This isn't my regular band.

Hi I'm Gary. The Renaldo THE thing isn't my regular band. It's like a day job for me. I lead this other band called the "Crushed Velvets." We are amazing. It's nothing like the stuff from the Renaldo thing.

You'd really like it I think. Everything is in English and it's a lot more family friendly. And we play a lot of songs that you already know and like. We're working on an album called "Accessible Favorites." It's got a lot of Amy Grant (her early stuff) and some Wilson Phillips covers. We do our special take on it though of course. It's a lot smoother than the originals, a lot more jazz chords with some 7ths in there. WAY more smoother than the Renaldo THE ensemble stuff. A lot of things that they play are noisy and foul I think and I think some of the other people in the band think so too but won't say it out loud at rehearsals. That's part of why I got this blog to let you know what I really feel and tell you all about the Crushed Velvets.

Actually most of the people in the Renaldo THE thing are in the Crushed Velvets. They like it a lot better. The Renaldo THE ensemble is like a side job for most of us. There is Stacey (she's the black-haired woman in the band and she's really beautiful and we used to be CIT's together at Camp Wallamoose when we were teens), Darryl on Drums (my cousin) and my brother Matt on Tuba you have all seen. They are really talented and we practice a lot in Daryll's (who is also my neighbor) garage in Glen Cove. (In the winter we practice in his basement). The main guy Ronald or something from Renaldo THE isn't in our band and neither is his Valet Richard. I kind of wish Richard was in our band because he is the best percussion player I have ever seen and sometimes he lets me use his percussion stuff in the Renaldo THE shows. That's the ONLY part I like about doing the show (and when he raps, that's also amazing!!!).

Oh, and sometimes when Ronald is tuning we quick play a song we've been working on from "Accessible Favorites". He hates it but I think it's because he's jealous. He's also probably jealous because I didn't ask him to be in the "Crushed Velvets." We don't need him though because we have a way cooler guitarist. His name is Darius and he is AWESOME! He plays really fast, like Van Halen fast, but a lot smoother and jazzier. And he is really strong. I can punch him in the stomach and it doesn't even hurt. Women are really into him. I'm growing my hair out, too.

The Crushed Velvets is really going to take off I think. We have some shows coming up, not just around Glen Cove. If you check back on Gary's Corner I'll have the updates. See you around. CRUSHED VELVETS RULE!!!!!