New ventures, etc...

I mentioned previously that I am doing my online thing mostly on Facebook now. I am currently playing bass with Jersey Shore blues legend Chuck Lambert. We won the New Jersey Blues Challenge and went on to compete in Memphis for the International Blues Challenge 2013. Exciting stuff! Here's some of our music! I'm also working on a solo record, tentatively titled By My Self. Here's a sample! I hope to start using this blog a little more often and productively in the past couple of years so... I'll keep you posted! -AndyT

Thrice told tales

Well, Facebook has kind of taken over the blogging world. So go ahead over to http://www.facebook.com/AndyT13 and send me a friend request if you want to connect.

Annual news post

Well, I guess it's time for the semi-annual "I'm not on here much" post. Blogging is all old and busted. So 2005! Nevertheless I post the occasional news bit here.
I'm easy to find on facebook which is where I do most of my online news crap these days. At least until the next social media fad comes along. I prefer the term "Celebrity Photographer" as opposed to "Paparazzi", but I've been doing a lot of high end-y photo gigs lately. My friends Adriana Lima, Hugh Jackman will tell you:

I am remiss

I haven't been keeping up with this blog much, but I suppose I ought to start. So what's new? Lordy! I got married, moved, started a new business, playing all over the place and very happy. Life is grand and I am gratefully blessed. Hope this finds you well.

New Ports

Man, I just have no time for blogging anymore! Too many projects! Firstly I have a new Photo Portfolio HERE!

I also have a new port for my sailboat down in Sandy Hook NJ (pictured). I love the Hudson River but I need more room to cruise. I anticipte some lovely sailing this year if the weather co-operates.

So much going on!

I have so much going on these days I really can't keep track of it all. Besides work and the acoustic gigs and the painting I've been doing (none of which I've even had time to post) the photo gigs have been coming fast and furious. This weeks big deal is...Chrissie Hynde! Yes! I got a press pass to photograph The Pretenders. Psyched! I have a new portfolio up HERE
and bunches of other pix up HERE

BTW I didn't take that pic of Chrissie. It was uncredited on teh intarwebz do if it's yours...say hello! I'll credit you immediately! Thanks!

Portrait challenge

As often happens when winter comes and I taper off gigging my focus turns to art. LuAnn Dunkinson turned me onto Karin Jurick. Karin's an amazing painter and also runs a neat little thing called Different Strokes From Different Folks where she posts challenges for her fellow artists and then displays the results. Cool hunh? So I joined the recent portrait challenge. 130 artists paired up so you painted the artist who was painting you.
Here's my guy, Jerry Points:

and my painting of him:

We had three weeks and I spent about two hours on it LOL I think it shows but I'm still pretty happy with it. It's been a long long time since I did any painting at all so I'm really looking forward to doing more of these challenges! Fun!
My picture and Jerry's painting of me are HERE

Winter blogging

Well since The Band is on hiatus for the winter (as defined by me to be November through March here in NY) I have a little more time to do other stuff, like re-design AndyT13! There's plenty more updates to come but I'm pleased with this start. Go ahead and poke around some if you're new or just coming back. We're much less graphically challenged around here now and hopefully a little snazzier lookin. Just CLICKY!
Cheers!

Benefit @ Triad NYC

I had the honor and privledge of performing at Retrofest 69 www.myspace.com/retro1969 at the Triad Theater NYC last night June 19th and it was a great show with a great cast of bands, all to benefit http://www.saveoneperson.org/ This is a great organization so if you can please go visit them and offer whatever support you can. Thanks!

Mirror Girlz

My friends from the group Mirror! Lovely ladies, both talented singers and dancers! Apologies I've been so lax at posting and moderating comments. I'm out of the habit. As usual lots of new photos and such at www.andyt13.com and www.flickr.com/andyt13

Wah Wah Wah Wah Fashion!

Hi friends and neighbors. Click HERE for this lovely beauty and many other shots I took over at The 2008 International Beauty Show! Hope you are all well! God bless!

April Fool

Here I am, your April Fool. I sat for two batches of portraits recently for my friend Curt. I liked this one pretty well. I hope you're all having a lovely April 1st. It's rainy but WARM! Yay! Spring!!!!!

You Are NOT what you CONSUME!

I was shopping at Amazon and they have a word cloud style thing describing my interests by way of what I've looked at and bought. Larger words mean I have a larger interest. I find this interesting because, although in one way it's accurate in that I AM interested in these things the relative levels of interest are totally skewed. Also, it defines me incredibly narrowly. Here's who they say I am:
Alternative Metal Animation Arena Rock Blues Rock Boating Britain Comedy Contemporary Blues Grunge Guitar Hard Bop Instruction & Study International Metal Modern Blues Modern Postbebop Music Video & Concerts New Wave Punk R&B Rap & Hip-Hop Rock Guitarists Science Fiction & Fantasy Singer-Songwriters Songbooks
I notice they left out languages entirely though I bought several books on learning Chinese and martial art. Perhaps that's considered "international"? These guys need me on their payroll. So? What does yours say?

Silent in the morning

Cool speaker cab grill dyes by Hard Truckers. I found these by searching for 'Silent in the morning' which is a song by Phish which I had in my head because it was a quiet morning.

LOTS AND LOTS OF RAIN and roads closed, etc... My studio session got cancelled because the engineer didn't want to have to swim there. Big pansy! And of course I had to point them out to our dear friend Lime who I've been giving online guitar lessons to. She made me some tie dyed shirts in exchange for CDs I haven't yet sent her. Bad AndyT13! No puddy! I finally got around to putting up a MySpace page for The Gearjammers because the audio plays so much faster from there. I dunno why but anyway... Lots more shows booked. I'm playing very well for some reason. Certainly not from practicing! I've been watching some great players lately though and getting inspired. Everything is a competition with me so I start thinking "I can be that good! Hell, I can do BETTER than that!" and the next thing you know I'm playing with my teeth and behind my back and over my head. I've yet to light a guitar on fire and smash it to bits but before I die you can bet I'ma do dat shit in spades!

Another day, another meme

Another day, another meme stolen from Lime and Myutopia.
Regarding books:
Hardback or trade paperback or mass market paperback?
Yes please.
Amazon or brick and mortar?
Either. I'll book shop anywhere.
Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Yep.
Bookmark or dog ear?
Lime's gonna hurt me but I dog ear.
Alphabetize by author or alphabetize by title or random?
Hahaha! Alphabewhatnow? Grouped by genre if at all.
Keep, throw away, or sell?
Keep but mostly loan out never to be seen again.
Keep dust jacket or toss it?
Keep by default
Read with dust jacket or remove it?
With by default
Short story or novel?
Yes please.
Collection or anthology?
No preference.
Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Niether but Lemony Snicket if pushed
Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
When tired. I dog ear so who cares?
"It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
Yes please
Buy or Borrow?
Steal, I mean borrow but I buy A LOT.
New or used?
Either.
Buying choice: book reviews, recommendation or browse?
Recommendation or browse. Reviewers and critics have a special room in hell.
Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Gah! Tidy ending please.
Morning reading, afternoon reading or nighttime reading?
Anytime is good but I tend to read at night when everyone is asleep.
Stand-alone or series?
Either. Has to be a good series to hold my interest.
Favorite series?
This is more about author. Tolkien, Anne Rice, Anne McCaffery to name a few.
Favorite children's books?
Seuss & Silverstein
Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
My own of course. 'Dangerous Dreams' available through www.andyt13.com
Favorite books read last year?
I can't remember yesterday so who knows?
Favorite books of all time?
Too many to list
Least favorite book you finished last year?
I can't remember yesterday so who knows?
What are you reading right now?
Just finished 'Whores' about Jane's Addicition and 'Underneath it all' Traci Lords autobiography.
What are you reading next?
Who knows? Whatever I beg, borrow or buy next.
Plus there's always a pile of "I'm in the middle of these" I may or may not finish.
Labels: books, meme, music

I will Not Cry

"I will Not Cry" by Valery Milovic @ www.fluxfire.com

Victim Of Love

170/36 The show is tonight at The Striped Bass @ 9PM See you there!

What kind of love have you got?
You should be home, but you’re not
A room full of noise and dangerous boys
Still makes you thirsty and hot
I heard about you and that man
There’s just one thing I don’t understand
You say he’s a liar and he put outYour fire
How come you still got his gun in your hand?
Victim of love , I see a broken heart
You got your stories to tell
Victim of love, it’s such an easy part
And you know how to play it so well
Some people never come clean
I think you know what I mean
You’re walkin’ the wire, pain and desire
Looking for love in between
Tell me your secrets, I’ll tell you mine
This ain’t no time to be cool
And tell all your girlfriends,You ’been around the world’ friends
That talk is for losers and fools
Victim of love, I see a broken heart
I could be wrong, but I’m not (no I'm not)
Victim of love, we’re not so far apart
Show me, what kind of love have you got?
Victim of love, you’re just a victim of love
I could be wrong , but I’m not
Victim of love, now you’re a victim of love
What kind of love have you got?
What kind of love have you got?
What kind of love have you got?

Heartbreak Hotel

Well, since my baby left me,
I found a new place to dwell.
Its down at the end of lonely street
At heartbreak hotel.

You make me so lonely baby,
I get so lonely,
I get so lonely I could die.

And although its always crowded,
You still can find some room.
Where broken hearted lovers
Do cry away their gloom.

You make me so lonely baby,
I get so lonely,
I get so lonely I could die.

Well, the bell hops tears keep flowin,
And the desk clerks dressed in black.
Well they been so long on lonely street
They aint ever gonna look back.

You make me so lonely baby,
I get so lonely,
I get so lonely I could die.

Hey now, if your baby leaves you,
And you got a tale to tell.
Just take a walk down lonely street
To heartbreak hotel.

The show is tonight at The Striped Bass @ 9PM See you there!

Empathy

After everything I've done I hate myself for what I've become. Fucking stupid empath. Bad! God! Fuckin' shoot me now! Gah!

Hey Diddle Diddle

Some of you may or may not know this but I have a real thing for Nursery Rhymes. Perhaps my penchant for poetry and my ability to write and remember lyrics comes from that. I dunno. I've certainly always had an affinity for words and phrases in meter and rhyme. HERE is a nifty site that has every nursery rhyme you ever heard of (and many you never did) in complete form. Amazingly comprehensive and amusing as well, especially for those of you with kids. Enjoy.
-Your friendly neighborhood raving psycho and sociopath