Finding Myself Once Again

Last nights show at Kavarna in Decatur, GA was a HUGE hit.  I felt like a million bucks and put on one of what I feel has to be one of the best shows I have ever put on.  I felt so driven to give everything I had as I felt I had something to prove to myself as well as this audience of folks.  It was a great time and you can read all about it by checking out the Gig Journal.

Dr. L sent out an email to a bunch of people with a link to my music and helped me to promote the show.  10 folks came out because of hearing the new album online and liking what they heard.  This was something really cool for me.  Knowing that folks came out to hear me because they liked the tunes just pumped me up and made me feel that I was doing something right with my music.  I’m not out to make money or anything like that.  All I ever wanted to do as a musician was to write songs that people could connect with and find a bit of themselves in the songs.  That connection to people was made really obvious last night and I really apprecitate all the new listeners that I’ve picked up since being here in Atlanta.  This city really has embraced my music and accepted me with opened arms.  I feel like I’m finding myself in this big city.

A lot of folks have been asking me if I’m going to put a band together and the answer is “NO”, I’m not putting a band together anytime soon.  I am probably going to be seeking out a cellist to accompany me and fill in my sound a bit.  Elana (former Myster Road cellist) had left some big ass shoes to fill but after the success and fun of our last show together in Chapel Hill, I realized just how much sound comes from acoustic guitar and cello.  I love the fullness and richness and the cello seems to really compliment my songs.  I have no desire to put a band together anytime soon at all.  I just can’t deal with the personality conflicts and emotional exhaustion that usually comes with having a band.  I’m really feeling good about where I’m at as a solo act and I feel that I’m finding my footing and doing pretty well with it.  This is where I need to be for the time being.

Ok, now that all that has been said, what have I been listening to?  Well, can you say “eclectic”?  I’ve been REALLY digging the new Alice In Chains album, my friend Aaron just turned me onto a metal band called Five Finger Death Punch and I’ve just discovered Sara Bareilles who I’ve really been enjoying. It’s kinda sappy poppy stuff but great songwriting. In addition to re-discovering Counting Crows’ “August and Everything After”, I’ve also re-discovered Dog’s Eye View’s “Happy Nowhere” and have been burning a hole in God Street Wine’s “$1.99 Romances”. Gotta love diversity in your own musical tastes eh?

Anyways, thanks for checking in as always and I hope you all are well and happy!

Love ya’ll and stay folked up!
Don

NPR, The Cave, Good Friends… OH MY!

What an amazing weekend.  I left on Thursday morning with the iPhone full to capacity with music, my guitar and all my gear and hit the road for Chapel Hill.  I was so excited to be heading back after being gone for 5 months.  Wow, has it really already been 5 months?  The drive was great and I was singing along with Cat Power, Drive By Truckers and Dio as I made my way down there.  Catching up with Jammin’ Jaymz was great and he put me up for a few nights.  We gorged ourselves sick at 35 Chinese just like I hoped to do and then visited our friend Greta at work who wasn’t going to be making it to the show the following night.  Jaymz and I drank beer, caught up and laughed until it was time to crash out.

The next morning I set out for WUNC radio for my appearance on “The State of Things”.  This is a REALLY great show that is broadcast all over North Carolina and worldwide online.  It was a huge honor to be invited to be the musical guest.  I was pretty nervous and didn’t know what to expect.  When I got there, I was escorted to the green room where I was treated like a celebrity.  Coffee, water, lots of hand shakes and friendly greetings had me feeling very welcomed and relaxed and then I got to meet the host, Frank Stasio.  Frank greeted me and let me know that he really enjoyed my songs and had some really sweet things to say to me.  We exchanged some fun conversation and he told me a humorous story about Gregg Allman that I found really hillarious.  I waited for 12:30 to roll around and then next thing I knew I was being escorted into the studio.

Frank started out with a really great intro about me and then the interview started.  It was over before I knew it and I felt really amazing.  There was something about the whole experience that kind of made me feel validated.  It made me feel like a real professional.  It was really a great experience and everyone that tuned in to it had really great things to say about it.  If you missed it, you can check it out here: DON FOLKS UP NPR!

Later that night was my show at The Cave.  I was so excited to have Elana sitting in with me on this set.  I always loved the way she complimented my songs with her cello so it just seemed like a natural thing to ask her to accompany me for this special set.  The result was nothing short of fantastic.  The reaction from the packed house at The Cave was amazing and everyone had a good time… ALL THE TIME!  You can read more about the show by heading over to the SHOW JOURNAL and reading all about it.

The entire weekend was capped off by staying with my great friends Chris and Anita (and kids!) so it was a great way to close out an amazing weekend.  I literally got to see all of my favorite people.  To be surrounded by so many great and wonderful friends was a real treat.  To be surrounded by so much positivity and love was just what I needed.  I felt rejouvenated and happy and ready to take on the world back in Atlanta.  I am a lucky guy to have all the love and support that I have.  This weekend was a REALLY special weekend for me and it has really motivated me and inspired me to keep moving forward and continuing to do what I do best: share my music with all who will listen!

Folkin’ It Up On NPR

That’s right.  Yours truly has been invited to perform on the WUNC radio show The State of Things in Durham, NC.  I literally had forgotten that I submitted music to them a while ago so imagine my surprise when I got an email inviting me to be part of their show.  Wow.  Lil ol’ me on NPR.  Who would’ve thunk it.

So here I am in Chapel Hill, NC crashing at my buddy James’ house and getting ready to head out and be on the radio.  I’m nervous and full of butterflies.  I’m also very excited and very proud to be a part of this.  What a great honor and treat to be invited to play on the radio.  It’s not everyday that this happens so I’m pretty psyched about it!  Keep yer fingers crossed for me that I don’t bring down NPRs ratings too terribly low.

Also, I’m performing at The Cave tonight in Chapel Hill which is going to be REALLY fun.  This whole trip just really became an adventure and I’m so excited to not only perform as an opening act for Nikki Meets The Hibachi but to have my old partner in crime Elana on cello tonight.  We haven’t played together for almost 5 months but I’m confident we’ll pull it off.  We’re even doing two songs that we’ve never played together so hopefully it will go without a hitch.  I’m really just looking forward to a fun night of music and seeing some good friends that I’ve missed dearly.  It’ll be a great night and I can’t wait!

Ok, time to shower!  Later folks!

Visiting The Ghosts Of My Heroes

This is a post that I did for my music blog The Great Southern Brainfart. I thought it was just as much a personal entry as it was a “music blog” entry so I decided to post it here as well. Enjoy!

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My wife has been out of town for nearly a month for her job so needless to say, I had to find ways to keep myself busy to keep from going nuts and missing her. I decided a couple of weeks ago that the Thursday I had to myself I would go to Macon, GA. I promised myself that since we moved back to Atlanta that I would make it a point to go seek some much needed inspiration by paying a visit to the resting place of Allman Brothers Band members Duane Allman and Berry Oakley. The Allman Brothers Band has been a huge source of inspiration for me for well over 20 years. Much like the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band has been a huge part of the soundtrack of my life so it seemed only suiting that to find some inspiration, I needed to go back to where it all began.

Being less that two hours from Macon made for a nice and easy trip. I loaded up the iPhone with some Allman’s and hit the road. One of the first things I noticed before I got to Macon was an exit sign for High Falls Road which was so insane because High Falls was actually playing when I saw it. I just smiled to myself and just knew it was going to be a fun trip. My first destination was The Big House. The Big House is the place that the band, their families, and various friends called home from 1970 to 1973. It was such a surreal feeling to be standing on the steps where these guys once hung out with their families, drank beer and just plain out lived. Unfortunately, the Big House isn’t open to the public until December but just being able to see it up close and take in the spirit of it all was a moving experience. I just smiled to myself, took a few pictures and then made my way back to the car.

 

 

What’s New Jerky?

Hey all you folkers!  I hope you are all doing well.  So if you haven’t already heard via the Don Newsletter, the new album has been released!  I just think it’s great to know that I’ve released two albums in less time that it took Guns N Roses to put out that crapperpiece “Chinese Democracy”.  Anyways, the album is called “Planes, Trains, Crickets and Central Air” and it’s a collection of songs that I couldn’t be more proud of.  I decided that instead of pressing copies of the album that I would try and go green and save all that plastic.  Ok, really, it’s cuz I’m cheap and I’m trying to save money but anyways, the musics free baby!  You can download your copy of the new album by going to http://www.donontheweb.bandcamp.com.  You can either download individual tracks, stream them or download the full album as MP3s in a zip file.  If you download the full album, you’ll get a “hidden track”, album cover artwork done by my good friend Mike Spalt and liner notes that serve as a companion of sorts to the album.  Go and get ya some and enjoy it!

On the show front, all is pretty slow.  I’ve been popping up at the Red Light Cafe every Wednesday for their Open Mic Nights and PBR tallboys so if you ever wanna catch me, you can find me there nearly every Wednesday night sitting against the wall to the right.  Aside from that, I am performing on November 28th at Kavarna in Decatur, GA.  I go on at 10pm and will be doing a 45-50 minute solo set.  If you’re in the area or know anyone here, please send them out to check it.  It should be a fun night of music so I hope to meet some great new folks!

I had a bit of a dry spell and haven’t written a new song since March but over the past two days, I started writing again and now I have two songs that are half finished.  I’m starting to feel more comfortable in my new digs and it’s also that time of year.  This is the time of year where the air gets crisp, the nights have a bite to it that give you goosebumps and my creative juices start flowing.  I guess it’s like clockwork being that the songs are starting to flow just as it’s getting cold.  Here’s to hoping for a productive fall/winter.

So I’ve been taking an evening class at Emory called “Bob Dylan Revisited” and it’s been one of the most kick ass experiences of my life.  For 5 weeks I get to sit in a room with a bunch of other dorks and talk about Bob Dylan’s lyrics, performances and albums.  I’ve really had to dig deep into Dylan’s stuff because of this class and I fucking love it.  I’ve always been a fan but what great stuff that I’ve never unearthed before.  I always knew that “Blonde On Blonde” was my fave album but man, “Desire” has to be my favorite Dylan album at this point.  Such brilliance.  I love it that Dylan had (and still doesn’t) have any boundries when it comes to his music and songwriting.  He just lets it all go and whatever it is, it is.  As a songwriter, that’s an inspiring thing to make me feel that I don’t have to over think things.  If it flows out, let it flow and just be with it.  Gotta love learning new lessons from the old masters!

In addition to Dylan, I’ve been really digging the new Hope Sandoval & The Warm Inventions album “Through The Devil Softly” and I’ve been really digging on the Mark Lanegan albums again.  The new Drivin’ N Cryin’ album “The Great American Bubble Factory” is absolutely brilliant and has to be their best album since Mystery Road without a doubt.  It’s been so great having such great music to listen to and to get inspiration from.

I hope you are all well and again, thanks for stopping in and for all the love and support!

“Planes, Trains, Crickets and Central Air” Has Dropped!

I hate that expression. The new album has “dropped”. It almost sounds like you’re saying that it took a dump on you or something. Anyways, the new album is ready and you can download it for FREE by going to http://www.donontheweb.bandcamp.com. If you download the FULL ALBUM, you will get a “hidden track” and the complete liner notes for the album. I am really excited about this collection of music and I hope you will all enjoy yet another labor of love from your favorite folker!

So now what you ask? Well, I can feel the creative juices starting to bubble up but nothing has come out just yet. I remember a time when I would go absolutely insane on myself if I had hit the much dreaded creative wall. So how am I finding ways to not go crazy on myself about this creative drought? Well, I have been re-working some of my older songs that I haven’t played in a long time and finding new life in them. I have also had fun learning songs by other acts (also known as “the cover song”) and even making plans for a potential album of folk renditions of Metal songs. The time I used to waste beating myself up about not writing any new songs is now going to be used to continue to be creative and move forward. Also, since the Bandcamp release of my new album seems to be going well, I will also be re-releasing my last three albums, “Postcards From Ghost Town”, “This Trains A’ Comin’” and “Said The Firefly To The Hurricane” via the Bandcamp site so keep your eyes open for news regarding those re-releases.

I am still trying to set up shows as we speak in various venues in and around the Atlanta area to no avail. I have one show in November which I am very excited about and I am hoping to maybe even do a small mini-tour in 2010 just to get out and experience playing in some new (and maybe even old) places.

Oh yeah, and for those that don’t know, I also re-mixed and re-released the Shades of Winter EP. Shades of Winter was a project that featured my former Mystery Road bandmate Elana Scheiner on cello, myself on guitar, Jennifer Hansen on vocals and Susie Hicks on fiddle. We recorded an EP and distributed them at our shows but now you can download it for free. Just go to http://www.shadesofwinter.bandcamp.com and download away!

Well, that’s about it for now. As always, keep on going to http://www.donontheweb.com for all the folked up news on what’s going with me, when I’m playing, new pictures and all that good schtuff!

Keep on keepin’ on ya’ll!

Folkin’ Up The Big City!

Hey everyone!  I hope everyone is doing well and enjoying what is looking to be a pretty nice fall season.  The weather is starting to cool down here in Atlanta and there’s already leaves in our yard which means we’ll be out there before we know it raking and busting out the leaf blower.

It’s hard to believe it’s already been 3 months since we moved to Atlanta.  Life is pretty damn good here so far.  I played my first FULL gig last night at Caribou Coffee on Peachtree Rd. here in Atlanta and it was a hoot.  It’s been so long since I played a gig like that.  No PA, no nothing.  Just me, my guitar, some stories and a receptive audience.  Head over to http://donsgigjournal.wordpress.com/ and read all about it!

The new album has been completed and I am almost positive it’s done as far as the mixing stages go.  I did a mix of it last week and decided to let it rest a bit.  I will be revisiting it this weekend with an additional set of ears (ie. Dr. Lady L) to give it another listen and we’ll go from there.  I’m really excited for everyone to hear these tunes and I think you all will dig the album.  The album is called “Planes, Trains, Crickets & Central Air”.  Why is it called that?  Well head on over to the website and read about it!  Speaking of the website, I just gave it a new facelift so head on over to http://www.donontheweb.com and check it out!  There’s still some work left to go on it.  I am working on setting up a Bandcamp site that will have all of my previous albums, some demos and other goodies so hang tight.  I’ll be re-mixing the other albums as well which is an ambitious project in itself.

In addition to my solo shit, I recently remixed the Shades of Winter (my former band) EP and it came out really good.  You can check it out by going to http://shadesofwinter.bandcamp.com/.  It’s available for FREE download so head on over there and stick THAT in your music device!

Thanks again for checking ya’ll and again, thank you all for the emails and messages full of encouragement.  I truly do appreciate it!

Oh, Hey There!

Hey there!  I didn’t see ya there.  Sorry if I’ve been kinda ignoring you but I’ve been really busy lately.  Recently spent 3 days in the absolutely gorgeous city of Los Angeles and I have to say, this southern boy LOVES California.  The weather, the people, everything just seemed to be pretty kick ass.  I don’t know, maybe I was looking at them through my “green tinted 60’s mind” but I thought it was such a kick ass place.  Definitely rejuvinated me and made me feel a bit at peace.  I can’t wait to get back there and REALLY explore.

Work on the new album continues and I’m having a blast with it.  It’s going to have seven songs and I’m still contemplating how I’m going to release it.  There’s a good chance that I’m going to go completely grass roots here and offer the music up completely free for download.  I mean, really.  At this point in my life, I have broken even musically.  I made two CDs, had some great friends help me with art work, had them pressed and then sold them at shows only to break even.  Not that breaking even is bad but if I’m going to put that much energy into something, I’d rather put it into writing more songs and promoting the ones I have for free.  Hmmm, it almost sounds like I’ve made up my mind eh?  We’ll see where this goes.  Anyways, keep up w/ my progress at http://hickorystillrecords.wordpress.com/

I’ve been keeping up lately with the 2009 Phish tour and as The Dude says, it’s pretty much been strikes and gutters.  There’s been some absolutely brilliant moments and some pretty god awful moments.  In addition to that I have been completely taken in by Little Red Lung which has made some amazing music that is total ear and soul candy and last but not least, I’ve totally re-discovered the solo albums by David Lee Roth and found that I totally enjoy them, especially his “A Little Aint Enough” album which totally tanked and bombed for him.  I think it’s a great rock and roll record and to be honest is probably his best.

Anyways, thanks for checking with me and I hope you all are doing well!  I’ll check in again soon!

An Inspirational Phone Call

It’s amazing what talking to an old friend can do for ya.  I called my best friend Bert Wray yesterday and just the sound of his voice saying “hello” brought a smile to my face.  We talked for over an hour and it was like, as always, no time had passed between us at all.  We swapped notes on our musical adventures, talked about our families and just basically checked in with each other.  It was a great and inspirational call for me since I was feeling pretty uninspired and kinda down this particular day.  I took that inspiration with me to the Red Light Cafe and played what I feel was a great set.  You can GO HERE and read all about it if you’re inclined to do so.

I’m still feeling a bit overwhelmed in this here big ol’ city but in the Red Light Cafe I have found a place to slow down the pace and for one night a week, I can be surrounded by music and great folks.  It’s like I can feel a huge sigh of releif just from walking in the door.  I’m really feeling just how theraputic this experience has been.  I’ve been listening to everyone with open ears and open minds and I’m loving what I’m hearing so far.  I haven’t heard anyone just yet that has made me want to inquire about working with them but I have been hearing some amazing talent.  Last night I heard a girl that sounded just like Jewel (before she became a glammed up sell out) and she was fantastic.  I’m still hoping to meet my “Hope Sandoval” eventually.

The host for the Red Light Cafe open mic night just turned me on to Warren Zevon and pretty much told me I needed to get his first two albums.  I picked them both up and I have been floored by them since getting them yesterday.  It’s always exciting to discover someone you never really knew much about.  Again, I’m totally floored by this guy’s material.  It’s so inspiring and I can’t wait to learn some of these songs.

Other than Mr. Zevon, I have been really digging Phish’s “Undermind” album (yes James, you were right) and a plehtora of God Street Wine bootlegs from Archive.Org.  I’m still trying to master David Crosby’s “Traction In The Rain” and the more I play it, the more I’m starting to believe that it is pretty much a song that nobody could EVER do anywhere near as well as he does.  Not just because he wrote it but because he felt it, experienced it and it shows.

Old Words Still Ring True

A few years ago, I was asked to write a story for a website called Coffeehouse Tour about what it was like to be a solo folksinger/songwriter playing on the scene.  Even after 4 years, these words still hold true as I am once again going at it solo.  I thought I’d share this with you all so here ya go:

Straight From The Heart Of A Java Juker – November, 2005

We are really wanting to hear from you songwriters that enjoy playing in Coffee Shops. For that matter…we’d love to hear from the venues too! What inspires you to love it…support it? How can those inspirational Java Huts or musicians make it better for everyone?  Our brand new feature effort begins with the voice of Don De Leaumont from Chapel Hill, NC. Don is a friend, peer and wonderfully talented songwriter He also happens to be  one of the most motivated and dedicated Folk Singers I know. He brings with him a heart of gold and a support that does not lack anything for the Arlo and Bob’s of the folk singing arena He just plain folks! Head on over to his website and listen to some clips. Pop him a note and tell him you read his article and give him some feed back. And all you other Java Jukers out there…send us your stories, we promise to publish them. ~ Annette Warner – Editor

You remember that Bon Jovi song “Wanted Dead Or Alive”?  You know, the whole “Rock Star as Cowboy” metaphor describing his life on the road and what not?  Well anyways, in that song, he states “I’ve seen a million faces and I’ve rocked them all.”  Well, that’s cool Mr. Bon Jovi but when you’re an acoustic solo folksinger, or duo, or whatever, this isn’t always the case.  Sometimes I like to say that I’ve seen a million faces and I’ve rocked two or three.

We’ve all been there.  You book a gig; you promote the living hell out of it.  You use up all of the ink in your printer making flyers, and you hit the pavement and flyer every flyer post, record store, phone poll, bar bathroom that you can get your grubby mitts on.  You’ve stapled yourself with your staple gun numerous times, you’ve frozen or sweated your tail off, you’ve been yelled at to not “hang your crap here”, etc.  After all that, you get to the gig only to find you’re playing for the barista who’s wishing he/she were anywhere but working and having to hear this po dunk folk singer bitch about the government and how much he/she misses their significant other.

Been there eh?  I have been there as well.  I’ve been there more than once.  So why do I keep doing it?  I do it because I love music.  I love going out and performing for people.  How else would I get to see some of the cool places I’ve seen?  The first time I was ever in Hickory, NC was because I had a gig there.  It’s a beautiful town.  First time I ever went to Greenville, SC was because I had a gig there.  The first time I ever saw Chapel Hill was because I had a gig here when I lived in Charlotte, NC.  Only by being a musician and having gigs in these towns have I been able to see some great new places and meet new and interesting folks.

I know we’ve all asked ourselves the same questions during the same situation.  Gig, nobody there, why the hell am I here?  Well, let’s be honest, how often to you play a gig when NOBODY is there?  Not very often.  How many times have you played a gig that had three folks there and you were disappointed because it wasn’t 30 or 100?  Probably more times than you can shake a stick at.  That’s just reality and that comes with the kind of music we play.

I had the opportunity to open for one of my heroes, Mr. Kevin Kinney from the band Drivin’ N Cryin’.  He was doing a string of solo folk shows a few years back and was doing a show at the beautiful Sylvia Theater in York, SC.  I had the privilege of being his opening act this night in front of over 100 people, my biggest audience to date.  I remember sitting backstage with him before my set and he asked me, “Hey Don, how are the shows going?”  I told him, “Man, kind of a drag.  I’ve been doing a bunch of coffeehouse gigs playing to like 2 or 3 folks a night.”  He turned to me with this serious look on his face and goes, “Don, when you play a show and there’s 3 people there, you give them the same show and same energy that you would give 30 people, or 300 people, or 3000 people.  They’re there so make them happy.  Entertain them.  Besides, those three folks might know important people that could help you.  Or they may just bring 3 more friends the next time you’re in town if you do a good job.  Give 100% all the time no matter who’s there.  If they’re watching you, you owe it to them.”  I will never forget this conversation.  This will stay with me for the rest of my life.

When I play a show, I try my best to give 100%.  I might not always succeed for whatever the reason but I do try my friggin’ hardest.  So I might not be playing the cool songwriter showcases.  I might not be playing the swank listening rooms or the trendy house concerts.  I play coffeehouses.  That doesn’t make me any less of a musician or less of an artist.  It doesn’t comprise my integrity and it doesn’t get me down.

I don’t make a lot of money doing this.  That’s why I have a day job.  I do this because I love it.  When a person comes up to me after a song and says, “Hey, I really liked that song.  It made me think of a happy time in my past.”  That’s what it’s all about.  Once a woman came to me and said that I reminded her of a band that she loved when she was in college and that it made her remember how much she loved and missed going to concerts.  Another time, after a show a gentleman told me that I made him remember a time in his life when he was young and didn’t have a care in the world.  He told me that his life is very chaotic and busy but my song made him remember the simple things; the happy things.

That, brothers and sisters, is more payment than I can ever even begin to ask for.  You cannot put a price on that.  That is what it’s about.  It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.  It’s about giving it your all and loving what you do.  It’s connecting with the song and connecting with the audience no matter how many people are present.  If they’re not listening, don’t get mad, just keep putting it out there and eventually you may turn a few heads.  That’s when you’ll know your making a mark.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget to tip your barista!