Life's A Good Gig: News/Press

Cain will be interviewed on the Kellie in the Morning Radio Show on Oct.6, 2010-8:40a.m.  The station is 99.3fm The Vine and 1440am KVON in Napa, Ca. We hope you'll tune in or check it out on the internet-it will be "streamed" live.

Some of Cain's songs including the sultry bossa nova, "All," have been selected tp be aired on Kanaljazz.

Kanaljazz is an online radio station Based in Paris, France and broadcasts from the Shoutcast server based in the United States. The station specializes in contemporary and indie jazz music along with other genres of the like. The station has a special interest in the sounds of French, British, Australian and European jazz. Kanaljazz streams 24 hours a day, 7 days a week of continuous airplay.

Today, the station is mostly listened to in the USA, France, UK, Germany, Canada, Australia, Eastern Europe and South America.

Cain has been working on a new book, (working title "Life's A Good Gig-Volume II- Words and Music") More stories about the secret lives of musicians, gigs from hell, a musical journey to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, and a chapter about the trials and tribulations of being a female musician in the male dominated world of musicians.

You’re Invited!
Saturday May 31st
John Cain’s Annual Birthday Fundraiser
For the Puerta De Fe
(Door of Faith) Orphanage
In La Mission, Baja California, Mexico

At the Bahia Hotel in the Tangier Lounge
8:00pm till Midnight
998 West Mission Bay Drive, San Diego, Ca.

Here’s the deal: Come in for an evening of music and drinks to celebrate Cain’s B-day but bring no gifts. Instead make a tax-deductable donation to the Puerta De Fe Orphanage. Any and every little bit helps. You can make out a check to Door of Faith or toss some cash into the till on the piano.
For details about this event e-mail John Cain @ jcain@johncain.info or call toll free 877 652-8523
Or check the website: www.johncain.info Here is a glimpse of what they go through in a week at Door of Faith Orphanage!
2,850 meals
980 showers
567 diapers
480 loads of laundry
175 rolls of toilet paper
109 Band-Aids
98 trips to school
70 gallons of milk
45 haircuts
37 "time-outs"
15 gallons of bleach
4 trips to the doctor
2 birthday cakes
Countless hugs!!
Although we receive no financial support from the Mexican government, we do work closely with them. 90% of the children that we care for are brought to us by Mexican Social Services. We have very few true orphans. Many of our kids have been abandoned or come from abusive homes some are with us because their parents simply can no longer care for them. If the children are here due to financial hardship, we encourage their parents to come visit their children as often as they can. Occasionally the children are able to return to their families if it has been determined that they are able to care for them.
All our support comes in the form of donations for the US. We work with churches, corporations, and service organizations. The majority of our funding comes from individuals with a desire to help the children. Less than 3% of our budget is used for fundraising.
We are a 501©3 non-profit organization and are able to accept tax-deductible charity donations. Such donations can be money (contributions, sponsorships, etc) or goods. We are happy to provide a receipt for all donations. In the case of goods, our receipt can be used to show what you donated, but not to establish its value for your tax return.. Tax ID #41-2063114
For further information about the Door of Faith:
Door of Faith Website: http://www.dofo.org/index.php Door of Faith Orphanage
P.O. Box 6434
Chula Vista, CA 91909
Email DJ@dofo.org

Congratulations. Life's a Good Gig has been named by the judges as a finalist in the Memoir category of the San Diego Book & Writing Awards.

http://www.sdbookawards.org

See it in the photos section of this website.

Check it out in the photo section of this website!

Cain has been interviewed on:

KUSI-TV Good Morning San Diego

KSWT-TV CBS affiliate, Yuma, Az by Rob Hughes

Am 1030 LA Tremenda-Tijuana, Mexico by Latino rights activist Enrique Morones

Radio Planicie 91.5 FM in Lima, Peru aired a 2 hour special featuring the music and career of John Cain.

University of Phoenix, Las Vegas, Nevada
Radio station “Groovin U” produced a 30 minute special on Life’s a Good Gig and the music of John Cain. Special aired in February 23.

Radio Aquamarina Am 1410 Zihuatanejo, Mexico

John Cain has a maraca for a heart. The most Latino gringo you’ll ever meet—owing largely to his love of Latin music—Cain’s new book, Life’s a Good Gig, is a behind-the-scenes peek at the crazy, fun and sometimes raunchy world of a touring musician. The memoir is a perfect read for all the dreamers and air-guitar players out there who never figured out how to travel and play music for a living.

This is a many-faceted memoir spanning several decades in the life of a multi-talented individual. It jumps around a bit from entertaining stories about the lives of working musicians, which every working stiff can relate to, to discourses on art, music history, and travel in Latin America, which would appeal to music teachers, students, and travel buffs. Some of the stories have nothing to do with music but are interesting in their own right. Cain recounts some of the strange characters he has encountered during his lifetime. Some of the stories are funny, like the “gig from hell;” some spooky, like a ghost encounter in Spain; some poignant, like Tijuana street musicians; and some downright dubious, like a singing dog. His brushes with greatness, where he name-drops all the famous people he has met, are juicy gossip: illuminating and at times shocking. Like every profession, musicians have their own lexicon and jokes, and Cain has gathered them here, some with explanations for those the not familiar with the jargon.
He also acknowledges the great musicians who have taught him and gigged with him.
The companion CD is relevant, because you can hear the voice of the real guy who is spilling his guts to you in the book. He sings great, by the way!

Interview from the Presidio Sentinel, San Diego, December 2007
LIFE’S A GOOD GIG DOT COM
By Laura Walcher

John Cain’s enjoyable book about making it - or not - in music might be called the “anti-Ron Woods” story. That is, it’s drugless. Cain’s story, and info for his cd’s and book is on his website. The unofficial John Cain - is right here:

LW: For any hip-less reader living under a rock, tell us: what’s a “gig” - ?

JC: A gig is a musician’s paid performance. Many younger cats trying to make it are too ready to perform for free. They’re hobbyists. A professional plays for free only for charitable causes - and knows: if you don’t value your talent, no one else will.

The “music business” is the bar/hotel/restaurant business! Live music is the
incentive to make sales. That’s what the gig is all about.

LW: And ... what makes a “good one” -?

JC: At a good gig, you get to do what you want! The venue’s good, the audience appreciative; you play music you like, and of course, you get paid. (Gee, here’s where artist-turns-mercenary!) And, you’re respected for what you do.

LW: OK. Do you get any?

JC: (Once in a while, but ………oh, you mean gigs!) I was at the Hotel Del for seven years, Elario’s for two, at Avanti (now Rippongi) for eight. I’ve gigged steadily at Humphrey’s, the Town and Country Hotel and more.
But you rarely get it all. The pay might be good, but ... you could be stuck in a corner by the kitchen where waiters parade in front of you all night. You have to wear a uniform - or play music - that you don’t like? But - that’s the deal. To work steady, you accept the circumstances! A jazz musician in a country western bar just sucks it up without whining. For bad gigs the pro’s attitude is,” ...close your eyes until it’s over and collect the cash.”

LW: You’re at the Sheraton (off La Jolla Village Drive), Tuesday nights. A good gig?

JC: The Sheraton is a good gig. It’s run by the same folks who own Humphrey’s. They have decades of experience; it’s a joy to work for them. I’m at the Bahia Resort Hotel on Wednesdays - another good one. Besides locals, hotel guests and tourists from all over the world drop in.

LW: You’re a musician, singer, song- and- book- writer, and maybe you have other talents we don’t know about. Order them up for us:

JC: I just published a children’s book and CD that I illustrated. So maybe I’m also a cartoonist of sorts. Performing live music: instant rewards! The performance and the audience are present in the moment. (And, you can also bomb in the moment!) Writing is more of a vicarious marathon. (Hmm… good name for a band…? “Vicarious Marathon.”) You hope
people like it, but it takes a while before you know.

I didn’t think of getting rich or famous in the music biz. (And that’s exactly how it’s worked out!) But, I kid. I love performing and entertaining. I’m a big ham, so being a musician/entertainer is a good profession for me.

Being an author seems to give one status that a “mere” musician doesn’t have. As an author, I get treated with more deference. Yet I express my ideas and feelings in
the language of music more easily, so writing a book is hard work. Writing lets you get your say, tho, without being interrupted - even if it’s a challenge to put down your ideas and opinions in words and have them clearly understood.

Now I’m creating a new career as "uthor/musician.” From Seattle to San Diego, I
perform in art centers, college campuses, libraries, book stores and sometimes music stores.

LW. Your book cheerfully resonates with anyone in music, around musicians, and around town.

JC: Since I was 15. I’ve watched the world go by from a bandstand. I wanted to share this unique view, and dispel myths and stereotypes about musicians. History books are always about famous leaders, but never about the grunts on the front lines. Same with books about musicians - little about the everyday, non-famous, working
pros. Many musicians have helped and inspired me - older cats who shared their gifts and renewed my spirit, but they never made the “big time.” I’m telling their
stories.

LW. It takes a weird and wild imagination to create a rap version of “Beowulf” (in your book.) What got INTO you?

JC: In my seminars in schools, I shock kids when I say that rap is not new. In fact it’s one of the oldest forms of music. Beowulf is probably the earliest rap song in the English language that is still extant. When it was written, before the advent
of modern musical instruments (even before Hanna Montana), what we call rap was a popular form of musical entertainment. It goes way back before then, even to ancient Africa.It's simply telling a story in rhythm and rhyme-with minimal musical accompaniment.

LW: You’ve been gigging ‘round for ... umm, several decades - and still going strong. Want to change anything?

JC: I’ve been a musician so long I realize that my entire life is the gig - and I
want it to continue. Any time someone wants to pay me to play the piano and sing, I’m grateful for letting me be who I am.

LW. You’re a very tolerant guy - you let me & my flute sit in with you at the Sheraton, before you even KNEW I could provide this amazing column. Tell me the truth, tho ... should I hang it up?

JC: It’s your life - so make it a good gig. Never, ever, ever, give up! You may not
have the fame and wealth of your dreams but at least you’ll go down swinging.

(LW: hmm. WHAT is he trying to tell me?) ###
Visit: lifesagoodgig.com

One of the songs from Cain's "Silly Songs & Lullabies" album 

was selected to be on a compilation CD from Parma Records. 

The song is "The Earth Is Your Mama."

The new CD from Parma is called "Celebrate Earth"

It's a children's CD.

A little more about the disc: -

The release date is March 30th, just in time for Earth day! -

Will be available for purchase at www.recessmusic.com,

www.naxosdirect.com, www.amazon.com, iTunes,

and a variety of physical and digital music retailers -

The disc contains Enhanced Content, which you can access

by placing the disc into your computer.