CDs vs. iTunes?

This is a tough question, because there are definitely plus points to CDs and plus points to buying music online. One great thing about iTunes is that it practically saved the music industry by allowing everyone to buy music online at a very low price. It’s much more ethical than sites created to steal music from artists who worked extremely hard to create it in the first place. Without iTunes coming up with a solution there was no exchange and everyone was unhappy.

When you absolutely can’t wait for the music I can understand and recommend buying online, like I did with Third Eye Blind's album “Out of the Vein” and Mark Knopfler's “The Ragpicker’s Dream”. (Both great albums by the way!)

Now, there’s also something about going to the store and buying a CD from a band you love, going home and playing it loud! Reading the lyrics, notes from the band, looking at the pictures, etc. That’s the one downside to iTunes and buying music online. I know you can buy the album and get the liner notes that way (but you can’t get them with every album for some reason) but I personally like having the physical copy of the album.

All in all, I love that I can go to the store and buy the album and I love that I can buy it at home or wherever I am with my computer.

Which do you prefer?

- Cal Henry


www.calhenry.blogspot.com

Third Eye Blind: The Full Story

Let me start the story by saying, last night was awesome.

Yesterday was the day that we had all been looking forward to: THIRD EYE BLIND. It was their first concert of their Ursa Major tour - destined to be, fated to be, promised to be, whatever word you want we knew it was going to be a great show!

Around 3 PM I had an idea...people throw things on stage all the time, why not just get WD-Han’s EP up there? Even if they don’t take it, even if they get them all the time, blah, blah, blah SO WHAT? WD-Han is AWESOME and Third Eye Blind is AWESOME therefore they should be awesome together. Despite a little bit of being laughed at, I burned 3 copies of WD-Han’s EP.

Lea came into the office, and with a stroke of brilliance, wrote notes for the front of the CD. These were not ordinary notes, these let 3EB know how much she (and we) loved, admired and respected them. They were stapled on the front and we were ready to roll...almost.

Out of hundreds, maybe thousands, of CD’s pushed to them every year, how do you make yours stand out? What game can you play, how creative can you get to get these unbelievable people to notice yours? At Cal’s house, I saw a pinwheel....

Oh yes. We brought the pinwheel. Oh yes. We tied that EP to the pinwheel. (I bet you can see where I’m going with this....) Oh yes. We tossed that pinwheel/EP on stage. AND OH YES. He picked that up!!!!

Let the games begin.

He picked it up, and began to use the pinwheel. Seeing the writing (YAY LEA!) he began to untie it. Not being able to quick enough, he let the pinwheel fall. WHAT!? Okay well, he could still pick it up....


And that he did, no less than three more times!!! The big question was, would he take it off stage with him after the encore? Two songs into the encore, he picked it up. Was this the moment? They were all heading off stage...saying goodbye to the crowd...don’t drop it, don’t drop it - NO! He dropped it.

Wait, he’s walking over to his guitar. They’re doing another song? (At this point, they got everyone in the crowd to sing the “whoaohwhoaaaaohwhoaaa!” from Bonfire.) Okay...walking off stage again...please pick up the pinwheel, please pick up the pinwheel, is he going to pick up that pinwheel?

Answer. Yes.

So, to 3EB: you are an amazing band. Your shows are unforgettable and your songs communicate. You’ve directly inspired and influenced WD-Han, for which we are ever grateful. Our gift to you was given to return the favor, ENJOY!

ML,

- Marjorye

A MESSAGE TO THIRD EYE BLIND & STEPHAN JENKINS

We just got home from the FIRST concert on 3EB's new Ursa Major tour!!! It was the most amazing concert ever and it's such a great experience for us to see artists at the top of their game in action.

On the really, really long shot that any of you guys in Third Eye Blind get to see this, we have a couple of things to say:

First: Thanks for being cool enough to pick up our CD onstage. You didn't have to do that! We know it would've been easy to just ignore us.

Second: Hope the pinwheel was fun! Stage props are always nice....

Third: Of course, you don't owe us anything. If you've gotten this far or even heard ten seconds of any of our music then you've done more then we would ever dream. Hopefully you can understand that after years and years, and thousands and thousands of plays between us of your tracks and all the enjoyment you've given us, we're hoping maybe we can return the favor for a just few minutes.

We love you guys, thanks SO MUCH for being the best.

With admiration,

- Spence & Lea
of WD-Han