I found out this week that a band I performed and recorded with a couple years ago, the Meteor Pilots, finished their debut CD last week and I finally got my hands on a few copies today. Even though I don’t play with that band anymore, it did cause me to pause and think on the accomplishment.

Many of you reading this have probably recorded and seen your name on the inside sleeve of a CD before, so this is old news for you. But this is the first time its happened to me, and even though it’s with a small indie band, it’s something that I’ve wanted to accomplish since I was eight years old. Seeing as it took me thirty years to get here, it feels good to check that one off the list of things I wanted to accomplish before I die:

Fall in love and start a family. Check.
Visit the Taj Mahal. Check.
Work in the software business and end up at Microsoft. Check.
Record and wind up a credited musician on an album. Check!

And I’m hoping it doesn’t take another thirty years to do it again! Trust me, I’m working hard to make sure it doesn’t take that long again.

The name of the album is Kiss My Asteroid and you can order a copy from the Meteor Pilots’ web site or, in a few weeks, on cdbaby.com. Have a look at their web site and you can stream some of the tunes to your computer.

I’m all with Lake 32 right now, but I really had a lot of fun playing for the Pilots and wish those guys the best of luck in selling their album and getting their music out there live for audiences to hear and enjoy.

I've mentioned before that I actually play drums for two local bands here in St. Louis: The Meteor Pilots and Lake 32. These two projects have always existed pretty much mutually exclusive from each other.

That will change this Saturday, August 23rd when both bands play back-to-back at the Race for the Rivers charity festival. This event features a canoe and kayak race down the Missouri River. All proceeds from the race and the festival go to the Greenway Network's clean water education, restoration and recreation projects to promote the conservation of the delicate river ecosystem.

Several local bands will be playing on the main stage in Frontier Park throughout the day. The music schedule for this Saturday is:

12:00 noon: Cake Eater

1:00 PM: Watching Judas

2:00 PM: Dancing Cadavers

3:00 PM: Marlow Honey

4:00 PM: Race for the Rivers Award Ceremony

5:00 PM: Meteor Pilots

6:00 PM: Lake 32

7:00 PM: Ken Kase Group

For a map and directions to Frontier Park in classic "old town" St. Charles, Missouri, click here.

There will also be local musicians playing acoustic sets in between the acts on the main stage.This will be a great day of local St. Louis music and a terrific opportunity to contribute to a great charity event as well. If you're in the area Saturday afternoon, be sure to come by and enjoy the festival.