NEW SONG: WINTER COAT
I know what you are thinking… It’s July and close to 100 degrees everyday why are you putting out a song about winter coats?
This song has just as much to do with the summer time heat as much as the winter coat that is in your closet right now.
I rarely have ever played the blues let alone try to write a blues tune, but this is a straight up blues song and I don’t think it could have been done any other way.
This was written and recorded in one day and mixed the next. I sat on my porch and wrote the words while strumming my acoustic guitar to the busy street in front of me. Words were inspired by a few conversations I had over the last few days with a friend of mine, and the winter coat thing just stuck in my head.
No one is thinking about their winter coat now and when winter comes back will you even wear the same one you did last year? Sometimes you can start to feel that way yourself with relationships, friendships, and just connecting with society.
Working on more new songs, this one has a different feel so here it is, enjoy!
MISSIONARIES LAST SHOW
Tomorrow I say goodbye to one of the greatest bands I have had the pleasure to work with, Missionaries. What started as a solo project for my friend and bandmate, Seanmichael Poff, has took so many twist and turns through so many genres and line-up changes. Sadly it is time for this chapter to end and time to look towards the future and what it has in store for all of us.
When I joined The Missionaries (it did start as THE Missionaries) it was an eclectic folk / indie sounding outfit, with mainly acoustic instrument, including a woodwind section. We all were friends, we enjoyed a movie night together, and we made music! I remember my first practice with them, all I brought was a snare drum and a few sticks and brushes. A lot has changed since then and everyone has grown as a musician.
Tomorrow we play our last show in our hometown of Roanoke Virginia at The Spot on Kirk, which is very fitting to me. We used to perform there frequently when it was called The Kirk Ave music hall, and a lot of our former members had there last shows there.
Joining us for this departure is Clair Morgan, friends of ours from Richmond, Virginia who is kicking off a small tour that night. Check them out: CLAIR MORGAN’S WEBSITE
Here is the Facebook event : Missionaries’ Last Show
We will also be releasing all the music we have recorded up to this point. A full length through Hope For The Tape Deck ( Half a Creature Pre-order ) and a self released EP of the last songs we wrote together titled “Exit Music”.
Thanks for all the good times, good tunes
Much love,
-Marshall
LAST WEEKEND & THIS BUSY WEEK
What a weekend! It took me a few days to process it all and prepare myself for this shows coming up this week.
Friday was a very weird show hosted by Backstreet Cafe’ downtown Roanoke. Very cool, hole the wall kind of place, but what is special about Backstreet is they will book anyone’s band. From Heavy Death Metal to singer-song writer acoustic stuff. Our show was a weird one… I got the call from my friend Eric of the project Lugwight from Richmond, VA, who performed at The Shelf House sometime last year. He wanted to book a show in Roanoke with another act Thieves of Shiloh, another act from Richmond. Now both of these acts are considered to be drone/noise/doom/ type of stuff, with Lugweight using a wall of amps to have his guitar cut right through your chest and Thieves of Shilo’s droning delayed electirc violin keeping you entranced for his whole set, so Backstreet was my 1st choice to have this show.
Also on the bill was Moths, Eric Wollersberger, soundscape project and Jonathan Woods and myself 1st performance as Stoner Cop. Last minute addition to the show was The Fabulous Miss Wendy, a Punk Rock Metal Grunge Pop from Portland, who ripped! What an act, if you get a chance to catch them I would definitely do so. They are on a 3 month long US tour right now.
Facebook event : Stoner Cop // Moths // Thieves of Shiloh // Lugweight + Fabulous Wendy
Lugweigh
Thieves of Shiloh
The Fabulous Miss Wendy
Saturday night, I had to run sound at The Coffee Pot for a show my long time friend and old bandmate Mike Henderson put together.
Facebook event : Robbie And The Bookers, Riverbank Ramblers, Jupiter’s Incense, Paradigm!!!
Paradigm
Jupiter’s Incense
Riverbank Ramblers
Robbie and the Bookers
This week/weekend is a busy one:
Wednesday: Sound @ Martin’s downtown with Jive Mother Mary www.jivemothermary.com
Thursday: Sound @ The Coffee Pot with Stump Tail Dolly With Riverbank Ramblers and Attakk
Friday: Sound @ Billy’s Barn with Heevahava // Compulsovich // Affliction Kid // Love & A .45
Saturday: Playing with Missionaries at Festival in the Park Missionaries at Festival + Sound @ Blue 5 with Lazy Man Dub Band
Sunday: Freedom Fest @ Fincastle Baptist Church
Let’s do this!
DOUBLE HEADERS AT THE COFFEE POT
Did 4 shows at the Coffee Pot in 2 weeks, I almost set up a place to sleep there. Some really great shows happen in the last 2 weeks and I was right there for all the action.
April 22nd – Dead End Lane/Gloom Despair N Agony/Immortui
April 23rd – Mung Choke’s 10 Year Anniversary Celebration
April 28th – Argyle Goolsby (+ Gloom Despair N Agony and Immortui)
April 29th – Bask // Matewan // the Aurora Observatory
Here are a few pictures.
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- Always something perkin’ at The Coffee Pot
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- Gloom Despair N Agony
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- Gloom Despair N Agony
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- Unnerve
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- Robbie & The Bookers
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- Robbie & The Bookers
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- Mung Choke
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- Mung Choke
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- Mung Choke
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- Mung Choke
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- Gloom Despair N Agony
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- Chris and TC from Immortui
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- Argyle Goolsby and the Roving Midnight
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- Argyle Goolsby and the Roving Midnight
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- Argyle Goolsby and the Roving Midnight
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- Travis rocking the light show
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- Matewan
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- Bask
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- Bask
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- The Aurora Observatory
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- The Aurora Observatory
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- First time at Phase 2
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- Maxed out the Mix Wiz
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- 460 South Band
I also got the run sound at Phase 2 in Lynchburg for the first time and enjoyed the change of scenery.
VIDEOS FROM ROANOKE COMMUNITY GARDEN ASSOCIATION’S EVENT
Had a great time and show at The Phoenix! Here are some videos taken by Jason Davis a fellow Roanoke musician from the band Monster Atlantic.
SHOWS THIS WEEK
Missionaries get to play a newer (but old) venue in town. The Phoenix, once was The Water Heater, a multi-purpose space used for event of all sorts. Now it is The Phoenix, owned by the creator of Floyd Fest, a huge outdoor festival held out in the mountains of Floyd. The show is a fundraiser for the community Gardens in Roanoke. Very glad to be apart of a great cause and to promote the new venue!
“Come out for a night of eclectic music benefiting Roanoke Community Garden Association. With Missionaries, Eric Rich Ensemble, and Buddahgraph Spaceship! Craft beer and wine. Food truck on site. $10 ticket (purchase at the door) includes ONE raffle ticket for a 5 day pass to FloydFest. Additional raffle tickets $5. Come have fun while helping RCGA grow in 2016!”
Friday, I will be joining a few musicians to put on an acoustic show case at a small hole in the wall venue, Backstreet Cafe’. This is the 1st solo performance I have booked in quite some time. I am real excited to get up and sing a bit! Come check it out a lot of good singer-song writers on this one.
Acoustic Showcase @ Backstreet Cafe
Friday March 18th ~ 8pm ~ $5!
Rick (from PILE) – Boston heavy rocker going acoustic
https://www.facebook.com/pileof/
https://pile.bandcamp.com/ (check out “Magic Isn’t Real”)
John Pence (Infinite Ways) – First show back from Boston!
https://www.facebook.com/infiniteways/
https://infiniteways.bandcamp.com/
Mark Perry (Heevahava) – “Songs to drink and bullshit to”
https://www.facebook.com/Heevahava-238918632284/?fref=nf
https://heevahava.bandcamp.com/
Marshall Hicks (and his Bag of Tricks) – ROVA’s friendliest punk
https://marshallhicks.com/
JUST ADDED –
Nightmare Sonata – Full band horror punk to close out the night!
http://www.nightmaresonata.com/
SPRING INTO ACTION
Weather is warming up and the gigs are rolling in! Had a busy end of the week these past few days. It all stared Wednesday, I got to run sound for Blue 5’s house band Hoppie Vaughan and the Ministers of Soul, who are always a pleasure to work with! Catch them every Wednesday at Blue 5. Thursday, Missionaries trucked up to Harrisonburg for a show at The Golden Pony (formerly The Blue Nile) with are buds Eureka California (Athens, GA) and Hey Baby (Brooklyn, NY). The show went great, I loved all the new improvements of the venue and the same good vibe as The Blue Nile once had. We will be coming back there very soon.
Eureka California @ The Golden Pony
Hey Baby @ The Golden Pony
Friday, I was back home and we had the biggest line up at The Shelf House to date (FACEBOOK EVENT). All locals on the bill and man did the locals come out! Starting the show was Compulsovich playing a stripped down two piece set that would put most full on bands to shame. Matewan took the floor next and just killed it. Haven’t seen a bad show from Matewan yet, I don’t think they will disappoint you. Good Cat, Bad Cat (GCBC) was next, and let me tell you about this group. They all have been around the scene for many years in different project together and not, This by far is my favorite band these guys have done. If you see their name on a flier you better get your ass to that show. Last but not least was Heevahava who I have seen and played shows with for years now. Mark Perry who put this show line up together is a beast on guitar and can sing his ass off while doing it. Great 1st house show of the year if I say so! Look out for more to come!
Compulsovich @ The Shelf House
Good Cat, Bad Cat @ The Shelf House
Heevahava @ The Shelf House
Saturday, was Martin’s Saint Patrick’s Day Block Party. I was in monitor world all day, and this was a long day. Showed up at 8am didn’t leave until 3am. Really rad line up for the outdoor stage:
12pm – Tobacco Apache
145pm – The Floorboards
330pm – Welcome To Hoonah
515pm – Jackass Flats
7pm – Stolen Rhodes
845pm – Major & The Monbacks
1030pm – The Congress
Front of House and Monitors were run off a Behringer X32 system with a full size console at FOH and the compact in monitor world. Digital head amps and snake were in place and with just a little bit of gain staging set up issues the whole thing worked great! All the bands were pro, sounded great, and were a pleasure to work with.
Tobacco Apache @ Martin’s
Monitor World
Jackass Flats
The Floorboards
Welcome To Hoonah
Stolen Rhodes
Martin’s
Major & The Monbacks
The Congress
Front of the House
The Show
Line up
BLUE WEEZE NOV. 28th @ MARTIN’S DOWNTOWN
This Saturday, November 28th, Blue Weeze, the Weezer (Blue Album) cover band I have been rehearsing with will finally jam out at Martin’s Downtown in Roanoke. Here are a few pictures of the adventure so far. FACEBOOK LINK: Blue Weeze
By : Tom Hikaru Lim
By : Tom Hikaru Lim
By : Tom Hikaru Lim
By : Tom Hikaru Lim
By : Tom Hikaru Lim
SOUND MAN
So, all summer and now entering the fall I have been taking on the roll of Sound Man. This is a ruthless, thankless, and demanding job… but I love it. From all the different act and bands to all the festivals and venues I get to experience and enjoy while working, they have all helped me grow in to a more productive musician.
Being in charge of sound is a crazy responsibility, you show up early and leave late, knowledge and paying attention is why you are there and some times equipment as well (loading and unloading until you are sick of it!), you deal with all types of people in the business from promoters, venue owners and workers, band managers, the bands and musicians, lighting guys, fellow sound engineers, and fans!
Somewhere in between not too loud and rumbling you whole body is the perfect mix that I am always trying to achieve in all these different locations and I don’t think it would be possible without Stage Sound, a local production house I have had the pleasure working at for the last 2 years. The guys and gals here have really filled my head with great information and lots of experience to get me in this sound game.
Here is to more great sounding shows!
Listen to “Thanks To You”
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marshallhicks 