You might want to come see me at The SeaMonster Lounge Saturday. It’s the end of an era. I can honestly say I tried as hard as I could and maybe harder than I should.
Things are good. In some ways amazing. But it’s also time to move in a new direction. Trying to something over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. It’s also the path towards diminishing returns.
It’s going to be a celebration. I can’t yet mention which label is getting behind ‘Free Your Mind’, but some of you know. It’s the right direction.
Saturday I play those songs I fought to finish and craft, with some friends I made and some that I lost. Those songs have incredible powers and hidden costs. They work LIVE because one incarnation of The Staxx Brothers in particular fought and struggled and shared moments of pure ecstasy to craft those jewels.
This incarnation gave me what I always wanted but could not have: hammond and horns thanks to the gifts of Justin Smith, and Tracy Ferrara, the Queen Bee.
Saturday will be my first time sharing the stage with Eric Struthers, the New Orleans great, after a wonderful experience down at Marigny Studios. This is a chance to return the favor and introduce him to dozens of new friends.
I am tired. Music is more rejuvinating than sleep. But there comes a time when I need to redirect my energy towards new goals. Maybe it’s the same old goal.
I need to get out there. That’s why I started The Staxx Brothers. As a vehicle. For myself and for others to share, like a beautiful bus. Like the old school bus I parked outside Commonfire, near Nectar when I cut that first EP in 2003. But that bus was just a symbol. It wasn’t going anywhere.
But I still dream of The Staxx Brothers going everywhere. Somewhere. On 12 Arabian nights we ruled our little corner of San Francisco. We played great in Austin. But not everyone can play night after night. Even after they banned smoking in bars those broke ass PA’s stole our voices.
But so did that impossible life.
The music industry as an enterprise, also became a bad f☆cking joke. It was always everything Hunter S Thompson said it was. But at least the Devil would pay an advance on your soul.
Now we just give it away. How we would bemoan Empty V, then came the MP3.
But that ain’t why we PLAY music. It’s just why it is so hard for 4 to 7 musicians all to make music at the same time without a revolving door. For real bands the escalator is broken.
And I’m afraid we’re all out of tokens.
But Jamaica gave me a hit. Maybe the gods had pity on me. Maybe they transformed me. People walk past me and they don’t even know me.
I am going to go out there, alone, and I’ll risk everything. There were moments out there where you felt like Indiana f☆cking Jones. But I ain’t going to make it because I am some f☆cking hipster.
In the immortal words of Groucho Marx,
“Please accept my resignation. I don’t care to belong to any club that will have me as a member”
See, if I make it, it’s because of pure luck of the draw. But you can’t win a shoot out unless you take your shot. The harder they come,
the harder I ball.
My Daddy once told me,
“Son you make your own luck”
A coach once told me,
“I made you Captain of this team, because you’re a pure shooter, now get back out there and shoot.”
This ain’t the end my friends, this ain’t even the beginning, but it will never be the same show.
Then again, I never played the same show. I don’t even know how.
Davin’s new song has been released and has become a global earworm and Caribbean dancehall hit. Listen here on Reggaeville: DAVIN MICHAEL STEDMAN & ANTHONY RED ROSE – FREE YOUR MIND FEAT. SLY & ROBBIE WITH LENKY MARSDEN. The video is now available on Youtube.
– Musician and writer Davin Michael Stedman has many ventures, such as the AMAZING blog, 100milesofmusic.com, and is one of the driving forces behind the Staxx Brothers. This past spring he spent weeks networking in and reporting from Kingston, Jamaica. He will return there soon for more recording. His single with British band Sherlock Soul is now available as well.
