My Dr. Phil Moment of the Day

I was at my favorite bagel place today (Blue Sky of course) on my way to a rehearsal with the beautiful Josh Olswanger, and some things hit me pretty hard.
I am so very fortunate to have music be such a part of my life. Its my job, its what I spend most of my time doing, and it's been the thing to give me the most blessings in my life.
And the craziest part to me is that I haven't gotten completely sick of it yet. Knowing myself (the little bit that I do) I would think that I would have moved on from music like the many other things in many other aspects of life that I have.
This upcoming project Interstate is starting has me really excited. We made the schedule and signed the contracts, and we are getting closer to making the music we want to. Just focusing on creativity, and letting our songs breathe.
I just want to put down in words somewhere how thankful I am to feel like I may have a future in the business of music. I plan on taking full advantage of the worth while opportunities that life throws at me, and I hope some of you out there can enjoy it.
Happy Holidays!

JAKE

Christmas Time Is Here

The Santa at the Boise Towne Square is not only one of the most convincing looking St. Nick's I've ever seen, he's also got a great sense of humor.
Maybe he's not a fake?

Happy Holidays!

JAKE

Anxiety

Here's another weird feeling I reflected on the other day (yesterday to be exact).

I decided to go to the grocery store down the street from where a good family friend lives that was kindly putting us, (Brianne and I) up for the weekend because we were playing at the lovely Flatbread community oven in Bend Oregon.
So I knew I wanted to get some wine for her, and a pack of AA batteries. Not too complicated right? But no matter how sure of what I need when I walk in to a grocery store, I get this tiny anxiety attack when I enter the doors. Like i don't know where anything is and I can't remember my own name or what wine really is. Is wine next to the kids grape juice? or in the produce section? Is there another type of AA battery? Should I consult the company that makes the product that the batteries are going in before buying? Is there a warranty?
So I take a breath and review what I'm there for. And its all good. But still a weird re-occurrence

I'll post pictures from the trip later tonight!

JAKE

Mini-piphany

Have you ever had one of those moments when you are thinking about something; REALLY thinking about something, and you reach a point of some kind of discovery, or realization and things seem very clear, and then three seconds later its all gone and you can barely remember what your original thought was?

I've been having those a lot lately. I call them, "Mini-pihany's"

It usually happens when I'm walking out to my car by myself. Or riding a chair lift, by myself. I've realized it takes too much brain power to have a mini-piphany and talk to someone at the same time.

It's such an interesting feeling for me, because I feel like I accomplish something so cerebral and brilliant, and then its gone in a second, and i have to work so hard to get back to that place in my mind. And to even think of an example of a subject I have had a mini-piphany about takes having a mini-piphany.

It's a bit early, so I probably won't be able to get much deeper. But I hope this is in some way familiar. I think its a pretty cool new term!

Decisions

No, this isn't about the election.
(Although it IS important)

I have told many people that being happy is a decision most of the time. But sometimes that decision is harder to make yourself, and you need others to help you.

I enjoy lots of music, and music makes me happy, in general. But here are some people that actually make me physically and mentally feel HAPPY:

Gene Harris:
See "Summerwind" and "Lil' Darlin" Live at the Loa, and "Bye Bye Blues" from Funky Gene's



Nickel Creek:
Pretty much all of This Side


Dave Matthews Band:
Grey Street, So Much To Say

Music From Stanley

From this summer up in the beautiful Stanley Idaho.
This was a lot of fun- and the radio show they recorded is very well done. Thanks to Dan Costello

Listen to the whole thing here

AAAAAAAnd we're back.

24 hours ago I was worried about nothing more than my music.
200 miles, 3 hours, 1 Vitamin Water, 1 Monster, a delicious chicken caesar wrap and some York Peppermint Patties later I am at home watching the new Brittany Snow flick worrying about how to write a paper on the correlation between geometric transformations and music.


The crazy a-tonal music I'm going to need to listen to is serving as the rude alarm clock to wake me up from the dream I've been living for the last three days.

Sun Valley

Took the trip up to Sun Valley today- we made it just in time to register and and change clothes and have 30 seconds to hang out before we played our first set with Jason Wanner.

It's warm, sunny, and very positive up here. We packed the room out for our first performance which will always make me feel good. The people come to listen, and that is very refreshing. Its also kind of stressful, because it means I can't be un-original anymore. Brianne and I are continually looking for things to shake it up. But the cool part about it is we walk away from this weekend with ideas and motivation for another years worth of lounge gigs and christmas parties and weddings.

Its nice to get out of Boise for a bit and play in a different atmosphere- as a working musician I fear monotony more than anything. This weekend also is serving as a slight vacation for my mind. I for sure needed to re- focus on some things. This is what I needed:

Some Saving Graces

Im pretty sure I'm not the only one that got in a bit of a downer-rutt last week. Maybe is was the weather, maybe it was the moon cycle, maybe is was David Blaine. I don't know. But i am much better now, and these are some things that got me through.

1. Blue Sky Bagels. Every morning an everything bagel toasted with the berry cream cheese
2. Chai Tea. I was slightly disappointed to learn I actually like Starbucks' chai....
3. Jon McLuaghlin's new album, OK Now. Just awesome. Nothin' else to it

Dear Mr. O'Reilly,

Stop interrupting people. It's very rude. Fortunately, you recently interviewed someone who could still mamage to keep his dignity and hold his stance, even in the face of your poinantly ignorant scapegoating and interrogating.
Sincerely,
JAKE

Its Like the Night Before A Trip to Disneyland...

Or your first start on the varsity basketball team, or your high school graduation. The feeling right before you do something that could be monumental, even definitive. There is nothing really standing in your way but time, a restless bed, and those small chances that something may go a rye. And no matter how slim, improbable, or just straight up impossible those chances may be, I still focus on them intently.
Those small things are what ruin my awesome day-dreams. Those little things are what completely turn my stomach when I am sitting in my math class thinking about things that could( and are likely to) be in my future.
The good part of this is the process of catharsis that happens when there is a success. ( My senior year english teacher would be so proud of me right now for using catharsis).
I fell a good sense of accomplishment in that process. It keeps me humble- because I am constantly thinking I am just barely scraping by. I would never say I am a perfectionist, because I settle plenty when it comes to some things. Not in this particular instance, but none the less, I do think I work hard to make things good, because I don't want to be that worst case scenario that always seems to be nipping at my heels.
Anyway, what I'm trying to say is I'm feeling excited- and its because things could go wrong, or they could go right. Either way, something is going to happen, and it excites me.

JAKE

Post Script- check out This Providence's new song, "Waste Myself" on their myspace page, myspace.com/thisprovidence. Can't wait to see
'em next week!

What it looks like to be wisdom-less

I have ZERO recollection of this photo being taken. Good times!
Its a good thing only a few select friends and my family read this blog
JAKE

My Plans for The Rest of This Week

Wisdom teeth out this morning. I've never had quite an experience like I did blacking out after I was drugged. Three hours of my life I just cannot seem to remember

Medley

YMA (Thanks Anne)

yes, I primarily went with the ones I am in, because I am selfish.
Thanks Anne!

Summertime

I have now been home from the real world vacation we like to call "YMA" for 4 days. I haven't exactly caught up on all the sleep I lost, but i'm getting there, slowly.
But now that I have had some alone time, I've been able to really process the whirlwind of information that was stored through this two week experience.
YMA 2008 was in my opinion, the best camp yet. For those involved, pat yourself on the back. Because regardless of what role (small or big) you think you played, every single one of us made camp this year one of my best memories. The objective was to have fun and make music, and thats what we did. We didn't complicate things, we didn't let the details get in the way. It just happened! And that is what makes YMA so unique.
I have seen a lot of changes in myself over the past year. I feel more confident- in myself and in my decision making. I feel more independent as an individual personality. I feel like a better musician. And the one thing that can assure me that I am a growing, feeling, loving human being is two weeks playing music with people I love being with in a run down dormatory at a liberal arts college in Salem, Oregon.
And even though I had myself more figured out this year, fate/coincidence/divine mercy/karma/....etc etc decided to throw a wrench in it all and give me a bittersweet blessing. No, I'm not going to go into specifics, and I'm not going to complain about it. It really is a blessing, and to me a reminder that we, truly, are not alone.

"We give to live for to with hold is to die. When we give to get, then that is a lie."
-Rich Nace

Interstate!

Some good shows at Veritas coffee shop in Boise, and Great Pacific in Pendleton.

Richae Swanbeck was there too, and she takes better pictures than anyone I know. Those will be up soon

A Productive Saturday

Idaho Statesman

http://www.idahostatesman.com/life/story/379033.html

Dead Week

Although properly named, I think the original intent of "Dead Week" is false. Its not that the week is supposed to be a light week in prep for finals- it should be because is make you WANT TO DIE.

I'm pretty sure this is just me though. For anyone who has told me that all my procrastination was going to catch up to me: It has.

i've been able to slide by 'till now. I have close to 25 pages of collegiate red tape bull crap to write in somewhere around 36 hours. On top of practicing for juries, rehearsing a duo for my final theory composition project, sight singing examples to learn, and all this on top of a weekend of playing at the Gamekeeper. And I deserve all the stress that's come with it, so don't feel sorry for me- seriously.

Anyway, here are some cool things that have gotten me through the week:

http://arizonamoms.com/momtomom/entertainment/news-events/woman-kidnapped-her-father

So You Want A Dancer?

Youth AIDS Benefit

This should be a great show for a number of reasons- it's the first show with Josh since "releasing" our EP, "The Lost Ones", and because its for a great cause. Its also put on by some local students, which leads me to believe that there may be hope for the future of the music scene on Boise.


We're gonna be selling our EP at the show- and it looks a bit like this:

Sometimes I Get Mad

Sometimes I get mad when things that aren't supposed to happen end up happening. It really makes me mad when the deciding factor on weather or not these certain things that do end up happening is simply time.


If my tea had taken just five minutes longer to make. If I had decided to let my shower run an extra shampoo cycle. If I had gone 65 instead of 75 on the freeway. Any of these things and I would not have the ridiculous speeding ticket I got this morning going 31 in a school zone. I received the ticket at about 8:50 AM. Broadway by Garfield Elementary is no longer a 20 mph zone at 9:00 AM.

HATE IT.

Jigsaw Falling Into Place

The Arbiter

A cool little article in this weeks BSU newspaper about last weeks adventure

'Snow'ed In - Culture

Press.

A Great Day

Woke up this morning to a sunny sky, warm weather, and one of my favorite John Mayer tunes.  

Went to church, then got an AMAZING cinnamon roll from the Boise Co-op, and drove back home with my windows rolled down listening to Continuum for the first time in a few months.

Its really just one of those days I am so glad I live in this city.  The people around me, wherever I am, are out to enjoy the day.  They aren't trying to make anyone feel smaller than them, they aren't trying to push to the front of the line with no regard for who they knock out of the way.  I just feel good today.

Planes, Trains, and Really Nice Hotels

  

I just got home from the whole trip, and am enjoying the first internet usage since Sunday in Spokane before going to New York(aka the last post).  

New York and MTV were all much of a blur, but it was all exiting.  I didn't end up winning the TRL competition, but I gave it my best shot.  There really wasn't much I could have done better, except maybe had a bigger mouth for "bow tie bobbing".  Who was in the think tank for that one?

My only complaints about the whole deal are that Brittany had no choice in who ultimately went to LA with her.  I really like Jason, the guy who won.  But I still cant help but wonder what would have happened.... In all honesty?  I think she dug me. 

The things I did get out of the trip though were VERY worth while.

For starters, I got to spend almost three days with one of the coolest dudes one could have the pleasure of growing up with.  I hadn't seen Pete in almost two years, and it felt so good to hang out and talk about the good ol' days.  It's amazing what some people remember!

I also got a glimpse of a part of society that I think is really something worth striving for.  If I can do this whole career thing right, it's gonna be a hell of a ride.

I got to see the actual inner workings of one of the biggest television networks in the biz, and learned a lot about what I like, and more importantly what I DONT like.  It is possible that I am under contractual obligation to not say anything bad about a certain network, so i'll just play it safe....

I got to spend three days in New York, at one of the nicest hotels I have ever stayed in for three days!  Right in Times Square?  Come on.  Pete and I did a lot in the small amount of time we had.

And lastly, I got to meet Brittany Snow.  It may have been brief, succinct, and slightly awkward towards the end, but I have been looking foreward to it for a long time.  I did say I was going to give her my number, and i'll have y'all know that I did my best- there really was no opportunity to do it at the studio, so I commissioned Jason (the real winner) to give her my digits if he happened to get the chance at the premier.

I will leave you with the mementos I have left.