KINGVEGAS is a St. Louis, MO- based musician that plays guitar, bass, Warr Guitar, drums and sings. He performs in a variety of cover groups in solo, duo and band formats as well as writing, producing and performing original music with his original group Smokstik and for others including the Jamcorps workout system.
KINGVEGAS teaches a wide range of styles on guitar and bass.
KINGVEGAS is also an avid motorcycle enthusiast and rides daily year-round weather permitting.
KINGVEGAS also lives a straightedge lifestyle and has never indulged in alcohol or drugs despite working as a musician for over 25 years.
Click on the links and read the articles to learn more about KINGVEGAS and what he's up to.
Making changes...
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- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Friday, 13 January 2012 17:20
- KINGVEGAS,
Derek Sivers- the founder of CDBaby- the largest independent CD distributor around- once offered this sage and oft-repeated comment regarding adulthood and doing business- "Life is like high school". I first heard that back in the 90's and it struck me as odd but I must admit that it in my experience (and apparently in many others') it has been proven to be true.
In high school all I wanted to be is a rock star. I spent most every free moment practicing my guitar and trying to put or keep bands together with a variety of high school- then older individuals. I admit that it's never been easy to get a good gig or keep it together but I've always tried!
Motivation for the masses...
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- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Monday, 12 December 2011 18:18
- KINGVEGAS,
Bills, laundry, sleep, eat, shower, shave, kids, holidays. Oh the things that can get in the way of productivity but must nonetheless be addressed on a daily basis. These factors can really slow down a musician (entrepreneur) who lacks an outside structure to give them specific daily tasks and schedules. How do we overcome these natural obstacles to being productive?
Priorities...
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- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Wednesday, 14 September 2011 16:16
- KINGVEGAS,
Priorities- what are they? The most important things that you do? The most important things that you think about? The most important things that you're supposed to do? THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU KNOW THAT YOU OUGHT TO DO BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON HAVEN'T GOTTEN DONE YET????
Doubt, procrastination, indecision...
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- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Monday, 07 November 2011 14:04
- KINGVEGAS,
Doubt, procrastination and indecision. Have these issues ever haunted you? Doubt- "Can I do this? Is this the right thing to do? Is there something else that I should be doing?" etc. Procrastination- maybe we can call this "reverse prioritization" in that we may do everything except for what we should be doing but why? Indecision- "Maybe I should do this instead of that?" "Oh crap- did I do the wrong thing?" "Am I wasting my time?" etc. I would say they are all dysfunctional siblings that slow us down and prevent us from finding the happiness and success that we seek in life.
What persists- resists...
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- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Saturday, 10 September 2011 17:34
- KINGVEGAS,
"What persists resists"
This phrase sticks in my head yet I struggle to grasp it's meaning. I
would say that it almost takes on a paraphrased meaning to me in that
I struggle to find a path in my musical life that is both artistically
satisfying and profitable. No matter how many times I put down the
Warr in frustration it always ends up back in my hands.
Motorcycle lessons...
- Details
- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Sunday, 25 September 2011 16:01
- KINGVEGAS,
As an avid motorcyclist of 6 years I have gone from feathering the clutch in my driveway to doing endless loops, stops, starts and shifts in a parking lot to hitting corners in the country at high speeds. Though I have learned a lot about riding a motorcycle every day is a learning experience and an opportunity to improve. Smoother shifting, faster turning, better stops, etc.
Time and Time Management...
- Details
- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Friday, 09 September 2011 19:17
- KINGVEGAS,
50 days to Rockstardom- what happened???
Time. Other stuff. Family. Moving. Stuff.
As a 44 year-old man that's married and raising 3 teenagers "finding
time" can be quite challenging. The nature of the work involved with
being a pro musician is also somewhat nebulous and unstructured
compared to your average J-O-B with a destination (office, store,
warehouse, factory, etc.) and imposing structure can be quite
challenging.
The Fruit and the Flower...
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- Category: 50 DAYS TO ROCKSTARDOM
- Published on Wednesday, 21 September 2011 16:46
- KINGVEGAS,
There is a quote from the Tao Te Ching- "Focus on the fruit- not the flower". I have been struggling to not only figure out what my "fruit" and "flower" is but even try to understand the nature of the "fruit" and the "flower".
As a full-time pro musician I am in fact a self-employed individual aspiring to be a small-business owner. Based on the assumption that I'm a pro (as in careeer) musician my "fruit" could be construed as financial or artistic.
50 days to Rockstardom- business- the fifth element
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- Published on Thursday, 14 April 2011 16:04
- KINGVEGAS,
When we think of music we think of art, freedom, emotion, excitement, entertainment, etc. When we think of business we usually think of the opposite- static, conservative, unemotional, etc. Trying to put these two disparate elements together can be extremely challenging. I would call DOING BUSINESS the 5th element of being a Rockstar.