Sink or Swim (or something) @iamairickjones - Tumblr Blog

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Why can't we all just get along?

Mark my words: 2014 will be a very interesting year for music technology. We are all aware of the streaming wars, the algorithms that curate how you're feeling after those old shrimp tacos, the music management solutions, and even the data we've had all along but are just now looking to use it to perhaps benefit the artist. Live show attendance increased from last year even with the hidden fees they charge concert goes for simply looking at a who is playing where. That's $4.95 for coming to our site! Every second that goes by, we charge another buck! Music technology is focused heavily on streaming and curation. This feels good. It is good. I think it'll be one event this year that will open the floodgates and more scrappy music centered startups will crop up and start innovating the space. But I wonder how it will all work out in the end... Rights holders (labels, publishers, etc) are notoriously stubborn when it comes to shaking up the way things have been for the last, I don't know, half century. Going into a meeting, the startup already assumes the first answer they'll get will be a no. The rights holders know they won't budge wen a little if at all. It's going to be a battle. But why? Why does such stubbornness need to exist? Do the labels have any footing or strength to pick up their hammer? Aren't they tired of losing money? Aren't they tired of being too late? Holding out? Don't they need a little reinvention? At the very least stop signing bands and keeping a business model that was designed before the mp3 was really a thing. Truth is, and I think we all can agree, times have changed. And as a lover of music and technology, I wish we'd all just get along. It's like watching an old married couple fight. One is drinking domestic beers, eyes glued to the TV, not really moving much while the other is cooking a brand new and exciting recipe. But the other one isn't listening. He's despondent, uninterested, and loving this episode of COPS. He's barely breathing. And if you're curious, I'm the kid coloring in the corner. But hey! Technology is good. Music is good. The issue is that certain technologies have a hard time being implemented because the music industry won't allow it. There's a void. A lack of energy. Unless we make a lot of changes and rip out some foundation, I worry the music industry will always be a little too late. Yes, it gets worse. Who loses first? The artist. They are either paid last, in fractions, or just not paid at all because books are still kept with excel or the book keeper up and left because they couldn't take it any more. There's a big jar of pennies on the table, a few are rolled over to the artists and the rest to everyone else not creating the music and bringing in the crowds. Point is, your music has no value. It is disposable. It's marketing. It's the bridge to hopefully make more money. The bigger money. It can be leveraged this way, at least to get out of the noise. Merchandise can be incredible for an artist too. I say that as a fan of music and as a manager, not just a startup founder in the merchandise space. There's music disruption to be had in the space. Whether you're selling/buying at the concert, online, over your phone, while streaming music, while keeping your inventory straight, or collecting extensive data on both consumer and market, there is major room for improvement and a better world for everyone involved. We want a better experience and artists and their partners want and need more money. This is a HUGE opportunity and I'm excited to be involved. Without saying too much too soon, I've been more than thrilled with the conversations I've had with merchandise companies over the last several months. It's one of the last sectors in the music industry that hasn't really been disrupted and I think they don't want to make the same mistakes that the labels did. This makes me happy. Every industry will have incumbents that have their nose in the air, arms crossed, and a business strategy that is living in the past. They will hoard their pennies in their pockets and refuse to take risks. The big boys fight at the top for market share while fighting to save their business. They don't have the time or resources to invest in lower margin, disruptive technology. Even if it could change everything. That thinking is backwards. With enough effort, big ships can turn. If not, they'll sink deeper. What I've learned is that feeling safe is the fasted way to vulnerability. It's laziness. Its not putting in the effort to either adopt or create the future. In short, I hope my two loves in life will one day get a long and work with each other more harmoniously than they do today. For the first time in a while, I'm seeing true effort. It makes me feel excited. This year we will see A LOT of changes that will make everything a better. At least I have a good feeling about it. But until then and probably for the rest of my life, you can find me in the trenches. I'll be fighting and doing my part to help create a better future for the artists, the startups, the music firms, and the lovers of music. Note: I wrote this on a plane so please excuse any errors or typos. I'm going to be in Nashville for the day and night to meet with music and merchandise companies about implanting Sidestep 2.0 when it comes out. What a beautiful thing that is :)

#music #tech #startups #labels #merchandise

There's a graveyard for your ideas

My first idea was to open a bar in Columbus, OH. It was going to be right on the Ohio State campus.

The bar was going to be called Pumps.

Such a name could only be accompanied by an equally amusing slogan: I Got Tanked at Pumps.

I was thinking the bar would be in between 'dive bar' to 'casual gimmick', yet not so trashy that you wouldn’t bring a girl there on your first date.

Pitchers of beer wouldn’t exist at Pumps. Instead, you’d be served a gallon of beer in a novelty red gasoline container. I’m not sure if this is legal, but I imagined it being self-serve. You get your red gallon container and walk up to a real gas pump, but instead of fuel pumping out, there's just ice cold beer

Incase you're wondering:

89 - cheap beer. 90 - not as cheap beer. 92 - quality beer. Diesel - the seasonal special.

And that’s that. The bar goer gets their red gallon container, swipes their card to activate the pump, and beer comes out. They take the gallon and bring it to their table to the amazement of their friends and/or date.

As the slogan goes: I got tanked at Pumps.

Maybe one day I’ll invade colleges with Pumps. Until then, if anyone wants to take this idea, feel free. I’d gladly stop by for a gallon.

---------

Everyone is capable of great ideas. I once took a lot of pride in coming up with silly ideas (sometimes instantly on the spot). Some ideas would be centered around technology, other around the Internet, and some down right ridiculous (like the iClicky). I’ll save that idea for a Pumps trip sometime in the next decade or two.

At one point, I had about 15 ideas I truly loved. I’d enjoy talking about them with friends and excite fellow business minded people on the amazing opportunity it would be if ever implemented.

Sometimes I’d talk about a specific idea for hours in a night. I somehow kept the attention of whoever was listening and we’d make plans for world domination.

But that never happened. Some ideas I actually started to lay some groundwork but was distracted almost immediately by the next exciting idea.

Once the new idea came into my conscious mind, all other ideas fell into eternal sleep in the Idea Graveyard.

This cycle would repeat. At one point a friend called me out for being all talk and never having the ability to stop and actually focus on one idea.

He was right. I was addicted to the proverbial idea crack pipe.

I was addicted to the high of the idea in the moment. I was a hamster on a wheel. I was chasing nothing. There wasn’t even a carrot to focus on. There was no focus.

1,000 great ideas is nothing compared to 1 good idea that is actually implemented.

How else will you really learn unless you give yourself the opportunity to stumble a little?

Truth is, failing always sucks. It will never not suck.

But if you embrace failure when it happens, you’ll probably learn something that you didn’t know before.

Imagine for a second that you write all of your failures on a piece of paper. Looking at them all, I’m sure you could write at least one thing you learned from each experience.

And that's the point. Doing and learning.

I stopped taking pride in having 1,000 ideas and instead took all of that energy and put it into focusing on one single idea. The truth is (and what I've learned through my current experience), is that one single idea that's implemented will spawn 10,000 order ideas in your single idea. Whether it be design, features, a new technology, a new way to reach customers, etc.

I'm learning that it's all about laser focus. It's about waking up every morning, brewing some coffee, and getting to work. And it's not just writing or responding to emails all damn day (the devils work), but actually thinking of ways you can disrupt the space you're in. Or thinking of ways to make your users happy. And if you stumble, learn from it! Don't give up.

Once an idea is implemented, it graduates to being a real life thing. That's when laser focus matters the most. Focus keeps everything moving forward.

Focus on the past to learn from the mistakes and successes of others and your own. Focus on the now to make sure you're doing everything you can to make something great. And focus on the future so you can continue to innovate.

Sure, I still think of other business ideas, whether they are silly or actually kind of cool. We're human. That's what we're wired to do.

But unlike before, I've given myself the chance to implement one of those ideas.

I was in a really bad place two years ago. My spirits and heart were broken. But during that time, I really learned how to overcome hard times. I learned that I'm not invincible and my ideas mean nothing unless they are executed. I learned that there's a difference between dreams and reality. I learned that I hated fixing iPhone screens for $8/hour and I hated feeling like I was contributing nothing to the world.

It took a long time to get back on my feet. My hands and mind were exhausted. Any idea I ever had was looking at me in the face and laughing. They were all nothing. I was nothing. Failure taught me this.

It taught me to refocus and put everything I have into something I believe in. Into something I want.

I'm confident this year will be great. But not without its ups and downs.

This post came about because I spent the last hour 'walking' through the Idea Graveyard and looking at all the tombstones. Each one carved with every idea I've ever had but never implemented. Some good, some bad. All nothing.

I stop and observe my favorite tombstone.

It's the the one with an arm sticking out through the soil holding a red galloon container and the word "Pumps" carved into its stone.

Let's see what life brings.

#ideas #pumps #sidestep #human

Let me quickly catch you up

Let me start this post by apologizing (if anyone is still reading this thing).

It’s been too long since I’ve had a chance to do a post and for that I’m sorry.

But the truth is, there really is no excuse. I sleep 6-8 hours a night. I go to the gym maybe 3-4 nights a week, eat 3 meals a day, and attempt at least 2 cat naps a day.

I let you down. Whoever you are.

You follow this blog and/or check out my posts via Facebook/Twitter to see how it’s going. I haven’t kept up in the last few months so I guess now is the time to catch (you?) up to speed…

Life has been crazy.

Someone I wanted to be a co-founder of my company left today. They didn’t want it enough.

My company is called Sidestep incase you weren’t already aware.

He left because he didn’t want to take the risk of building a startup. He was afraid of it failing and all of his time and energy would be a waste and he’d wake up in his late 20’s with nothing to his name but failure.

I wish him the best of luck and nothing but love and good will sent his way.

With that being said, it’s time to move on.

The BETA version of Sidestep has reached metrics beyond our wildest expectations. We’ve amassed over 30,000 downloads, several thousand active customers, and have been learning so much about where our little idea could go.

My weeks have been meeting with merchandise companies, labels, managers, artists, and a few others that have been kind enough to hear me out.

Some have been receptive. Some have championed me. Others haven’t been satisfied with the answers I’ve given them.

And then it hit me.

Innovation is being unsatisfied with answers to questions you’ve never asked before.

Sidestep is answering those questions. And I’m its voice.

I’ve also been writing all of my ideas in a word document. It helps me plan the next year. There’s so much that is in store that I worry I’ll break my 6-8 hour sleep schedule. Sleep is good!

Away from Sidestep, the band I proudly manage (From Indian Lakes) have been KILLING their headline tour. Some sold out shows, crazy crowds, and great numbers all around. I couldn’t be more proud of those dudes.

Their new album is set to release in X and I couldn’t be more excited. We’ve been creating such an incredible team for all we have planned this coming year. I feel so lucky to be working with such talented people. Honestly.

Oh, before I forget to mention, the new iOS version of Sidestep will be out in the next month or so. It’s looking and feeling amazing. So many amazing things planned. My goal was to change the concert culture and I think we’re onto doing just that. We shall see.

I’m just so excited for all that’s to come. I’ve never been more busy, stressed, excited, scared, and focused than I am now.

24 is weird. There’s so much I’ve felt, experienced, and have worked towards…. Yet it feels like everything has led to now.

I wake up 5 times a night. I’m too excited for morning and that first cup of coffee to start the day.

Time is so valuable and I want to do everything.

I force myself back to sleep because we all need some rest.

#from indian lakes #sidestep #sleep #coffee

Today is the only day of my life

Looking back at some earlier posts, I question whether or not they really matter. It seems as though the theme of this blog has been me in a constant state of reflection, looking inward, and preaching survival during pretty hard times.

I think it’s beneficial to those who have shared a similar experience or are currently facing their own version of rock bottom. I hope my words have helped in some small way.

But the truth is, nothing really matters. And no, that wasn’t supposed to pay homage to Freddy Mercury, though maybe he was onto something when saying that…

I looked in the mirror this morning. I asked myself, “am I happy to be alive today?”

Yes.

"Am I excited about what I’m doing today?"

Yes.

"Am I surrounded by people I love and do they love me back?"

Yes and yes.

Unlike many mornings, I didn’t think about yesterday with regret. I didn’t think about the future and feel anxiety.

I made both yesterday and tomorrow disappear. They no longer exist.

The pain I felt yesterday, or a year ago, or two, no longer exists. It is nothing until I make it something. And I won’t. I refuse.

For so long, I’ve spent every waking hour of every day working for a goal that is supposed to happen in the future.

But why?

Why spend today living in the future? Why spend today trying to change the past.

They don’t exist anymore. Today I will add brick after brick. I won’t think about my future castle. It isn’t real. At least not yet.

I woke up this morning feeling happy. I woke up ready to lay bricks.

The past can be poison. It can make you ill. It’s going to take practice not thinking about it.

The good and the bad. It happened. But it’s gone. It doesn’t matter anymore. What matters is today. Tomorrow hasn’t happened therefore it doesn’t exist.

Nothing really matters. Only today. Right now.

I just inhaled and exhaled. That was real. It happened today. Not yesterday. Or tomorrow.

I’m alive. But maybe I won’t be tomorrow.

Yesterday’s version of me is gone. He fell asleep around 11:30pm.

Today is the only day of my life. And I’m going to make it the best day of my life.

#life #today #coffee #monday

Knowing when to give up

I turned 24 last Wednesday. It was a really nice birthday. The people I care about the most made me feel special - it was probably one of the best birthdays I've ever had.

I've spent the last year or so cleaning out the extra things in my life. You know, the baggage. The leftover beef ribs you take with you when leaving the restaurant and then need to hold onto the rest of your evening. It stinks.

Some people might not agree, but sometimes it's better to just leave the ribs on the table. Have your hands clean and free.

This all was a weird way of me saying - maybe people gave up on me.

Maybe a year of horrible times pushed people away. Perhaps turning my back on music made those friends give up on me. I probably looked pathetic in their eyes. Like some sad puppy bumping into walls searching for a milk bone.

But that's okay. I don't blame them. I forgive them. And life is actually better not trying to keep as many things as humanly possible in my corner. My closet has the shirts I wear, my pantry has the food I eat. I don't need extra things. And they don't need me.

Knowing when to give up.

When I was 19 years old my band started catching major steam. We had a song hitting radio and getting picked up left and right. We did photo shoots, video shoots, interviews, and all the like for so many fancy things: MTV, Billboard, VH1, teen magazines, and everything in between.

It was a dream. But unlike so many delusional people that were in a position like me - I knew it would end. And it did.

Now I'm not telling you to give up, pack your bags, and go home and go back to school. School is probably the last thing I'd recommend.

But I think it would be wise to know, no matter how cool things are, that there may be a day that the party ends. You just need to work on your intuition, trust your gut feelings, and absorb the information and dynamics around you. They won't lie to you like people will....

Touring was a lot of fun. I went to four countries, played the big festivals, and accomplished many goals I had as a kid.

But after we put out our debut album (after our EP caught fire with a song), I knew it would end for many reasons.

I'll name a few below...

1. "Art is hard when you don't know who you are" ... our album lacked identity. The album was a combination of influences thrown together. Sometimes Green Day and Muse don't work together just how sometimes orange and blue make shit brown.

2. There wasn't a song that was half as good as the song that gave us any success we had at that point.

3. The tours weren't the right tours. Sometimes not touring is better than touring. This is something a lot of bands need to learn. Tour smart, play on the right tours. I left the band before playing on the same tour as a washed up band from 5 years before that had a pretty popular single and was playing B markets in college towns. The tour supposedly bombed. I trusted my....

4. Gut. If something doesn't feel right, you need to investigate. You need to understand the personalities and dynamics around you. Is your manager taking your calls? Have you not talked to a member of the band in 2 months even when you're in the same van? Are the paychecks getting smaller? Are the crowds getting smaller?

I'm not saying give up. Again, and I stress, I'm not saying GIVE UP. I'm just saying you need to use your best judgement and intuition when dedicating years of your life to something. Especially something as fickle as being in a band.

It's really hard to make a career out of music these days. Don't believe me? Ask any band, big or small, what it's like.

I remember being 19, and this was when I was on top of the world living out all my boy hood dreams, that I knew one day this would end. I felt it.

And I decided that I didn't want to wake up 24 with nothing else to my name. I didn't want to slug through countless tours, interviews, and waiting for the next album or label to sign us. I didn't want to wake up, washed up, out of touch, and with no plan.

So I spent a year and a half planning my exit.

I didn't give up. I made a conscious decision and I planned accordingly. I left on top. I left at the best time. I knew when to throw in the white towel, turn the page, and continue on to the next adventure.

NYC has been quite the adventure so far. I woke up 24 last week and I couldn't have felt more grateful. I'm running my own business right now. I'm going head first into startup-land. And it feels exciting. It all feels right and I feel complete.

I didn't wake up in a hotel bed or back home in VA at my parents house.

I woke up in my own apartment. I woke up to a few great messages from friends and family wishing me a happy birthday. I woke up excited to get into the office to continue building my company. I woke up happy.

Times get tough. If you've read my blog, you'll know I'm all about persisting and fighting your way to get what you want. And I hope you've also noticed hidden insights about when you need to start fresh.

Knowing when to give up.

I wanted to give up so badly this time last year. I wanted to wake up back home in VA. Put the tragedy of NYC behind me and put my pillow over my head. Forever.

But I didn't. You know why? Because I trusted my gut. I knew I'd make it out alive. And I did.

Life has been interesting so far. 24 feels good.

I'll take my failures and I'll learn from then. I'll take my successes and celebrate them - but only for a few moments.

Who knows what will happen next... where this life will take me. It feels good knowing that I can trust my gut and the things around me to carry me like a magnet in the right direction.

The leftovers are on the table. The people that gave up on me are off doing something else. The old band is touring still. My shirts were washed and ironed the other day.

I'm clean. I'm focused. And life is good.

I woke up 24 and I know that I'm not giving up.

#band #give up #don't give up #beef ribs

Persistence -vs- Luck

This weekend I played with the idea of a world where luck doesn't exist. Not just the "idea" of luck, but actual luck. Luck in the form of that rusted penny from 1945, or that blanket you've had since you were a child, or that lucky pencil you use for your exams. Tangible luck. Or rather, a tangle thing that your brain injected with luck. And this is the road block. This is where I'm a little stumped. Does luck exist? Or is it make believe, and it's rather your persistence with an injection of non-prescribed luck? Persistence and luck = success But if it where a pie chart, how would the sections be distributed? Did you get an A on that calculus exam because you studied all night or was it your lucky pen? Who did you thank when you got that A+? Was it God? Was it luck? I'm starting to wonder if there's much of a difference between the two. Isn't the idea of God an easy, non-tangible thing that we can sing praise, give credit and blame? Sometimes all in the same day. "Thank god! He's on my side and I passed 11th grade!" "I'm so lucky. Luck is on my side, I passed 12th grade!" Maybe as people, we should start giving credit to ourselves more. We are natures greatest gift. What other creature can do what we do? Rationalize our decisions and even give credit to ANYTHING else other than our own persistence and survival skills. Does the deer who escaped the hunters bullet sigh with relief and say, "man, I'm lucky." I doubt it. And I'm sure the deer doesn't thank an almighty spirit deer from deer heaven above the clouds... Though a deer with a long beard does comfort me more than the idea of a human god. Or whatever it is. With all that said, I think we deserve to give ourselves more credit. You work hard for what you get. And sure, perhaps there is an almighty wheel that is spinning and landing on a handful of people and giving them a little sip of luck juice. But what gets you to that wheel? How do you be selected? I think it all boils down to your persistence. I say it every other post, but again, if you're not fighting, you're not surviving. If you work hard, fail, and give up, do you better your chances of getting selected? No. What if you work hard, fail, work harder, fail, and then work your hardest? You're increasing the likelihood of good stuff happening to you. You know, creating your own luck through your own hard work. I can only say this through my own experiences and what I've observed from others. I moved to NYC because I created a platform and saved my hard earned money for an entire year before I left my old band. I had a place to live, got an internship, had friends to see, and money to survive because I wanted to. Because I fought for it and I earned it. Then life happened and I fell off the good vibes train. And after I fell off, I broke every bone in my body as I fell down a hill, face down in a ditch. It was a bad year. My "luck" had run dry. I could have (and maybe should have) moved back home 10 times over the year. I was broke, unhappy, had lost all of my friends, and had never been more miserable. I didn't blame god because I don't believe in him/her/spirit deer. I didn't completely blame my "lack of luck" though I did ask my inner self "why me?" Several times a day. I mostly blamed myself. I made mistakes and I was paying for them. And sometimes things happen and it's all about how you figure it out. Crack the code, get back on your feet, and kick down opportunity's door. I did that. I persisted through the worst times. I fought for my chance to get back on lucks wheel and get selected (again). I turn 24 next month and I think I've had a very fortunate life so far. Through my hard work, I've been selected many times. I had goals and I've reached them. You're only selected if you continue to be a contender. Back to the pie chart. I'd give it 90% persistence and 10% luck. If you're standing still and waiting for luck to select you or god to bless you, then shame on you. If you're working hard but continue to fall down and fail... Get back up. Keep on fighting. Keep on surviving, persisting, and most of all... Living. Do it for you. Give credit to yourself and those around you that support you. The wheel will always be spinning and selecting. That's life. And it will never change. So what more to do but live and better your chances of being great? Happy Monday, everyone.

The first time I was brave

I remember the first time I truly felt brave. And no, not brave in the sense that I could climb to the top of the hanging rope in gym. I’m talking about true bravery - that feeling of no fear.

When you comfort the people that support you when YOU are down and out.

I was in 6th grade when I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease. 12 years old. My parents first noticed a change when they went to my grades choir performance. I was ghostly pale singing alongside my healthy classmates. I’ve seen a picture - I looked like a sheet of computer paper with two eyes and some freckles.

In a nutshell, when you have Crohn's and you’re not in remission, certain foods can aggravate your digestive system. Foods will cut up and make your lower intestines and colon swell. They bleed and at the end of the digestive track, the blood leaves your body.

I tried to make this PG. hope I did an okay job.

Anyway.

At that time in my life, I was having uncontrollable bathroom visits. Maybe 20+ times a day during school hours. My teacher, a lovely woman named Mrs. Driskill took notice.

"He’s visiting the bathroom almost constantly, falls asleep in class, is as pale as a ghost and weighs less than a penny!"

It was true. And persisted for 9 months.

My dad brought me to the doctor to test me for mono. Psh, like I had been swapping spit beneath the jungle gym at with girls… Not likely.

Anyway, a week or so later, I was brought back in, my mom and dad at my side, and the doctor broke the news. He said I have Crohn’s disease and was severely anemic.

I was admitted to the hospital that day.

When the doctor broke the news, my mom cried. My dad held my shoulder but I just nodded my head.

What else was I supposed to do?

I spent a week in Fair Oaks hospital back home in VA. To pass the time around blood transfusions, colon and endoscopes, I gave names to all the gadgets in my room. I remember calling the IV that pumped new blood into me 'Jerry'.

The nurses loved me, I think. They always complimented my positive energy, how I showed no fear, and had a good head on my shoulders.

But to be honest, I just wanted to get out in time to play my hockey game that next week. Yes, I was an inline hockey player and loved it. I wanted to be a Mighty Duck.

One week passed but it had felt like a year. I think I started on 14 pills in the morning and a 6 at night. A few of them were steroids that made my skin swell up and feel like rubber. It also increased my appetite to the point where I didn’t even know if it was weight gain or swollen skin.

I was sore. My bones hurt. My skin bruised.

But there was red in my cheeks again. I think my mom enjoyed that the most.

But most of all, I felt brave. I felt like I had triumphed. I made sure the people around me - the people that love me and who I love the most, were comforted. In my mind, while trying to find a comfortable position on an otherwise uncomfortable hospital bed, was that this was all character building.

Yeah, at age 12, I acknowledged character building. And I kept that mentality into my teens, and now early adulthood. That bravery helped me during tougher times later in life. The will power, strength, and resilience has guided me like an invisible hand in the right direction - whether I knew it or not.

When my old best friends (who I considered brothers at the time) started experimenting with serious drugs - I didn’t.

When I dropped out of my first semester of college to chase my dreams of being in a band.

Or when I fell in love with the NYC skyline and decided I needed to be there - and I did (been here for 2 years!)

When I got my first job in music.

When I served coffee and fixed iPhones to survive.

When I convinced someone to hire me with no real role in mind, only to be there and think of ways to expand his business.

When I decided to manage a band - trusting myself with making there band dreams come true - like I did with mine.

And recently, when I decided to make an app for bands and fans that I hope will change the industry forever.

What’s next? I don’t know. I’m happy where I’m at.

And I give credit to the bravery I first learned as a sixth grader to any additions to my story thus far.

I’m still young. But I feel like I’ve lived a good life so far. Anything I wanted to do, I’ve done. That isn’t to sound elitist or over confident. I take pride in saying that.

But it all stated with bravery. Trusting myself. And accepting the fact that we'll be down and out but life is about getting back up because the moment you stay down is the moment you lose.

In the end, if you’re not fighting, you’re not surviving.

After my week in the hospital, one hundred pills, and newly red cheeks, I put on my skates and I joined my team on the rink the same day I left the hospital.

I don’t remember if we won or loss. But I remember the cheers at the stands and my team hugging me. I remember being too weak to even shoot the puck. I didn’t play much, but I was there. I made it. Like I knew I would.

Resilience and bravery. Not sure which comes first but so long as it continues to guide me - I will continue to smile.

#brave #bravery #crohns #hockey #mighty ducks

Sometimes 30 minutes is all you have

Went to a show last night to see a band I can't mention. They ended up playing too late in the evening so I couldn’t stick around.

But you know, since I was there, I figured I might as well see the first one or two bands on the tour.

I won’t say who the first band was or what tour they're on because as many of you know, this is a small industry. Don’t want anyone knocking on my door asking me to take it back OR ELSE.

But let me forewarn you. I’m mad.

Well, not like really mad. Just sort of in shock.. Even now, a day after this first bands set, I still feel my blood boiling.

Lets back up for a sec.

At this sort of show, the band and crowd act equally angry… Both taking themselves a little too seriously. But this band was something from another planet.

Sure, the tough guys in the crowd were bobbing their heads off time, raising a hand to the gods of anger, fire, and brimstone.

And sure, the band should feed off of this. But this band… they came off so miserable. Almost elitist to the people there watching them. Especially one member in particular.

They sounded like a Nirvana cover band that only plays the b-sides. Or that band in High School that always played the talent shows and always lost. Remember the awkward claps after they were finished with their one song? This was them but in adult form on a US tour.

Both guitarists played the same exact thing for the extra punch in the face. Their amps cranked to 10 so they give off the grungy feedback and their vocals set to 2 so we can barely hear their off key whining.

Their hair was long and covered their faces as they sang and played. Very Cobain of them.

One guitar/vocalist was the “talker” of the band, I guess you could say.

Dressed in a wrinkled Friends t-shirt with baggy torn jeans. With hair covering his face, he muffled into the mic, “light guy, stop the lights. We aren’t that band. We’re the boring band playing before the bands you’re here to see. We’re X from X. Here’s another one.”

Wait.

Was that your attempt to overcompensate your grunge vibe since your grunge songs aren’t quite delivering enough?

Are you grateful that you were chosen to be on this pretty successful US tour?

Have you paid your dues? Or is this your attempt to show us that you don’t give a shit about authority so screw you light man!

Three more songs and me needing another drink - he speaks again.

"I said all of my important updates before so I don’t have much to say now."

Oh.

And he sounded angry. Like we, the crowd, did something to set him off. And no, he wasn't yelling this stuff, he was talking very slowly. I could hear his disdain…. For the light guy. For us. For the bartender. For everyone.

Now I could be jumping the gun. I don’t know the full story. Perhaps they want to break up? Maybe they were on drugs? Or maybe they aren’t making money on this tour? Is it because of their attitudes onstage?

You know, that 30 minute slot in the night when you truly earn and need to sell people to get a buck to survive. To make it to the next show. It's your stage for that moment.

A guy selling cars has his car lot. That's his stage.

A chef has his kitchen. That's his stage.

You have 30 minutes. On a stage. This is that moment the long overnight drives, smelling like garbage (especially this band), and all the anxiety and stresses in your nomadic life are worth it.

30 minutes to keep your company alive.

We all have bad days. Touring is hard. If you have a girlfriend or boyfriend back home, it’s really hard.

But why should you make us suffer with you? Why embarrass yourself?

Hate the world before you play and forget about it while you play. That’s the point. To escape for a brief moment in time. To get lost in the music and energy.

Or maybe it’s all a show. A gimmick. Maybe your thing is to act this way on stage. Maybe it’s your way of convincing us you really truly are as miserable as you're acting. It’s your show. Your circus.

So keep on banging your cymbals like a monkey until the lights go off. Then grab a broom, sweep up the peanut shells from the floor, and now you're back in reality.

Your 30 minutes is up. And you blew it.

#time #30 minutes #bands #artists #shows #merch #boo

Something I've been working on for a while for both artists and fans

In the last few years, we have seen technology change the way we listen to, consume, and explore music.

At an astonishing pace, music technology has disrupted many aspects of the business: streaming, concert ticketing, inventory management, crowd funding, fan communities, and countless other tools and services that benefit both the fan and artist. And it isn’t slowing down any time soon.

But what about concert merchandise? Merch tables remain obscured by the dim lighting of concert venues; the lines remain notoriously long. Has this experience changed at the same pace as others across the industry? Couldn't it be much more efficient than standing in line for a t-shirt -- and much more rewarding?

We think so. That's why we're beyond thrilled to introduce what we believe is the next step in concert merchandising: Sidestep App.

With Sidestep, fans can browse and buy concert merchandise -- all from their phone. Fans will now have the option to buy stuff before, during, and after the show, and not only pickup right then and there but also have the goods shipped home to their doorsteps. Best part? No lines.

Our goal is to vastly improve the merchandising experience for the fan and to cover any 'would be' sales for the artist.

It's time we brought better technology to the tables.

I'm also very excited to announce that we will be using it for the first time on select dates on the 'Save Rock N Roll Tour' featuring Fall Out Boy and Panic! at the Disco. More tours starting as soon as next month. I'll keep you posted as more and more are locked in :)

And what's truly important... it will be available for iPhone and Android towards the end of the month. I'll let you know as soon as it's live in the app stores!

Please take a minute and visit our site. I ask that you sign up and join in on the fun early: http://bit.ly/1g5nRUa

Thanks for all of your support! From coming out to my old bands shows when I was 18, to reading this blog, and now being a part of what I think will make the merchandise experience at shows an entirely new and exciting experience.

Really excited for all that's to come. We're just getting started.

(Click banner to visit the Sidestep site if you missed the link above!)

#sidestep #merch #merchandise #fall out boy #panic at the disco #long lines

Past vs Future: Where do you want to be?

There is a war approaching.

Both sides are putting on their armor, kissing their mothers goodbye, and trekking off into the smokey morning to the sound of canon fire that's mistaken for thunder.

Both sides leave for battle at least once every decade.

What starts off as single shot eventually progresses into the headline news.

What war am I talking about?

The war of the future! The transition from then to now. The adoption of new trends, new times, and new waves. A brand spanking new business!

How... scary.

Many fight it off like an old neighbor, unhappy with a new fence being built around an equally new (and pretty) house.

But here we are:

Then vs Now.

Past vs The Future.

Dinosaurs vs The Ice Age.

Tower Records vs iTunes.

Selling books door to door vs Kickstarter.

Them vs You.

Should we complain about Spotify/Pandora/any other streaming site taking all your money? Should we tell the big boss man to give us our pennies back!?

Should we have borrowed a time machine, gone back in time and warned the labels that this thing called "digital music" is coming and they will need to ride it into the future?

We need to evolve. We need to embrace the future. Not fight it.

Digital music has changed everything. And new technology will continue to change everything.

Just yesterday, somebody was in our office pitching us t-shirts that can talk if you scan a QR code. Talking t-shirts?!

Sure. Why not.

How about Spotify? Is it evil? Is it damaging today's musician so much that over time, there WON'T BE MUSICIANS?!

And music as we know it will go back to its roots of different taps and chants around a fire in a cave?

No. I really don't think that will happen.

I think today's musician is in a great position to take advantage and embrace what the future brings.

So to my musician friends out there, ask yourself a few things:

What can Spotify do for my business?

Well, maybe we can think of Spotify as the gateway to the rest of your business. Maybe if our music is accessible and it's good enough, maybe those new listeners will venture to your online store and see what super cool things you offer in addition to your super cool music.

Maybe you'll put some thought into what you offer and they'll buy it.

Maybe you'll adopt new forms of technology that involve fan to fan sharing. Maybe you'll build an email list and target specific fans. Maybe you'll put together a pre-order with personal over promotional tactics as your foundation and maybe you'll win over a bunch of people.

Perhaps, you'll build a real following. Perhaps, then, they will buy your music. I bet they will.

You just need to put in the extra effort, embrace the future, and make your business and any possible revenue stream as appealing as possible. I like to think the rest will work itself out and your revenue stream will grow with some TLC.

I mean, let's face it. Everyone is a musician these days. You really only need an acoustic guitar and a twitter account.

The battle isn't over the future technology and how it's changing your precious model. The battle is over getting past the noise of everyone else trying to do what you do.

How do you stand out? How do you take a bigger slice of the pie?

Crowd-sourcing platforms such as Kickstarter aren't for everyone. Some people feel they shouldn't have to ask for other peoples money to finance their music. That's fine and fair.

But imagine all of the data you could collect. Imagine getting even 500 backers to finance your new EP. You not only have their emails, their money, their support, but also what offerings they tend to gravitate towards. You start to understand (through precious data) what they like about you.

Do you think you can tweet to the wide open universe, put your songs on iTunes, and expect people to listen. No. There are a million other nobody's doing that.

You need to know your audience. You need to collect the data. See what they like, what they don't like, and make your business around that data.

Or you can ignore the data, ignore streaming sites, ignore crowd-funding sites and you pour yourself a harsh whiskey and reminisce about the good ol' days when kids would go to the mall and pick up your album and pay for your bands black and white t-shirt with twenty crumpled $1 dollar bills. And put your bands patch on their baggy denim jacket.

Times are changing. And they're changing quickly. Yesterday's musician needs to adopt the coming future.

Or they can pour another glass, listen to the thunder getting louder and louder as it approaches their little home, only to be wiped out and put into the earth to decompose down to nothing but bones.

Kind of like the dinosaurs.

Never forgotten, just no longer significant in the way things are today.

Unless of course you've seen a Tyrannosaurus Rex running down 6th Ave.

But I have my doubts.

Embrace the future. Join the side that's going to win.

#music #war #kickstarter #spotify #pandora #dinosaurs

Bucket List: Signing the Record Deal

I had the incredible opportunity to write an op-ed for NKD magazine’s latest issue. Thank you Catherine Powell for letting me contribute.

Be sure to check out the issue online here: http://nkdmag.com/?p=2862 - share and repost and show them love. They are doing something special.

And now what I wrote:

Not too long ago, I was in a band called The Downtown Fiction. Do you remember the guy playing drums in the back? He had glasses? Well anyway, that was me.

We signed a record deal, toured most of the country, played a few shows overseas, had a song rotating on FM/XM radio, a music video on MTV, and enough free booze to keep me drunk for the next decade. It makes me feel hung over just writing about it.

Those were good times and I’ll never forget them. And they all really began as soon as pen hit the paper… on the first and only record deal I ever signed as an artist.

I remember being sixteen, watching Drive-Thru Records and Warped Tour DVD’s with a few buddies thinking to myself, “Man, how cool would it be to sign a record deal?!”

Fast forward three years; a few drum lessons, countless rehearsals, two consecutively awful bands, countless musicians and four high school talent show championships later, I found myself with a pretty good band. We logged fifty plus hours a week on social media; we circulated ten thousand promotional flyers at regional shows. And before I knew it, I was finally sitting at a conference room table, signing my first record deal.

I had fantasized about that moment for years. I imagined sitting in a glitzy NYC office, record executives in their fancy suits crowded around, even photographers taking pictures – documenting the occasion forever. I imagined doing it in one swift move of my pen, as if I had been born to sign that deal. In slow motion, I’d look up at the record executives, my manager, and then to the sky and smile to the record label Gods.

But no. In reality it wasn’t all that cool.

Here’s what really happened:

I sat down in some random office on the label’s floor, briefly looked at the contract, signed my signature in several different places, initialed the bottom of each page (several dozen), and that was that.

I thought signing a record deal would change everything. Sure, we had a good run, much thanks to the label; but really, it came down to our songs and our consistent hard work which, in the end, unfortunately didn’t quite deliver.

I think a big misconception amongst young bands is that signing to a label is the end-all be-all. That it is the pinnacle of your career.

But here’s the truth: at best, it’s a platform to build off of. I wish someone would’ve told that to me when I had first signed. I hate to say it, but I got a little lazy. The entire band did. We waited for the label to make us rich and famous, as if the label could churn out the hits, put a few 0’s in our bank accounts, and afford me my mansion in Bali.

But that didn’t happen.

And eventually I left the band. Not because we didn’t become rich and famous – but because as I grew up, I started to have other aspirations. One of these aspirations was to get a band signed, this time with me as the manager.

I’m proud to say I just recently did that with the band I mange, From Indian Lakes. It’s funny to think that I was more excited representing a band getting signed than being in the band getting signed. Why? Well, I’ll tell you!

I know a lot more now. I grew up. As a person, a former band dude, and as a young manager – I’ve matured. I’ve eaten shit and it tasted horrible. But now, I’m in a position representing an incredibly talented band that can avoid a lot of the shit I ate. I mean, what’s worse than eating regurgitated shit? Nothing comes to mind.

They signed their record deal earlier this week with a really great label called Triple Crown Records, and in doing so, many of them fulfilled a life-long dream. The same evening they signed, I jumped on the phone with the entire band.

Here is what I told them:

This changes nothing at all. Sure, we can cross it off the bucket list of things we wanted to accomplish in life, but now we need to work harder. We need to take full advantage of the opportunity, exposure, and resources the label is providing, but we need to continue to scratch and claw our way to the top. Knowing how humble and hardworking these guys have been from the start, I’m confident that they understood.

Some final advice to all the young bands out there:

Be excited about the idea of signing a record deal if that’s what motivates you to work and write the best songs you possibly can. But trust me, signing that coveted record deal isn’t the key to your success. You are the key. And any success you have, in the end, is on you.

#from indian lakes #record deal #music

Going to College to Get into Music

I'm going to cut straight to the chase here.

If you're spending your parents hard earned money on college tuition to learn how to be a 'Tour Manager' or an 'Artist Manager', you should probably drop out or change majors today.

Now, I don't want to sound cynical, like an asshole, or the least bit condescending. I'm just trying to save your parents a few bucks and you some serious time.

If you open a newspaper or use the internet, you'll probably read that college is expensive. Like really expensive. Student debt is over 1 trillion dollars and the wave has yet to crash.

Kids go to college to plan for the future, but live that future trying to pay off the past. It doesn't make sense.

If you want to get into the music industry and you think a very expensive piece of paper will get you a job, respect, a network, and opportunities, sadly, you're mistaken.

I've had a lot of people tell me they're going to Full Sail University, community college, and even really expensive Universities to get their degree in Music Business. Sure, it doesn't HURT to have a degree of some sort, but if you're trying to "get" into the music industry, your degree in Music Business isn't completely necessary.

You're honestly better off getting a degree in Marketing, Business, Economics, and even Psychology and backing up that little "Education" footnote on your resume with a bunch of internships, entrepreneurial endeavors, and anything else to add to your "EXPERIENCE".

Think about it this way: You can spend an ungodly amount of money, take 2-4 years of your life, and finally have a degree in Music Business. And maybe you can get a job out of it.

But what happens when that day comes when you realize you're getting paid shit money and are in over your head in college debt and living expenses.

What happens when you decide the music industry isn't for you? People change a lot from the age of 16 to 22. The dreams you had as a teenager can change once you dive face first into the real world and lose a tooth or two.

It's tough out there. Especially in a big bad city. Do you want to be a year into a job in the music industry and decide you hate it?

Then what? You have a degree in the music business. You cornered yourself for a decision you made when you were just starting your first semester as a teen.

What I'm trying to say is people change and evolve over time (at least I hope). Your aspirations will mutate and you'll go different directions. And that's okay. It's a good thing.

Maybe the music industry is for you. But maybe not. Only one way to find out is to try it out. I'm only suggesting that you get a broader degree slightly away from music to keep doors open.

I could be wrong but at least in my experience, most tour managers I know don't have college degrees. And if they do, they really don't need them. Most of their knowledge is usually collected life skills, road experience, knowledge of music, travel, mathematics, being time oriented, professional, disciplined, and insanely organized.

It also helps with younger bands if your tour manager looks like a bulldog, has tattoos, and can drink a six-pack and half a flask of whiskey and drive you through the midwest and make it out alive. (NOTE: I do not promote or condone this behavior, I just speak through my own experience. Buck, I hope you're reading).

And an artist manager - I can speak from direct experience, you don't need a college degree. You need only a few things: knowledge, relationships, and passion. Oh, and serious some work ethic. Doesn't hurt to have thick skin too.

You might wondering, "Okay Eric, do YOU have a college degree?!"

To answer your question:

I'm a few classes away from my associates degree. Maybe three. Will I ever go back and finish? Or get my bachelors? Probably not. Actually no.

Why? I don't think I'll ever need it at this point. Not because I'm wildly successful or rich! Because I'm certainly not.

I'm 23 and after years of self-discovery, uncertainty, ups and downs, and true experience, I know what I want to do in life. And what I want to do is a field where you truly make your own path. From startups to managing, I don't think those few college classes will stop me from doing whatever the hell it is I want to do in life. Since learning that only a few months ago, nothing has stood in my way. Especially not having a college degree.

With all that said, sure, stay in school. Having a degree isn't a bad thing. The debt is the bad thing. The years spent taking useless classes is the bad thing. The opportunity cost of going to school when you could be interning, making friends, and learning first-hand how music works is the bad thing.

If you want to get into the music industry, stop focusing on a piece of paper that says you know the music industry. Chances are you don't simply by taking classes on "Tour Accounting" and whatever else they make you take to take your cash.

Make your "music business degree" be more than just that piece of paper. Go to shows. Make friends with people, the bands, their merch guys. Make your own path! Start a blog, a magazine, baby manage a band, start a college radio station, read a few music industry books.

And be open minded.

12 years ago, I was certain I wanted to write screenplays and be in the film industry.

8 years ago, I was certain I wanted to play music for the rest of my life.

3 years ago, I wanted to intern my way to the top of the music industry.

2 years ago, I wanted to go back to college and get a job in marketing somewhere. Anywhere!

This year, after an entire lifetime of wondering, I now know what I want to be when I grow up. I know what I have to do. And I know what I don't have to have to get it.

Life will throw you curveballs.

The big life decisions we make too young will more than likely have a lasting impact on your life. So be smart! Learn from others. Be ready to adapt. Believe in yourself.

You are the sum total of experiences you've had. Make them count. And make them special.

Don't sue me

Did you know I was sued 8 times within the first year I moved to Northern Virginia? I was also 8 years old. Okay, I wasn't really sued but I was threatened by a bunch of my peers. I did the normal, 'stepping on the neighbors grass', or 'ding dong ditching', and was threatened to get sued by other children. Makes me wonder what conversation at dinner was like with their parents. Now I want to avoid getting political. I want to avoid expressing my thoughts on certain things that go on everyday in America. I'll save that for the professionals. But I did spend a little bit of time this evening googling the craziest instances of people suing other people. Or more specifically, people suing big corporations. Take the woman that sued McDonald's because she spilled her boiling hot coffee on herself. Or the man suing Apple for making him addicted to pornography and destroying his marriage. What is it with people? Why are we such freaks? Why are we so entitled? It's like the American Dream has boiled down to a game of 'how creative can I get with law to really make some cash.' I don't understand. But again, I romanticize a bit too much. In my mind, or well, what I'd like to happen - is for people to slow down. Take a second to comprehended or god forbid REFLECT on things. Take a second to see their life, their brothers, sisters, mother, father, daughter, and son, and ask themselves a simple question: is it worth it? Is it worth it? You know, should I tell myself it's a dog eat dog world and set fire to everyone in my way? Should I teach my children that to get what you want, you lie, cheat, and steal to make it happen? I feel uneasy. Of course the idea of deleting Twitter, Facebook, tumblr, and all news is impossible. I'm addicted, you know? Wait. Maybe I can sue? That's creative use of the law and my future sons will have a fulfilling life given to them by their fathers petty decisions. By his ruthless and disgusting opportunistic greed. But really, I feel a deep level of pity for people living unfulfilled lives. This post just explains one of a million different reasons. Please don't sue me if you're one of them.

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