Post My Friends, My Love, My SAB.....please read.. I won't repeat
Hey Fellow Sellabanders...

So I'm not really sure what is happening with SAB? My faith has always been with you guys since I decided to return. Especially hanging with Dagmar in NYC etc. at CMJ last year, so many good things in the works, tons of new artists joining/believers etc...whats up ?
As most of you know my debut record was released on iTunes roughly 18 days ago and our sales already have been very respectable. I'm really proud of it honestly (1400 appox. downloads) regardless of what anyone has a comment about. (industry standards, not you guys ;) ) in todays current 'music buying economy' But everyday I wake up and SAB is the second site I check , Myspace is first, even before my personal email.. I deal with my fans first and family second.
Is that right? probably not... but I like to think, these are people that make it possible for me to have a life, and give a life to my new fiance (yup) and set a real future for the working musician at a cool age of 26.

I gotta be honest, about 4 years ago or so when this site was really starting out, I was a bit torn... I had always felt that for a musician to really get the most fans and sell 100,000 records was to go out and shake 100,000 peoples hands at live shows etc.., that had been the model I grew up with listening to the best of the 90's, 80's and 70's, all models that worked for the music industry thus far. (with a little help from radio) The latter from my parents of course. But to realize that people would give money to artists that have a good demo without actually seeing and knowing the artist..what kind of person they were...how bad they wanted it...how hard they already worked to get where they were currently, ...was baffling. How can you make a sound and wise investment on someone, without REALLY knowing what their goals are to succeed? How much will that artist give up in 'normal' life to make sure you get your money back? none the less turn a profit? .... but then came ArenaFest. And it is no surprise to anyone who has spent sometime on SAB, i.e the vetrans...you know who you are. That I jumped back on the band wagon to partake in the shot at such a great potential opportunity. I worked my mailing list day and night, thousands of personal emails went out from me to people I have collected through 5 years of touring the US, to get them to 'sign up' and then vote for me here on SAB. REAL people...hands that I have shook along the way. My point in this is that I have already sacrificed so much time to your idea here at SAB, dropping parts daily, trying my best to stay active, proving myself in so many other areas of music marketing that YOU compete in, why don't you just tell us 'how it is' ? is s*** so messed up that you're in a state of panic? Its cool, we've all been there before, I honestly will have NO beef, and will continue to be a part of SAB for as long as you guys are around, cause I believe this is the future. But start it off right if you guys are planing on being the innovators. You have developed a great SMART community of contributing believers and Artists.. we can help you though it. The 'cool' factor is null at this point, I think everyone is just looking for a match to keep that candle burning in case the wind blows it out.

So getting right down to it. My plan is to release an acoustic record of my debut record 'Meant To Be' . Fans and friends across the country have asked me for a version of my songs that is closer to the 'live show' of me touring acoustic. So I'm doing what any artist should do, and deliver. I'm making this record starting Aug 21st 2009. Its an extremely low budget project, as I don't have massive funding for it, BUT it will be started and completed on Sept. 15th 2009, and available on iTunes, etc, OCT 1st this year. My 5K I have here on SAB will go towards that if I hit 50K by then. If not? thats perfectly fine.. I hope some of you will check it out. But as far as what you can expect from buying parts in me until Oct 1st... that is what its going towards. The debut is selling great now, and with the new PR firm we picked up and Myspace Records Promo Deal I'm about to sign, it still allows me to be here on SAB, so what I'm doing but use the marketing power of myspace to push my music.

In closing...I love all you guys.. a big shout out over the years to : Hogdaddee, Andy Malloy, MaWa, Dagmar, SellaCat, Empire..., Peter, Onno, and Christian for your extreme support. This is where I'm at, I would love for our relationship to continue.

Thanks SAB for introducing me to so many new fans and friends worldwide over the years. I remember when there was 100 artists on this site, and the relationships that I have built in that time, are worth more than a 50K record to me.

...its just my thoughts... I don't want to offend or pretend.

my best,

Jon Robert