Funny, how that worked out...

This year, musically, has been one that has made me just sit back and say, "Well. DNA didn't expect that."

It started with DNA getting connected with a great group of guys, BB Gun, D-Tronic, and the Jester, and forming the band the Crestview Kings. In this band, DNA is referred to as Big Daddy. We are a cover band. We are good. We play lots of songs. On an average night, we will play for about four hours. So far, we have been paid on average more per show than DNA made at the height of his career when he played out regularly.

There is this conceit among musicians who play in "original" bands, that being a creator of music is somehow more important, or perhaps, more prestigious, than being an interpreter of someone else's composition. DNA held this view for many years. The "art" that we created from our own inspiration was somehow better than music we imitated from another artist's creativity.

A few years ago, DNA came to the realization that as important as the creative process is for writing music, so too is the interpretive process for playing music. In some cases, the interpretive process is more important. Both processes are creative, exacting, demanding, and require talent to produce an end result which people will appreciate.

Even though DNA knows this is true, he still couldn't stop saying things to his friends like, "Yeah, I'm in a new band. No, it's just a cover band." Qualifying the descriptor for the band ("Just" a cover band) speaks to the conceit of its worth, a valuation which is hard to extinguish.

Having now spent several months working as hard as DNA has ever worked to learn a huge repertoire of songs, paying careful attention to the details which turn those songs into labors of love and not just perfunctory recitations, has reinforced the strength of DNA's convictions. It doesn't matter whether it's DNA's intellectual property or not, when we play it, it is OUR SONG. If DNA doesn't give the rendition of the song that kind of respect, the performance won't work. If DNA doesn't feel the intricacy of the work, as if he wrote it, then the end result is no better than any of the thousands of other roadhouse musicians you could listen to. Not that there is anything wrong with them. In fact, those that care for their craft share DNA's perspective.

So, DNA is in a kick ass cover band called the Crestview Kings. We play out pretty regularly. Check it out.