leave them on all the time and it should look neat.

I’ll try to post about it once I figure out if any of it works. If you know anything about lighting or visualization stuff I’d mega-love to hear from you.

Trying to be a pro up in here but it’s quiet, not too interesting work:

1) Working on the new album – met with Rob Cosh who I worked with on Out of It and it looks like we’re good to go. I just need to finish off the tracks. Also I’m trying to decide on album artwork.

2) Working on the live show – adding lights and visuals and working on improving the general live sound and presentation.

3) Planning – I have a sheet of paper here with Brad Sucks stuff (releases and promotion etc) planned out until next June. I feel so legit looking at it. Legit and overwhelmed.

4) Video – trying to get some video stuff going for the next record. It’s an area I never really enjoy but I should probably do it.

5) Website fixing – tidying up this place a bit. Upgraded bbPress, added Facebook connect and fixing my mailing list software since I haven’t sent out the Brad Sucks mailing list in forever.

6) Secret projects – plotting out some new projects which have so far involved a lot of meetings.

7) Maintaining my mlkshk account – this thing doesn’t update itself you guys.

But enough about me, how are you?

I upgraded to the latest beta of bbPress and it’s sweet. I finally have forums integrated in the site design. If you feel like testing them out you can see ‘em here.

I’m still working on it but feel free to post about issues. Once I get things running in OK shape I’ll try adding Facebook logins and that will be sweet.

Yeah, so, there was a wiener theme to the show tonight. First time ever. I tried to communicate it from the stage but I’m not sure how clear I was. Here’s the two point recap:

1. Next to the venue was an abandoned KFC with this sign:

2. Inside, on the bar, next to jars of pickled eggs and cheese was a jar of pickled wieners. I did some of my Seinfeld-esque observational humor from the stage re: this crazy coincidence and this wound up happening:

For those of you who are not musicians, that is a pickled wiener that has been tossed onto the stage, specifically onto the set list of your guitarist.

Good times.

Just a reminder for people who are in this specific area of the universe: I’m playing Saturday night at The Elmdale. I’ve never played there before. I’m told they have beer.

Anyway, it’ll probably be my last show in Ottawa till next year while I finish my record and work on some other exciting Brad Sucks projects. So, you know. Do what you must.

This one’s been a struggle and I think it still needs a bunch of work, but I’m calling the demo done and I’ll come back to it. I was trying to do something a bit different and ehhhh I dunno:

I Need to Love Myself More and You Less (demo)

Anyway, that’s a wrap on the demos for the next record. You can listen to them all here (warning: spoilers). Gonna take a short break and then start hassling friends for feedback and then I’ll make a bunch of decisions on what needs to be fixed. And then fix those things.

Went to a 70th birthday thing for Bob Dylan last night (he wasn’t there). I’m not really a huge Dylan fan. I mean, I think he’s rad and much respect, good job. But I’ve never really obsessed over any of his music like I have for my favorite artists, despite trying. Last night at the Dylan open mic I realized the only three songs I really deeply love of his (if we count covers) I found from soundtracks:

1. The Man in Me (The Big Lebowski)
2. You Belong to Me (Natural Born Killers)
3. When I Paint My Masterpiece (Observe & Report, by The Band)

So that probably makes me a lame person. But despite not digging most of his music, he’s an inspiration in that he decided he wanted to be a songwriter and has relentlessly stuck with it. That’s pretty bad-ass. Also this paper doll was on the table in front of me:

Happy birthday!

Tired of staring at this demo, so here you go:

Come Back (demo)

Should be track #8 on Guess Who’s a Mess. Only one more demo to go and then I get to start finishing this bad boy off.

I think I might be finished with nearly anything that happens in convention centers. I’m not sure I’ve ever had a good time in one. Do they happen? They’re so sterile they creep me out and make me want to run far away (to my sterile hotel room).

My panel was OK, though the discussion was just getting going when we ran out of time. I also felt it was a bit too focused on far-off scenarios rather than practical stuff that might help musicians. I have a hard time caring about anything I have to imagine 5-10 years into the future to get. Probably my issue, but there it is.

Once again Boston tried to hang onto me by laying down a giant storm on my way out. Last time it was snow that cancelled every flight but mine. This time it was wind that cancelled every flight but mine. It’s never cool when you see this much red on a departures screen when you walk up to your gate:

I got to fly in a 9-seat Cessna propeller airplane (the ninth seat is actually the co-pilot seat). I thought it would be scary especially with all the turbulence but I found it easy to accept the idea of dying after spending so many hours in an airport. Also it felt like being in a van in the sky. And whenever I was nervous the pilot was like three feet away from me so I could study his body language. “He’s not sweating and trying to secretly phone his kids, so I think this is just normal turbulence.”

I took this video of the landing:

Pretty sweet landing there. The other three I experienced weren’t quite as slick.