2009 Day of Service Video

I finally finished editing the video footage from the 2009 Day of Service. Here's the result:

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CHC Beach Baptism 2009

Last Sunday afternoon, a bunch of folks from Cedar Hills Church got baptised at the city beach in Sandpoint, ID. I filmed the baptisms, and cut them together with some music. Here they are.

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If You Schedule It, It Will Happen

I go through cycles where I am very into writing, playing, and producing music, and times when i don't even touch a guitar for weeks. After hearing the recording of our radio performance, I was positively motivated. I called Bruce Bishop the next day to set up a recording date. Unfortunately, he was even more ambitious than I and I had to postpone his first suggestion by a week.

All that to say that I'll be in the studio on May 30th. My goal is to get 4 to 5 songs recorded, so that I can have an ep to peddle and a good recording to help get more gigs.

I haven't heard anything from Dyno yet but I'm hoping I'll be able to get her to listen to me soon and get a date at the Festival at Sandpoint. It feels ambitious, but It's definitely doable. It's just a matter of finding a good fit for me.

In the meantime, I've got several shows lined up which can be found at http://justinlandis.com.

Come Out and Enjoy Live Music

Hilarious!!

Now I remember why I used to like 'The Onion' so much.

DNA Evidence Frees Black Man Convicted Of Bear Attack

Easter on Schweitzer Mountain

This morning at 6:30am, we boarded the quad in the village at Schweitzer Mountain and rode to the top for a sunrise gathering of believers, to celebrate Easter. It was very cold, especially as I tried to play guitar chords. But it was so worth it. It was a wonderful morning that embodied the significance of Easter for me - the victory Christ holds over death. And I can't think of a better way to celebrate his life than by standing among his awesome creation and surveying his handiwork for miles in all directions. I got to participate by leading the group in three songs. As my fingers stiffened and hurt, my mind was so thankful for Christ's love for us.

Ten Out Of Tenn Rocks

At work on Friday, I was listening to 95.3 KPND as I often do. Mr. Johnny Knight, the morning DJ, plays a game where callers have to identify a film from a short audio excerpt. On this Friday, I happened to hear a clip from Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and my ears perked up. Piced up the phone, dialed the station, got through, answered correctly, won tickets to a show in Spokane. Awesome! Never heard of the band. Not to worry, there is a wonderful music discovery tool called "the internet." Check it out.

Anyway, I found my way to http://reverbnation.com/tenoutoftenn and was quite excited by what I heard.

The show was Monday at the Alter Knit Lounge in Spokane, and it was incredible! There were way fewer people there than there should have been. About 50, I would say. We had a table right up front and center. The songs were great, the musicians were fun, the chemistry was good, the alcohol was flowing, the kids were with grandma.

I really urge any of you interested in good music to check out this compilation. It'a a group of musicians from Nashville who decided to pool their panache and fan base into a fun tour where each of them plays about 2 songs per night. The rest of the musicians back up whoever happens to be in the spotlight at the moment.

After the show, the band just hung out. They didn't have anywhere to be until 3 or 4 am (bus call) when they'd travel to the next town and sleep in the way. We got to chat with most of them, and give them props for a job well done.

Matthew Perryman Jones finished the night with his new (soon to be) hit Save You. He then proceeded to tell us that he had a song on One Tree Hill that night, so the bartenders turned it on and we all watched together as the song he'd just played, played in the background of the show's ending scenes. He was ecstatic. The other musicians were so happy for him. We were all gathered at the front of the stage, watching the tv. It was a beautiful moment.

Then, to cap it all off, Jeremy Lister grabbed a guitar and we proceeded to sing, in a standing circle at the front of the stage, Bob Dylan's I Shall Overcome. Man, what a night.

Thanks For the Support!

I just wanted to send a shout out to all my incredible friends who come out to hear me play music. David and Karianne Yarnell haven't missed a single show. They are incredible.

I played at the Mojo Coyote Cafe tonight at Schweitzer. A bunch of people came out and listened. These people also ordered drinks, and were very generous with me too. As I was leaving, the manager of the cafe said she wanted to have me back soon. Apparently this wine tasting was more successful than normal, as the house was packed the whole time. A whole half that house was packed with my friends, which reminds me how awesome my friends are to come out and support me, and patronize the establishment at which I'm playing.

So thank you all. I'm tempted to start naming names, but I know I'd forget someone and then feel like a total jerk, so let me just say that I am a very blessed person, and have a ton of support from my friends. I am very grateful for the support and would not make it without it.

Thanks everyone. You guys rock!

Sorry to All My Conservative Friends and Family...

but, I'm quite excited about our new president. Between his priority on diplomacy over military action, and his seeming desire to work with those on either side of aisle, I'm optimistic about where we're going.

So, here's a place where you can watch the inauguration.

One Lucky Fella

I was walking home from today when I noticed a "For Rent" sign. My mind grapes started stirring ad I thought it would be awesome to have a small space where I could keep all my music gear set up. Sort of a creative, rehearsal space. However, while it may come as a shock to even those of you closest to me, I don't have hundreds of extra dollars to spend on recreational space every month.

The first call was a dead end. The second sign I saw on my way was unhelpful as well. The third call ended up being to Heather Pedersen. It took a few minutes on the phone for us to realize who each other were. To save me more typing, she offered to let me use a vacant office space until it is leased. Ya Hoo!!

So, now I've got a space to set up and get some stuff done. I'm very, very, very excited about this. I wish it was Monday already, but I'll just have to wait.

What a generous offer. Ya Hoo!!!!

One-Day-A-Week Serious

So, I'm finally putting some energy into booking some more live shows. I've done a bit of recording at home and am working on creating a press pack to help in booking aforementioned live shows. I'm very excited about this, as I love playing recording and producing music.

The biggest hurdle for me is insecurity. In networking with other musicians and friends, I consistently feel like a hack. I just commented on a friend's profile on myspace and asked him to check out justinlandis.com and let me know what he thinks. Then I went to his site, tjsherrill.com and felt embarassed about my own. I know it's not a competition, and he's not the kind of guy who's gonna judge me for my lack of professionalism, but I still struggle with that.

So my goal is to learn to appreciate what I create for its own merits, and not for how it compares with others. I'm not very good at this at all, but I'm better than I used to be.

Watch this blog, and justinlandis.com for further releases and eventually an e.p.