Hey there! Welcome to this weeks TAGLINE! Thanks for popping in. Its been nice to see this blog growing each week so far! Make sure you subscribe so you’ll get an automatic notification when they come out…go ahead…I’ll wait.

Done yet? Good. Thanks!! OK. so let get to it. I’m writing this blog from 35,000 feet up in the air on American Airlines Flight 1533 from Miami to Boston. It’s a full flight, Harmony Grace and Laureen are sitting next to me and it’s our first time all together on a flight. Kinda cool. Its really amazing being a dad.

This weeks topics:
– June In Key West
– ‘Days Like These’ Promotion kickoff
– ‘Days Like These’ Music Video
– Live From The Dawg Pound Music Series
– Traveling with Harmony Grace
– World Cup
– Random Thoughts
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So my month in Key West is over. June was one of my best months ever as a performer, entertainer, for my fitness and as far as business is concerned. It was a great month as a vocalist as my voice is really starting to come around to it old self and I sang some of my best shows in a year. Its mentally comforting to find myself hitting notes I’ve been scared to try for a long while. When you do something for so long and take it for granted, it sort of messes with you when it just doesn’t work. So to be back in the ballpark of y old self was amazing. Some of my older originals, old Journey, Styx, Boston and bands with vocalists I’ve had to shy away from were easy. And I lasted all 21 shows at full force and was even able to jump up with the Durtbags at Durty Harrys and rock some songs out full band, which I haven’t done in a while. In May, if I did two shows in a row took me out for a week. I still have a lot more to do with my vocal therapist, but it seems we are on the right path.

Aside from musically, I had some of the best workouts I’ve had in a long time this month. I ran the Tutu 10k Relay and my team took first place overall. Was nice to get that medal to add to my collection. My workout partner/trainer Jenessa kicked it into high gear with our muscle confusion and cardio work. I’m running strong & swimming better than ever. My biking might be my weak spot right now due to lack of road time, but I’ll kick it the next two weeks getting ready for the Triathlon in Falmouth, MA on July 12^th.
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Promo for ‘Days Like These’ has kicked into full swing. Watch on my Twitter (which is headed for 7000 followers!!!) and my Facebook art pages for lots of upcoming details. We are giving away a signed guitar, LOTS of downloads and more. Its really nice having such a dedicated team around me. Dave Tedder and I have been together for 13 years now. My new Social Media Manager, Mohd Imran, is just kicking ass with raising the awareness on all my online fronts. My art master, Joe Duhamel is helping to put together a kick ass visual package & promo art. I’m truly in love with this EP and hope that you guys like it even half as much.

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The music video for ‘Days Like These’ is coming together. Anyone who wants to be in it has to get their video in by July 7^th. I’m really excited to see what everyone comes up with as far as their submissions and editing all the silliness into a fun video that represents the song really well!
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I’ve decided that once every other month when I’m home, I’m going to start doing live web concerts from my studio, Dawg Pound Studios. They concerts will be called ‘Live From The Dawg Pound’. You can tune in, interact and we’ll have some fun from the comfort of your own living room. I’ll take requests, tell stories about my originals and we’ll go all over my catalog. These will be 60-minute shows. Watch for the date for the first one to be announced in the next few days, But I’m thinking the 21^st or 22^nd.

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So, Harmony Grace made her first trip to Key West! Laureen and Harmony Grace came in on Sunday 6/22 and stayed the rest of the month with me. She did SO well on the plane and just traveling in general. She’s such a happy and wonderful baby and seems to adapt well to whatever we introduce her to. It was so much fun having her meet all of our Key West family. HUGE thanks to Dani Holiday, Jorden Bringle & Laura Andrae for ALL they did for us on this trip. From airport pickups, to baby stuff loaners to letting us borrow a car, you guys are amazing and just showed why we love that little island and the people on it. Harmony flew on her first plane, went to her first beach, saw her first Key West shows and smiled and giggled thru it all.

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Is the World Cup still going? Does anyone still care? Did we give everyone a trophy yet? I mean, we lost and still advanced, so it’s kinda like Little League Baseball these days. It’s ok not to win. You’re still a champ in our book. Sheesh. And I’ve had no choice but to watch a little as it was on during my shows. I will say, those guys are some great actors and take dives as good if not better than the Miami Heat. Excellent flop skills kids.

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Random Thoughts:
–       The new Night Ranger CD, ‘High Road’, is AWESOME. Classic NR sound and amazing musicianship.
–       People in airports of all shapes, sizes, ages, colors, creeds, religions & sexes all love itty-bitty babies. I can’t begin to tell you how many people changed direction just to come say hi to Harmony Grace.
–       Congrats to my friend Aryk Crowder for a successful Kickstarter Campaign for his CD project “2X4″. Aryk is a kick ass singer/songwriter from Chicago, so do check him out. 30% of his campaign is going to help the Greater Chicago Food Depository.
–       Hogfish Grille has possible the best seafood in Key West.
–       I still will never do hot yoga again. I was asked 3X this month.

Well, that’s about it for this week. It’s been really nice to see more and more folks checking out the blog. Please chime in and lets make it a conversation. I’m excited to be home for July 4^th for a change and not gigging. We’ll be partying up lakeside with all our MA friends at Mike & Kim Kostas’ house. I hope you all have a great week and July 4^th. Be careful and don’t lose any digits.

Watch for the ‘Live From The Dawg Pound’ date announcement, for more ‘Days Like These’ promo info, and get those videos to me!

#LiveWithIntention #TrainIntense #NeverBeSatisfied #HarmonyGraceRocks #DaysLikeThese #JohnTaglieri

Thanks all! Talk next week.
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Hey all! Welcome to this weeks TAGLINE Blog. I hope you are well and having a great week. Lots to talk about…busy week personally, professionally and a few note worthy stories from the web that caught my eye. SO…lets get to it!

This weeks topics;
– Rooming with someone vs not
– Running
– Gig Recap
– Vocal Issues
-Twitter hits 5000, FB hits 3500
– EP Sampler
– Friday The 13th
– Wayne Wax Tattoo Article
– LeBron James

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So for many years I’ve been on the road. Some of that travelled solo, some with a band. Here in Key West I stay in an apartment owned by the management of Irish Kevins. Great place, right on Duval and 4 blocks from work. Nothing fancy, but it doesn’t need to be. Most times I’m here alone. I’m usually the only traveling musician when I’m here. But there are times I have to share the place with another musician on the roster who is in for a week or so. Just like on the road, it really changes your whole at home routine. I always had my own apartment. I never ever wanted roommates, unless we were dating of course. I know how neat I am and I know it would drive me nuts if someone else wasn’t. Plus I need to be able to make noise whevever I want. That means playing music, watching TV, playing guitar, etc. On the road, I’ve had to share many hotel rooms with band mates, as well as had my own, just like here in KW. Mentally, theres such a BIG difference between the two. You have to think every time you open your door to go to take a shower…is someone else home? DO I need to be dressed? LOL. I can’t take a night and lounge on the couch in my undies or less. I have to think when i’m looking in the fridge ‘Did I buy that or is that someone else’s?’ Always making sure no one is in the bathroom before walking in…you get the idea. When I’m alone, I’m very neat, dishes done, floors swept, stove cleaned, bed made. but I’ve always loved the freedom of doing what I want when I want. Having a roommate for a week, or on the road changes all that and reminds me every time, no matter how great the person or experience with them is, that I am definitely made to not have them! LOL. That said, I live now in MA in a multi-generational home with 7 adults, 3 kids, 3 dogs and 2 cats. But its different because they are all family. If I was still on my own in an apartment, I know that Id be living alone with no roommates…no question.  How about you?? Roommates…yay or nay?

That all being said, my temporary roommate just left this morning and I have the place to myself for the rest of this trip. Excuse me while I run around naked for a bit…  
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I’ve been back to a better gym schedule and running schedule this week. I lost some motivation for about 10 days but it seems to be coming back! Its the hard part of working out alone. Sometimes its hard to push yourself. My runs this week have kicked butt and feel amazing. I have a triathlon in a month in Falmouth, MA and really want to do much better than my time in my last Tri, which was 1:47. So I gotta keep pushing. I’m trying to get my runs consistently in the mid 8 minute/mile world, which is proving hard for my old knee. Feel free to yell at me on Facebook or here and tell me to get my ass moving! LOL.

Speaking of running, I ran in the annual Tutu 10k Relay here in Key West this past weekend and my team took First Place Overall! We won by ONE SECOND but thats all that matters. Thankfully we had two really young, and really fast guys on the team to start and end it. The rest of our team ran well, but I know I’m not that fast!! But it was a good team effort and my first ever First Place finish and medal! Was a nice feeling.
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It was an interesting week gig wise. The island is not that busy right now, and the crowds are seemingly lacking in stamina. I’ve been playing night and closing shifts and while every gig had its moments throughout the night, a few petered out earlier than I’d hoped or wanted. Though Sunday night at The Lazy Gecko was a DREAM gig. Perfect crowd…packed but not overly, loud, energetic and everyone of them in for the long haul and for the fun of it. I said when lightning strikes, you go with it. I was supposed to play 730-1130p…I ended up going til 140am! WE had three simple rules…They had to keep drinking, keep tipping both me and the bartenders, and singing along with all their might to all the songs I played. They held up their end for 3+ hours and we had what turned into the best party on Duval for the night.  They made me play better, and I made them drink, laugh and dance. My voice was tired after 6+ hours but worth every second. As an entertainer, it was the night we all dream of. I hope I have a few more of them this month.
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So another reason this week was kinda awesome was my voice. It’s working again. For about a year now, I’ve been battling bad acid reflux issues that damaged my vocal cords…actually scarred the edges. Its been a true struggle most nights to sing. I had doctors tell me to take 6 months to a year off and let everything recover but that was just not feasible. This past May, I went to the Mass Eye & Ear Institute in Boston and got a full scoping done, strobe light and all, and while there is some scarring from the acid on my cords, for the most part they are in really good shape, especially considering the beating I’ve given them in the last 12 months. I went into Vocal Therapy and we have been working to get me reversing a lot of bad habits I’ve acquired to just get thru all the shows with the damage. It’s all working though as even in May, doing just two shows in a row was a struggle, and now here I am in June, 10 four hour gigs in, one being six hours, and I still feel good and am hitting notes I havent hit in a year. I’m not back to 100% yet, and who knows if I’ll ever be. I’m not 21 anymore, and I have over 3500 shows on my vocal cords so some wear is unavoidable. Its been an amazingly frustrating year. but my voice is definitely on the road to a good place and I’m excited for where I’m heading back to.
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Twitter & Facebook have exploded for me as of late…word of mouth has really sparked my numbers and we broke 5000 followers on Sunday on Twitter and 3500 on Facebook! I really never thought we’d get that far and its still growing…its a great feeling for all the work that goes into it by my team. I work with great people and they are kick ass at what they do.
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I posted a link yesterday to a Sampler of the upcoming EP ‘Days Like These’. If you havent checked it out yet, please do! There are one minute snippets for each song to give you a good flavor of it all. I’m REALLY proud of this one and August 19th can’t get here soon enough!  Heres a link in case you missed it…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tq8prWwUpSs
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Random Thoughts:
Did you all have a good Friday the 13th? I woke up Saturday to see a lot of Facebook friends saying their lives went haywire the night before! LOL. I had a strange gig night, but the day was basic. SO….how was yours??
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Did you see the article floating around Facebook about Tattoos and what they tell about you? It was written by some asshat named Wayne Wax. You can read it here:

http://thoughtcatalog.com/wayne-wax/2014/06/5-types-of-tattoos-that-mark-you-as-an-idiot/

Let me say this. I have two tats. The one on my right arm is a copy of a necklace that I wear that Laureen got me when we first met. To me, its the beginning of us and I put it on my arm to symbolize that. It’s called The Watcher and means inquisitive and ever Learning…which describes me to a tee. My left arm has my dads Staff Sgt. stripes from when he was in the Air Force, along with dog tags with his birth & death dates. It keeps me connected to him and means the world to me. NOW…do I think some tats are douchey as Mr. Wax points out. YES. Sorry kids, but if you got a tribal wrap on your big swole bicep because everyone else at the gym has one…you’re a douchebag. But to me, if you got a tat for something that means something, then I have no issues at all. I honestly don’t even care if you have a tribal and got it for a douchey reason…but own up to it. And don’t walk around like it really means something to you. lol. But to be truthful…who cares. What you do to your own body is YOUR choice and who is anyone else to judge you for it (except if your douchey…then you deserve douchey judgement    )
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Did y’all see the Miami Heat get the ever loving crap beat out of them!? Made me very happy. I have nothing against the Heat as a team, but LeBron James is just the top tier of assclown in my book. And it makes me happy to see him not win. And whats with the cramps Nancy…take a Midol and get back on the court. I ran the Boston Run To Remember Half Marathon with a cramp in my calf for 9 miles of the 13…and I’m not getting paid millions to do it! For the money you’re making and for how much you run your mouth about being the best, you should NEVER come off the court, short of dying on it! LOL.

And for the record…Michael Jordan is STILL the best basketball player to ever step foot on a court.
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Well…thats it for this week. I hope you enjoyed this blog, share it with your friends and chime in! I really want to know your thought on all of the above! Have a great week and see ya next Tuesday!
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