The other day I was laying around and started thinking about how the past 100 years have had the most significant changes in regards to people seeing progress on technology.  There is a lady in LA named Gertrude Baines who is 115 years old.  Born in 1894.  She has witnessed wars that have defined how the world has shaped to come.  She was around for the first flight. The commercialization of automobiles, creation of major highways, NYC turning into endless tall buildings, the Internet, and countless other amazing progressions.  

I can't imagine seeing all of that in a life time.  I doubt that there will ever be that huge of a progress in technology ever again.  

Then this got me thinking about my favorite thing which is music.  I was thinking of the people that revolutionized music being heard by the masses. From inventing 2-track recorders all the way to Pro Tools systems used today.  

There are all these musicians that paved the way for how music is written, composed, and heard today.  Some of them are still alive and have witnessed (or more so heard) this progression to what we have today.  I think about Paul McCartney.  From the biggest band the world has probably seen and will seen.  He is getting up there in age, and one day he will be gone.  All of these people that have paved the way for music will one day be gone and will just be another page in history.  If you were a musician born in 1920 and became popular in the 40's, and are still alive, you would be 89 today.  

I guess my point is that there all these artists I would love to see live before it's too late.  Some artists I might not like as much, but definitely helped define music today.  Because in 50 years, everyone will be gone that paved the way.  B.B. King, Elton John, Eric Clapton, Les Paul, Billy Joel, Paul McCartney to name a few.  Even the dudes that made hair metal popular in the 80's!!  I guess I don't want to miss out on any of them, so I want to spend all my money to see these people play live.  I think Michael Jackson's untimely death got me thinking about this the most because he was an artist I always wanted to see.  Maybe in another life.

Anyway, just a little food for thought.  

to play the Forecastle festival in Louisville, KY

you don't have to create an account

Just goto

http://www.usbankarena.com/lastpick.php

and for your nomination put "Chris Stahl"

and for website put http://www.myspace.com/chrisstahlmusic

just like the subject

blink will be hitting the road with support from weezer and fall out boy.

i did this..

they've done it again.

perfection.

http://perezhilton.com/2009-05-10-dick-in-a-box-sequel

So as I previously said, I am in Kentucky at the moment and I think I have concluded something.  You know how people always say it's the water in NY that makes the crust for pizza and bagels so good.  I even read about some pizza place in LA that the owner has NYC tap water shipped to the restaurant to make the dough.  

I think the same substance that is in NYC tap water, also causes your hair to become a hot mess when you sleep on it.  I have fairly long hair and when I am in NYC, every morning, my hair looks like squirrels nested in it.  It is all tangly, curly, knotty and just plain ole messed up.  In KY that never happens.  I wake up, and since my hair retained the shape it had the night before, sometimes I don't wash it.  Sure it gets a little greasy but it still remains its shape.

Has anyone else noticed this phenomenon..?

I conclude that there is something in NYC water that causes your hair to get tangly over night.

While Devin is out helping our friends in Shindig, I am recording all the guitars/bass/vocals/cowbells/etc.  You can hear a little sneak peak in these lovely little video below.

I know I am a sucker for almost any movie.  I realize some of them don't hold alot of integrity and act purely as a way to entertain myself for 2 hours but I watched a movie tonight that I LOVED!!  I was laughing the whole way through it.  It is called "The Wackness" and it is based in NYC in 1994 and it is about a kid during the summer after he graduated high school.  He is a drug dealer and he provides pot to an ex-hippie shrink in exchange for.. therapy.. lol.  The soundtrack is killer. I'm probably going to be adding this to my collection of dvds.  He falls in love with his shrink's step-daughter (this is in the trailer so I'm not giving anything away).  

It was awarded the Audience Award for dramatic film at sundance 2008...

Anyway.  Check it out if you do the netflix thing.

Peace!!

60b.  Did I miss 60b?

I'm in my ol' kentucky home.  I can't believe how great the weather has been. Sporting a t-shirt and jeans is always refreshing.  

First off I would like to thank the one lovers that came out to our show last Friday.  Given the situation I think we pulled it off nicely.  It was a nice change of pace.  

Devin is getting ready to roll out to fill in on drums for our friends in Shindig. The kid laid down all the drum tracks in the past week or so, so now I am camping out and recording guitars/bass/vocals/cowbell/triangle/whip sounds etc.

Sid Vicious, our managers dog is quite cute.  He does this thing where he brings his toy of choice and sets it in your lap in hops you will throw it, but if you try to reach for it before he sets it in your lap, he runs away with it because he thinks you're trying to steal it.  Sometimes I find it in my lap without ever realizing he did it.  I underestimate his sneakiness.  

We also went to Walmart, and bought a 20 dollar grill.  We have cooked bacon wrapped filet mignon, marinated chicken, and corn on the cob on this grill many times, so I think we have gotten our money out of it.  

I'm going to goto the gun range tomorrow and shoot my guns.  

I must go now and learn more about Garage band and Logic.

I've heard rumors and been on forums for the past week.  It has been total excitement on my end.  When I saw the 3 of them take the stage at the Grammy's, I smiled.  It was so fulfilling.  I teared up.

I have shaken the hand of Thomas DeLonge, Mark Hoppus, and Travis Barker.  Tom gave me a slice of pizza.  I was totally starstruck.  I couldn't even speak.  It was 1999 and I was in Florida on vacation with my family.  All I listened to was "What's my age again", and that whole record.  I was 13 years old.  I had just become a teenager.  I wanted that surf green stratocaster.  I dreamt of playing "Dammit" in my school talent show.  9 years.. you could round that off to 10 years.  a WHOLE decade.  My heart was broken when they announced an "indefinite hiatus" in 2005.  Here is the live journal entry.  

http://chrise146.livejournal.com/27382.html

Maybe it was the plane crash that brought them back together.. Maybe it was just time in itself??  I don't think anyone could really know, or say what it was exactly.  I am a teenager again.  I am not 23 years old anymore (no one likes you when you're twenty-three anyway).  I am that kid, in Florida, just learning to play guitar, but determined.  

Instead of playing Dammit in a talent show, I am going on another tour across the United states.  Maybe the Blink reunion is my plane crash.  Maybe Devin is Travis, and I am Tom, and the blink reunion is our tragedy.  With or without a Mark.  It doesn't matter. Who knows.  

See you in March.

http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=853742

:)

Blink-182 To Reunite At The Grammys

Press release lists band as presenters at Sunday's awards show.

Long-suffering Blink-182 fans, your prayers have been answered. Or, at least, taken a step toward being answered. On Thursday (February 5), the Recording Academy announced that Blink-182 will reunite at Sunday's 51st Annual Grammy Awards ... as presenters.

It will mark the first time that all three members of Blink — Mark Hoppus, Tom DeLonge and Travis Barker — have shared a stage together since December 2004. They announced they were going on "indefinite hiatus" in February 2005, and since then have been trading barbs and focusing on new projects — Hoppus and Barker with +44, DeLonge with Angels & Airwaves.

But in recent months, that frosty relationship seems to have thawed. First, Hoppus wrote a blog announcing that he, Barker and DeLonge had begun spending time together, fueling rumors of a full-scale Blink-182 reunion. Then, in an exclusive interview with MTV News, Hoppus said that he and DeLonge were "friends" again, and that "the future is wide open" for a Blink reunion.

Before we get too ahead of ourselves, let's get back to this Sunday. It's not known whether Blink will be doing anything besides presenting at the Grammys, but the fact that they were sandwiched between Kate Beckinsale and Natalie Cole in a press release also announcing Diddy, Green Day,LL Cool J and Will.I.Am as presenters seems to indicate that they won't be doing much else. 

and my heart is in NYC.  

Quite a few people asked me if i was going "home" for Christmas this year and everytime, immediately i thought to myself, I am home.  I did grow up in Kentucky, and I do love that place,  But after being spoiled in NYC for almost 3 years now, I don't think I could go back permanently.  It would be rad to possibly to record a record there, perhaps in a cabin in the middle of nowhere, or have a place to crash at from time to time, but my place is here.  

It was my first christmas in 23 years I was away from my family.  I have one sister that lives in NYC, and my other sister lives in Kentucky, and she has a kid and is married.  They have been married for 5 years or so, and every year they came to have Christmas with my side of the family because we never knew if it would be Moms last Christmas or not.  Mom passed away (from cancer) in April of 2007 so that year we still had Christmas with Dad but this year my Brother-in-law wanted to have Christmas with his parents. Jackson (my nephew) was very opposed to this because he was afraid Santa wouldn't know of his new location and he would miss out.  The night before Christmas eve my Kentucky sister said this is the first time in her whole life she didn't have anywhere to go on Christmas eve.  They ended up going to Cracker Barrel for Christmas eve dinner, which isn't totally bad.  Anyone who has had their hash-browns knows it's the real deal.  

Anyway, this getting older thing is a bit weird.  I had a good Christmas.  I kept with my Moms tradition and made Christmas quiche for all my roomies for breakfast, and then made a big dinner that evening.  We watched a Christmas Story during Breakfast/lunch, napped, lounged around, then went to the movies, then came home for dinner.  Basically the entire day revolved around eating and movies.  Overall, a good Christmas.  Santa didn't leave me anything though.  Maybe getting to see xo at washington square park briefly was my gift.  

Speaking of eating, a few months back I posted a blog about how I am determined to get back into shape and lose a few lbs.  Anyhoo, I said I would keep you all posted so...  I've lost somewhere between 3 and 4 inches off my waist, my body fat percentage has gone down 3.8% and my arms have gotten 2 inches bigger from all the weights I've been lifting per my last measure in.  This is all just from exercising so I think now I am going to try to watch what I eat a little more for some faster results.  

I'm pretty excited for 2009.  I get to go on the road for a month.  I'll post the dates soon.

Peace easy.

3.99 on amazon kiddos. 

Can't stop spinning it.  Seeing them tonight.  My boys have done it again.

http://www.myspace.com/guyznite

I've enjoyed this and laughed quite a bit since discovering these guys a little while ago.  I love the movie Die Hard, so I love their tribute song.

Ch ch ch check it out.

I have been assigned duties yet again to provide a thanksgiving day feast to my roommates.  I am kind of the aspiring chef of the bunch so I can't complain much.  The most stressful part for me was shopping at the grocery yesterday. Last year I think I went the day before Thanksgiving and that was a disaster so I thought going two days before kind of early in the day wouldn't be so bad.  I was wrong.  

It was crazy in the store.  Everyone running around like crazy, wives yelling at husbands for picking the largest turkey possible, kids screaming I WANT THIS I WANT THIS.  Here I am, pushing around a cart, with my shopping list typed into my sidekick.  There was a point where I considered leaving my grocery cart full of groceries and putting a note on top saying "This is everything you need" and leaving it.  I hate check out lines, I hate everything about grocery stores.  I was  reminded of a Dane Cook joke where his shopping cart was once stolen and how it would be to come across a cart full of every grocery you needed and think "JACKPOT!!".  Honestly, the only reason I didn't do this was because I felt bad for the store clerk who would have to go put everything back or even worse, how long it would sit before anyone noticed and if all the food would goto waste or spoil.

Everyone seemed to enjoy my menu last year so I am pretty much copying what I did last year.  None of this by any means is healthy at all, but it is thanksgiving, so it is okay.  

I picked out about a 15 lb fresh turkey and it will brine overnight in a salt/sugar water mixture to make sure the thing stays juicy throughout the cooking process.  I keep it fairly simple for the initial process.  Salt/Pepper and then some onion/carrot/celery and rosemary in the inside cavity of the bird for flavor while it's cooking.  I will baste it occasionally in its own juices and then during the last 30 minutes I am going to do what I like to call the icing on the cake.  I will cook down bourbon whiskey, peach preserves and bitters into a liquid and coat the turkey with it so it crisps up during the end. Delicious.

I am also making a ham.  This might be my favorite.  I am making a brown sugar/butter/pineapple juice sauce to coat the ham.  I will be taking maraschino cherries and sticking them in the ham all over with toothpicks and then over the cherries, hang pineapple rings to nearly cover the outside of the ham.  

then for the side dishes.

The yam/sweet potato dish with melted marshmallows on top.  I don't care much for this but everyone else wanted it.

A ton of mashed potatoes whipped with garlic/olive oil/goat cheese/some butter/and milk(okay, half and half).

Broccoli Cheese Casserole with a white mornay cheddar/velveeta cheese sauce and then topped with smashed ritz crackers and baked.

Corn Souffle.  I don't really know what this is, or how to describe it, but my grandmother always made it, and it is delicious, so I make it too.  

Your basic standard stuffing.  Bread crumbs/croutons with sage and other various herbs and spices.  

Then gravy and cranberry sauce.

As for dessert.  I'm not much of a dessert person, but last year at my job, (I work at a restaurant/bakery) the owner gave me an Apple Cranberry Crumb Pie so I am banking on that I will get another one tonight when I'm leaving.

Everything is pretty much ready to go for tomorrow.

Hope I made you drool!! Have a happy Thanksgiving!! 

So while on a message board I was directed to a link to a website http://www.failblog.org

which I ended up going through 51 pages of things that made me crack up.

Here are some Youtube links I think everyone should see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=raH7LkbIO18

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUjbQUp9SR8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zDQhaoocZPw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0mP3FqUUAAw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iBL2Hrb-Q8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7e9AMM_Z-Vk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9mtz6HKJHY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mg3zesVdhSY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGBcY2IoFSg

I am so excited for American morale to be raised.  I'm so excited for everyhing. I can't just single one thing out at the moment.

High fives all across the board.

and shots of bourbon!!

Since I am absentee ballot, I think I am going to goto a star bucks (not for free coffee) but for a hot cinnamon apple cider, goto a barnes n noble, lounge around for a bit.  Then grab some lunch somewhere, and then catch a matinee movie, and avoid the news until the end of the day.

yup.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENNqayMGr-U

In third grade I found a keychain in my sisters bedroom that said "I go from zero to horny in 3.5 BEERS!!!".  I had no idea what it meant but a friend of mine had a keychain on his backpack so I put it on mine and sported it proudly until my teacher saw it and asked me where I got it.  I told her from my sister and she told my parents.  

That was the end of my keychain.

After a day or two to recover from this weekends shenanigans, I wanted to blog about my highlight of the weekend, which was going to the premier of "New York Lately" in the city.

I met Gary King (the writer and director) at a star bucks in Brooklyn on the first day I was helping Nate Campany with some computer tasks, back in January of this year.  We quickly because Facebook friends and he kept me in the loop about the status of the movie as it progressed.  I had been very excited and patiently waiting news of the premier date and time so I could cancel anything going on in my life.  I finally got an email, RSVP'ed and the rest is history.

The feeling I got while watching the film was a bit overwhelming.  Watching something come together with a great team behind it is always magical.

I watched just two rows in front of me, Nate look over and smile at Ben when his song worked its way into the scene, and Ben look over at Nate with his body language showing accomplishment as music they composed together set the mood for a dialogue or sequence.  Their musical addition to the film was spot on.  It really set the tone for each scene.

I watched an entire theatre get so quiet, to the point of being able to hear a pin-drop, when Jenn Dees' character Veronica spoke to a mirror, questioning her ability to be an actress, if she was good enough, if she even "had what it takes".  Something we have probably all questioned in our artistic endeavors. 

I watched Gary stand in front of the entire theatre at the end, with the support of the cast behind him, to answer questions about the film.  He was glowing, and it was well deserved.  He did a fantastic job and should be very proud.

It reconfirmed the New York City I came to live in, and be apart of, through the ups and downs.  It reminded me that everyone has their flaws, and their perks.  It reminded me that this is the city I want to continue to live in.

New York lately, has been a roller coaster ride for me, and "New York Lately" helped me realize that isn't such a bad thing.

I recommend checking out the official website at http://www.nylately.com and signing up for the mailing list to keep updated on the film and what is next.

As for the after party....?

That is something Lauren can cover.

I am an avid supporter of the "That's what she said" comment.  It can be used in many situations.  Sometimes creating an awkward moment for everyone involved.  On the menu at the restaurant I work at, there is a dish that is a pork shank served with mashed potatoes, and red cabbage.  It is quite large.  One of my customers tonight ordered it and when I delivered it, he said "oh my god, that thing is huge".  His date quickly responded "That's what she said".  I was so excited this happened, I gave them a free cup cake on the house for dessert.  

In my quest to get back into shape, I had done a trial membership at a gym with a trainer and it was well eh.. alright.  I don't like gyms, and it felt like a gym.  Last week while driving around looking for parking for my last session in the trial, I ran across this little place that is a small gym with trainers and it has a more personal feel to it.  I went in because they were having a fall special on training packages, and my trial had just finished at the huge chain gym I was going to.  I liked what this place offered so I signed up for 10 sessions for the fall special.  My trainer is rad.  Today was my second session.  I am not going to be able to move in the morning.  I did 100 crunches today, along with lifting free weights, and an intense cardio session.  I had no idea how much you actually use your abs in everyday functioning.  

Monday was my first day at this new place.  Tuesday morning when my alarm went off, I was laying on my back, I slowly reached over to hit the snooze button and I was like OH MY GOD.  My abs were burning like hell. Just to hit the alarm clock.  My whole body was so sore.  I survive Tuesday, wake up this morning and go for my second session of the week, still sore from Mondays session, and get my ass kicked even more.  I feel fine right now, but when I wake up in the morning, I feel I am not going to be able to move at all.  It is awesome.  It hurts so much, but feels so good at the same time.  It's a good soreness (that's what she said).

7 years ago this week was when my band East 146 officially formed.  It was fall break and we had a whole week off from school.  Devin (our drummer), and I had been jamming with some friends in school for a few months and we had just saved up enough money to buy our own sound system.  We ordered it from Musicians Friends and we were patiently awaiting for it to arrive.  My parents were going on vacation that week and I was going to have my house to myself for the first time.  I was just 16 at the time.  

Rewind.

The week before fall break, I had recorded myself singing "Be like that" by Three Doors Down for some reason, with an acoustic guitar, and I sent it to Devin.  I really don't know why this happened, but the outcome came to us kicking out the other two band members (the singer and bass player) and recruiting our friend Chris Cross (yes, Christopher Wayne Cross) to pick up the bass.  I remember the AIM conversation with Devin with him pretty much saying that I should be the singer, after he heard me singing Be Like That. So we told the other two guys that I was going on vacation with my parents and would be gone the whole week, so we could have a week with just the three of us to try it out in privacy, and without stirring up drama.  

It was perfect.  This time of year in Kentucky is absolutely gorgeous.  You can see your breath at night, the sky is clear and you can see every star.  

Imagine having this backyard to hang out in...  (This is the view from my house down south)  We spent alot of time on this deck actually....

I remember I was at the house waiting for Devin and Cross to get home from Waffle House.  When they got to my house, they said we are going to call ourselves "East 146" because they both had to drive East on Highway 146 to get to my house.  It just made sense.  

We started playing cover songs and we wrote our first song entitled "Don't Leave", I believe on Tuesday the 16th.  You can download it here. (Right Click/Save Target as...)  Not too shabby for a bunch of 16 year olds.  This particular recording we did when we were 17.  Anyhoo.  

I've had a blast these past 7 years and I don't think I would change much of anything, and I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.  

Now I'm really tired and I am going to goto sleep.

Happy Monday!!!!

I know what it's like to feel like you're right only to be told by others that you are not.  I believe you know what is best for you.  I back it.  Don't let obvious low-blows get to you.

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewCustomPage?name=pageCountdownToFolieADeux

 (FOB Podcast)

First off.. Happy Birthday One Love!!, and Happy Birthday Lauren!!

----------------------------------

So after watching Ruth's Happy B-Day Video today, when she sang about me and how everyone calls me by my full name, I immediately thought of a semi-funny story about it.  This might end up being one of those "you had to be there" type stories but here goes...

A few years back when Cassie and Cathy and I still lived in Kentucky, we would frequent a Steak N Shake restaurant almost every night of the summer.  We became BFF with one of the servers there, named Mathis.  Steak N Shake is a 24/7 chain diner restaurant.  Sometimes these visits were at 4 or 5 am, so it made for a pretty late evening.  I lived between Louisville and Cincinnati, but a little bit closer to Louisville, so the drive back home was about 45 minutes, and not a good idea especially at that time of night when I would fall asleep at the wheel.  

So on one of these nights...

I ended up crashing in Cassie's basement of her house and the next morning her grandmother asked who else was downstairs (or something like that) to which the reply was "....ChrisStahl".  Now if you say it fast, it sounds like Crystal, which I'm pretty sure is how she intended for it to sound.  I'm guessing boys weren't aloud to sleep over or something like that.  So it was a sneaky way to be honest and say my name, but say it quickly so it sounded like "Crystal".  I guess my parents wanted a girl.

And then I found 10 dollars

Just wow.

So I arrive at Angels and Kings first, extremely early, a little before 8.  Jade and Cassie appear out of nowhere a few minutes later followed by my roomies Sarah and Devin.  We finally go inside to an empty Angels and Kings only to be told that all the tables with candles on them are reserved for VIP.  We start to indulge ourselves and then people start coming in.  In all honesty, the next thing I know is that the place is packed and they are filming the real world brooklyn there.  I'm dancing with everyone.  Article A came in and we mingled like pringles in a can.  I met Matt.  I was in an Emily, Hayley, Cassie and Jade sandwich.  I think Lauren was in it too.  Travis came in and rang the gong.  Pete Wentz was there.  Ended up at a diner.  

Why am I awake pre-noon?

I never got to taste one of your sprinkles.  

I miss your curly blonde hair.

It's okay though.  Because I will see you tomorrow night.

I hope you wear your yellow pants.  

I hope you notice if I ring the gong.

<3

So I was introduced to this website a few days ago by a stranger and have totally fallen in love with it.  The power that large groups of people can have..

Anyway.. It is called Improv Everywhere.  I had seen a few videos in the past. Some of you might have also.. including the "Frozen in Grand Central" video. Also on Vh1s greatest pranks ever, when a fake U2 band played on a roof across from Madison Square Garden on the day U2 was playing there.  

Anyway.  I have spent the better part of the past 48 hours reading up and watching videos from the past missions.  Some of my FAVORITE are the Romantic Comedy Cab Ride, Best Buy, Ben Folds, hell I have enjoyed ALL of them.  

In short, it is led by a comedian/improv guy who started it one night when he was at a bar with some friends and one of his friends told him he kind of looks like Ben Folds.  At that moment, he decided to be Ben Folds for the rest of the evening, so they planned out to have his two friends come up to him while he was sitting by himself at a bar, and start acting crazy, asking for autographs, hanging out, etc, all while sitting close enough to some girls to attract their attention to the matter.  It went so well they did it again the next night but took it to the next level.  

This overtime, and due to his groups popularity, actually got the attention of the real Ben Folds, and he wanted in on the action, so at his Hammerstein Ballroom show in NYC, the fake "Ben Folds" and some friends posed as the band and took the stage pretending to play instruments to a CD which started skipping on purpose.  Then they restarted the song AGAIN and it started skipping again, upsetting the fans, until the real Ben Folds came out with security, took off his signature glasses from the fake "ben folds" and began their real set.  

You just have to check it out.  This weekend they are doing a mission open to the public that they have done several years in a row now.  It involves downloading an mp3 file from their site which is 30+ minutes long with music/instructions/rules/etc but you aren't supposed to listen to it.  Just add it to your ipod, synchronize your watch with the atomic clock on their website, and show up to the location listed wearing a certain color shirt, and hit play at exactly 3:05 pm.  

700 people showed up to a recent mission involving lining the entire walkway path of the brooklyn bridge from the manhattan side to the brooklyn side, and with the flash of a camera, create a flicker from one side to the other in the same format that people do a "wave" at a sporting event, and then have it go back and forth from the city to brooklyn.  The video of that event is awesome!!  

I hope to be able to go saturday and participate in the mp3 event.  

Anyway, like I said a few posts ago, I like sharing cool stuff with everyone else.

Goodnight!!

So when we were hunting for an apartment, I was scheduled to look at one in Sunset Park in Brooklyn.  When I came to see it, I thought it was worth showing to the roomies some more so I was trying to get ahold of my roommate to come check it out.  I really had to go pee so I went to this pub across the street to see if I could use their bathroom.  When I went inside there was a picture of Martin Scorcese on the wall so I asked the bartender what it was all about.  She said that it was his choice to film the bar scenes of from the movie "The Departed" there, even though it took place in Boston.  

SO!!....

We ended up getting the apartment and like to visit the pub to play some pool or whatever from time to time.  The pool table is the same one that Jack Nicholson broke Leonardo DiCaprio's arm over in the movie.  Anyway.. Tonight after jamming at The Red Lion in the city, I was playing guitar outside of the apartment and talked two of my roomies (Sarah and Josh) into going over there to continue the evening.  We ended up playing ALL sorts of songs including but not limited to... Livin' on a Prayer, Hinder's Lips of an Angel, Santeria, some Our Lady Peace, Bob Seger, Enrique Inglesias, some originals, Metallica, Tom Petty, and probably a whole lot more.  It was a good fun night of jammin' without really caring much about anything else.   

Cassie is very interested in this place and totally should have been there.  I invite anyone to come.  It is called the Irish Haven and has been there for over 40 years.  It actually never closes.

That is all.

For anyone that had not heard.  Travis Barker and DJ A.M. were involved in a plane crash this morning and were the only survivors.  The two pilots and Travis' bodyguard and assistant were killed.  Travis and DJ A.M. were rushed to a nearby hospital to be treated for burns and are in critical condition.  RIP to the crew members and his bodyguard and assistant.  This is a total tragedy.  I hope they recover.  

I think that whenever I feel something is really good, I should share it with the rest of the world.  So after putting a quote from one of my favorite movies on my facebook, and then getting a message about it from Phil from Atomic Tom, I decided I should tell everyone to add "Pump up the volume" to their queue on Netflix.  It was made in 1990 but is just a great story.  One of the best teen drama movies made I believe.

I just think this is a movie everyone needs to see.

and if you've seen it... Discuss!!

That is all

is anyone else excited for these 2 movies?  i saw pitt, clooney, and malkovich walk by where i work with an entourage of people when they were filming burn after reading.  i did a double-take when they walked by so I am really looking forward to seeing this movie.  I am also stoked for Righteous kill.

I must now leave for band practice.

peace easy.

what is going on over at absolutepunk.net

i'm losing MY MIND!!!

Over the years my musical taste has gone back and forth.  I've always listened to many different types of music.  My dad had me listening to Bad Company, Bachman Turner Overdrive, Clapton, Bob Seger, Doobie Brothers, etc while my mom had me into Journey, Michael Bolton(yes, the pop star), The Beatles, The Beach Boys, etc.  This was when I was really young too.  I remember always riding around with my older sister and wanting her to put in the Gin Blossom CD or Nirvana or The Cure, or The Offspring.  When she moved away I found a box and got nosy and went through it and there were a bunch of CDs.  The only CD that was unopened and still had the Shrink wrap around it was Radiohead - Pablo Honey.  Being that it was brand new and new meant better for me at that age, I took it.  I fell in love with that CD.  Too young to understand it, I just loved the songs, and the hooks, and the stories.  

Then in 1998 when The Offspring released Americana, and "Pretty Fly for a White Guy" was all over the place, I got on Napster and discovered The Offspring were the same band that sang "Self Esteem" and "Come out and Play" and all those other songs I listened to with my sister in her car.  I freaked out and my mom took me to an FYE and I bought all of their CDs. The Offspring were the first band I called my own.  No one else really liked them or listened to them, and I knew all the words to all the songs.  That is how I learned how to play guitar, by learning Offspring songs.

The next summer I went to Florida with my parents and took my friend Terry along for the ride.  In our hotel room there was a sticker on a mirror that said "Hurley" and Terry told me it was the brand of clothing that the band that sings that "What's my age again?" song wears.  I had heard the song and really liked it so we went and bought the CD and that was my soundtrack for the summer.  Then all of a sudden they were on American Pie and becoming huge.  I did the same thing and bought all their CDs and discovered they were the same band (Blink 182) that played "Dammit" which was one of those songs I heard on the radio a few years before and liked it but didn't have the internet at the time, or the desire to really look more into it.  

It was funny to me how it all came together.  I was secluded in high school as the guy who liked rock music while everyone else was listening to country and hip hop.  Now I do love me some country music.  Garth Brooks, Tim McGraw, Braid Paisley to name a few.  I started going to Warped tour in 2001 to see Sum 41, and Fenix TX, but Sum 41 canceled the day of, total bummer.  I became a total pop-punk rocker.  I saw Fall Out Boy in 2003 before anyone knew who they were.  

There are alot of bands that I have just stopped listening to that I totally loved for a brief time period.  Every time I hear Yellowcard, I am taken back immediately to driving through the desert in 2004 when I was on my first cross country tour, but I just don't get anything from it anymore.  I'm trying to figure out why this is.  Maybe it was a phase for me.  

I think I lost the direction I was going with this blog about 8 sentences ago but as of recently I'm back in the 90's for the most part.  Anyway..

Everyone should check out the record "Rocket house" by Chris Whitley.  Listen to it in the dark, with headphones on.  Especially "Serve you", "From a photograph", "To Joy", and "Vertical Desert".  

Peace Easy

soooo one of the things that has kept me down for some time now is the fact that i got really out of shape in the past 18 or so months.  translation : i got fat.  i could blame certain events, but whatever, i gave in to stuffing my face with the finest foods NYC has to offer. i've noticed a difference in my voice singing, losing wind to hit those high notes, etc.  lost desire to go out and hang out with friends and people i enjoy being around.  so baby steps is the best way to achieve happiness.  i figure one of the best ways to fix this, is to just put it out there into the world, into the public eye.  it has worked for perez so far.  

as for goals, not totally sure, i'd like to be back to where my one love picture is an accurate display of me.  so with that said.  for starters, i am going to goto the premiere of "NY Lately" (the film by Gary King that Ben and Nate wrote the music score) wearing a shirt i haven't fit into in awhile.  what shirt, i don't know yet.  they are all stuffed in my "maybe someday" bag.  hell, maybe that CBGB shirt i'm wearing in my picture.  That gives me 2 months. I'm a boy, i could probably melt by then.  I will try to do some sort of video blog update and pictures as I progress.

I don't have a scale because I can't afford one, and they are the devil anyway.

I'm doing this because I want to feel better about myself, and that will make me a better friend.  i've pushed so many people out of my life because I don't want to leave my room... and i adore children and want to have some of my own someday, and I want to increase my chances of being around for as long as I can for them.  healthy healthy healthy!!

I know i've lost some weight.  I had to poke a new hole in my belt to make it tighter because my pants were kind of falling down.

this whole week i've been running 2 miles in 12-14 minutes.  i'm really sore from lifting weights again.  it is a good soreness.  that's what she said.

love love love

Growing up is something no one really wants to do.  2003-2005 were awesome years.  getting lost going to ohio with micah to see the used and boxcar racer. should I have told her how much I liked her?  where is terry, or mike, or darren, or nick, everyone that I was friends with and upon receiving that diploma, never spoke to again.  only worrying about whos house I was going to stay at on the weekend.  when 6.50 an hour to move lumber all day and 80 lb bags of concrete around seemed like enough money to get by.

these days i'm 2-3 tears shy of a xanax prescription.  my track record with actually attending or showing up to a first meeting with a doctor that hands that stuff is 0 for 4.  i get scared to death of the outcome, and don't show.  i don't even know what I would talk about.  It seems like everyone these days has the local pizza place, chinese place, their drug dealer, and a shrink on speed dial.  how can nerves be so unpredictable. it's 2 am and my heart is racing like a sprinter and it's hard to move the damn mouse pad on my laptop because when your hands are sweaty, the pad doesn't like the moisture and it starts freakin' out, and there isn't any good reason why I should feel like this right now.  i support run on sentences.  

5 doubles in a row.  12 hours.  all day.  i've got to get away from this job.  i hope to go see weezer and angels and airwaves at madison square garden in september.  sometimes you are just trapped between a rock and a hard place.

i want it to be sunday night already.  

Feeling lost.  no purpose.  no direction.  no appetite.  no sleep.  neutral.  

kinda sucks.  keep trying to reach out for a pick me up but not much to grab ahold of.  finally got to watch charlie bartlett and finish it.  loved it.  yo Tyler. blog about your experience doing that.  had to have been awesome, yes?  it is also the number 2 rented movie on iTunes!! congrats!!

i need to have a conversation soon that is long over due.  i don't need to feel like i was forgotten when new chapters started in peoples lives.  maybe that will make me feel better.  maybe that is the pick me up I need.  

just one good night of sleep please.  just one.

Sometimes doing things or getting things done seem alot harder than it actually is.  You just have to start the first step and the rest will usually follow.  Well my piano has been broken for about a month and all I had to do to fix it was reconnect the wires that came undone where I plug it in.  Well I finally got around to doing that because I really wanted to play.  I'm trying to learn the piano the same way I learned guitar some 10 years ago, which was by learning songs that I liked.  I tried to learn to read music several times and feel kind of like an idiot for never being able to.  I guess being american I want the instant gratification of sitting down and being able to play something immediately as opposed to probably doing it right. 

So I got it working and I thought I would start simple so I learned The Scientist by Coldplay.  Sounds right to me so after playing that a million times I am now trying to learn (don't laugh) open arms by Journey.  I remember seeing a video of them playing that live when I was little on T.V. one night with my mom and dad and I always have liked that song.  So now it has got me frustrated because my fingers aren't working how I want them to.  I am trying to think back of when I started playing guitar and I felt like I would never get any better.  I just don't see myself getting any better on this piano thing.  But I remember the day my dad gave me this keyboard when he was getting a new one and I sat down and... didn't know a thing.  I played a G chord on my guitar and then found each note on the piano that I was hitting on the guitar and learned to play a G on the piano, and so on and so forth. 

Now I can sorta play open arms, the scientist, dark blue, and dream on by aerosmith, and then various things I have been writing.

I just want it now.  not later.  maybe in a year I will be good at it, or atleast consistent.  I like writing better on the piano.  ideas seem to flow alot better.

I also have a new little puppy named remington.  He is a boston terrier.  he is so ugly he is cute.  it's not actually mine but belongs to my roommates, but i play with it.  i call him lil' rem.

call me

then what's the point?

So I've had a pretty lazy Monday.  Technically it is my weekend since I work 3 doubles in a row Friday through Sunday.  Did laundry, washed the dishes, dusted my room and cleaned it as well.  Watched an episode of Entourage on HBO On Demand.  

The past few days my mind has been racing.  We keep confirming dates throughout the summer.  Right now we are only able to practice once a week so I get very anxious waiting for the next day to jam with the guys.  I've been doing alot of life thinking to be honest.  I realize being 23 isn't THAT old but I feel like that is the official age of becoming an adult.  When I see someone that is 18 now, I am shocked at how young they seem generally.  That is, in my opinion, no age to be deemed an adult.  I remember 18.  I had just graduated high school and my band started to get popular in my hometown of Kentucky at the end of 2003.  We had gotten a new bass player who had quite the connection in the neighboring county Devin and I grew up in.  It just kept growing from there all the way up to moving to NYC in February of 2006.  Then it was pretty much a good two year hiatus.  I wouldn't call it a waste.  Definitely have learned alot and grown up and know more of what I want, and know more about me.

But when I was 18... I'm pretty sure I figured by 25 I'd be married and have a mini me or one in the works.  Hell,  My dad was my age when he married my mom and I was born.  Don't get me wrong, I love kids dearly and can't wait to have a few, but there is no way I could raise one right now.  Not the way I would want to anyway.  For me to be married by 25 now that I'm 23 would require a serious relationship, and a job that provided a better income.  Now I can't completely rule out the possibility of my band playing a show in Vegas next year and meeting someone and a few drinks later... newly weds??  But that's not my style.  

I am very dangerous when I am idle.  It's sad because I don't have very many interests.  My main thing is playing music and cuddling.  I don't mind playing by myself but I prefer the whole package.  I don't care much to go out.  I pass my days that I don't work waiting tables being a domestic loser.  Laundry, cleaning, cooking, reading useless information on the internet, the occasional book, rewatching any and all kinds of movies.  Usually something with John Cusack that leads toward the romantic comedy/chic flick end of the spectrum, to action movies like Die Hard.  Who doesn't love John McClane or Lloyd Dobler though?  I could fill the voids by working more, but then I would get burnt out on it.  I'd hate to get so angry at someone and get fired because I start screaming at them about how they are idiots and don't now how to dine out or treat people blah blah blah.  Then I'd have nothing to do.  I enjoyed going back to college for a semester.  I like to learn.  I'm not going to just sit and learn stuff by myself.  The classroom setting is a motivator, and I had some cool teachers, but I didn't really want to go back after mom died.  

I'm just kind of rambling.  I envy anyone that gets to walk out on a stage every night and play for an hour or two (are nights off really that great?) . I'm working on it though.  

So the moral of my rant was that times change and what you think will be doesn't turn out that way.  I'm not upset by this by any means.  I am just shocked at how fast time is flying by.  

Love Love Love,

Chris

Ya'know.  Most of us on here have probably worked in the restaurant industry to pay the bills when our art doesn't seem to be paying them for us.  Sometimes waiting tables makes me hate people more and more.  This evening at the restaurant I work at, I had several people that just.. ugh.  One man who seemed to be the host of his party of four was a complete douchebag.  More like a big bag of douche actually.  If there is such a thing.  I did my thing, took care of the table but he was just always really rude.  At the end of the meal I played the bill down and he took it and looked at it and then slipped his card in and set it down.  I quietly grabbed it, ran the card, went back to the table, thanked them and placed it down.  10 or so minutes later he about halfway stood up and yelled waiter, are you ever going to run my card and handed me the book.  I took the book, smiled a bit and said oh sir, I already took care of it, I just need you to sign the receipt and opened the book and showed him, smiled an evil smirk, and handed it back to him.  "Have a wonderful evening and thanks again" I said in a very obvious sarcastic tone.  His face got a bit red and he muttered something and that was that.  They eventually left and I went and got the book off the table to close out the check and see what my tip was.  Bastard took the merchant copy receipt (which is the one I keep) and left the customer copy with some sorry excuse for a signature and nothing in the tip line.  For a second, I was pissed that he stiffed me on a 150 dollar check.  Then I was pissed he was a total shed of tools.  Then I took care of the problem.  I assumed that someone of his platinum american express card status meant to leave 20% but took the wrong receipt by mistake.  So that is just what I gave myself. 

Now I know I'm a good waiter, and if I mess up, I know it and don't expect as much of a tip.  But we weren't busy tonight and I gave them outstanding service.  This guy had a chip on his shoulder from the start.

</end rant>

p.s. 

make sure you put your credit card in the spot designated for a credit card when trying to pay the bill.  I think nothing is more rude than taking the check presenter when my guests haven't even opened it yet to look.  It is like I am rushing them out.  You look like an idiot standing up waiving the check book at me.  If you slip the card in the book where I can't see it, I don't know you're ready to pay.  Same with cash.  Stick a little bit of it out.  Otherwise I'm not coming by until you stand up and waive that thing in the air.

Cassie come have cupcakes.

I think i had forgotten how incredible the stage feels.  Big thanks to everyone who came out to the one love show last night.  I apologize for not remembering the verses to "Before He Cheats".  Maybe another time.  But anyway, I hadn't played a show in almost a year.  I had been in the biggest slump I have been in and it was starting to take a big toll on me.  I think it was purty good considering we got to rehearse twice with the new guys.  Anyway, I had a great time.  I am also settled into my new apartment in sunset park in good ole' Brooklyn.  Complete with our own washer and dryer and dish washer.  Devin got all the channels on cable so it's possible I will never leave the apartment now.  

Currently listening to Thrice - Alchemy Index I-IV.

Pick it up.

Thanks again for an amazing and much needed night last night.

It's like 75 degrees and sunny here in the soon to be urban oven NYC.  I'm packing up my bags and ready for a longggg weekend of work at my little brooklyn restaurant I work at.  3 doubles in a row for any of you restaurant workers out there.  Then I have a 7 am flight out of JFK with a layover in Chicago.  I hope Chicago has a presidents club in the airport I can hang out in.  I'm going back to my ole' kentucky home to get our furniture and musical equipment and van since we finally found an apartment.  Three months of crashing at my sisters teeny studio apartment in Manhattan has been quite a learning experience.  It has made me learn to not really care about sleep or any normalcy.  I have learned I need my own space to get things done.  I am excited for the rest of the year.  The One Love show in May, trips in the van and many other things.  I've been way down on myself lately.  Not finishing songs, not really doing anything.  I was actually called a waste of talent by two different people I care about.  Ouch.  We are also supposed to get our tracks back this weekend so maybe a new tune or two will appear online somewhere.

So anyway, as much as I hate summer unless I am in a tropical area with white sand and a drink inside of a carved out pineapple or coconut, I am excited about this one.

I just finished reading A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby.  A quick but really good read.  I just picked up The Road by a recommendation from our own Nate Campany. 

See Ya May 6th!!

happy birthday to me

A year ago today was the last day I saw my mom alive.  She was terminally ill with cancer.  I had traveled back and forth between NYC and Kentucky to be with her.  My sisters called me one night and had been told by the hospice care givers that she would probably pass in the next 24 to 48 hours and I should come home right away.  So I did just that.  Every night I was in my bed wondering if she would be gone by morning and I still hadn't gotten to talk to her alone.  Family members were always in the room and I could tell she was exhausted by the endless line of company.  Finally, I knew I would really regret it if I didn't get to just tell her things, so I walked into the room one evening and told everyone they needed to leave.  I got these blank stares but everyone did as I asked.  We spoke for probably an hour about all kinds of things.  She was getting tired and eventually fell asleep so I left the room and went back to whatever I was doing.  Two days later she was up moving around and she told me she wanted me to go back to NYC, and not mope around the house any longer.  Dad agreed and I packed my stuff and loaded it into my car.  She had stumped the doctors and the nurses and everyone because she was supposed to be gone already, but was still hanging in there.  She was awake enough to say goodbye and the last words she actually said to me were "nice knowin' ya".  I hugged her while sitting on the couch, stood up, and started walking out of the room.  I turned to my dad, cracked somewhat of a smile and looked at my phone to see what time it was.  6:32 p.m.  That was the last moment I saw my mom alive.  I don't know why I remember little things like that, but I do.  I could retell people some of the weirdest, most useless information I keep in my brain somewhere. 

I remember my heart was beating really fast, and my palms were a bit sweaty.  Walking away from someone when you know it will be the last time you will see them isn't an easy thing to do.  I kind of took a deep one and just walked away.  I guess that is all you can do right?  She passed a week later on my birthday. 

Today has been exciting.  I got up and did my usual website browsing which includes checking the classifieds at absolutepunk.net for musicians looking for a band.  A guy posted Long Island guitarist available so I clicked on it and it had his aim name so I messaged him and luckily he is a sidekick user like myself and was online.  We ended up talking most of the day and I am uber excited to meet him and start jamming.  Hopefully it works out.  He seems like a rad kid.

Some of these questions might confuse you all as they are about musicians local to my hometown in Kentucky but anyway.. thought I would share...

ps. this is like 4 years old.

-----------

Chris Stahl of the band East 146 was quick to reply when I asked him to do 20 Questions, plus I thought I might could get him into trouble with his girlfriend, so here goes nothin'...




1. When did East 146 form and what is the first song you played together ?

October 2001. Devin (our drummer) and I were in a previous band where I was not the singer. We weren't really happy with how it was going and we had just ordered a p.a. system. Our fall break was just starting and my parents were leaving for Florida for a week so we told the other 2 members in the band (the singer and bass player) that I was going to Florida with my parents, even though I wasn't and we got Chris Cross (our rhythm guitarist now) to play bass, making us a trio. The 2nd day, we wrote our first song "Don't Leave" which is on our current mp3.com site to download. It's the 5th time we recorded it. It was the first song we played.


2. Where are you going to college and what degree are you going for ?

I attend JCC in Shelbyville. was accepted to Bellarmine and Middle Tennessee State University to pursue a music business or music technology degree but I stayed @ home to 1st pursue a music career. its worth every second. I'm only 18 and I have time to make a mistake, or make the greatest choice of my life. At JCC I'm just taking classes to stay on parents health insurance and getting core classes out of the way. I'd like to be an entertainment attorney though.

3. What inspired you to play guitar and and who are your influences ?

Well, I wouldn't be playing guitar if my grandmother didn't bring my grandfather's acoustic guitar to my house during Easter when I was 12. As for influences, I always loved The Offspring and I thought how cool it would be to play guitar. The first song I learned all the way through, I think was, " Kid's Aren't Alright" off The Offspring's "Americana" album. I like their old stuff mostly though. My dad is a musician too. He played guitar too... (sold his 59' gold top Les Paul for 300 bucks to buy a keyboard when he was 18. Arg !!!). So, I guess my parents and just bands I listened to. I have 2 older sisters, One is 33 and lives in Manhattan, and the other is 24 and lives in Nashville, and they wouldn't let me listen to anything dumb. I listened to Green Day, Offspring, Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, Gin Blossoms, the band that had that song "I'm Going to Disney Land" ha ha (Da Da) I think. So those are my influences.

4. You have a new bass player. What happened to the old one ?

Our old bass player just wasn't able to support our growth as a band. Various comments he would make that showed his lack of dedication. Not helping out financially (a band is a business). that's really about it.

5. Would you give us a run-down of your gear ?

My first electric was a usa fender strat which i played forever. Then when Teague started working with us he had me play a les paul in the studio and i loved it so i went and bought a white les paul studio. I still have my strat and I have a black epiphone les paul covered in stickers as a backup. I have never played it live yet. I'd like to get an SG Standard though after playing Rahul's of Breckinridge. My first amp was a Line 6 Spyder series combo which was great but wasn't powerful enough so I up'ed to a Single rectifier which our other guitarist uses now. I use a 3-channel Dual rectifier through the mesa 4x12 recitifer cab. I haven't gotten into effects yet though I might experiment. I use AKG Airbug wireless system as well.

6. Have you ever worked a part-time job and if so, where ?

A lumber yard for 2 summers and Kroger. I live on a farm so the past 3 months my grandfather hired our band to work on the farm cleaning it up for 9 bucks an hour, whenever we wanted to work.


7. I will list some bands and you rank them from 1 - 10. 1 being the lowest, 10 being the highest.

1.) New Found Glory - 1

2.) Blink 182 - 10

3.) Metallica - 6

4.) Journey - 10 (steve perry can sing like no other, laugh it up)

5.) Black Sabbath - 1

6.) Jimmy Eat World - 8

7.) Cheap Trick - who ? :)

8.) Smashing Pumpkins - 8

9.) Good Charlotte - 1

10.) Beastie Boys - 7

11.) Poison The Well - 7

12.) Pearl Jam - 6

13.) Nirvana - 7

14.) Sum 41 - 9

15.) SR 71 - 1

8. In the last year, has Chris Stahl...

1.) Lied to a girl ? Nothing Devastating, but probably.

2.) Lied to a band member ? Yes.

3.) Seen BJ Abner naked ? Yes.

4.) Watched a "chick flick" ? Just watched Serendipity, its my favorite movie and John Cusack is my favorite actor.


5.) Wrote a song that sounds like a Blink 182 song ? Ah we had one called "I'll see you soon" It was insanely fast. We don't play it anymore but I like to think if we wrote a song that sounded like a Blink 182 song we would not be writing at our full potential so I'd say I haven't.

6.) Asked Teague Ridge to buy you beer ? Don't Drink/Do Drugs so Never.

7.) Looked at Teague's girlfriend's boobs for more than two seconds without stopping ? Ex and Current... Hah

9. I will list a few people and you rank how "stoked" you would be to meet them and why...

1.) Tom Delonge (Blink 182) - Met him, Look up to him, very talented and cool person, huge influence.


2.) Jack Black - Be very fun to have a conversation with him. He's hilarious and random.

3.) Robert Smith (of The Cure) - I remember loving the song "its friday i'm in love" One of my sisters had it on a cassette tape. It'd be cool to meet but I wouldn't have anything special to ask or say.


4.) Brittany Murphy - Who ?

5.) Christina Aquilera - She's a drooled over celebrity. I wouldn't push through a crowd to catch a glimpse of her.

6.) Travis Barker - Met him, Very nice, amazing drummer and musician.

7.) Travis Meeks - Never heard anything from him that was stuck in my head later. Wouldn't care to meet him. O.K I'll say it, Don't like his voice.

8.) Stephen King - Very interesting person, would like to meet and beg him to actually create a scary movie worth sitting through.

9. ) Devohn Moore 322 la salle place Algonquin parkway - Who ?

10.) Tom Petty - He's great and all if your my mom.

11.) Eminem - Ah, Would like to meet but I wouldn't feel special if I got the chance to.


12.) Billy Corgan - I'd meet him based on the Pumpkins. Not ZWAN. ah ah what Is he thinking.

10. You are chosen for a new reality show. You will spend 30 days on a cruise ship. You must choose some people to go with you. I list some people that want to go. You decide who is going with you.

1.) Teague Ridge - Can Go.

2.) Bukshot - Can Go.

3.) Butch Walker - Who ?

4.) Jennifer Love Hewitt - Jennifer Love Hewitt in The Trojan War, or in Can't Hardly Wait .... :)

5.) Dylan (GGGG G-Unit) - No.

6.) Mike Winbun - Yeah, he can come, he has always been cool.

7.) Axl Rose - No.

8.) Kris 502 - Yes.

9.) Andrew WK - Yes.

10.) Fred Durst - Yes.

11.) Chris Cross - Yes.

12.) Chris Kattan - YES.



11. Not including your girlfriend, who is the hottest girl in the 502 scene ? Hah... see Question 8 (# 7) Which was... 7.) Looked at Teague's girlfriend's boobs for more than two seconds without stopping ? Ex and Current... Hah


12. What band would you most like to play guitar with for one tour ? I played Guitar with the Ataris for one song @ the 2003 Cincinnati Warped tour. It was amazing, so... The Ataris. I'd Like to see East 146 do a tour and I hope I'd be playing guitar for them too :)

13. Your guitarist goes by the name Chris Cross. Did his parents really name him Chris Cross ? Were they fans of the singer Christopher Cross who sang the 70s hits "Ride Like The Wind" and "Sailing" ? Yes his name is Christopher Wayne Cross. I don't know if they knew what they were doing. Hell my parents named me after an expensive champagne hah. Crystal.

14. Speaking of Christopher Cross and famous people, are you related or have any ties to anyone really famous ? My uncle managed Tim McGraw for about 6 years, that is my only claim to famous relations. My Great great great grandmothers sister was Abraham Lincoln's mom so that would make him a very close cousin. My dad was asked to play keyboard for Billy Dean, a country star in the past that had hits like Billy the Kid. That's about it.

Then he added this, which is really cool...

Believe it or not, but one of our new bass player's friends went on a cruise several years ago and she and 1 other girl her age was on the boat. That other girl happens to be Hillary Duff or Lizzie McGuire. They became good friends and kept in touch. Nathan's friend told Nathan she wanted him to meet somebody so they got on the phone line and did a 3-way thing and dialed a number and a man answered who asked 3 off the wall questions and Nathan's friend gave 3 off the wall answers and he put them through to Hillary Duff. Nathan didn't believe it, so Hillary said to turn on Disney Channel and she talked along with the Lizzie McGuire show for several scenes and then told Nathan to go to her website which she has some control over and at the bottom she added a text that said "hi nathan" then deleted it. She loves our song "Unopened Letters" and said depending on copyrights and that sort of stuff she can possibly have it playing in her CD player during a scene on the show or if we send her a poster of our band she can put it in her room. How cool is that.

15. I forgot two questions, so I caught Chris online before he signed off and added the next two questions, here is the post directly from our online conversation...


KevinClarkHarley [1:11 AM]: ok, you are recording in LA and meet Dave Navarro, he thinks you are super cool and asks you to be in his newest video which they are filming the next day...
KevinClarkHarley [1:12 AM]: nah, scratch that question
East 146 Band [1:12 AM]: hah
KevinClarkHarley [1:13 AM]: nah lets go on with it
KevinClarkHarley [1:13 AM]: you get to play guitar in one scene
KevinClarkHarley [1:14 AM]: but in one scene the director asks you to do a make-out scene with Jennifer Love Hewitt (Jennifer Love Hewitt from Heartbreakers)
KevinClarkHarley [1:14 AM]: you know your girlfriend will see it, and its a long kiss that will take a couple of hours to shoot, will you do it or pass ? you still get to be in the video if you say no
East 146 Band [1:15 AM]: am i getting paid for the video
KevinClarkHarley [1:15 AM]: yeah, sure
KevinClarkHarley [1:16 AM]: and get a free guitar, les paul
East 146 Band [1:16 AM]: Yeah, my girlfriend is understanding
East 146 Band [1:16 AM]: your trying to get me in trouble hahahah
KevinClarkHarley [1:16 AM]: hey its just a question
KevinClarkHarley [1:17 AM]: hypothetical one anyways right ? right !

16. Next question...

KevinClarkHarley [1:27 AM]: You are on a cruise ship with your band, Chris Cross comes up and says...
KevinClarkHarley [1:27 AM]: "Man, Chris you are gonna freak out when I tell you what hott celebrity babe is on this ship with us"
KevinClarkHarley [1:28 AM]: your girlfriend isn't on the ship. What girl do you really hope its NOT, cause you might get into trouble ?
East 146 Band [1:28 AM]: Kate Beckinsale
KevinClarkHarley [1:28 AM]: who is that ?
East 146 Band [1:28 AM]: serendipity
KevinClarkHarley [1:29 AM]: oh ok
East 146 Band [1:29 AM]: her accent
East 146 Band [1:29 AM]: its killer
East 146 Band [1:29 AM]: make sure you add that
East 146 Band [1:29 AM]: hah


17. Last of Chris Stahl -

1.) Last good movie you have seen ? The one w/ George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones (I'm sorry I'm a sucker for Chick Flicks)

2.) Last CD you bought ? Story Of the Year - Page Avenue

3.) Last girl you have seen naked ? Some chic showing it all off in the Jillian's parking lot... Don't know who or name.

4.) Last person you pissed off ? Probably someone in my band hahah

5.) Last really good concert you have seen ? Matchbook Romance/Yellowcard @ the Muse in Nashville.

6.) Last really bad concert you have seen ? Don't Know. Don't waste my time going to see bad bands.

7.) Last time you signed an autograph ? I think I signed 37 @ our video shoot @ twice told. I got off stage and 1 girl asked me and I thought it was cool so I just kept count and It was 37 If I remember correctly. So the last autograph I signed was @ our video shoot.

18. Who has been the biggest influence on you as a person ? My Mom.

19. Who are your favorite 502 bands ? Breckinridge, Blyss, Nemesis, Apogee, Thank You Jade, Tornacade.


20. What person in the 502 scene do you have the most respect for and why ? Teague Ridge. We wrote our songs and have worked our ass off but without him and his guidance and advice we would be no where near where we are today. Thanks bro, really.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Let's recap...

Chris likes chick flicks and his favorite actor is John Cusack. He has a girlfriend, but would make-out with Jennifer Love Hewitt in a music video if he was asked to. He also would probably say yes to making out with Kate Beckinsale (From the chick flick "Serendipity"). He has admired the chests of two of Teague Ridge's girlfriends. (ex and current). Not including his own girlfriend, he also thinks one of them is the hottest chick in the 502.

He has seen BJ Abner naked.

Chris did a great job and stayed up to help me finish the last 2 questions. He risked getting in trouble with his girlfriend for the sake of being honest.


Thanks Chris !

I give Chris 5 out of 5 stars. êêêêê

So it is 7:30 in the morning and I am in Cleveland on a layover en route to NYC. A quick flash of my amex card and I am relaxing in the presidents VIP club, which has an open bar, so I am enjoying a mimosa and a nice cold beer at the same time. I love these VIP lounges in airports. Call me a bit spoiled, but it is worth it. Free WiFi, free breakfast/lunch/alcohol/nice chairs/etc. I'm pretty sure I am the only person drinking though. Families with children are staring at me. I have been meaning to write this week but have been uber busy. I flew into my hometown of Kentucky for some various things. I ended up going into the studio last minute and my band recorded 3 songs and I laid down an acoustic track. Should be up for listening in the next 2 weeks or so. Coming to Kentucky is always a bit inspirational. It is so quiet in my hometown. It's a small farmtown between Louisville and Cinci. It's always nice to drive around and check out the sites, not that there are very many to see. I got my haircut which was badly needed, saw my family, saw some friends and now here I am, going on no sleep, heading back to NYC. When I arrive, I have to go straight home, put on my work clothes and goto work. Wow I can't wait for tonight. I am going to crash hard. I hate when you go to bed just because you have to be up early, but you aren't tired. I LOVE going to bed when you are so exhausted, that you drift away right when you lay in the bed. Now that is a refreshing feeling. I do believe I will have 1 or 2 more morning beers and I will be set for the rest of my trip. This flight has 2 layovers. Pittsburgh is next, then NYC.

Holla

So I was browsing the web and came across this dish called a luther burger.  It is a bacon cheese burger served with two (2) krispy kreme donuts as the bun.  It is rumoured to have been invented by a cook that ran out of buns and used the donuts instead.  He named it after Luther Vandross.  It sounds like a very interesting thing, although I don't know if I could put ketchup on it like I do with my normal burgers.  This sounds like a Nate Campany and myself adventure.  I hear he will eat anything.  I have attached a photo so no one can say 'pics or it didn't happen'. 

That is all.  Has anyone ever tried one of these insta-cardiac-arrest dishes?

I like to spend my Sunday afternoons being a bit lazy. Reading the paper, some coffee, some cheap lunch at the nearby diner, or catching a matinée movie by myself. I just got back from seeing "Definitely, Maybe" and I honestly haven't heard that many sniffles since I saw Titanic opening night in New York in 1997 on my first trip to New York. I thought it was a nice story for a Sunday afternoon. Ryan Reynolds has definitely put the "Van Wilder" character in the closet, and Abigail Breslin did a very nice job as well. I highly recommend this movie to just about anyone.

AFTER THE MOVIE. I was walking back to my apartment and I saw a man fumbling with some change trying to pay a parking meter for his car. I gave it a thought and decided to be a nice person and tell him he doesn't have to pay on Sundays. Immediately he got a bit huffy and said "Yes you do!!! That blue car just got a ticket!!". I said yes they did, but they are parking in a "No Standing Anytime" spot, and pointed out the big red sign labeling this zone to not park in. "Whatever kid, better to be safe than sorry". While I agree with that mentality, the signs were there, in black and white, well red and white for this matter, and a kind person (myself) points it out, you should be in the clear, and no reason to be rude. Manners have been thrown out the door in NYC.  Kind of like the time I held a door for someone at a Dunkin' Donuts and they looked at me like I was a terrorist.

Hope everyone is well and thanks for listening to my little rant!!

Stahl

Is not around tonight.  I am having delivery and am going to watch Bed of Roses with Christian Slater.  I think he should come back and do some movie again.

Happy Valentines Day One-Lovers!!

<3

Chris Stahl

First, I would just like to say I am super excited to be involved with The One Love!!  I thought I would introduce myself since I am new to the blog.  My name is Chris Stahl and I will go ahead and answer the question that many of you are already wondering.  Yes, my parents named me after the expensive bottle of Champagne.  Now that that is pushed aside and out of the way…

I wanted my first entry to be about how I have met everyone involved with The One Love.  It is very Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon-esque. 

I met Cassie Petrey on May 23rd, 2004, in a Target Parking lot under a shady light.  I pulled up in my Blazer (RIP) and she was in a Jeep with several other people.  I had never met any of them before but we had spoke on the phone.  I was only meeting them there to follow them somewhere else, so I asked if anyone wanted to ride with me, and they all declined.  Cassie is fascinated with Strobe Lights and El Nopal. 

I met Jade going to Cincinnati to see The Click Five in spring of 2005.  We were both really loud and after that night, a picture of her and I with Ben Romans appeared on the Internet.  The photo had been cropped and cut everyone else out of the picture.  I don’t know who is responsible for this.  In lieu of the photograph that I cannot locate, I will show a picture of Tic Tac’s instead, because they remind me of Jade, and sometimes Cassie.

This is the night I met Ben Romans.  For some reason, he remembered me years later.  Maybe it’s my name, or the mystery cropped photo.  For whatever reason, Ben and I were reunited after The One Love show in NY only to share something we like to refer to as “Brain Damage”.  Ben can rock a Fanny-Pack, and I have one he can borrow anytime. 

Luke Luke Luke.  Luke and I have a criminal past together.  We were once both caught going through a NYC MTA Subway turnstile on one swipe.  Granted he had a monthly metrocard, and I had a limited swipe card, and we used mine, the NYPD decided to bring us in for questioning.  I want to state for the record that the city of New York did not lose any money on this minor infringement, so we didn’t look at it as stealing, but they didn’t seem to care.  After going through the turnstile, and turning a corner, two officers dressed to the nine (and carrying one too) approached us and took us into the station.  I wish I could say we were handcuffed, but we weren’t.  After sitting for a bit, he returned with our ID’s and gave us tickets in the amount of 60.00 each.  We have been more careful since this night.

I met Nate Campany at my 21st birthday party in NY.  His beard was bigger then than it is now.  As for our first formal meeting (one on one time I like to call it) we had lunch at the Chip Shop in Brooklyn.  This is an English-pub type setting.  Nate enjoyed the Bangers’n’Mash while I had the fish and chips.  To finish, we both shared fried candy bars/twinkies.  It was a heart healthy meal to say the least.  Then I typed a lot of things for him really really fast.  I believe you can read about it in one of his blogs.  I hope to one day stump Campany on a history-related question at one of his shows.  I never am able to think of one fast enough when he puts the pressure on while tuning his guitar for the next tune. 

I met Chap Stique with fellow One Love Bloggers at a restaurant in Little Italy in New York.  I’m pretty sure it was meant to be.  We both ordered the Cheese Tortellini with cream sauce, and both share a love for chap stick (the lip moisturizing product), however, we use different brands.  We then shook our napkins.  Afterwards, I held up, and waited a minute, and then I put a little love in it, at his show following dinner.  It was a night to be remembered. 

Eric Angelo and I share a common love for S’Mac.  I won’t be able to express the true greatness of this restaurant, so I recommend reading his recent blog about the stuff.  This is actually what our first conversation was about, when I saw his band Atomic Tom open for The Click Five in NYC recently.  I would love to go to this place one day with everyone. 

My first meeting with Danny Roselle was him being called upon in the middle of the night to drive everyone to Kellogs diner in Williamsburg.  He rolled up minutes later in his minivan, and 11, yes 11 people fit in it.  It was a very tight squeeze.  Cassie used my hand as a pillow whilst lying across of Jade and myself.  At the diner we talked about our love for The Gin Blossoms and flatirons. 

I met Gia Farrel at the after party of The One Love show.  I started singing “A whole new world” which is not uncommon for me to do, and I think she chimed in when Jasmine normally would.  I could be wrong, but this is how I like to think that it happened.   

As for the other bloggers, we haven’t officially met yet, but I am sure we will in the future.  There are a lot of great people involved with this website all for the same reasons.  Again, I am very happy to be apart of this.  I picked the American Cancer Society as my charity of choice because I lost my mother to cancer last year to a long 8 year battle with cancer. 

In real life I am often referred to as “Stahl” because my band has had a total of three different people named Chris, so it was easier to call me by my last name to avoid confusion.  Some people call me strictly by “ChrisStahl” like it is one word.  Some people call me Chris (rare).  Anyone related to me, mostly immediate family, call me Christopher.  I am okay with any of these.

This is a long first blog, but I had alot of corners to cover.

Thanks for reading and supporting The One Love!!!

- Stahl