Happy Birthday Danny!

Happy birthday to Danny Weinkauf! Hope it's a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious day!

Happy Birthday Dan!

October 3 comes around but once a year. And you know what that means right? RIGHT?!

All together now...

DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN!

The very happiest of happy birthdays to our favorite guitarist. Hope it's a totally rockin' day!

Happy Birthday, Marty Beller!

Happy, happy birthday to the King of the Drums...Mr.....Marty....Beller!!!!!

Long may he reign! Rock your heart out, Marty :-)

Happy Birthday Linnell!

It's Linnell day! Yaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyy *insert flailing Kermit the Frog arms*

Happy birthday to one of the most brilliant and awe inspiring songwriters of our generation. Hands down, no exaggeration. Hope it's a really lovely day filled with lots of people appreciating your awesomeness. 

I will start.

You are awesome.

Thank you for sharing your abundant talents with the world.

Happy Birthday Flansy!

Hey everybody, it's Flans Day! Internationally recognized holiday, celebrated by TMBG fans world-wide, to honor the occasion of the birth of that most esteemed rock 'n' roll "giant", John Flansburgh!

This looks to be a banner year for Flansburgh, with several truly stellar Flans-penned tunes already released on Glean and dozens more to come. In my own esteem, Flans has achieved the pinnacle of success this year, not only in being the composer of my favorite song on the new album, but also in having written the majority of my favorite songs on the album. He has absolutely outdone himself and I can't wait to see what's still in store.

Please join me in a hearty "hip-hip-hurray" and "happy birthday" for Mr. Flansburgh, and celebrate by tuning into Conan tonight to watch the band perform Answer!

Happy Birthday, Flans!!!

Happy Birthday Danny!

Happy birthday to my favorite bass player, Mr. Danny Weinkauf!

TMBG may have been pretty down periscope in 2014, but Danny was busy taking the children's music industry by storm! Climbing the kindie music charts and teaching the youth of the world that spelling is actually pretty cool, the moon probably is made of cheese after all and hopping up and down is an activity best suited to kangaroos and youngsters attending rock shows by Danny Weinkauf and his Red Pants Band.

Speaking as a fan and a long-time admirer of Danny's music, I could not be prouder of everything he has achieved this year and look forward to all the music and adventurers the next year holds.

Wishing you the very bestest of birthdays, Danny! Sit back, relax and enjoy a giant slice of cake. Cheers!

Happy Birthday Dan!

It's Dan Miller's birthday! Let the traditional birthday chanting begin!

DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN! DAN!

Happy Birthday, Marty!

Happy birthday to the one and only King of the Drums, Mr. Marty Beller! Thank you for sharing your enormous talent with the world. Hope your birthday totally rocks! High Five!

Happy Birthday, Linnell!!

Sending a plethora of happy birthday greetings to Mr. John Linnell, song writing genius and accordion player extraordinaire! I am continually amazed at the musical brilliance you produce and I look forward to many more years of new songs and lively performances. Thank you for being awesome!

Happy Birthday Flansy!

It's Flansy's birthday! Yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!!

Happy birthday Flans! Thanks for always being awesome! You totally rock!! 

Happy Birthday, Danny!

Every year, I write up a post for each member of the band's birthday, in which I wax lyrical about how awesome I think they are, and share a whole bunch of pictures of them from the last year. Well, this year, for Danny's birthday, I'm going to do something a bit different.

You are all, hopefully, aware by now, that Danny has launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund his new solo kids' album, No School Today. Thanks to 349 generous backers, the campaign has already been funded with 40 days still to go. But he's still about $3,500 away from his stretch goal, which will allow more music videos to be made to accompany the album. And every extra dollar makes a big difference in getting the album out into the world.

So, possibly for the first time, we have an opportunity to give a member of the band a real, tangible and very meaningful birthday present, by backing his album. If you haven't backed already, tell Danny "happy birthday" by doing so right now. Any amount helps. $10 will get you a download of the album. $25 will get you a CD. For $80 he'll make you a video teaching you how to play any of his songs. $100 will get you an Executive Producer credit. For $10,000 you can even have his car! Even, if you don't have kids, back the album to support Danny, and great music.

And if you have already backed the album, kick in an extra $10 today, as a special happy birthday wish. And then, please, share the campaign with your friends. I don't think I have enough clout to get him all the way to his stretch goal today, but I am sure as heck going to try and I need help from every one of you.

And for my part, I am making two promises. First, to any fan who backs at $10 or more or adds $10 to their pledge, I will offer a PDF of my TMBG calendar I put together every year. It has previously only been a Christmas present I make for my band friends, but I am offering it up as an incentive for TMBG fans who back the campaign. Just show me you've backed, send me your email and I'll send you the PDF near the end of the month, when I finish assembling the calendar.

And second, I will, personally, kick in an extra dollar for every person who backs today at any level. Whether there are ten of you or 100. 

I can honestly say that Danny is one of my very favorite people. A tremendous musician, and just the nicest guy you are ever likely to meet. He has been nothing but kind and supportive of me over the years, and it means a great deal to me to be able to give back in such a real and positive way by helping get his album out to the world. I sincerely hope you will all join me in saying, "Happy Birthday, Danny. We are behind you 100% and can't wait to see the results of your new endeavor!"

Now go, Red Pants Team, go!

This link to the Kickstarter campaign: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/242408143/danny-weinkauf-bassist-for-tmbg-new-kids-music-lp

I also made this video to celebrate Danny's birthday and his quest to reach new heights :-)

Happy Birthday, Dan!

Ready yourself for the traditional chant, cause it's Dan Miller's birthday, and you know what that means!

Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan! Dan!

A couple of weeks ago in Hartford, I approached Dan to ask him to sign my copy of Nanobots. I'd been carrying it around with me, on and off, for months, but every time I had run into him, I had either not had it with me or the moment just wasn't right. But this time it worked out. I asked and he said sure.  The conversation went something like this. "You're missing," I explained, meaning his signature. "Am I the only one?" he asked. "Yeah," I said. "You're hard to find." "I'm not hard to find! I'm always around," he said. "Yeah, I just hate bugging you guys," I replied. "You're not bugging me. I just don't do the front of the stage thing. I wish I was like Marty and Danny, and I could do that, but I can't. It's just not me." "I totally understand that," I said.

And the thing is, I do. That just isn't Dan. And I would never expect it of him. 

Several months ago, I was talking to a friend, and mentioned how much I appreciate the guys in the backing band. I believe my exact words were "As much as I love the Johns, and they drive the show, my heart really belongs to those three guys at the back of the stage." And the response I got made me a little sad. "I knew you were gaga for Danny and Marty, but I didn't realize you felt that way about Dan." 

Upon reflection, it is true that I am more vocal about my affection for Danny and Marty. But it is not true that I don't feel the same way about Dan. In the very same way that you won't find Dan signing autographs for fans at the front of the stage, because it just doesn't come naturally to him, I don't tend to publicly gush about my fondess for him, as much as I do the other boys. Instead it is a quieter affection and respect, held more tightly in. But look a little closer and those feelings are dug deep. A picture of Dan is the background wallpaper on my phone. I carry one of his guitar picks in the pocket of each of my band hoodies. At the first show of every tour, nearly without excepetion, I pick the spot in front of Dan by the stage. And one of the absolute highlights of this year, which has already included 36 shows and enough memorable events to write a book, was the hug I got from Dan on the sidewalk in Omaha. Dan is every bit as important to me as the other boys, and I would never want anyone to believe otherwise, especially him.

If Marty is the heart of the band, then Dan is the soul. The vibrancy and life in his playing, as well as the awesome power house of his talent are wrapped into every piece of music the band produces. He is a giant among Giants and just plain one of the nicest people you will ever meet. And I am ridiculously fond of him.

So please join me in wishing Dan, a very happy birthday filled with family and friends and love and laughter. Lots and lots of laughter, because no one laughs with as much sheer joy as Dan. You're the best of the best, Dan. Rock on!

Happy Birthday, Marty!!!

Happy birthday to the King of the Drums, Mr. Marty Beller!!! Let us shower him with birthday wishes fit for a king!

I think TMBG themselves said it best:

"The drummer is the heart of the band, the drummer is the soul of the band, the drummer is the core of the band, uh huh"

Marty really is the heart of this band. He's got larger than life talent, seemingly endless energy, and a dynamic and entertaining performance style, that are integral to everything I love about TMBG. I truly believe his creative input is one of the reasons the band's music just keeps getting better and better. Most of my favorite songs on Nanobots are the ones with the most unique and interesting rhythm tracks. And I've said it countless times before, but I will never, ever get tired of watching Marty play. I still watch every single performance of Call You Mom in absolute awe. And one of the stand-out elements on this year's tour was the inclusion of the Marty Cam, a feature that evolved into the perfect vehicle to allow Marty's talent and personality to truly shine, with just the right touch of humor, and one I enjoyed with delight.

No other member of the band puts in as much face time with the fans at a show as this guy. I can tell you, both from first hand experience and from witnessing interactions with countless fans, that the time Marty puts into high-fiving, signing memorabilia, and posing for photos, means the world to the fans. He is a class act and an absolute one in a million and I for one am honored to have been fortunate enough to witness so much of his awesome talent.

And on a personal note, I can not thank Marty enough for making me feel appreciated as a fan and a welcome presence in the audience, night after night. Following the band around the country on tour is one of my greatest joys. But for a long time, I worried that what for me was pure fun and a deep love of the band and their music, would get me labeled as "the crazy fan" and would eventually be seen as an annoyance. But through friendly words of welcome and encouragement, and small acts of kindness and appreciation, Marty and the other boys have helped me let go of that worry and relax and enjoy the shows feeling like I really belong there. And that means more to me than I could possibly say, as there is nowhere I feel happier and more at home than a TMBG show.

So please join me in wishing one of my favorite people a most wonderful and excellent birthday, and a splendid year ahead. Happy Birthday, Marty!! Thanks for keeping the beat. Thanks for being you. Rock on!


Here are a couple of my favorite Marty performances from the most recent tour and some of my favorite shots.