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New Year. New Post. How Are You Doing?
I’ve always leaned more towards Quicksand and Minor Threat over the other hardcore bands my friends were into, like Black Flag. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that..” My gateway to Gorilla Biscuits was through my love for Quicksand. I even saw Quicksand play with L7 at Avalon in the early ‘90s. Wild, Wild Stuff.
After the set, I learned a new meaning to "picking up change." A friend of mine, who was always innovative, took it literally. As the house lights came on and the crowd started clearing out, there he was, scooping up all the loose change (and even a nice stack of bills) that had fallen out of people’s pockets during the chaos. It was genius.
Inspired, I’ve tried that post-show ritual myself a few times—though with less luck. Even when I barbacked at Middle East Upstairs and had to sweep up after every gig, the haul was pretty sparse. My best score? Finding $200 on the street a couple of weeks ago. Now that was a punk rock miracle. A cop even opened the door for me when I went in to get my pre-ordered coffee. Man, I hope it wasn’t that cop’s $200! LOL. I'm just kidding; I hope it was.
Podcaster and hero of mine Merlin Mann thinks New Year’s resolutions are bullshit—and honestly? He’s probably right. Lately, there’s a new trend of calling the stretch between Christmas and New Year’s “Rot Week.” And, uh… I kinda love that.
This year, I fully leaned into the rot. But somehow, I still managed to be productive: catching up on some projects and signing up for an online course. After a year of grinding 60, 70, and 80-hour weeks, the burnout was real, despite my attempts at being healthier—eating better and sleeping more. Sleep, in particular, has been a game-changer. Instead of returning to work after Stacey goes to bed like I used to, I now use TikTok and Monopoly Go! (friend me - MGO9458SVA8J) to sleep to get some decent hours of actual rest.
In a few days, I'll be getting my teeth replaced. (Long story, and one I plan to document on these Substack pages. Don’t worry, I’ll spare you the gore and blood and drilling and replacement of bone with cadaver bone dust into my gums. I may have a cool 3D scan or two though.
It will be more about the absurdity of navigating health and dental insurance after going from a full-time employee at one of the biggest companies in entertainment—arguably thee biggest—to freelancing and discovering the delightful concept of “self-employment tax.”)
That class I mentioned? It’s something I’m hoping to dive into entirely once my new teeth are “installed.” It’s all about making UGC—User Generated Content—for brands.
I’ve got the gear, the skills (video editing, a not-too-grating personality), and, honestly, I’ve got some bills to pay. Teeth aren’t cheap, my friends. So, if brands want quirky, relatable content that makes their products ‘shine’ or whatever, I’m game. Call it a side hustle, call it a pivot—either way; I’m hoping this will be the punk rock version of monetizing creativity: low-budget, high-impact, and unapologetically resourceful. Other people are doing it, so how different is it, REALLY, from picking up change off of a dirty nightclub floor?
Things are looking up; that’s just one facet of the diamond that will be my 2025. Lots of stuff ‘in the hopper,’ as we say on the podcast. More posts here. More podcast episodes. More videos. Stuff for you (not just stuff I will sell off to brands). It's always a free model, but I have also opened up subscriptions on Instagram. That could be fun!
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P.S. I was proud to show Walter the Middle East Downstairs for the first time when one of his other bands played Upstairs in the early ‘00s. Today, a reunion show for one of those side projects might be too big to play in either room!
Thank you, as always, to my subscribers, free and paid. Your comments, likes, shares, and subscriptions motivate me to create. After all, I went to art school, and I can’t forget what my younger self wanted to do all along.
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Thanks to you for the shout-out. Good luck with the teeth and the class. I can't wait to hear about it and use your newfound knowledge for free for the podcast.