The Number Are Thru the Roof!

It's been a crazy few weeks. Things have been coming at me so fast, I haven't really had a chance to do much more than just acknowledge them, so in the spirit of giving everyone a little justice, here we go.

I've been playing solo acoustic at this cool little place in Aberdeen called Jugtown Grill. It's got a really cool vibe about it, and I have met some of the greatest people already. Coincidentally (shameless plug), I'll be back at Jugtown Saturday, August 2nd, so if you're looking for something to do, swing on by. The food is great and Sheila and crew will make you feel right at home.

What was supposed to be an acoustic gig turned into a "band" show at the last moment in Hamilton for the Hamilton Appreciation Day celebration. Our good friend David Long played right before us and so we made use of him on Bass. Thanks, David, for sitting in with us again, and thank you to the people of Hamilton, Mississippi, for having us.

I played a private solo show at the Tupelo Automobile Museum on the 16th for Mississippi Water and Pollution Control Operator's Association and had a wonderful time meeting people from all over the state of Mississippi, something I hope I get to do again in the future.

Photo courtesy Jason Carter

The Project also played the 4th Annual Okolona Magnolia Festival on the 26th, and even got to do a set with our friend Terry "Harmonica" Bean! The blues was sufficiently preached, that I can tell ya for sure.

"Gone Bad Blues" was played on the air in Rolla, Missouri, Sunday night. The Basement Tapes with Nick and Bootsy on KKID 92.9 FM. You can click on over to their site to hear a stream of the broadcast. We want to give a shout out to Nick and Bootsy and say thanks for support. Hopefully, soon, we can come to Rolla and play for ya in person.

This Saturday, Foosh and I are heading to Hernando, Mississippi, for an in-studio interview and performance for Mississippi Music Foundation. Keep an eye on the Facebook page or at KevinWaide.com for when it will air. As I said earlier, I'll also be at Jugtown in Aberdeen Saturday night starting at 8:00 pm.

There's also the birthday bash coming up on August 15th at Woody's in Tupelo. I would LOVE to not remember you being there, so make your plans now.

As a side note, as of right now (10:18 PM Thursday, July 31, 2014) we have had 5,133 views on the blog in just a little over a year and a half! Thank you all so much for supporting the music and the Project. We hope to be able to entertain you for many years to come.

What Have We Learned, Class?

So, I'm staring down the barrel of 42. There, I've said it. I have publicly acknowledge the fact that I am about to be another year older. Man, what a bummer!

Actually, I take that back. It isn't a bummer. It's always nice to wake up in the morning and still be alive, not that I've ever woke up dead or anything like that. Another day on this side of the dirt is a great day, as they say.

A few days ago, I was thinking about all the things I've learned in my 42 years on this earth. The more I thought about it, the more I decided to try and list at least 42 things I've learned in 42 years. This should be interesting.

1. Don't stick a fork in an electrical outlet (I know this seems like a no-brainer right now, but to a curious six-year-old boy, logic doesn't really exist. On the other hand, now I know what will happen if I do it).
2. Fire ants are the devil.
3. So are fleas.
4. Cool pizza is better than a mouthful of molten hot lava.
5. Keep your phone fully charged. Always. You never know, man.
6. Always have your sunglasses. Another one of those "you never know, man," moments.
7. Tell the special people in your life how much they mean to you.
8. Show the special people in your life how much they mean to you.
9. Call your mama.
10. Try to talk to your dad.
11. Sit quietly while dad lectures you on how you're screwing up your life.
12. Smile at everyone you meet.
13. Say ma'am and sir. Everyone deserves that much respect.
14. Say please.
15. Say yes.
16. Say no.
17. Say nothing.
18. Sing.
19. Bravada Surfing probably isn't a good idea. Especially while intoxicated.
20. Keep your wits about you.
21. There is nothing in this world better than cold sweet tea.
22. If a woman shares her dessert with you, there is something there.
23. Sometimes you just gotta get your hands dirty.
24. Shit happens. Deal with it.
25. Make time for your friends. These are the people who know how crazy you are and choose to stick around. Cherish them.
26. Make time for yourself.
27. Unplug for a weekend.
28. Be prepared.
29. Be aware.
30. Don't be an ass, but tell the truth.
31. Don't pick a fight but don't take no shit.
32. Believe in yourself.
33. Know when to cut your losses.
34. Learn how to feel.
35. Be yourself.
36. Everyone has a story.
37. Be true to your word.
38. Get some sleep.
39. Bacon and/or cheese makes everything better.
40. Love yourself.
41. Be nice or go home.
42. Do what you love.

Has It Been A Year Already?

I swear, it only seems like a month or so ago since I was typing a blog to let you know about the new CD, "Booze, Bluez, & BBQ: Live In Tupelo." It's hard to believe it's actually been a year, and what a year it's been! I never, in my wildest dreams, thought it would be as well received as it has been. We do this thing because of our love of the music, and it makes it easier to continue knowing there are others just like us out there. Thank you so much for supporting us in this endeavor. It means the world to us.

I'm guessing it would also probably be good business at this point for me to let you all in on a little secret. Are you ready? Here it goes.

It's that time of year again! My Annual Birthday Bash. A six year tradition, this year (as last year) we will be at Woody's Tupelo Steakhouse in Tupelo, Mississippi. It's my 42nd birthday, and since I don't have an album to release this year (yet) I started looking for ways to make it special. Look at that lineup on the poster. Do you recognize any of those names? Yup, it's the ORIGINAL LINEUP! "Evil" Jimmy Karow and Foosh will be keeping the groove flowing right along. "The Rooster" Jason Carter will be playing guitar alongside "The Emfamus" Skip Oliver on the blues harp! I gotta say, I'm so excited about this it's been damn near impossible to keep to myself. And, even better, there will be NO COVER CHARGE!!! How can we afford to do this? We can't, but that's never stopped us before. Go ahead and mark your calendar now. Get there early if you want to get in. The celebration starts at 8:30 and will go until they kick us out, I can promise you that.

I'm sure there's something else I'm forgetting to say, so be sure to keep a check on the site at www.kevinwaide.com or on Facebook or Twitter for any other news. And if you haven't signed up for the Mailing List on the site, you're really missing out on exclusive content only available to subscribers. The signup form is just to the left of the Featured Video section on the homepage, so drop on by and sign up. Me love you long time!

Dude! What are you doing in my car?

I had the oddest encounter yesterday in Aberdeen.

I work as a graphic designer in Aberdeen during the week and have been for around the last year. I have fallen into a routine that is quite comfortable, where every day of the work week is pretty much the same; drive to work, go to lunch, drive home. Aberdeen is half an hour away from my home, so I spend a little time driving every day. Not too much drive time, just enough to get some thinking (quit laughing!) done, or at least listen to the latest album I've become obsessed with.

Yesterday, well, yesterday was a little different.

My alarm is set for 7:00 Monday - Friday (thank God I can set my iPhone and forget about it), and at 7:00 am, it went off. I quickly (as I do every morning) reached over and turned it off. I sat back down on the bed, fell back, and closed my eyes. I lay there cussin' in my head about it being Monday morning (after a long weekend) and I didn't want to get up and go to work. You know, the typical whining. This went on for what seemed like 5 minutes. In reality, when I decided to get up and get ready, I looked at the time and it was 8:22. I start work at 8:00. I called in and told them I was running a little late and would be there as soon as possible. I was an hour late. When I did get to work, it was, unfortunately, Monday.

Lunch? Lunch went well, at least I think it did, though the phrase "Everything's better with cheese" will forever have a new meaning.

The rest of the afternoon went by as normal (for a Monday) until it was time to go home for the day.

I went to my van and went to leave work. I put the North MS All Stars "Key To the Kingdom" on the radio to listen to on my afternoon commute. I took my right onto Franklin and a right onto Jefferson. One more left and then a right onto 45 and I'm on my way home!

As I pulled up to Matubba St. (which was pretty busy this time of day) I see this younger (than me) man walking toward the intersection. As he sees me, he starts waving and runs up to my window (which was partially down, because I was smoking (I know!)) and started saying things like "I know you from somewhere, don't I?" I reply with, "I don't think so," and he goes into this spill about he's been out walking all over town looking for a job and can I give him a ride home because he's worn out from walking.

Now, I've lived in bigger cities where pan-handling is commonplace and I know it when I see it. I immediately begin telling him I'm on a schedule and don't have time for side trips. Matubba St is still too busy for me to pull out and leave, so as I reiterate that I am in a hurry (for the third time), I look at the clock in my van, to help stress the point.

Side Note: My van has a slightly occurring electrical problem in which all the gauges will start flopping around and it says a door is open, which turns the interior lights on. I have turned the lights off so as not to cause me problems when driving at night, and a quick blow to the dash usually makes the gauges go back to working correctly, at least until the next bump. The only problem is that when it doesn't see all the doors closed (as was the problem yesterday), it doesn't automatically lock the doors when you put the van in gear. 

Like I said, I looked at the clock in my van to help stress the point, and when I looked back to the window, the "gentleman" had already walked around the front of my van and was in the passenger seat closing the door, before I even realized it!

I just looked at him dumbfounded, trying to assess the situation. He didn't look to be carrying anything that could be used as a weapon. 

As soon as he was in the van, he started crying about how he hasn't had anything to eat in days and he has 2 kids at home and he'd do anything, and he meant ANYTHING, if I could just give him some money to feed his kids. It took me a few minutes (and several right turns) to get him to understand that I had a wife and 2 children waiting on me to get home to eat myself and I don't carry any cash on me at anytime and I only get paid once a month and it's already all gone (all of which is total BS). When he figured out I wasn't going to give him any money, he said, "You can drop me out right here," to which I promptly slammed on the brakes.

I'm not even ashamed that I dropped him off right beside one of the better neighborhoods in Aberdeen. I'm just glad he got out.