Cariocas!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Greece
June 1st 12:36pm. 

I asked a friend of mine to pray for me. I told her to say my name in the prayer 
and ask God to give me his favor and wisdom. 
I have the most sore throat and cold. On top of that there was a small rain 
storm in my area. It caused a power outage that lasted for a few seconds. The 
problem is when the power came back on some of the breakers shut off. Which led 
to another flood in my basement. I just got my studio built in my basement. So 
when I saw the water, real tears were welling up in my eyes. I didn't tell 
anyone because the last thing I need to hear is anybody asking me am I sure 
about the studio being in the basement. So right now, I'm feeling funky..
When i get to my airline I ask for an exit row seat. I'm a big guy and because 
this isn't a first class ticket, exit row is the best thing. The attendant was 
very sweet and explained that all exit row seats were taken. So I settle for an 
aisle seat. I get to the gate and in about a half hour, another attendant comes 
to the gate desk. So I ask for my frequent flyer miles to be added to my seat. 
While she's doing that, something told me to ask for an exit row seat. So she 
says, "They're now charging for exit row seats. $78 or so." I told her to just 
leave my ticket the way it is. I'm not paying extra money. So she keeps typing 
and gives me a ticket. I look at the ticket and it's an exit row seat. I told 
the lady that she gave me an exit row seat and she said "I know." Only God can 
do that! I get a text from my friend and she said that she prayed exactly what I 
asked for. FAVOR!!! I'm not telling you all who she is because I don't want you 
all flooding her email and Facebook page with prayer request. But that was just 
what I needed. 

1:12pm

Random thought: I wonder was the guy on the plane pissed when I spilled water on 
him. I wonder if when he said "it's ok" was because I'm black, wild hair, 6'3 
and 290lbs. 

June 2nd 2:36am(10:36am in Greece)

Landed. WoooHooooooo!!!!!
Anna is here already. We jump in the car and off we go. 

12:08pm

We went to visit the great Peter Komninos. And just as I suspected, he's sharp 
as a tack. I can only hope to be half as inquisitive, and hungry for knowledge 
at 82 years old. Within 15 minutes we discussed politics, religion, and he even 
explained the process and make up of having a cold. I feel blessed to have had 
this time with him. Recently he was sick, but I can see he's strong as an Ox. 
I've decided that he's my dad also. 

June 3rd 11:13am

Last night turned out to be one of those unforgettable nights. We had dinner 
with about 7 friends. One of them, Johnni B Junior, is a DJ. He's playing with 
me tomorrow. The restaurant is family owned. So it was like the aunt took our 
order, the grandfather brought the water the little child was riding around on 
his little bike. And the daughter brought our food out. LOL.
The starters were awesome. The salad was so fresh, the tomatoes looked extra 
red, and full of goodness. The Zucchini was full of flavor. I thought they grew 
their own vegetables. But apparently everyone eats a lot of vegetables here, so 
they keep their vegetable supply up. The bread was placed on a charcoal grill 
and then brought out to us. There was a spread made of Feta cheese, hot chile, 
and olive oil. The taste was really something. 
I had a cut of grilled pork that taste like platinum meat. The seasoning was 
perfect. You can taste the meat, the seasoning, and the charcoal taste. Ahhhhh 
man. The house wine was stronger than any house wine I've ever had. They 
should've called it Techno wine or Rave wine. I should have known it was strong. 
We were drinking it in small glasses similar to some shot glasses I've seen. 
The night is beautiful. The moon is 99.9% full. My new friends have made me 
laugh harder than I've laughed in such a long time. 
This is Cariocas. This is the feeling I remember from the last time. I was 
starting to feel like this is heaven... And that's when it happened...
I asked for a shot a of Raki. It's similar to a Hot Totty. 
I'm thinking, "What harm can it do? I have a bad cold."
When I said Raki, it was almost as if the table of 9 stepped up their drinking 
capabilities. We sat there and drank 6 small pitchers of Raki. 
Those of you reading that are from my part of town, think Corn Liquor.
Now check this out. I'm at this restaurant that's one building away from my 
hotel and walking distance to the club that's on a beach. Sweet right?

12:06pm

Today is sunny and it definitely feels like summer. We go to Cariocas for coffee 
and tea. Petros(one of the owners) is a real brother. So cool, so chilled out. 
He's the best host. Panos(Petros' brother, and also an owner) just walked in and 
gave me the biggest hug. He's a new dad, and he has that glow on his face. 
Cariocas is a beach bar that has a huge lounge area that sits on a beach. 
People are in the water. Lounge music is playing. Everybody is just laying 
around drinking iced coffees and eating baguettes. Posters of me are all over. 
That's always weird. But the posters look great. The bartenders are busy making 
drinks that I'm not familiar with. And there's a pleasant spirit in this place. 
There's a cat that lives here. Her name is Roxy. I remember this cat from last 
year. The cat seems to be the true owner. And she's pregnant. 
It's been a while since I've sat down and done nothing. I'm sipping on Orange 
Juice in a lounge over looking the beach. Chillin..
Random thought: I think I'm a little nervous about ticket sales for the boat 
ride. And if I was honest with myself, I'm a little disappointed in the amount 
of request for free tickets. I suppose that's to be expected. But I got a call 
from a guy that I've not talked to in years. He wants to bring a few people!!  A 
FEW PEOPLE?!? 
Anyway.... I'm in Greece. Yay!!!!!!!

12:39pm

I can't stop thinking about my new band. My bass player and I are putting a band 
together and auditions will take place in August. I'm looking for singers, 
keyboard players, and drummers. It's all I can think about. Very exciting time. 

5:29pm

Random thought: I've got to get me some of those funky Buddy Holly Ray Ban 
shades. I know they're played out but I love them. Have you seen the clear ones? 
Whew.......
Anyway.. I'm here at the club. The energy is just beautiful. How bad can it be 
after all? Where on a beach with a really insane bar. Come on!!!!! People get 
out of the water and on to the dance floor. This is truly paradise. What I love 
about the water is that maybe 3 miles out there's mountains that look like Mt. 
Fuji. So beautiful. I go on at 6. 
OK. It's official. I'm happy. 

11:08pm

So I did a decent job at rocking the party. 4 hour set of happiness. No train 
wrecks. Thank God. The owner, Petros, was so inspired that he decided to play 
after me. It was cool. Everybody is drunk. LOL. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm 
going to soak my feet in the ocean. Gotta love this. By the way, I played some 
stuff I'm doing for Adams label, Mixtape Sessions, and it sounded great!

June 4th 11:55am

I get up and go down to Cariocas only to hear the worse and best news about the 
party last night. The worse is  I BROKE THE SPEAKERS!
Half of the sound system is down because of me. The best is a child, around 5 
years old asked if I would play music again. They want to dance. But now I feel 
terrible. It's going to cost a lot of money to repair the speakers. And the 
money is coming out of Petros pocket. This is bad. Maybe I can help him cover 
the cost. I'm a business man and I know what it is to be responsible for the 
bill or to be the one to have to pay. That's when you see who your friends are. 
When one is in a leadership position most people take it for granted that things 
will be taken care of. Not realizing that there is no corporate funding. The 
money comes from some ones pocket. For example, this boat ride that I'm giving 
with Louie is being funded by Louie and myself. So these people that are asking 
me for free tickets are asking me to pay $35 for them to have a good time. And 
will surely get an attitude if I say no. I lose so many acquaintances that way. 
I always blog about this subject. My friend Donna Gordon broke the psyche down 
for me. We go back at least 20 years. She said "It's not that I can't afford to 
get in, I just want to feel special or like a VIP." I appreciated that. However 
most people I deal with don't care about feeling special, they're just cheap. 
Is it me? Am I being a miser or a tight wad? Hit me on FB and be honest. What is 
your guest list policy?....
Anyway, Petros just gave me a pat on the back. He said, "Shi_ Happens."
But let's be clear. I think I may have cost him up to $3000. That's a lot of 
shi_. 
I remember when Joe Claussell played and the speakers broke. Everybody talked 
about that and for a little while, people in the NY/NJ area would pair Joe's 
name with busting speakers. Some of you still do. 

Random thought: Will there ever be another singer like Sylvester? I have the 
perfect song for that person. "Do you wanna funk? Do you wanna funk with me?"
The thing about Sylvester for me was, yes he was born a male and lived as a 
woman, but his/her artistry was no gimmick or joke. 
Not to mention Sylvester's gospel chops were really high. Most know him/her for 
the Disco songs. But his/her Gospel, and ballads were just as amazing. Where is 
our Sylvester of today? And if any of you say RuPaul or even think him, you've 
missed my entire point. 

6:03pm

Around 1pm Petros took us all to lunch at a place next door. I had some sort of 
grilled fish that taste like a cross between whiting and catfish. They brought 
it out with the head attached. So tasty. There was a baked tomato dish with 
oregano, feta cheese, and olive oil. It was like the most delicious pizza 
without the bread. I had my first Greek beer. That was nice and crispy. It's the 
melody of flavors that make it all so amazing. The herbs are so fresh. 

6:09pm

Right now, I'm back at Cariocas,  talked with Anna about some possible future 
events and some marketing ideas via Internet. And this is what I like in a 
booking agent. Someone who is actively doing things and discussing ways to make 
your gigs happen. Everyone wins if I'm gigging. 
I'm excited about seeing the sun go down. The last time I saw the sun set here, 
I almost got emotional. This is the perfect gig after having had a flood in my 
basement.
Random thought: I haven't had any Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch in years. Or Pop 
Tarts for that matter. 

8:55pm

I'm about to head back to my room. But I must admit that there's a slight 
sadness I feel this time. I've not experienced sunsets the way I've experienced 
them here. The color of the skies and the feeling of relaxation in this way is 
amazing. I have a lot to deal with this week. This was great for me. My 
tolerance for BS must be high for this boat ride. LOL!!
This has been a good trip. 
Before you click on to the next page, say a quick prayer for me. Ask God to 
continue to speak to me, and lead me. Thanks.