Local Crooner Attempts Self-Tanned Perfection

"Crooner is an epithet given to a male singer of a certain style of popular songs, dubbed pop standards.[citation needed] A crooner is a singer of popular ballads and thus a "balladeer".[citation needed] The singer is normally backed by a full orchestra or big band. Generally, crooners sang and popularized the songs from the Great American Songbook. "Crooner" was originally used as a negative term, and many people given the term, such as Russ Colombo, did not consider themselves to be crooners. In an interview, Frank Sinatra said that he did not consider himself or Bing Crosby to be crooners." --- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crooner

What the hell? I don't know what I did to deserve this title. "Local crooner Cody Belew this, and local crooner Cody Belew that." Any press is good press, right? That's the way it works I guess. I just feel like its such a lazy thing to print if you've never even been to a show from which to draw such a conclusion. I'm not asking for "Local bad ass" or "Local super-nova mega voice." Just do your own research and coin your own phases rather than copy and paste from one online blog to the next.
One guy associated this horribly descriptive noun with my name and it stuck. Now every local online calendar starts with that heading. In the words of Charlie Brown, "Arrrrgg."

Beyond that little glitch most everything else is going rather well. Shows are going great. New people keep showing up with more new people. The Mercers are sounding SO good. It's pretty cool. I've been working on a few shows for the solo project. Though we haven't gotten together since the album release show, things are looking up. I've got a handful of songs that I'm ready to move forward with. Just have to get all my ducks in a row. It has been overwhelmingly awesome to have all this feedback pouring in from people either purchasing the CD or buying the album online on iTunes or Amazon.com. I just can't get over the fact that people are genuinely interested in the work that I've created and that I continue to create.
I'm ready to get things rolling with merchandise development. I've got a few artist in mind to call on, but if you know of anyone good please let me know! My mind is in a constant state of thoughts firing. It's a lot like watching the flight schedule screen at the airport- boom boom boom. As I was driving to work this morning my mind settled for a few seconds on the idea of "Cody Belew" license plates. Then I giggled at my bold sub conscience and its lack of self limitation. Who thinks up things like that?!?! Me and Billy Ray Cyrus I guess.

I made the mistake of testing some self tanning spray that was sent to us at work to try. To have been a fly on the wall... geez. After standing in the shower, in my underwear, to spray from my feet to my thighs, I decided I needed to blot and blend. (A key technique, any reputable spray tan professional will say.) In my haste to try the product I failed to plan ahead. I only realized that I needed an old towel from the closet down the hall when I also realized that I had sprayed myself into a corner- the shower to be exact. There were two rugs between me and that closet, two fluffy white rugs. Being of athletic descent I easily spanned the distance from the tub to the floorspace on the other side of the first rug. Then while channeling a younger version of my father I did some sort of offensive football move around the second rug; failing to take into account the wall that runs the length of my hallway. So as I celebrated my successful run I turned in horror to see a large bronze smear on the wall where my right ass cheek had been. This meant two things. The wall was bronzed, and one ass check was not. Luckily the spray easily came off the wall with a quick scrub down. I found out later on that it does not come off the body in the same fashion.
Now I've never been one to do ANYTHING half assed. That being said I went ahead and sprayed my entire body blotting and blending as I went. Unfortunately I was so caught up (as Usher would say) in getting an even coat that I didn't realize I had worked my way out of the shower onto the very rug I had successfully dodged minutes before. I was hunched over with that can-o-tan awkwardly crooked over my shoulder. Imagine someone trying to reach a bug bite square in the middle of their back. ITS IMPOSSIBLE! So there I was, hunched over, trying to sling self tanner across my back to the far reaches of my lower shoulder blades and beyond. ...spray...sling...spray...sling. This was my approach. And it worked! The trouble was by that point I had sweat most of the stuff off of my face and it was now running down my neck. ...blot...blend....blot...blend. Furthermore, as the foggy brown mist settled around me (and along the inner cavity walls of my lungs) i noticed that the toilet, sink, shower/tub combo, and yes that fluffy white rug had the same George Hamilton-like tan that I had worked so hard to administer to myself alone.
The directions on the box said to let the tanner work for 4 hours before showering and lifting heavy objects. I tried very hard to follow the rules but its sort of difficult to do when you're carefully trying to scrub the shower, sink, toilet and walls without letting you arms meet your rib cage and keeping your inner thighs from mashing together (as if mine ever do.)

When it was all said and done I had achieved a wonderful tan. It was even- darker where the sun normally hits and lighter where it doesn't. My face looked naturally kissed. Surprisingly, my back was all copper-toned, and so on. The box said to pay close attention to one's knees and elbows as they tend to darken more than the rest of one's body. I did this. What the box failed to mention are one's hands. This all happened three nights ago and it looks like I'm typing this blog with Snookie's hands from the Jersey Shore! It's HORRIBLE! Dead give away. Red Alert.
But hey, they match the mysterious bronze stain that breaks the even tan-line across the lowest area of my back and runs down into the crack of my ass- sweat no doubt being the evil nemesis that laughed when it knew it had averted my almost perfected blot...and blend...

Have a good week.
Catch me at Cajun's tonight with the Mercers
at Michelangelo's on Saturday with Rodney Black & the Real Music Lovers.

NEW FACELIFT FOR MY WEBSITE!!!

www.codybelew.com

cheers.

Taking the Stage

Well, I'm about to head down to Sticky Finger's for the first round of the Arkansas Times Musician's Showcase. I entered the contest on a whim and I guess on that same whim I got in.

Frantically I put together the band that will join me on stage tonight at approximately 11:00.

We're the third slot.

I'm nervous.

With the Mercers I don't get that way. We're such a well oiled machine, and at the end of the day I can pretty much know how a show is going to end up.

But this is different. This is my music! Up until now I've mostly kept it all to myself, but after tonight it's out there. Its up for debate and to be processed thoughtfully, or casually in one ear and out the other. I put some of my roommates maxi pads in the arm pits of my shirt for fear of being docked points for obscene pit stains. Luckily they are sticky on one side so hopefully they won't fall out when I lift my arms during emotional/ showy sections of the set. At first I thought she wanted me to put the sticky side against my hairy pit, but after a moment of giggling she explained that "the sticky side goes against your shirt...idiot."

Hopefully that will be the only hiccup of the evening.

I've very proud of the work me and the guys have pulled together in the past two nights.

More than anything, I'm proud to expose this little bit of my creative outlet- the window to my soul if you will.

Here's to seeing things through.

I'll keep you abreast of the results!

The Year of the Self-Made Man

Well here we are again, off to a great start.

I'm so very excited about the new year. All my loose ends are finally being worked into the weave of things. Tori Houston took photos for my album last week and I absolutely can't wait to see them.

My idea for the concept was realized with Mark's help. He knew the exact location of the exact motel I described to him. I wanted to find a dingy old motel that was sort of locked in 1972. Success came in the form of a little motel in Conway. It was very clean, but was a time capsule if I've ever seen one. IT WAS PERFECT!

I'm going to pick up the pictures tomorrow. Then it's up to Rosemary to deliver with her eye for graphic design.

I don't know what I'd do without my talented friends. Most of the time I try to do it all, and then right when I think I'm unstoppable I remember that I can't take pictures of myself and I can't do the graphic layout for my album. What can I say, it takes a village.

2010 is fast becoming "The Year of the Self-Made Man." I'm literally making something out of nothing when it comes to the launching of my quote, unquote "music career." But with each show, and each blatant request to be featured in local magazines, and each facebook fan request I seem to be tracking a little progress.

At the end of the day it's up to me anyway so why shouldn't I be the man behind the curtain?

Sorry to disappoint you but, yes, that's me back there pushing all those buttons and pulling all those levers.

Before long, everything will come into focus.

We'll understand it all by and by.

Magic

I performed last night with Rodney Block and his Real Music Lovers.

We killed it.

I'm certain that we will share the bill over and over from here on out.

As much as I love my Mercers, its amazing to stand in front of a band with a different perspective and a different current.

The best part was my closing hymn; "Magic," by Robin Thicke.

We killed it.

In other news, people are starting to buy tickets to my New Years Eve show. I hope like hell the thing sells out... I guess anybody would. The Mercers and I are seeing a bit of success come our way due to the buzz surrounding our shows. Each gig is packed with people I've either never met or had met only a show or two before. Its humbling and exciting all at the same time to see the ball start to roll.

My album is one mandolin track away from completion!!!! Everybody pray that we can wrap that up real soon.

The most exciting news I have to report is that Roll Tumble Press has agreed to create a New Years Eve poster like no other for my show. Christie Turk and Caleb Pritchett, the geniuses behind the press, are drawing up the plans for what will surely be a design fit for art school text books. Theirs are the sort that artists everywhere should study and draw inspiration from. I'm in constant admiration of their work and I am so blessed to be their muse for this project.

Stay tuned for more to come.

Peace and Love.

My debut album "Paradise" coming soon

I am very excited to announce that my lovechild, whom I have been nurturing now for a few years, is almost ready to release out into the world. The album and it's title track are called "Paradise."
I've been blessed by having a handful of my talented friends lend their musicianship and perspective to this long-awaited project. All the songs started as simple lyrics and melodies that I've never been able to forget after initially scribbling them down.

Also, my website, www.codybelew.com, is finally up and running. If everything is going as planned then you probably found the site first before clicking your way over to my little blog.
...and I'm so glad you did!

All of my show dates and appearances will be listed there on the calender page so check it out to stay informed!

If you're a new friend, I am so happy to be a part of your life.
If you're an old friend, you know what to expect and I can't wait to see you again!

Stay tuned, and thanks for visiting my blog.