song of the day: Not The Same / Ben Folds
word of the day: Catoptric / Relating to reflection or reflected light
I now have a lot of new songs, wrote two more last week (Murder Suicide and Good Weird), and I'm definitely past due to be in the studio. I've been putting it off a bit, trying to figure out what I'm going to do in terms of approach and also how I'm going to finance the whole thing. Driving across Nebraska I had an idea. There's lots of room for ideas in Nebraska, all that open space and flat horizon. It opens the mind. So, with the sky roof open on my Honda and the hat off my bald head, I thought of the "Rock Auction". I'm just going to cut and paste the press release we drew up, so forgive the fact that it will read a bit like a press release:
Stuart Davis Announces... The Rock Auction!
Who needs major labels? Take back the music business...
Stuart Davis is in the studio recording his next musical Love-Nova, and once again he's using an imaginative marriage of business, art, and community to keep his visionary indie label Dharma Pop thriving in today's inhospitable corporate climate. As recently featured on National Public Radio's Morning Edition, Dharma Pop has long been funded and staffed by hundreds of investors and volunteers from around the World who so believe in its music that they put their own time and money into it, making Dharma Pop one of the most unique success stories in alternative music. To date, Davis has sold over 50,000 CDs in the U.S. and Europe, without any major label ties and virtually zero distribution. At the center of it all is some amazing music and people who, instead of getting disenchanted with the mainstream, have decided to change it. On his forthcoming 11th album, Davis has added a whole new twist to funding a project- The Rock Auction. Like most great ideas, it's simple; People help Stu make more music by bidding on Stuart Davis music. There are seven 'Levels Of Love' in the Rock Auction, each one packed with amazing music and rare collector's items.
Level One:
$100+
-Downloads Of Whole Web Site
-Two Tickets To A Show
For $100 or more, you receive a password which allows you to download every song on the Stuart Davis web site (125 songs), and you get two tickets to any Stuart Davis concert.
Level Two:
$250+
-Downloads
-Two Concert Tickets
-Signed Copy Of New Disc & DVD Set
For $250 or more, you receive all the downloads on the Stuart Davis site, two passes to any Stuart concert, and a signed copy of Stuart's new DVD and the new CD upon release (mailed to your home).
Level Three:
$500+
-Downloads
-Two Concert Tickets
-Signed Copy Of New Disc & DVD Set
-Signed Box Set
At $500 or more, you receive all the downloads, two concert tickets, signed copies of both the new DVD and the new CD upon release, and a complete box set of all ten of Stuart's earlier CDs autographed. Not even Stuart has that.
Level Four:
$1,000+
-Downloads
-Signed Copy Of New Disc & DVD Set
-Signed Box Set
-Two Lifetime Tickets
Now it gets spooky. At $1,000 or more, you receive all downloads, signed copy of new disc, signed copy of new DVD, a complete signed box set, and two LIFETIME tickets to any and all Stuart Davis concerts -forever.
Level Five:
$2,500+
-Downloads
-Signed Copy Of New Disc & DVD Set
-Signed Box Set
-Two Lifetime Tickets
-Private Concert (Recorded)
It's personal. For $2,500 or more, you'll get all downloads, signed new CD, signed new DVD, complete signed box set, two LIFETIME passes to all Stuart Davis concerts, and Stuart will personally come to your private home and perform a concert in your house, which will be recorded on digital mini disc and given to you at the end of the show. You do NOT pay any travel, lodging, or food, price includes everything.
Level Six:
$5,000+
-Downloads
-Signed Copy Of New Disc & DVD Set
-Signed Box Set
-Two Lifetime Tickets
-Private Concert (Recorded)
-Collector's Care Package
Wow. For $5,000 or more you get all downloads, signed new CD, signed new DVD, complete signed box set, two LIFETIME passes to all Stuart Davis concerts, Stuart will personally come to your house and do a concert, give you a recording of it at the end of the night (price is all- inclusive), plus you receive a bursting basket of collector's absolutely unique rarities; Recordings of songs never released anywhere (not even on the site), one-of a kind t-shirts designed for you to give to your friends and enemies, and private bootlegs of out-takes from the new CD.
Level Seven:
$10,000+
-Downloads
-Signed Copy Of New Disc & DVD Set
-Signed Box Set
-Two Lifetime Tickets
-Private Concert Performed On A...
-Collector's Care Package
-Hand-Made Guitar Engraved In Is
We call this the "Holy Shit" level. For $10,000 or more, you get all downloads, signed new CD, signed new DVD, complete signed box set, two LIFETIME passes to all Stuart Davis concerts, Stuart will personally come to your house and do a concert, give you a recording of it at the end of the night, plus you receive a bursting basket of collector's absolutely unique rarities; Recordings of songs never released anywhere (not even on Stu's site), one- of a kind t-shirts designed for you to give to your friends and enemies, and private bootlegs of out-takes from the new CD. BUT WAIT- here's the kicker: The concert at your house will be performed on a very expensive hardwood, hand-made acoustic guitar that is engraved in IS (a language Stuart himself constructed) with a phrase of your choice, signed by Stuart and GIVEN TO YOU at the end of the night along with the recording.
To place a bid, or ask any questions, email rockauction@dharmapop.com
