Rock

Now that I'm back in Alaska for the summer (well it is still winter now, but I'm here for a bit) I have to turn my attention to not only keeping up with all my gigs, but building a house for my lady. My wife has put up with a lot since we moved to Alaska in 2009 and after 5+ years with no running water we are finally ready to build our own place with a shower, sink, and dishwasher. What? No toilet? You are damn right. After 5 years of putting the brown back down where it belongs (the earth is brown and so is....) my wife and I have decided not to go to the bathroom and eat in the same building. This is usually the moral high ground for poor people with no running water here in Alaska, but we will be continuing the tradition of not installing a septic system and just having a shack outside with a hole underneath it. The joys of living in the third world inside of the first. My brother calls it self imposed poverty. I call it... thrifty. ;)

HOLY SCHIST! 

So in between my gigs I have been hauling truck loads of rock from a dirt pit to my property. I have to build some stone channels for drainage and cover all my exposed terraces with rock to avoid an erosion nightmare. Before the snow set in I was about 35-40 loads deep into the project. I have another 8 loads now waiting at the bottom of my driveway for the snow to melt and my driveway to dry out. Hopefully I can get all the stone in before I start on the house. Oh to not live in a 400 square ft cabin. I think a 2200 square ft. house will be nicer. The house that ukulele built. I can't believe that my ukulele is paying for this whole thing. Thanks little buddy. You have been good to me thus far. 

On a side note I have just taken a job with the Golden Wheel Amusements this summer. I will be the ukulele carny for three of their fairs this summer. Bucket list item #46 - Become a carny. Can't wait to check that one off the old bucket list. I got to cup a wombat's ass for my birthday and now this! AWESOME!

Gigs this week:

Solo @ Ivory Jacks on Goldstream in Fairbanks - 9pm Friday
Fairbanks All Stars @ The Marlin in Fairbanks - 10pm Saturday 

Melbourne Ukulele Festival

Photo by Nick Pitsas

For the past two springs (their fall) I have had the pleasure rocking at the Melbourne Ukulele Festival. This year was extremely special to me because after earning the respect of the MUK (Melbourne Ukulele Kollective) last March they asked me to come headline the 2015 festival. On top of that I got to open for Ms. Victoria Vox. What a pleasure.

I wanted to show with these three pictures the several different hair styles I showcased during my 40 minute performance at the Melbourne Ukulele Festival. You have to constantly switch it up to let people you know that you mean business and that is exactly what I did. Business.

Photo by Nick Pitsas

Photo by Nick Pitsas

Notice the camo hat that Azo Bell wouldn't trade his cap for. I still think that Azo would look good in camo. Azo, the offer is still on the table for the hat trade. I'm serious. Camo is the new thing. Just scroll down and look at the group photo. You have the hat in your hand, literally. It must be a sign. :)

I had to let my hair down for my rendition of Lionel Richie's Hello. It is a must when trying to channel one of the sexiest men from the 1980s. Eventually the sweat became too much and the mane had to be contained.

Ukulele festivals really aren't a huge part of what I do, however when I get the chance to show some of the stuff I have come up with locked away in isolation to my ukulele brethren there is nothing better.  Melbourne I really love you. Two years in a row you have rocked my socks and I thank you. I dream of the three-peat! The Australians are a pleasant and hospitable people. Haven't really met a bad one yet. Well... except the drunk on Hoddle St. last year that tried to sell me a warped guitar. I should have never humored the guy. When you see crazy in their eyes you should avoid eye contact and keep walking and a brisk manner. Like you have somewhere important to go and you are late. Long story short, I got away.

Bosko (lower right) is the only one that found my nip spot on.
He has some sort of magical powers I have yet to be able to
explain. Check him out at Bosko and Honey

Farewell land of funny animals and spiders that will kill you. So long place of deadly snakes and flying foxes. May your wombats and kangaroos avoid contact with motor vehicles. I will see you again next year. You can count on it.

Now back to the normal Alaska grind. Two shows with the All-Stars this week. This Friday at the Marlin in Fairbanks and Saturday at the Arctic Fox both starting at 10pm.

ALSO listen in at 11am Alaska Standard Time to KFAR 660am this Friday! Time for some serious pants! You can stream it live or listen to archives online!

To Cup a Wombat's Ass

All I wanted for my birthday this year was one thing; To cup a wombat's ass. Mission accomplished. I feel like after this trip down under I really have hit a good stride. Not only with ukuleleing, but with my life. I mean... come on... who else can say they fondled a wombat? I'm as gitty as a school boy.

Don't ask me why because I wouldn't have a good answer for you, but the act of cupping a wombat's ass has always been a bucket list thing for me. Am I a strange dude? You know it. In Alaska we have a saying to encourage ladies to move up and meet the fellas. "The odds are good, but the goods are odd". I'm odd. There is no way to candy coat it.

After this uplifting experience I was ready to rock the Melbourne Ukulele Festival with a clear mind and focus that only a wombat's ass can give you. It is the little things in life which includes a wombat's bum.

I will be doing my post for the Melbourne Ukulele Festival soon! Stay tuned!

Auckland!

I have to say I have been nothing but impressed with New Zealand in more ways than one. First off the people here are second to none. Some of the nicest friendliest people you would ever meet. It makes me feel like how people treat each other in Alaska. The hospitality from my hosts has been second to none. Avon and John I can't thank you enough.

Avon (the mastermind of the Ukulele Union
in Auckland. Without her my trip wouldn't
have been possible. 

Out on the "deck" (they pronounce this word
in quite a hilarious fashion. Use your imagination.

Today I got to go to the west side of the North Island of New Zealand into the jungle to enjoy some KILLER surf. 10ft waves and extreme rip tides on by the Sleeping Lion (a large rock formation on the beach). my friend Dave and I waded out to about out to the 5ft waves. That was enough for me. I have been in surf before and large wave pools, but nothing could compare to this.

My concert / workshop was a smash hit! What a great crowd of eager ukulelers. Nothing like trying to help people escape the shackles of the first 4 frets of the ukulele. I live for the moment where I see the light bulb turn on above people's heads when a concept clicks into place for them. That and smiles are what I'm in this business for... Well and also ukulele world domination. That is a big part of my motivation also. There are enough guitar players out there, but if we keep spreading the good word of ukulele soon they will be the minority. Don't get me wrong, guitars are cool, I actually am a accomplished guitar player, but only because I feel like if you want to defeat your enemy you first have to study and learn about them. That is the only way. Shoot first and ask questions later.

I have now arrived in Melbourne to headline the Melbourne Ukulele Festival. This is my second time I have been invited for this festival and I intend to knock people's socks off. I should be back for a third time if everything goes according to plan.

Hawaii

There is nothing like being in the mecca of ukuleles. Hawaii is the place to get some rays (I have gotten a little too many over the past few days), enjoy the beach, and play ukulele. This short stop before I head down under is just what I needed.  However, my neck tan line is my favorite trophy of my time here.

I have been spending time with my sponsor Tom Parse of Hokukano Ranch Ukuleles. It is great to see him, his wife, and his shop on the ranch again. Nothing like being up 3100ft on the mountain looking out and being able to see the sky meet the Pacific ocean.

Tomorrow I head south... To New Zealand to see some friends before I head to the Melbourne Ukulele Festival to headline. I feel blessed everyday I get to just share my music and humor with others. It is even a bigger bonus to travel to foreign lands where we speak the same language and my jokes might work. Ha!

Fun with FISH

Spawn until you die! It is the Alaskan way.

Sometimes you just got to get create with the photo editing. Come on out to the Marlin this Friday and catch some fish action. It is only $5 to see some funktastic music. Pants will be danced off. Good times will be had. Right on College Road in pristine Fairbanks, Alaska. Land of the cleanest winter air quality! 

I'm on a CD with Bela Fleck!

When the late day winter sun nears the horizon the red spectrum of light reflects off the snow creating pink tones.  

There is no place like home, right? You are damn right. After 6 weeks on the road it is great to be back in good old Fairbanks. The city by the river where the banks are fair. Took the first few days to get all of my ducks in a row and most importantly getting our animals back from friends. Our dog and cat are lucky enough to be loved by some of our friends. They are two of the most well behaved animals for the most part they do tend to stray from the right path sometimes. Not because they are intentionally trying to be asses, but because they are animals.

Our large black cat Dave however does not understand how running water works. When he is staying with someone that has a full on bathroom he just doesn't know what to do. The toilet and shower / tub are foreign to him. Dave sees different uses for the two. Toilets are fresh bowls of water and tubs become the new litter box, however he has great aim when it comes to the latter. He even aims for the drain without any training. Smart cat. Love that Dave. Perhaps one day when we have running water I can teach him what the toilet is really used for...

Now it is time for a month of gigs in Alaska before I head out to Hawaii, New Zealand, and Australia. I'm excited to get to Melbourne. I'm one of the headliners at the Melbourne Ukulele Festival! Yippy! Life is pretty good. Now I'm going to spend the week playing some gigs with my band and doing the old wonderful wintertime chore, firewood. At least this time it is for other people. My wood stash is quite large :) Time to spread the love.

Sometimes when you get home after a long trip and you finally make your way to the post office to clean out your post office box magical things are waiting for you. This time I got the pleasure to know that I had made the cut for volume 12 of the KUAC 89.9FM Alaska Live CD! Bela Fleck is track 4 and I'm track 16! I'll take it!