the pocket rocket diaries

Cut-Resistant Slip-ons: A Missed Market? (or Bloody Feet Aren't Fun Feet)

2011-10-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Empty Pockets like to play to a dancing crowd. There's nothing better than a bunch of people boogieing down, cutting loose on the dance floor and really workin' it hard to some crunchy jams. Folks like to dance in all sorts of ways, and the ladies of the crowd often find that the dressier of the shoe choices lead to aching feet during a dance-marathon, so they (wisely) choose to remove them. This is when disaster can strike.

Dance floors get packed with people and people bring on dust and debris, but that's all fairly harmless on the feet. What can get you barefooted boogie-bots is broken glass, the enemy of barefoot enthusiasts everywhere. It happens by sheer accident: A crowded dance floor gets cleared when someone drops their drink, causing a ripple of people moving away from the shattered glass and slippery liquids until it can (hopefully) be fully cleaned of any dangerous particles.

The enemy of bare feet and good times

This very thing happened this past weekend at the wedding of Dennis and Lindsey in Cincinnati. Everybody was getting their groove on and a glass got shattered on the dance floor, causing a small ruckus and a slight boogie interruptus for the dancers. The highly competent staff at the Western Hills Country Club managed to get the dance floor cleaned up and safe for everyone's continued enjoyment, which they did with GUSTO, I might add.

But all of this got me thinking: What if there was some sort of solution that could allow barefoot boogieing to continue unabated and unconcerned with dangerous particulates?

What about something like a Kevlar(tm) or similar half-sock. You know, kind of like the sock they give you at the department stores to try on shoes with? Can these be made of some sort of cut-resistant material? Every sock that's commercially available which is made of some sort of cut-resistant material is marketed towards the seriously tough jobs, rugged outdoorsman, or hockey players of the world. They are thusly built with aesthetics as an after-thought, and rightly so. But what about a dainty, unobtrusive-yet-stylish sock made of cut-proof material for all the barefoot dancers of the world?

I can't think of anything better than something that would improve the crowd's enjoyment of dancing barefoot with the knowledge of the safety of their tootsies. Imagine the reckless abandon that would be shown on dance floors worldwide. Now all we need is something to stop people like me from stepping on the toes of our dancing partners. (Aha, I think those are called dancing lessons. D'oh!)

Mayhaps we should get someone to sew up a prototype and start an Empty Pockets brand cut-proof slip-on. What would we call them? "Safe Slips"? "Boogie Bottoms"? "Pocket Protectors"?

Bringing 'Safety Dance' a new meaning,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Happy Van-Time Listening (or Lock The Gates!)

2011-10-12T11:35:00.000-07:00

The Empty Pockets get their travel on. A lot. From the West Coast to the East Coast, we drive our van and play our tunes here, there and everywhere. That leaves a lot of time in the van to do all sorts of things like reading, sleeping, or a hybrid-activity I'm working on called Sleading. (It's pretty difficult so far, but let it never be said I'm not up for a challenge.) We also listen to a lot of different musics and a variety of podcasts. One of our favorite podcasts to listen to in the van these days is a wonderful piece of brilliance lovingly crafted by this man.

Marc Maron: POW!

His name is Marc Maron and his podcast is "WTF with Marc Maron" [ link ] wherein he converses with comedians and other working professionals (writers, actors, etc.) about their career, the ins-and-outs of the business, life and generalities, both brilliant and banal. Each episode invariably includes Marc explaining his early dislike for the guest or checking to see if their relationship is in a good place, which it almost always is. The show itself is a poignant look into a business that seems to mirror the Music Business in a variety of ways and thus delights us to no end and the Empty Pockets all find relate-able material throughout. Sometimes the interviews are touching and sometimes they are uproarious, but they're always fascinating. The live shows are always a hoot and a half, such as this one with another band favorite, Maria Bamford: (NSFW: Adult Language Ahead.)

So, to wrap all this up into a nice little package, "WTF with Marc Maron" is an excellent podcast that the Empty Pockets thoroughly enjoy listening to on the road. It involves real moments of honesty from people whom we respect and enjoy and it's a true boon to have it readily available. You can subscribe to WTF on iTunes of course, and we highly recommend you check it out.

We're on the road to Cincinnati this weekend for a private event and you can be sure we're going to listen to a few of the WTF's on our way to and fro. Maybe the recent one with Amy Sedaris? Or maybe the one with comic legend Jonathan Winters? Who knows. The possibilities are endless. So thank you, Marc Maron, for making the Empty Pockets road experience that much more joy-filled. You rock, sir.

POW!
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Getting the Most Out Of Your Hotel Breakfast Buffet ( or Warren, Jimmy, Hotel Breakfast)

2011-10-06T08:51:00.000-07:00

The Empty Pockets stay in a lot of hotels these days as we travel hither and yon about this great big country of ours. One question seems to emerge at every hotel, big and small: "What time does breakfast close?" You see, most of the hotels we stay at offer a complimentary "breakfast buffet" that opens at some horridly early time in the morning and closes just slightly earlier than a reasonable musicians wake-up time. That being said, the breakfast buffet is often worth rising early for, as it can provide much needed energy for the day and be quite a boon on the old pocket book. But after awhile, you can become bored with the standard fair of fruits, grains, dairy, meats and juices offered by anything but the most modest hotel buffet and crave something more substantial. Well fear not, for the Empty Pockets have a sure-fire way to get the most out of your next hotel breakfast buffet experience. Read on, MacDuff!

A standard bit of morning deliciousness.

Beginners Tip: The Parfait

Everybody's got to start somewhere, so why not start somewhere delicious, like the breakfast buffet parfait? It's a healthy morning treat, super easy to make and nearly every hotel buffet, small to large, has the components to make a tasty parfait. Have you ever met a person, you say, "Let's get some parfait," they say, "Hell no, I don't like no parfait"? Parfaits are delicious!

Step 1) Get some yogurt. Often there will be a few flavors to choose from, my favorite is strawberry, but you can use whatever you would like.

Step 2) Get some fruit. The easiest to obtain and slice for parfait usage is the almighty banana, but you can use any fruit if you're willing to put in the effort to slice it up small enough with those silly plastic knives that are often the only utensils available.

Step 3) Get some granola or granola-type cereal. If the hotel doesn't offer a granola cereal, you can use corn-flakes. (Pro-Tip: Frosted Flakes may sound like a great idea.... because it is.)

Step 4) Combine all of the ingredients in a cereal bowl and enjoy! You've just created your first breakfast buffet parfait and hopefully not your last. Mangia!

"Parfait's gotta be the most delicious thing on the whole damn planet!"

Intermediate Tip: The Breakfast Sandwich

The breakfast sandwich is a delicious way to mix up the offerings of your hotel breakfast buffet into a new flavor sensation. It's a classic breakfast treat and is fairly easy to make. Most hotel breakfast buffets will offer more than one option as well, so customize to your heart's content!

Step 1) Get a bagel and slice it open. Alternately, you can also use an English Muffin, or if it's offered, a buttermilk biscuit. Toast to taste.

Step 2) Locate the eggs and add as many of those as you think you can handle to your sliced and possibly toasted grain base. Be careful, they're going to squish out the sides whilst you enjoy your tasty treat, so take less than you think you should. But only a little.

Step 3) Add your meat option to your burgeoning sandwich. Often, hotels will offer bacon and sausage and sometimes they offer both a sausage patty and sausage links. The sausage patty is basically designed for this use as a sandwich meat, but do what you feel. (Pro-Tip: Only sausage links available? Slice those suckers down the center for a no-roll meat-option.) Vegetable-tarians can skip this step, of course!

Step 4) Add cheese. Some breakfast buffets won't offer cheese at all, so this may not be an option. But if it is, may I recommend you exercise your right to dairy? You'll thank me for it. (Pro-Tip: Slap that sucker in the available microwave for 15 to 20 seconds to get the cheese melty.)

Step 5) Combine and enjoy! Delicious sandwich goodness is the spoils of your victory of over the boring breakfast buffet blahs. All alliteration aside, enjoy this tasty bit of breakfast heaven.

If you could have this, why wouldn't you?

Expert Tip: Improving Bad Sausage Gravy

Bad sausage gravy is a terrible thing, something I wouldn't wish upon my worst enemy. It's flavorless goop that only serves to make breakfast a sad state of affairs, especially if you were expecting deliciously good sausage gravy. Well fret-not, because here's an easy, sure-fire way to improve the quality of the sometimes lacking hotel breakfast buffet sausage gravy. (Side note: Not all buffets will offer sausage gravy and not all sausage gravy offered by breakfast buffets is bad. When in doubt, check the gravy. If it's white rather than grey and has no discernible bits of sausage in it, it could probably use some help.)

Step 1) Get your biscuits and place them on your plate or in a bowl, whatever your preference.

Step 2) Get your sausage gravy and place it in a separate bowl, as it's about to get modified. Grab a spoon for mixing and serving purposes.

Step 3) Get the local sausage offerings. Patties are easiest, but you can also make links work. Chop the sausage up into the smallest bits you can. (Pro-Tip: If links are the only offering, you can slice them down the center and scoop the ground sausage off the skin.)

Step 4) Add the chopped sausage into your sausage gravy and mix furiously. If everything is not pipping hot, place it in the microwave for 10 - 15 seconds and then mix again. Good sausage gravy is made with the pan leavings from cooking sausage, so you're goal is to get your chopped sausage as thoroughly integrated as possible. (Pro-Tip: For the Paula Deen method, add some butter while it's in the microwave. She's always adding butter to stuff.)

Step 5) Add your slapped-up sausage gravy to your biscuit and enjoy the luxury of not eating below-standard sausage gravy. Dee-lish!

The breakfast of champions.

The possibilities are limitless! Just use your imagination and the hotel breakfast buffet can be a gastronomic wonderland ready for your plucking. Hell, if you have any favorite breakfast buffet combinations or tips and tricks, send them our way. The Empty Pockets always appreciate a bump-up in the food department.

With visions of biscuits and gravy dancing in my head,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Space Taxis ( or Funk in Atmo )

2011-09-26T09:02:00.000-07:00

Very few things are as fascinating to me as space. Inner space and Outer space both are incredibly interesting and I try to keep a decent handle on both. Which brings me to an article I was reading earlier last week.

NASA has recently had a bit of a conundrum to deal with. The famous space shuttle fleet was retired over the summer with no replacement waiting in the wings and the International Space Station still in need of supplies and staff. So the space agency did what anyone who wants to go into space but doesn't have the means of conveyance would do: they went to the Russians. [ link ]

There were recently some concerns over the safety of the Astronauts when contact with Soyuz capsule was disconnected over several minutes. NASA has "unveiled a plan that will allocate $1.61 billion to private companies that will transport U.S. astronauts to the International Space Station and low Earth orbit." [ link ] A space taxi, of sorts. I APPROVE OF THIS.

Just imagine how much more exciting space travel will be when the Space Shuttle is no longer involved. A yellow space taxi arrives at Cape Canaveral, where the Astronauts will be waiting with their space baggage. They'll know it's the right taxi because of the cool demeanour of the space cab driver, the cranking bass coming from the neodymium 18" speakers in the trunk, and the fact that the whole thing FREAKING HOVERS. It will then ferry them safely and funkily into orbit where they can perform their awesome space duties to the best of their abilities. Also, there will be sweet vocoder solos.

1.6 Billion? What a steal!

So let's get on that, NASA. And let me know if you need any space taxi drivers. I think I may know a crew of cats that are totally up for the job. (Did I mention The Empty Pockets also are fully certified space taxi drivers?)

We're going straight to Mother Earth to make it funky,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Shake, Rattle and Roll ( or Etch-A-Wretch! )

2011-08-24T20:15:00.000-07:00

By now, we've all heard about the earthquake that stuck on August 23, 38 miles outside of Richmond, Virgina. It's a geographic anomaly described by the news organization Reuters as a "once a century" occurrence. The quake registered at a 5.8 on the Richter Scale [ link ], which is described as "moderate strength" by the USGS [ link ] and was felt as far away as Indianapolis and Detroit. Thankfully, there are zero reported fatalities but structural damage was reported in numerous places including the Washington Monument, which is currently closed. [ link ]

Reports of property or retail damage are varied and numerous, but no one is reporting on one of the more unfortunate cases of destruction wrought by the unexpected earthquake: The one-of-a-kind Etch-A-Sketch art installation at the Toys“R”Us® Times Square location in New York City, New York.

Edward VanDerMeek III, Etch-A-Sketch art curator

Edward VanDerMeek III, prestigious art dealer and Etch-A-Sketch collector/enthusiast said of the tragedy "the quake came on so quickly, it was terrible. All I could do was watch as the horrific shaking destroyed my only love: the beautiful Etch-A-Sketch art that was on display, hung with care and pride from these once gorgeous walls."

The unfunny after-math of a 5.8 earthquake.

"It was terrible," Mike Hearthwick, Toys“R”Us® Times Square employee said. "It was jibbling and jabbling, this way and that and then all of a sudden, I heard VanDerMeek yell 'Oh, me Etch-A-Sketchies!' and go running up the stairs to the gallery, tugging at his hair and screaming. He really freaked out the customer I was helping. He's a little strange. What's the big deal, you can just draw them again, right?"

One of the ruined Etch-A-Sketch works

While there are currently no plans for reconstructing the destroyed art works, the Etch-A-Sketch's are being removed from the walls and are being replaced with a series of modern art pieces done by Magnique, a 7 year-old abstractionist who works solely in the medium of MagnaDoodle. The installation is slated to be completed at the end of August and will be on display through the months of September and October.

Making it all up,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

The Top Five (or Lincoln Hall: Come On Down!)

2011-08-17T16:02:00.000-07:00

If are one of the fine folks on our mailing list [ link ] or you keep an eye on our Facebook page, you know that the Empty Pockets going to be playing a rocking show on Wednesday, August 31 at Lincoln Hall [ link ] in Chicago. We're pleased to be a part of the Chicago Roots Collective Showcase XX. [ link ] You should come out and rock with us, it's true, but perhaps you're on the fence, and need a bit more convincing. Well, in that case, feast your eyes on the magnificience that is the Top Five Reasons Why You Should Rock Lincoln Hall on August 31:

#5: Chicago Show

The Empty Pockets love Chicago like Nate loves cake. It's a vibrant city filled with tasty food and cranking tunage. Which is why we're excited to be playing a show in our favorite town, our hometown on Wednesday, August 31. It's going to be one of our few select shows in the City of Chicago this year, so you really shouldn't miss it. Smeriously.

# 4: History!

The building which houses Lincoln Hall first opened in 1912 as the Fullerton Theatre, a nickelodeon. Since then, the building has housed a garage and machine shop, the Crest Theatre and, most recently, the 3 Penny Cinema. In 1934, FBI sharpshooters were stationed atop what is now Lincoln Hall to prevent John Dillinger's escape from the Biograph Theatre across the street on the night he was killed. After 20 years as owner/operators of Schubas Tavern [ link ], Mike and Chris Schuba opened Lincoln Hall in this historic building. Earlier this year, The Empty Pockets saw legendary musician/comedian Tim Minchin [ link ] on this stage for the Comedy Central Just for Laughs Tour and fell in love with this historic piece of Chicago.

# 3: Great Bands

There is going to be some awesome talent at this show, sharing the stage with the Empty Pockets. Briar Rabbit [ link ] has "sensitive, soul-searching tunes that don't activate the cheese filters," according to the Chicago Tribune. Band Called Catch [ link ] brings the thunder with the over-under to sunder your plunder. Snow 'N Charm [ link ] will make your head bop and your heart move. And they're all going to be there with the Empty Pockets, rocking it all night long.

# 2: 18+ Show!

We know it's a drag being a young music fan sometimes. Sure, you get all the awesome technology but it's hard to go see old favorites and discover exciting new music if you're under 21. Which is why we're excited to bring to your attention, young music fans, that the show at Lincoln Hall on August 31 is age 18 and over! Yes! Finally, you can bathe your ears in sweet music without worry. Oh yeah!

# 1: $8 Tickets

What can you get for $8 these days? It's eight downloads from iTunes, or two Five Hour Energy drinks. It's around the price of a footlong Subway sandwich with chips and drink. But instead of a tasty snack for your stomach, you could use that $8 to get a delicious snack for your ears and a full night of entertainment at Lincoln Hall on August 31, starting at 8 pm with Briar Rabbit, Band Called Catch, Snow 'N Charm and the Empty Pockets! What are you waiting for? [ link ] Buy tickets online now at Lincoln Hall [ link ]

Keep it funky,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 8)

2011-08-01T10:18:00.000-07:00

We awoke at our Ramada, ate a nice breakfast and started our way across Nebraska, heading back to Chicago after a sweet week of Colorado delight.

There's lots of these wind-generators in Nebraska. You can even see them being trucked across the country via truck. It takes one truck to haul each one of the blades and the tower is in three pieces, each hauled by it's own truck. Even at our greenest, Josh points out, we're still using a whole lot of fuel.

Allen drove for the first leg, we stopped to gas up and let Greg take over the wheel as we coasted into our destination for the evening.

We stopped in Des Moines, IA to switch drivers again (this time to the lovely Erika Brett) and decided to check out a local street fair that was going on off a few downtown streets. The only problem is, we couldn't figure out how to get in. All the vendor entrances were sealed up and we couldn't find any pedestrian entrances on our side of the river. So we just turned around and headed toward Davenport for our evening rest.

Oh yeah, while we were in Des Moines, we saw this building. Some say it's the Capital Building, but we think it's the Iowa Vatican, housing the Pope of Iowa, ruler of all that is agrarian.

Our final evening on the tour brought us into the Ramada Inn in Davenport, IA, where we gladly rested after our day of driving and prepped up for our final day of driving, a short four hour stint back into Chicago and the conclusion of our run into Colorado.

Rippin' it up,

Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 7)

2011-08-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

It's always a sad day when you have to leave a place you've been at for a few days, and it's made especially sad when the area is so gorgeous and the people are some of the nicest you've met. We said our goodbyes to the Finebergs and thanked them for being so incredibly nice and hospitable. We had a wonderful stay! Thank you so much!

After I thanked Justin for buying me all the worms for fishing, we hit the road and headed off, leaving Colorado behind us and heading into the never-ending driving. We stopped for a lunch bite at Da Kind in Evergreen. Excellent sandwiches and really incredible soups. [ link ] Then, we drove and drove and drove some more. Oh, we also did some driving.

We stopped in Omaha, NE for some grub at California Tacos & More. Apparently, the chef who started the restaurant had no prior experience and just jumped in and started making tacos. They are fantastic, and one taco is big enough to be a meal. California Tacos & More [ link ]. Delish!

We pulled into our hotel (The Ramada Inn) in Kearney, NE and hopped into our rooms. We had poolside rooms for the evening, which proved to be pretty sweet when we wanted access to the pool and raised tiki-bar, but pretty noisy when the tiki-bar patrons got a little... rowdy. But we had to have a least a drink at the tiki bar, and then Dan, Allen and I got locked in the hot tub room with a handful of teenage girls, a dad and his two little girls and a few other little girls of indeterminate origin. It was fun until one of the little girls started crying, but Danny stepped in and kept the girl calm until someone walking by let us out. Then it was time for sleep and getting ready for our day of driving, destination Davenport, IA.

Bumpin it,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 6)

2011-08-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

Friday, Day 6 began with some delightful sun and the beauteous landscape that Evergreen has to offer. The morning was spent reading, blogging, hiking, fishing and gathering the troops as we all convened for an excellent day finishing with a gig at the Little Bear. Excellent!

We headed out to the Red Rocks Amphitheater for some lunch at the Ship Rock Grille. It was delicious and we got to sit outside and enjoy ourselves in the majestic surroundings. After we finished lunch, we were hoping to catch a glimpse of the theater itself, but the officials of the park informed us it was closed due to a sound-check for a concert by Gavin DeGraw, Maroon 5 and Trane. Apparently, we aren't even allowed to peek. After some negotiations from the B-Sol and Erika, one of the employees let us peek in for a few seconds. It's very pretty.

We headed back to the Finebergs and hung out for awhile more, spending more time hiking, fishing and generally enjoy the outdoors while we have the time. Barry even fished and managed to catch a fish. Apparently, the fish spat the hook out before B-Sol could land it, but that's the way it goes sometimes. Speaking of fish, we headed into our gig filed with Sushi from the delicious Wildflower Cafe. As previously mentioned, they bring in a certified Sushi Chef in on Thursday evenings and serve tasty sushi.

After filling up on fish, rice and other various edible devices, we headed on over to the Little Bear for a quick sound-check and to get ready to rock Evergreen for a second night in a row. It was a great show and we would like to thank everyone who came out and supported us at our first indoor Evergreen show. Allen Cruz opened the night up and knocked it out of the park. The gentlemanly sound-guy and sassy-yet-sweet bartender were both delightful people to work with and we're certainly going to be appearing at the Little Bear again. So, if you're in the Evergreen area, expect us back. We love it.

We ended the evening eating pizza and partying a bit with the Finebergs before heading off to a much earned sleep. Day 6 was a successful wrap.

Free and easy,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 5)

2011-07-28T08:42:00.000-07:00

Starting the day by waking up to a rolling creek passing by, swollen with water from the previous nights rain got me in a fishing mode, so I did a little morning fishing. The Pockets arose and gathered, preparing for the Summer Concert Series and keeping an eye on the weather. Danny and Allen hiked in the morning up the side of a nearby mountain and got some great shots. They even saw a fox in his or her native foxiness.

Then, of course, you have to run the energy out of the dog, Buddy. The unfortunate truth of the matter is that Buddy is a mountain dog and we are a lowland people. This thin air tires us quicker than him.

We headed into Evergreen and ate some delicious local adaptations of Mexican food at the delectable Rio Del Sol. [ link ] I had the fish tacos and they were very delicious. Muy bien!

After a delicious lunch, we headed off to the Evergreen Lake House to start loading in for the Summer Concert Series show. It's a really gorgeous setting for a concert and we were happy to be back to rock out the residents of Evergreen.

If you watch closely, you'll see the sky start to darken. It had rained earlier in the day and we were hoping to dodge some of the weather. Mother Nature had other plans, however. The concert got a go to stay outside despite threatening weather and all the speakers were covered with plastic. It rained during a portion of the set of the opening band The Hooligans and they had tents set up over them. By the time we hit it had cleared enough to enable the tents to be removed. The tents were eventually re-involved as the rain came back for another taste near the very end of the concert.

We loved rocking out for the Summer Concert series and we hope to come back next year. We hung around afterward for a bit and met some fans, which is always a sweet time. Thanks to everyone who came out and sat through the tumultuous weather to enjoy the rock we laid out. You folks are great and we appreciate it so much. Thanks Evergreen!

Justin and Donny Fineberg rocked the night through with us and even traveled back to their fine casa in the Pocket Rocketeer, where we finished the fantastic night of with some awesome pizza and good times.

Here we go, turn the page,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 4)

2011-07-27T09:32:00.000-07:00

Tour Day Four started with a sweet sunrise wake-up for Dan and I, having slept on the balcony for the evening. Followed by immediately falling back asleep. Sunrise is too darn early, man. The majority of the day flowed into hiking, fishing, and another dip in the creek before wrapping for lunch at The Wildflower Cafe, [ link ] a delicious spot with grandly unique flair.

Their hours tend towards the morning and early afternoon, but on Thursday evenings the restaurant brings in a certified Sushi Chef and serves fresh sushi. We're looking forward to a sample of the sushi spot of Evergreen. Yum!

The crew started setting up for our rehearsal at about 4 after having waited for some storms to move through the area. We suspended a tarp above the outdoor setup spot to ward off any further sprinkles and looked forward to playing to the Colorado wilderness.

The Empty Pockets went in for a series of meetings and to start prepping for rehearsal when the weather turned nasty and the heavens opened up, unleashing what can only be described as a torrent of water down into the valley and onto our equipment.

Can you see the rain in the above photo? It's the vertical white streaks. It was raining really hard. Thanks to the quick action of Empty Pockets crew Greg Grabowski and Crew Chief Allen Cruz, our equipment escaped with minimal damage. We hauled it all into a back room, disassembled the speakers and attacked them with a hair-dryer. We played for a bit on the amplifiers and the main speakers to test them out, but the monitors got the brunt of the damage and may be hurting. We'll see when we plug them in for a test tomorrow.

We partied with the delightful Finebergs and friends through the evening and went to sleep fairly early, with thoughts of the upcoming Evergreen Concert Series dancing in our heads.

Funkin' on the one,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 3)

2011-07-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Rolling out of bed and looking forward to rolling into Colorado had everyone energized in the morning. Josh was even up early enough to catch the tasty breakfast provided by the North Platte Holiday Inn Express.

I can't wait to see that car when they finally get those wheels on it! Finally, we pulled into the awesome sights of the mountains of Colorado and found our way to the uniquely beautiful Bear Creek Cabins of Evergreen, CO, where the crew will be staying for the next few days. Wow, is it picturesque and the folks staying there couldn't be finer or nicer. We're looking forward to seeing some of our new friends at the show in Evergreen!

While we were driving around Evergreen, we saw this interesting little store-front, offering a pretty specific service.

One of the gentlemen sitting on the bench in front the store said they called the particular establishment "Urine Trouble." Ha!

And now we're looking forward to enjoying Evergreen and the excellent hospitality of the Finebergs as we delight in the gorgeous surroundings and relax knowing we've reached our destination. A destination... of rock.

The water was incredibly cold, but after a bracing dip and a little hot tub action, we all felt better. A daily ritual ascribed by Nate Fineberg for all our aches and pains and it worked like a charm.

We're rockin' and rollin' and doing it like we only we know how,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 2)

2011-07-26T08:12:00.000-07:00

Sometimes, we spend a day driving. Just... driving. That was Sunday, driving from Cedar Rapids, IA to North Platte, NE. An eight-hour drive-a-thon. We all piled into the Pocket Rocketeer and pushed our way through the heartlands.

Van time.

Ah ha!

Slipping time away in the van involves reading, listening to music, chatting about the hot topics of the day and sleeping. Food stops are always a chance for exploring local or exotic flavors. In Des Moines, IA, we stopped at a Vietnamese restaurant slightly off the beaten track named A Dong [ link ]. The food was surprisingly good and the prices were very reasonable. Selections for the table included Pho and fried squid and we all filled our bellies with deliciousness.

Onward we continued to our Holiday Inn Express in North Platte, NE and hunkered down for the final leg of our trip, into the heart of Colorado itself and into the very mouth of Evergreen.

Pushing to 'Rado,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Evergreen or Bust: Road Blog! (Day 1)

2011-07-25T07:41:00.000-07:00

"On the road again, I just can't wait to get on the road again." It's as true today as when Willie Nelson sang it in 1980. A band on the road is a beautiful thing and the Empty Pockets are excited to be back in the game. Colorado here we come!

We started the day off with a rocking good show at the Landshark Beer Garden at Navy Pier. Thanks to Crystal and the whole staff at Navy Pier for helping us put on a great show and thanks to everybody that boogied with us at the Landshark Beer Garden stage. Rock on!

So what do the Pockets do after rocking a show at Navy Pier? Why, pile into the van and drive to Colorado, of course! We're headed out to Evergreen, Colorado for the Evergreen Lakes Presents Summer Concert series [ link ] and the first leg of the tour took us to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. So we drove... and drove some more.

On our way out of Illinois, we hazard a stop for food in Moline, wondering what madness we may find. Much to our surprise, we stumbled upon an incredible German restaurant named Bier Stube. The food was authentic and delicious and the beers were delightful. If you ever find yourself in the area of the Quad Cities with a hunger for some wurst, stop in at Bier Stube. [ link ]

Tomorrow, it's time to head off the North Platte, Nebraska. Allons-y!

-Nate Bellon(bass)

A Piano, a Madman and a Delightful Time ( or Tim Minchin, We Love You )

2011-06-15T11:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night, The Empty Pockets family headed out to Lincoln Hall to catch one of our favorite performers in his first ever Chicago show. Danielle and I rode the train in from the burbs and met up with Josh, Eri and Dan at Josh and Eri's apartment, had a quick aperitif [ link ] and headed out to grab some delicious food and discuss what songs we would love to hear out of our favorite piano-playing mad-man:

Tim!

His name is Tim Minchin [ link ] and he's a delightful English-Australian comedian, musician and actor. His songs are as thought-provoking as they are hilarious, cleverly written and masterfully executed through wonderfully robust piano chops and excellently timed pauses or looks. His lyrical content is a swirling mixture of rhythm and poetry executed with a straight-faced precision that is made only more stimulating by the subject matter. Betwixt songs, his observational stand-up is hilariously pointed, deeply insightful, and sometimes just plain silly, all of which when added together makes for absolutely excellent theatre experience.

Here's a small cross-sampling of some of his music, most of which is easily viewable on his website or on the YouTubes. Disclaimer: Tim Minchin's comedy, while delightfully intelligent, can also be quite ribald and possibly offensive to those with delicate sensibilities. If you feel you may be one of these people, perhaps you'd be happier with someone slightly less offensive, such as the ineffable Tom Lehrer [ link ].

Tim Minchin's love song, "Inflatable You" shows off his hilarious word-play and rhyming schemes as well as his jaw-dropping piano chops and is an undeniable Empty Pockets favorite: [ link ]

"Not Perfect" is a great representation of Minchin's ability to create a song that has humor in it but is more than just a "comedy song," being a thought-provoking and insightful journey through man's existence in a sort of Matryoshka doll way. It's one of Danielle's favorites and is certainly worth your attention. [ link ]

And as a final taste of the brilliance of Tim Minchin, here's another favorite of the Pockets. It's the song I walked around the house singing before we split for the concert and I feel it's a perfect blending of comedy and musical-geekery. Witness for yourselves the genius of "F-Sharp". [ link ]

Tim Minchin will be at Lincoln Hall for the rest of the week, performing to sold-out audiences for the "Just For Laughs Comedy Festival" sponsored by TBS and Twix, so you may be out of luck if you want to see him in Chicago. However, he's on tour around the rest of the country for the next few months, so check out his website and go see him live. You won't regret it.

With a rift betwixt my fingers and my tenor,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Hot Fun in the Summertime ( or Insert Clever Heat Pun Here)

2011-06-09T11:30:00.000-07:00

This summer has already been many different things for many different people, as all summers are. There's even disagreement as to when the season begins. Some say Memorial Day, some say the summer solstice. (Retailers have taken to placing summer items in mid-March or earlier.) Despite all the differences, we have shared a common experience this summer. It has been HOT.

Smeriously hot.

Though just as aging a fine wine can make it better, heat has the ability to amp up the Rock and Roll and is an absolute must for the summer concert season. It wouldn't be an outdoor rock-fest if it wasn't blazingly hot. It makes the food and beer taste better and makes the sweet sounds coming from the nearby speaker that much sweeter. The Empty Pockets have been a busy crew at this, the beginning (or not) of the summer. We kicked off our summer concert season by closing out the 3rd Annual Taste of Bolingbrook, which was an absolute blast, and we've been rolling strong since.

We spent a whole day rocking in the sun on June 1, starting with one of our favorite activities: Rocking for the kids. Rutledge Hall and Todd Hall in Lincolnwood were hip enough to bring their students outside for a bit of highly curricular rocking as Josh and the Empty Pockets presented their "A (Very) Brief History of Rock and Roll" show. These kids sure do know a lot about the history of Rock and Roll!

Kids love to rock!

No, you rock!

After the Scholastic Rock Fest, we boogied on out to Warrenville to open up the Warrenville Library's free "Concert on the Commons" series. [ link ] We had a great time there and everyone was super nice! It was great to see some familiar faces amongst the crowd and we enjoyed it so much, we hope to be invited back next year!

Fish-eye Rocking!

A lovely day for a concert

Of course, all the summer fun of rocking in the sun cannot be had in one day. The Empty Pockets enjoyed all the sun (and a little rain) on Saturday, June 4 at the Lakeview Sausage Fest. This festival had everything: Rocking music, A Sausage King, Ronnie Woo Woo, and of course, sausage! (Sausage is pronounced thusly: [ link ])

It's glorious. * single tear *

The Sausage King and Dann-o discuss important sausage secrets.

Josh shreds it up

Even Ronnie Woo Woo digs the Pockets!

And of course, this is just the beginning of the summer fun. We've got awesome outdoor summer shows coming up all the time, so don't forget to stop by our website [ link ] or like us on Facebook [ link ] and keep up on the blistering summer rock brought out by the Empty Pockets.

Hot or not, you just can't stop,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

FOCUS! ( or School House Rock! )

2011-04-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

The arts. Often they are ignored in the hustle-bustle of normal life. "The arts" are seen as a superfluous accessory to the "real world," a meandering of the mind and soul that oft-times must be wrangled into a small time frame that fits extra-curricular activities. Consistently inside the educational system, the arts go underfunded or unfunded and are relegated to the back-burner for the "well-rounded student."

Keeping in such a mindset, Highland Park High School deserves commendations for many reasons and one of which being the award-winning "FOCUS on the Arts" program. [ link ] Josh and the Empty Pockets were delighted to be involved with this excellent program and were given a first-hand look on Tuesday as we rocked out in the H-wing gymnasium to an awesome group of attendees.

Setting up in the gym.

The Empty Pockets loved rocking out and discussing some of the finer points of rock 'n roll with the fine FOCUS folks. Everyone was super attentive and we really enjoyed every minute of our stay. Nicer folks cannot be found and we were so happy to be asked to present this year.

Hey, what's that?

The sights, the sounds, the smells... of rock n' roll.

Erika drinks in the rock, in water form.

Other prestigious presenters at the absolutely excellent FOCUS on the Arts program include Gary Sinise, David Rudman, Audrey Niffenegger, Mark Giangreco and the often imitated but never duplicated Dave Mason [ link ], among many others.

We hope to be brought back for the next FOCUS on the Arts program so that Josh and the Empty Pockets can continue to share their excellent message of peace, love and really-ripping rock 'n roll with the future generation of movers and shakers. Thank you so much Highland Park High School and thanks to everyone who came and rocked with us during our session. You all kick!

If you wanna be funky, be free,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

The Next Club Sport ( or Table Top Tunes )

2011-03-11T11:06:00.000-08:00

After poking about the internets for new and exciting instruments like the awesome Eigenharp Alpha [ link ] and the still-in-prototype "Linnstrument" [ link ], I stumbled across an old favorite of mine, the Reactable. [ link ] Basically, the Reactable is a touch-surface on which you use multi-shaped blocks to make tones, beats, music, etc. Each of the blocks does a specific thing and you can alter functions of the blocks by turning them a specific way or making them closer to or farther from another block. It's really awesome.

How cool is this? Ice cold, baby.

There's even some sweet performance videos of people making some bumpin' tracks on the Reactable. It's right here. It starts to really crank around the 2 minute mark, but the video gives a pretty excellent view of how the pieces interact on the table. [ link ]

So here's the idea. Start a club or take an already existing club with a dance room. Move the DJ station from that little booth in the corner to center stage and drop two Reactables there. DJs bring their cubes, with their samples and filters loaded and ready to go. Somebody hits a fog machine (ambiance is still part of the show), a gong is struck, and two DJs take the stage and begin battling each other on the Reactables. The music is pumped through the house and the crowd is called upon to crown a victor after an agreed-upon amount of time has passed.

Maybe they even battle on the same table, trying to musically one-up one another until the song stops and one is judged a winner and given his or her evenings accolades, while the other falls down into a chute, back into the DJ training center, where the guards haul the loser back into the cell from whence they came. Their only hope of escape is the day they hone their Reactable DJ skills to a razor sharp point with which they stab at the reigning champion, toppling the greatest of foes and taking the honored and hunted position of "DJicus, Layer of Beats"

Hail, DJicus, Layer of Beats! Hail! Hail!

Nah, too Roman.

I still think the idea is awesome, but perhaps it needs some work. That and Reactables are in the area of instrument that I would call "eye-gogglingly expensive." ($12,000+) Sure they have a iPhone or iPod app, but it's not the same thing. That's like using a synthesizer to synthesize a synthesizer that's synthesizing a synthesizer. Somewhere along the lines, it just gets too confusing. But one day, I hope against hopes, this technology will make it from "expensive oddity" to "tool that's integrated with the surfaces of my house" and I'll be able to play with it on my countertop while cooking FutureChicken (tm). Yes. That will be a sweet day indeed.

Right on, right off,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

A Gift from Me to You

2011-03-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

This week on the Empty Pockets blog, drummer and professional Rueben taster Danny Rosenthal takes the helm to bring you his important message. - Ed

I don’t write many blogs because I don’t usually have anything exciting to say, but we’re in luck because I am about to change your life. However before we get there, let’s give a round of applause for Nate Bellon, who writes more blogs than I can read. Now I want to let all of you, my friends, know I have just invented the best diet known to man.

The Pitch…

Have you tried other diets and found yourself ending up starving with little weight-loss result? Worry no more because my Rosenthal Cure-All Weight Loss Diet (patent pending) is guaranteed to work.

How It Works… (I am so glad you’re still reading)

A dear friend of mine had infected tonsils. They were too swollen for the body to take care of itself and medical technology stepped in. They removed the tonsils without fear of what would happen to the body without the lymphoid tissues that had served as an integral part for as long as my friend could remember. Do you know what your tonsils are for? Neither do I but it doesn’t matter because it turns out they don’t do anything.

How do you feel about the adenoids? Adenoids are another lymphoid tissue in the back of the nose that actually does help defend against inhaled bacteria but only when you’re a child because as you grow the adenoids shrink and thus become useless.

Plain and simple we have a bunch of ineffective organs: the coccyx, wisdom teeth, male nipples (these may be kept for aesthetic purposes) and perhaps the most well known offender, the appendix. They can all go. And there's plenty more where those came from. Combining the weight of these useless bits, you’re going to weigh at least a pound less and maybe even a little more.

You’re all on the honor system to send me money if you choose to do this. Please contact you physician to see if this diet is for you, but let’s face it… it is.

- Danny Rosenthal

Good Grammys! (or Where's The Love?)

2011-02-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

The 53rd Annual Grammy awards took place on Sunday, February 13th: a date which will live in infamy. (Or famy... I'm not quite sure how that works.) Most of the performances existed sweetly unadorned of autotune, such as the breathy Usher/Bieber duo and the drop-down hilariously executed Cee-Lo Green/Gwyneth Paltrow duet, involving more feathers than a Mardi Gras and more Muppets than an ABC Family Special Movie.

Cee-Lo doing his best Liberace

I'm not here to praise (or pound) the performers, or to cheer (or jeer) the winners and losers of the evening. I'm here to talk about the aftermath of the Grammy's, re: Esperanza Spalding and her unforeseeable win of Best New Artist for 2011 against a bevy of formidable opponents, but none so unspeakably formidable as that of that perky little Canadian wunderkind, Justin Bieber. The win shocked a lot of people, Esperanza included, and it outraged Bieber-fans everywhere, sparking nasty Tweets, vitriolic blog posts, and "fandalism" of Esperanza's Wikipedia page. Included were such... interesting... entries as "GO DIE IN A HOLE…WHO THE HECK ARE YOU ANYWAY?" Her middle name was also changed to "Quesadilla." (Alright. I guess that one's kinda funny. )

Spalding and Bieber: They ain't so different.

I must admit, a certain part of me understands the rage of the Bieber fans, the "Beliebers" as they so fondly refer to themselves. Passion for a loved artist can run pretty deep and to see one's object of affection spurned is not easy, especially when one believes that their beloved is deserving of the adulation of all. That being said, Justin and Esperanza are not so different. They're both musical entertainers, they both started their musical careers at a young age, and they both have adoring fans who love them and their efforts to spread their love of music to the world. Could we call a truce, Beliebers? There's no need for the continued acrimony. Both Justin and Esperanza surely have wonderful careers ahead of them during which time we, their respective fan base, can continue to enjoy the fruits of their labors.

That being said, here's my favorite Esperanza Spalding tune. Of course, this isn't just fellow bass-player love... but that may have a bit to do with it. Enjoy! [ link ]

Bass ain't just a fish,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Ricky Gervais Is Funny ( Or Golden Globes: Get A Grip )

2011-01-19T10:11:00.000-08:00

After being hooked into the world of podcasts (I had no idea!), I found and subscribed to Ricky Gervais' podcasts along with a pile of others and took them along with me on some errands. I was super excited about Mr. Gervais' podcast, but when it came on, it was only about 45 seconds long and was an advert for his hosting of the Golden Globes later that week. I was a little disappointed that the podcast was so short but it was good to see that Mr. Gervais was working and I looked forward to seeing the best bits of his show the next day.

Little did I know what had transpired that evening when I flipped open my laptop and searched for Ricky Gervais.

The Man in Question

For those who did not see Mr. Gervais' Golden Globes hosting performance, you can always see it on YouTube [ link ]. He essentially turned the Golden Globes into a minor roast of sorts. He can be seen charring and scarring a large swath of Hollywood, including Steve Carrell, Charlie Sheen, Johnny Depp, Robert Downey Jr. and Tom Cruise, among many others. Thanks to the social media and instant access to content, bloggers, critics and celebrities began trouncing on Gervais and his comedy for being tasteless, rude and unfunny. For every person he offended, however, he found a supportive person who got the joke. Subsequently, it continues to rage as a topic across blogs and Twitter feeds, Facebook walls and RSS feeds. (Oh, the irony!)

I personally thought Gervais was very funny throughout the night. Some of his gags were quite bold and some were quite mild but it was an enjoyable experience, if not mildly uncomfortable at certain points. When the dig he got in at Tom Cruise got a groan and shocked guffawing from the audience, I squirmed a little bit, I'll admit it. It was still funny, though. Smeriously.

Humor is a subjective thing, though, and what's funny to me is not necessarily funny to you. I understand that for that reason, the uproar and the furor exist. Roasts aren't for everybody, and that's pretty much what the Golden Globes morphed into. But seriously, he didn't do a bad thing. Mr. Gervais did a great thing and if nothing else, he certainly got himself a lot of press and name recognition. If you didn't know his name before, you very well may know it now. Bravo, Mr. Gervais. Bravo indeed.

The Fun's on the One,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

JoCo Fabbo ( or We're Not Unreasonable... )

2011-01-11T10:59:00.000-08:00

I get e-mails occasionally from the sixtyone [ link ] about certain artists and happenings on the site. The most recent electronic communique reminded me of an artist often heard in the van whilst on tour or traveling and also heard in video games, on television and of course, the internet.

I'm talking about this guy right here:

His name is Jonathan Coulton and he writes great music, often with a technological or "geek culture" slant. His website [ link ] offers you the ability to listen to a wide variety of his music. He even has a musical primer, with different songs organized by categories like "geeky ones" or "funny/sad ones". [ link ] A few favorites of the band include: "Re: Your Brains," a song about zombies negotiating with a group of humans in a business meeting, of sorts; "Tom Cruise Crazy," a delightfully old-schoolish song explaining Tom Cruise's... eccentricities; and "Skullcrusher Mountain," which is a loving plea from a supervillain to his female captive.

Coulton has interestingly satisfying tonal and chordal instincts that make his music fun to listen to and his lyrics are often crafted wittily. While I sometimes prefer the acoustic version of his songs to his full rock band arrangements, he paints with a brush that is nicely influenced by the past thirty (plus) years of music, including touches of folk, electronic music and stadium-rock synth parts along with some heartily enjoyable rock.

One of my favorite Coulton tunes is "Still Alive," which was written for the end credits sequences of Portal [ link ], a video game released in 2007. The song is sung by the computer voice that is present throughout the game and makes a series of references to the game, so it's difficult to understand if the context isn't there. Still, it's a pretty song with a fun melody that I find myself humming randomly. The song isn't available on Jonathan's website because of licensing agreements with Valve Corporation, but it is available on YouTube. [ link ]

So, to recapitulate, The Empty Pockets like Jonathan Coulton and think you might like him to. Check him out.

Greasy is easy,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

The Future is Where? ( or I Believe I Was Promised a Flying Car)

2010-12-28T20:42:00.000-08:00

Right around the wrapping of every year, I sit in quiet reflection of the past year and of the coming year. I consider where I personally feel my strengths and weakness have been, what I want to occur and what I would like to do in the year to come. And with fair consistency, I find I come back to one small burning ember that begins to rage deeply inside me until it consumes my very existence.

Where is my crazy flying future-car?

My, that's nice. Does it fly?

The year 2010 is nearly over, ushering in the another year along with a noticeable lack of flying cars and moving sidewalks in the sky hung over cities constructed of floating arcologies. Another year goes by without robot butlers in every home [ link ], without food pills or matter replicators.
And not a personal jetpack in sight.

Oh sure, we have nearly instantaneous global communication, including the ability to send and receive live video and audio to anywhere in the world. Computing has shrunk from massively sized hulking monstrosities requiring entire buildings to be housed to being able to be lost in the crack between your drivers seat and passenger seat. Hell, we're even getting close to having near-fully functional robotic limbs for those that have lost their originals. [ link ] But we still don't have flying cars. If we, as a race, make a sentient cyborg before we make a viable flying car, I'm going to be pissed.

This would look awesome parked in your driveway. Or rather flyway.

Now I know it's nobody's fault that the flying car is so delayed into our "Tomorrow of Yesterday". It's seriously difficult to make a flying car move in a safe manner, let along be reliable enough to be used by every Tomas, Richard and Henrietta. Only one company so far seems to be ready to put a model in the market for 2011, the Transition by Terrafugia. [ link ] It kinda looks like a cross between a Cessna and Herbie the Love Bug, but I guess it's all the flying car I'm going to get for now. However, the pictures on Terrafugia's website of the Transition in flight sure do look like they're computer-generated. (CGI: another awesome future innovation that isn't a flying car.)

This is the least fake looking shot. Flight!

In conclusion, while I know I'm not the only one who's got his proverbial panties in a twistie about the lack of flying cars. It's a fairly consistent discussion point on long van rides betwixt the Pockets and the consensus always seems to be the following: There's enough dangers to driving a regular car, why would you want to compound those dangers by flying? I'm not quite sure I have an answer for that. All I'm saying is: This is the future and I was promised flying cars.

Happy 2011 everybody. We hope that your New Year is filled with happiness, prosperity and love. Cheers!

Up for the Downstroke,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Snowmageddon! (or Who Needs to See the Road? )

2010-12-15T08:56:00.000-08:00

Wow, we had an incredible weekend! Friday found us in Milwaukee, WI, enjoying Monty Python's Spamalot [ link ] and getting a chance to hang out with our Sapphire Princess buddy, Andy Hoesl. The show was awesome and Andy plays a monster trumpet throughout. We even went out afterward and had some delicious German beers and brats. Ja wul!

'Tis but a scratch!

Upon awakening in the morning, Erika took over as driver of the Pocket Rocketeer, and off we zoomed towards St. Paul, Minnesota. We understood we were to be driving into some snow, so we left early with a song in our hearts and some coffee in our bellies. Little did we know precisely how bad it was going to get.

We saw lots of these

The snow started getting thick and heavy by mid-Wisconsin and then it was all downhill from there. We drove by dozens (and dozens) of cars that had fallen off the road and just as many tractor-trailers, some falling off the road and on to their sides.

Yeah, like this. Scary, non?

The roads were barely plowed and in some instances, the blowing snow had covered the road for what seemed like miles. White-out conditions made the driving ridiculously hazardous and all four Pockets were on High Alert, staring intently out the windshield or windows, guiding the van to the left or the right to stay on the road. Danny had the special task of being on Wiper Patrol, which included hanging out of the window of the moving van, mid-blizzard, and clearing the wipers of snow and ice. Thanks to the diligence of all the Empty Pockets, we finally managed to get off the highway and into St. Paul, where we thought we might be able to find some plowed roads. WRONG.

That bus is stuck, yo

The City of St. Paul had been forced to shut down the plows at 11 that morning and the streets were just as dangerous as the highway. After powering our monstrous van to it's destination, we unloaded in the blowing snow and started our gig for the evening at the James J. Hill library. It stopped snowing at 8 pm, but with nary a snow plow in sight, we wrapped it up and headed to our hotel where the staff told us they were stranded (!) because of the snow. Well hell. With everything in St. Paul closed, we climbed into bed and decided to check the travel conditions the next day.

This snow was smerious

Sunday found only a handful of plows on the streets and with most of the major roadways as hazardous as our trip in. We even got a textie from band-bud-for-life Andy Hoesl saying the Spamalot tour bus was stranded in Springfield, IL after sitting on the highway behind a 13-car pileup. What was a band to do? Snow day in St. Paul! One of the best things about St. Paul is the indoor Skyway system, [ link ] an elevated series of halls and malls that is more than 5 miles long and connects 47 city blocks. You can even rent apartments there. Yowzers! While most of the business inhabiting the Skyway were closed due to the snow, we got a tip that a pub down the way called The Bulldog [ link ] was open, so we hitched on down and enjoyed what has become our favorite restaurant in St. Paul. They even had truffle flavored tots. Delish!

Oh yes, and beers. They had many beers.

We spent our snow day relaxing in the hotel, with a small ten-minute excursion to a local drug store being dragged out to an hour and a half, including pushing several vehicles up an icy road and then getting stuck ourselves and having to push the van, loaded with gear, up the same icy-hill-road-of-doom. Thanks to the wonderful St. Paul residents who came to our aid, we couldn't have gotten moving without you! With that experience firmly in our brains, we hunkered down in the hotel room and refused to move except for to fetch more delightful food and beer at the Bulldog. You guys rock for being open. Seriously.

We awoke Monday morning and began our descent into Illinois. The roads had been (mostly) plowed and the drive was fairly smooth, except for the occasional slow-down where road crews were recovering trucks that had driven off the road during the snow. (see horrifying picture above) The drive was smooth and without incident and we all managed to get home safely on Monday evening, having survived yet another dangerous situation by being on-top of our game and working together as a team. A harrowing experience was brought to a close and despite the cray-zee weather, we enjoyed ourselves.

Plow that snow!

So, to all of you out there, be safe in the upcoming winter driving season and make sure you have a blanket and an emergency cold-weather kit in your car, just in case the weather gets the better of the situation.

Rock on,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Food, Glorious Food ( or We Be Cooking )

2010-12-08T09:42:00.000-08:00

Cooking is glorious. It brings about things triumphantly delicious, infused with effort as much as flavor. Often, cooking can be done fairly cheaply as well. In cooking, the real investment is time (as Josh can no doubt attest with his eight to twelve hour baking sessions. ) Solid time investment, whether through learning techniques, experimenting with recipes or just from good old-fashioned hard work always leads to a great learning experience, and often times a delicious one at that. We need not spend our whole lives pursuing the deep complexities of cooking, though. Sometimes we can cook just to cook.

Oh my yes.

While I haven't logged as many kitchen miles as some of my fellow Pockets, I've managed to hone my kitchen prowess to the point where I don't cut anything vital off or burn everything to a flaming lump of carbon and despair. I've done that through finding crazy simple recipes that I can memorize. Good for every occasion, they serve as my "Ace" in situations where cooking prowess is impressive. (Family holidays, meeting-the-inlaws, and high-powered business luncheons are all a go!)

Below is my recipe for sauteed asparagus. It takes all of about 15 minutes once the ingredients are gathered and is a sure-fire hit even with supposed asparagus-haters. (I used to be one before I found this recipe.) The origin of the recipe is unclear and I'm fairly sure it's an amalgamation of a bunch of different recipes, but I would bet berries to bushels that Alton Brown [ link ] was involved. Love that show.

Sauteed Asparagus
1/2 lb fresh asparagus
Virgin 0live 0il
2 tbsp soy sauce
Ground black pepper
Aluminum foil

Before anything else happens, tear off a sheet of aluminum foil and fold it into a packet. This is where you'll be steaming the asparagus when it comes out of the pan, so make sure it's big enough to hold the asparagus and still be folded shut or closed. Keep it nearby.

Trim the asparagus to whatever length you would like. I usually keep everything but the bottom three inches, but some asparagus can get "woody" even further than that, so use your best judgment. Wash and drain the asparagus.

After washing and draining the asparagus, place in a pan on medium-high heat. Drizzle olive oil on the asparagus and shake them around to very lightly coat them. Too much oil will cause smoke problems, so keep it light. Toss them about occasionally, rotating the asparagus. When the color shifts from a light green to a deeper forest green, take a stalk of asparagus out. Allow it to cool for a second and then shake it, held firmly between your fore-finger and thumb. If the asparagus is stiff and does not wiggle, it still must be cooked. When the asparagus wiggles a bit limply, it's time to put it in the aluminum steam packet we made earlier.

Place the asparagus in the pre-made aluminum foil packet and add the soy sauce and black ground pepper. Now is the time to add any other seasoning you'd like. I stay away from salt, as the soy sauce has it covered. Now just fold the packet up so it's in a bundle so no steam can escape and let it rest on a plate. (It may get a little leaky.) In four or five minutes, open the packet to reveal deliciously sauteed asparagus. And with so little effort as to make you look like a crazy dynamo-chef. While Club Nouveau [ link ] might not be on your mandatory cooking mix, you can dig it when I say "We be cooking!"

Asparagus. I've said it so many times, it's lost all meaning. Asparagus.

With that funky respect to Bill Withers,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

An Empty Pockets Holiday ( or Holiday Music Doesn't Have to Suck )

2010-11-30T19:12:00.000-08:00

The snow is on it's way and the holiday season is in full swing. That, of course, means it's time for Christmas music playing on home radios, blasting from car stereos and being piped into every major shopping center in the nation. Josh and the Empty Pockets are proud to say we can be heard during this holiday season through fine listening devices everywhere with our tasty single "Baby It's Cold Outside/Baby Please Come Home." We're spinning on Sirius XM's "Radio Holly" as well as on Y94FM (Syracuse, NY), The Mix 98.7FM (Jackson, MS), Star 92.9FM (Burlington, VT) and The New Mix 97.7FM (Bakersfield, CA). We think that's awesome!

What if you can't listen to any of these fine radio or satellite stations and would like to have Josh and the Empty Pockets throw you some holiday ear-love? Why, you can contact your local station and request they play "Baby It's Cold Outside/Baby Please Come Home!" Below is a (very) brief list of stations, along with their request line telephone numbers, Facebook and Twitter. Let them know you want Josh and the Empty Pockets to make your holidays ROCK!

Denver, CO - 101.1FM KOSI - (303) 631-2101 - [ Facebook ]

Chicago, IL - 93.9FM WLIT - (312) 591-9548 - [ Facebook ] [ Twitter ]

Fort Wayne, IN - 95.1FM WAJI - (260) 467-9500 - [ Facebook ] [ Twitter ]

Jackson, MS - 98.7FM WJKK - (601) 956-0102 - [ Facebook ]

Buffalo, NY - 96.1FM WJYE - (716) 644-9696 - [ Facebook ] [ Twitter ]

Long Island, NY - 94.3FM WMJC - (631) 955-0943 - [ Facebook ] [ Twitter ]

New York, NY - 106.7FM WLTW - (800) 222-1067 - [ Facebook ]

Syracuse, NY - 94.5FM WYYY - (315) 421-9494 - [ Facebook ]

Cleveland, OH - 102.1FM WDOK - (216) 578-1021 - [ Facebook ] [ Twitter ]

Cincinnati, OH - 93.3FM WAKW - (513) 542-9393 - [ Facebook ] [ Twitter ]

Don't forget to come on out to The Snuggery [ Facebook ] in Chicago on Wednesday, December 8 for a rockin' Josh and the Empty Pockets acoustic show starting at 9 pm. That's at 6733 N. Olmsted Ave, in the Edison Park neighborhood.

Zip it up and zip it out,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Throw Down Your Review (or The Banjo's from Africa?)

2010-11-15T15:09:00.000-08:00

I really dig non-western music, from gamelan to J-pop, Irish folk-music to Siberian women's choirs. I get a large sampling of music from my local library and find the rest online and I often subject my friends to it, bobbing my head and emitting cries of joy at a particularly difficult or odd part. I've more than once been caught jamming at a red-light to traditional Tuvan throat singing.

Of course, I listen to a lot of western music as well and pay special attention to the groups that use non-western influences in their music. A favored western band that utilizes a lot of non-western musical forms and musicians is Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, so when I saw "Bela Fleck: Throw Down You Heart" show up on my Netflix queue, I knew I had to watch it. Besides, it had received the Audience Award at both South-By-Southwest and the Vancouver Film Festival, so it couldn't be a disinteresting trip into ethno-musicology set to a snore-track. So I set it up, popped some popcorn and immersed myself into the music of Africa.

This film is awesome. We join Béla Fleck on his journey to Africa to explore the little known African roots of the banjo and record an album with some seriously ripping African musicians. He travels to four African countries: Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia, and Mali. Along the way, he works with a wide array of musicians – from local villagers who play a twelve-foot xylophone, to a family that makes and plays the akonting (thought by many to be the original banjo), to international superstars such as the Malian diva Oumou Sangare.

The music on this documentary can be stirring and joyous or somber and liltingly sad, but it's always incredibly heartfelt. Aside from learning the history of the banjo and being introduced to unfamiliar-yet-familiar instruments, like the akonting and the xhalam (an African variation on the lute), there are also plenty of familiar instruments played in unfamiliar ways, like the blisteringly fast guitar playing of Oumou Sangare from Mali. One of my favorite moments of the whole movie happens in the village of Nakisengi in Uganda, where the village musicians assemble themselves around a giant twelve-foot long xylophone that's played with a mixture of hands and wooden stick-mallets. Twenty or so musicians, six of them playing the xylophone, create a beautifully thick and rich music that Bela weaves his banjo intricately and respectfully through.

Assembling the giant xylophone

Part of what makes this documentary so moving is that Bela is not on a mission to show the citizens of Africa his (astounding) banjo chops, but to learn techniques, scales and musical motives from the musicians there and integrate them into his own playing. He's constantly seen with a pencil and staff paper, diligently transcribing anything that hits his ear. For Bela Fleck or world music fans, this film is highly recommended, and there is also a CD available from iTunes and Amazon that contains recordings done in Africa featuring the musicians and musics from the movie. It will quickly be finding it's way into my collection and perhaps yours as well.

Word to the Brett,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Throw Down Your Heart on Amazon [ link ]

Throw Down Your Heart on IMDB [ link ]

Official Site [ link ]

Awesomeness is Back in Style (or Gaffer's Guff a Gaffe)

2010-11-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

Awesomeness. For awhile, it seemed that awesomeness was on the run, that it was all tapped out. A thick malaise lay across the land, rivers of lameness threatened to tear the land asunder. Just as everything looked it's same-old-day-grey, the sky cracked open, and a thick beacon of awesome shot through, spilling it's glittering gift upon the earth. Boredom dissolved, disinterest faded into non-existence and "ennui" changed to "Oh Yeah!"

What is it that has summoned such vivid awesomeness? The newest Josh and the Empty Pockets Music Video, shooting this week! And the thing that makes it even more awesome than the simple word can convey? You could be in said music video.

All you have to do is head to this website [ link ] and check out the information provided. You could be involved in the experience of a lifetime, something that's sure to create great memories and stories you'll share for years to come. Plus, who could resist so much concentrated awesomeness? Nobody, that's who.

"A tale of the power and passion exhibited, infused and expressed through the exquisite notes of music. "

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Rocking Out with the Orphans (Or Centralia, Sweet Heart O' Mine)

2010-10-25T15:59:00.000-07:00

A drive through scenic Centralia, Illinois, nestled deep within southern Illinois, one thought comes consistently to mind: Wow, these people are all about orphans. Signs are posted at nearly every intersection in some neighborhoods, lauding the accomplishments of the orphans, heaping on the praise and adulation. It's enough to be confusing to a poor city boy until one learns that the mascot of the Centralia High School is the Orphans. How did they come by such a unusual moniker? Well, the story I was told was that long ago, the Centralia High School found themselves involved in a basketball play-off. The program lacked funding (but not spirit), and so the basketball team members showed up in whatever they usually played in, a mish-mash of shorts and shirts that one could barely recognize as a "branded team". Gazing upon the players of this rag-tag bunch of loveable misfits, legend has it the announcer uttered "These kids look like a bunch of orphans!" In true Mid-western fashion, that barbed insult was adopted as the delightful mascot for Centralia High School and the rest, as they say, is history.

The Empty Pockets were pleased as punch when the Centralia Orphans asked us to come rock out at the Tailgate party for their Homecoming Football game against the Wesclin Warriors. So we hopped in the van and headed down south, around five hours, to party the night away with the fine people of Centralia. And an awesome night it was! Not only was there a party, complete with delicious food, fun games and some sweet prizes, but the Centralia High School Rock 101 program made a rockin'-good appearance as well, putting the seal on Rocktober and pushin' it down, old-school. They even gave us some totally sweet Centralia Orphans football jerseys! (Photos to come, look for 'em!)

After rocking out for the fine Tailgaters and diving into some delicious food, we got to watch the Centralia Orphans pound the living daylights out of the Wesclin Warriors, 62 -21. How often do you get to say the phrase "We watched some Orphans beat the snot out of a bunch of Warriors?" At least once, my fine friend. At least once.

More? You want more?

We had a great time partying with the Orphans and fine folks of Centralia and we hope to be invited back next year. Special musical props go to CHS music director Kevin Devany for his awesome half-time show featuring the music of our much-loved hero, Micheal Jackson. We had a great time, Centralia, and thanks to Hannah for searching us out!

Peace, love and pancakes,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

An Empty Pockets Book Report (or The Blogg on the Dogg)

2010-10-04T10:26:00.001-07:00

In my ramblings through the library, I often come across something that jumps off the shelves and into my hands, screaming to be checked out. Such a situation occurred when I came upon my latest hard-cover conquest, Tha Doggfather: The Times, Trials and Hardcore Truths of Snoop Dogg. I clutched it close as I checked out, filled with anticipation of the Hardcore Truths I would learn about Cordozar Calvin Broadus, the man and the legend.

These truths were pretty hardcore.

Snoop talks about his time in the Rollin' 20 Crips, his frequent interactions with the judicial system, and his famed 1993 murder trial, in which he was charged in connection with the murder of a man shot by Snoop's bodyguard. He also talks about his love for Long Beach and his mother, and his rapid rise from a music-loving young man to one of the most influential G-funk rappers ever. Snoop proves to be a effective street-philosopher, offering not only the facts of a situation as seen by Snoop, but also a the overall negatives and positives of the situation wrapped into a lesson. The book is written in the conversational tone of Snoop Dogg and can prove to be an awkward read at some points where the vernacular becomes unclear, but it proves to be a satisfyingly good stylistic decision throughout.

Having recently pulled "Doggystyle" out of the musical mothballs, Snoop's Doggy Dog's premier 1993 album bloomed with salient connections in the history provided by the book, especially tracks like "Murder Was The Case They Gave Me" and "Lodi Dodi". It will surely find itself back into my regular rotation for some G-funk enjoyment with the Doggfather.

If you're a fan of Snoop, this is a must read. It was published in 1999, so it is a bit dated, but it proves to be a fun read with the Snoop Dogg style we've all come to love. Co-author David Seay colors the book with a subtle brush that allows the flavor to be 100% Dogg.

"No one knows more of the truth about the life, and no one tells it more like it is, than Tha Doggfather, Snoop Dogg."

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Snoop Dog on Wikipedia: [link]

Doggystyle on Wikipedia: [link]

The Book!: [link]

J&tEP Newsletter!

2010-09-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

J&tEP Newsletter, Volume VI

The New Sound Is Coming Round

This summer was a sizzler to be sure but it's about to get hotter in here: Josh and the Empty Pockets are headed into the studio in early September to record their long-awaited (and oft-requested) third album! That's right, Pocketeers, a brand new disc will be soaring your way in no time with new tunes and 92% more Erika. Empty Pockets Producer and Engineer Extraordinaire Rick Fritz will be helming the recording wheel as the lads and lady lay down their highly anticipated third studio album with fan-favorites "You Know I Do" and "All I Need" among others, along with a few brand-spanking new tunes to melt your faces and move your feet. We're all super excited and we're sure you are too! Keep an eye on the upcoming Newsletters, as well as on Facebook, Twitter and Myspace for more information on the upcoming album. This is going to ROCK.

The studio is a magical place filled with sunshine and awesomeness

A Summer of Fun

As the summer concert season winds to a close, we here at the Empty Pockets would like to say thank you to every fan who rocked with us this summer, both established Pocketeers and new-comers alike. We'd also like to thank every sound person for helping us to rock to our utmost and every liason, crew member and assorted job-doer for sweating with us and rocking with us. You all make the experience very special and we all agree that Josh and the Empty Pockets couldn't have had nearly as fun and successful a summer without you. Thank you, thank you, thank you. You all seriously rock. Let's do it again next year!

Here's to the rockin'est summer ever!

Free September Shows!

Friday, September 3 - Hanson Brothers Tap, Northfield, IL: 9:30 pm - 1 am
Saturday, September 11 - J Patricks Irish Pub and Grill, Chicago, IL: 10 pm to 1:30 am
Friday, September 24 - Gruben's Uptown Tap, Plainfield, IL: 8 pm to 12 am

Keep your rock aprons on people, because the new album is hot on the stove!

-Nate Bellon(bass)

J&tEP Newsletter!

2010-07-06T06:46:00.000-07:00

J&tEP Newsletter, Volume V

NASCAR + Coca-Cola + Empty Pockets = Sizzling Summer Sensation

Josh and the Empty Pockets live in the fast lane and are slipping it into high gear at the Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday, July 10 for the Coca-Cola Family Track Walk. The walk begins at approximately 3:15 p.m, around the surface of the 1.5-mile D-shaped tri-oval of Chicagoland Speedway and includes not only a ripping concert featuring Josh & the Empty Pockets but also a sweet Q &A with Coca-Cola Family drivers Denny Hamlin, 1999 Sprint Cup Champion Dale Jarrett and 2000 Sprint Cup Champion Bobby Labonte. Holy schnikes! Neutral-drop on in and enjoy some healthy lifestyle tips, free Coca-Cola products and rip up the track with Josh and the Empty Pockets!

[ Event Link ] [ More Info ]

Arbor Theatre Summer Music Festival

One of Josh's dreams, aside from being a nationally-acclaimed rockstar/pitcher/economist, a rock-cono-pitchstar if you will, is playing at a Nike Missile silo. Thursday, July 15, witness dreams become reality as Josh and the Empty Pockets play the Arbor Theatre Summer Music Festival at the Arbor Theatre, a former Nike Missile silo converted into a lovely theatre in majestic Vernon Hills. The concert starts at 5 p.m. and includes music by Leah Druzinsky and Cleavland band-buddy Nate Jones. There is a suggested donation of $5, but any and all donations will be accepted. Come on out as we deploy a full payload of rock right into those summer-time blues!

[ Event Link ]

Par-tay in the Park!

Back by popular demand, Josh and the Empty Pockets bring Millennium Park a pocketful of rock on Thursday, July 22 with the WTMX Party In The Park. Held at the gorgeous Park Grill, the Party In The Park is a sure-fired cure for the heat. The show kicks off with Juniper Mays at 4 p.m and the Pockets take the stage at 5:30. So why not kick out of work early and enjoy a beer and a burger, or better yet, bring your boss along and enjoy a bonding experience fused with good times and great music. Rock!

[ Event Info ] [ WTMX ] [ Juniper Mays ]

Let's Get Artsy In Here

Saturday, July 31, the Empty Pockets showcase their artsy side as they rip the Lincoln Park Art and Music Fest a new rock-hole. The Empty Pockets go on at 2 p.m., but the festival goes all day Saturday and Sunday on Racine Ave, between Fullerton and Webster. The fest will be showcasing the talented local artists and musicians that make Chicago a world-wide powerhouse in the artistic community. So don your berets, take a bracing shot of Absinthe and get impressionistic with Josh and the Empty Pockets.

[ Event Link ] [ Lincoln Park CoC ]

More Free Summer Shows!

Thursday, July 8 - Deans Clothing Store, Naperville, IL: 5 - 8 pm

Friday, July 9 - Northfield Library, Northfield, IL: 6 - 8 pm

Saturday, August 14 - Norton's Restaurant, Highland Park, IL: 9:30 pm - 1 am

Saturday, August 21 - DeKalb Corn Fest, DeKalb, IL: 12 - 2 pm

[ Show Listing ]

Enjoy the summer,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

J&tEP Newsletter!

2010-05-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

Josh and the Empty Pockets Newsletter #4

Let the Outdoor Rock Season Begin!

Josh and the Empty Pockets begin their outdoor festival shows with an evening at the Saint Bartholomew Carnival on Saturday, June 12. The music starts at eight but the carnival and the fun get rolling at noon. Enjoy the weather with a sweet carnival and a rock show. Who could ask for anything better? St. Barts is located at 4949 W. Patterson Ave in Chicago.

[WGN Press Release] [Event Info]

Skokie Nights Pick the Pockets

The Skokie Library welcomes Josh and the Empty Pockets as they rock open the 2010 summertime "Skokie Nights" series. The outdoor fun starts at 7 p.m. so why not mosey on over and enjoy the evening with some excellent music in a pretty setting. You can even visit the library while we're playing, we don't mind! Tuesday, June 15th at the Skokie Public Library is when the rock hits the fan. Who knows, you may even see Danny heading to the Media section.

[Library Link] [Event Link]

Dreams for Kids Benefit

Josh and the Empty Pockets like kids. And we also like dreams. So when we heard we could play music to help the organization Dreams for Kids [link], we jumped. June 16th, 8pm at Miska's Bar finds the Dreams for Kids Open Mic Night Fundraiser showcasing three bands, various comedy, sketches, performance art, and an open mic to close out the evening. There is a $10 donation at the door. Come out and enjoy a diverse night of entertainment that also helps Dreams for Kids continue it's wonderful mission of reaching out to underprivileged and special needs kids.

[Dreams for Kids] [Event Link]

Keep it greasy,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

J&tEP Newsletter!

2010-04-30T07:21:00.000-07:00

Josh and the Empty Pockets Newsletter #3

Bottoms Up!

The place: The Bottom Lounge. The date: May 8th. The event: The rocking of faces from here to there and back again! That's right folks, Josh and the Empty Pockets barrel in to the Bottom Lounge on Saturday, May 8th to rock the house until it can be rocked no more. Come on out and join in the fun as we boogie the night away with fellow rockers Cobalt & The Hired Guns, Green Sugar, How Far to Austin and My My My. Be sure to get your tickets early, so you don't end up missing what's sure to be an awesome evening of face-melting rock and roll! (Plus, if you buy beforehand, you save $2.) Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show is ages 17+. Rock!

Jam Along with J&tEP

Sure, we've all done it: the music comes on, the guitar kicks in, and you can't help but air-jam along as the sweet music takes you away. Well, now you can play along with Josh and the Empty Pockets with the hot online music game, JamLegend! That's right, thanks to some righteously awesome help from a user there, now you can play guitar with Meaningless Words, the rocking track from Under the Bed. You can even use your computer-compatible Guitar Hero or Rock Band controller to enjoy the experience to it's finger-shredding fullest. Can you rock the house at the Legendary skill level?

Thesixtyone is Beautiful to Us

Online music-romp site Thesixtyone recently featured Josh and the Empty Pocket's track "Beautiful To Me" on it's main page! What's Thesixtyone? Only a seriously awesome online-music game, complete with quests, experience points, and magical long-swords! (Alright, no magical long-swords, but it's still as hip as can be.) It's also a great way to find new music to listen to, along with many options to support artists. It allows you, the fans, to judge what's hot and what's not. Will you use your ultimate power for good or for awesome? Only you can decide! Stop on in and check out Josh and the Empty Pockets on Thesixtyone today. We'll love you forever.

Help, I'm a rock!

-Nate Bellon(bass)

The Music and the TV (or Clever Rock Reference? )

2010-04-22T10:37:00.000-07:00

"Now look at them yo-yo's that's the way you do it

You play the guitar on the MTV

That ain't workin' that's the way you do it

Money for nothin' and chicks for free"

Indeed, Dire Straits, indeed. Wise words from wise-man Mark Knopfler, a man so respected in the world of rock as to have a freaking dinosaur named after him. (Where's the Diplodocus Claptonus or the Dilophosaurus Jethro Tulli? C'mon, paleontology.) We here in the Empty Pockets feel the words even deeper, having spent much a portion of our pre-rock time moving refrigerators and color television sets, whilst delivering and installing custom kitchens... or the nearest labor equivalent. That being said and with all due seriousness, we are all very much looking forward to playing the guitar on the MTV. So, if you'll just send us our free money and chicks, that would be sweet. About the chicks: Will the come hatched or do we need an incubator?

Nate and Dan seen moving, delivering

Speaking of MTV, my ramblings about and around the internet brought me to an article about American Idol, posted on MTV's website. Before we get to the article, allow me to say this: I don't really watch American Idol at all. I understand it's appeal and I'm clearly in the minority, but it's just not for me. I have only a select amount of TV viewing time and choose to spend it on different forms of entertainment. I also haven't watched MTV too terribly much since... well, since Beavis and Butthead were originally aired, but that has more to do with access to cable than anything else. I do enjoy Rob and Big as a dirty pleasure and Silent Library, originally a Japanese game show, is often as painful and awkwardly funny as it is a salient look at the ability to find humor in the potentially painful or embarrassing situation of others. Moving on.

The Article in Question

The article, written by MTV News correspondent Jim Cantiello, is a mildly-acerbic, tounge-in-cheek 60 second wrap-up of the recent happenings on American Idol. Nothing staggering, but quick and effective, allowing those of us who don't afford the time to consume the product to at least converse on a certain level with those who do. Until this:

"But "Idol" is first and foremost a music show (just kidding)..."

Whoa, MTV. Whoa. I know you're the grand-daddy in the room when it comes to music videos and promotion, but whoa. Isn't that a bit too cheeky? I mean, really. Inspecting the MTV and MTV2 lineups shows a large majority of the programming isn't really music related at all. Sure, you can stream music videos from MTV.com, but that doesn't satiate the burning need for music videos on my television screen. However, I'm aware that advertising revenues are probably better with a channel playing more diverse and culturally-targeted programming and running a television channel must be expensive, so I present you a deal:

Just gimme one week.

Make your money, pay your bills, do your thing for fifty-one weeks a year. Just give me one week where I can sit at the telly, hit the MTV and soak myself in delicious music. Surely, Viacom would most likely say, you can gain your video-based jollies from MTV Hits or MTV Jams, which provide mainly music videos. Honestly, I say I cannot. They don't come with my basic cable package nor are the packed with the nostalgic je ne sais quoi that can only come from pure, uncut MTV. Come on, MTV. I loved you once. Just hit my with that delicious juice for one week a year and you can say anything you want to anyone you please about their musical credentials. For as Sting so stirringly opined in "Money for Nothing", I want my MTV.

Rock it hard,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Dead Diamonds by Daniel Rosenthal

2010-03-10T13:43:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I’m in a band.
You might be in a band or know someone who is.
Most likely you know at least me, Nate, Erika, or Josh, and hey, if we haven’t met we probably should. What is better than making friends? The band is a great conversation starter. Maybe it would go like this:

YOU: “Hey, who are you?”
ME: “I’m the drummer (wink).”
YOU: “Let’s hang out.”
ME: “Hell yeah.”
(We talk into the distance)

If you know me (which we already decided you may or may not) you would know that I latch on to new ideas like Nate to any man he sees (it's a gay joke... get it?).
Maybe the most fun I have with the band is when we are in the van talking about what makes the world go 'round. We’re always discussing why friends/companies/relatives/politicians do the things they do. We come up with all these theories that should really be written down here instead of me telling you that we have them. One of the topics we tend to discuss is the meaning of life, and thereby the meaning of its opposite.

Are we friends yet? Sweet. Now that we are friends, I want to talk to you about death.
Apparently there is nothing to stop this disease called life, which is killing all of us. Not like we should stop death.
What if we could decide who lives and who dies? Who would make the call? I suggest looking past this whole life thing and start thinking about what we are going to do after it's all over.
You really only have a couple of options. Be put in a hole, kept in a vase or turned into something from a horror movie.

There's got to be a better way! Wait. I have it.

Get yourself... DIAMONDIZED. i.e. pressurize your remains for a few million years in order to turn yourself in to a shiny, indestructible rock!
I know what you are thinking, gentlemen, "women never paid me any heed in life... but now... the possibilities are endless."
But, yes, maybe you’ll be dropped down the sink when the someone who survived you is washing the dishes. On the other hand, you always loved water parks, right?
I guess what I am really trying to say is there are lots of options when this life comes to a close. Don’t wait until you're dead to make decisions about it, because you can’t, you'll be dead.
Oh, and now that we’re friends I want you to know that I want be made into a diamond. I’m pretty sure at least. I really get hooked on new things I hear about. Oh, oh, will you wear me when I’m dead?

My Mind is Made Up (or Swords for Everyone!)

2010-03-09T16:38:00.000-08:00

Many things can be said to contain the attribute awesome. The laptop, the race car, the iPod, and we all have our own personal and cultural ideas of that which is awesome. But certainly, there is one thing that can be held above all others as the pinnacle of awesome-osity: the sword.

That's right, the almighty sword. Whether it be a Gladius, Two-Handed or Katana, swords are a sign of power and might throughout the world... and they're just plain awesome. Seriously. And if you have any doubts, watch Reclaiming the Blade [link], narrated by John Rhys-Davies, one of the few men who's voice-over work could escalate a documentary about something so awesome as the sword to a level of awesome-itude that could prove to be lethal to all within ear-shot.

Don't believe me? Watch this. (If the involvement of JRD isn't enough to slake your awesome-lust, Bob Anderson is also in the film. Who is Bob Anderson? He's Darth freaking Vader.)

After watching this documentary, I was so over-taken with the sheer awesomeness that is the sword, I found my very soul screaming forward from a newly awakened need, a powerful and ancient urge no doubt inherited from my ancestors. A gene hidden deep in my being, awaiting a primal trigger so that it's purpose may be fulfilled. What I'm saying is, I need a sword. A real one. I'll play with it and feed it and take it for walks, honest. I'll name it something awesome, like Thurl Ravenscroft [link] and I'll put it to sleep every night. I swear. I just want a high-carbon steel, heat-tempered, full-tanged beauty of my very own.

So, I'm off to do a little light shopping. Tally ho, ya'll.

Keep it low and in row,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

I Have a man-crush on Michael J. Fox

2010-03-05T12:53:00.000-08:00

I was just watching an episode of that show Spin City (they stopped making new episodes in 2004) and was motivated to share. I love Michael J Fox. One time, I was at a Cubs game and he was the special guest during the 7th inning stretch. That was awesome.

Which got me researching and thinking...

Can you, even for a moment, imagine a world where the opening titles of "Family Ties" are ending and the last cast member name comes up as:

Michael Fox

No. You can't. It's impossible, and that's a fact. The reason is because the soon to be 49-year-old actor of "Back to the Future" fame derives his worldly power, wealth and charming good looks not from his starring roles in such Hollywood gems as "Teen Wolf" and "The American President". It has nothing to do with his prolific voice-over career ("Homeward Bound" anyone? "Stuart Little" perhaps?). It does, however, have everything to do with the eternal and mystical power of the letter J. At least that's what it said on Wikipedia. Weird.

Anyways, here's to you J. Fox. You're the man. Keep on rocking and don't let that Parkinsons get you don't.

Josh

PS A much belated fuck you to Rush Limbaugh.

Valentine’s Day by Daniel Rosenthal

2010-01-28T12:49:00.000-08:00

The widely cherished by the loved and in love while extremely disapproved of by the heart broken, lonely, and some might even say, heartless Valentine’s Day feels too close for comfort. I, however, have as much anticipation as skepticism this year. It isn’t every year I am dating someone around this time. Heck, it isn’t every year I am dating someone period. I am going do what I do with every holiday, think about all the things I want to happen and then convince myself that none of it will. In other words, I am lowering my expectations so I don’t drive myself crazy trying to out do anyone or even myself.
When I was in high school I wanted to show the girl I was with how much I really liked her. I got my friends together, made a band, and learned “That Thing You Do,” from the movie of the same title. We set up in the auditorium, with monitors, and closed the curtain. To get people in the band I told them to invite their girlfriends to the concert of one song for one person (which ended up being about 8 girls by the time the band was together.) Not everyone in the band had a girlfriend so I told the guys to invite someone they liked because this would grease the wheels. We all wrote letters to A) tells the girls right off that we liked them and B) to get these loves to meet us at the theatre entrance. Ushers met the girls so we could be revealed when the curtain opened. In the front row were flowers for each of them. I also bought a balloon, which in the end wasn’t cared for. The great drape opened, we smiled, and I counted off, 1, 2, 3, 4. When it all over a teacher, Leland Burbank, jumped out of the seats and clapped yelling, “where’s the camera? You had to of video taped this. This was great,” and he went on. He had to have been the most excited. I can’t say the girls didn’t care. They did. My ex-girlfriend once told me that her next boyfriend didn’t do anything for her on Valentines Day and she told him, “This is ridiculous. Someone put a concert on for me before. Step it up a notch,” she laughed.
The point is none of us ended up happily ever after so why go to all the effort as side from it feels go to make someone happy. Even if they will take your heart out and throw it away later (I don’t feel like that but maybe some people do).
I’m just saying to be cool boy, real cool. It is just another holiday. In fact they also came up with Sweetest Day, so you can mess that one up too.
Good Luck. Remember we’re all in this together.

Conan O'Brien: Let the man do his thing (or NBC, Let Him Be!)

2010-01-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

I assume by now that you've heard about the Conan O'Brien, Jay Leno, NBC time-slot debacle, but if you haven't, here's a fine article on it from ABC news: (link)

I'd just like to ask a question: Why the grief, NBC? I can understand attempting to keep a personality who has a marketable (and solid) draw in a certain economic sector of the network's viewing public. That makes sense. However, Jay's previous show has such horrid ratings that it's confusing as to whether the audience that responds to him is even viewing him anymore. Or perhaps the audience is much smaller than anticipated.

That being said, Conan O'Brien has had a steady career in a time slot usually viewed by a younger crowd, many of his fans having aged with him through his career as a writer and host. He has a very dedicated audience who continue consume his output hungrily. With only seven months under his belt at the helm of the Tonight Show, his residency has only just begun and it's a shame to see it be in danger of getting cut short.

The ratings for The Tonight Show experienced a dramatic increase yesterday night (a 1.7/7 up from a 1.2 the night before (link)) as viewers flocked to television sets to support Conan and The Tonight Show franchise in an apparent effort to send a message to the network. Hopefully this message works, but it may require a shift in consistent viewing habits of a demographic that is able to have content delivered in ways that are not included in Nielsen ratings. Perhaps the section of Conan's audience that consumes it's media with less traditional means (such as delivered over the net from websites like Hulu or downloaded from bit-torrent sites) is small enough to be considered statistically negligible for now but the further development of technology and ideas about media consumption could cause problems for decisions made by NBC if based strictly on Nielsen numbers.

I'm just sayin, is all.

I personally would like to see Conan get a fair shake of the deal by being allowed to continue his tenure at The Tonight Show and build a faithful following over-the-air. And while we all may have a great amount of respect for Jay Leno, perhaps it is time for him to step aside for awhile and allow the growth of another personality that can be adored by the United State and the world.

Rock the boat, Conan. (Don't tip the boat over)

-Nate Bellon(bass)

A short aside: Here's some interesting information on how Nielsen ratings operate, as well as a decent history on the Nielsen ratings empire. (link)

-NB

Josh and the Empty Pockets Newsletter #3

2009-07-06T23:23:00.000-07:00

Josh and the Empty Pockets Newsletter #2

Josh and the Empty Pockets - Live at the Double Door
Josh and the Empty Pockets will once again be rocking one of Chicago's legendary music clubs, the Double Door.. [venue link] Join the Pockets as we blow both doors off this puppy on July 17. Doors open at 8:00, The Pockets rock the joint at 10:15, cover is $7. The night of musical beauty includes such diverse talent as Hot Heels Records, Band Called Catch, Star and Micey (our dudes from Memphis!) and Chicago funk-monsters Deuce. Come on out and enjoy the night filled with good tunes, good friends, and good times. Plan for a few surprises!

Northbrook Days - Back by Popular Demand
That's right, Pocketeers, those wacky Pockets come to rock the 'burbs at Northbrook Days. [ venue link ] Josh and the Empty Pockets had such an awesome time last year and are glad to be welcomed back to the Days of Northbrook. You should really join them in rocking this place into the ever-loving ground. Seriously, let's do this thing!

May we introduce the Pocket Rocketeer
As you Pocketeers know, we recently lost our beloved 77' Dodge touring van, dubbed "The Pocket Rocket" in North Bergen, NJ over the last tour. Due to irreconcilable differences involving the retention of fluids, we had to part ways. With a tear in our eyes, we selected our next method of transportation carefully, including such options as a train, a zeppelin, and a clock-work mechanical beast. We found our girl in this beautiful Ford Econoline-350 XLT. We call her "The Pocket Rocketeer". Well, at least that's what Danny calls her.

Let the music be your guide,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

The Status Update (or Running, Gunning, Gone)

2009-07-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

Holy hell, Pocketeers, it's been a a little while since we've had a blog, but we've been up to so much exciting stuff, we've barely had time to breathe. We've got a new Pocket Rocket, we've got some exciting shows coming up, and we have some news about the next album, but all that will be coming in the following days. If I may, I'd like to say a few words about a topic that everyone is talking about these days: Michael Jackson.

First off, it's sad to have lost such a huge figure in Pop music. Michael will continue to shape the face of pop music for years to come as subsequent generations of musicians are brought up with his time-honored classics in their ears.

I grew up with Michael Jackson tunes being played on the radio, watching his tremendous videos on MTV, peering into the eyes of a giant. I even had a Michael Jackson "Bad" portable 45 record player. I didn't know any of the words, but I sang along loudly, as did my sister. And oh, the dancing. We would both play air-guitar to "Black or White" and be filled with glee whenever the local radio stations would play "Thriller" around Halloween time.

On the road, the Empty Pockets crank the Michael Jackson and boogie along to "Thriller", taking pleasure in each "Jacksonism" inside the music. We sing along and make observations about pop music of past and present. When we heard he died, at the gig in Naperville, we played "I Want You Back" in tribute to the man who was rightfully declared "The King of Pop".

Here's a link to my favorite Micheal Jackson song, "Remember the Time" from the album "Dangerous".
Remember the Time

Stay classy, San Diego
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Cleveland is Rock Central (or When a Band meets a Band a comin' through the Clev)

2009-06-07T18:42:00.000-07:00

The Empty Pockets find themselves in Cleavland this weekend, having traveled in to play at the Avon Lake Relay for Life on Saturday. We had a great time rocking for the walkers, and were glad to be invited back for next years' Relay. Thanks to everyone in Avon Lake for being so very nice. Rock!

The next day, arising from bed at our Holiday Inn in Cleveland, we stumbled upon a sight we've become expert with finding: another band. We didn't know what this band was about, their style of music, or their personal dispositions, but we were pretty sure that we'd be crazy-musician-buddies instantly, so we left them a little present to jump-start the process.

Here's Josh, digging the sweet vibe

See? We left them a copy of Under the Bed!

Danny with the band-trailer and Gary Coleman (now with vomiting action!)

So, other band, if you're reading this, send us your info. Who are you? Where are you from? Where are you headed? Let's get together and talk band stuff and drink cold-ones and do band-y type things... like horse-shoes or something. I dunno. But let's do it.

Greetings for Cleveland! Awesome meeting today with Mike McVay and met the talented Ashley Nemeh. Getting ready to do some early T.V. with Fox 8 WJW TV, so we're getting some realy sleep. Continuation of the last tour blog to come.

Stay funky, stay free,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Empty Pockets Tour Day 3: Welcome to Rochester ( or Thank Heaven for BBQ)

2009-05-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

Ahh, day three started so very early in Rochester, NY, as Erika awoke at 5 a.m. to begin prepping for our appearance on ABC's Rochester affiliate, Channel 13 - WHAM. [ link ] As she turned off the shower, the handle broke off in her hand, and we were left with a shower running at 5 a.m. and three more Pockets to clean. Thankfully, the night manager at the La Quinta in was very kind about it and let us into an adjacent room so we could cleanse ourselves for the morning news.

The bathtub where it all began.
This was after the maintenance guy took it apart.

Everyone at WHAM was very nice, and we'd like to thank you very much for having us in the studio. It was a blast! We'll be sure to stop on by when next we find ourselves in Rochester, thanks so much.

After doing our thang at WHAM, we headed back to the hotel for some much needed sleep. About an hour into our rest, we received a call from the hotel owner, telling us we needed to pay for the broken shower and vacate his hotel immediately. After some well placed yelling from Josh, it all escalated until the police were called, and came to escort us out of our room. As soon as we told the office the story, he laughed and said "Welcome to Rochester."

Our friendly Gates Police officer

A new fan? Sweet!

The hotel of our discontent

All the excitement over little old us made everybody hungry, so we headed on over to the Dinosaur Bar-B-Que for some old-fashioned New York BBQ. It was incredibly delicious, and we had a great time eating slow-cooked meats, drinking delicious beers, and enjoying the company of the fine people of Rochester, NY.

Ah, Rochester.

Deliciousness, served hot.

I'll have what he's having!

I really dig the bow-tie and tattoo look.
Pretty hip.

We decided to swing by the local Guitar Center to pick up a few things and blow some time at the shopping center. Always a lot of fun, fo show!

Ahh, look at all the pretties!

Danny took a few phone calls...

... and Josh bought Nate a doll.

After all the fun, we headed over to Johnny's Irish Pub to rock the night away [ link ]. Johnny's is has the authentic Irish pub feel to it from the moment you walk in the door. Try the food, it's delicious and hand-made, with love. We even got to meet Johnny! We had a great time talking about Rochester, the Pub, the music scene, and all of life's little intricacies. Oh, and yea, we did rocketh the halls of Rochester that day.

After our show, we moved our butts down the road into NJ so we could be close to our radio meeting the next day with WMJC Nassau/Suffolk. We drove and drove and drove, and we drove a little bit more. We found a Best Western that fit the bill, and lay our weary heads down to rest, with the days events still swirling through our heads. Woof. Whatta day.

Empty Pockets Tour Day 2: Buffalo by Day (or In Space, No One Can Hear You Shuffle)

2009-05-24T06:21:00.000-07:00

Wednesday morning found us busting butt out of our hotel room in Cleavland and shuffling off to Buffalo, New York, a favorite city of ours. We had so much too do, but we managed to find a little leisure time to relax and enjoy.

After arriving in fair Buffalo, we visited the fine folks over at WTSS Star 102.5 for a bit, bringing them rock and roll and Bocce Club pizza [ link ]. Who doesn't like those two things? Nobody, that's who. A local cafe was grilling hamburgers and hotdogs outside, so we brought our pizza and radio meeting to the people, and entertained the whole lot. It's what we do, after all.

Whatcha got there, Dan?

Josh and Erika rock the Star

A small crowd of WTSS employees gathered around

Brian of WTSS Star 102.5, and the Empty Pockets kick it, old school.

We even got a chance to stop by WJYE in Buffalo, and visit our buddy, Chuck Stevens. We got to sit and chat for a bit, and it's always good to see Chuck when we roll through town. Of course, we just had to get a picture.

Chuck and the Empty Pockets

After our awesome radio meetings, we decided to head on over and check out the Niagara Falls, from the American side of course. The Empty Pockets had a lot of fun, storming the falls and enjoying the thundering majesty of millions of gallons of water rushing out of Danny's ears (or the falls, I'm not sure which.)

On our way to the Falls

Check it out! Water!

The Maid of the Mist sure does get close to those Falls!

Erika lectures the boys on rail safety

Don't cross the streams!

Now that's BRISK, baby!

After a lovely foray to the Falls, the Empty Pockets headed to our favorite Buffalo venue, the Sportsmen's Club [ link ], where we rocked the night away with some awesome people, as always. Thanks to Dwayne and Kenny for having us in, we always have such a great time, and we always leave with a sad smile upon our faces, waiting for the day we can return and rock Buffalo once more.

The Sportsmen's, a rockin' good joint.

Driving our way to Rochester that evening was a trip, but we hit it and hit it well. That evening found us wiped in our beds once more, but feeling good after a wonderful day in Buffalo.

Rock the world,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Empty Pockets Tour Day 1: Detroit Rock City Reference ( or That Title's Been Done!)

2009-05-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

Howdy Pocketeers,

It's time for the Pockets to hit the road and take the rocking to the East Coast, via Detroit, Buffalo, Rochester, Brooklyn, Binky and Anthony's wedding in Manhattan, and a final trip into Cleavland. Like any good trip, it all started in our 1977 Millenium-Falcon-in-atmo, the Pocket Rocket.

Dan and Erika rousing number from "Mary Poppins"

We played a show on Tuesday night at The Modern Exchange [venue link]in Southgate, MI. Our performance was in-between the Dylan-esque acoustic stylings of Kenny and the tight and heavy local group, Universelings. The club itself is an awesome mix of live-music venue, small cafe and vintage clothing store, with all sorts of goodies to put the tingle in your kringle, son.

Hanging out backstage at The Modern Exchange

Our man Kenny rocks it with the Pockets

Adam Spero drove from Cleavland to kick it

After the gig, we hung out for a bit and chatted it up, but we eventually had to blow our way out to Cleavland. We had to be in Buffalo the next day at noon for a meeting with the fine folks over at WTSS Star 102.5, so we decided to cut the morning driving in half by driving to Cleavland before sleeping, and then making for Buffalo the next morning. A fine plan it was, and it ended at the Radisson hotel in Cleavland, Ohio at some ungodly hour in the morning.

Danny and Nate try to get the lowest sleep number possible. We've achieved 25!

Everyone had a great time playing with their sleep number bedsPretty soon, the sandman came for all the Pockets, and knocked us all on over to dreamland for awhile, where we dreamt of crazy rock shows, madcap adventures, and spending all our per-weekum on sweet leather suits.

Tour Updates to come as we finally get a chance to transfer photos and blog about the whole, nutso deal.

Keep that funk alive,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

No Sleep Till Brooklyn ( or Backroom Interview: Pockets Style)

2009-05-13T10:06:00.000-07:00

Our buddy Kori from WNBC in New York just sent us a link to the video feature that her and Liman shot on our last trip out to NYC. It takes place in the backroom of Freddy's, a favorite Brooklyn stop of the Empty Pockets, and we absolutely love it.
Take a peek!

Nice job, everybody! Thanks to WNBC for doing the piece, which is now running in taxi-cabs and subways throughout the city, and thanks so much to Kori and Liman for being awesome folks and making the piece super sweet. You both rock, and we need to take some time to hang and grab some pizza again.

Rock, rock on,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

J&tEP Newsletter #2!

2009-05-12T15:46:00.000-07:00

Josh and the Empty Pockets Newsletter #2

Josh and the Empty Pockets - Live at Reggie's!
Josh and the Empty Pockets rock the hometown at one of Chicago's premiere rock clubs, Reggie's Music Joint. [venue link] Join the Pockets as we rock the Chi on May 15 before hitting the road again. We won't be in Chicago for very long, so you should really stop on out and enjoy! Doors open at 8:30, The Pockets rock the joint at 10:45, cover is $8. The night also includes Oso Close and Band Called Catch. Come for the great music and enjoy Reggie's delicious food. I recommend the wings and the hummus. Let's rock, Chicago!

Double Door Tickets on sale now!
Tickets are already on sale for Friday, July 17, as Josh and the Empty Pockets come screaming into Chicago's very own Double Door. [ venue link ] Come party with the Pockets as they rock the Double Door into submission. Tickets are available at the Double Door, or online at Ticketmaster. [ Ticketmaster ] Hey, Rock Pass holders: You can save $2 on tickets with your Rock Pass. Who doesn't love discounted rocking?

Pockets on the Road
The Pockets hit the road on May 19th for the East Coast. We're making stops at The Modern Exchange in Detroit, MI [ venue link ]; the Sportsman's Tavern in Buffalo, NY (Yeah, Dwayne!) [ venue link ]; Johnny's Irish Pub in Rochester, NY [ venue link ]; Freddy's Bar and Backroom in Brooklyn, NY [ venue link ]; amongst others. Keep your eyes on the blog, Myspace, Facebook and website for more information about upcoming dates and tours in your neck of the woods.

Keep on funkin', ya'll
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Before the contest even began, she spotted the Pocket Rocekt!

2009-05-04T12:49:00.000-07:00

While on I-90, coming into the lovely city that is Chicago, the Pocket Rocket stopped. Don't ask me why. I have no idea. The motor just stopped running.
I was on the phone with my father to get Mr. Kim's, our trusty family mechanic, number, when Rachel called. I had no idea why she'd call and she hardly ever does but I wasn't about to put my father on hold as the Pocket Rocket was in need of help to chat with my pal, Rachel.

When I got the information and passed it along to Josh I called Rachel back.
"What's wrong with the van?" Rachel said.
"How'd you know..." I paused and said, "Did you pass us?"
"Yeah."

I was so surprised that she was five cars in front of us, but who wouldn't be? I grabbed my camera and told her to stick her arm out the window.
"That's going on the blog," I said and she laughed.

Eventually we were next to her and I took so more. Pretty good smile for driving in the city. Also, Rachel, you should be wearing a headset. That's illegal.

So I guess she is the first Spot the Rocket winner before the contest even begins! I hope she'll take a signed photo or a sock... or something. I don't have much to give her. Perhaps an Empty Pocket poem.

Don't just sit around, hop in the car and look for a large rust red broken down van. Maybe you can win spot the rocket too.

Cheers,
Danny R

Mothers Listen Over Time

2009-05-01T12:26:00.000-07:00

We were at Cracker Barrel, in IN on our way back from NY, when my mother called.
"Ahoy hoy," I said.
"Danny?" my mother asked since I had been answering my phone either ahoy hoy or cello for four years now and thought it might be someone else.
"Yes Mom?" I yammered.
"I have a question for you. Who wrote Leaving Jackson?"
"That was Josh and myself," I am very proud of that song.
"Oh, I thought it was Johnny Cash."
"Ha, nope. It was me."
"Well, I wanted to know because now it's my favorite song and I've been playing it repeatedly."
It made me happy that my mother has been enjoying the song. Even though when I first showed it to her she didn't seem to care one way or another. It just goes to show you mothers listen but sometimes it takes longer for them to process. Now I am going to remind her about the Batman toy I always wanted.

By Danny R

Graphs by Danny R

2009-04-25T09:08:00.000-07:00

I had some time on hand so I made some graphs. We actually created them when we were filming the music video. The first on is "The Amount of Light on Us it takes to make Us Ugly" and the other one is "The Amount of People That Can Fit in a Van by Their Age." I'd like to point out some things...

In the first graph, everyone loses after a lot of light.

Then in the second graph, you can actually fit a lot more babies in a van but I didn't have anymore push pins.

Your graph maker,
Danny

Check out the Music Video

2009-04-21T06:16:00.000-07:00

Hello wonderful people,

Just wanted to let you know that as of today (Tuesday) the "Fall Right Now" music video is available for your viewing pleasure. So take a digital scroll on down to this link:

Click me... I dare you!

Have a great time. If you enjoy your viewing experience then please by all means share us with your friends, your family, your co-workers, strangers on the street or anyone else you see or hear throughout the course of your day.

Be well!

Josh

Subway vs Danny

2009-04-18T22:45:00.000-07:00

I have a secret.

Now that we are all friends, I will be honest and let you know that I hate Subway. No, not the CTA (although, Chicago could definitely make that better too) but the food place, Subway. All in all, I really don’t mind the food. I mind how it is put together. Subway is a child. They know they sell sandwiches but they don’t know how to put them together. I don’t understand why I have to tell them what I want on it, I appreciate the option but I not a sandwich artiest. I am a sandwich eater. Listen Subway, you make the sandwiches and I will eat them. Why do I have to be the chef and the customer? Thanks for nothing.

Even your colors are horrible. Green and Yellow. Name one good green and yellow thing! Even the Green Lantern looks silly.

Also, if you don’t know what to get always order the number 1. The number one is the best that is why it is number one, if it wasn’t good it would be number 10. McDonalds number 1 is the Big Mac meal while Burger King is the Whooper.
Take good care and eat well.

Cheers,
Danny R.

The band, NBC and Brooklyn this Wednesday

2009-04-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

The band and I just found out that NBC New York is going to be doing a segment on us during our trip to the big apple/New Jersey this upcoming week. We're playing at Freddy's Backroom on Wednesday, April 22 at 9pm and we would LOVE any friends, family or hobos you could send our way. Freddy's is an awesome little bar (known to some as the BEST bar in Brooklyn... check out their website for credentials on that matter) and the NBC camera crew will be there for the entirety of our performance. So get to Brooklyn or call a friend to hang out in your stead. We know, we know! Brooklyn is not Manhattan. However, it is just a short little train ride (right?) and bam! You're in Brooklyn. The drinks at Freddy's aren't expensive AND the last segment this NBC crew did was this one on the Ting Tings backstage at Jimmy Fallon. Radical even though Jimmy Fallon is kind of sucking.
Ok, so get to the borough of Brooklyn, Kings County (that's true, I checked) this Wednesday at... let's say 8:30pm or call a friend and let's all sing Kumbaia together at Freddy's.

Later you saucy minxes you,

Josh

J&tEP Newsletter #1!

2009-04-14T12:30:00.000-07:00

Josh and the Empty Pockets Newsletter #1

Music Video Madness!
We just finished filming our first music video for the song "Fall Right Now", and we're really excited. An editor's cut of the video should be available for viewing in late April, so make sure to keep checking in on the Blog, Myspace and Facebook for more information, as well as exclusive behind-the-scenes photos and videos from the filming. Of course, if you just can't wait to see it, you can check out WTTW at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 to see Josh and Erika spin a sneak preview on Chicago Tonight!
- Read More

Josh and Erika on Chicago Tonight
That's right, folks, Josh and Erika will be appearing on the daily Chicago news program Chicago Tonight. They'll be playing a few songs, answering a few questions, and providing a sneak preview of the brand-spankin'-new music-video for "Fall Right Now". Tune in to WTTW at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 15 to catch all the Empty Pocket madness! You can also check out the show from the Comcast WTTW On-Demand folder, so you can watch Josh and Erika when YOU please.
- Read More

Exclusive Content is Coming!
Are you on the mailing list? No? Well, you'd better sign up quick, because Josh and the Empty Pockets will soon be offering exclusive content to our loyal mailing list subscribers. All you have to do is give us your e-mail address, and we'll give you the key to our bountiful content vault, where all your Empty Pocket dreams can come true. Already on the mailing list? Don't worry, you'll be getting your link as soon as the content is online, you early adopter, you. What kind of content are we talking about here?
How about exclusive:

Live Recordings
Interviews
Contests
Video
Seriously Awesome Stuff

Sounds great, doesn't it? Of course it does, so make sure to sign-up for the the Empty Pockets Newsletter and secure yourself in the ranks of the awesome.

We have a lot of stellar stuff up our respective sleeves, so keep your eyes to the Internet and your ears to the radio, and always remember: Empty Pockets make for full friendships.

Peace!
-Nate Bellon(bass)

The Long and Winding Film ( or Lights, Camera, Rock! )

2009-04-13T09:04:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of the Empty Pockets music video can best be described as follows: AWESOME!

Sunday morning found us incredibly tired. We played the night before at Norton's, and we all were feeling the drag as we went through our morning work before the shoot.

Danny's likes his coffee.

More make-up. More hair-dressing. More costuming. More fun.

We put out a call for people to come be in the music video, and the response we got was incredible. We didn't expect to see so many people come out, nor did we expect so many of you to stick around so late. What an incredible experience that was for all of us. Everyone that came made the difference in the video, and it's going to be great because of your energy and dedication.

People are starting to arrive!

The crowd's getting larger. You folks rock!

We proceeded to do take after take after take, switching camera angles and doing close-up hand-held shots that Jewel, the DoP, did masterfully. A hazer pumped some misty-stuff into the room. I'm not quite sure how it works, but it's a sweet effect.

Filming a scene with the awesome crowd

The Pritzker Cheerleaders were in for a second day of filming! These ladies were great. They really showed a professionalism that is often hard to find, and really rose to every challenge with a smile. Thank you so much, girls!

The Pritzker team after a long two-days of shooting. Rock-sauce!

And on we shot. We shot and shot and shot.

Then, I think we did some more shooting.

Josh gets a quick adjustment between shoots. Luda was grand!

Skateboarders! Yeah, dudes. You guys were awesome!

Jewel (the DoP) skated around the set, too. It was great.

Finally, we had shot enough. The director called it a wrap, and we all had a good cheer.

The awesome crew of the music video. A few aren't pictured here.

The shoot was such a great time, and I'd like to take this space to once again thank the awesome crew, the wonderful director, the Pritzker cheerleaders, and all the folks who showed up to be in the video. The Empty Pockets felt the love that day, and it was excellent.

Look here for information on the release of the music video, as well as where you'll be able to catch it on-line.

Rock rock on,
-Nate Bellon(bass)

Danny vs Music Video

2009-04-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

Music Videos are cool but ours is better. Naw, I can’t say that. I haven’t seen every music video. Maybe there is one with real dinosaurs. That would be better.

It was hard but it was also a lot of fun. I never really knew what I was supposed to be doing except when I was drumming. Ratko, the director, would say, “Danny, look higher,” and I would, and I guess that was good enough because after that he would say, “excellent.”

We shot for two days at my elementary school, Park View, and I can’t say I had more fun one day than the other. When we wrapped up on the first day, some Park View students saw us filming outside and wandered into the building to see what was going on. They knew a music video was being shot but they didn’t know for what band so I walked passed them and talked about Fall Out Boy. One of the girls gasped with excitement and I thought I saw tears of joy. That made me laugh but she and a bunch of her friends came back the second day to be extras and we took many pictures together.

I was really glad my brother, Adam, and his wife, AKA my favorite sister in law, Liz, stopped by. It was nice to see them. They didn’t want to be in the video and when I said, “Who is going to represent the family?” They said, “you!” A bunch of Adam’s stuff is in the video too, such as the speakers on the side of the stage. So thanks, Adam. Your speakers looked spectacular.

I’ll probably write more about Fantastic Phill, Jule, the DP, and Tommy, Ug. So many people we worked with were so great. I doubt they will ever read this. Oh, Lesile and Jori came, best fans ever!!!!

Cheers,
Danny R

The Low Carb Diet ( or Choke This! )

2009-04-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

The Pocket Rocket, a '77 Dodge Tradesman with a Dodge 7.2-liter 440, can be a daunting vehicle to drive. Sometimes, she is just going to do what she's going to do. This is the story of one of those days:

Josh, Greg and I were packing up the Rocket for the music video shoot, which we were going to be doing the next morning. We filled her to the gills with musical gear, and we were all ready to go relax a little bit before our crazy weekend of filming and playing. Of course, this is when the Rocket decided to act up, and not start.

Something has gone wrong!

We could smell gas, so the fuel pump was working. I pulled a wire off the distributor and found spark on turn-over, so that wasn't the problem. What the hell?

A short disclaimer: I have never owned a vehicle with a carburetor before. Every vehicle, including my 1980 Chevrolet Citation, was fuel-injected. The carburetor was a device that was, in my mind, slightly mysterious. I understood the basic operation inside the engine, but I've never dealt with one directly on a vehicle that I've owned or been in charge of the maintenance of. (Carburetor? Learn here!)

So, I pulled the cover off the engine, which is inside the vehicle itself, and started poking about. Perhaps some Ether, I thought. Maybe the spark is weak and the ether will help her take off. Well, turns out I was pretty wrong, although closer to the right track than not. Danny's neighbor, is a retired mechanic, and offered to come over and have a look for us. Upon sticking his head into the cab of the van, he instantly located the problem.

Ah, here's you're problem, kid. You have no idea what's going on.

Danny's neighbor declared that our choke was stuck closed, and proceeded to un-stick it for us. While Greg and Josh chatted outside, He showed me all the workings of the mysterious carburetor, including the bent choke-flap that might cause some sticking problems in the future. He was incredibly kind about my lack of knowledge, and even cleaned and adjusted the carb for us. So, now we know, and knowing is half the battle!

Describing the operation of the choke on the carburetor to me

Thanks of your help and knowledge, Danny' neighbor. The Empty Pockets really appreciate you getting us back on the road. Plus now we know what to keep an eye on whilst we're out in the wild again. Hurray for carburetors!

-Nate Bellon-bass

Music Video Madness! (or Smile for the Camera!)

2009-04-06T11:10:00.000-07:00

Music Video! Music Video! Music Video!

That's basically what Saturday and Sunday felt like. An intensely enjoyable and insightful experience was had by all as we, the Empty Pockets, filmed our first ever music video. It was a lot of laughs, a lot of fun, and a lot of hard work. The crew of the music video was beyond professional, and they were all super-nice people to boot. Everyone was really great and put their shoulder to the wall to make sure the music video turned out to be something we could all be proud of. The honorary Pocket Greg Grabowski was even on hand to document it all for us. Thanks, Greg!

Before we start the photo parade, I'd like to take a second and thank everyone who showed up to be extras on Sunday. We were glad to see a lot of friendly faces and greet some new Pockets fans. You people made the difference. Your energy and hard-work really made the scenes and we love each and every one of you. Thank you so much.

They say a photo is worth a thousand words. Were that true, my old English professor would be forced to call this a 12,000+ word blog. But of course, that never worked in college. Lousy... anyway, let's get started!

We started loading in at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning. The crew started working furiously, unloading a truck full of camera and lighting gear. The Pockets started unloading all of our various musical instruments and whatnot.

Unpacking stuff in the gym. We had a whole host of musical gear with us, including two different drum sets, a series of different guitars and basses, and lots of cables, mics, and stands.

After unpacking, it was time to get prepped with make-up, costumes and hair-dresssing. Jill was our make-up artist, and she seriously rocked the block. Luda worked our hair as an artist would a block of marble, product her chisel. Thanks for the hard work and dedication, ladies!

While Danny and I were getting our faces on, Josh was hard at work, shooting in the parking lot. He jumped and drove and drove and jumped. Action shot!

And so we filmed. I kept looking at the camera, so I think Ratko was scolding me. It was all in good fun.

Greg! He's an honorary Pocket and rides with us whenever he can to help out and hang out. We love that big fuzzy guy, plus he's got a great eye for photos. Keep up the good work, Newman.

Sometimes the filming got the better of us.

But everyone persevered. Here, the crew works frantically (as they did tirelessly) to get ready for one of the first stage shots of the video.

Sometimes, we had to channel our inner rock-stars, as seen here. Nice job, Pockets!

And on and on we filmed, into the dark of the night. Here we film a shot involving the convertible again. It was kind of cold outside, but everybody rocked their respective blocks in order to pull it off.

Finally, we got to head to our next engagement, a gig at Norton's in Highland Park, where we rocked until 1:30 a.m. A long day drawn to a close of sleep and prep for the next day of shooting.

Stay tuned for Day 2 of the Josh and the Empty Pockets music video shoot, complete with more photo madness! Also, we'll be posting more photos and videos on the Facebook and Myspace pages, so keep checking in.

Till then, keep on rockin' ya'll.
-Nate Bellonbass

Magnolia Cafe - Austin, TX

2009-04-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things to do on tour is eat at cool local spots. In Austin, I ingested a mouthful of heaven. Guy from the Foot Network really knows his shit, apparently, because Magnolia 24 hour Café in Austin, TX was the best diner experience I’ve ever had.

The kitchen is part of the restaurant as you walk in and there are people eating at a bar practically next to the many stainless steel counter tops, grills and their cooks working away. The seating area is wood paneled and painted a fresh sun yellow with framed photographs and art decorating the room.

Our food was incredible. We started with an order of “Martian Potatoes”- skillet potatoes cooked with scallion, jalepeño and melted jack cheese and clearly, the people at the Magnolia Café have been to Mars, because we finished the potatoes minutes after they hit the table. For the entrée, I ordered “LOVE’s Migas” which was eggs scrambled in love butter (garlic and Serrano pepper-infused buttor) with homemade tortillas, grilled onion, tomato, avocado and Monterey-jack cheese. Josh ordered chiken rojas enchiladas, Danny had cinnamony French toast and scrambled eggs and Nate got the “T-Rex” omelet with turkey, cheese, grilled onions, and other stuff. All in all, a delightful experience and I already want to go back to try their cornmeal pancakes with bananas and pecans. Guy Fieri, the Empty Pockets salute you.

Cincinnati and the fine fine Elfers family

2009-04-01T09:00:00.000-07:00

Tony Elfers is the man. Our sometimes (and in the future, hopefully all times) rocking guitarist was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio and joined us this past Saturday (with 60 of his closest friends and family) for our show at the Comet Bar. Tony tore the place apart with his rock moves and screaming licks. And as you can see by Nate's intense closed-eye singing technique... he also rocked the house. Ha.
We played an hour set and even though the sound was no good (kind of a shitty room sound) I think we pulled off a pretty good show.

Tony's gracious parents Peg and Greg (hell yeah rhyming parent names) let us stay in their home and fed us multiple meals. Wow! What a treat on the road. Sloppy joes and breakfast. Hooray. Tony brought his lovely gal-pal Melanie and they also stayed at the Elfer's Cincinnati home so it was a party the whole weekend long.
We played with toys:
Very nice Eri. We played with even more toys:
And we just had a great freakin' time. Thanks Tony, Peg and Greg! You guys are awesome!

Till next time,

Josh

A band swim

2009-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

A little while back the band took a swim in a Crowne Plaza pool and hot tub. Let's take a looksee shall we?
Danny and I enjoying a little pool action. After hours and hours in the Pocket Rocket nothing is better than 30 minutes in the pool then 15 in the hot tub.
Nate doing a little stretching. Nice form buddy. Gotta keep those golden driving arms in tip top condition. Nate is our primary driver after all.Very graceful Eri. Well done.

Peace out y'all,

Josh

Rudyard Kipling, the place not the author

2009-03-29T10:58:00.000-07:00

Our travels brought us to the fine cit of Louisville, Kentucky this past Friday evening, the home of the slugger. Louisville slugger that is. We've played Kentucky a few times before but this was certainly our best performance in the "bluegrass state" (bluegrass for the actual grass that is blue, not the music). Tenia Sanders opened the show and really blew us all away with her voice and songwriting chops. She played a rockin' 45 minute set. We bought her cd and everything.As we were sitting down to have a few drinks before the show Danny's parents walked in the joint all the way from Chicago! You rock Rosenthals. You rock hard.I can't believe they drove down to suprise us. That was truley rad. Fans that we met in Frankfort, KY (the capital y'all) also drove west to join us in Louisville. Hells yeah Aaron and Missy. Thanks so much for making the trip. Overall the Rudyard was a good place. Good audience and pretty good sound that evening.

Stay cool,

Josh

A Belt to the Face (or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Belt)

2009-03-28T12:29:00.000-07:00

Greetings Rocket Readers,

We were traveling from St. Louis to Louisville, enjoying our time in the van, when we heard a "clunk-thunk-thwapp-thwapp-schnanck". Danny reported the power-steering was feeling a bit wonky, Josh reported a smell of burning rubber, and upon checking the instruments, we saw the thermostat was pegging into the red. We had shredded a drive belt, and were forced to pull off the road, and into a small service station to assess the situation.

After placing a few phone calls, and checking into the situation, we decided to try and limp the van to the nearest repair shop, a place called "Dallas' Repair Shop". The problem being that the drive belt runs the water pump, which cools the engine. Being that the Rocket has a 7.2 liter 440 hp big-block in her, she can heat up pretty quickly. Thankfully, we were in a rather hilly area, so we managed to climb the Rocket up the hills, cut the engine, shift into neutral, and coast down the hills. We managed to Dallas' shop, where Dallas himself managed to help us out with a new belt, some great stories, and a lot of great photos. He said he'd been at that shop for 50 years, and had owned the shop for 20+ years. Here's a small sample of the haps:

Dallas checks out the situation

A chunk of the offending belt

Dallas and I apply some torque

Gasket central!

This place smelled awesome, like grease, sweat and history.

Dallas jacked her up good

Dallas and Drew got the job done

So, after an hour or so, Dallas and Drew got the new belt on and sent us on our way. Not only was everyone at the shop very good to us, but they charged us a pittance to have the work done. It sure was awful nice to meet all you fine folks, and we wish you nothing but the best. Thanks Dallas!

Erika and Dallas, BFF

So, the moral of the story is as follows: If you're traveling in a '77 Dodge van, carry extra belts along with all the fluids and tools you need. So, upon returning to Chicago, we'll pick-up a set of belts and load-in and store the floor-jack and a few jack-stands, along with some more wrenches, a pry-bar and some other assorted madness. But given her age, she's still running like a champ. It's also time for another oil change and a few more miscellaneous upkeep challenges.

-Nate on bass

Star and Micey Incident

2009-03-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

I, Danny, did a horrible and stupid thing by accident a few days back. We played at Murphy’s in Memphis, TN with a band called Star and Micey, Geoff, Joshua, and Nick. They were so talented and nice. They stood up in front and watched us. Oh man, look these guys up because they have a great sound. It was like Bright Eyes and Flight of the Conchords. Josh, Star and Micey guitar, walked around the room and had people join in by stomping on the ground or playing the table. After they played a song and people clapped he would say, “Josh and the Empty Pockets,” pointed to us and people would clap again. It was really funny and nice. He even gave us a round of applause when we left.

This is when it happened. It was raining so we jogged to the car, got in, and pulled out. Now, the stage inside Murphy’s is in front of a bunch of sliding glass doors so you can see everything on the the outside. We stopped the Pocket Rocket behind the windows and waved goodbye. I couldn’t help it but when I stuck my hand out the window, out of pure instinct I may have flicked everyone off. It wasn’t like a full on “fuck you,” but I definitely did it. I was trying to do a “you’re number 1,” but I don’t think it worked.

Dear Joshua, Geoff, and Nick,
You guys are really great. I enjoyed your show much. Thanks again for having us play with you. You may have noticed when I left and waved goodbye from the car, I kinda flicked you off. I didn’t mean to. I thought you were great. I was trying to do a, “you’re number one,” and point thing. I felt really bad about it. Again, you guys rock and I am very very sorry. I hope we can play a show again.

Cheers,
Danny R.

http://www.myspace.com/starandmiceymusic
http://starandmicey.com/

I am an idiot.

2009-03-26T08:26:00.000-07:00

Last night after our show at Murphy's in Memphis with Star and Micey (which was f-ing kickin' by the way) we arrived back at the Holiday Inn Select at about 1am. We decided that we weren't tired and we burned some steam by walking around the hotel. This particular Holiday Inn Select (they're all different we've learned) has like this indoor courtyard thing that all of the room doors face. We ended up setting up this photograph of us all on different floors and the camera across the way. The timer on our camera only gives you 10 seconds so I had to run from one side to the other. Very first time a wiped the hell out on the carpet:
Rug burn. Yuck. Got the photo tough:
I just barely made it across. Now it was all worth it,

Josh

She Drives!

2009-03-25T15:21:00.001-07:00

We really saw a band milestone today. Up until this point, the Pocket Rocket has been driven exclusively by the boys. Erika was a little bit scared of the beast (and she is a beast) and her legs were just a little to short. But we fixed that right up today at an Oklahoma gas station with a pillow and a shot of PcP (just kidding...).

She was a tad bit wobbly at first (Erika, not the van) but after just a few minutes Eri got the hang of it and we were off to Memphis. It wasn't a particularly easy drive either. The weather cooperated nicely and the twists and turns of Pittsburgh and New Jersey are much worse than Oklahoma and Tennessee but the trucks on I 40 we all the hell over the place. Houses and everything! That was a tough one to get around. So this marked the first time in Pocket Rocket history that all three of the boys rode in the van without driving. Oh and what a time it was...

Nice job Eri! Hooray.

NBC Austin Recap

2009-03-23T15:15:00.000-07:00

It was about a week ago now, though it seems like months at his point because so much has happened since then, but I just got pictures from our appearance on KXAN, Austin's own NBC station. The folks over there are awesome and they had a nice little studio. We just went swimming in the Dallas Crown Plaza hot tub and in about an hour we mosey on down to Poor David's Pub in uptown. Should be a pretty cool show. John Lee Hooker, Bob Schneider and The Dixie Chicks are just a few groups that have played there before.

Later,

Josh

The Ole Moulton Bank Adventure (band mothers, don't read this post!)

2009-03-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

The Pocket Rocket leaves Pearland and a few hours later enters into Moulton, population 944. Nothing is here. The most major street is deserted except for three cars and an open doorway to the corner bar, Ole Moulton Bank, a turn of the century bank turned bar/club/vintage guitar emporium and our venue for the night.

We’re unpacking the van, changing into our finest Texas attire. Danny’s sporting a hat and vest, Nate and Josh are both wearing plaid and Nate’s got a vest, too. A teal pickup drives slowly by. “what kind of music do you play,” asks one of the sun-weathered older gentleman in the truck. “do you play anything like this,” and he cranks the stereo so we can listen to the country music inside. Harvey (by now we’ve introduced ourselves) opens the door for us to hear better. Of course we can play this kind of music. Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly – we’ve got you covered!

Harvey and G.R. (the future mayor of Moulton) proceed to spend the rest of their night with us. I dance with both gents and they very politely ask if I am married before swinging me around to the birds chirping outside like there is loud music and I have no legs.

Jim is the owner of Ole Moulton Bank and definitely one of the hippest dudes around. He’s the luthier (guitar-builder/repairer) for Greg Allman and he’s as easy on the eyes as Clint Eastwood.

During set up and sound check, Josh mentions he’s sorry he didn’t bring cowboy boots and a hat to tonight’s show. G.R. disappears, returning moments later with his own beautiful custom black and red initialed boots and in seconds, Josh is tucking his jeans into the leather goods while sporting Jim’s cowboy hat.

We play a little of everything for these cats. Some blues, some Buddy, some country and of course, Rock and Roll, sneaking in an original tune between every few. They seem to dig it, and we play great among the rows of mounted awesome guitars, mandolins and a variety of other stringed instruments.

After packing up our gear into the Pocket Rocket, it’s time to head onward to Austin where the La Quinta Inn awaits our arrival. So we say our goodbyes to everyone in the bar and laugh off their suggestions to stay on major highways and such. Then we’re back in the van, the Garmin has been programmed to the next destination and we’re off.

Nate: Jim said he bought it for a song

Josh: And not even a good song

Nate: It was in b minor

Josh: A sad key, but not the saddest key of all.

Danny: What’s the saddest key?

Nate: D minor.

We are in the heart of Texas. We almost just hit two possums, and that’s the church from footloose on our right. Missed our turn and made a three point turn in front of a horse one yard away.

Now things get a little crazy. We’ve already reminisced about the evening, the characters we’ve met (Harvey, GR, Jim, Cynthia and Annette) and the ones who we spoke to before leaving. We realize we need to get gas, but figure we’ll pass something soon. We don’t. It’s really isolated wherever we are and we’ve barely seen a house for miles, let alone any sort of gas station. After awhile, Danny turns around as the car begins to sputter.

Yes, we’ve run out of gas (and this is where my mother stops reading if she’s dared to venture this far). We’re on FM 1296 (not a major highway) near CR 447 (barely a dirt road) in Waelder, TX.

As the vehicle rides it’s last fuel injected yards, we put it into neutral and Danny throws the Pocket Rocket into park so the boys can get out and push while I sit on the edge of the seat to reach the pedals and steer us out of the road onto the grass. Thanks to our buddy Greg, we have digital road flares (to alert attention to the beast), two removable battery-powered lights and a video camera (lights = very helpful all around, camera = good for documenting our untimely death on the side of the road in Texas).

In this part of the grand state of Texas, we are truly surrounded only by land and stars. And coyotes. Throngs of howling coyotes. Nate sniffs the air, channels his best farmer mojo, and declares they are still about ten miles away. In the meantime, we make Texas Chainsaw Massacre references (which only Danny had seen) and imitate Blair Witch Project scenes, and my emotional state vacillates between that of a horror movie and an Adam Sandler movie.

We make a movie. We look at roadside cactus. We see four cars drive by in over and hour. We find the Big Dipper and Orion bright in the sky. We wait.

We sing songs, redirect lost emergency vehicles via cell phone and Garmin (sponsorship?), eat Eileen’s precious bags of Ruffles and Chips Ahoy, and look at the stars again and again until Nate says “the coyotes are getting closer” and has us get in the car.

Finally, a massive rig shows up to haul us, along with a local policeman from Dearborn, MI. Ira, the wrecker who grabbed us through triple A and a bonafide cowboy complete with the hat, works under our van (remarking that it’s good he got here before the coyotes did), he works over his truck, and eventually that massive fucking van is atop his truck bed and we are nestled comfortably in the cab. Johnny Cash is blaring on the stereo and Ira speaks in such a thick accent, that I can only understand every few words and soon give up to hide in Josh’s shirt as Ira takes 15 mph turns at 80. He offers to drive us all the way to Austin, but we decline and instead he takes us in the right direction to a Love’s gas station where we fill the tank, eat late night Subway sandwiches, and get back on the road to Austin, narrowly missing a deer and a drunk driver on I-35 North.

Thanks, Dashboard Jesus, for keeping us safe this fine evening in Texas.

Goodnight,

Erika

SXSW and Pearland

2009-03-21T10:02:00.000-07:00

We played a great set yesterday at the Parish on 6th street right smack in the middle of things at SXSW in Austin. Crazy festival, awesome people and a rocking good time. A band didn't show up in time so we got to play an extra 20 minutes which was prett lucky, we thought anyway. Great experience and we're looking forward to an even better show at SXSW next year. We even had a little billing:

Deep in the heart of the Land of Pears, just south of the Houston city limits and NASA mission control is where we spent this past evening getting some sleep and enjoying our Saturday afternoon "off" (sort of) before we head to Moulton, a small town nestled in southeast Texas.

My cousin Eileen and her boyfriend Steve have a great (and huge) house on a really pretty suburban street. They've got four bedrooms and the kitchen has twenty foot ceilings. The whole band got an excellent night sleep. It's always great to change it up and not sleep in a hotel. Eileen also made the whole band breakfast burritos! Sweet. Home cookin'. Steve's dad is also in town and Steve (who works at NASA for god's sake) took his pop in for a little tour but unfortunately while a shuttle is in space a lot of Mission Control is off limits.

I know we've only been on the road for a week but it feels like a month. I also can't believe we have so many cities left on the tour (Dallas, Tulsa, Memphis, St. Louis, Lousiville, Cincinnati, Dayton, Columbus, Indianapolis). Oy vey.

We will of course let you know how the Ole Moulton Bank show goes this evening.

Take it easy,

Josh

P.S. Oh and we saw Bob Schneider in Austin yesterday at a free 6pm show at SXSW and he was awesome. Bob, if for some crazy reason you are reading this, you should have us open up for you on tour. We love your music (we listen to "Lonelyland" and "Boom Boom Baby" at least every other day in the van) and respect you as an artist to the highest degree. Rock on Bob:

A Meaty Delight

2009-03-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

Life is filled with moments of total clarity, of oneness with the surrounding universe. These moments come in many shapes and sizes, from a simple thought that falls into place to clarify a gigantic puzzle to a physical pilgrimage across unknown terrain. These moments are also handily packaged into the flaky, savory delight that is a Boomerang gourmet veggie & meat pie.

While poking around SXSW at the Auditorium Shores, listening to the dulcid tones of M. Ward [mwardmusic.com], our buddy Sam directed us towards a small stand selling Australian-style meat pies. Having our interest piqued, we sallied forth, and purchased some pies to sate our hunger.

Get ready for deliciousness!

Upon biting into the crispy, buttery Nirvana-in-a-crust, everyone in the band exploded with interjections of praise. As we greedily consumed our gourmet goodies, we talked with Matthew Miller, the manager of Boomerang's, who was working the stand that night. He was incredibly gracious and kind, and had a wonderful sense of humor. He even let us take a picture with him! Boomerang was offering three different pies that night, the Bootlegger Steak and Cheese, the Chicken Thai pie, and the Spinach and Mushroom pie, but Matt ensured us that he has a multitude of pies that he makes.

The Pockets and Matthew Miller of Boomerangs!

So look, here's the deal. Boomerang's [boomerangspies.com] makes some incredibly delicious pies, and Josh and the Empty Pockets are officially huge fans. So, check them out on the web (and on Facebook!), and if you're ever in Austin, you have to stop by Boomerang's and try their pie. Having spent time in Australia, I will vouch for the "Aussie-ness" of these incredible pies. We know you'll be converted immediately into a wide-eyed, pie-loving fanatic whom would step over his own grandmother to have another bite of their delicious pie.

Danny <3 Meat Pie

The News

2009-03-19T14:02:00.001-07:00

We had the pleasure of appearing on the afternoon Austin, TX news today. It was a pretty sweet time all in all. We were greeted very warmly by weatherman-extraordinaire Shawn (who, in his spare time has 2 kids and 4 foster children!) and were able set up our stuff while basking in the warm Texas weather coming through a large loading door. 80 degrees in Austin today. F-ing perfect. The show started at noon and we were on at 12:20 and 12:55. NBC 36 KXAN was the station. Check em' out online. Our segment should be posted sometime later today.

We also ate at an awesome barbeque place called the Ironworks. Holy crap that was good. We're gonna go check out what SXSW has to offer this evening. We're all real tired an account of the insane schedule of the last 4 days so maybe a nap first is in order. We play tomorrow at 2pm at The Parish and shortly thereafter we head to Houston for more rock and/or roll.

Have a swell day,

Josh

Hours

2009-03-18T23:00:00.000-07:00

Too many hours. In a car that is. It was about 22 hours in the car in the last 48 hours or so. Holy shit. That wasn't a great plan. No time to dilly dally anywhere I guess. We've played shows in Milwaukee, Madison and Des Moines in the last three and a half days and now I'm sitting in a La Quinta in Round Rock, TX.

We drove:

And drove:
And then things got crazy:Crazy:

We finally did make it here (Round Rock, just outside of Austin). Time for sleep.

St. Patricks Day in Des Moines

2009-03-17T23:24:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is a big deal in Des Moines. It's not a real populous town but there were plenty of characters out this afternoon as we pulled up to our Tuesday show at Java Joes on 4th street. Seriously though, characters:

Danny and I were right outside of the van when this dude in a pink frock (as you can see above) approached us. He was pretty tanked (it was only about 5pm at this point but all of Des Moines had already committed to the Irish) so I'm not sure if the dress was normal attire, St. Patrick's Day wear (though I don't really get the dress then) or a drunken bet. Maybe a combination of the three.This photo was taken moments after the last. Except that captain pink frock has just flashed Danny and I. It was horrible and hillarious, as you can see by my reaction. And then in a flash, they were gone:
Wow. That was eventful. In the above shot you can also catch a glimpse of our new Pocket Rocket ortanment... the Dashboard Jesus. We hope to have many more dashboard passengers soon. Earlier in the day Nate was doing his best to fulfill his band mechanic duties, changing fluids and whatnot:
Nice Job Nate. The van's been running great. Overall the Des Moines expereince was excellent. Java Joes is a totally hip place with good food and an entire room devoted to live music and other entertainments. Thanks so much Amy and Tim for having us. We had an excellent time!

Madison Rocks

2009-03-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Milwaukee to Madison is a no-big-deal drive, which works perfectly because Kansas City to Austin (our drive on Wednesday) is 12 hours so we'll need the stamina. As someone who is reading this blog currently, you may know that we're kinda living the dream. Sort of. We stayed at a place called the "Select Inn". Never heard of it? Me neither. Well either way, after checking into the most select of Inn's we headed to downtown Madison (right near the excellent looking state capital building) to our show at The Frequency, a less-than-a-year-old club on Madison's Main Street.
Cool club with a cool vibe. To open the show, a local band called Being Humans played. According to their myspace they play progressive, melodic, epic rock n roll and I totally agree. They reminded me of a harder version of early Genesis. Plus they were all really nice dudes. Hopefully we can have them to Chicago at some point.

Before our set we had dinner at an awesome restaurant a few blocks from The Frequency called The Old Fashioned.We had pickled eggs and cheap Irish Ale. What more could you ask for?

We chilled in the green room right before our show:
Then we rocked, hard.

Later,

Josh

John Harbors and the start of our tour

2009-03-16T08:38:00.000-07:00

As our trip started yesterday we headed out to Menomonee Falls and the hip coffee/bar called John Harbors. They've really got a cool vibe going on over there (about 20 minutes outside of Milwaukee) and owners Jeremy and Erin (husband and wife as well) could not have been cooler or more gracious. Thanks for having us John and Erin! We'll see you again soon.
We did an acoustic show there are it sounded pretty good. Dan had to play very softly with brushes and I was on the acoustic guitar. Not our normal thing but it's nice to make a change now and again. We feel like it keeps us sharp.
As you can see by this photo, another exciting thing happened to us at the onset of this here road trip. Danny began to learn to read! Congrats Dan. Big step for Dan I know. Tough stuff.

So until next blog, take it easy. We're headin' to Madison, WI for a show at a place called The Frequency with a band named Being Humans. Rock. So if you know anyone in Madison... have em' come out. It's sure to be an awesome time.

Peace,

Josh

14 Cities: 16 Days

2009-03-13T11:30:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow the band is in Northbrook, IL at one of our regular spots in Chicagoland the Landmark Inn. It'll be our last show in Illinois until our April 4 appearance at Erika's father's awesome joint Norton's in Highland Park. Currently, we're working away as a group on many projects for now and the future but soon we head out on our longest tour to date. I suppose if you include the Landmark we're actually doing 15 cities in 17 days. Hell yeah. Here's the skinny:

Milwaukee, WI
Madison, WI
Des Moines, IA
Austin, TX
Houston, TX
Dallas, TX
Tulsa, OK
Memphis, TN
St. Louis, MO
Lousiville, KY
Cincinnati, OH
Dayton, OH
Columbus, OH
Indianapolis, IN

Check out our brand spakin' new website (Nice job Erika!) for a more detailed calendar etc... If you've ever gone to www.joshandtheemptypockets.com before you might need to clear your cache on your web browser.

Stay classy you beautiful internet user you,

Josh

Schubas

2009-03-12T17:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to friend of the band and superb singer-songwriter Todd Kessler (www.toddkesslermusic.com), we were on the bill for last nights sold out show at Schubas, one of Chicago's finest clubs. Great place, great people and a rockin' show is what happened. Where to start, where to start?
Clearly Tony and I are very busy in this photograph. The food at the Harmony Grill (Schubas restaurant side) is kicking. Really good. I had the mac n' cheese but after seeing Danny's pulled bbq pork sandwich I knew I had gone the wrong direction. Alas. The mac n' cheese was quite tasty though. Schubas has a downstairs green room that looks sort of like a dungeon... in a good way:Calvin Marty and the Sunken Ships started things out. Check there stuff out. They are pretty mellow but all of em' are good musicians and Calvin has a good voice. I really enjoyed their set. Super nice guys too. We played after Ships. Aside from a few technical difficulties, my guitar's pedal board went out twice (I'm an idiot and should've replaced that power cable already but thankfully Nate is a good dude and went out and bought one today!) and my mic stopped working for about a half a song, I thought it was a pretty cool show. We had some extra artillary in the form of Tony Elfers on lead guitar which rocked pretty damn hard.

Todd played last and released (digitally... you can get it on iTunes) his and Erika's new tune called Golden Bird which is awesome! Go buy it right now.

All in all it was an excellent evening. Thanks very much if you came. We do appreciate it. Otherwise, we'll get ready to hit the road.

Later,

Josh

DeJa Vu - Again

2009-03-10T09:57:00.000-07:00

Ha. I'm hilarious. This past Saturday we had the pleasure of playing at a fine Lincoln Avenue establishment (DeJa Vu that is) and with a fine Chicago (formerly he belonged to Ohio) guitarist, Tony Elfers. Shit is it fun to play with Tony. The dude has chops for sure. He is always majorly prepared and with just a little but of nudging out of his comfort zone you can even get him to improvise a little bit. Nate, your nudging is not subtle or helpful. Thanks anyway though, jerk. Saturday was a cool night all in all. DeJa Vu has a weird crowrd. As in, no one ever really shows up until about 1:15am which proved to be completely true this past Sat as well. So we kicked it up a notch at about 1:30 and partied till 4 (counting daylight savings time though so it's really 3... we're lame).
Not sure what I'm up to here. I am focusing hard for sure. Hmmm. Maybe I'm plugging something in. Anyway. All the best to you and rock on if you were there on Saturday night. As they say, if you were there Saturday night and you remember it... well then you probably weren't there.

Peace,

Josh

Workin' on the Pocket Rocket: part 1

2009-03-07T09:50:00.000-08:00

Friday found me with a handful of cash, a set of ramps, and a dream. It was time to change the fluids in the Rocket, and by hell, I was going to enjoy the good weather. Plus the Pocket's official roadie, Greg, was on hand to take some pictures.

After getting her up on the ramps, and chocking the back tires, it was time to get down to business. I had stopped at the Advanced Auto Parts place just down the street, and the friendly cats working there helped me get all the necessary items to continue on my quest of making the van road-worthy for our trip down to Texas in mid-March. They even rented me a torque wrench when mine wouldn't function.

The oil needed a serious change, since we'd been pushing her through the mountains of PA. Nothing seriously wrong, just the rich black of a engine run long and hard. If you're interested, she runs 5w-30 through her, usually of the Castrol High-Mileage or the Valvoline High-Mileage specialty blends. As with all old vehicles, I also add in a small bit of the Marvel Mystery Oil into the crank case.

Here's the various fluids she takes. Of course, we bought a case of oil. Why? She gonna need an oil change when we get back from Texas anyway, so why not have the oil ready? Also, I try and use K&N fliters (sponsorship, K&N?), but this time I had to go with a Fram, since Advanced was out of the K&N filter for the Rocket's massive engine.

Also, the scrapers are for the next bit, lowering the transmission pan, cleaning the pan, replacing the filter, and refilling the transmission fluid. How much fun is that? I'll let the pictures speak for themselves.

Just layin' around

Wiping down the transmission pan

All clean and ready to be reinstalled

"How the hell does this thing go back on?"

"Let's just get this out of the damned way..."

"And now we dance the dance of joy!"

After all was said and done, the transmission pan drop was much easier than the last one I had to do on my old 1980 Chevy Citation, but that's because I had to use gasket sealant, which is just a stone cold drag. Whatever. Anyway, the Pocket Rocket is ready shoot off to Texas, carrying the band members in comfort, safety and (1977) style. Awwww yeah.

Keep an eye here, as I'll be doing a brake inspection on the van on Tuesday, and if we manage to get any shots that won't bore the tears out of you, they'll be posted here with a full tear-down assessment.

Keep up that funk, ya'll.
-Nate on bass

Someone help Jimmy Fallon

2009-03-04T22:39:00.000-08:00

He's drowning. Man overboard. The point is, it's certainly not good. Now, I admit that I was a big Conan fan. But I really have nothing against J Fal (what do you think of that as a nick name?). However, in his new 'late night' context it becomes painfully clear that Jimmy just isn't that charismatic or improvisationally (sp? google can't decide if that's right or wrong... maybe that's not a word... yarg, you get what I mean) gifted. I'm willing to give him at least a full six months. I think a late night talk show is something you really have to ease in to. So I'll try to reserve judgement Fallon. But so far... eh.

Josh

A Monday Blog

2009-03-02T10:35:00.000-08:00

Monday is usually a big work day for the band. We get together with our laptops and try to get a lot of the nitty gritty stuff completed. I guess it's not the most exciting to happen to a rock band but it's our reality. Today I'll document a bit of our "work party" to share. Hooray.

Nate and I worked on compiling venues for about five hours. That was not particularly enjoyable. However, now we never have to look up places to play in Buffalo, Albany, Rochester and a host of other cities ever again. I hope.

Erika has ended up being the point-woman on our website. Not sure how that happened but she's now mired in resizing photos and dealing with flash and other scary adobe products (all too expensive to actually purchase... $500... come on). We will have a new awesome website soon though. Hoorah.

Dan was an mail duty all day long. He got posters, fliers and cds together and sent them to all our upcoming venue. He's also the schedule master. Making the itinerary for our next road trip. They seem to each get crazier and this one (to SXSW!) should be no exception.

Also... Happy birthday Erika! I started this post yesterday but now it's March 3 and Erika is 27.

Happy Birthday!

Stay classy,

Josh

What do you lurve about Buddy Holly?

2009-03-01T12:28:00.001-08:00

Yesterday the band did a huge Buddy Holly Tribute show in St. Charles Illinois at the Arcada Theatre owned and run by the wonderful Onesti family. The show was total 1959 rock n' roll madness complete with the Big Bopper and Richie Vallence. All and all it's a pretty tiring ordeal (Nate, Danny and Josh are actually on stage for every moment of the nearly 2 hour, 2 act production) and the show brought to an end a three week run of insanity. Now we've got 5 days to rest until a few more shows and then we head on out for another tour and to play Austin, Texas and South by Southwest.Keep on rockin' in the free world you saucy minxes you. We'll look forward to Monday (tomorrow I guess... damn time flies) when we find out if any more radio stations are willing to add our humble single to their enemic playlists.

Peace out.

Can't forget WMEE

2009-02-27T10:49:00.000-08:00

While in Fort Wayne we stopped by WMEE, a great HOT AC station. We were able to chat with Dave, the Music Director, who was generous enough with his time to listen to a live version of one of our tunes. Cool guy and nice people in general over there.

Thanks for having us! You rock.

Sweetwater, are you f-ing kidding me?!

2009-02-27T10:06:00.000-08:00

Yesterday the band was in Fort Wayne, Indiana. A lovely place. We weren't expecting anything special there frankly. We were happy with just another midwestern town. But then, we showed up at Sweetwater Studios and Retail Store and they proceeded to blow our minds. Are you fucking kidding me? This is like the greatest place I've ever been. It's like Disney World for musicians. Thanks to our good friend Mike McVay, we were picked to be on WAJI 95.1's 2009 Compliation Album (Volume 5). Past artists on the compliation included Five for Fighting, Sara Bareilles (before shw was big), Josh Kelly, REO Speedwagon, Daughtry, the list goes on. And there are only 12 - 15 tracks on the thing! Pretty sweet. It'll be just big names and us... oh to be a big name.

But I digress. Not that being on the album won't be cool. The Sweetwater facilities were truly unbelieveable. The studios themseleves were beautiful and virtually perfectly designed. You don't find that many studios with so much natural light and sight lines to all the isolation booths. But that wasn't all. Sweetwater is also the 4th biggest music retailer in the United States, but with only one location. That's it. Fort Wayne. They do a lot of phone/internet business obviously. On the beautiful campus they have the following things:

Retail Store (like a better looking Guitar Cetner)
Three Recording Studios
Guitar Luthier (someone who fixes guitars)
Custom Guitar Shop
250 seat theatre (every single seat has it's own amplifier!)
Big outdoor ampatheater
Resteraunt (crazy cheap, like 3 bucks for a meal, and delicous!)
Free arcade and virtual sports
Racketball Court
Full HUGE warehouse pictured here:And many more crazy things. If you like music stuff, go to Fort Wayne and visit this place. Chet, thanks for being such a good host!

Also thank to Barb, the Program Director at WAJI, Fort Wayne, for inviting us at all! Awesome lady.

Impact Date and Pittsburgh

2009-02-23T16:31:00.000-08:00

Great day today all in all.

Really great. Thanks to the fine folks at WLLY and WVLY (in Bakersfield, California and McAllen, Texas) our song just started getting some legit national radio airplay. Hells yeah. The band is sitting here in a hotel room in Pittsburgh (Crown Plaza, not impressed frankly. The heat is tempremental and difficult to operate.) celebrating our mini-victory.

Today we met with some great radio programmers at WZPT, WMZW and WKST. Sitting for an hour or so and talking with the radio program directors is truly eye opening. Their world is one usually shrowded in mystery and confusion. Unvieling the inner workings of radio is really fascinating for us as a band and a group of artists.

Alex at Clear Channel is a super cool dude. We are on the same page as this guy for sure.

Now we will go have dinner to commemorate our two adds. Hooray.

Later,

Josh