Happenings and Goings On
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Band Blog:
It's been quite a wild ride. We've been up (remember opening Boondocks?) and we've been down (Silvie's lounge - ugg), and we've been all around (Chicagoland anyway). The future as always is still uncertain (ironically), but we can at least look back and say we had a fantastic time, and, if we do say ourselves, made some damn good music.
Which brings us to our latest development - the album. After tonight, the recording process will be complete. Billy has been gracious enough to donate an absurd amount of personal time for the project, and he estimates he'll have another 50 hrs of work to do before we can slap this thing on plastic. Crazy.
As of now, Certain Company has one final show booked: our CD release in fact. We hope that everyone who's been with us these past two years will join us as we celebrate the completion of an era.
Still need your local live music fix?
- Zach is currently working on his second solo album. Email him (zbnonnan@yahoo.com) and ask him about it- NOW!
- Billy is purusuing yet more degrees in music. As if a master's in composition isn't enough
- Alex is rocking the drums with his church
- Former member Tom "Oaktree" Fairbank has started a new collaboration which includes the gifted songwriter Brian Mitterer, his talented sister Megan, other CC member Greg. Currently in the "R&D" phase.
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Greg has immersed himself in a number of projects which include (but
not ilmited to) the bands 'The Pale Figures', 'Rockweilers', 'Michael
Riser', the afore mentioned group, and his own solo material under the
pseudo alias Greg Reed.
So maybe we're not ACTUALLY there (athough we have been before - great party), but my great friend Ben Cober is. He happens to work at the Cincinnati Museum Center. We're there in spirit because our song is rockin' his videos! Out of his own little brain he came up with a web series to explain new activities in a minute or less.
The videos kick ass - and his persona on film is sort of a Bill Nye the Science Guy does history instead of chemistry. Extremely entertaining and informative, the videos really make you wanna hang out at the museum.
Oh and he asked if the song "Shake" could be used for the intro / outro. Ok, twist my arm... check them all out on Youtube!
Times were different then: Certain Company wasn't even a glimmer in Acorn's eye yet. Brent Lafrenz was our drummer, my sis Elizabeth was still jammin on keys, and Tom "Oaktree" Fairbank was rockin' the bass. I think I stayed awake for 20 hrs that first night, we were so excited to rock steady into the night.
As the Co readies for an anniversary (in Feb!) we're also looking forward to another recording. No holding back this time - a full-length album should be retail ready by St. Patrick's Day. Tracks we plan to include:
Come on Back
Sing to Me
Honest When Useful
+ Who knows what else? We'll probably throw a track or two from the demo on there as well. Perhaps even a solo number from Zach or Greg? If there's anything you'd like to be sure makes it on there - tell us!
There comes a time in every young musician's life where they feel the need to express their solo side. It's more of a return to themselves, as most musicians learn to play alone before playing with others. Greg's return has come to fruition.
'Folklore Troubadour' is a solo experiment I've been working on since I started writing music; I just didn't know it. The band doesn't get to every song written by its members, and some numbers just wouldn't work with our style. There's a lot of music in all of us, and with the gentle nudgings (and financial backing!) of my family and Katie, I was able to get this thing produced.
I recorded all parts (guitar, bass, violin, vocals) in a single Saturday with Mark Kleinfelder, who then went back and drummed most of the track.s. Additional percussion was added by John Knecht. I went back and re-recorded a few things here and there, but most of the album was finished in a single session.
I tried to make it a diverse offering of my influences, and the disk definitely reflects that. It ranges from folk to powerpop to heavy metal and back to the blues. I got to be a little more experimental because I was in control of all the music, and I found the experience liberating. I've begun to play out around the city and I'll be promoting the album to see what comes of it. You can pick one up here.
But there's nothing like playing with a great band. Whether you're in the spotlight highlighting your instrument or grooving with the rhythm, there's something magical about all the players coming together to produced a single idea - that's what it's all about, right?
If you haven't yet, you can check it all out at GregReedMusic.com. Enjoy!
1/28 Another side of Zach
Check out this video Zach recently made on his quest to make an advertising portfolio (what he does when he's not playing the guitar for Certain Company).
11/12 Who Steals a Wiper?
Honestly. Who steals a freakin' wiper? There I was, minding my own business, finishing up some solo recording, when I come back to discover my car's only means of repelling water from my vision has been removed. Gone. What!?
It was unexplainable. Katie had been driving around doing random errands all day and hadn't noticed anything suspicious. And my car's never been messed with before. Ironically I just fixed a flat the week before, and now this! If I find the punk who took my wiper, may God have mercy on his/her soul.
But back to the band - the show @ the US Beer Co. was a success! We had the highest turnout from the chart at the front door, so that's awesome. Billy rocked it Co. style his 1st show, and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. Really enjoy themselves apparently.
On the solo side of things, Zach has put up a new song, "It's Safe". You can check out this sweetness here. He also has an entire album of stuff just lying around, and a lot it's great - so as him for one! I've been busy recording my 1st solo album, 'Folklore Troubadour'. It's currently being mixed and drums are scheduled to be done this weekend. A lot of this stuff I've never played out before, and I'm interested to get feedback. I'm projecting availability in late Nov., with an official release in Dec accompanied by a live performance.
Now it's back to the grind to get ourselves up to speed for the Dec 6th show @ Emerald Isle.
10/31 Happy Halloween!
We're in a radio comeptition, vote for us:
http://www.hypnotikradio.com/affiliation/poll.php
Thanks!
The season of scary spectars, haunted hosts, and commercialism. Halloween is the fastest growing holiday we've got - I know, I can't believe it beats Sweetest Day either. Some people love this holiday. And truthfully, what's not to like? Candy, parties, eye-candy.
But I gotta say the ever-wise Katie Green brings up a good point (as did the movie 'Mean Girls' -excellent flick) : When did Halloween for girls turn into finiding the most revealing costume available? What's even crazier is that it's apparently the norm and not the exception, especially if you visit a college campus. I'm not complaining, just posing the question. I don't get it.
I can't exactly reveal my costume for tonight, but I can say it comes from a certain SNL skit involving Justin Timberlake. I'll let you know how it turns out.
Oh yeah, the band! It's rockin' - really rockin. Billy has breathed new energy into the ensemble, and we're honestly excited to practice again. Rather than just focus on perfecting our songs, we've allowed ourselves to relax a bit and just jam for the sake of jamming. Not that we haven't gone over some of the new ones about a dozen times before moving on. In addition, the new practice space has given us a home again. We wandered lost as vagabonds for too long.
Our next show is going to be one of our best - I can feel it already. We've got that "new band" hyped-up feeling again and this venue is pretty cool. Plus 9pm on a Friday, what's not to like? We're going to be promoting this one pretty heavily, so get the word out! I'm working on getting cover to hopefully nothing, if the bar will let us.
10/24 - Poems
For actual news, I don't have much. We moved into a new practice spot and although it's small, it's a 100% approvement.
I can't think of anything else to write so I thought I'd lay out some poems I just wrote at work. Work is REAL slow here today. These are for Ben. Happy Friday!
What a Waste -
I saw on the path a cloaked old man. Tired eyes, strong hands. The breeze blows smoothly, silken fields, as dusk steals my senses.
He pointed towards the cresting spires - crags with harsh faces. A towrer of Alabaster, brilliant in the moonlight. I followed 'til my feet were bruised and broken.
Upon the peaks I tore resolve. Cold as steel; scratched and brittle. The summit relentless, never surrenedered, and blackness filled the void.
Yet from the misty shadows, among the ruined ferns and whilting weeds, My spirit lives amidst the ruins - the Tower still above my fate.
Great shimmer and wholely pleasing, lusting after white hot heat. Upon the turret I take my place; the greatest fear do I now feel:
What a waste -To think that this is all I have struggled for.
String Cheese Man!
Blondie Baby, Deathroom Inmate. Chocolate ice cream, Licorice Chair
Take me lovely, Coffee Caffeine, Warm n' Fuzzy, Emo King
Mega Ultra, Ton and Done. You don't under - states my Freedom
Rights and Wronglings, Fondle Tonsels. Gumshoe Gunboats, String Chees Man!
This Week's Project:
I'm writing a song for Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog for my sister Elizabeth. Check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjksltCHHnw
10/8 Fall is Back!
Apple picking, hot apple cider, Halloween...there are certain things we all love about this transitional season. The Company is going through a slight transition as well. We announced that Tom Oaktree Fairbank is leaving us after tonight's performance at the Tonic Room. We are sorry to lose such great talent, and I hope Tom will look back on his time with the Co. and feel waves of warm nostalgia.
But as the weather turns cold, the Co. is heating it up with some brand new material and a new bassists! Billy Coogan, hailing from Bellingham, WA, is already proving to be more than up to the task. We're working on getting him up to speed this month and his debut performance will be at the US Beer Co. in Nov.
The shows at both the Elbo Room and eSkape were successes and marked some new milestones for the group. We played on the same bill as national act Sun Domingo and got to hear some sweeeet jams. I suggest everyone check them out, especially 'Song in Your Name.' At eSkape, we recognize that we can never play during a Cubs playoff game again. Ever.
So as usual exciting stuff on the horizon for us. We're going to scale back performances just slightly to once a month but only because we wanna keep it fresh. We're moving into a new practice space next week, got a great new bassist, and we're working on writing and recording new tracks. As usual we'll keep ya posted.
Last Week's Project:
Cat Dayger from Oregon commissioned me to finish a piece she wrote entitled "So Much Rhythm" You can hear it below:
9/25 The Open Mic from Hel...Chicago?
It's not my style to bash other artists, musicians, or new experiences. That being said, some things that are absolutely bizarre cannot go unnoticed.
When I began playing at this bar, they informed me that they were looking for an acoustic host. Normally I love the electric thing, but I saw this as an opportunity to get back in touch with the guitar that I learned to play on originally. Getting back in touch with my roots so to speak.
The first time around was innocent enough - just me and my guitar. Although it was slightly odd that the owner (and my only contact in this strange basement of a bar) only stuck around for about 10 minutes. After playing for 2 hrs, the bartender asked if I needed a break. Turns out it was his first night on the job. I haven't seen him back in there since.
I guess I enjoyed myself the first time so I went back the following week. This time I brought Zach along with me. He had no idea what he was in for -
Have you ever seen someone that actually makes you feel better about yourself? You know the type - 'well at least I'm better off than that guy.' The performer that we were forced to share the stage with could only be described as an 'off the Vegas strip' lounge singer far past his prime. Imagine Tony Bennet sung by a strangled chihuahua -underwater. Here's an analogy for you: It's like when you ask if a girl's hot. If your buddy says "well she's really nice" then you know the answer. If you were to ask us, 'Was he a good singer?" I would reply - "He was a really nice guy!"
The most recent visit was a random conglomoration of musicians - A few bassists, a synthesized drumbeat/keyboard, a really great blues vocalist, violin, and of course a few guitars. The night ended in a 15 minute rendetion of an original entiteled "Pistols" (the only word in the piece) and all the Bob Marley songs that work with that same single bassline. (Incredibly that's like, 1/3 of his stuff)
I did get to meet with Rob, a web filmmaker who is launching a new series about being a trophy husband. The Co. is going to make a cameo, so look out for funny stuff and rockin' out!. We'll see if I head back next week; at least it's always a good story.
By Greg Z - see more news
9/18 - Not Working at Work 101:
Yes, it's pretty much entirely accurate to say that my life is like the great American classic depicted above. But that's why God invented the internet - or was that Al Gore? (I should also note John McCain apparenlty invented the blackberry. Other inventions include the wheel and hot VPs)
But have no fear! Prof. GZ is in the house to show you the way to a less-bored workday. In this week's topic, we'll examine a very small scoop of the huge pile of S*&T that is THE INTERNET....
Craigslist:
I can think of no better website out there - this baby's got it all. Housing, musical instruments, weird offers.... Two of my guitars and most of our gigs came from the list.
Addicting Games:
Need to kill some serious time between databases and phone calls? This place eats time for dinner. In one, I actually cried out once when my little dude was hit - while I was on the phone. I think it ended up ok, but my co-workers gave me a few looks. (And yes I'm an 11 yr old asian girl at work).
Sailing Anarchy:
Are you a sailor? Sweet! Maybe not? Either way, this site has a little something for everyone, and tons of sweet pics.
Sarah Palin Baby Name Generator
Could be the greatest invention...ever.
And finally...Low Carb Comedy
This site, created by Zoran (my sister's beau (ok so that has no relevance but I actually liked the music)) Gvojic, mixes irreverent humor with cute kittens. Nice soundtracks too.
I could go on and on, but there's only so much time at work you know. 5 o'clock whistle! Til next week...
Tom "Oak Tree" Fairbank announced last week that he will be leaving the band. We will miss him terribly and wish him well on his endeavours. We are currently seeking out a new bassists and have already jammed with Billy Coogan who did an excellent job trying to keep up. No final decisions have been made yet but Billy said he emjoyed the group and he's looking forward to our next practice.
We've added quite a few shows since the last report and we'll be getting more through Dec. In addition to this, we've been selected to appear on the website Chronicles of a Trophy Husband. More details to come soon.
We've got some new songs on the horizon so you can look out for those at our upcoming shows - especially at Tonic Room. This one's gonna be big! Hope to see you this weekend at the Elbo Room and next weekend at eSkape. Until then...enjoy fall!
September 7th:
What a week - 3 shows in 7 days is a lot for us. And all of the venues definitely had their own unique feel and ambiance. Lilly's is kind of a crazy place - there are nooks and crannies everywhere. Thanks to the 5 insane dancing guys that brought the energy through the roof.
The Elbo Room is a sweet place - too bad it was set up very last minute, it was late on a Wed. night, and Alex had car issues. Still, we held it down with a laid back softer set and we were cheered on by those two awesome fans Katie and Gideon.
The Metal Shaker last night had some interesting death metal decor on the walls, but we rocked out a little harder edged and had a great time doing it. They even gave us free beers and a couple Tequila shots. Who can argue with that?
After an interesting experiment last night came up a little short, we're heading back to rehearsal all this month to polish up a few new tunes that we've had in the grinder for a while. The next big 'un is on later on a Wed night. I know, I know. But it's a huge opportunity for us and I can promise it'll be one of the best shows we've played yet, so we need as many people there as possible!
August 22nd:
The press kit is finally finished and the first (hopefully of many) is in the mail! The group took a little break to take care of some out-of-town activities; such as weddings, camping trips, and bachelor parties. Always ready to rock we got back into full swing this past week and we're ramping up for a performance this Sunday at a jam session with a co-worker of Alex's. As promised, we will be releasing another new song at the Metal Shaker.
Members have been busy with side and solo projects throughout this past month, however. The Oak Tree has started a new collaboration with some fellow teachers. Email him to find out more info about his school of rock. Alex has been practicing his beats and also teaching a new generation of young drummers. Zach and Greg collaborated with poet (now lyricist) Caitlin Knutte and cellist Bill Dzadon to record a song for Caitlin's sister's wedding entitled "Now and Forever." Recorded with JimTimbers, it features guitar, 2 vocal parts, and cello. It will be played during the ceremony. Anyone interested in hearing the song - just ask us for a free mp3!
July 29th:
We all felt like true rock stars this past Sunday when we had our first professional photo shoot. Certain Company met with Collin Martin, a local photographer, on location at the Wabash bridge over the Chicago river. We couldn't have asked for better weather or a nicer guy to work with, and the results should be available soon. Acorn was looking his finest of course.
These photos will complete the last piece of the puzzle that is the ever-daunting "press-kit". I still don't really know what that means, but I do know it's close to completion. After we package it nicely, we'll be shipping it to locations all over Chicagoland and beyond. Anyone out there know of an Indie label looking to add another artist? That kinda thing.
Also, we'll be adding some more shows on the roster very shortly as soon as they're finalized. It looks like our next gig will be in Sept at the Metal Shaker. More details to come soon. In the meantime we're still working (always) on new original material, some new covers, and our stage show. There's always a new something to discover at each live performance, and Friday's show at Fizz will be no exception. We're really looking forward to a new venue and the opportunity to jam with our buddies Dynamite Blu again. And I hear the food's fantastic as well!
Back to work - Acorn's a crazy multi-tasker.
July 7th:
Hey all, this is Tom "Oaktree" Fairbank writing here. Just wanted to say that the demo is finished. We used Retro Recording Studios which is run by Jim Timbers. Jim is a great guy to record with and the whole band is proud of the tracks we made. Check them out here.
And Oh yeah, there's only three days till Betty's. Who's excited? Acron. That crazy blue horse won't stop talking about how awesome the show is going to be. Especially when we play two new orginals.
June 24th:
The Co. goes on tour! We're playing at the 'Tree Down Shake Down' in Cincinnati Friday night, sponsored by Ben Cober and his gracious house mates. We should get the rockin' started around 11pm. Thanks in advance to Ohio for having us; we expect to entertain.
In other very exciting news, one of our songs, "Land of the Sun", was selected to be used in a documentary called "Pursue the Passion' (www.pursuethepassion.com) . It's a very cool project that explores why people are passionate about their carriers - and if you're not, how you can be. The DVD is in the final stages of production, and as always I'll report more as news becomes available.
We've selected 4 songs to record for our demo this upcoming weekend. We feel these best represent the broadest range musically of what we're able to cover. And they are (Alex, drumroll please) :
- Come on Back
- Are You Ready?
- Shake
- Margie Knows
Expect these to be ready soon!
June 18th:
At the last minute we were forced to change our Ballydoyle date to the following week. Scheduling is always fun, right? So now we've got a rockstar week ahead of us: 2 shows, practice, and a 2 day recording session. As Borat would say "Wowaweewa!"
After recording our demo, we're looking to shoot a music video for YouTube and elsewhere. Any awesome ideas? Know anyone with a camera? Wanna be in it? As always, we're pretty much open to anything. Hit me up - greg@certaincompany.com.
June 6th:
It's been a bit since my last report, but there's lots on the menu for the next two months. We have a new recording date set for the weekend of June 27-29, so we will have a demo done by the end of the month as was our original goal. Hey, Kennedy said 'before the decade was out' and they didn't get to the moon until '69, so I don't feel so bad. As soon as it's available we'll give them out to anyone who wants one.
We've got some new venues on the horizon: a battle of the bands at Juliana's on Peterson and we've been invited to do a show with Dynamite Blu at Fizz's Bar & Grill on Linoln. If you weren't able to make it to the end of the last Betty's show, I've gotta say you missed out: Dynamite Blu is incredible. So talented and fun to watch, they put out a cool funk/blues vibe that keeps it rockin'. And they're really cool guys, what more could you ask for?
In sadder news, the Co. has lost a member. Nicole Lang, who played with us for the show at Betty's in May, announced that she's got too much on her plate at the moment. Although she will be missed, we're actually confident that our sound is both dynamic and full enough that we won't be looking for a replacement this time. Just the 4 of us for now:)
Due to a break in teaching new songs, recording practices, and show prep, we've actually been able to jam at practices instead of just pounding through songs to get 'em right. Lots of good has come through this, including some ideas that will eventually be turned into new compositions. One of these features violin, trombone, harmonica, vocals, and drums after a discussion we had about our auxillary instruments.
That's it for now!
May 19th:
So the recordings didn't go exactly as planned - in fact pretty much the opposite of any plan we might've had before arriving. We could go into the painful details, but basically after 3+ hours of wasted time in a gutted West side apartment we walked out into the rain with nothing but our equipment. But we got a good story out of it: we were offered drugs, Nicole slept on Acorn, and Greg smashed his finger. The "engineer" apologized profusely and said we can set up a time in the future. Needless to say we won't be taking him up on that offer; unless I need some crazy cough drops.
Sometimes it's two steps forward, one step back. Even though we don't have the demo recordings we were hoping to have by now, we are more than ready for Thursday's show at Betty's. It should be even more energy-packed than a stick of dynamite in a pop-rocks factory.
We're lining up a few things for the next few months. Recording (for real this time), some shows in the city and the burbs, and perhaps a summer fest. As soon as we get details we'll let ya'll know.
May 14th:
We're hard at work getting ready for our recordings, but we're also working on 4 new original numbers. In the tradition of our style, we've got a few that absolutely rock in the truest sense, and we've got others that are chill and groovin'. We're looking to perform a few of these at the upcoming show at Betty's.
The two bands we're playing with have been finalized: Johnny Rev and Dynamite Blu. Both should bring a sweet sound to the table to whet you musical appetites. As soon as we finalize the recording session, look out for the tracks on our website and on our myspace page.
We're also looking at playing some summer festivals and entering a few 'Battle of the Bands', so we'll let you know as soon as more info becomes available. Want us to play somewhere? Let us know!
April 28th:
And we finally have a recording date set: May 17th. This is slated to be a short session and we're hoping to get 3 tracks down, if we're lucky. These songs will then be available on myspace and on promo CDs at our shows. These include 'Come on Back', 'Directions', and 'Sing to Me.'
In addition to recording, we've also planned out a schedule to learn 4 new original songs in the upcoming months. Acorn has been feverishly attempting to recreate some of the magic he brought to music in the 70s. We'll see what he cooks up this time around.
After searching for a new keys player and vocalist, we are pleased to announce a new member will soon be joining the company. Nicole is coming back to the midwest after a time in sun-baked Arizona, not unlike our own Zachary. We'll be bringing her up to speed, so get ready for the full-n-round sound of the 5-piece ensemble soon. We'll have a full bio up soon.
April 16th:
It is with mixed emotions that we say goodbye to our awesome keys player and vocalist Elizabeth Zimmerman. Life takes us in many directions, and getting accepted to a PSYCHOLOGY DOCTORATE PROGRAM might take some of your free time away! The group will never be the same without her, but we wish her well in all of her endeavours. Don't worry, you can still check Liz out on stage doing improv comedy around Chicago and the midwest. We'll miss you Dib Dots!!
In fact, she added so much to our sound that we're currently seeking a female keys player / vocalist. If you know anybody that's interested, please tell us about it!
April 14th:
YouTube video - live at Boondocks!
Success at the Boondocks! This was probably our best show yet. This place rocked for a couple of reasons: 1) free booze for everyone in the place, what? (sorry, 1 time deal there) 2) Free food all night (again, 1 time deal) 3) HUGE crowd; they packed over 200 people in this place and it's about the size of a McDonald's 4) Swweeet stage and sound system w/ lights and sound guy 5) Dave the owner is just cool.
It went so well that Dave wants us back, so we'll be out in West Chicago on Sat, May 24 again. This place is a ton of fun, even if it is appropriately named The Boondocks. Hopefully we'll keep going back, and they're supposed to move the party outside.
April 11th:
Success at Betty's! First of all, we want to extend a HUGE thank-you to everyone that came out. You guys are rockin' troopers. It was raining and a Thursday, but we had 48 people tallied for the Co.! For everyone that stuck around, The Empire Bluffs and The Loyal Divide both put on amazing sets. In fact it was all so good that they want us to host another show May 22nd. More details to come. Also we'll be posting pictures shortly, so look for yourself! Tell us about it and we'll be sure to get you on the site.
Acorn almost spent the night in jail, but luckily Shove grabbed him from the alley in time. Sometimes I don't know why we bother, but you can't help but love those big black eyes, ya know?
April 7th:
We're all set for the two upcoming shows. We had a very successful final practice this weekend, and all the logistics for the show have been worked out. If you're interested in a shirt , bring $10 and we'll hook you up.
There will be some changes after these two shows, so keep an eye out for some different sounds from the company. A different lineup, some new songs, some alternative sounds and styles? Who knows; we like to keep it interesting.
April 1st, 2008:
This first of many reportings. So what is the Co. up to these days? It's time to bring everyone up to speed. We're on the way to achieving our goals of rockdom, but everyone starts somewhere. I think we're doin' pretty darn good for month 2.
A practice space was a must, and we've been meeting regularly since the end of January. Poor Alex has had to learn on average of 6 songs a rehearsal since then (no joke), but now we're all up to speed. Ironically that means playing songs at a more comfortable tempo without losing energy.
We got paid! Our first paying gig actually took place on Wed., 3/19 at Code in Carol Stream. We're looking forward to more compensation in the future, but at heart we're in it because we love it. Our goal and dream is to make this a profession, but just getting to play is what we enjoy most.
The two shows we have on the immediate horizon in April have been our focus for the last few weeks and we want to be as solid as possible. After that who knows what's on the horizon, but as soon as we find out we'll be sure to let everyone know. Some ideas are places like Silvie's Lounge, Beat Kitchen, Empty Bottle, Ballydoyle, various open mics...we'll see.
Some things to look out for: 1) better recordings. We will be attaining better quality recordings somehow; either live or studio. Look for a legit studio quality demo hopefully before Fall. 2) A video of some sort. Youtube baby, it's not good enough to be heard anymore. If anyone has ideas or wants to shoot us, let us know!