Tommy Odetto's Recording Dream

UPDATE - APRIL 2017
It's cold, rainy and thinking about snowing here in Wisconsin tonight. At the same time, it's hot and sunny in Fairfax where Tommy is. The significance of this day is not lost on us. For starters, we are 90 days into this adventure. And if all had stayed on schedule, we would be packing up the gear and heading to our respective homes after having been in the studio. But, as we mentioned a while back, schedules got shuffled. And we were shooting for mid-summer. Well, we are now looking at another possible schedule shuffle, and a change in the production team, but we view all of it as a blessing. As of today, we have more than ten thousand dollars in the crowdfund...HOLY COW, THAT IS INCREDIBLE. But we are still a bit short. This extra time is on our side. So, it's time for the second wave.

We are launching one last auction on Monday, May 1 --- more really cool things to win, including concert tickets, autographed books, and rare posters.

Tommy is booking up like crazy and has at least a dozen shows in the next couple months, with more to be announced soon.

We have new shirts, buttons, and stickers for sale on his website. All money from those goes directly into the crowdfund, so please go and check them out. tommyodetto.com/merch .

Additionally, we will be starting a second round of PR efforts in hopes to drumming up attention for the campaign. 

You may notice a new video at the head of the page. Check it out. You might recognize a few people including our very own Tommy. If you listen carefully you will get a sneak peek at one of the songs he is hoping to record at 606. The original video can be seen on YouTube at https://youtu.be/9OaXwkxBYv8. The original campaign story is just below this post. 

Thanks again to all of you who have donated, are about to donate for the first time or may consider donating again. I know that Tommy is beyond moved at all of this support. And we all know, I could just cry at the drop of a hat over any one piece of this. 

We look forward to seeing some of you at Conejo Valley Days and once again, want to especially thank David "Veggie" Vieria and Rock & Roll Pizza and our friends at TourBusLive.com.

Thanks so much!
Peace, Love and Rock & Roll,
Sandy and Tommy

-----original story below-----


HOW IT BEGAN.
October 2015, Tommy Odetto, from Fairfax, CA published a video to YouTube. A seven minute mini-documentary about a young singer/songwriter/guitar player from the Bay Area who simply wanted to “Jam with Dave Grohl. ” Oh sure, just Dave Grohl – Nirvana, Foo Fighters, Them Crooked Vultures. Well, sure, what aspiring rock guitar player doesn’t?  Tommy was different though. This guy isn’t just a good guitar player. He is talented. He is gifted. And he did everything in his personal power to make sure that anyone and EVERYone that might have means to making it happen would see the video.

KINDNESS OF STRANGERS.
A few months later, in January 2016, Tommy had managed to get his video to a Foo Fighters fan who lived in Milwaukee. That would be me, Sandy Ploy. (Shown below: Me and Tommy in Chicago last November.)


I will be honest, at first, I ignored it. Thought he was just some random Facebook guy. But, he kept asking for me to watch it. I finally did. I was literally blown away. I immediately thought of my friend David “Veggie” Vieria who owned Moorpark’s Rock & Roll Pizza and was responsible for booking the bands for Conejo Valley Days in Thousand Oaks. (Tommy and Veggie this past Thanksgiving, shown below.)


We quickly agreed that it would be a good idea to book Tommy and his band as one of the opening acts for Chevy Metal. Chevy Metal was just the festival headliner, that just so happened to be the band of the Foo Fighter’s drummer Taylor Hawkins; they also had an unannounced special guest planned, Dave Grohl. 

Around the same time, a staffer for the Foo Fighters also shared the video with Dave Grohl. They also agreed that this guy was a real talent.

DREAM COME TRUE.
Fast forward to May of last year. Conejo Valley Days. Tommy is there. Dave is there. They MEET! And then...about half way through the Chevy Metal set, Tommy is invited on stage...by none other than Dave Grohl. And he KILLED it. His talent buzzing through Rolling Stone’s Miss You. Friends and Family in the crowd, Dave Grohl looking him eye to eye, as they play note for note with one another. A DREAM COME TRUE. Literally, someones dream was granted right before our eyes. (No caption needed.)



LIFE CHANGING
In the past year, Tommy and I began working together. I do Promotions, PR, Website and even a some Manager-esque things. We have become the absolute best of friends and if I could write a check for this whole thing myself, I would do it in a heartbeat. I love him. I love his mom Cindy, Aunt Lisa and his brother, Nicky, too. And I am sure as I meet the rest of his family, that list will grow! (Shown below: Cindy, Tommy's Aunt Lisa and me on New Year's Eve at his hometown venue, Peri's Bar.)


LEAP OF FAITH
That is what lead us here today. The exposure from that show and a whole lot of gigs since then with a ton of networking and hard work has garnered Tommy ANOTHER DREAM. The opportunity to record at Studio 606, the one with the epic Neve Board from Sound City...yes, THAT Studio 606 and that Sound City!

WE NEED YOU.
That is where WE step in.
Tommy’s friends. Tommy’s family. His neighbors, fans and the passionate family of Foo Fighters Fans who have now adopted Tommy into their fold. He did what so many of us will ever only dream of. SHARE A STAGE WITH DAVE.

And now he gets to work with the people that launched Dave's career. This is a magical moment.

BUSINESS AT HAND.
We have 90 days to raise a minimum of $16,606 dollars to make THIS DREAM come true. This will pay for the studio, producer, musicians, transportation, the production, travel, accommodations, food, you get the idea. This business ain’t cheap. But, I believe in us and Tommy.

We can do this.

PLEASE & THANK YOU. 
Please give what you can. It is a lot easier than it seems. Skip a few trips to Starbucks --- even I have cut WAY back. Make dinner in once a month. Recycle those old cans in the garage. Drag all that loose change to the bank and cash it in. This money is under our noses. We just have to find it. 

We all know there are few things in this world that are better than Tommy's electric smile and one of his smokin' guitar solos. 

In the coming days we will announce a few incentives to nudge the path along. If you give ahead of that announcement, your dollars will still count toward those items. 

My heart is shaking as we get this ready to launch. Thank you SO MUCH for helping his dream...which has now become my dream as well.

Hugs and Kisses and Rock & Roll - 

Sandy Ploy and 
David "Veggie" Vieria