Leave you alone ? But why? It's free to bug the shit out of you.

A shot of Jack Grace Band member Bruce Martin ironically on a computer, he is a practicing luddite sans cellphone and can be tough to find at times and he likes it that way.


OK, the time has come for all of this over information to back off for us all. It really is an epidemic.
For example: Let's say a friend has their first show, they post it on their website, myspace, facebook, twitter. Then, some folks like to send as many as 3 reminders about this event to your email, maybe they have more than one email for you so to be safe they send it to all three emails they have for you. So you hear about this 15 times!

I'm 41 and have been playing live shows for twenty years. In those early days you sent out a mailer. The mailer was sent after someone signed your mailing list or you knew them well enough so that you knew their address and each person you sent this mailer to required another stamp and another postcard mailer. So, you would NOT just send these folks 15 different notices about your quaint little show if you planned to make a profit. They would get the mailer and if they cared, they would put it on the fridge to remember, if they didn't they would glance at it and toss it in the trash. My old band Steak also had a hotline (voicemail) so if YOU wanted to know when we were playing you could call and find out.

My point is, it used to take time and even money to notify folks. I sure don't miss making those handbills and putting stamps on all of them (or paying for it!), but we all get over informed about events- even ones we have no intention of attending.
Maybe you never want to see my band, I don't want you there if you don't want to be. It is important to me as a human that you then don't get tons of web nagging by me.

I used to send an email to my list at least once a week (a list that folks signed to be on). Back in a time when I was less busy, I used to spend A LOT of time making those emails creative and fun to read so that folks would open them even if they couldn't make my show. I decided this was my chance to communicate with my entire fanbase at once so I might as well make it count.
After a while, there were some people who signed my mailing list who had never seen my band or heard my music, rather been forwarded my emails and just liked getting them.

In the past ten years after that initial email strategy, we have all been basically become subject to too many goddamn notices about anything and everything- web nagging!

So I hope to start this blog as a way to continue without pestering.
I still have to promote my shows, releases etc. But I have backed off on the frequency of notices. I figure if you want to come see me or know what is going on, you can always check my websites, blog or hell just google me.

Perhaps our backlash can come in the form of sending emails to everyone about things we don't care about or want to see over and over, oh wait that already kinda happens anyway... hmmm.

Dogs find blogs odorless and unappealing.
Jack Grace

Things To Be Happy About

From the Archives: October 19, 2001

Hey, this isn't the greatest of times, but there are still things to be happy about:

1. They are not making new episodes of "Who's The Boss".
2. Willie Nelson.
3. Bacon.
4. The sun is still fully operational.
5. There is plenty of gum to go around.
6. Paul McCartney, Mick Jagger and David Bowie are at the Garden tomorrow.
7. Martinis still taste good.
8. You are not required by law to see Nicholas Cage in Capt. Corelli's Mandolin.
9. Your email still works (apparently).

If things get worse, we can always build a big spaceship, have William Shatner return to his post as Capt. Kirk and travel on a five year mission (where no man has gone before).

See YOU at the racetrack,


Jack Grace

Advice For All Ages

From the Archives: January 21, 2000

A special note to fans in their thirties: Some of you are starting to act like old people. Stop it now while you have the chance. Go out tonight, misbehave and don't worry about it. Everything will still be fine. If you are wondering if this is directed at you, that probably means it is. If you are in your thirties, and you know this is not directed at you, then maybe you should take it easy a bit.

A special note to fans in their twenties: Go to the show tonight (like everybody else). Don't wear baseball hats backwards and listen to Dave Matthews even if everybody is doing it.

To fans in their teens: Get a good fake I.D. and come to the show. All your friends are.

To fans forty and above: You know better than to listen to me.

And to the ones not quite in their teens: We didn't forget about you. But how did you get on this list? Do your parents know that you associate with strange people like ourselves?

Thank You for Your Support,

Jack Grace

"If You're Gonna Raise A Drunk"

Below are the lyrics to the newly posted song, "If You're Gonna Raise A Drunk".
John Sebastian (Lovin' Spoonful) played rhythm guitar on this track. When he came out of recording his part, he said, "you've got a hit record there".
Well that would be nice, what the hell is a hit record these days anyway? I think it means the new Blackberry uses it for their latest annoying add, so some folks say, hey, who is that, google the song and download it from limewire.
There is not as much sex and cocaine in that equation as the hit song in the seventies equation had, which one sounds more fun?

I wasn't going to record or play this song originally, I thought it was too corny and sounded like a Jimmy Buffett song. My wife and bass player Daria Grace, said, "oh you have to do that one", "that's the hit". Well apparently, Sebastian thought so too.
Recently, we were playing @ Barbes in Brooklyn to a warm entusiastic crowd. We finished the show and I headed to the bar, a fella walked up to me and said, "hey, great show, I loved that Jimmy Buffett cover you did, what was that song called again?"
Friends, that may have made some say, oh to hell with that song! but I decided instead to embrace it, and take the ride (if any) however strange down that road to margaritaville and have a drink or two, let's see if anybody is left at the bar down there. They may all be partying on Facebook in this new fangled century.

Computerly yours,
Jack



IF YOU'RE GONNA RAISE A DRUNK

Oh yeah it's a real hard job; a real hard job
Cause if you're gonna raise a drunk you might as well do it right
Teach him how to laugh and to always be polite
Make people smile and have a beautiful night
Cause if you're gonna raise a drunk
You might as well do it right

Teach him how to get home quiet, take off his shoes
Know when to shut his mouth so he don't look like a fool
Oh yeah it's a real hard job, a real hard job

And when the summer comes I like that beer by my side
Just to keep things moving along
A couple of mai tais and a Pu Pu Platter
At that place with the dragon in front
I like that frozen margarita while fightin' with the mariachi band
Somewhere in San Francisco

Teach him how to get home quiet, take off his shoes
Know when to shut his mouth so he don't look like a fool
Oh yeah it's a real hard job, a real hard job

And when the summer comes I like that beer by my side
Just to keep things moving along
A couple of mai tais and a Pu Pu Platter
At that place with the dragon in front
I like that frozen margarita while dancin' with the mariachi band
Somewhere in San Francisco

Cause if you're gonna raise a drunk you might as well do it right
Teach him how to laugh and to always be polite
Make people smile and have a beautiful night
If you're gonna raise a drunk
You might as well do it right

Oh yeah it's a real hard job; a real hard job
Oh yeah it's a real hard job
Oh yeah it's a real real real real real hard job