NEW YEARS EVE 07

This been an awesome year for us. So much change and so many faces. I can’t even keep up. Tonight is gonna be off the chain. I was shocked to find out that we had an opening act when I arrived and he wanted to set up before us. Tsk Tsk bro! Let me explain what opening act means. We worked it all out and hit the town for food. Austin has become so greedy when it comes to the holiday’s. We tried going to a few small restaurants but we were shocked to learn that they had special “holiday” menus and they would double the price of every meal. Although I’m rich (bitch I'm not going to pay $35 for a plate of pasta that is usually eight dollars. We found a hot dog vendor but just as we approached him he told us the city just shut him down for not having the proper permits and even threatened to throw away his merchandise if he wasn’t gone in an hour. He was an older black dude and he told me how much this is going to mess his year up because it’s the busiest night of the year for street vendors. I tipped him $20 just out of solidarity. The way this world is becoming is really sad. Maybe I’m just too honest when it comes to someone trying to make a living. They’d rather see people begging but they lock out a guy who wants to work. This country needs a revolution! OK. I just took my meds so let me get back the show.


The line to get into our show wraps all the way around the club and at $50 a person, somebody’s getting paid tonight for real! From the first song I was in a rage. Not one drink in me but if you’d have watched me you would have thought I was on crack. The band sounded so tight I couldn’t help myself.

Again I had the joy of playing one of these Burgentone amps and again I have to say it is by far the best amp I’ve played. Mike and his wife were kind enough to bring one out for me to play again. I smell endorsement or something. I have to have one man. This night flew by and I can’t remember much more than everyone telling me how we kicked ass. I really hope we did because I couldn’t be more appreciative of the fact that so many people came out to see us. I’m so sincere baby. Thirteen years in this band and all I can say is I can’t wait to see 2008 . I’m gonna hold it down and have my way with IT. And I hope you wanna watch!



Happy New Year Freaks!



Magz

Dec 27: The Belmont

It’s colder than a polar bear's toe nails tonight and it’s two days after Christmas. We all huddled around the heaters but I really don’t expect to see many people out here but they’ve got the outside stage area covered by a clear tent. I just hope it doesn’t rain on us. Well into the second set we were rained on as I feared. The crowd was surprisingly strong so I hated to end early but after the show I went to Antones and watched the band Arch Angels for the first time. I’ve met several of those guys over the years but that was the first time I watched them collectively. What an awesome band but Charlie Sexton owned it the whole night. I don’t think I saw any of the guys besides him smile once during the whole show. I guess they had the blues. Very inspirational show. I came home and wrote a cool blues song the next morning. Long live the blues baby!


Magz
www.funkparty.com

Dec 26: The Day After

Well Christmas is over. Hope ya got some cool stuff. I usually don't journal non-gig days but I'm so happy to be in the studio today I had to write about it. I'm working on this little CD for myself on those melancholy days. You know, those days where solitude is a welcomed luxury? No ones calling and nothing is standing between you and the subconcious mind? If you ever want to see the real you try it once. You'd be suprised what you might find. I wrote this really cool song called "Just me". If you wanna check it out email me at info@funkparty.com. I'll email you the mp3. If not that's cool too. I heard Brittany's CD "Is to die for" and maybe a little easier for you to comprehend. He he!

Magz
Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com

Dec 23: Houston ... No You Didn't !!

We had an unusual friday and saturday night off. I guess I should appreciate it but I was busy doing other things so it's not like I had an opportunity to rest. I can't sleep or think much of anything elese but the disappointment I'm having to chase our money tonight. This is our fourth year playing this event but for some reason they told our agent that they would mail our check after the event. I spent all day on the phone with her trying to get this resolved. It bums me out because their rational is that if something were to happen (like we didn't show) they would have no recource. Now I don't want to sound ungreatful, but after four shows for the same event where they've called back continually, I feel like I've been kicked in the balls. Reason being they should know that it's close to Christmas and we expect the money to be paid as listed in the contract but despite our long standing reputation we get a vote of no confidence. This is another reason my Christmas season is looking so dark. I had to stay on the agent to get it resolved because hell hath no fury like a broke musicians fury. If we don't get that check on Monday, look out.

Just when things seemed to calm down for me I get a phone call from TC that he's in the emergency room with a severe case of strep. He'll make the gig but the doctor said he's highly contagious. I think I need to pee on my hand and change my luck. Not sure if it will actually work but I'm willing to try anything at this point because fate isn't being kind at all. They were kind enough to feed us a bunch of hamburgers before the show and it was apprecieated. At least it wasn't ham and biscuits. The show itself was off the chain tonight. It had all the energy needed to make this one of best Christmas shows of the year. We were kindly reconsoled with a fat tip and the promise of wanting us back next year. I'm down for that as long as we get this payment thing correct then it's cool. We had so much fun looking at the tight skirts it will keep us energized for New Years.

Now it's 2AM Christmas Eve. I hope everyone reading this had someone to snuggle up to when I was writing this. That's all I want for Christmas, Santa. So you can take that piece of coal you left me for being bad and shove it up your north pole!

Magz

Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com

Dec 20: The Belmont

It's going to be a cold night out here. The club has now wrapped the courtyard in a plastic tent to keep the party going on year round.. I'm cool with that. It's so close to Christmas that the crowd is fairly scarce. At least my brother showed up tonight and jammed with us. That's always a treat for me. I spent most the day chasing money from last night so I m not in the mood type anymore. Maybe tomorrow's will be more interesting.

Gotta go. C-ya!

Mag$

Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com

Dec 19: Bring it on Austin

Alright. It's time to bust a rhyme and shoot that slime. Another holiday show awaits us. Not thirty minues into that morning and my drummer calls. The day job has got him locked down for the night and he may have an issue making it to the show tonight. Ahhhhh damn! I'm already stressed enough. Now I have to hunt down a drummer for the evening. I'm calling all these cat's but I guess its too early to expect most musicians in this town to be up if they played the night before. Hell, try to catch me in the morning after we played. TC was able to track down a drummer so I think we're saved for tonight. I just want to make it through the next two weeks without losing it. I can't think of anything motivating me today except the lure of money. Too bad its not easy money. I have to bring it every night whether I'm in the mood or not. If you've never been a lead singer you'll never get it. You set the climate of the band some nights, huh, even if it's raining in your world. It's just overkill at this point tonight. A few laughs and a down beat and I'll be good to go.

I'm greeted by the hotel coordinator asking me if we're almost done. I had to remind him that our contract requires three hours and if he expects it to happen in one hour he's out of luck. I headed to the green room to see if they had decent food and was shocked to see the selection....

Boiled ribs and water! No sauce, no salt, no flavor. I decided to ask the coordinator what the deal was. I wanted stress the importance that we had three muslims in the band (just to shock them) and we needed something other than pork. She showed us.
This time we got chunks ham and biscuits! We all laughed and raped the guests buffet. Now showtime was bizzare. We just did our thing for a few hours and now they want more. But only ten people were left. So we did it and now I'm forced to chase down another check tomorrow. After listening to my agent telling me to wait until next week I'm about to go postal. I had to remind the agent that wasn't going to fly and I needed a check before christmas. "Of course I'll get it...in the mail". Damn! Getting people to pay money in this business is a pain in the ass lately. I'm gonna be their exlax until they get it right.

Mag$

Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com

Dec 17: Another Photo Session

Pictures....something we have to do every now and then I guess. I used to get so excited whenever I would shoot video or pose for a photo session. I guess people need to see what they hear so I must oblige. Everyone was tired as can be after the weekend. Poor Marc looked like he hadn’t slept since Saturday. Despite it all I was amazed how easy this one was. Either we’ve got it down to a science or were just too tired to give a damn. I think it’s a little of both. The best picture of the night had to be the last one I posted. Just before the camera flashed someone in the band relieved some internal gastronomical tension. Funny thing is that we’re still thirteen year old boys at heart. No matter how tense the situation It only takes a fart to make us feel alive again. Ain’t that sweet?

Magz

www.funkparty.com

Dec 15: On the road to Irving

Subject: Dec. 15..On the road to Irving

Tonights show in Irving was a memorable one. As I walked to the hotel this sign should have been the clue:

We had more techical difficulties tonight than I've seen in my thirteen years. Sad to say but some things could have been avoided if the hotel didn't provide us with jacked up electrical boxes or if we would have had better surge protection. This is the unfortunate reality of rock -n-roll. If you ever think it's going to run smoothly, look out! That's when fate comes along and kicks you between the pockets.

Despite it all we pulled up our pride and still rocked the party. Like they say, The show must go on and it. Four hours later and I'm spent. Let's write this one off, fix our shit, and get ready for Wednesday. Well, after the deputies pulled us over for speeding. Can you believe it? We got pulled over for going 64 in a 60! Since we were all sober and they didn't give us too much of a hassle I decided I'd let them live. Besides, they are only here to protect and serve. Right?

Hey, it's Christmas time. Maybe I still have a little holiday spirit in me. Just keep it between us.

Magz

www.funkparty.com

Dec 13: Another holiday party.

I'm still saying bahhh-humbug. I'm thankful for another opportunity to be here but I'm jonzing to be in the studio creating something cool. We're all coming here straight from work so I'm having to field calls and drive through this traffic. The event coordinator said that this is a wild group. I hope so becuase I could use a little crowd energy tonight instead of letting some lame audience drain me. I want some of their soul for a change.

My wish was granted when I walked to the mic and said my usual "Hello. We're Dysfunkshun Junkshun". I was almost floored by all of the screaming women. I mean it was like a shot of adrenalin. They gave it up all night long (I mean they danced). I got everything out of life I needed tonight. This is the reason why I dig this scene. You just never know what to expect. I like suprises and I hope you do to because I have another one for you. Real soon!

Magz
Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com

Ike Turner ... Rest in peace!

I was saddened today to learn that Ike Turner passed away. Some of you may think I'm posting this as a joke. It's probably those of you who only know of Ike Turner from the movie you saw. However, I met him several years ago after a show we played in town and he was one of the nicest legends I ever met. He showed me respect and kindness even though we were total strangers. One of my musical mentors played sax for Ike and Tina in the sixties and seventies and he remembered him to this day.

In closing I ask you to open your mind and go beyond the Hollywood desicration of the dark times in his life and listen to some of his music and maybe you can gain something out of the negativity. Well, I'm done with my part trying to salvage another musical legend so the rest is up to you...thank you Ike for your contribution. Rest in peace.

Magz

Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com

Dec: 6, 7, 8 .. Ahhh damn!

Subject: Dec. 6, 7 & 8..ahhh damn!

Well I spent several hours between sound checks writing some cool stuff all three days; a butt load of typing too.

AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHHH! Unfortunatley but I had some tech problems and wound up deleting everything. One thing that stands out was Friday night's 8-hour show (yes eight freaking hours).

One look at Marc and that can speak for the band that we're all pretty tired and extremely crazy by the end.

We had a chance to play these really cool Burgentone amps. Mike is the designer & CEO, and we're hoping to get another endorsement since Fender and Mesa Boogie ain't showing us love. Besides, they ain't got shit on these Burgentones. Best amp I've ever heard.

Well, that's it. Come back next week and hope like hell I don't reintialize my treo before a hot-synch..damn. That kind of turns me on!

Magz

Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com

Dec 1: Dallas .... again!

Sleep is over rated so we're on the road to Dallas so we can sing some songs and shake some thongs. I'm feeling better than I have in a while today but would please pull that siren out of my head. This ringing is driving me nuts. After patiently waiting for Junior (note heavy sarcasm) we hit the road again packed in two vans. The boys in production stayed in Temple and the rest of us had the pleasure of sleeping in our own beds. I'm just looking forward to stopping somewhere and grabbing some food. I think it's gonna be Waco today becuase our light man needs to make a pit stop. I know they've got a BBQ joint off the interstate and with three brothers and one big country boy in the car, some meat is about to get consumed. And yes indeed. It was da 'bomb'. Now that I'm fat and full I'm ready to attack the big city of Dallas with pants below my knees and a bucket of vasoline. Who's first? So back to the show. It's at the flight musuem in Dallas, some sort of a benefit.

This is a really cool place. Inside they have jets and planes on display from every era of flight. To be underneath them is pretty astounding.

Check out this cool mustang. The owner was offered $140,000 and he said, "No thank you." It's a nice ride, but for that loot you can get yourself a nice red white and blue house.

Now after another long wait in a sterile dressing room and watching restring his bass, the one with the good tone (as we refer to it) we played a few songs. Suddenly some local reporter came up to MC the evening. Nice guy with a speaking voice not to be denied. After his speech some asshole came and started bitching at production because he said the music was too loud. The dumb ass sat directly in front the speaker and complained about the volume of an iPod playing soft jazz. Normally we'd be more understanding but when you approach us with disrespect your night will only get worst. The best thing all night is when we told the event coordinator her response was for him to "turn his hearing aid off or go sit in the back. We're here to party." A woman after our hearts for sure. We contined waiting for the stage call and it was a late one. We played maybe and hour to an enthusiastic group of people. I will say that the last song of the evening I could really feel that the boys were tired. It didn't have the usual bounce but as much as we've been working Hell, I'm tired too. This is defintely a memorable evening in a really cool venue. Now that is over I'm happy to write that my head ache is gone and we're on the road.

If you've ever wondered what motivates me night after night to play with all my heart, here it is. I'm still eyeing my first private jet. Let a man have a dream people.

Magz

Dyfunkshun Junkshun
www.funkparty.com