Last night I had a dream that I was being interviewed by Katie Couric about Shaimus. I was slightly older, and Shaimus had become a household name…that part’s good. Here’s the odd part, not quite sure if this is the right approach to responding to interview questions:

Q: Was the writing on your 4th album a collaborative effort?
A: Yesterday I wrote a song about tigers. Not sure why exactly, but I suppose I was feeling inspired by claws.
Q: I see, and what was it like playing in the Coliseum?
A: Our vibe was a little drowned out by the sounds of battle cries and clanking metal. Also I must’ve accidently swallowed like a gallon of blood.
Q: There have been rumors that Shaimus will take a several-year hiatus, possible indefinitely. Is this true?
A: Rumors rhymes with tumors, so I have no idea what you’re talking about.
Q: Why is it that your brother Phil dyed his hair blonde? Are you guys changing your image?
A: Well that all depends on what you mean by blonde. I mean, people are being blonde all over the world, man. You and I, we’re being changed right now…our image that is.
Q: Could you be more specific?
A: I just forgot how to explain myself, sorry.
Q: Last question, how do you see the future panning out? Where do you see Shaimus in 10 years?
A: There is an old story about a serpent and a pair of jeans. The serpent tried for years to make this pair of jeans his home. The two would go back and forth bickering about which one was real or imaginary, until finally one day, the serpent turned into a pair of legs. Unfortunately, the pants didn’t fit and the legs turned into one large shoe. One large shoe for the rest of its days…

That was my dream, my un-shoveled thoughts briefly unearthed from some bizarre existence. I should email Katie about this one. Anyone care to interpret?

So last week Shaimus got the opportunity to perform at an event for event planners called Rock Circus in Hollywood.  It was quite a trip, and we decided that from now on, anything appropriate shall be deemed as “rock circus”.  For example:  “Wow, that girl’s hat is totally rock circus”  or “Damn, this party is rock circus!”

Anyway, below is a video recap’ing our adventures:

A long time ago, I was constantly receiving requests for “All Of This” guitar tabs. So I gave in to peer pressure and transcribed my part note for note into tab form. Well, almost… I skipped one section of my solo because I played so recklessly on the recording that I just didn’t feel like figuring out every note that was there. But everything that I did transcribe was perfectly accurate.

Everything, that is, except for one single chord.

I unintentionally included an incorrect B minor chord toward the end of the B section:

D    -   E   –   Bm    -    Em
(Take me where my heart says yes…)

Not only that, but I realized at the time that I had been playing that part of the song wrong myself for months. For reasons possibly akin to a game of “Whisper Down the Lane” (or “Telephone” for some of you kids out there), that one chord slowly transformed from a B5 power chord to a Bm in my mind and my fingers over the course of months of playing the song live.

It didn’t matter too much at our live show, which mostly consisted of loud noises in tiny rock clubs which masked any minor wrong notes in a rocker like “All Of This,” a song that wouldn’t win any awards for nuance or subtlety. And it made sense that in a song filled with so many chord changes I might let one little detail slip my mind. So I went back and changed the tab (which was on our website at the time) to a B major, the correct chord.

But it was too late. The original had already been spread to many guitar tab sites across the web, and the B minor was there to stay, forever nagging at me. So to let my troubled mind rest a little easier, I’m taking this opportunity to set the record straight: if you’re playing that B minor, you’re playing the song incorrectly.

There. It feels good to clear the air.

Here’s a taste of what I’m listening to.

Lydia – This is Twice Now

The Lightning Seeds – You Showed Me

MuteMath – No Response

Fountains of Wayne – Hackensack

Now it’s your turn.  What’s in your Walkman these days?

On May 1st, Shaimus made our very first appearance at the Whisky a Go Go, one of the most legendary rock clubs on the Sunset Strip.  The Doors, Motley Crue, and Guns ‘n’ Roses have all called the Whisky home with residencies there in the past, and a huge list of other notable bands have graced its stage over the decades.

We’re happy to add ourselves to that list and can only hope that someday we’ll be looked at as another “notable” example.  It was a beautiful Saturday night, and although we were squeezed between many other bands, we felt welcome and at home on stage thanks to over a hundred fans who came out to see us.

The only problem of the night?  We sold more tickets than the venue gave us to sell, and we had to scramble for more at the last second.  But that was a wonderful problem to have.  Selling out the Whisky a Go Go is certainly a musical highlight for us so far, and it didn’t hurt that the crowd was SO cool, as usual.  So we decided to treat them all with the debut of a brand new song, “Without a Sound.”  A little thank you from all of us.

Until next time, Hollywood…