November 18, 2004

KirkSmith.net -- Issue #7

Issue Seven: Let freedom sting.

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IN THIS ISSUE:
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1. Kirk Breaks Into the Movies
2. A Note From Kirk
3. Radio Radio
4. T-shirts
5. To Share Or Not To Share?
6. Review SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT
7. Some Other Stuff

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1. KIRK BREAKS INTO THE MOVIES
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Or, to be more precise, Kirk’s music is being used by award-winning filmmakers Karen Bernstein and Ellen Shapiro in their upcoming documentary, TROOP 1500.

TROOP 1500 tells the story of a Girl Scout troop whose mothers are incarcerated in the Gatesville, Texas prison. Not only are the girls the subjects of the film, they’re also the crew. TROOP 1500 explores the changing identity of the 92-year-old Scout organization through this unique troop that works to transform the lives of the girls and their mothers, and break the cycle of crime within families.

Ellen Shapiro, an intrepid independent filmmaker, volunteered for several years as a troop leader, and secured unprecedented access for this story from Girl Scouts USA, the Texas Criminal Justice System, the prison warden, and the families.

Ellen teamed with Karen Bernstein in 1999 to start Mobilus Media, to create films for television and corporate clients. Bernstein is the former Series Producer for WNET’s American Masters. Between the two filmmakers, they have received an Emmy, a Grammy, two Rockefeller Fellowships, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowships, and three ITVS funding contracts. Their works have been seen from New York City to Timbuktu, at Sundance and other festivals, and on television all over the world: PBS, HBO, CH4, BBC in the UK, CBC in Canada, NHK in Japan, and… well, you get the picture.

The gang here at kirksmith.net is very proud of our boy for his involvement in this very cool project.

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2. A NOTE FROM KIRK
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How was the tour?

Let's just be honest right from the start. This business of traveling around playing music is a great place to visit, even with your family, but you probably wouldn't want to live there. At least I wouldn't. That's not true. Under the right circumstances it could be awesome. In fact, under the circumstances of this most recent trip, it actually was quite wonderful. For me. Mostly because my wife busted her ass doing all her own work as well as the work I normally do when I'm around.

Tom Waits said his career and his family were like two dogs that hated each other. And he had to take them both out on a walk together. Every day.

There's no denying that traveling can be fun. Maybe it's something to do with the way we "live" when we're "visiting". We enjoy planning each day, or not planning it, as is our preference. One discovers new things, gets plenty of sleep, or just stays up all night talking, or reading. Reading is good. It leads, I've found, to thinking. I meant that to be sincere.

The thread here is choice. Visiting is cool because you choose to do it. You take the time to do it, go to the trouble and the expense. You make it count, because your time is finite. Your trip is terminal. But so is your life. And if traveling around sangin' and twangin' is how you make your money, and you like it, then you might ought to not stop doing it.

In the end we have to reconcile where we visit with how we live.

Enough of that for now.

The trip was great. Picture me: black boots, new jeans, and a long black pea coat, striding quickly, confidently, and very seriously through New York's Lower East Side, through Philly, through Williamsburg, and even through Hoboken, hair akimbo, left hand on the handle of hard guitar case displaying no fewer than five "handle with care" stickers along side the evidence that baggage handlers are either illiterate or they just don't give a fuck. At the end of my other arm, in my hand actually, a Pelican spy case containing: digital tuner, LR Baggs direct box, the so-called Elvis mic from Despair, and a germ-wise pristine Sure SM58 (that I actually use). All of these, for the most part, black. And on my back a black (again) pack stuffed with merch. Which on this trip means black T-shirts, grey T-shirts, SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT CDs, Kirk Smith Matches, postcards and a mailing list bound in a thick black notebook. So basically, and I'm just trying set the stage here, I look completely ridiculous. Picture then, not me. Picture Johnny Cash mashed with Pokemon. Cool.

Now I've traveled around some doing plays (FAUSTUS, DESPAIR, DELUGE) but this trip wasn't like those. For one thing I was alone. I paid my own way, carried my own gear, set my own schedule, sank or swam, by myself. And I have to say, at the moment, I like it that way. Who wouldn't? Being out there without a crutch shows you real quick where you're strong, and where you need work. And I'm not even talking about the show. Although the same applies to the show. Times 10.

The other thing is -- and any touring musician knows this, but it's hard to really grasp until it happens to you -- when you play shows night after night you get a hell of a lot better. I'm talking about singing and playing, telling stories, writing and then ignoring songlists, getting lost and then finding your way back and being better off than when you began. I swear I improved the show more in the last three weeks than in the three months prior. Easily. Six months prior. Without practicing once. Without even trying really. You also lose weight. Even if you eat. It's not the drugs. I didn't take any drugs. I just didn't ever get hungry. There was too much to think about.

Downside is, you're really just visiting. And unless you set your whole life up for it, something's always happening back at home and someone else is taking care of it for you. And they can't believe you done that to them, or else you're paying them, or else no one's taking care of anything and it's all coming undone.

But the clubs were great, I took the train a lot, and the people I met were, without exception, terrific. Is there a sane way to do this job? There must be, I don't really understand it yet though. But I'm just beginning.

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3. RADIO RADIO
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What’s the latest station to jump on the SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT bandwagon? Well Bob, we’ll have to call it a draw. Many thanks and deep appreciations to:

WNYU 89.1 FM -- New York, NY and WFUV 90.7 -- Bronx, NY

Personally, we think Kirk also belongs on Austin’s KGSR. If you’d like hear Kirk on KGSR, call or email the Program Director, Jody Denberg, and request a little taste of SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT. We could use it now that the days are shorter and darker, yes?

jdenberg@kgsr.com
512-390-5477

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4. T-SHIRTS
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These suckers are super soft and comfy beneath your favorite scratchy sweater and thus a perfect, and reasonably priced, addition to the wardrobes of Kirk Smith fans, SBO regulators, and grown children of all shapes and ages. Sporting a stellar yet minimalist design, nicked from a small metal tag salvaged from the regulator box of an old ceiling fan (really, would we lie to YOU?), these brand new American Apparel t-shirts are honorably made, locally printed . . . and NEARLY SOLD OUT! You can get them online if you click here, dear:
http://www.kirksmith.net/store_tshirts.shtml

If you want to learn more about the manufacturer check out:
http://www.americanapparel.net/

They’re also available at shows, while supplies last. Regrettably, the hot and sexy baby blue tiny t’s are sold out. Look for ‘em on EBay.

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5. TO SHARE OR NOT TO SHARE? THAT IS WEED’S QUESTION
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You’re a good person. You are conflicted.

You love the peer-to-peer systems, you know, like Kazaa and Gnutella. You know they spread good music all around the world, and make all kinds of hard-to-find music easy to find, hear, and love. You know they expose more original and daring music than commercial radio ever will.

But sometimes you wake up with a guilty ache in the gut. Because you also know people ought to pay for music, instead of stealing it ?

How do you reconcile this conflict? Luckily you don’t have to, Weed will do it for you.

Weed wraps music files in a secure layer that lets anyone play it three times for free… but after that third play, the listener is asked to pay for the file to continue playing it. When they pay, HALF of the selling price goes to the artist, 15% goes to Weed and 35% of it goes to the PERSON WHO LAST BOUGHT THE FILE!

Is that cool or what?

So, once the music is in Weed’s format…

The artist WANTS you to copy it and give it to all your friends.

The artist WANTS it to be downloaded and traded on Kazaa and everywhere else.

The artist WANTS you to post it on your personal websites and tell the world to come copy it.

Because, the more people hear it, the more likely they are to buy it.

So listen up music-lovers, go ahead and send copies to your friends, put it in your shared folders, for every person that hears, loves, and buys a copy, you will be paid by Weed – rather than sued by the recording industry.

Again we ask, is that cool or what?

Learn more at:
http://www.weedshare.com

Part II of this discussion (including where to find Kirk’s weed files) will appear in the next Issue.

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6. REVIEW SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT
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CD Baby, our exclusive online vendor (and a remarkably able independent record store), has set up a new section for listeners to review records. It’s very simple, easy to use, and some would even say, “a highly effective way to entice strangers to listen to a record they stumbled upon while searching for the latest release by Sepultura.”

So, for those of you who already own SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT, and especially for those who have listened to it, and most especially for those of you who have it, listened to it, and like it, won’t you give us three minutes and a hundred or so keystrokes?

Speak your mind at: http://cdbaby.com/review/kirksmith

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7. SOME OTHER STUFF
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OK, we kind of have to do this because we are, after all, still living in America and trying to pull ourselves up by our suspenders, or whatever. We’re not going to belabor the issue, and we’re only going to say it once -- but it’s going to be in all caps: HOLIDAY SHOPPING.

You know you gotta do it. But before you head for the mall, pay us a visit. http://www.kirksmith.net/store.shtml

Don’t you love it when somebody gives you some great new music? We do. We like T-shirts too. Especially ones that say Kirk Smith on the front. Check ‘em here: http://www.kirksmith.net/store_tshirts_sbo_fans.shtml

In Austin, SUDDENLY BRIGHT OUT is available at Waterloo Records and Cheapo Disks, and of course you’ll find it all day and all of the night, and yes that’s all week long as well, at http://cdbaby.com/cd/kirksmith

Keep the faith. Keep it real. Keep on truckin’.

And thank you.

Love,
Your Friends at KirkSmith.net