Join the Team!

Sponsors are needed!

I'm about to start recording a new CD! My goal is to have a completed CD by September 2006. (just in time for Christmas) Of course it is an expensive undertaking and I'm looking for sponsors to offset the expenses associated with recording. Of course for those of you who do join the program and participate in this recording I have rewards. Every person who sponsors the recording will get his/her name printed in the liner notes celebrating their contribution to independent recording.

Friendship - $20.00 (1 autographed copy of the CD and your name in the liner notes)
Angel - $50.00 (2 autographed copies of the CD, name in the liner notes and a signed poster)
Partner - $200.00 (private house concert, 2 CDs, name in the liner notes and a signed poster)

Also I have a further inticement. Everyone who joins the team will be invited to a special release party in advance of the CD being available on the street. This event will be by invitation only at a location to be determined later on. You can contribute by giving cash, cheque or PayPal.

Mail your cheques to Manitoba Hal 160 Arnold Avenue, Winnipeg, MB R3L 0W3. PayPal can be paid to hal@manitobahal.com. Cash can be given to me personally at a show.

Freight Train

Here's a new song I just wrote. It's called Freight Train. Let me know what you think.

Freight Train (c) Hal Brolund (SOCAN)

I'm a freight train baby rolling down your track (2x)
I'm a freight train baby rolling down your track
carry your burdens upon my back

I'm an automobile you can come on over and drive (2x)
I'm an automobile come over and drive
We can motor down by the riverside

Beast of burden it's a natural fact
I'll carry your burden upon my

I'm an airplane baby flying in your sky
I'm an airplane baby about one mile high
I'm an airplane baby about a mile high
we can make love under the blue blue sky

Lay my body down by the highway side (2x)
Lay my body by the highway side
so my wicked soul can catch a Greyhound and ride

My Mojo Hand

Here it is. The Mojo Hand. The winning boy's magic. This is the secret of my success and the originator of all my tone. Or maybe it's just a shot of my hand. The truth is that sometimes I can't stop thinking about my hands. I think about which finger to put where when I play guitar. I feel them strain against the effort put in to play the way I do. When I do any chores I feel the bumps and scrapes that cover the fingertips.

In these times when my hands fill my mind with thoughts they somehow seem bigger than they are. I can clearly recall sitting there with my head leaning on my hand when suddenly my hand feels like it craddles my whole head. As if I were a baby again and my father's hand is holding me safe. I always wonder why I feel this way?

Now I know what you're thinking and I am NOT stoned. (see..."Dave's not here man") This is just one of the many weird and wonderful things that I notice sometimes. Today is not one of those days.

This Saturday (April 1st) I'm playing a house concert here in Winnipeg. Tickets are $15.00 and $5.00 goes to SEC Lifeworks which is a great organization that helps folks live independently. If you can make it please come out and support these folks.

JUKE NIGHT follow up

Thanks to all the folks who made it out to the second JUKE NIGHT gig at Academy Bar and Eatery. We had a great time and so did you by the looks of it. Thanks so much for all the support and for your kind words. I want thank Brenda 'Shaniqua' Neiles (the merch lady) for giving up her Saturday night and working the door for us, and Stephen Johns for opening up the show.

I took some pics but sadly they were too dark to be useful.

The secret to all my tone

There it is. The inner sanctum of my resonator guitar. You can plainly see the hidden electronics that I use to amplify my guitar. I opened her up to install a ground strap to eliminate a hum on the neck pickup. I thought you all might like to see what's behind the looking glass. For the techies reading this...I have a Fishman Resophonic pickup on the cone (the wire leading off to the left) and an old vintage D'Armond pickup mounted on the surface of the dobro and output through a jack in the lower bout of the guitar. The Fishman pickup is active and that is the battery you see in the soundwell. After a little work my guitar is back together and sounds as good as new. Even better in fact since it no longer hums the way it used to.

As for the secret to my tone...well that will have to wait for another posting.