Happy almost New Year! Its kind of mind boggling to think that there are now only six days left of 2014. Where has it gone? Where do years passed go? In the past, obviously, in the memory banks as well.
2014 is one for the memory books for me, I must say. I have been trying to figure out for months what all I wanted to say to recap the year, and normally this is done in video form. This year, however, I just don't feel like filming. I feel like writing. I've basically stopped making YouTube videos, because I've gone from having all the time in the world, to next to none. YouTube was fun for me, and I'm not going to give it up, but for now, its been tucked to the side. It was really only started so I had something to do, it was a great time filler, but now the time has been filled with other things. Surely people understand. What other things are taking up my time? Well, this year I really started attempting to manage Remedy X the 'proper' way, and I started working at one of my favorite stores. I honestly can say I love everything I do, and everyone I work with -which I am very fortunate to be able to say. Sure, I get fed up, and sure I find myself at a loss from time to time, but things have a funny, kind of awesome way of working out. Speaking of working out, there has been so many things with Immortal Music that I simply cannot believe. This year, I have gotten to interview several awesome people starting with Zach Myers of Shinedown, and Justin Moore Of Ingram Hill, up to the most recent ones were all of Sons Of Reverly, and Kevin Thrasher and Robert Ortiz of Escape The Fate. The interview with Zach and Justin frankly, was one of the best things that could have happened to my career. The whole night actually was. I won't get into it too much, as I did write an entire blog about it, plus I vlogged and there were all sorts of things revolving around it. I will say this; the interview was sheer luck. I hate admitting it when things are sheer luck, becuase people tend to respond to all things I do as if they were sheer luck, not based off hard work. This though, geniunely was. I didn't know it at first, I thought I had emailed their tour manager, and asked for an interview. I knew he hadn't replied, but I didn't care. The man seemed very nice, as did Zach and Justin so I decided to just ask for my interview anyways. I told him I sent the email, and never got a reply, and he said he had meant to reply, but didn't. He then said just to talk to Zach and we could do the interview at some point. Apparently, Zach is not a fan of doing interviews, but was impressed by me and the way I asked, so he agreed to it. The same night I met a band called Elisium, who I interviewed over email the next day. I have stayed in touch with their lead singer, Nate on and off ever since. They're a great band, and wonderful people, and I definitely believe they are going to go far. Anyways, I wrote a recap blog/ review of the night, and shared it with all the bands that were there that night. That probably was the best choice I could have made, because later that day, I was informed by a very excited Internet friend that Shinedown shared my article. I still thank Elisium's Nate Compton for that, had he not excitedly shared my post, Zach wouldn't have seen it, and then it wouldn't have been shared on Shinedown's page. I am not ashamed to admit that I did scream with excitment, I did scramble to call my mother to tell her, and I did cry a bit. It was such an honor, and it was a goal. I had wanted my work to be shared by a band for a while, it hadn't happened yet. Then to have it happen unexpectedly after an incredible night, and it was on the page's of one of your favorite bands? It was unbelievable. I still stand by the idea that they're the only reason that Immortal Music has consistently gotten around 400 views every day since, and for that, I'll be forever grateful. I already adored Shinedown musically, but they'll forever have a special place in my heart because of that now. Shortly after all of that, I got an instant message from Three Days Grace's page. In March 2013, I saw them live with Matt Walst as their singer, and did speak my thoughts online about it. I did send it to them, but they ignored it for almost exactly one year. My review was not pleasant, I'm not going to pretend it was, so I figured if they ever responded, it would be less than nice. They actually were very professional about it, and said thank you for the support. I felt it was a default answer, like they didn't really read the article, just were answering all messages thanking fans for being there. So I responded by acknowledging that what I said was less than supportive, and they answered back by saying just talking about them alone is support. I couldn't argue with it, and gave them that credit, along with a comment that I did like "Painkiller", even if I hated to admit it. They said thank you, and promptly disappeared upon me asking who I was talking to. I assume it was probably management, not actually a member of the band, but it still actually spoke to me some that they answered at all. A couple years ago, to get a response from Three Days Grace would have been just as big of an honor to me as Shinedown sharing my work. I would have cried in the past, but this time, it just baffled me. None the less, its still a great memory that I am proud to say happened, even if it was a very brief, vague conversation. Right around the same time, Remedy X's bassist, Patrick got me to really start helping them out again. I had dont it in the past, but not nearly as much, and it had been a while. I set out on a goal to get them to play the Saint Petersburg, FL date for the 2014 Vans Warped tour. Sadly, it did not work, as apparently its more based on the opinions of the judges, not the numbers you received. They did very well though! All the promotion got them back on track from where they were before their name change in 2012. They reached 165 on the over all list, #4 on the list for the Saint Petersburg date and got 90.8% Buzz rating and over 4,000 plays total. It did look sure fire that they'd get to play, but fairness just wasn't there. None of the top rated bands got in, not even the band that was number one on the over all list. It just was not right in the slightest for anyone, though many great bands did get to play. The loss was tough, and highly discouraging, but it didn't phase them for long. We are already working on great things for the new year, and are exploring some possible options as well. Stay tuned for that, they'll be shared as they come apparent to us. Just before the Warped tour news came to us, I started my paying job. As I said earlier, I am working at a store that I love. Its honestly the best job I could possibly have right now, and I know I am lucky to be able to say that I genuinely like the work environment and everyone I work with. A lot of people aren't able to say that, but hopefully everyone gets the chance to say it at some point in their lives. In August, I got to got to Uproar 2014 with my best friend. There, even though I was not granted a pass, I got to interview Kevin Thrasher and Robert Ortiz of Escape The Fate and Sons of Reverly. Robert actually said something to me that will forever stick, and it impressed me a lot. When I said the name 'Immortal Music', he actually got the meaning behind the name. If people do get the name, they usually don't express that. Robert was the first one to ever acknowledge it out loud, actually, and it will forever stick with me. That is on camera, as part of the interview. That was a very interesting, exciting day. I think its the first time I ever felt like a true journalist. I missed most of the festival, because I was either running around trying to get in touch with the people I needed to talk to, or I was behind the scenes with a band. I only actually watched three sets all the way through, and those sets were Escape The Fate, Pop Evil and Seether. I wasn't actually supposed to watch Pop Evil, right then I was supposed to be interviewing David Koonce from Within Reason, but time constraints got the better of us and the interview ended up done over email the next day. He also surprised me, because when I intially talked to him, he actually remembered me from when we met before in 2012. I didn't actually get to talk to any of the other members that day, but David made a wonderful second impression, and I really appreciated that he even was thinking about the interivew. He stayed in touch on and off all day, including after I told him we had left the venue. It also meant a lot to me that he did follow through with the interview, and did not just let it slide through the cracks. That has happened before, and for good reason, but it doesn't take away from the disappointment. In September, I saw Adelitas Way live for the third time and met Rick Dejesus for the second time. He was sick that day, so he did not get to talk much this time around, and because of that my interview did not happen. I tried to email them, but with busy schedules, the answers have yet to come to me. They still might, with some hounding. They did well, but their sound person was not on top of his game that night, so it wasn't as good as they could be. I did vlog that day, and got individual videos of a couple songs. My personal favorite video from that night is, "Alive." It started off with "Happy Birthday" being played and sung to Rick by the crowd, and the part that I particularly like is Rick noticed I was recording and finished the song while looking at the camera. He seemed genuinely happy, and that footage made me very happy as well. That show was the last one I have made it to this year that was not just strictly local bands, but I bought tickets for a show I am very excited about. Immortal Music will finally be seeing Papa Roach on January 10. Details on that have already been shared, but will be talked about more in the new year. Now the year is coming to an end, and my first thought is to say it went by far too fast. Then to realize all I've done, proves that its run its course fully and was very busy! I also finally joined the 21st Century and bought myself an iPhone 5c. This is surely going to help because now Immortal Music can be mobile and the internet life will not be put on hold just because I am not home. This is no big deal to most, but this is the first time I've been able to say that, so I am genuinely excited. I'm sure the newness will wear off, and soon it will be a normal thing for me as well, but for right now its almost like magic. Obviously its not, its technology, but you get my point! I wanted to give huge thanks to every single person out there who's continued to support Immortal Music, and Remedy X even through lulls of inactivity due to schedules just not work. That means the world to me, and some of the sweet things you guys have said in regards to the inactivity has meant more than I can really say. There were several times this year I got discouraged and honestly was questioning everything I do, and I had several of you getting in contact with me to talk about it and point out once again why I do all of this. I swear to God that I'm gonna change the world. It might take forever, but one day, it might happen. I might not change the whole world, but I could change someone else's world and my world is forever changing. Thank you once again for being here, for all your interaction and support, I truly do not know what I'd do without you guys. I love you very much, don't you ever forget that. Let me know what your year was like, and here's to 2015. May it be just as eventful and exciting as 2014 was. Big things are hopefully coming soon. There'll be a 2015 out look/ resolution blog coming soon, so if you're interested to see what I am thinking for the new year, stay tuned.
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