November 18, 2008 - Why does this always happen to me? I know it seems like I have been using this journal just to complain lately, but seriously I am really frsutrated! When the new fall programming started I instantly fell in love with Christian Slater's "My Worst Enemy". I love that show. Every episode is like a movie. I've been having to record Heroes, Prison Break, and My Worst Enemy. Then I would watch them throughout the week. My good friend Joey Avalos just told me the other day he heard they won't be making a Season 2. I guess nobody but me likes to watch it. Lame. You don't know how often this happens to me. A new show comes on, I love it, and then it disappears...sometimes without warning. I must like the shows nobody else does. Now on to happier things you might actually care about lol.
We just performed in Springfield, MO and Oklahoma City, OK for the first times this last weekend. We had a blast. In Springfield we played a joint called The Outland. Thanks to the great people who came out to see us. We are working on a return date so we can hang again. Then in Oklahoma City we played at the Diamond Ballroom with Corey Smith (www.coreysmithmusic.com). Before the show we got to hang out with our good friend Tim. We had tasty steaks at The Cattlemen. We had honestly never heard of Corey Smith before, but he had a TIGHT tour bus and the crowd sung along and knew every word. We made a lot of new fans that night. Meet a few of them below. It was a lot of fun. This coming week we will be doing a interview and in-studio performance at KYSN in Joplin, MO on Thursday; playing for the first time in Saint Louis, MO on Friday; and playing Warrensburg, MO on Saturday. Then a BIG show in Tulsa on Monday with an American Idol finalist named Josiah Leming. Take 10 seconds and check out www.mix96tulsa.com. Yes, SGD is doing big things! We told you! Oh, and I just posted a new video blog about our recent visit to Alzer 105.9 in Lawrence, KS. Check it out. Have a good week. Peace, Michael and SGD November 14, 2008 - Michael was injured on the job! Exclusive interview with his son Ky! First, I have to admit something to you all. Despite what I said in my last journal entry I still watch Saturday Night Live....and I laugh. Though I will miss the Palen impersonations. It's been a busy week for Chris and I. On Wednesday morning the nice folks at Channel 8 (Tulsa, OK) had us down for the morning show "Good Day Tulsa". We performed our single "Come Around" and did a quick interview. The trick thing was that I played acoustic guitar which I haven't done for many years. Joey wasn't able to make it into Tulsa that day. I practiced so much that I split my finger open and had to put super glue on my finder tip so I could even play. I recorded the performance because my mom wants to see it. Everybody down at Channel 8 are awesome! Then yesterday morning we were invited down to Mix 96 for a interview with Dave and Nina. We had to be there at 6:30am! You think its all fun and games, but we have to be responsible and work!. Dave and Nina were very nice and fun. Lots of energy for 6:30am.
They played Come Around and I think we were all surprised by the number of listners calls that came in. Now Mix 96 is helping promote our upcoming November 24th show. Check out www.mix96tulsa.com. Joey just flew into Tulsa and we are ready to hit the road again for a few shows this weekend and next. We hope to see some of you! I had a little interview with my son Kyler I thought you might enjoy!
Peace, Michael November 7, 2008 - The Election is over! I am very upset Hello fellow Americans! The big Presidental election is now over and we have a new Commander and Chief. History has been made. I have been holding this in for days....I am very unhappy. I am actually sad for America and the world. Oh, its not because Obama is president. That is all in God's hands. I am upset because Tina Fey is retiring her Palin impression! Palin will now fade to obscurity. Saturday Night Live hasn't been funny for years. Once Tina started her Palin impressions it was hilarious again. I looked forward to SNL and the new Thursday updates. All we can hope is that in 4 years there are is a good republican character running for office that will make SNL funny again. Until then just watch 3rd Rock and The Office.
On a serious note, things have been pretty crazy around here. All good stuff. Our new Stars Go Dim EP is now available at shows, www.starsgodim.com, itunes, and digital stores everywhere. It was a nice feeling to play a show and have our new CD sitting on the table. I held back a single tear.
We've been playing quite a bit of shows lately. We went up to Kansas City and all the way down to Houston with several stops along the way. Thanks so much for coming out to those shows. It was great meeting you all. Check our SGD Fans photo albums soon for more pictures. Maybe you will see yourself. We've also been invited by a few bigger radio stations for interviews and on-air acoustic performances. Scott at the Lazer in Lawrence, KS was very cool. Thanks Scott!
Oh, thanks to everybody voting for Stars Go Dim on www.radiosophie.com (the big station in San Diego, CA)! We been their "Challenge" champion for over a week now. Keep it up all. We have a lot of stuff coming up this next week- Channel 8 TV morning show, Mix 96 morning show, and a bunch of shows. Check www.starsgodim.com for info and come on out or tune in. Another exciting thing going on is that we were featured on Channel One (channelone.com) this last week. Over 6 million students watch that 3 times a week. Our Myspace plays have been over 5000 a day the last few days as a result. Yay for students who watch Channel One and like SGD! We will do our best to get a new video up for you all this weekend. I hope we brought a smile to your face. Have a great weekend. -Michael and SGD October 29, 2008 Hello everyone, If you all read the last journal then you would have found out that when I am not playing shows with SGD I've been writing songs and producing a country artist out here in Scottsdale Arizona. The artist is a female so it's been interesting writing songs from the woman's perspective. But if anyone that really knows me knows that I love country music. It's been fun and I will share the songs to all of you when we finish the album. Other than going country I've been looking forward to the NBA season. I am huge Phoenix Suns fan and their season starts tonight! GO BIG CACTUS!!! But honestly I am a little worried about this year. We have a new coach, new style of play and a lot of new players. I just hope we don't turn into a boring east coast team cause that might just be the death of me. If you can't tell, I am a sports nut. I love it all! On another note SGD has a handful of shows coming up. I've been flying back and forth a lot lately since I am in the studio/managing bands out here in Arizona. It's been cool seeing people at the shows singing our songs and knowing how to play them. I just met some guy the other day that knew every guitar lick that I played, which is impressive since I don't even know how to play them. HA! I had to ask the guy to show me how to play the songs just to make sure I got it. But all in all it's been fun meeting new people and WE all look forward to meeting new faces and having good times! Oh, before I let you go, I want to leave you with my top 5 albums that I have been listening to on my IPOD. I just did an interview the other day and they asked me that question and I thought I would give you my answer. Remember, I am currently writing country songs so don't laugh at me! 1. Ryan Adams and the Cardinals- Cardinology Until we meet again, Joey October 24, 2008 - Michael opens a new day care center! Hey, everybody. Normally we write about goofy stuff and try to make you laugh. This time I figured I would let you know what we have really been up to lately. Our lives are pretty hectic. I recently stepped out of another band I was in for almost 11 years (Pillar). It was just God's timing. Now I am concentrating more on Stars Go Dim and artist management.When Joey and I are not on the road with SGD we actually manage a few other really great artists. While the change is exciting I am going to be honest and tell you its a little scary as well. This last week I started watching my boys (Kaden 4 and Kyler 2) during the day. Its been a lot of fun. I now realize how much I have missed out on by being on the road so much the last 4 years. I love just doing everyday stuff with them like making them breakfast, drawing with them, and especially putting them down for their naps (lol). If you need any help babysitting just swing by and drop them off! I don't charge much. This last week has been especially hectic because our Stars Go Dim EP released this last Tuesday! We are excited to finally have a real CD for all you after all this time. Joey flys into Tulsa today around 11am and then we hit the road for shows this weekend. We have 11 events booked between now and Thanksgiving. Its almost a mini-tour of the midwest. Our first single "Come Around" has been sent to Hot AC radio nation wide! If you have one of these stations in your area please call and email them often saying you want to hear Stars Go Dim's Come Around. Tomorrow we have a interview with a station in Lawrence, KS (www.lazer.com). This coming Tuesday a station in San Diego is going to test Come Around. Big things are on the horizon! Here is a quick run down of what the other guys have been up to lately: I hope you have a great weekend! Maybe we will see some of you at these upcoming shows. We really appreciate your support and encouragement. Peace, Michael October 16, 2008 - "Joe The Plumber" Speaks Out So many of you probably watched the final presidential debate and the news coverage that followed. You might be asking, "Who in the world is this Joe the Plumber" they keep talking about? Well, Joe the Plumber is actually a good friend of Stars Go Dim. We have an exclusive interview for you all.
October 10, 2008 - Sponge Bob Square Pants on the brain Many of you already know my 4 year old son Kaden has a fascination with a little, yellow guy by the name of Sponge Bob Square Pants. He draws him with pencil, crayon, and marker all day. He sleeps with his two S.B. stuffed toys every night. He only wants to watch S.B. on TV. He dresses up like S.B. in the various customs I helped him make. Kaden even mentioned have the dentist make it so he will only have two big front teeth. Where did he get this obessive behavior??? Me! I was the same way when I was a kid. I would get fixated on something and just never let up. I am still kind of that way about things. Ask my friends! But since I sort of turned out OK I encourage my son and let him enjoy his childhood. This last week I found that I have a new talent....toy making! Kaden and I attemped to make our own Sponge Bob toy out a yellow sponge and various crafts things bought at Walmart. I think it turned out rather well. I am even considering making these Bobs for a living and selling them on Ebay? Who wants to order one? -Michael
September 30, 2008 - Don't mess with Chris So I took my very first martial arts class today! It was amazing, there was even a stars go dim fan there... I later knocked them out with a round house kick to the face, so hope they're still a fan... I was asked by a friend of mine to come out to his dojo and train a little bit, so I did. At first I was actually pretty nervous because after all I am a lover, not a fighter. But I came in suited up and went for it. Needless to say after a whirlwind of spinning roundhouse kicks to the face, flying side kicks, and breaking boards I am hooked! I told them they could just go ahead and give me the black belt, it's not really necessary for me to do the others. I dunno if it will happen or not... I just wonder how many more times I have to go until they give me a sword! So if any of you need a body guard you just let me know because I will open up a can of tai Kwan Kick some bootay if I need to. I'm bringing 7 different kinds of smoke... watch out! Chris September 22, 2008 Usually going home means I get to rest and settle back into the routine of home life. WRONG! First off I booked a direct flight from Tulsa OK to Phoenix AZ, but little did I know a direct flight nowadays means you take off and land 20 minutes later to pick up some passengers. hmmm.... I guess it must have been an opposite day ( just like in grade school) because I thought direct or non-stop meant we DON"T STOP!!!! So, after my 2 hr and 30 minute flight turned into a 4 hour flight I got home to 102 degrees and spider webs in my backyard. By the look of the webs I could tell that they were Black Widow webs. So, that night I went outside with a flashlight in one hand and a boot in the other and then headed out into the darkness to kill the creepiest things known to man! These things were HUGE!!! I found 5 and killed all of them! It must be the hot weather and all the new building around my house that brings out these nasty spiders!!! I still feel like
The next day a band that I manage, One Minute Halo, strolled into town to play a show. They have been staying at my friend's house and I have been entertaining them all week. After they left I had a couple of early meetings and now I have to get ready to produce a band from Alabama, that is coming to Phoenix to record with me for a week. After I am done recording that band I then I maybe have sometime off but it's looking like I will be back in Tulsa Ok at the end of October to play some shows (TBA). SO, I guess I will have to live my life by the rule of " I'll sleep when I'm dead." Ain't that the truth! ha! Oh well... Life is fun when it's busy. Again, Thank you for all the kind emails and comments about the new music and new look! We hope you all enjoy the new tune (Incredible) and make sure you pre-order the new EP. Until we meet again... be good! Joey Avalos September 9, 2008 So, I recently got into the series "Smallville" a couple of months ago and I am almost caught up to the current season. I usually don't "get into" these kind of shows but the wife wanted me to... so I did (Thanks Traci!!! I still love you)If you all don't know what Smallville is, it is a show about Superman before he was Superman. It shows Clark Kent as a High school student trying to fit in as a "normal" dude. I don't have to tell you but that doesn't happen.... He has super powers. Overall the show to me is kind of lame and not really worth my time, BUT!!!! the ONLY reason why I have watched almost every season is because.... no, not because Lana is hot or because the dude the plays Clark Kent is amazing actor... NO!!!! it's because of young LEX LUTHOR. Michael Rosenbaum plays him to a T! (whatever that means.. ha!) He is fricken bad!!! He is smooth, smart and honestly I wish he would prevail!!! Call me evil or what you will, but I honestly get tired of seeing dorky Clark Kent saving the day! Lex Luthor is actually a nice guy at first, but BECAUSE Clark Kent is an idiot, he makes Lex become the enemy. If only Clark would have told him his secret in the beginning they both would have been BFF and they would have probably moved in together and would have thrown the coolest bachelor parties!!! Serious! with Clarks powers and Lex's money and charm they would have been Big Pimpin and spending G's!!! ok sorry.... now I'm the dork!
Hopefully the writers for Smallville will read this and take my opinion in consideration. Lex Luthor is the REAL star of the show!!! Long LIVE LEX LUTHOR!!!! ARRRGGGAAAAAHHHH!!!!!! -Joey and SGD September 2, 2008 - The BIG contest is over! Winners have been picked! Instead of writing about entertaining nonsense I am actually going to journal about some real things going on with Stars Go Dim. Don't worry we will get back to nonsense here in a few days. Our BIG Myspace Contest is officially over and the Grand Prize winner and (2) Runner-Up winners have been choosen. We are going to wait for a bit before we make the official announcement. The Grand Prize winner will indeed be flown to Tulsa, OK for dinner and a private performance by us- SGD! The reason we want to wait to announce the winners is because we want to coincide it with the launch of our new Myspace layout. Why are we re-doing our Myspace you ask...well, because we have new music in the form of a (5) song EP coming very soon. This new Myspace will feature: new photographs and art from the EP, new songs, the premier of the official "Come Around" music video, and the option to pre-order our new SGD EP physically and digitally. This is all coming VERY soon so check back. We are releasing an EP to help hold you all over until our debut full-length album "Love Gone Mad" releases in March 2009. We need that much time to set up the full length in terms of radio, publicity, distribution, etc (boring music biz stuff). The point is you are going to have great music to listen to really soon. On anther note, Joey has been staying at my house the last week. If you didn't know Joey lives in Phoenix, AZ and flys to Tulsa for SGD stuff. We have a handful of appearances lined up so he will be here until Sep 16. The thing is I don't really have room for him. I sure hope he doesn't mind his sleeping arrangements.....????
Thank you all for following us for the last 18 months. Its truly been great getting to know some of you. -Michael and SGD August 25, 2008 - You all might think Joey is sweet, but wait till you hear about this! I am known to have a bit of a sweet tooth from time to time. Some might say that sweets are my true passion in life. Honestly, I might have to agree with them to a point. So I thought it would be fun to list my top 3 favorite sweets that honestly won't break the wallet. I am all about saving money and trying to eat healthy, but life is all about balance! I hope you will enjoy this list.
-Joey and SGD August 19, 2008 - Forget the lottery...Michael wins BIG! The crowd was watching in nervous anticipation. I knew this moment could change my family's life forever. The sweat tickled down my brow. I had already spent $8 trying to win big, but I had a feeling that something special would happen upon laying down an additional $2. I held that very light, rubber ball in my hand and with the flick of my wrist I won! The ball stayed in the basket. I was at the Springfield, IL State Fair and won a huge Sponge Bob for my son Kaden! I surprised him with it once I got home. The smile on his face will stay with me forever. That moment was more valuable to me than any lottery prize. It was a beautiful day for a fair. I enjoyed a hot, strawberry funnel cake. I just wonder why there are always such weird, not so good smells at fairs? -Michael and SGD
August 12, 2008 Well... some of you know that music is not my first and only passion. When I am not playing or writing for SGD I perform all across the world in an underground dancing circuit. I have been doing this since I was a little Nino and have won many awards and have become somewhat of a celebrity in some foreign countries. You might have never heard or seen this kind of dancing but hopefully after seeing this video of my performance with my dance team you all will fall in love with this dying art form. Our dance team is called "Los Zapatos loco". See if you can guess which one I am. I'll give you a hint... I'm the one in the cowboy hat. Joey
August 8, 2008 I don't know how many of you know this, but when you are a member of a wicked tight band like Stars Go Dim people tend to give you things for free. Well in my case a few weeks ago I received an international phone call from Germany. It sounded important so I stopped my Pilates class and cancelled my racquetball game with Bjorn Bourg later that afternoon in order to answer the call. On the other line was none other than Mr. Porsche, that's right the big guy himself. Apparently he got a hold of some of the new tracks and really enjoyed them so he wanted to send me a gift, I tried to decline but the next day there was a fancy white convertible porsche in my driveway. I didn't want to be rude so I kept it, it was a nice gesture. Now there's one thing about this car you should know, it doesn't like to go slow. I try to drive the speed limit but Giselle ( the car's name, and how I will refer to it from here on) urges me to go faster, and obviously I can't say no to such a beautiful creation. Fast forward two thousand miles, 3 weeks, and over 120mph... I was out for a leisurely drive this afternoon when I noticed I needed to exit. However, there was a large fifth wheel trailer being pulled in my way so I punched the gas and accelerated past it. As I prepared to exit I noticed a dark car in front of me hitting its breaks and red and blue lights begin flashing from the back window. I got pulled over! This was no regular pull over, mind you, he pulled me over from the front! His unmarked police car apparently had a radar behind it. I slowly pulled off the highway, having to pass the law enforcement vehicle on the exit ramp, and I parked. The officer walked up to the car and in no uncertain terms let me know exactly how fast I was going. At this point I was fairly upset at Mr. Porsche for sending Giselle to me, because this tempting seductress had now put me into a position in which I could go directly to jail without collecting my $200. Luckily the police officer recognized me from Stars Go Dim and he didn't take me to prison, but instead issued me a subpoena to appear before a judge to argue my case. Now the future is uncertain but hopefully the judge is a Stars Go Dim fan, if not I my be out of commission for a while. So the moral of this story is... always buy a radar detector. I know that will be my next purchase. Until next time. Remember, be cool stay in school.
-Chris August 5, 2008 - Therapy Session with Dr. Wittig I know many of you are under a lot of stress because of work or things at home. I am personally dealing with a small problem causing me some stress. My favorite tree, the star of my lawn, is dying. Its leaves are turning brown and are falling to the ground. While everybody else's lawn is bright and green, mine is covered with lifeless, brown leaves. Though it is summer my property has been transported to late October. I am sure many of you are dealing with much pressing issues than a wilting tree. I want to help you overcome your stress and enjoy life.
The first thing to recognize is that stress and worrying never helps. They are only an admission of "doubt". Doubt in yourself and even God. There are several techniques I personally use to help reduce the amount of stress in my life. I hope they work well for you.
I hope your time with me has been well spent. You can make your checks out to Michael Wittig. Though my favorite tree is brown and falling to the ground I have done all that I can. No need to stress or worry about it anymore. The green leaf I just found gives me hope. I will definitely keep you posted on the condition of my tree.
Love life, Michael and SGD August 1, 2008 - Joey for President It's late and I should be sleeping but I just can't. I got so much on my mind that I thought I would write you all a nice little journal on how I feel. As you all know, the economy is not doing so well. Gas prices are at an all time high. Major corporate businesses are closing down and the war on Terror looks like it will never end. As election time grows near, major decisions about our future become most important. I think I can speak for us all that something needs to change. We can't continue living in this world as we know it. That's why when it comes time to choose the next president of the United States I am not choosing Mccain or Obama. I will be picking ME! Yes I know what you all are thinking. All I have to say is... Your welcome. I promise to make gas free, end all wars by having both sides form a band and compete in a battle of all battle of the bands. Of course America will win cause we will close our set with "Sweet Home Alabama" and follow it up with "Free Bird" as an encore. There's no way any terrorist can one up those 2 songs!!! I will bring back the crime dog mcgruff to enforce all laws. I will give Smokey the Bear a raise for all his hard work trying to stop forest fires. I will also paint the White House a neutral color since I am against racisim. These are just a few things that will change if I was President. SO when it comes time to vote, do the right thing. Vote Joey Avalos for President. It's all about love!!!
This message was approved and paid by the Joey Avalos SGD All you need is love campaign. July 28, 2008 - J.K. Rowling plans a new Harry Potter book/D Fest In this newest installment of the Harry Potter series due in late 2009, Rowling shifts focus over to the adventures of Harry's best friend Ron Weasley who has since married Hermione and become an auror (dark wizard catcher). Ron later becomes ensnared by an ancient dark artifact left by Voldemort that corrupts his mind and leads to him becoming the most terrible dark wizard in history. Harry must face off against his former best friend... Then I woke up from my dream with the realization that Rowling will never write another Potter book and that I must resort to reading poor substitutes. See, I am really a big nerd. I have all (7) Harry Potter books in hardback on my office shelf. I am looking forward to the grand opening of the Harry Potter Land they are building. Maybe someday J.K. Rowling will change her mind and give us what we need...another Potter book, but until then we can only dream.
On an equally important subject as Harry Potter, Stars Go Dim just performed for D Fest this last Friday evening in Tulsa, OK. We appreciate all of you who came out to see us. Also. special thanks to the Urban Tulsa Weekly who said that Stars Go Dim is "easily the best unsigned pop band in Oklahoma right now". That was very sweet of them. Although it was deadly hot we had a great time. Joey and I had a chance to meet up with fellow D Fest performer Tyson Ritter of the All American Rejects. There will be tons of live photographs from the show coming soon.
-Michael and SGD July 21, 2008 In the past I told you that I am obsessed with reality shows and T.V. in general. I know I should probably read a book like my wife does every night but the only words that i like to read are the subtitles when I am watching Telemundo!!! So I thought it would be fun if I told you my top 3 current reality shows I like to watch and let you know which shows I HATE!!!!. Here you go: Joey's top 3!!! 1. Runs House - I can't get enough of this family. I love Run's sage advice and how the family works together in order to show the world that we all need love! I highly recommend this show! Trust me, you will fall in love with Run's House- 2. Rob and Big - Genious! I really hope they will do another season since Big black moved out of the house and now has a new baby!. I love how they just do random things all day. What a life! Get paid to just be random and skate! 3.Gene Simmons(Family Jewels) - Gene Simmons is hilarious and I love how his family gives it to him everytime he thinks he is cool. Honestly the man is brilliant and a great business man. Watching such a self-obsorbed human being is quite the spectacle! Even though it's heavily scripted, It's a good show with a touch of the Osbornes (without the annoying parts). - Joey's top 3 HATE!!!! shows 1. G's to gents, I love money, I love New York, Flavor of love, A shot at love with Tila Tequila, Rock of love etc... - Seriously! If I have to see another one of these "I love you Bret Michaels" tv shows I will go insane. All these shows are trash and have no class. They are not entertaining or clever. I think I'm sick now just thinking about these shows.- 2. Living Lohan - Do I need to say more? Lindsey Lohan's sister is trying to make it in the big time but all I hear is a little girl complaining because she has to record a record. I really hope she is not that spoiled in real life or her future husband is in trouble ( hopefully it's just the way they edit it, which by the way one of my relatives actually edits this show.... he is really making her look bad!) ha! Anyways... don't waste your time with this or any other E! reality T.V shows. Don't get me started on Sunset Tan!!!! 3. Real world/ Gauntlet/ Road Rules etc - The real world use to be ground breaking TV until it kept on recycling every season and trying to make drama where honestly "REAL PEOPLE" don't get upset about. Seriously, who would get upset if you lived in a lavish house, worked a cool job, go to the bar everyday, take trips, live in the house with attractive people, don't have to worry about money or bills, Free food, Free drinks, when you go out people want to hang out with you cause your on TV... come on! after all that do you think you would still get upset just because some dude left his underwear on the floor? I don't think so! So I hope this was informative and if you have your own list or think my list is way off, let me know. message us! Honorable mentions: Hogan knows best/Brooke knows best, Deadliest Catch. Borderline HATE shows: My super sweet 16, Made, Big Brother/bachelor/ dancing with the stars!!! Joey July 18, 2008 The world's water supplies…gone in 10 years!!! The world's water supplies will be dried up by 2018! It won't be a result of global warming or even your neighbor washing his car in the driveway. What will life be like without any water? Well, let me paint a picture for you…no ice, no snowmen, no popsicles, no water skiing, no Top Ramen (or Cup 'O Noodle), and no Chiapet's.
Heck, I am not even sure if WE can live without the stuff. Scientists will have to genetically engineer some water-like substance to keep us alive. There is a chance this new engineered substance could turn us weird shades of color since our bodies will be mainly made up of it. Then as people do, we will be discriminated by our new shades of color. Oh, look at those green people…and so on. Why is all this to happen? Let me tell you why…because of stupid automatically flushing toilets and faucets. These were “invented” to help us save water, but how many of you have experienced the “automatic flush” of a toilet not once but 4-5 times at a single sitting. Have you tried to wash your face at an automatic faucet? It turns off before I can get my face to the water. That is especially annoying when you have soap all over your face. The automatic flushing toilet and faucets will be the downfall of civilization. Mark my words.
On another note, we want to thank all those who came out to our first headlining show this last Friday at Venue 68 in Tulsa, OK. We want to say a special thank you to those who drove very long distances in the name of SGD (places like Indiana and Dallas). You guys are crazy and we love you for it. Photographs from the show are in our Photo of this site and on our Myspace.
Earlier in the week we had a new photo shoot for the “Love Gone Mad” album layout. I am excited to see how they turned out. Waiting for the photographer to develop the film. We have also been hard at work filming a music video for “Come Around”. Chris and the director have been traveling all over the place filming. During the photo shoot we also took time out to grab a few shots since the whole group was together. We had a hard time finding the perfect location, but an old theater downtown had just the right old-fashion dressing room look the director wanted. So we have been busy as always. We hope to see you at one of our upcoming shows. Can somebody out-drive those people from Indiana? We will give you a special prize. -Michael and SGD July 14, 2008 Chris had a bad day before the Tulsa show last Friday. No, nobody died (Thank God), but something did fall down and go boo boo. It happened when we were rehearsing and sound checking for our first headlining show in Tulsa. The band was sounding good, the vibes were right and then suddenly out nowhere we hear, "Chris look out!!!" Before Chris could turn around his Gibson Les Paul fell right off the guitar stand and landed hard against the concrete stage floor. CRACK!!! Chris quickly turned away and began to walk out of the venue in disgust. As he walked away I made a fatal and stupid comment. "Glad that wasn't my guitar." Just as I finished saying that I looked down and noticed that the headstock snapped completely off! I felt like the biggest jerk in the world. But that's not even the saddest part. About 5 months ago I sold that guitar to Chris. He was so excited to have one of my guitars since I was somewhat one of his musical heroes (I know weird huh?)
I was going to sign it for him but quickly changed my mind since I thought he might just try to sell it on Ebay and make some quick cash. So I declined nicely, hoping I wouldn't break his little heart. But at the end of the day I did. After about 5 hours later, Chris walked back into the venue and I quickly told him I was sorry. I could tell that he was holding back tears and trying not to show his soft side. I asked him to forgive me and he said yes. We then ate food, played a great show, ate food again and lived happily ever after!
The End Joey July 9, 2008 So I went back in time this past weekend. To a simplier time. Where people sit in rocking chairs and watch the wind. I left the comforts of the 114 degree heat of Arizona and headed north to Ruidoso, New Mexico for the 4th of July weekend. It was a cool 75 degrees during the day and a crisp 53 degrees during the night. PERFECT!!! The family and I rented a little one bedroom log cabin, which serious looked like we lived in the old times except for the cable T.V., high-speed internet, microwave, shower, refridgerator, AC, carpet, and electricity. Other than that we were roughing it! I spent most of my days (not in Philadelphia on the play ground like fresh prince of bel-air) on the little front porch, listening to music and playing guitar. Our neighbor across the way would come out every night around 6 and feed about 10 loyal deer that would show up out of nowhere to get their grub on. All in all It was nice relaxing weekend until that one night. It was an ordinary night, just like the ones before. The moon was full and the light from it broke through the pine trees like feirce laser beams. I decided to go for a stroll all by myself down to the creek behind our cabin. It was a pretty good flowing creek since they just got a lot of rain in the past few days. Thirsty, I bent down and scooped up a handful of water and drank until I was satisfied. But something wasn't right. I felt like I was being watched or even worst stalked. I let out a small, "Hellooo is anybody out thereee", but of course all I heard was the echo of my own voice. At that moment I thought to myself, "I better get back to the cabin." Just as I turned around to head back, there right in front of me stood a Giant Black Bear. He snarled and growled ferociously at me. This was his way of letting me know that he owned me and soon I was going to be dinner. Without thinking I charged the bear with nothing but the hope I could scare it away with my aggresiveness. That was a bad idea. He took one swipe at me which I luckly dodged. I jumped onto it's back and tried to get him into a triangle hold but he just grabbed me and flipped me over like a rag doll. The bear cirlced around me knowing that there was only one way out of this situation... kill or be killed. I quickly looked around to find a stick, a rock or something that I could use as a weapon. No luck. I was going to die. Since I felt like I had no choice I decided to make a run for it. I ran up a hill thinking that the bear would be scared of heights. No, he enjoyed the pre-meal exercise. With each step I took the bear was taking three. He was gaining on me and I could almost see the top of the ridge. Finally I reached the top of the hill and quickly tucked and rolled. I don't know why I did this, I guess I just thought if this could work in a fire, maybe it could work against an angry, hungry black bear. Good thing I did cause the bear could not stop his momentum and he tripped over me like I was some kind of human log. The black bear went soaring over the mountain ledge falling 40 feet into a rock invested ravine. He did not make it.
July 5, 2008 I have always been a big dreamer. Here is a short list of a few things I dreamed/wished/prayed about while growing up. 1. I prayed that God would make me Superman. I hoped to wake up one day with black hair instead of brown. My mom made me a little red cap and everything. Hey, I was very little while this went down. These things are actually some of my fondest memories from childhood. I make a strong effort to encourage my kids imaginations and always help them with their little "projects". My son Kaden loves to dress up like Leo from Disney's Little Einsteins. We made him a Leo shirt, green glasses, and even Leo shoes. Let kids dream. Real life will come fast enough.
-Michael June 29, 2008 So today is my birthday and I decided to take my private jet to the Bahamas. You know just a quick weekend getaway. Luckily I was fortunate enough to buy an island in the early 80's when I came into some money and now I have a private little piece of paradise to myself. With saying that, I had a magical moment today. You know, a moment just like those Corona commercials that show the two people laying back in a hammock, relaxing and looking out at a crystal clear blue ocean. So, as I laid their taking in the warm tropical air, I reflected back on my life and realized how far I have come. I came from a small town in Arizona and really struggled to make my way to the top. At age 5 I bought my first company and only made 300 million dollars the first year. By age 15 I invested in a new technology called the "Internet". They told me it was going to be the way of the future. Well, HA! They were way wrong! I only made 232754735282987623.1 Trillion dollars!!! So, after countless failed attempts at entrepreneurship I decided to go for the sure thing and play for the band Stars Go Dim. The Meaning of the story is this. Thank You! You have all given me the greatest Birthday gift ever... The gift of friendship (Awwwwwwww a Danny Tanner moment) So thank you for listening and Thank you for caring!!! Now please excuse me... I have to get back to my beautiful sunset. Talk to you all soon!
Joey June 25, 2008 So I was traveling through Tennessee today, somewhere between Nashville and Memphis, and we stopped at this truck stop. I was just browsing around. Checking out the wares. Like most truck stops you could pick up a really rad T-shirt with a dragon on it, corndogs, burritos, grape soda, but this truck stop had something special...something all travelers must have..a stock pile of swords. I am not kidding! They had hundreds of swords just laying around in a pile and they were all sharp! I think I even saw some axes and a mace. The people who work there are either crazy or they have machine guns behind the counter. I guess you never know when you might need a broadsword? -Michael
June 23, 2008 I had a dream last night that I was hanging out with Brad and Angelina Jolie at some hollywood party. We acted like we were close friends. They were really nice and normal to me, but whenever another
I really need to get rid of my T.V. -Joey Friday, June 20, 2008 Hello, good morning! Well, it wasn't so great really for me. I woke up with this weird pain on the left side of my body. It hurts when I yawn and sometimes just sit there. Better not be anything stupid. I hate going to the doctors. Something classic happened yesterday in my family. After I picked up my kids from day care we were playing in the living room. My 4 year old Kaden said he had to go the bathroom (pee) so he went like normal. Well, he came back and I noticed something was wrong with his hair. At first I thought it was just the light, but nope he had a huge chunck of hair missing right up front. He found some cuticle scissors and decided he wanted short hair. After explaining that he should never play with scissors or cut his (or his brothers) hair I laughed a lot because he look hilarious. We took him right to the hair joint and got him buzzed. I was sure to get a nice pre-buzz picture for you all.
Feel free to laugh also. Its definitely a memory I will never forgot. I did the same thing once when I was little, but with hedge clippers. Big ones. And for some reason I did it because, "I want to look like Aquaman". What kid what's to be Aquaman? In SGD land we are just gearing up for our big headline performance coming up July 11th. Lester has been "editing" tracks this week. That just means getting them much closer to being done. Things are rolling along. Please continue helping us with the Alternative Addiction and Clear Channel support we need mentioned over in the News section. I hope you all have a great weekend. I am taking the family to Chucky Cheeses later on today. I loved that place when I was a kid. -Michael and SGD Monday, June 16, 2008 I hope all of you are enjoying your HOT summer nights! (Thank you Miami Sound Machine) Mine have been both days and nights since Phoenix doesn't know how to turn off the heat. But I have been so busy to really even notice (except for when my electric bill arrives) the heat and I apologize for not checking in sooner. I've been in and out of the studio this summer, recording bands and trying to finish the Stars Go Dim record. Im would say we are 85% done and are excited to see what the future holds. I am going to be flying out to Tulsa in a couple of weeks to play a sold out show (well that depends if you all show up :) ) at a brand new venue called Venue 68. We are proud to be one of the first bands to actually play this new venue and we hope you all can make it! Other than that I have been busy managing some artists. (Casey Frazier and One Minute Halo) Check them both out on myspace and show them some love. As you can see we finally have an official website! At first I was sketchy on the whole idea on getting a website. Do any of you actually go to band websites anymore??? But since we want to take over the Internet and become the biggest music group known to man (and woman) , there was no question that we had to get a website. At least now you have another place to get your Stars Go Dim news, videos, extras and much more. We are going to try and keep an updated blog each week and have exclusive content available. check it out and let us know what you think. Be good and watch your kids around the pool- Joey |
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