Some conventions are for the über-social. Some for the geeks that rarely see daylight. Some are invite-only ski trips for those of us that are simply better than you.

If anyone asks me why I moved from Nashville, the Music City, up to the frigid northeast, this is my answer. This is what I live for when it drops below camping temperature. I’m just so glad that I have friends like these that enjoy highway speeds on thin planks of wood and fiberglass.

Photography by myself and RoninOtter, edited by RoninOtter.

Photo by John Tlumacki

You see, this was all part of the Magic of Television™. A lot of my fans (you folks) are producers yourselves, making albums and podcasts and videos. As someone who is fascinated by how this stuff works, I’ll walk you through the assembly of a major-league TV show.

When I say we stood in line, I mean it. My room mate, Ronin, and I got there at 7:30am, about 90 minutes before I usually get out of bed on weekdays, and I didn’t audition for another 8 hours. That’s right, EIGHT. HOURS. Fortunately, it wasn’t all standing in line. Sort of like the way the Inquisition wasn’t all burning and screaming.

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A little over a month ago I posted this contest asking folks to caption this great photo:

My room mates and I sat down and deliberated, picking the best entries and deciding on which one would eventually take the prize- one free month of a Matthew Ebel dot net All-Access pass. We recorded our reactions to the best entries here:
Mugshot Contest Winner.mp3

The winner? Below the fold…
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Update: Contest entries have ended… time to decide on a winner!

Matt Needs A Drink
Originally uploaded by RoninOtter.

Pay attention, you could win a Matthew Ebel dot net All-Access Pass for one month! My room mate RoninOtter took this picture as we were testing out some of his new photography equipment. Right after he posted it, C.C. Chapman mentioned it looked like a mugshot.

Well, C.C., you’re absolutely right.

So what’s the contest? Reply to this blog post and tell me:

The winning entry will be picked on Feb. 1 by a panel of random friends who haven’t entered the contest. Yes it’s totally subjective and will be based on whatever makes us laugh the most. If you really want to skew your chances, try photoshopping this and posting to your own blog, but make sure you link to it here in the comments with your official entry.

Contest ends at the end of January 2009 and you can enter as often as you like!

Leave your entries here…


Update: I thought it would go without saying that entries containing vulgar language or epithets would be deleted. Apparently, it needs to be said. Be tasteful.

I played one of the best shows ever last night. It wasn’t on the schedule- heck, it wasn’t even planned. There was no stage, no sound system, barely even an audience. In fact, the audience consisted of my roommates and my roommate’s mom. Three people.

Every so often it happens- I play for an audience that truly appreciates me. I see them mouthing the words as I sing them. I hear the unbridled laughter as someone, for the first time, discovers what the song Trees is about. I hear them requesting songs that I wrote or songs that they like my version of better than the original.

To me it does not matter the size of the assembled crowd. I would much rather play for these three people than a crowd of 300 incessantly requesting Bon Jovi or “Pour Some Sugar On Me.” I am not in this business to become a meat-based jukebox, I am an artist because I want to connect with people on a level that goes beyond a handshake.

If I can reach that level even for one person at a time, I am a success.

Photo by RoninOtter

Let the cozy begin
Originally uploaded by RoninOtter.

This little HDR shot was beautifully set up by my room mate. Yes, that’s a blizzard outside the window. And yes, that is a very, very warm dog named Mountain on the couch. And yes, that is also mountain all over the easy chair.

Anyway, this is the only way to survive a New England blizzard, it seems… Warm fire, happy pets, and spiked cocoa.

I mean hot cocoa. Hot cocoa. Who said anything about Irish cream?

Studio……44
Originally uploaded by RoninOtter.

As you can see from the photo, my room mate RoninOtter finally got his photo studio set up in our basement. In related news, I’m finally building the walls for my audio studio!

Pictured here are a couple of the base supports for the walls… but they tempt me to rename it Studio 44 instead of The Dining Room Studio as I call it now. I’ll let you know once the construction is complete!

Blizzard gets a kiss
Originally uploaded by RoninOtter.

One of my little room mates just passed away while I’ve been stranded out here on Block Island. Her name was Blizzard and she was adorable. Genetically. Seriously, they rub her onto other animals to make them cuter.

Of the little pack of weasels I live with, she was my favorite. Older than my car, blind as an NFL referee, and prone to sleeping in my hands from time to time. Much more laid-back than her sister, Badger, that’s for sure.

Zen Weasel 3
Originally uploaded by
RoninOtter.

So the sadness has obviously hit not only me but my housemate who owned her. He took these photos of us last year after I got off of Block Island.

I think I’ll always remember her like this- folded in half and snoozing whilst I meditate. I hope RoninOtter remembers her just the same- sweet, peaceful, and made of 100% pure cute.