MIKE DEAN

2012-02-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

Avery Island, La.

Richard Sale Barn

2011-11-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Sometime back in 2010, we played a show at a place called the Richard Sale Barn, somewhere off some highway south of Abbeville, La. We were introduced one by one, and walked out onto the stage from behind a curtain. The audience was seated in wooden bleachers in this old amphitheater, drinks in hand, attentive. To a band that has played 99% loud smoky bars for the last 8 years, this was quite a shock. Suddenly a crowd was honed in on our every move, every word. To our utmost surprise, there was thunderous applause after every song that had been ignored thousands of times before, laughter at the same silly banter I've stuttered through thousands of times before. We walked away from that show recharged. Reminded of why we started doing what we do. We all agreed that this would be a great place to record a live album with a live audience.

This time tomorrow night, that's what we will be doing.

south Louisiana highway sunset

2011-09-13T10:16:00.000-07:00

Somewhere south of I-10

Costa Rica

2011-08-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

       I'm listening to Ryan Bingham's Junky Star right now, and it's damn good. I was wondering why I didn't hear more about this album, but then I realized it rode out the wake of a Grammy. I can't imagine how tough it must be to follow a Grammy.
       I remember a night in '02 or '03 when I watched this skinny kid from Texas with a too big for his head cowboy hat tear up the stage at the Blue Moon Saloon. Even then his voice sounded 40 years older than he looked. He moved really cool on stage, tall and lanky, but in control, like a wave. He had an album for sale at the time called "Wishbone Saloon". I approached him after the show to ask how much for a cd, and he replied like a really bad salesman, "only fifteen dawlors." I was laughing as I handed him the cash, and he just laughed back as he put my money in his pocket and walked away. I wore that cd out. It was an acoustic album, and almost all of the songs on it were featured later on his major label release, Mescalito, including Southside of Heaven which we play sometimes at sound-check. If you listen to Southside of Heaven, then listen to my song Dusty Trigger from Hours Later, you'll notice I tried to play the same lick on the harmonica. (if you're a beginning harmonica player, there is great article by Jake Kelly in last month's American Songwriter all about the harp. He claims Bob Dylan once said "the harmonica is the best selling instrument in the world. You're welcome." good stuff!)
       Ken and I had a couple of things left to do on Hours Later, and were on our way to to the home of Steve Stubblefield (musician, engineer, producer on Hours Later) in Jackson, Mississippi back in '04. We had stopped in a music store in Baton Rouge along the way for Ken to grab some strings, and just for the hell of it, I bought a Hohner harmonica, key of 'G' (of course). We had the rough mix playing in the truck on the ride up to Jackson (where I'm from, everywhere is up), and I just played along the best I could. By the time we got to Steve's studio I had somewhat figured out a harmonica part for Cash Conversation. I was trying to make it sound like a train, and it was good enough at the time. I had Southside of Heaven in my head, and I tried mimicking it's harmonica part while fooling around to Dusty Trigger. By the time I got lost, found the beer store, got lost again, and found Steve's studio, he and Ken were already done. "let's lay down some harp", Steve said. At the time, it was good enough for what we wanted to do. I haven't played harmonica on an album since. Troy Richard took the honors on Must've had a good time, and Blake Simon played on Woods.
There's a song on the new album called Riding Dead Horses. It is, in a way, a tribute to Ryan Bingham and that Wishbone Saloon album that I spent so much time listening to back when I first started playing music.
   I had intended this blog to be about my time in Costa Rica this summer. I wanted to write about how friendly the people are, how beautiful the Pacific coast is, how cool the School of the World is, how good the fruit and coffee are being they don't spend days on a truck, how hard it was for me to paddle out past the breakers on a surfboard, try to stand up on it, and how much fun it was falling off a couple of hundred times. But Junky Star is playing.

2011-07-06T13:53:00.000-07:00

       I recently purchased my first eBook. As I write this, I can't even think of the title, but the author is Derek Sivers. He is the guy who started CDBABY.com back in 1998. All he wanted to do was sell his band's cd online. The online distributors at the time wanted nothing to do with independent artists. After some hard work he ended up with a "buy now" button on his site, which was a huge deal at the time. The next thing he knew his friends started asking him to sell their cd online, then their friends, then theirs, and so on. CDBABY was born. About 10 years later he sold the company for 22 million.
       I write this not to share another story of a guy who started with nothing and became rich, but to share what I found to be his best point. It seems everyone we know goes through life waiting for their life's purpose to "hit them like a bolt of lighting", that big "a-ha!" moment. But if you look at people who have become truly successful and happy with their life's work (and life), it is those who gradually ended up where they are today. They take the time to look around at all of the small good things going on, rather than looking forward to a big bang (do I need to tell the story about the tortoise and the hare?) Constantly waiting, wishing, and hoping for what's next is what causes most to comment on how fast time goes by.
   Time to time I'm asked if I think I'll ever "make it big" or if my goal is to be "big time". When this happens I always think back to that Hondo pawn shop guitar that sat in the corner of my room for a couple of years before I picked it up. I think about my fingers hurting trying to learn the F chord. I think about Buck and I in the fire shop out in Broussard talking about music and our favorite artists, how cool it must be to play music. Then the day Hours Later showed up via UPS. All the friends and fans we've met along the way. Empty bars and packed houses. Meeting Robert Earl Keen, Pat Green, playing for their thousands of fans. My days (and nights) in Nashville. Hearing our songs on the radio. All of this is a result of the first time I was able to form a G chord and let it ring. That old Hondo could still be sitting in the corner, and I'd have a lot less friends, and a lot less memories.
       Here's to a cool rainy day in St. Martin Parish, and to turning around every now and then to see how far you've come, rather than looking ahead.

MIKE

Sense beats cents

2011-01-12T10:06:00.000-08:00

(taken from http://www.jeremiahthompson.com/)

An American Businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican fisherman on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while.

The American then asked why didn’t he stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family’s immediate needs. The American then asked, but what do you with the rest of your time? The Mexican said, “I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos. I have a full and busy life, senor.”

The American scoffed, “I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat, with the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats, eventually you would sell directly to the processor, eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA, and eventually NYC where you will run your expanding enterprise.”

The Mexican fisherman asked, “But Senor how long will this all take?” To which the American replied “15-20 years.”

“But what then Senor?”

The American laughed and said “That’s the best part. When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions.”

“Millions, Senor? Then what?”

The American said “Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you would sip wine and play guitar with your amigos.”

Plant acorns and pray for Oaks

2010-12-31T15:58:00.000-08:00

       I'm not sure if it was exactly a year ago today, but it's close. I remember writing about what I thought were reasonable goals for 2010. I remember listing 3 or 4 different things, and by June or July they were either done or had become something that no longer needed to be accomplished.  I can't mention what the actual 2010 goals were, because sadly I can only remember what one of them was. But it leads me to a good point (I think). The lone goal that I remember proposing on the now defunct myspace blog was to make a music video for the band.  It's probably something that, done correctly, would have helped the band in some way, but our last album was released in 2008, and after some thought it just seemed like something to hold out on and do in support of our next album release.
       Now to that good point I was talking about. Though it was kinda late for a music video off of something from WOODS (our 2008 release), it got us talking about doing something else. That something else ended up being our band video bio/documentary http://youtu.be/0rdMXGYJNJg It also really got me focused on getting to work recording some new tunes. The good point? I didn't reach the intended goal, but it led me to accomplish a different one, and yet begin on another.
       Last month we played a show at the Richard Sale Barn down in Abbeville. If you haven't been there yet, this place is really worth checking out. Wooden bleachers, cool old cowboy memorabilia, friendly owners, and great live sound. We liked it so much we asked Kathy if we could record there, and she gladly obliged.
       Big thanks to the Richard Revue for backing up our buddy Doop from Detroit a few times this past year. The Richard Revue became honorary Inside Outlaws, and those shows were my favorite of 2010. Hopefully we'll get him back sometime next year.
       Time off from the fire department has given me some great opportunities to play music. Some of our guys are carpenters, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, truck drivers, etc. on their days off. I play music, and that's what I do on my days off.  In addition to fighting fire in 2011, I'll be releasing a band studio album, an acoustic solo EP, and a LIVE album. I will be taking my guitar and my sleeping bag and playing around the south. Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Texas are in the works right now. I plan to post the dates and venues from Twitter as they come up. I've put together a disc of our top 12 downloaded songs from Itunes, and I burn the labels and discs myself as needed.  I'm calling this the Gas Money compilation CD. The plan is pretty simple....I'm going to find somewhere to play, roll into town, play my songs, and give away as many discs as possible (donations appreciated) Maybe I'll play at an open mic, maybe a local morning radio or TV talk show, maybe I'll open up for a local band. Plant acorns, and pray for Oaks....Happy New Year to you and yours, thanks for taking the time to read this, play our songs, come to a show, or all of the above.

order new album MIDDLE GROUND in advance.

2010-09-07T20:10:00.000-07:00

       We have broken ground on MIDDLE GROUND. As an Indie band, (band with no record label or sponsorship to foot the bill on anything) we have decided to do as many Indie bands before us and turn to you, our great friends and fans, to help us finish the new album faster, and land smoother. All you have to do is click the button to the right of this page, and order your copy(ies) in advance.

       We may have to purchase a new mic for the studio, but most of the expense will go towards mixing, mastering and pressing fees.  On the day we receive the cds from the pressing plant, I will personally put one (or two or ten) in the mail addressed to you.

       $10 - 1 cd
       $15 - 1cd and much love
       $20- 2 cds
       $25- 2 cds and much much love
       $30- 3 cds
       $50- I will mail you our bass player.
       $500 -Our first tour bus will bear your name on the side in large chartreuse letters.

      Any donations of $40 or more we will throw in a special gift. Not sure yet what that will be, but we will find something. Our goal is to have this album in your hands by Christmas.

GOAL - $2500
CURRENT AMOUNT - $600 (3-24-2011)

Thank you, everyone who has donated! I have all of your emails in a group, and will be keeping you updated on the album's progress. We have the best friends/fans in Louisiana, (and beyond!). Not all bands can count on their people like we can, thank you.

New site

2010-09-07T12:45:00.000-07:00

This site takes on a more traditional band website role, mainly because of the lack of instant interaction that the social networks provide. However, the line is open. If you need to know anything about the Mike Dean Band just email us. There are "share" buttons at the bottom of this page that'll post everything I write on here to Facebook. I'll continue to push that button until FB makes it's inevitable swirl down the commode to join sister Myspace. Out.

MIKE

Mike Dean Band: Biography Part one

2010-09-07T10:51:00.000-07:00

Mike Dean Band : Biography Part two

2010-09-07T10:50:00.000-07:00