We DID it.

The Chicago Cubs won the World Series on November 2nd, 2016, and you are alive, right here, right now, to bear witness.  To celebrate this truly monumental occasion King Mixer hit the recording studio in October during the Series, and in a marathon 14 hour session, recorded ‘We’re Goin’ All The Way!‘ to musically will the Cubs into winning the World Series.  After 108 years, the 2016 Chicago Cubs went on to do just that.  This is our song about that. 

Contributors to this recording include:  King Mixer (all vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, bass), Matt “Nelly” Nelson (keys and synths)                        studio owner/engineer Craig Williams at Dr. Caw Recording, and oh yeah: Randy Antlept (Drums) has been a beer vendor at Wrigley Field for 37 years (that’s not a typo). Randy generously took part in the recording of ‘We’re Goin’ All The Way’   during his one “day off” from running beer, between Series Games 2 and 3.  Randy gets the game ball.

But wait…there’s more! We have a fantastic video for the song, produced in real time as this saga unfolded (and in record time) by the talented young upstart Mr. Michael Filek, a film major Freshman at Columbia College Chicago. Mike and his crew did an outstanding job out in the field and in the editing room, all between Game 4 and Game 7.   Take a look.

As the dust begins to settle from the aftermath, now is the perfect time to reflect on our recent glories. Get the track, HERE.  Proceeds from downloads of this song going to Cubs Care charities.  Congratulations, Chicago Cubs: World Series Champions 2016!  Ok! Let’s get some runs!

I was forced to step it up a bit

http://sweetsweetmusicblog.wordpress.com/2016/09/02/king-mixer-hang-on-interview/

A nice introductory write up on the new King Mixer record from Mr. Steve Ferra’s July round up.

Summer’s here, and the time is right…for taking a long lunch if you work downtown!

King Mixer is excited to be performing at Taste of Chicago this Friday July 8th, on the ‘Rock n Roll’ stage from 2:30 – 3:40PM.  Head on over to the corner of Columbus and Balbo for an hour of King Mixer music in the (hopefully) sweet sunshine of the great outdoors in the fine city of Chicago!

We had a tremendous turn out for the King Mixer album release show last month at Martyr’s in Chicago.  Once again the core band of Red Pop Fury will serve as the King Mixer band, joined by some very special guests this Friday. C’mon out to The Taste!

It is with sincere gratitude and great enthusiasm that I can announce the fundraising goal for the King Mixer album has officially been reached! Surpassed, actually!  This was made possible by a friendly donation from someone who opted to hire me for a house party at the ‘Gold Event’ level, via GoFundMe.com. I’ll play a summer bash for them in the months ahead, meanwhile the band is rehearsing for the album release show while I launch press releases to media outlets big and small about the release of ‘Hang On’, from King Mixer.  Date and venue for the release show is being worked out this week!  You can listen to the King Mixer singles off the album HERE.  Thanks to all who backed this project, and we look forward to playing the songs live, with you in the house, very soon! Stay tuned, boppers…stay tuned.

Anything worth doing takes time and care.  That’s what they tell us, anyway.  In the case of the King Mixer debut, I’ve found this old adage to be true.  Over the course of the  past year and a half, this record has taken many turns (ouch!), songs have shape-shifted, lyrics have been trashed and rewritten, great musical guests have stepped in and out, songs have been selected, recorded and dropped, sonic directions rerouted.  All in the name of creating my best work yet.  So in that spirit it makes perfect sense that the record, originally to be titled “Music On The Bones”, would suddenly receive a name change at the final hour.  Literally during the mastering stage.

You have to listen to the wind when making an album.  What you thought you were writing about isn’t always something to get locked into.  By the time you’re ready to go  public, many of the thoughts and circumstances which initially inspired the music have given way to a more modern feeling or tone.  There were strong starts…then sudden stops while making this record.  Then we’d start up the engine again…get it rolling along…and due to  somebody’s schedule change or a momentary  drop in budget…stalled again.  Then the mixing of the record.  Mixing, mixing, always King Mixing with Reuben Baird at Chicago Sound Lab for months at a time, all through last winter. Then I finished mixing several final songs off the record myself, in my home studio.  This took awhile.  I’m not much of a tech guy, I have minimal gear and I mix things more or less on instinct, trial and error, and you know, with my ears.  Meanwhile my album backers were getting antsy.  Fair enough.    Amen.  So as the King Mixer album drew to a necessary conclusion last month, in it’s final stages, I decided to listen to the wind and title the album both what I’ve been saying to people in recent months, what our production team repeatedly stated over the course of the past year, and also what I’ve been feeling and saying to myself for awhile now:  ‘Hang On’.

I’m excited to announce the King Mixer album ‘Hang On’ is currently being replicated for CD and will be available in CD and digital formats in October 2015.  Keep it here for details on a Chicago release show and more!  Almost there…Hang on!

King Mixer