From my good friend Russ Barnett - a timely reminder of a great upcoming event (featuring yours truly):

Hey everyone, just a reminder, only 7 weeks to go.

The 4th annual Michigan Vet Fest Free Benefit Concert / and Cruisin' Michigan Ave is getting closer.

Sat July 10, 10:00 A.M. until midnight
The Elks Club #1945 25000 Michigan Ave
Dearborn, Michigan
At least 15 bands on 2 stages, headlined by Salem Witchcraft and Frijid Pink!
Also featuring Sweet Crystal, The Lemon James Band, Groovedog, Curtice/Markley, Vince Smith, Banned From E.a.r.t.h. and many more!

There will be a one time only appearance by The Jim Haywood Tribute Band
Vendors, prizes, raffles, special guests, classic cars, motorcycles and more
100 % of all donations will go directly to the Veterans Haven in Wayne, Michigan www.vetshaveninfo.org http://www.vetshaveninfo.org>

http://www.myspace.com/vetfest>
We need your support now more than ever. Times are tough, but our veterans who have done so much for us still need help.
Please feel free to pass this info around. Tell your friends, family , and everyone you know.
Hope to see you there!
Thanks!
Russ
Regards,
Russ Barnett

You can make a tax deductible donation to Veteran's Haven all year around.
Tell them we sent you!
Veteran's Haven 4924 S.Wayne Rd
Wayne, Michigan 48184 734 728 0527

A story timeless

I did not write this but it touched my heart...

A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside.

"Your son is here," she said to the old man.

She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw

the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent.. He reached

out his hand.The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old

man's limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the

Bed .

All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly

lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love

and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move

away and rest awhile.

He refused. Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was

oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking

of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging

greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients..

Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said

nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now

lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she

did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the

Marine interrupted her.

"Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my

life.."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake,

but I also knew he needed his son, and his

son just wasn't here.

When I realized that he was too sick to tell

whether or not I was his son,

knowing how much he needed me, I stayed."

I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was Killed in Iraq

today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this

Gentleman's Name?

The Nurse with Tears in

Her Eyes Answered,

Mr. William Grey.............

The next time someone needs you ....... just be there. Stay.

**************

WE ARE NOT HUMAN BEINGS GOING THROUGH A

TEMPORARY SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE.

WE ARE SPIRITUAL BEINGS GOING THROUGH A TEMPORARY HUMAN EXPERIENCE.

A few nice things about today...

Sometimes a day brings good news and bad news... and sometimes it's weird news and sometimes in no news.

We all prefer good news (at least that's the supposition I'm working with right now) so here's a small kudo that came out a while ago but we just found out about.

Mike Pinder of Moody Blues fame and fortune runs a song writing contest that we entered. As it turns out, although we did not take home the "big prize", we did get recognition for the writing of one of our songs from "Still Standing..." - the song "This Way Forever".

And in all honesty, we need to give our thanks to Joan (DJ) Stevenson - it was her input and original collaboration on the song that was every bit as instrumental in making it what it is. She has her own version up on her MySpace page (please make sure and check out her glorious God-given vocal talent) and we miss seeing her around the studio. http://www.myspace.com/joanstevenson

That being said, the new CD is just entering the mix phase so we see that 2010 will mark it's official debut.

Hope we can play it for you real soon.

Stay blessed, stay standing.

Q

Abe Knows

Sometimes you come across words that say everything you are thinking, you are feeling. What to do? Quote 'em!

"You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot lift the wage earner up by pulling the wage payer down.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away people's initiative and independence.

You cannot help people permanently by doing for them, what they could and should do for themselves."

........Abraham Lincoln

Links Around The Web

Sometimes it amazes me how many diverse places the band (and yours truly) lives across the Internet. You, too?

Besides the obvious - here and www.sweetcrystal.com -

In no particular order:

http://twitter.com/sweet_crystal

http://twitter.com/nightcrier

http://www.myspace.com/sweetcrystalrocks

http://www.indieheaven.com/artists/sweetcrystal

http://sweetcrystal.ning.com/

http://www.reverbnation.com/sweetcrystal

http://www.motorcitytalent.com/Sweet_Crystal/

...more to come (because you asked)

I'm Tired

Never mind - I realize I was just ranting... because I too am tired.

Came across an older demo of soundtrack music we used to distribute for jobs outside of our normal Sweet Crystal rock performances.

13 minutes of some rather eclectic song snippets. Click & enjoy at:

Nightcrier Music Demo

How about them dogs?

Have a great and glorious day.