Fellow Travelers and Food Fanatics,

Here is the video I wrote, hosted and did the music for - along with John Paget who shot, edited and co-directed - for the show "No Reservations", hosted by Anthony Bourdain. The "pitch" here is to be Tony's sidekick for an episode. Instead of traveling though, I urged Anthony to come to Buffalo where I'd show him around! It's been selected for the top 20 ...out of over 300 submissions!!! See for yourself:

http://yourtrip.travelchannel.com/clip.aspx?key=30ACEB7C705DB535

Please comment and rate the video clip (you'll have to create a user account to rate).

I hope you enjoy!!

Thanks for your support!! ...Buffalo thanks you!

Cheers,
Nelson

Another positive review of ALCOHOLOCAUST

http://www.elrose.co.uk/CD_Reviews/body_invisigoth_cds.html

Is progressive rock still alive? Are there still bands or musicians that dare to be different? It seemed that in the late 90s, the prog rock world had dozed off into a safe state of music. But in the recent years bands pop up that dare to be different, original and fresh. Bands that take their listeners on a musical journey that is far from safe and boring.

One of these bands is Invisigoth and with their debut album Alcoholocaust, they shake the foundations of the prog rock world. Invisigoth is a duo from Buffalo, NY, by the names of Cage (instruments) and Viggo Domino (voice). They have a history in esoteric philosophy, theology, dark arts and Arabic music. They have revived the true rock and roll spirit, by abandoning a lucrative corporate life and pursuing the musical journey.

=> Read more!

I found this review to be rather interesting and very detailed:

http://www.musicstreetjournal.com/invisigoth.htm

Album is in stores now!

The New Album is in stores NOW!!!

Press Release:

Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 8 March 2007

Recorded in 2006, the record reveals, at the same time, a prodigious and profound respect and iconoclasm for the music that it post-dates. Some call it “progressive metal” or “art rock,” yet Invisigoth transcends these attempted reductions and speaks for itself – all the while echoing the revelation of the antique and exotic that is the hallmark of their singular, yet universal, expression.

With new inspirations literally in hand, Cage and Viggo decided to construct a musical statement with authentic, albeit primal, vision and purpose. Invisigoth became that animation incarnate. A concept for an album was culled from their tormented experiences and research. Entitled, "Alcoholocaust", the record explores the trials and tribulations of both protagonists in their search, and eventual discovery, of their artistic, animal, and rather Roman, natures.

Invisigoth had this to say; "We sought to work with a company that was not only sympathetic to the needs and desires of the artist, but also one whose primary motive is to serve the greater compositional medium that is music, by providing a true alternative to the mainstream. ProgRock is that company and we are delighted to be in business with them."

“I love to be surprised and this album certainly took me by surprise, in a good way. Very creative use of vocals and harmonies and powerful songwriting, it isn’t often anymore that I hear something really fresh, but Invisigoth managed to do it.”, Shawn Gordon, President of ProgRock Records said.

”Alcoholocaust” is the ProgRock Records debut release from Invisigoth and can be found at http://www.progrockrecords.com/artists/view.php?id=74 . This album sounds a bit like modern Porcupine Tree meets Soundgarden with a splash of Kevin Gilbert, but with a sound all their own. The album is available for immediate order and will ship in late March and be available at your favorite brick and mortar retailer on May 22, 2007. Presales are discounted $2 on the ProgRock Records site until the album starts shipping.

Here is the extended interview I had with Buffalo News Music Critic Jeff Miers.

1) Do you think that the lot of the independent musician has changed considerably in the past, say, 10 years? Is it the case that, where once you could be in one band and concentrate on that, you now need to diversify the portfolio, and involve yourself in several different situations simultaneously?

NS: Yes, I think that, due to the decreased demand for real honest-o-goodness LIVE music, "bands" cannot get the work that they once might have. Most bars/clubs play pre-recorded music - be it a DJ or digital radio, etc. So, there is a real diminishment in the demand for live music. And even there, it's generally the same cover bands that fill what niche is left. The "cover" part is nothing new or bad but the decreased size of the market niche has made success more elusive for anyone but the established or, oppositely, flavor of the month cover bands. This has also squeezed out anything more left of center, idiosyncratic, or specialized. Again, this is not a value judgment, this is just the reality of the situation. The good news is that some venues, like Stillwater, are realizing the value of live music. The Party Squad, in our capacity there, is helping to revive the notion that live music really is best and that cover bands are as respectable as is the quality of their music. If it’s good, it IS good! On the other hand, yes, I have to continually engage with and cultivate as much musical work as I can in many different avenues and genres.

=> Read more!

To make it as a musician in this town, you have to diversify your portfolio

By Jeff Miers NEWS POP MUSIC CRITIC
Updated: 05/27/07 10:04 AM

The path to becoming a professional musician used to go like this: A young person with a dream nurtures his instrumental skill over long hours of practice that turn into months and then years. The talented dreamer meets others with the same dream, forms allegiances, swears blood brothers or sisters until the end, and a band is born.

First, these young talents learn the songs of their heroes. Over time, they grow to believe they have something unique to offer audiences. Happy-ending versions of this story find the dreamers quitting their day jobs and suddenly they’re in an office with a guy with a cigar hanging from his mouth, signing on the bottom line. Those days are long gone.

Sharon Cantillon/Buffalo News
MUSICIAN NELSON STARR: “I need to ... be fluent and competitive in every avenue of musical endeavor — from jazz to hip hop, from music education to music production.”

Even the most talented and prolific local musicians know the facts: In all but the rarest of exceptions, if you plan on making your living as a musician in this area, it’s likely that you will have to play in many different bands, in many different venues, offering many different types of music, at all hours and days of the week.

For musicians in Buffalo and many cities like it, refusing to give up on your musical dreams means making yourself over as a “talent for hire,” and several local musicians have done just that. (For more in individual musicians see following story, "The Genius Department.")

One reason for this, said Nelson Starr, an independent musician working in Buffalo, is that many area clubs play prerecorded music, and that’s diminishing in the demand for live music. “The decreased size of that niche has made success more elusive for anyone but the established or, oppositely, flavor-of-the-month cover bands,” he said.

Instead, today’s independent musician needs more of a skill-set than ever before. This means being well-versed; being able to make musical contributions to a wide variety of situations at a moment’s notice, without the benefit of abundant rehearsal; and learning at least the basics of recording studio production and engineering.

=> Read more!