The Mythical Lost News Posts

The oldest online news updates date back to November 1999, when Okay Samurai was called Second Nature and we didn't have any fancypants blog publishing tools. So, for archival purposes, I'm dumping them all back here where no one will ever find them...

12.5.02 trane91: Coltrane Remixed
New in the IUMA audio section is trane91, Dave's first attempt at a remix (John Coltrane's Alabama). Like a lot of computer music, it was probably more fun to create than to listen to (the four computer music classes Dave took during college were among his favorites). A Yamaha CS1x synth and Martin acoustic guitar fill up the area around the sample. Make sure to check out the "hidden ending"...all those sounds are samples of objects within reach of Dave's desk. For more frequent updates, check out the new and improved dave2n.com. It's the new home of the Okay Samurai weblog (formerly at talk.okaysamurai.com) and other projects.

8.25.02 I've Got West Nile, Yay
The brand-new studio version of Mosquito is now online in our audio section. Recorded and mixed by Eric Espiritu, it's a major improvement on our two older versions of the song. A few pictures from the recording session are on the way. Don is working for the government, Jeff is with AOL, Andrew is at JMU and Dave is with Teach For America. Check out talk.okaysamurai.com for more regular updates.

6.11.02 You're A Wizard, Harry
The preliminary recordings for a full-fledged studio version of Mosquito will take place at the end of this week thanks to Eric Espiritu. With luck, it'll be out by the end of this summer. We've added a brand new section to the website: talk.okaysamurai.com (also accessible through the "mailbox" option in our main menu). Basically it's an online web journal for Okay Samurai. It's run on Blogger and will hopefully continue to be updated every-so-often by OKS. I'm hoping to get Eugene writing for it too. Although this idea might just completely die within the week, with luck it'll be posted to more often than these usual news blurbs.
More info about the Espiritu Sessions as it develops.

5.23.02 Samurai Die With Honor
Okay Samurai will still be around, just not as what you're used to. We'll be scattered in D.C, Baltimore and Harrisonburg next year, and chances are that at least some of us will still be doing music-related things. So okaysamurai.com will not only continue to serve as an archive for the band, but also feature whatever new musical endeavors await the samurai. If someone records a new song, we'll put it online. If someone takes some insane photos, we'll put them online. If someone is performing somewhere, we'll let you know when and where. We're hoping to put together one last studio recording with the help of longtime friend and musical god Eric Espiritu. More info as it develops.

4.15.02 Final Rockouts
Okay Samurai will be playing as part of the "Pre-Graduation Rockout" at Mainstreet Bar And Grill at JMU this Saturday, April 20. Buy $5 tickets from any of the band members or at the door and check out the calendar for more info (we'll be playing with Luck Be A Lady again). Party at Don and Jeff's place after the show too.
This past Saturday's Mainstreet show opening for Crazy Diamond was freak-knockin' awesome. Special thanks to the old guy who danced with us onstage and bought us beer. Pictures on the way, including the giant outside inflatable pig! Thanks again to Crazy Diamond for letting us open for them (their version of Comfortably Numb was incredible)!

3.28.02 Like You're Taking Crazy Pills
Mark your calendars for Saturday, April 13 and Saturday, April 20...Okay Samurai will be playing on both nights at Mainstreet Bar And Grill at JMU. The samurai are opening for the Pink Floyd cover band Crazy Diamonds on the 13th and will be joined by several other bands for a JMU end-of-school bash on the 20th. Check out the details for both shows on Mainstreet's calendar. Both shows promise to be of the usual pants-rocked-off nature, and the bands we'll be playing with are incredible! Ask any of the band members for tickets or buy them at the door. Back at UVA, Dave and Russ won first place and the "Audience Favorite" award at Wednesday's Talent Show. The debuts of Man of Constant Sorrow and Pour Some Sugar On Me were well received. Dave and Russ will be playing on Thursday, April 18 in the Sunset Concert Series and an upcoming Tuesday in April at Wild Wing Cafe...details soon. You may have been getting some error screens about okaysamurai.com using too much bandwidth lately...what can we say, we're getting to big for our britches (aka our photos are freakin' huge). Sorry 'bout that. Have you checked out the OKS Online Store yet?

3.1.02 Samurai Have Real Ultimate Power
Last Wednesday's Mainstreet concert was quite possibly the best Okay Samurai concert to date. Thanks so much to everybody who came out from JMU (during midterms) and UVA (a 45 minute drive!...if you drive like Don). Dave turned 22 on stage at midnight and was surprised by the audience holding up happy birthday signs and singing! OKS played about a 50-50 mix of covers and originals, including new favorites El Oso, Fake Tobey Maguire, Good Friend Ronjomp and Disregard the Trip on That. The Mainstreet atmosphere was amazing; we were constantly jumping and singing through mutlicolored spiraling lights and clouds of fog, not to mention being entertained ourselves by a few dancers who moved themselves to more elevated areas. In an unprecedented spontaneous act of God, both Jeff and Don's guitar straps came unscrewed during the hour-and-a-half concert, but the samurai played through. Luck Be A Lady opened up the show and did a fantstic job. Making the night even cooler was an appearance by first generation samurai Eugene Jung, who wrote most of the originals we played, including South of the Border and Mosquito. Pictures from the concert will be developed over Spring Break, so expect those online within the next two weeks. Courtesy of Jasmine Yoon we also have a video of the performance, so come on over and check it out sometime. We will be playing at Mainstreet again before the semester ends...heck, they asked us to play there next year too! Disregard The Trip On That is in the process of becoming the next free online mp3. We've also got a new item on sale at the Okay Samurai Online Store...a purple plush bunny. Oh what will those marketing genuises at Cafepress think of next...

2.23.02 Don't Miss This Show
On Wednesday, February 27, Okay Samurai will be headlining a show at Mainstreet Bar and Grill with special guest Luck Be A Lady opening. Doors open at 7:00 PM and tickets are $5, available through any of the band members or online. OKS practiced to the point of insanity this weekend and the setlist is shaping up to be one of their best ever (okay, close call with the Terra Centre Elementary School Assembly of '98).
This year's UVA Dance Marathon raised over $111,000, and OKS played a rockin' set despite everything that could have possibly gone wrong, in fact, going horribly wrong (Don's amp falling over, guitars being unplugged mid-song, Andrew's bass drum pedal breaking, Dave losing his voice, and even having to restart a song!). But, as third-year fan Sarah Jobe said, "I could watch you guys play all day." Photos on the way. Hope to see you at the Mainstreet show!

2.4.02 Bottlerocket Superstar!
Check out Bottlerocket Superstar, the latest free mp3 from Okay Samurai. It will soon be followed by Fake Tobey Maguire, Disregard The Trip On That and Good Friend Ronjomp, which should all be online by the end of this month as part of the new online album Find Them And Destroy Them. OKS spent most of last Friday and Saturday practicing and mixing the new songs at JMU. Bottlerocket Superstar has been around for a couple of years and performed at several concerts (usually as an opener), so you might recognize it. And just for fun, the classic Tribute To Mr. Punhong from the 1997 album Find Your Own Way Home has been put in our audio section as well.
Fake Tobey Maguire might get finished this week...expect another update very soon with more concert details about the Dance Marathon and TWO Mainstreet shows...

1.11.02 Find Them And Destroy Them
Two new tee shirts have been added to the bestselling boxer shorts in our Okay Samurai Online Store. Each display the OKS logo on front, with one back showing the Melrose crowd surfer and the other with a setlist of OKS original songs. At $14 and $15 with only 3-5 days to get to your crib, they're perfect birthday presents.
Over winter break Okay Samurai recorded four new songs for their upcoming online album Find Them And Destroy Them. In what might be the final album from Okay Samurai (#4 after Grasscatcher, Find Your Own Way Home and Codes To The Zion Mainframe), new songs Bottlerocket Superstar, Disregard The Trip On That, Fake Tobey Maguire and Good Friend Ronjomp will be available in our audio section within the next few months.
Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 16 (UVA Dance Marathon 2002) and Wednesday, February 27 (JMU Main Street w/ Luck be a Lady opening). More info on these shows within the next couple of weeks, as well as some new photos of the recording sessions.
One final note: OKS will appear in the UVA yearbook this year. A photographer who came to the Mellow Mushroom show recently asked Dave if he could identify who the "guy wearing the 83 shirt" was...

12.10.01 Finals Shminals
If you haven't ordered your Okay Samurai boxer shorts or teddy bear to give to your loved ones this holiday season, shame on you. Makesure click here.
Unbeknownst (what a great word) to him, we put a photo of our own Don Simpson up on hotornot.com for three days...check out the results here.
For Dave's two computer music classes this semster, he was allowed to combine the classes into one final project. The result was Concrete World 1.0, an interactive music world created in VRML (virtual reality modeling language). It's a look into the future of computer music...or just a way for Dave to get out of taking one more final.
Have a great winter break!

12.6.01 The Perfect Holiday Gift
A makeshift version of our soon-to-be-awesome online store is up here at Cafepress. OKS teddy bears and boxer shorts are great stocking stuffers, much better than those chocolate gold coins or socks or firebombs. Cafepress tells me that all Christmas orders should be made before December 17th to ensure on-time delivery. Actually, they didn't tell me personally, I just checked out their website updates.
You want new pictures of OKS to use as wrapping paper? Head over to our collection of 62 photos in the visual section, which now include collages of the Maine Wedding Trip and Race For Relief benefit concert.
Over the winter break, we'll be recording a whole slew of unreleased songs...look for 'em in late January. Oh, and Andrew and Dave recently saw a guy wearing an authentic "83" shirt as seen worn by OKS at the Microbrew concert. All right, go buy your OKS boxer shorts.

11.3.01 Calzones Aren't The Only Thing They Burn
Last night's Gamma Phi Microbrew Show at the Mellow Mushroom was freak-knockin' awesome. OKS played two rockin' sets and encored with All Along the Watchtower mixed with Nelly's Ride Wit Me. Gamma Phi social chair Sarah Ward even joined the boys in singing Straight Up and Ready To Run. Thanks to everyone who came out, we loved the crowd. Answer to one of the night's questions: OKS was wearing similar shirts with "83" on the front for the first set because that's when the band was formed. Either that or they were $1.99 at the local Old Navy.
We're working on setting up out next show, which will probably be at JMU, so keep checking for updates. AND the Microbrew pictures should be up within the week. AND the Okay Samurai online store should be up within the next two weeks, so get your credit card ready because the OKS boxer shorts are going to be this holiday season's Tickle-Me-Elmo.

10.28.01 Red Oiseau Spots!
OKS is playing this Friday, November 2 from 10PM-2AM at the annual Gamma Phi Microbrew at UVA. This year it's at the Mellow Mushroom, a very cool place with 40 beers on tap right behind Dave's house. The only way to get the limited $5 tickets is through a Gamma Phi sister, so ask around...otherwise, don't worry; I'm sure we'll be playing there again in the near future.
The Race for Relief 5K benefit run was a huge success, raking in around $1300 for the disaster relief fund. OKS debuted several new songs including Disregard the Trip on That, Fake Tobey Maguire, 81 on 81 and El Oso. The Werner and Chin families were also in attendance. Thanks to Catherine White for setting up the event and having us!
Oh yeah, and a bird pooped red poop on Andrew's head post-concert.

10.14.01 Two Concerts, Two Campuses
Saturday, October 27: We'll be opening and closing the JMU "Race For Relief". It's a 3-mile run/walk benefitting the American Red Cross. Our actual performance time is not set in stone; it depends on when the runners start and finish (although we'll probably start around 9:30AM...yes, AM). If you want to help out, get some exercise, score a tee-shirt and watch a sleepy OKS rock out, visit the official website for details.
Friday, November 2: OKS will be playing at the Gamma Phi Microbrew from 10PM-2AM at the Mellow Mushroom at UVA. Ticket details and directions are on the way.
Don and Jeff's 1524G House Party was insane two nights ago, and all of Okay Samurai were in attendance (pictures on the way, of course). Although it got a little overcrowded later on, beer pong tournaments and appearances by just about every Robinson High School graduate ever made this quite the brouhaha.
After switching website hosts three times, we finally settled on Tripod...which means advertising at the top of every page. Oh well, it's free!

10.6.01 Rockin' The Suburbs
Can I tell you how much I hate computers? I've spent the last two hours trying to update this site and instead ended up erasing half of it because of a slow-as-heck dialup account. First, let's get the concerts outta the way:
*October 27: Race for Relief at JMU, 10AM: OKS at 10AM? It's for charity so s'all good. Check out the website here for details.
*November 2: Gamma Phi Microbrew at UVA (Orbit Billiards), time TBA: Just mark your calendars, details are coming soon.
Don and Dave went to Maine from September 20-23 to provide the musical entertainment for Don's sister's wedding. Taking place on Isle Au Haut, a small island with a population of about 70, samurai adventures included riding stolen bikes everywhere, lobster feasts, a rendition of "Sweet Home Isle Au Haut", an altar made of driftwood, BIKES, 10 people in the back of a pickup en route to a party, airplane tickets accidentally being thrown away, Dave playing an antique piano so hard that blood stained the keys, and BIKES.
Before OKS, there was Second Nature, and Grassblade Smoke was one of their songs. It's up as a classic 1997 track on our IUMA audio section. Every few weeks I'll be adding a new old-school song, including Uncle Charlie's Song, Third, F# and A Tribute To Mr. Punhong.
New picture here courtesy of Jasmine Yoon. Andrew got an electric drum kit. Dave and Russ will be playing at the Pav in a few weeks. Dave caught an impromtu Granian concert last night in the Maupin 140s suite. We switched our website host to Geocities. BIKES. More concert updates coming soon, prepare to have your pants rocked off.

7.28.01 Textbook Greedy-Dead!
DNR Acoustic Stylings: On Tuesday, July 17, Dave and Russ played a four hour acoustic show at Coupe's in Charlottesville, VA; thanks to everybody who came out. The long-awaited live debut of Forgot About Dre took place here. If all goes well, expect a few more shows like these through out the year.
OKS Gear Coming in September!: Soon you'll be able to buy OKS merchandise directly online, including tee shirts, tank tops, sweatshirts, boxers, hats, coffee mugs, mousepads and totebags! I mean, freak-knockin' OKS boxers, how cool is that?
Recording Delayed / New Songs: We've been busy learning so many new songs that recording has been put on hold for the time being. Fake Toby Maguire and Disregard the Trip on That are sure to become live favorites along with three more currently untitled new songs.
New Website Host: Okaysamurai.com has moved to Freewebspace from RedRival, which means we've got nerdy advertising banners at the top of our pages...sorry for any inconveniences.

6.4.01 Poo Palace Sessions
Hey. No, we haven't died; I just can't update the site much since our home computer has a Slowy McSlowpants modem. OKS has been working on some new original songs mostly, including Jeff's first contribution to the band. Tentatively conceptualized as the Poo Palace Sessions, hopefully around four or five new free mp3s are coming your way. Definitely slated on schedule is the long-awaited studio version of Back To Blues (the harmonica song), hopefully featuring the best guitar player ever, Eric Espiritu, on...guitar. Working titles for some of the new songs are Not Yet (What's in the Guitar Case?) and Fake Toby Maguire. On the acoustic front, Dave and Russ have had a couple of three-hour-long jam sessions and should be following through with some Charlottesville appearances in late August, so check back for times and places. Finally, okaysamurai.com might be changing hosts soon since RedRival is turning into a pay service soon (and I sure as heck ain't paying no money for any nerdy internet site, unless I steal it). I'm sure you all really care about information like that.

4.22.01 Disregard the Trip on That
Dave (OKS Dave) was sitting in Section 124, Row XX, Seat 18 when he noticed a navy blue backwards baseball hat from a distance...and then a Don Simpson wearing it and a Jeff Chin following him (yes, Jeff came too.) They joined Kelsie Welch and watched DMB rock out with an incredible performance in Row K of Section 123. The highlight of the night, everyone seems to agree, was when Neil Young joined the band for an unforgettable version of All Along The Watchtower. Anyone who missed the show should check out Jimmy Scanlon's post (note: no longer available) in Mailbox, he's got a very detailed version of the setlist and links to recordings of the songs (shhh...)!
In addition, Dave (OKS Dave again) helped set up for the concert on Thursday evening with University Union's PK German (thanks Steph!) for about three hours. There was this one moment when it was starting to get dark and the crew was testing the audio/visual systems and he was standing in front of the stage. In what can only be defined as a surreal experience, Dave stared up through the wisps of fog machine smoke into a full display of purple lights while Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb blasted out of the speakers. And he cut his left hand moving around plywood for trucks to drive on, but hey, no complaints here.
Dave and Russ did some mad sick pre-DMB partying, first playing outside the Newcomb Hall Tent for roughly two hours and then playing another 45 minutes at Kim Pelikan's Party off of Ivy Road. Both now have carpal tunnel syndrome and are recovering slowly but surely.

4.13.01 No, the Other Dave...
This has nothing to do with OKS, but Dave first got me interested in playing guitar, so I'm excited that on Saturday, April 21, The Dave Matthews Band will return home for their first Charlottesville concert since 1994. Held in the newly-renovated Scott Stadium with an opening act of Neil Young and "special guest" (one wild rumor is Santana...doubtful), this much-anticipated concert has all the makings of something spectacular. Don and Dave will be in attendance...along with over 60,000 of their closest friends. Stragglers can check out Ebay for extra tickets, but now that the Sunday show got cancelled, prices for Saturday tickets have skyrocketed.
If you've checked out the latest album, Everyday, you might know that it was made in 9 days after scrapping an entire other album with producer Steve Lillywhite (who did the previous three major-label albums). Well now the scrapped album has been leaked out through Napster and is being labeled as "The Lillywhite Sessions". Although none of the tracks are finished (you can still hear Carter counting time at the beginning of a few) and are for the most part depressing, it shows what Everyday could have been. The tracks are Busted Stuff, Grey Street, Diggin' a Ditch, Sweet Up and Down, JTR, Big Eyed Fish, Grace Is Gone (my favorite), Captain, Bartender, Monkey Man, Kit Kat Jam and Raven (You might notice the titles of some of these songs in subtle references on Everyday). There's another mp3 floating around of Dave singing I Did It in the style of the B52's...might want to check that one out too, as well as an acoustic version that a lot of people like better than the studio release.
All right, onto other stuff. Summer's coming up, and that means OKS is going back to the Basement of Doom to do some more recording. There also might be a home concert thrown in there somewhere too, who knows. Hey, if you're around Charlottesville tomorrow night, check out Jordan Brown's The Bureau at Phi Sigma Kappa fraternity at 11 p.m. (4.14.01).

4.9.01 Melrose, the Sequel
Last Saturday's AKL Melrose Concert was again quite the sight to behold. OKS played an exclusive afternoon set for AKL alumni and then played one long set that night for party-goers. OKS premiered their latest cover, Bad Company's Feel Like Making Love, to much acclaim. Thanks to AKL for everything (especially controlling the stage and helping us move equipment afterwards), Allison for the new photos and makeshift duct tape OKS sign, Karen for confirming her status as an OKS groupie, Eric for getting his mack on with that girl on the balcony, and Nick for introducing us to Clarence Carter's Patches at 5:00 AM (worth a download on Napster, trust me).
The Mary Baldwin show was cancelled due to a last-minute change of plans, or at least that's what they're telling us. Rumor has it that the boys would have caused riots at the all-girls' college. Delusion, kids, is a wonderful thing.

3.28.01 Da Heck Is Going On?
If on any given weekend if you show up to Melrose at JMU, chances are there's a big party and Okay Samurai is headlining it. OKS, hereby known as THE Melrose Band, will be playing at AKL's Melrose on the night of Saturday, April 7. It's basically the same deal as the KA shindig: BYOB, \\$7, same place and time and bus system, but supposedly you can buy tickets at the door this time. If you're expecting the same ol' KA show rehashed, think again...there will plenty of new surprises thrown in the mix. And then it's a quick turn-around to the much-anticipated Mary Baldwin show on the night of Thursday, April 12. It's safe to say that a certain Nsync song will be included in the set here. More exact details about this show are coming soon, just giving a heads' up. We're really excited about the sudden eruption of concerts and hope to see you out there! If you've got questions about either show, lemme know at dave@okaysamurai.com and we'll work something out.
Hey, after you've finished listening to the five free Okay Samurai mp3s, check out what some friends of the band are doing: Eric Espiritu's Preppy and Jordan Brown's The Bureau. You won't be disappointed.

3.24.01 Melrose Aftermath
With over 400 tickets sold, KA's Melrose was the place to be at JMU on Friday night. Held in a two-story barn (pictures coming soon), it was the wildest OKS show to date. The stage was permanently filled to the edges with dancers, everyone and their immediate families sang with Dave, and the crowd was "festive" to say the least. As crazy as things got, amazingly none of our equipment was missing or damaged, including the infamous plastic swan. Thanks to everyone who came out; we had a great time and hope that you did too. And special thanks to the following:
Peter Komar- for singing Alcohol with Dave and helping control the "freestylers", as well as considering us for the event in the first place. Much 'preciated.
Jordan Brown- for coming down from UVA and playing lead guitar with us on Sweet Home Alabama and Back To Blues, as well as yelling "DUDE I LOVE THIS SONG!" when we played Mosquito.
Kelsie Welch- for going out of her way to come see us en route to Tech and getting water for us after the first set...thanks so much.
Eric Brandt- not only for always going crazy in the crowd, but also for helping with unloading and the sound check.
The Mary Baldwin Crowd- for coming down and especially Kate for punching a certain annoying audience member.
Chris Keller- for helping the tired band pack things up after the concert.
Matt Williams- for making the trip from the Naval Academy...that's dedication.
"Emily"- for the possible show in the near future.
And everyone else like Nick, Matt, Justin, Karen, Allison, MC...well I could go on forever but just know that we sincerely appreciated everyone coming out.
It's been a while since we recorded a new song, so a new acoustic version of Mosquito is up at okay.iuma.com. Make sure to also check out the new photo we posted in the visual section from last week's spontaneous apartment concert. Tentatively the next concert is at Mary Baldwin in April, details coming soon.

3.18.01 Felines, Canines, Rattlesnakes!
So much to say. So much.
10 incredible pictures from Dance Marathon 2001 have been posted in the visual section. I was watching the videotape of our performance over spring break and was overwhelmed how much the audience was getting into it...you'll hafta come over sometime and watch it. Anyway, the visual section is up to 48 photos now; that should satisfy your daily appetite for samurai.
OKS is playing this Friday night at James Madison for KA's Melrose; you can get tickets from any fraternity brother. If anyone from the UVA crowd wants to be a "roadie", let me know, we'll work something out. Believe it or not, this is Okay Samurai's first JMU concert ever...with three jmu'ers in the band, expect one of the most high-energy shows ever.
Yesterday was the most fun I think any of us have had musically. We were practicing at Don and Jeff's apartment at JMU and decided to go all-out with a drum set and loud-as-heck amps (previously we've practiced with bongos and turned everything down so as not to get any noise violations). Soon random people were showing up because they heard about "the band playing at the Commons". One guy even climbed up the deck to the second-story apartment; everyone was jumping around and singing along. Jeff got one of the random people to snap a few pictures with his camera, so hopefully some of those turn out. Two ten-minute-plus renditions of Sweet Home Alabama were probably the highlights, but All Along The Watchtower and Just What I Needed were crowd favorites too. I can't wait for Melrose...

2.27.01 Samurai Aural Decapitation...
'Sup. Thanks to everyone who came to the DM2001 show; we had a great time and hope that you did too! We'd also like to thank Lyman and The Bureau for putting on such quality performances as well, 'specially my mad-sniffable dawg Jordan Brown. Photos were plentiful as the phone numbers Andrew received after the show from several female audience members; expect those to be up soon (the numbers, not the photos...). The setlist that will hereby referred to as "The Feast" was as follows: Straight Up (Paula Abdul), Steal My Kisses (Ben Harper), Seppuku (OKS), Margaritaville (Jimmy Buffett), Sail Away (Enya), Makesure (OKS), It Wasn't Me (Shaggy), Mosquito (OKS), Hangin' Tough (New Kids On The Block), 718 (2 Skinnee J's), 8675309 Jenny (Tommy Tutone) and Bye Bye Bye (Nsync). The feast was delicious and all who came were satisfied. This performance has confirmed OKS members as quote-in-quote "rock gods" who expect nothing less than to be hand-fed grapes by beautiful women.
So what's next? SHOWS NOT AT UVA! Can this be possible? Apparently so. Mary Baldwin, JMU (finally), Richmond and more are in consideration for concerts during the remainder of the semester! As soon as we know more info, we'll post 'em up like a blindfolded paralyzed squirrel addicted to Tylenol! HADOKEN!
Editor's Note: The enthusiasm of the concert has not died down yet in some members, causing them to act temporarily insane. If you witness this in any of the members, please administer the "punch in the face" technique to put them back on track. Much obliged.

2.9.01 Infinite Puppy!
Okay Samurai will be performing at the Third Annual UVA Dance Marathon on Saturday, February 24 at 8:00 PM at Memorial Gymnasium (need directions? Try Mapquest). You must present a backstage pass (click here to get it) at the door. Just print that bad boy out (doesn't have to be in color) and you're set, but you'll still hafta pay the \\$5.00 entrance fee. But not to worry...your money is benefitting the Sarah Du Bose Fund, which helps premature babies at the UVA Hospital. This year our goal is $50,000 (definitely reachable). For more info on what DM is, click-a-rooni. The reason you need the backstage pass is because DM isn't open to the general public until 9:00 PM, so to make the concert more exclusive to friends of the band and the dedicated dancers (because exclusive concerts are a sure sign of coolness), OKS fans can get in an hour early. Make sure to listen to Makesure and Mosquito so you can sing along while you're crowd-surfing to them during DM. If you've got questions, need sleeping arrangements for the night, or are just lonely, e-mail Dave at dave@okaysamurai.com and he'll hook a brutha up.

1.18.01 All New Samurai...
Longtime friend of the band Jeff Chin has become the new bass player for Okay Samurai. Eugene has moved on to other aspirations, but we'll never forget the seven years of insanity and chaos we had with him. We'll miss you slacker and wish you the best in whatever you end up doing. Jeff was initiated into the band when the remaining three members got a burst of spontaneity and bought him a bass guitar on the very same day they asked him to join the band. While Jeff was sleeping that afternoon they snuck into his house and left the brand new instrument on his couch. Jeff will also provide his vocal talents to the band, singing alongside Dave and taking the lead for a cover of Undone by Weezer.
Because of all this hoopla, the rest of the Codes to the Zion Mainframe album has been put on hold; at least until the summer. Expect some older tracks to be dropped in favor of some brand new stuff.
Winter break for the Samurai included visitng Uncle Charlie's farm in Linden, where they got to play with Charlie's new Gretch White Falcon and Stephen Stills Signature Martin Guitar (in other words, really frickin' cool guitars). The highlight of the day was when Charlie called up Craig Honeycutt from Everything and the guys played "Hooch" for him. As they put it later, "We played Hooch for the guy who made Hooch!" Very exciting indeed. And Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is a great movie but if we catch that idiot whose cell phone went off THREE TIMES during the film, we will most likely karate chop his head off (Don't laugh, I've seen Andrew do it before).
Dance Marathon is fast approaching (February 24-25), and the details remain sketch as usual. As of right now, OKS will probably play at 8:00 PM on Saturday, February 24. This will be the first concert since Jeff joined the band. Dave tells us "over 200 dancing girls" is more than enough reason to come check out this show. We will have exact times and directions to Memorial Gym in our next update. And expect some acoustic shows from Dave Werner and Russ Jenkins around the local bars in Charlottesville soon. They worked on a fantastic new playlist over Winter Break and it sounds really good.

1.1.01 okaysamurai.com version 2.0
You are now looking at okaysamurai.com version 2.0, undoubtedly the coolest website ever made, thanks to computer nerd help from Kiyama Designs. New features include a streamlined front page with more info, new pictures and graphics, dropping the "paths" section and turning "interactive" into "mailbox", as well as just an all-around faster and better looking site. Let us know if you run into any bugs in the system. Thanks so much for visiting!

12.12.00 The Sky Is Not A Ceiling...
Check out Kelly Mthembu, a new song by Charlie Wine (Dave and Andrew's Uncle) with help from Craig Honeycutt from Everything. That ought to tide you over until the next OKS update (with new Dance Marathon info!)...

11.15.00
Check out the third song off the Codes To The Zion Mainframe online album, Makesure, available for free at IUMA. We almost scrapped mixing this song entirely but stayed up until 5:00AM one morning to fix all the problems we were having with the recording. It's not a perfect mix, but it's still one of the most rockin' songs OKS has recorded. Currently talks are underway for around four live shows next semester (remember this isn't a job, it's a hobby), as well as a handful of acoustic shows from Dave and longtime partner in crime, Russ Jenkins. And make sure to check out our sister site, secondnature.web.com, where recent additions include a non-profit online store and a treasury of old Cav Daily comics. I haven't been able to update the page recently since our host, RedRival, has been going through a complete overhaul of their system...sorry if the pages have been loading slower, it should be fixed by next Wednesday. Hope you enjoy the new song. I've been playing it non-stop and my roommate is getting annoyed...

10.11.00
Back in high school, Okay Samurai was called Second Nature. And in their senior year of high school, Second Nature produced their own CD, a feat unheard of for most high school bands. Find Your Own Way Home was the first step into creating a new sound for the band that would eventually evolve into OKS. Now you can buy and share this timeless classic with your friends, loved ones, and Dr. Dre. Our IUMA Audio Section now has a "BUY IT!" sign where you can order these CDs (which incidentally double as frisbees if you throw them hard enough) at only ten bucks a pop. Includes the songs Musicfest Orlando, Uncle Charlie's Song, Third, F#, Letdown, Navigator and Grassblade Smoke, as well as the hidden bonus track A Tribute To Mr.Punhong (quite possibly the funniest recorded incoherent rambling ever). You can even download Navigator and listen to it before you decide to buy. It was recorded at Rolling Hills in Damascus, Maryland and produced and mastered at Discmakers. They make great stocking stuffers!

10.7.00
With the newly acquired oksamurai.com, we're pleased to announce the availability of oksamurai.com domain names. If you have a webpage and would like the web address to be yournamehere.oksamurai.com, we'll do it because we're insane (for example, check out Eugene's homepage at eugene.oksamurai.com). All we ask is that you place a link back to our page somewhere on your site. Here's a small banner that you could possibly use:(note: this service is no longer available)...but of course you can link back in whatever crazy way you want to. Right now the contract for oksamurai.com is for a year, at which time we'll see how it's going and decide if we'll continue with it. Your page will also be listed in our paths section (note: there is no paths section anymore). Interested? Send all inquiries to dave2n@hotmail.com.

9.30.00
Today South of the Border went online as the second free song off of Codes to the Zion Mainframe. This classic OKS song was once again written by Eugene. You may remember it as the song where Andrew wears a giant sombrero while playing drums. It's the shortest song on the album, clocking in at 2:32, but well worth the listen! Gotta love that ending! More show info coming soon...

9.16.00
OX Roast went pretty well. The BBQ was incredible, the drinks were refreshing, the weather was nice and OKS rocked outside on the deck. Highlights included: Don jumping off of the porch during 2 Skinnee J's 718, Eugene being his usual cool self, Andrew wearing a slightly flattened giant sombrero and and Dave singing 718 from the street while chasing a car. Dave and Theta Chi brother Russ Jenkins did a short acoustic set before the second OKS set which turned out pretty well also. Thanks again to all who came out, expecially the crowd that drove down from JMU. We have a commemorative wallpaper here (note: wallpaper no longer available) that includes Dave's tee-shirt picture.

9.11.00
Theta Chi and Alpha Phi are throwin' together OX Roast, the year's biggest barbeque party, this Saturday, September 16 from 1PM-5PM at the Theta Chi fraternity house at UVA. Getting in on the action only costs \\$5, which gets you all the barbeque from Pig 'N Steak you can handle while rockin' out with OKS. It's a charity event to benefit the American Red Cross as well as a means to party before UVA's first away football game of the season. And the first shirt ever featuring Okay Samurai will be available at the show for only $10. This one-time-only commemorative OX Roast tee-shirt includes a special picture drawn by Dave. Fashion experts predict the shirt rings in the new fall season with stylish features like sleeves, a size tag, and cotton lining. We hope to see you there!

9.10.00
Amidst rows of bamboo stalks, hundreds of goldfish swimming in a pool, tiki torches and an audience decked out in island garb, Okay Samurai rocked Theta Chi's Survivor party yesterday night. Thanks so much to everyone who came out; the band always plays better and goes crazier when the audience is into a party mood. The biggest Survivor of the evening was Andrew...even after his hands were bleeding from non-stop drumming, he continued through out the night with swollen hands wrapped in tape and tissue paper (and played just as well during the second set). The band played two one-hour-long sets. And the encore of "Sweet Home Alabama?" That was the first time OKS had ever played that song. Thanks again for coming out and we hope to see you at September 16's OX Roast starting at 1PM on the deck at Theta Chi. More info about Ox Roast coming in a few days...

9.2.00
Confused? Okay Samurai is playing two weekends in a row at the Theta Chi fraternity house at UVA.
***Saturday, September 9: Survivor Bash
Approximate hours are from 10:30PM -2AM. A wild rockin' theme party for Survivor. Free!
***Saturday, September 16: Ox Roast (Philanthropy Event)
Sometime in the afternoon before the first UVA away football game. A yet undetermined price will help charity but get you all the barbeque from Big Jim's that you can handle. There are shirts and cups too but I'm not sure if they're included in the cost yet.
...more info on the way as soon as we hear it! and check out our newest wallpaper here (note: this is no longer available).

8.30.00
Good lord, there are fourteen new photos in the visual section. Here you can see Pumpkinhead Eugene, Tweety and Don, Andrew's Infamous "Halloween Four Times Over" picture, and Dave with outta control hair. Andrew is 19 today so make sure to make sure and send him happy birthday wishes. And there are a few minor changes here and there for the site; the main title bar will select one of four pictures to be displayed at random. They feature kung-fu movies, Transformers, Jet-Li and crazy band shots. More info on Ox Roast early next week...

8.28.00
On Saturday, September 16, OKS will be playing a benefit concert at the Theta Chi fraternity at UVA. It will be in the afternoon...the time has yet to be determined...we'll let you know as soon as we find out. The "OX Roast" is a charitable event that will hook you up with great food and partying before UVA's first away football game. And in the next few days "Navigator" will replace "Third" as the free mp3 available from Find Your Own Way Home. This song, written by Don, clocked in as the longest song on the album and sounds like a mix between island music and Phish.

8.10.00
Codes To The Zion Mainframe, the free OKS online album, has been shortened to four songs: Mosquito, South of the Border, Bottlerocket Superstar, and Makesure. You can download Mosquito now; the other three will be released through out the next few months. The remaining four tracks (Seppeku, Back To Blues, Song Called Song and Prime) will be finished over the winter holidays. Reason being, the band has been going through marathon-type practice sessions lately and there doesn't seem to be enough time to record, practice, and watch every Jet Li movie known to man.

7.31.00
Mosquito, the first song from the new OKS album Codes To The Zion Mainframe, is now available as a free mp3 in our audio section. This is the first available recording ever from the band (the previous mp3, Third, was made under the band name "Second Nature"). The song was written by Eugene and the lyrics were written by Dave. The interactive section has also changed; now you can customize your messages more (but don't worry "muckycat": you can still write fake ones). The new album cover is also available as a wallpaper here (note: this is no longer available). By all means, enjoy the song, it is safe to listen to.

6.15.00
Thanks to Music Link of Virginia for making Okay Samurai their Band of the Week for June 11, 2000! Make sure to check all the great local Virginia bands there; we're lucky to have such incredible local talent.
But I digress. Today it was announced that a new OKS album, Codes To The Zion Mainframe, will be available by September 1st. The best news? It's gonna be FREE. Eight brand new unreleased songs will be available as free mp3 downloads at all the top mp3 sites (mp3.com, IUMA, Rolling Stone, etc.) as an online album collection. Although this is the band's third album (after Grasscatcher and Find Your Own Way Home), it is their first under the name Okay Samurai. They are currently recording the tracks in The Basement of Doom. The eight new songs will be Mosquito, Get..., Back To Blues, Bottlerocket Superstar, South of the Border, Seppeku, Song Called Song and Prime. How exciting!

6.5.00
Today is Don's Birthday, so make sure to ask him about the Swedish cow bell the next time you see him. Right now the band is having a good time jamming and hanging out. Don, Eugene and Dave have each made a new song and they sound like they'll be pretty wild. And Mosquito will definitely be a new free mp3 available in September (that's the song that the turtle crowd-surfed to at Dance Marathon). PROTIP: Do not use the first player joystick for Street Fighter III at the Centreville Movie Theatre, you can't move down! (thanks to Eugene for this hint)

4.10.00
Congratulations to Virginia Tech's Java Soup, who moved on to Round Three of IUMA's MusicOMania 2000. They came from way behind late in the game to narrowly defeat us and Infectious Organisms. We did pretty well considering Java Soup's sneaky last-minute technique and that Infectious Organisms have played with the likes of 2 Skinnee J's, Outkast, and The Roots. Will from the band sent us the following:
Dave, thanks for the support, best of luck to you guys as well, you guys have quite an original sound, and I look forward to catching a show sometime, peace-Will (infectious organisms)
In addition, Listen.com reviewed all the competing bands and here's what they said about us:
The youthful Okay Samurai chugs raucously along with strained, throaty vocals, a two-guitar assault (one clean, one dirty), propulsive drums, pop hooks and a fair amount of Grunge-ified angst.
And then, according to their reviewer, we sound similar to Our Lady Peace and Better Than Ezra! I thought that was kinda cool.

4.7.00
Although we don't expect to win since we really haven't played much at college yet, we're excited that we made it to Round Two of IUMA's Musicomania 2000 contest nevertheless. Click on the crazy guy on the left to go vote for us! Eugene has a new personal homepage at www.geocities.com/koreanelvis_99, so make sure to check that out too (anonymous admirers included)! Thanks to the people that came and saw DNR (an attempt by Dave and Russ to copy Guns N' Roses) at the Pav on Wednesday, including Jennifer, Rachel, James, Mike and all of Russ's friends, and of course Katy McHale (sorry if I left anybody out). They played a Dave Matthews trio (Trippin' Billies, Lover Lay Down, Crash) and then did Tonic's If You Could Only See. Other highlights of the night included the guy rapping "Bust A Move", Episode, the Irish Jig, Alana Malick (I swear she's Jewel's sister), tons o' comedy, Third Place, and that poetry/singing lady who seduced Dave. Finally, expect next school year to be the year of the Samurai...we're working on some "stuff." All I can say now is that if a certain band was to remix the Transformers Theme Song into something new, it would sound really, really cool.

3.25.00
Today the new Second Nature Comic website went online at secondnature.web.com. That site and this site now share the same "interactive" section, which has also been redone. The 3d Treehouse is also now easier than ever to check out. And secondnature.web.com now is up to date in the archives and has some new things thrown in as well.

3.5.00
Along with Red Shift and Accent of the Poor, Okay Samurai is entered in an online contest to be the best college band in America. You can vote for the fellas at www.musicomania2000.com. The winners of each region get to go to the Finals in California to play in a big-time concert with Primus...sweet, eh? Of course it's a long shot but it's fun to be a part of...IUMA sent us tons of free stuff. The Dance Marathon concert was without a doubt our best one yet; you should come over some time and watch the video!

1.25.00
Every day something new comes up with Dance Marathon that just keeps making it better and better. Today we found out during DM we're giving away 3 Palm Pilots, those trendy little computer organizers, you know? And also a BUSLOAD of Tri Delts from JMU are coming down for the event...that might be incentive for some of you to come...anyway, the $50 in fundraising is due on February 7, so get crackin' and ask everyone you know.

1.23.00
Okay Samurai will play their first concert under the new name on Saturday, February 26 at Memorial Gym in UVA at 10PM. So what is this Dance Marathon anyway? It's a 24 hour dance party to raise money for a local charity for premature babies. Okay Samurai will be joined by at least local partners Red Shift, with more to be announced shortly. All it takes is raising $50 in donations to get into this extravaganza. However, there will also be "open hours" where you can pay $5 and catch the action on Saturday from 9PM to 2AM. Check out www.uvadm.org to see a listing of the entertainment as well as other info.

1.20.00
Well once again we've launched a new nerdy website but I think we'll keep this version for a while longer than the others. As of today we changed our band name from Second Nature to Okay Samurai. The main reason was a conflict with a California jazz group sharing the name "Second Nature". For a while we were sticking with just "2N" but decided to be a little more creative. Thanks a lot for visiting!

12.10.99
Over the holidays 2N is going to change their name. It just isn't cool enough, you know? Expect a lot of new stuff for the site and the band in general (including those new mp3s I keep promising) after winter break.

11.7.99
Finally, the new site design is up. Nerdy, nerdy, nerdy. The new picture-based navigation system on the index page is pretty cool. The entire site was moved from Angelfire to Homepage.com, which means more space for me (And Angelfire recently switched to having annoying pop-up banners). Actually, the only downside is that the 3d Virtual Treehouse is temporarily down. But when it comes back, it will be cooler than ever. Let us know what you think at The Bug's Home. Or you too can try to guess who Anonymous is, because we sure can't.

Sunday, June 2 at 10:37 PM

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