Author: Max Winters

Categories
Gentlemanly Figureheads

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy: The Perfect Model for Gentlemen

Evening gents, it’s Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide! Now, I might be a little biased about this, seeing as they’re my favorite band, but I’m serious, the nine (9) guys of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy can really serve as role models for any up and coming gentleman. Aside from their look with their suits and hats, the way they act on and offstage is enough for any young man to look up to. So today, I’m going to give you four (4) points that show how the musicians of BBVD are, indeed, perfect gentlemen!

1. There is no formal frontman

While it’s true that Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s lead singer and guitar player, Scotty Morris, is the founder and “frontman” of the band, he does not hog all the attention. He acknowledges and directs the attention to the rest of the band throughout their entire performance. Whenever one of the other players performs a solo or plays a phenomenal riff, they take center stage for that solo of riff, and then go back to their place in the band. So while there seems to be a “frontman” onstage at all times, in reality, it’s all about the band and the music. No one person in the band hogs all the attention. In today’s day and age where modern pop stars are the total center of attention and give next to no attention to their backup band (without which, they could not even perform), it’s nice to see that every single person on stage is given credit where credit it is rightfully due.

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2. Most of them are family men

Now, I can’t pretend that I know every little thing about a parent, but I’m willing to say that being a parent is one of the manliest things a man can do! I takes a lot of strength and patience to raise a child. So think about this: the guys of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy are touring and performing up to 290 days a year! This includes holidays, birthdays, and anniversaries. Could you imagine doing that while also being a husband and father? That clearly takes 10 times that amount of strength and patience. I’ve even met some of the guys’ kids (and even played in a school band with one of them) and they say it’s not very different from having a regular parent. It just makes them all the more admirable, knowing that they perform all the time and are still going strong while still being husbands and raising families.

3. They genuinely care about their fans and supporters

One of the biggest things that bugs me the most about a lot of modern pop stars is that they make everything about them, and generally don’t acknowledge their fanbase (I refer you to the time when Justin Bieber spat on his fans while at his apartment). What really bugs me about it is that without their fans, musicians wouldn’t be able to do what they do, and this is what Big Bad Voodoo Daddy does so well. My sophomore year of high school, the Ventura Unified School District put together a big music and arts festival at my high school to showcase the wonderful art that can and has come out of my hometown of Ventura, California. Headlining the event was Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, as they themselves are from Ventura. While they could have easily booked a much bigger venue than a high school, even in Ventura, they still agreed and were excited to perform for the event. Why? Because they knew that their biggest fanbase was in Ventura, and genuinely care about the well-being of arts programs from their own hometown. But aside from that, they just care about their fans, holding special clinics for middle and high school music students, and they often stick around after their shows to autograph merchandise and interact with their audience. Be honest, how many musicians can you think of that actually do that? Sure, some may be around after their shows to sign autographs and all that, very few of them stick around to interact with their fans, take photos, or even answer questions like Big Bad Voodoo Daddy does. It just shows how much they appreciate their fans and how they wouldn’t be able to do what they do without them.

4. They only do it for love of the music

Coming from such humble beginnings, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has made it abundantly clear what they care about from the perspective of being a band: the music. They don’t care about making a spectacle, they just care about playing great music for people to enjoy. While yes, they do dance and play around onstage and make their performance a spectacle, it’s not their main priority. It’s the integrity of their art form that matters the most to them. My definition of success is to do what what you do and love what you do. As gentlemen should, they do what they love for the service of the people.

BBVD Post 3

So there it is! Not only do they look the part, but the guys of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy act the part of what a perfect gentleman should be! Between being family men despite how often they’re performing away from home, caring about their fans, not one guy hogging all the onstage attention, and just simply loving what they do, I aspire to be as much of a gentleman as these guys (also to create such incredible swing music). In all seriousness, for those of you who haven’t heard any of their music, look them up. Most of their music is available in iTunes and Spotify, plus they have a new album coming out in June! Or if you have a chance to see them live, you absolutely should! I hope you enjoyed reading the post, and I would appreciate it if you shared it with a friend. Also be sure to follow The Young Gentleman’s Guide on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and read any past posts from the blog. And on that note, this is Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide, and I’ll see you next time!

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Gentleman's Philosophy

The Importance of Punctuality

Evening gents! It’s Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide here, and today I’m going to talk to you about something that I am a huge stickler for: punctuality. I always make a huge deal about showing up on time, no matter what it is. Two of my life mottos are “If you aren’t going to show up on time, why bother showing up?” and “If you’re early, you’re on time, and if you’re on time, you’re late”. This applies to everything I attend; classes, job interviews, concerts, parties, and the like. Unfortunately, not many people seem to make as much of a priority out of being on time as I do. So today, I’m going to give you three (3) simple reasons why punctuality is so important.

1. It gives you more time to prepare

Now, this may not apply to everything you attend, but it can help especially if you’re participating in an athletic event or performing in a concert or play. Anyone who’s ever participated in these events has most likely had a call time, usually for a soundcheck or team warmup. However, it’s even better to show up even earlier than your call time, because it gives you more time to get warmed up if you need the time to do so. As a trumpet player, I can personally attest to this, as it can take up to twenty (20) minutes for me to completely and properly warm up, even before sound check. Or, if you’re in a play, you could have to do a quick line run-through before setting up for soundcheck or getting into costume. So, if you need some extra warmup time before your concert, play or game, just show up a bit early!

2. You can help set up for the event

Whether it’s a party, a concert, or anything in between, whoever’s hosting the event will likely be scrambling to get everything ready. If you show up early and offer to help the host set up for the event, it will not only alleviate the host’s stress immensely, but it will also help the event run more smoothly since no one in stressing over getting everything set up in time. Plus, like what I said in my post about being a better party guest (which I have linked right here if you missed it http://wp.me/p7U271-1O), helping the host and alleviating their stress will likely get them to invite you to more of their events in the future!

3. It shows that you care

This ESPECIALLY applies if you’re going to a class or a job interview, but it can also help in any of the other events I have mentioned above. Showing up early for whatever event you’re going to simply shows the host, interviewer or your teacher that you care about being there. If you show up late for any reason (with obvious exceptions for emergency situations like a sudden traffic accident or having to tend to an injured person), it shows that you simply don’t care about being there, which is why I say that showing up late is just as disrespectful as not showing up at all. Plus if you arrive early for a job interview, it will present a good impression to your prospective employer and you’d be more likely to get hired. Arriving to any event on time simply shows that you care and that you really want to be there!

So that’s it! If you ever thought that being punctual wasn’t important, here’s to hoping that this post has changed your mind at least a little bit. I hope you enjoyed this post, and feel free to leave a comment, follow the blog, and share this post with a friend! Also be sure to follow The Young Gentleman’s Guide on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. Be sure to also read any of the past posts from the blog. And on that note, this is Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide, and I’ll see you next time!

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Uncategorized

My Exciting Announcement!

Evening gents! I’m sorry in advance for how short this post is going to be. I actually have another post in the works which should be out on Monday, but for the time being, I have something exciting to share with you! I haven’t really talked about it on the blog before, but I am currently taking classes at community college in hopes of transferring to a 4-year university after two years. And after said two years, I’m excited to say that my wish has come true! This coming fall, I will be attending San Francisco State University! I will be studying Music Education in the hopes of earning my bachelor’s degree.  I’m so incredibly excited to start this next chapter, and I’m more than looking forward to seeing what SFSU and I’m hoping to share some experiences with you guys! Again, I’m sorry for how short this post is, I just wanted to let you know of an exciting occurrence in my life! Well, that’s all I have to say for now, so I’ll see you next week! This is Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide and I’ll see you next time!

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Uncategorized

My Sister Wrote A Book!

Afternoon gents! I’m sorry if this first post of my new schedule doesn’t follow my usual formula, but I have an exciting announcement! My sister, Claire Laminen has published her very first novel! Across the Formidable Sea tells the story of twenty-year-old Laura Elliot-Stratford who, after being whisked away from her home in Virginia to the English countryside in Stratford, struggles to find out what she’s going to become and trying to find home and happiness amid a life she never asked for. I myself haven’t read it yet since I’ve had other reading assignments for school, but I do plan to soon. Plus, I’ve heard some feedback about it from my other sister, mom, and grandma, and they all loved it! Claire put a lot of time into this project, and there is nothing she would appreciate more than to check it out and read it for yourself! It’s available for purchase on Amazon, as well as in e-book form! I’ll include a link to it right here https://www.amazon.com/Across-Formidable-Sea-Claire-Laminen/dp/1520679246/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1491262230&sr=8-1&keywords=claire+laminen

Again, I’m sorry if this post didn’t follow my typical formula, but I just wanted to help get the word out about my sister’s first book! Let me know in the comments what you think of the book, and be sure to follow the blog so you don’t miss anymore posts! So until next time, this is Max from The Young Gentleman’s Guide!

 

Categories
Manly Skills

A Gentleman’s Guide to Prom Night

Afternoon gents! I know I said this in my last post, but I want to sincerely apologize for the lack of posts on the blog lately. I have been completely inundated with school work and music stuff (and possible Overwatch marathons) that I haven’t been able to do much of anything! However, I do intend to do a complete overhaul on the blog now, so starting next week, expect TWO (2) posts on the blog every week, one on Monday and one on Friday. If I have enough time in the coming weeks, I may add one more post on Wednesdays, add a new admin for the blog, and possibly bring periodic updates to the YouTube channel! And to all those who have been regularly viewing and reading my content, I would like to say a sincere “thank you.” So with that out of the way, let’s move on to the topic of today’s post before this turns into a novel!

So, for those of you who are unaware, the target audience for my blog and YouTube channel are young men either in or just coming out of high school. That’s around the time when I started reading content from Art of Manliness, and I feel that it’s a vulnerable time in any young man’s life where they could really benefit from the tips and pointers I offer. With that in mind, today I’m going to speak specifically to those young gents still in high school, giving you all the pointers you’ll need for a fun and successful prom night!

Remember that you don’t have to go

The first thing to remember is that you don’t even have to go to prom if you don’t want to! While your classmates may pressure you into thinking you have to go, it’s perfectly ok if you don’t want to go. And it can be for any reason. Whether you want to save money, you don’t have a date, or just simply don’t care, it is completely fine if you don’t want to go. Your classmates may pressure you a lot to go to prom, but at the end of the day, no one will care!

You don’t need a date

If you do decide to go prom, remember that you do not need a date. While it is highly encouraged, it is of course not necessary. During my junior and senior years of high school, my school even offered singles tickets for those students that either couldn’t find a date or didn’t want one. A lot of other schools are starting to do this too, but even if your school doesn’t, you could simply purchase a couple’s ticket for you and a buddy, if he also doesn’t have a date. So unless your school officials have been set back sixty years and think that a gay couple going to prom (which might not even be the case) is a problem, you should be set for prom even if you don’t have a date.

Coordinate your outfit with your date’s

If you don’t have a date, I suppose you can just stop here. But for those of you who have found a lovely lady (or gentleman if you’re gay, I don’t discriminate!) to spend your prom night with, pay attention! Now, it’s traditional that you and your date wear outfits with similar color schemes. For those of you who haven’t read my guide to the perfect suit or tuxedo, that could really come in handy for this, so I’ll include a link right here The Gentleman’s Guide to the Perfect Suit/Tuxedo

Now, with this in mind, just tell the tailor what colored accents you want to match your dates dress. Those accents will usually apply to your tie, vest, and pocket square. Sometimes, the color of the jacket and pants may also have to change from the traditional black. When I went to my senior ball, my date wore a navy blue dress, which both me and the tailor agreed didn’t blend well together with the traditional black, so we worked it out that the tux would be gray with navy blue accents to match her dress, and it looked great! It would be smart to show your tailor a picture of your date’s dress to give them an idea. So, be sure to coordinate with your date and your tailor to get yourself looking perfectly spiffy for your prom night!

Remember it’s a social event!

Now, all of my tips up to this point have applied before prom night even happens, but my last and possibly most important pointer applies to prom night itself. Now, yes, most of you will have a date and you’ll obviously want to spend a lot of your night with them. There’s no debate there, it’s just simple logic. But this doesn’t mean that 100% of your time at prom should be spent making lovey-dovey time with your date (especially if it’s a significant other). It’s meant to be a social event, spent between friends and classmates. The whole point of prom night is just to have fun, celebrate being young, and forget about the stresses of high school for a little bit. And while we’re on the subject, do not interpret an acceptance to prom as an acceptance to sex! I can’t believe I have to say this, but I’ve heard stories of students renting a room if prom was at a hotel, and girls being deflowered on prom night. That is not the point of prom at all. Just keep it in your pants, guys, as much as it pains me to have to say that.

 

So there we have it! Follow these tips and you’ll have a great prom night! If there happen to be any ladies reading this and would also like some help with prep for prom, my friend Sara has a tutorial on her YouTube channel, showing how you can get a great look with cheap drugstore makeup, which I put a link to right here https://youtu.be/CUy8aMXzL7w

If there are any other prom tips that I missed, please be sure to leave your comments down below, and also be sure to share the post and follow the blog! Be sure to suggest topics for future posts either in the comments, or send an email to the blog which can be found on the homepage! Have fun at prom gents, and until next time, this is Max from The Young Gentleman’s guide! 🙂