The Ripple Effect

Just as I am preparing to step away from this full-time, sometimes neurotic and obsessive focus on my primary musical project DMZ//38, there are new rays of hope. Finally got a feature printed in today's Korea Times after several delays. The reality is that I'm slowly going broke and need to get back to some income-generating activity to stay in the music game over the long haul. Nothing dramatic just reality staring me in the face. Something tells me I'll miss this free-wheeling, kickback time but everyone has their limits.

Will have some cool promo cards later this week to advertise upcoming shows, here's a sample:




Oh, and the ripple effect...it's too easy to get intimidated by the morass of bands, music, "culture" and media madness we're inundated with daily. The bigger the pond, the more effect required to make even a small splash... The DMZ//38 ball is already motion, however - time to take a breather, make some domestic adjustments and allow those ripples to spread a bit.

We Fall But We Keep Getting Up

I'm at risk of getting skid marks from all the sitting around lately. It's been a slight shock to realize that I have fallen into some old habits of being either on the phone, computer or reading - even though I "work" at home not in a corporate office. The more things change...And am still in recovery mode from 4+ hours in the chair at the tattoo studio Thursday night. The results are awesome though and I'll post pictures shortly.

Excited and encouraged by the large turnout at today's antiwar protest in Washington DC. I was certainly there in spirit, if I had a dime for every rally I'd attended in Chocolate City I'd be a wealthy man perhaps. This bodes well for the upcoming Occupy the Occupiers concert in LA on Saturday October 8. We should have at least one of the new songs ready by then.

On the homefront, have been digesting the realization that with all the problems in the world, and challenges faced/facing in this life, it's really OK to be a little complacent in this relationship which has developed in the last several months. With my attitude and compulsions, god(s) bless any woman willing to put up with me in close quarters. ;-)

October Surprises

Still recovering from a mild head cold, following the well-received but poorly-attended show last week at The Gig. This project is still in the early stages and I know it's hard to attract attention in such an entertainment-saturated area like L.A., yet improvements need to be made with street promo efforts...

Several shows for October are lining up, including a high-profile Katrina benefit at Century Club with possible appearances by Herbie Hancock and Stevie Wonder, an October 8 appearance at the Not In Our Name antiwar concert in downtown LA, finally a gig at Zen Sushi on Friday October 28 with my pals at Licorich Records. I hope to see more friends, old and new, at all these gatherings.

Last night I enjoyed a showing of "Green Chair" at the LAKIFF (LA Korean Int'l Film Festival) presented at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Only 10 minutes away and free street parking around the corner, gotta love this town.

Renewal

The change in season has re-invigorated my creative energies. I've made so much progress on new songs in the past week, and am uncovering new layers in the fascinating process of songwriting. Fresh inspiration is coming from Bob Dylan's amazing memoirs (Volume 1) published last year which I found at my favorite new bookstore Skylight Books located in the Los Feliz neighborhood. On Saturday I attended a pretty impressive Asian American rap/political event commemorating 9-11 in K-Town produced by Asiatic Empire - to be honest I should have been performing at the event, but connections were made for next time.

Anticipation building ahead of Tuesday night's show.

Just found out my grandfather in Korea passed away.

Exposure, visibility, whatevah

Gettin a li'l worn out from pasting my picture all over the place, a new photo shoot (full band?) may be in order. Since the next show isn't set yet, probably a benefit in October, I'm shamelessly plugging this next gig at The Gig.

Eye of the Storm

It's difficult to express in words my feelings regarding the tragedy that unfolded this past week in New Orleans. I suspected the damage would be comparable to what happened yet it's still appalling that aid wasn't delivered more rapidly to people when it mattered most. Suffice to say it's triggered more than a few major gut-checks and tears but in fact I feel more driven than ever to make a difference through my music if it's the last thing I do.

Show this past Tuesday at Anarchy Library went smoothly though not particularly well-attended. The group is sounding tighter and I'm looking forward to the next gig at The Gig on Tuesday Sept. 13 for all you LA folks.

Starting to get some press attention as well with this page 4 article in Kyocharo (Korean Consumer Daily) with wide distribution in the SoCal Korean community. Finally, just learned that the CD is now also available through Tower Records online so please go buy a copy if you don't already have one ;-) Happy Labor Day.

Sinparam

The phrase "sinparam" in Korean translates very roughly into "refreshing wind" in English but does not capture the deeper meaning. Here's a better explanation from author Chung Kyungmo-

"There is a Korean word, sinparam, that expresses the pathos, the inner joy, of a person moved to action not by coercion but by his own volition. Param is the sound of the wind; if a person is wafted along on this wind, songs burst from his lips and his legs dance with joy. A sinparam is a strange wind that billows in the hearts of people who have freed themselves from oppression, regained their freedom, and live in a society of mutual trust. This word, redolent with a shamanistic mystique, has a talisman-like appeal for Koreans."

The fruition of so much hard work and perseverance in the past couple months, and especially these last few weeks, has left me feeling breathless, almost with vertigo, as well as vindicated. There is an encouraging response from the media, folks are starting to take notice, and new opportunities abound. In times like this, I find it so important to stay grounded, humble, organized and diligent so that things don't get too out of control.

Am I Too Eclectic

This homebound, largely solitary lifestyle mixed with the relative novelty of being in the entertainment biz is messing with my psyche. I've read one too many articles this week talking about "proper blogging" style and content, yet I've barely scratched the surface and would rather just have fun venting into cyberspace for the time being. Ditto for self-promotion as an indie artist...hell I never planned on making money from this pursuit, much less be "successful." There's really no point to it if it's not enjoyable and has become a chore. If it were as simple as missing the fundamental binary truths of info-tech work then I'd be more thrilled with working again...yet I'm not.

Seems like I've been here before, one difference is more comfort with the concept of being at peace with past, present and future all at once.

The Arrow Flies

Looks like a trip to the Big Apple in late fall is in the works. Promises to be a showcase gig, with "industry" types in attendance. Also working towards a local benefit around October, opening for a very powerful headlining act soon to be disclosed.

Caught a very moving documentary in Little Tokyo titled "Repatriation" marking Liberation Day hosted by Mindullae. I thought the film should have been edited, and noted the pro-DPRK tone of the film, nonetheless it brought to light an important issue relating to North Korean prisoners held for many decades in the South.

On a practical note, the end of summer is imminent with the cooler weather and plans for this author to return to income-generating activity.

40 Years, Acres and a Mother Grieves

There's a somber mood everywhere today you can feel it, words unspoken. Marking 40 years since Watts, and so many unfulfilled promises, dreams deferred, cries unheard. Hear this -

The trench is dug beneath our hearts
Cause there's a riot goin on
The fire this time
Lost in memory
Strange fruit
For rotting vegetables
Strange days
Will the revolution be televised
And up on the watchtower
Machine gun Man
Welcome to the Terrordome
We're all
Aching
For the taste of
Freedom
Once again
Burn baby burn
I wonder if
Heaven got a ghetto


On another note, was listening to the radio and cried when I heard about Cindy Sheehan camped out in Crawford, Texas waiting to speak to Mr. Bush. For shame. This woman deserves our support and empathy, and my prayers go out to everyone out there representing.

Signs of Hope

Finally reviewing a draft of the press release for my new CD, feeling a little like the calm before the storm. On the other hand, it's been complete for a couple weeks and I'm not exactly getting stopped in the street for autographs haha. Seems safe to assume this blog is falling on deaf ears too right now but trying to get into a good habit with posting regularly. There's mention in the press release of an upcoming "national tour" which is news to me...lots of excitement ahead this fall to be sure.

Spent most of the day learning "Redemption Song" by Bob Marley embarrassed to admit. The chord changes are a little harder than I thought and I still don't have the chorus down but it's getting there. There are so many open mic-type events that it would be good for me to have a larger repertoire of acoustic solo numbers.

This week's non-music reading looks to be a hefty report called "The Gulag in North Korea." As a long-time independent leftie, I feel qualified to state that the US liberal/left is totally snoozing on this one and it's an issue Bush is bound to focus on to distract attention from Iraq...On a side note I was shocked at how fast my printer (Canon C84) was spitting out the report in draft mode, took maybe 1/2 second a page very cool.

Let the the tooth fairies smile upon me this week so this throbbing from my recent root filling finally goes away.

Music marketing 101

Reading lots of materials lately on advertising, promotion, and publicity which are presenting different strategies for raising the visibility of my musical project and various political issues (Korean peace and reunification, inter-ethnic relations, community empowerment). From Malcom Gladwell's Tipping Point to CD Baby CEO Derek Sivers' excellent writings on music PR to this recent article from the LA Times discussing the spate of Hollywood action box-office bombs this summer, it's obvious that changing times and demographics call for increasingly creative, end user-focused approaches to marketing. I could read this stuff all day long but at some point need to take action and see what works best. It goes without saying that controversy sells, sex sells, being REALLY unique sells, but this artist refuses to engage in unprincipled whore-dem simply to sell records. Short-term behavior with long-term implications, too many cautionary examples to cite.

RIP Peter Jennings. I recall seeing him up-close many years at a rally in New York, seemed slightly too cool to be bothered but I guess that was also his screen presence.

Remembrance Day

It was 60 years ago, today...atomic bombs were used on Hiroshima in the interests of military expediency. The world is still dealing with the Pandora's Box since unleashed and the dream of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation seems more distant than ever.

Working at getting some new gigs after the successful show recently at Backstage Cafe in Beverly Hills. Nobody seems to have all the answers as to how to generate publicity for a politically-focused Korean American rock vocalist with an axe to grind, but somehow somewhere the message has to get out. Was leafing through the latest copies of Revolver and Alternative Press, which both cover the current rock/metal/hardcore scene and got a little intimidated by all the advertising and whiteness...but it would still be pretty cool to do the Vans Warped Tour someday.

Changes in personal life are impending...leaving the security of the corporate world for the drama of rock-n-roll 24/7 necessitates more flexibility.