I think it's funny that some people will only drive a Ford. Some people will always choose Coke over Pepsi. Some guitarists will only play a Taylor. I get it -- when you find a good product, you tend to stick with it. But the flip-side of that is missing out on other good products because you're so stuck in your ways.
Don't get me wrong; I love my Strats and my ES-335 hollow bodies and my Fender tube amps. But I also love my Squiers, Danelectros and Epiphones! Each piece of gear has its own voice and its own feel. One of the most beautiful-sounding instruments I own is a cheap, no-name Irish bouzouki I bought online -- no brand, all beauty!
Over the years, I've become a kind of anti-brand snob. The Taylors, the Gibsons, the PRSs don't even catch my eye anymore. The Helixes and boutique effects don't even attract my attention. I focus on the used gear or the cheap gear or the gear that's typically ignored by most musicians. That's because (and if you know, you know) your equipment is just a small fraction of your music; music comes from the heart, the mind, and the hands -- not from expensive gear! The idea that you have to own the most expensive guitar in order to express yourself musically is a complete lie that you've been fed by people who want to sell you expensive gear! Don't buy it (the lie or the gear)! Don't let someone else dictate what you want!
Play what you like, no matter if it's a cheap bouzouki or a $3000 Strat. If I can trust my gear; if I can afford my gear; and if I can express myself using my gear, I'm happy. I'll play my Ibanez. I'll drink RC Cola. And I'll be my own brand, thank you.
You should be your own brand, too.

My new favorite month is March. March 2024, to be exact. This month was crazy! We met some really cool people. We started making some pretty cool swag. We got booked for some awesome gigs beyond what we were hoping for!
Here's who we met: Kelly at Luke's on Front, possibly the coolest rooftop bar and restaurant in Old Town; Robert Rankin Walker from Heyday Productions, who epitomizes the mantra, "if it's not fun, don't do it;" Mike Magoo Davis from Taylor's Bar & Grill, a 90-year old establishment that's probably haunted; Rex at O'Hara's in Lake Elsinore, a groovy and historic roadhouse joint that's been around for years; Andy & Dave at the Blues Club, where the stage is impeccable and the sound is always on point!
We printed shirts. We designed and made some far-out mugs and tumblers. We even got some temporary tattoos!
But the absolute best thing about this month has been the gigs. We met with some genuinely great club owners and managers who have opened their doors for us to come in and rock the house! Next month, we'll be at O'Hara's. We'll be at Baily's. We'll be at Bastards. We'll be at Taylor's in July. Each and every one of these upcoming gigs is at an awesome venue, and we're really excited to finally show up on the public's radar!
I'm looking forward to April 2024 being my new favorite month...!

Okay, so I'll tell you why it's important to support local music. And to support local art. And support local activities. And support local just about everything!
You might have a long commute to get to work. You might enjoy going to Vegas or Big Bear or Ensenada, but where do you always come back to? Home. Home is where you live. And to be blatantly obvious, home is always local! You eat local. You shop local. Almost every tangible thing in your home life is local. I'm sure you can see where I'm going with this -- local!
If you like your local restaurants, bars, wineries and nightclubs, you need to support your local musicians so they can keep doing what they're doing (or they can spend more time working on their music)!
If you're a local musician yourself, you know that there are other local bands and musicians who all want to play their music. If you think you have to step on other bands in order to get good gigs, you're thinking wrong. This is a win-win situation. There are plenty of venues to play, and plenty of local musicians to play them! It's all about finding your niche, and supporting and helping other musicians find theirs. Go see other bands when you can. Help other bands find the right gigs. If you have to cancel a gig, help the club owner find the right band for them.
We're all in this together, and there's going to be a time when we'll need some help from each other. The community of local musicians is relatively small; we've got to stick together!

If you follow politics, today is Super Tuesday. Even if you don't follow politics, it's Super Tuesday. But if you follow FOOD, it's Taco Tuesday --  I think that's the best kind of Tuesday anyway! 
People tend to get really passionate about their political ideas. But when it comes to food, nobody gets very angry about other people's meal choices. I think music is kind of like food in that respect; choose what you like, and let me choose what I like. There's room for everyone's opinion...
Look at the local music scene -- there's hard rock; there's metal; there's reggae; there's country; there's acoustic; there's jazz; there's pop; there's original music. There are plenty of choices when it comes to live music, and there's something for everybody! Just like tacos, there's crunchy; there's cheesy; there's rolled; there's fish; there's fried chicken; there's even choco-tacos!
Support local music. Eat some tacos. Lighten up and enjoy life.

Today's the fourth of March. March fourth. Seems like a fitting day to reflect on how important it is to keep moving forward; to never giving up; trying to make today's best better than yesterday's; to making tomorrow better than today!
You've got to show up and deliver each and every day, even if you're not feeling it. You've got to keep going or you'll never get anywhere, right? Remember why you're doing whatever it is you're doing -- if it's worthwhile, keep doing it! Even when things aren't going your way. Especially when things aren't going your way. It's easy to quit; anybody can do that. Not everybody can keep going. You need to be that person who keeps going. Your future self will be glad you did.
Never, ever give up! Except for people who are giving up a bad habit, quitters are always losers! If you quit, if you admit defeat, you can't possibly win! Even if you have to stop and rest, or stop and rethink things, don't quit! Don't short-change yourself. Ever.
And don't ever stop improving! Don't ever fall into the trap of getting too comfortable with your current self or your current way of doing things. You can always get better! Even if you're at the top of your game, there's always room to improve. Find it. Do it. Never get too comfortable.