On The Big Black Bus

www.kelli.com/blog

2008-02-12T16:06:00.000-08:00

The Bus has moved, you can follow Kelli and the ShadowMen at their new address here:

www.kelli.com/blog

This is the new site for a show (kinda like Dirty Jobs meets the Travel Chanel) designed for anybody who has ever wondered what it is like to be in a band, to make a living as a musician, to tour America and see lots of crazy places, to play in front of thousands of people, to do something you absolutely love and cannot live without, all the while living in a 45 by 8 foot box, doing without showers, meeting tons of crazy fans, dumping 200 gallons of waste every 4 days ... on and on... in short, life on the road.

www.kelli.com/blog

2008-02-08T13:38:00.000-08:00

Bobby McGee Part II

2008-02-04T07:04:00.000-08:00

There are so many different ways to do a cover of a song: On one hand, you can keep fairly faithful to the original, have a similar band, same instruments, same parts - the only thing different is the singer, in tribute bands, even the singer emulates the original.

On the other hand, you can take the song and change it dramatically, kinda like sandwiching yourself inside the actual song. One of our favorite examples of this is the Johnny Cash cover of Hurt by Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails.

As ever though, it ultimately comes down to what sounds good. We are excited about this cover as we have made significant changes to the song. We shared the opening guitar riff in Bobby McGee Part I, earlier last week, but we still had some work to do on the chorus. Having made the decision to make the track minor, we had originally kept the chorus major, but having worked on it again last week and made the chorus minor too, we think it makes the track even spookier, which when you think it about, it is a pretty gruesome story!

Having taken it into the room with the band - it made more sense to actually move the chorus into a minor key too - here's how it sounded on the acoustic:

Here's the original recording from December 31st, 2007 with a major chorus.
Here's a revised version from January 23rd, 2008 with a minor chorus.

We were at S.I.R. last week, recording all the four covers - keep checking back - should have some new music very soon.

Me and Bobby McGee

2008-01-21T16:44:00.000-08:00

Last Friday saw Kelli and the band back in rehearsal working up Me and Bobby McGee. Written by Kris Kristofferson, it was first a hit for Country singer Roger Miller in 1969, of course, more people are familiar with the Janis Joplin version that came out in 1971 on her album Pearl. If you have not heard it for a while there are several versions up on YouTube, you can check them out here.

Kelli had started working on an acoustic version of the track back in 2003 as part of the Songs Ill Always Sing project, but she was looking for a different take on it this time round. Having spent the last 18 months developing her sound with the ShadowMen, the track morphed from being an upbeat ballad into a minor key, guitar driven rocker. If this has got you scratching your head, then check out the opening guitar riff by clicking on the arrow below, the shot is Kelli and the band taking a break from rehearsal and heading out for some much needed food.

Can you imagine Kelli coming in with, Busted flat in Baton Rouge, waiting for a train...? It sounds amazing! We are back in the studio this Friday to tighten it up and start work on Crazy.

Two Steps To Heaven...

2008-01-16T11:28:00.000-08:00

Two Steps To Heaven was written around April 2007 at the same time we were writing Can't, Last Will and Testament and Period Piece. Since then both Two Steps and Can't have gone on to become core parts of the set with Two Steps actually replacing The Preacher's Daughter to become the set opener. Here's a little taste, click the arrow below and you'll get the first couple of verses. The image is of Kelli and Jeff at Swinghouse where this live version was recorded and is exactly how Kelli looks as she eases into the bridge:

At the time of writing we were looking to introduce a fast moving, Road Trip type song into the set; although we had the crowd pleaser Big Black Bus to close with, we were looking for an up tempo theme that would get people moving early on. We started to play with classic Route 66 imagery, the whole LA to New York thing and the frustrations that often come with traveling. The idea of trying to get across the country, back to the one you love while all the time having things break down, brought forward the two steps forward one step back concept, from there it was just a matter of getting out the Rand McNally and working out the distances!

Taking it into the room was a lot of fun: the swinging left hand on the piano establishes the beat as the other instruments introduce themselves one by one, Kelli sets up the first verse and by the time the second rolls around the whole band is rocking out. We're currently editing live video of the Swinghouse shoot and we'll let you know as soon as it is available.

Who's Your Daddy

2008-01-10T13:45:00.001-08:00

Kelli is of course!

Yep, we are hunting down a number of classic tracks that would be a good addition to the set list over the coming months. It makes a lot of sense to give the initial audiences something that they can immediately recognize and then of course blow them away with a unique Kelli interpretation. We already have great versions of Your Cheating Heart and Why Cant He Be You by Hank Williams and Patsy Cline respectively but we are looking to add a few more.

Last week we worked up an incredible version of the Bill Wither track:Aint No Sunshine When Shes Gone , of course Kelli sings He rather than She, and this is no ballad any more, it is a full on grooving rocker. Two others that we will be working up very soon are Crazy, the Patsy Cline signature track and Bobby McGee, the Janis Joplin classic. Both are tracks that are dear to Kelli and she has been singing them for years, here is a clip of Kelli singing Crazy back in 2001:

Of course the new version is going to be a little different as the ShadowMen will bring their own inimitable style to it. With Thom out of town for another week we might have to put Mr. Lesniak behind the kit to get the ball rolling, should be a lot of fun, we might even post some audio clips to whet your appetite!

We spent yesterday looking in the modern Country catalog for a suitable track and it was surprising to find so few stand out songs. One of the ones that Kelli is considering is the Toby Keith track Whos Your Daddy? There are very few men out there who could take this track and make it their own, but anyone that knows Kelli, knows that she could knock this one out of the park; can't wait to see the look on the guy's faces!

2008, Videos, New Look Blog and more...

2008-01-07T08:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a busy start to 2008 and yet this is the first Blog post - guess we've been busier than we thought. We hope you had a good holiday season and got some rest - we did and we're going to need it.

Last week saw the start of Video production; we're shooting at Swinghouse which is fast becoming our favorite room in town.

We're starting with "Two Steps to Heaven", "Can't" and "Your Cheatin' Heart." So far we think we have "Two Steps" in the can, editing should continue this week - can't wait to see what it looks like, more on this story later on.

We've had this current blog layout for the last 18 months and its definitely time for a change. We've spent a lot of time over the last few weeks developing a new look layout and you can see a sneak preview below. With the addition of subscription and RSS functions - it will make it a lot easier for you to keep in touch with what's happening on the Big Black Bus - expect to see it in place in the next few weeks.

Last post in 2007

2007-12-31T05:52:00.000-08:00

An early start to the last day of the year; we're going to be working up a number of cover tunes that may or may not make the set list as well as planning for the video shoot on Thursday. It's been a crazy year but a good one and we are raring to go. We wish you all a happy and healthy 2008 - see you next year!

Merry Christmas 2007

2007-12-24T23:10:00.000-08:00

From Kelli and the whole team, we wish you an absolutely fabulous Christmas and an awesome 2008.

May 2008 bring everything you wish for and more....

Faith No More meets Joe Cocker..

2007-12-18T12:20:00.001-08:00

There's been a lot going on...we'll tell you all about it soon (we're getting a brand new look Blog complete with RSS and subscription,) but in the meantime, here's a little more on new Bass player, Matt Mcjunkins...

Kelli goes down...

2007-12-12T00:06:00.000-08:00

We're at Swinghouse again, Room 2 and we love it! We couldn't have asked for a better day: the people there are awesome, the sound was great, everything felt good (especially the Johnnie Walker) and we completely changed the set list - who could ask for anything more? We're all looking forward to meeting Liz tomorrow - make that today - we'll keep you posted.

As for "Going Down" - well - as far as Kelli goes...

...if you're going to stand up and sing on stage...

...you've gotta be able to...

...get on your knees...

...and pray!

Why Do People Pay To Go See Live Music?

2007-12-06T22:34:00.000-08:00

We have no idea what the answer to that question is - we're grappling with it along with everyone else. In the meantime, we're focused on creating the best possible set list in order to make damn sure people have a good time when they come to see Kelli and the ShadowMen.

For now we're working with the following - although of course it is likely to change tomorrow:

I Trust You To Kill Me

2007-12-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

I Trust You To Kill Me is at the moment, one of those movies that you get to hear about through a friend; friend being defined by the lack of financial transaction. It's a cool movie and we totally dug it.

When you stop to think about it - there are an amazing number of ways in which you can communicate your message: words, images and our personal favorite, music, are but a few. To center a cool movie around some cool music created by a cool person and his very cool band - well - that's just a cool idea!

Oh, and if you haven't listened to Ride yet - we think it's pretty cool too!

Rock & Roll in the Valley...

2007-11-29T23:19:00.000-08:00

Kelli and the ShadowMen
Reseda, California
November, 2007

Click on the image to see a larger version

Music Made Here - a photo blog

2007-11-26T07:57:00.000-08:00

Readers of the bigblackbusblog (and try saying that after a few beers!) will be familiar with the expression "Music's Easy!"

Let's take a closer look...

...going from the expression on Kelli's face and on Jeff's...

...maybe "Easy" isn't exactly the right word.

Listening to it sure as hell is fun though!

Matt

2007-11-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

You might be aware that we have been looking for a new ShadowMan.

They're a rare breed - you don't really know one until you get to play with them...

...but if you look closely...

...and listen...

...you can tell...

...and it's a great feeling!

We would like to express our thanks to the musicians who came and auditioned. We were fortunate enough to meet some wonderful players and some great characters; we all enjoyed listening to and playing with you, thank you.

A Different Kind Of Ride

2007-11-14T23:08:00.000-08:00

There are many ways to get to work- one of the guys outside the studio had this gnarly looking chopper - Kelli couldn't resist having a go.

There are so many different emotions that you go through in a Kelli set:

The innocence of "The Preacher's Daughter,"

...through to the sheer despair of the classic torch song, "Empty Eyes."

Then there's the drama and energy of Ride - here's Kelli in full flight...

...through to the out and out passion of "What Do You Want" or "Mamma."

It's a great journey and we always have a smile on our faces by the end.

It's been a great week so far, look out for more exciting news before the end of the week.

Serj Tankian Stole my Bass Player

2007-11-12T10:30:00.000-08:00

We know, he didn't really "steal" him - but it does make for a pithier Title! It was great to see a photo from SOADFans.com of Mario up on stage doing his thing next to Serj, we wish them both the very best of luck.

It's final round of Bass auditions on Tuesday - we have some great players coming back and we're looking forward to closing the door on this particular chapter of the project.

We're still delighted with the progress that Ride is making over at Garageband - still batting up there at 4.7 stars out of 5 and the quality of the reviews are getting better and better - check out the latest one here...

There's nothing wrong with me

2007-11-06T20:52:00.000-08:00

Imagine you are in the car, driving to rehearsal and stopped in traffic, there is an accident, a bad one on the side of the Freeway, someone is trapped in a car, everyone is looking and no one is stopping.

You pull over, run up to the wreck to find a Lady, trapped, bleeding, and in need of help. So you stop and kneel and hold her hand and reassure her that everything is going to be O.K. Together you wait for help to arrive.

She clutches your hand and you will her to be fine, but you cannot help notice the money. Hundred dollar bills coat the car, more spill out of two large bags on the passenger seat and you think to yourself - you cannot make this stuff up!

Ride, Ride, Ride, Ride

2007-11-05T09:30:00.000-08:00

Ride continues to do well over at www.garageband.com, now in the second round of the competition, it has been selected to be Track of the Week. Check it out by clicking on the link below.

Also, stay tuned this week for some VERY exciting news...

Finding the right people...

2007-10-31T22:43:00.000-07:00

...is probably the hardest thing of all!

We are currently going through the process of finding Mario's replacement

...which of course is an impossible task; we all love Mario and it is always a pleasure to play with him, however, we haven't got time to hang about...

Kelli would do it all herself if she has to, but it's actually a lot more fun if you have a cool, grooving Bass player next to you.

We cannot wait to meet the next ShadowMan - well, it's likely at this point that we have met them - we just don't know who it is yet.

Bands are funny things, they are not an exact science. For a ShadowMan, it's not about how good a player they are (although they have to be exceptional,) it's about the fit between them, the other players and most importantly with Kelli. This week marked the second day of auditions and we couldn't have asked for a better day...

We were fortunate enough to listen to some wonderful talent this week: great tones, great playing, great attitude, we were blown away. There is something "electric" about auditions, it is not a "normal" situation and everybody in the room knows it. For the people doing the auditioning, you are hoping and praying that the next person who comes along is going to be "it" - for the person being auditioned - well - it is nerve-wracking!

For these sessions, Mike produced a mix of Ride and Preachers Daughter that had no Bass track - played it through the P.A. and each player played along; they had been given an MP3 of the tracks earlier in the week and asked to learn them for the audition.

So - imagine it - you walk into a rehearsal room in Los Angeles, say hello to 4 people you never met before, walk up onto an empty stage, strap on your Bass and do your thing while they sit and watch you do it!

The amazing thing about People is that every one is different - it is truly amazing. We must have played those songs hundreds of times by now, but each player brought their own interpretation and the songs came alive

Thank you to everyone who came and played.

Internet Radio

2007-10-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

We love living today! There are so many people who love music and that are interested in getting new music out to as many people as possible, it really is a joy to be touched by them.

We have just started to place Kelli onto some of the online music sites and have already received some great feedback. One of the communities, Soundclick , enables members to create their own internet radio stations and to broadcast their favorite music to others.

Last week, Big Black Bus got picked up by Country Rose Radio, the #1 Country station on Soundclick. Rose who's been running the show since 2003 has a unique sense of humor and an obvious passion for all kinds of Country Music. Her latest Halloween special show starts with a hysterical take on "Ghostbusters" which will have you cracking up, but you're soon tapping your toes to Tami Neilson's "One Bad Day" or being blown away by Stefanie Welches' beautiful voice. Big Black Bus fits in wonderfully well at number 6 and is followed by other new artists (check out the grooving Ray Whitlock) and of course more Rose Halloween humor.

Oh - and Ride is doing amazingly at Garageband, now rating 4.7 stars out of 5 and has broken into the Blues Rock top 20.

Mamma

2007-10-25T12:45:00.000-07:00

After the vicious hurricanes of Katrina and Rita of 2005, Kelli was inspired to write a song that reflected on the overwhelming and absolute power of Mother Nature: Mamma

Click on the arrow above to listen to a live version of Mamma performed in Hollywood earlier this year.

It seemed particularly appropriate to play Mamma today as wild fires are eating up the California countryside and displacing over half a million people. It's not until you actually see how the fire affects everything do you really get an idea of just how BIG nature is and just how ineffective we are against her.

Mornings here are shaded different hues of Pink and Red, it could be Christmas in that everything is covered with a fine white powder - only the smell reveals that it's ash - not snow - and it could all be quite beautiful until the fire starts to come your way...

The flames are announced with billowing smoke clouds that swoop down onto the man made structures and dispose of them in seconds...

It really does look like a scene from some apocalyptic Science fiction movie - but it's no movie, this is real and quite literally Hell for thousands and thousands of people.

There is of course a strange beauty to it. This is the sun shot at around 8:00 AM in the morning - and so long as your house hasn't burned down - you can appreciate the effects the fire has on the atmosphere

And finally - just to get an idea of the scale - here's a Satellite photo of the Southern California Coast. As Kelli sings:

"Hope you said your prayers now
Mamma's on her way............"

Long Day Ahead...

2007-10-24T01:01:00.000-07:00

But gonna be a good one...can you feel it?

Killer Week Ahead....

2007-10-22T08:40:00.000-07:00

Absolutely! The whole team's back from various places and we have much to do. Should have final auditions and call backs for Mario's sub - with Mike behind the kit subbing for Thom while he's slumming it in Hawaii! One of our old friends Paul is in town and we'd love to get him into a session.

Otherwise its all about the dates - and not the ones you might find in a Deli! Supporting the live show is the continued development of Kelli's online presence. Currently represented on over 20 busy community sites - we have another 200 to go! No rest for the wicked.

With any luck everyone will be clear of the sniffles and sneezes and we can get down to some serious writing and shooting (that's of the video type!) Tune in later to see how it all turns out...