Things Beneficial

Walking through a church building today to see a friend of mine, I came across a veritable trove of historical information, especially interesting to one who wants to know the history of the Bible. A little book called The Pocket Bible Handbook, or Halley's Pocket Bible Handbook, was unassumingly supine upon a shelf in the room. Leafing through it, I realized that I had found a sort of index into Biblical history. I'm going to have to find a copy of that. Here endeth the geeky rant.

I'm on here today to share a few items of business that have been very helpful or inspirational to me.

Nathan Head

First and foremost, this guy is about as patient as they come as I try to dot all my J's and cross my Q's in the making of this new record. He's committed to helping folks make good music, even through a limited budget. He works out of The Garden, his studio up in Sevierville, runs Cubase 4, and maintains a steady gig at the Miracle Theatre acting, dancing, and singing on a rigorous schedule. He also eats at the Fox & Parrot, a British-style pub niched quietly away in a small artistic community off US 321 in Gatlinburg. All of these things make him cool.

NoiseTrade.com

This is a joint venture championed by Derek Webb along with Brannon McAllister, of Portland Studios, David McCollum, who I think is a manager at Dryve Artist Management, and another "industry veteran," Mark Nicholas. The premise is that word of mouth is the best advertisement anywhere. I would tend to agree, given that word of mouth doesn't force artists to sell their souls to the bottom line. At this website, artists submit their music, and people download it. The consumer either pays any price, or tells three other folks, via email, about the particular album.

Ground Effects Coffee House

This little place, run by Randy and Leann Calico (file that under the Coolest Last Names Ever), has been a haven for me when I need a good place to play a show. They are just about the kindest people you could ask for, and their food is a taste bud's fantasy. The coffee is amazing. The stage, though, is not made for tall people. Andy Vandergriff survived it though, and he's one of the tallest people I know in my hobbit-sized world. So, unless you're Yao Ming, you shouldn't have any trouble. Get there early and wander around in the antique store across the street. There's a bookshop a little further down the road and a great little woodworking place near the inn.