I am SO THRILLED! Ian's Pizza in Madison WI is listening to my son's band's CD!!!

[calimary]

Earlier this week I sent 'em a care package of ACIDIC stuff (my kid's band) with a signed CD, a half-a-dozen frisbees (for when the weather turns warmer), and a bunch of silly stuff like wristbands, stickers, and temporary tattoos. They posted on Ian's Pizza's Facebook page that they were listening to the CD and liking it, and they'd been passing all the fun freebies around to the staff. They play music in their restaurant for their customers all the time, and said they'd be putting our CD in their computer to play, too! Wanted to say a rock 'n' roll thank you to these kids at Ian's for doing so much to keep the protestors well-fed.

Ian's Pizza on State - ROCKS!!!!!!!!

:headbang: :fistbump: :yourock: :headbang: :fistbump: :yourock: :headbang: :fistbump: :yourock:

[calimary]

1. Mostly a bunch of college kids doing the deliveries. They're all working their butts off.

They're expecting a very busy day tomorrow (Saturday) - I guess more large gatherings. If you phone in an order - don't forget the tip.

[ZombieHorde]

2. Fun! nt

[calimary]

9. I'm just so tickled!

I had to share this.

The whole Ian's Pizza Thing over the past two-and-a-half weeks has been so inspiring and UPLIFTING! It's been an emotional tonic during some very glum times. It's made me so happy to read through the Facebook page and see the posts and the photos of all the pizza deliveries and grateful, hungry teachers and police and firefighters and other protestors out there enjoying fresh hot pizza. It's just really warmed me up and renewed my faith. I really needed this. All of a sudden I feel encouraged again.

[bleever]

3. Congrats!

That's awesome.

[calimary]

10. Thank you!

I have wished, so badly, that there were some way to send the band back east to Wisconsin to play at Ian's or at the Capitol or something. Those people out there fighting for workers' rights have had a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGGG two-weeks-PLUS. They deserve a little diversion if anybody does. I was really glad to see how the guy from Rage Against the Machine came to play for the protestors, and Dropkick Murphys wrote a new protest song. The artistic community stands in solidarity too.

[Bozita]

4. Ian's is rapidly becoming something of a destination

It's on my bucket list.

[calimary]

11. Mine too, if I ever get there myself.

I think the band will likely be able to visit Ian's Pizza before I do. They've outgrown needing me to come along on tour by now. I've taken them out of state a few times, but they're pretty seasoned pros by now. As they should be. They're big boys now. Mom doesn't need to tag along anymore (even though she secretly LOVES doing so).

:D

[kevinbgoode]

27. Haha.. .well, you are being so good about loosening the apron strings

...seriously, those young men seem very mature and responsible. I loved looking at the pictures you and the band posted during their European tour! And as exhausting as something like that can be, it was fun just watching them have adventures on all the bases. You've done a great job steering them and helping them realize their dreams - the experiences they are having together now are things that will last a lifetime!

[calimary]

33. Thank you!!! Glad you like those photos - it was a mind-bending experience!

We've spent MANY hours discussing the art of being a professional. In their case, professional musicians. I've known two of the other band members since high school and one of them since grade school. I've seen them evolve from ding-y goofy fidgety boys into young men totally set on having a career in the music business. They all are completely committed to this band. But the neat thing is - along the way they're discovering all sorts of aspects to the music business, from musicianship to promotion, teaching, composing, producing, engineering, managing, even designing, maintaining, and the actual building of guitars. Been a humdinger of an education for me also, and, I guess, what seems to have turned into a whole new post-career career. They're growing and learning and slowly maturing. And as Michael keeps writing, his songwriting keeps further blowing my mind.

Btw - they just won an award for songwriting! They finished first in the Alternative category in the 18th Billboard World Song Contest, for their high-energy rocker "Strata Red." YOWZA! They've never won an award like that before! We were gobsmacked! I'm so stoked to see them get some recognition like this!

http://www.billboardsongcontest.com/main.php

[kevinbgoode]

37. They are tight and rehearsed and quite brilliant, actually

and I'm real pleased to see them increasing their stature - that award is awesome! The Strata Red video is good, too! I bookmarked it to show at the beginning of my classes - I always use something to break the ice and get their attention.

[Goblinmonger]

14. Ian's Pizza is of the gods.

Seriously. I live 70 miles from there and usually get a slice every time I'm in town. Their mac and cheese pizza opened my eyes to a whole new world or pizza. When I was there last Sat for the demonstrations, I had the guacamole pizza with black beans. Get there--it's worth it.

[calimary]

15. Oh God - guacamole pizza?!

MAN! If you check their Facebook page,

http://www.facebook.com/IansPizzaOnState

scroll down a little bit and you'll see a post by someone inquiring about the recipe for the Mac & Cheese pizza. They give an email address where you can write to them and get further info! Can't wait to try it myself - maybe after the next big band gig.

[Goblinmonger]

17. If you get a chance

you need to go to the store on Frances St. The State St "branch" is the one making pizza for protesters, but the one on Frances is the original. Little more "college town" than the new one. Same great pizza at both.

[calimary]

38. Dang! Sounds like a little bit o' Heaven!

[Rick Myers]

5. That is very KEWL!!!

:yourock:

[calimary]

12. Our rock is as tasty as their pizza!

:headbang: :hi: :yourock:

[kevinbgoode]

6. They are playin' that music cuz those kids are good!!

And I am very proud of being one of their Facebook friends ever since just before their European tour!

[calimary]

7. Aw man, THANKS!

We're all pretty proud of them! They're back in studio now, working on some new tunes. Fun stuff in the works! We're hoping they get a tour that takes them to the Midwest and even Northeast - because if they're anywhere near Madison, they are under orders to stop by Ian's. Probably will want the famous Mac & Cheese pizza, I'm guessing. It sounds like utter perfection!

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you like them!

[nadinbrzezinski]

8. Ian Pizza rocks period

I can't eat the stuff, allergic to it. And if I ever go to that neck of the woods will make a point and ORDER a salad (and tell them why)

[calimary]

18. Somebody posted on their FB page that their salads were great.

Good to know!

[gratuitous]

13. A couple of months from now

We can all reminisce about how we used to post in Calimary's threads, before she and Acidic belonged to the world. Nobody will believe us, and we'll all be reduced to bitter memories, mumbling into little glasses of cheap whiskey and cursing the fates that visited success on some, but not others. Others, of course, being defined as "us."

Or maybe it'll just be me.

[calimary]

20. Oh you silly!

I actually started feeling like I belonged to the world after a little while here on DU, seeing the references from all the DUers posting from everywhere on earth.

:yourock:

Someday I hope they'll be big enough to do a DU fundraising concert.

[gratuitous]

24. So it will be just me

Fortunately, I drink only in groups of one or more.

Drinking lamp is lit.

[calimary]

30. Not alone if I can help it!

[Lisa0825]

16. AWESOME!!!

ACIDIC ROCKS!!! :-)

[calimary]

21. So proud!

:pals: :fistbump: :yourock:

[lonestarnot]

19. Hoping to hear something for a large Saturday delivery!

Then I'll tell them how they rock! :applause:

[calimary]

22. Yes indeed!

On Wisconsin, On ACIDIC, On Ian's!!!!

:yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock: :yourock:

[CLANG]

23. Madisonians generally have good taste in music.

[calimary]

25. And in pizza, so I understand!

Those delivery kids are all running their legs off, and in the cold and snow and ice. So they deserve the best music to work by! But hey, I'm not biased or anything...

:evilgrin:

[Foo Fighter]

26. That is so cool!

Do they have samples of their music posted on their FB page? I don't do FB but I can make an exception in that case. ;)

I remember when the whole "buy the protesters a pizza from Ian's Pizza" thing first started, I saw some posts that were skeptical of the whole thing. They were along the line of "If you order a pizza, how do you know they're just not pocketing the money and not delivering the pizza?" Really? REALLY? I think that matter has been MORE that settled and anyone that doubted them should a.) 'fess up or b.) call in and buy a pizza or c.) do both a and b. ;)

I can't imagine how many hours the people at Ian's have been putting in lately. And that, my friends, is a good thing. The shop has obviously been phenomenal in responding to the demand. I love the chalkboard! But the real kicker for me was seeing Egypt on the chalkboard. I work with someone that's from the ME and he said most Egyptians live on what would be the equivalent here of living on $2/day. Whoever called that in probably took up a collection and people donated their coins until they had enough. THAT, my friends, is solidarity that goes above and beyond. When the workers of the world unite, great things can happen.

[calimary]

32. Yes they do!

http://www.facebook.com/ACIDICband

Scroll down, and it's on the left side of the screen, below the part where it says 2850something people like this, under "Music Player." Several songs on there.

Also their Myspace has music too, www.myspace.com/acidicband - and their website, www.acidicband.com. I don't go on Myspace much because it's been changed and "updated." And since then, I can't make heads or tails out of it.

It's really true. I called up and ordered a couple of times and talked to this kid Ross who'd posted about slipping and falling on the ice while out delivering pizza, and rolling his ankle. So from then on for the next week or so he was "working the phones," taking orders. And I love looking at the chalkboard and the other photos of all the pizza delivery activity. And the smiling faces. And the firefighters there, and everybody working and lugging pizza boxes and happy grateful-looking protestors.

I've said this elsewhere here: the news just has been so damn grim for so long that you just get to the point where you CRAVE some positive, uplifting, encouraging, reinvigorating news. You get so emotionally and psychically worn down that you NEED a tonic of some sort. The spirit needs buoying up sometimes. Especially with all the shit being dished out by the teabaggers and republi-CONS and selfish greedy pirates and other assorted koch brothers-type cheapskates and the monolithic media machine that's rigged against us and the loss of Olbermann's show and just everything...

And then along comes a story like this.

I swear it feels almost like being in love. I have SOOOOO, SOOOOOOO, SOOOOOOOOO needed this.

[Buddyblazon]

28. Awesome...

you mentioned the Dropkick Murphy's. We had them in our venue on Tuesday. Hopefully we'll get your sons band through our house one of these days.

[calimary]

34. Oh yeah!!!

Most interesting! I'd love that - they would, too!

[Heidi]

29. Recommended!

:kick:

[calimary]

35. Thanks!

:fistbump:

[Occulus]

31. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is the key difference between US and corporate power

A corporation selling the CD would have sent a cease-and-desist letter regarding public performance and/or demanding rebroadcast royalties and/or threatening a lawsuit.

Good for your son, calimary! Here's to hoping the exposure helps the band some!

[calimary]

36. Screw that! We're doing it ourselves - as best we can.

Sorta like the little rock 'n' roll engine that could. We're always doing what we can!