The Rock & Roll Jubilee was a sell-out on Saturday; in fact, it’s the first time the show has sold out pre-show! The house was packed, the energy was high, and we saw lots of friends in attendance. Also got to meet lots of new folks, which is always fun (especially when they like it . It’s fun to watch an audience that has maybe just remembered why they’ve loved music all of these years, and just realized that all they loved about it doesn’t have to end when they reach 25 or 30!

I’ve written before about how rewarding it is to meet people who have seen us for the first time – the Taters, the Jubilee, whatever – and seem to have sort of an epiphany when they realize that it’s still fun to go out and hear live music! So many people have given it up over the years, especially as they get older, have families, earlier work mornings, etc. A lot of times they have an idea that “That was something we did when we were younger” and just sort of gave up on it. But then they wind up at one of our shows, and they remember that there’s nothing quite like spending an evening with friends, or meeting new people, listening to music they really enjoy. And there’s no better way to do that than in local clubs, concerts & festivals.

I think it’s fine people have so many options these days for seeing music and other entertainment on TV, DVD, cable, YouTube, etc. and I do plenty of that myself, but it doesn’t hold a candle to being part of the live experience. Even in the smallest shows there’s an energy there that just can’t be absorbed from a screen, an energy that audience members are involved in creating WITH the band. In the Taters, we often make a point of saying “No two shows the same”, and that’s true from the setlist to the solos, but it’s especially true because of the audience. Every night we play a song, even if we’ve played it 1,000 times before, it hits a person or group of people in different ways, and that response (hopefully good!) feeds back into the performance, making each show a one-of-a-kind event.

Watching music, movies, whatever on TV or the computer is similar to Facebooking in some ways; you can see and learn a lot, find things you enjoy, and increasingly share feedback on items and events. But it can never really replace face-to-face contact with the real world, and that goes for entertainment just as much as for personal relationships. If you know someone who regularly goes out to get involved in live music events – as a player OR as an audience member – just ask them what they like about it; most are happy to tell you!

I’ve been wanting to get some of this stuff on the site for some time, not only so it’s big enough to read – 6pt type isn’t easy for anyone! – but also so I could correct a few errors that made it thru the editing process, no matter how many times I looked at it, or showed it to others! F’rinstance, in this web version I’ve finally corrected a terrible omission from the printed booklet – special guest victim screamer – Rebekah Gribik! Don’t know how that got left out, but this goes a little way toward correcting it!

Also, for those who’ve asked for it – here is a large blow-up of the back cover of menagerie. Kind of hard to see things on the back of a 4.75″ CD cover, so here is a bigger graphic (your browser may resize it to fit on the screen, but it’s about 15″ wide so you might have to click to zoom in on it!)

By the way, if any of you are web designers, I’d love to know how to fix the CSS on this site so it displays better at any resolution. I’ve figured a lot of it out, but I can’t afford a “real” designer, so some things just ’sort of’ work! I’m always happy for any help!

OK, that’s it for now…

I’m sitting in the studio now listening to final and near-final mixes on menagerie. There have been a few setbacks, but it’s still alive and kicking, just taking longer (always!) than I thought it would. I’m also working on finishing the cover art, liner notes, all the publishing stuff, etc, and working with the pressing plant to get that all setup. But all that notwithstanding, I’m hoping for a Halloween release, so keep your bony fingers crossed!

On a related note, watch for the October release of  Virginia Creepers: THE HORROR HOST TRADITION OF THE OLD DOMINION.  It’s a documentary featuring stories and clips of classic Virginia late night horror show TV shows. The Taters have a song in the soundtrack, a menagerie cut called “Wolfman Told Me Tonight”, so you’ll want to get a copy of the film ! A lot of you know the song from our shows over the years, but this is the debut of the recorded version. On an inexplicable note, the website for Virginia Creepers lists our tune as a “romantic ditty” (??), so I don’t know what to tell you about that. Not a big Valentine tune to my way of thinking but hey, it made the cut so we’re happy!

Spread a little Tater around

Think about the last time you bought something from a friend’s recommendation, or because you read a review of a book, movie, album, whatever. Chances are that review or recommendation made more of an impact on you than any “official” advertising from the manufacturer. One of the most beneficial aspects of the web is this ability to spread “word-of-mouth” recommendations across a much larger audience.

Same is true with Tater tunes. We have all sorts of people who come to see us or buy the CDs because someone told them about us, or they read a recommendation from someone. You could be a big part of spreading the word about The Taters, not only by telling your friends but also by posting reviews of our music or shows on the web. Nearly every place that sells the music online – CD Baby , iTunes , Amazon , you name it – has some way for you to post reviews and comments. It would be a great help to what we’re trying to do (merely get every single individual on the planet to hear us) if you’d add some reviews of your own. Say whatever you like, tell about your favorite song on an album, what you like about the music, etc. If you use iTunes, make a playlist that includes the Taters music and share the list so others will find it! Every single voice helps, believe me!