TGIF, right? I have a lot to report so I will get right to it. My show last Friday went really great, in spite of encountering adversity when keyboardist, Chance Mazzo came down with a double ear infection and a fever the day of the show. We were already without Matty, which took us from a five-piece band to a four-piece band. Then, lo and behold, we became a trio with me on guitar and vocals, Jack Motherway on drums, and Xander Haselman playing some wicked bass, which was the key to this performance. I had not performed as a trio since the talent show at sleepaway camp when I was about 13. It gave me an opportunity to showcase my punk sensibilities as we played every song 25% faster than the tempo on the recordings. I also played many guitar solos, most of which I usually delegate to Matty or even Chance to play on the keyboard, but it was fun to play it myself. When you have amazing musicians like Matty and Chance, it is hard to justify calling your own number; but I do plan on doing that more. I was going to do a version of my song, “Unparalleled” with just Chance playing the piano and myself singing, but with Chance sick, I swapped it for the live debut of a song I wrote called “Over Yonder, in the Woods.” I played it by myself and it seemed like the audience liked it. It is always a funny thing to announce that I am going to play a brand new song during a show because most of my songs are brand new to the audience. However, I like to believe it makes the audience feel special and that it makes the audience listen maybe a little more closely than they would have. That could be off though. We also were going to do a cover of The J. Geils Band’s “Must of Got Lost” (which I just love the incorrect grammar, very rock n roll), but it was pretty heavy on piano so we went with a version of The Who’s “The Seeker”, a personal favorite Who song of mine. It was a fun show and warmed us up for our set at The Delancey on the Lower East Side of Manhattan on Thursday 6/30. Mnemonic Advice cannot wait to see you there!
I saw Phoebe Bridgers at Prospect Park in Brooklyn on Tuesday. When I was in high school and at the beginning of college, I was so obsessed with Phoebe’s music. It is infectious and her voice and delivery of her brilliant lyrics find their way right to your heart. With that being said, she does not have a lot of music out and I think I played her music to death years ago, to the point where I got sick of it. Phoebe grew massively in popularity in the time since, and I am so happy for her, but her new obsessive fanbase turned me off. I acknowledge that this is a ridiculous thing to say because not only is it not fair to Phoebe, I happen to be the most obsessive Bruce Springsteen and Wilco fan on the planet. I guess it has been a realization that people like me are really annoying. Anyway, I had not played either of her albums for about a year leading up to the show; not for any particular reason other than I wore them out a bit. It made Phoebe’s music feel fresh and lively to me at the show, and I remembered why I loved her so much in the first place. The reason is she is a beautiful singer, a sharp and clever songwriter, and a cool-ass person! Her live performance exceeded my expectations, and it was just a really fun night. By the way, the subtitle of the column today is a Phoebe lyric. I have no idea what it means, but it sounds pretty cool and catchy.
Grateful Eight:
* I am grateful that my friends come to my shows. I definitely push them, but I have been to so many of their games in high school. Fair enough, right?
* My friend and drummer, Nick sent me a Snapchat yesterday of him playing my song “Living a Myth” on his way to the Dodgers game, which was really cool and nice of him. It is amazing to have actual proof that people like my music.
* Last summer I choked at Cava. I had Cava yesterday for the first time since and I did not choke, so that was pretty cool.
* Mexican rice. I love all types of rice be it Chinese or Indian or sushi or Mediterranean or even a risotto, but Mexican rice hits like none other.
* I found this band on TikTok called Thumpasaurus. You have to check them out, it is the goofiest most ridiculous thing I have ever seen but I am obsessed with it. I cannot watch it without smiling. YouTube “I’m Too Funky.”
* I have been having a lot of writing inspiration recently. It often happens after I see a concert.
* Most of my seasonal allergies are gone, so now it is just Henry that is affecting me, but I can handle that.
* New Bartees Strange album out today. I need to listen!
This Week’s Rare Mnemonic Advice/Josh Carus Recording: “Living a Myth”
This is a major one. It seems to be a song of mine that people really love. I really like it too because I poured a lot of my heart into it to give myself some perspective if and when I am struggling. It is about coming to terms with the possibility that your idea of yourself and other people is inaccurate. Maybe it seems accurate to you, but everyone else may not see it that way. Does that make sense? The other thing it deals with is trying to accept help, which I think we condition ourselves not to do. Do not get me wrong, it is critical in life to be able to problem-solve and grow on your own, but you need to listen to people who have your best interest in mind. Ditch the skepticism when it pertains to people that you know are there for you. Musicwise, I like that the song is a short, rigid in structure, and a catchy two-and-a-half minutes long with no frills. It bursts through the door and then it’s gone. I originally recorded this song as a group project for my music production class about a year ago. That version was cool, but I realized I really do not like the way it turned out at all. We got a little too fancy with it. I re-recorded it recently as a demo, which is what is linked here.
“Living a Myth”
Sit down, you’re drunk
And you don’t know what you are
The world in you periphery will only get you so far
Close your eyes, tunnel visualize the road you’re on
Monsters lurk beside you giving you toxic perception
‘Cause if you’re not as sad as all of them
Then you’ve attained perfection
There’s an easy way to ease all pain
But pain is an urchin, pain is certain, so let it in
Maybe you’re something else to begin with
Maybe you’re living a myth
Calm down you’re fucked
But fucked is all you are
They say changing your brain can give you everything you’re not
And you can rest like Buddha in the lion’s den of thought
After years of playing tricks
Your mind clears and leaves you lacking
And you learn to surf among the waves
And feelings have no backing
There’s a wave in you deluged in truth
Comes crashing like The Comet
You just want to cry and vomit, need some relief
Maybe you’re something else to begin with
Maybe you’re living a myth
You won’t lie to yourself again
The choices that you make deliver pain when you’re awake
Maybe you’re something else to begin with
Maybe you’re living a myth
