Paul Adrian Villarreal - Vocals

 NOTES

Greetings friends.  Sorry I haven’t updated this page for a while.  It’s been quite a busy time.  I’ve been quite busy with both bands. 

Apart from finally playing our FIRST GIG (which went off pretty well!), the Badger was recently in the studio working on guitar and keyboard parts (which are coming along GREAT!) for the next two songs.  The next step will be for me to do some more vocals!  It’s been a while since the last WB vocal session, I can’t wait!  Meanwhile we’ve also been rehearsing one of my songs.  It’s very cool because I wrote the song years ago and always envisioned it in a more full band arrangement.  It’s exciting to see that finally come to fruition.  We’ve also been getting some play on a very popular Prog oriented internet radio network called http://www.thedividingline.com Check out the archives of Frans Keylard’s show “The Rogue’s Gallery,” to hear it!  He was very complimentary of our music, and there was great response in the chat room too! 

As far as the other project I’m doing, The Order, things are coming long well.  We should be releasing a 5 song Ep soon, as well as getting a website up.  We also did a couple small club gigs that went over quite well.

My brother also came to visit.  He works over seas and has time to travel around in the summer.  He spent two weeks here and we had a blast gallivanting around!  As an added bonus, this time he drove rather than flew out here.  Why?  Because he was delivering to me MY NEW CAR! =) Our good friend Doug, back in Wisconsin, was going to trade it in for a new one, and we needed a new one, so we offered to buy it instead.  It’s still pretty new, a 2002 Mazda protégé wagon (in sporty Red!)  It’s been GREAT having a decent car, with a cd player and speakers that aren’t blown out. (yet)

Otherwise, it’s been more of the usual: seeing shows, buying cd’s and dvd’s, etc.  In fact, since I last wrote here, I’ve acquired so many new things that I won’t even have time to write a little blurb about each.  I’ve just listed them below.  Which reminds me, someday soon I’ll get to work on my “Reviews” page.

‘Til next time, take care.

Most recent acquisitions:

• Kevin Gilbert – The Shaming of the True

• Toy Matinee (another Kevin Gilbert project)

• Kevin Gilbert – Thud

• Kevin Gilbert – Thud: Live at the Troubador

• Kaipa – The Keyholder

• Nick n’ Neal – Two Separate Gorillas

• Yellow Matter Custard (Beatles tribute feat. Neal Morse, Mike Portnoy, Paul Gilbert, Matt Bissonette)

• Spock’s Beard – The Light (special edition Remaster)

• Ben Folds Five – The Unauthorized Biography of Reinhold Mesner

• Mike Keneally – Dog (Special Edition, w/dvd!)

• Mike Keneally – Nonkertompf

• Izz – Ampersand Vol. 1

• King’s X – Out of the Silent Planet

• Genesis – Foxtrot

• Gentle Giant – Octopus

• Sting – Inside the Songs of Sacred Love (dvd)

• The Hudsucker Proxy (dvd)

• Big Fish (dvd)

…and probably more that I’m forgetting.  It’s plain to see I’m a junkie isn’t it? Hahaha

What’s in my CD wallet at this moment:

Spock’s Beard (V & Feel Euphoria), SunCaged, Toy Matinee, Kevin Gilbert (Thud & Kashmir Ep), Ben Folds Five (…Reinhold Mesner), Yellow Matter Custard, Mike Keneally (Dog & Pup), Sting (Sacred Love), Styx (StyxWorld Live), Echolyn (As the World), Transatlantic (smpt:e), Eric Johnson (Alien Love Child Live…), Symphony X (The Odyssey), Paul Rodgers (Electric), Kansas (Point of Know Return) Porcupine Tree (In Absentia), and various practice cds

Recent Happenings:

Well, apart from all that’s mentioned above…

Saw Bryan Beller & Friends (including one Mike Keneally!) at the Baked Potato. Went to the first annual CalProg Day! The line-up was: Erik Norlander, Izz, Enchant, Neal Morse (solo), The Mike Keneally Band. What a day that was! I have a long review that will go on my personal website (currently in development) but for now you can read it at http://p200.ezboard.com/fspocksbeardfrm1.showMessage?topicID=2690.topic Swam in the Pacific for the first time since moving out here. (I love the Ocean, but the weather here rarely gets hot enough for me to want to go into the cold water) That was awesome! Well, I guess that about covers it.

Looking forward to:

Wedding Festivities for Mark’s son Cameron!  That should be fun!

Seeing Mike Keneally (yes, AGAIN!) that’s always a mind-altering experience.

New albums from my three favorite bands!!! (should all be coming out this year.  Why do they always co-ordinate like this) Spock’s Beard, Pain of Salvation, Symphony X!  Finally there is supposed to be a Pain of Salvation DVD!!! I can’t WAIT!

Tribute:

Well, as much as I want my webpage to be a positive place, it bears mentioning that my mother recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. My brothers and I are fond of recalling a word she often used, and in fact personifies her perfectly: “Marvy” She was a truly marvy person, loved by all, and dearly missed. More relevant to this page, she was also the single most influential person in my life, in that she gave me the gift of music. (not only in the ability and desire to appreciate music, but also in whatever genetic element there might be too.) She will never be far from my thoughts.

Talk to you all soon!  

-Paul