KevinBurdick.com Blog » music

Diary of a Tonsillectomy

admin — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:02:15 +0000

Concerned fans have been asking me recently why my performing schedule has slowed significantly over the last 12 months. One of the main reasons for that is I have been having problems with my voice. After years of struggling with inflamed tonsils, strep throat, and issues with chronic laryngitis I am finally taking the proper steps next Wednesday. I’m letting a man stick his hand down my throat and rip our my poor swollen tonsils.

December 2009 meetings with renowned physician Mark Kerner ENT in Northridge California showed slight damage to the right vocal cord from years of performing and living hard. Plain and simple, I wasn’t taking great care of myself. Additionally, he spotted tonsil inflammation and recommended a course of treatment involving medication and a change in diet. A second opinion in June 2010 with Jerry Josen, ENT in Scottsdale Arizona revealed that the tonsils have become larger and more inflamed in recent months and that the vocal chords are still red and irritated. Surgery seems to be the best course of action at this point, so we scheduled to have them removed on Wednesday, June 23^rd 2010.

What will this mean for the music? Plans to release the new album (Working Title: The Ivory Coast) are still on point for early fall. It will be a 12-song full length album featuring and exploring love in all of its splendor. Fans can expect the music to still be based on real and inspired stories. We’ve taken up a new producer on the album in wunderkid Chris Doucet and the tracks are still being recorded in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Voice-wise, it’s hard to know how I might be affected. When I sing the final tracks in August it will be interesting to note if not-having-a-stone-in-the-back-of-my-throat affects my range, timbre, or sound – regardless, I am confident that whatever changes may occur, I have the inner make-up to roll with them and make them work for me and the fans of my music.

Wish me luck and thanks so much for your concern and continued support!

What’s Eating Gilbert, Arizona??

admin — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 20:57:48 +0000

My favorite kind of show is where I can take my life and use it to inspire and entertain someone else as well as make a small difference in a community. Hopefully Gilbert, AZ is a little more inspired and entertained from my performances this week.

This Wednesday I had the pleasure to entertain and inspire several hundred Arizona youth and their families in both a day show and an evening show – the proceeds of which went to the Dempsey Burdick Memorial Foundation (www.babyheadstones.org) and Coronado Elementery School in Gilbert, AZ. The red carpet was rolled out for me at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts as I played on the very piano that Ronnie Milsap played on just a few days prior. I definitely felt to Ronnie Milsap energy flowing through me as I had a couple near mistake-free shows.

Day Show. Following the mid-day show for the youth, I went out to sign autographs. I was nearly eaten alive by young students who viewed me as some kind of Justin Timberlake with sideburns. Many of the kids informed me that they loved my rendition of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” while other’s begged me to sign their foreheads. Hoping the parents would forgive me (I didn’t sign any foreheads), I went ahead and signed hands, shirts, shoes, books, papers, tickets, arms, and shorts at the show. It felt good to be appreciated and the show organizers commented that during the show ”this was the best they’d ever seen those kids behave.” Glad I could have been a catalyst for that.

Night Show. The night show for local families was slightly more serious, with me getting into some of the extremely sad stories of the families we’d helped at the foundation. I did break up the tears, however, with my super-medley rendition of Tiny Dancer, Cheers, Facts of Life, Charles in Charge, Greatest American Hero, and Laverne and Shirley. After the night show I mingled in the foyer with many old friends and new fans, signed autographs, and took photos. Many thanks to all of those that came out, supported, and donated to the foundation – as well as those who bought t-shirts, CDs, and posters – the support was hugely appreciated.

Thank Yous. Big thanks to Jared Platt for his intro and photography (I’ll be posting those next week), Jennifer DeTemple and Shayla Taylor along with Coronado Elementary for being their awesome selfs as the show organizers, Aaron “Chives” Chavez for coming out from Los Angeles to play amazing percussion with me, Senior Cody McCormick for his “Roadiness” and his excellent handling of Merch Sales, and the staff at the Higley Center for the Performing Arts for being so accomodating and easy to work with. It was a great day that I won’t soon forget!!

Photos of the show:

Everyone Deserves Love – A Lesbian Wedding Story.

admin — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 01:43:20 +0000

Those who know me know that I love women, in fact, some might joke that I love women “a little too much.” So when it comes to the gay community, I can’t say that I understand what it means to have a same-sex attraction or the societal challenges gays and lesbians face, but I definitely know what it meant to be persecuted because I was different (see High School). Needless to say, when my sweet lesbian friend Jessica called me to perform at her Utah Wedding last week, there was no way that I could tell her ”no.” Conveniently, I was already in Salt Lake City recording my new album, so on Saturday I drove to a church near the University of Utah having no idea what to expect.

During the wedding ceremony I played some pretty background piano music that I improvised entirely – mostly variations of church hymns - as Amanda and Jessica and their wedding procession walked to the front of the standing-room only chapel. Jessica’s only instruction to me was “you can play anything but the wedding march.” So I took some liberties, even adding some simple light Jazz to the mix. Later that night, during the evening reception at the Museum of Art, I played a brand new love song off of my new album called “God Made You Just For Me” as well as my rendition of “It’s a Wonderful World.” The brides danced with each other and then danced with their fathers as I sang.

All and all, it was a beautiful snow-covered day and the two girls looked both elegant and ecstatically happy. The biggest thing I got out of the experience was a simple reminder that no matter if we are gay or straight, black or white, or tall or short, we are all God’s children and we all deserve to have love and be loved. Everyone deserves happiness. Thank you Jessica and Amanda for reminding me of that and for allowing me to take part in your important day. Congratulations!!

Curious about the happy couple? Check out their blog: http://lesbianmomma.wordpress.com/

Twas the night before Christmas…

admin — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 07:25:16 +0000

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

The Spirit of Christmas – A Kevin Burdick Rant.

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 05:27:05 +0000

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!!

The Barry Sobel Show

admin — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:04:13 +0000

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.

Photos from the show:

My Own Personal Photographer.

admin — Sun, 31 May 2009 13:01:11 +0000

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.

National Author Mike Henle Pens Beautiful Story on Kevin Burdick.

admin — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:39:59 +0000

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.

The O’Briens Show – No, not Conan.

admin — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 22:56:11 +0000

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):

Brewing Up Some Sweet Music!

admin — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 23:53:00 +0000

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: