Hello everyone. Thank you for patiently waiting for another edition of Breaker’s Point to drop. Sorry that it has been over a week now. With that being said, I have a lot to cover and I will start by telling you how my first New York City gig went! To refresh your memory, my band Mnemonic Advice played the Delancey on the Lower East Side of Manhattan on June 30th, and I am happy to report that we nailed it. The band sounded amazing coming out of a real PA and sound system, with our instruments mic’d and being controlled from the soundboard. For house shows at Syracuse as well as other places we have played, a state-of-the-art sound system is not exactly necessary for the inherent grunginess and raucousness of those gigs; but damn, everyone really got to hear the band the way that they are meant to hear it at the Delancey, which was much to the delight of myself and the audience. We played a 40-minute set with six of my originals and two covers including the 1984 summer smash-hit “The Boys of Summer.” I kind of pulled that one out of my ass. It is funny because I am a well-known hater of The Eagles, but this is just a solo Don Henley tune, and the music was written by Heartbreaker, Mike Campbell. I am not a big fan of pandering to an audience. I like to challenge my audiences and play a style of rock and roll that they may not be used to hearing. I have gained confidence in my original stuff to feel comfortable with it making up the majority of my sets. However, you have to throw a dog a bone sometimes and if I can make a huge hit like that authentic to myself and my band, I sure as hell will do it. Man, it was a fun song. Keep an eye out on my Instagram (@mnemonicadvice) to see some awesome photos and videos that were taken at the show. Mnemonic Advice’s Manhattan tour continues! We have another gig at Bowery Electric in the East Village. If you did not get a chance to come to the Delancey, or you came to the Delancey and want more, check us out there on 7/18. Less than a week, I know. It is going to be a great show though. We have some special stuff that we are going to play, which we did not play last gig.
I went to the Mets game this past Saturday. My family got my dad tickets for Father’s Day because his all-time favorite Met, Keith Hernandez was finally getting his number retired. Keith means a lot to Mets fans as he took the team out of the dumps and won the last World Series the Mets have won in 1986. He was named captain of the Mets and led by example with his charisma and his dedication to playing the game the right way. He also has been a beloved Mets broadcaster since 2006. It is safe to say that Mets fans adore him. The ceremony was awesome and Citi Field was full and energetic which carried into the game. It was a crazy one. The Mets both tied the game in the bottom of the tenth and won in the bottom of the tenth off of two Marlins errors. It was my first time seeing a walk-off win in person, and it was just a day filled with unbridled joy for my family. When all four members are in the highest of spirits, there is really nothing better.
Grateful Eight
* Sports. Although I am a music guy, sports are so important to my life. It is another way to express the unchecked passion flowing through me. I am competitive with not a lot of outlets to demonstrate it. Leisurely playing (I am not athletic for anything beyond that) and watching sports allows me to tap into my competitive side and they create a bond between me and my friends and me and the other ten other Carus men and three Rich men.
* Bruce announced a US tour today. For the next year or so, I am dedicating my life and my disposable income (that’s a joke, laugh) to seeing him live as many times as possible. If I take a road trip from Cuse, does anyone want to come?
* As an up-and-coming singer-songwriter, it is hard to find a dedicated band that is not composed of just musicians doing a favor for you. I have a band right now that I believe shares my passion for performing and performing my songs at that. They are in tune with my vision and trust me to express it. That is sort of priceless.
* Everyone who came out to the show at the Delancey.
* NYC Bagels. New Jersey bagels are good, but the best bagel in my town is average. The average bagel in the city is good. So good = great. Great = impeccable. Impeccable = divine. And so on and so forth.
* Better Call Saul. We are into the last half dozen episodes of this phenomenal show. Last night was the best episode of TV I think I have ever seen. Over the course of six seasons, is a bit of a slow burn, but it does more than pay off. The writing, the directing, and the acting are all so quality and authentic. It is a beautiful piece of art.
* The beach.
* The opportunity to play more shows.
This Week’s Mnemonic Advice/Josh Carus Rare Recording: I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues (Elton John)
I have always liked this Elton song. It kind of just popped in my head the other day, and I thought that it would be cool to do a cover. The lyrics strangely resonate a lot with what is happening in my life. I had never analyzed them or paid attention too much to them, so it was a little freaky that it just popped in like that. It is a rough version, but I do not really care. I think it is fun to show you something raw like this. Maybe you are able to hear the authenticity through the lack of polish. I trust all of you and I am comfortable enough to show you some mistakes.
