Why didn't this
man keep a JOURNEY? What a tale he's had. How 'bout
this, him playing the Viper Room with his drumming
hero Kellii Scott in the band Bad Things on Tuesday
wasn't the biggest thing to happen to him in the past
48 hours. The next day he auditioned for Dave
Navarro's new band, The Panic Channel, and I quote
from the other band members: "Blew the other bassists
away..." They go on a 7 week tour on January 16th and
need someone ASAP. He is on the ride of his life, at
21, and it's been a BLAST to watch. It's the way
it should be, ya know?
You
have talent, you make the jump - you get
recognized. It's the American dream, and
what everyone assumes happens if you
you're talented and persist...
...however
it's a crock of shit. The timing has to be
perfect. Believing, making the
jump, working hard - those are just
pre-requisites. It's just the forward to
the un-ending chapters in the book. The
rest really is a dose of luck. No one
wants to hear that, and those who make it
"smoothly" don't want to admit it, but
luck plays a huge part. Staying out here
forever will neutralize that "timing" part
substantially, but it doesn't make it
irrelevant.
Keith has one
great advantage: He wants to be the best bass
player in the world. Period. Doesn't want to be an
actor, doesn't want to direct, doesn't want to get to
this level to then get to that level. He
knows exactly what he wants and his direction is
unflinching.
He also,
FUCKING ROCKS on the bass. There goes the
toning down of the journey for Living Room
Live. Sorry kids, he fucking rocks. He
studies it. He just studies it, feels it,
perfects it... I respect that to such an
extent. In fact I'm not sure I've ever known
someone so like me in that sense when
it comes to perfecting your art. 4tvs by
design is the epitome of perfectionism and
people have no idea what it takes to make it
look easy. Just as you'd be amazed at the
hours Keith spent nailing two measures of a
song.
However, this is
LA, and Daddy Adam has been flinching constantly at
the eerie similarities to some of my situations. That
absolute certainty that you got the gig, telling your
whole family, the phone calls from friends - the
"positive thinking" that all make you feel great at
the time... and then slaps your ass so hard that you
can barely stand if you don't get it. It's a very fine
line between egg on your face (which I'm infamous
for), and being an egg. If Keith doesn't get this gig,
I think he'll understand that difference very
painfully.
But
honestly, he's probably gonna get it. He's
just that good. And either way,
jammin' with Dave Navarro, impressing the
hell out of the band, playing the Viper
Room, getting his name out there. He's
gonna be fine. I was watchin' him
Tuesday night with this big-ass grin on my
face for him. This was his "Comedy Store"
and the audition the next night?
Sheeeit.
Oh and in case you
fellow musicians were wondering how he got these gigs
it was pretty simple. I introduced him to Gary
Helsinger who I've been friends with for a little over
a year (he's been mentioned in several entries). Keith
was a fan of Gary's band Green Jello and we went out
to lunch together. Gary is managing a band that I'm
letting rehearse in my studio, which once Donna came
out became Keith's studio... so as a bit of a
trade-off, Gary has introduced Keith to a bunch of
people. Paul D'Amore from Tool (another hero of
Keith's) and of course this The Panic Channel
audition. What's cool is when he went to see The Panic
Channel he met Kellii, they hit it off - and thus he
played the Viper Room with them because they needed a
bass player.
The reason that it
was all so easy however...is because again, he
fugggggin' rocks at his instrument, but also
because he knows the industry. He studied his
influences. He knows his bands. He knows who they
played with, knows each musician's history - so when
he meets them? People know right off the bat that he's
legit. They assume he can play before he even hits a
note. He's gonna fly out here. No doubt.
Here's hopin' we
find out soon it's with The Panic Channel.
Adam
PS -
as cool as camera and video phones are...
they still leave a little to be desired
but you add in an mp3 of the band and it
all looks spiffy. Enjoy.
