Holiday Hangerover?

Merry Christmas to all and...

What can we say? It's Christmas, so many changes in 2009 and more on the table for 2010. That's great, we're not complaining here but, for the next few days we're just going to reflect. Be at peace with ourselves and our fellow man. We leave you now with some our favorite images of this time of year. From all of us here at Lamocu Productions, enjoy the holiday season to the max, keep your stick on the ice and stay tuned.

Guitar Lessons!

The following is a flyer put together by our own Bill Welsh of Flannel Nation Records. We applaud Bill's effort's in these economic times to keep the love of music growing! Rock on Bill!

Left to right, Greg Reske on drums, Bill Welsh on guitar and Scott Mills on bass of Mr. Hyde.

****************Music Stimulus Package ***************

You want to take lessons but are having a hard time committing the money that everyone is asking for on a weekly basis. What to do? How about Group Lessons?

With a Group Lesson you are still getting instruction and at the same time saving money. But you are also getting an added benefit- playing, learning and networking with other people, that share a similar interest. If you are interested please contact me- the schedule is below and each lesson will be limited to 4 people.

Sunday 4:00-4:45 Beginner Cost is $15.00 *see below
Sunday 5:00-5:45 Intermediate Cost is $15.00 *see below
Sunday 6:00-6:45 Advanced Cost is $15.00 *see below

Beginner classes will cover Open Chords, Melody’s, Songs of Yesterday and Today- think strumming around the campfire

Intermediate classes will cover Barre Chords, Memorizing the Chord and Note Names, Octaves, Songs of Yesterday and Today, Scales and Theory- geared toward musicians wanting to play out.

Advanced Classes will cover a lot scales and how to visualize them on the fretboard, playing thru chord changes, will also work on improvising. Geared toward working musicians that want to break out of a rut, and or improve dramatically.

Classes will start January 3, 2010

Call Bill today at 248-798-1180 248-798-1180 to sign up.

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More later, so stay tuned.

Enough already!

Been away for awhile, family issues seem to mount during the holidays. We hope that everyone out there is dealing with things in an effective manner. We try but fall short many times, I guess that's why they call us "human".

With Christmas a little over a week away...is anyone other than me tired of Tiger Woods? I'm not here to defend the man but EVERY day the media jumps on "another development". What other development can there be? He screwed up (no pun intended) and is paying the price (again, no pun intended) so let it be---I really don't care! People may say "well it keeps people's minds off their problems"; yeah well, the Holiday Season used to do that! Let's concentrate on the positive in the world if we need to be distracted. Better yet let's concentrate on being good to each other, since this is the only time of the year we seem to do it anyways. That's it for me, off my soap box about the media and Tiger. I chose this picture of Tiger to remind everyone of the "real" victims of this mess are.

Things are moving along at a pretty good clip for our shows in 2010. January 23rd at The Well will feature Lauren Alm, possibly a couple other bands, our emcee will be the talented Guy Robertson. The charity we will be working for is the Hope Autism Foundation. To follow the great work that Marcy and Lisa are doing, check out their blog at www.Hopeforautismmi.wordpress.com/ and it will give you something to think about instead of Tiger. Final details on this event are still coming in, the Foundation may have a dinner to accompany the show, so stay tuned.

On February 20th at The Well we will have a night of comedy featuring Trevor Smith and most, if not all of his group, "twentysomething,funnysomething". The charity we will be working for on that night will be the Pinckney High School Football program.

On our March 20th show we will probably return to music, but the performers and charity have yet to be determined, so stay tuned for that info as well.



On a personal note, my thanks to all our followers who showed support after the "anonymous" comment the other day. It makes you think, the whole point of expressing your opinion is so that others know where you stand on an issue. So the anonymous part is kind of pointless. It reminds of a story in the book "Hammer Of The Gods" (a bio of Led Zeppelin) where the manager wanted the writer on tour to print "someone said Led Zep was bigger than the Beatles". The writer said (and I'm paraphrasing) "fine, who said it?" The manager said "nobody said it yet, but I want you to SAY that somebody said it!" Needless to say...it never got printed that anyone said that. Anonymous quotes are worthless.









The other point that came to mind is why you would read something you don't like? Mickey Spillane, author of the Mike Hammer novels used to tell this story...now if you haven't read any Mike Hammer, there full of booze, bleach blonde's, and gun play. I know that and I've only read a couple of them! Well on more than one occasion Mr. Spillane said he had been confronted by individuals who couldn't wait to give him their opinion of his work. They called him sexist in his treatment of women, didn't like his story line etc etc and had read everyone of his books and wished he would write something good for a change. In each case Mr. Spillane would look them in the eye, smile and say (paraphrasing again) "but you read everyone of my books" and walked away. Point, set, match---see ya!



That's it for today. Dad feels up to Christmas shopping! The guys in the editing booth are driving me crazy with their Page vs. Clapton debate again! More later, until then thanks for reading along and stay tuned.

The Roller Coaster of Life!

We've been away from our computers for a few days, sorry. It seems the holiday season can be the most stressful and sometimes the most depressing time of the year. The Well is presenting a four part drama dealing with just that issue and I'm proud to be part of it. I play the old man, the grandfather---obviously typecasting! But what am I going to do? There's no such things as a small part, just small actors, or so the saying goes. And I've needed the role to stay focused in my own life, so many thanks to the crew at The Well that saw "something" in my potential.

In the last few days some incredible highs and lows have hit me. Staying balanced is not the easiest thing to do even when it's not the holiday season. First, my oldest Alex made it official is going off to join the Marines. Pride combined with fear hit me hard. It's like being on the greatest roller coaster in the world---you're excited to finally be there but that trek up to the top is full of anxiety. Next my second child Trevor gets his first radio interview since becoming a stand up comic and he gives ME credit for his comic upbringing! A buddy driving truck in another state heard it live and called me instantly! My pride turned to excitement and was about to burst---I was at the highest point of the roller coaster, enjoying the ride. Then just two days ago my dad and I are having lunch, he asks what my daughter Melissa would like for Christmas, he would like to get it soon because he doesn't think he'll live until Christmas...my roller coaster had bottomed out. Dad has been sleeping more and more and I feel I'm on a "death watch" now.

I know the roller coaster will begin it's ascent again soon. There will be "highs" coming to me, for Lamocu and everything we are trying to do here, I know that. We have a big show in January to get ready for, but for now we're finishing this week on the bottom side of the roller coaster looking up. And that is where you have to look. You can't look back for this nothing you can do to change the past. You have FAITH and you move forward, knowing that ascent WILL happen soon.

Then today after two days of clunking along at the bottom of my roller coaster, I get a message from a new friend in California. Karen Stever left me this quote in "comments" on our My Space. It is from Helen Keller:

"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved."

It's brutal we should have to go through so much to build our character, but I do hope we can at least see some good come from it!

I hope you are doing well there!!!

Karen :)

Like a guardian angel this source of inspiration arrived. The ascent has begun. More later so stay tuned.

Email notice!

E-Mail Warning:
If you receive an e-mail from the Department of Health telling you not to eat canned pork because of swine flu . . . . . . . . ..Ignore it.

It's just spam.

A Link To Check Out!

Lovers of live comedy we have a new site for you...twenty something. funny something, and we know you'll recognize at least one of these up and coming comics, our own Trevor Smith. Details are still being finalized but it looks like Trevor and his cohorts will be performing TWICE in Livingston County come February 2010! One show for SURE is at The Well on Saturday, February 20th, the exact time yet to be determined so stay tuned.

Pictured above (L-R)

Allen Trieu, Adam Degi, Matt Lauria & Trevor Smith

Trevor Smith on stage

Pirate Radio Rocks!

We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend...for a lot of us, there is MORE of us to love these days. Such is the fate of the holidays I guess. If they made low calorie stuffing and other goodies they probably would taste like crap and we wouldn't bother right? Exactly. Anyways, if you're in the mood to go to the movies, and you're not really into romantic vampires, Pirate Radio is a MUST! Very well done with an excellent cast this is a movie that all rock and rollers, all journalism majors and all lovers of music period should see. The group I saw it with crossed several generations of music lovers; several had lived through it, some had heard about it, some had just "read" about it--- but all of us loved it. As in any industry it is important to know the innovators, the pioneers, the people who gave of themselves and sacrificed for what they believed in. Sometimes in this crazy world we can lose perspective on what it is we do and why, with Pirate Radio our vision has been restored, revitalized and reborn.

Here at Lamocu Productions we are proud to be doing our part in keeping the dream alive... Long Live Rock! Go see Pirate Radio with someone you love. Until next time, stay tuned!