Amazingness After Dark

30/10/2023

Greetings all.

Because of my commitment to my family as of late, I’m going to be selling off some of my Panasonic LUMIX camera equipment. Body’s, lenses, batteries, gimbals, accessories etc.

If you are a photographer, professional or amateur, and would like to add some well taken care of gear, message me and I’ll let you know what I have. Serious inquiries only. I’m not in the mood for drama or bottom feeders.

Gracias

Ricardo

20/07/2023

I’ll be taking the next couple of weeks off social.

I’m focusing on more important issues.

Thx.

20/07/2023

Love this. As musicians we all evolve, find our purpose and what gives us happiness.

19/07/2023

A musicians health is just as important as their talent. Check out this post by Brad Gillis on how to stay at the top of your game.

🎸🌟 Celebrating 40 Years of Rock and Staying Healthy On Tour! 🌟🎸 Hey LinkedIn fam! I hope this post finds you all in good health and high spirits. Today I… | 157 comments on LinkedIn

19/07/2023

Love this version!
Kari Kirkland

As a volunteer at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter, I've experienced firsthand the incredible rescue journeys of many amazing dogs, cats, rabbits, and guinea ...

17/07/2023

True Story:

A BAND LEADER ARRIVES.........WHO IS INVITED TO A VENUE TO PLAY.
THE OWNER OF THE PREMISES TELLS HIM: I KNOW YOU CHARGE $1500 BUT I DON'T THINK YOUR SHOW IS WORTH SO MUCH MONEY...
WHAT I CAN PAY YOU IS $800 FOR YOUR PERFORMANCE IF IT SERVES YOU...
THE MUSICIAN ANSWERS: OK, IT'S FINE. BY THE WAY, HOW MUCH IS A BOTTLE OF "HABANA RON" WORTH AND THE OWNER OF THE BAR SAYS: $300 AND THE "MUSICIAN" SAYS: WELL, BRING ME A BOTTLE AND I'LL GIVE YOU $30, WHAT IT REALLY COST.
WHAT? SAYS THE OWNER OF THE BAR.
NO MY FRIEND. I HAVE TO PAY STAFF, WAITRESS, SURVEILLANCE AND BASIC SERVICES. NO MY FRIEND, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO PUT A PRICE ON MY DRINK!
THE MUSICIAN SAYS: SO, IF I CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON YOUR DRINK, WHY DO YOU PUT A PRICE ON MY BAND? DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT COSTS ME TO GET MUSIC?
HOW MANY NIGHTS HAVE I TAKEN? HOW MANY YEARS HAVE I GAINED EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE MUSIC THAT CLIENTS WANT?
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST NOT TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY?
AND HOW MUCH DOES THE PIANO COST, THE MICROPHONES, THE SPEAKERS, SOUND DESK, LIGHTS, A COMPUTER, TRACKS, THE HOURS OF REHEARSAL AND THE COST OF A STUDIO, TRAVEL AND MANY MORE THINGS?
WE "MUSICIANS" ARE ARTISTS AT WHAT WE DO, TREAT US WITH RESPECT.
IF YOU ARE A MUSICIAN, COPY AND PASTE ON YOUR WALL....
SUCCESS TO ALL MY FRIENDS

11/07/2023

Huge thanks to all the musicians who came to our The Sounding Board Sesssions #2 last night!

Incredible conversations and lots of amazing insight.

If ya missed it, why???

More to come in August.

09/07/2023

Sometimes all you need is an acoustic guitar, amazing storytelling and a passionate voice to make a Sunday afternoon worthwhile. The crowd at Cowpony were witness to some awesome musicians today.

Pj Bidwell
Paul Opocensky
Sophia Rankin
Joshua Williams

03/07/2023

Next Monday 07.10.23, we encourage all Tucson area musicians to join Ricardo Luis Canez and Kimiko Joanne Donahue for the next Sounding Board Sessions mastermind.

Details and registration on our new site: https://thesoundingboardsessions.com/

In this round table style meeting, musicians can openly share the issues and concerns that they face daily. The goal is to collectively create solutions, support each other and build a strong community of forward thinking musicians and leaders.

We hope to see you there!

02/07/2023

Finally had the opportunity to experience Sunset Red yesterday.
What an amazing band!
They had the crowd dancing, singing along and making a hot July afternoon even hotter.
Candi Renee has an incredible voice. Powerful yet soulful. And she always connects with the audience.
Their version of "Purple Rain" was magical.
And any band that plays Thin Lizzy is instantly a favorite.

21/06/2023

These are from Iron Priestess at On The Rocks second set last Saturday. 45 minutes of Iron Maiden classics done Priestess style!

Tons of energy and you could tell everyone was having a great time!

Catch 'em again this Saturday, 06.24.23 at Rockabilly's!!

20/06/2023

Part One of the Iron Priestess photo dump from this past Saturday at On the Rocks.

Iron Priestess at On The Rocks

19/06/2023

Iron Priestess just keeps getting better every show! This past Saturday they rocked On the Rocks with two sets of classic metal.
Kimiko Joanne Donahue is an outstanding front woman and vocalist.
Gonzalo and Denny are incredibly talented guitarists.
Shawn on bass and Tony on drums form a solid rhythm section that never lets up even on the most demanding songs.
I love capturing their energy every show.

Here's their version of "Hallowed Be Thy Name"!

More stuff to come today and tomorrow.

16/06/2023

I delayed our newsletter until this Monday, 06.19.23 because we've added some new details on the next Sounding Board Sessions and a variety of other things we're working on help musicians elevate their lives and career.

Stay up to date with all the Amazingness by signing up here: https://amazingnessafterdark.com/updates/

Dare To Be Amazing!

From photo shoot highlights, information on our Sounding Board Sessions Workshops, Inspiring Blog Posts, our latest Podcast Episodes, Special Events, Merch Give-A-Ways and much more.

16/06/2023

God of Thunder & Lightning!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐋𝐢𝐳𝐳𝐲 - 𝐏𝐡𝐢𝐥 𝐋𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐭

15/06/2023

A fun time last night celebrating Mike Charron's birthday!

Mike invited some amazing guest musicians and friends to join in.

We all had cake and enjoyed some great music!

MIchael Charron
Kimiko Joanne Donahue
Keila Marie Womack
Pj Bidwell
Jason Barrett

15/06/2023

I snapped a few photos of Liliac on Saturday.

I just sent them a few, but this one is probably my favorite.

Hope to capture them again in the future!

13/06/2023

What a Saturday night!!!

First, experiencing the legendary metal of Iron Priestess and then watching headliner Liliac continue to drive the crowd into a frenzy.

There is no energy shortage when these two bands play!!

It was an amazing evening!

12/06/2023

One of the bad ass tunes from Iron Priestess last night opening for Liliac!

12/06/2023

Photo Dump!!

It was a totally epic evening of metal music played with passion and technique!

Iron Priestess rocked Tucson with a solid set of Iron Maiden and Judas Priest favorites. The energy back and forth between band and fans was electric!

10/06/2023

Wouldn't you love to know what's coming up in our world of Amazingness?
Sure you would!
It's as easy as signing up for our newsletter.

Don't miss all the amazing information we have planned including details on our Sounding Board Sessions series, Podcast episodes, photo shoots highlights, special events and much more.

Sign up here: https://tinyurl.com/2c5jbmvj and receive your newsletter on the 1st and 15th of every month!

02/06/2023

As everyone gets ready for this weekends shows, let's do a quick check on what's needed to ensure you have a great worry free time.

Some of us forget that besides talent and gear, we need to feel secure in our future as musicians and as a person. Consider it being prepared for anything.

Want to learn more?

Join Ricardo Luis Canez and Kimiko Joanne Donahue this coming Monday as we share in depth strategies about music, life and business. Full info and registration here: https://amazingnessafterdark.com/thesoundingboard/

01/06/2023

What does veteran musician Mark Schulman think elevates you to rockstar status?

This: "The one thing that really stands out with rockstar performers is consistency. How great performers do anything is how they do everything. Every detail is critical. "

How disciplined are you as a performer and as a person?

Let's get you inspired and informed!!

Join Ricardo Luis Canez and Kimiko Joanne Donahue on June 5th for our first free Sounding Board Session and let's discuss it.

Information and registration can be found here: https://amazingnessafterdark.com/thesoundingboard

27/05/2023

Hey musicians!

Here's your invitation to join us on Monday, June 5th.from 5:30 to 7:00 PM as Kimiko Joanne Donahue and Ricardo Luis Canez host this Amazing Sounding Board Session.

This will be a very informative and interactive mastermind meeting for all Tucson area musicians.You can't afford to miss this!

Details here: https://amazingnessafterdark.com/thesoundingboard/

26/05/2023

This post isn’t about growing a garden.

It’s about growing as a musician

I recently started growing my own vegetables at home. It’s takes a lot of work but is extremely satisfying.

Just like being a musician…

And just like being a musician,
• it’s time consuming
• you are continually learning new techniques to grow your talents
• you have to make sure you have the right nutrients to stay healthy
• you have to ask others for advice
• and that in turn grows your talents and community
• Plus you can share and sell your talents to others who need them

Once you’re all in with a project, whether it’s growing a music career or growing a garden
The more care you give it, the stronger it grows.

And that applies to you as a person as well.
You need to care about your wellness
Because no one else is going to take care of your garden as well as you can.

Grow the best music you are capable of. And grow it to share with others.

So why am I telling you this?

Because I’ve joined forces with The Revenue Rocker, Kimiko Joanne Donahue
To help all musicians with their life, business and creative skills.

Our first free meeting of the Sounding Board Sessions is Monday, June 5th in Tucson. All the details on this amazing mastermind for musicians are on our event page : https://www.facebook.com/events/903704504068281/?ref=newsfeed

We invite all Tucson area musicians to join us for an eye opening meeting as we share how to scale your life and career to new heights.

We’ll see you there.

Special Thanks to our sponsors: Allegro Insurance Group LLC and Honest Offer LLC.

24/05/2023

RIP Tina Turner....

Love this arrangement of the Al Greene classic

The official music video for Tina Turner – Let’s Stay Together. Listen to Tina Turner’s greatest hits and more here: https://lnk.to/TinaTurnerGreatestHitsTak...

23/05/2023

Your life as a musician could change in two weeks. Join Kimiko Joanne Donahue and yours truly on June 5th from 5:30 -7:00PM and see how some simple changes in your life and mindset can make you a better musician and person.
Details and registration here - https://amazingnessafterdark.com/thesoundingboard/

Here are just a few reasons why you should attend:

18/05/2023

What if....
As a musician, you could share with other like minded musicians, what you face on a day to day basis. And finds solutions to those issues??
Gain the knowledge and support you need to progress as a musician personally and professionally?
Join Kimiko Joanne Donahue and Ricardo Luis Canez on Monday, June 5th from 5:30 - 7:00 PM in a live setting, as we discuss this and much more in our first Sounding Board Session workshop. It's free and will be extremely valuable to any musician wishing to become better at their art and lifestyle.
Details and registration information below:
https://amazingnessafterdark.com/thesoundingboard/
We'll see you on the 5th!!

18/05/2023

As a working musician, what are your "Pain Points"?

What issues in your career and everyday life affect you and keep you from having a successful and fulfilling life?
I recently asked some of the musicians I know and it seems that many have the same concerns.

So are there solutions? We think so.
Mark your calendars for Monday, June 5th from 5:30 to 7:00 PM as Kimiko Joanne Donahue and I host a free live Roundtable / Mastermind session on how to improve and leverage your talents. Full details will be posted here tomorrow morning at 9:00AM.

We invite all Tucson area musicians, no matter what genre of music, experience level, age to join us to get a new perspective on what life as a working musician can be. And how it will also improve your personal life as well.

15/05/2023

Enjoyed listening to Ariel Miranda this past Saturday. Beautiful voice and her originals were incredible!

I had a great time clicking some photos of her!

11/05/2023

Editing is fun. I try to capture the scene as I saw it. Real & Raw.

But sometimes, adding effects and depth to a photo gives it a new perspective. Here's a photo of Shell Shock under a nice blue sky and then the same photo with some pretty awesome clouds added.

Which do you like better? Before or After?

10/05/2023

Stay up to date with all the Amazingness!

Visit our website - (amazingnessafterdark.com) and at the bottom of each page you'll see a form to join our newsletter.

We have a ton of exciting events and workshops, new photo shoot posts, advice and inspiration and give-a-ways planned all year long.

And if you'd like to book us for your show or event or just want to contact us, there is a form at the bottom of each page for that!

See ya at the show!

09/05/2023

As musicians, you are constantly trying to improve the level of your art. But what about the other parts of your life and career?

How do you improve your branding and marketing, your mental wellness, your business skills, financial planning, your family life, your health?

We all need help with these situations from time to time. That's why Kimiko Joanne Donahue and I are hosting a workshop on Monday June 5th here in Tucson to openly discuss the issues affecting the lives of working musicians. It doesn't matter if you've been performing for one year or more than 20, you need to attend this workshop / roundtable discussion.

But we need your help. Follow this link and tell us what specifically you'd like us to focus on to help us help you: https://forms.office.com/r/srTDzrCqtW
Your information is confidential.

More details on location and time of this workshop coming in the next few days. But save the date of Monday, June 5th to share with us and the music community how we can all become better at our craft, business and life.

06/05/2023

What a great band! Really enjoyed listening to Uncommon Crossroads last night. Amazing vocals, super tight band that played with tons of emotion!

I even caught the drummer flipping his drumstick!

Thank you Maree Montagnini for letting me snap a few photos!