Arizona Bike Rides (2013)

January

• January 13 (Sunday): Casa Grande Century (101/60/33) 

February

• February 15/16/17/18 (Fri-Mon): J&P Tucson Tour (~60 days/day for 4 days) - Out of Town
• February 17 (Sun): Picacho Century, Marana (72/36) - Out of Town 

March

• March 16 (Sat): Tour de Cure, Pheonix (100/81/65/34/8)
• My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/44781460 

April

• Apr 6 (Sat): El Tour de Mesa, Mesa (70/28/5) - Out of Town

May

• May 4/5 (Sat/Sun): Salt River Valley Tour (Day 1: 85/8.5k, Day 2: 85/5k) - SICK
• May 10 (Fri) Mt. Lemmon Climb (56/8k) - SICK
• May 18 (Sat) & 19 (Sun): Bike MS, Cottonwood/Sedona (Day 1: 100/75/50, Day 2: 50/30)
• Day 1: http://app.strava.com/activities/54963114
• Day 2: http://app.strava.com/activities/55168665 

June

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July

• July 20 (Sat): Taylor House Century Ride, Flagstaff (95/65/45/30)

August

September

October

• Oct 13 (Sun): Tour de Scottsdale (70/30)

November

• Nov 2 (Sat) : Cycle for Life, Goodyear (35/65)
• Nov 3 (Sun): Silverbell century (66/82/98)
• Nov 16 (Sat): McDowell Mountain Century (96/70)
• Nov 23 (Sat): El Tour de Tucson (111/85/60/40)

December

Arizona Bike Rides (2014)

January

•  

February

•  

March

• March 22 (Sat): Tour de Cure, Pheonix (100/81/65/34/8)

April

•  

May

•  May 17/18 (Sat/Sun): Bike MS, Sedona (Day 1: 50, Day 2: 100)

June

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July

•  

August

September

October

•  

November

•  

December

You are my Home

Lyrics by Dhruv Bhate (c) 2013

Been in this cheap hotel, everyone knows my number, but no one knows my name, what a shame.

Felt good for a day or two, but now it’s been 22, no matter what I do, it doesn't feel the same.

Wake up in an empty bed, with an aching head, oh no no, yet another night of this sleeplessness,

Get into the taxicab, watch the world go passing by, there’s people just like me, what a sorry mess.

A voice inside my mind

Keeps telling me it’s fine

But deep down I know

This voice isn't mine

I’m going nowhere,

On a foreign land I roam

You know my name,

You are my home.

"Sehnsucht" in Hong Kong

Watched the brilliant documentary "Searching for Sugar Man" on my flight to Hong Kong, en route to Malaysia. I felt that familiar pang of longing for the unknowable, only this time it felt all right, knowing that it could happen to someone as good as Sixto Rodriguez and he was still fine. While the plane was taxiing, I wrote these lyrics, hope to come back home and set them to a song. It's been a long time since I wrote one. This one's called "Sehnsucht".

Sehnsucht
(C) 2013, Dhruv Bhate

I look with eyes that cannot see,

My mind is filled with dreams that can never be. 

Somewhere out there another Sugar Man dies.

A panic quivers carelessly,

As arrows strike me right in the heart.

Small voices echo smaller lies.

And when it comes calling, 
We'll be found crawling
In the, pouring rain. 

Don't believe those eyes
We're always in disguise
We're just fools, all the same.

Words spinning round and round.

A time lost in a space by the sea.
Scratch that track, it's just, all too wrong.

And when worlds collide,
We'll run out of places to hide,
And feel, no more pain.

Don't believe those eyes
We're always in disguise
We're just fools, all the same, 
playing the same game,
and no one knows our name.

I look with eyes that cannot see,

My mind is filled with dreams that can never be. 

Somewhere out there another Sugar Man dies.

Fell in love with the lyrical genius of this song called "Cause" by Rodriguez that featured in the documentary. 

Top 5 Artists for the Future!

Some of these may have been older releases, but I heard them first last year. Some fantastic new artists in 2012 are convincing me it may be time to loosen my grip on the 60s/70s and embrace the present and find my next "Oasis".

Dry the River - Weights & Measures (2011)
A bit over-the-top on the intensity meter, but in the right mood, can overwhelm the senses. The only song that made me cry last year, maybe ever.

First Aid Kit - Emmylou (2012)
Swedish folk band fronted by 2 sisters singing in amazing harmony and drawing justified comparisons to S&G.

Fun. - Why am I the One (2012)
Approached them with caution because of how big they got with "We are young", but the "Some Nights" album is fantastic and hard to fault. This is another gem from that album.


Adele - Set Fire to the Rain (2011)
I came to Adele late when we picked up her 2 LPs in Flagstaff early in 2012. This song in particular, is powerful and beautiful at the same time. Brilliant - here's wishing to more from her in the future.

John Mayer - Walt Grace's Submarine Test, January 1967 (2012)
OK - not a new artist by any means, but this guy has so much talent - if he can stay off self-destructing for another decade, I believe he is going to do more amazing work in the coming years. Fantastic song from his 2012 release (Born and Raised). The song is a wonderfully vivid story layered with the chasing your dream theme. Stay focused, John! Or go crazy if you need to, just come back and put out great music.

Cover: Dead End Street (The Kinks)

Check this out on Chirbit

Original on YouTube (sped up a bit relative to record)

Dawn to Dusk Ride through the North Valley

Pictures below say it all. :-)

Beer: Phoenix Ale Brewery Visit

Nice little place in Phoenix. Tried out 8 beers brewed by them, rated below:

Watermelon Ale - 6.5
Fretzy's English pale ale - 8
Camelback IPA - 6.5
Hoppy Valley - 6
Fretzy's Hef - 7
Ironwood - 4
Wheatstalk - 6
Uptown Amber - 7

Arizona Bike Rides (2012)

2012 Amateur Road Race Calendar (Arizona)

Jan 8 - 100/62/34 - Casa Grande Century - $30 - DONE (62)
http://www.active.com/cycling/chandler-az/casa-grande-century-cgc-2012

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/3188921

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Feb 12 (Picacho Century) - 100/63/40 - Tucson/Oro Valley - $25 - DONE (63)

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1205&Itemid=27&year=2011&month=02&day=06&uid=69b4209d69f4da25989b84095eb1aaf2&catids=53

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/4104358

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Mar 10 (Mining Country Challenge) - 96/66 - Superior - $35 - DONE (66)

http://www.pmbcaz.org/miningcountry.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/5028905

March 24 (Tour de Cure) - 80/62/35/8 - Phoenix - $150 min - DONE (81)

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR/TourdeCure/NorthernArizonaArea?pg=entry&fr_id=7993

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/5665215

March 31 (Chandler Century Ride) - 39/65 - Chandler - $35 - DONE (65)

http://www.chandleraz.gov/default.aspx?pageid=454

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/5992784

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Apr 14-15 (Bike MS) - Day 1: 105/64/47, Day 2: 50, 32 - Sedona Verde Valley - $250 min

http://bikeaza.nationalmssociety.org/site/PageServer?pagename=BIKE_AZA_Route2012

My Results: Day 1: http://app.strava.com/rides/6824602; Day 2: http://app.strava.com/rides/6824598

Apr 14 (Holualoa El tour de Mesa) - CONFLICT

http://www.mesaaz.gov/transportation/gabfest.aspx

Apr 28 (Tour of the Tucson Mountains) - 70/27 - Tucson - $90 min - SKIPPED

http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/!TTM/TTMhome.html

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May 5 (Ride for the Children) - 65/25/10 - Scottsdale - $50

http://rideforthechildren.com/ride.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/7941005

May 11 (GABA Mt. Lemmon Climb) - Mt. Lemmon, AZ - $15

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1620&Itemid=27&year=2012&month=05&day=11&uid=1262124020evt103

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/8327964
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July 14-15 (White Mountain 2 Day Tour) - Day 1: 63, Day 2: 38 - $60

http://www.pmbcaz.org/whitemountain.html

My Results:
Day 1 - http://app.strava.com/rides/13507062, Day 2 - http://app.strava.com/rides/13507064

July 21 (Taylor House Century) - 95/65/45/30- Flagstaff - $60 min

http://absolutebikes.net/taylor/

My Results: http://app.strava.com/rides/14080087

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Sept 16, Skull Valley Loop Challenge - 54 - Prescott - $30

http://www.prescottbikeped.org/prescottcycling/loopchallenge/index.html

Sept TBD (Magic Circle Bike Ride) - 66/33 - Wilcox - $TBD

http://www.digital-archive.org/WREDA/WC/event_special.html

Oct 13 (Cochise County Cycling Classic) - 234/157/92/45 - Cochise County (S. AZ)

http://www1.perimeterbicycling.com/cochise-cycling-classic/

Oct 14 (Tour de Scottsdale) - 70/30 - Scottsdale - $70

http://www.facebook.com/ScottsdaleCyclingFestival

Oct 20 (Sedona Century) - TBD - Sedona, AZ

http://www.sedonacentury.com/

Oct 21 (Tumacacori Century) - 100/64/24 - Southern AZ - TBD

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1626&Itemid=27&year=2012&month=10&day=21&uid=1262124022evt167&catids=53|54|55|56|57

Oct 21 (Tour de Safford) - TBD - Safford, AZ - TBD
www.tourdesafford.com

Oct 27 (FASTER Gran Fondo with Bob Roll) - 100/55 - Scottsdale, AZ - $100/75

http://www.fastergranfondo.com/schedule.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/26256244

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Nov 03 (Cycle for Life) - 30/65 - West Valley, AZ

http://www.cff.org/Chapters/arizona/index.cfm?ID=20365&blnShowBack=True&idContentType=1239&Event=20365

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/26852497

Nov 04 (Silverbell Century) - 30/67/82/100 - Tucson, AZ - $25

http://www.bikegaba.org/index.php?option=com_jevents&task=icalrepeat.detail&evid=1625&Itemid=27&year=2012&month=11&day=04&uid=1262124022evt376&catids=53

Nov 17 (El Tour de Tucson) - 111/80/66/42 - Tucson, AZ - $100

http://www.perimeterbicycling.com/!ETT/ETThome.html

My Results: http://app.strava.com/activities/28144245

Album Released Online!

Download Here: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/dhruvbhate

All proceeds to benefit math and science projects at www.donorschoose.org

CDs Arrive in the Mail!!!

"Verses and Visions" Songlist!

Album releases digitally on cdbaby.com on April 15, 2011!!!

1. Get You
2. 20/20
3. Dream
4. Terrorist?
5. Consumption Disease
6. Ode to Mediocrity
7. Waiting for You
8. One of Us
9. For A Ditty

Singapore/China Trip: Day 2

Flight landed in SIN on time at 6am, made it to the hotel by 7:30am via MRT train ($3 only) - was packed with folks going to work - all kinds of people - Kannadigas (I heard yerdu), Malayalis, Malays, Chinese and the odd westerner. All important signs are posted in 4 languages - and it's funny how Tamil needs twice the space of the other 3 (English, Malay, Mandarin) to say the same thing! From the train, Singapore looks and feels exactly like Bombay, only cleaner and less crowded!

The Beijing airport was very COLD - no heating/AC I guess, and temperatures dip to about 0-5C at night, though it may have been closer to 10C in the airport. All my China warm clothes were in the packed bag so I had to make do with what I had on - thankfully I had my warm cap with me! I guess I've been spoiled in the US with on demand HVAC everywhere you go. Had a very nice meal of warm curry beef and white rice (32 Yuan). Food on the flight was pretty repetitive: white rice with chicken, white rice with pork, and finally I ventured white rice with fish. They didn't serve tea or coffee which was strange. And in-flight entertainment was really sad. Could barely even see the TV from where I sat.

Have taken a few pics, will post soon. Looking forward to Singapore for now. The hotel looks nice - though it is a mess from the behind, which is where I came from since I took the train instead of the more common taxi drop off outside the grand lobby. I guess judge a hotel from it's rear. :-)

Singapore/China Trip: Day 1

At Beijing airport now, awaiting the next flight to Singapore. Woke up at 3am and it's already 24 hrs since I left home, and still another 12 hrs till I get to the hotel! Ah well. Air China is very reminiscent of Air India (or at least what I imagine Air India would be). Also, realized that CHINA and INDIA have 3 alphabets in common (I, N, A) and the other two follow exactly by 1: D follows C, and I follows H. :-)

Anyway, so far so good - Beijing was a smoggy city from the sky, but the scale of everything, including the airport is immense. Some of the apartments looked like Vegas casinos from the sky.

More later, for now will try to get some CNY and buy some grub and tea. Will shoot a note next when I get to the hotel.

"One of Us" Vocal Overdub in Studio

Gig Summary: Blackbirds Live at Swig, Jan 19, 2011

Before the Gig
Press Coverage:

Pune Mirror: Jan 18 2011











































Mid Day, Jan 18, 2011












The Gig!
Setlist

SET ONE
1. I saw her standing there
2. Nowhere Man
3. All my Loving
4. If I Fell
5. Day Tripper
6. Baby’s in Black
7. Get Back
8. There’s a Place
9. A Taste of Honey
10. With a Little Help
11. Rain
12. Thank You Girl
13. Across the Universe
14. Please Please Me

~

SET TWO
1. Heutzutage (Varun’s song)
2. My Generation
3. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
4. All I’ve Got is You
5. I Will
6. That Day
7. Masters of War
8. Dream (Dhruv’s song)

Videos:









Post Gig Review:
Pune Mirror, Jan 22 2011

Recording & Mixing - Lessons Learnt

Hmmm...3 days of recording and 2 days of mixing later, I feel I have learned a lot and could have done better had I known, and respected some of these points ahead of time. Anyway, hindsight is 20/20! For now, as I see it, it is important not to lose the lessons, and I have documented them here for that reason.

1. Recording music takes time. More than you can imagine. Allow for that or be prepared to compromise or stretch your budget!
2. Preserve your voice at all costs - do not use it up in rehearsals, guide vocals & rough takes.
3. Play to a click track before you do anything else.
4. Voices are instruments - play them well, incorporating technique.
5. Mixing takes time, even when tracks are recorded well.
6. Listen to the tracks thoroughly before proceeding to the next song. Focus on the vocals since they can be prone to pitching issues.
7. Play a guitar you know well and have optimized action and tone for.
8. Recording is tiring - try to separate the days if you plan to sing continuously.
9. Stay focused and ensure you have no stresses on you - recording your songs require you to be at your physical and emotional best. You don't want to record a song while battling thoughts in your head.

Recording Day 3

Was present for only the first half of today's session, had to leave to go to Mumbai for a visa appointment. All tracks are down, barring vocals on "One of Us", "Consumption Disease" and "RDS". Will pick it up Monday morning at 9am, followed by mixing rest of day Monday, and all of Tuesday. Hope to have the mixes completed by end of Tuesday so I will actually have tracks by mid-week!!!

Recording Day 2

Another day down, 5 more songs completed - "One of Us", "Dream", "An Ode to Mediocrity", "For a Ditty" and "The Richard Dawkins Suite". Spent a lot of time on "One of Us", but all in all, we completed basic rhythm tracks for all 11 songs in 2 days: that includes rhythm guitars, bass and drums. Vocals are roughly done, but many songs need it to be done again, along with additional guitar work from Derek, all of which is planned for tomorrow. I also need to head to Mumbai, and leave the studio at 4pm, so it's going to be one tight day tomorrow. Once again, my vocals are of real concern and I am doubtful I will get through all songs.

The recording experience has been extremely enjoyable so far!

Recording Day 1

Just got back from my first ever recording session, we laid down 6 tracks (Waiting for You, More than Meets the Eye, Terrorist, Get You, 20/20 and Consumption Disease). My voice is positively cracking now, and needs a lot of care next 2 days. Mum's kadhaa is doing the trick so far. Terrorist was the song of the day and just sounded incredible, while MTMTE is sounding well, empty. :-)

Need to overdub Derek's guitar and my vocals on these 6 songs, as well as complete the remaining 5. Looks like we are on track to get all the songs down by tomorrow, leaving one more day to punch out any errors, before mixing commences on the 14th. All in all, a great first day and a wonderful and enriching experience to record my songs in a professional studio!