tag:www.danfisk.com,2005:/blogs/i-always-have-a-story?p=4I Always Have A Story2018-04-08T02:10:37-04:00Dan Fiskfalsetag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/45515972017-01-16T08:52:42-05:002022-05-19T11:10:37-04:00A Birthday Party… For An Airplane<div>Over the past decade, I’ve played a really wide variety of shows and different venues. Private events are often the most fun and unique, and this past year was no different. I got hired to record a hilariously cheesy parody of YMCA for a large conference, I played a Halloween show at a prison, rocked the socks off of several corporate parties, etc. However the most unique private show of 2016 was a birthday party for a plane. You read that correctly. Katie Pribyl was celebrating her beloved <a contents="Cessna 180" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cessna_180" target="_blank">Cessna 180</a> “Buck” on his special day. I set up my gear at the airport in front of Buck, and spent the evening entertaining Katie’s friends and family.</div><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/0468132daf8be4cfabeb9617787a8f8ba12d2e68/medium/plane.jpg?1484006956" class="size_m justify_center border_" /> <br>Though I had never met Katie prior to the party, she was incredibly nice to me and I enjoyed hearing her back story as a pilot and eventually working for the <a contents="Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.aopa.org" target="_blank">Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association</a>. Shortly after the party, AOPA released this tear-jerker of a video profile showing Katie making her first landing on her family’s Montana ranch. <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/aopa-live?watch=c532db4c-1983-3057-a975-04736633e6cf#.WEsGBQOIBW4.facebook" target="_blank">HERE</a> is the link if have 6 free minutes to watch.<br> <br>I’m also available for golf club anniversaries, bah mitzvahs, stamp collecting gatherings and canine weddings.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/39845022016-01-11T18:48:56-05:002023-12-10T11:28:23-05:00 My Diary As An 11 Year Old (Vol. 1)<p>My mother recently ran across my old diary that I wrote when I was 11 years old. It was hilarious to read some of my old entries. I thought it would be fun to share a couple of them in the next few IAHAS posts. Enjoy!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/63545ae080a639a21ba31fcf40a78c817a8dea4a/medium/diary1.jpeg?1451955866" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_small"><em>If you can't read my 11 year old chicken scratch, it says</em>: "<strong>Dear Diary, Today I won my chess game in the tournament and there is absolutely no homework. Me + greg are planning to write a note to shannon to see who she likes. It will be done on computer.</strong>"</span></div>
<p><br>As soon as I saw this, I sent this photo to my old high school friend Shannon ("on computer"). I don't remember sending her the note back then, but I figured better late than never. She got a kick out of it, and hopefully her husband wasn't jealous of this computerized profession of love from an 11 year old. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/267d5fbba82b62bcc4a77ff401cfa2c29d18ac19/medium/diary2.jpeg?1451955882" class="size_m justify_center border_" /></p>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="font_small"><em>If you can't read my 11 year old chicken scratch, it says</em>: "<strong>Dear Diary, Today mom and I bought everything needed to make a taco. But the proplem was the shells were really small! Mrs. Pirwits gave us home-work for the weekend.</strong>"</span></div>
<p><br>What can I say? My love for tacos started at an early age. But damn those small shells! At least I didn't have any math homework. The size of my dinner and spelling seem to be the only "proplems" I had back then.<br> </p>
<div>Do any of you have a diary from when you were little? If so, please share! </div>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/37665212015-07-05T21:42:08-04:002017-01-13T13:14:16-05:00The Adventures of Battery Man<div>I’m a big fan of <a contents="Ernie Halter" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.erniehalter.com" target="_blank">Ernie Halter</a>. If you don’t know him, he is a wildly talented Nashville-based singer-songwriter that even had Justin Beiber cover <a contents="one of his songs" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.erniehalter.com/news/blog/justin-bieber-covers-come-home-to-me" target="_blank">one of his songs</a>. He also happens to be a really nice guy. I had the pleasure of seeing Ernie play a show with <a contents="Gabe Dixon" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.gabedixon.com" target="_blank">Gabe Dixon</a> recently in Virginia. Don’t even get me started on Gabe Dixon, who’s <a contents="self titled album" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-gabe-dixon-band/id288450424" target="_blank">self titled album</a> has been playing in my truck for 3 years non-stop. Needless to say, I had been looking forward to this show for several months. </div><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/ebb68fea921702be52f9f39c0776fa8df6b4a2f3/medium/batterydead.jpg?1436133961" class="size_m justify_center border_" /><div>So Ernie starts his set, only to have the battery in his guitar die in the middle of what was only his second song of the evening. Like a true pro, he sets his guitar down, beat-boxed an even 8 count and picked up right where he left off sitting down at Gabe’s piano and played it like it was born for the ivories. I was wildly impressed thinking to myself that most musicians (including me) would have panicked in that situation, let alone make it part of the song. After the song, he asked if anybody had a 9 volt. Not so oddly, nobody had a purse full of batteries in the front row. But I did! Well, not in my purse. But I did have some old batteries in my guitar bag outside in the back of my truck. I had no idea how old they were (since my guitar goes through about 1 battery every several years), but I was looking forward to being the hero of the show. I proudly set them on stage next to Ernie while he played his next song on piano. He then gave me a shout out, swapped out the battery and started playing his guitar to a loud applause. Hell yeah, that <a contents="applause" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://images5.fanpop.com/image/photos/26900000/MJ-APPLAUSE-michael-jackson-funny-moments-26901167-412-619.jpg" target="_blank">applause</a> was for ME! And I didn’t even have to play a note! I was riding high for four and a half minutes, thinking to myself that I saved the night. <br><br>Turns out my battery was piece of crap. It died the very next song. Disappointed, Ernie gave up on the guitar and killed it on piano the rest of the night. He is a PRO. And I can’t even be the Battery Superhero (<a contents="Battery Man" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://cdn1.expertreviews.co.uk/sites/expertreviews/files/styles/article_main_wide_image/public/4/03/battery_superhero_0.png?itok=beiJK6Ax" target="_blank">Battery Man</a> of course) that I so desperately wanted to be. Sorry Ernie. I’ll do better next time.<br> <hr>
</div>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/33484802014-12-01T20:20:29-05:002017-01-13T13:14:16-05:00Thankful<span style="color:#FFFFFF;">I have no doubt your Facebook wall and Twitter feed were cluttered this past week with "I'm thankful for____" posts. Thanksgiving will do that. For a while, I was a bit annoyed by the seemingly insincere blabbering of appreciation and </span><a contents="humblebrags" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=humblebrag" style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 1, 92); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" target="_blank"><span style="color:#FFFFFF;">humblebrags</span></a><span style="color:#FFFFFF;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">. But eventually it made me think about my own life. My own problems. My own fears. And ultimately realizing that things aren’t so bad. In fact, I should be pretty damn thankful where my life stands right now.</span><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">Though I don’t talk about it publicly (until right now), I went through a divorce a couple years ago. I’m still trying to navigate my way through the single life, my musical life, my work life, and whatever else the cosmos throws at me. I don’t have any family within a 350 mile radius, and spending Thanksgiving down here in VA was a bit rough this year. Needless to say, I found myself having a bit of a pity party. </span><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/d87326c683e01effe05d3ff80a8dea48ebdf6ca4/medium/pityparty.png?1417478384" class="size_m justify_center border_" style="padding: 0px; border: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;" /><br style="padding: 0px; margin: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8000001907349px;">After I ran out of whine, I thought about what’s really important in life. Millions of people around the world are sick… Don’t have loved ones... Don’t love themselves... Don’t have the means to get by, let alone take a vacation once in a while. And I’m NOT one of those people. I have friends and family that I love, with a life full of music and a great big world yet to explore. I’ll refrain from tossing out some humblebrags, but my life is pretty damn good. But if you’re like me, sometimes you need to remind yourself of that. Even if it takes some cheesy Facebook posts and a holiday to remind you. </span></span>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/32188792014-10-05T22:19:31-04:002017-02-04T04:52:20-05:00Video Mistakes, Behind The Scenes and Playing CupidI love websites (like <a contents="THIS" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.moviemistakes.com/" target="_blank">THIS</a> one) that list mistakes in movies. Trying to catch little things in film that you aren’t supposed to notice. And since I released a new music video this month, I thought I would save you the time and just point out a couple mistakes just for the fun of it. I’m not upset about any of them since they aren’t serious, and they make for a good story. Feel free to watch the full video <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ef5aB0MZvU" target="_blank">HERE</a> and see the mistakes yourself!<br><br><u>Number 1: Heather’s hair! </u><br>Since we filmed the video at many locations over several months, some things just change that are out of our control. Like how <a contents="Heather Mae" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://heathermae.net/" target="_blank">Heather Mae</a>’s hair is long in the final scene of the video, yet cut short when she first appears at <a contents="1:16" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ef5aB0MZvU&t=1m16s" target="_blank">1:16</a>. Clearly we filmed the last scene first! Heather sang on several songs on my new album and I was glad to have her appear in the video - short OR long hair!<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/f1a60dddaf4daa773eacb29d5964ffa57374f0b2/large/video-hair.jpg?1412539110" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><u>Number 2: What season is it?</u><br>Most clearly noticed back to back around <a contents="3:29 – 3:30" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ef5aB0MZvU&t=3m28s" target="_blank">3:29 – 3:30</a>, some scenes were shot in late winter, while others shot in the spring. Sometimes trees have leaves, sometimes they don’t!<br><br><u>Number 3: Lip syncing is hard!</u><br>Just ask Ashlee Simpson, who had the <a contents="worst lip sync job ever" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.veoh.com/watch/v15490419bqh6yfdc?h1=Ashlee+Simpson+lip+sync+screw+up+on+SNL" target="_blank">worst lip sync job ever</a> on Saturday Night Live. Unlike on a “live” TV show, you are actually <em>supposed </em>to lip sync in music videos. Heather and I were pretty good for the most part, but if you look close enough you can notice a few spots where we weren’t perfect. The most glaring “oops” was at the end of the video during the bar scene. There was a LOT going on that night to be distracted by. At around <a contents="3:45" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ef5aB0MZvU&t=3m45s" target="_blank">3:45</a>, I pull away from the microphone, but clearly I am still singing. Then at <a contents="3:56" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ef5aB0MZvU&t=3m56s" target="_blank">3:56</a>, Heather is supposed to be doing some “oohs” when she is just smiling in the video. This is my favorite mistake because if you watch her, you can see her remember as she jumps back to the mic to sing!<br><br><u>Other Interesting Facts:</u><br>- The male and female actors in the video (Marina Ybarra & Joshua Schulze) had never met before they were hired to be in my video. On screen, Josh ends up proposing on stage. After we finished filming, Marina and Josh started dating! Such a good looking couple. If they ever get married, they better invite me to the wedding so I can play the song that brought them together.<br><br>- I have blue eyes, and they are pretty sensitive to light. So although I may look angry while I stroll through <a contents="the vineyard" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.thebarnsathamiltonstation.com" target="_blank">the vineyard</a> singing (<a contents="0:37" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ef5aB0MZvU&t=0m37s" target="_blank">0:37</a>), I’m actually looking directly into the sun and trying my best to not go blind. <br><br>- For much of the video (starting at <a contents="1:33" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ef5aB0MZvU&t=1m33s" target="_blank">1:33</a>) I am sitting on a very, very old and creaky bench. There is a drop off of about 10 feet behind that bench that is all rocks. When we first arrived at the bench, I put my feet on the bench and went to sit on the back (with my guitar around my neck). The bench tipped back and I was heading over the cliff. There is a 100% chance I would have broken bones and a broken guitar if I were to tip over. Fortunately for me, Heather reacted with cat-like reflexes and grabbed me. My heart was POUNDING. Crisis avoided.<br><br>I should make a <a contents="pop-up video" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pop-Up_Video" target="_blank">pop-up video</a> version of this song with these stories. I miss that show!Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/31415462014-08-17T18:27:55-04:002017-01-13T13:14:15-05:00The Ice Bucket Challenge<div>If you haven’t heard about it, the <em>Ice Bucket Challenge</em> has taken the world by storm! The challenge, which demands either a bucket of ice water over the head or a $100 donation to the <a contents="ALS Association" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.alsa.org" target="_blank">ALS Association</a>, has raised over 4 million dollars so far! Once you do it, you can nominate a few other people to take the challenge. </div><br>Everybody seems to be getting in on the fun, including a ton of celebrities (<a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://time.com/3111965/here-are-the-11-best-celebrity-ice-bucket-challenge-videos/" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a good compilation of celebrity videos. <a contents="Bill Gates" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS6ysDFTbLU" target="_blank">Bill Gates</a> is my favorite!). But as with anything that gets really popular really fast, there has been a bit of backlash of criticism. Some think that it’s just a gimmick and a cheap substitute for real involvement in a charity. Well tell that to the ALS Association, who can use this 4 million dollars helping affected families and continue their research in hope of a cure. Forbes magazine did a <a contents="great rebuttal" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomwatson/2014/08/15/hey-cynics-hold-that-cold-water-why-the-ice-bucket-challenge-worked/" target="_blank">great rebuttal</a> to squelch the naysayers. <br><br>So here is the video of me doing the Ice Bucket Challenge. I told my friend Dave to dump the bucket of ice water on my head – however he seemed to enjoy slowly torturing me (FOR 13 SECONDS!) by pouring it ever-so-slowly. I could literally feel every muscle in my body tighten up! <br><br>Click on the screen shot below to watch the video!<br><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://bit.ly/1oEFdAB" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/5c6b8574d87393b6421e2792f1a7862393dcb5a0/medium/ice-screenshot.jpg?1408308165" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /></a>DONATE to ALS today! Learn more about the terrible disease at <a contents="www.alsa.org" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.alsa.org" target="_blank">www.alsa.org</a>. Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/29047992014-04-28T18:24:21-04:002017-01-13T13:14:15-05:00Accidentally Sending NSFW Emails To Your Co-workersSince I have a bunch of new shirts to sell, I asked some co-workers at my day-job to model them so I could have some photos for my online store. I sent out a group email to 2 volunteer female models, 1 male model, as well as the female photographer to find a date and time that we could all get together for the photoshoot. The photographer emailed us back asking me what I had in mind for location and shoot style.<br><br>I was imagining the models standing in front of a standard white background, so I used The Google Machine to pull up some images so I could send her a link. I very quickly copied the link for the first Google Image thumbnail image I saw that matched what I wanted. I sent the entire group the link and let them know that this was the type of shot I wanted. <br><br>A couple minutes later, one of the females on the group email walked up to my desk and asked if I meant to send that link out. Confused, I asked if the link didn’t work. She promptly told me to double check the link I sent. Turns out it was a bit more vulgar than I intended. In my haste, I didn’t look closely at the graphic on the t-shirt. Click on the thumbnail below to see the shirt photo that I sent out! Other than my face being bright red with embarrassment, I actually thought it was hilarious. <br><br>Lesson learned – double check emails before you send NSFW pics around the office!<br><br><a contents="" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://sandrarose.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/American-Apparel-Period-Power-Tee.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/64b11c5078e6f12a93abe0869328194f866ff181/small/ns-shirt.jpg?1398723801" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="" /></a>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/25919172014-02-16T19:22:41-05:002021-09-14T05:20:18-04:00Amazing Mice<div>
<span style="font-size: 1em;">Some of you may not know that my Bachelor’s degree in college was in </span><a contents="Wildlife Management" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://www.cobleskill.edu/academics/schools/agriculture-and-natural-resources/fisheries-wildlife/wildlife-management-bt.asp" style="font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">Wildlife Management</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">. So I have a profound respect for all things Mother Nature. I’m in constant awe of her ability to </span><a contents="create" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://www.mnn.com/sites/default/files/styles/node-gallery-display/public/New_Baby_Zebra_at_Rome_Zoo-24344.jpg" style="font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">create</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">, </span><a contents="destroy" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_deadliest_floods" style="font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">destroy</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">, </span><a contents="amaze" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://www.supertightstuff.com/02/08/pictures/tight-pictures/top-10-amazing-plants/" style="font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">amaze</a><span style="font-size: 1em;">, and </span><a contents="astonish" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://www.youramazingplaces.com/the-100-most-beautiful-and-breathtaking-places-in-the-world-in-pictures-part-1/" style="font-size: 1em;" target="_blank">astonish</a><span style="font-size: 1em;"> us with her beauty. But it wasn't until my sophomore year in college when I was taught an interesting lesson about the power of mice. </span>
</div><br><span class="font_regular"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/b6851a7a0fcb9c072b6764d3aa6b4cd8a2374f27/medium/strongmouse.jpg?1392579376" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /><br>I was living in a <a contents="small house on a mountain top" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://www.shoppedornot.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/house-on-cliff-shopped-or-not.png" target="_blank">small house on a mountain top</a> a few miles from campus. My roommate Alex had some ongoing feud with a guy that lived down the hill. I seem to recall them playing a few pranks on each other throughout the semester. One Sunday evening we returned from a weekend long trip (we often left town for the weekend to go to my roommate’s family’s house an hour away to hunt, play basketball and/or party). Alex had noticed some dog food around his hiking boots in the mud room. Upon further inspection, he realized that his boots were filled to the brim with dog food. We naturally blamed the neighbor. The next weekend came and went, and sure enough, every shoe available was filled with dog food when we returned. Looking back, I wonder why he didn’t stop leaving large bags of dog food available for the prankster to utilize. The neighbor wouldn’t fess up to it, and was actually quite offended that we accused him of going inside our house every weekend to screw with us. <br><br>This pattern continued off and on throughout the semester, until finally it was time to move out. In the midst of packing and cleaning up the house, I tried to move my bed to the other side of my bedroom. I quickly realized it was MUCH heavier than I remembered. Being the wimp I am, I decided to remove the mattress first, then the box spring, then the frame. The moment I lifted up the mattress, I noticed a huge hole in the top of the box spring. Peering inside the hole didn’t just reveal a few springs and dust bunnies. It was nearly filled with dog food! MICE! God damn mice have been stealing and stashing dog food all year long, one stupid kibble at a time. A solid two-thirds of the space inside the box spring was literally dog food! I couldn’t even lift it! I showed Alex, who had to apologize to the neighbor after we laughed our ass off. <br><br>I also cleaned out the top shelf of my closet (at least 7 foot high) which had several old towels that I hadn't touched since the day I moved in. Stashed behind the towels were another 5 pounds of dog food. How the hell did they do that? How many nights was I sound asleep when mice were stashing food like chipmunks 10 inches below my body? How many trips UP THE WALL did it take per mouse to deliver the goods to the top shelf of my closet? <br><br>Mice. Are. Amazing. <br><br><u>Here are some mice fun facts for your intellectual enjoyment</u>:</span>
<ul>
<li><span class="font_regular">Mice are intelligent creatures with complex levels of communication, which is both vocal, often beyond the auditory range of humans, and odorous.</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Mice have facial expressions which communicate their mood to others.</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Mice are incredibly clean, tidy and organized. Within their intricate underground homes they have specific areas for storing food, going to the toilet, and for shelter.</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Mice like to stay close to their home and usually only venture up to 3-8m away from their nest in search of food. They like to eat 15 to 20 times per day.</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Whiskers help mice to sense smooth and rough edges, temperature change and breezes.</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Mice have great balance and can walk along very thin pieces of rope or wire. They can even scale rough vertical surfaces.</span></li> <li><span class="font_regular">Mice can jump down 3-4m without injuring themselves.</span></li>
</ul>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/22066922013-12-10T21:25:24-05:002021-09-09T08:01:25-04:00The Little Big Moments<div>Life is full of little big moments. Those times you least expect something fantastic to be right there in front of you. They are merely a grain of sand within the beach of life, but are boulders within our memories. Sometimes you see them coming, sometimes you don’t even know they happen until the moment has passed. Not too long ago I had one of those moments. It lasted an entire night, and I won’t soon forget how special it was.</div><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/53c396009f68f3ba19dafea110c3215fbe2bce31/original/marinos.jpg?1386725135" class="size_l justify_center border_" /><br><br>I found myself in the very small town of <a contents="Staunton, Virginia" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Staunton,_Virginia" target="_blank">Staunton, Virginia</a> on a lazy Tuesday night with my friend Jody. We were staying at Jody’s parents beautiful farmhouse just outside of town. His dad, knowing I was a music fan, told me about a magical place called “<a contents="Marino’s Lunch" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/marinos-lunch-staunton" target="_blank">Marino’s Lunch</a>”. It’s a hole in the wall general store/bar/diner that pretty much only sells cash only Natty Light and PBR cans and has about 2 bottles of ketchup in stock. But every Tuesday evening for the past 40 years, this empty 2 room Mom ‘n Pop shop turns into a bluegrass jam. Everybody comes… and I mean EVERYBODY. I found myself standing on a bench in the back of the tiny back room. Shoulder to shoulder, standing room only. There were 10 year old girls playing guitar, 80 year old men playing banjo, construction workers watching harmonica players, guitarists, washboards, stand up bass, mandolins, lap steel and every other acoustic instrument you could think of. It really was magical. This little town comes together to sing along to bluegrass classics and local band favorites. They all know each other. They all add to the jam, whether it be singing along, nodding their head, or just getting a cold beer for the dude stuck in the corner with a banjo who has no hope of making his way to the bar (and by “bar” I mean "10 foot long front counter").<br><br>I felt like I was in a movie, where every member of a small town came together with no other purpose than to be with each other and forget about life for a few hours. Like <a contents="the last scene" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfBAm-TnPks" target="_blank">the last scene</a> in <em>It’s A Wonderful Life</em> when the whole town comes to support George Bailey. Kinda… <br><br>I find it tough to describe the feeling that reverberated through every string and every soul that night. But it was certainly special. <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://youtu.be/f8P6b_U44sg" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a youtube video that somebody shot at one of the jam sessions to give you an idea of what it's like. And <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://issuu.com/blueridgelife/docs/blue_ridge_life_magazine_98" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a fantastic article (starts on page 9) from Blue Ridge Magazine about Marino's Jam. If you are ever within driving range of Staunton (pronounced "STAN-ton"… seriously, <a contents="they will shoot you" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://nightmirrors.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/redneck-farm-tractor-tank.jpg" target="_blank">they will shoot you</a> if say it wrong), you should really stop by Marino’s Lunch. It will be the biggest little moment of your day.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/17934412013-10-06T20:59:51-04:002017-01-13T13:14:15-05:00How A 10 Year Old Almost Bought A $300,000 TractorMistakes happen. And the best ones are when they make for good stories years later. This is one of those stories, and the time is now.<br><br>My father’s side of the family owns a large farm in Upstate NY. As a kid, I used to help them do volunteer work for the <a contents="Junius Volunteer Fire Department" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.juniusfire.org" target="_blank">Junius Volunteer Fire Department</a>; things like chicken BBQs, selling hot dogs at the county fair, etc. For a few years, the Fire Dept. had a booth selling burgers and hot dogs at <a contents="Empire Farm Days" data-link-label="" data-link-type="url" href="http://www.empirefarmdays.com" target="_blank">Empire Farm Days</a> – a HUGE 3 day annual event in my hometown that has equipment exhibitors, panel discussions, and reps from every manufacturer you could think of even remotely associated with farming. But they also have free giveaways and games for adults and kids alike. One such game was “guess the number of corn kernels”. Every time I walked by that booth, I would write down a number on a piece of paper and drop it in the box. I probably did it 40 times over the course of three days. One month later I received a check in the mail for $500 dollars with a letter that basically said “Congratulations you guessed the closest! However you were only supposed to guess once and we noticed you had multiple entries. We didn’t post this rule at the booth, but employees in the area were telling people that this was the rule. If you are a moral person, you will not cash the enclosed check.” Call me a bad person then, because I cashed it.<br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/678a57b8665c47c255ab0ee29b29bbcb8dc878a4/small/corn.jpg" class="size_s justify_center border_none" alt="" />Anyway, another game that I thought was fun was a “Guess the cost of a new John Deere <a contents="Combine" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Combine_harvester" target="_blank">Combine</a>”. I thought it would be pretty awesome to win a new combine for the family farm. I would be a hero! Every time I walked by the John Deere booth, I wrote down a price and drop it in the box with my contact info. I was only about 10 years old, so I really had no idea that new combines cost HUNDREDS of thousands of dollars. A new one today costs nearly a half million dollars. But I was smart enough to know it costs a lot, so I wasn’t shy with adding zeros. <br><br><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/fcc6bd65e94cf71751ded89a867200d15a31f445/medium/combine.jpg" class="size_m justify_center border_none" alt="" /><br>About a month after Farm Days ended, my father received a phone call from the local John Deere dealer. Since I wasn’t there, my dad spoke on my behalf. The dealer excitedly told him that we are the new owners of a John Deere Combine. Confused, my father asked how this is possible. The dealer explained that I had the highest bid at the silent auction. SILENT AUCTION?!? Damn, I thought I was just guessing the cost like I was on The Price Is Right! I didn’t know I was bidding to BUY it! It took a LOT of talking from my Dad to convince the guy that a 10 year old kid bid on this thing, and surely they can’t expect us to buy it. The dealer wasn’t happy at all, but we eventually got out of it. <br><br>So I didn’t end up with a combine that year, but I did unintentionally cheat my way to $500. I’ll chalk that up as a win.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/15811322013-09-09T22:43:24-04:002017-02-02T08:06:07-05:00I'm Innocent!<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">This past month I got a speeding ticket. Two in the same week actually. Both going 17 miles over the speed limit. I know, I need to slow the hell down. However the 2nd officer was nice enough to drop it down to a "Failure to obey a street sign". But the first one, oh no... the cop was extremely adamant that I was getting this ticket for 17mph over. He even schooled me on Virginia State Law and how all "residential areas" in the state always have a 25mph limit. <br><br>The next day, a friend that knew where I got the ticket (<a contents="Cedar Ridge Blvd" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cedar+ridge+boulevard,+chantilly+va&hnear=Cedar+Ridge+Blvd,+Chantilly,+Loudoun,+Virginia+20152&gl=us&t=m&z=15" target="_blank">Cedar Ridge Blvd</a> in Loudoun County) said he drove by the scene of the crime and thought he noticed that the speed limit sign might have said 35 rather than 25mph. I quickly got on Google Street View, only to prove that the signs on that road were in fact 25mph. <a contents="HERE" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="https://maps.google.com/maps?q=cedar+ridge+boulevard,+chantilly+va&ll=38.867079,-77.528672&spn=0.002205,0.038581&hnear=Cedar+Ridge+Blvd,+Chantilly,+Loudoun,+Virginia+20152&gl=us&t=h&z=15&layer=c&cbll=38.868118,-77.528576&panoid=r373b9VK4OV7f_bUgGf29Q&cbp=12,316.77,,0,-2.35" target="_blank">HERE</a> is a picture from Google Street View on that road. Damn, I got excited there for a minute. But later that night I decided to do a drive by just to confirm. <br><br>Much to my amazement, EVERY sign on EVERY inch of that road said 35mph. Apparently they changed the speed limit there after Google did a <a contents="drive by" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://cdn.thenextweb.com/files/2010/11/Google-Street-view-Car.jpeg" target="_blank">drive by</a>. I took photos of each sign (see below) and plan to make an exhibit to present to the judge at my early October court date. I can't wait to say those four beautiful words... I'm innocent your Honor!</div>
<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/da36246a978d0d12283a263cdc077676500edc3d/original/35.jpg?1378761435" class="size_l justify_center border_" height="226" style="width: 372px; text-align: left;" /><div style="text-align: left;">
<br>Look for an update the first week of October... hopefully with good news. Drive safe!<br><br>And for pure entertainment, here are <a contents="35 Embarrassing Google Street View Sightings" data-link-label="" data-link-type="" href="http://mashable.com/2013/06/10/google-street-view-embarrassing/" target="_blank">36 Embarrassing Google Street View Sightings</a>.<br><br>**UPDATE**<br><br>So I went to court ready to defend myself with aeriel photographs as well as pictures of every MPH sign on the road. However as my name was called to stand before the judge, the Sherrif told the judge that he made a mistake and would like the ticket dismissed. I didn't even have to say a word! Case dismissed.</div>
<br> </div>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/13426022013-08-06T08:31:16-04:002017-01-13T13:14:15-05:00A Winning Streak<span style="font-size: 12px;">Just when I think I had seen it all, something new pops up. During performances over the years, I have witnessed bar fights, fainting, </span><a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=306820" target="_new" style="font-size: 12px;">babies wandering around alone</a><span style="font-size: 12px;">, people performing “personal” acts under a table, puking, broken glasses and broken hearts. But a few weeks ago while playing at Loudoun Valley Vineyards I witnessed a first. </span><br><br>
There were a pair of married couples sitting in front of me all afternoon enjoying the sun, some wine and hopefully my music. I had a nice conversation with their table, and while they weren’t drunk, they were certainly… ummm, <i>outgoing</i>. Late in the afternoon they decided to finally leave. From my vantage point on the deck I was playing at, I could see their car pull out of the driveway. But then it stopped, and apparently somebody got out before the car returned to the parking lot near the front of the winery. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed somebody “frolicking” through the field that surrounded the winery directly in view of me an everybody else on the deck. We all realized at the same time that the gentleman prancing around the field aimlessly was in fact very much naked. I literally stopped playing mid-song and asked the crowd “Is that dude <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streaking" target="_new">streaking</a>?!”. Sure enough, he was. He ate up the attention, and upon noticing everybody was watching, he gave a big wave (with his hands... get your mind out of the gutter!). The patrons all waved back, sans a couple parents that used their hands to cover the eyes of young children. <br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/5c58c14b6ce45c8be6bb82a566155e0d0df7c6be/medium/streakingOld.jpg?1375722072" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="171" width="300" /></div>
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The car eventually drove back up the driveway to pick him up as he got in slowly. I kind of imagined his wife inside the car pulling up to him like in Old School asking “Frank.. what the hell are you doing?!” Classic.<br><br>
Fun fact: Did you know that Hamilton College (the 16th best Liberal Arts school in the nation) has a <a href="http://students.hamilton.edu/spectator/arts-entertainment/p/streak-to-win-still-undefeated/view" target="_new">Varsity Streaking Team</a>? They are undefeated. What a winning streak!<br><div style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b></div>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/8861292013-06-05T19:00:00-04:002023-10-16T10:44:28-04:00The Photo Bomb <p><i style="font-size: 12px;">This past month I received a very random email. In fact, the first sentence of said email was “This is going to sound so random.” It doesn’t need any set up or commentary, so here it is for your reading pleasure. I have added hyperlinks for your education and playful entertainment. The photo attached to the email is at the bottom, blacked out for obvious reasons.</i><br><br>This is going to sound so random. Not sure if you have heard of GRINDR? It's a mobile app (for gay men) for your phone that basically shows people that have also created profiles that are on the app, and how far away they are from you. I'm sure you're very much a <a href="http://www.sweatpantserection.com/stories/img/74/tom_cruise_wet_shirt.jpg" target="_new">straight man</a>, which is why this is sort of funny. I live in <a href="http://releaf.co/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/redneck.jpg" target="_new">Winchester VA</a>, and this guy’s picture shows up on my screen, and he's like 30 some miles away. Well by looking at the pic, I can see another guy in the background. I'm staring at the pic wondering if the picture is at a concert or something, thinking to myself “I wonder if the poor guy in the background with the guitar knows that he is in this photo that this man has as his profile picture?” So I tap the photo, which makes the distance and stats disappear, and low and behold in the right hand corner of the screen there is a speaker with a name and a website. Of course I had to check it out...and guess what?! <a href="https://i.chzbgr.com/completestore/12/9/9/wfEc4BA-0UyUasSfE6dgTg2.jpg" target="_new">It's you</a>. <br><br>This random guy is actually helping you out a in a way. I totally went to your website and <a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/any_press_is_good_press" target="_new">checked out</a> your music. It's different than what I would <a href="http://youtu.be/taVMcphy_xc" target="_new">normally listen to</a>, but I was pleasantly surprised. Again, random but I thought you might find some humor in it. I have attached the photo so you could see what I'm talking about. Good luck in your endeavors.</p>
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<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/ebc793175ad35bb8f99c6d341eafdd15b42ef3f1/original/Grindr_Email.jpg?1370396856" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="356" width="200" /></div>
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<p> </p>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/6854692013-05-06T16:24:00-04:002017-02-02T00:17:07-05:00Taking Credit For A Future Rock Star<span style="font-size: 12px;">If 10 year old Benjamin is an official Rock Star by time he is 25, I’m going to take credit for it. </span><br><br><div style="text-align: left;">After seeing me play a show last fall, a 10 year old boy named Benjamin bought my CD. Not too long after that, his guitar teacher (whom I happen to know) asked him to write a list of 10 songs he would like to learn. He listed a few Beatles songs, The Eagles, some modern rock tunes, etc. But #2 on his list was my song "<i>A Thousand Love Songs</i>"! He then came to one of my shows this spring with his Dad and told me he learned the song. So I invited him to play it with me the next time I had a show in his area. Not long after that, he showed up with his electric guitar ready to make his live debut. Fortunately his dad had a video camera and sent me the video. Here it is:</div>
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<br><iframe width="340" height="210" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lR72oml4QDg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> <br><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br type="_moz"></span>
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I’m flattered that young Benjamin digs my music enough to want to learn it. I hope he continues to practice, as I’m sure he will get better every month. And speaking of getting better, his Dad recently reached out to let me know that his Mini Clapton has learned two more of my songs. He also let me know that Benjamin has also written a song for his Mother! So I invited him back to play with me on Mothers Day at <a href="http://www.thebarnsathamiltonstation.com" target="_new">The Barns At Hamilton Station</a>. I’ll be sure to post the video when I can get my hands on it!<br><br>
Rock on Benjamin.<br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/4817652013-04-07T16:19:42-04:002017-02-01T22:56:52-05:00Out Of The Mouths Of Babes<div style="text-align: center;"> </div>
I am fortunate to have a lot of of creating friends. <a href="http://www.ziahassan.com" target="_new">Zia Hassan</a> is one of my most creative and interesting friends. While I always enjoy doing shows with him (I’m a big fan of his music), I enjoy just talking to him even more. Zia has had an interesting few weeks, and I thought I would share his story. So just this once, “I Always Have A Story” is actually “Zia Has A Story”.<br><br>
Last year Zia met a 9 year old boy that his fiancée was babysitting. After making some small talk, he quickly realized this kid had a lot to say about some pretty deep topics. So he grabbed his camera and started to film the boy's responses. A year after he posted it without much attention, it has officially gone viral with millions of views. I HIGHLY recommend you read the piece that Robert Krulwich wrote for NPR about Zia and the young boy, referred to as “The Philosopher”. Check it out <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2013/03/27/175455214/socrates-in-the-form-of-a-9-year-old-shows-up-in-a-suburban-backyard-in-washingt" target="_new">HERE</a>, which also contains the embedded video Zia originally posted. <br><br>
Over the past couple weeks, many celebrities have commented on, tweeted the video and/or contacted Zia. They include <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deepak_Chopra" target="_new">Deepak Chopra</a>, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel, Alyssa Milano, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Hayes_(journalist)" target="_new">Chris Hayes</a>, Danica McKellar (<a href="http://www.popcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Winnie-Cooper-In-Maxim-500x333.jpg" target="_new">Winnie Cooper</a>!), and more. My favorite celebrity response is <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UWDdxJ_gZQ" target="_new">THIS</a> video that Sarah Silverman did about the boy. (start watching at 1:30)<br><br><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UWDdxJ_gZQ" target="_new"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/7f46a9ed4e2201028fa2216583cab18860a446a8/medium/Sarah.JPG?1378176322" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="169" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: smaller;">“You guys are going to love this unless you’re a fu@#ing a$$hole” ~<i>Sarah Silverman</i></span><span style="font-size: small;"></span><i><br><br type="_moz"></i>
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According to the Cambride Idioms Dictionary, “Out of The Mouths of Babes” is “Something you say when a small child says something that surprises you because it shows an adult's wisdom and understanding of a situation”. I think it’s safe to say that this kid has some serious wisdom. Our future is bright with people like Zia and The 9 Year Old Philospher in the world. <br><br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/3420542013-03-04T15:56:25-05:002013-03-04T15:56:25-05:00Just In Case You Missed It<div style="text-align: center;"> </div>
If you haven’t already figured it out, every month I tell a story in my Monthly Newsletter, and then post it on my website blog called “<a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm" target="_new">IAHAS</a>”. Yeah, it’s a funny looking word but it seems to work. Over the past 3 years, many people have been added to my email list, and therefore may have missed some of my favorite posts. I thought I would take the opportunity to go back in time and re-share some of my favorites. So here you go!<br><br><a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=306820#.UTTU1ETN49Q.google" target="_new"> So A Baby Walks Into A Bar...</a> (Posted on May 31, 2010)<br>
This one is pretty self-explainatory.<br><br><a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=431518#.UTTUrkPB3m4.google" target="_new"> WWWD (What Would Weezy Do?)</a> (Posted on Sep 7, 2010)<br>
By far the most embarrassing thing that has ever happen to me on stage. I still have people remind me about this regularly. Ugggggh.<br><br><a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=382272#.UTTUv0aGQOo.google" target="_new"> My Calculator Can Beat Up Your Calculator</a> (Posted on Aug 4, 2010)<br>
My poor technology-challenged Mother needed some math done.<br><br><a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=743775#.UTTUY_Dr92c.google" target="_new"> The Giant Flop of a Radio Interview</a> (Posted on Feb 4, 2011)<br>
My first ever radio interview was a train wreck. After posting this, the DJ actually left a comment worth reading. The audio is up as well.<br><br><a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=1065200#.UTTURIQcPhE.google" target="_new"> I Suck Huh? Well Don’t Tell That To Manassas</a> (Posted on Jun 27, 2011)<br>
Nothing like getting a bar to beat somebody up for you while you're playing.<br><br><a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=2227138#.UTTT-DPpLR8.google" target="_new"> Yes, That Was My Job</a> (Posted on Jul 5, 2012)<br>
A run-through of all the odd-jobs I’ve had over my life.<br><br><hr>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/3014052013-02-06T19:47:22-05:002017-02-01T20:23:00-05:00Craigslist Lesson<div style="text-align: left;"> </div>
2012 wasn’t the best year of my life. But to add a little insult to injury, I had to replace much of the gear in my home studio this past summer. Technology gets old, and then it breaks… the way of the world I suppose. After upgrading my audio interface to a <a href="http://us.focusrite.com/firewire-audio-interfaces/saffire-pro-40" target="_new">Focusrite Saffire Pro 40</a>, I wanted to sell my old <a href="http://avid.force.com/pkb/articles/en_US/User_Guide/en365815" target="_new">Digi 002 Console</a> on Craiglist. It’s old and discontinued, so I put it up for $300 and got several offers. A young kid who is studying audio engineering locally came to one of my gigs and I spent about 20 minutes talking to him before handing it over. I offered to help him find an internship at a local studio using my contacts, gave him a copy of my CD for free, and even told him to take it home with him to try it out for 2 weeks before he sends me the money. <br><br>
Weeks turned to months, and he didn’t return my emails. I had no phone number. He didn’t have a Facebook account that I could find. I didn’t even know if his name was real. He was off the grid. I was pissed. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_Durocher" target="_new">Leo Durocher</a> once said “Nice guys finish last”. Truer words were never spoken.<br><br>
I decided to use this “internet” thing that everybody always talks about. I grew out my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxhqVrbixZc" target="_new">mustache</a> and turned into <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0080240/" target="_new">Magnum PI</a>. After my refined stalking skills got elbow grease all over my keyboard, I finally found out where he worked. <br><div style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/e010f0b4f3fde0fab8cb50826a2cc7f0972a97b0/medium/SUStache.bmp?1378176322" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="245" width="225" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: smaller;"><i>"Dan, please teach me how to grow that." <br></i><b><i>~Tom Selleck</i></b></span></div>
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I took a little drive to the coffee shop where he was happily slinging lattes. He nearly filled his pants with pudding when he saw my face. The first thing he said was “uhhh, wow, I can’t believe you’re here… it’s.. um…. amazing.” He stuttered and stammered through a boatload of excuses that included but were not limited to: <br><br>
“I tried emailing you… you didn’t get them?!”<br>
“I lost my password and couldn’t get into my computer to find your contact info!”<br>
And my personal favorite: “I thought since I didn’t hear from you, you were just going to give it to me for free!”<br><br>
After trying very unsuccessfully to show me the magical emails on his phone and laptop that somehow never made it to my inbox, he asked if I wanted to follow him to the bank. We drove a mile down the road, and he paid the $300, as well as a voluntary $50 interest fee because he was “embarrassed”. <br><br>
It all worked out in the end thanks to my sleuth skills. And for my Captain Obvious advice of the day; never trust anybody on Craigslist. <br><br>
And just to make you smile, <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/6157363/20-most-bizarre-Craigslist-adverts-of-all-time.html" target="_new">HERE</a> is the 20 Most Bizzarre Craigslist Adverts of All Time”. My personal favorite is the free couch you can get if you’re able to bend time and/or space.<br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/2642972012-12-10T09:50:00-05:002017-01-13T13:14:14-05:00Know Them Now, Brag Later<div style="text-align: center;"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/7ffa22d80bcd4f5159c3b6eeacaa30ba1a5a56bd/medium/local.jpg?1378176322" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="172" width="300" /></div>
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National touring and massively successful musician <a href="http://www.patmcgee.net/" target="_new">Pat McGee</a> recently put up a couple photos on his <a href="http://www.facebook.com/PatMcGee" target="_new">Facebook Page</a> of newspaper clippings that his wonderful and proud mother cut out of the Washington Post 18 years ago. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151098356572549&set=pb.25533762548.-2207520000.1355078214&type=3&theater" target="_new">THIS</a> one lists Pat playing with his old band "Gillian's Fun Deck" at a local venue. <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151098356507549&set=pb.25533762548.-2207520000.1355078214&type=3&permPage=1" target="_new">THIS</a> one has even more future stars. This was a time when he was playing the same small bars and clubs that I'm currently playing now. The neat part is reading through the other local "small" bands and artists that were playing Virginia and DC back then. Names like <a href="http://davematthewsband.com" target="_new">Dave Matthews</a>, <a href="http://www.jeffbuckley.com" target="_new">Jeff Buckley</a>, <a href="http://www.hootie.com" target="_new">Hootie & The Blowfish</a>, <a href="http://www.edwin.com" target="_new">Edwin McCain</a>, <a href="http://www.dougderryberry.com" target="_new">Doug Derryberry</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Alag%C3%ADa" target="_new">John Alagia</a>, <a href="http://verticalhorizon.com" target="_new">Vertical Horizon</a>, and more. It was an interesting peak into the past, with the knowledge that all of these musicians went on to do big things. <br><br>
A comment left on one of the photos reads "What I wouldn't give to have been living in Virginia in '94.... sigh".<br><br>
My response in the comment section: "Those were amazing times 18 years ago. But 18 years from now, I'd like to think you can look back at today's Washington Post and be equally amazed. All the more reason to support local music:)"<br><br>
In theory, everybody wants to catch a band before they make it big. But you can't do that if you don't support local music. It's hard to believe, but the <a href="http://danfisk.com/home.cfm" target="_new">Grammy winners of 2030</a> are probably playing at that BBQ joint around the corner next friday. Did you ever catch <i>Starfish </i>before they became <a href="http://www.coldplay.com" target="_new">Coldplay</a>? Or <i>Pineapple </i>before you knew them as <a href="http://fleetfoxes.com" target="_new">Fleet Foxes</a>? Wouldn't it have been great to see <i>Tony Flow And The Miraculously Majestic Masters of Mayhem</i> long before you could calle them <a href="http://redhotchilipeppers.com" target="_new">RHCP</a>?<br><br>
Want a place to start? Check out <a href="http://www.morganfraziermusic.com/" target="_new">Morgan Frazier</a>, <a href="http://www.gideongrove.com/" target="_new">Gideon Grove</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/mattdukesongs" target="_new">Matt Duke</a>. Because the next time you hear of them, you might not be able to get tickets.... but you will be able to brag.<br><br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/2488952012-11-09T07:10:00-05:002022-01-17T05:23:26-05:00My Dog's Speeding TicketI have been known to have a lead foot every now and then. Although I currently own a truck (how else to tote around all that band gear?!), the previous vehicles I have owned since the moment I had a license included 2 Camaros and a Mustang. (Insert <a href="http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=small%20penis%20syndrome" target="_new">SPS</a> joke here)<br><br>
On a recent trip up to NY, I was driving through DC on Rt. 295 at a casual pace. I don’t know, let’s say 11-15 miles per hour over the posted limit of 50 mph. About 2 weeks later, I received a nice letter in the mail from the DC Metropolitan Police Department which included 3 photos of my truck. Here is the top half of the letter: <br><div style="text-align: center; ">
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Now from this photo you can clearly see that I am speeding right?! I would feel better if they sent me one of those fancy “moving pictures” that the kids these days call “video” that at least would have proved I was speeding. Not to mention, how can you prove it was me driving? You know what the photo does prove though? That my Rhodesian Ridgeback <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10150844679057905&set=pb.783612904.-2207520000.1352475593&type=3&theater" target="_new">Cannon</a> was sticking his head out of the back window. Clearly he is the only “person” visible in the truck. Clearly he is the only one responsible. Clearly he was using the cruise control function set above the speed limit while he stuck his head out the back window. You can’t prove nothin’ copper! <br><br>
So my dog is a borderline felon now. Because I’m a good Dad, I bailed him out of jail and paid the $125 ticket. Though I was bummed to hear THE DAY AFTER I GOT THE TICKET, D.C. <a href="http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/11/02/d-c-changes-fines-for-speed-red-light-cameras/" target="_new">lowered </a>all their “automated traffic enforcement” fines. Good timing. It turns out that D.C. had a <a href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/jobs-and-economy/2012/10/secret-dcs-budget-surplus-traffic-cameras-and-rich-people-dying/3461/" target="_new">budget surplus of $139 million dollars</a>, thanks in no small part to the $23 million dollars they made from the traffic cameras. Glad I could help. So the take home lessons here are 1) Never let your dog drive... they are always in a hurry. 2) Know where the speed cameras are! <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/trafficandcommuting/2012/10/23/7261811c-1d42-11e2-ba31-3083ca97c314_story.html" target="_new">Here</a> are the top 10 locations people get tickets in D.C. if you were wondering. <br><br><a href="http://www.danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?postid=1157211&feature=1474696" target="_new">Drive safe!</a> <br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/2238012012-10-02T05:23:01-04:002017-01-13T13:14:14-05:00The Bassist Diaries<div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/9847b2051d3de1cb9ebda6a130029d945edac596/medium/diary4.gif?1378176322" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="207" width="250" /></div>
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As many of you know, I was in a band called “<a href="http://danfisk.bandcamp.com/album/sight-lines" target="_new">Knockout Mouse</a>” for several years before doing the solo singer-songwriter thing. KM played hundreds of shows between NY, PA, MD, DC, and VA. Anyway, a couple years ago, due to a technical glitch, I lost my list of shows that the band had performed over the years. Being an overly organized–anal retentive–pack rat, this was information I need to have! You never know when you might want to look up what <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_smoking_bans_in_the_United_States" target="_new">smokey bar</a> you played on a random Friday in November of 2006. Or what if you find yourself in court as a witness to a fight that broke out at your show and you need to look up details of that night?! (I only wish I made up that last one.) I was distraught! But little did I know that Johnny Love (AKA John Jens) was not only playing bass in the band, he was also taking private notes after he got home after every show. He never intended to have anybody read them other than himself (which makes the occasional reference to himself in third person all the more funny). He included info about the crowd, how we sounded, what songs worked, and random observations etc. So when he gave me the list to replace the one I had lost, I REALLY enjoyed reading his descriptions and notes. I have listed some of my favorites, and changed some names to protect the innocent. I present to you “The Bassist Diaries”:<br><br><i>Date, Bar X, _______, MD;</i> 4 sets was tough; ready to pack up after 3; John autographed a couple drunk chick’s backs<br><br><i>Date, Bar X, _______, VA;</i> 9pm; no cover. Had to play inside due to rain; was great show until Joe punched Ken, scrum, Brenda flew into drumset wrestling Ken off Joe, cops, Brenda got <a href="http://youtu.be/Xzkd_m4ivmc" target="_new">tased</a>...oy vey no 3rd set. Packed up early...<br><br><i>Date, Bar X, _______, VA;</i> horrible; we won't be returning; Tom’s a &%@ and doesn't care about live music and will be switching to all comedians...good for him<br><br><i>Date, Private festival, MD</i> Wow. Could write a book about this show. Rainstorms x 4. Rich from the first band, Sampson Road or whatever the %$#! they were called, wanted a stage; demanded a stage. The 30ft trailer they brought was ridiculous; the tent wouldn't fit on top. F the stage! Dave slipped and broke his arm just before the last rain storm finished and we were to do line-check for them. Totally sucks <br><br><i>11 Aug 2007</i> -<i> Nissan Pavillion VIP Club side stage</i>; Danny & Johnny w/ Mike Jewel - Mike on vaca; partied with Adam and MJ beforehand, place crawling with cops, nice; Dan on crutches; &%@ing hotter than Afrika; "we're opening for DMB!" heh<br><br><i>25 Aug 2007 </i>-<i> Nissan Pavillion VIP Club side stage;</i> hotter than ballz, again; thunderstorms shortened our sets and mad scramble to cover everything with tarp; tons of drunk young girls running around for Kenny Chesney<br><br><i>New Years Eve 2007 Bar X, _______, VA</i>; $10 cover includes champagne toast pretty good turnout though not the largest here; fire marshall made them take down xmas lights on ceiling, waste of at least an hour during setup; 1521s worked fine again; used 15" as rack stand for mixer + combo + just a bit in the PA for good results and lots of compliments on sound;<br><br><i>8 June 2008 - Nissan Pavillion VIP Club side stage;</i> some dude called Tom Petty on the main stage. Hotter than africa hot; markbass DI gave issues; couple cables bad; bad first set sound; worse playing; 2nd better but combo acting weird (heat?)<br><br><i>Date, Private wedding, VA; </i>great time; winning ugly though; Dan stress puppy; Sarah pretty good on cowbell; Sweet Caroline HUGE hit; Safety Dance surprised, too; couple power issues blowing circuits, guess those 2 outlets WERE on the same circuit; hot and humid, showers during setup under huge tent with decent stage; JBLs sounded good, clean, projected nicely; bluegrass band was ok<br><br><i>Date, Bar X, _______, VA;</i> 10pm; no cover; ok turn out, nice weather, lots of ppl outside, not so many inside; long set worked well (100 mins); Shannon the wanna-be bass player was just as bad as could be imagined<br><br><i>10 Aug 2007 - Danny & Johnny w/ Mike Jewel - the Red Horse Tavern (formerly Maxwell's), Middleburg, VA;</i> 9:30pm; no cover sit-down, coffee shop vibe was cool; Dan busted his ankle jumping off a trailer earlier in the week and on crutches<br><br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/2100802012-09-05T19:23:03-04:002012-09-05T19:23:03-04:00Down For The Count<div style="text-align: center; "> </div>
A couple Saturday’s ago I had a long night. Late gig, early morning greasy diner, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Yada_Yada" target="_new">yada yada</a>. I slept for a total of three short hours before waking up and heading to Buffalo Wild Wings for some lunch with friends. Six boneless wings and a <a href="http://www.experienceproject.com/groups/Love-Mountain-Dew/31171" target="_new">Mountain Dew</a> later I was headed to another friends farm to shoot some pistols on a hot summer day. (Yes, I’m a liberal who likes to shoot guns on occasion. More rare than a <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/28/us/montana-big-foot-accident/index.html" target="_new">Bigfoot</a> sighting.)<br><br>
It never occurred to me that drinking all night followed by three hours sleep with no water in me followed by standing in the sun for two hours is potentially dangerous. It STILL didn’t occur to me when I started to get really hot. Then really sick. Then really dizzy. I told everybody around me that I was hot/sick/dizzy the moment that wonderful cornucopia of feelings swept over me. I remember trying to kneel down on one knee, and then it all went black.<br><br>
The next thing I remember was like a scene out of movie. I heard voices calling my name, and as I opened my eyes I saw several upside down heads nervously looking down at me. I asked “where am I”, to which they responded “you passed out!”. All I could think about was “why the hell did you wake me up? I was really enjoying that deep sleep!”. <br><br>
So kids, there is your lesson. <a href="http://www.dumblittleman.com/2007/07/9-great-reasons-to-drink-water-and-how.html" target="_new">Drink water</a>. Lots of water. Especially after a night of drinking, no sleep, and a Mountain Dew / chicken wing breakfast in the hot sun. It was the first time I ever passed out in my life. Oh, and if you are wondering, we were all done shooting by the time I hit the ground. I find it hard to hit the target when you are unconscious. <br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1971382012-08-06T20:05:00-04:002017-01-13T13:14:14-05:00Don’t Chunder Near My Chowda<div style="text-align: center; "> </div>
So I spent last week in the great state of Maine. There are many reasons to love Maine, but I am only obsessed with one of them: Lobsters. Lots and lots of lobsters. <br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/16743aa7f0297e93149ef24a1c1df0af46b5ac93/medium/IMG_5266.JPG?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="188" width="250" /></div>
<div style="text-align: center; "><span style="font-size: x-small; ">A face only a mother could love. </span></div>
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There is no better time to be in Maine for lobster lovers than early August, thanks to the <a href="http://www.mainelobsterfestival.com" target="_new">Maine Lobster Festival</a> in Rockland. It’s a weeklong celebration of crustaceans, and though there are bands, arts and crafts, games, speed knitting (seriously) and cooking contests - the 20,000 pounds of lobster they serve up in the food tent is why I attend. Picnic tables lined the inside of the food tent, with an open isle down the center that included large trashcans. After eating my first two whole Giant Sea Cockroaches, I headed back to get another. The moment I stood up, I noticed a young teenager right next to me with his head buried in a trash can tossing his cookies. Maybe he had a bad clam, maybe he was just sick. But I ignored it, and went up front and grabbed Lobster #3. On my way back, I noticed that Chucky McPuke-a-lot was sitting down next to his garbage can, and the kid’s mother was now looking in the can, presumably looking at her sons expensive but hardly enjoyed lunch. Right when I was thinking that that was a bit odd (and by “odd”, I mean disgusting), the lady’s mouth exploded and added to the seemingly growing pile of awesomeness somewhere deep in that can.<br><br>
Most people would probably lose their appetite at this point (in fact, some of you may want to skip lunch after reading this). However I didn’t drive 13 hours to miss out on my 10-legged friends. I sat down at my table, just a few feet from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chunder" target="_new">Chunder</a> family and gleefully cracked some claw to the sounds of somebody’s stomach being turned upside down just a few feet away.<br><br>
Nothing comes between me and my Lobstah. <br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1862502012-07-04T19:25:00-04:002017-01-13T13:14:14-05:00Yes, That Was My Job<br type="_moz">
According to a government survey, the median amount of time that a person stays at one job is 4.1 years. So the average person will have between 7-10 different jobs throughout the course of their working lives. I love hearing what people used to do before they landed at their current position. It’s typically far more interesting than whatever desk job they hate to drive to every day currently. Maybe fuzzy memories and glorified fish-tales make the past more romantic and funny. <br><br>
Though I usually share a singular, specific story for my IAHAS blog, I thought I would give you all a glimpse into my working past by listing a few jobs I have held in my pre-musician life and sharing my favorite story from each. Enjoy.<br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/ab2a62d3d3f1aa221ade7a97aabd417c966c76ca/medium/Jack.jpg?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="194" width="250" /></div>
<br><b>Beekeeper.</b><br>
Yup, I wore the awesome bee suit. During a summer home from college, I assisted a bee keeper while working for the USDA <a href="http://www.ars.usda.gov/main/site_main.htm?modecode=19-10-05-00" target="_new">Plant Genetic Resources Unit</a>. Every morning I would enter these screened off test plots and move bees around. I probably dealt with tens of thousands of bees, and never once got stung. I was proud of that fact! That is until I was driving home with my window down after my very last day of work. Bee flies in, stings my arm. It’s like the bees heard me bragging and just couldn’t resist.<br><br><b>Garbage Man.</b><br>
High school… summer job… worked for Village of Seneca Falls. All the summer kids were on 2 weeks rotation. Two full weeks on “the packer”, and two weeks doing something else. One day it was well above 90 degrees (rare for Upstate NY), which caused the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maggot" target="_new">maggots</a> to smell particularly potent in nearly every trash can I opened and lifted up to empty in the back of the truck. One trash container’s top wouldn’t open… I pulled every corner… harder and harder.. and then SNAP! The lid flies up, and apparently the inside of it was covered in those nice squishy, hot, smelly maggots. Which upon me aggressively pulling it off, made dozens of them fly off the lid and cover my face and chest. Yummy.<br><br><b>Fish Hatchery Technician.</b><br>
My first college degree was in Fisheries and Wildlife, and I worked at the <a href="http://www.cobleskill.edu/academics/schools/agriculture-and-natural-resources/fisheries-wildlife/fisheries-and-aquaculture/coldwater-hatchery.asp" target="_new">on-campus Fish Hatchery</a> at <a href="http://www.cobleskill.edu" target="_new">SUNY Cobleskill</a>. I cleaned gigantic fish tanks, I washed filters, I squeezed eggs (roe) out of fish to cross breed, I fed them, I smelled like fish when I went to class. <br><br><b>Environmental Compliance Specialist.</b><br>
My wildlife degree landed me a job at <a href="http://www.wetlandstudies.com">Wetland Studies and Solutions</a> after college, and I worked there for many years before I took music more seriously. I still work for them a little bit whenever they need me between my gigs. Best story from Wetland Studies? Probably <a href="http://danfisk.com/iahas.cfm?feature=1474696&postid=1754454#.T_TxpTHwt_g.google" target="_new">the story</a> I told in this very blog back in February. <br><br>
Thanks to high school and college summers, I had several other jobs that I didn’t list here (farmer, cemetery landscaping, grape vine trimmer, street paver and more). I don’t regret any job I have ever had, and never will. Who else do you know that can pick up your trash on the way to breeding some salmon while simultaneously managing the bee hives near the wetland in your back yard? Email me or post on my FB page your interesting jobs growing up!<br><br>
PS – tip your garbage man double this Christmas. Trust me, he deserves it.<br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1753242012-06-05T18:26:50-04:002017-01-13T13:14:13-05:00You'll Pay WHAT For Jay Leno?!Earlier this month I had the unique opportunity to play at the 4th Annual Fisher House Golf Classic fundraiser at Lansdowne Resort. It was an amazing event that raised over 1 million dollars. For those that aren’t familiar with <a href="http://www.fisherhouse.org" target="_new">The Fisher House Foundation</a>, they build homes on the grounds of VA medical centers to provide free lodging for the families of military members receiving medical care. Hosted by CNN White House correspondent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brianna_Keilar" target="_new">Brianna Keilar</a>, the event had several special guests, including <a href="http://www.jcs.mil/biography.aspx?ID=135" target="_new">General Martin Dempsey</a> (Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff), who actually upstaged me by singing a song himself.<br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/6c93d92be4544b091c207d0bdd9a150e7189649f/medium/Fisher_House.jpg?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="200" width="300" /></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small; ">Look at me in my fancy cloths!</span></i><span style="font-size: x-small; "><br><br type="_moz"></span>
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Following dinner, they had a live auction to help raise more money for this great cause. While Brianna played the auctioneer, items auctioned off included a framed American flag that flew over Afghanistan, a baseball bat signed by 28 Medal of Honor recipients, and more. All of the items were going for between $2,000 - $5,000. The last item up for bid was the “Jay Leno Package”, which included a private tour for two of <a href="http://www.jaylenosgarage.com" target="_new">Jay’s car collection</a> in LA and two VIP tickets to <a href="http://www.nbc.com/the-tonight-show" target="_new">The Tonight Show</a> with a stop in the green room followed by a meet and greet with Jay. I was sitting there thinking that some rich dude would probably be willing to pay a couple grand for it. When the bidding reached 4 grand and seemed to stall out, Brianna asked if there were any more bids. Some guy sitting in the front row raised his left hand while his right hand held a phone pressed to his ear, apparently giving bid instructions. He mumbled something that sounded like “one hundred thousand dollars”. Brianna looked down and said “did you say one HUNDRED thousand dollars?!”. After consulting with the person on the other end of the phone, he in fact repeated ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. The crowd went dead silent, all of us wondering if this was even real. Who raises an auction bid from 4 grand to a 100 grand?! Ummmm… do I hear TWO hundred thousand dollars? No such luck. After a quick confirmation from Brianna, she proudly said “sold!” with a surprised look on her face shared by the whole room. <br><br>
While the entire audience gave the mystery bidder a standing ovation, the guy that placed the bet held the phone up so the charitable caller could hear the claps. He was also able to hear Brianna announce to the crowd that the grand total raised from the event was $960,000. Just a few seconds later, the bidder decided to best his own generosity and INCREASE his bid to $140,000 – just to make sure the event raised an even million.<br><br>
So how much is Jay Leno worth? Well, at least one person thinks he’s worth about 140 grand. Obviously the mystery bidder wanted to wonderfully donate a serious lump of cash to the foundation, and didn’t really think the Leno trip was worth that much. But it was certainly a flamboyant way to help a great cause. Now if I could just sell a few more <a href="http://www.danfisk.bandcamp.com" target="_new">$8 CDs</a> at my shows…<br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1645812012-05-05T13:15:00-04:002017-02-01T17:43:06-05:00Tony Lucca... FinallyMy blog posts are always about my run-ins with the world (hence the “I Always Have A Story” title). But just this once, I want to rant for a moment about a reality TV show, specifically <a href="http://www.nbc.com/the-voice" target="_new">The Voice</a>, and more specifically one of the contestants: <a href="http://www.tonylucca.com" target="_new">Tony Lucca</a>. <br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/4e8b0fce8fb224ebed7ace49948a9cbd5a68537c/medium/Tony.jpg?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="199" width="300" /></div>
<br><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Idol" target="_new"> American Idol</a> started this crazy trend of “reality” talent shows back in 2002. The show was a huge hit, entertaining, and has produced some <a href="http://www.wetpaint.com/american-idol/articles/the-top-10-most-successful-american-idol-contestants" target="_new">major stars</a>. One reason for the success of these shows is the “coming-out-of-nowhere” aspect of the contestants. You haven’t heard of them before, they are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underdog_(TV_series)" target="_new">underdogs</a>, and their back-story is touching (dad just died, they are going broke, they are working as a dishwasher, they overcame a horrific disease, etc). Who doesn’t love to cheer for the underdog? It’s as American as apple pie and road rage.<br><br>
Which brings me to Tony Lucca, current top 4 contestant on NBC’s The Voice. For those of you that don’t know, Tony started his career off as a teenager on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mickey_Mouse_Club" target="_new">Mickey Mouse Club</a>. Fellow castmates included many future stars like <a href="http://www.justintimberlake.com" target="_new">Justin Timberlake</a>, <a href="http://trialx.com/curetalk/wp-content/blogs.dir/7/files/2011/03/gcelebrities/Britney_Spears-4.jpg" target="_new">Britney Spears</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keri_Russell%20" target="_new">Keri Russell</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryan_Gosling" target="_new">Ryan Gosling</a> and current coach on The Voice, <a href="http://www.christinaaguilera.com">Christina Aguilera</a>. Obviously Tony didn’t become a mega-star like the others, but he has been a successful singer-songwriter, touring the country and releasing <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Lucca#Discography" target="_new">a dozen or so albums</a> over the past 15 years. Being a “struggling musician” myself, I find his level of success extremely commendable. Don’t confuse fame with success. His CD sales, his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Lucca#Other_Ventures" target="_new">song placements</a> on several television shows, his collaborations with major acts, his <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0524331/" target="_new">acting career</a> and his dedicated fanbase nationwide has made him more “successful” than literally 99.9% of every self proclaimed “musician” in the world. <br><br>
You may have never heard of Tony Lucca before, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t great. And it also doesn’t mean he hasn’t been successful (did I mention he also has a beautiful wife and two adoring children?). I know America wants to see a “nobody” win The Voice. And many people don’t think it’s fair that somebody like Tony, who has had some national success, a previous record deal, and some celebrity fans pulling for him, should have the opportunity to compete on a talent show that is supposed to find the countries best unknown talent. But really, who more deserves national attention than a guy who has dedicated his life to his craft, paid his dues 10 times over, and just hasn’t had the right opportunity or luck to let the world know about him until now. Tony Lucca is exactly who should be on The Voice, and exactly the type of guy that should win. But win or lose, Tony has made it far enough (top four as of the moment I’m writing this) to achieve massive notoriety that should boost his career higher than he ever thought possible. <br><br>
Someday I will write a book on the many levels of success in the music business (I find the topic extremely interesting). Tony has been hanging out on a particular “rung” on the musical success “ladder” for quite some time. It’s hard to climb up there, but even harder to reach the next rung. There are hundreds of guys out there that are equally talented and deserve wild fame as well (see Tony’s <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/TFDI/181905377030" target="_new">TFDI</a> bandmate and my old buddy <a href="http://www.jaynash.com" target="_new">Jay Nash</a>, <a href="http://www.erniehalter.com" target="_new">Ernie Halter</a>, <a href="http://www.martinsexton.com" target="_new">Martin Sexton</a>, <a href="http://www.mutlusounds.com/intro.htm" target="_new">Mutlu</a>, <a href="http://www.justin-jones.com" target="_new">Justin Jones</a> and a many, many more). But the glamour of fame doesn’t come without a little luck, a lot of talent, and sometimes a show like The Voice to put you over the top. In the few times I have met Tony over the years, I didn’t get the impression that he cares at all if he is famous. He is a legitimate nice guy and lacks the ego that many others of his talent level posess. I think he just wants to make music, entertain his fans, support his family, and do what he knows best. Tony didn’t choose music as a career… music choose Tony. Now we shall see if America does as well. Good lucky Tony, you deserve it.<br><i><br>
Watch The Voice on NBC on Mondays at 8pm and Tuesdays at 9pm.<br><br><b>VIDEOS:</b><br><div style="text-align: center; "> </div>
<div style="text-align: center; "><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUmIhvqcT04" target="_new"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/1443c6148726ca62cf992b4e32127adc343704f7/medium/Tony_how.JPG?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="182" width="300" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center; ">Tony performs "How You Like Me Now" on The Voice.</div>
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<br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrsdErnO4Sg" target="_new"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/a48720466f644a45901e8a98e1bcc3b287010c2d/medium/Tony_Pretty1.JPG?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="183" width="300" /></a><br>
Tony performs "Pretty Things" in NYC, April 2012.</div>
<br type="_moz"></i>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1556512012-04-08T05:59:13-04:002017-01-13T13:14:13-05:00Totally Worth ItIt seems I am not capable of going to New York City without returning with a story. Remember my story from a couple years ago when a baby walked into the bar I was playing at? Well this most recent trip was no different… <br><br>
After playing a show at <a href="http://www.livingroomny.com/googies" target="_new">Googies Lounge</a> on the Lower East Side a couple weeks back, a few friends and I ended up at a bar in Astoria. After a long day and night and a few bladder filling cocktails, it was finally time to go to bed. But first we had to drop one friend off at the train station, followed by a 45 minute car ride to yet another friends house at which we were staying. It was very early in the car ride that I had the realization that there was a 0.0% chance of making it back to his house before having to go to the bathroom. Widely recognized as the weakest of bladders among my fellow humans, tonight was a decisive loss in the battle against it’s sworn enemy: beer. <br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/45e6048e19632a4dbc1eb45367aa1369d21f30ae/original/No_Pee.jpg?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="168" width="170" /></div>
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I drove around looking for a restaurant. No luck. I kept my eyes open for a bar with a glowing “Open” sign. No luck. I looked for a wooded lot amidst the neighborhoods of suburban Astoria. No luck. At this point, I would have happily taken a construction site porta-potty covered in horse manure. I decided I had no choice: I just had to park on a relatively dark street and go in the nearest bush. <br><br>
The row houses on the particular street I chose were not far off the road. There were only about 5 feet between the front doors and the sidewalks. But there it was, a beautiful bush next to a door in a dark street at 3am in New York City. Nobody within a mile of this place is awake. A guy peeing outside: this can’t be THAT unusual right? <br><br>
As I gracefully started the “relief process”, I noticed a woman at the other end of the street walking on the very sidewalk that eventually leads to where I was standing. I remember very distinctly thinking that I had plenty of time to wrap things up. However as she got closer, I realized that there was no end in sight. I made the decision to quietly continue on with my mission, hoping she walks right by me and chalks it up to crazy New Yorkers doing what they do. <br><br>
That plan seemed fine until she got right behind me and yelled “This is NOT a bathroom!”. My slight embarrassment turned to guilt when I realized that she was just a couple feet away from me, unlocking her door. Yup, I was peeing on her house. Not AT her house, but ON her house. What the hell are the chances of that? I didn’t say a word. Just got in my car and left. <br><br>
Totally worth it.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1467452012-03-10T08:58:57-05:002017-02-01T17:10:41-05:00The Nashville ExperienceA couple weeks ago I made it down to Nashville for the first time in my life. Fellow DC musicians and friends <a target="_new" href="http://www.brianfranke.com">Brian Franke</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.practicallyeinstein.com">Brad Pugh</a> made the 9.5 hour drive with me down to Tennessee to play a couple open mics, network, meet up with some friends, and just absorb and learn what the Nashville music scene is all about. <br><br>
I could write a novel about my trip down there. But I will give the brief highlights:<br><br>
I saw my favorite VA band <a target="_new" href="http://www.carbonleaf.com">Carbon Leaf</a> play at <a target="_new" href="http://www.exitin.com">Exit/In</a>, and got to hang with them after the show. I played an open mic at <a target="_new" href="http://www.debichampion.com/">The Commadore</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://www.bluebirdcafe.com">The Bluebird</a> (which is a legendary venue, and without a doubt the best open mic in the country). I went to <a target="_new" href="http://www.fisk.edu/">Fisk University</a> to buy a few t-shirts so people think I’m important when I wear them. I had amazing bbq at <a target="_new" href="http://www.hogheavenbbq.com">Hog Heaven</a>. Had way too much fun getting to know the bar scene; <a target="_new" href="http://www.3crowbar.com">3 Crow Bar</a>, <a target="_new" href="http://www.tootsies.net">Toosies</a>, <a target="_new" href="http://www.the5spotlive.com">The 5 Spot</a> (East Nashville rocks!) and a million more. Met a pile of amazing musicians including <a target="_new" href="http://www.trevorfinlay.com%20">Trevor Finlay</a>, Nicole Neff, <a target="_new" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/autumnreynolds">Autumn Reynolds</a>, <a target="_new" href="http://www.pitchperfectrecording.com">Steve Goodie</a>, <a target="_new" href="http://www.chadelliott.net/">Chad Elliot</a>, 18-year old <a target="_new" href="http://www.nashvillemusicguide.net/morgan-frazier-curb%E2%80%99s-texas-teen-sings-her-life/">Morgan Frazier</a> (she’s going places, trust me), and several others. <br><br><div style="text-align: center; ">
<img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/12d7900181f98bb169349b38f1d9734ff449e06d/medium/IMG_6693.JPG?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="225" width="300" /><br><span style="font-size: smaller; ">Brian, Brad and I playing at The Commadore</span><br type="_moz">
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I was blown away at the collaborative nature between the musicians of Nashville. I was in awe of the sheer volume of musicians and venues. Everybody was incredibly nice (well, almost everybody), and our 5 day trip was short enough that I want to make it back there as soon as possible. I’m not sure I’m ready to move to Music City, but I certainly want to visit and tour on a regular basis. <br><br>
Till next time Nashville. Keep a mic warm for me.<br type="_moz">Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/734232012-02-01T12:15:00-05:002012-02-01T12:15:00-05:00That’s Bloody MarvelousAs some of you may know, my major in college was Wildlife Management. After school I got a job at an Environmental Consulting firm down here in Virginia. Although it was only a tiny portion of the job, one responsibility was to help control the massive overpopulation of deer in our large <a target="_new" href="http://www.epa.gov/owow/wetlands/facts/fact16.html">wetland banks</a>. To do this, a group of four of us – all legal, trained and certified – would do night hunts. For those of you that wonder what we did with the deer after they were killed, have no fear; all meat was donated to <a target="_new" href="http://www.h4hungry.org/">Hunters For The Hungry</a> which helps feed those less fortunate. <br><br>
On one particular night a few years back, we finished up at about 3:00am. Because we clean the deer in the field, we often get a little bit of blood on us. Okay, actually a lot of blood. After leaving the site, we decided to stop at a 7-11 to pick up some drinks. All four of us were wearing dark clothing. All four of us had blood stained cloths, blood all over our hands, and a bit of blood smeared on our faces. We pretty much looked like we just slaughtered a small village. The Indian fellow behind the counter froze as we walked through the door. He started to shake. He didn’t say a word. As we shopped around the store chatting with each other, a couple of us *might* have said a few things like “man, that dude will NOT mess with us again”. <br><br>
He checked us out without making eye contact. He was superbly freaked out. Mission accomplished. Homeless people got fed. The deer population was improved. And the Indian teller had a great story for his family (or maybe the cops?).Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1319242012-01-04T13:15:00-05:002017-01-13T13:14:13-05:00My Shortest FanThis past December, I played a Christmas party at a private residence in DC. I have performed at their (beautiful) house once before the previous year. During that first performance, I was set up in the corner of the living room, with guests mingling around that part of the house. It was all adults, except for one extraordinarily cute little boy – the home owners son. He walked into the room, toy guitar in hand, and with a shy demeanor hidden behind a coy smile, strummed his guitar just a few feet away from me. He was officially part of the band. <br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/e25dac39dafe6c3981a348a1a13678846244f8c1/medium/1210_Party.jpg?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="225" width="300" /></div>
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A year later was the Christmas party, and there I was again, playing in the corner. This time, my old bandmate was a bit sleepy, and only made a short appearance at the party… just long enough to watch me play a couple songs. His Dad told me that over the past year, he would often go to that corner of the room and play "Dan" (a.k.a. play his plastic guitar in the same place I do). By the time the Christmas party ended, he was fast asleep upstairs. I gave his dad a copy of my CD and the guitar pick I used that night to pass on to the miniature musician. I heard he was excited to get it and couldn’t wait to use it. Super cute!<br><br>
First, I would like to take this opportunity to personally claim full responsibility if he becomes a rock star. I expect to be mentioned in his first Grammy acceptance speech. Second, I want to remind everybody how music can resonate with everybody – no matter how old or young you are. So next time your niece or nephew or son or daughter asks for a new video game, buy them a kazoo! (or guitar, or drums, or flute, or whatever won’t make the upstairs neighbors angry).<br><div style="text-align: center; ">
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"Kids: they dance before they learn there is anything that isn't music. <br>
~William Stafford</div>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1262992011-12-02T09:40:00-05:002017-01-13T13:14:13-05:00 A Mustache WeekendMany of you know that <a target="_new" href="http://us.movember.com/">MOVEMBER</a> is coming to a close. The annual, month-long event involves the growing of moustaches during the month of November. The Movember Foundation raises money and awareness of men’s health issues, such as prostate cancer and depression. <br><br>
Although I didn’t participate this year, it reminded me of a great mustache weekend I had a few years back. Yeah, you heard me right… I used the term “Mustache Weekend”. My closest 6 guy friends from high school (collectively known as “The Bhutan”… don’t ask.) and I decided to have a mustache contest when we got together up in NY for our annual trek to Syracuse to watch a basketball game. We got lots of looks while at the bar after the game. A picture is worth a thousand words.
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With great mustache comes great responsibility”</div>
<div style="text-align: center; ">~Peter Griffin</div>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1217342011-11-04T09:30:00-04:002017-02-01T16:27:20-05:00Bowling With Your HeroIn the late 90’s, the band <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_(band)">+LIVE+</a> was huge. With hits like “<a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsJ4O-nSveg">Lighting Crashes</a>” and “<a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNrQOUtXYOo&ob=av2e">I Alone</a>”, they sold over 12 million records. Although my own music is on the softer side of these alt-rockers, I grew up a big fan of their driving guitars and melodic lines. Lead singer Ed Kowalczyk and guitarist Chad Taylor were certainly heroes of mine. Which made February 14th, 2000 all the more special. <br><br>
In my college days at <a target="_new" href="http://www.cobleskill.edu/">SUNY Cobleskill</a> in Upstate NY, I helped create a “Concert Committee” to bring live music to the college. During my last couple years at school, I spent 10 months planning for the biggest concert the college had ever seen. Gathering funds and support took up all of my time, and my GPA plummeted to prove it. But all the work paid off, and eventually the day came where I was escorting my musical heroes off a bus and into the main building on campus that included the gym that they would be performing in. <br><br>
Although I loved my time in college, SUNY Cobleskill is known for being in the middle of nowhere. It’s a cow town. You can literally major in Diesel Technology with a specialization in John Deere. But one thing Coby does have (other than lots of Carhartt jackets), is a small bowling alley. And when I walked by the open door to our 4 lane alley with the band members, Kowalczyk got excited. He asked if they could use it, and there was no way I was turning him down (even though I was told that the alley was off-limits because it was being painted at the time). He could have asked me to burn down the local retirement home while I ran it around it wearing women’s underwear and I probably would of said yes. <br><br>
So there I was, hanging out with my heroes watching them bowl. Scoring in the low 100’s, they probably made a good choice sticking with music over the <a target="_new" href="http://www.pba.com/">PBA</a>.<br><br>
Unfortunately the photos I took in the bowling alley came out dark, but here is a picture with Ed and I after the show. It was my first (and last) hug by a celebrity! Unless you count that time I snuggled with Elmo after a 3 day bender in Amsterdam.<br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/c17d953e83feb8882458ee267acf01b376460096/medium/dan_ed.jpg?1378176321" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="306" width="200" /></div>
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Maybe someday someone will want to go bowling with me;)<br type="_moz"><br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1168882011-10-02T14:41:38-04:002011-10-02T14:41:38-04:00Nice To Meet You Mouth, I'm FootI have been known to stick my foot in my mouth at times. I could probably write a short book of ridiculous foot-in-mouth stories from over the years. However I recently had my most public of all “I can’t believe I just said that” moments. <br><br>
I was DJing a wedding last weekend in Front Royal, VA – a rare gig for me but often lots of fun. For those that don’t know Virginia geography, Front Royal is in the northern portion of the state, and only about 25 miles from the West Virginia border. Toward the end of the evening, it was time to do the traditional bouquet and garter toss. This is a wedding tradition that is slowly dying, but it was fun to do this time around. I had some amusing music planned for the bouquet toss, the garter removal, the garter toss, and lastly the big finish where the two lucky recipients get a little personal. <br><br>
After the two uneventful catches, it was time for the placement of the garter on the single girl. Using my mic, I asked the crowd where the new couple was and if they were ready for the deed… nothing. The crowd milled around on the dance floor not knowing what to do as I started to play “Lets Get It On” by Marvin Gaye anticipating a sexy garment placement. I asked again, “Where is the couple? They ready? Lets do this!”. <br><br>
It was at the this point the bride looked over at me and quietly said “We can’t do it. It’s all family!”. Trying to be funny (big mistake), I jokingly proclaimed on mic “We’re close enough to West Virginia aren’t we?!”. <br><br>
The entire crowd stopped talking. All you can hear are ooohs, ahhhs, and boos. The bride looks over at me and says “Hey, my whole family is from West Virginia.” By this point, my foot was fully in my mouth, which made it difficult to say “Uhhhhhh.. and lets get back to some dancing!”. I turned up the music and was glad it was dark enough to hide my face turning red. But I’m guessing the bride’s mother noticed the change of color in me when she walked up 3 minutes later to ask that I say a public apology after the current song stops playing. Ouch. <br><br>
Train wreck complete. Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1125502011-09-02T07:50:00-04:002011-09-02T07:50:00-04:00Some Breeders Shouldn't ReproduceSome of you might know that I have a 4 year old dog named Cannon. He is extraordinarily cute, and he is a <a target="_new" href="http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/rhodesianridgeback.htm">Rhodesian Ridgeback</a>. For those not familiar with the breed, they were originally bred in Africa for their ability to distract a lion while awaiting their master to make the kill. That’s right – I own a lion hunter. To be honest, I think he’d prefer to be curled up on the couch than outside doing anything other than lying in the sun. But if a lion ever happens to walk in my house, oh man… it’s game on! <br><br>
Anyway, when first looking into some local “Ridgy” breeders, many of them had questionnaires that you have to fill out to ensure that you will be a good pet owner. I have no problem with this practice, as I know firsthand from working with HSLA that there are far too many bad dog owners out there. But one breeder (that shall remain nameless) took this questionnaire to a new level of ridiculous. <br><br>
Typical questions on breeder forms would be things like “<i>Do you have any children?</i>”, “<i>Do you own other dogs?</i>”, “<i>Do you have a fenced in yard?</i>”, or “<i>Will you be able to walk your dog several times per day?</i>” etc. All of these questions would be perfectly appropriate. However here are some of the questions they asked, followed by the answer my sarcastic brain would want to give. (PS – these are the ACTUAL questions from the breeder.) <br><br><b>Q:</b> <i>Are any individuals/children in your house diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)? Yes No</i><br><b>A:</b> Well my 3rd Grade teacher said I had ADD, but he also gave Richie Stevens a C- on his Science Fair display of a volcano which was really awesome except for when the lava, which was actually some type of Jello, poured out before he wanted it to and it got all over the gym floor. The janitor guy got really mad and took a swipe at Richie with a mop but… wait, what was the question? <br><br><b>Q:</b> <i>Have you ever seen a live lion in person, not on TV? Yes No</i><br><b>A:</b> Are you f&#king serious? Every day man... Every day. <br><br><b>Q:</b> <i>Have you actually seen a lion in a zoo? Yes No</i> <br><b>A:</b> Yes. And tigers. And bears. Oh my. <br><br><b>Q:</b> <i>How big is a lion? Length:____ Height:_____ Weight:_____ </i><br><b>A:</b> Well, I call mine The Snake, and frankly I don’t feel comfortable describing it to you in that amount of detail. Besides, how can I weigh it?<br><br><b>Q:</b> <i>If you and/or your family were at home in your TV room watching television, where would the puppy/dog be?</i><br><b>A:</b> Probably chained to the furnace in the basement with no water. Unless Dancing With The Stars is on. Dogs LOVE that show!<br><br><b>Q:</b> <i>If you went to watch a local parade, would you take the puppy/dog? Yes No Please explain. </i><br><b>A:</b> Yes. Especially if it was a parade that had giant Chinese dragons. He has to learn the difference between real dragons and fake dragons sometime. Need I explain more?Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1077352011-08-03T14:35:57-04:002011-08-03T14:35:57-04:00Drive SafeAbout 6% of all car accidents are due to cell phone usage. Hasn’t your mother ever told you that you shouldn’t text or email while you drive? I know this common sense rule. I have even had friends be seriously injured while texting. However…<br><br>
A couple weeks ago I was running late for a show in DC (it turned out to be the first show I have EVER been late too). Traffic was at a standstill on 395 approaching the city. The 45 minute drive had already taken me over two hours, so I was busy calling the venue and sending some emails. The traffic at this point was inching along. Move 10 feet, wait 10 seconds. Move 10 feet, wait 10 seconds. Lather, rinse, repeat. I thought it would be safe to use my Blackberry during this stop and go fun… until I hit the guy in front of me. Oops. <br><br>
This angry dude gets out of his car and aggressively comes up to my window asking for my ID. I get out and show him my license as we both look at the damage. Fortunately, there was none. Not even a scratch. He thought about his options, and was seemingly reluctant to shake my hand and say we should just forget about it since no harm was done to his car. <br><br>
Now the proper way to cap off this incident would have been to simply say “thank you” as I get back in my truck and go on my merry way. Instead of giving him this polite salutation, I chose to give him a firm shake and two words worth of ironic advice:<br><br>
“DRIVE SAFE!” <br><br>
I realized immediately that I had just hit this guy’s car due to my illegal and dangerous driving habits, and followed it up by telling him that HE should drive safe. I felt stupid twice that day.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1040232011-06-27T17:36:11-04:002011-06-27T17:36:11-04:00I Suck Huh? Well Don’t Tell That To Manassas.This past weekend, I was playing at a bar (that shall remain nameless) close to my house in Manassas, VA. It wasn’t very crowded, and with about 15 minutes left in my last set, there were only about a dozen local patrons left smoking and drinking their Saturday night away. This wasn’t a posh DC Martini Bar… this was a LOCALS bar. The kind of place that looks at you funny if you order anything other than a bud light. Half the men there had a Harley parked out front. <i>Everybody </i>smoked. Every conversation I overheard had an average of 4.5 swear words per sentence. It reminded me of the bar my Dad used to bring me in as a kid. (Yeah, I know.. that’s another story altogether). <br><br>
Anyway, in the middle of one of my songs late in the night, the only sub-25 year old in the bar walks out. Since I was set up right next to the front door, he was able to look over at me as he was walking out and say “You suck!”. I will admit, it surprised me a bit. I’ve played hundreds of shows, and that has just never happen before. The crowd that night was super supportive, and I thought they were really diggin’ what I was playing. When I finished that song, I told the crowd what he said, and a round of jeers pursued insisting that he is an idiot, and I was great. The bartender walked up and told me that the guy was pissy because he was drunk and just puked all over the floor, so they kicked him out. Okay, self confidence restored. I just wish I had a chance to say something back to his drunk arse. <br><br>
So 10 minutes later, I finish my last song of the night. The crowd pleads for one more. Okay, you twisted my arm. I start playing “<i>Wagon Wheel</i>” by Old Crow Medicine Show when my dreams were answered. “You know who” walks back in. I instantly stop in the middle of the song and speak clearly into my mic for all the crowd to hear: “Oh, look who’s back! It’s the kid that thinks I suck. I don’t go to your job and tell you that you suck at flippin burgers do I?!”. The kid freezes in front of me, obviously shocked that I put the spotlight on him. He was probably also thinking that he considers himself a pretty good burger flipper. Some lady then yells out “so do you really think he sucks?” and approaches us. She gets in his face and starts yelling at him. He is a deer in the headlights. He admits he said that I sucked. Slightly-drunk-but-awesome-lady is nose to nose yelling at him as about 6 other patrons approach and start berating him with verbal assaults. It was then that the drunk kid decides to move from “nose to nose” with her to “lip to lip” as he gives her an unwanted kiss just to make her angry. The crowd flips. <br><br>
Punches thrown. <br><br>
Bar fight spills out the door. <br><br>
I just start playing Wagon Wheel again, with a big smile on my face. <br><br>
Thank you Manassas. <br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/1018382011-06-04T12:47:58-04:002011-06-04T12:47:58-04:00The Great Hot Dog Bribe of 2000When I first moved to Virginia in 2000, I worked as an Environmental Technician (and continued to for several years). One of the many tasks associated with this job was to build walking bridges, duck blinds, and bird houses in newly created wetlands. This meant that I spent a LOT of time at Home Depot buying wood and other materials. I was in the Land of Orange at least 3 times a week, no joke! But one visit in particular was far more interesting than all of the rest combined. <br><br>
During the summer of 2000, I was sitting in a giant, clumsy 1991 Ford F250 company truck. I was parked at Home Depot, truck turned off, reading my receipt to make sure I didn’t get double charged for something. It was then I felt the truck move… it was so slight that I first thought a gust of wind was to blame. But a quick glance in the rear-view mirror let me know that another truck had just glanced my bumper. I got out of the truck to assess the damage. This old truck had been through hell already, and combined with the fact that it was built like a tank, there wasn’t even a scratch that I could notice. As I looked up, I noticed a VERY VERY large man walking up to me as he frantically said “I’m so sorry dude!”. He was flustered. He was in a hurry. He was anxious. He was stumbling with his words. He was paranoid. And he was also about 6’4” and 270 pounds. Literally the size of an NFL player. <br><br>
He was talking fast, not completing sentences, and he seemed REALLY worried I was mad at him. “I was in a hurry… I was checking my phone and.. my wife is mad at me… I left her keys in the… I got pulled over on my way here and got a ticket.. It’s been a bad… I don’t want you to sue me for a neck injury. Come over here and let me give you a hot dog”. What?! Did this gigantic man just give me 13 reasons why he barely scuffed my truck and is now offering me a hot dog? Or is giving me a “hot dog” some kind of slang for kicking my ass? <br><br>
It then started to make sense. He introduced himself as Tony Turk, and how he owned the hot dog stand in front of the Home Depot. Since it was late morning, I was getting hungry anyway so I took him up on his hot dog bribe. As I was waiting for him to fire up the grill, I found myself reading a dozen newspaper articles that were pinned up on the front of the hot dog stand. Most had a headline similar to “NFL Brother Combo Start Hot Dog Business”. The articles talked about Washington Redskins <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Turk">Dan</a> and <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matt_Turk">Matt Turk</a>. I asked Tony if he was related. Turns out he was yet another gigantic child of the Turk family. <br><br>
Although I didn’t know this at the time, the Turks were absolutely HATED by Redskin’s fans. Matt was a Pro Bowl punter, and older brother Dan was the long snapper. Dan botched several snaps during the ’99-’00 season, and worst of all, snapped so badly on what could have been a playoff game-winning 51-yard field goal that punter Brett Conway (Matt was traded to Miami earlier that year) could not get the kick off. The Redskins lost, and have never made it that deep in the playoffs since. <br><br>
Tony stood there and told me stories of growing up with his brothers. All three were extremely close, and were still dealing with daily threats by psycho fans and people walking right up to them expressing their hatred. It was like the Turks had single handedly ruined an NFL franchise. Over the next several months, Tony and I became friends. He sometimes called me “Neck Brace” – his nickname for me in reference to how he thought I was going to walk up in a brace someday letting him know I was going to sue for physical damages caused by our “accident”. I talked to him several times a week at his Home Depot hot dog stand. He never charged me for a hot dog that summer, and trust me, I ate a LOT of hot dogs! Every week he had a new story to tell. Tales of closing down an entire local bowling alley so he and his infamous brothers could bowl a few games without being harassed. Stories of bar fights, where drunk fans thought it would be a good idea to start a fight with three men that look like Gladiators. Tony was proud of his family, and his love for his brothers shined through with every word. Plenty of funny stories, and even some sad ones mixed in. <br><br>
Little did I know, that one of those sad stories was about to happen: Dan Turk got diagnosed with testicular cancer that summer. Although the Redskins had released him at season’s end and he could barely walk down the street without being yelled at, he had far bigger things to worry about. Unfortunately, Dan died in December of that same year. <br><br>
The following summer, all of the Turk hot dog stands were gone. I went to several Home Depots in the area that he had worked trying to find the jovial Tony Turk slingin’ dogs. He was nowhere to be found. I’m not sure what became of the Turk brothers, but I’ll never forget the summer I spent hearing one of the happiest and saddest stories in NFL history. <br><br>
I’m not a Redskin’s fan. But I am a fan of the Turks. And their free hot dogs. Thanks for the memories Tony, and I hope you and your family are doing well.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/990432011-05-05T16:10:23-04:002017-02-01T15:49:03-05:00Middle Name ConfusionA few months back, I told a story about my perennial scatterbrained but loving Mother, and her use of my computer as a <a target="_new" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/c/fan_reach/pt?eid=A646828__&url=http%3A%2F%2Fdanfisk.com%2Fiahas.cfm%3Ffeature%3D1474696%26postid%3D382272">fancy calculator</a>. I got more responses to that story than any other IAHAS post I have ever shared. I thought it might be a good time to pull another one out of the vast vault of crazy Mom tales. My nieces don’t call her “Goofy Gram” for nothing! <br><br>
My mother’s brother – Uncle Leigh to me – was a wonderful man. He was a Special Agent for the Department of Defense. He served in Vietnam with the U.S. Army. He was a loving father, an outdoorsman, he inspired me to play guitar, and he was absolutely hilarious. Since he lived in Wyoming most of my life, I only got to see him about once a year when he would visit my family in Upstate NY. I cherished those visits. As a kid, he reminded me of Dick Van Dyke in a way. He had the long face, kind spirit, and sense of humor that people gravitated toward. I couldn’t possibly say enough wonderful things about him. Unfortunately, he passed away in 2002 after a battle with <a target="_new" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/c/fan_reach/pt?eid=A646828__&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.alsa.org%2Fabout-als%2Fwhat-is-als.html%20">ALS</a> (Lou Gehrig’s disease). <br><br>
My mother was also very fond of Leigh. She had several brothers, but Leigh was special to her. So special in fact, that in honor of him, she decided to pass on his name to me. It was an honor indeed to have the middle name Leigh. I remember how many times as a kid that my mother would remind me with a proud smile on her face that my middle name was shared with her brother. She took every chance she could to repeat this unforgettable fact. <br><br>
However as I got a touch older, 10 years old maybe, I asked my mother one simple question that she surely must have assumed I would someday ask: “Mom, if my middle name is supposedly named after Uncle Leigh, then why is mine spelled “Lee” rather than “Leigh?” I don’t remember the exact answers my mother gave me as I asked this question over and over as I got older. But like a slippery politician, she gave me piles of non-answers – “it doesn’t matter”, “he knows I named you after him”, and “aw Dan, you’re just being silly”. <br><br>
Eventually I got old enough, late teens I suppose, that a lifetime full of non-answers were actually starting to bug me. I was curious. I wanted to know. I had spent my whole life explaining the story of my middle name with one possibly-false sentence: “I was named after my Uncle Leigh”. What was the real reason that my mother changed the spelling? <br><br>
I approached the creator of my three letter middle name with determination. I wasn’t going to accept any more lies or half-truths. It was show time, and she won’t be leaving this room until I get my answer! Was the whole story a scam? Was I really named after some high school sweetheart? A confederate General? Holy crap am I adopted?! All these questions needed to be put to rest. <br><br>
“Mom, I need to know this: Why is my middle name spelled differently than Uncle Leigh’s?” She started to repeat some old lines that I had heard before. I cut her off. “Mom, seriously… tell me the truth.” <br><br>
She paused. This was it. She was going to reveal the real reason right here and right now. <br><br>
“Well,” she said with a hint of defeat in her voice, “I just thought that it would be easier for you to spell.” <br><br>
What?! Easier to spell?! For her or for me?! I was taken aback. Could this be true? I will admit, there was a split second where I thought this was just another made-up-on-the-spot answer to avoid telling me some deep dark secret about my family history. But I know my mother too well. This really was the true answer. No matter how ridiculous the reasoning. <br><br>
That’s right - my mother actually thought that “Lee” would be easier to spell than “Leigh”. Don’t all newborn infants have a tough time with the “<a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/I_before_E_except_after_C">i before e, except after c</a>” rule? This was one of those odd exceptions to the rule I suppose. But considering it was MY NAME, you’d think by the time I was old enough to comprehend Sesame Street that I would be able to memorize 5 letters in a row. <br><br>
I love my mother and her crazy reasoning. I suppose all that really matters is that she really did name me after a magnificent human being. And I’m still honored… even if I have a miss-spelled middle name.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/968102011-04-06T00:00:00-04:002022-09-12T08:08:11-04:00Don't Worry Mom, I'm Not a Male Porn Star<p>“Dan” isn’t exactly a unique name. “Fisk” is a bit more rare. When paired together, “Dan Fisk” isn’t a bad combo to set me apart from all the John Smiths of the world. But I do occasionally hear of another Dan Fisk. There is a <a href="http://www.ucomparehealthcare.com/drs/daniel_fisk/">gynecologist</a> about 20 minutes away that shares my name (lucky me). There is another one that has an account at my bank. There is some college kid with a cheesy <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Final-Cut-with-Dan-Fisk/93728804970?v=wall&viewas=0" target="_new">movie review show</a> (that "happen" to have the exact same logo I use until I complained). They are out there.<br><br>As a musician who tries to make it easy for friends and fans to find me online, I’m fortunate to not have a super common name. If you use <a href="http://www.bing.com/search?q=dan+fisk&go=&form=QBLH&qs=n&sk=&sc=8-8" target="_new">Bing</a> or <a href="http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=Aqp_cZ2gmUVk_Gw0iohk7jebvZx4?p=dan+fisk&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8&fr=yfp-t-701" target="_new">Yahoo</a> to search for “Dan Fisk”, the first couple pages will be mine. However, if you use the search engine that completes 66% of all online searches in the US – <a href="http://www.google.com/#sclient=psy&hl=en&safe=off&site=&source=hp&q=dan+fisk&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&pbx=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=1&cad=b" target="_new">Google</a> – I am not the first page that pops up (I’m the second). For now, that top billing goes to… drumroll please…. A gay male porn star.<br><br>What ever happen to cool porn names? Dan Fisk?! Really? Does this guy not know what it takes to give yourself a great porn name? Here is the list of the top ten male porn names (from Buzz103.radio.com):<br><br>Seymore Butts<br>Dale DaBone<br>Ben Dover<br>Jack Hammer<br>Chocoball Mukai<br>Dick Nasty<br>Jon Dough<br>Arnold Schwarzenpecker<br>Long Dong Silver<br>ManDingo<br><br>Now THOSE are great porn names.<br><br>Interesting, I didn’t see DAN FISK on that list? Maybe it was number 11. Anyway, I’m just glad I was smart enough to purchase www.danfisk.com many years ago. I’d be seriously bummed out if that URL was covered in naked men.<br><br>Here some fun facts to chew on (thanks to <a href="http://www.HowManyOfMe.com" target="_new">www.HowManyOfMe.com</a>):<br><br>There are 159,022 people in the U.S. with the first name Dan.<br>There are 11,260 people in the U.S. with the last name Fisk.<br><br>There are 5.1 million people in the U.S. with the first name John.<br>There are 2.8 million people in the U.S. with the last name Smith.<br><br>There is exactly 1 stupid porn star with my name.<br><br>The Dan Fisk that owns the twitter handle @danfisk? He is a self described “Freedom 55’r Empty Nest’r with a passion for cooking” from Canada. (my handle is @danfiskmusic)<br><br>Don't worry Mom, I'm not a male porn star. </p>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/944442011-03-06T16:20:00-05:002017-01-13T13:14:12-05:00That Donkey Looks Like an Elephant<i>Disclaimer / Preface: Although I try not to show it publicly, or express my views within the confines of my music and web presence, I’m actually quite opinionated when it comes to politics. But here I sit, about to admit to the digital world that I am a hardcore lefty… a progressive… a liberal… a (gasp) DEMOCRAT! I currently have no intention of dragging my politics into music, and I take pride in respecting other people’s beliefs (particularly when it comes to politics). But to fully appreciate the story I am about to tell you, it is important to realize where my political allegiance lay. </i><br><br>
A couple years back, I was hungry to start playing some solo cover gigs and wouldn’t turn down a single opportunity that my agency booked me for. Then one evening I got a phone call offering me a gig for a ton of money that seemed too good to be true. I was asked to play at a private political fundraiser the very next night for a local Democratic official, and the speaker at the event was none other than the Governor of Virginia – Democrat Tim Kaine! I was stoked! Should I wear my Obama shirt?! Would it be weird to ask for a photo with me and the Gov on stage together? Ahh, what a night this was going to be I thought. <br><br>
The event was to take place at a nice restaurant right on the waters of the Potomac. I was to play on a stage that connects to a dock, facing the shoreline gathering of people. 100 feet of water separated me from the guests. To give you a better idea of how cool the set up was, here is a picture of me actually playing the event: <br><br><div style="text-align: center; "><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/fab0c13fc1a465f16dd731c648c359f82272d5a1/original/IMG_4040.jpg?1378176320" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="300" width="400" /></div>
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Sounds like a great time huh? Well, not so fast... When I first arrived to start setting up my gear, I mentioned to the manager of the restaurant that I am a hardcore Democrat and was very excited to play for the Governor. He looked at me with apologetic eyes and said: “Yeah, I might of given your agent the wrong information on accident. This is a Republican fundraiser for Delegate Lingamfelter and the guest speaker is former Virginia Governor <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Allen_(U.S._politician)">George Allen</a>!” <br><br>
First of all, who the hell is Lingamfelter and what kind of name is that? Secondly, holy $hit. <a target="_new" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/14/AR2006081400589.html">Mr. Macaca</a> is here?! I have to play for THAT guy? So I sucked it up, played my songs with a fake smile that would put Sarah Palin to shame, and I got paid. I had to donate most of the money I made to the Obama presidential campaign just to clear my conscience.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/920892011-02-04T05:15:00-05:002011-02-04T05:15:00-05:00The Giant Flop of a Radio InterviewEvery musician hopes to someday hear his voice on the radio, and I am no different. Back in 2005, I had my chance to be interviewed by a major Washington, DC radio station, <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJFK-FM">WJFK</a>. “The Giant Show” was hosted by Giant Brian, who was a producer for <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ron_and_Fez">Ron and Fez</a>, as well as a former intern for David Letterman. The late night show was actually co-hosted by a good friend of mine, who will remain nameless for this post! <br><br>
So my band Knockout Mouse was just starting out. We had recorded a few songs at a friend’s small home studio and were excited to show it to the world. Were we very good? Probably not. Was I ready for a live radio interview? Definitely not. Did I get tricked into being the butt of a series of horrible jokes potentially broadcast to over 5 million people? You bet. <br><br>
While I thought I was going to phone in to the radio station and be interviewed in a serious manner, Giant Brian had other things in mind. I thought he wanted to interview an up and coming singer-songwriter as part of a new local music portion of his show. What he actually wanted to do was make fun of a local schmuck as much as possible and had no interest what so ever in music! He is a comedian, not Ryan Seacrest. I should have done my research on this guy. He talked over my songs, he said I sound like the male version of <a target="_new" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charo">Charro</a>, he called us Modest Mouse, etc. He tried desperately to be funny, but failed at every turn. It wasn’t until part way through the interview that I realized this was all a big joke and I started to get a little sarcastic back at him. It’s no surprise that the short lived “Giant Show” was cancelled a few months after my interview, and Giant Brian no longer works in radio. There is a little bit of me that wishes he is now a homeless guy walking around with a sign that says he has a <a target="_new" href="http://dreamaworld.wordpress.com/2011/01/06/god-given-gift-of-voice/">God-given gift of voice</a>. <br><br>
Although it was a good lesson to learn, I can finally look back at the whole experience and laugh. I was young and naïve (at least that’s what I’m telling myself). I remember thinking that I hope nobody EVER hears this interview! But here I am, almost 6 years later, writing about it and ready to share the interview in hopes you can laugh with me (or at me!). <br><br>
I can’t believe I’m doing this, but here is the audio for you to listen to:16:35Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/904932011-01-03T11:51:07-05:002011-01-03T11:51:07-05:00The Good, the Bad and the Ugly<u><i>The Good</i></u>: Mike and I played as a duo at The Blackthorne staff holiday party the week before Christmas. We had great time playing, and seeing the staff be able to enjoy themselves while not working was a very cool thing. We left at night’s end extremely tired, but glad we had such a good night.<br><br><u><i>The Bad</i></u>: Even though it was nearly 2am, I still had to drive 50 minutes to Reston to drop off Mike, then another 40 minutes back to my house. Mike feel asleep after 5 minutes on the road, so I was on my own in trying to stay awake. <br><br>
Loud music… check. <br>
Occasional self-slap to the face… check. <br>
Window down to have cold air remind me how much I hate winter… check. <br><br>
Roughly 45 minutes into the drive, I was using all the energy I had just to stay awake and keep my truck between the buoys. Must…. stay… on…. road…<br><br><u><i>The Ugly</i></u>: It is a natural reaction to slow down the instant you see a cop with a radar gun on the side of the road. It also tends to snap you out of your driving coma when you see those flashing blue lights behind you. As my truck came to a stop and Mike was waking up (thanks to me poking his leg and a few loud swear words), I noticed a street sign right in front of me: The Algonkian Parkway?? Where the hell am I? That is not a road that was anywhere between the Blackthorne and Mikes house!? Before I had a chance to process what the hell was going on, the cop was asking for my license and registration. I was virtually sleeping approximately 30 seconds ago, so it was a high priority to convince the officer that I was in no way under the influence, overly tired, or anything other than a supremely polite and law abiding citizen. Which is why my first words of “Good afternoon officer” probably didn’t sound too intelligent at nearly 3am in the morning. While he was running my background check in his car, I had a chance to gather my senses. Apparently I had missed a turn about 5 miles back. I’m pretty sure I would of kept going until I woke up in Pennsylvania if it wasn’t for the cop. <br><br>
$116.50 later, I officially got my second speeding ticket of 2010. I suppose that is not a bad price to pay to stay awake and avoid a crash. But I think I’ll try Mountain Dew next time. <br><br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/887072010-12-06T07:00:00-05:002017-02-01T15:33:40-05:00You're a Troubled GuideWe have all felt the pain of dealing with service and support with major companies. You have called up Verizon to figure out why your internet is down… or you emailed Dell to help you figure why your new software isn’t loading… or live-chatted with your favorite online store trying to get them to straighten out last month’s bill that they screwed up. All of these are frustrating. Horrible customer service makes you want to pull your hair out! At least it does for me. Remember the 75 year old lady that <a target="_new" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/c/fan_reach/pt?eid=A646828__&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fwp-dyn%2Fcontent%2Farticle%2F2007%2F10%2F17%2FAR2007101702359.html">got mad</a> at Comcast and decided to go to their Manassas, VA office and wreak havoc with a hammer?! <br><br>
Well, I wanted to share a recent example that I found to be typically aggravating and hilarious all at once.<br><br><i>Scene</i>: I bought a new Epson printer.<br><i>Problem</i>: I can’t get it to work. <br><i>Epson’s solution</i>: Use their “Online Troubleshooting Guide”.<br><br>
The guide is a series of questions that you must answer (multiple choice format) which will theoretically lead to Epson diagnosing the precise issue right there on the screen without having to use any paid human employees. Sounds like a good idea right? There were questions like: “What were you doing when the problem occurred?”, “What is the power light’s current state?”, and “Do you see an error message on your computer screen?”<br><br>
So I went through all the questions (at least 20) and waited while the magic Troubleshooting Guide came up with a solution. About 20 seconds later, the following screen appeared before my eyes:<br><br><div style="text-align: center"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/280f35253f77d1a703e27952cc306a388e40341c/large/Epson_Print.JPG?1378176320" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="234" width="600" /></div>
<br>
Okay, so they couldn’t figure it out with their cute little troubleshooting guide and they want me to email them. I actually ended up calling instead, and eventually got the problem resolved. But I love the options this wonderful little screen gave me. I could click the “Start Over” button and try again… or I could click the E-mail Support link and send a message (who puts a dash between “e” and “mail” these days?!), I could click on the Help link, I could print this screen, or I could close it out. WAIT… did I just read that right? Print?! You want me to PRINT the screen that says you can’t figure out why my printer doesn’t work!? What a cruel joke. Isn’t that a little bit like calling a tow truck company to pick up your car and they ask you to drive it to them?<br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/588472010-11-07T15:37:29-05:002010-11-07T15:37:29-05:00Hey Baby, what's your sign?So last Saturday I attended Jon Stewarts “<a target="_new" href="http://www.rallytorestoresanity.com">Rally To Restore Sanity</a>” on our National Mall. 215,000 people surrounded me as I stood there in awe of the sheer number of people, and appreciated Stewart’s message of trying to bring sanity to a country that has gotten far too hyper-political on both sides. Even though the rally had its fair share of celebrity guests and entertaining musicians, it was the signs people created that really got my attention. Some signs were awesomely hilarious, others were ridiculously indecipherable! I decided to take some photos of the signs that people brought and share them with you all. Please check out the page I created with all the signs I saw! <br><br><a href="./rallysigns.cfm">danfisk.com/rallysigns<br></a><br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/856402010-09-30T09:00:00-04:002010-09-30T09:00:00-04:00Even when I’m a winner, I’m a loserLast week, I was playing solo acoustic at an environmental conference. They were having a large raffle, and because I had my speakers and mic already set up in this large room, I was the default MC, calling out the winning numbers. I also had a few raffle tickets that I had purchased draped over my mic stand. I was just being whispered numbers, and was repeating them into the mic. There were dozens of raffle prizes ranging from small giftcards to Starbucks all the way to prizes of several hundred dollars in cash.<br><br>
I decided to donate a couple of our band’s CDs to raffle off. When the time came to give away my CD, I announced it tongue-in-cheek: “Up next is the single greatest musical CD ever created by mankind. It features amazing Singer-Songwriter Dan Fisk, and spent the last 24 months as the #1 overall album on Billboard.” The audience got the joke, as they had all been present just 15 minutes ago while I was performing. I was told the winning number. I repeated it, waiting to give away a copy of <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CBIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fitunes.apple.com%2Fus%2Fartist%2Fknockout-mouse%2Fid281410009&ei=_MGkTIvoNMSclgeW4eCzCw&usg=AFQjCNFxkrpzYzNxWpiViXK7qc9IhB8-Yw">Sight Lines</a>. <br><br>
“3419!!” I said with the enthusiasm of the world’s greatest Bingo Caller.<br><br>
Silence.<br><br>
“3419” I repeated… <br><br>
“Anybody?”<br><br>
Nearly forgetting I had purchased a few tickets myself, I slowly looked down at the tickets I had purchased… almost knowing the inevitable. Yup, there it was. The crowd figured it out and began to laugh as they saw my pursed lips and silent shaking head. I was now the proud owner of my very own CD. I guess I’ll keep it in my studio on top of that large box of 500 other unopened copies of Sight Lines?! <br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/842992010-09-07T08:00:00-04:002017-02-01T15:26:31-05:00WWWD (What Would Weezy Do?)A couple weeks back, I had the most embarrassing, awkward, ridiculous moment I have ever experienced on stage! I’m not quite sure yet what it’s taught me though. It may have proven I was due for an “open mouth, insert foot” moment, it may have proven that anyone can be unintentionally racist, or it may just prove that some people become offended a little bit too easily. I’ll let you be the judge.<br><br>
Scene: <a target="_new" href="http://www.facebook.com/knockoutmouseband">Knockout Mouse</a> (our cover band alter-ego), was playing a gig in the super-classy <a target="_new" href="http://www.lansdowneresort.com/Dining/dining_stonewall.asp">Stonewall’s Tavern</a> located in Lansdowne Resort. The upscale audience can sometimes be a bit slow to cut-loose… but not on this night. We had them dancing their feet off and tossing aside their ties by the second song. It was going to be a great night.<br><br>
During our first set break, I was asked to say “happy birthday” on mic to one of the ladies in the crowd. Let’s call her “Jane” for the sake of the story. So a song or two into the second set, I wished Jane a happy birthday. Come to find out, she was standing close to the front of the stage, dancing like crazy and loving life. Jane was literally THE most enthusiastic fan our band had seen in months. She had been the one giving the band high-fives and dancing every second of the first set. We had certainly won her over. Jane, along with her husband, happened to also be the only black people in the entire room. This fact never crossed my mind, and I never noticed… until “it” happened.<br><br>
About four songs deep into our second set, Jane yelled out a request. I don’t recall what song it was, but I do recall it being a song that we just didn’t know. So I said something to the effect of “Sorry Jane, we don’t know that one, but this next song goes out to you... I promise you will love it”. I knew we had a good set planned, and was confident that the next several songs where “home runs” that the crowd (and Jane) were sure to eat up. I looked down at the setlist and without thinking, started playing the next song. I was on auto pilot. Kind of like <a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vk4DYTPPpfs">Ron Burgundy reading whatever is on the prompter</a>, regardless of what it says. This normally isn’t a terrible thing... unless you just told the only black person at a high end resort that you will “love” this next song – and then play the theme song to the <a target="_new" href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0072519/">Jefferson’s</a> TV show – <a target="_new" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9y4iXAso4I">Movin’ on Up</a>. You know, the show that chronicled the rise of a black family moving from a working class section of Queens into a luxury apartment in Manhattan. Or maybe from Manassas to Lansdowne.<br><br>
I noticed the moment we started playing that she froze. Her flashy dance moves were replaced by a death-stare. I focused my visual attention elsewhere and watch the rest of the bar dance like there’s no tomorrow. Singing the first line – “Fish don’t fry in the kitchen, beans don’t burn on the grill”, I already knew I was in trouble. After I strummed the last chord of the song, the crowd cheered and clapped as my guitar and cymbals faded to silence. But then it was silent. Really silent. I reluctantly glanced up at Jane. I’m pretty sure you could hear a pin drop as she looked right at me and said for the whole bar to hear “No, I did NOT love that song. I’ve never been more offended in my life. You’re a fu&%ing racist!” As I started to say “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you”, the rest of the room sensed the awkwardness of the moment. I repeated my apology – on mic – as she continued her rant, screaming at me that I was a racist. She then gave me the one finger salute, said something about “meeting me out back with a piece of wood” and stormed out of the bar. I was only able to say one word as she walked through the door in a desperate attempt at tension-breaking humor: “Aaaawk – wooooord”.<br><br>
I tried to be a professional, and move on with the evening without showing any sweat. But the night just couldn’t recover. I spent the next few days thinking about this weird, possibly offensive, very bizarre, and obvious awkward moment of my musical career. I have no doubt that I didn’t intentional do anything racist. It’s not like I consciously thought “oh, there’s some black people here at this resort. Let’s play a song that is literally the theme song for the story of a black person working their way into wealth." But the fact remains, regardless of my intent and my lack of purposeful racism, SHE was offended. Who am I to judge what offends her?<br><br>
After much reflection, I don’t think I will stop playing this song when the mood strikes me, but I certainly won’t be dedicating it publicly to anyone. Lesson learned.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/823922010-08-04T07:53:14-04:002010-08-04T07:53:14-04:00My Calculator Can Beat Up Your CalculatorMy Mother, God love her, is not what I would call “Tech Savvy”. She is the kind of lady that is still really impressed with her analog tape answering machine. She’s the type that calls up neighbors to help her get out of the home screen on her favorite Patrick Swayze DVD. When the band released our first CD, she asked me if she could have it on tape. She actually did own a hand-me-down computer for a few months last year until it died a quick blue screen death, but it took all of the “processing power” she could muster to have me receive the following four emails the day she got that computer, all in about a 5 minute span:<br><br><i>Email #1</i>: “hey dan! I figured it out! Can you read this? Call me”<br><br><i>Email #2</i>: “Hey Dan! I got it! Can you read this electronic mail? I think the internet is awesome. I can read news on the yahoo”<br><br><i>Email #3</i>: “not sure if you can read this. I tried to electronic mail you but you didn’t call me back”<br><br><i>Email #4</i>: “I don’t think my computer works. Is this Dan Fisk from Seneca Falls, New York?”<br><br>
So knowing my Mother’s computer skills are comparable to my ability to read ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, I wasn’t terribly surprised when she called me the other day asking me to get my computer out because she needed me to help her out. My inner monologue included guesses to what she may have needed; maybe looking up an address on mapquest? A search of the bingo halls closest to her house? <br><br>
Once I told her I already had my computer out and ready to go, she repeated “okay, are you ready?” I opened up a browser window with “The Google” prepared to solve her quandary. Here is how the rest of the conversation went:<br><br>
Me: “Yup, fire away Mom.”<br><br>
Mom: “O – n – e... s – e – v – e – n…. s – i – x … z – e – r – o” she says very slowly and over-pronouncing them as if I was some combination of hearing impaired and learning disabled.<br><br>
Me: (thinking she is giving me an address) “Okay, got it”<br><br>
Mom: (repeating, apparently to be on the safe side) “That’s o – n – e... s – e – v – e – n…. s – i –…”<br><br>
Me: “I got it Mom.. 1760”<br><br>
Mom: “Okay… so one, seven, six, zero…. p – o – i – n – t… t-w-o… t-h-r-e-e”<br><br>
Me: “Point?” My inner dialogue was slightly surprised. Could Mom be giving me an IP Address? Does she even know what that is? <br><br>
Mom: “Yes. O – n – e... s – e – v – e – n…. s – i – x … z – e – r – o… point two…” <br><br>
Me: (Curious and patiently yet painfully waiting)… “okaaaaaaaay…”<br><br>
Mom: One, seven, six, zero point two…”<br><br>
Me: (Impatient) “Mmm K”<br><br>
Mom: “Minus fourty point one four.”<br><br>
Me: “What?!”<br><br>
Mom: “o – n – e... s – e – v…“<br><br>
Me: “No, I heard you Mom… are you giving me a math problem?”<br><br>
Mom: “Yes, I’m doing bills and I can’t find my calculator.”<br><br>
Me: You called me up and had me get on my COMPUTER to do third grade algebra?! Scientists used computers less sophisticated than mine to map the human genome, and you want me to subtract $40.14 from $1,760.20?!”<br><br>
Mom: “Well then it should be able to do math then right?”<br><br>
Pure genius. <br><br>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/808202010-07-06T18:05:00-04:002017-01-13T13:14:12-05:00I Can Always Sleep Next MonthA couple Sundays ago, I woke up wondering how I could possibly complete my to-do list for the day. It was my last “free” day before heading to NY and I had 20 hours of tasks to complete with only about 10 hours to do it. As I was literally trying to prioritize my hand written list, I received a call from Shane O'Conner. Shane owns <a target="_new" href="http://www.blackthorne-inn.com/">The Blackthorne</a>, and besides hiring me to play out there every few weeks, he has turned into a good friend. But Shane has MANY friends, including Chandler Kinchla – guitarist for <a target="_new" href="http://www.bluestraveler.com/">Blues Traveler</a>. John Popper and the gang were playing that night in Loudoun County and Shane called to see if I wanted to hang out back stage. I looked down at my daunting to-do list, realized there was no way I could get it all done and still make the show - so I did the only thing I could… I went. <br><br>
One of my all-time favorite bands, <a target="_new" href="http://www.carbonleaf.com">Carbon Leaf</a>, happened to be opening for Blues Traveler. And getting to literally stand on stage about 10 feet to the right-side of Chandler during the show was most definitely in the “worth it” category. Oh, and did I mention that I was standing there with Carter and Barry from Carbon Leaf? It was such a great night! I apologize for not having a particular funny story or a moral antidote associated with this edition of IAHAS. But on a side note, right before Popper went on stage, his manager walked up to him and said “You ready?” Popper reaches down, confirmed his zipper was in its rightful northerly position and replied “I am now”. I guess I’m not the only one that has stood in front of a crowd with his fly down before. <br><br><div style="text-align: center"><img src="//d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/u/29870/83b4c31790e98abcca473d7dfe0079ae3d208845/medium/IMG_5089_1.jpg?1378176320" class="size_orig justify_inline border_" alt="" height="225" width="300" /></div>Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/702652010-05-31T18:55:00-04:002017-02-01T15:09:59-05:00So A Baby Walks Into A Bar...NYC is known for being "The City That Never Sleeps", but it's also known for some very... um... let's say "eccentric" people. My trip to Manhattan wouldn't have been complete without running across a few of these interesting characters. But my favorite part about The City, is the fact that the locals don't even blink an eye at the absurd people and situations that happen every day right in front of them. Case in point:<br><br>
I had finished my set at The National Underground, and was mingling around the bar talking to some old friends and new fans. I was near the front of the bar only a few feet away from the bouncer, who was sitting on a stool at the door checking IDs and collecting the cover charge. There was still a short line to get in (for the late night performers) when my eyes were drawn down... way down. A small child, maybe 3 feet tall and not a day past 3 years old, walked in the bar completely undetected by the bouncer. The boy walked right in, well below the line of sight of any normal sized human. And by "walk" into the bar, I really mean "stumble", because this kid was like Bambie fresh out of the womb, barely able to walk with his brand new sea legs. I'm pretty sure it wasn't a full month ago that this kid was rockin' the stroller, spilling his night-time tottie out of a Spider-Man sippy cup. And the best part? He was alone. No mother following him. No father a few steps ahead. Just your typical 3 year old strolling into a Manhattan bar at 10 o'clock at night for a Beam and Coke. My buddy (and recent new dad) Adam was standing next to me and asked if I was seeing what he was seeing.... "Ahhhhh.. yup." Adam instinctively kicked into "father-mode" and followed the young barfly to the opposite end of the room. Not a single other patron even noticed the kid existed. It was like the scene in Ghost where Patrick Swayze realizes that nobody can actually see him. As Adam began to follow, I told him to "check that dude's ID, 'cause I don't think he's 21". The kid makes it to the end of the bar, looks around, checks out the stage, then returns back toward the front. Again, he walked right past the bouncer and out the same way he came in. I shook my head, took a sip of beer, grinned, and could only say the obvious to Adam: "Only in New York City". <br><br>
If I didn't know better, I would of thought it was the YouTube sensation from Indonesia. You must of seen this kid right? It's a 2 year old that smokes 2 packs a day. Unreal. <a target="_new" href="https://www.reverbnation.com/c/fan_reach/pt?eid=_&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DvWlgaGVl6Rs">Check it</a> out for yourselfDan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/763642010-05-07T14:25:00-04:002010-05-07T14:25:00-04:0090's FlashbackI usually fill this space with a short story of some random event that happen to me over the past month. However this time around I would like to share a story from my long time friend and Knockout Mouse drummer Mike Carlysle. Mike and I met back in 2001, and since then he has been an important mentor as well as a bandmate. Although I have been playing lots of solo shows these days, Mike still provides the punch for the full band shows with Knockout Mouse and even sits in on the occasional duo show. <br><br>
Anyway, Mike has been playing in bands for his entire life, and was a full time drummer for more years than he cares to admit to! He was even the drummer for Phil Vassar long before Phil penned all those hits . He has more stories than my truck has dents (and thanks to several anonymous bad drivers,that’s a lot). So here you go - one of my favorite band stories of his:<br><br>
Once upon a time (back in the 90’s), Mike was in a band called Station to Station. On a hot summer day, they travelled to Camp Springs, Maryland to play a local dive bar called The Hideaway. A week prior, a patron was shot and killed in the parking lot, and the joint was known as being a sketchy watering hole where no one but the locals were made to feel at home. The guys unloaded the van around the time happy hour was beginning. Bandmate Eddie got behind the wheel and was moving the old van to an open parking spot with Mike looking on from the sidewalk. The shagin-wagon was known for leaking oil, which was apparently the cause of the center of this story. Mike happened to notice smoke coming from the hood… followed by massive flames pouring out from under the hood. Eddie hops out and runs instantly inside the bar where he yells “FIRE! OUR VAN IS ON FIRE”. It was pure luck that a group of 15 (drunk) volunteer fire fighters happen to be belly up to the bar at the time. They grabbed a pile of fire extinguishers and ran outside. Within seconds, they pummeled the van with foam, only then looking at the onlooking and dumbfounded band to say “That’s it?”. They were apparently disappointed that it wasn’t a 5-alarm fire with screaming children stranded on fire escapes. The band went inside, got dressed, had dinner, hit the stage on schedule, and had their charred van towed home. <br><br>
Ahhhhh, the life of a rock star.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/766032010-03-31T14:20:00-04:002010-03-31T14:20:00-04:00SXSW by FootAs I mentioned earlier, Russ and I had a blast at SXSW. We knew going into it that there would be a lot of walking. Most of the venues are spread over a couple miles. Being an avid cyclist, Russ recommended renting bikes for the week. Brilliant! Within one hour of landing at the airport, Russ and I were in the bike shop picking up our hot wheels for the week. After logging in a whopping mile of tread, we locked them up at the Austin Convention Center (next to hundreds of other bikes) to register for our badges. We spent the rest of the day walking around and watching bands and taking classes in that general vicinity. We actually didn’t even need them for the remainder of the evening. <br><br>
At midnight, we returned to the Convention Center to pick the bikes up and head back to our friend Erin’s apartment. Russ went right to his bike and was unlocking it when he noticed I had a puzzled look on my face. “Russ?” I said with disbelief. “Umm…. Did I chain my bike to this street sign or was it on the other side of the building?”<br><br>
I won’t bore you with agonizing details that will force me to re-live it. My bike was stolen. A thousand bikes locked up that day, and some really nice person decided to take mine. $1,200 dollars later and nothing to show for it but some shin splints, I spent the rest of the week doing a LOT of walking. Well, it WAS a good idea right?<br><br>
Did I mention that somebody decided to hit my truck last week while I was parked in a parking lot and didnt leave a note? Did I mention that this has happen to me THREE times in the last 6 months? Just call me Lucky McLuck-a-lot.Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/767182010-02-21T13:15:00-05:002010-02-21T13:15:00-05:00snOMGSnomageddon (aka “snOMG”, aka “The Storm of 2010”) didn’t treat me well. After 2 days of no power at my house, a tree fell on my roof and another fell on power lines 15 feet from my kitchen. Once the power came back on, the power lines caught fire. I pulled up to my driveway with several fire trucks surrounding the property. No major damage done. <br><br><u>Good News</u>: The tree cutting service came and cut the tree off the lines later that night. <br><u>Bad News</u>: They got stuck in my yard and left a 4 foot deep rut all along my driveway. <br><u>Good News</u>: The power was restored just before the Super Bowl started. <br><u>Bad News</u>: The power surge killed my furnace, fans, lights, and miscellaneous other electrical luxuries. <br><u>Good News</u>: My brother came down from NY to help me out: <br><u>Bad News</u>: He spent 5 days fixing my house, cutting trees off my roof, and had his snow blower stolen. He is the best brother ever. <br><br>
Did I mention I had jury duty in the middle of all this?! My apologies for the shows I had to cancel over those 5 days. I was a little busy!Dan Fisktag:www.danfisk.com,2005:Post/778032010-01-27T12:40:00-05:002010-01-27T12:40:00-05:00Mirrors - Use Them!Last week while playing at Ramparts in Alexandria, I decided to have some chicken wings during a set break to get me through the night. I played out the rest of the show and made it through several conversations with fans and staff, plus my drive home, before noticing in the mirror that I had a healthy chuck 'o chicken wing still firmly attached to my bearded cheek. Classy. Lesson learned.... Mirrors are your friend.Dan Fisk