the prophet of acoustic rock and soul - dann russo - Blog

i'm'a keep myself honest - week one part deux

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 03:51:59 -0700

so here we go - to make sure I'm doing the right things, I'm going to let the ether of the interwebs know...

1. make a video. I did! it's for "Waiting For The Dawn" and you can see it here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoqD-5JqcdI (and it has 125 views already! whooo hooo!) and now before August 1st I want to put another up!

2. post my set lists. I have been consistently posting set lists for the past two or three weeks on http://www.facebook.com/dannrussomusic as my status, and so that you don't have to go searching through weeks of status (stati? states?) to look for them all in one place, I

3. post my list of originals. It's up! as a note on facebook.com/dannrussomusic which leads me to

4. MORE originals! ok ok I'm working on this. I want to have at least two more originals (if not 5) by August 1st.

5. now that CDBaby/iTunes is giving the option, I want to release a two-song "single" of Waiting For The Dawn and another song that follows it thematically or musically (maybe even the other video?)

6. I think I AM going to attend SLCC (the Second Life conference) and see where and when I can play (I AM Dann Numbers, the 200-mile an hour savior of acoustic rock and soul, right?)

oh, and

7. finish writing that entry into Anthony Bourdain's "Why Cook Well" contest

:-)
peace,
Dann

set list question and set lists

Sat, 10 Apr 2010 17:49:52 -0700

so...I find myself not actually making set lists beforehand, which is both awesome and scary...I always want to make sure to give people listening a good show, but I want to include songs YOU want to hear, songs that are good songs, and maybe even a few covers...

I need to know a few things.

1. What songs should I play less?

2. What songs should I play more?

3. What song is YOUR favorite?

Set Lists for the week:

4/2 (SL) 1. RockStar 2. Dreaming Without You 3. Whispering Amen 4. Don't Say That 5. Paris 6. Parking Lot Kings 7. Means Justify The Ends 8. Waiting For The Dawn 9. Someday 10. Changes 11. No Pain 12. Year

4/6 (SL - live on treet.tv ) 1. RockStar 2. Fortunes, Forecasts & Lucky Charms 3. Parking Lot Kings 4. Black Sails 5. Her Majesty Cry 6. Cafe en San Juan 7. No Pain

4/9 (SL) 1. Dreaming Without You 2. Mona (Antonio's Crush cover...wait...does that count as a cover?) 3. Fortunes, Forecasts & Lucky Charms 4. Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard cover) 5. Lessons Learned 6. You May Be Right (Billy Joel cover) 7. Good Morning, Chelsea 8. Fantasy 9. Don't Say That 10. Ash Wednesday 11. Did You Ever Have 12. Footsteps

4/10 (SL) 1. Did You Ever Have 2. RockStar 3. Black Sails 4. Falling Slowly (Glen Hansard cover) 5. Parking Lot Kings 6. Cafe en San Juan 7. Bittersweet Love 8. Gone 9. Dreaming Without You 10. Bobby Jean (Bruce Springsteen cover) 11. No Pain 12. Bad Medicine (Bon Jovi cover) 13. EAB 14. Fantasy.

whew.

peace, Dann

a really nice comment I wanted to share with you

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 06:48:58 -0700

Dann Russo’s workshop was well-received by me and all of the participants in the room. In a format more like an intimate “unplugged” setting than a simple pedagogical workshop, Dann and his acoustic guitar transformed tales from Ovid’s Metamorphoses and Homer’s Odyssey into lush harmonies with gorgeous lyrics. His voice soared like Daedalus and Icarus over the melodies that he composed over the themes from Greek and Latin myths, tackling a range of styles from ballad to blues (and everything in between).

Dann explained how important it was for his students...to appreciate art in all of its forms, and to express themselves creatively. Drawing on their own creative strengths, Dann asks his students to produce works of art (music, poetry, creative writing, drawing, painting) as presentations to the class. His results, as he described, are far better than any PowerPoint could ever be.

Fan Art?

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 06:03:27 -0700

I consider this a challenge. it's YOUR turn! email me at dannrussomusic@aol.com

peace,

Dann

the Quiet Show...if there ever really is a quiet show

Thu, 25 Mar 2010 17:55:54 -0700

it's so hard to play quietly. Like really, really hard.

I'm used to being in the basement, a few feet of concrete and at least one floor away from anyone I could possibly bother by playing my music. I don't hold back. Ever.

Until last night.

As you may know, the torrential rain storm of last week turned the basement into something more resembling the bayou and we had to bail out. A few days of cutting up rug, crowbaring up wood, tearing up rug pads (the grossest of them all) and bleaching the floor and the basement is (almost) useable once again.

But this meant that last night's show had to be in the dining room. And quiet.

a few times I had to physically pull back. I sat down to play for the first time in a while and tried to play my "quiet" songs...it was a LOT of fun and VERY rewarding. It was tough. I was told it was a totally different kind of energy and it was really good. I hope they were right.

here's the QUIET set list :-)

1. Parking Lot Kings
2. Fortunes, Forecasts & Lucky Charms
3. Across The Universe (Beatles cover)
4. etc.
5. Paris
6. High & Dry (Radiohead cover)
7. RockStar
8. Para Que No Tengas Sed
9. Stay (Faraway So Close) (U2 cover)
10. Ants Marching (someone was dressed as an ant and I played a snippet of this DMB song)
11. Waiting For The Dawn
12. Capture My Heart.

muchissimas gracias.

peace,
Dann

setlist @ The Lost Continent (SL show) 8AM 3/14/10

Sun, 14 Mar 2010 06:25:07 -0700

he he I love these morning shows - coffee and Guinness next to the mic stand, whole day in front of me...fun, relaxed, awesome shows - thank you @Lisa Hughes for hosting me and thank YOU all who listened from FB

here's the list:

1. Dreaming Without You
2. Don't Say That
3. Going Down (Bruce Springsteen cover)
4. No Pain
5. Her Majesty Cry
6. Ulysses
7. Black Sails
8. Capture My Heart
9. No Surrender (Bruce Springsteen cover)
10. It Seems Just Like a Dream (What a Day)
11. Waiting For the Dawn
12. "I FLY" (it's a brand new song and I'm not totally sure what the title is yet lol)

mea culpa, mea maxima culpa

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 06:06:24 -0800

so it occurred to me that I promised set lists of all my shows and I have been sorely forgetful of putting them up, so as a St. Patrick's Day resolution (I know, a week early) I vow to post set lists as soon as I can remember them :-P

Tuesday March 9th - RL Show @ McGann's (Boston)
1. Dreaming Without You
2. Good Morning, Chelsea
3. Parking Lot Kings
4. It Seemed Just Like a Dream (What a Day)
5. Wanted Dead or Alive (yes, the Bon Jovi song)
6. No Pain

Wednesday March 10th - SL Show @ Bay Vista (SL)
1. Fortunes, Forecasts & Lucky Charms
2. Good Morning, Chelsea
3. The Scientist (Coldplay cover)
4. Dreaming Without You
5. Waiting For The Dawn
6. Para Que No Tengas Sed
7. Parking Lot Kings
8. Greensleeves
9. Desire (U2 cover)
10. Year
11. Plain Jane
12. Did You Ever Have
13. Capture My Heart.

thank you all for listening

peace,
Dann

another thing I learned from my 9 month old son

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 02:55:22 -0800

...besides the ability to go for hours and days on almost no sleep (yes, I'm writing this at 5am my time after having been awake for the past two hours - his big sister slept a lot more when she was this age) and there are plenty of things I can teach him but there are a few things I can learn from him, I think -

1. ask for help when you need it.

He's 9 months old, so can't do a heck of a lot by himself, yet. But he can try. He can pull himself to a kneeling position in front of a chair and with his big gray eyes and a huge smile look your way so you can sit him on the chair or just pick him up.

Here are my big brownish/hazelly eyes and huge smile :-D (see, a huge smile!) I can't do everything myself, although sometimes I try.

But what I can do is ask if you know anyone who would like to play guitar or bass with me at a show in April - let me know!

I also need some with a video camera to film me playing some songs - my YouTube page is sadly empty - just let me know!

and if anyone has a "catchphrase" idea - "acoustic rock and soul" (what I use now) is almost, but not quite right

2. remember people He's 9 months old. He has some sort of facial recognition and lights UP when he sees someone he recognizes.

You may see me lighting up, but when I see you at a show, when I see your comments on www.facebook.com/dannrussomusic or when I know you are listening to an on-line show, I light UP.

Let me show you how - pick a song you want me to play, let me give you a shout-out on the computer, let me send you a personal recording for your birthday :-P

and let me say thank you for everything you have helped me with so far, even if it's just forwarding my messages/blogs or having me playing in the car when you drive your sister/friend/dad/kids somewhere.

3. every so often remind people what you're up to Just in case I get distracted by an article, the radio, papers to grade, I often hear a DADADADADADA coming from this little dude. (whether he is actually calling to me or just knows how to make the DA sound and likes it is yet to be determined), so here is my version of DADADADADADA.

I am writing a WHOLE bunch of songs right now - I'm taking part in 2 February writing challenges, and at the end of the month will have a CD of songs entitled "The Locksmith." I've decided to have at least one reference to gate/key/lock n every song and I welcome your challenges to add to the album. If I use your idea, you get a free CD.

I'm giving a talk at a conference. The Classical Association of New England's annual conference is in Providence in March and I'm giving a talk on music and how Greek and Roman poetry/myths were just the pop music of the time. To hammer my point home, I'm bringing my guitar and playing a bunch of songs I wrote based on the classics. I think it's a pretty cool idea and I'm really psyched and a little nervous about it.

So, once again, thanks. And I'm going to see if I can get this little boy back to sleep.

peace, Dann

to honor the Holy Day

Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:44:26 -0800

to celebrate (can you "celebrate" Ash Wednesday?) I was inspired by the TS Eliot poem Ash Wednesday and this is what I can up with (borrowing the first verse from Mr Eliot, natch)

Teach us to care and not to care
Teach us to sit still
Even among the rocks
Our peace in His will
And even among the rocks
Sister Mother Spirit of the River
Spirit of the Sea
Let my cry come to Thee

Won’t you hear me
Won’t you listen to me
Won’t you hear me now
Won’t you meet me
And open up the gate
Won’t you show me how

Teach me to know and not to know
Teach me to be found
Everywhere I get to go
Every road and every town
Let me be the outward sign
Of whatever grace I own
Let me never be resigned
Far away or here at home

Won’t you hear me
Won’t you listen to me
Won’t you hear me now
Won’t you meet me
And open up the gate
Won’t you show me how

It was snowy and the same time not
As I walked the aisle
100 people in front of me
Heads bowed just like mine
And the kids brushed it away
Like they’re trying to hide
Everything the preacher says
Played back within my mind

Won’t you hear me
Won’t you listen to me
Won’t you hear me now
Won’t you meet me
And open up the gate
Won’t you show me how
Won’t you lead me
Won’t you pray for me
Even though I’m down
Won’t you meet me
And open up the gate
And then show me around

my Rider

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 21:13:58 -0800

so it occurred to me, as encouraged by one of the managers at TCAN, that I didn't have a rider...

so here it is - things I MUST have to be able to play a show:

besides the usual cables, cords, inputs...

1 (one) straight mic stand
1 (one) Direct Input (DI) for the acoustic guitar
band set-up

but, more importantly, back stage...

1 (one) bottle Maker's Mark bourbon
4 (four) bottles Manhattan Special espresso soda
4 (four) bottles water - must be Poland Springs or Aquafina. NO DASANI
1 (one) bottle Johnnie Walker Black
1 (one) bottle 2005 Liliano Chianti
Boar's Head Deli platter - Roast beef, ham, smoked turkey
4 (four) Rolling Rock bar bottles in ice in a bucket on stage next to the drum set
towels - venue must provide three Williams-Sonoma "bar towels" or three Guinness or St. Andrew's Golf Course golf towels or reasonable replacement thereof for each performer
Piano - must be tuned "day of" and cleaned off with Huggies "sensitive" baby wipes
no plastic cups or glasses at all - all cups and glasses and bottles must be made of actual glass
runner - venue must provide one runner from load in to load out
at least one leather armchair
Sega Genesis with NHL94

there - that's it - all we need to play a show :-P
any other suggestions?