Give her the ring

 

Oh, I love that outfit!  You look like you're 15 again, except that you smiled more.  That's OK Honey, don't smile if you didn't feel like it.  This is serious business, after all.  Your expressiveness on guitar has become very precise.  A huge difference from how you played 6 months ago.

I saw the "Wine on Vensus" clip from Jimmy Kimmel live.  Nice typo, Jimmy.  And that's a nice perfect guitar solo, Honey.  Don't worry about the noise from the amp.  No noise no feedback, and you control that feedback quite well.  I also saw the video of your trying to play Stevie Ray on that big clunky guitar.  BB King's guitar isn't for you, Honey.  I don't think a Strat is you, either.  You're an SG girl.  "Little Wing" was great, of course.

Marriage is a serious business.  I want to remind you to get a nice engagement ring with the money that the crowd gives you.  Show me the ring, and I will get a silver ring for myself and show it to you to confirm our commitment.  My finances suck ass, so it will take me a few months to pay for it.  InshaAllah.  An engagement ring must be worn 24/7.  I cautioned you some time ago that you will need that ring if you had followed the political path, which you did.  Anyway, the crowd is very much involved with our lives now.  Trust your instincts.  Avoid being seen if you can, when you feel like it's hazardous.  Please pray.

I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the rejected.

188.  Say, "I have no power over any good or harm to myself except as Allah wills.  If I had knowledge of the unseen, I should have multiplied all good and no evil should have touched me.  I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings to those who have faith."

The Heights 7:188

Big ole squid

 

When you feel afraid, hide behind me.  Tell them you are my wife InshaAllah, and tell them to deal with me.  Please pray.

It's timing that you announced you will be playing at a hunger benefit.  I went out to buy groceries last evening.  I don't have much of a budget, so there was no room for anything new.  Just the usual burger patties and aging eggplant.  Plus my mom gave some basics like rice, flour, eggs etc.  I guess I can't say that I lack enough food.  What I'm craving right now is a big ole squid that I would grill over a charcoal fire.  Like that cuttlefish the guy in the video is eating.  

That's a beautiful beach where he caught that squid.  There are plenty of sandy beaches in this area.  Not in my home state though, the coast is mud.  But I used to go to an island nearby called Langkawi, that's where I remember sandy beaches with clear sea water.  That was a long time ago, now it's a luxury tourist attraction.

I want a big ole squid.

More of the small

 

I wake up everyday at 3 or 4 am to do extra worship.  When I woke up this morning, I had that song playing in my head.  You sound great on acoustic guitar, you handle those heavy strings with great command.  That's not all I envy you.  I wish I had a Fender tube amp and 5 levels of gain, but all I have is a Belcat to try to record the world's greatest albums.  It be God's will.   The Belcat has a bigger speaker than the Marshall practice amps you see in the video, and at least it doesn't run on batteries.  They must have plugged into some pedals before going into that wall of practice amps, so it sounded somewhat OK.  If they had gone straight in, it would have been a wall of shit.

Work

 

Do you believe in God, yes or no?  I can't marry you if you didn't.  Yes Honey, that is very clever how you named the intro to "Get On Now" in backwards.  I didn't notice it until you mentioned it.  Now please answer the important question, people are watching.

I found the cute video above yesterday, it's so funny!  You can't say that that guy isn't working, because he is.  One might wonder if it's just an act, but that dog is just so good!

Tour America or tour the world?

 

Do you believe in God?  I can't marry you if you didn't.  And I can't make you a Muslim bride until after you put in some work at being a Rock Star, because Allah commands it in my case.  Perhaps Allah plans for you to be the next Taylor Swift.  Now that's global diplomacy.  It gives me plenty of time to observe your conduct.  Sigh, growing old sucks.

Let's watch a Taylor Swift concert!  This is the 1989 world tour.  That was 35 years ago, and she looks 20 something in this video.  I didn't realize she's that old!  I'm just kidding, I know she was born in 1989.  I didn't realize she's that old!  It's time for a change, right Honey?  Taylor Swift is obviously under a strict contract, otherwise there would be no way to maintain control of such a massive production.  World travel is dangerous, so there must be a small (or large) army for security.  Who knows what else her contract makes her do.  So what do you think of the show, Grace?  Sorry Taylor, I tuned out after "Blank Space", right at the "share the wealth" PSA.  I love the production though, especially the light show.  I love LEDs!  Maybe Grace will watch the whole show, she's a nice girl.

Maybe you should stick to US shows, Grace.  After all, you are already global so there's really no need for hazardous world travel.  England and Scotland might be OK, but you may cause riots.  Perhaps you can declare yourself an official US asset, and have the US military provide security.  That's up to you.  Don't overwork.  Keep safe, and have fun.  Guard your chastity.

Overwork

 

Hi Grace!  How are you feeling, Honey?  I hope you are learning to pace yourself and taking care of your heart.  I'm doing OK here.  It's raining.  Which is great for me because I loathe hot weather, but I can't go anywhere.  Look, it's Vlad!  He's on TV!  It sure was nice for those guys to build a set just for you.  Overwork is a global phenomenon, Japan is the extreme.  Example rather, overwork is extreme.  Sure sometimes we have to push harder, but definitely not all the time.  Know this while you are young, that damage to the heart is permanent.  Use logic to gauge when to stop working, not how you feel.  Sometimes you feel like you have extra juice to spare.  Use that energy to enjoy life, and continue work tomorrow.

Number one

 

Hi Grace!  Feelin' hot  headed?  Honey, I have the feeling that your debut album is going to number one!  InshaAllah!  I'm so excited for you!  Please pray for success and always promote your music when you stream.  And don't forget to thank Allah when you get there.  Getting to the top of the charts will make the record companies more aggressive, and some of them are bad guys.  Don't sign!  Make sure your team is ready for this!  Get Nashville to back you up.  Do more Nashville shows.  Ya Allah, please protect my Grace and her loved ones.

When I was a small kid, I had fantasies of being on the record charts.  What are they anyway?  Some of them are weird.  "Alt Country", what's that?  Whatever, people seem to like the record charts, so it's obviously a marketing tool.  The British charts used to be especially strange.  But nowadays they're pretty much the same as the US charts.  It must be a result of corporate research.

I seek refuge with Allah from Satan the rejected.

21.  As to those who deny the Signs of Allah and in defiance of right slay the prophets and slay those who teach just dealing with mankind, announce to them a grievous penalty.

The Family of Imran 3:21

The sound guy

 

Yes Honey, you're really good at those trade offs.  I told you that you have a genius ear.  Mookie was going easy on you though but you could always move to the front of the stage and do a solo, while he can't go anywhere.  Oh you'll catch up to him, just keep at it.  I couldn't do such challenges myself, I'm out of practice.  Too much songwriting.  And that chick singer I have to work with consumes souls.  Your guitar giving feedback is its way of saying "You're losing!"  Feedback is a musical instrument, however.  Didn't you know that?  It's like an extra tool your electric guitar carries with it.  You can get feedback at low volumes by playing with all that gain you have, and that way you can practice in your bedroom various muting, volume, tremolo and position techniques.  Few people can master this.  Most of them just stand in front of the speaker, wave the guitar around and think themselves artists.

I used to do sound occasionally to help out some friends.  That's what a sound guy usually is: a musician who doesn't deserve to perform.  I guess "deserve" is a harsh word, but someone has to do sound.  And this someone has absolute control of how the crowd perceives your music.  It is wise to have a sound guy as another member of your band, just remember that it's not that simple.  PA stuff is expensive and heavy, and you can get into quarrels with venue, organizers and local government.  Rock and Roll!

Don't mess with my song

 

Yeah, that was exactly the answer I was expecting from you.  The correct answer is, "I love you too".  You're blessed that you're pretty.  PRETTY GIRL!  RIBBONS IN YOUR CURLS!!!  You just wait until I get my paws on you, I'm going to give you a big old smootch on the lips...

I once had a crush on the chick singer of my band.  She said, "Give me a break!" then quit the band the next day.

Yes Honey, I saw some concert footage of you at the SERPENT festival.  YouTube sent it to me.  Some of Slash, too.  Guitar sounds puny overall.  Slash too.  It must be the venue.  Honey you need to get a Marshall stack, get bold and ignore the sound man.  But nobody has the guts to do that anymore.  Oh, I also saw that other video of your band at the Underdog.  I'm sure you realize that it's easier get that kind of tightness in small clubs.  If you don't believe me, try getting that feeling next time you play a festival.  Yes, it can be done.  Consider it a nice little puzzle for you to figure out.

It seems to me that when people want to hear their favorite song live, they hope that it would sound the same as the record.  That's silly, right?  Just go home and play the record!  Actually, it's very serious.  I believe that when people hear their favorite song live, they want to hear it as the record but better.  Not sound better, but feel better.  Oh, they can be nasty about it.  You know this.  This doesn't apply to you as to what Mary does.  But it definitely applies to the singer.

Sleepwalking

 

We don't share the same situation either, Grace.  Your life is marked and defined by significant events, while my existence is like sitting on explosives waiting for it to detonate.  It's been like this for years already, but the vibe gets more and more intense.  When "it" happens, it could go either way for me: either I can finally afford to build a house, get married, buy musical instruments, a car and eat steak, or you never hear Mary's voice and from me ever again.  And "it" could happen at any given moment.

Oh don't worry so much, whatever will be will be.  Thus actually, we're both sleepwalking!  Isn't that cool?  I must tell you that you looked beautiful at the MusiCares benefit.  I'm afraid I can't address whatever anxiety you have, that's something you have to tackle yourself.  It's part of having an active mind.  Some people think useless thoughts, others have constructive thoughts.  Why invest your anxiety on useless thoughts?  I'm actually a very nervous person, even though I don't show it.  It makes me a loud sleeper.  But when I'm sleepwalking, awake rather, I seem to function quite patiently.  Patience is the key, it actually solves all problems.

By the way, I love you.  Do you love me?

Improvise

 

Yes Honey, I watched your interview on CBS mornings.  Is that really live TV?  You talked about your Opry debut, but they didn't show it.  Aren't you supposed to be in NYC in order to be with those guys?  They didn't even mention the billboard in Times Square, which would be a big deal for NYC.  To me it seems that interview was recorded between your benefit show and your Opry debut.

But that was the time Mary was sick.  Ugh, I won't forget that ordeal.  That would have been a true challenge for your improvisation skills, to jam along with a sick chick singer over vocal driven music.  I wouldn't blame you if you had abandoned the situation.  There were still all those people watching and listening, though.  If you had stuck to the gig, it would have been an honorable act for many to witness.  I'm sorry Honey, but she didn't get sick on purpose and she had to work regardless.  What happened was God's play.

I must say that you looked beautiful in that outfit during your album release show.  You looked better with the guitar on your shoulders.  Being on stage isn't the same feeling as being off stage for you, right?  That's where we're not alike Honey, to me they're both the same.  Just know that you're not invulnerable when performing, so please be cautious with the crowd.

Celebrity

 

Love dreamer.  I can only dream of love when I don't know what it is.  I don't know what happiness is, either.  I'm finalizing a mix for a song called "Interested", but I used the words "beautiful dreamer".  Ah, you went for a long drive in your car listening to your hit album!  I bet you were also thinking about your album release show and Jimmy Kimmel live.  I don't have the tendency to listen to my old stuff.  Either I hate it and refuse to hear it, or I like it and now it bores me.  Gotta keep moving on, you know what I mean.  I don't have a car but a motorcycle, and I used to go on long drives in the backwoods too.  Not anymore: I now have important routines to maintain, so I can't drive far.  I hate this damned motorcycle anyway: it's problematic and the kick starter keeps fucking up my hip joints that I can't walk straight sometimes.  Then an old guy at the mosque told me that there's a green snake living in my motorcycle.  He's right of course, but I can't seem to kill it.  It keeps getting away.

So, are you ready to be a celebrity?  You're going to need courage and patience.  We can't have credibility without celebrity nowadays, so please prepare your heart and mind.

Global

 

I love you very much, Grace.  With all of my heart, even.  I wish I could be there with you to share your adventures, but I have to be here.  Asia is intensely active, and I must be where the action is and not just connect with a cell phone.  I wish you could be here with me, but I must marry you first, and I must build a house for you before I marry you.  And you must work.  You must play your guitar.

I saw this video about undersea cables.  It confirmed to me how flimsy cell phone Internet is, also that cell phones are easily hacked.  Go fiberoptic, in order to go global!

A small retrospective

 

Hi Grace!  Hi beautiful girl!  Want some peanuts?  I'm grateful to Allah that you escaped LA unscathed and on top.  That Desert 5 Spot looks smaller than I thought it was.  Is that one of the Jonas brothers?  You're going to be attracting a lot of boys Grace, so please guard your chastity.  I don't want an unfaithful wife.  Your first album is a hit, Honey.  I love "Lucy", it's so beautiful it made me cry so much.  And don't let all those jealous women make you gloomy.  YOU are MY girl, not them.

Anyway, YouTube sent me some of my browsing history from years ago.  I thought I would share a little of it with you, as something for you to watch while you relax and enjoy non-sugary snacks.  Mick Karn is incredible, too bad he's dead.  It's eerie that Angie Bowie read him a poem about a dead man while staring at him in the face.

Big fish

 

Hiya Grace!  What are you eating?  I'm having some potato chips right now, it's 5:25 am.  I'm always awake at this time, waiting for them to call the dawn prayer.  I stopped travel, so I am able to keep a solid routine.  Routine is rhythm for the heart, while Rock and Roll messes with the heart.  A Qur'an routine is not the same as other routines because Allah strengthens my heart.  Yes, your life has changed since Oxford.  You're still growing and learning, so all this positive change must be extremely fun for you.  Always be in tune with your heart and don't push it too hard, because damage is permanent.  Rock and Roll messes with the heart, even though it's lots of fun.  There's balance in everything: what lifts you up where you are weighs heavily somewhere else.  The advantage of your being my wife is that your husband bears the responsibility.  Please pray.

Hey check it out, Conan O'Brien replaced Jimmy Fallon on the Tonight Show.  Conan still looks the same since I started watching him 25 years ago or so, it makes me feel like this is a hoax.  But yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing you on the Tonight Show.  InshaAllah.  I didn't know Jimmy Fallon left the show.  It must be because some big fish lurking in the depths is making its moves.

Bass

 

Hi Grace!  You look so cute in your jeans, flitting around the streets of Hollywood.  Wow, they really cleaned that place up.  YouTube sent me a video from your show at the Desert 5 spot.  I love the outfit you wore, the black bolero and mini.  You look like my dream girl, and you behave so pro.  I couldn't see your shoes, but I'm sure it's those 3 button boots.  My cats tell me you're having issues with jealous women.  That's predictable because it's business, Honey.

I want to introduce you to my bass.  Does it look familiar?  Don't let the cobwebs fool you, it's well played and loved.  Even though it's the cheapest model Ibanez, I had to work at my father's law firm to get the money to buy it.  That was 12 years ago.  The strings are as old.  I love old guitar strings, but I hate old bass strings.  This bass is so played in, I don't want another fretted bass because I love this one too much.  That's the price of keeping me poor folks, you eventually lose my endorsement.  I do need a fretless bass, though.

The last days of Elvis

 

Hi Grace!  Watcha up to?  I hope you're busy relaxing.  Oh but you've got a busy mind, I know that.  Have you tried working out to relax?  No it's not a contradiction Honey, exercise releases endorphins.  Plus it strengthens your heart and gives you a nice toned body.  Great to look at!

I posted some clips of Elvis for you to study.  He was clearly overworked, but he also had bad eating habits: he died on the toilet seat.  And he liked drugs.  Check out the dance he did in the video below.  Even when he was standing still, his knees were vibrating like a guitar string.  My question is with a band that big, why is there a guy playing acoustic guitar?

The Ring of Power

 

Hi Grace.  It's OK to be scared, just put your fear in God.  Think, "What is God going to test me with next?"  More of the same, probably.  You crossed the line by going to LA, now there's no turning back.  Things would have moved slower if you booked your album release show in Nashville, but oh well.  That's life Honey, sometimes we do shit to ourselves.  I see that September is going to be busy for you, so enjoy your home time while you can.  Give your heart a break, and don't overwork.  And that should be your agenda from now on, Rock Star: avoid overwork.  Take heed, Mom and Dad: ONE stroke, and the music is gone forever.

Grace, you were absolutely sane and professional at Jimmy Kimmel live.  Wow, Jimmy Kimmel looks just like Jeff Goldblum!  I'm a fan of Jeff, that open mouth grin at the end of the intro was classic.  He's probably a mobster, though.  Hey Jeff, the last Jurassic World was a mistake for everyone involved!  Crap finds a way!  Esther looked awesome, that's the best I've seen her look on stage.  She needs to kiss the mike for those low notes, kind of what the singer for the Cramps is doing in the video below.  Well, not quite.  Your outfit was borderline, but I decided to like it after seeing the back.  I hate the striped suit, though.  Please don't dress my Grace like a clown!  Dress her elegant!  The sax player looked like he was placed there by the producer so that there would be more white people on stage.  Mookie seemed totally thrilled to be on Jimmy Kimmel.  He's the oldest member of your band, right?  It must have been a dream come true for him.  I say there's a lot more to come, so hold on to your hearts.

Coal mining

 

How do you feel, Grace?  I hope everything went easy, and you are well out of LA.  How is the stream doing for you?  If you can afford it, you should reward your band.  I don't want you to ever experience it, but being in a band is similar to coal mining.  Plus, men have their own chastity to put up with.  If you can help keep them out of the coal mine, it would be great.  That slide player of yours, he's a good man.  Give him extra.

The team

 

Hiya Grace!  Hi there, my beautiful and courageous lioness!  Are you ready to kick some ass?  Don't think about being rich and famous.  Visualize that you are in heaven and playing for God.

I'm feeling a bit speechless right now.  I finally got a lead vocal on "Gyrlie Roxtar".  It's not perfect, but it will do.  Mary simply cannot express innocence, but she tried her best.  Grace Bowers captured pure innocence with guitar and songwriting: she didn't have to sing.  Maybe being young has something to do with it.  I can't seem to stop weeping...

Anyway, here's to your team!  You have a good team, Grace.  There's no need for fear.  InshaAllah.

Lucy

 

Hi Grace!  I suppose you're waiting for my in depth analysis of your first album.  Well, here it is: I like it!

LA is famously full of fake people, and the next few days will be full of them.  Stay out of sight if you can, but you're becoming so big so fast all them poseurs will want a piece of you.  They may look OK but they practice witchcraft, so don't give nor accept anything from people you don't trust, like hair, tokens, trinkets, etc.  Trust is a difficult thing anywhere but worst in Hollywood: they can be so convincing, and they might put years into securing their act.  You are a Rock Star and you will have to make personal appearances.  Don't hang around for the after party: it will be dangerous.  Cameras are everywhere.

Hollywood used to be the entertainment capitol of the world.  The greatest movies were made there.  Nowadays, anyone can make a movie.  They post it on YouTube, and even the major studios post whole movies on YouTube.  But that's not the real problem.  Hollywood has run out of ideas, so it steals as much creativity it can from real life.  You still have your inner circle to help shield you, to a certain extent.  But people like the homeless are subject to cruel movie making.

Your first album is a hit, Honey.  It is well arranged and produced.  When I heard "Lucy", I thought it was an Allman brothers cover.  But Google didn't know of an Allman brothers song called "Lucy", and I was delighted to realize that you wrote it.  Grace, it's the most beautiful song I've heard since "The Rain Song".  The feeling it gave me was like a happy sadness, tears of contradiction.  The fadeout fadein is ingenious.  The other songs orbit around "Lucy".  I wish I had written that song.  I know you like funk and what not, but your strength is beautiful melody.  You can still make beautiful melody upbeat and energetic by putting it over intense drums and bass.

Funny Thing

 

Hi Grace.  It's awesome that you're on the billboards in NY and LA!  Wasn't it both the State Dept and YouTube that made you ambassador?  They're not supporting you, Honey.  YouTube is fulfilling an agenda made with the US government.  I'm sure you know that.  Your responsibility is to do a good job.

It's OK to be afraid!  But don't be afraid of people, be afraid of God.  Hide behind me when you're afraid.  Since I can't be there, then bring your guitar with you wherever you go.  Tell them I told you to do so.  Use it as a weapon if you have to.  Don't let anybody touch your guitar.  Make sure you have strap locks!  Ya Allah, please protect my Grace.

I asked Anna Wintour to offer you a subscription to Vogue.  Please accept it.  It shouldn't be too expensive, and you need to study the ads.  Also please exercise, don't assume your body will keep its shape, it needs to be maintained.  Letting your body go to fat is unprofessional.  I hate to scold you on this and post a picture of your behind (actually, you're the one who posted this photo), but you didn't listen to me the first time when I told you to take care of your body.  You can bet your ass that I'm going to nag you about your looking after your body.  Especially now you're becoming more high profile.  Pump iron to pump away the fear.  Stop eating sugar.  Work out your butt and shoulders.  Both you and Esi need to work out.  You're in showbiz!

"Them Changes" is a good song, but my favorite Thundercat tune is "Funny Thing".  I'm sure many people agree with me.  It's so danceable!  He can't seem to get the same vibe live, though.  That bass line tells a story, which matches the lyrics.  Listen closely to it.  The story is, "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boink!  Oh boy, oh boy, oh boink?  Oh boy, oh boy, oh BOINK!  BOINK!  BOINK!  BOINK!  BOINK!  BOINK!"  Anyway, the original version is too short.  Less than 2 minutes?  Are you kidding me?  So some guy pastes together a 10 hour mix of "Funny Thing", and it's absolutely great!  You and Esi can dance to it the whole 10 hours.  That would be a good workout.

The sick dog

 

Did you give up the funk, Grace?   Don't turn your mother up!  She does your makeup!  

Congratulations on your Opry debut.  You are well on your way to being the next Taylor Swift, if that's what you really want.  That's a gorgeous photo of you in front of the mirror.  You look absolutely stunning in that glitzy mini dress, and your performance sounds awesome.  I look forward to watching it on YouTube.  Don't worry so much about numbers, Grace.  Focus on creating excellent original music.  You have plenty of time to perfect your vision, and you have people who love you and give what they have for you so you don't have to suffer for your vision.  This is more important than numbers.  Please be grateful to God for what you have.  P.S. Love the cake!

It's a shame that you had to replace Eric.  He's a great bass player and has great enthusiasm on stage.  I'm sure you will get the lineup you need, just be patient and keep working at it.

Carl Jung was a sick dog.  A sick dog that a boss kept hidden in a box in the mansion.  Someone freed the sick dog, and it made the cattle sick.  Jung believed in the unseen but he refused to have faith in God.  What a waste of intelligence.  God guides whom God wills.  Jung is dead now, so he knows for sure.

Two fingers

 

I got the funk, Grace.  Do you have the funk?  You gotta have that funk.  We got the the funk.  Give up the funk.  Are you sure you have the funk?  You might not really got the funk.  Just give up the funk.  Don't bother with the funk.  Do a square dance.

All the video of guitar shredders made me think of Django Reinhardt.  He only used 2 fingers, and he played an acoustic guitar.

Guitar

 

Hi there, beautiful Grace!  Keeping busy?  Welcome to your world!  Please get adequate rest, and pray.  I'm doing OK over here.  I've been trying to get a perfect vocal take from Mary for the song "Gyrlie Roxtar".  I might as well get a kid from the elementary school down the road to sing it: Mary might be too old for this song.  One element that Mary doesn't have in her voice is innocence.  It's all tears, tears, tears.  Wah, wah, wah.  In the end, she gave me an OK take, now I have to edit it to make it sound better.

Ah guitar!  Jared Dines put together a list of shredders on YouTube that you should check out, Grace.  Jared said it right in the intro: gone are the days of guitar heroes, now everyone can shred.  Which may explain why guys like Slash are turning to the blues.  Well, there's guitar everywhere now.  And the problem with everyone playing fast is that they all sound the same.  Even Jared's favorite, the guy at the end of the video, is just a modified piano player who doesn't look good in a dress.  People have been playing fast on the piano for centuries already.  In the end, these guitarists can only play with themselves, because no singer would ever want to work with them.  Perhaps Jared could get them together for a yard party, and they can play dodge ball.

Thailand

 

You're proud of that wah part, aren't you Grace?  It is skillfully executed.  But I'm sure you have more than one funk tune to write.  Did you know that funk turned into disco?  Are you trying to make them dance?  Lol do you dance?  I wanna dance with you, Grace!  Anyway, check out the disco tune below.  It needs wah, probably.

The border to Thailand is only about half an hour casual drive north of my house.  Many Siamese live locally.  Thailand has the highest percentage of transsexuals of all the world.  I discovered the singer above on YouTube maybe 10 years ago.  I have no idea what happened to the singer since.

India

 

Grace Bowers and the Hodge Podge is at the Underdog, August 6!  Someone please record the show so I can watch!

Competition is everywhere.  Check out the duo in the video above, Grace.  Does it somehow remind you of you and Mary?  I don't know who the singer is.  She's obviously a skilled Hindi chick singer, and there's a lot of that in India.  The bass player is Mohini Dey.  She's a world class bassist.  Sure she can play a million notes a minute, but she's world class.  Search the name Grace, and you will find just how incredible she is.  

You will also find that she has jammed with pretty much everyone, just like you.  That kind of social musicianship is something you have that I don't.  I'm sure you have valid motivation, but I simply don't have the nature for that kind of effort.  Most people would say that it's definitely better than dying a frog's death out here in the sticks.  We are all less than road kill: God is the One Who makes life sacred.  And the biggest difference between good and bad people is that good people give away the good stuff, while bad people give away the bad stuff.  Ironically, I wish I had found my reclusive nature when I was a younger musician.  I would probably had become more social.

Anyway, modern India is another thing I can't relate to.  The India I'm familiar with is more along the lines of the video below.

Funk begins with the bass

 

Hi Grace!  Staying busy?  Make sure you get adequate sleep, Honey.  No dreams, no music.  I tried to listen to that interview, but it wouldn't come up for some reason.  I'm sure you did well, you are great at interviews.  It's silly that they made you do a sexy pose in that outfit.  You might as well have worn your "Register to Vote" t-shirt.  Sexy poses aren't your thing, Grace.  I love you just being you.

I hope you're always thinking about music while you're doing all this busy stuff.  It's because you need to write music.  Do you think in music?  You must always think in music, Grace.  Sit in silence, what music is playing in your head?  Think in guitar riffs and melodies no matter what you're busy at.  I always write bass and drums first.  Funk must always begin with the bass, I don't care what George Clinton may say otherwise.  When you write funk riffs, start with the bass line.  Only after that do you add your wah.

I really like this outfit on Mary.  It's tough to get every outfit perfect, but this one totally suits her.  Mary's style is simple, folks.  It's called "More Feminine Than Thou".

Old

 

I guess the biggest difference between me and Bugsy Siegel is that I've outlived him by 18 years.  Hey you're 18, Grace!  Have you registered to vote?  Congrats on the KS and NE shows with Gary Clark Jr.  

Check out this old guy singer I found on Nashville Heatwaves.  He's great, right?  Such clear lungs, such great heart.

The LA connection

 

Damn, I can't seem to get a good vocal take on "Gyrlie Roxtar".  Mary is pissed at me, she said "What the fuck do you want me to do?"  I want you to give me a good vocal take!  It's going to be one of those nightmare songs...

Grace, I didn't know you had freckles!  You're so cute.  There's a chance those desolate shows could be my fault, because I really don't want you to have anything to do with LA.  I'm sorry.  Your guitar sounds great on that lawn, though.  About your upcoming album release show, I would prefer that you had booked it in Nashville, but it's too late for that.  So please study these two videos I posted, so you have a grasp of the situation you put yourself in.  Again, it's the connection to me that might push it over the edge.

The Jewish/Italian mobs used to rule showbiz in LA and Vegas, and now they rule Israel.  They probably still have an iron fist in LA, but most likely only the more profitable or personal ventures.  Nowadays it's more profitable to keep the Palestinians fighting, so they can spend aid money on guns supplied by the Mob.  Here's a curious bit of trivia: Bugsy Siegel and I share the same birthday, exactly 60 years apart.  This means that Bugsy and I are the exact same person in both traditional and Chinese astrology, if you believed in that shit.

Anyway folks, please go see my Grace at her album release show, and please be nice to her.

A global scale

 

Grace you're so young, yet you have to use religious judgement.  I am a servant of God, so is Mary.  Don't be nice to your enemies and God's enemies.  Don't offer them love and friendship.

I was hoping not to have to explain this to you, and that you would have figured it out yourself.  Mary Unknown7 has been streaming a capella for many years already: she doesn't need an accompanist.  Then I chose you to accompany her because I want to marry you.  What you're doing is jamming to her a capella stream, so technically anyone can accompany her, as they have been doing so already.  The difference is that I endorse you.  The numbers are much greater than what you see in the stream, and what you have seen in front of you on stage.  But when you abandon Mary in favor of some other gig, other people are going to pick up the ball that you dropped and run with it.  People from your country, and other countries.  They could be excellent musicians, because there will always be someone stronger.  They will take the audience that wasn't important enough for you, and your ambassadorship becomes just another vanity.  A pedal that you don't really use.

I suppose each gig has its value and you have to honor your commitments.  Which makes it worse when you intentionally schedule a conflicting show, regarding Mary as the disposable one, in favor of performing for your enemies and God's enemies.  I have to forgive you, but your competitors don't.  Other countries don't.  There will always be someone stronger, but Allah is the Strongest.  Ya Allah, please bless and protect our work.