word.

the studio @ webster hall - 08.27.09

2009-08-28T04:14:00.002-04:00

sooo finally after some time away im back...

i apologize for the delay and for any grief it may have caused. sometimes i get caught up but i promise to try harder and get better at things. i hope you can forgive me.

so tonight we headlined a show at webster hall in nyc. it was a good night! i kinda had a feeling it would be because on my way into the city i heard the black eyed peas song "i got a feeling" like 4 times. i really think that was just for me and has nothing to do it them being really popular or that song being a radio hit. haha

so where was i? ah yes... the show. we had some cool openers too. Matt Harke, Eren Cannata and Five Times August (all seemed like realy good people). we hit the stage around 11ish. i dunno why we started so late, but the crowd was pretty full so i was happy. people tend to ask me on show days "do you get nervous before a show?" i dont. i get excited. i get really happy and pumped. honestly i love nothing more than performing in front of a jam packed room. thats the ultimate for me. and hearing a full room chear after a song is probably my 2nd favorite feeling, right next to hearing a crowd sing along to every word of a song. i dont think that could ever get old. its a mixed feeling... kind of like being so proud that people actually love your music enough to learn it by heart and also a bit taken aback like "damn, people actually love my music enough to learn it by heart??" needless to say, i was smiling ear to ear all night!! thank you to everyone who made it out. : )

another highlight to the evening was the introduction of some new members in the line up. it was the first show of our new lead guitarist Gary Warner and keys/synth player Andrew Monday. they're great musicians and both super nice guys. i'm very happy to have them be a part of The Constant.

i'm home now, packing my bags for LA. i leave at 11am and havent really started putting any clothes into my luggage. i dont know why i ever learn when it comes to things like last minute packing and such. i need to be more on time or at least work harder on trying to be.

i'll be posting blogs on my day to days in cali. i get back to nyc after labor day so if you miss me, let me know. show dates are being booked as we speak and cant even wait to be on stage again.

- stevenbaggs

'all we are' - making the video

2009-07-20T11:38:00.013-04:00

i had some free time this weekend and over an hours worth of footage from the 'all we are' video shoot. decided to put my time to good use and give you guys something to smile about.

next step is speaking with MTV about making this a featured episode of Making The Video... wishful thinking, i know.
but, for now... i hope you enjoy this!!
: )

- stevenbaggs

'all we are' - music video

2009-07-13T13:13:00.015-04:00

i've always believed in music, the art of creation is a hand in hand partnership of both audio and imagination. seeing imagination come to life in video is both a vision of the artist and director and a culmination of what great minds can achieve.

with that said, i'd like to present you with my first music video for a song called 'all we are'. they say the first time is the best and honestly i think its true. the first time we do anything we learn, if we're fortunate enough to take in what is happening, and with learning we grow. i hope this to be the first of many videos.

when i wrote this song and went into the studio to record it with rob freeman, i didn't know it'd be the song i'd choose as my first video, but i'm glad it was. it's one of my personal favorites and a song of moving on past negativity and onto something better in your life.

before i get to it, i'd like to take a moment to thank some of the people who made this video possible -

meredith koko - for an incredible job directing both conceptually and visually.
andre dean rebuquiao - for muscling through long hours of holding that camera and still maintaining the steadiest hands in north america.
laura manning - for being the incredible/beautiful leading female role in the video.
jessica chase - for letting us use your families beautiful house to shoot in.
the band - larry turco (drums), nick demaio (bass) and joseph grazi (guitar) for rocking out and just being awesome at life.
tyna - for always reminding me this is her favorite song of mine. : )

on a more personal note i'd like to thank the 2 people who keep me sane at all times, though it may not seem like my levels of sanity are all there haha - jeffrey and eli. you are both my brothers, best friends and make up my other half. you both mean the world to me and i wouldn't be where i am today without all your help, insight and the constant fire under my ass. thank you.

lastly - i'd like to say thank you to my friends, family and fans. every person who's ever come out to a show, written me a message/comment/text/email or called me saying my music has been a part of your day or influenced you in some way, shape or form. over the course of my journey through music, you have been the reason i create. music is my life, and you are the blood that flows to my heart. thank you all for being here since the start of this and i hope with all i have to hope on, you will continue this with me to the top.

i hope you enjoy the video!

- stevenbaggs

celebrate today.

2009-07-03T12:37:00.000-04:00

i'm understanding now how little control i really have on the outcome of most things
and the feelings these things bring
but i'm thankful for the gift of understanding this today and not later on in life
the time for clarity is now.

i believe that everyone we meet and everything we see influences us in some way
but the ones we let inside our hearts help mold us into who we wanna be.
took me a quarter life to see what some spend lifetimes hoping to see and for this,
i am thankful today.

perception can be blinding, judgmental and confining
until we listen to the world that surrounds us.
so live each day with open hearts, guarded but hopeful,
see the world with optimist eyes,
and let love dance through your veins like champagne
celebrate today because tomorrow is never a guarantee.

- stevenbaggs

inside hollywood podcast - featured artist

2009-06-24T12:45:00.004-04:00

wanted to let you know, The Constant will be today's Inside Hollywood Podcast featured artist. i'm pretty sure 6 of our songs will be on the cast.

here are the links to the show. hope you check it -

Itunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=318839968

Non-Itunes:

http://www.cyberears.com/index.php/Show/audio/5526

- stevenbaggs

public assembly - 05.11.09

2009-05-13T15:31:00.002-04:00

while loading my car and getting ready to head over to the venue, i honestly had no idea what the night had in store. second acoustic show in basically a week. with shows, you never know what to expect. all the preparation and time put into making sure your performance will be its best doesn't matter once you get to a venue and things go wrong.

thankfully, this wasn't one of those shows.

i arrived at the venue on time (surprise, surprise) and the first thing i did when i walked in was find a nice spot to set up merch. i chose a dark secluded corner, pulled out my flashing x-mas lights and went to work putting them up. they help my booth stand out in poorly lit crowded rooms.

let me just take this opportunity to mention that there's one person with me at basically every show i play - my brother jeffrey - and as of late hes been helping with merch sales because hes amazing..but hes also the one who helps me load in and load out, unpack and pack up. without him id be lost in most situations but especially on show nights. im lucky to have the family and friends i do and thankful for all hes done and always backing me when i need it.

ok so back to the show..
i'm back stage tuning up my guitars and figuring out my set list. in walks mikealis and meredith and we chat a bit about where the new song ill be performing featuring mikealis will be in the set. we did an acoustic version of 'don't go away' - which you guys will all hear very very soon. its being mixed as we speak and is definitely a personal favorite of all the songs i've done with mike.

first band gets off the stage and i take it. all plugged in, tuned up and ready to go i start the set with a usual first - 'but, everybody lies'. the crowd seemed to really like it, though i could barely see them. the stage lights were literally 2 feet in front of me. i was basically blinded for the first 5 minutes of the set, but at least i walked out of there with a nice tan. (drum roll..no? bad joke yea.) but in the middle of the 2nd song - 'this time' i have a nice instrumental breakdown part and most shows i take that opportunity to speak with the crowd and see how they're feeling...but instead i spoke to whoever was in charge of lighting that night. i think i even said "umm whoever's in charge of the lights..please dim them. im sweating balls up here and cant see a thing." and like magic, the lights dimmed and a room full of people dancing and singing along appeared before my eyes. it was pretty awesome.
show continued..

side note - lately i've been running with this motto - "it's all relative." all situations we're put into and other people are put into are all relative to who the person is and what the situation is.

at my last show i did some covers and this crowd just seemed like they were ready for me to sing a song they all knew.
i went with 'eagle eye cherry - save tonight' and it was epic.
during the song a semi-circle formed right in front of the stage and there were kids break dancing and everyone was singing along. it was a feeling i've been missing and soo happy i was able to feel again. that show was something. that night was something. thank you to anyone who was there to experience it with me.

i have another acoustic performance this friday night (05.22) at Angels & Kings in NYC, with Erickson, Can You Keep A Secret? and These Green Eyes.
its 21+ to Enter and FREE!! show starts at 7pm i believe, but ill be on at around 8pm. hope to see you all there!!

- stevenbaggs

wow.

2009-05-11T00:36:00.011-04:00

justin timberlake never ceases to amaze -
http://www.hulu.com/watch/72434/saturday-night-live-motherlover

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

- stevenbaggs

the bitter end - 05.05.09

2009-05-07T01:39:00.028-04:00

thank you to everyone who came out to The Bitter End on tuesday night. it was cinco de mayo and i performed a special acoustic set with my drummer, a cellist and a violinist. since i picked up my first guitar at the age of 14, i've always dreamed of stepping on stage and having orchestration up there with me playing along to my music. having it done live on stage with just me and my guitar was such an incredible feeling and allowed me to present a new take on my songs.

the crowd was awesome. responsive and loving. it was an amazing and very special night.

that being said, i would like to thank and commend the musicians that joined me up there on stage, for their outstanding performances and the hard work they put into preparing for the show :

to my right behind a more-stripped-than-usual drum kit was Larry Turco. there are certain people you can always trust to do something right pretty much every time they do it and even when it's wrong they make it sound great. Larry is one of those people. he didn't miss a beat and provided strong backbone.

to my left was Leat Sabbah on cello and John Guarino on violin. both are classically trained, so performing to acoustic versions of powerpop songs was definitely a first for them, just as much as it was a first me to play with strings. it was an honor and pleasure to perform with such brilliant and talented musicians.

the set started off with an strings only version of the theme song from Back To The Future and faded into 'But, Everybody Lies'. as a change up, i decidec to throw in some covers like 'Save Tonight' which had a crowd sing along that gave me goosebumps and 'Wonderwall'. i tend to play parts of that one in my full band sets more often than not and rock out to it. the reason behind my love for that song is simple...its one of the first songs i can distinctly recall being a huge factor in me deciding to play guitar/write songs. every time i hear that song i remember a time when i wished i was lucky enough to be able to sing in front of crowds of people who actually wanted to hear me. so basically, its a reminder that no matter what, be humble and thankful because nothing has exhisted or lasts forever. i can't express into words how much it means to have the fans i do today. thank you.

most of the songs were arranged differently and had strings replacing a bunch of guitar parts. tempos were slowed down a bit to provide a more laid back and emotional tone. personally i loved it and have been considering going back into the studio and recording some string/piano/acoustic versions of a bunch of my songs which i think most of you will thoroughly enjoy. : )

i took a picture of the set list i used that night to give you a feel for how it went down, in case you missed it.

for those of you who couldn't make it, no worries.. my good friend Freda Laulicht, who some of you might know from my merch booth at shows, was kind enough to document the show in its entirety on my handheld video camera. it made me laugh to see her sitting there with a camera in one hand and a drink in the other for the whole 45 minute set haha. hopefully i can edit a few of the songs and post some videos for you to see asap!

i'll be playing a solo acoustic set this monday - may 11th - at Public Assembly in Williamsburg, NY. if you're around, come hang. should be a fun time!

- stevenbaggs

time to take things back to the start...

2009-04-28T13:49:00.012-04:00

when life feels like a sinking ship and everyone but me is making a quick getaway, i try my best to hold on tight and hold things together.
it's not easy, but no one ever said it would be. i remain optimistic.
i take a look at my own life, the choices i've made and the direction i'm headed..and then i re-evaluate.
time to take things back to the start...

i've lined up a string of acoustic shows for the next month or so. i hope these shows will give me the opportunity to interact with fans on a more personal level. there's something about hearing songs stripped down that gives a whole new outlook and understanding of them.

for my upcoming show on May 5th at The Bitter End in NYC, we've decided to invite a cellist and violinst on board. i've always wanted strings in a live show, so this should make for a fun and interesting take on the music. if you're reading this, i hope to see you in the crowd.

- stevenbaggs

california: episode one - hollywood

2009-04-20T00:42:00.009-04:00

- stevenbaggs

california, california, here i come!

2009-04-15T19:44:00.010-04:00

is it weird to say i've be waiting my whole life to finally be able to utter the words "i'm going to california" and mean it? it's only a plane ride away, but for reasons unknown, i've yet to visit the place i hear about almost everyday of my life. onto another holiday from real i go...

i'm there staying in hollywood by my friend tommy coops. he lives in a big house with the other 5 members of his band It Boys. i havent met all of them yet, but i've heard great things. oh, AND i'll be performing a bunch while i'm out there..both acoustically and with mikealis which should be badass. it's rare for me to get this excited, but i have a feeling this trip is going to be something.

truth is, this new york weather is way colder than it should be for mid-april, so i'm happy to be leaving it for a little while. i can only hope it's warmer upon my return. while away, i'm going to honestly try my best to get some daily video blogs up here and keep you all posted.

california, california, here i come!

- stevenbaggs

the constant

2009-04-07T11:37:00.011-04:00

have you ever woken up in the morning and felt as though overnight you somehow matured? like the thoughts you once had are still there, only rearranged and a sense of clarity and overwhelming calm has been cast over you. music is what moves me. its helped shape and define who i am as both an artist and a person. but, for a while now i've felt like i needed something new in my life.

i personally feel there's a stigma that comes with being a solo artist with a name. people hear 'Steven Baggs' and what triggers in their minds is 'singer/songwriter with an acoustic guitar', but i happen to see myself and my music as more than that. since i can remember, i've written and structured songs with a full band in mind every step of the way and though i am a singer/songwriter/guitarist, i feel as though that stigma has haunted me for long enough and have decided to change to a band name - The Constant.

some might ask "why the constant?"
well, over the past few years, since i went solo, i've seen many faces/people/things come and go in my life. distrusts and lies but also some amazing memories and people who will forever hold a place in my heart. but the one thing that has always remained was my music. music has always been the constant in my life. and i think for anyone, hearing a song takes you back to a certain time or makes you feel a certain way. i hope my music remains in peoples lives and forever hold a place in their hearts as well. i'm very excited to see where this takes me and anyone who knows me or my music can rest assured that this is the beginning of only great things to come.

tonight marks the first show as The Constant and the first great step in a positive direction, as we perform in highline ballroom nyc opening for VersaEmerge, The Color Fred and Craig Owens. hope to see you all there.

- stevenbaggs

guaranteed security

2009-03-27T12:39:00.000-04:00

on my subway ride into work this morning, a teenage boy with crutches and a cast on his leg sat down in a seat next to mine alongside his mother and father. it was the manhattan bound local train. as we pulled in at the next transfer stop an express train was across the platform and his parents asked him if he'd rather take it, since it's a faster ride. his response has stayed with me all day. he said "my seat is guaranteed here, there's no seat guaranteed for me on that train."
his parents used their powers of persuation and pressured him to get on the other train. as i watched him limp away, it dawned on me how much we can take for granted without realizing it. though the other train was faster, he wanted to stay on the one he was on simply for guaranteed security. his condition was hopefully a temporary one, but sometimes it takes a temporary situation to teach us lifelong lessons of appreciation. i dont think ill ever see that kid again and i dont think he meant to teach me a lesson, same way i didnt walk onto this train expecting to learn one, but he did.

as a songwriter i hope to influence peoples lives in some way. i wish to leave lifelong impressions in peoples hearts. there would be no greater accomplishment than to have my words affect and help someone who might need it and be able to connect with people i may have never even met, but feel the same exact way as i did when i wrote them. music is more powerful than we know. hearing a song can bring back memories, make happy times happier, sad times sadder, good times better and bring hope to those who might need it. i am thankful to have music as such a big part of my life and have the support of my fans. without music i dont know who i'd be.

- stevenbaggs

what a week.

2009-03-16T12:57:00.009-04:00

as our plane touched down on the jfk runway, i felt new york's cold winter chill through the drafty side window. i looked over at my best friend and it became all too clear that this short break we had taken from reality was over just as fast as it began. five days in sunny florida were now nothing but a memory. a blur, the way most good times end.

this trip was a change of scenery, but hardly a vacation. mornings were non existent and slept right through for the most part. my days, which began at around 2pm, were spent writing/recording new music. in the past few weeks a lot of changes have occurred in my life and they've compelled me to write. writing these songs have helped me see things i didn't see and realize things about both myself and the people in my life that i may not have noticed. this city never sleeps, but a lack of sleep can sometimes leave me with blurry vision which affects my judgment and the decisions i make. it's definitely been blindsiding me for some time now.

i landed in new york with a new state of mind, new songs and a new musical identity. i decided its time for a change and have been thinking of a band name for some time. in the last hour of our last day, the name came to me. it's funny how when you try to find something it never turns up, but when you decide to let it find you, it appears clear as day.

if everything we do is for a reason, then this little breaks reason was to induce me with clarity. i can breathe, i can breathe now.

- stevenbaggs

new year's message.

2009-01-01T11:28:00.003-05:00

pretty in pink party

2008-12-13T13:32:00.003-05:00

our good friend jessie lee (http://www.myspace.com/jessieleemodeling) asked us to play a rad party in williamsburg caled pretty in pink. it was a sick time!
got to perform a remix version of 'but, everybody lies' with my boy mikealis. we also played one of his songs called 'addict'. its a great song. check it out on his myspace - http://www.myspace.com/mikealis and tell slone i say waddup.

here's some internet press from the show...i guess? - pretty in pink party. dont know why he thinks i said that, but i didnt.

anyway...on a much better note, new music is coming soon!!!

- stevenbaggs

rob freeman / new songs

2008-11-17T14:22:00.002-05:00

this past week the band and i traveled to a town in New Jersey called Boonton to record some new songs in The Pilot Studio with producer Rob Freeman.

walking in i wasn't exactly sure of what to expect. honestly, all i knew is that the guy i chose to produce and record the new songs used to be the guitarist in a band called Hidden In Plainview and produced the latest Hit The Lights record which both kicked major ass. everyone i spoke to before going in had only great things to say about him.

after a week in the studio i get it and would just like to take this opportunity to say that Rob Freeman is not only an extremely talented musician and producer, but also a great person over all. he's got a great heart that's drenched in talent and positivity. he strives for nothing but the best in every bar of every line in every song, which made the final product sound so incredible. sitting back home in my room writing this, i already miss being in the studio with him everyday and know i made the right choice going in with Rob. he makes recording fun. thank you so much dude.

if you're a band looking to record i hands down suggest getting dates booked to record in The Pilot Studio. check him out on my top friends and trust me, if you work with him you'll leave with songs you never expected sounding so good. he's the fucking man!

just one thing...if you play around too much he might just close the studio on you, unless you walk to queens and get him a sugar cookie or some cambodian breast milk.

- stevenbaggs

everybody hurts

2008-08-28T21:17:00.004-04:00

her eyes on the horizon
watching waves wash away
her hearts beaten, but still beating
as the sunrise dries her tears away

her days end in a daze and her nights are nothing but a blur
her hearts tangled and dangled
put on display for all the world
and she's broken again

everybody hurts
it's the way this world works
pain's what makes us real

her faith is quiet jaded
a prescription love is all she knows
is it worth this?
feeling worthless
just a lost soul worn down to the bone
and she's broken again

everybody hurts
it's the way this world works
pain's what makes us real
if we all come undone
i guess you're not the only one
and we know how you feel

it's never too late for you to turn it around
today is the start of your new life
and all the mistakes that you've made have made you who you are today

- stevenbaggs

alternative addiction unsigned top 10 countdown

2008-06-16T11:21:00.002-04:00

i'm on the Alternative Addiction Unsigned Top 10 Countdown. please help vote me to the number 1 spot!!!

http://www.alternativeaddiction.com/unknownbands/unknowntop10.asp

also, as a gift from me to you, 'Torn' is available for free download at www.alternativeaddiction.com - so go get on that while it's still up!! (yea i know..that's what she said)

- stevenbaggs

the "he" is me

2008-06-15T23:14:00.004-04:00

he's a broken hearted heart breaker
with lungs barely strong enough to inhale the silence
and exhale the confusion on this long drive home
feeling helpless and out of place
friendless and out of patience
there were actions taken and trust mistaken
but, trust is both fickle and intangible
trust requires great care and fragile hands to be kept whole
trust requires truthful lips to be kept alive

his life is like a coloring book
but, lately his luck has been an empty box of crayons
the pages are left bare
they lay black, white and colorless

tonight was the ending of a chapter in his book entitled -
'the story of my life'
tonight was a lesson worth learning, yet taken in by few
tonight was history repeating itself all over again
tonight was the start of something real and the mourning of a cold and lonely winter season
tonight was summer at it's best

some friends are lifelong, others temporary
some friends are nothing more than enemies in training
months spent gathering information, turning their backs and using every ounce of what they've learned against you

he spends his days preparing for his nights
preparing for his dreams
preparing for an awakening
drifting into the dark, scared and paralyzed
trying his best to find out who he is inside

- stevenbaggs

i thought her heart needed saving

2008-05-24T17:40:00.001-04:00

i thought her heart needed saving
and though i've never been much of a hero, i gave it my best shot.
knocked out and knocked down, round after round.
my weak scrawny torso was no match for the stubborn addictions that lurked in dark rooms of this city.
every moment lost and wasted, every night she came home wasted.
such a distressed mess living on a diet of liquid regret.
but, regret was just a constant reminder embodied in the shape of a crimson flow from her pierced nostril.
both dried up and defeated.
day after day.
night after night.
bump after bump.
line after line.

the day after yesterday she awoke from the intoxicated daydream she'd been living in with half a bag of regret left buried at the bottom of her purse.
so far down that she forgot it was even there.
the memory of its existence completely erased.
it's kept there as a reminder.
a test she's failed a million times.
but, this time she'll pass every time.
she's growing up and growing out of the habits that have been bringing her down.

i thought her heart needed saving,
but i’m beginning to see that some hearts are bigger than the bodies they’re kept in.
she’s stronger than i gave her credit for.
though at times her heart of glass may crack and her hands might bleed trying to keep it intact, her heart will never shatter.
though she's learning heartache is just an unpreventable casualty of love and though she may not believe it,
this girl is full of love.

- stevenbaggs

the way she said my name

2008-04-28T12:54:00.003-04:00

you weren't the reason i came,
but you were the reason i stayed.
inviting stares from across the room lured me in like the scent of sweet perfume.
drunken words spoken from shaky lips.
muffled words heard by anxious ears.
hanging on every sentence in search of a reason when reasons were unknown.
insecurities like beads of sweat dripped down my spine.
but all i could do was undress her with my eyes.
and her eyes were the bluest i'd ever seen.

she was head to toe in black, mourning the weather i suppose.
but, these new york winter nights didn't seem half as cold with our hands clasped tight.
feeling misplaced and out of shape,
lost in the middle of everything she'd grown to hate.
i watched her cry just a little in the back of that cab.
showed me a side of her i never even knew she had.

leaving her apartment on this long drive home.
you could tell by my tone, these emotions have grown.
given no choice but to rethink choices,
recollect thoughts and block out the voices
when all i am is skin and bones
my bodies tired and growing old
just a thin coated shelter for my soul.
and the full moon glows its neon glow
illuminating the sky and melting the snow
and much like the moon tonight, i'm feeling whole
because the reciprication i've been waiting for has finally came.
i could sense it in the way she said my name.

- stevenbaggs

time doesn’t age

2008-04-16T15:05:00.000-04:00

sometimes life passes us by
no flashing lights or warning signs
we can't stop and press rewind
relive the moments left behind

and the years, they slowly fade
so we all accept the change
except time, time doesn’t age
it just washes youth away

and if all of our mistakes
have made us who we are today
then, i’m proud of those i've made
and i hope you feel the same

some days tears, they fall like rain
and our hearts swell up with pain
and we lose the things we love
because nothing real was meant to stay

- stevenbaggs