Last Sunday at about 10 AM, my stepkids were visiting from Ohio, and we were driving through Brownsburg. This car just pulls out in front of me! She’s at a full stop, looks both ways and then pulls right out into traffic. The roads were slick and there was no way to stop, so my "Grocery-getter” just plowed into her ass, making a total mess of her passenger side. In fact, the roads were so slick that it just pushed her sideways like a 2000-pound sled.

If the roads been clear, it could’ve been tragic. I think her vehicle's willingness to give way to the laws of physics and the forward momentum of my van insured that we all were unhurt because the impact felt minimal after the slide on the ice slowed both vehicles WAY down.

My "grocery getter" is a 96’ Dodge Caravan with 196,500 miles on it (I likes to drive. What can I say?) and the Kelly Blue Book says it’s only worth about $1095 and there's over two grand worth of repair work needed. So I’m thinking BONUS--give me the cash! When the repairs outstrip the value they usually buy you out. I was expecting the chick's agent at State Farm to try to barter me down, and I’m all full of attitude and swagger, telling myself that under no circumstances accept anything less the $1095! I figure they’ll lowball me but they shoot me $2300 for it. Can you believe that ?

Holy mother of God, I needed that dough, too. Awesome! Hit me up this weekend if you see me if I owe any beers to you people. It’s payback time!

My girlfriend Kim is going to Cabo San Lucas over New Year's and I will be Bach-ing it. If anyone wants to chaperone me and keep me outta trouble and outta jail, I'm sure she’d appreciate it. Right now she’s been wound pretty tight being pulled in 1000 different directions at once between the new job, Christmas, and moving in with me. She needs Cabo in a big way. If you see us out before she leaves (Dec 27th), make sure you wish her a safe trip.

Things are moving along in preparation for the Elvis Show. PRN Graphics gave me a great deal on the T shirts and I’ll be hocking them at the show. They are similar in design to the red, black and white Elvis poster for the same show. PRN did an awe-inspiring job on my Cash Bash shirts from last year and they ended up selling out all 65 in one night. Those guys give great quality at very reasonable prices and turn around times. I highly recommend them for all your silk screen needs.

I also talked to Danny from The Messarounds and Alex Scumbag today. Everyone is busily prepping their set lists for that night. This show is going to be real fun!

Well that’s enough for now. Sorry for the rambling and lack of focus!

heres the 2nd piece of art I did for the show...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
On January 6th, Elvis fans from around Central Indiana can gather at Locals Only to celebrate the music of the “King of Rock and Roll.”
“If the King were still alive, he’d be turning 71 that weekend. We wanted to bring together an event that showcases the diversity of his music. Elvis was more than a rockabilly act. His music assembled elements of rock, gospel and R&B in ways that influenced almost every musician that came after him,” said Nuvo cartoonist and show promoter Wayne Bertsch “I wanted to assemble a line-up that reflected the diverse sound that made Elvis a standout even amongst the other giants in the Sun records stable.”

The show, scheduled to begin around 9 pm, features such diverse acts as punk band Up!Scumbag, soulful rocker and former John Mellencamp backup singer Jenn Cristy and The Mess Arounds, Indy’s hot rockin’ blues trio fronted by Danny Thompson.
Locals Only bills itself as “Indy’s Art and Music pub,” and is fast gaining a reputation as an A-list stop for local bands and touring acts alike. The night of the show their kitchen will feature some of Elvis’s favorite recipes. Menu items as delightfully bad for you as they were for the King. Locals Only is located at the corner of 56th and Keystone on Indianapolis’ north side, behind the Mousetrap Bar and Grill.

Up!Scumbag were the 2003 Punk Rock Night Award winners for Band of The Year, and are arguably the hardest working local act in central Indiana. Since 2003 they’ve released three full length CDs and a split CD with Hate the Drake. Their fourth full-length release will drop that weekend and will be available for purchase. These kids plays punk the way it existed from 1977-1982, and the boys will no doubt dish out new and interesting takes on some of Elvis most beloved tunes.
Jenn Cristy came to the forefront as a solo artist in Indianapolis and cemented her reputation with a jaw-dropping performance at the Battle of the Bands finals. Her energetic, professional performance landed her a third place finish among the 170 central Indiana bands. She’s toured extensively with John Mellencamp, and now you can see her put her own soulful twist on the music of the King as well as sample her wonderful originals.
The Mess Arounds Danny Thompson is well known to rockabilly fans as the long-time front man of Bigger than Elvis. Thompson is joined by Jeff Stevenson (of The Roundups), and Glen Hopkins to form The Mess Arounds. They play the hot, rockin’ rhythm and blues sound that made the Sun Records music so dangerous in the minds of 1950’s white America.
Jeff Byrd played two solo showcases at last summer’s Midwest Music Summit, but has since moved into fronting his full rock band The Wingmen. Here’s a chance to see Jeff solo again when he performs on the side stage between sets.
Additional information:
Locals Only: http://www.localsonlyindy.com/
Up!Scumbag: http://www.myspace.com/upscumbagband
The Mess Arounds: themessarounds@aol.com
Jenn Cristy: http://www.jenncristy.com/