[07.03.8] Clown Alley is Available!!!
Current mood: adventurous
So it's finally here, and you can get it one of two ways.
1) On my all new fully re-designed website! Check it out, I've got an official blog and everything.
Details on my upcoming tour with Tony Hawk is on there, as well as videos and my store which right now has a whopping one product: Clown Alley! www. mikerelm. com
2) It's also at TurntableLab. com http://www. turntablelab. com/video/14/152/49156. html
I know what you're thinking - why would you suggest buying it online from someone other than yourself? Well, if you cruise their site for a bit you'll probably find something else that you want, and if you pick up more than just Clown Alley, you'll save money on shipping.
[05.22.08] Tony Hawk’s Boom Boom Huck Jam!
Current mood: thoughtful
The neverending adventure that is my life continues as I embark on a new voyage. This time, I'm joining Tony Hawk, Kevin Staab, Sergie Ventura, Jesse Fritsch, Neal Hendrix, Kevin Robinson, Dennis McCoy, John Parker, Matt Buyten, Drake McElroy, Greg Garrison, and Jason Ellis as the show's opening act. As an added twist, I'll also be handling the music and on-screen treats during the entire show! This is something that's never been done in the history of both action sports and turntablism, so you can probably guess that I'm hyped beyond words. I've been spending the past few days at Tony Hawk Industries, hanging with the whole crew, familiarizing myself with past Huck Jams, working on 2008's show, and most importantly celebrating Tony's birthday.
There are so many things unfolding, but right now I need to wrap my head around the task at hand - pre-production. I'll be posting dates when I get the chance, but all the info is at www.boomboomhuckjam.com
[05.22.08] Home, Sweet Home!
Current mood: animated
Blue Man Group's "How To Be A Megastar 2.0?. Whew, it was a tour like no other…February 2007-May 2008, over 200 shows (not counting the ones I had on "day-offs"). It was an experience of a lifetime, where I got to play for packed arena crowds for more than a year and worked with one of the most amazing groups of people the entertainment community has to offer. I'm a lucky bastard, most artists would be lucky to have a handful of the shows that I've been doing for over a year. So if anyone from BMG is reading this, THANK YOU. You guys have your pick of the litter and you chose me. Lucky for us, I don't suck. The level of talent on stage every night was phenomenal and inspiring, from Blue Man to the band (which by the way, just so happens to be made of world class musicians).
So I said my good-byes, which felt similar to when I say good-bye to my family and friends before I leave home. Maybe because for the most part they have been my family. I have the utmost respect for them and I can't wait for a reunion!
Less than a week after I landed at SFO, I had my first headline show in San Francisco EVER. Playing shows in the home town is always a little nerve racking, especially since most of my family and friends live here and I don't want to let them down. The guys at Another Planet did a great job promoting the show, I think it was the first time I didn't get any post-show emails from people saying "I would have gone to your show if I knew about it." Those emails break my heart. So anyway, The Independent was packed; it was by far the best show I've done in the San Francisco and the audience definitely let me know it. Great night all around!
I got a few hours sleep Friday night after the show in Philly. Had to do a couple last minute edits on the Clown Alley trailer and also for the Pancake Mountain shoot Saturday morning. MORNING. Anyone who knows me knows I'm not what you would call a "morning person". I usually give myself a 3-hour window to wake up if at all possible. I've missed most morning classes in college and I was never able to hold down a 9-5. My day starts effectively at noon. That being said, there are a few exceptions to that rule.
Call time for the Pancake Mountain shoot was 9:30 am. I got to bed an hour prior to that so I was jittery. If you've never seen Pancake Mountain, it's probably because you don't live in the Washington, DC area or haven't caught the episodes online. It's well worth checking out, I mean I don't go on 1 hour of sleep on a show night for just anyone. PM is an awesome show for kids and their cool parents. Their guests are always really good musicians and artists, and I wondered how many people had to drop out before they called me. So anyway, if you take Pancake Mountain at face value it's a great kid's show. But if you're not a kid you'll really enjoy the humor and wit that goes on. Our shoot went really well, they had a bunch of kids at a theater in DC and I did a little performance for them, answered some questions (anything from "what's your favorite color" to "did you start with records first"?), and let them mess around with my gear. We all had a blast, and Captain Perfect was hilarious. Kids are great. www.pancakemountain.com
If you haven't noticed already, the trailer for Clown Alley is online! The dvd itself is in finishing stages and I'm so happy with how it has all come together. It took a while to figure out how to present my live show on video, but with the help of a lot of my creative friends I believe this is the best way to help bring the experience to your living room. Or bedroom. Or kitchen, or wherever you choose to watch it. You'll also be introduced to The Sideshow, who I battle it out with for control of my all-important briefcase...in 3D! The press preview copies have gone out I'm really excited to hear what people have to say about it. So far the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
Mike
Currently
watching
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24 - Season Six Release date: 04 December, 2007
[02.01.08] It’s Snowing
Current mood: chipper
Category: Life
So I heard we missed an avalanche by a few hours the other day. The drive from Portland to Spokane was definitely a rough one, but I slept through it thanks to our driver Charlie who's one of the best in the biz. Still a bit scary to think about though, good to be alive.
So anyway...while we were in Portland I visited my friend Mark Arsenal who I've known for a little over a decade. I lived a few blocks away from him in Daly City and we would all hang out at his place mixing, making stickers, mixtapes, and just getting into trouble. He runs Fatlace, which is a website and now a store. I always thought his perfect job would be running Nike online. Sure enough, he's now the digital global leader there. I'm a regular Nostradamus. So he took me on a little hike around the Nike campus, which is enormous. I stopped and took some pics, starting with Michael Jordan's parking space. I also got to take home a few pairs of shoes that aren't hitting stores until 2009. Score!
In case you're wondering why I've been so low key lately, I've been working my butt off finishing "Clown Alley". It's my latest creation: a DVD of my live show and lots of skits and sillyness. Pre-release copies are going out to members of the press next week and I'm finishing the trailer up so you guys can have an idea of what it's going to look like. There are a couple things about it that I want to keep a surprise, but here's one thing...I'm including 3D glasses in each package. And trust me, the live footage is definitely better than what you've seen online or even in "Suit Yourself". It's the closest I can get at the moment to bringing what I do live into your living room. Or bedroom, or kitchen, or wherever you choose to view it.
We're also making some major changes to the site, and I mean major. I'll keep ya posted on that. Gotta run and get ready for my show, Boise awaits!
So for the first time in about 5 years I had no shows for new year's eve! Not that I don't like performing, but its kinda nice once in a while to take a little break and enjoy the festivities. Hilary and I went to Mezzanine with Glen and Tim for Pop Scene's party. Black Audio and Moving Units were awesome as usual. Watching Black Audio made me really think for the first time how cool it would be if I could sing. Anyway, we had a blast. The champaign helped.
But now its back to work! I had a 3 week break, luckily it included Christmas so there was plenty to do. I really didn't want to fly anywhere so we only took shows in sf. Imeem had a company party at The Independent which D-Sharp and I did. It felt more like a bunch of friends getting together than an "office" event. I hope someone posted pictures from there. Played a Pop Scene the next night, which is always a great time.
Oh yeah, my bro's fiance got him a Wii. I got addicted, my high score in bowling is 278.
So now I'm sitting in front of our tour bus in lovely Prescott, AZ for the Blue Man Group "How To Be A Megastar 2.1" 2008 tour. Its the first show of the longest stretch of shows I've ever done. The tour ends in May (I'll be posting dates shortly), and I've got some new tricks up my sleeve. The first thing you'll notice is the addition of a light show!!! In the past I used a simple spotlight on me, which worked but you'll notice a huge difference on the new version. The designer Stan was kind enough to take a break from the world of household names to help design a show for little ol' me. Also, I added some new music and video (not to be confused with "music video) to my set to keep things interesting. All in all, I'm juiced.
I scored the newest Disney short! It's called "Too Many Robots" and cool beyond belief!! It airs April 20th at 7:55 pm on The Disney Channel. If you don't have cable or the Disney Channel, it will be available on iTunes for the low low price of FREE dollars.
A little info on it, Too Many Robots is an Attaboy creation, animated by Ghostbot, starring Kelly Stables, Iris Bahr, Brian Stepanek, and Greg Cipes. Brett Saiia played the banjo and the Shorty McShort Shorts team brought it all together.
[08.24.06] Goodbye Peeping Tom and Gnarls Barkley...
Current mood: awake
Category: Music
All good things usually come to an end, and this last tour with Mike Patton's Peeping Tom was no exception for me. Although they will continue to tour (they're opening for the Who in Madison Square Garden) I've got to say farewell. So much happened in the past two months. Whether we were opening for Gnarls Barkley or doing our own shows, it was a great time with packed houses.
Gonna miss you guys!
www.myspace.com/peepingtomispatton www.myspace.com/dubtrio www.myspace.com/dalek www.myspace.com/rahzellekilla www.myspace.com/imanicoppola (Moss, Deanne, Keefus, Thomas, and Kirby, you need myspaces)
adventurous
thoughtful
animated
awake