I finally received my iPod back from Apple today. The battery used to last about 5 minutes and then die. Apparently a bunch of smart people decided that consumers were misled, unable to change batteries, and held at the will of an evil large corporation. As a result, Apple is now forced to replace batteries on all iPods. I got mine fixed, and now I get an amazing 60 minutes of battery life. Jumping for joy is not exactly what I'm doing. Many say that I have an old iPod and I should just buy a new one. Sounds to me like exactly what Apple, the evil company that won't let anyone with half a brain interact with their iTunes software, do at all. Sounds reminiscent of the early days of Apple when they failed to open their developer APIs and ended up only owning <3% of the market share. Steve, buddy, learn from the past! Don't dwell in it!

On to Howie Day...

I was waiting for the Muni tonight and decided that I should listen to Howie's old Australia album on my iPod. I love this album and think it has such great potential, such interesting composition.

I thought about the good days, when Howie was a young kid from Bangor ME that just wanted to play good songs. And when I thought about that, I remembered when Howie played at the spur of the moment in Ithaca for only $1 cover. I sat in the front, recorded the show, and thought about how much talent this young kid from Maine actually had. I recorded the whole show and have uploaded it for all to listen.

Listen to Howie Day 2001-02-18 >>

After the show, Howie and his former manager, Jamie Shea, came to our house at 410 Dryden Road in Ithaca. I was amused when I realized that Howie could not even buy beer--he sent us out on a mission to buy beer for him. We also ordered pizza, and when the pizza came, Howie paid by pulling out a large wad of $20 bills.

But that wasn't the end of the night. A close friend and musician that I believe in more than anything to this day started playing with Howie. Yes, this musician was Will Jacobs, who played Idioteque by Radiohead, taught it to Howie, and we heard the song throughout the rest of the tour. These days I barely hear a word from Will, and it is unfortunate to think that his talent isn't applied to music.

Howie went on to great fame, signing a record deal, releasing a big record that was recorded with the Verve in England, and promoting the careers of many who dealt with him. People like Shawn Radley promised the world to Howie's fans, yet they rarely delivered and did not recognize those that sold the first 5 copies of "Australia". They were along for the ride, taking hold of their position at SFX Boston and riding it to bigger and better things without regards for the fans. I would normally blame them for this, but the artist has a larger impact.

After Howie was signed, he became reclusive and unpredictable, especially after drinking. The impact of signing a record deal went to his head, and he was unable to deal with the responsibilities that come with such engagements. As a company, my company has raised money, yet you can't count on such money to be available forever---it is an investment, and it is your job to make such an investment worthwhile to the shareholders.

But Howie continued to move on, making music that was less than spectacular compared to the Australia release. I saw Howie in 2004 at the Warfield in San Francisco with his band and recorded the show. The full thing is available here. In October, 2005, Howie was signed up to play a breast cancer benefit concert in Washington DC with Bowling for Soup, Michael Tolcher, and Pat McGee Band. Howie was the 2nd headliner. He failed to show up. Few were surprised by his absence.

Unfortunately, the 2005 show was the beginning of the end. Pat McGee Band did a cover of "Collide" and introduced a new verse:

i met you backstage
you looked half my age
i had to lock you
in the bathroom of my bus
even the best hair falls sometimes
even rockstars commit crimes
and if you call the cops this time
my cell phone
and your foot
collide

After this, Howie was arrested for causing trouble on a jet to Boston. He claimed he was on "sleeping pills" and alcohol, and the combination caused him to turn violent.

Howie went to rehab to try to clean up his act, claiming that he'd be able to make a comeback. I love his voice and what he can do with a Line6 pedal for looping, but I'm not convinced that he has what it takes. He's currently in Indianapolis recording a new album as part of his deal, and we'll all have to wait to see if it hold water....