The Ten Cent Tour (or Anybody Got Any Dimes?!?)

Dear Pocketeers,

We are literally moments away from recording the final vocals on our forthcoming album, The Ten Cent Tour. There are still a few more steps before unleashing this music into the universe, but we’re close and we’re excited. Let me walk you through the process - where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

It started way back in November of 2011 when we began building ourselves a studio. We realized that we wanted to explore each song and truly take our time in the recording process. Since this would mean far more studio time than our limited budget would allow, we decided that to make this album our way, our finances would go farther by creating our own space (with the guidance of our wonderful friend/incredible engineer, Rick Fritz). We sold old gear and bought new gear. The band acquired recording equipment in lieu of gifts for birthdays, holidays, and even Josh and Erika’s wedding shower. By the summer of 2012, the band was ready to lay down our first tracks.

Over the next year or so, we taught ourselves about mic placement, vocal effects, comp’ing in ProTools. We experimented with different instruments and sounds. We learned as we went, altering and expanding our methods until we got what we wanted sonically. We threw out tracks and rebuilt them again, better, from scratch. It’s been a true labor of love from beginning to end. Every note, every sound, every arrangement, every bit of engineering and producing has been done exclusively by members of The Empty Pockets. Each song on The Ten Cent Tour is handpicked and home grown. Handcrafted rock ‘n roll, just like our live show.

Now that we’re done playing our instruments, singing our songs and pushing those buttons/knobs for the new album, we’ll be moving on to the mastering process and showing you our new logo and artwork from the illustrious (literally hand-illustrated) Joel Felix. Then it’s time to hit the road.

Will you join us on the Ten Cent Tour? We sure hope so.

-Erika B.

Puzzling the Pieces (or A Place For Everything and Everything All Over the Place)

We Empty Pockets are hard at work in the studio this fine February. The quiet thundering of the bass drum from the recording room can be heard as I type this very sentence and to my left is a large list of songs on the whiteboard, slowly being annotated, arranged, and eventually recorded. And as we work through the list, we develop our unique recording process and style, honing it as we learn and grow.

One thing that ends up becoming a point of discussion for every song we record seems alarmingly simple but can become quite complex. What is the song about? How does the musicality of each of the instruments, of each of the parts, of each of the voices serve to shine a light on the meaning and feeling of the song? Is it about a spurned lover? Perhaps a more aggressive "chucka-chunk-chunk" rhythm in the electric guitar will subtly illustrate that point. Or maybe a brash, "clangy" tone of the cymbals is better? It could just be that neither of them do it effectively, or the mix of the two together create the feeling, delicately reinforcing it.

The point is that our previous recording experience has always been tied to limited financial means. Studio space is expensive to rent and thus we were nothing if not efficient. We have been known to record virtually an entire album in one eight-hour session. While this does allow for maximum utilization of time vs. money, it is very hindering on the creative process of allowing the song to "breathe," of really taking the time to explore the sonic and subsonic implications of every note, every change, every nuance - skillfully manipulating the music to present the essence of the song to the world.

To quote our band-bud Kenny Loggins, "That's where the juice is."

Yes indeed, sir. Yes indeed.

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Other People's Songs (or Cover Musicians Are People Too!)

Learning other people's songs can be a tricky endeavor.  Nearly every musician who works has to play cover music for at least a portion of their career, if not exclusively. This is no knock to those musicians, especially if those who challenge themselves to keep the essence of the song intact and whole while re-imagineering it apart and reassembling it onto a new audio canvas. "Stairway to Heaven" as a polka? Alright, but even if you're doing it as a goof, you really have to mean it.

The Empty Pockets are often called upon to play other people's songs, whether rocking the day away at a street-festival in Chicago or opening up for George Lopez at the Fox Theatre in Detroit. Every cover song we perform requires that we invest ourselves wholly into it, to love it and nourish it from the inside out. We identify the important parts of the melody, chord structure, rhythm - the parts that make the song sound like the song - and we keep those parts alive and breathing. All of this special attention means that when we DO play this song live, it sparkles like a new gem hoisted from a polisher's cloth. Even when our own particular flavor is added, we invest every bit of ourselves into it because that's what makes it real... what makes it shine.

Shine on, you crazy diamond.
-Nate Bellon(bass)

The Western Edge ( or Rock Sauce: Southwest Style!)

The United States of America is a pretty large place. Like, freakin' big. One doesn't even really get a full appreciation for how intensely huge we're talking about until one hops in a van and drives all around this big bugger. The Empty Pockets have such perspective and continue to garner it every tour, especially when the great wide West is involved. Drive on!

Our destination was Scottsdale, Arizona by way of Des Moines, Iowa. We stopped in and played a set at Gas Lamp with fellow 'band-on-the-road' Lucy Stone. These cats had just gotten off the road with Rusted Root (Lucy was nursing a tough cold with some tequila) and it was a pleasure performing with another good band.  A fun night and some restful sleep followed for a charge-up for the drive to Tulsa, OK, the band's next major stop.

We got a chance to revisit The Cimarron Biker Bar in Tulsa, OK after having played there over four years ago. What a treat! We loved every minute and we can always count on The Cimarron to show us a good time and take care of us. Ya'll rock!  Thanks to Mike Winenbrenner for sitting in with his Sax and recommending the delicious lunch that was Andolini's Pizza.

Next stop, Flagstaff, Arizona and the rustic Stockman's Club, where the band enjoyed playing some sweet rock music and tossing a round of horse-shoes. Dancing ensued and the Pockets jimmy-jammed it all the way home, only to depart for Scottsdale that very night.

After playing a beautiful wedding in Scottsdale, the Pockets couldn't get enough Flagstaff, so we headed into town to play at another wonderful Flagstaff venue, the Timberline Tavern. A little outdoors, a little acoustic rock, a whole lotta-shakin' went down, you can bet your sweet bippy.

The last stop of the tour rolled into St. Joseph, Missouri, home of Jesse James, the Pony Express and The Cafe Acoustic. We had a great show and an awesome time as provided by Steve and Christina, along with a little absinthe provided by said fantastic fellows.  We even stayed in the gorgeously-bedecked Whiskey Mansion Bed and Breakfast, a place we cannot recommend enough. [link] We can't wait to come back! Check out the video of our late-night sneak-a-thon through the house, trying to be as quiet as (giggling) mice.

Home again, home again, jiggity-jog. No matter how long we've been away, it's always nice to come on home to Chicago and her surrounding 'burbs. Ahh, home!

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Rockin' the Rockies

Earlier this August, the Empty Pockets piled into the Pocket Rocket and headed out to Boulder, CO to participate in the FMQB Triple A Radio Conference at the St. Julien Hotel. We arrived on Thursday just in time to meet our new band buddies for life, "The Brew," [link] and venture to The Fox Theatre together to check out the main act of the evening, the anthemic musical-stylings of "Fun." [link]

Fun rocks the Fox Theatre in Boulder

The Empty Pockets performed at lunch on Friday along with friendly fellow-Chicago rock band "Van Ghost." [link] The FMQB Triple A conference gave us the chance to reunite with some of our Sunset Session pals as well as meet some delightful new folk, including Chad, Brad and Pete of Dispatch! [link] Chad even included his breakfast plate, sans delicious food of course.

The Empty Pockets and Dispatch: Let's do breakfast

As we packed up our van and prepared to head out to Evergreen, CO for our next show, we received an awesome surprise: lo and behold, our old friend, Richie Furay, was sitting by the sound engineer waiting to perform! He sang with Chris Daniels & The Kings on the very same stage we had played the day previous, and we sure were glad to see him. We got a chance to chat for a few minutes before splitting for The Little Bear in Evergreen for our evening show.

The Empty Pockets  ♥  Richie Furay

The Empty Pockets really love The Little Bear. I mean, really, really love it. The crowd is always interested and engaged and it's clear that they all love music as much as we do. We had quite a dance party happening by the end of the night.  Our band-buddy Richie Furay and his lovely wife Nancy even came out to see us.  What an honor it was to have this Rock and Roll Hall of Famer in the audience.  Plus, a big thank you goes out to Drew, our live sound engineer, for helping us to sound our best and rock it out, Pockets' style. Saturday night's alright for fightin', but it's much better for boogiein'.

The Little Bear: A Perfect Empty Pockets Fit

Our trip to 'rado ended far too soon, but The Empty Pockets can't wait to head West again and enjoy the wonderful friends, food and fun that the great state of Colorado has to offer. Check out our Facebook page for more pictures of our excellent trip. [link]

Sharif don't like it,

-Nate Bellon(bass)

Complacency

The world is easily more connected now, at this moment, than it ever has been before in the history of humankind. We can connect with one another as effortlessly as a few sliding motions of fingers on our smart-phones, or the tapping of keys on a computer, awash in a mesmeric glow of attention and information. But this ease of connection requires a certain insulation, a particular removal from the tangible world and a retreat into the intangible world through a device, through a screen, through the looking glass you might even say. What can you do, when you find yourself removed from the world because of your connection to the world? The Pockets are writing a song all about it. Stay tuned. -Nate Bellon(bass)

Sunset Sessions: Artists We Saw

Michele Clark's Sunset Sessions are just jam packed with interesting industry peeps and fantastic musicians. The Empty Pockets not only had a chance to play but also see some really rippin' artists, such as the previously blogged about Eric Hutchinson [ blog ]. As we move through the year, we'll be recapping our favorite performances from said awesome artists. Today's positive post: Jason Mraz and Mona Tavakoli!

In the beautiful Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego, there are many great places to see a show. Exquisite ballrooms, beautiful terraces and gorgeous vistas all serve as a perfect backdrop for wonderful music. We were lucky enough to experience just such a picturesque mini-concert experience when Jason Mraz performed for the Sunset Sessions crowd in the Santiago Courtyard, the very same place The Empty Pockets had played the day before! The lunch-time show featured a wickedly intimate performance by Jason Mraz and percussionist Mona Tavakoli along with tasty treats served up by Chipotle. Jason even informed us that his farm was supplying the local Chipotle with it's fresh avocados, which we were gobbling up in the burritos and guacamole whilst jamming out.

If you could extend this video out to the right about four feet, you would see The Empty Pockets sitting and rocking, front and center for the festivities. The video above was shot by one of the attendees of the Sunset Sessions and shows how supremely gorgeous the surroundings were and how excellent Jason and Mona both were, even though we can't see Mona's gorgeous face. The video below is a section of the same performance, but you get to see Mona jam out on the solo section. So freaking good!

Needless to say, it was a concert experience The Empty Pockets will never forget, and we have Michele Clark and the Sunset Sessions to thank. After the show, we even got a chance to chat with the talented Mona Tavakoli before her and Jason jetted off to Dubai for their next concert. She was super gracious and our very own lovely doll, Erika Brett, got a classy picture with her. Gear! Check out Mona's band, Raining Jane on the interwebs. [ link ]

We'll be featuring more awesome artists and positive people from Sunset Sessions all through the year. Enjoy!

Cheers!
-Nate Bellon(bass)