Today is my last day in Cleveland and it has been one helluva a trip. I wasn’t sure how it was gonna pan out when I first got here, but now I’m really glad that I came to town. My flight leaves in about 7 hours to head home and I still have one last place to go before then, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. I’m pretty excited to go there (for obvious reasons) but so far the high light of the trip has definitely been going to the Cleveland Browns vs New York Giants NFL Game last night. It was utter insanity.

Seeing as I’m in Canada I never watch the NFL, or understand why every one down here is so into it, but god damn. I can compare last nights regular season NFL game to the final playoff round in the NHL when your city is in it. By that I mean that the fans are fucking nuts! I have never ever seen (until last night) a family of 4 with young children who are cheering for the away team be called assholes in massive chants by the home team fans for so long that they get up and leave the stadium. Just messed.

People here take there football very very seriously, it actually makes me want to go to another game… and seeing as I don’t have a “team” I think after tonights experience, I will be cheering for the home team no matter where I am, haha. Shit the cops even came in and threw out a guy wearing a Giants Jersey, it was most likely for his own safety as the Browns fans were going to eat him alive. It was just wacky all night long like that and besides the fans going nuts, it was actually a really good Football game.

For my first NFL experience, it was pretty freaking amazing. Every one (well other than Browns fans) were expecting the Giants to continue there 4 game winning streak and win last nights game, but to the predictions dismay, the Browns beat the Giants by almost 20 points. There was even an interception that turned into a 90 yard touch down for the Browns. It was a really good game and the Browns played their heart out. By far my favorite player on the Browns team is Cribbs, damn that guy can run (look him up online if your interested).

All in all, NFL Football is something that if you truly want to experience you have to go to a game. The TV does not do it justice at all. I’m really glad I went and hope it’s not the last game I get to see. On that note, I’ve gotta get my shit together and head over to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, I’ll blog about my other fun experiences when I get back to Edmonton, everything from seeing Joe Satriani Live at the House of Blues, to getting shit pissed in a bar called Cadillac Ranch… and yes they played that Nitty Gritty Dirt Band song, lol, felt like DJing a wedding all over again.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

Tonight I decided to sit down and set some goals for myself. In a matter of no time I wrote down over 40 goals that I have. I was quite surprised at how much I actually needed to write all that down and get it on paper and out of my head. It was everything from travel plans to music goals, to swimming with dolphins and hosting my own radio show. I wrote down short term goals, future goals, and lifetime goals.

When I started I was completely lost as to where to begin so I just essentially google’d “online goal setting” and found this really freaking cool website called http://www.8goals.com. It’s a wicked place where you can save, track, and easily set up all your goals and plans. I know this is kinda sounding like a pitch for 8goals.com, but honestly if you want to set goals then I highly suggest that site cause well, it’s free.

For fun here’s some of the music goals: Record EP, Redesign LI Look & Feel, Find Host Venue for the 2009 CD Release Party, Organize Western Canada Tour and last Open for Chevelle on a World Tour, hehe. Some personal ones that were kinda cool are: Try Scuba Diving, Meditate in India, Sail the Carribean, Host a Radio Show and Write a Book… that last one is an ongoing work in progress. Either way I’m so glad I wrote all these down!

Do you ever do any goal setting? Like 5 year plans? I think that’s what I’m going to work on next. Not really sure why I wrote this blog about it but hey, maybe you can relate, all I can say is that the future looks promising and that goal setting is good. If you’re not already doing it, then you should get on it. Haha, next I just need to start making a budget, Ugh.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

The Portal show was freaking awesome, and I have the swag to prove it! Even though we played on Friday at the Starlite Room, I think I was even more excited to watch Portal play at Jet Nightclub on Saturday; and let me tell you – they did not disappoint. It was such a fun and inspiring night, and now I’m even more stoked to be working with these guys on our new record!

So we got to Jet at around 9 (half way through Long Way Down‘s set) to join the crowd of an already pretty packed house. We grabbed some beers and made the rounds meeting up with lots of friends who had also come out. There were tons of people there, and it was really nice to see that so many other musicians in the city had also come.

When Portal hit the stage I was front and center. They played the whole Blood Red Tape album and I was rocking out like no tomorrow. I literally got my face rocked off, seriously it’s gone, that’s how good it was. The guitars were heavy, the bass was fat, the drums were incredible and the vocals were spot on. It was an awesome show, and I was so happy that I got my hands on the new album in advance; that way I could scream the lyrics out at Kenton while they played, it was fucking sweeet.

After their set was over we drank some more beers, got some swag signed, and chatted it up. The next band Fenix Foundation played a wicked set and when they finished I was starting to burn out so we called it a night. All I can say is, if you weren’t there you seriously fucking missed out and I highly suggest you get your ass out next time Portal plays, it was that good.

Until next time, “keep fit and have fun” (Fucking Body Break, hahaha)

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

This summer I have been to Devon, Spruce Grove, Viking, Cold Lake, Fort Mac, Calgary, Jasper, Kamloops, Parksville, Nanaimo, Vancouver, Delta, and Victoria; and I’m sure I missed a few others that I can’t remember right now. I put roughly 25,000km on the Focus I drive in less than 4 months… I feel like a god damn travelling sales men… except I get to go to those places and have a giant party each time. I guess that’s just my life as a DJ, well a wedding/corporate DJ, I don’t consider myself a real DJ, you know, I don’t have a cool name like DJ Lethal or anything (haha), I just assist people in having a great time.

It was kinda nice to be out of town lots this summer, it helped keep me busy, and I made good money. Plus when you’re on the road for hours on end all alone, you certainly get a lot of time for thinking, contemplating and devising new ways to grow as a person; the universe knows I’ve been doing a lot of that this summer. All in all my time over the last 4 months has been enlightening and incredible – a cornucopia of emotions, I’ve met and reconnected with some of the most wonderful people and have had some huge life changing experiences… to top it off, it doesn’t look like the momentum is going to run out…

Here’s the rundown: The band has a sweet gig at the Starlite Room in Edmonton this Friday the 19th of September, then we’re gonna be working at Beta Sound with Kevin Hoskin doing Pre-Production for the next record/EP (which we’re gonna have mixed by Bill Kennedy), after that I’m going to Cleveland for a conference in October, then by the time I get back we should be ready to go back into the studio to start laying down tracks for the record. All the while working full time and DJing the occasional weekend. The list just keeps going…

Haha, I just thought of more, cause during all that time we also have to do the design work for the new album, redesign the website and myspace, get a proper photoshoot done, and play any gigs worth playing… although we will be taking some time off when were in the studio Holy crap my life is gonna be busy. Needless to say, it’s a good thing I like to be doing things all the time and that I enjoy it, otherwise I would probably go crazy.

So in closing, to everyone that I had the pleasure of spending time with this summer (whether you read my blog or not ), Thank You for turning what could’ve been one of the most melancholy summers of my life into one of the most amazing. You guys are awesome and I don’t know where I would be without you all, so again Thank You, Thank You, Thank You (That includes you too Kels, you will be missed). I hope that you can all make it out to one of our shows some time soon, even if you do live in another city… then again maybe we’ll just have to come to you!

Make good choices

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

Last week at the ASHES dIVIDE show I had the pleasure of getting my hands on a pre-release copy of Portal’s new album entitled “Blood Red Tape”. For those of you who don’t know, Portal is a Progressive Hard Rock band from Edmonton, and in my opinion one of the best Prog Rock bands in Canada. They’ve been around for about 7 or 8 years and we actually had the honor of playing with them back in 2006, although it wasn’t until recently that we we’re formally introduced to one another.

I remember when I first moved to Edmonton in 2002, I picked up a copy of The SEE Magazine (I had no idea what it was at the time) and as I was reading through it I saw an Ad for a show that Portal was playing at RED’s. I was so removed from the scene at the time that I had no idea who they were, and I was so broke I couldn’t even go to the show. I did however manage to go online and hear some of their music. And from that moment, I was hooked to their unique style of aggressive intelligent music, and I was in awe to think that such a good band was from Edmonton.

All that aside, I have to say, “The New Portal Album is FUCKING AMAZING!” I can’t even begin to explain how well put together “Blood Red Tape” is. It has been years in the making, and it was worth every ounce of energy they put into it. It is some of the best production I have ever heard and it stands up to any signed acts recording production. I am still totally mesmerized from the production alone, the tunes themselves on top of it just add to the awesomeness of the record.

The songs are exactly what you would expect from the evolution of Portal. From 10 minute epics to straight up rock in your face tracks this album has everything a fan of hard rock could ask for. The album keeps you full of suspense and anticipation for whats to come while pounding you to the ground with fat guitar riffs, supreme vocals and amazingly heavy/complex drums, only to come full circle and show you the melodic style Portal has been known for.

By far my favorite aspect of the album is the replay factor. The songs are done in such a way that every time you listen to them you get to hear a little more within the songs that you didn’t catch the first time around, it makes you want to listen to the songs over and over and over. Needless to say, this is one of the best albums I have heard all year… And I don’t mean best album from an indie band, I mean best album all around. But shit, don’t just take my word for it, go take a listen yourself: http://www.bloodredtape.com/

And if you’re in Edmonton I highly suggest you come out to Portals “Blood Red Tape” CD Release Party on September 20th at the Jet Nightclub (the old Kings Knight Pub).

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

When I heard that Dream Theater was coming to Calgary on May 9th 2008, there was no hesitation in buying the tickets the moment they went on sale. A band that I have been listening to for years (even more so after their newer album Train of Thought came out, which I suggest everyone takes a listen to), it was surreal to finally see the amazing musicianship of DT rocking out less than 10 feet in front of my face. That’s right, I pushed my way through the masses up to the front of the pit… and it was freaking awesome.

The drive from Edmonton to Calgary was a breeze as always, pretty much a B-line, and the concert venue was super easy to find as it was at the University of Calgary Campus. I was pretty surprised at how small of a venue they chose to play considering Dream Theater has been around for so long and have garnered quite the following. Although, who am I to complain, this is like the first time they have ever played in a Canada city other than Vancouver, Toronto or Montreal.

The show itself was amazing and the guys in the band are insane when it comes to talent, I only dream of being as good as John Petrucci on guitar. The place was pretty packed and everyone at the front (including me) were literally crushed against each other, it was kind of nasty (haha). Closer to the end of the show I made it to the very front of the stage, I was stuck about 2 people back for the earlier part. Just as I got to the front they played “As I Am” off of Train of Thought. It fucking rocked.

After that I was pretty much exhausted and moved out of the sweat infested mess of people… I had to take my shirt off that’s how soaked it was. I guess the only complaint about the show I have is that I wish they would’ve played more of their heavy songs. They played a lot of their material from the 80′s that I’m really not all that into. Next time they come, they should let me pick their set list for the night, that would be sweet!

In closing, it was well worth the trip and I have now seen another band that I have been dying to see. Next up, Buckethead! Haha.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

I just finished reading the book Hardcore Zen, and it was quite an enjoyable read. It’s the first book I’ve read in quite some time that I wasn’t able to put down. Albeit I was on planes a lot so there wasn’t much else to do, but it really has re-invigorated my desire to practice meditation. It’s always nice to read a book on Zen which discusses the modern aspects of life and how Zen practice can be integrated. Most books written on the subject that I have read we’re written hundreds of years ago, and even though the practical application of Zen still applies (the fundamentals of Zen Buddhism are still the same), it can be difficult at times to relate my experience of life to the authors (seeing as it was written so long ago). This, of course, was not the case in Hardcore Zen.

Written by an old school punk rocker this book was definitely up my ally. From growing up in a small town, to making Japanese monster movies, this book has it all. It’s like reading a light autobiography with gems of Zen scattered through out. From thoughts on Gene Simmons to rants about Ken Wilber (which I think was my favorite part of the book, not so much that he was ranting about Ken, but just my own internal realization of how it was pushing me out of my comfort zone to read it). Honestly, out of all the books I saw in the Zen section of Chapters this was the only one that truly stood out for me, and for good reason.

One other section worth mentioning is the chapter on drugs and spirituality, and I must admit, I don’t think I could agree with Brad (the author) more on the subject… It comes down to this. If you’re gonna do drugs, do them and have a good time, but be honest with yourself in as far as the fact that you are doing them to get fucked up. Don’t go running around using mushrooms or acid as an excuse to experience being one with the universe. I remember a group of friends of mine that would all drop “XTC” and run around talking about how they were experiencing “God” when they did drugs. I personally think that’s a crock a shit. So if you’re gonna do drugs, then do them for the real reason, don’t use the lie of spirituality and experiencing god as an excuse to have a good trip.

In a nutshell thats Hardcore Zen. Go pick up a copy of and take a read, its great for people just getting interested in Zen and for those who have been practicing and want a fresh outlook on modern day aspects of the tradition. If you really enjoy it you can join me in reading the follow up book called “Sit Down and Shut Up”. It takes off right where the last book finished (in as far as the autobiographical aspects) and it also includes a translation/editorial on the Shobogenzo (google it) through out the book.

Hope you enjoyed my little review.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

Maynard James Keenan (Singer for Tool) said it best, and I quote “Start from the basics of what it will take you to survive. You need a roof over your head, food, and clothes. Just start there. Everything else should go into your art.” Wise words, from a smart man. Yet I find it funny, just how difficult something as simple as that can actually be. Between paying the bills and everything else that life throws at us, you truly have to be commited to constantly keep on working on your passion/art day in and day out. Although, the beauty of it is that it never feels like work.

Now I could go into bullet point details of what I think it takes to be a great artist but truthfully, Maynard sums it up quite nicely. It’s just the commitment to act on your passion and make that your number one focus, all the time. It would also be nice if we we’re able to do that thing we love and get paid for it, I think they call that a utopian society? Which begs the question of “If every one got to do what they love to do all the time, then who would clean our toilets?”

So anyway, in my experience, trying to work on music all the time can sometimes feel like a delicate balancing act. Not the work itself, but making the time and organizing schedules. Some weeks are great, but there are some where you have to walk a tight rope while juggling flaming torches and puppy dogs. It’s quite the act, but ultimately, it always works out, assuming your heart is in the right place and it’s what you truly want to do. So being a great artist in my opinion, is pretty simple, you just have to make the time and DO IT!

With that, I’m going to go get my guitar and start playing.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

Where to begin? The last week has definitely been a long one of many thoughts and contemplation. Getting an honest opinion on our new music from reputable producers in the city has definitely taken my mind for a ride in more directions than I would like to admit. Feeling like we’re back at square one would be an overstatement, although I think skipping square one is how we got here in the first place. Here being at a point where we need to go through our personal repertoire of new songs and tear them back down to basics.

See, the first Living Illusion album was mostly written on an acoustic guitar. It was just two guys sitting in an apartment downtown Edmonton pissing off their neighbours playing music.  We wrote lyrics, melodies and everything that we could, given that we didn’t have many instruments at our disposal. When we went into the recording studio for that first album we had a good 8 songs ready to be recorded, not really knowing our direction other than the fact that we wanted it to sound good, and be heavy. From there it was developed into what you hear today, sort of a combination of hard alternative and progressive rock.

With this new album we have sort of tackled the songcraft in an entirely different way. Whether it is because we have the capability to or simply because we found it to be more fun, it has differed in the sense that the driving force behind our new music has been mostly guitars and drums; compared to before where it was mostly acoustic guitars and vocals. At this point on the new album the guitars and drums sound freaking amazing and we have received much praise and many compliments for them (from producers, engineers, friends, etc), but there’s a Catch.

What is it? Well quite simply, by not focusing on vocals, lyrics, and melody lines first (as we did on the self titled disc), we now have to bust our asses hardcore to develop them. The songs are going to sound incredible when they are done, but if I had any advice to give to another song writer it would be: Get an acoustic guitar or a piano, and write Chords with Melody Lines, leave the rest for when you get to the recording studio. It simplifies the process to a degree that isn’t even comparable, trust me. Although, I must admit there has been a huge benefit to this new style of songcraft that we’ve been using.

HEAVY FUCKING GUITARS!

And I wouldn’t have it any other way, but maybe that’s just me.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/

It’s an odd paradigm that we live in right now, where more people than ever are listening to music, yet the value of music has plummeted drastically. This isn’t some attack on file sharing or anything of that sort; this is just a general observation which I’m sure you will agree. For instance, if the year was 1726 and you had an opportunity to hear a live symphony, I can guarantee you that the experience of hearing them would be utter magnificence; like traveling to the edge of the universe and back.

You see, back in those days, hearing a symphony or music at all for that matter was something that was not so common place, it was a rare occasion. So the few times that you did get to hear music it was amazingly wonderful and mesmerizing. You would embrace every moment like it was the last time you would hear music, because who knew how long it would be before your next taste. Now if you compare that experience to some ones experience of music in this day and age, it is a very different picture that is painted.

Almost everything we do whether we realize it or not has music playing during it. Eating, Sporting, Shopping, Elevating, Driving, Walking, Jogging, Talking, Bar Hopping, Computing, iPoding, TVing, Gaming, Blogging, Building, Surfing, Smoking, Drinking, Sleeping, Showering, Dentisting, and the list goes on and on and on. It’s like now a days; you have to make a conscious effort to NOT have music playing, whereas before it was the other way around. Hell, 200 years ago even if you wanted music playing you were probably shit outta luck… unless you were rich.

So here we are in the year 2008, where when it comes to music, we all live like the Kings and Queens of the past and have access to hearing it when ever and where ever we please. What an odd time we live in. With the click of a button I can access 1000′s of hours of tunes and put it on my iPod to go with me everywhere, and that is “normal”. Access to music 24/7, anything and everything is normal… no, not just normal, it’s expected. And what becomes of things that stay the same and we expect all the time? We take them for granted.

And I guess this is just human nature, to take things for granted. To see and hear the things that used to excite us slowly become dull and boring simply because of time and repetition. Sad really, how so few are awe inspired by a sunrise or looking at the stars. It’s a weird irony in that those things which used to make us excited slowly become dull and boring once you get them all the time.

In the end, where does this leave us? Well music isn’t really dead, although people’s level of satisfaction that they receive from listening to music has definitely gone down over the years. So what’s the real new excitement factor in music? What inspires them for more and sucks them in to keep listening? NEW MUSIC. That’s the key. That’s the future. The most quality music, as fast as possible.

But that’s a post for another day.

Shane Lamotte
shane@livingillusion.com
http://www.livingillusion.com/wordpress/