To say the least, the 140 Characters Conference was fun. I got to lead the Music panel and I was fortunate enough to convince Ariel Hyatt, Amanda Palmer, and Ted Cohen to join me. I’m so glad Jeff Pulver invited me to moderate this panel, I never thought I’d get all three names at the top of my list to sit at the table. I felt like a little fish in a very big pond, given that they’ve all dealt with major labels and real established acts in the past and I’m still working my ass off just to bring you all some tunes on a monthly basis. Still, I think each of us managed to provide some insight into the real-time web that your average corporate marketing type wouldn’t really have seen.

Honestly, though, what makes social media events like this fun aren’t really the events. It’s the socializing. Getting to talk about indie music promotion with Ariel is always a highlight. Hearing stories of touring with Van Halen and Prince and the like from Ted Cohen never gets old. And Amanda Palmer? Yeah, she’s as groovy as I anticipated. Busiest woman I’ve ever seen, though, she’s literally the CEO of her own company just like me. Her business is significantly larger, though, so I can see why she needs caffeine. What we talked about on stage mirrored what was happening backstage: Talk to people online, Don’t just promote shit, actually converse. If you’re not interacting with your fans as a human being, you’re not interacting with your fans.

And speaking of interacting with your fans, the most unexpected surprise for me was meeting Derrick, one of my VIP’s, for the first time. He’d been a VIP member since day one, but I never thought I’d actually get to meet him. Why? He lives in frickin’ Singapore. Right now he’s in the Boston area, though, and was attending the 140 Characters conference. I don’t think he knew I was going to be there, but I’m damn glad he showed up. I don’t know if many of you know how cool it feels to meet someone who’s a big supporter even though you’ve never seen them and never played a show in their country. It takes a real fan to take part in something like Matthew Ebel dot net without knowing if you’ll ever actually get to SEE the artist you’re supporting, so I considered it a stone-cold honor to bump into Derrick.

The dinner afterwards sealed the day perfectly. NY Times best-selling author Julien Smith sponsored this indie rocker’s meal that night, and man am I grateful. I got to spend the final hours of the day talking with friends like CC Chapman, Chris Penn, Chel Pixie (who organized the dinner), Jeffrey Sass and his aspiring-rock-star son, and more. These kind of people create a notable change in conversation every time I’m around them. I’m usually among folks who create or manage technology- networking, storage, programming, etc. -but the people I ate dinner with are a different kind of cutting edge. They don’t make the tools, they use them in ways nobody else imagines. It’s refreshing to hear from people who are paving new roads using the toys that my other friends are crafting. It’s a hell of a perspective and I’m thankful for the opportunity to see all sides of the picture.

So here’s to the con-goers at 140 Characters. I hope to see you all next year!

Plans for backpacking over the Independence Day Weekend were thunderstormed out, but pockets of outdoor-friendly weather popped up here and there. Aaron and I went biking in lieu of hiking and took a few photos in the process…
[flickr]set:72157621094074937(thumbnail)[/flickr]
Also had a relaxing, pyrotastic and marhmallowriffic afternoon hanging out with C.C. Chapman, Chris Penn, Chel Pixie, Cass, Kim, and of course Roxie and Abe. And others! It was marvelous, exactly what I needed. Thanks, C.C., for opening your house (and a few beers). I’ve never eaten a bacon blanket before.

Thanks to both Chris Penn and C.C. Chapman for pointing this article by Bruce Schneier out:

Last month a US court ruled that border agents can search your laptop, or any other electronic device, when you’re entering the country. They can take your computer and download its entire contents, or keep it for several days.

I won’t set foot down the “we’re becoming a police state” path, I just want to focus on what this means for traveling musicians and businessfolk. So, to quote the legendary Dick Clark:

Protect your ass at all times.

Read More…

One of the panels I was on was led by Mr. Dan Patterson, UN Correspondent for the Talk Radio News Service and host of the Creepy Sleepy Show. The other panelists were none other than CC Chapman, Whitney Hoffman, and Chris Penn. Dan was kind enough to record the entire session, so if you’re interested here’s the show:

Download MP3
Subscribe to the Creepy Sleepy Show
[tags]Matthew Ebel, piano rock, Dan Patterson, CC Chapman, Whitney Hoffman, Christopher Penn, Podcamp NYC, PCNYC, PCNYC2, politics, social media[/tags]

A lot of people are talking about how the music industry will survive, implode, reinvent itself, or give in to oppressive overlords (RIAA anyone?). This is great, I’m glad so many people care about us entertainers and the people that represent us. Just one problem… Where the hell are the musicians?

I’ve noticed a disturbing trend (no, not that disturbing trend, another one) in discussions of where the music industry is headed: Seldom does anyone bother to ask the musicians. You would think that if people were discussing the future of agriculture, they’d have a farmer or two on their panel. It just makes sense when discussing the industry and the business to involve the people actually making the product.

A few specific examples…
Read More…

Okay, so normally I don’t cross-post stuff from my [tag]podcast[/tag] [tag]High Orbit[/tag], but this is too good not to share. I brought [tag]CC Chapman[/tag]‘s sisters Cass and Kim over to the studio to record an episode, and they brought some great stuff with them.

Like, for example, audio tapes of CC when he was 5 years old. And some stories about [tag]childhood[/tag]. And some [tag]college radio[/tag] clips.

Head on over to hear the episode right here, and share it with a friend!

In case you missed Accident hash #186 from my buddy [tag]CC Chapman[/tag], here’s the short of it:

Listen to the brand-new [tag]Matthew Ebel[/tag] song, “[tag]Every Color[/tag]“, Right Here.

Take a listen, and stay tuned for more information.

While in [tag]Boston[/tag], I got a chance to meet [tag]CC Chapman[/tag] of the [tag]Accident Hash[/tag] Podcast and hang with him for about six hours. During that time we recorded a full 45-minute interview that’s now available online!

Not only is it a whole episode of CC and I, we even played an exclusive album track that you won’t hear on any other [tag]podcast[/tag]!

If you’re not subscribed, you ought to be. You can hear the interview or add Accident Hash to your playlist HERE.
[tags]Matthew Ebel, music[/tags]