Best Men, Polish Weddings, Limbo

Well, it's been a while since I last wrote. Things have been hectic.
Over the weekend, I had the honor of being best man at my brother's wedding. It was a great time and the VAL army danced their asses off!


Polish weddings take on a life of their own, and last the entire weekend. The actual ceremony on Saturday with after parties, and rehearsal parties, etc.
It has taken me a couple days to recuperate!

VAL as a band is in limbo now because of scheduling problems, but I am happy to report that we will begin recording our next CD VERY shortly. This one (hopefully) won't take too long to release. I don't expect us to play out anytime in the near future. There might be something planned for November at the earliest. Check back often!

Rick

Amber Headlights are ON!

Listening to the new Twilight Singers - Greg Dulli's Amber Headlights. I have to say that it's pretty sweet and upbeat. VERY reminiscent of early Afghan Whigs. But, it also feels incomplete. That's not always a bad thing. There's an urgency about it, and Dulli rocks out on this one.
Check it out. Get the wheel, let's go for a ride.... .

Moraine Valley Show...

Yesterday, we played Moraine Valley Community college, and although the morning drizzle proved a bit daunting, the rest of the afternoon went well. We were able to get over 200 CD's into the student's hands! They had a cook out, and other activities and it brought us some exposure while allowing the different student organizations a platform as well. Big thanks to Cindy and everyone else at Moraine for making it possible.

Also, thanks to Tom F. for helping out and taking pictures. They will be posted soon.

Gearing Up...

We are gearing up for our Moraine Valley mid-day gig on Wed., and things are going well. There are a lot of new songs “in the can” as they say. We might be able to debut them soon at a future show. However, we don’t have any new shows booked yet. We may hold off. There are thoughts of starting a new recording soon. Autumn might be a bit of a transitional period for VAL. Dreaming up where we want to go in 2006. It will be interesting....

The Assembly this Friday at Elbo Room

My good friends in THE ASSEMBLY are playing this Friday at Elbo Room.
Catch them if you can.

What'a Weekend, Practice Tonight

What'a Weekend
Hit Bobby's place on Saturday night for a little get together. It turned into a bash, and I drove the spirytus train a little too fast. The stuff hit me like a ton of bricks. It was good times. Bobby and Basia's place under the stars, near the fire, singing and pickin'. Priceless. Sunday, we hit a party hosted by my bro Kid Marek and his woman Aggie. Good times as well. Food, volleyball, and guitars again! I drove that train a little slower, and everything was A OK. Everyone had a blast on both days. Puck especially. Yesterday night, I attended yet another fest at my brother-in-laws. Sweet, sweet bar-b-que. The man can grill!

So, I guess you can say I had a pretty busy weekend. I am blessed to have so many caring friends

Practice tonight
The entire band is gonna be there! Yes. We have to get ready for our Moraine Valley show next Wed. It should be good.

Tragedy, BRMC, Status Update, Holiday Weekend

Tragic Kingdom
The devastation in the Gulf area is simply tragic. I feel for the people effected most directly. The entire nation will feel the after effects for months (if not years) to come.


BRMC
The new Black Rebel Motorcycle Club album is supposedly a drastic departure from their past recordings. Check out the review at Pitchfork.


VAL Status
We are writing a lot! Dan, specifically, has been on fire. Lots of new VAL songs will see the light of day in the coming months. We are playing at Moraine Valley Community college in Palos Hills on Wed Sept. 14th during the school day. Should be a fun little treat for the students at the beginning of the school year.


Labor Day
Ahhh.... Finally a long weekend. The cool nights have been great. Getting me into that "artsy" mood I used to feel when university would beckon. Those days are long gone but that buzz is still in my head. I guess it's the energy of youth hanging over me. I got 2 parties to attend and I look forward to both. There is a muffled call for help coming from my acoustic guitar case. Gotta save the axe in short order. Nice. Have a wonderful holiday, all.