Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the crib,
My ipod was playing some ‘Bel-Boe-Deviv.’
I got up to switch it and put on something new,
As I quickly scrolled down to my favorite band Muse.

“Hysteria” thumped as I turned up the speakers,
The bass filled my body – my head to my sneakers.
It rattled my Christmas tree, and rumbled my walls,
Like visions of Stevie Ray Vaughan at Carnegie Hall.

As I rocked like a reindeer, I heard something crumble,
It was Santa who had slipped on the rooftop, he’d stumbled?!?!?
I grabbed me a ladder, and climbed up the side,
I yelled to Kris Kringle, “Are you all right?!?”

“I’ve broken me arm and I’ve injured me head.
I can’t pilot my sleigh!  Oh, Christmas is dead.”
I replied, “Do not worry, you are now in good hands.”
As I backed up my tour bus and called out to my band.

I dropped gift after present to my drummer below
As my guitar player, Joseph, had Santa in tow.
We loaded the tour bus, and filled it with gas.
I put on some music to help us relax.

Go Ben Folds, Go Bee Gees, Go Jay-Z and U2,
On Weezer, the Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Who.
We turned up the tunes as we checked on the cargo,
We’d have to save Christmas from L.A. to Key Largo.

We drove off in a flash as we went door to door,
And delivered the presents to the rich and the poor.
As we squeeled all the tires, I screamed out to the block,
“Merry Christmas to all – May your holiday rock!!”

For my friends and fans.  Thanks so much for all of your support over 2009.  Here’s to an amazing 2010!!
                        Love and Best Wishes,
                                           Kevin Burdick
                                           www.PianoRockstar.com

I have heard of L.A. referred to as “The City of Broken Dreams” as thousands of dreamers make their way to the harsh landscape of Hollywood each year.  For every Brad Pitt, there are hundreds upon hundreds of Bradley’s you never heard of living somewhere in Southern California.  It’s no surprise that Los Angeles is the homeless capital of America with nearly 300,000 homeless taking refuge on her streets.  The dreamers come out here with nothing and often leave here with nothing.  In reality, the City of Angels is not paved with gold, but with bones.

Truth be told, the weather in L.A. is often spectacular, but it can get a little chilly in the winter months especially at night.  For many of the homeless it can be a challenge to stay warm while huddling up under their favorite overpass during Christmas-time.  Tonight the temperature would get into the low 40’s.

For the last few years, my parents have forgone the neckties, the chocolate covered cherries, the tool sets, and the Shamwows and, instead, have requested that their 5 children partake in a random act of kindness on their behalf.  A “charitable act” is all that they want for Christmas.

And so it was with my parents request in mind that I placed one of my favorite sweat shirts in the backseat of my car.  It’s a black Hurley sweatshirt, thick and warm, with a zipper that goes all the way up the hoodie.  It’s still stylish, but with 4 other cool sweatshirts in my closet, it will soon be forgotten.  I told my close friend, Tim Nichols, that we were going on a drive tonight.  I explained that we’d get some dinner, and then, by a miracle of the universe, stumble upon the right homeless person who would most benefit from this jacket. 

Later in the evening, as I emerged from a convenience store lobby with drinks in hand, I noticed a man shivering near the front door.  “Would you have some change that I can borrow so that I can get me some smokes?” the man asked politely.  His pants were dirty and his t-shirt was old and worn.  “Sure,” I said taking $5 out of my pocket and handing it to the man. “It’s kind of cold out.  Could you use a coat too?” “Yes sir,” he replied, “That would be nice.”  Walking to the back of my car, I pulled out the Hurley jacket I had set aside just for this very purpose.  “Here you go, man.”  I quickly pointed out the finer details of the jacket to him, how the zipper could go up to the top of the hoodie for “total face warmness” and how he would probably be the hippest guy out here.  He laughed.   As he walked away I said, “Merry Christmas man – hope this year’s a warm one for ya.”  He nodded and waved as he slipped away into the night to join the army of other homeless people on the streets of Los Angeles County.

So tonight, somewhere out there in the darkness, you may encounter a hip homeless man wearing a Hurley jacket.  Hopefully, he’ll remind you that it’s never too late to do something nice for someone else this Christmas season. 

In thinking of tonight, I remember that Jesus Christ himself was born homeless in a stable near Bethlehem.  One of my favorite Bible quotes that I learned as a kid reads:  “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (Matthew 25:40).”   This, my friends, is the spirit of Christmas:  The act of giving for the sake of giving – The spirit of Jesus Christ. 

Thanks so much for reading my story, and may you and your loved ones have a very merry Season of Giving!!

Saturday’s Barry Sobel Show was one of the surreal nights I’ll remember for a long time.  As Paul Schaffer has been to David Letterman for years, I was to Barry this weekend – providing music in-between acts such as Late Night’s Spike Feresten, Chris Fairbanks, and Jonas Garvin.  It was a lot of fun and Barry was kind, appreciative, and wonderful to work with.  If you’re not familiar with Barry Sobel then you probably haven’t seen Revenge of the Nerds II and weren’t familiar with the Emmy nominated writers for Saturday Night Live in the early 2000’s.  If you’re not familiar with Spike Feresten then you aren’t watching Fox later than 11 PM, but his talk show is arguably the one with the best “skits.”

At the end of the night I took about an hour and jammed with my great percussionist Aaron Chavez for the few stragglers who had stuck around to jam and drink.  Big thanks to Barry and his crew, John the owner of Club Trip, Aaron “Chives” Chavez, and everyone who attended the show and stayed until the wee hours of the night to celebrate life with me.

As Depeche Mode once sang, “Your own personal photographer, someone to take your pics, someone who’s quick…”  Or at least, I think that’s how it went.  At any rate, my best friend and personal photographer Mr. Jared Platt paid me a surprise visit a couple weeks ago here in LA.  The end result was a fun photo shoot and a tasty lunch with my buddies that I figured I would share with you.  Big thanks to Jared Platt (www.plattphotography.com), Dale Spollett*, and Tim Nichols** – all good friends and great guys that I’m sure you’ll be seeing everywhere in the not too distant future.

* Dale Spollett is a Stand-Up Comedian here in LA and is also the new ‘John Belushi’ in the Blue’s Brothers Show for Universal Studios.  Dale and I occasionally perform together in our comedy stage show, “A Double Dose of Dale.”
** Tim Nichols is a comedy writer and actor, featured in the sitcom ‘American Body Shop; on Comedy Central.

Entertainer Kevin Burdick living riches to rags tale 
By Mike Henle
          Entertainer Kevin Burdick may be the storybook example of an entertainer whose trials and tribulations are best illustrated in his music.
        Those who perform on stage tend to be ideal motivators considering their ability to transform victories and setbacks into music with storylines that others can identify with.
        And for the piano playing 36-year-old native of St John’s, Ariz., sitting down behind a keyboard is tantamount to a therapy session without the charge.
        Burdick’s own story entails what might be considered riches to rags series of chapters that tells of a career that has seen him combine a career in medical software with that of a musical career with an endless series of ups and downs.
        A graduate of Brigham Young University, Burdick is thankful for his victories and philosophical about his defeats. He has been playing the piano since he was six learning that music calms him while also offering great joy.
        “My parents forced me to take lessons and I didn’t like the piano much when I was a kid,” Burdick relates now. “It was a struggle to practice.
        “Then I learned Lionel Richie’s “Hello” and that got me hooked. I was in about the seventh grade and I then realized that I could also write music. It was in my genes.”
        By the time he became a senior in high school, Burdick excelled in playing the piano. He was riding a wave and capitalized on the talent while working his way through BYU in Provo, Utah.
        In 2005, Burdick wrote “Robbie’s Song” which told of an uncle who spent seven years in prison for drug trafficking. The song combined with his day job in the medical software business created a good income.
        “I was making six figures and had no debt,” Burdick explained. “It was awesome.”
        But as quickly as the bank account ballooned, the bottom fell out when Burdick invested $100,000 in a hard money loan operation that had been presented as a no-lose proposition. Compounding the financial decline was another $25,000 loan to a friend who also hasn’t paid back the debt.
         “It can all be gone in a heartbeat,” says the personable Burdick. “Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a safe investment nowadays.”
        Burdick’s lifestyle suddenly went from living in an expensive house and driving a Lexus to living with buddies and hanging out in a tour bus. To say the past few years have humbled is an understatement especially considering things were compounded by the fact that his infant daughter died six years ago of a heart ailment.
        However, through it all, Burdick is still playing at establishments throughout the country at a time when Americans are searching for an outlet during troubling times. Live entertainment along with movie theaters have seemed to enjoy good results as people search for an escape from reality.
        “I should be booked up throughout the year especially in Southern California,” said Burdick. “I’m now working in a lot of small venues where people seem to enjoy solo artists.
        “I am a story teller and people seem to appreciate that.”
        While venue owners can also present their share of issues, Club Trip in Santa Monica has remained one of Burdick’s favorite spots to play.
        “The owner there has really treated me well,” Burdick said. “He seems to appreciate the music and the storylines behind each song. Sometimes you’ll find people both crying and laughing during the songs depending on the music.
        “As an entertainer, you know how well you’re doing by the reaction from the audience. But only a handful of entertainers get rich in this business, that’s for sure.”
        Other performances have been in Las Vegas and Nashville.
        In the meantime, Burdick wants to start writing for other entertainers knowing he can continue to perform. He also has a touching charity called The Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation which offers to help purchase headstones for infants who have passed away.
        Twice divorced and struggling with psoriasis, Burdick is convinced not to give up.
        “This can definitely be a rat trap,” he says. “There have been such massive changes in the music industry and companies are not going to spend a lot of money marketing an entertainer. The industry has struggled to adapt to the MP3s and digital music, so the ability to make a living is somewhat limited nowadays.
        “There is definitely a lot of talk and very little delivery.”
        Friend and business manager Ken Gray praises Burdick.
        “Kevin is a very close personal friend,” says Gray. “His biggest strength is his ability to bring a real life tragedy into a song and make it into melodious music. He has songs that are very deep and very passionate. You can’t help but feel the passion. He is nothing short of genius.”
        Gray said he will often receive emails from fans lauding Burdick’s performances.
        “I have actually received emails from people saying Kevin’s music has saved their lives,” he said. “We have members of the audience who are suffering and they appreciate Kevin’s work. Very few entertainers can identify with his fans like Kevin. He’s not the least bit phony and there is no doubt in my mind that he will one day be a household name.”
        Burdick has signed with goDigital.com, so his CDs are being distributed throughout the world through the Internet. He is also working with several event planners to be included in large national shows including the 2009 national Independence Day parade in Washington, D.C.
        “Kevin tears the place up every time he’s here,” said John DeCoster, owner of Club TRiP in Santa Monica. “He is an incredibly talented performer. Each and every time he has performed at Trip, he somehow manages to bring light hearted and absolutely hysterical improvisation balanced with music that shows his true artistic depth.”
          Further information regarding Burdick’s career and his foundation can be found at www.kevinburdick.com or www.dempseyburdick.com.  

Mike Henle is a Nationally Recognized Las Vegas based freelance writer and the author of “Through the Darkness: One Man’s Fight to Overcome Epilepsy.” He can be contacted at mhenle@aol.com or through his web site www.mikehenle.com.

If you were one of the 30 or so people present last night in the small venue known as O’Briens in Santa Monica, you witnessed what many are calling the “second coming of awesome!!”  That’s because we rocked the place for an hour and a half with originals, emotional ballads, and devious comedy – it was my 2nd time performing there and it was great!  The back room at O’Briens was virtually full and there were a lot of familiar faces in the audience who came out.

Special guest Dale Spollett joined me on-stage for several songs as our grand finale included such improv tales as “Octagon Wedding (about a UFC wedding, including punches to the naughty bits)” and “The Passed-Out Stranger (named Meredith).”  We finished the night with our legendary version of “You’ve Lost that Loving Feeling” including the incredibly difficult whistle solo at the end.

It was a hilarious night, and it was also a sad night.  I had a few people in tears when I sang the song “Too Good For This World” that I wrote for my daughter.  She would have turned 6 years old next month.  It makes me increasingly melancholy when I think about it – luckily I have an outlet in my music.  I also broke out my new song for the 2010 album I’m writing entitled, “Slowly Dying in LA” which was also a crowd favorite.

Big thanks to everyone who came out and supported, Ken for selling stuff, Dale for running sound and doing what he does best, Aaron for making sweet noises on the percussion, and the entire O’Briens staff for treating me great every time I play there.

Part of an Improv Song from O’Briens in Santa Monica.
Passed Out Stranger with Dale Spollett
(Warning some adult language):

First off, let me begin by saying that living in Southern California is kind of like living in an episode of the twilight zone.  Weird things happen and life can be pretty unpredictable out here.  Over the last 2 days I’ve bumped into the guy who played Dozier from the Matrix at an Olive Garden and I stumbled onto Willis (Todd Bridges) from The Different Strokes in a tattoo shop – “What you talking about, Willis?”  It’s always interesting what you might see in LA.

Friday night’s show at The Witches Brew was just another one of those epic Southern California nights.  Great music, hilarious comedy, and fun times for everyone.  Dale Spollett, my good friend who also assists me with social networking website management, opened up for me.  He sang some covers and originals and, specifically, got the crowd nice and toasty warm.  Then I got on-stage.  By the end of the night, Dale and I were both on-stage improvising such potential hits as “Robots on the Moon,” “Frogs Tap Dancing With You,” “Tom Cunninglingus Has Jungle Fever and Loves Orange Soda.”  Yes, weird suggestions from a wild audience, but somehow Dale and I ran with those and even had tight harmonies on the choruses.  It was a fun night.  The grand moment was a duet between Dale and I of “You Lost that Loving Feeling” which included an epic whistle solo.

I want to thank everyone who came out to the show to support and also The Witches Brew for taking great care of us.  Big thanks to Aaron Chavez for handing percussion duties, Dale for opening, and Ken for setting up the gig.  I look forward to playing back there in North Hills again sometime soon.

More photos from the show:

Hey California – I have three great shows coming up over the next week that I hope to see you at.   Bring your friends and don’t be shy.

Witches Brew epitomizes a local dive bar, like a cleaner version of Cheers, and has great drink specials.  O’Briens is one of the coolest Irish Pubs in Southern California – Even the owner Kevin bartends (and has a cool name).  Club Trip has all the top shelf saki and beer for bottom shelf prices and is one of the best up-and-coming local clubs in Santa Monica.

XOXO
Kevin

Chalk another one up for good-times and the home team as another successful acoustic show came to a close last night in Santa Monica.  Club TRiP as always was good to me and the travelling acoustic show, Hollow Body LA, was a great thing to be a part of.  All of the acoustic acts on the ticket were very talented.

Big thanks to everyone who came out to support, Aaron Chavez for his amazing percussion work, and the super audience for being so involved in the performance.  The audience suggested improv song entitled, “An Airplane Hit My Fluffy Kitten,” seemed to be a hit (and was a definite challenge) about me strapping a glider to my cat and teaching it to fly, and things going very badly after that.  PETA was not happy with me.  Note: I do not support actually strapping wings to a cat and teaching it to fly.  Bad idea.

Photos from the show:

The epic art and music show that took place in Salt Lake City this week would have had to have been attended in order to truly appreciate.  The paintings by Jeremy Wilkinson were both awesome and provocative, so much so, that I took one of the paintings home with me to hang over my bed here in Los Angeles. 

The show itself was a night of great performances.  Both of the opening acts, ”Atilast” and “Michael Gross & the Statuettes” put on an incredible show and the hundred or so people that were in attendance seemed to enjoy every detail of the event.

Big thanks to Chris Doucet (Drums) and Ben Johnson (Bass) for rocking the night with me, as well as the event organizers for trusting me with their headliner status.  I had a great time and am slowly recovering from the trip out to Salt Lake City for the show.  Mostly, I appreciate the Utah fans who came out to support this leg of the tour.  You guys blew up the venue and made me look good – thank you so much!!

Event photos: