"PayDay" is out, and it's getting some really great response.  Cracked.com and MC Lars have both given it a public endorsement.  MC Frontalot, the godfather of nerdcore, was very positive about it.  We poured our hearts, souls, and wallets into this, and thanks to you, we seem to be realizing the dream of coming out with a high quality album!  I hope that you've had the chance to listen to it and enjoy our efforts!

I'm here today to set forth a couple of challenges for you.  If you're up to the task, let's see how far down the list you can make it.

1) Tell a friend about us.  

2) Like us on facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/chalkskin

3) Subscribe to us on twitter.  https://twitter.com/Chalkskin

4) Subscribe to us on youtube. http://www.youtube.com/user/chalkskinvideo/featured

5) Watch a video (any video), hit "like."

6) Take a picture of yourself with your copy of "PayDay" and e-mail it to[email protected] or upload it to your facebook and tag Chalkskin.

7) Encourage your friends to listen to us for free athttp://www.soundcloud.com/Chalkskin or http://chalkskin.bandcamp.com

8) Write a review for "PayDay" at http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chalkskin

9) Share us with your friends on your favorite social media.

10) Give a copy of "PayDay" to someone as a gift.



Once you've completed 60% of the challenge, e-mail proof to [email protected], and we'll send you a Chalkskin single you can't get anywhere else.

You are the gas on which the Chalkskin engine runs, and this dream can't be realized without your help.

Chalkskin Warriors, unite!

I got an interesting phone call from my nephew yesterday.  He was going through the credits of “Fresh Donuts” and “PayDay” with me.  (By the way, his favorite songs are “Don’t Hassle Me,” “I’m So Angry!,” “T ‘n A,” Alien Police: Theme from the Major Motion Picture,” “Mystery Track,” So You Think You Can Rap?,” “Nerdstock,” “Trek/Wars,” and “Got Game?”  He’s seven.)

During this phone call he asked me a question.  Did I really mean it when I gave special thanks to God?  ‘Cause Grandma doesn’t believe me.  Over the sound of my mother’s protesting that she ever said that, I answered the boy honestly.  Yes, I am serious about it.  Why? he responded.

Because without Him, none of it would be possible.

I guess I should explain.

I guess the first time I really understood that the Chalkskin project was special was when I added up the costs for the first album.  Somehow on a retail manager’s salary, I had managed to come up with over ten grand.  What?  Where did all of that come from?  If my car had broken down and required repairs… or if I needed extensive brain surgery…  or had to fly out of town to go to a funeral… or needed to get gas…  Literally, anything else I would have tried to do, I don’t know how I would have pulled that much money out of my chalky white rear end.

But that’s not really the most compelling argument.  And admittedly, I am prone to believe in miracles more than the average skeptic. (Though not nearly as often as the Jesus-in-the-toast-has-a-stigmata crowd.)

I’ll leave out all of the minor points of fact and move right on to the biggies.  The next one was a bit… harder to deal with.  Remember that retail management job I had when I made the first album?  While working on the second one, I lost my job.  Actually, I got fired for something really stupid.  You know how people say “God works in mysterious ways”?  Sometimes miracles can seem like punishment, even when you see the silver lining.

Since I got fired…  And since the reasons for why they decided to cut me loose after ten long years was dubious…  I was able to get unemployment and work on Chalkskin full-time.  I also was able to cash in all of my vacation time (which, thanks to California, had rolled over into quite a tidy sum), 401 K plans, Health Savings Plan accounts, etc. etc. etc., I was able to funnel a great deal of money into “PayDay.”  Like another ten grand.

Okay, I know what you’re thinking… none of this argues the point that miracles actually do occur.  You’re right.  They might shine a light on mere shadows.  And besides, many would argue that I really owe the results to the actions.  I mean, wasn’t it human ambition that made all of this happen?  Wasn’t it my own tenacity and unwillingness to give up combined with the support and talents of everyone else involved that made the real difference in all of this?

All I can say is that anytime I would get to a dead end, was ready to throw up my hands, was sweating my own health and security, was almost completely without hope (Obama be darned!)… Anytime I would say that the only way we could continue was if money fell out of the sky… well, it kind of did.

Sure, you may all point at the kickstarter campaign and tell me that that’s not a miracle.  That’s good friends.  True dat, n word*!  But you forget that even after that campaign, we ran into yet another dead end that spelled the last for Chalkskin.  How would we get another thousand bucks?  We had just asked every person we’d ever met for their assistance!

Enter Nathan Williams.  He is a guy that used to work for me at that retail job I mentioned before.  He and I have remained friends through social networking and will always have a good bond.  But give me a moment to tell you a bit more about how I know him.

Ten years ago, Nathan was the first guy I ever had to fire.  He was actually a really good worker, and Tina (my boss) and I really loved him.  That’s why we promoted him to a key holder.  With great keys comes great pain in the butt responsibility, and unfortunately for Nate, he had trouble in just one area.  He didn’t always wake up in time to go to work.  Or to open the store.  That happened twice in so many weeks, and our hands were tied.  If he slipped up again, we warned him, we would have no choice.  We offered to be his alarm clock, but Nathan, being the determined, young man that he was told us that would be unnecessary.  He would simply get up in time from then on.  The next day…

Yeah, it sucked.  For all of us.

The next job he got after working with us was at a company that specializes in investments for Roth IRA accounts.  I think he worked there for two weeks.  I think I was his only customer.  I did it more for him than for myself, and when I lost the information for the account, I shrugged it off, put my head down, and kept right on working.

Fast forward ten years.  I get an interest free loan from Nate Williams for a thousand bucks, and we get to finish the album!  He’s cool about the loan, and I will pay him a hundred bucks for the next ten months to pay it off.  I’ll start in August, and unless the album is insanely successful or something else outside of the box happens, I’m going to be subsisting off of a mere $12 a month after my bills.  (That’s for food and fuel.  And that’s if the unemployment checks keep rolling in.)

So about a week ago, I get this letter in the mail.  Seems it’s chased me all over the country.  It’s addressed to me but at my grandfather’s address.  The grandfather that died about seven years ago.  I tear it open, and it’s from that investment company.  If I don’t update my information, by law they will have to consider my account abandoned.  (And they will spend my money on hotdogs for the company picnic or something.)  I call the lady and update things, log on to the website, and check out my long-lost portfolio.

Just under a thousand bucks.

In case you weren’t keeping score at home.  Ten years ago, Nathan Williams invested a paltry sum of money for me that was lost until now.  That money grew exponentially and is now enough to almost fully repay a loan that I am indebted to make good on.  To Nathan Williams.

I don’t know about you, but I think God made a pretty good case this time.




*The “n word” is neighbor.

Insurance claim adjusters are on the scene as we speak.  They are standing atop the nearby buildings, peering down through the gaping hole where the roof once was.  The damage is almost incomprehensible.

On Saturday the 14th of July, the roof of The Ruby Room was completely blown off.
Broken Pixels, Geezer, El-Gun Legro, Doc Awk, Devil's Playground Burlesque, MC Lars, and MC Frontalot joined Chalkskin on stage and rocked the crowd like a broken dishwasher.  No one throws a Comic Con after-party quite like The Ruby Room!

Chalkskin would like to thank everyone came out, performed, and made the event happen.  Can’t wait to see all of you again.

Until then, our prayers go out to the victims and their families.

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/chalkskin

Today is the day you've all been waiting for!  "PayDay" is officially available!!

It would mean a lot to us if you would take the time to pick up your album as soon as now.  For some reason people look at sales to determine an artist's worth.  Weird, right?