I am in my favorite café, “Nicely’s”. I come here to eat and work on lyrics sometimes. I used to eat lunch here almost everyday when I worked at Real Pie. I mean literally almost everyday. I have seen the owners change 3 times, they even named a plate after me, the “Stevie Special” a plate of salad with two turkey burgers (no bun), cheddar, and bacon on top. Started inhaling these bad boys when I first went Atkins-style about two years ago. The chef Jesus, cooks it just the way I like it, and I finally have a place where I can walk in and say, “the usual”. Always wanted that.

Haven’t posted in a bit, so here’s the recap:

We had last week off so Chaney could go record in Canada (Vancouver, I believe). We rehearsed Monday and yesterday. It’s getting pretty spectacularly unbelievably hot in the Valley, so we are sweating even with the AC and a fan running. Monday was spent playing “the set” – we have enough songs for one now, and we videotaped it to try to get some tidbits for the Panic site. Also had a band meeting, talking about plans for the site, T-shirts, stickers, and how we eventually want to approach management and that stuff. As it is going, everyone is excited to do everything the DIY way. Grass-roots style. In my opinion, we’re going about it in the right order: Rehearse and write songs, set up the website, play shows, then everything else. Yesterday we played the songs, taped it, then opened the hood on “Nothing Wrong with Me”. This is a song which started off quickly, but I have been stuck on finishing, it just didn’t seem right somehow. Dave suggested a new guitar part on the chorus, which made Chris go in a different direction, much more minor-key and trippy. That made Stephen switch up the drums, and now it’s a whole different song. Like completely. I am continually surprised at how quickly these guys change gears in the writing process. I am used to players (myself included) coming up with part and being territorial about changing them. Not this band; once the song starts changing course, everyone re-examines, and re-builds their part around the coolest bit. With the chorus all-new, I pulled out a new melody that worked, and it lead into a whole brand new section. I call these type of sections that bust out after the chorus has already been established  as “super-choruses” –my little term. So far, this is the first tune with a “super-chorus”. We are off for the rest of the week, so I have time to work on the lyrics and melodies. The title will definitely change.

Now that there is a website online and a gig coming up, it’s time to work on all kinds of other band work. When my damn computer is back out of the shop, I am going to get a t-shirt and sticker design ready to send off to a printer. Hopefully they will all be finished by gig time. I am also going to start working on an illustration of a band mascot girl called “Pandora”. I see a beautiful woman kneeling with black wings, inked up, and smeared makeup. Also going to work on adding some actual areas to 6767.com for all the artwork and downloads that are coming in. By the way, it is really something special that is happening over there, thriving and positive, and I am fascinated by it’s growth, and wish everybody over there well.

We are devising a plan to develop the “Panic Agency” – our online/street team. We want to create something different that your usual street team. I don’t even like the term “street team”, incidentally... it can be something so much cooler,  more cooperative and hands-on than just sending out a box of stickers. The way that the 6767 “family” has sprung up and virally “takes care of itself” in some ways, has inspired us to re-think the “street team”. Ok, that’s the last time I’ll use that term. From now on, it’s “The Panic Agency”, and you will know what I mean. For any visiting Agents, be patient. We are trying to build this band in real-time in front of the web audience, so we need some time to put these ideas into action.

After all that, I am going to get to work building the full Panic Channel website. A big frigging job.