Mute Math Live at House of Blues

This past Sunday night, I saw the best live show I have seen in a really long time: Mute Math performing at the House of Blues, in Chicago. The energy from the band and from the crowd was chemical, explosive, ingestible. This concert reminded me of why I love performing - and why I want to perform at the House of Blues - soon. Here are a few pics from the show:

Flickr Photostream

Roundhouse Show - Thanks!

Thank you so much for coming out to my show at Roundhouse last night! Your support always amazes me. I'd like to give a special thanks to a few new friends I made, and to a few new fans: Brian at the door, Ashley the waitress, Leroy the manager; and to Matt, Bill, Susan, and Brent for signing up on the mailing list!

New Pocket Camcorder

My family just bought me this awesome, new pocket camcorder (the Kodak Zi6) - for [maybe] obvious reasons. For one thing, I know my brother will miss my beautiful face this coming school year; and for another, I didn't have a camera that shot HD video. And there are more reasons, too.

Anyway, just thought I'd let you all know that, from now on, I'll mostly be using that to post to my YT page, here:

http://youtube.com/jaymathesmusic

If you aren't a subscriber yet, you really should be. Check it out! Thanks!

New Vlog Posted

New video posted here:

http://youtube.com/jaymathesmusic

and here:

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=578216587647

Vlog: Upcoming Show, Glimmer Share and Download

Jay Mathes promotes an upcoming concert at La Spiaza Coffeehouse in Wheaton, IL, and talks about a sweet new promotion for his new album, Glimmer, called "Share and Download". Share Jay's music with three friends and download his new album for free! Here:

http://jaymathes.com/downloads/glimmer

Motivation

I love writing, performing, recording and practicing music. I dislike promoting my music like I'm trying to sell a U.S. Senate seat.

Over the last three months, I've started to hone in on a little problem I have:

Promoting music on the internet, though effective, is also a bit boring and impersonal. In fact, I'm promoting my music right now, and it is definitely hard just sitting here in my apartment, typing away, staring at a screen, feeling the tendinitis in my elbows flair up, and hearing the birds chirping right outside my door on a beautiful afternoon...

Much of my days are spent alone in my apartment, and I think that's really the rub for me of promoting my music on the web.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share...

The Unique Chicago Music Industry

There's a great article about this here:

http://www.chicagoartistsresource.org/music/node/16539

The Chicago music scene is uniquely Chicago's because here, artists aren't pursuing record deals or publishing contracts. They're pursuing independent, entrepreneurial success. Artists in Chicago expect full creative license, and assume all of the risks that assure that license. But they don't always do so knowingly. For most bands in Chicago, the DIY way is the only way they know - it's the way they grew up with, the way they saw their friends in bands pursue, and the thought of pursuing a "record deal" is, in their minds, quite honestly, a foreign, make-believe concept.

Somehow, Chicago has, thus far, escaped the fate of L.A., New York, and Nashville. But is it for the better? I think the verdict is still out on that, and we'll have to make our own assessments, based on the quality of music that Chicago produces in *our* prime - what kind of music *we* produce.

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What do you think?