Newsletter 4-28-08

Hey Everyone,

I am on such a natural high today.

Why you ask?

Because on Friday afternoon I sent out an e-mail to some bands that I have gotten to know over the years doing BlowUpRadio.com & Lazlo's Den.

Here is an excerpt of that e-mail:


"Hello my musician friends.

I am getting ready to take on the biggest thing I've done with either site, and I need your help.

On the weekend of October 17th-19th, BlowUpRadio.com & ThePenguinRocks.com will be broadcasting a 48 hour live webathon to benefit the Spondylitis Association of America (www.spondylitis.org)

This is a very personal benefit for me, because my wife suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis.

The plan for this webathon (similar to Jerry Lewis' telethon), is to have as many bands as possible come by the BlowUpRadio.com during the webathon to perform acoustically inside the studio."



The response from bands was nothing short of amazing. As of this writing (4/28 at 6pm), 50 bands have signed on to be a part of this this webcast. I have already thanked each act individually, but let me say here a collective thank you to you all. In the span of a few days a crazy idea I had for a webathon has become a reality, and there is no way it would have been possible without each band's support. I also need to thank Gary Wien for immediately saying yes when I asked if he wanted to simulcast the webathon on ThePenguinRocks.com.

This webathon for Spondylitis Association is going to be something very special, and I hope you will all mark your calendars now for the weekend of October 17th -19th.

There will certainly be more news on this in the weeks and months ahead.


The next BlowUpRadio.com & LazlosDen.com Free Concert Series at Buddie's Tavern will be an extra special, extra big show on Saturday May 10th. It's my (Lazlo) Birthday Bash! We're starting early too (8pm), because we have 5 acts rocking my b-day bash: The Heshers, Mod Fun, The Successful Failures, Echofission, and Jim Testa! As always, the show is FREE, so mark down May 10th, and I'll see you at Buddie's Tavern.


If you missed any of the interview and in-studio performance by Logs In The Mainstream, you can now stream it from the Interview Archive at LazlosDen.com.



Concert Picks for this week:

Lazlo (BlowUpRadio.com)
This Friday The Misery Loves will be playing at The Loop Lounge in Passiac. The Misery Loves don't seem to play out very often, which is a shame because their live show is incredible. Also on the bill is former NJ band (and currently residing in Albany, NY), The Crayons, who also rarely play out in NJ these days, and puts on a great show.


Jim Testa (Jersey Beat)
Thursday, May 1
LOVE CINEMA VOL. 6, The Heshers, Brine & The Bastards, Stuyvesant - Maxwells, 1039 Washington St Hoboken - 8 pm, $7, 18+

In a very slow week for shows, I'm recommending the always-reliable power-pop combo from Hoboken, Stuyvesant, who I understand will be releasing a new full-length this Spring.


Gary Wien (Asbury Music)
This week's picks include Laura Warshauer at the Twisted Tree Cafe in Asbury Park on Thursday, May 1st. Lauran is the latest Jersey Shore artist to be signed to a major label. You can catch here along with Amanda Duncan and special guests starting at 7pm. And then on Saturday, May 3rd at the Saint in Asbury Park it's my favorite touring band - Red Wanting Blue from Ohio (featuring a lead singer from Jersey). They'll be headlining a bill that includes The Fifth and Down With Digital.



And now it's time for this week's Pissed Off!


Fuck Wikipedia!

Last week a fan of BlowUpRadio.com & LazlosDen.com tried to set up pages on Wikipedia for both sites. Wikipedia promptly took the pages down saying that they were not "notable".

Not notable, really? I can think of thousands of bands and fans who would say that they are notable, but it does bring up an interesting question.

At what point does someone or something become notable?

Is a band that puts out an album on their own, and sells 200 copies notable?

If that same bands signs with a major label, are they then notable?

How about when they sell a million albums, does that make them notable?

At what point did My Chemical Romance become notable?

I remember when they were first starting out and e-mailed me several times about playing their stuff (however, they never followed through in sending me their demo). Were they not notable for just being a band playing in clubs years before they became famous?

Continuing on that train of thought, when I was working for WDHA as a part-time DJ, and had no control over what I played, was I more notable because WDHA is the radio equivalent of a major label (or at least a major indie label)?

Or am I more notable now where a lot of people in the NJ music scene, as well as around the world with Lazlo's Den, know who I am?

Some people have even called me famous, although I have always laughed that off as being funny seeing as I know more than 90% of the world doesn't know who I am. But over 90% of the world doesn't know who Wesley Willis is, but he has a Wikipedia page (or should that read that there is one up in his memory, as he passed away in 2003).

Anyway...

What defines notable?

Notable is defined by Merriam-Webster Dictionary as, "worthy of note".

Is not everything worthy of note in some way to someone?

Is not the indie album that sells 200 copies worthy of note to the 200 people that bought it?

Fuck Wikipedia!

They can go ahead and decide what is notable to them. I've realized there is nothing notable about a site that is not open to having all the information in the world on it.

I also don't need their approval that my sites or I are notable.

I've been doing BlowUpRadio.com & Lazlo's Den for over 7 years now (longer than Wikipedia has been around). I have the approval of the music scene, and that is far more important to me.

Last Friday I sent out an e-mail to bands I've met over the years to ask if they would like to be involved in a Webathon I am setting up for October 17th-19th to benefit the Spondylitis Association of America (www.spondylitis.org), a genetic condition that my wife suffers from. As of the time of this writing (4/28 at 6pm), 50 bands have signed on to be a part of the event. The amazing outpouring of support that I am getting from the music scene is way more important to me than being considered notable by Wikipedia.

Fuck Wikipedia!

Look for my new website www.FuckWikipedia.com coming never :)


That's all for this week folks.

Peace,
Lazlo
www.BlowUpRadio.com