Jesus Aaron: Drops of Atmosphere

As some of you know, but many do not. What I would call a sacred duty to my earthly Mother (who's been ailing tremendously from a serious health complication) has kept me from writing you all and keeping up with journals and letters for several months now, as well as curtailing show schedules, videos and all the other stuff I love to give you all. Despite this, the website traffic has doubled over that time period, the project is starting to grow some legs of its own it seems. Lots of people stopping by, so to all of you, Thank You, and rest assured while my family duties may cause some delay, I will get back soon to giving all of you the good stuff that's planned for the future. Also wanted to mention I appreciate those who have supported my mother in her time of need (as some of you are reading this).
Anyway, just thought I'd post a piece done back in March, before the India Tour and Hard Rock Cafe shows over there. The clips in this short piece include footage you've already seen from the welcome video, but I do talk about the new record and some other things:

Hanging Out With Jesus Aaron (March 2008)


Much Love &
Be Ever in Bliss,
JA

So, just posting some of the many press articles on the tour for you all. Much Love to all the writers and reporters who covered us:


GROUP SHOT AT THE OPENING PRESS CONFERENCE


OUTSIDE THE HARD ROCK IN PUNE


POSTERS FOR THE 2 HARD ROCK SHOWS


A WEIRD PREVIEW ARTICLE IN THE MUMBAI MIRROR


SHOW MENTION (DNA-AFTER HOURS)


FROM "THE ASIAN AGE" NEWSPAPER


KALA ACADEMY SHOW REVIEW (THE GOAN OBSERVER)


REVIEW IN THE HINDUSTAN TIMES

Sweat pooling on the bottom of my fingers as I change from A to D and then back again before the amphitheatre crowd at Kala Academy in Goa. India is hot all the time, but when you're under the bright lights and performing outdoors the water forming on your hands while your playing becomes palpable, almost distracting. As I finish the song a short but relatively charming fellow they call Elvis screams out "Jesus!" from the front row, as the rest of the spectators applaud. The dry ice floating through the blues and reds and yellows of the lights might as well be steam, it's so hot, and it really feels surreal to be playing this show on the other side of the world from all the others I've played. The fact that it all seems to be working hits me and it's a lot of fun. So I finish what feels like a very solid set, call down a parting blessing on the enthusiastic crowd, and go backstage satisfied. First big show in India and the crowd was great, the stage was well set up, the set felt good, the sound guy handled his job. I'd promised the sweet young lady from the Times of India (one of the bigger newspapers) before the show that she'd enjoy... (I would find out later that she did). It's been weeks of doing promotions and waiting, so it really felt good to play and play well. HOT though, I find a fan in the green room and just get under and spread my arms to dry off. I'd decided that since I was doing the set solo and a lot of the others acts were doing rockish type stuff, rather than doing the same it'd be wiser to just set a whole different vibe, keep it more involved, poetic, and intimate and I decided there that it'd worked out... a magical night in several ways. Can't wait for the Hard Rock Cafe shows in Mumbai and then in Pune in a couple days...

Saris like the colors of sunrise flapping in the wind as women, riding side saddle on the back of their husband’s motorcycle, manage to look quite composed and even bored as they swerve around dogs, cows, rickshaws, pedestrians,bicycles, cars, and buses. I bounce along in my cab on the way to a live radio interview on what I’m told is India’s biggest radio station (or one of them anyway). It’s about a 30 minute ride from the Hotel Santiago in Baga (which is one of the most western areas of all of India, never seen so many pale skins in one place over here, most all of them are from England, a hot spot for British tourists I guess, and understandably so, as it is kind of a paradise type area here).

Radio Indigo 91.9 FM in Goa has a nice studio space just a stones throw away from the garden area of the main shopping district of Panaji. I spent about an hour hanging out and chatting on air with Mark Rocha, a talented and super friendly RJ (they don’t call them DJs in India) who works the primetime hours. Just another bit of promotion for the shows in India and particularly for the Goa show coming up on the 29th at Kala Academy, so far we’ve had several articles in the local and even national papers, 40 foot billboards with your face on them, TV interviews, ads running in magazines etc… This tour is mostly promotional, an introduction to the quickly changing Indian Market. I’m told my music video for the song “We Like Pretending” has been accepted by VH1, Channel V, Channel Z, and MTV India (basically all the big music video playing stations. Back at the hotel we’ve been flipping through these channels in case we catch it and just to see what they’re doing with music videos over here. Unlike the states, where it’s all reality shows, the music channels mostly do play music videos (what a novel concept).

A pretty interesting thing is there is no kissing allowed on screen in Indian Music Videos or TV or even Movies as I understand (though HBO and others play western movies where there is). Anyway, it’s funny to watch how far they push their music videos and commercials without the kiss. The actors will like lick all the way up the torso of each other and kind of bite each others neck in the most seductive way they can and then go in for the kiss, but the kiss won’t happen; the camera will cut away or the girl will playfully slap the guys mouth away. It’s funny because the stuff they do is way more provocative than kissing, but they don’t kiss and if they do the camera doesn’t tell. Funny how every country has these little peculiarities.

Well that’s all for now… I’ll be updating everyone on the big show at Kala Academy, and the two Hard Rock Café Shows in Mumbai and Pune respectively. If you’re around here check out the music video channels and let me know if you see the video. If you’re not… Kiss, Kiss from India.

Be Ever in Bliss,
-JA

Here's a good litmus test for how well you're living up to your ideals: Multiply everything you do by 6 billion. That is, what if the world was following your lead? What kind of world would it be? Everytime you recycle or don't recycle multiply it by 6 billion. Let the water run while brushing you teeth, multiply by 6 billion. Take a second to pick up a piece of trash on the street, or smile at someone multiply by 6 billion. Live as if everyone looked to you and would behave the way you do. Then you'll be living as a representative of your ideal world. Then you'll be living the way you always knew you could.

Be Ever in Bliss,
Jesus Aaron

Update for all yous regarding the India Tour. Though the tour got pushed back to April... In addition to being supported by MTV India and VH1. I heard through the mill that all the Hard Rock Cafes in India are actually getting on board for this thing. Which makes for a hot looking April coming up. Just keeping you lovely folks updated. More info soon.

Be Ever in Bliss,
Jesus Aaron

In our economic model here in America, which centers around Christmas time, and indeed would collapse without it, the mad dash for gifts and determining what morsel of entertainment paraphenalia might evoke pleasure in our friends and family has come to rule the Holiday season. While it is sometimes great fun, and for a worthy cause (ie celebrating the birth of Christ). In recent times its become of greater benefit to the bottom line of corporations than to the soul of the individual.

The nice thing about the New Year's tradition of resolutions is it is a perfect and particular opportunity to "turn it all around". And the corporations (other than the fitness equipment and champagne sales folks) haven't found a good way to exploit it just yet.

While a complete conversion is quite unlikely, those who would make the most of this holiday can actually do more for their fellow man than buying everyone you've ever met exactly what they wanted for Christmas could ever do: Namely, by making the resolution, that in the next year you will employ your focus on ennobling yourself.

Commit to overcoming negative qualities within yourself which feed all the worlds problems. Things like Greed (which Christmas as we practice it actually now fosters to some degree), Lust (which Christmas Advertising now fosters), Anger, Laziness, and Cowardice. Take aim on your own mind. Take serious steps towards learning to control your thoughts and emotions. Probably less that one in 10 million people really has complete control of their mind and themselves. It is the rarest and most valuable of accomplishments. It is the mark of the super-human. It creates a being of such grandeur others will marvel at them (and sometimes hate and kill them too, nice right?), but happiness is theirs, and permanently, because it flows from within and requires no particular exterior events. It is in fact your true state, begin your move towards this on New Years. All the goodness in the world is hiding within the very beings that inhabit it; it is buried beneath the negative qualities that are fostered by their sense of fear and inferiority. If I can wish one thing for each of you, it is that you should commit to ennobling yourself and to ovecoming everything petty and small and fear based in your consciousness, and it is the only thing in the world worth doing.

And it is in the presentation of this opportunity so explicitly to you, that the modern version of New Years can actually trump the modern version of Christmas in its use.

Be Ever in Bliss.

So, just a big thanks to everyone who participated in the tour and everybody who came out to support. Also big thanks to the venues (Eddie's Attic, The Melting Point, etc...) The Heart of Georgia Singer/Songwriter Tour for 2007 was great fun for both the musicians and the audience, anyone who missed the shows this year, you better ask somebody.... ;) they'd tell you just how good it was. Anyway, Happy Holidays to everyone and watch out for more next year when some of the best singer/songwriters in GA come a rolling through her key cities and townships and playing some of her finest venues.

Be Ever in Bliss,
-JA

Jesus Aaron just signed with an international management company. Woa! you
say...? W.O.A. indeed. and with the surname International. That's
right W.O.A. International, primarily based out of India, and Jesus
Aaron will be doing big things in India starting immediately. A large
tour, sponsored by MTV India, and VH1, and others, will send 15
international artists, a tour bus, and thousands of fans flocking to
pretty much all the major cities in India. Madness you say, perhaps,
but in that good way. It will all ensue in January and February of
'08. Jesus will be there.

Impyre Vontyler
Vampire Hairstyler
Cuts in the Dungeon for
Dracula's Goons.

Hairdos for Terrible
Multi-dimensional
Blood Thirsty Cannibal
Pale Faced Bafoons.



*The Double Dactyl is kind of an estranged cousin of the Lymerick, but includes the added cute challenge of the 6th line being a Single 6 syllable Rhyming word in the double dactyl form. A dactyl by the way is a form of tri-meter that goes accented, un, un.

Embarrassment, like worry, is a debilitating waste of time and energy.

I will be an in station guest tonight on Elisa Apostle's show from midnight to 2 am PST on KSUB, The Radio Station of Seattle University. I'll be promoting the debut record, the Seattle Show Friday night at Caffe Bella, the value of goats milk in daily diet, mandatory thigh high stockings in bowling alleys (for girls), and the ominpresence of divinity and its coolnesses.
You can listen online at:
http://www.ksubseattle.org

God helps you much more when you treat him as a beloved friend, and not a ruthless, dictatorial, monarch.
Fear of God is a crutch (and a clumsy one) for those sparse in faith, for purposes of helping them to behave and walk the path; in truth, there is nothing about God to be afraid of, even for those called "sinners". However, the Laws of the Universe, such as: As you sew, so shall you reap, can get downright nasty. And it's time's like those when it''s even more important not to be afraid of God, but to call on Him as a friend.

Be Ever in Bliss,
Jesus Aaron

I've been in contact with some of the key players in the industry and so I happen to be in a position to be in the know about some of the ins and outs. Here's some of what's happening.

500 Record Stores per year are closing... 76,000 people have lost their jobs... The perceived value of music in the minds of consumers has been plummeting... Recording costs continue to rise in big studios... 6 million bands or so on myspace all think they've got something and are flooding the market with what amounts to white noise... I'm also convinced, by the way, that myspace has contributed to the concept that music is less valuable, since every song one could want to hear has become freely available here (btw I may have to start putting up samples instead of full songs just to do my part to counteract this lowering of value in the average person's mind)... Record Companies are getting more and more risk averse as a result of this stuff and only putting out formulaically proven stuff as a result (ie music that sucks)... and Piracy... yeah we all know it's insane.

Wal Mart, who accounts for 37% of music sales, yes I know it sounds insane but it's true 37%! has decided music doesn't make enough per sq. inch of their floor space. Many anticipate that in the next couple of years they will scale back their catalog and only carry the top 200 selling cds. This means if you're an Indie or on a Large Indie Lable, even Major Label artists not high enough on the totem pole... forget about it, 37% of the pie is gone.

Also cute was both Best Buy and Wal Mart's idea to sell CDs below cost for a while. Effectively & Artifically lowering the value of a record in the consumers mind to under $10. They then tell the distributor they can't buy records for more than $7.25 and because they account for such a large market share the distributor has trouble saying no, which means when the label sells to the distributor they aren't getting much, and you can imagine how much the artist gets... for those of you that don't know... you have to sell about 750,000 records on a major label before you recoup the advance they give you to make and promote a record. Since very few are getting that many sales now... you do the math.

Here's more fun stuff: Some of the biggest distributors, who have always budgeted for 20% returns (if a cd doesn't sell the record store can return it and get their money back from the distributor). In the last year these distributors are seeing 50% returns. Let's just say this HURTS these people. Let's just say this HURTS record companies. Let's just say this HURTS the artists who make the music...

What's to be done? Now more than ever... SUPPORT the music you love by buying it, buying merchandise from the bands, going to their shows... or it may disappear, and that would really be a monumental shame.

Oh, btw, all you people out there pirating music... just so you know, a lot of this is your doing. If you want music to get even worse and more of the people who make it, and make it available to you, to lose their job, keep right on stealing it.

Everyone loves music, I don't see how anyone cann say it's over priced at just 99 cents per song. So do your part my friends... If you love someone's music, don't steal it, buy it.

Be Ever in Bliss

So my fair feathered friends, as mentioned to those on the mailing list, with the assistance of a fantastic Radio
Promo Firm out of LA (Bryan Farrish's) we're launching a pretty huge
radio campaign. 500+ stations covering the whole US map (& including
some international stations) for 16 weeks. If the record is well
received, we should definitely get some great airplay out of this and
some type of chart position on the Roots Report and Folk DJ Charts.
Wind up the monkeys and let them have a backflip contest.

Be Ever in Bliss, -JA

So, here's what I see happening all the time: A Band puts every ounce of effort, time, inspiration, and money they can muster (maybe they even mortgage their house) into making a recording of music: Someone falls in love with it, goes around saying, Oh they are so amazing, they touch my soul, my life is improved by their very existence... And immediately they turn around and say how can I steal from them, the people that support them (yes, including their record company), their children, and all the people who work on a percentage basis for them. Oh yeah, I can download/listen to their music for free on such and such site and they, and none of those around them will see a dime; nice. Oh and additionally, double bonus, they're an Indie Artist, so by not buying their record, they may not have sufficient funds to even make another record. Anyone else see a problem with this? Would it not have been better to spend $0.99 to download the song legitimately. Wouldn't you rather spend $0.99 than steal from someone you claim to love. Enough said, I really don't see how there is even a debate about piracy. It's no good for anyone. Even the fan doing the stealing loses out in the long run. My advice to people is to support what you love in life, and you'll see more of it.

Be Ever in Bliss,
-Jesus Aaron

you're not really paying attention."
-Jesus Aaron

If America had a birthday wish it would surely be a wish for you (if you're American that is, and really even if you're not). A wish that you be more, that you improve yourself, your quality as a human being, and more specifically your consciousness. For the best thing one can do for her country, or the world, is not to go march in rallies, get a particular politician elected, or even give money to the homeless; the best thing a person can do for her country is to improve her own consciousness. The roots of a country are the individual citizens and it is by the nourishment of their quality as individuals that the broad and sprawling tree and all its branches may be made strong, and its fruit be sweet for everyone in the world. So on this birthday celebration of America, think of what you can do for your country, what you can do to make America greater, and more like what it was always supposed to be; improve your self. Improve your character and America will benefit. If America as a country had a birthday wish, this would surely be it. A wish for you.

Be Ever in Bliss,
-Jesus Aaron

In the living of a great life, one may occasionally be given the duty of being Superman, but more often than not, and far more frequently than one might like, he will be given the duty of being Clark Kent. -Jesus Aaron

Its name is Fear. It is the root of all your problems. Banish it from your psyche. Know that you are invincible; you exist beyond body, beyond mind; nothing in this world can damage you. Never be afraid, never.

Be Ever in Bliss,
-Jesus Aaron