What’s up everyone!
I’m almost back to Austin after a few months on the road from Austin-to-Boston and around the northeast. I promise a very detailed update and blog post soon!
BUT…more importantly, I’m chilling in the beautiful mountain town of Murphy, NC and I JUST found out I was accepted as 1 of 15 finalists out of 400 for The Recording Conservatory of Austin‘s UNSIGNED ARTIST COMPETITION.
CLICK HERE to vote for ‘Brett Randell’ for the TRCOA Unsigned Artist Competition
I don’t normally do these contests, but I could win a ton of money for recording, studio time, musical equipment, and other stuff…this means NEW CD! I’ve been working on a bunch of new music and this would be a great opportunity to record.
Please click here and vote for my name! I’d appreciate it 
Thanks!
Brett
What’s up y’all (that word is getting very out of place up here in NY),
Before we begin, let me say that cats love my guitar case. On my tour up from Austin-to-Boston, I had four cats in four seperate cities sleep in it. My cat, Dyna, has been rolling around in it nonstop. Entertain yourself with some cat in guitar case pics:
So, I’ve been back in NY for a few weeks now, well, a week in upstate NY, 4 days up in Maine, couple days in NYC, and then back to my hometown of Mahopac for a bit. Things have been great and I’m really loving this north-east vibe. Especially the green rolling mountains everywhere, 80deg weather (as opposed to 3 months of 100+ in Austin), and hanging with my family and friends.
A view from a hill 10 minutes from my house.
My house in Mahopac, NY (and my faithful highlander that's traveled from Austin-to-NY 7 times now).
Tommorow, I’m heading on a mini-tour up north. I’ll be playing the Utica Music Festival in Utica, NY on Fri and Sat, then I’m gonna spend 2 days chilling in the Adirondack mountains, then I’ve got 2 shows in Burlington, VT a The Skinny Pancake(which I’ve heard is an amazing city), 2 days in Montreal, Canada, and then back down to NY… ONLY to head back out on another 4-day tour out to Bridgeport, Providence, Boston and back. TOUR INFO here: http://www.brettrandell.com/tour
THEN… I can rest. I think.
Well, I don’t want to bore you with words…so, I’ll post a bunch of pictures from my travels over the last month or so. Enjoy and thanks for reading.
Peace, Brett
My friend, Colby, and I, hiking Enchanted Rock outside of Austin, TX
Food and merch from a great house show in Mobile, AL.
My friend, Steve Jumper, started his own surfboard company. He makes them above his garage! Check out Jumper Surfboards. http://www.jumpersurfboards.com
Another Jumper Surfboard, this time with art from his sister, Marissa. Amazing stuff. http://www.jumpersurfboards.com
View I woke up to in my friends apartment in NYC.
Mmmm... New York Pizza. From my favorite place: Paolo's in Mahopac.
Our dogs.
A misty view from the cabin my friends and I go to every year up on Pleasant Pond - Caratunk, Maine.
Posted in Tour on 22. Jul, 2011
Good afternoon,
Kole and I are 4 days into our Austin-to-Chicago tour and so far it has been awesome — full of amazing times and hilarious laughs. The places we stayed the first two nights had like 5-7 cats each and one of the cats sneezed on me all night long. It was awesome.
I’m laying on an incredibly comfy bed at dKwells house in Newburgh, IN which is a quaint historical town on the Ohio river with tons of trees, small historical shops, and mansions that line the rolling hills. Definitely a great place to relax for 2 days (and play shows for 2 nights).
Here are some recaps!
DALLAS, TX
So, I used to think Dallas was terrible considering everyone I ever met that had been there or lived there said “Don’t go to Dallas. It’s terrible.” But… as couchsurfing usually does… my whole perception has changed and now I’ve found an amazing part of Dallas. Oak Cliff and the Bishop Arts District remind me of a mini Austin. Cool little art shops, coffee shops, great restaurants/cafes, and a nice funky vibe.
We stayed with one of the coolest ladies I’ve ever met. Wendi, a hippy/artist store owner, was a world traveler with long blonde dreads that dangled into different beads and decorations. Her house was full of a millon knick-knacks from around the world, as well as her art. She owned a store called “From The Ends of The Earth,” which stocked fair trade art goods and clothing as well as all the cool things she picked up from her travels.
That night, my good CS friend Aji, Kole, another CSer, Wendi, and I drank a bunch of wine, jammed out on guitars and a ton of different percussion instruments, shared stories, and passed around a sheet of paper which each person would draw on and then pass in a circle for the next person to add to. It ultimately created some bad ass, crazy drawings (pic below).
After a good jam and great times with new friends, we got up, ate at a great local Mexican restaurant, stopped by Wendi’s shop, caught up with my old friend Dale from Israel, and drove off to Memphis.
MEMPHIS, TN
After an 8.5hr drive from Dallas, we finally pulled into the divey P&H Cafe in Memphis. I love a good dive bar and this turned out to be a sweet first show for our tour. Although most of the place was empty on a Tuesday night from 11-1am, Kole and I rocked out. Our new and awesome friend, Raven, came out with her group of friends and they were incredible and made the show even more awesome. Of course, free beer and homemade spaghetti always helps end a long day.
The next day involved one of the greatest things I’ve witnessed in my life. There is a classic hotel called The Peabody in Memphis and every single day at 11am, the 5″Peabody Ducks,” who live in a palace on the roof of the hotel, march around the roof, enter the elevator, ride the elevator to the lobby, and then march (or run) out of the elevator, down a red carpet, and jump in the beautiful fountain in the center of the lobby. All of this is led and monitored by the resident “Duck Master.”
Click on “DUCK MARCH” below to see a video of it!!
>>Duck march!<<
It was truly amazing. Watch the video above. The anticipation for the elevator doors to open and then seeing the ducks excitedly rush out across the rolled out red carpet in front of 100+ people was absolutely hilarious.
We went to the gift shop which had 100s of different duck items, grabbed a coffee, and then bounced to Indiana.
EVANSVILLE, IN and NEWBURGH, IN
After a nice 4.5 hour drive, we pulled into the awesome dKwells house in NEwburgh, IN. This city is beautiful – it’s a small historic town with huge, beautiful mansions overlooking rolling green hills and the wide, Ohio river. It reminded me of towns in Westchester and upstate New York. Our meals of the day drastically changed from a lunch of cheez-its, pringles, and beef jerkey – to a hot dinner of steak, mashed potatoes, guacamole salad, and peach tea (and amazing breakfasts of eggs benedict). It was a delicious contrast.
That evening, we played at the Deerhead Sidewalk Cafe in Evansville – such a cool spot with great locals. The music lasted 5 hours, with dKwells opening up with some of his great originals, Andrew Boom rocking out for a few songs, and then Kole and I took the stage for the next 2-3 hours. The people were great and the free beer and pizza rode us out through the night. Kole and I each have our own rooms and fluffy beds in David’s house, which is an amazing solace from the normal couches we crash on.
The next night we played at Cafe Arazu in Newburgh, IN which was an excellent, middle-eastern themed restaurant/bar. Another great show finished off with a midnight pool dip, some homemade beer, and dirty rum.
Now, we’re off to play a house show in Indianapolis… here is a message from our host who is cooking food and making cake for it “I’m having a cheesecake sampler table. Red Velvet, German Chocolate, Amaretto, Baileys, Chocolate, Mocha, White Chocolate Raspberry and New York style. Yum!” “
Tis a rough life being a musician : ) Catch you on the next update.
-Brett
I was hanging at Zilker Park on an amazing Sunday afternoon in Austin and ended up writing this poem. Enjoy : ) As always, feel free to give some feedback.
Another Day Goes By
The sun bleeds yellow streams into the sea of sky.
It heats the great reservoir to the point of comfort, then retreats slowly.
The city scrapers pierce through the blue roof like giant steel splinters.
They ask for no forgiveness. They know she will forget.
A small, red ball is cradled by summer winds.
The grackles – bitter with their strident gifts – swear as it rolls by.
Their curses becomes a hundred blessings,
Rolling down crowded streets like fleeting ocean waves.
Children play with ash from burnt leaves.
The powdered charcoal becomes a flurry of bright pastels.
Viewed from the right angle – or, with enough sips of wine,
The colors display a transmission from the universe herself.
Elder statues breathe air of sad stories and stale mistakes.
They speak of the ‘Code of Hammurabi’ with bent fingers and glass nails.
The youngins at lower heights, inhale an entirely different reality,
With smiles the size of atom bombs, they conquer the world.
Ancient men rock about in old-oak chairs.
Through beards dressed as blizzards, they utter their daily phrase,
“All is well as another day goes by.”
A watch rattles on one’s leather wrist, stuck in an hour forgotten long ago.
The night receives an echo from the day’s retire;
Time ebbs and flows like smoked whiskey in a tulip-shaped glass.
It leaves its inhabitants in a woozy, euphoric, half-curled smile type of daze, and
Ushers them into a cocktail mix of contentment and pure insanity.
-Brett Randell 6/13/11
What’s up??
Quick backstory: In the summer of 2009, I came to visit Austin for a week – I heard it was an awesome city with an amazing music scene, but didn’t know anything about it. After wandering around for a few days, I bumped into Tres Cozine, who was the doorman at Momos. He told me to come check out Dan Dyer and Suzanna Choffel…
After hearing them and seeing their live performance, I was convinced to move out to Austin. I flew home, packed up my bags, and drove out to Austin 2 weeks later with my dream. That being said, it’s an honor to perform after one of my local musical inspirations.
It’s only $5 – I play 1015pm- midnight. Here is the full awesome lineup:
630pm – Little Brave
8pm – Jake Owen & Bob Charles
915pm – Dan Dyer
1015pm – Brett Randell (that’s me) : )
12am – Jackie Myers Band (my awesome friend’s band)
Come out and enjoy a night of great music! Facebook event here:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=115835055164299
Peace,
Brett
No one was harmed during the explosion on my head.
I’m back in action with some writing exercises. Yesterday I posted a request on my Facebook Page for a bunch of words, and my two favorites were “Brave” and “Unknown.” I figured I’d put them together and write something on “The Brave Unkown” – cool name for a book.
I decided to focus more on short story writing than poetry for this one, so here is what I came up with. Enjoy:
The Brave Unkown
The boy awoke like a whip, cracked out of a nightmare that seemed as real as the dirt he laid on. Each breath touching the morning air was sharp and heavy. He was barely 18-years-old but had truly lived more than most men twice his age.
“Tome,” he whispered softly. “Tome, are you okay?”
A smaller body moved next to him, lying on the small blanket, which covered the moss and sticks below. Through tired eyelids and ruffled hair, bright green eyes began to awaken.
“Yes, Joh…” the boy mumbled, “but I was doing much better asleep.”
The younger, barely awake boy couldn’t be more than 13 years old. He slept in ragged travelers clothes and had a small beanie matting his long hair. With arms tightly wrapped around his sack of supplies, he rolled over and sat up.
(more…)
It’s finally a new week and I’m back to writing exercises with Wilyum. We did a fun one yesterday which started with “Once Upon A Time…” but I was really happy with today’s “10 minute morning exercise” (sound’s like some workout routine, right?).
Enjoy. The word was “Dust”.
Dust
Who am I?
I am the dust that surrounds your feet
As you walk down your trail of trials and triumph.
Who am I?
I am the dust that stains your fingernails
After years and years of labor and love.
Who am I?
I am the dust that weaves through the seeds in the sky
As they travel to places you’ve only dreamed of.
Who am I?
I am the dust lying dormant under layers of soil,
Remnants of an ancient civilization’s reign.
Who am I?
I am the dust that falls from the phoenix’s rebirth,
A figment of time and mortality.
Who am I?
I am the dust at the foot of a tombstone,
The finale for a character’s lifelong story.
Who am I?
I am the dust, wiped clean from the blinding white room
Where a new child was born.
Who am I?
I am the dust that created it all.
I am the spark.
I am the beginning,
I am the middle,
and
I am the end.
- Brett Randell 3/8/11
This was actually my writing exercise from yesterday morning. Wilyum said “Algorithm” and this is what I came up with. Enjoy…
Algorithm
From the tip of the tree to the stoop of the stump,
A vine intertwined in infinite lines like a vortex through time to present it’s design.
The birds shared their words in chirps, hoots, and chimes, the herds of the woods resonated their minds.
A mathematical, pragmatical sabbatical from nature’s natural battle, would separate real animals from mindless, dumb cattle.
One world + one earth + many dimensions equals time’s formula’s frozen suspension – the tension resulting could bend, fold, and lessen the bonds that connect molecule’s prime direction.
But magnify closer, release your brains holster, and trigger the music of mental composure. An orchestra beaming with bright algorithms, that connects all the gaps, combines all the schisms.
And radiates infinite thoughts from your vision to view the world truly………
as it was meant to be.
- Brett Randell 2/18/11
Thoughts, comments, SPAM? post below : )
I guess we stuck with “A” again for the second day of morning writing exercises. This time, the word “Ambience” was thrown out there. Awesome word…
Today, Wilyum had the idea that we have 15 minutes to describe the ambience of a place or situation and the other person has to guess what it is through the creative writing. Awesome idea. Again… just another 15 minutes of free-writing, any style, any method.
SO… I’ll turn mine into a little contest. Whoever can guess what place/event/situation/thing I’m describing, gets a free MP3 of one of my songs…your choice. Respond to my facebook post at http://www.facebook.com/BrettRandellMusic to guess!
HERE it is… “Ambience”
The sky is filled with moisture and raucous. A blue backdrop over a dreary idea.
A panoramic paradigm of preposterous proportions.
Cheers, jeers, smiles, frowns, screams, and shouts… all lie in between.
The smell of blood and bread fills the air.
You can’t really describe the pressure in the atmosphere, nor describe the intensity. But it is there, and it is thicker and deeper than you could ever imagine.
Large grains of sand slip through callous fingers – a beautiful waterfall of beige particles.
Children of all ages play with puppets. Old men talk of politics, poverty, and power. Women dine, with silk dresses that drape across sculpted marble, and goblets of wine that stain their white teeth.
Everyone, everywhere seems to float about with an ambience of happiness, joy, and excitement.
But inside this oval, sculpted by the hands of men, eventually to be destroyed by the hands of nature, lies a feeling so grave and so dangerous that any onlooker who is only feet from the action, really lies thousands of miles away… mentally, physically, and spiritually.
The sharp contrast of participant and audience is barely visible, but it’s definition is so serious it becomes a matter of life and death.
Clapping hands and smiling cheeks stand only twenty feet apart from wasted bodies and future tombstones.
Horns blare, steel sparks, and animals roar. It is a time where men ascend to gods and gods feel shame for men.
-Brett Randell 1/9/11
