Calendar Man

This is it. It's been five years. Sixty songs. 65 blog posts. Countless hours. This project documented the passing of grandparents, friends and musicians. It announced the arrival of my youngest daughter and even now in it's last month it's a document of my new nephew Richard John Peloquin. It's my entire life for the last five years. I bought a barbershop. I've played with Route 9, Spoonful of Blues and now Sunshine Blue. We've moved more times then I care to admit and then finally moved into our home. I drank a lot of Rolling Rock. We had a miscarriage. LOST ended. The kids played a blues festival. The dog bit the baby in the face!
I started doing this because I was afraid that being domesticated would end my life as a musician. With work, kids, wife, house and bills where does guitar fit in? I've now proven to myself that I'll always make time for music. I kept writing for the project to battle against writers block. I've learned through experience that the only way to fight writers block is through writing. I've collaborated and I've done it alone and I've experienced the benefits of both. Most importantly I have learned that I can write songs.
I'm so grateful to everyone who over five years made it possible. Kate Lennon Riley and Virginia Morin. Erik Brackett. Uncle Anthony. Brian Onish. Sam Spofford. Eleonor Halsdorff. Bluesman Jay. I owe you all a huge thank you. One of my life's greatest gifts is being able to make music with my friends and family.
We tried to leave it all on the table this month. It's a long song. It's a little ballad and it's big rocker. It's a moody instrumental and it's dueling guitar solos. In my opinion it's a proper send off.
I had fun doing this year with Jay. He worked so hard with me and I can't thank him enough. I love the songs he gave me. I'm grateful he took the time to play and sing with me. I'm grateful he put a spit shine on every tune when we finished. He helped me with every year of this audioblog and I'm glad he's standing in the winners circle with me. Thanks a ton.
So next month for the first time in five years no Calendar Project. I'm scared and excited. I intend to keep playing, keep writing and hopefully keep growing. I love this project. It's bittersweet to have it end. I'm excited at the prospects but it was hard to let it go. It was a labor of love. Now it's in the books. Thanks to any and all who listened. Even though the Calendar Project is over I'll keep my New Years' resolution to write more songs. Peace!

Calendar Man

Lullaby

November. Om is a November. That's why I hold them in such high regards. There are certain traits that make the Calendar Project what it is(whatever that is.) The deadline. The blog. The acoustic guitar. Novembers. They're unique in my mind. They are ballads. I try to bring the good stuff. I try to get the good stuff by playing from the spirit(what am doing the rest of the year?) I try to get there by bringing God in. Not every lyric in the Novembers are religious, but they are all from the spirit.
This is another old song. I know it seems like we're coasting here at the end but I really wanted these songs in the context of this project before it was over. I recorded this song once before for the Calendar Project. I don't remember if it was '09 or '10(getting forgetful in my old age.) I do remember that inspirado hit on something else and I shelved it. I lost that recording along the way(a likely story.) I've intended to return to it ever since.
After I laid the guitar down I tried to double it. I couldn't get them to sync up nice. Jay tried to add strings but couldn't get it to jive. We decided (wisely)to cut those elements out. We were left with a nice live sounding recording (with his perfect harmonica solo.) It's another great lesson on the importance of the notes you don't play.
There has been moments during the project where I feel I actually caught myself at that time in song. I made a conscious effort to give my best in November after that first year. That's not to say that all the bests are Novembers. I'm just saying I tried.
That leads us to this months song...

Lullaby

Hold On

Due to the snow Craig has no power. He asked me, Bluesman Jay to write this month's blog. I didn't really think of writing a blog for the Calendar Project, but things happen. Here's my first, and I'm guessing my last blog post for the Calendar Project.

This month's song is an old one that Craig had hanging around. Actually I remember when he wrote this song. I remember at the time thinking, “Wow! I don't know if I could ever write anything like that”. The reason for that thought was during the chorus there's this little run of notes. At the time it was the most amazing thing to me. I remember one other thing about this song. Craig was playing an open mic at the Java Hut (which I don't think is there anymore) and he asked me to come along. He asked me if I would play mandolin on this song. I said sure. When we got there Craig had this cool idea that I would walk up to the stage half way through the first verse and join him on stage. That's what I did.

So when Craig said we were doing “Hold On” this month I said to him, “I'm going to play mandolin on it”. Other than that I didn't have any thoughts for the song. Craig wanted some percussion. Once we started talking we figured on the Tambourine, Egg Shaker, and hand claps. Craig recorded up the guitars, bass, vocals and then sent the song off to me. I added all the percussion and the mandolin. As I was adding the hand claps Craig called. He kind of wanted the song to fall apart into applause. So I tracked my hand claps 5 times, and had them turn into applause at the end. It was a little bit of a bitch, but in the end I think is sounds great.

So without further wanderings down memory lane, for your listening pleasure here is “Hold On”

Hold On

Darkside Of The Room

Being honest. Jay is carrying me to the end of this project. I love the Calendar Project but at the end of five years I'm getting by with a little help from my friends. Jay very early in the month had this song written and demoed instrumentally. It was my task to write words and deliver vocals. I found it hard to motivate myself. Many other slices of life's pie have been taking my attention. That is despite the fact that I really want to end the Calendar Project strong. Thankfully what Jay had for me was good.
When I did finally get to work on the song the melody leaped out at me. I didn't want to make it a cliche' love song (even though the riff was begging for it.) I spent some time conceptualizing the themes. As certain lines revealed themselves to me the story just unfolded. It ended up being about a husband waiting by the bedside of his wife who is in a coma. I wanted the story to stay positive so I let her wake up at the end of the song. When that happened I needed my wife Kate to sing the wife in our story's narrative. She of course did a fantastic job. Then I laid down the solo and other little bits of lead guitar.I think what we ended up with is real strong folk song. Finger picking and a story with characters included.
I really do want the Calendar Project to end strong. Jay has been doing a lot of the heavy lifting lately. Kate really helped me clinch this month by staying up late with me and singing. It's been a great five years but I definitely couldn't have done it with out all the help of gotten along the way. I owe it to everyone who has contributed to this audio-blog to give it a proper send off. I'm gonna try with little help from my friends, to wrap this year up right.

Darkside Of The Room

It's All The Same To Me

Here for your listening pleasure is another Jay classic. This song is his philosophy on life. Complete and utter disinterest. I (half)kid. It's a cool tune that when I first heard it, didn't have the many layers the end result has. We got together and laid down his guitar, worked out the vocal arrangement and overall familiarized ourselves with the song.
My family and I took vacation. Jay was left with no Craig to talk to. No Craig to share with. No Craig to enjoy. This drove him to madness so he began incessantly laying down overdubs. This gave the song a little bit of a zydeco vibe. Coming back from a great vacation where the kids and I made our blues festival debut Jay was eager to get me on the track. With the deadline upon us I recorded my bass and vocals. I sent it back to Jay, he did his vocals and a hit was born.
Jay said he already started a song for next month. That's how it goes with writing. Once the door is open they just keep coming. That was the original hope for the Calendar Project. That I would be able to kick that door open. It's cool seeing it work for Jay now. He's got an album of originals in the works so I'm glad we got him while he's hot. I better start writing something if I want to get another song in before the project comes to end...

It's All The Same To Me

Turning 30

I had a birthday this month. I turned the big Three O. Everybody has one age that really bothered them. For me this was the one. I can't explain it. It's not that I'm old it's just...30. I got pretty depressed. It was a combination of many things. The Spoonful of Blues gig didn't go exactly the way I hoped. I have been having some health issues. I played with a friends band and I realized I'm not where I want to be as a musician. I had heat stoke. Car problems. Work has been crazy. Fighting with the wife, fighting with the kids, fighting with the folks, fighting with my sister, ect...
Overall I'd been feeling run down and then...30.
I asked for my birthday to be low key. I didn't want to face the world. Then my birthday was low key and that bothered me too. I had a big fight with my best friend (who named this tune) for over looking my birthday. I was nothing short of a miserable bastard. Bless my wife who putting up with me. My birthday was in the middle of the month. I quit drinking beer, coffee, whiskey, cigars, sugar, red meat and most of all music.
When we got to the end of the month I had no song and the stink of turning 30 was still all over me. I wrote this drab tune about birthday cake and death (even though I quit music.) I wrote and recorded it on the last Tuesday of July. I sent it over to Jay and wasn't very receptive. I couldn't understand why. I thought it was the most truthful song ever...Everything does die.
When I went to work on the last Saturday of the month (two weeks after my birthday) I was at an all time low. Jack and Ronnie where both leaving early for different reasons. I was pissed. perfect end to a perfect month. Working late waiting for Sam to get a haircut. The only joy I could find was knowing Sam will be 30 in three weeks. Misery loves company. I was going to go grab a taco on the way home but my wife said she made Sam and lunch and we should come home. I'm now livid. Long terrible month and I can't even have a taco. I was mean to her on the phone, hung up on her and headed home.
When I pulled up to the house there was cars everywhere. I thought the neighbors where having a party. As I pulled in I saw EVERYBODY in the drive way. Everyone I'd been an A-hole to all month. The feeling was overwhelming. A surprise party for Sam and I. There was forty people in my drive way whipping water balloons at us. An incredible weight was lifted. I must be the most loved son of a bitch on the planet. It takes thirty years to build relationships so strong they can put up with you turning 30. I can't thank everybody enough. I had some beer, I had some whiskey and some coffee. I smoked a cigar. I ate some cake, had a burger and finally played guitar. Imagine my wife's grace as I was unbearable as she planned this surprise. Imagine Jay playing harmonica on this song while ordering food and decorations for my party. I love the song now because I never want to forget what I was like before I pulled in that driveway. I can honestly say one of the best things that ever happened to me was turning 30.

This song is for Sam... Happy Birthday Brother.

Turning 30

Right Or Wrong

At long last. Here it is. It took him six months but Bluesman Jay finally wrote a song for the Calendar Project. Jay and I have both been submerged in our band "Spoonful of Blues." We have a big Fourth of July party we are playing so our attention has been divided. Lucky for both of us Jay was sitting on a gem.
He sent me a demo early in the month. I loved the demo but Jay wanted to re-record it. I disagreed. I thought it sounded very much like a Calendar song. Our weekends have been band rehearsals so re-recording it got pushed to the end of the month. With only days before the big gig and countless guitars to restring we were tasked with getting the song done as well. We had a great practice at the lake where the party is and decided to leave our stuff there. Jay went home with the best of intentions of doing the tune.
The next morning he woke up and went into his home studio, coffee in hand, when he realized he didn't have a single microphone in the house. That is when Jay made the executive decision to use the demo. All of a sudden in his eyes it was good enough. It always was.
He added the guitar solo and sent it over to me. I added the bass and backing vocals. I think it's a great little song and I love the way he sings it. It has been a treat doing the band with Jay. Maybe I can get him to play this song at the party.
Only six more months until I put the Calendar Project away for a while. I want to empty out my tanks. I have a couple of songs that I've been sitting on. I want to go out strong. After the Fourth all of our attention goes to sending the Calendar Project off right. I'm just grateful Jay had a genuinely great song that was tailor made for this. Well worth the wait.

Right Or Wrong

Gotcha!

I woke up on the couch at 5 o'clock in the morning. The television was still on and the news was reporting that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. I went back to sleep.
I woke up on the couch again at 6 o'clock in the morning. Osama Bin Laden was still dead. I hadn't dreamed it. Not that it is something I would dream about. Frankly, I never thought about it. I didn't have this desire for him to die. I did however take it as good news.
I took a shower, ate some breakfast, brushed my teeth and headed out. I went to an elderly man's house and cut his hair. I went to the barbershop, checked in with Joe, and headed home. Through out my morning, in every conversation someone would say, "We got 'em."
Yes we did.
I didn't realize my brain was processing this information but when I got home I felt compelled to post something fast. I wanted it up before the swelling went down and the song became irrelevant. I was surprised at having an emotional response at all. Again, I never thought about it. However, I am proud to say that I wrote the song and recorded a video of me playing it (with Kate's mad camera skills) and had it posted on facebook and youtube by noon.
It got a little traffic. I figured I should go out with it before Arnold sleeps with his maid and blows this off the news. I played an open mic with intention of riding this current event into their hearts and minds forever. It was a three song set. I decided to pair it up with "Contact" (Jan '10) and "Tomorrow Is Another Day" (Apr '11). I lead with "Contact." Well I flubbed up a little and sang a hybrid of the first and second versus as a first verse. Then I sang the second verse when it came up.
This means I sang about the Trade Towers twice, out of context with a chorus of "What goes around comes around. Our karma is going to get us." Not the meaning of the song. Not the current I intended to ride. I followed that with a "hooray we got 'em" song and they just didn't buy it. It was all over their faces. "Who's side are you on?" I played a quick version of "Rolling Rock" (Dec '09) and high tailed out of there. Jay begged for more time with his song so I said we could use this. I spent 3 hours recording a big version of it that I scrapped because I liked my live take better. Bluesman Jay hit all the "Got You's" and it was ready to ship.
I named it after the 1987 NES classic "Gotcha! The Sport!"
It's funny to be posting this now because I feel like this already happened. It was a snapshot of my reaction. A moment in time. Looking back on it it's not a strong composition. It's clever but a little harsh. It does express some very genuine sentiments though. Thank God for our troops and keep who we have lost in our prayers. We got 'em

Gotcha

Tomorrow Is Another Day

I wrote this song very early in the month. I lived with it all month and recorded it at the end. I recorded all of my parts in one night. My guitar and vocals where done as one take. Then I came up with the bass line. I've been playing a ton on the low end lately so I had fun with that. The bass was recorded as one take. I did the same with the percussion. By the time I went to bed that night it was 2:30 in the morning. Cutting hair was tough the next day.
I sent the song over to Jay. He came up with what he wanted to play and then laid the guitar down in one take. He did the same with the harmonica. Because everything was played in one continuous take without punching in I think a live-band vibe was created. The two of us got to be a 5 person band. This is the first song I ever wrote with a country feel so I love Jay's slide guitar.
Truth be told this song is a true story. I lost my cool after Kate spent a few bucks more than I expected. I smashed a beer bottle on the floor. I had a little break down. And she did tell me I could "crack in my forties." Because this song doesn't put me in a good light I'm ready to move on from it. I love the honesty of it. I love how conversational the lyrics are. I love the recording but I'm ready to move past it. Tomorrow is another day, and another chance to get it right.

Tomorrow Is Another Day

Little Meanies

Bluesman Jay said last month he had something for this month's Calendar song. He lied. What he actually had was a two chord vamp that was really just part of another song. The shitty part was we didn't come to realize this until almost half way through March. It was then I began to pen this month's song.
When I first came up with the guitar I was instantaneously getting lyrical ideas. I was pretty jazzed about it and called Jay. I played him the early sketches of the tune over the phone. We've been playing our guitars pointed at telephones since the phones still had chords. It's just cooler now because we were both at work, so we are now technically getting paid for it.
I put demoing it off for a few nights. I finished up the writing. I was really happy with the lyrics. I had pretty well flushed out the choruses in my recording. The rest of the song was still left vastly open. I sent it over to Jay with twenty-eight hours left in the month.
What I got back was awesome. He added all that great harmonica, subtle piano, vulnerable backing vocals and that signature midi-cello. He really rounded out the song. It totally made up for the beginning of the month.
This month's song was born completely within the month. Soup to nuts. Music, arrangement, lyrics, instrumentation and themes where all decided through an artistic process. That process involved both collaboration and a deadline determined by the guidelines set by the project. The Calendar Project brings with it both curses and blessings. The joy of this blog comes when the finished product is a new song that because part of the repertoire. I get joy from the crafting of songs. The deadline keeps me working. The curse comes when the writing and recording reveal a song that if time allowed could be recorded again far more effectively with all of my "notes" executed. I equate it to Paleontology. When you write a song while recording, like we usually do with the Calendar Project, it's like uncovering a fossil. As you clear the earth away the dinosaur within the ground begins to emerge. When you have a song you have lived with and refined it's like assembling a dinosaur in a museum. All the pieces are numbered.
I liked this song. I always like them when they're new. Jay made me love it. It's nice being surprised. I know Jay so well. Nobody has ever referred to Bluesman Jay as subtle. His touch on this song is so light yet so significant. He's still surprising me! Time to getting started on next month. We're not getting caught cramming again.

Little Meanies

Army Of Darkness

This month's song is an old song of mine. It's been kicking around since my wife and I first met 100 years ago. The original inspiration for this song was an "Army of Darkness" movie poster in our first apartment together. This song has always been a long, meandering, self indulgent display. I always liked it but it clocked in at just over six minutes. I never used it for the Calendar Project because I was never able to cut it down ,even though I knew it needed it. When your the sole architect of a song, editing it down is tough. I don't think a song can ever be considered "done" but I know when one isn't complete. Collaboration truly helped this song become refined.

Bluesman Jay and I have been working on allot of music together. We are playing in a blues band together as well as doing the Calendar Project. The experiment of doing a whole year with one consistent collaborator is proving to be very fruitful. After a solid practice with the band Jay and I headed back to the house and I taught him the song. We did a million takes while whittling the song down to something better than what we started with. The end result is a live track of my best friend and I having allot fun singing a sad song.

I've had it in my head for a long time that I wanted this song to follow "All That I Got." After we posted that tune in January I knew this songs' time had come. It's nice to finally hear them back to back.

Pictures and videos of the music making process can be found on my Facebook and through rockbarber.com- shameless plug.

Enjoy~

Army Of Darkness

All That I Got

The first month of a new year and I'm already finding the project difficult. This is a song I've had for years. I've always had a very clear vision for this song. I have saved this tune because I have always seen it as the first song on a CD, the first song in a live set or a January Calendar Song. I pictured it being very folk. A sparse recording with a live feel. I wanted the song to serve almost as an intro to the song I plan to do next month.
I've been toting collaboration as a guaranteed "super fix" of my stuff. This year started off as a lesson that that is not always the case. No fault of Bluesman Jay's of course. The song has been around so long and I had such a clear vision of how it sounded in my head. I think this song would have been more suited for a calendar year I do solo. There was no way of conveying what I was thinking to Jay. It's hard to describe a sound. He tirelessly reworked the ending several times and we still ended up scraping it. His harmonica is great, his vocals are great and his guitar playing is great. We just couldn't get that F***ing outro.
My initial take was slow. I play a bum bass note. I goofed the lyrics. The reality however, is nobody ever heard the song in my head. Nobody will think it sounds "off" because I'm the only one who ever heard it "on." Bluesman Jay did great. The other lesson is I need to enjoy what it became, even if it wasn't my original vision. The end product is still a nice Calendar Song. I'm ready for a years worth of lessons collaborating with my best friend. I'm posting this song in it's new "realized" virsion because it tought me a lot. Not just because it's the end of the month and this is "All That I Got."

All That I Got

The Calendar Project 2011

Year Five!
It's hard to believe. Time really does move very fast. I want this year to be special. I really thought 2009 was great. That year I collaborated every month and it made for a better project. My favorite parts of 2010's posts were other peoples contributions. So quite simply, to make 2011's Calendar Project special I need to collaborate.
I don't want to just rehash 2009. I need to collaborate differently this year. Having said that this years approach is to collaborate with the same person every month. I will share the project this year. I'm giving my partner equal creative control. By staying open and given my collaborator an equal voice I'm hoping to get a better product in the end.
I also want to show more of behind the scenes. Using the rest of the website I plan to post videos and pictures of the process. That includes writing, recording, and correspondences between us.
My collaborator had to be somebody that not only do I work well with but someone who has a vested interested in the Calendar Project. My partner this year has appeared on every year of the blog. I'm excited to announce that this year the Calendar Project will be a joint effort between myself and none other than...
drum roll please...

Jeremy "Bluesman Jay" Halsdorff

Jay will bring not only his music sensibility, which includes his skills as a producer, arranger, song writer, guitar player, vocalist, harmonica player, and drummer, but also his deep commitment. Our 30 year old friendship is at the heart of this collaboration. His involvement renews my drive making a monthly deadline possible for the fifth year straight. I'm looking forward to the best Calendar Project ever.