Chris represented The Preserve for five days down in Rocky Point, Mexico, making music and drinking just a bit of really good tequila with Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, Dead Rock West (Los Angeles/San Diego), The Railbenders (Denver) as well as Random Karma, The Wiley One and Jason Boots.

The three-day music festival/celebration of life called Circus Mexicus is a must do event – with two days of activities at JJ’s Cantina by Cholla Bay and the main event Saturday right by the ocean and a golf shot from the ocean-view condos.

It was a fantastic experience, and an inspiring one musically, being around some truly gifted musicians (and great people). Next year, more members of the band will probably be down there as well — and if you like great music, the ocean, drinking, sun and fun, join us!

picture by www.azpeacemakers.com

After 35 sessions, the recording and mixing of our debut CD is complete. That’s a fun sentence for us to type! We started in the recording studio in August of 2008. Our CD release party is probably going to be in August – of 2009.

In that year, we’ve played guitars through Leslie speakers, used top new Marshall amps and one Fender from the 1950s. We hit a cowbell with a hammer to get that special sound, and played the tambourine Prince used on The Tonight Show. We broke out mandolins, psaltrys, harmonicas, washboards and accordions. We brought in some very special backup vocalists, not to mention a Grammy nominee.

We spent nights eating together, drinking together and listening and growing musically together. We are very proud of this CD. The disc will be mastered on June 10, and then it’s off to be made!! Keep in touch. We can’t wait to share this with you all.

The CD is off to be mastered ...

What a weekend!

Big thanks to the nice crowd that came out to see us Sunday. A special thanks to Hoodlums Music, Ear Candy Charity and all the sponsors for the three-day, 16-band event that raised a lot of money, landed many donated musical  instruments and created plenty of goodwill in Tempe.

Bands like Kinch got things started Friday. Underwater Getdown, Black Carl and What Laura Says led the charge on Saturday. And we got to get sweaty too on Sunday, playing on the bill with Dry River Yacht Club and many more talented musicians.

We’ll pass along the final tally soon on the money raised at the door, through “Hoodstock” shirts and posters, and the number of instruments donated. But the event organizers (including Chris) were thrilled.

And you can still help! Go by Hoodlums and buy a Hoodstock shirt for $10. It’s cool, it’s tax deductible and we still have some left.

Hoodlums Music in Tempe is proud to present Hoodstock, a three-day music event to benefit Ear Candy, a great non-profit music organization that promotes music education for kids.  Sixteen of the Valley’s best local bands have volunteered to take the stage all in the name of helping the Valley’s kids learn about music.

Check out this sweet lineup of bands:

Friday Lineup:

4:30 – Higher Love
5:30 – Cardiac Party
6:30 – Andrew Jackson Jihad
7:30 – Knesset
8:30 – Kinch

Saturday Lineup:

3:30 – Owl Out
4:30 – Yellow Minute
5:30 – Underwater Get Down
6:30 – Necronauts
7:30 – Black Carl
8:30 – What Laura Says Thinks and Feels

Sunday Lineup:

12:30 – Robby Roberson
1:30 – Charlie Rehder
2:30 – The Preserve
3:30 – Snake Burner
4:30 – Dry River Yacht Club

Ticket Info:

Tickets to see these bands are based on donations.  We encourage a donation of at least $2 to see your favorite band, and around $5 if you are going to go in and out all day.  Anyone who donates more than $2 will get a coupon good for 10% off the regular prices on one entire purchase at Hoodlums.

Others ways to help:

• Buy a Hoodstock t-shirt or poster: All profits from Hoodstock shirts and posters go to Ear Candy.
• Buy a Hoodlums t-shirt:Hoodlums will give a $5 donation to Ear Candy for every Hoodlums shirt purchased during Hoodstock.
• Donate an instrument: Ear Candy loves to get unused instruments into the hands of kids that will use them.

What a night!

Many thanks for those who made it out to the Hard Rock Cafe for what we think (if not, play along) was a rockin’, high-energy set! Special thanks to Richard and Georgann, our good friends who were able to catch us live. They’re both now sporting The Preserve swag on the streets of Tempe, too, so thanks!

It was a looooong night especially since we were in the studio Friday night, Sunday afternoon and Monday night in addition to the marathon Saturday event. But it was a great local music showcase. We were joined by three bands with a lot of talent and a lot of buzz. Black Carl is getting a ton of well-deserved attention and they impressed us so much we all were still talking about them on Sunday. Great vibe and totally in the pocket, as we say. Buy their CD. We did.

Another local band with a lot of buzz and a really unique sound was Dry River Yacht Club. Very different, very talented. Check them out! They’re headed to SXSW in Austin soon and probably will come back with a record deal.

We have scars much older than some members of No Longer Together. But they brought it Saturday, too. Serious chops, great attitudes and they’re going to do well. They already won the Proof is in the Pudding Alice Cooper-hosted battle of the bands, and now they’re into the third round of the battle of the bands to play the Tempe Music Festival. Right on!

From our set to the above bands to a nice acoustic set to start things off it was a great night to raise money for Ear Candy Charity, which uses donations and donated instruments to help provide music education programs for youth.  Thanks again to all of you, to the stud local bands that shared the bill and to Nate at Ear Candy!

Till next time…

Kyle belts out a tune during the 2009 marathon. (Photo by Pat Shannahan/The Arizona Republic)

Thanks to all those who ran the race and got to hear a song or two from The Preserve. Tom, Mike, John, Robin, Dan and everyone else – it was great to see you! Thanks for stopping by our stage.

Fiscus (and Jacques’ hands) rock in Sunday’s marathon.   Photo by Pat Shannahan/Arizona Republic