Updates to the TS website!

Hey y'all!

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I'm recuperating well from 3 days of drinking and partying... oh, and the Tequila Sunrise website is now updated with a mention of me on the NEWS page and also on the BAND BIO page. Check it out and sign the guestbook!

Later,
Keith

My Favorite Day!

Christmas Eve is finally here! Hope you all have a FABULOUS day! Dad and I are making ox-tail soup (don't retch... it's gooooddd!!) for dinner tonight and the RumpleMintze is already in the freezer! Merry Christmas!

The TRUE Meaning of Christmas

Hey everybody... I promised I'd post a Christmas poem today, so now I'm doing it! I wrote this quite a few years ago when I felt disillusioned by the whole "commercialization" of Christmas. With the way that Jesus has been getting pushed out of the schools, law offices, courtrooms, government offices, and everywhere else there isn't a steeple, I think it still has relevance today. I hope you enjoy it. Have a Merry Christmas, say a prayer or two or two thousand for our troops who will lay their lives on the line for our freedom this holiday, and say "Happy Birthday" to the soldier who made the ULTIMATE sacrifice for us all. And now without further ado...

~The Meaning of Christmas~

When winter arrives and snow coats the ground,

Thoughts of friends and loved ones begin to come 'round.

Wreaths of green and bows of red,

Announcing a season that some of us dread.

Shoppers race to-and-fro, they push and they shove,

To secure all the gifts that their family will love.

Houses aglow with twinkling lights,

As children await the most famous of nights.

When a jolly, old elf will alight on their roof,

His reindeer step lively, quick on the hoof.

The old man descends,

Down the chimney he comes.

To munch cookies and milk,

To leave dolls, trains and drums.

With a flick of the nose he'll be back up the chute,

To continue his journey, delivering loot.

When morning has broken,

The children awake.

They rush to the tree,

Of the gifts to partake.

Ripping at paper and pulling on ribbon,

They don't stop to think why these gifts they've been given.

So please, won't you turn to your children and say,

"These gifts are not why we are all here today."

Christmas is not for the presents or carols or lights,

For Santa or reindeer or snowflakes of white.

But for a sweet baby, a manger-born boy,

Sent down to guide us and bring us great joy.

The angels they lifted their voices on high,

To soothe the dear child with God's lullaby.

Peasants and shepherds, mighty lords and great kings,

All came to town, great gifts they did bring.

Gold and silver, incense and myrrh,

Rubies and diamonds and coats made of fur.

All for the child, who knew not His power,

But who knew now of love in this glorious hour.

"Merry Christmas" alone does not say it all,

"Happy Birthday dear Jesus" should be what we call.

For Christmas is not just a gift-giving season,

The birth of our Lord -- now there, that's the reason!

So when you say "Merry Christmas," please remember one thing:

That this day is for Jesus our Savior

The newborn King!

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.

Who told HIM to come?!?!?

As most of you know, I'm a drummer. Hence, during the Christmas season I'm known as the "Little Drummer Boy". This has become one of my favorite Christmas carols, but apparently Dave Barry doesn't share my enthusiasm. Mr. Barry is one of my mother's and my favorite comedians, and his yearly calandar is an annual present from me to Mom. On December 14th, Dave had this to say about my favorite Christmas carol:

"I am not a big fan of the Christmas song, "The Little Drummer Boy."
Oh, sure, it's a beautiful song, for maybe the first thirty-five minutes.
But eventually it gets on your nerves, those voices shrieking "Rum-pa-pum-pum!"
For openers, drums do not go "Rum-pa-pum-pum." Drums go "Rat-ta-tat-tat."
Also, I have issues with the line that goes: "The ox and lamb kept time."
Really? How?
Did they clack their hooves together, castanet-style? Did they dance?
Are we supposed to believe that two barnyard animals with legume-level IQs spontaneously started doing the macarena?
I'll tell you this: If I were taking care of a newborn baby, and somebody came around whacking on a drum, that person would find himself at the emergency room having his drumsticks surgically removed from his rum-pa-pum-pum, if you know what I mean..."

Funny Dave... real funny. (Actually I did get a good chuckle out of it and I hope you did too... Merry Christmas!)

Home again, home again...

Fiddle-de-dee! Made it safely home from Cleveland. My first show with Tequila Sunrise went okay. By okay I mean that I totally dropped the last verse from "Hotel California" (our opening song!). Other than that, I had a few minor mis-steps, but the show went well.

The crowd was VERY responsive (900 strong!), and the stage, lighting and sound were AMAZING! I wish I could've gotten pics of the drums that I played on! They sounded beautiful and looked even better. Looking forward to spending the holidays, and most of January, at home with friends and family. We are booked back at HOB in Cleveland on February 5th, so I'll be heading to Nashville around the 20th of January or so. My bio and maybe a picture should be up on the Tequila Sunrise website pretty soon.

My friend Lori, from Canada, is spending the holidays with us here in the frozen Midwest. Her family decided to go to the Dominican Republic, and rather than letting her spend Christmas alone in Canada, I invited her here for an old-fashioned Iowa Christmas. (She hasn't been introduced to family yet though, so she still may attempt an escape!) Congratulations to her on her new job! She secured a nanny position with a wonderful family from Midland, Texas. Great salary, GREAT benefits and an awesome location. Looks like the Lord is looking out for a lot of us these days!

Other than that, not much new happening. Mom made another trip around the sun today... that's right -- 63! I really hope I look that good when I get to be her age. Dad and I are planning a special dinner for her and she's getting a REALLY nice gift from me (which I'll post about after it's been given). Christmas this year is at Grandma Chrystol and Grandpa Ollie's new house... so it will KINDA be like the old days.

Ta-ta for now, I'll see most of you in a few days, but for those I won't... Happy Holidays!

Here's an old shot of me in the Chunkster days. Like the hat?

Fly Like an Eagle...

Hey everyone... Just a little update to let you all know that rehearsals are going amazingly well. It's much easier rehearsing with the actual band than it was to practice to the recordings. The harmonies are coming easier than I thought they would, and it looks like the show is going to be GREAT! If anyone wants to take a pre-Christmas trip... come to Cleveland! But you'd better hurry cause the balcony is already sold out for the show. Gonna go practice some more. I'll post more after the show on Friday. Another perk for my weekend is that my best friend in the whole world, Monica, is coming to the show with her husband John. She's been my biggest supporter (beyond family) ever since I started trying to make a career out of music, and it's going to be really nice having her at the show. I'm also going to ride back to Grove City, OH with her and John so that the three of us can go sing karaoke on Saturday night! Fun, fun, fun!!! Catch up with you all later! Happy Holidays!

On The Road... AGAIN!

Hey everybody! (I feel like Conan O'Brien when I say that...)

Just wanted to let you know that my time at home is going splendidly. I spent the majority of my week holed up in the garage learning all these darn Eagles songs (22 songs is a lot when you're cramming). Now I'm headed to Nashville this morning to rehearse. We're rehearsing today, Wednesday and Thursday and playing in Cleveland, OH at the House of Blues on Friday. You can order your tix (hint, hint) at www.HOB.com and click on the Cleveland link at the right hand side. Doors open at 8, show drops at 9. Wish me luck! I'll post as soon as I get home to let everyone know how things went!

TTFN!

(ps: Rented a Mazda 3 for the trip.. these things ROCK!)