"Keeping Our Day Jobs" Update!

Now that Meeting of the Minds is in the books, we turn our attentions back to the album. Dave the intrepid producer reports that......drumroll please.....IT'S DONE! We'll have a final listening meeting this week to make sure there are no final tweaks needed, and then it's off to the CD reproducer!

We all just can't believe this is finally about done, and had no idea how much work would be involved. We sure hope you all like it!

Hey! We're Back!

We still don't know why Blogger took our Blog down a couple of months ago, and we can't really be sure when they put it back, either, since they never said word one to us about anything. But it's back! And just before we were going to start over!

Couple of notes since we last were here....if you've been looking for Crime Dog on Facebook and haven't been able to find him, don't worry. He's not dead, sick, or even missing, and he didn't "unfriend" you. He's just taking a break from Facebook for a while. You never know, he might be back in time for Meeting of the Minds....or he might not.

The album is nearly done! We'll have more on that real soon and perhaps a big announcement about it. Suffice it to say that it sounds great, we have it out for one more instrumental track, then it'll go through the final mix and be released and available for download. No word yet on when actual disks will be available, but stay tuned.

More later! It's great to be back!

Still Working Hard In the Studio!

The view from our office on studio days.

 
Well folks, we're still working it at the Four Door Studio of Real Big Records! This is the part of the process where our own guitar, percussion and vocals are finally complete, we've got some drum  and bass tracks added and it all sounds better than even we expected! We're discussng now what additional instruments to bring in and on what songs, so there's still plenty of work to be done.



Ever wonder what your voice looks like graphically? Well, CD's looks something like this.



Or maybe what a song looks like graphically, track by track? It's something like THIS!



Obviously, we're not going to make the hoped-for Labor Day release. This whole process is a lot more difficult than we originally thought! We're completely confident, however, that we'll have our album at Meeting of the Minds in November. As our good friend (and co-writer on one song!) Loren Davidson advised us to do, we're adding two months to our expectations...and maybe another day or two. Or three......

Dave Marshall, our intrepid and infinitely patient producer and engineer, hard at work.

So....what songs should you expect to hear on the Desert Island Band's debut album, "Keeping Our Day Jobs"?:

1) Keeping Our Day Jobs (Chitwood)

2) Sandy Wishes (Joyner)

3) $14 and Change (McGuffin)

4) Tropical Daydream Attacks (Chitwood)

5) If I Was a Lizard (Joyner)

6) No Name Pub (Chitwood)

7) Hollow Man (Mike Miller)

8) I Like It When the Wind Blows (Joyner)

9) You and Your Flip Flop Shoes (Chitwood)

10) I'm Mid-South (Joyner)

11) 'Til I Felt Good (McGuffin/Davidson)

Parrots In the Pines!!

Well, the very first Desert Island Band sponsored "Parrots In the Pines" is history and what a great time! No glitches, perfect weather, cool mountain air, wonderful hosts Brad and Colleen, and a team of terrific musicians headlined by Mark Mulligan were the keys to a fantastic weekend.



Musicians L-R Sam Rainwater, Woody Joyner, Mark McGuffin, Wayne McGuffin, Steve Chitwood, Mark Mulligan, and Keith Grigg. Missing from the photo but also performing: Ray Cody and Susan Schauf

 From Friday night's open mike, which was described more than once as "the best open mike, ever!" to Sunday departure hugs and handshakes, this was a time to remember. Here's a few things no one will forget soon:

Thursday night ice-diving into Bob's cooler
Shula's dust and rock storms, earning hm a club nickname: "Haboob."
Ladder golf and Cornhole
The Parrothead debut of some very cool dogs, like Paula's "Katie," a fan favorite! (nice escape artist, too!)
Friday night and Saturday morning off-the-hook delicious potlucks
Vivian's beautifully decorated stage area
The world debut of "The Worshboard Band."
Grown men in capes leaping from tailgates
Poker tournament won by (big surprise) Kathy with Tracy rght behind her
Dominoes in the shade, reminiscent of a Parrothead rest home.
Stolen Recipe BBQ
Mark Mulligan and Friends Jam Session
Susan Schauf and her new song (co-written with Keith Sykes), "Music Therapy"
The debut of the Flamingo Queen's dance routine for the DIB's "Tropical Daydream Attacks."
A nice roll of money raised for Castaway Kids
Late night passing the guitar around the fire with CD, Woody, and Mark Mulligan....that was special.

Do we have to wait a whole year to do this again?

Recording A Studio Album - Day 2

Steve and I finished off our guitar work and laid out vocal tracks on about six songs - which puts us at the halfway point in this stage of production! Vivian, Wayne and Jan sat in and had a chance to see how Dave and his studio operate.

We have a few glitches in som of the guitar tracks that might require some do-overs, but for the most part it is looking and sounding real good! Prodcuer Dave is supremely confident we willhave a finished CD by Labor Day!

Recording a Studio Album - Day 1

Wow, did the Desert Island guys have a great time today or what?! We headed into MixMedia Studio today with our producer, recorder, mixer, overseer, and general go-to guy, Dave Marshall.


Dave Marshall in his new playpen.


The first thing we noticed about the studio is how amazing it sounds....or actually doesn't sound. The only thing you can hear in there is the cooling fan on one of the hard drives, if you try real hard. No echoes, no nothing, it was amazing! It's like talking on the beach, only without the sound of the ocean.

Dave informed us we were the first musicians to use the recently completed facility, so we're hoping he hangs our picture on the wall at some point. If you would like to lobby on our behalf, just let us know and we will provide you with Dave's email address.

It was a day of pre-production, so we layed out twelve songs (11 originals and one very notable cover), and basically just jammed them out to click tracks until we were solid on our timing. It's harder than it sounds, folks, trust me. We went in with what we though were the correct beats for our songs, only to find out that we were off on eight of the twelve. Sadly, all four of the correct ones belonged to Woody, which caused Crime Dog to lose a bet of a 12-pack of Dos Equis Amber, dammit.


Steve-o, Wood-Eye, and CrimeDog ham it up at MixMedia.


We didn't record a single note, but had an incredible time learning and gaining confidence. We'll be hitting it again next weekend, and probably even various nights during the week over the next few months to try and get the album ready by Parrot Grande. Next up: nailing down guitar and vocal tracks. We can't wait!

Mac McAnally and Jake Shimabukuro At the Ikeda Theater

If you are a TropRock fan or a fan of just about any other musical genre, you're going to want to grab up a couple of these tickets while they are still available.

Mac McAnally is a singer songwriter of unsurpassed talent, winning Country Music Awards for "Musician of the Year" three times in a row. He's a longtime Coral Reefer, uber-talented guitarist, and Jimmy Buffett's right hand man. If that's not enough for you, he's the guy who gets to set Jimmy up for the famous"Funny you should ask that" line when they perform "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere." This guy can play the paint off your walls.

Jake is just possessed. He's the kid who apparently went down to some Honolulu crossroads and sold his soul to the devil in order to become the Jimi Hendrix of ukulele. I have underwear older than this guy, and he has completely redefined how the ukulele is meant to be played. Prepare to be amazed, amused, and to pick your jaw up from the floor when you see what Jake can do with four strings on an itty-bitty guitar.

Not only is this going to be a great evening of music, it's affordable! The best seats in the house are going fast at only about $30 each, so don't wait!

Tickets are on sale now through the Mesa Arts Center in the Ikeda Theater. Just click here, grab some tickets, and join us!

The Crime Dog

Off To The Studio!

The Desert Island guys are thrilled to be heading into the studio for pre-production beginning this weekend! We've placed ourselves into the capable hands of producer, recorder, mixer and we hope, "musical genius" of Dave Marshall at MixMedia to show us the way to creating the best possible album of our music.

We hope to have the finished product ready for all our friends at Parrot Grande, Labor Day weekend! Keep your fingers crossed!

The Desert Island Band Brings You Parrots In the Pines!

The Desert Island Band and Friends are pleased to bring you 2011's "Parrots In the Pines"! We are returning once again Friday evening 7/22 and Saturday 7/23 to Rainbow Lake Lodge in the cool pines of Pinetop with our friends Brad and Colleen!

Joining us this year to entertain us is none other than the legendary Mark Mulligan! Entertainment will be "House Concert" style, outdoors (weather permitting), on Saturday evening, with each attendee being asked to donate $20. As always with house concerts, all funds go directly to the artist.

You can reserve one of Rainbow Lake's 18 vintage cabins by calling them at 928-368-6364 or 800-93-CABIN. Most of the cabins sleep four, and are $119 per night, based on double occupancy. Additional guests are $22.50 each.

There is one large cabin that sleeps 12, and pricing of that cabin is based upon occupancy, so you'll need to discuss that one with the Lodge if you and several of your friends are interested.

And a bonus! Your lodging includes dinner Saturday evening!

You do not have to be a guest of the Lodge to hang out with your phriends there or to attend the entertainment. There will be a $5.00 access fee for those who are not guests of the Lodge.

If you are not staying at Rainbow Lake Lodge, the cost for entertainment will still apply, and you can still enjoy dinner at the Lodge on Saturday night for $15.95, which includes your $5.00 access fee! What a bargain! You'll need to let the Lodge know at least seven days in advance that you will be coming for dinner.

This is a BYOB and bring your own chair event.

You'll need to book soon! Space is limited, and The Lodge needs your reservation at least 30 days out from the event, or by 6/22/2011. If the Lodge fills up, Brad or Colleen will be happy to refer you to other nearby lodging.

To reserve your spot for the Mark Mulligan concert, stop on over to the Facebook event "Mark Mulligan LIVE at Parrots In the Pines," or just email Mark McGuffin at crimedog@desertislandband.com. Please be sure and let us know in your FB comment or email just how many people your RSVP includes.

We'll see you in the cool high country!

DIB To Open For Two Great TropRock Artists!

The Desert Island guys could not be more pleased and honored than to have been asked by our friends at Club Agave to open for not one but two terrific TropRock acts this month - San Diego's Charlie Imes and Key West's very own Scott Kirby.

We had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Charlie for the very first time at Phins To The West. Our show times overlapped a bit, but we got in a listen, and this guy is terrific, folks. Come on out to Flicka's Baja Cantina in Scottsdale, enjoy a cold drink, and relax with the Desert Island Band and Charlie Imes - he's like sunny weather for your ears.

6/25/2011 - 11:30AM to 1:00PM: DIB                      1:00PM to 4:00PM: Charlie Imes
No admission cost

Then, what can you say about Scott Kirby, one of the top acts in TropRock? Straight from Key West with the music that will put you right back on the island. We had the pleasure of meeting and hearing Scott last year at Margaritaville, and became instant fans. If you haven't heard TropRock classics like Lucky Enough, 4 Good Dogs, or Walkin' On Thin Ice, then you need to get yourself to the Grace Inn and fix that. Your Desert Island Friends would never steer you wrong.

6/30/2011 - 4:30PM to 6:00PM: DIB
                       6:00PM to  9:00PM: Scott Kirby
                       Admission $10.00

Making History Again!!!

One of our DIB originals, "Sandy Wishes", penned and sung by our own Wood-Eye, debuted on BFR's Amish Beach Party today....WOOT!

Cinco De Mayo! Cafe Posada! The Desert Island Band!

Looking for a good time on Cinco de Mayo?? Well, we have the answer! Join the Desert Island Band at Cafe Posada in Gilbert (Ray and Gilbert Roads), on Thursday, Cinco de Mayo, from 7:00-10:00PM! Owners Oscar and Susan are Parrotheads from way back, and they know how to have a good time, so you won't want to miss this! It's inside, with AC, so don't sweat that. Plus, how about some Cinco specials? Get yourself five mini-tacos for only $5.55, and wash those bad boys down with a bucket of five Coronitas or mini-Buds or Bud Lights for another $5.55. Besides that, we have Crime Dog's word that Cafe Posada has GREAT food and the very best salsa you'll find anyhere, and he's sort of an expert. In his own mind, at least!

Where else can you have this kind of good time for only $11.00?? C'mon out and join us!

Trop Meets Rock Again, April 30th, Chandler, Arizona!

        What's better than Gontang's stage charisma combined with Broward's guitar?   Nothing.

Here's a show you won't want to miss. The Desert Island Boys heartily and highly recommend you put this one on your calendar and don't get left out! Yes, it's Jerry Gontang and Mike Broward, of Stars On the Water fame, together again for an evening in Chandler.

The great thing about these two is that you just have no way of knowing where they might take you. Like all great TropRockers, they feel the music, they sense their audience, and they find the groove that combines the two. You might hear Broward and Gontang originals one moment, then Crosby, Stills, and Nash, come around to Buffett, and then rock on towards Todd Rundgren before crashing headlong into Paul Simon.

Only one thing is for sure: You are going to have a FANTASTIC time. So grab yourself a seat, a Margarita made outta shine, and hold on tight! It's going to be a helluva ride!

RSVP for details, directions, and to reserve your spot via email to Ferralli@cox.net.

The Desert Island Boys will see you there!

The DIB Teams Up With The Desert Sharks in The Race For the Cure!

Hey! Come out and hang out with the Desert Island Band at Garcia's tonight, listen to some music, have some great food, maybe a couple of ice-cold beers! We'll have a tip bucket out there, and every dime that goes into will in turn go directly to our pals down at the Desert Sharks Parrothead Club for their effort to support the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure this Sunday in Tucson.

So come on! You know you want to! Let's help the Sharks help the Komen foundation find a cure! Dig deep, Parrotheads!

See you at Garcia's, Univesity and Gilbert in Mesa, from 6:00-9:00PM!

Anybody Know A No-Rain Dance?

What's up with the weather channel girl and her perfect weather curl? Beautiful today, gorgeous tomorrow, 60 degrees and raining Saturday for the big Palapa Christening we have all so looked forward to....

O, What A Tangled Web We Weave.....

If you were listening to BeachFront Radio's live poolside broadcast from Jan and Wayne's resort-like back yard in Phoenix yesterday, you heard DJ Jeff and Crime Dog announce that The Desert Island Band's surprise "best kept secret in TropRock" debut CD release would be on Tuesday. DJ Jeff even posted a photo (above) of the CD on BeachFront's page, but the only thing inside that case was hot air.

Many called "shenanigans" immediately, others took the proverbial hook, line, and sinker. Still others are not admitting they were taken in, opting instead for "Ah, I knew all along!" approach, but everyone seems to have had a good laugh, and for that, we are grateful!

Now, what is NOT a shenanigan is that the guys are in the early stages of putting together a CD of nearly all original music, tweaking their songs and looking for hooks, but we will at best only have a demo ready by Phins To the West. So hang in there, Desert Island Nation!

Oh, and we also wish to happily announce that the Desert Island Band WILL in fact be performing at Phins To the West next month. We're not sure when or where at the event we'll be playing, so just stay with us here and at our website for more information as it becomes available.

BeachFront Radio Returns To Phoenix

That's right, our friends Capt'n Cali and DJ Jeff are back in town for tonight's Mark Mulligan/Sunny Jim show! In fact, the Amish Beach Party will be coming at you live beginning at 11:00AM Arizona time, from an undisclosed location not far from where I sit at this very moment.

So crank up your computer, hack your employer's firewall or bribe your IT geek to let BeachFront come through, and listen in today. Prepare to be unproductive!

You never know who might show up.

An Admission From The Crime Dog

OK, I admit it. I like American Idol. There. I said it.

Actually, I am an unabashed fan of the show. Love it. Haven't missed an episode in years. Admittedly, there have only been a couple of contestants who, after their run on Idol, I would take the trouble  to walk across the street to see perform for free. Maybe Daughtry or Crystal Bowersox, or that southern rock dude with all he hair from a few years go. I'm just not much of a pop music fan, I just love watching these kids chase their dreams and put their hearts and souls on the line every week.

But I have never, ever voted. Not one time. Zero. Nada. So I shall make a pledge:  I hereby pledge to actually pick up my phone and vote for the first contestant to ever do a Buffett song.

You hear that, contestants? Now, bring it. You, Paul Whatsyourname, with the Rod Stewart kind of vibe, sing "Trying To ReasonWith Hurricane Season" and make me proud. I'll wear out my fingers voting.

So, What Do the Desert Island Band Guys Do When Not Doing A Show?

Well, they just gather somewhere - in this case Woody's house - and play anyway. These are Desert Island Boys Woody and Crime Dog, joined by Dan "Chili" Creed. Nice evening! Hope you enjoy it as much as we did! Thanks for the video and link-up, Paula!

On House Concerts and Live Music

Go here! Read this!

Sam Rainwater at Fiddler's Dream!

Friday, March 11th, 8:00PM (Doors open at 7:00PM)
Fiddler's Dream - 1702 E. Glendale, Phoenix
$6.00 at the door

You will never find a bigger heart on a singer songwriter than you will on our good friend Sam Rainwater, and it shows in both his music and how he lives his life. Sam's putting together a new CD, so we're guessing we'll get to hear some of his new stuff in addition to the Rainwater classics we all know and love to sing along with. Sam will be joined by Dan "Chili" Creed on harp, so this show just got even better!
See you all there!

Gotta throw in a plug here for the best TropRock event west of the Mississippi! The Desert Island Band will be there, and hopes you are too!

NEWS FLASH! GOOD TIMES AHEAD!!

This just in!

Those of you with the good judgment to be attending Saturday's one-of-a-kind house concert with none other than Keith Sykes are in for a double shot! Our good friend and all-around nice guy, that TropRockin', party crashin' stud muffin himself, The Great Ray Cody will be opening!

What's that you say, you haven't decided to attend? What? Are you out of your mnd? You won't get another chance like this! RSVP now! Be there! Because, in addition to these two big shots, The Desert Island Band's own Crime Dog will be joining Keith Sykes on percussion for a couple of songs. He needs positive feedback, so pat him on the head, rub his belly, and give him a cookie beer, but most importantly, come to this show!

Details for attending the show are HERE! Just scroll down the main window.

A Musician Gets His Revenge!

When I was a lowly Airman Basic in the USAF so many years ago, a grizzled NCO gave me some sage advice: "Kid, don't ever f*** with the guy who handles your food or your paycheck." True enough, and now, in the age of Internet media, we can add musicians to that list. Here's why:

Guess Who's Coming To Town?

Hey, it doesn't get much better than these two guys. James "Sunny Jim" White and our very own Mark Mulligan, together on one stage, April 1st in Paradise Valley. The Desert Island Boys have been looking forward to this one for a looong time. We're huge fans of both, and even cover Sunny Jim's beautiful and already classic "Mexican Ring" in every one of our shows.

If you haven't reserved a spot for this show, better do so now, because it's already near capacity and still a month out! RSVP to Tom and PJ Hankins, your gracious hosts, at shipmates@msn.com. We will see you there!

Musical Non-Geniuses At Work

Hey, you gotta start somewhere, right? Why not my living room? Your friends in the DIB have decided to try and do a demo CD we can send out to....well, whoever it is that musicians send out demos to. We haven't gotten that far yet. We don't have a single track laid. What we DO have is an album name (which is double secret), enough original music to take a shot, the hardware to perhaps actually pull it off, and a lot of attitude. So who knows? Better stay tuned.

A Double Shot of The Desert Island Band!

A double shot of the Desert Island Band on BeachFront Radio! We are digging our fifteen minutes, baby!

For A Good Time, Call Dan. And Roger. And Randy. Or Even Crime Dog. Just Call.

What are you doing tomorrow night? Looking for some incredible acoustic blues and the most fun you can have with your clothes on? Well then, join Crime Dog as he joins The Winers with Dan "Chili" Creed to make some music and fun at My Wine Cellar in 'Tukee.. This is a great band at a great wine bar with some great food (Try the pizza. We wouldn't lie to you. At least not about pizza.). OK, so it ain't exactly TropRock, but it's fun and fantastic and Dan is our guy, so we'll see you there!

Who Knew TropRock and Paranoia Could Work Together? Bob Karwin, Of Course.

We can't wait to hear the new album being produced by Bad Boy Bob Karwin. His latest release, "Sand Dollar Millionaire" was among 2010's best in the world of TropRock, and something tells us this one will be right up there in that rareified air as well.

Y'know, the Desert Island Band is just four guys who love music and live to play for friends, smiles, and the occasional bar tab. But Bob and the rest of your Left Coast TropRockers are as good as it gets, friends. Get behind them and stay behind them!

Monday, February 21, 2011 @ 3:40 PM...The Desert Island Band debuts on BeachFront Radio!!! We couldn't be happier or more humbled. Thank you Capt'n Cali, DJ Jeff, Cheeto Gyrl, and everybody who came out last Friday to the live show that produced this recording. What a night! Wow!

Keith Sykes In Concert - Don't Miss This!

Hey, whatever else you might have planned for Saturday, March 12th,  change it! You're going to want to take that afternoon to sit outdoors in the gorgeous Arizona sunshine and visit with the legendary Keith Sykes. Keith is an unsurpassed performer and songwriter, not to mention a former Coral Reefer. You may know him as the guy who wrote "Volcano," but Keith has written so many great songs that he'll make you forget all about that one. His "Coast of Marseilles" (covered by Jimmy Buffett on "Son of a Son of a Sailor) is a song so hauntingly beautiful that it alone is worth the price of admission.
Details on the house concert can be found here. We hope to see you at the show!

BeachFront Radio Comes To the Valley of the Sun!!!

Well, we can hardly believe it! The Desert Island Boys are still high on last night's great show at Garcia's in Mesa with Capt'n Cali and DJ Jeff from BeachFront Radio! What an honor and privilege just to hang out with them and to share the stage with our great friends and fantastic musicians The Great Ray Cody and Dan "Chili" Creed!

Capt'n Cali and DJ Jeff even asked all of us to sign their BeachFront tour banner, which we all did with great relish. It was only when looking more closely today at the photo taken of the banner that we realized our autographs are right next to Coral Reefer great Michael Utley's! Holy crap, what an honor!

You may actually be able to catch a few highlights of  last night's show on BeachFront Radio in the next few days. We're not sure what, if any of the festivities will air, so you'll have to listen in to find out. We highly recommend you tune in Tuesday to "Pyrates Behaving Badly" (6:00PM MST) with those lovely and saucy wenches, Capt'n Cali and Cheeto Gyrl. You just never know what might happen!