So I’ve got this list of local venues up on my wall now, I’m not sure which ones I’ll actually play but it gives me something to shoot for. I’ve been playing regular shows, but if I don’t keep moving I feel I’ll end up trapped in a “Groundhog Day” scenario where I relive the same show over and over. So the plan is to gain a little more ground in the Springs, meet new people, and get a few more notches in my belt of musicalness.

 But never fear, the RedHeaded Zombie Show will continue at The Coffee Exchange as always. It’s become sort of a safe haven for me. A place to experiment with musical ideas in front of a welcoming audience, and there’s always new faces there. So yes, the shows will continue there, but that being said, they will improve. This year I’ll be a little more selective in the music I bring to the show, but your old favorites will remain and new artists will emerge, all very different, but talented in their own right.

 As always though, none of it makes a difference without support from all of you listeners out there. You guys have helped me get this far, and I think together, we could accomplish something amazing. I’m not quite sure what it is yet, but the thought lurks in my head, just below the brainwaves…

 So keep your eyes and ears ready for more ABNFAH and The RedHeaded Zombie. We’re always right around the corner.

-The Yeti

 So here I am, attempting to write a blog again. I figure my best approach should be a simple one so that's how I'll do it.

 I've got a show tomorrow night at Sunshine Studios, with a badass lineup of musicians. You don't want to miss this one. I'm also looking at more diverse venues, specifically in the downtown/old colorado area, but after this Friday I'll be slowing down on booking shows and going out for more open mic nights and open venues. Instead of constantly asking the crowd to come to me, I will come to you!

 In not so fantastic news, my laptop is out of commision, so recording won't be as convenient as it was for me, I'm working on it though. I've got a lot of new songs to share with you guys, and I'm excited to get them out of my head.

 I'm still a solo act, but I'm always open to the idea of new members or just working with others in general, so hit me up if you ever want to collaborate or toss some ideas around.

-CJ

 Well hey, we're being perfectly honest here right? The gig kind of sucked. So many people said they were coming and only about 20 showed. Alot of those being parents, so it died out pretty fast. Me and The Ankle Biters played to a dead crowd if you could even call it that much...but hey they're not always golden.

 Now I've got something to compare to though.

 I've been thinking alot recently about the direction of my music, and it could change things drastically. I've also been thinking more about the solo aspect of it all. It feels like the better route more often than not. I've been thinking about Texas girls too...

Keep your eye open for new vids in the near future...

Not quite covered in chocolate, CJ

 So in case you were one of those cubes who didn't make it to the show last Friday, I'm here to reassure you that it kicked ass, and you really missed out. It was a little strange being the only solo act, but I had my good friend Manuel there to accompany me which was comforting.

 I really felt like a rockstar for a few hours, getting the special wristband, access to the backstage, my first soundcheck, and even better...FREE HOTDOGS!! I mean, I didn't even eat the things, but getting free food just because I'm a musician was sweet.

 I surprised myself that night. I wasn't nervous at all being the opening act. I was excited in fact. 

 Once the doors were open and the crowd poured in, I realized no amount of people could make me nervous. I was ready to go. So after being cheered on stage, I started playing and it was amazing how easy it was to focus on the audience and play the guitar. Thanks to some friends in the crowd, it was easy to get them singing along and clapping. It was something I'd never had before. I loved every minute of it.

 Epic fail on my part though. I brought batteries for my camera but completely forgot to put them in before I asked my friend Lauren to record...so yeah...no video...BUT! In a couple weeks I'll be playing at the Black Sheep and I'll make sure it gets recorded this time.

 Anyways, the rest of the show was awesome as well. LoCust gave a good performance, covering "7 Nation Army" and playing generally sick jams. In case you didn't know, my good friend Aaron Mayfield plays drums in that band and he was incredible. Then Anywhere But Up kept the crowd wild, and for the final act, Heroine and the Heroes rocked the f*ckin house!

 One of my fave local bands, and the guys who gave me a chance to play in the first place, they did not hesitate to melt my face off. I was jamming to all of their songs, and I especially dug it when Chris from the Ankle Biters got on stage to improvise with one of their new songs. Those are just a few of the things that made the show killer.

 So if you think you're ready to join the cool kids again, make sure you're there at the Black Sheep, February 3rd, where I'll be joining Anywhere But Up, Ankle Biters, and the headlining band, Detention Romance!!!

 There will be more surprises in the meantime...

Losing sleep over a girl, CJ

Aw man, I just spent the afternoon running around and getting things ready for the show. I'm so twisted up this week with excitement and nervousity, I've been losing sleep. But no worries, I think it'll go well. I think last week was worse. I felt like I was going insane and that no amount of practice would prepare me, but the closer I get, the calmer I feel. The way getting stabbed is scary at first but slowly begins to feel like slipping into a warm bath. Or so Hannibal Lecter says.

 I'm getting the covers done for the physical copies, and I'm working on making tshirts. I won't be able to sell the shirts quite yet, but the designs will definitely be worth the wait. I'm using cover #4 for the shirts as well as a yet to be seen pic by my friend Andrew Normandin, so stay tuned as usual.

 I'll keep you guys up to date while things are changing. Just keep your fingers crossed, and buy a ticket while you're at it. I've got a few left and would be happy to see you at the show, so hit me up.

 On the bus to Beezlebub, CJ

Well as the year comes to an end, I find myself anticipating the future more and more. I'm ready to start over.

 A lot of things happened this year, and I'm glad that so many of you guys have stuck with me. There's been a lot of mistakes, and a lot of wasted time, but best of all, a lot of music! This year I wanted to focus on getting the band together and getting the music out there and for the most part I believe I succeeded even if the "band" is no more.

 More people than ever are listening to the tunes, but I know there could be so much more, and that's why next year I'm going to push it forward. Already it seems I'm off to a good start...

 "Reasons" is just about ready for public ears and is being released on the 5th of January, and a week after that I'll be playing a set at Sunshine Studios as the opening act for my good friends Heroine and the Heroes along with LoCust and Anywhere But Up!

 I honestly haven't decided for sure if I'm going to try recruiting new members or remain solo, but I intend to spend a lot more time writing quality music instead of cranking songs out like I have been. This means I'll be trying new things, but also going back to my roots a little bit and spending more time developing my songs.

 Hopefully you guys will stick around for another awesome year.

-CJ 

 So...there's a lot to tell like usual, but my mind is backed up like a fat man who gorges on mexican food every day. Ew, I know.

 Anyways, the most important bit of news is that ABNFAH is once again a solo project. Some folks may be sad to hear it, other people will be completely unaffected by it...so yeah. If you're curious, you're free to ask and I know some of you will.

 ABNFAH is still heading in the same direction though. Reasons is coming along as planned and the art is coming along nicely as well. You can check out the first cover, on the band page if you feel inclined. I'm also working on a demo/setlist thing for a friend. What that means is hopefully I'll be ready to start playing shows in February. I unfortunately had to turn down an offer to play with The Sellouts (sorry guys) next January, due to my lack of members, but anything could happen...

 Yours truly until I wake up from the Matrix, CJ

 So for a week, I've stalled on writing a blog, which is a huge no-no, but hey, it's not like I haven't been busy. Thanksgiving week (killer) gravity was reversed and I got stuck on my bedroom ceiling. This week was rough too, someone flipped their car and hit a powerline very close to my house and took out power for the whole block. Needless to say, I've been feeling that whole "You only live once, don't waste your time hitting poles with cars" thing. Life is short which is why I'm here to tell you that before you die, you should definitely check the latest musical dohickey of ours: Reasons.

 Right now you might be saying "What the f*ck, CJ, you sexy beast, you? Didn't you guys put out an "ep" a few months ago?"

 Well, the answer is yes, but despite my sexy beastness, that project just wasn't too great. It was a bit uncoordinated and maybe the tracklisting could've been better.

 I'll be honest with you guys. The band has been in flux lately, so I was inspired to start a new project to reflect that. For those of you who have been fans of "ABNFAH" from the beginning, you know just how far it's come. It's not going to end anytime soon, but it's only begun to bloom and it's a difficult process for our little indie baby. These new tracks are a much better effort and once it's said and done, I hope you'll find yourself listening to it more than once or when you want to make someone really depressed.

 But I couldn't stop with just making music that you liked, I had to find a way to give you amazing eye candy even if I couldn't afford a bunch of jewel cases. I wanted to get a bunch of monkeys to draw some cover art, but obviously if I can't afford cases, I can't afford the bananas that monkeys so frequently demand. Instead I asked my very generous and gifted artiste friends to draw their own unique covers instead. So by the time the project is finished we're going to have some very cool art for you to hold in your grubby hands.

 I can't thank them enough, and I appreciate the fact that my paycheck will go towards my family's living situation and not a crate full of bananas. For those of you non-artists who feel the need to pitch in, you can help by getting everyone and their mums to add us on facebook,myspace,twitter, and youtube. Everything you guys do, no matter how big or small, matters to this band

-CJ

  and it feels good. I’m jamming to Jimmy Eat World “Thinking, That’s All”, and thinking of everything. I’ve decided to put the mic down for a little bit and stop trying to record after this next song is done. I’ve got some writing to do, and it feels like I’ve been more focused on recording then actually playing the songs themselves.

 Although the band can’t get together every week, the least we can all do is practice with the music separately, but even so that’s not stopping my creative process at all

 After hearing about the dilemmas of a secret associate of mine, I’ve been inspired to write a song for this associate, and I already have the beginning lyrics and soon the music will follow, I’ve written a few other songs in the past few weeks as well, and hopefully you guys can get a taste of those soon. I’ve also been strongly considering an open mic performance

 I’ve got the whole weekend off (hopefully) so today I’m going to be spending time with my friend Brittany and her family helping them move out of their place, after which who knows what’s going down. I’m trying not to blow my money, no matter how tempting that pony is, so that means a lot more trips to the dollar store, I can hardly afford to eat where I work. Yes, I’m stingy when it comes to my money, but times are tough ya know.

 Actually the last two times I’ve been to BK this chick always covers my change, but her nametag is so small, I can’t read it without giving the impression that I’m staring at her chest, but I picked up that she’s 20 if that means anything… This other guy there always gives me free drinks, and I’m such a cheap bastid I actually make note of these things when deciding on where I want to eat. If anyone knows good cheap places to eat around the Springs they should let me in on that.

 Anyways, I’ve got trouble to get into, I’ll see you guys around.

 I would take care of myself, and that includes my band. Things have been slow but I’m going to work through the slump. Being 21 lets you do all kinds of neat things and I’m going to use that to my advantage. Today marks a change in me that isn’t just another ring on the tree. I cast something aside recently. I’m not sure what it was, but maybe you will notice.

 Anyways, we’ve got new tunes on the way, while we work on a setlist, playing as a band, and getting actual gigs. I’m thinking we should do covers for youtube to garner some attention, but in this business nothing is guaranteed.

 Sometimes, though, I like to believe I’m destined for greater things, and sometimes I believe I’m sabotaging myself, and sometimes I believe I’m unconsciously sabotaging myself into greater things. If that’s the case, I’ve got nothing to worry about 8^P

 -CJ Hackett, 21 by lunch