Coming to a close.

Yesterday was my last day in the office. It felt a little weird, but it was way easier than I thought it would be. Aaron came to have a few drinks with my co-workers and me, and then we just came home. Very exciting I know... We have a lot of packing to do today and our going away party is tonight. So a night just hanging out with my new husband is exactly what I needed.

Our apartment is starting to look a little bare. When I came home the other day Aaron had taken most of the pictures off the wall. It was sad and for some reason I felt like it wouldn't have been as hard if I was there while he was taking them down, but then I realized if it were up to me I just wouldn't do it. He has been great. While I've been trying to tie up loose ends at work he has been slaving away packing and cleaning. I think I actually ended up with the easier part of that bargain.

I need to take a picture of our latest purchase for the move. We bought car racks and car top carrier off one of the pro-deal sites that I had access to from work. We got a great deal, but the catch was it has to be sent to my office. So, the box showed up on the loading dock at work. The box with the carrier in it was literally a good foot taller than Aaron, who is 6'1". Needless to say the only way to get it home was to install it right then and there. He met me at work at 5 near the loading dock and we were going to install it "quickly", because Aaron had his last show in Ballard. Let's just that if we have to install a car top carrier again we might be sleeping in different rooms... Yikes! Looking back it was funny, but we did not think so at the time. :)

The show at Ballard Station Public House was great. Many of our dearest friends showed up to enjoy the music and say goodbye. The bar tender Toby was a Dakota boy and knew all the words to the old country songs that Aaron was playing. He loved it!  He definitely made the last night really special. He gave us all shirts. I definitely recommend that bar and the salted lavender almonds that he makes. So good. One of the best parts of the night was Bob, who works over at Bopstreet records. (best record store in the country) He closed the bar down with us that night. He must have spent $100 in the jukebox playing songs after Aaron had played. Bob loved us! It's mostly due to our awesome rendition of Johnny and June's "Jackson". Fun night. Bittersweet. Our Seattle chapter is closing.

Now time to get the house ready. Aaron's folks are gracious enough to come spend the weekend with us and help us pack up. Oh, and Aaron's mom is bringing my new camera I bought and sent to her house. (thank you Oregon for no sales tax). Hope to see everyone to night at Jabu's for one last hurrah!

Hilliard's Brewery Show - Ballard

Last night Aaron had his second to last show in Seattle. It was the exact opposite of a packed house. That's ok, the weather was crappy. He did play with a local band called "The Postcards from the Badlands". They are incredibly talented. What do you get with a couple doctors and architects? Western Desert music. Very cool. When listening to them you are transported to horse back, riding through the desert while the sun is setting in the purple sky. The people that were there did like the music which is always a good thing. Also, each person in the band went home with a few cases of tall boys, so all the boys were happy.  I guess I'd be more excited if it were bottles of whiskey, but one can dream. :)

It's starting to feel really real that we are actually leaving. I look at everything that has to be done and pretty much start freaking out. So instead of packing, after work I'm going to go take a French macaron class at The Pantry at Delancey. It only seems right.

Here are some pictures from last nights show:

Country Music Radio is the McDonald's of the Music Industry

I would like to think that there is some sort of creative process to making the music that we hear on the radio, but what I know of the process, it's much more like a production line. Like anything good, it can quickly become a commodity that can be bought and sold, and reproduced over and over again.

This morning when Aaron was taking me to work we turned on the local country music radio station. We do this often to familiarize ourselves with what is being played right now. We want to know what people are listening to. This could just be the "buyer" in us, but we want to familiarize ourselves with the product that people are buying. Understandable right? After hearing a song that rhymed, pier, disappear, and beer, I starting thinking about how this whole business works.  I'm sure we can use this analogy for many things, but here is what I have to say about modern country music:

Country music radio is the McDonald's of the music industry. Every song on the radio is the same Big Mac hamburger. The banjo lick that you keep hearing in every song is the "secret sauce". People keep listening, because they know exactly what they are going to get. Most people don't even realize that there is a better tasting burger out there, but McDonald's doesn't want you to know about it, because then they'd have to change their recipe.

What I have learned, just over the past few months, is that it's not about talent. Rarely does talent ever translate into profit gains.  (I'm about to state a fact and not a political opinion.) In 1996 President Clinton signed the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was the first major change in law in the last 60 years. Feel free to read about the Act, because I don't want to bore you too much, but there was a lot of deregulation, which allowed fewer corporations to dominate the airwaves. Where in the old law no company could own more than 7 stations, and now in the new law that number is unlimited. You can look up the who the big player is now and you will see they own about 1600 stations. Where there was once a 50 song playlist that stations would rotate between, there is now 25. Record labels and radio stations have joined forces to reduce their sku count. It's the same product that, unfortunately, the people keep demanding. They keep producing the same product season after season. Sometimes they change the color of the product, or put it in a different package, but in reality it is the same Big Mac you've been eating for years.

Enter the Rock Pit Debut's Aaron's song Sunsettin'

Oh, another fun night of going to bed at midnight. At least we don't wake up until 8:05am. It's funny, because Aaron now gets out of bed 20 minutes after he would have already been at work. "Livin' the dream." 

Aaron was on our friend's podcast last night called, "Enter the Rock Pit with The Gimmer". Justin Gimse as "The Gimmer", was the drummer of one of Aaron's favorite bands Big Wheel Stunt Show. They are a band out of Tacoma that unfortunately just broke up, because a band member moved out of state. I recommend if you like music that rocks your face off you should check out Big Wheel Stunt Show. They are absolutely incredible. Their music was pure rock n' roll. They looked like a few guys that jumped right out of "Dazed and Confused" with their polyester shirts and pants. Even their show posters showcased some sort of classic muscle car. America!

Enter the Rock Pit is on every Wednesday from 8 - 10 PST: Enter The Rock Pit. Last night they debuted Aaron's song, "Sunsettin'" from his new album. I actually sang backup vocals on that song. :) Go me. Check out episode 131 to hear Aaron's song as well as how to make wineshine, how you shouldn't put Cheetos on Totinos pizza, and whatever else those men deem worthy of talking about when the mic is on. It's like real life Wayne's World, except not public access TV. Check out these pics:

Official Move Announcement

Hi y'all!

Yes, I'm using "y'all". At this moment, I am formally announcing that Aaron and I are leaving the Pacific Northwest and venturing down south. We are not exactly sure where we will be ending up, but we have a few ideas. We are hoping that we end up in that great state of TEXAS, but Nashville, Tennessee, is also a possibility. I've given that little website, amazon.com, my two weeks notice and I will be seeking full-time employment, which will most likely help decided where we end up. 

Now for the exciting news!  Aaron and I will be performing together as a two piece band on our way down.  So far, we have successfully booked shows in Idaho, Montana, Utah, and Colorado. So, guess who is beefing up their musical ability. Yes, you guessed it, I am. I'm signed up for a crash course on the drums, hoping that my keyboard ability kicks back in, as well as, supporting rhythm guitar. Yikes! Don't worry everyone, Aaron is still the main talent and thank God for his song writing ability. If it were only me, it wouldn't be anything but a Patty Griffin tribute. 

Everything is starting to get a little hectic, but it's also starting to fall into place. Aaron's album will be available next week! Just in time for the tour and he has been slaving over the computer trying to book as many shows as possible. While I'm tying up loose ends at work, he's putting all his efforts into music and getting us ready to leave. We are trying to get everything done all while trying not to annoy the other person. We have about a 90% success rate. :)

We are taking off out of Seattle two weeks from Thursday!  Please keep checking out our blog for updates. Here is out poster that we are using for our Southbound Tour!
Don't forget to keep checking aaronmcdonnell.com for tour updates, pics, and new music!