Has it been since

July since I posted last? WOW been a bit busy so in no certrain order here is a small gimpse of what is going on with "Da B"..

-The last Colts game of the last season I blogged/tweeted/facbooked how I was done with the gig. In a quick phone call with the team we parted ways. It was a fun gig but the hassles of last season was not worth it and I really dig having Sunday's off. The gameday production crew loves me & plan on having me back for the Big10 football game in December so that is cool!

-I have done a few "appreances" at Hoosier Park & Indiana Downs promoting the Winners Circle downtown where I work. Was cool to have mic AND camera time in that setting. Hope to get some video of that posted sometime soon.

-Speaking of my day job, I was promoted to Director of Mutuel Operations. That has been keeping me hectic and I am learning much more about the operations and Profit & Loss. I hope this new adventure expands my appeal to the company as far as the future goes.

-Peppers Greenwood I am still the "Resident DJ" there Thursday-Saturday and still love that place. It is like home. From time to time if I am not there it's most cause I may have to be doing something for the day job.

Check out my SoundCloud page. I just uploaded two commercials for N-Y-X Nightclub that will be heard on Radio Now. It's cool to be heard on the "airwaves" even if it's only a commercial. In my dream world would be cool to get a call from a station cause they heard me back on the air but that is a dream.

Speaking of dreams, I am going to bed

Paranoia Perhaps

I have been away from radio for about 7 years as I was let go for "budget cuts". Through the years when I was with WRZX (X103) many great people left and were let go, it's the nature of the business. Once in a while I will run into people that used to listen to me when I was on the air. I will hear the "I used to listen to you all the time" we may share a few laughs or stories and go about our business.

I own a few domain names that were related to what I was doing in entertainment at the time. I always kept these names and tried to have relevant info on a website or blog in case people were curious about where I was or what I was doing in radio, the bars, etc.

The other day I was on the X103 website and looking up concert info and out of boredom I typed in "Alex B" in the search box. Now being gone as long as I have been I expected to obviously see "not found" or perhaps point to some old stuff leftover from when I worked there. I entered a few other DJ names that worked there when I did, some said "not found" and some showed postings leftover from when they worked there.

Now I would be full of myself to think anyone after all these years would be using "Alex B" in the radio station search box. Since I kept the "iamalexb" moniker all these years, to find me is as simple as going to Google or Yahoo. When I typed in "Alex B" in the radio station search box, it zipped straight over to Deuce's (that guy that replaced me) page. He is a cool cat so this in no way is anything negative towards him. When you type in other DJ names it points to old links or says "not found". So obviously there was some web editing done when it came to anyone typing in my name.

Who gave the directive and how did it sound? Did someone say "make sure if anyone types in Alex B it goes to this page". Some form of that had to happen since I am the only former DJ who's name points to his replacement. I find it humorous so many years removed from that gig that there is some paranoia as they drink the haterade...

Greed

So the parking garage at my day job closes on Memorial Day weekend and tells people its for "repairs". That is a code for:

-No one can get in the garage on Saturday Parade Day
-Sunday all offices are closed downtown and everyone is at the race
-Monday is Memorial Day and offices are still closed downtown
-I don't wanna pay staff extra to work on the Holiday weekend

The owners made this announcement last Friday before knowing that the Pacers would have a HOME PLAYOFF GAME ON SUNDAY. So, will greed take over and they open the garage on Sunday with the same low rate or will the take advantage and jack the price up since the game is sold out. We shall see...

Did I miss my calling?

As a consumer electronics critic

I have been working on my original website over the last few days making sure everything syncs with all the other various social media, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and all that fun stuff.

On my YouTube I have videos mostly of my bar & radio career and some other stuff I added out of amusement for myself. I posted two videos about "Element" brand of televisions and how bad they suck and oddly those two videos have over 12 THOUSAND HITS!

I can understand if it was like Sony or Panasonic or any other major brand name but a webcam review of an off brand-TV is going to be my claim to on-line fame?

Of all the things I have done in my career and that gets the most buzz?

They Said What?

Recently Rappers Rick Ross & Lil Wayne lost endorsement deals by Reebok & Mountain Dew after lyrics surfaced and people bitched. I'm sure if the companies looked deep into the music catalogs they would have saw much more of this and not given them the deals in the first place, add on the legal troubles both of them have had and you have these guy's as your "pitch men"?

As a DJ i would never censor anyone on their music, whatever sells and all that jazz is fine. But, as corporations that are big like Reebok & Mountain Dew, would you want the consumers being led by those two? I mean, what are ya trying to sell?

Game Over

12 Years ago while I was on the air on X103, I was approached by the Indianapolis Colts as they wanted to "update" the music on game day. I took the gig head on, while on the air and spinning in the bars. It was a blast.

Once X103 was done with me in 2006 I kept doing the Colts gig while doing Peppers & my day job. Working in a bar till 3am and having to be at the stadium at 9:30am on game day would wear anyone down.

I was called to do Big Ten & NCAA games so those extra gigs and building the client base is invaluable as well

There was a few changes behind the scenes over the years and everyone slowly started to become music "know it all's". Throw in the year that Peyton was out & the following year with a coaching & quarterback change and everyone had something to say in the production area.

This last season the "player development" guy said what I was doing with the music was wrong. I needed to "hype it up" and be more aggressive with the defense music. They wanted it louder, music between 2nd & 3rd downs. I was given cd's to play of songs I objected too and through the course of the season, people spoke up and didn't like it either. When it was brought up the fans didn't like the selections someone said "Alex must have played the wrong cuts". That was bullshit as these CD's had post it notes with the track numbers and the time in the track I should start it.

So that back and forth started sucking the fun out of the gig all season long. Didn't seem like I could make anyone happy. The music should be about the fans that buy the tickets, the merchandise that pay the salaries of the players. But last season leaned towards what the players wanted and that just doesn't work. I will sound like a douche bag and say "It worked when I did it".

Anyone that pays any attention to my Facebook or Twitter knew that for the most part without actually speaking with the team that I was done with the gig on December 30th 2012, the last home game I posted a few evasive messages to that effect.

So as of this morning, I am officially done with the "Colts Gig". It was fun, the Colts are a great organization as a whole and playing for a crowd of 60,000 is a rush I will soon never forget.

Having Sunday's off will be a welcome to my schedule. Being able & trusted to call the shots at my remaining jobs with Hoosier Park & Peppers will suit me just fine.

That's all I have, GO COLTS!

Home Sweet Home and other stuff

Built a new home and moved in back in March. Nice quiet neighborhood and I cant complain about much. U-Verse dropped the ball getting the phone-tv-internet in and couldn't give a legit reason why it would take a month. Went with Comcast for a bit but the DVR sucks ass. Being gone like I am, we DVR lots of tv then watch it back when I am at home. Once U-Verse got it together, we went back to them and all is good.

One of the benefits to having a house is having a fenced in backyard so the dogs can run loose. The lot we picked had been vacant for quite some time so naturally our neighbors slightly expanded their back yard and now 3 decent sized trees have to be removed so we can enjoy the full scope of our property. When the builders broke ground they gave our neighbors the "heads up" that we had fence plans. This was back in January. I would think in 4 months we would have had dialogue about the trees & the fence so there would be a plan in motion to get the trees removed neatly and we can plan for our fence. I would hate to think we now have to wait for them to decide when they will move the trees (which are clearly on OUR property) so we can have what is lawfully ours. I could be a dick, go to the homeowners association with the plans and the survey and such of the property and say "tell them to move" but I am hoping not much longer I will stop being ignored and we can settle this like adults without drama.

When this addition was built some very nice homes were built around 200k. When the housing market crashed, the building stopped and the development sat almost finished. Arbor homes came in this last year, bought the lots to finish things up. Now those people including myself may not have spent the 200k that the other home owners did but that doesn't mean we should be looked at differently because of that. In one HOA meeting the topic of "impact of Arbor Homes on resale value" was a topic. Right there tells me some folks have some serious entitlement issues when it comes to the "newbies" coming in.

Overall it's good being a homeowner again and finally with a home in a good neighborhood and with enough space. I hope in this neighborhood we aren't on the outside looking in.

Anyone band or DJ can "make a cd". When I read about a CD or album release event I am often curious if the costs incurred to make this album or cd are ever fully recovered. 10 years ago the cool thing was "hey check out my cd" but I don't think its's as cool as it was. It's no secret bands famous and not make quicker cash off playing live. I would put small snippets on Sound-cloud that teases listeners to check out a live show if it was me. (random topic I know)

Speaking of music, of course there is a studio in the new house! So far I have been trying to keep it tidy, I have some gear that needs finally wired in but for the most part is done.

Of course you can still find me at Peppers Greenwood Thur-Sat and Peppers 56th on Wednesday nights. I've been enjoying having Sundays off and look forward to continuing that into the fall. That's for another blog...

Alex

Spinning Schedule This Week

Wed 3/27
Peppers Fort Ben After Work Party 6pm

Thur 3/28
Peppers Greenwood after the I.U. game (about midnight)

Fri 3/29
Lucas Oil Stadium NCAA Midwest Regionals

Sat 3/30
Peppers Greenwood 10pm

Sun 3/31
Lucas Oil Stadium NCAA Midwest Regionals Finals

It's been a while hello 2013!

I haven't posted in ages as I haven't had much time to sit down and start typing. Now that they have blogger for iPad & I bought myself one of those nifty keyboards I may try & update some more.

Last November Peppers Broad Ripple closed so I have been spinning at Peppers Fort & Greenwood. Would be nice if all the people I "Hooked up" or bought drinks for would come to the other Peppers that I am at but I don't see that happening. Most people that I have met being "Alex B" are only around and in the place when I can give them something. They vanish when the "hook up" goes away.

The Colts season at Lucas Oil Stadium ended with a win over the Texans Dec 30th 2012. After that game and giving it lots of thought, I went on Facebook & Twitter both to elude to the fact that I was done with that gig. There is a few reasons why that are job related that prevents me & the fact that the tug of war with the music that has evolved into the blame game. What the players want to hear and what the fans want to hear are MAJOR opposite. I will tell that story in further detail soon. Right now I can't.

The NCAA has called me to "do the music" for the Men's Midwest Regional Basketball games on Good Friday & Easter Sunday so I am stoked about that. The NCAA & Big Ten love what I do, trust my knowledge and I love those gigs.

Has a "sleep study" done and found out I have Sleep Apnea. Gonna get one of those CPAP machines and try and get better sleep as Darth Vadar with that mask on

Lately I have been on the decks at Peppers in Greenwood, keeping busy at the day job & getting ready to move.

That's all for now