Whoever did the Deep Rock Drive [TM] logo did a great job, IMHO. Very hip, clean, simple, and on point. Jamie hipped me to this yesterday and asked me to check into it. So I am. Going through all their "Terms of Service," "Privacy Policy," minutia and some other fine print I asked for (which, to their credit, they immediately provided when I inquired, although there may be more I've yet to see). Stay tuned. Just as I hear every note, so too do I read and assimilate every word.
OK, cut to the chase. This is a new venture based here in Vegas (their new production studio is a couple of blocks south of The Palms, BTW), one proposing to put on state-of-the-art live web streamed concerts for subscribers, based on accrued evident fan appeal as expressed via members' "votes" on "petitions" put out by the fans themselves. Once a performer or band gets at least 1,000 "votes," he/she/they become eligible to shoot -- free of any production charge -- a 60-75 minute "live" HD multi-cam show to be (essentially "pay-per-view") webcast. Viewers pay $6.99 for a "ticket" to view the performance. The box office is split 50/50, minus some small stuff about "matched charitable contributions." Paid to the act on the date of the show. So, were you to get ,say, 1,000 peeps to sign up for a show, the act would net a bit less than $3,500.
Extrapolate from there. "A Million Front Row Seats"? Yeah, that'd be win/win. Hey, think big.
In their own words:
DeepRockDrive gives fans an incredible new place to connect with friends that have with similar musical tastes and, to connect directly with the artists that you love, and then drive demand for a brand new form of interactive live entertainment!
At DeepRockDrive, you'll create petitions for the artists you want to see and interact with during a live performance at DeepRockDrive. Together with your friends, you'll spread the word about the artists you care about and eventually get the 1,000 votes required for an interactive DeepRockDrive performance. At the show, you'll enjoy being in the director’s chairs as you determine the order of the songs as they're played, you pick the camera angles you want to see through, and you beam feedback directly to the artists at our Las Vegas soundstage!
DeepRockDrive is the only place where the community drives demand for shows, the community sets the concert calendar, and the community gets to be involved with the artists during the show!
So, I signed up as a "fan" (it's ostensibly "free" -- more about that later) and put up a "petition" for our guys. And, yeah, you gotta sign up (kinda like doing a MySpace account) in order to "vote."
Gotta give props to the outset innovative marketing beauty here. Get the fans/registered users to do your concert promotion for you before you commit to a shoot. Viral, baby, big-time. Very hip idea.
More to come, including bkg info on the Principals--about whom I had to do some digging (clicking "About" gives you diddley on the website about the execs and staff), which was a bit of a yellow flag at first, though the head cats do seem to have impressive rap sheets upon examination. For now, Google "Jeff Henshaw" and "Danny Socolof."
Check this out, a shot my Cuz Jojo sent me of the storm waves yesterday over in the Monterey, CA area where he lives. Yikes, 30-40 ft high (click the pics to enlarge).
PRE-GIG: I dropped down to the The Palms this afternoon for some setup scut work, and was blessed to get to hear Marco, Joey, and Steve doing a sound check with Sonny and running through some tunes. Wow. Gonna be awesome.
POST GIG REPORT
Unreal gig tonight. A full house of fans standing, dancing, singing, clapping, and howling at the end. We were witness to musical magic. Almost two hours of it from the TRIO! They went on shortly after midnight and kept going till almost 2 a.m. Wow!
I've got 147 shots to sift through. Blogging is gonna take a while.
The Marco Mendoza TRIO blew the roof off the place tonight. Marco is a frigging T-Rex, a total monster on bass, vocals, and showmanship. Steve is an entire kick-ass band on keys. Joey is pure Shock and Awe on drums. Together they simply roar with total power sculpted with virtuoso finesse. They sounded like, well, a fourteen piece band. LOL!
And three of the nicest cats you'll ever meet.
Below, here's bass player critical mass back in the dressing room: Rochon, Rocco Prestia (Tower of Power), and Marco.
Santa Fe ramped up after a bit of a bumpy start and caught fire big-time during the first show, throwin' down a breadth of originals, including the two very new ones debuted last week. Tonight was the first night for the full roster of the Fat City Horns II. Each of these cats is a top player, but the Santa Fe book is so difficult, we don't fully realize just how much work our original Fat City Horns put into it. Their smoothness and tightness didn't just happen by accident or virtue of individual chops. I've watched 'em at a couple of sectionals. The sheer amount of work, man, attention to detail and nuance.
Some more shots from the night before I crash:
Above: props again to Jerry Jones of Fifth Avenue for filling in once more on "Come Together."
More after I get back up. It's 5 a.m. Again, thanks to Marco, Steve, and Joey. That was simply amazing.
UP BEFORE THE CRACK OF NOON...
More pics from a stunning night. I'm still sorting through the rest, but these are keepers as well.
Pure euphoric magic, man. Thank you Marco, Steve, Joey! Thank you Jerry Lopez for making all this happen.
OTHER BIDNESS: RITMO CALIENTE!
Some of the guys have a fine, fun new project, Ritmo Caliente.
Above, L to R: Pepe, Gabriel, Lenny, David Inamine ('nuther Major Bad Boy; I love the way he plays), and Sante Fe alum Carlos Perez. Check out their MySpace site (click the name). Pay it forward.
Boy Katindig this Sunday Smooth Jazz keyboardist Boy Katindig will be at Sonny's this Sunday, 5-9 pm.
CAMPAIGN 2008 UPDATE
BREAKING NEWS...
Washington [MSNBC, Reuters] - The Supreme Court ruled this morning that there cannot be a Nativity scene in Washington, D.C. this Christmas. This isn't for any religious or constitutional reason, they simply have not been able to find three wise men and a virgin in the nation's capitol.
There was no problem however finding enough asses to fill the stable.
EMAIL JUST IN FROM GABE
IN MEMORIUM: CARLOS "PATATO" VALDEZ: Nov 4, 1926 - Dec 4, 2007
For over 60 years Carlos "Patato" Valdez demonstrated how a musician could combine technical skill with superb showmanship. His conga playing demonstrated the fusing of melody and rhythm, and his keen understanding of rhythm is rooted in dancing. Patato even mastered the art of actually dancing ON TOP of his congas during his performances, to the delight of the audience.
Valdez dazzled an audience well into his eighties with his rumba moves. He's also is the man who gave Brigitte Bardot a mambo lesson in the film “And God Created Woman”. Valdez also expressed his understanding of melody through bass and tres, the Cuban folk guitar.
Valdez' understanding of melodic percussion was well ahead of his time and his technique required advances in drum technology. During the late 1940's he helped develop the first tunable congas, as earlier models were tuned by the unwieldy method of heating them with a sterno can. His interest in design, as well as his friendship with LP Founder Martin Cohen, led to the development of the LP Patato Model Congas, one of the top-selling conga drums of all time.
It is Valdez' spontaneity and charm that enabled him to draw audiences from vastly different backgrounds and cultures into the irresistible Afro-Cuban rhythms which he created. Patato will be remembered by all as a giant of a man, and his spirit shall live forever through his music.
Whoever did the Deep Rock Drive [TM] logo did a great job, IMHO. Very hip, clean, simple, and on point.
