My kid's band is going to Kosovo and Germany to entertain the troops next week!

[calimary]

Before and after New Year's.

I'm SO PROUD!!!! Not to mention EXCITED!!!

ACIDIC ROCKS!!! (ACIDIC is the band's name.) And I get to be there too! After all, every herd needs a sheepdog. I have a good excuse though. They're all under 21 and I AM their manager, after all.

:patriot: :fistbump: :headbang: :woohoo: :applause: :thumbsup: :kick:

[ClassWarrior]

1. I heard!! How cool is THAT?!! Big congrats, Mary and the band!!

And a very Happy Christmas to you all, as well.

:fistbump:

NNNGU, Mar.

[calimary]

4. Thanks, Bro! And MUCH love!

It's nuts! I THINK it's starting to become real for me, finally.

The Armed Forces Entertainment sent us this box with all kinds of luggage tags and dog tags for the boys and t-shirts, and an info package for me with vouchers and stuff.

We'll have Christmas here at home and then New Year's in the Balkans. I went out and bought a bunch of hand-warmers and foot-warmers to put in their stockings (SHHHHHH...).

[ClassWarrior]

13. LOL on the stocking stuffers. If it was me, I'd want to introduce the Balkans to...

...silly string on New Year's Eve. :party:

Travel safe. Know you're all in our prayers.

NGU.

[lob1]

2. Congratulations. I hope to hear your son on my Ipod some day.

[calimary]

5. Thank you!

Gonna Rock the Troops!

If you go to www.acidicband.com or their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/ACIDICband, you can hear some of their stuff now.

[MineralMan]

6. YouTube, too. Search Acidic Band. There are some videos.

Not bad. I'm not a fan of the style, but they have talent.

[calimary]

8. Thanks! They're alt-rock/Modern Rock, whatever the genre is now.

They put on a rather vigorous live show. My son the lead singer is routinely described as their "crazy-ass front man." And the bass player writhes like a snake, and then takes his shirt off - which is something of a public service to all of the young females in the crowd. I think the troops will be happy. And they're working up a few covers that they hope will go over well.

[MineralMan]

3. Have a great time!

[calimary]

7. Thanks! My mind is BLOWN.

Only two of them have ever been out of the country before. Our bass player has family in the Netherlands and our crew kid has a mom who's taken her kids EVERYWHERE (well, except Kosovo - that's a new one).

[MilesColtrane]

9. Ms. Manager, you should shop some of their songs to video game manufacturers.

There's the potential for good $$, and a chance to break into wider venues, if someone uses one of their tunes in a game.

Just a quick listen tells me that those guys are as good or better than anything on any of the games I've played.

And, whatever genre they work in seems to be right up the alley of many racing games, etc....

(on edit) I got to do a couple of DOD tours when I was a young spud, playing for the troops. It was a great time.

The military really takes care of you, and the troops were always very appreciative.

Have fun.

[calimary]

10. I actually have submitted them to a couple of things like that.

Got close both times. Nothing yet. But I am not giving up!

[MilesColtrane]

11. You're all over it!

:thumbsup:

[calimary]

12. Doin' what we can.

Hopefully we'll build their fan numbers on Facebook.

[proud patriot]

14. Awesome ! What a great Present !

[calimary]

15. Thanks!

They get to be Bob Hope - and they're too young to have much of a realization of who he was.

I'm actually tempted to grab this bandana of our dog's - black with green shamrocks on it, and wear it when we get to the airport in Kosovo in honor of Hillary Clinton. She had a scarf on like that during one campaign stop in '08 when she talked about ducking gunfire on the tarmac in Kosovo.

:evilgrin: :dunce: :D :silly: :crazy: :party: :headbang:

I'm such a shit - I DO love Hillary Clinton. Gonna be a wild time! The music will certainly be good!

[bleever]

16. Congratulations!

That's really exciting.

Keep on rockin' in the free world!

:applause:

[calimary]

18. Thanks! I'm really getting nervous. Good-nervous. I know they're gonna kick ass.

Major kick ass. Probably Private kick ass and Corporal kick ass and Captain kick ass and Lieutenant kick ass.

They should all be home. But if they're not, we're gonna rock 'em and keep them warm where they are!

[kevinbgoode]

17. My gosh. . .they are GOOD!

I went to youtube and visited their web site. . .they have some tight vocals! And, while it is certainly a younger sound (but I'm way middleaged) I bookmarked them to play a clip before each college class I teach next semester. . .:).

Have a great, safe, exciting adventureous trip! And tell those boys that they produce some really wonderful music!

[calimary]

19. Wow! Thank you! I know I'm biased but I really like them a lot!

I'm quite middle-aged too. But I love every song. My kid's the lead singer. If you need anything for your class work, let me know! I'll be glad to send stuff.

[calimary]

20. Btw - if you'd like a sample...

Anyone here who would like a CD, please PM me with your address and then watch for an after-Christmas present!

[calimary]

21. And please click "Like" on their Facebook

www.facebook.com/acidicband

[kevinbgoode]

25. I "liked" them on facebook. . .:).

Now y'all have a very safe and fun journey! You are going to have so many stories to tell us when you return!

[calimary]

26. Oh man, no kidding!

It depends on what we're permitted to photograph for security reasons. I think it might be neat to make little videos of the shows, themselves, but also to run the camera around to some of the troops there as they (hopefully) rock out, and shout greetings to their loved ones at home maybe? Then, if we're permitted, we can run those on Facebook!

We're taking a bunch of flat stuff to give away as freebies, like stickers, temporary tattoos, a few download cards (as much as we have), and wristbands. They have to be easy to pack and lightweight.

And THANK YOU for friending them on Facebook, too! We need all the high numbers we can get.

:hug: :patriot: :yourock: :headbang: :fistbump: :thumbsup: :kick: :applause: :toast: :party: :woohoo:

[Swamp Rat]

22. GREAT!!

:fistbump: :patriot:

[calimary]

27. Thank you!

We're really thrilled!

They're gonna do all high-intensity rockers. The boys are working up a pretty vigorous set. Some new stuff they just finished (for their next album), a couple of testosterone-y covers (they do a MEAN "Come Together" by the Beatles and I heard Michael practicing a Van Halen song yesterday), and a few things they've had on alt rock radio, and AOL radio, too - in the New Alternative First channel.

http://player.radio.com/player/AOLPlayer.php

There are two songs, "Strata Red," and "It's OK" on there. You can vote them five stars if you hear them come up. They've been on there for several weeks now - longer than we expected!

[boston bean]

23. Wow, Have a great time! Sounds like a really good experience! nt

[calimary]

28. Yeah, I just have to find a camera that works! And one that's dumb-guy enough for ME to work!

The way it seems to have gone so far is - I go with them for every first thing (besides all the local stuff where you kinda have to work the room a little). So I've gone with them to every local gig. And the first time(s) they went out of town, I went with them then. And now, the first time they're going out of the country, I'm going with them, too. We have this "fifth Beatle" kid named Andrew who's the other guitarist's best friend since they were six-years-old. Andrew is their road manager. He's turning out to be real pro, and his dream is to move into management, and be the power rocker behind the scenes. So I've kinda been grooming him and mentoring him, such as it is, since it's strictly seat-of-the-pants management in my case.

Funny enough - all the participation I've done on DU has helped prepare me for this: thinking strategically and managing perception and stuff like that. So I have DU to thank for helping develop my kid's band! It really does translate in the branding we've tried to do and positioning them such that people think of them as the professionals they aspire to be. They're ALL really driven and focused and serious, and they adamantly want this to be their life. So there aren't any flakey aspects to distract. It's like everybody is in the same boat, rowing in the same direction. Pretty damn great!

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

24. Congratulations! (Does the gig pay well?)

[calimary]

29. Well, what's nice is everything is covered.

Knowing that some of all the taxes I've paid that I know have gone into various war machinery, it's nice to know that MAYBE a few pennies of that went into something like this. It's a real honor! We just want to make sure we give the people some great shows since they can't come home for any. We deliver!

Our transportation and lodging is provided, and all the heavy equipment like amps and heads and drum kit and all the sound equipment is provided wherever the venues are that the boys will be playing. And I have to make a religion out of saving receipts. We each get a small per diem, so in effect, it DOES pay a little. Hell, we'd do it anyway. But we are not allowed to sell stuff, and we are not permitted to book any other gigs - like in town somewhere in civilian-land. It all has to be for the troops - Which. Is. Totally. FINE!!! Hey, we're very happy to follow orders here! And we have lots of fun, silly little stuff to give away. But hey, a trip like this is expensive and I know I couldn't pay for it all myself. So I'm VERY grateful for the arrangements that have been set up for us. THIS, I think, is a GREAT use of Pentagon money!!! It's kinda like with the USO. The folks on the other end are VERY professional and thorough and they've been terrific to work with, and they're experts, so every question I've had has been answered in full.

The band's been going for three years by now, and they've done a WHOLE LOT for free. They're not big enough or established well enough nationally to start commanding pay and perks and stuff yet. But hopefully that'll come. They're damn good, their songs are catchy and memorable and hook-y, our bass player is a surfer, tall, lanky, and sexy as hell (and then he takes his shirt off mid-show, and I shall say no more), the drummer is goofy and funny and shorter than everybody else like a Ringo Starr, and our second guitarist is moody-handsome and shakes his hair better than Will Smith's little girl (just without the paint - so far), and my son is the flamboyant wild man with a singing voice that's gotten him attention and solos in the kids choir since kindergarten. He is VERY proud of what he does onstage and has cultivated it as much as possible. He has a wireless mic and he really works it, leaving the stage, strutting around in the audience, having various fans sing along - he'll point the wireless mic at them during the chorus of "Come Together" for example - and sometimes he pulls somebody up onstage with them for a song or two. Sometimes he'll strut all over and grab girls and spin them around or steal a hug or dance with them for a moment. You should see the looks on their faces after he's passed by! The fans really like it. It's a pretty interactive show.

Hopefully someday, ACIDIC will be big enough that they'll have played in some DU strongholds. I guarantee if you see them, you'll have a great time!

[Tsiyu]

30. Safe passage to you all

and to all of those instruments ;)


This will be something they will remember forever.


Congratulations and thank you all for the hard work involved in this endeavor. I know the troops will appreciate it.


:yourock:

[calimary]

32. WOAH! Happy New Year everybody - from Kosovo in the Balkans!

It's New Year's Eve day and I'm in an internet coffee shop on the base here, and the boys performed their first show last night. They're in tonight's New Year's Eve extravaganza. It'll be ACIDIC, another band called Off The Wall, and a fashion show involving both the men and women troops here. That ought to be some VERY crazy fun!

My mind is just blown! The boys are total pros. It's really the adventure of a lifetime!

Hey thanks for all your good wishes, guys! It means a lot!

And now, we "soldier on"!

[Heidi]

31. Kick for the DUers who may not have seen this over the holiday!

:kick:

:kick:

[calimary]

33. Thanks Heidi!

I will post some more as I get more time to come over to the internet cafe on the base here. It's clear across the compound from our sleeping quarters, which are like austere little dorm rooms, all in rows in what look like repurposed shipping containers. VERY cold (well, at least for a bunch of thin-blooded Californians) - in the 20s at night and low 30s during the day. But inside everywhere it's nice and warm.

The cafe is filled with troops in various kinds of camouflage suits, some with some really intense-looking rifles and sidearms slung over their shoulders. LOTS of different languages all buzzing around me, and there's a very jovial spirit all around. Must be New Year's Eve!

I'm told we're going to be taken over to see some helicopters this afternoon. Yesterday we were on a video shooting range where the boys and I got to do target practice with M16s and 9mm pistols. Surprisingly enough, I discovered I'm actually a rather good shot - who knew? The boys certainly took notice, anyway.

One more show here in Kosovo tonight and then tomorrow we leave for Germany, and two more shows there before we head home. I will keep you guys updated as much as I can find internet time to do so.

MUCH LOVE - and if I don't report back beforehand, HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

:party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :party: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :toast: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :hi: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :fistbump: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :headbang: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :patriot: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :applause: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :woohoo: :pals: :pals: :pals: :pals: :pals: :pals: :pals: :pals: :pals: :pals: