public assembly - 05.11.09

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.

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

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...

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

- stevenbaggs

california, california, here i come!

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

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

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.

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.