I couldn’t believe my eyes – it was a real music event in Houston.  Featuring Houston musicians; designed to promote their careers and bring attention to the Houston music scene.  It may have been small – just two stages – but this was a big deal for Houston.  You may not have known this, but Houston DOES actually have a music scene – it’s just as spread out as everything else is in this city, so it appears sparse.  Springboard is the first attempt to tap into that and attempt to gather momentum.  It is a win-win for everyone, including you at home reading this.

How, you ask?  Well, consider this:  SXSW in Austin had similar beginnings and intentions.  What is it now?  What is it now to you?  What is it now to the city of Austin, to the US, to the world?  It’s kind of a big deal.  And it’s a GOOD THING for fans, musicians, music business, merchants, the economy.

All I’m saying is, this could be a good thing for Houston if it continues to grow, and I’d like to see that happen.  Next year, I hope I can be a part of it again.

Aside from the larger picture, the smaller picture was really encouraging for me.  The morning of Day 1, Springboard had arranged “panels” in areas like production, social media, management, touring, public relations, legal, etc…, where experts in each field had 1:1 time with each artist.  We got some great advice, and some not-so-great advice, but to have someone go to all this effort for us (cough…cough… Barry Coffing), was something I truly appreciated and will not forget.

After I played, I was introduced to the CEO of Next Wave Entertainment.  Actually, he jumped up on stage and said into the mic that he had just heard the greatest guitar performance ever.  He also told the talkative crowd that they didn’t know what they just heard, which was awesome.  I don’t want to jinx anything, or get my hopes too far up, but we liked each other, and I think something may come out of that meeting soon.  Something big.

All this is to say, Houston musicians had a great service done from them this past weekend, whether they participated or not.  And I’d like to say thank you.

1. Friday, May 4 @ Springboard South Music festival.  8:30-9:15pm.  Flora & Muse Stage – City Centre, Houston.  Lots of great bands in this 3-day festival.  Best of all – it’s ALL FREE.
2. Thursday, May 10 @ Warehouse Live.  7-10pm.  Opening for Sarah Fuselier‘s CD Release show.  Tickets are $20.

Hope to see you out there, friends.  It’s been too long (as always).

- D

Here’s the lineup:

12 TBD
12:30Chris Crump
1:15Dave Ransom
1:45Jason Spencer
2:30Cody Beebe and the Crooks
3:15Brice Woodall
4:00Dan Dyer
4:45Tody Castillo
5:30Brant Croucher
6:15Petesimple
7:00The Poor Kings
7:45Matt Harlan
8:30Orange is in
9:15Edmund Evans

Join the Facebook event!  And NO, you don’t need a SXSW wristband! It’s free.  All day.

If you can’t make it to Austin, then puuuhleeease come to Fox Hollow next Wednesday night from 8-11pm.  Fox Hollow is a listening room with a good bar, and you’ll get to hear more stories and interact with the artists at this show.  W/ Tricia Fox and Jason Spencer.  It’s gonna be sweet.

See you out there.

~D

And you can donate here.

Here are the answers to a few questions we’ve received:

1. If you want to donate or learn more but don’t want to use Facebook, you can do both at www.michellecowanonline.upcominggigs. Or email directly at michelle@michellecowanonline.com.
2. We’ll be serving dinner at 7pm and starting the main show around 7:30 for those of you trying to lay out your plans.
3. Yes, you can come late. Just come!
4. No, you don’t have to donate, but your dollars go straight to the artists. You can donate online, at the concert itself, or by locating one of the performers and shoving dollars in his or her hand. We love that! But you might want to explain what it’s for.

Let me know if you need any more information.

Fun times ahead!

I think Houston is so starved for rain, or anything refreshing, and it makes it really hard to live here.  This town is dry inside and out, and the people suffer and reflect its climate.  Don’t get me wrong, I have some great friends and know really great people in Houston, but this place needs some love.  I also admit that I often am not giving love to Houston, but rather cursing it for all of its shortcomings (which really are many…).  But, the truth is, no other city has given me as much as Houston.  I’ve had more opportunities to grow here than anywhere else.  I’ve met some of my best friends, and I’ve had to overcome my steepest challenges.

For that, I am thankful.

The last 7 months have been some of the most difficult, personally, in my life.  At the same time, they have been the most wonderful.  I am learning how to love, and how to be loved.  I’ve moved.  I’ve been vulnerable.  I’ve been sick.  I’ve been elated.  I’ve been depressed.  I’ve been overwhelmed with joy and fear in the same moment.  I’ve been medicated.  I’ve been incredibly sober.  I’ve been present and I’ve been absent.   I’ve been everything I’ve ever been in my life in a short time span.

I have been alive.

No songs have come from this time, yet, with the exception of “Love Loving You.”  I’ve been so busy being IN each moment.  It will take some time to digest, but I think a lot of songs will come from this time period.  I’ve changed and am still changing.  I can tell you this: it HURTS, but it is so good.  So worth it.

Go and love.

D

It has been a long, long time. I’d like to tell you why in just a minute, but first there is something I should announce: I’ve got a gig at the famous Momo’s club on 6th street in downtown Austin, Monday Dec. 15 from 7-8pm (see Tour page for drecWhat’s even crazier is that I will be opening for Dan Dyer – one of those artists on his way from local to national. And even crazier than that – I haven’t played guitar in over 2 months. Thankfully, though, a gig at Momo’s is enough to get me nervous and motivated, and I can’t tell you how much I need that right now…

I thought I’d start this post with an “I’m Baa-aack” kind of vibe, but the truth is – I don’t know if I am. This year has often felt like looking in the mirror for the first time. The honeymoon of moving to Austin to “do music” crashed and burned at a Thunderbirds Coffee House gig, and I’ve been sifting through the wreckage for anything I might recognize ever since. There’s nothing really there. Well, I take that back – there are things there, but I’ve somehow imposed a weight limit for how many things I can carry out of the mess with me, and I’ve had to face some tough decisions.

Don’t get me wrong, I haven’t left music in the pile yet, but I’m looking at it awfully hard, and that scares me. Do I really need it? Why? What do you mean when you say you need something? Why do I “do music” in the first place? The worst possible answer is the truth: I don’t know.

I do know that moving to Austin has not been a mistake. This place has hammered into my head that true success – the kind you can know – is a direct result of doing things for the right reasons. From the first day I picked up the guitar, I have been dishonest with it. I wanted attention; I wanted acceptance; I wanted, and that’s the filthy bottom line I buried so deeply it took 13 years to dig up.

A true musician turns to music because it is the only way he or she can deal with this world. In this way only does music become the tool they unknowingly utilize to communicate and connect with other people. That connection is what makes music a part of human nature, and what makes someone’s music meaningful and valuable to you. This year, I realized that I am to real music as Kraft is to real cheese. Truthfully – singing and playing made me feel like the biggest phony I know.

So, I stopped. And I haven’t even wanted to pick it up again – it felt so good to act honestly for once.

Instead of music, I’ve been taking Robert Pirsig’s advice. He says to build a perfect motorcycle engine is easy; become a perfect person and then build something naturally. Instead of bikes, songs. Instead of perfect, meaningful. In this way, I guess I have been working on my music. I’ve been working on me (and that needs a lot of improvement). I just figured out that means committing to healthy, positive decisions in your life and doing pretty much everything differently.

So there it is. I am exposed. If I have disappointed you, believe me I know that I have and I feel that every day of my life, and I am sorry. BUT, there’s a but… for once I am sincere in my interest to discover what in this world I can do for the right reasons, and that’s saying something. I am hoping it’s music. I am hoping it’s my own music, because I feel like I can connect with you, and finally find some peace.

The place to improve the world is first in one’s own heart and head and hands.

Robert M. Pirsig (1928 – )
Source: Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance : An Inquiry Into Values

Friends, the Flush days are over. I had a great time with those guys, and we played some great shows and wrote some great music. You’ve noticed I’ve used the word “great” a lot. It was.

But, changes are afoot, and I am really excited about what’s next. I am hitting the solo trail again, playing all new shows at new places with new music and a new site. You’ve noticed I’ve used the word “new” a lot. It is.

I’m about 75% to enough material for a new recording, and I am making a promise to you now to have new videos posted on my YouTube page soon.

Until next time (which won’t be too far away),

- Dave

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