Steamboat Springs, Colorado. June 11.  Possibly more than anywhere in the country, the people in Steamboat Springs, Colorado understand the importance of Quality of Life. They have a small community that stresses good health, good food, and knowledge of their surroundings. Not only geographically, but socially. There are no chain restaurants, everyone knows the person that makes their food and drink, and where it all came from. They are kind and open minded, and they like to dance. That is more important than the average person realizes.     The Ghost Ranch Saloon is one of best clubs a touring musician could hope to play. Tonight was our first night here, and there was a crowd of 250 people eagerly waiting to drink, dance and enjoy there lives. Then ride their bikes home (all their cruisers come equipped with cupholders.)     Thanks to everyone in Steamboat and especially Brian Smith for setting this up for us. Time for bed, Sunday show at The Little Bear in Evergreen tomorrow.

I think I speak for everyone when I say “Whats up with the f%*#ing weather? I remember when I was a kid, and it hailed… once.  Now its a weekly occurrence.. I could use a week of sunshine.

I am going to try to upload a picture of my mustache from Kenny’s 6th Annual Mustache Bash.  TUGG, The Mighty Short Bus, Lucas Cates Band, and Function rocked the house for some sweet mustache clad music lovers.  It was my first time seeing Function, and they were amazing.  They are from Kalamazoo, MI but will be at Summerfest, so if you see them, tell them The Mighty Short Bus says hi.  If you look closely at the picture of my sweet mustache, you can see Lucas Cates and Keefe Klug in the reflection of my sunglasses (yes, they are woman’s sunglasses.  I found them.)

Saturday we played a killer show at The Milwaukee Ale House.  The Ale House is an institution for music in Milwaukee and John McCabe is one cool Mofo..

Sunday we played an evening show at The Sandy Hook in The Southwest Part of Nowhere, WI.  I am naming this place one of the “Must Go’s” for all live music fans, just ask Sarah Warmke.  There will be others to follow .

Last night I wrote a song with Carleen Wild of Main Street Wisdom (and yes, of channel 15 news.)  We sat in my garage, drank a beer and wrote a song, which we have yet to name… We should get on that.  This song will be on an upcoming EP of duets/Co-written songs featuring myself and local songstresses, the working title is “A Rooster in the Hen House”

K, back to work.  Enjoy the rain!

I met with Pat the other day, and he said that since I was the Project M Champ, I could keep blogging on here.  So I shall..  I will keep you updated on not only my personal escapades, but also the shenanigans of The Mighty Short Bus.  Which can be grand in both scope and scale .

First I need to say what a great season 2011 was for Project M.  Mostly because I won, but also because there was so much talent involved.  Many of whom I was unaware of.  I knew Mark, and had heard of Brianna, but that was the extent of my knowledge of the contestants.  The Anna’s (Wang and Dhybahl,) Chelsea Z, Jason Horowitz, Charlie Kim, Ryan Mauer, Mark and Brianna are all extremely talented.  They were also all really nice people.  I hope we all stay in touch.  Following the work ethic that Project M has instilled with regards to writing, I plan on churning out as much music as my pen can write, and invite any of them to work together on something sometime.  Charlie and I have already committed to writing a song together.  I also was very honored to get to know many of the contestants from last season, thanks to the duet challenge.

There are lots of other projects I am working on including a new MSB record, a record of duets (inspired by the song with Beth Kille,) a solo record and lots of interesting shows in Madison.  It is a lot of work, but like they say, “Ride it tall or not at all.”  See you out there, Frank

I think I am going to switch professions. I watched Black Swan last night, and I am going to give it a…. “meh.”  Maybe a “meh +” but either way.  I was kinda glad when it was over.

So, I think I have my setlist chosen.  They told us we had to do all originals, but I think I can sneak in some Sugar Ray b-sides, or a lesser known Smash Mouth song and that will give me the edge I need .

I have a few Short Bus songs, a few songs that you might have heard on Project M, or at my solo shows, and even a few brand new ones.  I am very excited for tomorrow night.

We should bet on the order that we play, you know, like the coin toss at the Superbowl..  I think it’s even money that I pick the first spot lol..

I know we are supposed to keep away from reading the comment board, but sometimes that is like telling a hungry dog to stay away from those uncooked steaks on the table… So yes, we read the comment board, at least I do, and I know Jason does.  He jokingly asked me if I was the one who wrote that he F***ing sucked.  I politely informed me that it was Mark.  Seriously tho, it’s amazing how anonymity can turn people mean.  Then again they can be jerks in person as well.  We have had people come up to us at shows, request some God awful Creedleback (something of the Creed/Nickleback genre) song, and when we say we don’t know it, they inform us that we suck..  I always wanted to go to their work and scream at them, then when they don’t do what I want, tell them they suck at their job lol.

Alas I am not a heckler, I am a songwriter, so I shall exact my revenge in that manor.  You can expect a song in the finals inspired by the infamous comment board.

Thanks for everyone that has been following this competition the last few weeks, it has been quite a ride.  Last night we got whittled down to the final three contestants.  Unfortunately Anna Dybdahl didn’t make the finals.  She is extremely talented, and probably the most positive person in Project M.  So don’t worry, you will hear her name a lot in the coming years.

All week I feared that I was on the chopping block.  I had very little time to write that last challenge, even less to rehearse it.  When I finished playing, I texted my sister that I had “bombed.”  When she asked what I gave my performance, I gave it a 3 out of 10..  You can imagine my relief and surprise when Pat said that I was not only safe, but that I had won this challenge.  Maybe I will revisit “Money” and polish it up for future use.

I must admit, it was nice to win one going into the finals.  I feel like I should thank Mark and Jason for “finally letting me win” lol.  Either way, I feel a good shot of confidence, and quite frankly it was needed.  I can’t speak for the rest of the contestants, but I think Project M has been affecting my state of mind lately.  Having your music judged by not only your peers, but also the general public can trigger both elation, and depression.  It has been tricky to keep perspective.  I think a thank you is in order to my girlfriend, son, and bandmates for putting up with my moodiness.

I plan on blogging a few times this week, but here is my schedule, should you want to see me play.  Saturday The Mighty Short Bus will be playing the Monona 20k from 10:30-1, we have a private show in Green Bay that night.  Friday I will be doing charity solo show for the Studio Quest Fashion Show, I play from 5-6, check facebook for details.  I will be playing a 15 minute set when I pick up my son from daycare today.. But that is a surpise .  Talk soon.

I wasn’t entirely thrilled with this challenge.  I knew it was coming, but that didn’t make it any easier to do.  On top of that I had a big week outside of Project M to deal with, 4 shows all over the state and in Iowa, and my entire family (Mom, Dad, 4 sisters, 2 brothers, spouses, and 18 nieces and nephews, and a few extras) at my house on Sunday for Easter.  I guess what I am saying is I wish I had more time/energy to devote to this challenge.  That being said, I am still proud of the song I wrote, my performance might be lacking a bit, but the song is still strong.

I decided to just come out and say it.  I wasn’t necessarily taking sides, but just trying to capture the motivating factor in all this uproar.  I thought about writing of the time I took my son Freddy down to see the protests, and with him up on my shoulders being swept up into the parade while he plugged his ears from the noise.  I thought about writing a love song to Lady Forward.  But in the end I decided to just speak my mind and rant for a bit.  I started on Wednesday, and wrote the first half.  I knew I didn’t want a chorus, I just wanted it to sound like something Todd Snider ranted before he busts into “Conservative Christian Right Wing Republican.”  I wanted it to feel like a preacher in a pulpit.  Somewhat unrehearsed, angry, but not to the point that it turns you off to what I am saying.  I guess I was looking for some universal truth.
Here are the lyrics and you can decide what you want….

Money                                                                Words/Music Frank Busch

Money, That’s what we came here for, it’s dirty and smelly, like the tiles on the bathroom floor.

Nobody should have to go through live poor, except maybe the artists and the preachers, the farmers and the teachers.  Maybe the folks in radio, I don’t know…

Money, That’s what this is all about,.  Let no crisis go to waste.

Aint that what they always say?  Who the hell are “they” anyways?
I need a name, or a face. Give me someone to blame. About all these problems with

Money, and greed sweet greed.  Greed is good, we’ve been told.
You get a little and you want some more.  It motivates, intoxicates, inebriates, as it elevates you out of your current state of depression, but I just got one question..

Has it made you happy?

Has it bought you love?

Has it squared your debt, with the good Lord up above?
Money, just follow the trail and without fail it leads the way to the thieves, the conspiracies, and the cooperate greed.

They always seem to be a factor in all this.

Even Willie Nelson pays his taxes.

Where’s all the Money?

And the quid pro quo, it’s not what but who you know.

You scratch my back and I got yours.

And the Railroads.. Don’t get me started on the beautiful railroads.

We turned down that money, to give out loans that aint never gonna get paid back

No Tax For Tracks my ass…

It’s about the Money

I it aint never gonna be enough

To feed the greed and hypocrisy that lives inside of each one of us.

It aint me, it aint me, it aint my side of the politics.

Yes it is, yes it is.  No matter how much you don’t want to admit

We are all living in this swamp together

If you really want to make it better

Talk to those who don’t agree

Turn off your God Damn TV

Ask some questions, read the news

Walk a mile in another man’s shoes

It’s alright to laugh cause it’s kinda funny

Don’t forget it’s all about Money……

Here it is.  Thanks again to Beth for working with me.  We have decided to go into the studio with this song and record it soon.

If you have ever seen Walk Hard, my title is pretty funny.

First and foremost, I have to say that I am gonna miss having Charlie at the studio, he and I have become very good friends, and it won’t be the same without him.  We have decided we will collaborate on something this summer.

Secondly, Beth Kille and I rocked this challenge hard….  I hope that it doesn’t come off as being cocky, but I knew all along that we had lightning in a bottle, and we let it out last night.  I couldn’t be happier with the fact that we were paired together, or how the song turned out.  The song was truly written by both of us, we put our souls into it and I hope it sounds/looks as good as it felt last night.

It was good to hang out with last years contestants, I hadn’t seen many of them in a long time.  Some I had never met, and I am very glad I did.  A bunch of us went out to The Laurel Tavern last night afterwards.  Unfortunately I had to retire early, which was a shame because it was a good group of people and lots of good conversation was being had.

On a lighter note, I have the best of both worlds right now, my allergies are kickin my ass, and its snowing.. Sweet!

Mighty Short Bus shows this week are as follows; tonight at Majestic, Thursday at UW Stevens Point (Encore,) Friday  Busted Lift in Dubuque, Saturday  Between The Bluffs Wine, Cheese, and Beer Festival in LaCrosse 3:30 pm

Not sure if jingles have “lyrics” but here are the words to Professor Gabby M.D.

Professor Gabby M.D. Professor Gabby M.D.

Learn your lesson when school is in session with Professor Gabby M.D.

10 pm every weekday night turn the dial to 105.5, she’s here to educate, so someday you might graduate

Fresh new music to the Grateful Dead, live Phish tracks to the Talking Heads

She’s forgotten more about rock n roll, than you and I will ever know, don’t need no pen don’t need no paper, there’s no excuse to be tardy or late for..

Professor Gabby M.D. Professor Gabby M.D. learn your lesson when school is in session with Professor Gabby M.D.

Professor Gabby M.D. Professor Gabby M.D. get your knowledge at Triple M college with Professor Gabby M.D.

Night School…

Enjoy~