Spring - maybe?
It's been a particularly brutal winter.
I don't think you need to be living in the northeast of the USA to agree.
Pretty much bad all around.
It's amazing what a fractional rise in the temperature of the oceans can do.
Currently, I'm listening to all my mixes.
My attention to detail is killing you I know but my darlings, it has to be done.
Cover is just about finished and unlike the content, it's very simple and clean.
I'm thrilled with the design and it's just a matter of picking out font for the wording.
I've decided to keep the amount of information to a minimum on the cover and gate-fold.
All the particulars with be in the form of "On-Liner Notes". Meaning there will be a page on a website that will list each song's participant, what they played, where it was recorded, who wrote it, who produced, who mixed, as well as a brief description on how the track was created.
There will be some info on the cover. Just not so much as to make you go cross eyed.
One thing that always bothered me was trying to read tiny print on a CD jacket. It's maddening.
I'm planning on a short run of vinyl too for all you audiophiles.
I was so pleased with how the live shows in March went that I can't wait to do more. Someone described me playing along with the tracks from the record as 'Kasaokey' which I thought was cute. Not having a band or other musicians to support me, I felt the new music needed the proper platform.
So, I'm in search of a Booking Agent that will help me find more places to play.
Ok, I need to listen to a new mix of Shine On....
A few more weeks and... copies pressed and mailed!
Christos Anesti.

March and the eminent release of 3

Ok, bottom line. Not done.
Too close to being finished satisfied than to be finished because I've attached a date to it being done and available for you all to enjoy.
Here's a little teaser, take a look at who appears on this record:
Todd Rundgren
Roger Powell
Willie Wilcox

Just those three names alone would be enough but .... there's more:
Andy Timmons
Greg Hawks
Buck Dharma
Mark Rivera
Phil Thornalley
Jon Gold
Sammy Merendino
Jason Scheff
Richie Castellano
Jeff Allegue
Jeff Kaze

All these musicians have contributed time, energy and brilliance to the record.
If I rush it to completion I'm only shortchanging myself, the record and you.
Now... having said all this, I'm mere weeks away from completion. Two to three at most.
Which means I won't have it for sale at my two solo shows but I will have it by the third or fourth show on the TR Unpredictable tour. That's a certainty.
I still plan to debut songs from 3 in Cleveland and Chicago. I'm excited about that.
What I'm most excited about is the way this record has turned out.
I've never been one to spout pride in my accomplishments. I like to keep my pride to myself.
If you like what I do, if you appreciate my particular talent then I'm happy.
This is the best solo work I've ever done.

After working on this project for three years it's finally going to leave my basement and live in other places.
On a CD shelf in someones home, in a record store, a car glove box, on a computer, an iPod, iPhone, MP3 player, maybe even on a radio...
It's so important to have it buttoned up properly.
The baby's birth is eminent .... any minute now.

Is it still acceptable to say Happy New Year?
It's not even two weeks into 2014 so ...

In the home stretch here with the record. Mixing, fixing and the like.
Since February is slightly busy with BOC shows I'll have to have everything done and sent to the manufacturer by middle of that month if I'm going to make the March 3rd release date.
I think I've managed to take about as long as I could finishing this one.

There are no fewer than a dozen other musicians on this record besides myself. I'm really excited to have Todd, Roger and Willie on it as well.

I think the most important things right now are the two solo shows I have booked.
March 9th in Cleveland and March 12th in Chicago.
I hope that everyone that can attend will.

And Then I....

Broke my leg.
Technically my leg but specifically my ankle.
Even more specifically my right Fibula.
The gory details are a hairline fracture spiraling from the front of the bone to the back. Like a candy cane if you will.
This all started with my back.
Now, I've never had back issues. I guess just the normal back aches associated with my age and my profession. Having a 6 - 7 pound guitar hanging on your shoulder hours on end, sitting on planes and bad hotel beds has had a cumulative effect on me.
When my back problem presented itself, the only relief I got was taking numerous hot baths. I was taking roughly five a night just so I could sleep for a few hours. During the course of a week, I was lucky to get 8 hours of real sleep.
I was so tired that after one of the baths, I slipped getting out of the tub and .... crack ... fell on my ankle and broke it.
I've been hobbling around for the past two weeks with a cast on.

The worst part was missing a private show in Las Vegas with Todd. The first missed show in 38 years. Hopefully the last.
This couldn't have happened at a worse time. The holidays.

I'm on the mend ... I've been to more Doctors in the past 3 weeks then I have in the past 10 years and I'm not happy about it.
I'll recover and treat this as a not so subtle indication that I need to be more conscious of taking care of myself.

I hope everyone has a great Christmas.

So, I wake up one morning a little less than two weeks ago and I notice my left ankle is a slightly swollen.
Thought nothing of it. Got in my car and drove to JFK at some ungodly hour in the morning for a BOC show in Tower Minnesota.
Played said show and, once again had to be back in the lobby at 5:30AM for the hour and a half ride back to Duluth to catch a flight home. Were that the least of my problems......
I noticed my ankle wasn't any better. As a matter of fact, it was getting worse. Forgive the graphic description but the ankle looked like I had slept on a subway platform for the past 6 months and dined on whatever I could pick out of a garbage can. I'm calling it Bum's Ankle.
Now, I'm getting a little worried. I called my good friend who works in a Dr's office, took a quick pic and sent it. Her response was " OMG Get to a hospital immediately". Great. I'm 7 hours from landing in NY!
Oddly enough, I was sitting next to a lovely gentleman on the first flight from Duluth to Minneapolis and he asked me about the book I was reading. Of course our conversation came around to what our respective job's were and as luck would have it, turns out he's an ER Doctor on his way to some little burg in MN to assist at their Hospital. I showed him my ankle and he said, "Hmmm.... looks like a spider bite that's become infected." Nothing very serious but you should have it seen to.
Thanks Dr. Eric!
I landed at JFK around 5PM on Friday the 25th. Got in my car and drove straight to the ER here on Staten Island.
Wasn't too crowded so I saw a Dr. relatively quickly. His diagnosis was the same as Dr. Eric. Probably an insect bite. Prescribed Cipro, told me not to worry and said it should clear up in a day or two.
Well, by Sunday, it had gotten worse. Ankle still swollen and the red area surrounding the 'bite' was now approaching my shin. Great. Back to the ER. Different Dr. this time. She tells me, clearly the Cipro isn't working so she's going to prescribe me a much stronger antibiotic, Bactrum. You should see an improvement in a couple of days.
After three days on the Bactrum, all I could tell was it hadn't gotten much worse. It was basically the same. Still swollen, still dark red, still itchy. Great.
By the fifth day on the Bactrum, I noticed some red blotches on my upper left leg... yes, the same leg as the Bum's Ankle! Wonderful. Now, I'm back out with BOC, we've just played in Washington DC and I have to fly to Nashville the next morning. Great.
Back on the phone with my friend form the Dr's office and once again she says, "get to a hospital".
Landed in Nashville and went directly to the ER there. The Dr. tells me I'm having an allergic reaction to the sulfur based Bacturm and need to stop taking it immediately or I risk going into anaphylactic shock.
Great.
She prescribes me Keflax and I've just finished my 5 days on that.
Infection gone. Ankle no longer belongs to a Bum.
What caused all this? No one knows. The Doctors couldn't find any sign of a bite mark so it could very well have been a tiny cut that some bacteria managed to get into and take hold.
Gotta tell you guy's.... I was scared. Thought I might be hospitalized for a while with tubes running in and out of me from all areas.
So, that's my little adventure for the past couple of weeks. it WAS NOT fun.

I'll tell you what WILL be fun .... the two solo shows I have booked in March 2014 for the release of 3.
March 9th - Cleveland
March 12th - Chicago
Details to follow......

A bit late this month.
It seems there's never enough time in day.
I'm sure even if the day was twice as long I'd still need another minute.
I'm currently nursing a bad cold brought on by a horrendous travel schedule.
Up at 5am, airport by 6:30, plane by 8, five hour flight, 1 hour van ride, hotel with sealed windows and an air conditioner who's filter hasn't been changed this millennium, sound check, show, back to said sealed box, up at 5am, back in the van, back to the airport, five more hours of flying, land, drive home, and hit the ground running.
Lets get one thing straight, I AM NOT complaining. Merely stating facts.
Anyway, THAT'S what got me sick.
If you're thinking, Airborne or anything of the like, it's like a band-aid on a bullet wound. I pound the 'C' before and after.
Enough about my health issues.... I'll live.
I did see Willie Wilcox this weekend. He's in Las Vegas these days and we spent the day together. It was really good to see him.

March. '3' will be released in March 2014.
I have at least 2 solo shows booked for the beginning of that month.
I've managed to get a date at Space in Evanston IL ... March 9th.
I'll be in Cleveland a few days before that. Either the 6th, 7th, or 8th not sure which yet.
I'll be looking at more shows on the East Coast after those dates.
I've done enough talking about where I'm at with the recording so I'm probably not going to mention much about it until I'm finished. It's been a long journey, you've all been extremely patient and I want it finished more than anyone.
Oh, one other thing..... Since it's taken 3 years for me to finish 3, I've decided instead of just one winner of a Living Room concert, I'm going to pick 3 winners.
I just hope they all aren't overseas.... I'd have a hell of a time driving to Japan.

Both July and August were extremely busy months for me.
They usually are. Summertime is historically a mad dash to the next state, the next town, the next country.
I can't remember the last time I had an actual vacation during the time that most everyone else has one.
Too late to find another career now.

August closed with the show in Akron. What an amazing experience that was.
We all (the band) worked our collective tails off making sure we knew the music to be played.
You see, it's one thing to listen to a song, hear your part, 'cop it' and jump on stage and perform it with the minimum amount of mistakes. It's quite another thing to play it in front of 60+ orchestral instruments and not have your part glaringly incorrect.
For myself, it required a lot of notation reading. Something I'm not adept at but would like to be.
So, I spent most of my off days in August reading music, playing along with the Metropole Orchestra show and familiarizing myself with what was scored for the songs. It didn't matter that I might have known some of the songs, it mattered that I played what was written. Two different things.
In the end, I think it came off very well and I had a wonderful time playing with an amazing orchestra.
Both the AYS and the ASO were top notch.
Hats off to Mel and Doug who did a fantastic job putting the whole show together.

Now, I have a window to complete my record. September, October and November are the last three months I will be working on it.
I have a plan for when it will be done and have already booked shows early next year to showcase something that has taken the better part of three years to finish.
I'll give details by next month on where and when these shows will be as well as the reason for doing them after the holidays.
Stay tuned.

August

Writing from Boston after the first couple shows back here in the USA.
Australia was great. The fans were pleased that TR made the trip there with the band
All in all it couldn’t have been a better - too short - two weeks.
Since it is winter there right now both Melbourne and Sydney weren’t the warmest places to be but as soon as we got further north the weather turned gorgeous.
The only drag was that we were only in Tweed Heads one day. Everyone commenting on how nice it would have been to spend at least one more day there.
The trip home was a nightmare. A one and a half hour drive from Coolangotta to Brisbane for the first flight to Auckland (3 hours), 1 hour turn around for the second flight to San Fransisco (12 hours) and then a 45 minute dash to get bags and clear customs only to ..... MISS the connecting flight to NYC.
10 hours later, get a delayed red eye back to NYC (5 & 1/2 hours), the Cab from JFK to S.I. (45 Mins) and 31 hours later, home.
Of course it was worth it and the only bad part was how expensive it is there.

Back on tour here with Todd for the rest of August. One short week break while TR, PP and JG go to Japan for a few STATE shows while I go to Minneapolis for some BOC shows.
Not going to have much time at all this month to work on my record and to be honest, at this point I am not going to rush to finish.
I know everyone has been extremely patient and understanding considering the events over the past couple years but I have worked so hard to carve out days and minutes between shows, tours and general ‘life’ stuff, and I have faith and confidence that the final result will be a strong record that I can not, I will not, rush to finish the last 2 songs, nor rush through overdubs, mixes or art work. I take pride in and care so much about my work that pushing it through would negate the effort I’ve given so far.
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not nit picking or over analyzing anything that I’ve written or recorded for this record but I can’t bring myself to drop the ball right now.
It will get done. It will be soon. If you can’t hang in there with me, I’ll understand.
There are those that will hang in there and for them, I consider myself blessed beyond measure, they are deserving of my undying love and gratitude.
Top of that list are my three children and my girlfriend Suzi. Without their support, love and belief, I might have tossed in the towel 2 years ago.
In all honesty, I have made some very poor choices in life. I’ve disappointed people and my past is want to have complete control over the present. Like most, there are things that I wish I had done differently. To those I’ve harmed, I apologize. There is no going back though. I can only work at being the best person I can be. Even if I’m being harmed.
I don’t normally get this intimate in my monthly messages but these things needed to be said.

Kasim

Fort Morgan Colorado?
Small town about an hour and a half North East of Denver.
Here to play yet another outdoor summer fair with BOC.
Out for an extended 4th of July weekend.
I'd be lying if I said these one off's were a breeze to play.
It's just a whole lot of traveling.

We played Kokomo, IN yesterday ( the 4th of July ) and Eric thought it would be fun to give props to the town by doing a version of the Beach Boy's song ( which is actually about a town called Kokomo in Florida!).
We couldn't very well practice at soundcheck because it would have given the surprise away so we ran over our version of it in the dressing room before we went on stage that night.
Note to self ..... don't think because you ran over a song you've never played before that it's gonna sound great.
It wasn't what we thought it would be. Of course we screwed it up but I'm pretty sure the crowd appreciated the effort.
Kudo's to Richie Castellano who never ceases to amaze me. He played a note perfect Steel Drum part on the song.

So, perform here tomorrow, home on Sunday for 6 days then the fun begins.
Off to northern California on Friday for 2 BOC shows then on the 14th I fly back to Australia for the start of the Todd shows that will take me through the rest of the summer.
As much as I enjoy playing with the BOC guys, it'll be good to get 'home' for a little while.

I've managed to put a large dent in finishing my record and have even sent a track out to someone you all know to add some of his specialness to a song.
He's the first in a long list of people that I hope will make some musical contributions to the record before I'm finally done recording and can start to mix.

Kasim

The story of how I wound up in Utopia has been told many times.
In books, magazines and on the radio.
The events that led to my work with Todd, Roger and Willie from 1976 to 1986 are out there for anyone who cares to know.
I'm not sure I've ever really voiced my gratitude for having been a part of a band that was, and still is admired by so many people.
From the first record 'RA' recorded in the late spring and summer of 1976 to 'Trivia' - which was basically a compilation album with two new songs - recorded and released in 1986, the scope and breadth of our work, my work, has been a consistent source of pride and joy for me.

Some of my fondest memories of those years are getting into my little red Alfa Romeo GTV 2000 and driving from Staten Island to Lake Hill NY, making the right turn onto Mink Hollow Road and knowing that in exactly 2.5 miles I'd be doing something I dreamed of doing since I was 9 years old.
I could not have been happier.
Well, that's not entirely true....

The live shows. The hundreds of live shows. Crisscrossing the country countless times, playing to packed houses month after month.
We were tight. I still have board tapes from a lot of those shows on cassette. I know for a fact they sound amazing.
Knebworth, with the Rolling Stones. The next year with Led Zepplin. Legend Valley, Radio City Music Hall, The Greek Theaters in L.A. and San Fransisco.
One day I'll transfer them over to my computer. I've promised a few people a listen.

Then of course, there are the stories.
Like the time in downtown Tulsa, OK.
We were staying at the Mayo Hotel (still there by the way). We had finished our show and were back at the hotel. Must have been about midnight when someone started pounding on my hotel room door that there was a fire and to get out. There happened to be a convention going on in the hotel at the time so there were lots of drunk men roaming the halls and I chalked up the door banging to one of them. I closed my eyes again and about 30 seconds later I thought, "what if there really IS a fire? I should probably check just to be safe".
Sure enough, I opened my door and could not see the other side of the hallway through the smoke. I did the dumbest thing one could do.
I pulled my pants on, grabbed a sweater and my cassette player and ran to the elevator! I'm almost positive I was on the 11th floor. By the time we reached the lobby the elevator was filled with smoke.
Now on the street, standing there with Todd, we watched as Roger, Willie and our then tour manager were on the fire escape traversing down while the ancient fire escape was actually coming OFF the building! It seems it hadn't been 'serviced' in sometime and was rusted beyond being safe for dozens of people to be on at the same time.

Or the time our bus driver had to pull over because he overdosed on speed and had to be taken to the hospital leaving us in the middle of a corn field in Kansas.

Or the time we were in Omaha and we couldn't get to the sixth floor of the hotel because Elvis was staying there and performing the same place we did the very next night.

I'm sure I could wrack my addled brain for a few more. But for now I just wanted to let it be known how incredibly proud I am to have shared ten years with three of the best musicians and friends anyone could ever hope to have.
Yes, of course it would be nice if we could do one or two more shows. Unfortunately, probably not going to happen. And that's ok too.
Because it leaves me with the memory. And sometimes, memories have to be just as good as the real thing.

Maybe I wrote all this because I just got an advance copy of an article due to appear in Goldmine Magazine in the coming weeks.
It's an in-depth interview with myself, Todd, Roger and Willie. Quite interesting. It didn't tell me anything I didn't already know but that's only because I was there. Every step of the way. The good times and the bad.

Looking back now.... it was all good times.
I was blessed to be in that band. To work with Todd, Roger and Willie.
If I had it to do all over again, the only thing I would do differently is ......... nothing.

Kasim

May already?
Almost half way through 2013?
As usual, time fly's by.
Australia was a blast. Although rather expensive.
Playing with The Hoodoo Gurus was a lot of fun. Great band, wonderful bunch of guy's and much like Crowded House, Australia's darlings.
There is really only one absolute must for me whenever I visit Australia and thats to have a couple dozen Sydney Rock Oysters.
Unlike Oysters anywhere else, these are very small and incredibly sweet.

Back to recording at home and gearing up for having a few friends come in to make guest appearances on the record.
Not many. Only a select few friends. Some you might know, others not. All are IMHO the very best at what they do.
I'm only three or (possibly) four songs away from having all the material done that will make up the record.
Thankfully, May and June are sparse out-of-town months so, by mid July, I should be ready to start finalizing everything.
Which brings me to a reminder.....
If you haven't resubmitted your photo yet, please try and get to it before too much longer.
There are still a few of you who haven't resubmitted.
I'll keep reminding you until the last minute.

Kasim

April and 3

Finally.
Light at the end of the tunnel.
Not a train.
Due to the rather fortuitous fact that there hasn't been many live shows to play, I've been able to concentrate uninterrupted on 3.
3 you ask? What is 3?
3 is the title of the new record.
Why 3? (and notice, I'm not spelling the number, the spelling of the number isn't the title, the numeral is)
There are more reasons than I can shake a stick at as to why I've chosen that as the title.
The presence of that number in my life and, in fact the world, are many.
For example; 3 = a triad or tri-tone, the basis for musical chords.
It is the symbol of body, mind and spirit.
God's attributes are three: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence.
There are three great divisions completing time--past, present, and future.
Thought, word, and deed, complete the sum of human capability.
Three propositions are necessary to complete the simplest form of an argument--the major premiss, the minor, and the conclusion.
Three kingdoms embrace our ideas of matter- Animal, Mineral and Vegetable.
The three gifts of grace are, Faith, Hope and Love.
In the first three numbers, all of the others are synthesized.
So, there are just a few examples.
Also, probably the most important is, this will truly be my 3rd record of all new material.
I'm not counting 'The Basement Tapes' and 'All Sides' because they were more or less compilation records with a few new tracks on each.
Now for the finish date?
Before much longer. It has to be right.

I do hope that everyone who put a picture on the cover got the email regarding the server crash and resubmitted.
If you didn't, please message me on the FB page.
Also, there are the two new rough tracks to hear.

So, here's to progress and not perfection.
Now, I gotta get back to work.
It's bad enough my month is shortened by 11 days in Australia.
I'll get you all a Kangaroo Scrotum. It's a very popular touristy gift.
(Ouch)

Kasim

Usually around this time I'm done with temperatures below 50 degrees.
Done with grey days. Done with bone chilling damp. Done with sunsets before 6PM.
This year is no different.
I'm always threatening myself with moving somewhere warmer. As much as I know that probably won't happen.
Funny thing is, as soon as it gets warm again, I'll be wishing for the Fall to come.

Not many BOC shows on the horizon. Thats a good thing in a way. It means I get more time to finish the record.
The 'record' that now has a title and a release date which will be announced here in April.
In the meantime, just to keep the wheels greased I'll be traveling out to Bellport Long Island each Wednesday to play for a couple hours with Richie Castellano and Jules Radino.
We're having some fun playing at a local bar there. Not for any other reason than it's a good way to spend the evening one night a week.

As the year progresses I know there will be a lot more going on.
Stay tuned!

Kasim

February ..... weird, I know.

I don't recall being offered Rocket Science in school.
I certainly would have taken the course.
The complications in daily life often call for a degree in that field.
Difficulties that might seem so simple on the surface can be incredibly multi-layered when viewed closely.
Is one act ever really isolated from another?
Or, does every act have some over lapping effect?
It's so much easier to think that choices and decisions stand alone.
The ME generation. Selfishness on a grand scale.
Why should I think about you? After all, I have to come first.
My needs need to be met before I can be bothered with how it affects anyone or anything else.
Nonsense.
I can meet my needs and be conscious of others.

It's been a cold January.
Besides a lovely trip on the ocean to a third world country, I've been home working.
I do not like making records on computers.
It's not as fun as watching tape reels spin.
I don't like passwords.
I hate leaving the house realizing I've left my cell phone home only to have to turn around, drive back home and retrieve it because God forbid, I go five minutes without checking my messages, mail or missed calls.
When did it become so important to be constantly connected?

Yesterday, a friends grandmother passed away. Mimi was 105. I saw her a few months ago. The happiest person you could imagine and still sharp as a tack.
My dog Ace was with me. Whenever we would visit, he ran to her, jumped on her lap like she was the only person in the room.
Maybe he knew she had more to offer without saying anything that most people do spouting empty platitudes all day long.
Mimi didn't own a cell phone. At least not that I know of.

I know I'm all over the place here. But I feel better having said it

Kasim

Happy New Year everyone.

As I get older, the years seem to pass faster.
Of course this isn't true. A day is still 24 hours, an hour sixty minutes.....
It could be that I'm more concerned with right now than ever before.
Not what I did or have to do but what I'm doing at this moment.
The past is gone and the future can bring a million different things.

One thing I do know about the future is this...
My record will be done and released on a certain anniversary in the coming months, well before the leaves turn again.
The songs that I am completing are my best work yet.
The record has a title that I will share with you all soon, the pictures submitted will grace the cover and I will be sitting in someones house playing as much of the record as I can by myself.

Thank you all for your love and support over the years.
Let's all hope and pray for health, happiness and love in 2013.

Kasim

Dateline Jackpot, NV.
A lovely little town 400 miles from nowhere.
Two BOC shows here.
Lobby call at 4:25 AM for the rather long trip home tomorrow.
Since this is the last update for the year, it's given me pause to reflect.

This has been my first full year as a single parent. While that might not sound particularly hard I have to admit that prior to
May 2011 I probably would not have won any Father Of The Year awards.
I just wasn't around all that much. There was always a tour, a record, a rehearsal, that made 'being there' difficult at best.
I've missed so much over the years. Graduations, school plays, weddings, funerals, births. Milestones and meals home.
Not so much by choice as by design.

I'm proud that over the past year and a half, I have been there for my three children. My family.
At times, putting other important things on hold for a minute.
You see, I'm all my children have now.
Sure they have Grandmother's, Aunts, Uncles and cousins but ... only one parent.

I realize my situation is anything but unique. Some might even say my children are lucky to have any parent at all. That there
are millions of children with no one.
But, my situation is unique to me. I have no point of reference. No manual, no Youtube video on how to be a great Dad (although I'm pretty sure there is one).

I yelled at my Son this morning for not taking the dog out while I was gone for these two days. His response to my anger bordering on rage? "Please Pa, try not to be so mad at me. You're all I've got".

I'm not entirely sure why I'm telling you this.
Maybe in part it's to the people who have invested in me. My way of acknowledging your patience and giving you the reason why I ask for it. Being open and honest about delays.

Maybe in part it's simply because I needed to forgive myself for so many years of neglecting the things that matter most.

Probably both.

The best is yet to come.

Kasim

And another month of Planes, Trains, Automobiles, Hotels and Eighth Notes goes into the record book.
Let's see .... I was in Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, California, Texas, Rhode Island, Texas and Nevada.
Feels like I did it all in one day.
I did somehow get rear ended in stopped traffic on the BQE on my way to Providence for a Rockers In Recovery gig.
A lovely young lady hit me from behind and propelled me into the vehicle in front of me.
Her excuse? .... "I confused the pedals!" Right. Me thinks texting had something to do with it.
Funny thing is, I was the only one with damage to my car. Four thousand dollars worth. Yea, insurance paid for it but... what a hassle.
I just returned from Cape Coral Florida where there are more canals than any other place in the world.
Ten miles more than Venice Italy. Go figure.
October is even busier than September was. Between Bands Of Brothers, Todd, a TV appearance, a solo show and more BOC gig's.
I'm proud to be playing with them at their 40th Anniversary Show in NYC at the Best Buy Theatre on October 30th.
I should just keep my suitcase packed the whole month.
Because then, Nov. 1st, I'm off to Florida for the third annual Rockers In Recovery Festival.
I've made a few changes regarding my solo career which I'm pretty excited about.
The biggest one is working with Danny and Rachel O'Connor on a bunch of new projects.
Danny and I go back to my early Utopia days when he was doing our T-Shirts, photo's and other merchandise.
In fact ... it was me who introduced him to his lovely wife Rachel (who was my friend).
Their subsequent romance led to marriage and two incredible young men who anyone would be proud to call their sons.
Now, Danny might argue the chain of events in this union but, I'm taking full responsibility for it.
I see Godfather in my future because apparently he got an offer he couldn't refuse.
His youngest son Elmo is quite the artist.
Sometime over the next week I will be posting a short video letting everyone know what is going on with my solo record.
The progress might be slow but the resulting music will be well worth the wait.
Believe me when I say I want it done as much as you do.
It simply needs to be right.

Kasim

Labor Day.
In the USA, the unofficial end of summer.
Pack up the beach bag and sun umbrellas .... put away the Boogie Boards and tan lotion.
It's back to school. Back to work. In my local Supermarket they've already started displaying Halloween decorations. Incredible.
Every year it seems the prep for each holiday starts sooner and sooner. Before you know it we'll be celebrating the next Christmas a day after this one.

I'm in Indianapolis right now. Just finished a show here with BOC. We played with one of the best bands in the business today, Cheap Trick. I've known Rick, Robin, Tom and Bunny since they opened for Utopia in the 70's. Bunny no longer plays with the band. Instead, Rick's son Daxx is on drums. I first met Daxx when he was about 7 or 8. How amazing that today he's in his Dad's band.
Not to mention, he is an excellent drummer and fills Bunnies shoes perfectly.

I spent about an hour and a half on the phone with Paul Meyers the other day going over stories from the recording of my first solo record in 1982. I think I mentioned that Paul is writing the liner notes for the re-release. He is such a wonderful guy and I'm honored to have him take an interest in my early material.

I'm on my way home tomorrow. Back to recording.
Have I mentioned how much I dislike recording music on a computer? Intensely. Used to be you put a reel of tape up on your machine and pressed play and record. Rarely did a tape machine 'crash'. You never had to wait a day for a password to make some piece of gear you bought function. I just spent the entire last week downloading programs, loading and unloading software, adding, removing, copying, pasting and got absolutely zero accomplished other than a headache.
I can't let another week go by like that.
Funny too because a good song doesn't need high heels and lipstick. You can fall in love with a good song no matter how plainly it's recorded. That's not to say a little dressing up is a bad thing... just not as necessary as one might think. We can't all be Katie Perry.

Next stop, Providence R.I. for a 15 minute acoustic set along with Ricky Byrd and Richie Supa (we each get 15 minutes) at a drug and alcohol rehab.
Since this is a 'private show' there aren't any tickets available.
Anyway, I'm going to talk nice to my computer when I get home and plead with it to cooperate.

Kasim

August Already

What a crazy summer this has been so far.
Jumping across the country every weekend. Leave on Friday, home on Sunday.
A lot of 4AM wake up calls and airports.

I did manage to make it to TR's Summer Camp and spending 4 days in Big Indian NY was a treat.
All the campers were fabulous and I had a good time being the 'Musical Director' for the jam sessions each night at the Roadhouse.
We even jammed ON Roadhouse IN the Roadhouse.
I'm actually looking forward to next years camp because it'll be Homeslice's (TR) 65th BD. Christ, the first time we met, he was 28!

So .... here's where I stand in general....
I have finally been able to put some REAL work into my record.
That is NOT to say I haven't been working on it. I have. It's simply that since Laurie's passing, holding focus and concentrating for extended periods was difficult. Single Parenthood is not for the faint of heart. I have, with the help of a very few close and dear friends, managed to move forward.
I know I'm doing well when my studio stays on for four days straight, I spend two days on a Piano part and bleed while recording it (literally, I have pictures to prove it) and I can't stop thinking about the particular track I'm working on for one minute.
I'm in the midst of tracking '15 Minutes', after that, 'Fell In Love For The Last Time' then this cool ballad I've been waiting to concentrate on.

I'm leaving in the morning for Tacoma, WA. the next day is Sheridan WY. Early the next morning, I'm catching a flight to Jacksonville Florida to perform at a very good friends 50th Birthday Party. The day after that .... fly to Sturgis, South Dakota for two more BOC shows (Biker Rally!). Actually, I played this same event in 1987 with Joan Jett. That was the 50th Anniversary of this particular Motorcycle Rally. I'll make sure to keep my eyes looking down the whole time I'm there. Catching any body's attention could be life threatening.

Sooooo.... I have that show in Chicago on Oct. 20th. The rescheduled Martyrs thingy thing.
I may do one or two other solo shows between now and the end of the year but so far that's the only one.

The other day, I got an email from my good friend Paul Myers. He of Paul Myers The Incredibly Gifted Writer fame.
Seems that there is a record company in the UK called Demon. They have secured the rights from myself and EMI to re-relase my first solo record. It's official as I just spoke to EMI US this morning and allowed the licensing of the record to proceed.
I've been told that it will be released this fall. So to everyone who has asked me about this very subject, ask no more my pretty.... it'll be available soon! Oh oh oh, with new liner notes written by none other than Mr. Paul Myers.

Whoa, it's 12:20AM and I have to be at Kennedy Airport at 7. Yikes!
Later folks!!!!!
Kasim

From June to July -

Where to begin? Hellfest? I wish I had a nickle for every piece of black clothing I saw.
The Ho-Chunk Casino in Baraboo WI? Nothing but big sky, oxygen tanks and wheelchairs.
Fort Knox, KY? DO NOT slow down as you pass it. Forget about a picture too.
Simply a series of airports, hotel rooms and rental cars with gig's sandwiched between.

I am truly enjoying playing with BOC. Great bunch of top notch musicians. The best part is the lack of drama.
There is no wondering if there will be a show on any given night. There are no MD's visiting the backstage area.
No mandatory Flu shot (I would refuse anyway). No jockeying for who's nose goes up the bosses butt first.
What a relief.

I'm in a nice flow now of weekends out and weekdays home in my studio.
Took me a second to adjust but I quite like the schedule.
The BOC fans are extremely loyal and although Rudy Sarzo is missed, they have all been very kind and welcoming to me.
I'd like to take a second to thank all the Kasim fan's who have come to these shows. There is no better feeling than seeing you in the audience or meeting up with you in the parking lot after the show.
The set list changes from show to show and sometimes changes during the show. That keeps me on my toes and harkens back to my early days when the mood of the crowd determined what song came next.

Yes, I'm working on your CD. Every day. I'm certain the finish is close.
I've had to overcome some daunting hurdles during the making of this record. I think the end result will reflect the deep sense of self awareness that I have experienced over the last two years.
I don't know about you but I often feel horizontally parked in a parallel universe.
Would that make a good album title?
I'm always open to suggestions.

Kasim

May (be a little tardy)

Maybe it was the abnormally mild winter but so far, May seems a little chilly.
Could be that I spent the weekend in Ft. Yates North Dakota.
Anyway, I'm glad it's not sweltering. You can't dress for the heat.
Just got home from playing a corporate event for People Magazine. A Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp.
They throw a party each year for their biggest advertisers and people from each agency got to put a band together and play with one of the 'Rock Stars' that appear at the event. Myself, Mark Farner, Gene Cornish, Kip Winger and Sandy Genaro.
Because Kip Winger is a bass player, I get to play lead guitar all night which is a blessing and a curse.
A blessing in the sense that I love taking guitar solos, a curse in that I'm just not that good at guitar solos! You need a certain amount of spontaneity to pull a good solo off and, I'm no Eddie Van Halen.
The 'special guest' was Shelia E and we played a couple tunes with her on Timbale. Man can that girl play.
I have one more Fantasy Camp this weekend at the Brooklyn Museum. A black tie event that should be interesting.
The rest of May is packed with BOC gig's and a short week with TR.
Between those shows and song writing, I barely have enough time to food shop.
I'm busy these days and grateful for that.
Going to Europe next month for some festivals with the BOC boys and if I don't get some more pages in my Passport before June 7th, I'm screwed.
Someone please remind me to do that next week?

Kasim

Arrived back home late Saturday after 20 days on the road with Todd.
I had a great time. A lot of it had to do with the places we visited.
We don't get the the Southwest all that often and this tour had us in places we haven't been in years.
We spent a week just in Texas. Usually, it's Dallas, Houston and/or Austin. We were in those places as well as two other towns we've never been to.
One highlight was being in San Antonio and getting to visit the Alamo.
Just a short walk from the hotel and there it was. What a fascinating place with the kind of history that helped shape the United States as we know it. I highly recommend a trip there if you happen to be in the neighborhood.
Todd came down with a pretty bad case of allergies and struggled through some shows but, I have to hand it to him. Not once did he complain or even suggest shortening the set. Unfortunately we did have to cancel one show but any other artist would have cancelled the entire tour. Todd soldiered on and did a great job.
We wound up the tour on the west coast.

I sent an invitation out to an artist that I admire to attend the show we were playing just north of Hollywood in Agoura Hills.
I was excited when he accepted and said he was looking forward to attending and meeting me.
After that show I had the great pleasure to meet Jason Falkner and his lovely girlfriend Christy.
What a wonderful guy. Gracious and personable. It's always such a thrill to meet someone you admire and have them be so down to earth.

So now .... I'm back to working on my record. It's always fits and starts. But I have relatively clear sailing from here on out.
I have encountered some delays which I will explain in the coming months.

The only other thing on my plate is doing a bunch of shows with Blue Oyster Cult.
I'll be in Europe this June with them for 10 days as well as playing with them through the summer.
The good thing is, they really only go out on weekends which leaves me the rest of the week to finish my record.
So, if you see any BOC dates in your area, chances are, I'll be there.

Have a great April and I'll be back with more news in May.

Kasim

Aside from it having been an incredibly mild winter in the Northeast, February flew by and half of March is already history. I'm convinced that the older you get the faster time passes. I did four shows in NYC with Todd in late Feb. and early March in an interesting fashion. Semi Acoustic.
Meaning, the line-up on stage was Todd, Jessie Gresse and myself, joined by a "percussioninst". I put that in quotes because what started out as "A couple of guys will be sitting in with the band for these shows. They'll be playing some hand percussion on a few of the songs" turned into two guys bringing entire cocktail drumsets to the venue! Granted, these are not my shows and I serve at the pleasure of The Grand Pouba. But what was supposed to be a quiet little intimate acoustic show turned into ... well, not that.
Please don't misunderstand me. It was fun and the audience seemed to dig it. The two gentlemen who sat in on "hand percussion" were Sam LaMonica and Greg Bendian. Both lovely guy's.
But I digress.

The real star of the show was the set list or, lack thereof. In 36 years of performing with Todd, I don't think there was ever a time when we did a show without there being a predetermined order of the songs.
That being said, having TR call out songs on the fly was exciting. It's easy to get bored playing the same set over and over again. That certainly wasn't the case here.
That was one thing. The other was the four or five songs we did each night that raised a few eyebrows. By now, most know what these little ditties were but, for the uninformed I'll list them here;
Jaan Pahecheo (Heiniken commercial)
Big Weekend (Artist unknown)
Friday (Rebecca Black)
Blow Me (Artist better left unknown)
Endless Prarrie (Lorne Green)
The Good Ship Venus (Artist unknown)
I might be missing one but... You get the picture. Definitely a PG17 show.
They were a great four shows and I believe there is a webcast out in the next few days of the last one on March 7th.

On March 3rd I flew to Delray Beach,
Florida to play a show with Ricky Byrd, Liberty Devito, Richie Supa and one of my all time favorite singer and musician, Mark Stein.

I'm writing all this sitting in the back seat of a nine passenger van at 6:30am traveling from Chandler, Arizona back to Phoenix to catch a flight back to NYC.
Why you ask? Well, I'll tell you.
I did a show last night with Blue Oyster Cult. Old buddies of mine that needed a hand in a pinch so I filled in on Guitar and Keyboards for one show.
We played the Ostrich Festival here in Chandler. I know you've heard about this. It's one of the more popular festivals in the USA (no? it isn't? Well it should be).

Back home to my dungeon, man cave, subterranean recording studio / lair, to continue working on the best music I've ever made.

Kasim

I just got back home from one of my rare outings.
I went to see a Pat Travers show here in NYC.
My close friend Sandy Genaro plays drums with Pat and I promised I'd be there.
Glad I went. The band was tight beyond belief and Pat is such a great guitar player that watching him was inspiring.
Pat and I have been friends for a long time, a sweeter guy you'd never meet.
I played some shows with him a while back and loved every minute of it.

I've been doing nothing but writing the entire month of January.
My problem is, I keep coming up with new songs and I tend to want to go where my mind - and my fingers - take me so..
Fear not my trusted minions, I remain steadfast and committed to my August completion schedule.

I have a couple TR shows much later this month and they're right in my own backyard so I needn't pack a bag.
These are the 4 Acoustic shows - 2/26, 2/27 & 3/2 & 3/7 we'll be doing at the City Winery in NYC (sans Prairie).

I'll also be doing shows on Feb 8th with the Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp - Corporate Event in Erie PA
Feb 9th in NYC with Ricky Byrd - short 30 minute set for Music Cares at The Cutting Room NYC
March 3rd in Del Ray Beach Florida with Rockers in Recovery for a local Treatment Center

Kasim

Happy New Year.
I can't remember a time when I didn't say "I hope this year is better than the last one".
For me, that sentence has never been more true.
Of course there are specific reasons why 2011 was particularly difficult and just because you might have seen me smiling and yucking it up at a gig, it doesn't mean I felt that way when the light's went out.
Thankfully, the past has been laid to rest and there are so many good things to look forward to in 2012.
I've been working on my record every day and am sending out a new demo for subscribers this week.
My projected release date is the same day I announced starting it in August 2010.
I think two years to the day is fitting.
I was thinking that December 22nd might be good too. This way, if the Mayans prove to be that incredibly foresight-full, no one would care that I took too long to finish.
Unfortunately, as I've stated in prior posts, the songs I'm working on are my best ever.
It takes a lot for me to say that.
Now, I owe it to everyone including myself to be done in time for at least a few good listens.
I'm also planning a string of solo dates starting in mid April through the middle of May.
I'm sure I'll be playing the usual places and hopefully some new towns too.
So you see, already 2012 is headed to be a very good year.

I wish us all health and happiness in the coming months.
Keep your loved ones close, be kind, be gracious, forgive others and yourself.
Most importantly, be grateful for what you already have. There is always someone with so much less.

Now I gotta get back to work!

Kasim

Just back from a short trip to the west coast.
Thanksgiving is done and my BD is in one day.
Where did the year go?
The illness and subsequent loss of a loved one consumed much of my life in 2011.
Thanks to the help and support of my children and those close to me, I manage to soldier on.

It's crunch time for my record.
Putting some finishing touches on new songs and getting ready to turn demo's into records.
I've turned down offers for solo shows in order to spend as much time as I can on writing and recording.
There are at least three new demo's that will be sent to subscribers in the next few weeks.
What I think is my strongest material to date.

The Utopia shows were wonderful and I'm sure everyone who attended one would agree that they were all very special.
The loss of Moggy Klingman was difficult to deal with and the only thought that eases the deep sense of grief is that he is no longer in pain.
I know all too well how it feels to watch someone you love slowly slip away.
In Moogy's case, he lives on in the beautiful music he made while he was here.
Laurie will live on in my children.

I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy holiday season.
Enjoy your friends and families and keep them close.

NOVEMBER,
In all honesty, I wasn't looking forward to the Utopia tour.
It wasn't the Utopia that I was a part of and my role in the band for these shows was simply singing background vocals.
I was certain it was going to be 3 weeks of thumb twiddling.
I've never been comfortable on stage without playing some kind of instrument
As much as I love singing, I need to be holding more than a microphone to be at ease.
The rehearsals were short and unfortunately, after the second day it became apparent that Moogy wasn't going to be able to tolerate any amount of traveling given his health.
Having to make the decision to go forward without Moogy and have him join us for the shows that were closer to home was a difficult one.
Given the fact that Moogy was the main reason we were doing these shows in the first place, missing his persona on stage, his distinct playing and his bad jokes was going to be hard.
Of course it could be done but it wasn't the way anyone wanted this tour to proceed.
Todd mentioned that I might be able to pick up some of the slack on what we'd be missing without Moogy's keyboards and I gladly jumped at the chance to busy myself with the challenge.
I'm not a great keyboardist. I'm nowhere near as proficient as one needs to be in order to play this kind of music but little by little I'm picking up parts here and there and I'm happy to go the extra mile to help round out the sound.
After a week on the road I can honestly say it's one of the best tours I've done.
John Siegler, Ralph Schukett and Kevin Ellman are some of the nicest guy's I've ever had the pleasure to work with.
Not only great musicians but wonderful to be around too.
Considering I've spent so much time in the past with musicians who 'thought' they were extremely good, it's refreshing to be around those who really are.
So, I've gone from dreading a tour to not looking forward to it ending.
Funny how life works.

Ahhh Fall. Autumn. That wonderful time of year when I get to wear a jacket.
I love my jackets.
I'm here in London, Camden Town to be exact.
We played Manchester on Saturday and tonight is the first of three shows at The Jazz Cafe.
The show in Manchester was only eclipsed by the enthusiasm of the audience.
I don't know wether it's because we were THAT good or simply because Todd doesn't get over here all too often.
Of course I'd like to think it's the former.
I can only hope these London shows are as good.

By now everyone who has a spot on the CD cover has received the link for '15 Minutes'.
The version that will be on the CD is turning out to be better than I expected.
Tomorrow I'm going to be spending the afternoon with my good friend Phil Thornalley.
He has co-written some of my better material, 'Are You Happy Now', 'Yellow Cab'...
I was able to squeeze in two days of songwriting with him which I'm sure will result in at least one new tune.

The only other must-do while I'm here is a trip to Fortnum & Mason to stock up on honey.
French Sunflower, Tasmanian Leatherwood, English Bell Heather....
I know I'm going to have at least 20 pounds extra in my suitcase for the trip home.

Once back in the states, I'm back in the studio everyday, all day.
Except for walking the dog and picking my son up from school, don't call me unless it's really important!

Kasim

After a relatively calm August, mostly spent writing and finishing new songs, I've gotten busy again.

Last weekend saw me traveling to Akron Ohio to play the opening slot for Rick Springfield and The Motels at The Akron Civic Center Theater.

Quite a thrill really. Especially because I debuted a new song called '15 Minutes' that I had just completed a few days before.
It reminded me of a time a few years back when I did the same thing in Columbus Ohio with 'The One Sure Thing'.
I believe I had just fin ished that song in my hotel room the night before I played it in a club there.
I recall having the lyrics on a sheet of hotel stationery at the foot of the mic stand to remember all the words.
I had a couple days to memorize the words to 15 Minutes so, no need for a cheat sheet.

After the show, I made a beeline back to NYC for a day off before starting a short string of dates with TR. We played Sellersville PA last night and I'll make my way to the next show in Bay Shore Long Island sometime this afternoon.

I'm going to be sending out a guitar and vocal demo to The Project subscribers of the new song. Just one of three that were finished in August.

Right after the TR shows, I have a couple of weeks to write and record before head ing to the UK for five shows with Todd.
I'm more than happy about this trip because it means I can stock up on some gourmet honey from Fortnum & Mason.
Just watching all the "proper English" shopping there is enough to make me want to be there tomorrow.

Back to the record for the rest of October along with two solo shows on the 17th and the 22nd.
I'll be posting the particulars shortly.

After that? ......... Stay tuned.
Kasim

August.
August is to the Summer as February is to the Winter.
Neither here nor there.
A no man's month in relation to the season.
More of a last stop before a change than being in the midst.
Not a single major holiday in 31 days, at least not in the USA.

I purposely waited for this particular update because I had a very interesting few days this past weekend.
I took a short break from writing to participate in a Rock & Roll Fantasy Camp.
I was one of seven counselors for about 45 Fantasy Campers.
Mark Hudson, Kip Winger, Dave Rosenthal, Joey Stephco, Rudy Sarzo, Teddy Andreaous and myself were assigned campers to whip into shape, form a band and ultimately perform 3 songs each on stage at Bethel Woods Amphitheater. Just a few hundred yards from where the original Woodstock Festival took place on the same weekend in 1969.
Joey Stephco and I were co-counselors. We were assigned the younger campers.
Five kids ranging in ages 11 to 16.
I've known Joey for a very long time and we both share stints in The Neverland Express.
Joey's time in that band was the very first tour in 1977. He's got some interesting stories about his experiences during that time.
But I digress.
I had a great time with these kids. Teaching them how to play together, picking out three songs for them to learn and watching them come together for the final performance on Sunday on a big stage,.
The lead singer was the cutest 11 year old girl who fancied herself Janis Joplin incarnate. Her name was Ruby Rose and we decided to name the band Ruby Rose And The Misfits.
The Bass player was a trip Tyler. He drove me nuts. He was a cross between Billy Sheean and Jacko Pastorious. He never stopped playing. Literally. Once he strapped the Bass on he would not stop noodling! If I had a nickle for every time I had to yell TYLER! STOP NOODING! I would have made more than I was paid for the whole camp.
The guitar players, Mike and Kyle were the sweetest kids and the drummer Mike was actually extremely good. He was all of 12.
They picked 'Purple Haze' and 'I Love Rock And Roll' as their performance songs and they made such quick work of learning those two that we had time left for them to write and original song called 'Rock Is Dead'.
On Sunday we all piled into two tour buses and made our way from NYC where the rehearsals took place to Bethel Woods for the big show.
I have to be honest, when it came time for my band to go on I was sweating like a stage mom.
I wanted them to be great and I couldn't have been more proud of them or the work they did over the previous two days.
They were GREAT. Even Tyler rose to the occasion. I wouldn't even be telling you this if it weren't the case.
If I ever get asked to participate in another camp, I'm insisting I get the younger campers.

Now I'm back home, writing again
I've been doing some collaborating with a good friend Bob Burger who is a wonderful song writer.
Mainly to try and get past some speed-bumps I've encountered.
Looking forward to my short solo set in Akron over the Labor Day weekend and the TR dates right after that. Then back to working on my record.
I'm coming up with some of the best material I've ever written and it might be taking me longer than expected but to me, it's worth taking the extra time.

All for now.
Thanks to SW for allowing me to post this for you all.

Kasim

More than half of 2011 is history.
The year is streaking by.
I had a great time at the Rock and Roll Survival Camp hosted at the Full Moon Resort in the Catskill Mountains.
One of the highlights for me was writing a song with some of the campers and performing it that night at the Jam Session that followed each days events.
I thought the participants did a wonderful job in coming up with some wild lyrics.
I made the lyric writing a little game. I went around the room with each person getting to contribute three words at a time to complete a sentence. Didn't have to make sense. It turned out to be pretty funny.
I'm almost done with the TR Classics Tour except for four days in Japan at the end of the month.
I'll be home all of August working on my record.
I know it's taken longer than expected but it really has to be right in so many ways before I present it to you.

The TR shows have been great. By now most of you know what songs we're playing and it really is 'Classic Todd'.
All the favorites done in various styles.
Now all we have to do is get those counts offs right and we'll be golden.

I'm not going to make any more promises regarding new material, just going to remind you that the songs will be coming... soon.

Kasim

June...

I'd love to say I've been hard at work on my record for the past few weeks.
Unfortunately, pressing family issues have taken precedence.
That being said, I'm back to work as I write this and I'm confident I'll have something finished very soon.

I'm about to start a new TR tour very soon and am looking forward to playing some Todd songs I haven't had the pleasure of doing in a long time.
This tour will be different in the sense that there will be three separate sets each night.
One Acoustic set sandwiched between two Electric sets.
Just what songs will be where is still a mystery to me.
I do know it will be exciting though.
The addition of John Ferenzick on Keyboards will be cool because Todd has a new warm body to pick on.
That tends to deflect the stink eye away from Prairie, Jesse and myself.

No solo shows until I have new songs to play!

Kasim

Just got back from Buffalo.

In a state of semi-consciousness I made the decision to drive.

Wasn't so bad on the way there but 900 miles later I'll think twice next time.

Never mind my petty foolishness, I made it there and back in one piece and have a sore backside as a reminder.

One of the best things about the trip was the Musicians Clinic I did on Saturday afternoon.

It was wonderful to see so many young people in the audience and I made sure to gear my thoughts and comments towards making them aware of what it's like to be a working musician.

This was the first time I played a solo show in Buffalo and it was great to see so many familiar faces in the audience.

I had a wonderful time sharing my songs and stories with everyone there.

Now home, and with the majority of the month ahead available to work on my record I'm going to promise at least one new song before I leave in June for the next round of shows with TR.

Wish I had more to report but I think it more prudent to get to work!

Kasim

Catching my breath yesterday and today.
Used to be I was out on tour for a couple months at a time.
That had it's good and bad points.
Somewhere around the half way mark in a two month tour, you got really home sick.
The last week was usually torture.
When I go out for two weeks, I barely get my sea legs back before it's time to go home.
I'm not complaining, I'll gladly take the two weeks of touring.
It's just that on a longer tour, you have the chance to get into a routine.

I do have a ton of work to do over the next two and a half months.
Back to working on The Project.
Writing and recording.

I do have a couple shows in at the end of this month.
I'm looking forward to the Master Bass Clinic in Buffalo and the show that follows it later that night.
Then at the end of May, I'm doing another show with Ricky Byrd in Florida for a recovery center.
It's always fun playing drunken sailor music with Ricky.

The Todd/Healing shows were fun, great crowds and those gigs always feel so much like a big family get together.
Especially when we all occupy the same hotel.
I'd like to know who was smoking cigarettes on the 5th floor in Toledo?
I could smell it as soon as I got off the elevator!
I'm pretty sure someone got whacked with a $250.00 room cleaning bill.
This time it wasn't me!

I'm gonna promise at least one or two more snippets of new songs by June.
This doesn't mean I don't have more done, I'm just parsing it out.
Lets catch up at the end of this month.

Kasim

MARCH-ING-ON

I'M KNACKERED.

LAST WEEK I WAS KNEE DEEP IN BEATLE MUSIC.

HAD TO LEARN 40 SONGS IN A WEEK FOR THE SHOWS I JUST PLAYED.

I CAN NOT SAY ENOUGH GOOD THINGS ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH MIKE PORTNOY, NEIL MORSE AND PAUL GILBERT.

THESE GUYS ARE CLASS 'A' MUSO'S AND I HAD THE BEST TIME ON THESE THREE GIGS.

I HAD GOTTEN AN EMAIL IN LATE JANUARY ASKING ME IF I MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN DOING A 'PROJECT' WITH MIKE PORTNOY... HAD NO IDEA WHAT IT WAS BUT SAID YES GIVEN HIS PEDIGREE. WHEN I FOUND OUT IT WAS A BEATLES TRIBUTE THINGY I SAID ..... OH NO PROBLEM. I CAN COVER THAT.

AS USUAL, I PUT OFF LEARNING THE SONGS UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE AND FREAKED OUT BECAUSE I REALIZED JUST HOW DIFFICULT IT MIGHT BE.

REMEMBER, SIR P. NEVER REALLY HAD TO PLAY A LOT OF THESE SONGS AND SING THEM AT THE SAME TIME AND I DIDN'T WANT TO SHOW UP UNPREPARED - ESPECIALLY WHEN WORKING WITH GUY'S I NEVER HAD BEFORE SO I WOOD-SHEDDED FOR A FULL WEEK.

I MANAGED TO PULL IT OFF WITH A MINIMUM AMOUNT OF CLAMS AND I THINK I MADE SOME NEW FANS TO BOOT!

THERE WILL BE A DVD RELEASED LATER THIS YEAR FROM LAST NIGHTS SHOW IN NYC.

WHATS ON THE HORIZON?

I'M BACK TO WRITING, PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON A COUPLE OF NEW SONGS FOR MY CD AND BEFORE I KNOW IT, I'LL HAVE TO PUT THAT ON HOLD ONCE AGAIN FOR THE TODD/HEALING SHOWS COMING UP LATER THIS MONTH.

I'M ACTUALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO APRIL AND MAY WHICH ARE 2 MONTHS I DON'T HAVE MUCH AT ALL GOING ON SO I CAN CONCENTRATE ON NEW MUSIC.

ON ANOTHER NOTE, THERE HAS BEEN SOMEONE GOING AROUND PRETENDING TO BE ME. I KNOW, I KNOW. WHY ME?

ANYWAY .... IF ANYONE GETS ANY EMAIL(S) FROM THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESS - INFOKASIM@AOL.COM OR HAS RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM 'KASIM NATION' THIS IS A BOGUS PERSON. I HAVE HIS NAME AND ADDRESS AND AM DEALING WITH IT BUT PLEASE KNOW IT IS NOT IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM RELATED TO ME, KASIMSULTON.COM OR KASIMINFO.COM.

IF IT CONTINUES, I WILL POST THIS PERSONS NAME AND ADDRESS AND WE CAN ALL PRETEND TO BE HIM.... WOULDN'T THAT BE FAIR GARY?

ANYWAY, LOOK FOR SOME NEW SNIPPETS OF SONGS COMING IN APRIL.

KASIM

Goodbye January...

What a month! I can't remember when a January was this busy.

Usually, the Music Biz shuts down around December 15th and doesn't get rolling again until late January.

I've been busier this month than any January in recent memory.

Certainly busier than if I had continued working with a food group.

Between my solo webcast, the My Record Fantasy Camp, working on demos for my CD and the Utopia shows this past weekend (a very special event), I've barely had time to catch my breath.

One of the highlights of the My Record Fantasy Camp (aside from all the great attendees) was getting to play one of my favorite songs - I Don't Mind At All - on stage with Brent Bourgeois and Larry Tagg.

February is shaping up to be just as jam packed.

I just got back from a recording session for a secret project with Jim Stienman and this weekend I have a solo show in New Hope PA.

February 16th sees me in Connecticut for a corporate party with my good friend Earl Slick and then on the 19th I'll join Glen Burtnik in New Jersey for a John Lennon show. I get to sing two John song's with Glen, 'All You Need Is Love' and 'This Boy'.

As well as join the choir for a massive rendition of 'Because'.

This month ends with me doing 3 shows with Yellow Matter Custard. This is a band formed a few years back with Mike Portnoy, Paul Gilbert and Neil Morse... I'm filling in for Matt Bissonette (I'm a big fan of his). I'll be singing a bunch of Beatle tunes and I couldn't be happier about it.

In between all this, I'll be working working working on my CD.

Just a reminder that there are still a few spots left for the cover so, get your pictures in soon!

I'll be doing an update here on KI beginning of each month to keep everyone apprised of what I've done, what I'm doing and whats coming up so .... check back for the March 1st note!

Kasim

Details about Kasim's solo gig this Friday (4th) can be found here and about how to get on the front of his forthcoming album here.