8X10 Club Photos

Here are some photos from The FLB's show with Hoots and Hellmouth at the 8X10 Club in Baltimore:

GonzoFest

GonzoFest was a blast this year and a sold out show for the second year in a row. I thought I might post a few photos of the debauchery that ensued and some new friends I met along the way...

Let's start with a shot of me and Scott with the headliner of the shindig, Duff Goldman from the Ace of Cakes tv show on the Food Network and the band ...soihadto...:


Here's one of me and Mark Bryan from Hootie and the Blowfish and my new friend, Barenjager (thanks for the introduction, Mark):


I don't know why, but I like this one (thanks, Molly):


Here's me and Ricky Slezak, who plays drums with Mark Bryan and the Screaming Trojans as well as Unprovoked Moose Attack, which I've had the pleasure of sitting in with a few times. Rick is a really talented guy and, as you can see, much taller than I:


Action shot:



...And here's what happens when you let your friends play dress-up in the green room. Kids: Don't drink and dress!

My anthemic debut

Alas, my blogging diligence has collapsed. I suppose it was only a matter of time. But better late than never, as they say...

This past Sunday I had the great honor of singing the National Anthem at a Frederick Keys minor league baseball game. It was my first anthem-singing experience and a very memorable opportunity to be able to do it right in my home town. And probably one of the only ways they'll ever let me onto a professional baseball field!

For the performance, the folks put me right behind home plate. Blue skies, great attendance, flag waving in the background--good American vibes all around. I even had a few beers and a hot pretzel. What made the performance that much more poetic was the fact that Francis Scott Key is literally buried across the street from the stadium. I tried to channel his presence a little bit as I played and sung.

I was very grateful for the experience and thought it went well. Big thanks to Branden and everyone at the Keys for the invitation and their generous hospitality. Here is a photo of me on the field:

Nashville/Eastern Shore

I had a great trip to Nashville and the MD Eastern Shore last week. Met lots of cool folks, got a chance to play some music at some great places, and had a lot (what's too much?) of fun.

Coincidentally, my friend Joe Cerisano was in Nashville the same time as Bruce and I, so we got a chance to catch up and even do some playing together. Joe is heralded as the most famous anonymous singer in the country. Chances are if you watched any commercials in the 80s and 90s you've heard him. Anything from Miller Beer to Sprite to the 'Be All You Can Be' Army commercials. That was Joe.

Here's a cool shot of Joe and I playing together at the Commodore in Nashville--what an honor!:


Also, here's a photo of me in front of the Bluebird Cafe that Bruce and I didn't get when I played there the last time I was in Nashville:


Big thanks to Debi Champion for having Joe and I at the Commodore. Also, shout outs to both Delores Hershey and Melissa DuVall at the Ivories lounge. Delores and Melissa are two very beautiful and talented musicians (collectively called the 'Nashville Barbie Dolls') that I had the pleasure of meeting while in Nashville. Check them out if you get the chance:

http://www.myspace.com/deloreshershey
http://www.myspace.com/melissaduvall

After flying back from Nashville, Bruce and I drove from BWI out to beautiful Ocean City, MD to play on Ocean 98.1's Live Lixx at Sixx program with Lesley and BK. I hadn't been to OC in a while (probably sometime in '07), so it was great to be back. That place is like a second home and I have lots of great memories in that town.

I had the great fortune to be paired up with CC Coletti and her band to play on the radio show. CC has toured internationally with Meatloaf and his band Neverland Express and has recently released her debut solo album 'Neverland Express,' which was produced by Anthony Krizan, who also tours with her band. CC has some seriously amazing pipes, not to mention that she is incredibly sweet and beautiful.

Upon talking with Anthony, I found out that he actually used to play with one of my favorites, the Spin Doctors, and wrote and played on their album 'You've Got To Believe In Something'! I couldn't believe it! I've played the hell out of that album and couldn't believe I was sharing the airwaves with someone who had a big hand in creating it. Crazy!

Needless to say, I felt extremely privileged to be hanging out and playing with such world-class talents, not to mention it was great seeing BK and Lesley again. They are such great, fun people and have been incredibly generous with their support over the years. Here's a shot of me, CC, Anthony and the rest of the band (TJ and John) in the Ocean 98 studio:


I thought the show went really well I will try to post some audio soon. CC and her band sounded great and they even let me play a few tunes at their gig later that evening. Very kind and welcoming folks. Shout outs also to TJ, John, Bob, and Angelique--it was great meeting and hanging with you all!

Overall, a really awesome trip. Great times with great people!

Buddy Project Fundraiser

Just wanted to let you know that our friends over at The Buddy Project are having a Pancake Breakfast fundraiser on June 6th at Applebees in Catonsville:

Pancakes for Independence

WHEN: Saturday, June 6, 2009
8:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Applebee's
Neighborhood Grill & Bar
6505 Baltimore National Pike
Catonsville, MD 21228

This event is an all you can eat pancake breakfast. All proceeds from this event will go to support The Buddy Project in continuing its mission of providing technology and support to those with special needs. Tickets are now on sale for this event and they are $7.00 a person. To order tickets please contact Eric D. Zimmerman by email (EricZimmerman@Thebuddyproject.net) or by phone 301-694-7250.

If you can't attend the Pancake Breakfast but still wish you contribute, you can mail donations to:

The Buddy Project, Inc.
2107 Chestnut Lane
Frederick, MD 21702

In addition, you can donate used computers for the organization to refurbish. To set up a computer donation, contact Eric Zimmerman at the above email address. The organization is also looking for others to serve on the board. If interested, send an email to pizzamom464@msn.com.

For more information, visit http://www.thebuddyproject.net . Eric is a great and ambitious guy who has already help many folks through his program, so I hope you'll support him and the organization's efforts!

Recommended Albums

Thought I would share a few albums I have been listening to quite a bit lately. Check them out if you get the chance:

1. Ryan Adams, 'Gold' -- Ryan Adams writes some great stuff and Ethan Johns is a genius producer/musician. Put them together? 'Gold,' indeed.














2. Zac Brown Band, 'The Foundation' -- Some great songwriting. Shawn Mullins actually co-wrote the first track.














3. Darius Rucker, 'Learn To Live' -- Hootie goes country and it's awesome.














4. Amos Lee, 'Supply and Demand' -- Great acoustic folk/soul.















5. Paolo Nutini, 'These Streets' -- Hard to believe he's so young. A lot of soul in his voice.















Some great stuff in there! I'm off to Florida again on Monday and will be headed to Nashville and the MD eastern shore the week after. I'll try to post again ASAP!

Herald Mail interview

http://www.herald-mail.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=219616&format=html

Many thanks to Tiffany Arnold and everyone at the Herald Mail for supporting the music!

Florida/Mack's photos

Just a few photos, one from Florida and and one from a recent show at Mack's. Here's Bruce and I at a Mardi Gras party in our hotel in downtown Orlando (thanks Eve, the Crowne Plaza !). The shrimp and gator were delicious:


And here I am enjoying the pleasurable company of two lovely constituents from 106.9 The Eagle during The FLB's recent show at Mack's. Apologies for the pretentious sleeveless Nike shirt I wore that night, as well as the goofy whiskey-smile I have on my face. Don't ask about the muffins:

Florida and a new haircut, Chief

Here I am with the belated Florida recap (not recount, reCAP). Overall the trip went very well. Great people, cool venues, and lots of sunshine. A comfortably balmy 75-80 degrees for most of the trip.

I was even able to make it over to Cocoa Beach for the afternoon on Tuesday, just enough time to burn the hell out of myself. This is the second time that the spray lotion stuff has backfired on me (there was one time my calves were absolutely CHARRED before a gig at Seacrets in Ocean City), so I will forever be switching back to regular lotion. So much for an easy fix.

I also broadened my culinary horizons in FL by trying gator meat for the first time. Mmm, mmm. I felt a bit like Bobby Bouche from 'The Waterboy,' but it was meaty, chewy and actually quite delicious. Bruce ordered the Gator Fingers, which were just hunks of gator meat breaded and fried. Tatsey!

Big shout outs to the generosity and hospitality of so many folks we met, including but not limited to: everyone at Tanqueray's, The Dave Quattro, Eve and everyone at Crowne Plaza for hooking Bruce and I up, everyone at 13 Cafe and Lounge, and the fine folks at Underground Bluz. I also had the great pleasure of seeing some old friends from home and college. It was very comforting to see some familiar faces far from home, some I hadn't seen for years!!

In other news: Right before the Florida trip (brace yourself)...I finally cut my Fredlocks. Yes, the runors are true. The 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' era of my hair adventures is over. I had just enough to donate (10 inches) and put my severed coif in the mail last week. (Side note: I found it weird sending 10 inches of my hair in the mail...imagine if you opened your mail and there was a bunch of hair in it.) Overall, I just hope drunk dudes will stop hitting on me at shows now.

Happy Easter/Passover everyone!

Nashville recap

The last couple weeks have been a bit of a whirlwind, but I wanted to give you a quick Nashville recap before I play a couple of shows this weekend and then head off to Florida next week for some performances.

The trip to Nashville was overall a great experience. Both exciting and humbling--lots of talented folks out there. My first plane flight ever went really well, I was like a little kid on an amusement park ride. Had breakfast and some drinks at the airport, then flew off into the sunny skies towards Nashville while sipping on Wild Turkey. Ahhh...it was great and exciting and I wasn't apprehensive at all. Plus, as a bonus the flight attendant didn't even charge me for the drink, perhaps because I was easy to spot as a 'first timer' and he wanted to hook me up. I had a great window seat, and it sure put me in a very contemplative cosmic place looking down at mountains that looked like they could fit in my hand...

The only downside was that I was the only dumbass at the airport who had a huge bag with no wheels on it. Bruce was walking like he had taken pledges for a cure of some sort, and I had to keep up carrying by hand the 100 pounds of s*** I had packed. By the time I got to the ticket line I was sweating like a bastard and had lost feeling in one of my arms. Lesson learned. Needless to say, I went to Walmart the other day and bought a more mobile piece of luggage.

Monday night I had the great honor of playing at the legendary Bluebird Cafe on the same stage that had been previously graced by Garth Brooks, Faith Hill, Kris Kristofferson, among many other great performers and songsmiths. It was surreal.

Waiting for my turn to play, I got to talking to a man next to me who I found out happened to be one of the most famous anonymous voices in the country. His name was Joe Cerisano and he had done a lot of singing in commercial work in the 80s. Remember the 'Be All That You Can Be' song? That was him singing in that Army commercial, among many other well-known ads. He is a really talented musician/songwriter and a really nice guy, too. Check him out online:

http://www.cerisano.com/

I made a lot of other great friends while I was out there, heard some great music, got to see an old friend who I hadn't seen in a while, and was able to get a wealth of insight from several folks in the biz (not to mention, some great food). Also had the opportunity to play at both The Hall of Fame Lounge and The Commodore in addition to the Bluebird. I was very fortunate to be able to cram so much into one trip (you can always sleep later, right?). Here's a picture of me playing at The Commodore:



The only bummer was that the weather went from 75/80 to cold and freezing rain by the day we left to get on the plane to come back home. The words 'deicing' coming from the cockpit really didn't set well with me and I was a little edgy for the flight back. Thank God those people know what they're doing. There was a little turbulence, but we made it back safe and sound. Hello solid ground...does anyone need a drink?

All in all, a great trip. I look forward to returning to Music City soon. Next week it's off to The Sunshine State to play some more tunes and hopefully catch some of those warm Florida rays!

Headed to Nashville

I will be getting on a plane (my first) later today to head out to Nashville for a few days with Bruce. For those of you who don't know, Bruce helps manage me and The FLB (talk about a full time job!) and was nice enough to set up a couple of performances while I'm out there. I also plan to meet with some friends and other fine folks in the biz, enjoy the musically rich nightlife of Nash-Vegas, and just soak it all in and see what it's all about.

For those of you in the area, I will be performing sets at the Hall of Fame Lounge on Music Row both Tuesday and Wednesday nights. Those shows kick off around 7pm usually, but there will most likely be others on the bill and I'm not sure where I'll be in the order. I'd suggest calling the venue for more concrete details.

Next Monday I shall do my best to give the full report of the experience, hopefully including pictures and whatever else I can share. It should be a great trip, as long as I don't soil my loins on the flight or have some kind of first-timer Rain Man moment. I don't foresee that, though. I think I'm just going to be lovin' the fact that I'll be flying through the air like Superman with a drink in my hand and a bag of free peanuts. Does anyone ever make the Mile High Club on their rookie flight?

Watch out Music City, here I come!

Support and Pre-order New Album

The release of The FLB's new album, 'Shotgun With The Devil' is right around the corner and scheduled for the end of spring/beginning of summer. The mixes are finished and getting their final sheen before replication, and now you can be a part of the production of the album.

As a way to allow all of our great listeners and followers to play a role in the album's release, we are now offering several pre-order/support packages. These packages include everything from a simple pre-order of the album up to a full page mention in the liner notes and a personal performance by The FLB. You can show your support, promote your business, and help bring the music to life.

To take advantage of these opportunities, make sure you do so before they expire on May 1, 2009. You can choose from several options here:

http://freddielong.com/swtdpreorder/


For a track listing of the new album, go here:

http://freddielong.com/music

We very much look forward to sharing the new music with you and extend our deepest thanks for your support,

-Freddie

Twitter and Handguns

More firsts for me this past week. Yesterday I started an account on Twitter, which, for those of you who are not familiar with the latest cyber-phenomenon, is a site where people answer in 140 characters or less the question, "What are you doing?" Called micro-blogging, the thing seems to be catching on faster than bell bottom jeans. You can also attach it to a regular blog (see right), Facebook profile, MySpace, etc.

Here's my page on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/freddielong

Yesterday I also went to the shooting range with my brother who helped teach me how to shoot a Glock 9mm handgun. I'm not one to advocate violence, but who knows? Maybe I'll need to save the world someday with Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone, Harrison Ford, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vin Diesel, and I don't want to be the weakest link.

We got there and I first noticed that there were quite a few cute girls at the range, which was both exciting and anxiety-inducing at the same time. We were assigned to a lane next to a woman and a man that were shooting a higher caliber gun that sounded like a damn Civil War cannon. Even though I had ear protection on, it definitely took me a few minutes to stop soiling myself every time those folks fired from what could've been mistaken for a small tank.

I eventually got a little more comfortable and even though I kind of had Barney Fife hands, I actually wasn't that terrible of a shot. Just holding a gun and being around gunfire made me think about all those who serve in the line of fire and our friends and family overseas. The experience gave me even more respect for the folks who have served, fought and died for the safety and freedoms we enjoy in our country.

The Hans Grubers and T-1000s of the world don't stand a chance...

Rihanna assault photo post -- No class

Just wanted to speak my mind on a current issue...

I don't know if you all have kept up with the Rihanna/Chris Brown assault scandal, but recently there has been a photo circulating online taken of Rihanna that shows her battered and bruised face after the assault. Apparently the photo was leaked by the LAPD, perhaps by someone looking to make some easy money by selling it to the media. Today I saw the photo for the first time posted under the 'Featured' section on the front page of MySpace, and I feel it was done in incredibly poor taste, whether the photo is genuine or not.

I think it shows ABSOLUTELY NO CLASS for any website to post a photo of this nature, which if genuine was supposed to be confidential and was released without authorization. This is especially true for a site like MySpace, where younger folks will be exposed to it. Sites like Daily Fill, MySpace, TMZ, et al. should really have more respect for common decency than that. Hats off to the LAPD for seriously investigating the leak.

There's just no good reason for this exploitation. All to get more hits to your site? Come on. What if that was your daughter/sister/friend? Let's have some integrity, people.

The end and beginning of an era...

(I know I blew it this Monday, but better late than never!)

I remember when I was in middle and high school I would spend hours perusing the music stores in the mall, buying CD after CD, some even just on a whim. As the industry changed, the music chains faded off into the retail distance and gave way to bigger multi-entertainment stores like Best Buy, Circuit City (RIP), Borders, and Barnes and Noble.

But today I finally took the quantum leap into the digital age by making my first strictly-online digital music purchases. I had been bucking the trend for a while now and I know I'm behind the curve on this one, but it felt like it was time today, for whatever reason. It is the dawning of a new age for me.

I decided to use Amazon MP3 because their music is DRM-free (meaning you can do whatever you want with the file--burn, copy, whatever) and also you can download singles without having to install any other application. You need their downloader program for full albums (which I eventually installed), but it is very small, straightforward and unobtrusive.

Here were my first digital purchases:

*Hot N Cold - Katy Perry (something about the song made me feel good the other day, I don't know what...)
*Gives You Hell - All-American Rejects (catchy number, well-produced)
*Boyz II Men - II (full album--only $1.99!)
*Also downloaded some free giveaway tracks including a Stax sampler and free tunes by Sepultura and Ani Difranco.

So, not really any deep choices there, just a couple of current pop/rock singles and a Boyz II Men album that I always get nostalgic about and couldn't pass up for the price, but I think that's going to be the gist of my initial MO with this digital thing. Usually if I'm really into an artist and/or an album I would rather purchase the physical tangible CD to have, so I forecast that for now I will use digital shopping just for one-off purchases, at least until CDs go the way of the 8-track tape.

Here's a really good site that compares all of the biggest digital music sites out there:

http://music-download-review.toptenreviews.com/

See you at the online record store...

'I feel funny...'

Drugs at the dentist can really trip you out...especially if you're seven years old. Here's a good laugh for the week:

Past and Current Events

That's right woodchuck-chuckers, it's Groundhog Day! Unfortunately, Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow today, which means six more weeks of winter. As opposed to if he didn't see his shadow, which means...probably six more weeks of winter anyway.

Tomorrow also marks the 50th anniversary of one of the darkest days in music history: The Day The Music Died. Fifty years ago tomorrow, The Big Bopper, Buddy Holly, and Richie Valens were all killed along with their pilot in a wintry airplane crash. The tragedy has given birth to many legends, as well as the song 'American Pie' written by Don McClean. You can read more here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Day_the_Music_Died

This past week celebrated the birthday of American artist Jackson Pollock. He was a painter famous for his 'drip' painting technique. I encourage everyone to watch the movie Pollock with Ed Harris. I was not familiar with Pollock's work before the movie, but became a fan of his art, his personality, and his story, which is at the same time both tragic and beautiful. Below is a picture of one of his paintings at the National Museum of Art in DC called Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist). Pollock stopped naming his paintings and gave them numbers instead so that people would just look at the painting for what it was.



This past week also saw the passing of Lynyrd Skynyrd's original keyboard player, Billy Powell. The story I always heard was that he started out as a roadie for the band and was asked to join when the band overheard him playing one day. The rest was history. He was classically trained, but played some of my favorite rock piano solos of all time. His talent will be sorely missed, but will on through the music he created. Here's the article:

http://www.reuters.com/article/peopleNews/idUSTRE50R7ME20090128

Lastly, I wanted to comment on Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's performance at the Super Bowl last night. I actually missed it live, but watched it on YouTube shortly after the game. Although I thought there were a few sound problems (which I'll take over having everything pre-tracked anyday), I felt Bruce put on a great show and looked like he was having the time of his life. From all of us who were Born To Run, well done, Boss. If you missed it like me, you can watch it here below.

PART 1



PART 2

The week in review...

Let's see...what's new in the World of Long? Not too much, really. Played at Stevenson University (formerly Villa Julie) this Saturday for a beer and wine tasting. Really nice event.

Beer and wine tasting on a college campus, you say? Where were those when I was in college?! There actually were a few drink-on-the-school's-dime (which is really your dime, of course) events around my graduation, and I guess even if my college did have something like that back in the day it would've been hard to justify paying for tickets when a 24-bottle case of Lion's Head beer (OR Lion's Head Light :) was only $9.99. Let's just say we kept the Annville Township recycling program on its feet.

Other than that, the band and I have been rehearsing and finishing final mixes of the album. We are in the final 'tweaking and critiquing' stage (also see 'compulsive perfectionist nit-picking') and I'm really getting ancy to complete the final product. I just hope people dig the songs and get something out of them...they've been a long time comin'...(future album title?)...

By the way, the band is getting back out on the road and we've started to book some more shows. Dates are usually posted soon after confirmation, so check the site for the latest.

I know who I'm rooting for to win the Super Bowl...The Boss :)

Merrie Melodies

Ed forwarded the video below to everyone in the band the other day. It's one of the Looney Tunes Merrie Melodies shorts. They were great cartoon/music shorts and this one is a jazz take on the Three Little Pigs.

The gist is that the Big Bad Wolf keeps trying to join the pigs' band, but he sucks at trumpet. Who knew he was just another frustrated musician? I hadn't seen this since I was a kid:



'Ooo, ya cool! Ooo, ya cool! Ooo, ya cool man, cool!' Pretty funny stuff. Here's another good one where a note from 'The Blue Danube' gets drunk:



The music in these is really ingenious...

Back in Black

As we continue to rocket into 2009, I have decided to make the pledge to return from my blogging sabbatical and more diligently share on a more regular basis. My ambitious plan is to post something every Monday at the very least, so keep checking in and give me hell if I don't deliver!

In the meantime, have a laugh care of Jeopardy and its biggest winner, Ken Jennings: