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)