American Rock and Roll - The Knobs - Johnny's Blog

Adios Amigo

Sun, 16 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700

The Knobs long time soundman Dave Baughman is leaving the band and moving to Georgia to start a new job. Most of you know Dave is Rick's brother, and Derek's uncle, and a long time memeber of the Baughman sound empire. I'm embarrased to say I can't even remember how long Dave has run sound for us. It seems as if there was never a time when he wasn't there. Any one who has ever been in a band knows how crucial the sound mans roll is. The sound man can make or break you. Especially frustrating for him is trying to please the various band members who all think they know how it should sound. Dave always handled this with grace and the patience of Job. No matter what problem we encountered Dave never panicked, or lost his cool. He was always a gentleman. Dave, you were like a brother to me, and I along with the rest of the members of the Knob family will miss you. We wish you nothing but the best on your new journey.

Am I My Brother's Keeper?

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

That question is as relevant now as it was when it was first asked by the God of Abraham to Cain in the Garden of Eden. I think the way you answer that question goes a long way towards the way you view the current Health Care Reform Bill. Can you call yourself a Christian and be against taking care of your fellow man? Especially since we are the ONLY industrialized country on the planet that doesn't have some form of public health care? Again, I understand why the AWD(Average White Dude) is angry about paying for people who;"Can't cover their own asses" who wouldn't be? The reality is you're already paying for them in the form of emergency room services and gov't health cards. There are alot of reasons I think HRC is good for the AWD.
Again more questions. Should a person lose everything they have worked for, because they can't pay for the care they need? Especially in a country that has been blessed the way we have been in America. Why should an insurance executive decide the point a child with cancer becomes "unprofitable"?Don't let anyone kid you insurance companies aren't on your side. Ask anyone who needs any kind of special care. According to the World Health Organization, America is # 1 in the cost of Health Care, and #37 in the quality of Health Care. Prescription drugs are more expensive in America than any where else in the world. So much for supply and demand in the "Free Market" That's because health execs care more about profits than people. If you believe the statistics somewhere between 30 and 40 THOUSAND people die each year due to lack of health care. That's 10 9/11's a year, and nothing is done, and this is a "Christian Nation" I don't want to belabor this point, but I have a close personal friend whose 4 year old son died from lymphoma. If there is something in this life more heartwrenching than this experience, I don't want to see it. He is still paying on it more than five years later. I asked him him why he does this, and he told me he doesn't want to lose his house. Again who endorses this level of extortion? These are some of the reasons I think HRC is good for the AWD. It protects the people who are least able to fight the system. It also protects your children from "pre-existing conditons" It will help keep you from losing everything due to a catastrophic illness.
Look I know we need things like tort reform, and having more choice in how we purchase insurance. Personally, I would like to see the single payer system. It works in most of the free world no matter how strongly the insurance lobby rails against it. I know this is going to be expensive. This could be the largest tax increase in the history of America. According to the Congressional Budget Office, this bill is less expensive than the cost of doing nothing. Actually if you believe what they say the bill will start paying for itself in about 10 years. I believe that. I have been buying health insurance since 1974(that's not made up) I have seen the escalating costs. So believe me the taxes won't be as bad as the escalation of insurance costs. Unfortunately it's the lesser of 2 evils. The HRC bill has a pretty good chance to succeed. It's virtually identical to the "RomneyCare" bill in Mass. which initially was unpopular, but now has a 60-70% approval rate. One last question: What does it cost to live in a civilized and compassionate society?
Probably more than we currently pay. HRC is now the law. So , DRJ and Leather Gina the next time you're outside, take a deep breath, and look up into the sky, and you will notice something: It ISN'T falling. Peace and Love!

Am I The Only One Who Remembered

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700

Yesterday was the 7th anniversary of the US invasion of Iraq. I found it odd that the war which was waged to insure our "freedom" from Jihadists,terrorists, and the great paper tiger Sadam Huessein(if that's how you spell it) with his "weapons of mass destruction" was given so little coverage. Now I can understand why the "left leaning" main stream media didn't respond, but what happened to all the chicken hawks on the right in general, and specifically the Fox comedy channel. Where was George Bush, and Dick Cheney? Two men war mongers who never saw a moment of combat, but saw fit to send thosands of men and women, and boys and girls to their deaths on the Great Crusade to "Insure Our Freedom" Stangely quiet I think. Other than frantically re-writing history to lessen their culpability, and enhance their images, there was nothing. Well Mr. Bush, and Mr. Cheney, I didn't forget, and I don't think any of the families of those who were sacrificed did either. Sacrificed so contol of Iraq's natural resources could remain in the hands of American and British business interests. Now GW we both know THAT was the real "Mission Accomplished" To quote the late John Lennon," Oh how do you sleep at night"

The Year In Review Part Duex

Sun, 03 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0800

Hey, Hey, Hey 2009 has gone away. I wanted to wait until the Hahntown gig was over to write the second installment of the Knobs year in review(at least the way I saw it)
Hahntown was great, and we started this year the same way we started last year: kickin' ass, takin' names, and winnin' fans. The band was firing on all cylinders, and the combination of alcohol, and an incessant rock'n'roll beat finally got them in the back room dancin'. The no smoking thing combined with the new DUI laws are killing live music, but somehow we continue rolling along.
Now before I go any further, guess what Tammy got for Christmas. A riding crop, a RIDING CROP! indeed! Isn't that a fancy name for a whip? Tammy is there anything we need to know?
Well the year started with Lois and our band parting company. She was finally able to devote all her time and attention to her band the Bailers. Lois made a great contribution to the Knobs vocal sound. She will be singing on our new CD.
Well then we decided not to try and find another singer. The other band members were going to cover the parts. This was starting to come together pretty well, and then in April, Phil passed. After the shock and sorrow subsided, we started to rebuild the band. As I said Derek came on board, but there was something that was still missing. Not only was Phil a great drummer, he was also a very good harmony singer.
Well as fate would have it, we lucked out once again, when Phil's son PJ agreed to come on board. It's really funny how things work out, because PJ is probably the only guy who could fill this role. Not only is he an excellent vocalist, but he brings a newer, and more elevated energy to the Knobs. He also plays guitar, so that provides an interesting new area to explore.
Finally we will be releasing a new CD this year. Phil did the drumming on it, and hopefully PJ and Derek will be involved at some level. Any way we are looking to a 2010 filled with Rock"n"Roll.

The Year In Review Part One

Thu, 24 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0800

Well let me start off by saying Merry Christmas, and Happy whatever ever path your spiritual beliefs take you on. I also would like to thank our families, friends, and fans. Without you guys, as I have said before, we would be nothing.
This has been a year of great personal, and band changes. After an extremely protracted courtship, Jan and I were married in September. I guess she never figured out thta not only could she do so much better than me, she also deserves so much better than me. So please nobody tell her.
In April our beloved drummer, Phil, crossed over to the other side. I still have a hard time accepting this. I loved talking about music with Phil almost as much as I loved jamming with him. One of our favorite conversations was about how vastly superior the Isley Bros. version of "Twist And Shout"(BTW The original) was to the Beatles version, and this is the song where the Beatles "borrowed" what was to become their trademark "woos" Phil had that kind of pop music historicle perspective. Alot of you out there probably never heard the Isley Bros. version of "Twist And Shout"
There were times I thought Phil's passing would be the end of our band. As luck would have it Derek agreed to returned. Believe me when I tell you this: He's the only guy who could have succeded Phil. Playing music(especially in this band) is so much more than hitting the notes. It's all about the spirit of the music. Phil had that spirit, Derek has that spirit. I think I can speak for all of us when I say we are blessed to have Derek back.

Just Plain Jokes

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Alot of people including Jimmy Sinclair have asked me, and been wondering how the "Nashville Thingy" went. Well it didn't go very well for the Knobs. We didn't even crack the top eight for best political song. All I can say is WTF! Now I guess there is some honor in making the finals out of 52,000 entries, but after I did some investigation, I'm starting to believe this organization is about as unbiased as Fox news, so please allow me to have my Kanye West moment. The winner in our category was "Danger, Danger" by Janis Ian. Janis is a famous and accomplished songwriter who has been around for over 40 years, so I can kind of understand it, but the song wasn't that good. This is where it really starts to smell. The second place song was "Clinton Got A Blowjob" by Eric Swartz. Eric is a comedian, and the song is pretty funny, but you really got to question the political relevance of a joke that's over ten years old. Well it doesn't really get much better. Although it seems that most of the winners performed at the ceremony. BTW when we were asked to perform, we had to cover all of our own expenses, AND purchase tickets to the event. I'm starting to think these awards were kind of like the participation trophies that little kids, who have a minimal amount of skill, recieve for just showing up. There wasn't one song that had the power, and relevance of "Two Americas" I guess I shouldn't be too surprised. Practically all awards shows kinda go this way, and if you don't believe me, just ask Kanye. So before you all start accusing me of crying "sour grapes" I agree it is sour grapes, but that's the way I roll baby! Anyway, I still want to thank the people at "Just Plain Folks" for the nomination

Biddlefest XX(the big one)

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Well Biddlefest XX is in the books. I can honestly say this was the best Biddlefest ever. For all you BF vets out there I know this is a huge statement, but that's my story, and I'm stickin' to it. It probably was the most successful in terms of attendance numbers, and dollars. The weather gods were smiling on us. The level of band performances was probably the highest we have ever had. The audience participation was off the charts. When you add all of it up you gotta admit I make a pretty strong argument.
So next year BF will enter it's third decade, it's THIRD DECADE! Think about that. I saw people there who were children when Jimmy and I started this. Little kids, and now they are adults bringing their children. That is an extremely humbling experience, and it also reminds me how old I am.
You know in twenty years, there has been one common denominator, and that is the fans. The people who lay down their hard earned money to have some beer, have some fun, and be entertained. I would like to thank all of them. Actually there is another common denominator, and that is the people who work to make the event what it is. The stuff no one sees. For example the women of Biddle cleaning up after midnight last night. No one is paid. All of the musicians, bartenders, servers, and organizers donate their time to help the Biddle club survive. That is the essence of Biddlefest. People working together to achieve a goal. Sensing they are part of something larger than themselves. That's what makes it great. That's what makes it a success year in and year out.
One last thing, it was great to see the return of the "Prodigal Son" Jimmy Sinclair. Jimmy and I started this 20 years ago, and it has evolved into having a life of it's own, and that's what we always wanted. No one individual, or band is larger than Biddlefest, and that was always the goal.
So hopefully we will see you all next year, and maybe we'll try something new for our third decade..... well probably not!

Dear Phil

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

I saved this thank you for last. I want to thank Phil Falcocchio. When I initially played the demos for Phil, he looked at me smiled, and said Yeah! and proceeded to tell me we were doing the right thing, and he was behind it 100% If you think I'm political, you should have spent 10 minutes talking politics and the war with Phil. At least he had some credibility. He served in the army, and spent 13 months in Vietnam. Unlike a lot of the current know-it-alls, (myself included) and politicians he could give you a soldiers perspective. If it wasn't for Phil "Two Americas" would probably have taken a slightly different tone. If that was his only influence it would have been enough, but listen to his drumming. He hit those drums like a man possesed. His fill at the 4:23 mark of "Two Americas" is as good as anything I've ever heard. I still can't believe he's gone.

Who Da Thunk It

Wed, 29 Jul 2009 00:00:00 -0700

The Knobs song "Two Americas" was nominated by the grass roots organization "Just Plain Folks" as a finalist in the Political Song of the year category for 2008. Wooooo! Apparently this is the largest organization of it's kind in the world, if not the entire galaxy. Now I know this isn't the Grammys, or the American Music Awards, or even the top ten play list from the juke box at the Korner Tavern, but it really IS an honor, and we're very thankful to be in with some of the industry heavy weights who are involved with this group. There were over 350,000 entries for the various categories, so that's a pretty big deal. The ceremonies are being held in Nashville. Friday the 28th of August is at B.B. Kings in Nashville, and Saturday the 29th of August is at the WildHorse Saloon in Nashville. These places, especially the WildHorse are the scene of a lot of live shows broadcast on the national country music cable channels. We were invited to play, but regrettably we were unable to get it together to do the gig.(this only adds to our mystique) I'm told Gretchen Wilson is closing the show. Also on hand to play is The Amazing Rhythm Aces(Russell Smith is still with them, he's cool) So as you can see this isn't bad for a band that never plays more than 10 miles for ground zero Irwin. If we win I'm not sure what we're getting, but hopefully it will be a gift certificate for free lap dances from the gentleman's club of our choosing. So hopefully something good will come from this. Well we want to thank everyone who has inquired about this award. We'd also like to thank everyone who continues to support our band, and who support our various endeavors. Lastly I personally would like to thank Steve, Rick, Tammy, and Lois. Without their contributions the song would never have turned out the way it did. Finally I'd like to thank Dave Hanner, his vision and production gave the song it's power, and edge. Yeah who da thunk it, the Knobs nominated for anything?

Memorial Day

Mon, 25 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700

This time every year we gather as a nation to remember all the people who have paid the ultimate price for our freedoms. We also honor the men and women who currently serve. No matter what your politics, you have to admire all the folks who have, and continue to put theirselves in harm's way for their beliefs. These people are the real hero's. The one's who put their asses on the line, and continue to do the dirty work of the moron's on top, for little or less money. The average dudes and dudettes, who just want a safe and secure place to make a living and raise a family. Hear's something you may not have known, but our drummer, and brother, Phil was a Vietnam Vet. If you want to know what makes America great, hang out with some combat vets. It's an eyeopener. These guys are the heart and soul of this great land. Remember unlike alot of countries, our soldiers take an oath to uphold the Constitution, and not the president. Isn't that the way it should be?