No Foolin'

I recently had the honor of appearing in Southern Bride Magazine! The photos were from a wedding gig I played with Mighty Souls Brass Band at the Peabody Hotel in Memphis, TN. Pics below and more about the event HERE.

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Music Video Monday

Big thanks to The Memphis Flyer for featuring my new single “Cherokee Arms” in today’s Music Video Monday! Check it out HERE.

Having lived in Memphis for six years, I was finally ready to write a song about living in Midtown. Cherokee Arms is an apartment building on Madison Avenue that looks how Midtown Memphis feels to me: rough around the edges with strong character, understated with a solid presence, attitude with class. This video is all about getting there. The footage was collected from some of the places that I've passed through while on tour: Richmond, El Paso, Oklahoma City, Madison, Los Angeles, Baltimore, Queens. Dallas / Fort Worth, and of course Memphis. 

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New song - CHEROKEE ARMS

My latest single Cherokee Arms is now available everywhere!

Links below or click HERE to listen or head over to the MUSIC page.

I grew up in New Jersey and moved to Memphis in 2014. After being here for six years, I was ready to write a song about living in Midtown. Cherokee Arms is an apartment building on Madison Avenue that looks how Midtown Memphis feels to me: rough around the edges with strong character, understated with a solid presence, attitude with class.

Written, performed, recorded, mixed by me at The Perch.
Mastered by Matt Qualls at Young Avenue Sound.

Spotify
Apple
YouTube
Bandcamp
SoundCloud
Amazon

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Survey for Pace U

For my fellow working musicians. Since we all seem to have some extra time on our hands, I was wondering if you could help out my friend Paul Ziek. He's working on an academic paper with a colleague at Pace University, and is looking for musicians to complete an online survey. It's anonymous and only take s a few minutes to complete. He'd greatly appreciate your input. Please feel free to forward the link along to other musicians as well. Click HERE for survey. Many thanks in advance for your time!

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Erin go Shane

For your St. Patrick’s Day soundtrack, please be sure to add my Songs of Shane EP to the playlist. Released this time last year, featuring some of my favorite music from Shane MacGowan and his work with The Pogues and The Popes. Listen on the MUSIC page or on SPOTIFY. Enjoy!

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Mike & Me

Last week I returned home from tour, playing drums with Mike Doughty. It was a fantastic 21 days of 16 shows in 13 states. I've been a fan of Mike's ever since he was M. Doughty - singer, guitarist, and songwriter of the band Soul Coughing. I listened to all of their albums obsessively. I watched them perform "Circles" on David Letterman, and saw them live on the 1998 El Oso tour in New York City at Irving Plaza. Four years later I was drumming with John Mayer, in support of his album Room for Squares, and Mike joined us for a string of dates as the opening act. I caught his set every night. We hung out a few times and realized we had some mutual friends. Two years after that, Mike asked me to audition for his new band. He was getting ready to release Haughty Melodic, and needed a touring drummer. I received a CD in the mail (pictured here, dated February 2004) with songs to learn for the session. The audition went smoothly, but I didn't get the gig. Fast forward to 2014 when I relocated from Jersey City, NJ to Memphis, TN to be with my then girlfriend / now wife Abby. Shortly after the move, my friend Mark Stepro told me that Mike Doughty also recently left the east coast for Memphis. I sent an email to Mike and we met for lunch in Midtown, where we caught up on the previous decade. He and I started playing improv gigs around town, which turned into the band MOTICOS and then BABY MEN. The latter of which was the support act for Mike's recent tour. Yes, we opened up for ourselves in disguise (and I got to keep the mask). Anyway, that’s it for now; but stay tuned for more tales from the road. Thank you for indulging me while I wax nostalgic. I just wanted to share what’s been on my mind, which boils down to this... Life is an adventure, and the music business can be unpredictable. Work hard. Work smart. Be nice. Practice gratitude. Keep going.

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M. Doughty tour update #3

Back in Memphis after a super fun tour on drums for three weeks with Mike Doughty (and BABY MEN). Here are some pics from last week. If you’re in Memphis tonight, come see our homecoming show at DKDC!

I don’t rap, but I can freestyle. - Ithaca, NY

I don’t rap, but I can freestyle. - Ithaca, NY

Before farmers get to the market. - Ithaca, NY

Before farmers get to the market. - Ithaca, NY

Street art. - Ithaca, NY

Street art. - Ithaca, NY

Good morning Lake Champlain. - Burlington, VT

Good morning Lake Champlain. - Burlington, VT

Graffiti in the snow. - Burlington, VT

Graffiti in the snow. - Burlington, VT

Riot gear. - Burlington, VT

Riot gear. - Burlington, VT

Mike, Andrew, and me. - Burlington, VT

Mike, Andrew, and me. - Burlington, VT

Drummer view. - Burlington, VT

Drummer view. - Burlington, VT

Winter hours. - Burlington, VT

Winter hours. - Burlington, VT

Hotel couch. - Burlington, VT

Hotel couch. - Burlington, VT

“And he walked on down the hall.” - Burlington, VT

“And he walked on down the hall.” - Burlington, VT

mirror IV by Amy Stacey Curtis - Portsmouth, NH

mirror IV by Amy Stacey Curtis - Portsmouth, NH

What really happens backstage before a big rock show. - Portsmouth, NH

What really happens backstage before a big rock show. - Portsmouth, NH

Blue house with red door. - Portsmouth, NH

Blue house with red door. - Portsmouth, NH

My friend David Freeman drove up from New Jersey for dinner before the show. - Hamden, CT

My friend David Freeman drove up from New Jersey for dinner before the show. - Hamden, CT

Cherry chairs. - Hamden, CT

Cherry chairs. - Hamden, CT

Good morning Spa Creek. - Annapolis, MD

Good morning Spa Creek. - Annapolis, MD

Friday flowers. - Annapolis, MD

Friday flowers. - Annapolis, MD

Walking after midnight. - Annapolis, MD

Walking after midnight. - Annapolis, MD

Gloaming. - Rocky Mount, VA

Gloaming. - Rocky Mount, VA

Night light. - Roanoke, VA

Night light. - Roanoke, VA

Rise and shine. - Roanoke, VA

Rise and shine. - Roanoke, VA

Pit stop. - Mount Jackson, VA

Pit stop. - Mount Jackson, VA

Home Sweet Home - Memphis, TN

Home Sweet Home - Memphis, TN

M. Doughty tour update #2


Another fun week on the road with Mike Doughty and Andrew “Scrap” Livingston! Pics below. Traveling today from New York to Vermont for more shows in Burlington VT, Portsmouth NH, Hamden CT, Annapolis MD, and Rocky Mount VA. Details HERE

Winter is cool. - Madison, WI

Winter is cool. - Madison, WI

“If I knew about this, I wouldn’t have done my laundry today.” - Grand Rapids, MI

“If I knew about this, I wouldn’t have done my laundry today.” - Grand Rapids, MI

We also open up for ourselves as improv art trio BABY MEN. - Grand Rapids, MI

We also open up for ourselves as improv art trio BABY MEN. - Grand Rapids, MI

Tour manager extraordinaire, Kelly aka Scully. - Grand Rapids, MI

Tour manager extraordinaire, Kelly aka Scully. - Grand Rapids, MI

My superpower is playing drums with BABY MEN. - Grand Rapids, MI

My superpower is playing drums with BABY MEN. - Grand Rapids, MI

Every hotel lobby should have a lollipop bouquet. - Grandville, MI

Every hotel lobby should have a lollipop bouquet. - Grandville, MI

Winter fire. - Grandville, MI

Winter fire. - Grandville, MI

When you get to the venue and there’s an Atari 2600 hooked up in the dressing room. - Indianapolis, IN

When you get to the venue and there’s an Atari 2600 hooked up in the dressing room. - Indianapolis, IN

Calm before the storm. - Indianapolis, IN

Calm before the storm. - Indianapolis, IN

Kitty it’s cold outside. - Indianapolis, IN

Kitty it’s cold outside. - Indianapolis, IN

Scully and Scrap. - Cincinnati, OH

Scully and Scrap. - Cincinnati, OH

The Dude abides. - Cincinnati, OH

The Dude abides. - Cincinnati, OH

Well lit library. - Columbus, OH

Well lit library. - Columbus, OH

Woke up like this. - Columbus, OH

Woke up like this. - Columbus, OH

Lighthouse on Lake Erie. - Buffalo, NY

Lighthouse on Lake Erie. - Buffalo, NY

Mike, Andrew, and me. - Buffalo, NY

Mike, Andrew, and me. - Buffalo, NY

Options. - Buffalo, NY

Options. - Buffalo, NY

Rachel sang on the Soul Coughing song “Janine”. She came to the gig and did a duet with Mike for the encore (while her dog Bibi waited the wings). - Ithaca, NY

Rachel sang on the Soul Coughing song “Janine”. She came to the gig and did a duet with Mike for the encore (while her dog Bibi waited the wings). - Ithaca, NY

Diner dinner. - Ithaca, NY

Diner dinner. - Ithaca, NY

Sunset stroll. - Ithaca, NY

Sunset stroll. - Ithaca, NY

M. Doughty tour update #1

After a few days of rehearsal in Memphis, we headed north to start the tour in Missouri; then continued on to Iowa and Wisconsin. It’s a winter wonderland up here! Pics below and upcoming dates HERE.

Rehearsal watchdog. - Memphis, TN

Rehearsal watchdog. - Memphis, TN

We played on the indoor stage. - Columbia, MO

We played on the indoor stage. - Columbia, MO

First show of the tour at Rose Music Hall. - Columbia , MO

First show of the tour at Rose Music Hall. - Columbia , MO

Rise and shine. - St. Louis, MO

Rise and shine. - St. Louis, MO

Caucus leftovers. - Iowa City, IA

Caucus leftovers. - Iowa City, IA

Pitstop. - Paris, MO

Pitstop. - Paris, MO

Andrew and Mike at Guitar Center. - Madison, WI

Andrew and Mike at Guitar Center. - Madison, WI

Morning shadows. - Madison, WI

Morning shadows. - Madison, WI

High Noon Saloon. - Madison, WI

High Noon Saloon. - Madison, WI

Night lights. - Eau Claire, WI

Night lights. - Eau Claire, WI