The Roar of Big Engine

Big Engine now on Google+ (Plus)

2011-08-10T08:40:00.000-04:00

We are now on Goolge+ (Plus). You can check out our page here: Big Engine (Band Page)

Big Engine now on RockBand Video Game

2010-12-17T09:21:00.000-05:00

Its official! Party Like A Rock Star is up on the RockBand Video Game Network Marketplace! Go download it and play it now!...Head over to RockGamer Studios website and tell them how excited you are about it.

NOW AVAILABLE (Xbox 360): Jacksonville, FL's own hometown heroes and hard-rockin' superstars, Big Engine, finally make their first appearance on Rock Band! They want you to get up and "Party Like a Rock Star" tonight. Grab it now on the Marketplace for 160 MSP!

http://www.rockgamerstudios.com/songs/party-like-a-rock-star-by-big-engine/

Big Engine Finished 8th in the Regional Semifinals...

2010-09-30T00:16:00.003-04:00

Thanks to all of you who judged and rated us in the regional portion of the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition. Unfortunately, we didn't make it to the Finals. We finished 8th place in the Semifinals which didn't allow us to advance to the Final round. We did pretty good to go that far though and we wouldn't have done it without all of you!! Thanks again.

Big Engine are Semifinalists in the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition

2010-09-28T00:43:00.002-04:00

Big Engine ranked 8th in the Quarterfinals of the “SUBWAY FRESH ARTISTS” Competition & has automatically rolled into the Semifinals which began at 12:00:00 am ET and ends on September 29, 2010 11:59:59 pm ET (the "Semi Finals Voting Period"). During Round 3, OurStage.com members will have the opportunity to judge among the top ten (10) ranked Entries to determine the final fan ranking. There are 45 rounds of Head to Head Judging in this final round of public judging which ends at MIDNIGHT ON THE 29TH! SO, LET'S GO RANK "I'M READY LET'S GO" BEST BY FAR AGAIN BECAUSE THIS IS THE LAST ROUND OF PUBLIC JUDGING & you could help us get an opening slot on the Goo Goo Dolls Fall 2010 Tour! Click Here --> to Judge in the Semifinals of the Subway Fresh Artist Cometition

Thanks Everyone!

Big Engine Advances to Quarterfinals in SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition

2010-09-24T06:28:00.003-04:00

Round 1 is over in the Regional SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition. We ranked #1 in our region in Round 1 & were automatically placed in the Quarter Finals! The Top 20 entries were locked in at 12AM EST on September 24th. Judging continues on with just these twenty entries. This way, OurStage fans and can concentrate on deciding which music is the best of the best. So this stage is Big Engine against 19 other entries. Right now, we are in 18th place! Therefore, you should follow the link that we provide and start ranking entries to get Big Engine "I'm Ready Let's Go" to the top because we've gotta finish in the Top 10 to advance to the Semi Finals.

You can help Big Engine by following the link that we provide below. Next, login using your Facebook account or just create and account with OurStage. Next, you will do some random head to head judging! Just listen to at least 15 seconds of each song then rate which one you like best. Whenever, Big Engine "I'm Ready Let's Go" comes up just rate it best by far to help us move up in the ranks! After you have been shown all the entries once then you don't have to listen to them anymore. Its at this point that you can rate them without pressing play. It will go pretty fast at this point!

Hurry over to OurStage to rank Big Engine Best By Far in the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST COMPETITION because as of this writing; the Quarterfinals ends in less than 3 days and 18 hours!

Click this to help Big Engine and rank them Best By Far. -->REGIONAL SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST QUARTERFINALS

Thanks!

Help Us Win $, Gift Cards & A Chance To Open For the GOO GOO DOLLS!

2010-09-21T06:08:00.000-04:00

Thanks to your help; Big Engine's "I'm Ready Let's Go" is in 1st place in the SUBWAY FRESH ARTIST Competition! Let's keep it that way by voting daily because we can win $1000 in cash, up to $500 in Subway gift cards & a chance to open for the GOO GOO DOLLS!

ROUND ONE ENDS THIS THURSDAY (9/23) at NOON! The link included in this post will take you directly to polls for this competition. Then, simply rate songs 4 at a time by listening to at least 15 seconds of each song. Next, drag into place "Worst" to Best". When we come up simply put us in 1st place! No, you can't skip directly to us. Lol Lastly, click "Lock In Vote".

You must be a registered member of the site to vote but you can register and log in using your Facebook which makes it easy!

Click this text--> "SUBWAY FRESH ARTISTS™" (DE, MD,DC, VA, WV, NC, SC, GA, FL)

Thanks again for voting for Big Engine in the competition for the Sparks Sponsorship!

2010-09-18T13:18:00.001-04:00

SUBWAY, Clear Channel & OurStage.com present Round One of the “SUBWAY FRESH ARTISTS™” Competition starting on September 10 2010 at 12:00:01 am ET and ending September 23, 2010 at 11:59:59 pm ET. That's Right! ROUND ONE IS ALREADY UNDERWAY so help Big Engine rank #1 today because we can win $1000 in cash, up to $500 in Subway gift cards & a chance to open for the GOO GOO DOLLS!

Log on to OurStage.com and take a moment to become a member. ITS FREE AND ONLY TAKES A MOMENT. You can even do it with your Facebook login!

VERY IMPORTANT.....1ST round is regional, so please make sure you click the region with FL/GA. This link should get you right there: Subway Fresh Artists - GA / FL Region

Unfortunatly you can not go right to Big Engine (if your lucky they will be one of the 1st 4), but you have to judge a few until Big Engine Shows up.Obviously when you get to Big Engine's "I'm Ready Lets Go", you drag and drop it into the 1st spot. Then the rest as you see fit, lol.

This will help us and give you a chance to get turned on to some other great music!!

So, check it out and help us too!

THANKS AGAIN HELPING BIG ENGINE WIN THE SPARKS SPONSORSHIP!

ONLY 7 DAYS LEFT! Your Help is Needed!

2010-08-24T22:33:00.001-04:00

Voting Ends August 31st, 2010 at 5:59:59 EST Hi Everyone! As most of you know, Big Engine is competing to win a sponsorship from Sparks; a product distributed by Miller Beer. Many of you have taken action and voted for us everyday and I am excited to report that we are back in 1st place! WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH for that!

However, things can change in a matter of an hour in this competition and its not over yet. So, keep voting once daily per e-mail address if you can. Winning this Sponsorship and its prize could really make a difference for Big Engine.

Although things have been moving steadily in the right direction for Big Engine, like anything; its not without its challenges. Now more than ever it is hard to keep our wheels in motion as the down economy has affected the entire music business from the top to the bottom. That's why having a nationally distributed beverage company sponsoring us feels so important to us. It has potential to help offset some expenses and give us more social approval through our association with the brand. It may even help open the door for more sponsorships and even endorsements.

So please keep voting! All you have to do to keep from getting our song on your hard drive over and over again is Stop the download just after it begins. It will not void your vote as it is counted as soon as you click download. Lastly, I ask that you keep sharing info about Big Engine on the Sparks Digital Playlist and keep urging everyone to grab a Sparks and vote! Even if only one of your friends feels compelled to vote; it might add up to enough to award us a top 3 finish!...maybe even 1st place!

You may not know this but the band Vampire Weekend won this same Sponsorship in 2008. 13 months later, they enjoyed the feeling of having their first album debut at #1 on the Billboard 200. Since then, one of their songs was placed in The Twilight Saga: Eclipse. See how one good opportunity can lead to an even better one?

Are you ready to see Big Engine win this Sparks Sponsorship? ...I know that we are!

Now! If you haven't voted yet; here's all you have to do:

Voting Ends August 31st, 2010 at 5:59:59 EST

Sparks, a Malt Beverage Distributed by Miller Beer is giving you Free Tunes on the Sparks Digital Playlist! Jacksonville, FL's Big Engine is one of 52 Bands nationwide that you will find competing on the Sparks Digital Playlist. Each FREE download counts as a vote for the band! The band with the most votes wins an official sponsorship from Sparks and their song may be used in advertising! Also, the top 3 bands will be awarded cash and prizes totaling $45,000!!!

Help Big Engine Win! All you have to do is buy a can of Sparks, available at most convenience stores, liquor stores and some grocery stores. There is a code on the bottom of the can. Go to http://www.sparks.com/ and click on the "Get Free Tunes From The Sparks Digital Playlist" can on the right. Find Big Engine's song "Party Like A Rock Star" on the page and click download!

You will be asked to enter some info including your email address but you don't have to join a mailing list. You can ENTER ONCE A DAY PER E-MAIL ADDRESS AND VOTE FOR BIG ENGINE EACH TIME! Residents of AL, CT, HI, IN, ME, MN, MO, NC, NJ, OR, SD, TX, UT, or WV don't even have to buy a can of Sparks! Just enter the offer code 7727. If you have friends or relatives in any of those states, please turn them on to this free offer! - Otherwise don't use it because they are tracking how many downloads come from this free code and will suspect the band of cheating if all of you use it!

This is a really big opportunity for the band and we really appreciate your help!

Take care and thanks again!

Your Last Chance To Help!

2010-08-20T18:13:00.003-04:00

Voting Ends August 31st, 2010 at 5:59:59 EST

Sparks, a Malt Beverage Distributed by Miller Beer is giving you Free Tunes on the Sparks Digital Playlist! Big Engine is one of 52 Bands nationwide that you will find competing on the Sparks Digital Playlist. Each FREE download counts as a vote for the band! The band with the most votes wins an official sponsorship from Sparks and their song may be used in advertising! Also, the top 3 bands will be awarded cash and prizes totaling $45,000!!!

Help Big Engine Win! All you have to do is buy a can of Sparks, available at most convenience stores and some grocery or liquor stores. There is a code on the bottom of the can. Go to http://www.sparks.com/ and click on the "Get Free Tunes From The Sparks Digital Playlist" can on the right. Find Big Engine's song "Party Like A Rock Star" on the page and click download!

You will be asked to enter some info including your email address but you don't have to join a mailing list. You can ENTER ONCE A DAY PER E-MAIL ADDRESS AND VOTE FOR BIG ENGINE EACH TIME !

Man if we win this, we are going to have a big party! This is a really big opportunity for the band so we really appreciate your help!

Take care and thanks again!

Help Big Engine Win A Sponsorship!

2010-06-08T00:03:00.003-04:00

Hey everybody! Big Engine is one of only 40 bands nation wide to be up for a Sparks sponsorship! There is somewhere in the neighborhood of $45,000 in prizes to the band that gets the most votes! We are currently in second place! You get a free download of our song "Party Like A Rockstar" so tell everybody! If you have already voted for us, please vote again! You can vote every day! Even if you already have the song, please download it so we get a vote and a chance to show that we have the best support! Most of the other bands are on decent sized record labels that are going to be campaigning for them so your votes are critical!

Here's some of the details. Sparks is a Miller Beer product. When you buy a can of Sparks at any grocery store or convenient store, there is a code on the bottom of the can. Go to http://www.sparks.com/ and click on the "Get Free Tunes From The Sparks Digital Playlist" can on the right. Find Big Engine on the page and click download!

You will be asked to enter some info including your email address but you don't have to join a mailing list. You can enter once a day per email address and vote for us each time! Voting ends on August 31, 2010 at 5:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Man if we win this, we are going to have a big party! This is a really big opportunity for the band so we really appreciate your help!

Take care and thanks again!

Tony Mikus

HAVE A DRINK TO HELP OUT BIG ENGINE!

2010-06-02T13:28:00.002-04:00

WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP. Miller Beer is using "Party Like A Rockstar" as a free download to promote one of it's products called "Sparks". Buy any can of Sparks and there is a code on the bottom. Go to this website http://www.sparks.com/ and follow the directions.

There are 45 songs to choose from. Please pick "Party Like A Rockstar" to download for free! I know you all already have the song but each download is a vote. If we get the most votes, there is a big prize for the winner! We don't know what the prize is but it probably is something the band could use. We are up against bands from all over the nation that are on record labels so we really need your help!

Sparks is available at convenience stores, grocery stores, etc. in the beer section!

Thanks for your support!

Tony Mikus

2010-05-10T15:58:00.003-04:00

Hello friends, we need your help! First I must ask you; doesn't Big Engine's "Party Like A Rock Star" seem like an obvious fit for Rockstar Energy Drink with their high speed energy drinks and of course their slogan "Party Like A Rockstar"? We feel the same way too! So, what Big Engine needs from you (our devoted fan) is to help create a buzz about Big Engine by becoming a fan/friend of Rockstar Energy Drink on Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and YouTube. Then, post, tweet and comment about how awesome you think Big Engine and our song "Party Like A Rock Star" is and encourage everyone to check us out!

In your posts; we encourage you to share links to one of our profile addresses and especially one to our music video for "Party Like A Rock Star"!

Let's all get to work on this together! Here are the links for Rockstar Energy Drink:

http://www.myspace.com/Rockstar69
http://twitter.com/Rockstar6969
http://www.facebook.com/rockstar
http://www.youtube.com/user/RockstarEvents

Here are all our social network addresses:

http://www.myspace.com/bigenginerocks
http://twitter.com/bigengine_band
http://www.youtube.com/bigenginetv
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Big-Engine/146691269017?v=app_178091127385

Thanks for your support! You are elemental to keeping Big Engine's wheels in motion.

What Happened with the radio station?

2010-03-24T13:32:00.000-04:00

First of all thanks to everybody that took the time to send an email to the radio station. I really appreciate the support!

So here is how it all went down.

In the past, stations in Valdosta, Daytona, Tallahassee, and Savannah among others have contacted the band and requested on air interviews with members of the band. This is always great and helps promote the shows in the area. Some time during or after the interview, the station would play a song or two of ours. We can't thank those stations enough!

That being said, when we were contacted by the Golden Isles Speedway to play a Bike Rally there, I asked if they were going to be advertising on the rock station there and they said yes. So I told them to tell the station that we would be happy to do an interview on air and donate a few cds and t-shirts for the station to give away to help promote the event. The people in charge of the event thought that was a great idea and they said they would add some free tickets to the give away too.

So they got in touch with the station and told them the idea when they purchased the advertising. The contact at the station said it would have to be approved by the program director. So I sent off an email to the station telling them about Big Engine, the places we have been playing, the others acts we have played with etc. Then I mailed 4 cds to the station with a letter about the band and included that we would love to do an interview and do some give aways and saying it would be great if they could spin one of our songs a time or two the week of the show and have callers call in to win the prize package. I mentioned how well that had worked in other places on other stations.

So when we didn't hear anything back from the station, I got the feeling that they weren't going to help at all. I contacted the person with the event and told him that the station would probably come back with the "doesn't fit our format" crap instead of telling the real deal about airplay. That's when I asked if he would mind if I sent an email to all of you guys and he said go for it. I checked out the station website, noticed that the format was "New and Classic Rock" so how can we not fit? I also copied and pasted into the email I sent out the paragraph on the stations site from the program director that said how they wanted to be your LOCAL station and wanted to hear your comments on anything and had an email link to the program director. Many of you emailed and got a rejection message and others actually got a form letter type of reply from the program director. This was his response to the emails below.

To All Concerned,

Thanks for your feedback concerning “Big Engine” and Solid Rock 107.7 the Fox. As a former touring bass player I appreciate your campaign for airplay. However in the case of 107.7, I fear your efforts will be in vain. We at the Fox are part of Qantum Communications. We have a playlist that is tightly scheduled and consulted. It is not our policy to play any materiel that is unsolicited by Major labels or their subsidiaries. In addition, I as Program Director do not feel that “Big Engine” fits our current format. We do have an occasional “Sunday Showcase” feature that is dedicated to local bands with label interest. Unfortunately that show is not for touring artists either.

On the bright side, We at 107.7 will be promoting Big Engine’s upcoming performance at the Golden Isles Speedway as part of their Spring Break Bike Rally March 26th-28th, and one of the on air give-a-ways linked to that event includes 2 CDs furnished by the band.

I might suggest to the band and it’s loyal following that in this day and age, you might do better to hire and entertainment lawyer who can professionally shop the band to the “powers that be” in our industry. The days of the small, locally owned radio station that can change a rotation, or break a band at will are winding down at best. That being said, We appreciate your comments and suggestions, and encourage you to continue to support original rock music wherever and whenever you can.

Sincerely,

Mark Douglas, Program Director WHFX-FM

Solid Rock 107.7 the Fox

So they are cool with using our music on the radio ad because it is being paid for! They can't play anything that doesn't come from a major label? So they will play music by bands that will never set foot in Brunswick let alone play a show there but they won't even consider a single play of a song by a band that is playing two shows there? Why do you think that is? Money of course.

Let me first say that I am not angry at Mark Douglas. I don't know the man. He may be a great guy just doing his job. I emailed him and thanked him for his honest response. I wanted everybody to see how songs get on the radio. This particular station, like most is just one of many owned by a parent company out of the area. So where do they decide what goes on the air in Brunswick, Georgia, well Boston of course! I'm sure the people in charge up in Boston have their finger on the pulse of what's happening in Brunswick, Georgia. That's the way it is all over. In order to get airplay, you have to have tons of money going into the right hands. Payola is illegal and several record labels have been sued and lost millions because of paying off stations so now they have legal ways to go around it. One of the ways is the label pays radio promoters who in turn pay the stations to be a consultant of their playlist. That is just one way of getting around it. I remember reading an article years ago about how stations were taking money from labels to play songs in their entirety as an advertisement. They would have to say before the song played, "this is a pay for play" and then the song would play. Limp Bizkit's label paid stations $5000 each to spin a song 50 times. I don't blame the bands at all. They all have to do it to get on the air. It has always been this way but most people don't know about it.

My point is, out of an entire week the station couldn't find one minute for an interview or 3 and a half minutes to play a song to promote a local event? This is Brunswick, Georgia not Boston or New York City! How much is going on in Brunswick this week? How many bands are playing in Brunswick this week? Other places are able to find the time and actually approach the band about interviews but this one did not even entertain the idea. I told Mark that I think this is ridiculous. In my opinion, local radio that is making money off advertising for an event like this should help promote the event in other small ways so that the event is a success which then leads to the promoters having other events in the area which leads back to more advertising dollars back to the station and equally important, GOOD WILL in the community!

Mark said that he might do an interview with me this week. It's Wednesday, we play Friday, and I haven't heard a word.

In summation, I am not bitter. If anything, I'm more thankful than ever to the stations that have done interviews with us and played our songs. We know how tough it is to get songs on the radio and so we don't even pursue it. In this case, I was just offering to the station what other stations had requested of us in the past. I thought the station would appreciate a band going out of it's way to try and promote an event in the stations area and offering to give the station some prizes for the station to pass on to it's listeners. We don't get cds and t-shirts free you know.

I am glad that you guys get to see how things really work. I can't thank you all enough for the support.

Take care,

Tony Mikus

This blog has moved

2010-03-18T16:03:00.001-04:00

This blog is now located at http://bigenginerocks.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://bigenginerocks.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Attention South East Georgia Fans! March 26th & 27th we are playing in the Brunswick, Ga area for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally.

2010-03-18T15:42:00.002-04:00

Attention South East Georgia Fans! March 26th & 27th we are playing in the Brunswick, Ga area for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally. They are advertising for the event on The Fox 107.7. We have sent our cds to the station for them to use "Party Like A Rock Star" in the advertising. The Fox prides itself on being "YOUR Rock Station" and "working hard to make your station better sounding, with more music, more features, more tickets and prizes, and more community involvement, because that’s what you expect and deserve…"

Obviously, they aim to please YOU, their listener. So, now that they have Big Engine's "Rock n Roll Machine" and "That Girl" CDs; feel encouraged to e-mail their Program Director or call the request line to let them know that YOU want to hear your favorite Big Engine song to get you pumped up for the Golden Isles Spring Break Bike Rally!

Contact Mark Douglas, Program Director for The Fox 107.7 at mark@1077thefox.net or call the request line 912-264-WHFX

Thanks for your friendship and support!

Radio Airplay in Southeast Georgia?

2010-03-18T14:33:00.002-04:00

South East GA Radio Airplay?

2010-03-18T14:09:00.001-04:00

Rock n roll Machine 2010 is now available!!

2010-02-03T17:08:00.000-05:00

We got the new version of our cd "Rock N Roll Machine"! It has a new song on it called "Anywhere But Here" and a bonus track, a live version of "Party Like A Rock Star". You can check it out at

http://www.digstation.com/..AlbumDetails.aspx?albumID=..ALB000043015

Oh and on our Bike Week schedule, Pub 44 Riverfront is now called Fresh On Main! It is right on the river on Main Street Daytona Beach!

There is a new video of "Sister Mary" live on youtube. Check it out when you get a chance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?..v=H7BMnFC-M8U

If you haven't checked out the video for "That Girl's a Freak" from Biketoberfest, here's a link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?..v=HrKu2N0Weeo

New Weekly Shows for Wednesday & Thursday Nights!

2010-01-18T19:13:00.000-05:00

We are back to ROCK THE BOX every Wednesday night! That's right! We are returning to Box Seats on a new night, at a new time, with a bunch of new songs! We start at 8:30pm so come out early! Looking forward to restarting the westside tradition!

Announcing Thursday nights at Cheers in Mandarin from 9pm-1am. This is our first time there so come out and party with Big Engine if you are in the area.

Big Engine on THE ROCK DELI #18 this week

2009-11-18T00:40:00.000-05:00

Thanks to the demand from you, our dedicated fans; Big Engine is being featured on THE ROCK DELI again! ~ Listen for us on THE ROCK DELI #18 ~ It is airing now (WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009) on the top of their show playlist & will remain at the top of the playlist until next weeks show airs. You can still listen to the 1st show Kimmi featured us on, #15; by simply scrolling down and clicking.

Here is The Rock Deli #18 playlist. You can see Kimmi is featuring 2 Big Engine songs on the show this week!

THE ROCK DELI #18

· MODEL STRANGER – Morning Paper
· FAE – The Last Time
· THE POLKA FLOYD SHOW – Hey You
· BIG ENGINE – No Money
· FIFTH WAY -- Lose Control
· SCARS OF PARADISE – Silence
· 8KOUNT – Ashes to Ashes
· ANCHORS – Mendoza
· CASSOCK – Liquorice Hearts
· OUR RISING – Something About Surrender
· BIG ENGINE – That Girl’s A Freak

LOG ON TO http://www.therockdeli.com/rockdeli.html NOW AND LISTEN! Don't forget to give Kimmi your feedback!

Thanks for your friendship and support!

No longer Playing Box Seats Thurs. Nights.

2009-11-17T14:25:00.000-05:00

Due to the current economic climate, we will no longer be playing Thursday nights at Box Seats. That sucks. We played there for nearly 3 years and always had a great time. Thanks to everybody that came out on a regular basis to make it so much fun for us. We did not see this coming and it sure would've been nice to have some notice but what are you going to do? Hopefully, Box Seats will pull through their financial situation.

Thanks for your friendship and support!

Tony Mikus

SOMER'S RIDE - POKER RUN

2009-11-02T02:35:00.002-05:00

7 year old Orange Park child, Somer Thompson, vanished during a walk home from school. Her lifeless body was found two days later in a Georgia landfill.

A Poker Run To Benefit her family is being held on Nov. 21st, 2009.

There will be Raffles at every stop for prizes, a 50/50 drawing and poker hands to all the riders. Must be present to win all prizes. There will also be live entertainment.

BIG ENGINE WILL BE PLAYING FROM 3-5 P.M.

Southbound and Malice provide the entertainment for the rest of the evening.

Whitey's Fish Camp has graciously agreed to host the final stop. Richard Nunn of WXJT will be the Master of Ceremonies.

BEGINNING LOCATION: Bayard Rooster located at 12661 Phillips Hwy. at 9:30a.m. Kickstands up at 10:30a.m.

LAST BIKE IN: Whitey's Fish Camp at 5:30 p.m.

WHITEY'S FISH CAMP
2032 CR 220
ORANGE PARK, FL 32068

There will be free fish fry to all of the riders. A nominal fee of $5.00 for passengers and walk-ups.

The cost of the ride is $15.00 for pre registered or $20.00 the day of the event. Passengers $5.00 extra.

Please call Laura at 904-683-6372 or e-mail at somersride@live.com to pre register or with any questions.

THE INTENTION IS TO MAKE THIS THE LARGEST BIKE RUN IN FLORIDA HISTORY! GENIS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS HAS BEEN CONTACTED.

Thank You and God Bless!

"Wasted" Featured on The Rock Deli #15

2009-10-28T02:21:00.000-04:00

Starting today, Wednesday, Oct. 28th; The Rock Deli #15 will be airing for the entire week on www.therockdeli.com. We are very excited that the first song featured on the show is our own "Wasted"! Sebastian Bach's "Love Is A Bitchslap" featuring Axl Rose is on the playlist on this week's show as well! Log on to www.therockdeli.com and check it out!

Toys For Tots Drive in Jacksonville

2009-10-23T14:11:00.000-04:00

A friend asked us to let everyone know that U Stor on Wesconnett Blvd in Jacksonville is having a Toy drive collecting Toys For Tots for "The Kids For Christmas" (formerly Dorkas Drake). They need new toy donations dropped off at their donation box at U Stor on Wesconnett Blvd. This is sponsored by the U.S. Marine Corps.

Anyone donating a toy will receive $20 off storage rental. See Rebecca at U Stor.

U-Stor
www.u-stor.com

4714 Wesconnett Blvd
Jacksonville, FL 32210-7315
(904) 778-4686

Benny Puckett Featured In Folio Weekly

2009-07-25T14:13:00.002-04:00

Hello Friends! Recently, our own Benny Puckett was the subject of a local, online hoax in Jacksonville, Florida. Apparently, Jacksonville, FL has a couple of immature and often resentful musicians that have a lot to say about Big Engine on an anonymous musician's forum on Craiglist! LOL We didn't even know such a forum existed until a couple people brought it to our attention. We avoided reading the posts until one day recently, when we started getting contacted by concerned friends and drummers seeking a job who read or heard about a particular post on the Craiglist forum. The post was supposedly from a blog written by Benny announcing that he was leaving the band. The funny thing is Benny has never written a blog! LOL Anyway, John E. Citrone of Folio Weekly and News 4 JAX contacted Benny right away to ask about it and comment on it. Below is a link to John's ariticle. Check it Out!

http://www.flogfolioweekly.com/?p=771

D. Barnes, the fake author of the now removed post must be very proud! HAHA

Big Engine Music Now Available On RINGTONES!!

2009-07-25T13:46:00.002-04:00

We're very excited to tell you that 4 Big Engine albums worth of songs are now available on Ringtones through Myxer! That's right! Any songs that you want from Mechanically Inclined, Live At Boot Hill (available twice), Rock n' Roll Machine & That Girl are available as ringtones for only $1.99 each! Click on the link below and pick up one now!

http://wap.mxr.cc/get/artist/22368928/

Thanks for your friendship and support!!!

4 Big Engine Albums For Only $5.99 Each!

2009-07-16T18:04:00.000-04:00

Out Of The Box Records has released "That Girl" & have reissued 3 other titles from the Big Engine catalog to over 600 Digital Distributors throughout the world!

From 2009: Our latest album "That Girl"
From 2007: "Rock-N-Roll Machine"
From 2004: "Live from Boothill Saloon"
From 1993: The first Big Engine Album "Mechanically Inclined" got reissued! Congrats to Steve Wheeler, Ashton Geoghan, Billy Nail, and Ryan Williams for having a 16 year old recording heard again!

You can pick up all four of these albums on iTunes for only $5.99 each!

Rock-N-Roll Machine and Live from Boot Hill Saloon are each offered twice on the site. The only difference is the price so make sure you get the $5.99 version! Go to itunes and check it out!

For a full list of all the outlets that are carrying these albums or will be in the immediate future; check out

http://www.fullentertainmusic.com/Digital_Distribution.html

Thanks for you support!

Big Engine Music Video Shoot

2009-06-24T13:50:00.001-04:00

Calling all Freaks! We need YOU to come to Brewsters - The PIT on Friday, July 10th! This will be no ordinary Big Engine show! As always, we will be performing live and rocking you into the night. However, this time we will be filming and recording live! We need you to be there rockin' out and giving us inspiration! Consider this your casting call to be in a few Live Big Engine Music Videos. We wanna see you in your Big Engine shirts & singing along to every song; all night long!

$5.00 admission, 18 and up admitted, Its open to the public so bring some friends! The PIT is a full liquor bar!

Brewsters - the PIT
14003 Beach Blvd.
Jacksonville, FL 32250
904-223-9850

http://www.myspace.com/brewsterspit

Coach Leonard Skinner's Final Public Appearance ~ Featuring Gene Odum!

2009-06-02T00:59:00.002-04:00

Come out to Box Seats on Thursday, June 11th and get a piece of rock history in the form of a Coach Leonard Skinner autograph. For those of you who don't know the history of the band, Lynyrd Skynyrd got their name from Coach Leonard Skinner at Lee High School on the westside of Jacksonville. Coach Skinner later became friends with the band and introduced them in concert on occasion. Sadly, Coach Skinner has developed Alzheimer's. His son, Leonard Skinner along with Gene Odum want to take Coach Skinner on a trip before the disease gets worse. To raise money for the trip, Coach Skinner will be making one last public appearance that night to sign t-shirts at our gig. There will be a limited number of Coach Leonard Skinner t-shirts available for $20 so get there early and purchase a collector's item! COACH SKINNER WILL BE APPEARING FROM 8:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Gene Odum was lead singer Ronnie VanZant's best friend and body guard. He also was in the plane crash and has the scars to show for it. Gene wrote a great book about Lynyrd Skynyrd entitled "Remembering The Freebirds Of Southern Rock". Gene will also be at Box Seats on Thursday, June 11th selling and autographing a limited number of books. I enjoyed this book so much that I purchased several copies and gave them to friends. If you are a Skynyrd fan, don't miss the chance to get an autographed copy!

- Tony Mikus!

New Album, Reverb Nation & Big Shows!

2009-04-01T13:53:00.000-04:00

Many of you have joined us on Reverbnation. If you haven't yet, it is FREE so check it out. We are currently in the top 100 thanks to you guys!

Our new cd is now available through our Store! Usually ships the next day! $15 includes shipping!

You can purchase the cd as a download for only $9.99 at DigStation

We have some really big shows coming up. The 1st is this Saturday night, when we headline the 7th Annual Rock-N-Wheels Festival at The Spirit of the Suwannee Music Park!!!! This is a great event and we have been lucky to be a part of it for years now!

Then, next Wednesday we open for 38 Special at the Clay County Agricultural Fair. We play at 6:30pm and 38 Special is at 8pm so get there early!

There are many more great shows coming up including more shows with 38 Special; other shows with Georgia Satellites, Shooter Jennings & Atlanta Rhythm Section. Check the show schedule for details or join our mailing list!

Thanks everybody! We look forward to seeing you soon. Oh! Please leave us comments and let us know what you think of the "That Girl".

- Big Engine

That Girl CD Release Parties

2009-02-26T17:38:00.002-05:00

Hello Everyone! We are excited to you tell about the upcoming release of our next CD entitled "That Girl". 10 tracks in all; "That Girl" is a collection of 8 Big Engine songs cherry picked from Big Engine CDs that preceded "Rock N Roll Machine" & two brand new songs.

We are celebrating the release of "That Girl" with two parties. The first taking place in Daytona Beach, FL at the Boot Hill Saloon on March 27th and the 2nd in Jacksonville, FL at the Pit on March 28th. We are lowering the price of "That Girl" to you on these two nights only to $5 BUCKS!!

Check our schedule for additional details.

We hope to see you there!

Thanks for your support!

Big Engine Will Upload New Songs March 9th!!

2009-02-26T17:34:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! I'm blogging to let you all know that we are adding a couple new Big Engine songs to our MySpace Music Player and to our REVERBNATION TUNE WIDGET on March 9th!!! The countdown has begun!!

Spread the word!

Big Engine Is Taking Time Off

2009-01-03T17:07:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! Just taking a moment to let you all know that Big Engine is taking some time off in January to focus our energy on writing songs. Our next show will be on Thursday, January 15th at Box Seats on Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville FL. We'll see you then!

We hope you guys had a great time ringing in 2009! Thank You to everyone who came and partied with us at the Rock n Rodeo on NYE. We had a blast!! Everyone in Big Engine is very excited about 2009. We are working towards making it a great year for Big Engine and our fans.

Thanks for your friendship and support throughout the years. As of January 1st, Big Engine turned 18 years old!!

2008-12-30T13:25:00.001-05:00

Hello Friends. I have been asked about hotels in the area of Valdosta, GA near Rock N Rodeo by a few friends. Here is a google link to search results for hotels near Rock N Rodeo.

HOTEL SEARCH RESULTS

Also, ticket prices to get in the door at Rock N Rodeo are $15.00 - 21 & up, $20.00 - 18 & up. There will be party favors and a Balloon drop with random balloons that have CASH INSIDE! I been told that if you do not purchase advance tickets then get there at when the doors open at 9p.m.!!!

Well look Forward to ringing in the new year with you all!

If we don't party with you tomorrow night then we hope you have a blast and stay safe.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Please Help 6 yr. old Mason Morgan

2008-12-17T20:10:00.005-05:00

Hello friends, everyone knows that this is the season for giving and spending time with loved ones. For our friend Jessica; the one she loves most needs our help. 6 year old Mason Morgan has seen more doctors and had more surgery than most of us will have in a lifetime all before he was even two years old.

He was born with only ten percent of his intestines. Doctors put him on medication, and that damaged his liver. His only chance was to have a; multiple-organ transplant. He had six organs replaced at 21 months old and set medical records for recovery!

Now at the age of 6 they found out he has Lymphoma - a type of cancer. Doctors began treatment for Mason a few weeks ago in Miami but they just found out the cancer is spreading. His family is having a hard time paying for everything because Medicaid only pays for so much and it certainly does not cover the traveling expenses incurred back and forth from Savannah to Miami.

Everyone has had to tighten their belts these days and are struggling to afford gifts for their loved ones...Just imagine for moment what it would be like to be struggling to afford the greatest and most important gifts for your child; good health and LIFE! If you would like to help young Mason there is an account set up in his name, Mason Morgan at Bank Of America. If we all give a little it could make a difference for this little boy.

To learn more, you may contact his mother Jessica on MySpace at www.myspace.com/jessicalaboy

Here is an article from 2004 about Mason and his six organ transplant.
http://www.wtoc.com/global/Story.asp?s=1808121

Thanks,

Hans - Big Engine

Rick Money Benefit Concert

2008-10-23T01:34:00.004-04:00

Big Engine is putting on a benefit concert for our first sound man and good friend; Rick Money on Wednesday, October 29^th at Box Seats on Blanding Blvd. in Jacksonville, FL. Rick passed away from natural causes on Saturday, October 11^th. The purpose of this benefit concert is to raise money for Rick's family to cover his burial expenses. Throughout the night, we will be taking donations for Rick's family. Members of his family will be there and we will present all the money to them that night. Big Engine, Wicked Lezlee and Blistur will be performing. In addition, former members of Big Engine, Steve Wheeler, Ashton Geohagan, Banner Thomas and even Ryan Williams will be there. Ryan is flying from Los Angeles! They will be performing songs from Big Engine's first album entitled "Mechanically Inclined" released in 1992 as well as a few of their favorite covers. Rick (Cuz) Trowell, whom was the other half of Big Engine's original road crew will also be there!

There is NO COVER CHARGE. The show will start at 7p.m. and continue until 12 a.m.

Rick Money Passed Away

2008-10-14T00:52:00.000-04:00

This was an e-mail sent out to everyone on our e-mail list.

It is with a heavy heart that I send everybody this email.

Big Engine's first sound man, very close friend and former room mate, Rick Money died Saturday at his apartment in Orlando from what appears to be natural causes. Rick had a history of diabetes and high blood pressure.

Rick was a friend to anyone he met. He was also a very talented, dedicated, and hard working man with a wonderful sense of humor.

Rick was a large person and personality. He would often times get up at karaoke, slam a pitcher of beer, and floor the crowd with his version of "I Am Woman". That of course was before he learned that he was diabetic. We had so many good times together and helped each other through some bad times too.

Many of my favorite stories to tell involve things that we went through on the road together. I will miss him like a brother and he will always be in my heart.

I have been in contact with Rick's family and we will hopefully be able to organize a benefit to help with his final expenses in the near future. I will keep you all posted.

Please say a prayer for the Money family!

Tony Mikus

Tony Mikus' Birthday Bash Tonight

2008-09-20T14:31:00.001-04:00

Come on out to Brewsters-The Pub in Jacksonville, FL tonight; Saturday, September 20th to celebrate Tony and all our other late September friends and fans' birthdays. We start playing at 9:30. Check out our show schedule for more details.

Show schedule corrections for website

2008-09-09T15:45:00.000-04:00

Hello everyone. Some of you have noticed the dates on the show schedule were listed on the wrong days. The mistakes were noticed by us a few days ago and corrected. If the schedule still appears messed up on your browser then you may need to click "reload", "refresh" or empty your cache. Once you have done that; the corrected show schedule should appear on your screen.

Thank you for the calls and e-mails pointing this problem out to us. It is always appreciated. Sometimes we don't catch the mistakes so quickly.

Welcome to The Roar of Big Engine!

2008-08-25T16:42:00.003-04:00

This is a new addition to our redesigned Big Engine website. Stop by regularly to find out whats new!
There are some new additions to our website that we think you might like.

We now have a music player located in the top left corner of our home page. Just click the Play Button. You can do a lot with this player so click on some of the tabs.
We now have a Big Engine News Letter located in the contact section. Make sure you sign up!
You can help Promote Big Engine! Go grab the codes here for our Banners & Widgets and post them everywhere you can!

Leave us a comment and let us know your thoughts on our new website.
Thanks for your friendship and support!

2008 Sturgis Bike Rally Report

2008-08-25T16:34:00.004-04:00

Hello friends, Big Engine had an amazing Sturgis Rally this year despite overall rally attendance being down. We started a day early this time and pulled off 11 shows in 10 days! During that time we saw old friends, long time fans and other familiar faces from the Midwest, West Coast and Canada. One of those familiar faces came up and said that he witnessed the now infamous giant Jack Daniels Bottle Tip Jar incident at the 2004 rally. His said his friends did not believe him but we were there to confirm it!

We made a lot of new friends and fans as well. I met one girl who would drive 80 miles to Sturgis everyday after work to see us play and then drive 80 miles back every night! She made it to 6 shows in a row and managed to bring a few friends along! I also met a guy who bought our CD that used to live in Orange Park, FL just minutes away from my house...Small world!
During this trip, we made time to party with friends, see some cool shows and be tourists too. What cool shows you ask?...Tony, Benny, Ryan and I, along with our good friend Rambo; got free V.I.P. passes to see KISS at Rock N' The Rally! Kiss certainly had a good V.I.P. package for the fans but it did not include getting to meet the band. Am I disappointed one bit? Nope. It was awesome from beginning to end! To this day; KISS has never disappointed me. I still believe they put on the best rock show period. This was such a big event that South Dakota Governor Mike Rounds flew in to Sturgis to come out and declare that August 4^th, 2008 was "KISS Rock N' Roll Day" in South Dakota.

I was invited by our friend Rambo to hang with him and a couple girls at the 3 Doors Down with guest Finger Eleven concert at The Buffalo Chip. That was a very good show too. The coolest part was that Rambo had been hooked up with All Access Passes for the show! We got to meet and talk with members of Finger Eleven and then Rambo introduced us to NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne and Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein. After the show he introduced us to a few of the guys from 3 Doors Down and they were pretty nice guys. Thanks again Rambo; I had a blast!

Our buddy Ditch and his crew from 101.5 KGB The Classic Rock Experience was back at the Full Throttle Saloon covering the Rally. One night Ditch had a little liquid courage and got on stage to sing a KISS tune with us. Good Times! The next day, Ryan and I each got to do a radio spot introducing a song during Ditch's broadcast. ~ Thanks again Ditch, Matt and crew! ~ Afterwards, Ryan, Tony and I hit an Oxygen Bar at the Full Throttle and it was really invigorating. The massage that came with it helped to ease some muscle tension as well! ~ Thanks Kathy and Mike! ~

One day, Ryan and I made a trip to see Mt. Rushmore which is an awesome site that I highly recommend that you check out if you have never seen it. The band and I have made a trip to see this inspiring monument every time that we have been to Sturgis. I will never forget seeing the lighting ceremony that takes place every night during our first trip back in 2004. Seeing the monument light up as "God Bless the USA" played during the finale made me feel proud to be an American. Of course Ryan had never been to Sturgis and Mt. Rushmore so all of this was a new experience for him. I think he dug it.

The first day of our drive home, we made a little detour to show Ryan the Badlands. This place really has to be seen to be truly appreciated. It's just so different from the rest of the South Dakota landscape. Imagine traveling through hundreds of miles of beautiful rolling hills, passing lush green fields next to bright amber ones with recently bailed hay. They are occasionally separated by small watering holes surrounded by Horses and Antelope. Then, a cloud casts a shadow on a field. Its beautiful and picturesque much like a post card.

When we arrived at the park that day there were Prairie Dogs at play outside the park entrance. - I'll bet you girls are saying aww, how cute!.. They were… We proceed into the park where you can kind of see the Badlands in the distance; outcropped from the earth without warning. Once you are there, you find yourself surrounded by a mostly arid, unfriendly looking place where softer rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively erroded by wind and water. There are canyons, narrow ravines, v-shaped gullies and sharply erroded buttes. There are pinnacles and spires blended with the largest protected mixed grass prairie in the United States. Not to mention fossil beds. I think Tony best described much of it as looking like the surface of Mars! ~ Thanks Wikipedia and Joan Steiner, Badlands National Park for help with the geological portions of that description. ~

Despite the arid, unfriendliness; South Dakota's Badlands are strangely beautiful and awe-inspiring! Other than the occasional passing car or motorcycle it's quiet and serene there. There are layers of different colors on the pinnacles which are everywhere. Oddly though, there is an area where the rock is all white. It's all really spactacular…but weird.

Anyway, we arrived safely at Tony's house at 3:30 a.m. on the 12^th. We had a very fun, successful and memorable trip but it always feels good to come home. 11 shows in 10 days while staying in a plywood shed trying to sleep as Harleys and Boss Hogs crank up and rumble combined with nearly 3,800 total miles of traveling in a 4 door pickup truck will wear a man out!

We have taken a few days off to recover and get our daily lives back on track. We will get back to rocking you next week. We look forward to kicking that off by playing for our hometown friends Monday evening and Thursday night. Those shows are directly followed by a show in Valdosta and one in Tybee Island! Check the schedule and come Party like a Rock Star with us again!

Thanks for your friendship and support,
Hans

Big Engine On MUZAK

2008-08-25T16:29:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Dave Clark at MUZAK, "On June 5th the world got to hear Big Engine". Those were Dave's words as he presented Big Engine with a plaque to commemorate the event. The satellite music company has added Big Engine music to their playlist for the "Varsity" channel alongside artist like The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, The Eagles, David Bowie, The Clash, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Matchbox 20, etc.
Big Engine can't thank Dave Clark and all the others from MUZAK enough. Tony has been receiving emails and phone calls from Seattle to St. Louis and people all over the US that have heard Big Engine being played on MUZAK! If you have MUZAK at your work, tune into the Varsity channel and listen up for Big Engine! You can check out this link. Click on MUSIC and select Varsity from the What's Playing Now menu and you might see Big Engine on there too.
www.muzak.com

Special Announcements about "Bad Blood" Movie

2008-08-25T16:20:00.004-04:00

Most of you already know that "Party Like A Rock Star" from our CD entitled Rock n Roll Machine will be featured in an upcoming Horror film called "Bad Blood". Recently, The Director; Conrad Janis contacted Big Engine to let us know that they were excited to have our song in the film as they felt it complimented the scene nicely.

Bad Blood will be screening at the West Hollywood International Film Festival on Tuesday, July 29th at 8:30 p.m. at the Regency Theater.
Bad Blood will be released in the fall of 2008 (possibly Halloween)

The West Hollywood International Film Festival's "Bad Blood" page has a movie trailer featured on its page accessible by scrolling down and clicking "extras". If you would like to see additional movie Trailers visit Conrad Janis' YouTube Channel.