FLWF 2010 Pt. II

Push Dawn at FLWF '05!

Mel in my apt at our last practice!

Last time we got together we learned “The Wind Cries Mary” by Jimi Hendrix.

Mel was excited to pull it out since he loves Hendrix and already knew the song. I’m exited to play it because it’s a beautiful song that invokes such a humble, sweet, mournful and for me, nostalgic sentiment. Certain songs have the power to bring  back  the time and place of your life where it burned into your conciousness. For me that time is…surprise, surprise…stoned in my dorm room at Mansfield University in the Fall of 1997.

It was my freshman year and I’d never really heard Hendrix before. My first college roomate was one of the biggest stoners I’ve ever met and consequently, he dropped out after just one semester. During that time though, he played the major Jimi Hendrix greatest hits album over and over and over while we toked up. I mostly hated him for being obnoxious and generally a loser but looking back, I think I owe him a hug; mostly for the music, but also for the great weed.

Another cover I learned for this event is a song without as much personal history for me, however, the song itself boasts just as much historical significance in the world of rock music. It’s called Watching The Wheels by John Lennon and was a single off of the Double Fantasy album he recorded with Yoko Ono. It was the third single released off the album in 1981, a year AFTER his assasination in NYC.  I heard the song  on the radio two weeks ago driving home from work and realized how much I love it. It’s a great song but challenging in that there is a fantastic piano riff that continues through the verses and in a small way, defines the song. I wanted to work it out so I was playing the riff rhythmically within the chords but it’s not working out. I’m going to fake it as well as I can for now!

Our shows on Saturday and Sunday will be our longest gigs to date in terms of actual hours booked. Sat. is three hours and Sunday is four hours. That’s a lot of music for an two guys with acoustic guitars but I’m confident we can pull it off. We’ve never gotten through all of our material in a 2-hour show so this will give us a chance to stretch out a bit and really flex our wings! There are a lot of rare songs that never get played because they’re either too slow or Mel hasn’t learned them or we just haven’t practiced them in so long that we’re not comfortable playing them in public!

The last surprise that I’m really excited about is the debut of a brand new song called Wide Eyes. Now, I’m a songwriter so if the mood is right, I often debut new songs at gigs to either introduce a song I’m totally in love with or just try it out on a crowd to see if it works. What’s different about Wide Eyes is that it’s a duet! It’s a love song with a twist of jealousy and forgiveness. I began writing it like any other song but when my girl, Danielle, offered to sing on it, I didn’t hesitate to agree. She has a beautiful voice that rarely gets heard.

Hope to see you all this afternoon at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival…if not then come check out my music at reverbnation.com/nathandennison

FLWF 2010 Pt. I

This weekend marks my triumphant return to the Finger Lakes Wine Festival! If my memory serves me correctly, my old band, Push Dawn, played the FLWF in 2005, ’06 and ’07.  Each year the FLWF was a significant event for us and a great gauge of where we were on the great elevator of musicianship.

We were always an original rock band first; covers just got in the way and caused heated debates in the band as to what, why and how many to play. However, if you’re going to be an original band that wants to keep anyone’s attention…especially folks all whacked out on 50 different wines, we learned quickly that covers were our friends. While our first guitarist was around we tended to try more modern rock songs- Oasis, Weezer, Deathcab…but after he left we dove into the classic rock, jam band and reggae music we all grew up on. The Doors, Grateful Dead, Paul Simon, Phish, Bob Marley and Pink Floyd to name the prominent ones.  We tried to choose songs that we could jam and kill time with but also songs that shaped us. Riders on the Storm, Eyes of the World and the crowd favorite (that is when we did it right) Brain Damage > Eclipse.

By 2007 we had a small following at the wine festival. Folks that had seen us in previous years and enjoyed what they heard would come sit down with a bottle or two of their favorite wine and listen. I’m hoping a few of those die-hard fans will be there this year and lend us an ear or two.

By “us” I mean Melvin Williams and I. If you don’t already know, Mel was the 2nd lead guitarist in our band and an incredible addition to the sound. Over the years he’s become a great friend. He and I have seen and played music with each other through many life changes. He’s taken time off, I’ve taken time off, but we always come back around the corner to do a gig together. We’ve been fine-tuning our acoustic-duo act for three years now and we’ve come a long way. Since I moved to Rochester, it’s been difficult to practice and we’ll be going into this festival with only a couple rehearsals but that’s ok, we know most of the music inside and out.

Last time we rehearsed, we learned a new cover song that I do believe could be one of the greatest rock ballads of all time. The song was released by a rock legend in July, 1967 . I heard it for the first time 30 years later and fell in love. That song and that story next blog! Thanks for reading…

Recording Vocals- like a dying mule.

Sam Haines- Sound Engineer @ Broader Horizon Studios

Next week I’ll be heading back down to Broader Horizon Studios in Chalfont, PA. My mission is to finish laying down vocals on 8-9 songs that I began last fall. The project began after talking with my good friend, Sam Haines, last summer about my desire to get back into the studio to record a solo album. Lucky for me, Sam had been building up his studio and honing his sound engineering skills.

I went down in November of ’09 and spent about two days with Sam. I had an irrational ambition to record 15-18 songs. I believe we recorded 10-12 and of those, only 6-8 are usable. I’m hoping I can squeeze in 1-3 more this time but the main focus is getting quality vocal performances for the handful of solid songs that we already have.

The truth is that I’m a little nervous about this part. In fact, recording my vocals in a studio setting always puts me on anxious edge because I have a tendency to sound like a dying mule. I don’t know what it is about the studio but I generally give half-ass performances (no pun intended) or give what I think are great performances, then shudder when I hear the playback. I’ve given a lot of thought to this conundrum because I don’t hate my voice. I really enjoy singing and I’d say 85% of my live shows are vocally solid and enjoyable to listen to. Well, maybe 80%. I think I sound like ass in the studio for a few reasons.

#1. Seperation Anxiety: This is perhaps a poor excuse but a legitimate one none-the-less. I’m so used to performing live that when I try singing along to a pre-recorded guitar track (even if it is mine) I lose the connection and energy that comes with playing and singing.

#2. Anxiety: A studio can be a nerve-wracking place. You’re paying for the time you’re using it. Everytime you mess up, the sound engineer has to re-rack the music and start everything over (although Sam is awesome to work with…he is one of the nicest,  most patient guys I’ve ever met and worked with). Above all else, what you sing will be on that album FOREVER. It’s what you will hand to people, sell people and ask them to take time out of their life for. It’s got to be right, it’s got to be great.

#3. The Party Factor: Many times that I’ve been in the studio, party substances have been around either before, during and always after. This time, I think I will try my hardest to only allow them into my world after the songs are sung.

With all of that being said, I’m really excited about finishing this up. I’ve sat with the tracks for almost 7 full months now so I think I’m ready to sing em loud and proud!

www.reverbnation.com/nathandennison

Lost in Transition

This past week I’ve been lost in transition and loving it. Although I’m still pursuing my music dream and working towards that goal as my sole career, I found very early on that it pays (quite literally) to have a full-time job. For the past four years I’ve worked as news photographer/editor/reporter at WETM-TV (NBC) in Elmira, NY. This past Friday however was my last day there as I’ll be starting work at 13WHAM TV in Rochester, NY on April 19th. Consequently, I now have two weeks to relax and get ready for the next phase.

I’ve been filling my down time with reading, writing, practicing and well, packing. It’s very rare to have time off so I’m trying to squeeze the most out of it but sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin! Right now I’m concentrating on my first acoustic gig in Rochester this Friday night. I’m really excited about it for a few reasons. First of all, it’s always exciting to play a new venue. In this case it’s Boulder Coffee Co. on Alexander St. near downtown. Check them out @ www.bouldercoffeeco.com .

I’ve been there a few times and the atmosphere is very chilled out and artsy. It’s a coffeeshop that also sells good beer and sandwiches. The walls are decorated with contemporary art as well as knick knacks. One of the consistent themes throughout the place is old TV sets as art. The style reminds me a bit of Applebee’s or TGI Fidays only sans kitschy-nostalgic junk. Unlike those places, the randomness makes you feel like your part of someone’s creative vision, as opposed to feeling like you’re in the middle of a rummage sale that’s been glued to the wall…but I digress.

I’m also looking forward to this gig because it will be one of the bigger venues I’ve played (acoustic solo with Melvin anyways) in a long time. I used to live in West Philadelphia in the early 2000′s and during those days I would make weekly pilgrimages to open mics at the hip clubs for singer-songwriters; venues like The Point in Bryn Mawr and The Fire in downtown Philly. Those were big places with big crowds but that a different blog altogether.

Melvin and I will be responsible for 3 hours at Boulder Friday night so I’ve been practicing a solo set to play before he joins me onstage. I’ll be debuting three new songs (if I don’t chicken out).

Livin Love to the Last Drop- a minimalist song about eternal love

Ready to Soar (This Old Bird)- a song written over the past 6 months about finding oneself and taking out the trash- so to speak. This song was written for and is dedicated to my good friend Sam Haines.

and St. Anne- I’ll let the listener figure this one out.

As always, thanks for reading and you can hear my music and see where I’m playing at www.reverbnation.com/nathandennison

The Fast and Furious Songwriter

Sometimes the best songs come quickly and without warning. Perhaps it starts with a seed of melody that pops in your head while driving home, singing it over and over so as not to forget. Once home with guitar in hand you scribble the lyrics and pound out the chords before its gone then wah lah…song gold (hopefully). Sometimes an idea floats down and lands right in the middle of a mindless jamming session. I’ve had great songs show up after a strong cup of coffee and a few Miles Davis tunes.

Whichever way to inspiration comes the song, the moment’s tune is beautiful, fleeting and absolutely must be exploited fully right there in the instant or else the song will almost certainly be lost to the great song-sucker in the sky. I’m not kidding. These moments of clarity must be recognized, written and recorded right then and there or else you have zero, no song.

I’ve written hundreds of songs, many of which will never see the light of day and many of which I’ve labored over for days, months and some for years. There are a few however that were born in a blaze of inspiration and have gone mostly unedited into the depths of performance. One such song is called Let’s Stay Up All Night. I’ll post the lyrics below and the song can be heard here: http://www.reverbnation.com/nathandennison
It’s a very short and simple almost-love song.

Let’s Stay Up All Night

I know you’ve got a hell of a lot on your mind now
I wonder if you’ve ever seen the way the light breaks the cold, dark dawn?

So let’s stay up all night
just you and I

Yeah I know you’ve got a million and five real important things to do
but I think those important things could wait another hour…or 42
I wonder if you’ve ever seen a shooting star cut across the wild, fall sky?

So let’s stay up all night
we’ll find a little place that feels right
for you and I

By Nate Miller- 2007

I welcome your comments…

The Music Unconscious

Looking forward to the show this Friday night at Soul Full Cup Coffeehouse in Corning, NY. This gig will be a little different from the past shows in that the legendary Sam Haines will be a big part of the night.

Two weeks ago I had an “Ah-Ha!” moment and promptly emailed Sam. I knew it was a shot in the dark, but figured it couldn’t hurt to ask if he’d be willing to travel up to record the show. Sam has been honing his audio production/engineering/recording skills for as long as I’ve known him, which is about six years now. He agreed and raised the ante by offering to sit in on a few tunes with his upright bass! It’s an idea we’ve loosely dicussed for awhile now but never more than a brrief mention of the concept. Since Sam’s home and studio are in Chalfont, PA (near Philly) he won’t be able to travel up until Friday afternoon, giving us roughly an hour and a half to rehearse before loading into SFCC. That being said, Melvin, Sam and I played in a band together for years and remain good friends as well; I think brothers with that kind of bond are able to tap into the music unconscious.

The music unconscious is a dimension of music where the voice and/or instrument cease to rely on concentration and conscious thought to play/perform a composition or jam. The music becomes a flow. Everyone comes into synchronicity and hits all the right notes, chord changes, rhythms, etc. Musicians know what I’m talking about and I’m sure there are equal notions and feelings for other crafts. Writers may call it automatic writing. Painters may call it working in a stream of consciousness. Whatever way it comes, it’s the sweet spot. It’s the ephemeral moment when fears, anxiety and pressure disappears (along with all earthly surroundings) and everything just works. This Zen moment may last the entire show or it may only last for a song or perhaps only a few measures of a song. I find this kind of clarity tends to be brief but beautiful. Seeing as Sam, Melvin and I haven’t played together since our last Push Dawn gig…I’m hoping for lots of divine intervention!
Come witness the clarity (or chaos) this Friday, Feb 5th from 7:30-10pm at Soul Full Cup in Corning, NY

Paul Simon.

I’ve been on a couple renewed musical kicks lately. A few weeks ago I caved in and bought Paul Simon’s Graceland album for the third time in my life. The first copy I bought in my late teens. I loved it so much that I wore it out (not easy to do with CD’s). I lost my second copy but luckily my girlfriend knows me really well and was cool enough to buy me the vinyl album when she stumbled upon it one day. Unfortunatly, there’s no room in my vehicle for a record player. Actually that’s a lie…I bought a mini-van and removed the seats to haul around music gear so, theoretically, I could hook up a record player, hmmm.
Anyway…after getting “The Boy in a Bubble” stuck in my head for a day or two I re-bought the album and was pleasantly surprised to find that many of the tracks have been remastered! In fact, the new release generously treats fans to demo versions of “Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes” and “Homeless.”
I love most of Paul Simon’s solo material but Graceland marries so many musical styles in such an honest way I can’t help but put it in my top 3 favorites. Ladysmith Black Mambazo takes center stage in many of the tracks lending beautifully rich vocals to already great songs. When the choir of South African voices sing they sound like a celebration of life itself. I don’t understand what they’re saying because I don’t speak the language but I get it, I feel it deeply.
Listening to the album, I often wonder how Simon and his sound engineers packed so many instruments and so many parts into each song. The songs are produced and mastered so well that nothing sounds buried. Every drum, voice, accordian, guitar…everything is crystal clear. The genre-bending music is only half of Graceland’s genious. Simon’s lyrics are so human you can’t help but relate with the experiences he so poetically breaks down.

“And I believe
These are the days of lasers in the jungle,
Lasers in the jungle somewhere,
Staccato signals of constant information,
A loose affiliation of millionaires
And billionaires and baby,
These are the days of miracle and wonder,
This is the long distance call,
The way the camera follows us in slo-mo
The way we look to us all o-yeah,
The way we look to a distant constellation
That’s dying in a corner of the sky,
These are the days of miracle and wonder
And don’t cry baby don’t cry
Don’t cry don’t cry
[ Verse III- Boy in the Bubble]

Paul Simon has heavily influenced my songwriting ever since the album Graceland sunk into my consciousness. I also highly recommend Hearts and Bones and Rhythm of the Saints. Fantastic albums. Hearts and Bones got me through my first real break-up and Rhythm of the Saints is a wild contender for a slot in my top 3!

The other kick I’ve been on is Beck’s album Guero. But that’s another entry altogether. I’ll give this one entirely to the legendary Paul Simon. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your music and my dream would be to work with you someday. Take me under your wing Paul…I’m ready!

Weigh Station Cafe- 11-22-09

Finally winding down and settling in after the gig tonight at the Weigh Station Cafe in Towanda, PA. Overall I think it went pretty well but we’ve certainly played better shows. This one was interesting for a few reasons. Mel and I are always excited to play shows but tonight we had an extra edge beforehand because it was a new venue for us. We didn’t know what to expect.

We had very distracting sound issues for the first 20 minutes of the show. When you start off a gig like that it’s a lot like waking up to a chainsaw right outside your window…it just sets a bad tone for the rest of the day. It’s also really distracting to have feedback, pops and hisses when your trying to pour out your soul to a roomful of eager ears. I’ve been setting up sound for my own shows for many years now and usually I like to have at least 20 mins to half an hour to work out the bugs before show time. However, it doesn’t always happen like that and tonight we had to make a go of it with little more than 10 minutes to soundcheck. Acoustically speaking the room is strange- brick walls, wood walls, very tall ceilings and wide open spaces. The crowd was patient and for the most part, pretty attentive and open minded. It was also one of the largest coffee shop audiences I ever played to. Unfortunately we were only background music…something to tide them over till the show they actually bought tickets for…Leon Redbone.

I asked people to sign our email list to get updates on shows…but only one person signed it. However…the one person who signed up gave us a possible booking so I think that evens out.
The crowd was primarily middle age to somewhat elderly with a few exceptions. The exceptions were two friends from work who I admire and respect and I was glad to have them in the audience although I wasn’t at my normal comfort level. Normally I’m much more talkative and fun in between songs but this time I was nervous. I was also blown away by the suprise appearance of my beautiful girlfriend Dani, who drove 3 hours to suprise me and support. I think everyone enjoyed themselves if not at least tolerated it though. Once I got used to playing so quietly (they kept asking us to turn it down) I started to loosen up and have a good time.
I hope to book another show at the Weigh Station Cafe…

Another Mad Artist Pushes On

I’ve been driven lately to really push my music. I’ve always written songs because I have to. I don’t have an option. I realized that a long time ago, it’s just in my genetics and I truly feel that is why I’m here living this life. My point is that I will continue to pick up a guitar, play a piano or record a melody into a little digital recorder going 75 down the highway…just to write the next song; but there’s an army of ego inside my brain and heart that desperately want people to actually hear the music and perhaps even feel something real when they do.

It’s a very hard road to travel. Any artist can attest to this notion and some might even nod in sympathy. It’s painful to create and create and create, without money, without “career” progress, without ooo’s and ahhh’s. In fact, the frustration can come damn close to destroying you. However, sympathy for such a thing is silly. An artist creates. No matter what happens. Arguably, most good art comes rising from the ashes.
So I’ll make another push and see who hears it. In the end it’s all I’ve got.

Weigh Station Cafe

Just booked a show at the Weigh Station Cafe in Towanda, PA. I’ve never played a show in Towanda, but I was passing through the town two weeks ago and decided to stop in and roll the dice. I’d been there once before when I was covering a congressional candidate’ town hall meeting. I remember thinking what a cool venue it would be for an acoustic show. Of course at the time it was packed and I was dreaming of all those people listening to my tunes. This time there were only a handful of sandwhich eaters staring intently at the daily news.

I ordered a coffee and asked for the owner. The co-owner Karen Parkhurst smiled and sat me down for a “who are you” kind of chat. She was very kind when she told me that she probably couldn’t book me until next summer. I gave her a card and directed her to http://www.reverbnation.com/nathandennison 

This past weekend she emailed and asked if I would play for a couple hours before the Leon Redbone show at the Keystone Theater this Sunday November 22nd! So, I’m pretty excited. Melvin Williams has agreed to go down and perform with me. Hopefully some folks from the Bradford County Regional Arts Council will be there and dig what we’re doing.

Other than that things are great.  Dani asked me to write her a country song so I spent the last month writing that. More on that next post…