Currently?...Just 'Me and the Boys'...but past bands both real and imagined/on paper including membership in, sole proprietorships, or having performed with include, in chronological order...HORNS (a Paul McCartney and Wings-inspired band in theory from my 6th and 7th grade years)...MERCEDEM (another band in theory from my 9th grade year-so inpired by two bands, it might as well been called RUSZZY)...RIGOR MORTIS (an actual garage band whose membership included Lange Martine, whose dad wrote all those Pointer Sister hits, and Hunt Adams, who would go on to play for the Steve Albini produced band, Spider Virus. These guys used me for my giant amplifier! The drummer Trey Spence was so mean to me that he said if Rush knew I was a fan of theirs, they would quit!)...THE DELPHI GROUP (a more serious attempt at a garage band with Hunt Adams, who first saw my potential as a singer. We added bassist John Main and switched our name to MAINLINE after a word we learned in some educational pamphlets. We then added the drum talents of Brian 'Brain' Davies and became)...BACCHUS ROCKUS (the singlemost greatest garage band to ever come out of Gnashville)...JAYMES JAUPLYN AND THE PARK AVENUE DREGS (Alternative band formed with former rival bandleader James Hall upon learning we'd both be attending WKU. Once in BG, we quickly discovered the talents of bassist Michael Romanowski and drummer Pete Karbens. We shared the stage with some true greatnesses at the now legendarily defunct Picasso's. After a year, James Hall split for Atlanta with his R.A., Steve Gorman,...yeah, that Steve Gorman.)...THE PARK AVE. DREGS (Now a hobbled 3-piece with Singer/Songwriter/Lead and Rythm Guitar duties manned by yours truly. After a year of dissappointing our former crowds, Romanowski called it quits and was immediately replaced with the like-minded talents of Keith Heric. We quickly became a power-trio and within a decade would become the dark matter of Bowling Green legend. Additional guessed performers would include pianist Greta Harding, keyboardist Steve Sheroan, guitarist James Pearson, violiddlist Kerry Pruitt, and the horn talents of George Street, Dave Rice, Jess Hendriks, and Bob Pate)...THE GRASS BLADES (Or Acoustic Dregs and friends, if you like was a short-lived Blewgrass experiment featuring guitarist Randy Mason and Bassist Drew Lewis)...THE DOUGHBOYS (A cover band that afforded me my 1st taste of making a living off music...and I've never felt like such a whore. I played fretless bass, Pete played drums, Steve Sheroan aka 'Speedo' played guitar, and Greg 'the Vain Vein' Maynard led us all to hell with his golden tonsils. Killer misadventures I tells ya!)
Influences
The Beatles, Wings, Cheap Trick, Pink Floyd, Queen, Rush, the Doors, Randy Rhoads era Ozzy, Led Zeppelin, Yes, Duran Duran, Big Country, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Ratt, Dokken, Al Di Meola, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, James Hall, Matt R. Davis, Buzz Frasier, Govt. Cheese, STEVE HOWE, ROSEMARY CLOONEY, STEVE HILLAGE, XTC, Beck, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Brian Wilson, MR. BUNGLE, Fantomas, Ween, Love and Rockets, the Smiths, the Cure, Ben Folds Five, Jeff Buckley, Lovage, ROGER WATERS, LES PAUL, MARY FORD, Bjork, Komeda, Scotty Anderson, Esquivel, Glen Miller, Tchaikovski, Debussy, Willie Nelson, the Bobs, Annie Sellick, Nadja Sonnenburg, They Might Be Giants, Microscopic Septet, Julianna Waller, CARMINE COPPOLA (esp. The Black Stallion Soundtrack)
I was inpired by my father's playing of the Beatles' classic 'Norwegian Wood' on guitar in my family's kitchen early into my 3rd grade year. Guitar was too much a handful for me, so the folks went up in the attic and fetched me a baritone ukelele, which is basically a really big ukelele, or, if you like, a small guitar minus the bass 'E' and 'A' strings...plus it had nylon strings, making it easy to play! They learned me a slew of Beatles songs on that little axe.
By the time I was nearing the end of my 4th grade year, I was so stricken with 'electric-guitaritus' that I could scarcely think straight. We found one with an amp at Nashville Music co. in Green Hills for around $130.00, and it was decided that if I mowed lawns all summer long, I'd probably be able to afford it. It wasn't very nice, but to me it was beautiful...sunburst finish with cutaways (horns, I called them). My Aunt Sheila sent me a Beatles Complete book of easy guitar arrangements of all their songs (which I still have and use to this day). A couple of years later, as I had nearly 'mastered' this entire book, my guitar developed a short in its input jack and ceased to work...and I quit playing.
This wasn't too much a problem for me as I had another passion...guns. So I developed those skills by killing defenseless animals, digging foxholes, and generally preparing for our inevitable showdown with Communist Russia and China. I garnered some significant survival skills, but truth be told, I wish I'd spent that time playing scales, arpeggios, and chords instead.
(Whew!...Are you as bored and tired of reading this as I am of writing it?...if not, then check back soon, as I will be adding much more, as time and energy avail themselves.)
A couple of years past and I found myself glued to the fledgling MTV (which made short work of totally rotting my brain) and my exposure to Rush sealed the deal...I was going to resume my love affair with the guitar. I tried to cop moves and licks I was seeing in regular rotation on MTV, much of which was to no avail...like INXS' 'The One Thing'...there's some time I wish I could have back. I did manage to figure out the minimalist guitar solo on Madness' 'Our House' and a good portion of Dexy's Midnight Runners' 'Come on Eileen'
Another year past and whilst attending summer camp, I was cabinmates with a really good guitarist whose name now escapes me. This was a faith-based camp and I'll never forget the plug being pulled on this guy twice during the commencement talent show...once during Van Halen's 'Runnin' With the Devil' and again during Pat Benatar's 'Hell is for Children'. This guy turned me on to a crude form of guitar tablature that enabled me to quickly learn three Rush solos that I'd previously only dreamed of being able to play...i.e. pretending to while gooning in the mirror with a tennis raquet.
With this accomplishment under my belt, I began to feel pretty sure of myself and was lulled into believing that I just might be exceptional as a guitarist...until the day came when a fellow member of Seven Hills coaxed me into leaving the premises to go watch a friend rehearse with a band he was putting together...As we approached this 'casa de rehearsal', I could hear this deafening roar coming through its walls. We entered and with a nod of acknowledgement from the guitarist, we pulled up a chair and proceeded to watch him and a drummer throw down on the rest of their song- a blues based rock anthem ad infinitum...I kid you not, it was so loud that the lights in the house were flashing with each crack of the snare.
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I love the Christmas tunes you did!!!! So nice to hear your voice and style with these classic songs!!! Thanks Mr. Thompson, thanks a lot. Happy Christmas!!!xxmichele
got your shirt ole friend, but you were supposed to ask how I am going to get down there....in which I reply, funny you should ask, I've got a Bitchin Camaro. Feeling all warm and fuzzy inside after a good listen to this years seasonal offerings, as if someone spiked my eggnog or roasted my nuts on a open fire...undecided....pe-auce and goodshwill
Got some new recordings up on Gypsies site. tell me what you think of the song She and I did an old Bladenz song So Confused On myspace.com/thegypsies27 Tell me what you think of my one mike recordings
Whats up johnny! thought id drop in and see whats up n all that jazz. If you've got a minute, come check out my new track "Go with (the flow)"? It would make moses wanna take his shoes off and dance, haha. Take it easy and hope to hear from ya! Drew
new demo called "metaphor" if your interested in a listen! BTW...with only 3 dollars in my wallet i couldnt really go to the concert,lol. sry for being broke...i know im missing a hell of a show...damn it
Haha, i dont know....Ol' two step opened up my eyes a little... Im going to do my best to come watch for a while and hang out on Saturday, its going to be one epically proportioned crazy onset of madness i believe! Cant wait to hear the damn drums along with it! haha
Dug the jams tonite on Home Cookin'! Track 5 (I guess that was the last one played... can't remember the name) rocked! Love hearing your voice! It takes me back! Keep it up!
Got the CD from Antz!!!! It's so FUCKING AWESOME!!!!! I LOVE IT!... I've been listen to it over and over!! I'll play instruments with you live ANYTIME. It would be my honor. oxoxo
im a little slow. i just found your comment. thank you my good man! im getting ready to upload another 50 or so pieces, some old, some new. rock on dude!
That's a more popular magazine than I would have ever guessed.
Someone showed me the article then three weeks later I saw that issue sitting on the table at my mom and dad's and asked who gave it to them. My mom said she got a free subscription somehow. They hadn't seen the article (or even opened the magazine).
Jon Wettig opened the Zanzabar this week. You heard??
![Manifest Audio[loudhouse coffee Jan. 22nd]](http://c1.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/129/s_359e102727594848897eac1eadf2c898.jpg)
new demo called "metaphor" if your interested in a listen! BTW...with only 3 dollars in my wallet i couldnt really go to the concert,lol. sry for being broke...i know im missing a hell of a show...damn it
