This One's For All the Marbles

Rehearsals for the Zubatto Syndicate concert on November 5 at Town Hall are underway. The music is coming together slowly but surely and it's a real joy to hear everything finally come to life in the hands of players of this caliber. This is my favorite part of a project like this - hearing your work take shape and develop into something with a life of its own.

On the one hand, the creative side of the work on this project is (mostly) finished. However, the work that remains is the hardest part, at least for me - the part where I convince people to plunk down $15 on a ticket, and plunk their selves down at Town Hall in just a couple of weeks.

It's hard because, as an independent musician, I'm sure that I must sound like something of a broken record. "This is the biggest, most important thing I've done, and it is so important to me that you support it and be there." The thing is - it's true every time for us indie artists. Each project we put out there is an escalation, an attempt to raise the ante a little or a great deal more. All with very little to no support. This time, I'm raising the stakes pretty high.

I've got a band of 12 musicians, complicated music that needs to be rehearsed, and a big hall that, frankly, is stretching the budget very thin. Beyond that, I have plans and ideas for this group that extend beyond this year that are pretty darn audacious and totally ridiculous.

Without the support of the City, this project wouldn't even have gotten off the ground. The support of the Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs has given me a chance to realize what was, just a few short months ago, a figment of my imagination. Now, it's in the hands of you - my friends, family, fans and all of the music lovers out there that haven't (yet) heard of me.

For this music to live and to gain a momentum of its own, I need a turnout at Town Hall that is larger than any draw I've had to date. The target, when compared to other performers, is pretty modest, but for me, it's a huge leap.

I can't express enough how excited I am about this group and this music. I want this band to have a future, but I can't do it without an audience. You may be thinking "I'll catch the next one" but there won't be a next one for Zubatto Syndicate without a great audience turnout and response to this one.

You might have prior commitments or other plans, and of course I understand this, but (at the risk of sounding desperate, which I am) I'm hoping you'll consider whether your existing plans could potentially happen on a different night, or might be shuffled. I'm almost certainly asking too much, but that's how much I want you to hear this music.

If your plans can't change, you can still help. Do you know someone who loves exciting, funky music that's a little on the different side? If you can't take them to the show, buy them a ticket. Student tickets are $5 - a bargain!

So please, if you are on the fence, or haven't bought tickets yet, please take a moment and order your tickets now. I promise you will not regret it.

http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/86349

I hope to see you there on November 5!