Hello webpeople. I am so sorry that I haven't written in so long, but this time its not my fault. I've been here three times since the last time I blogged, but everytime I start writing, one of my good friends shows up on one of my instant messengers So, I end up spending the evening talking to them rather than blogging. So, at long last, my new blog:

I just read my esteemed colleague Bill's latest blog, and I have to agree with his comments on Coldplay. They're a band I would like to like, but I just can't. I think they may have had some promise at one point, but lost it when they decided to be popular. Sell outs!

Well, latest band news: Our bass player says he would like to play with us, but his schedule may be too tight for that to be a possibility. So, you may just be seeing a lineup of guitar, drums, and vocals. (No bass! How dare we?!) Well, you just gotta take what you have sometimes, and in truth, since July of 1997, its really only been Tony and I anyways. We've had two bass players, two lead guitarists, and one singer in addition, but they've all come and gone. So we'll just have to see, huh?

I was reading in the latest edition of Rolling Stone (which is the last one I'll ever get; I let my subscription expire), and the people at GLAAD (the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) are protesting Eminem's four grammy nominations. As well they should! Don't get me wrong, I believe Eminem may be one of the most talented rappers today, but if all his talent is put toward something as lame as his is, then what good is it? And even if he says he doesn't mean what his lyrics say, he can't shirk the responsibility that comes with having so many listeners. People are going to take his lyrics the wrong way. Hell, do you think Manson was right about "Helter Skelter?" But Eminem remains adamant that his lyrics can be so violent and homophobic and people will know that its all just words. I don't know about that. And as long as he's making money for the man, the man isn't going to come down and tell him to change. That pisses me off. Sell outs! Michael Greene, the head of the grammys said: "Don't get the recording confused with the message. We're not honoring the message at all." You're not taking a stand against it, either, dickwad! Does this mean that the words to a song or album really have nothing to do with the music itself? I'd like to write the most perfectly-crafted-pop-single, have it sell millions of copies, and name it "Fuck The Grammys." Then we'll see if that wins any awards, eh? Sell outs!

Hey everyone. As some of you may know by now, last night I was fortunate enough to get to see Jill Sobule perform live. I know I've not blogged about her yet (a sin that will never be absolved), but she is one of my most favorite artists. Also, no other artist has more influence on my songwriting than she does. It was an awesome performance. A religious experience for me. I would like to be able to tell you how much I love her and her music. More than that, I would like to be able to tell her that. I had the opportunity to as she autographed my copy of "Pink Pearl," but I must admit that I get very starstruck. I think its because I obviously feel so strongly about particular artists and their music, and there aren't enough words to really describe what I feel. (From my last blog, you can tell that brevity is not one of my strong points; I had to cut a lot out of that blog just to make it reasonable.) Even if I had a chance to talk to her again, I still don't know what I could say to let her know how highly I think of her. I never feel like words are enough. I guess thats why gave up writing and became a musician.

And god knows what I would do if I ever meet Tracy Bonham. Hell, I'd probably pass out as soon as she took the stage and miss the whole damn show!

Also, things appear as though my band may be getting back together, so watch out. There may be something great on the horizon..

Hey, I just have to share one of those musical epiphany moments you always hear about. I was watching "Jazz" as usual, and tonight, halfway through the program, they began talking about a bebop pianist with a style all his own. It wasn't virtuostically technical, it wasn't really like anything anyone's done before or since. It was melodic and dissonant and beautiful, and one person said he "found the cracks in the middle of the diatonic scale." He was Thelonious Monk. As soon as his segment was over, and the show moved on to other artists, I was out the door, heading for my local music shop to pick up one of his CDs. This is great stuff.


Oh, and just to make my night completely and totally kick ass, I learned that Jill Sobule is playing here on Saturday night!!! YES!!!

Well, I hope you all have as good night as I. Later.

Hi everybody. So, right now I am blogging from the University of Utah. Pretty cool, huh? I knew you'd all be impressed. I have a two hour break in between my classes, so I thought I'd come in and share some thoughts with you. It's been a while since I wrote last, and that is just due to scheduling. Monday was Martin Luther King Jr. Day, (which the white supremacist republicans dominating the Utah legislature only want to call "Human Rights Day") but for me, I just call it "No School Day." Yes folks, what could be finer than eight straight hours of piano and guitar playing and singing? I worked through every sheet music book I have, (Including, but not limited to: "All The Pain Money Can Buy" by Fastball, "Stunt" by Barenaked Ladies, "Whatever And Ever, Amen" by Ben Folds Five, and of course, "L.P." by the Rembrandts) and when I was done, I went out and bought another book (of "Tidal" by Fiona Apple), and worked through that one too. I did the same thing Tuesday, interrupted only by the one class I had that day. And of course, I concluded the evenings by watching "Jazz" which further inspired me to play some more. I'm having fun and getting better. Yesterday, to my surprise, I pushed my chest register up to G natural, an octave and a fifth above middle C. That is a major third higher than the top of my comfortable range, and a half step higher than I've ever pushed it before. I know none of you know what this means, but I'm proud of my accomplishment none the less.

Well, I have some studying to do. I shouldn't be spending all my time at the University thinking solely about music. (I do anyways, though) I'll probably blog again later when I have some more free time. See you then!

Hello ladies and germs. So, I am still religiously watching the PBS Jazz series. It just seems to get better and better. And more and more relevant to the way I look at music. For instance, tonight Artie Shaw said he was disappointed with how perfect everything Benny Goodman's orchestra played was. He said "If you never make a mistake, you're not pushing your limit." Now, I believe in necessity of letting the music get out of your control if you want to rock. You see why I'm flipping out about this.

I like that term "flipping out" by the way. (This is a short diversion from the topic.) (Sorry.) The first time I heard it was at a sleepover when I was five with my neighbors Michael and Jaren. We were channel surfing, and we passed some movie where all the people were getting trapped in a medical facility, since the emergency doors were all sealing off to prevent some kind of outbreak. Michael had the remote, and changed the channel quickly. Jaren and I protested, but Michael said that he'd seen the show before, "and all the people just start flipping out and it's lame." Now, for me, I was particularly disappointed, 'cos I thought that the people were really going to start doing flips, and that would be cool. Oh well, live and learn.

So, back to Jazz. Let me just share with you another quote that directly effects my view on music. Once, while being interviewed, Duke Ellington was asked where the inspiration for his songs came from. The Duke replied, in his eloquent way "From dreams. All I do is dream." The interviewer said "I thought you played piano." "No," Duke said and began to play the piano, "This is dreaming."

Exactly!!!

Also, once Ellington was asked if he was upset that most of the hotels at which his band was playing wouldn't allow them to stay in a room or even eat dinner there because of the color of their skin, he said "No. I took the energy it takes to pout and wrote some blues." Everything he says is right in my book. And his music ain't too bad either.

Its kindof interesting now to think what a profound effect this whole introduction to Jazz is having on me already. I sit down at my piano or with my guitar or saxophone, and in my head I'm thinking that I, too, am amongst these great musicians and adding my own part to the story. Not that I have the audacity to compare myself to those geniuses; I'm just... "dreaming."

Good evening chaps. Just had a few minutes to write, so I thought I would. How thoughtful of me. I've been skiing all day, so I'm kinda putting off sleep as long as I can - I know that I'll be sore as hell when I wake up. And I was up late last night, too. I got coffee.

I guess you could say whatever you want to say about me for this, but I really like going to coffee shops in the late evenings. I'm not really sure. Maybe its just a way for me to delude myself into thinking that I lead a sophisticated life when I really don't. Its just one of those funny things; I feel like the kind of people I'd like to meet and hang out with would be the types to patronize local coffee shops. (Not this corporate Starbucks bull.) Of course, it hasn't been true so far. I usually end up dragging all my friends with me there against their will, and they all order hot chocolates anyway. Oh well, I'll live my happy little fantasy life.

Okay, so, music today? Well, up on the slopes I brought a walkman and a tape of Fastball's first two albums. Can I just say that it kicked ass! And this evening I've got some Taxiride going.

All right, so I've talked long enough. Later.

Welcome back, my friends, to the Chris Bogus page! So, what's on this evening's agenda? Well, let's hit current events, shall we? Good.

Okay, so school is going well, for all you who were wondering. I've got a music course, so I'm happy. And my little scheme of taking a women's rights class paid off; there are like two women to every guy in that class. Heh heh heh...

Damn, lets skip the rest of this crap and head right into the music segment of tonight's show. So, for the past week I've been addicted to Poe and that Ken Burns' Jazz series on PBS. I haven't missed a night of that yet. There is something so familiar about all this old Jazz music. Pre-WWII Jazz, I mean. And this Poe... I don't really know what to do with it, actually. Its so wierd and out of the ordinary. And I can't get enough of it. I guess I've always liked that in music also. Like the time my sister listened to all of Tracy Bonham's "Down Here" with me on the way to Long Beach. During "Cold Day In Hell," she turned to me and asked: "What's wrong with her? Why is she so wierd?" At that moment and ever since, I've hoped that someday someone will ask that about me.

Ok, I'm going to get some sleep now, and wake up tomorrow and see what kind of music comes out of me. This should be interesting. Talk to you all soon. Until then, adieu.

Trivia for the day: Truepenny is from Shakespeare's Hamlet, Act One, Scene Five. Hamlet calls Horatio "truepenny," which means good friend, trustworthy fellow. I think the word kicks ass.

You should all listen to Poe. She rules. And read Edgar Allen Poe while you're at it. Have a very Poe day. (Frighteningly enough, I think her music would go very well with his writing. I'm going to have to try that...)

Oh, and here some good news and bad news all in one: I don't have an ulcer, I need to diet. Me? Diet? This sux. Vegetables are my natural born enemy, and now I'm supposed to eat lots of them. Oh well, its for the best I guess.

Well, this is the end of my vacation. I have church and work tomorrow and school on monday. I enjoyed it, I hope you all did too! Talk to you soon.

Hello everyone. All right, so its been two weeks, and you're all wondering where I've been. Well, maybe not. But I'll tell you anyways. Of course, I was busy around Christmas, working in a retail store and having a large family. So, I really had little time to get near a computer. Then, only a few days later I left for a New Year's trip to Long Beach and San Diego. But I'm back now and ready to blog.

Well, if I was longing for summer before, I'm dying for it now. The weather was nice and warm in the LBC, and the air was actually cleaner. We're stuck under an inversion, whatever that means. Well, I'll tell you what it means: The air will kill you. Its hard to appreciate the fog (which is usually pretty cool) when you know that it is only a cloud of pollutants in lethal doses. People who complain against environmentalism should be forced to live in this. Oh, wait, tons of conservative Salt Lakers already do. Maybe this is God's punishment for screwing up her planet.

Paul is dead.