Sturgis Cunningham

4-17-10

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 23:56:00 +0000

Ah Austin Texas, how I love thee... We performed at the HighBall, on South Lamar. What a nice club! Gorgeous retro bowling lanes on one side, private karaoke lounges upstairs and a lovely music room on the other. The crowd was super energized and made for a great show.

Someone once described Austin as "floating 3 feet above Texas". I'm starting to believe this. Austin is like no other place in Texas and its due to our great friends and fans that continually make us feel so welcome. Adam, Cindy, Michael and Kathy, we were so spoiled by you folks. Thank you so much for all your help, food, humor and endless patience. I can't wait to visit again. Dallas is tomorrow.

4-13-10

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 22:42:00 +0000

Wow! Gainsville Florida is now my favorite town in Florida. It is home to Florida University, tons of alligators, our great friends, Star and Mitch and this fun little venue called the Laboratory. We packed the house, rocked and inspired set of Hip-Hop and enjoyed consuming beverages which were served in 500 Ml beakers. One has to be careful when drinking beakers of beer, as I found out.

And the alligators!! After a great breakfast Mitch took us to this wildlife park on the outer edge of town. We parked and hiked in amongst the drooping Spanish moss and dense vegetation. As we followed the path we came to this swampy pond that Mitch referred to as a "sink" which was basically an area where water drained in from neighboring tributaries down into the earth. The area was lush and green, with lots of water fowl feeding and swimming. As we rounded the edge of the sink, we could see alligators sunning themselves on the far side of the water. We were hoping to get a closer look at them and then Brandon spotted one near the shore on our side. We all crept slowly to the edge and peered over to look. It was incredible! An 8 footer, just floating around in the shallows, soaking up the sun and snacking on the occasional guppy that swam by. I'd never been that close to a live gator before and it was quite a treat. Many thanks again to Star and Mitch for offering their home and hospitality. Tomorrow is Jacksonville.

4-12-10

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Well we have had a wonderful stay with our incredibly patient and accomodating friends John and Dori Nolt. We're also sorry we broke all their shit and threw jam-session ragers that scared their friends and families. Although I must say I particularly enjoyed the jam-raging! Song Fight Song is done! Ready for John's Mega-Mixing. Excited for the final. On to Athens GA for the next show. Missing my bed, my cat, my friends and families. Hope you are well.

-S

4-7-10

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 21:45:00 +0000

Greetings from Chapel Hill,

Things in Frontalot land are well, kinda nerdy. We've endoured some terrible booking catastrophies along the way but with the help of some gracious fans and friends, not to mention the great tour management help from Blak Lotus, things are looking up. Our new keyboard wizard is Ken Flagg AkA Vic-20. He's doing a great job while GMinor 7 makes musicals in NY.

Charlotte tomorrow!

-S

3-10--10

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:19:00 +0000

Hello friends,

Things have been good and busy for me lately, with some great local shows with the Ryan Hommel Trio, Jeff D'Antona , the Beau Sasser Trio and Jamie Kent. I also had the pleasure of playing with local hero harp man, Wailing Dave Robinson, featuring: Tommy Filiault, Klondike Kohler and yours truly. Thanks to everyone for attending!

I'm expecting a visit from none other than, everyone's favorite Internet Celebrity: MC Frontalot on Thursday, as we rehearse and prepare for a few performances in Austin TX for the South by Southwest Music Conference. When we return we will be joined by the rest of Front's famed band to begin rehearsals for Front's 5th national tour, which is slotted to start with a performance at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston for the Penny Arcade Expo East (PAX East). This performance is the evening of March 26. Tickets for PAX tend to sell out very quickly so make sure to check the link for show info. After PAX, Front and the band will be heading west for the month of April. Hopefully avoiding any bad weather and enjoying themselves immensely!

I will be playing a few local shows after I return from Texas. Check the calendar for listings and info. Hope to see you out there.

-S

11/10/09

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 20:28:00 +0000

bye bye fall!

Hello friends, are we ready for the snow? In some strange way, I'm looking forward to it. It probably has something to do with the fact that some friends of mine are living up in VT near my favorite ski mountain and now I have a good excuse to go snowboarding!

Last week I was at the Slaughterhouse Studio with my long time friend and fellow drummer Jeff Sarri. Jeff was recording the audio and video portion of his DVD project which focuses on poly rhythms and practical uses for the working drummer. The DVD is geared towards intermediate players and was really interesting to be a part of. Special thanks to Mark at Slaughterhouse, Jeff and valley go-to bass man, John OBoyle for a great job!

This past Sunday I had the pleasure of joining many of the valley's finest musicians as we played for a cancer awareness benefit. It was a wonderful time filled with incredible music and great friends. Thanks again to all who attended.

I'm excited to be working with Ryan Hommel and Alex Chakour again while Ryan is on a break from some lengthy touring with Seth Glier. We have been working on new original material in preparation for a new record.

I'm also pleased to be preparing for Alex Bartletts CD Release show which is coming up on November 20th at P.A.C.E. in Easthampton. The band consists of Anand Nayak (guitar) Paul Kochanski (Bass) Rob and Damia Stewart (vocals) and myself (on drums of course!). If you like really unique arrangements and beautiful singing, this is not to be missed.

Hope to see you around the neighborhood and thanks for checking in!

-Sturgis

07.08.09

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Hello Friends,

So I never thought I would live in the rain forest but the weather around New England is giving me a taste of what it might be like.

I recently had the pleasure of playing the first official gig with Ryan Ordway and The Full Band in Wolfeboro NH for 4th of July weekend. The crowd seemed to really connect with Ordway's catchy originals. We also played a handful of classic tunes by the Beatles, the Band and Tom Petty to name a few. Ordway, a New Hampshire native assembled the band with help from guitarist Ryan Hommel, my close friend and musical soul brother from Amherst Mass. Hommel and I work together on lots of other projects including backing Seth Glier. Alex Chakour holds down the bottom end with his classic P-Bass and completes the Full Band. We are excited for the next string of shows and will be going into the studio to track the new material that we are co-writing with Ord sometime in late August. Check the calendar for upcoming dates!

In other news I've been recruited to drum with a high energy rock outfit named Auto Climax Control. Featuring the valley's own Chris Croteau: Lead vox and rhythm guitar, Kurt Fedora: thunderous bass, and Joe Boyle: face melting lead guitar. I've been really wishing for a solid riff-tastic band over the years and I'm glad to have gotten the call. We are currently rehearsing the material and working on arranging some new tunes as well. A.C.C. will be booking the late summer and into the fall.

That's all for now. Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see you at the shows!

-Sturgis

12/16/08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Well, I made it home. It doesn't even feel like I'm here. In fact I was driving the last shift last night and I didn't even notice that we had crossed into Mass. I was so used to driving for hours and hours, listening for Rosie (the GPS robot) to instruct me. Usually we were just looking for a fuel station or a Waffle House. Well, there are no Waffle Houses in New England and as I drove past the Basketball Hall of Fame I suddenly felt it sink in a little. I have to say, it was strange to suddenly see things I recognized.

Now that I'm home, I've discovered that I've managed to loose both cell phone chargers and my phone has died. The cat that we adopted off the street has grown very large and fluffy and doesn't really recognize me. My bed feels AMAZING and I can't wait to see my family and friends. Oh and we are getting snow in a few hours. Not too shabby, really.

I'm filled with a sense of home and am happy to have made it safely with the unique bunch of friends I gathered on this tour. Happy Holidays everyone. Here is a link to the video blog for NERDCORE RISING which chronicles the early part of the tour including the trailer accident. Hope you enjoy it!

-Sturgis

12-11-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 22:06:00 +0000

Hello Friends,

We are in the final week of the Nerdcore Hip Hop Tour 08 and I am certainly ready to be home. Played last night to a great audience in Baltimore with a day off today. Tomorrow is Philadelphia, with Pittsburgh the day after and the final show is in New Jersey. It has been a really incredible tour with lots of memories and stories. Thanks to all for making it so special. Its kind of hard to believe that I will be waking up in my own bed in just a few days!!! Here is a link to the latest video blog installment from Nerdcore Rising's own Negin Farsad. Enjoy!

-Sturgis

12-2-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 21:21:00 +0000

Wow, I can't believe its December all ready! Things on the road have been going pretty smoothly. Lets recap a bit...

We spent Thanksgiving in Austin with some friends of Damian's. Although I missed my family, our hosts provided great company and an incredible spread. The whole day really kept with the spirit of the holiday. The next morning we went into town to hit some thrift stores and such. I particularly enjoyed this nice vintage shop called Flashback. I bought a x-mas gift--the only one so far... That night the show was completely sold out and there was a line all the way down the street and around the corner. It was a nice follow up to the few days we had off for the holiday.

Dallas was the next night and again we had a great audience. Played this cool little rock club called The Double Wide. Met some very cool folks and finally had some fun in Dallas.

I drove us from Dallas to Houston the next day and encountered some of the worst driving I had ever seen. The highway was very busy with people returning from the holiday weekend and it was nearly unbearable. We made it though... The venue was this incredible dive but they did have an old piano in the corner so we made the most of it and closed the show with a honky-tonk style "gather-round". It was a highlight for me personally.

Last night we played this famous old venue called the Howlin Wolf in New Orleans. Nice big room with good sound and a real nice audience. Also had a chance to grab some AMAZING catfish and collards. Unfortunately we had to drive out right after the show to put a few hours behind us so we couldn't stay and enjoy the town. Until next time, New Orleans!

Tonight we played another little rock club in Jacksonville FL called Jack Rabbits. The show was very spirited and both the crowd and the folks working seemed to really enjoy the show. It was better than I expected.

Well, after waiting for our food for about an hour at the Waffle House down the street, I'm ready to call it a night. Thanks for checking in. Orlando is tomorrow. Oh, or rather, today. Goodnight.

-Sturgis

11/19/08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:22:00 +0000

Hello Friends,

Lets get you up to speed on the turn of events since the accident. Late in the evening on the night of the accident, the keyboard player decides that winter touring is too dangerous and hops a cab back to NY, leaving the band and the tour permanently. Front, YTC, Lars and Negin fly to Denver to do solo shows to avoid any further cancellations. I remain in MN to meet Brandon at the airport on his return from NY after dealing with a family emergency. We drive all day and stay with friends in Lincoln NE. We leave early the next morning and make it to Colorado Springs right on time for load in and sound check. This will be our first show without keyboards. The performance is loose but very spirited and the group gains strength in overcoming yet another obstacle

11-13-08 We leave early in the morning to start our 2 day drive to Portland (crappy routing). We stop in Denver for lunch and some fuel and we get a flat tire on our crappy rental trailer. We wait for the replacement in parking lot for 2 hours . Once new tire is installed, we slowly weave North through the mountain passes in the snow driving about 10 hours and eventually stopping in Bringham City UT . Up at 7am and back on the road.

We manage to arrive at the Portland venue even a bit earlier than planned and were promptly joined by our new keyboard player, James Walton who flew in on short notice from NYC. James jumped in and rocked the first show with no fear and we were all relieved by his professionalism and musicianship. Thanks James!! I also had the pleasure of seeing my former band mates Jesse and Kjell from Patiokings and their wonderful lady friends, Hillary and Layla. So nice to see all of you! You really made my stay very special. Thank you!

We had a leisurely breakfast the next morning and hit the road for Seattle. The 3 hour drive seemed like a hop, skip and jump compared to the 10+ hours we had been driving. Had a great turnout in Seattle and got to see Kris and Aaron my pals from Western Ma who moved west last year. Thanks to them for making the show! I only wish there was more time to catch up. I hope to see them during the holidays. Also huge thanks to Andy formerly of Optimus Rhyme for putting us up. Thanks to his wife as well for putting up with 6 stinky band boys rolling in at midnight.

Early the next morning, we decided to drive straight to the Bay Area in one shot, to make the most of our free time. At about 7pm heading south on I-5 an adult deer ran into the road and struck our trailer, badly caving in the fender which was then rubbing on one of the tires. We pulled over and using a hammer and a tire iron managed to bend the fender back into place. Damian did a great job of avoiding a more serious collision--great driving D! The band is getting really good at dealing with emergency situations.

We arrived in Berkeley CA at around 3:30am and have been enjoying a couple leisurely days. Last night there was a screening of NerdCore Rising. Front and I did and acapella version of one of the songs for the audience (which was kind of embarrassing). After, Front, James, and I enjoyed a night out in San Fran. Today is another rehearsal day with a show in Oakland tonight.
Maybe tomorrow I can mail some of these post cards that have been accumulating. Thanks for reading.

-Sturgis

11-13-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 07:28:00 +0000

Ok, so I have learned that van touring with a trailer in November through the mid-west is potentially very dangerous. Early yesterday morning on our way south to Lincoln Nebraska we lost control of the van and the trailer broke free, tumbling end over end into the median. It smashed and bashed into bits leaving all of our merchandise, personal luggage and musical equipment strewn about the highway. Thankfully no other cars or people were involved with the mishap and nobody was hurt. We are all very lucky and thankful. We spent the rest of the day into the early hours of this morning sorting our broken belongings, renting another trailer and gathering the courage to forge on. Or apologies to the fine folks of Lincoln and surrounding areas for having to cancel. We hope to see you all the next time around. Maybe in the summer, when it is not freezing rain and really slippery. :) Looking forward to Colorado Springs tomorrow.

Here is a photo of the accident:

http://mclars.com/images/photo.jpg

-Sturgis

11-8-08 part 2

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 20:39:00 +0000

Well, we made it! Its now about 5:30am Central time. I'm struggling to focus through the din of a late-night party at the house in Addison and have reached a new level of tired. I have a feeling these folks are gonna be up for a while. But lets talk about the show.

The venue was this neat old converted industrial building that now houses an independent theater. They have only recently started having live bands there and it took quite a while to get the sound straightened out. The crowd was nice and full and very energetic and there were even 6 fans from the Bowling Green show who drove the 5 hours to see us. You guys rock and we love you for it!!! Thank you. The show went surprisingly well considering how little time we had to prepare. We had really good energy and NPR rocked the house on double duty! Also great job to Int Eighty , Former Fat Boys, and Hormones for warming up the crowd for us. Also such a treat to see Jeff Harrington who flew all the way from Manchester NH to hand deliver a new cymbal bag as well as his friend Julia and my pal Taylor Brennan.

Tomorrow is DeKalb Illinois. Oh, I mean today... Good morning!

-Sturgis

11-8-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 19:05:00 +0000

Wow, what a crazy day it has been. Last night I met up with my drummer friend and Chicago native, David Moss. We went to this very authentic salsa club to see his friends jam in this beautiful old neighborhood\. It was so nice to be out in the great city of Chicago with a night off. After the salsa gig we went for some AMAZING Mexican food and then retired to Davids place for the night. Thank you David for such a nice hang!

This morning I got a message from Damian saying that Brandon was called away to deal with a family emergency and I was needed back at the band house for an emergency rehearsal. Our new keys-man Mark, aka: "NRP" rose to the occasion and agreed to learn the bass parts as well as the keys parts. What a true professional! So, I rushed back to Addison and crammed a last minute rehearsal with Damian and Mark. I think we all a bit nervous about our show without Brandon. He adds so much energy to our performance, not to mention its quite a tall order for Mark to completely adjust and play two parts. Still excited to play the show though. Wish us luck!

More to come...

11-7-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 02:24:00 +0000

NERD HO!!

Greetings from the road! After the past few months of playing some great shows with local heros: Tommy Filliault, Ryan Hommel, Wailing Dave Robinson, Brooks Williams and others as well as reconnecting with a past student for some really cool lessons--Thanks Wil!, I find myself in a suburb of Chicago on my first night off since halloween.

Turns out, MC Frontalot (Famous NerdCore Rapper) was hitting the road with other Nerd Rappers MC Lars and YTCrackerFront's regular drummer needed to take care of things at home so i was asked to fill in. I was happy to get on the road again! We began rehearsals the last week of October, with a grueling schedule averaging 8 hours a day. Lars flew in on the last day and wanted Brandon (bass player for Frontalot) and myself to back him as well. This made for even more material cramming. We did a few warm-up shows in Long Island, New Jersey and Albany then stated heading west.

Last night we played this ancient rock club in Bowling Green Ohio. We had a good turn out and met some wonderful people Thanks to all for the energy and support!

We crossed the Chicago line early this evening. Its cold and rainy. We are staying with some friends of Lars in Addison, which is about 30 min west of the city. Its nice to have a chance to do some laundry and rest up. Really looking forward to the show. I have friends in town, whom I haven't seen in a long time and it will be great to connect with them. Ok, gotta run...

-Sturgis

8-12-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 21:35:00 +0000

Rain, rain, go away! Its been so damp and squishy around here lately. It seems like we get rain every day. I have still managed to make use of the good days though. But enough about the weather. Lets talk music.

The Steve Songs children's music series was a grand success this past week. The band was comprised of band leader/guitarist/singer Steve Roslonek , Anand Nayak (co-writer, producer for Steve Songs) playing guitar and mandolin. Fellow nerdcore hip hoper Brandon Patton playing bass and myself on the drums. We played morning concerts at the beautiful Wolf Trap Performing Arts State Park in Vienna Virginia. We played the Theatre-in-the-woods, which is this lovely 800 capacity amphitheater tucked away in the wooded areas that surround the park. We played to packed audiences made up of summer camps and families every morning at 11am. The energy and enthusiasm from the audience was very infectious, which made for super fun shows. Thank you to all who attended. We were also visited by some folks from PBS, who seemed genuinely excited about the new material that we were debuting and informed us that the recent television performances were doing well and they would be increasing the screening frequency. This was great news and there will be more to come in regards to that!

Walking back through the park on the 3rd day, I bumped into some of the band members from The Gypsy Kings playing soccer. I ended up helping the drummer who had fallen on his hand and needed some ibuprofen. I gladly gave him some and he put me on the guest list for their show that night. The seats were great and I was even given after show passes which were a nice treat. Thanks Cedric!

We finished the week with a couple of shows at indoor venues, which were also well attended. It was a very enjoyable week spent with good friends. I look forward to doing some more with them. I will keep you posted.

Toward the end of this month I will be working with local legend Roger Salloom, doing a few special shows. One at the Hanover Theater in Worcester Ma and one at The Academy of Music in Northampton Ma. These are Rogers annual performances and are not to be missed. Check the Calendar for more details. I will also be performing for the first time with guitar master Brooks Williams which I'm excited for. I met Brooks while working on a music project for P.A.C.E many months ago and we have been talking about playing together ever since. It should be great fun. Well, that's it for now. Thanks for reading!!

7-08-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 16:42:00 +0000

Hello Friends,

Wow, summer finally made it and I have been taking full advantage of it. Lots of swimming and motorcycle rides, cookouts and hikes. I even set off some fireworks (in true NH style) this past weekend!

Musically, I've been doing mostly studio work and not too many live shows. Its interesting, the ebb and flow of the creative process. The Tom Ingram record got finished on time and was such a fun project to work on. Stylistically it was much more of a rock record than any of his previous recordings and was such a nice change of pace for me. I got to pull out the heavy sticks and really dig in. It was a very guitar heavy record. Sometimes with three recording at the same time. Mark Allen Miller of Slaughterhouse Recording Studio was engineering and the session was great. I have posted one of the more high energy tracks on my myspace page. Check it out!

In other news, work continues on the PBS stuff with Anand Nayak and Steve Roslonek. If you are up early and feel like a nice dose of groovy kids music, tune your TV to the local PBS station around 8:45. The songs are quick so pay attention or you may miss it. Steve, Anand, Brandon Patton, (Bass player for MC Frontalot) and yours truly will be doing a short run in Virginia from August 4-10. I look forward to playing some live shows with those fellas. Check the calendar for more details.

Last week, I was asked to play on a demo recording for Matt Lashoff of the Boston Bruins. Danny Berninni of the Spirithouse Studio engineered and my local bass brother, John O'Boyle did the session with me. It was really pretty fun. Lashoff is a talented guitarist and had written some nice original songs. John and I had to basically come up with arrangements on the spot, having never heard them before and Danny also gave direction. The stuff came out great and Matt seemed very pleased. It was also nice to work with Danny again. It had been a long time.

This week I will be playing out at the Roadhouse in Millers falls with Dan Margolis and Ryan Hommel on Thursday. I will be with local blues bandit, Mark Nomad at the Ashfield Lake House on Friday and with Seth Glier at the Iron Horse Music Hall on Saturday. Check the calendar for details and I hope to see you out there. Thanks for checking in!

-Sturgis

4-11-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 17:53:00 +0000

Spring is here! It's been so beautiful outside these last couple of days, it's amazing how quickly the snow melts and gives way to new buds and green shoots. I can hardly wait for the leaves to pop and the grass to grow again!

Things in the music world have been very productive and very busy. Starting back on Easter morning, I had a session with local hero Roger Salloom, putting together some new material that will possibly be put on a new release. It was a very nice and relaxed environment and made for a great session. I think its the only "Easter Session" I've ever done. I couldn't think of a better way to enjoy a Sunday.

A few days later I was back at Slaughterhouse working with Judith Avers, putting together her new record. Judith is a super talented singer/songwriter from West Virginia who had contacted Anand about producing her record. Anand got in touch with me and after a couple rehearsals we were ready to start tracking. Anand wore many hats on the session. He did such a nice job producing, and engineering and still managed to fit in some great playing as well. It was such a joy bringing Judith's songs to life. Her amazing voice and great personality brought the three of us together so quickly. It really felt as though we had been friends for years.

A few days into the session, Ross Sinclair came in to play some lap steel as well as some accordion and banjo and man let me tell you, so much emotion flowed through the songs, that on a few occasions we found ourselves teary eyed and in awe of what we had captured. A few other very talented players also made guest appearances throughout the week such as Jim Armenti from the Lonesome Brothers who played clarinet and Josh Relin from the Boston area who layed down some killer violin parts. I'd never had the pleasure of working with Josh before and it was great seeing him work. What a great experience to meet Judith and get to work with her. I look forward to checking out this album when its done.

A few days after the Judith Session, I had the pleasure of working with Marcia Hendrick, who was putting together her first collection of songs in album form. Jim Armenti was on this gig too but he was playing guitar this time and Dave Smith was playing upright bass. It was a really easy going session and Marcia's country-esque songs were a nice stylistic change. I got to play some genuine country shuffles and a few 2-steps as well. Thanks Marcia and everyone!

This past week I was working with Anand on some more short children's songs for PBS. Steve Roslonek, the popular children's artist, AKA Steve Songs had been working with PBS to put together short "music break" segments to air in between programming. We had to edit some of the earlier takes as well as recording some new tunes. Previously, Anand and I had been doing the sessions as a duo so it was nice to have Steve in there with us. I hope to catch some of this stuff on television soon.

Well, that just about gets us caught up. I will be playing a couple of shows in Boston soon. I will be playing with Seth Glier at Toad in Cambridge Ma next week and I will be playing the after-party/performance with MC Frontalot directly following the screening of "Nerdcore Rising: The Movie" for the Boston Independent Film Festival on April 27. It looks as if I will be playing with the folk/rock group The Nields in early May as well. Check the calendar for listing info and show times. Thanks for checking in and be well!!

-Sturgis

3.13.08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 21:52:00 +0000

Hello Friends!

I just got back last night from Austin TX which is home to the South by Southwest Film and Music Festival where I was invited to participate in the World Premiere of Nerdcore Rising: The Movie. Nerdcore Rising is a full length documentary about the Nerdcore Hip-Hop band: MC Frontalot, that I toured with in 2006. A small film crew made up of Negin Farsad the director, Kimmy Gatewood the co-director/producer and a couple of camera people, whom shall remain nameless crammed into the van with us on Frontalot's first national tour and captured the experience for all too see.

After nearly 2 years of hard work and endless trips to the coffee shop, the film made its World Premiere to a completely sold out Alamo Draft House Theater. The screening was followed by a short Q & A, which was then followed by a HUGE after party/performance featuring MC Frontalot and Prince Paul formally of De La Soul. The event was a tremendous success and has been written up as the SxSW's best party this year! Morgan Spurlock of Supersize Me fame was there and can even be seen slow dancing with our director! (see links at bottom of page)

While at the festival I checked out some great new films, met some very talented directors, and artists and ate a ton of BBQ and Tex/Mex. It was truly something I will always remember.

Special thanks again to Negin Farsad, Andrew Mendelson, Kimmy Gatewood, Dan Short, Damian Hess, Gaby Alter, Brandon Patton and the rest of you who stared at our faces on screens for 2 years to make this thing a reality. (insert appropriate wookie call here)

For more information about Nerdcore Hip-Hop and MC Frontalot click here.
For more information about Nerdcore Rising: The Movie and super special (semi-secret) footage of our party click here. You can also request a screening in your area!

Please check the calendar for the latest gigs and events.

-Sturgis

2-10-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 17:36:00 +0000

Hello everyone,

I can't believe it's already February. Today, I hiked up Mount Holyoke a short way to explore this neat old man-made pond. The pond is surrounded by these nice rock outcroppings and beautiful healthy old trees. I had scouted the where abouts of this pond late in the summer and had thought it would make a nice skating rink come winter. When I arrived, to my delight, it was just that! The only obstacle was the 3 inches of fresh wet snow covering it but I had a shovel with me and my skates, so it was only a matter of time...

I cleared the 1st half in about an hour and a half and then my good friends Matt and Lil joined me to help shovel the rest. It really was an enjoyable task. The fresh crisp wind was circling around our private pond and the sun broke through the clouds and warmed us for a while. But in no time, new darker clouds rolled in and it flurried. To our favor the flurries brought little accumulation and if anything, actually helped fill in some of the rough spots by melting on the freshly softened ice.

When we were finished shoveling, I had such a sense of accomplishment! It was a pretty good stretch of work and now we had a really decent size rink. We put our skates on and pushed around but the ice was just a bit to soft to have good glide factor. We still made the most of it though and passed the puck around for a while. I forgot to mention that we all brought our sticks too!

I plan on going back tomorrow to see how it hardened up over night. Right now it is really windy and cold and thats just what I wanted. I can't wait to skate on good hard ice!!

Music this week:

Monday, I continue working with local singer/songwriter Tom Ingram. Tom is getting ready to record a new album of original material in April.

Friday I will be playing with this fun cover band called Grind up at the Deegan's Den near Mount Snow. My local bass meister John O'Boyle will be joining me on that gig and I really look forward to rocking with those fellas.

Saturday night I will be with Jeff Bujak in Manchester VT. And Sunday I hope to stop and see my parents as well. Hi Mom! Hi Dad

Thats enough for now. Hope to see those friendly faces out at the shows!

-Sturgis

1-03-08

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 19:50:00 +0000

Happy New Year everyone!!

Wow, its hard to believe that after all the hustle and bustle and gift wrapping and racing around-- BAM! Here we are on the other side of the holidays. I hope everybody enjoyed at least a few days off and got to spend some quality time with their families. And now that we have had some time to recover... BACK TO WORK!!

This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of playing with Seth Glier and his band at this vibey little club called "Toad" in Cambridge MA. Seth and I met on a session for Roger Salloom and we really hit it off. Seth is a very talented singer/writer and Piano player. I will be playing again with Seth at the Iron Horse in Northampton MA. on Tuesday January 8 at 7:00 pm. Click here for the tix link.

Yesterday I was lucky enough to get up to Vermont to do some snowboarding. Southern VT. got about 10" of fresh snow the night before and the conditions were very good. I even ran into a friend from a long time ago who introduced me to a really nice group of folks. Together our posse made quite a mark on that little mountain. Many thanks again for being so inspirational, and for showing me the "sweet spots". I look forward to next week for sure!

Tonight I will be at the Route 63 Roadhouse with Peter Kim. Its always nice to get loosened up and play some fun jams with Peter. Local hero Joe Boyle is also rumored to make an appearance. I hope he does. Joe and I don't get to play very often these days and its always a blast when we connect. Thats all for now. Hope to see you out there!

-Sturgis

12-11-07

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:19:00 +0000

Hello friends,

The drive to Northampton this morning was beautiful! All the trees were sparkling from the frost and the sun was creating such good light. It made me really appreciate the winter months. I mean don't get me wrong, I don't look forward to shoveling and scrapping the car on those cold mornings but winter really is a beautiful time of year. I'm trying to get up to Vermont on Thursday to do some snowboarding. I'm really looking forward to that!

This past Thursday, I had the pleasure of playing with Peter Kim and Mark Nomad up at the Roadhouse. It's always nice to see those guys. Some of the folks from the usual cast of characters even brought some "new" material for us to try. Good work everyone! I look forward to seeing them again.

Friday, I played the Roseland Ballroom in NYC with Martin Sexton. It was my first time playing that old venue and I really enjoyed the experience. We drew over 2500 people and the energy in the room was very inviting. As I stood on stage during the sound check I could really feel the history. I love those old rooms! It looks like that is gonna be the last show with Martin for a while. He said he was taking a little bit of time off for the holidays.

In other news, my good pal/webmaster/superhero design meister Tom from Standard Design has entered a contest to win a Home Depot grand prize of $25000! Check out his totally awesome short movie. The contest is partially judged by the number of views, so make sure you watch it all the way through without stopping or it won't count.

Last but not least, I will be playing for the Performing Arts Center of Easthampton (P.A.C.E.) CD release show on December 15. The show will feature many of the valley's gifted songwriters and musicians and is intended to raise funds to keep PACE strong. Please come support this great local art center. Check the calendar for more info. Thanks and hope to see you out there!

-Sturgis

12-04-07

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 18:10:00 +0000

Let it snow, let it snow!

Well, we had our first "official" wintry mix Sunday night into Monday. Western Mass basically got ice and rain but I couldn't help but be excited for more snow as I gazed at the beautiful trees glistening in the sun from the storm. The upper elevations got the good stuff and I can't wait to hit the hill.

Last weeks show with Phil Darosa was pretty great. We played with the Leah Randazzo Group who are also based in Western Mass. The audience really seemed to enjoy the shows and I felt good about our performance. I look forward to playing with them again.

This week I will be up at the Roadhouse with Peter Kim and Mark Nomad. It will be nice to get out and jam some groovy soul-rock inspired tunes. And I will be playing the Roseland Ballroom in NYC with Martin Sexton and the other fellas from the Seeds tour. Please check the calendar for the show times. Thanks, hope to see you out there and keep it classy South Hadley.

-Sturgis

11-26-07

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 17:41:00 +0000

Happy holidays everyone!

Well ready or not, the holiday season is upon us. We even had some snow here a few days before thanksgiving! Part of me is excited for the prospect of snowboarding and outdoor fun but I'm also a bit sad to see the mild weather disappear.

My thanksgiving was very pleasant with lots of relaxing and catching up with friends and family. And I think I managed to actually see everyone I wanted to see.

Now for the music stuff: I was part of a small recording project with Tom Pappalardo, the creative genius behind the graphic design super hero company Standard Design, AND the bass player for the Northampton based power trio, No Shadow Kick. Tom and I played a cute little jingle for a television add. It was good silly fun.

Yesterday, I had a recording session with local hero, singer songwriter Roger Salloom. Roger has been playing and writing in and around the area for years and is a very unique voice in this genre. The experience was very enjoyable and everyone seemed happy with what we got. I also got to meet Charles Neville of the the Neville brothers who played sax on the gig. That was a cool experience.

I will be playing with Phil Darosa at the Paradise in Cambridge Ma. this Thursday. This will be the first show with Phil in a while and I look forward to seeing everyone again. Please check the calendar for addresses and start times.

Thanks for checking in. Hope to see you out there.

-Sturgis

11-14-07

noreply@blogger.com (sturgis) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:12:00 +0000

Hello friends,

Wow, the last 5 days have been such fun! Lets go back a bit. Thursday November 8 I played with Mark Nomad and Peter Kim again at the Route 63 Roadhouse. The 3 of us had so much fun the first time, that it was like picking up right where we left off. A very enjoyable time was had. Thanks guys!

Friday, Katherine and I went to Harpers Ferry in Allston to check out my very favorite Nerd Core Hip Hop artist MC Frontalot and his bitchin band. It was great! I played with those gents on their very first national tour and have been a loyal fan ever since. Their energy was very infectious and I might even go so far to say, it was the best, most well attended show I had ever been to at Harpers. Being an "honorary" nerd drummer has its perks and getting to enjoy the nicely stocked fridge and good back stage company of the band made the evening that much more pleasant. Really glad we could check them out on this run! NERD CORE WILL RISE UP!!

Of course all of that late night fun in Boston came at a price and the next morning was tough to say the least. But I was a trooper. I had to be, it was time for Montreal Drum Fest!! I drove up to NH and met Jeff Harrington of Grover Pro/SilverFox Artist Relations fame. By 7pm eastern standard time we where in Canada. We met up with Pat Sayers another very talented drummer who lives in Montreal and he showed us around. The next day I needed to check in to the festival first thing to get my credentials. I was assisting my good friend Marko Djordjevic who was one of the clinicians. He opened day 2 with an hour long instructional/performance featuring his 2 bass player friends Janic and Milos. It was a special opportunity to be part of the behind the scenes crew and I feel very fortunate to have such innovative, talented, and inspirational players as my close friends! I checked out other performances with Jeff and Pat through out the day and met many of the influential people that keep the drumming industry moving forward. It was a wonderful experience that I will never forget! Thank you Marko, Jeff, and Pat!

This week is a home work week. I will be reviewing the roughs from the Victor Sandman session and working on some tracks for a Roger Salloom session. That's it for now. See you around the neighborhood.

-Sturgis