"As soon as someone is identified as an unsung hero, he no longer is." -George Carlin-

I have been out preaching the word and trying to draw in more people to come share our little project with this weekend. Maybe you are one of the new readers. I hope you like what you have been seeing.

The point of this entry is that this website has been put together on the sweat and effort of several people that have been working with myself for no recompense other than the promise of a quick trip to the back alley where Don will be waiting with knee pads and an eager smile.

I know that these people's names have been displayed at the beginning of the articles, but that doesn't really seem like a good thank you for everything they have done.

So here is what I am going to do. I am going to give a quick list of the people that have been a big help to us here. I know that this really isn't enough, and trust me guys, when I can figure out something better than a toothy experience with our favorite hat wearing, bespectacled word smith\photographer extraordinaire, I'll get right on it.

Don Andrews : He has to be first on the list. This guy is the one that put on the bash that resulted in my getting plowed enough to fall into a huge round of "I love you mans..." where I collected all the men in my life that I am closest to, and declared that I would start this little labor of obsession. If you're wondering how good the night was, there is a photo of me at the culminating moment of the evening on our myspace page. Let's just say that strippers have really poky heals on their shoes, and if one comes at you with whip cream and a sharpy, it's probably a good sign that you are going to be spending the next morning so hung over that you will be pulling over on the side of I-5 and vomiting up what feels like your small intestine. It's ok though, that cop was so disgusted that he didn't even stop. So, yeah, thanks Don. It was a magic evening and look at where we are now.

Seriously now, Don has been my right hand man. He has been to every one of the shows that I have covered, either providing great words to go with the photos or taking the photos while I do my very best to at least spell all the words correctly. Really he has been stealing the show. I keep getting people complimenting the writing on the sites, and honestly Don, this is a big deal. I have been doing this for a couple of years, and you are one of the only writers I have ever received compliments about when people look at the site. The other guy that gets compliments will be mentioned later on.

Don, thank you. You are one of the biggest reasons this has been possible. You have been a true friend, and the work that we have been doing together is the best I have ever been involved in.

Christina Carlsen: The reason I live. The most wonderful woman alive. The most patient and caring creature god ever put on this planet. You have been my greatest inspiration in all of this. You have given me encouragement through out the whole process, and I can't wait for some of your photos to start gracing the pages of the site. Until then, you are my brightest star, and I love it when you come out to the shows with us. I have been having more fun at the shows than I ever had before because you are along and it's the way it should be from now on.

Shawn Reinert: Out of everyone that has been working on the website, I have known you the longest. You have been a good friend. You put up with me for over three years as a roomate, and you can ask Chrisina, that puts you near the top of the list of people in this world I owe huge. You're photos have always been an inspiration, and your words on the subject have always carried more weight with me than anyone else's. You have been a great friend and an amazing mentor. You keep producing amazing photo after amazing photo and I seriously appreciate it. Your work here is going a long way to show people that we mean business, and that we will only bring the best to the table when promoting the local music scene. Big things await you in this life, and I can't wait to see them. Oh, and you are seriously fired when it comes to being my drinking buddy. You officially recommended me cutting things off about four drinks too late.

Andrew Rodriguez: We only just met man, but seriously it's been a huge pleasure. Your article is the only one that has gotten actual fan mail, and I keep getting compliments from people that I have been introducing the website to. You and Don have been proving an amazing back bone of this site. On prior projects I have worked on, the writers have been the people that put meat on the bones of the photos, but in the case of your work, the photos are only the seasoning to the stories. I'm looking forward to the article that you and Shawn worked on last night, and I really can't wait to keep working with you. You're a cool guy, and I think you are going to bring some amazing things to the table.

Mike Cassella: Dude, I know that you haven't been out there working with me as a writer like we did before, but you have been out there hunting for connections for us and that means a lot. Up until I started working with you on the last website, I had always thought that something was missing. You showed me that this stuff isn't just about providing shiny photos of beautiful rock stars, but also about truly sharing the story of the event as well. Thank you man. You have been an amazing friend as well. I'm still planning on trapping you and taking you to a show or two with me, but until then I suppose I'll have to settle for brunch from time to time and phone calls talking about the recent killer movie that just hit the theaters.

Jackie Butler: You're not working on this project with us, even though I wish you would, but you really helped me see that running a site like this is a good idea. I hope that you have been looking at what we are doing, all of this is because you showed me that if you have the willpower and the creativity, you can make anything happen. Ladies and gentlemen, if you haven't seen her work, go look at MossMagazine.com or Google her name. You will be seriously blown. Her photos are what I aspire to. Thank you Jackie.

To all of you guys. Thank you for being good friends and for all the hard work. We've got plenty more coming up, and because of all of you I know it's going to be amazing.

So this is the end of my little back rub. From now on, I am going to be a complete hard ass, so enjoy this while you can ;) .

It's time for me to hit the sack. I hope everyone had a great weekend and that you are all looking forward to an amazing Labor Day Weekend.

 

Jake Carlsen

Editor for LiveMusicPDX.com

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