dog days

well the snow has stopped and the sun shines high; natures creatures come out to roam the soft white earth. unfortunately natures creatures sometimes wander places they could get hurt....and hurt others for that matter. i had the life sucked out of me this morning as i drove to work and nearly ran into a great dane and german shepard standing in the middle of the road around a curve. i hit the breaks and the snow covered road sent me sideways a bit. thank god there were no other cars around me and i was ok but it sure was a rush. cold winds come in soon.....for a day or two....then we will feel the warm again. i long for the spring.....these bones grow old. this is the vintage revival....

Under White Pillows

well, I'm back....and mother nature has dumped some snow on us Chicago residents; not as much as upstate New York but enough. been gone a long long time i know but it's been a busy time for me. been playing with a new band and continuing on with worship teams. but lately i've been needing a break....which i think i'm taking now. i should be around here more often along with my other blog which i will post up here later. thanks to everyone (the whole 2 of you :P) that had been reading this blog. i hope i can get back in it and keep you interested....this is the vintage revival....

Xianz

i am so sorry to anyone that has been checking my blog (hopefully there's at least one person, LOL) but i've been distracted with a new project. setting up my band page on Xianz, a new "christian" myspace alternative. it's actually pretty cool, a little different than myspace but very similar. here's the url for my band page, feel free to check it out, xianz.com/The_Vintage_Revival i should be back to my regular posting self here in a short time, thanks for the support, one person reading all this :) this is the vintage revival........

golgotha

the phrase, "what would jesus do", i used to think it was just another marketing scheme.....notice i didn't say christian marketing scheme. but more and more i'm finding this phrase of good use and a good way to live life. i meet lots of people on this faceless form of communication, some are awesome people and some are downright rude but even though they might be twelve states away why wouldn't i treat them as jesus would. i've seen a rash of disrespect on a certain online community i frequent and it is discomforting and discouraging, and most of the community professes to be christian! i look at it and wonder what non-christians are thinking of us and the language and behavior we exhibit. what would jesus do?? i don't believe he's act the way some of us are acting now, love each other be good and ask what would jesus do, this is the vintage revival.......

warm tone

well, i just arrived home from playing at our wednesday night worship, we also rehearse for sunday. it's been a long while since i've played an acoustic/electric guitar, tonight one of the guys i'm teaching brought his. i asked him if i could play it in the service and he was happy to allow me. it was amazing! the tones and warmth i was pulling out of that thing, of course it helps to have a good acoustic amp, which i do. but i was really into the music tonight, i could feel the resonance of the strings from the guitar into my body. it had been awhile since i've felt that and it was comforting in a way, like a meat and potato's meal. i could feel god's spirit there and the energy that flowed through my fingers was magical. i know this coming sunday i will be playing that acoustic/electric again, this is the vintage revival........

sediment

"material that settles to the bottom of a liquid; lees." my first foray into recording of original material, look to your right for the link. the three sediment albums i've been on (under various names) have been a learning experiance to say the least. my producing and engineering skills on a four-track analog recorder are evident. though i will say the last song i did on sediment four was by far the best production to date. tvr may hopefully be on sediment six, watch that website for more details. this time with digital quailty sound, this is the vintage revival.......

the 3000

i've been in many places with three thousand or more people at once, sometimes it's downright frustrating and others it's an adventure. may fifth two-thousand six, the mexcian holiday "cinco de mayo", interesting to name a holiday by the day. cinco de mayo will always hold a significant place in my fond memories, not because of it's cultural connection to my family rather because of the event i was a part of that day. our spanish ministry team had (and has) been growing by leaps and bounds, we were (and have) getting lots of positive feedback about our worship style and music. we are a unique blend of salsa/merngue/worship and rock, i tend to model my guitar playing after santana, henry garza and stevie ray. of course i am no where near the caliber of the aforementioned. but word had gotten out that we have something good going and much to our delight we were invited to open up for warner bros./word recording artists "salvador". that night was absolutely magical and i will cherish each moment, from our backstage prayer to my onstage solos. three thousand people attended that night and it remains the highest number i've played for to this day, what a night, what a blessing...this is the vintage revival........

sad old man

a whispered wind gently tugs at scattered leaves
fallen freedom
they pull away from the root of their lives looking
towards the mountains away
riding the surf of invisible waves past childhood memories
bidding farewell to days of yore
time passes through
new roots have taken ahold for them
and they grow happy new stories

the wind cries again
a familiar song they've heard
melancholy
little leaves fall and the wind tugs against their roots hold
loosing grip the young leave
...........the old raise their heads to look over the mountain
the journey is long, the journey is long.

this is the vintage revival..........

where are you my lovely friend

i played my dad's epiphone for such a long time, it seemed an eternity at my tender age. i'd always dreamed of owning my own piece of art, cause you know guitars are artwork. so many dreams, so many fantasizes, looking at the racks of mahogany and maple that decorated the local music store walls. i was so afraid to ask to play one, i mean what did i know? i was a mere three freter and couldn't compare to some of the van halen wannabes that were loitering about the various areas of the music store. nineteen ninety two, i had a job and some money, and the only thing i could see was fender. a nice piece, creme colored (now a discontinued color), maple fretboard; i knew nothing of action or intonation in those days. i gave the gentlemen his money and sped home to play my new "toy". thirteen years later i understand........i understand how art, soul and heart merge into one infinite painting and the importance of choosing the right art for your soul. i still have my first fender tele, she's still important, but it took thirteen years to find the right art for my soul....this is the vintage revival..........

the old country

heritage has always been a significant part of most latino families, i always wondered why it wasn't pursued by ours. the lines in which i came are rich in stories, it saddens me i know little of them. i'm told we still have family in spain (jaen) and mexico (tamaulipas), i've often looked at the maps wondering if i could reconnect with someone. two years ago i was encouraged to audition for our churches growing spanish ministry music team, i did with great hesitation. i was asked to play, and so i did, the first few months were discomforting as i tried to relate to people i had nothing in common with. as the first year passed i understood more and more the commonality we all did share, since then i've embraced what i am and who i am. the challenge now is to share these discoveries with my daughter and hope she will embrace her roots, this is the vintage revival.........