Remedy iPhone Application

Remedy has finally made the big time. Nope, not Madison Square Garden, Royal Albert Hall, or the Grand Ole Opry; the Apple iTunes store! The official Remedy iPhone application is now available for free in iTunes and for an Apple fanatic like me, seeing the application in the app store was like gazing into the eyes of my children for the first time.

Sad, I know.

I’m still utterly shocked that I was able to secure the name ‘Remedy’ in the app store and that no one had previously snatched it up. Who knows, maybe someday Preparation H® will offer us $10,000 for the name and we can go buy Andy B. a second set of drums. A guy can dream.

So how’d we do it? With the help of 4 programmers, 3 graphic designers, 5 marketing gurus, 9 investors, and 1 Starbucks barista. Alright, alright, the honest answer is, without much difficulty or cost, and 1 Starbucks barista. Oh, that and a Scott McDaniel, who actually advised me on all of this stuff! Thanks Scott!

Here’s what you need if you want to do this for your band or business.

A Website
Sorry MySpace band page owners, that junk just won’t cut it. I won’t go into what a cyber train wreck MySpace is or my thoughts on it being an archaic wasteland for teeny-boppers and stalkers as I don’t want to appear judgmental.   That said, if you are currently hosting a band page there and directing your users to that location so they can digest your content, run away as quickly as you can, and bring your band equipment and followers with you to your own hosted website.

Now I know that building a website is not the easiest thing in the world for most people to do and I certainly won’t provide a tutorial on how to build one here, particularly because it does require some time, effort, and skill. But buying a domain name, securing a hosting provider, and building a website is easier today than ever before. You can either pay someone to build one for you (likely about $300 – $500 for basic sites), or purchase a template on one of the many template websites available online. With a little knowledge, effort, and skill,  you can typically modify a template and have it up for viewing within a few days.

The route I chose to go for construction of the Remedy site, thanks to the advice of my buddy Scott, is Wordpress. Wordpress is a free, open source web-authoring platform that is incredibly easy to install, use, and maintain. With thousands of developers contributing helpful plugins that make authoring a snap, it’s a no-brainer for folks looking to create a quick and easy website. For out-of-the-box implementation of a template, it requires no programming or .html skills and even the novice user can begin authoring content in minutes. The reason I chose it over other open source authoring tools, or .html, or flash, is because I wanted something that would be easy to maintain, help with search engine optimization, and allow our friends and fans to interact with the site.

RSS Feeds

After you have a site in place, you’ll need to make sure you develop RSS feeds so that users can consume your content without actually needing to be on your website. The iPhone app you develop will be heavily dependent on RSS feeds and the wonderful thing about using Wordpress is that most templates already have them built in! Remedy has RSS feeds for latest news, gigs, video, images, and user comments, as well as RSS feeds from external social networks like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr. All of these RSS feeds are essential for feeding content directly from your website to your mobile device.

Build Your iPhone Application

You would think this would actually be the most difficult part of the process but in fact, it’s the easiest. Once you have your website and RSS feeds in place, building your iPhone application shouldn’t take you more than an hour or so. There are several websites available online that take the pain out of creating and submitting applications for mobile devices. My buddy Scott and I built our apps using AppMakr but there are others online that offer similar services. Upon arrival to the site, you can begin plugging in your RSS feeds and building your application, testing as you go along via their slick online ’simulator.’ When the application is complete and you’re thoroughly satisfied with the end result, AppMakr submits the app to Apple for processing on your behalf and you sit back and wait for it to be published. The application cost $100 to construct and was live in the iTunes store within two weeks following my submission.

Please feel free to leave comments for others on the page and ask questions if you’re looking for a little guidance. I’m always happy to help those in need of a little advice as I’m extremely thankful for having received it myself.

Good luck!

Remedy Takes 1st at the Fred

Remedy had the pleasure of performing at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City, GA as part of an ‘Open Mic Night’ contest held by venue. The band was selected from a pool of about 40 applicants to come and compete in a battle of the bands type format, with the winner being awarded the opportunity to return to the stage as the opening act for one of the headliners in the Fred’s summer concert series lineup.

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Gates opened around 6:30 and family, friends, and fans of the 17 scheduled performers poured into the amphitheater on what turned out to be a very pleasant May evening. Despite a rainy forecast, the only thunder heard was from the stage, where guitars, drums and amps ripped through the night air and from the crowd, who roared in support of their favorite performers. Each band was given twelve minutes to play, while solo performers were allotted six minutes to make an impression on three judges who sat stage right observing every note and guitar lick throughout the mini sets. Most bands were able to squeeze in about three songs and benefited greatly from the Fred’s outstanding acoustics and professional sound engineers that were on hand to assist with technical requirements.

Remedy performed sixteenth on a list of seventeen total acts, performing to a crowd that had perhaps grown a bit restless in waiting for the contest to finish so that a winner could be announced. Whatever reservations we had about their remaining enthusiasm quickly melted away however, after our opening tune, Hard to Handle by the Black Crowes, set the tone for our three song set by getting the audience on their feet and singing along with the familiar lyrics of the tune. Our second offering, Pride and Joy by Stevie Ray Vaughn, showcased Tim’s incredible guitar skills and kept the venue buzzing as Jon led us into our third and last song of the set, Whipping Post by the Allman Brothers Band.

It was a bit hard to see the crowd while under the stage lights but we’re told we were given a standing ovation after the set and heard a tremendous amount of applause as we exited the stage. With only one act remaining we didn’t have very long to hear the result of evening’s contest.

The judges narrowed down the field from seventeen acts to only three, calling each of the finalists up on stage for the final announcement…

3rd Place – Paige McCauley

2nd Place – Krysta Nick and Gopher Broke

1st Place - Remedy

As second place was announced, a roar went up from the crowd and we quickly turned toward each other to celebrate the moment.

Having entered the competition with no expectation of being selected to perform, let alone win, it was quite a shock at the end of the evening walking out of the amphitheater as the group selected to perform at the summer concert series. We couldn’t have been more thrilled with the result and had an incredible time playing on the Fred’s stage under the lights and stars for a fantastic audience that made us feel welcome and appreciated.

Many thanks to the Fred, Nancy Price (the event organizer), and all of our friends and family who came out to support us. It was an incredible moment for us, made better only by the joy of being able to share it with all of you.

See you back at the Fred this summer when we open for the “World Class Rockers,” featuring an all-star line-up of members from Steppenwolf, Journey, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Santana, and Toto on July 10th, 2009!

Look Mom, I’m on TV!

During our last performance at The Boardroom, we noticed a couple of video cameras roaming around that didn’t belong to us. We typically take video at just about every one of our gigs which we use to review our performance but also for use on the website for promotional purposes. These cameras however, belonged to a local video production company that was hired by The Boardroom to produce a couple of television commercials for the newly reopened venue. Airing in several parts of Fayette County on various local cable access channels, we kept hearing reports from people commenting that they “saw Tim” or “caught a glimpse of the band” on a commercial for The Boardroom.

Tim gave Richard (The Boardroom Co-Owner) a call and asked him if the band actually made it into the advertisement for the bar and alas, it turns out we made the cut. Sandwiched between a delicious steak and some Texas Hold Em’ card players, the band briefly appears in the commercial(s) with Tim, the prettiest of the bunch with his fancy shirt, getting top billing throughout the two commercials.

Although appearing between reruns of Matlock instead of Lost or 24, we’re proud to be a part of the commercial and happy to promote The Boardroom. We’ve got a great relationship with Richard and Danny and we hope the ad brings them TONS of business.

Have a look at the two ads, back to back!

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Remedy at the Fred

Remedy proudly accepts an invitation to play at the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City on May 9th at 6:30 PM.

The band was selected from a large number of applicants to play at an open mic audition for a special panel of judges, with the winner being awarded the opportunity to perform as the opening act for one of the headliners during the Fred’s summer concert series.

Seating nearly 2,500 people, the Frederick Brown Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City will be the band’s largest venue to date and our goal is to fill as many seats as possible with friends, family and fans to ensure the maximum amount of support for our audition. Moreover, we’re really looking forward to having those that enjoy the band see us in that type of an environment, which we’re counting on being incredibly special for all of us.

All acts performing auditions for the Open Mic Night are encouraged to recruit supporters to attend and the winner will be selected based on the following criteria: stage presence, musical ability, vocal ability and overall crowd appeal.

Gates open at 6:30 PM and we intend to light up the stage and the evening with a smokin’ set filled with energy, enthusiasm and tons of fun.

Hope to see you all there!

Boom Boom in the Boardroom

The Remedy Band enjoyed another fun-filled event at The Boardroom in Newnan, GA on April 4th, 2009. Playing to a packed house once again, the band debuted several new songs during their four hour show, playing tunes by Steve Miller, Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Rush. We also had an opportunity to celebrate several birthdays throughout the evening, extending warm birthday wishes to Lamar, Pat and Richard. As always, the crowd was incredible, showing us a tremendous amount of love and energy throughout the evening and hitting the dance floor early and often.

The Boardroom, newly renovated and freshly upgraded, featured a stunning new interior with a huge stage, fantastic menu, remodeled floors and bathrooms, and a wonderful outdoor covered patio. Richard and Danny, owners of the Boardroom, were perfect hosts and participated in the evenings festivities throughout our stay. With a spacious stage, fantastic owners, and wonderful clientele, the Boardroom will undoubtedly continue to be one of our favorite places to play!

Be sure to check out the photo gallery to see some photos from the event.

A Big Thanks to Season Tickets

The Remedy Band would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Season Tickets for inviting us to play last Saturday night, March 14th, 2009 in Fayetteville, GA. It was our first time playing at Season Tickets and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit. Russ, the general manager of the establishment, commented that there appeared to be about 250 people inside the sports bar for the event and we had a tremendous time playing for a fantastic audience made up of family, friends, followers and new acquaintances. We played about 45 songs during four blistering sets that included everything from Rush to the Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes to Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, the Eagles, and much more.

We’d like to thank everyone for coming out to see the show and we sincerely hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we did. A cold and rainy evening, we realize it was a difficult sell to leave the warm and friendly confines of your comfortable homes, so we greatly appreciate you taking the time to come out and join us.

Be sure to check out the photo gallery to see some photos from the event.

And just in case you weren’t there, here’s a “little” something you missed!

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For those of you looking for some moving pictures, here’s a video clip of a tune we love to play called, “Leave My Little Girl Alone,” by Stevie Ray Vaughn. The audience seemed to really enjoy it and the blues is something we do pretty well overall so I’d like to think we did a good job with it. Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

The Voice of Rock

Let me preface this post by saying that what I’m about to propose in this article is completely subjective. Unlike death, which can’t be argued is either inevitable or permanent, what I’m about to say is entirely subjective and could likely be debated until God himself returns to settle the argument. With that disclaimer out of the way, I’ll submit my statement for evaluation…

Chris Robinson is the “Voice” of rock.

Now I realize this is utterly subjective and completely open to interpretation. It’s like asking ten people what their favorite food is and expecting everyone to say, “pizza..” It’s a matter of personal taste and depending on what suits your musical taste buds, that’s what you are going to gravitate towards. Consequently, a poll of ten people will likely result in ten different responses.

Before I place the crown upon the king’s head however, we really need to have a look at some of the contenders for the throne. After all, for those of you that get nauseous from the very sight of pizza, you need to have a look at the other options on the table before you make your selection.

In no particular order, lets make an argument for…

Robert Plant – next to Chris Robinson, this guy is at the top of my list. Ok, so maybe they are in some type of order! Plant’s voice, whether you care for it or not, is unmatched in terms of power and range. He could blow your hair back with the likes of “Black Dog” and caress your ears with tunes like “Going to California.” He could carry a tune and scream like no other.

Paul McCartney – admittedly, not my thing but who’s going to argue with 90 million screaming women?

Janis Joplin – the most recognizable female voice in all of rock history. As Arthur Cooper wrote, “she stomped, shimmied, swung her hips, and screeched carnal knowledge in a voice as gritty as a Texas dirt road.”

Freddie Mercury – admittedly, not my thing but who’s going to argue with 90 million screaming men? On a serious note, Freddie’s range, creativity and precision make him one of the most versatile and respected artists around.

Honorable mention: Roger Daltrey, Steve Perry, Ann Wilson, & Paul Rodgers

So why Chris Robinson you ask, among a smorgasbord of exceptional singers on the table? Because he has all the ingredients of the perfect singer; soul, groove, range, purity, power, stamina and more. The kind of vocalist that defines the music he makes, with an instrument no less important than any guitar, bass, piano or drum. Robinson’s vocals are exceptionally soulful and powerful, matched only by the inspiration and introspection of his lyrics. How such a little dude could pack such a vocal punch is beyond the laws of physics and comprehension.

Not convinced? Not a Chris Robinson fan? Pizza give you heartburn? Well, have a listen to this and when you’re finished, be sure to leave a comment!

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Remedy Launches New Website!

The Remedy Band has made the decision to enter the blogosphere and dump the old flash site. While a great mechanism for displaying information in a ‘flashy’ way (hence the name of the product), the flash site was difficult to update, a drag to maintain, completely static, and completely inefficient regarding SEO.

Enter Wordpress, a blogging tool that my buddy Scott McDaniel has been advocating for years. He runs a few websites using Wordpress, most notably an outstanding site for Mac geeks called www.babygotmac.com, and has been a proponent of Wordpress from the first day I met him. He couldn’t have been more accurate in his description of the tool. Having built sites in .html, flash and via a large scale CMS, I’ve had the opportunity to create pages now using many different authoring tools. Without a doubt, using Wordpress has got to be one of the most cost effective, easiest ways to develop a site.

Admittedly, you have to know your way around basic web authoring elements, such as setting up a database via hosting services, banging around in .php and .css code periodically to make adjustments and a few Photoshop graphics here and there, but for the most part, the authoring aspect is a breeze. Similar to the large scale CMS I use at work, Wordpress allows for simple plugins, toiled over and constructed by people with much higher IQ’s than I, that quickly and easily allow you to insert cool elements into your site such as image galleries, event calendars, video players, and much more.

Have to hand it to my buddy Scott, who usually is way ahead of the curve on things anyway, he was absolutely right on the money in advocating its use for this purpose. Next time he’s out at one of our gigs, each one of us will take a turn buying him a brew.

Thanks Scott!

We Love a Good Party!

Despite the fact the some of us are aging gracefully, we still like to party. Not the stumbling, drink til’ you get sick type partying that most of us left behind in our early twenties, but more the laugh, eat, sing, play music and enjoy good company type of partying. Now that’s not to say that we won’t foster or encourage people to get a little crazy but it’s all in the spirit of fun and good times.

Recently, the Remedy Band had an opportunity to celebrate a bunch of birthdays with some exceptional people. We kicked it off with Tony who turned 40, then Dionne who turned 40, then Elisa who turned, yup you guessed it, the big 40!

In addition to playing lots of their favorite music, we made it our mission to ensure that everyone was getting involved in the festivities, with many getting up to jam with us and sing a few songs. It’s always a lot more fun for us when people are involved, whether passively observing or hanging from the chandelier with a microphone in their hands.

We hope you’ll consider us when contemplating entertainment for your next big celebration. We’ll be sure to make sure you have a memorable evening, partly because we know we’ll enjoy ourselves so much in the process. We may be getting a little older but still enjoy a good party as much as we used to!

Fayetteville, GA – 03/14/09 – Season Tickets

The Remedy Band extends a warm invitation to all Fayette County, GA residents to attend our first gig at Season Tickets Sports Bar and Grill in Fayetteville, GA. This will be our first experience at the venue and we very much look forward to entertaining the bar’s patrons on March 14th, 2009.

Date: Saturday, March 14th
Location: Season Tickets Bar and Grill – Togwatee Villiage
Address: 1240 Highway 54 W; Fayetteville, GA 30214 – Across from Piedmont Fayette Hospital
Telephone: 770-716-7070
Cost: FREE