12/22/2024:

FIRST: JustinYatesMusic.com AKA “Collect the Bananas” Game is officially offline. If you would like to play the game you will need to go to the “FUN” tab and download the game directly to your computer. If you have any issues downloading the game please send me an email: Justin@JustinYates.net

Arm Update: This morning I had a consultation with a doctor/specialist at UC DAVIS Sports Medicine. He agreed that the tear in my elbow is minor and the “liquid” in the arm is the issue. He also agreed that surgery wouldn’t be ideal for a number of reasons and PRP Injection(s) would be the next plan of action. He also suggested “shockwave therapy” as an additional form of therapy after doing PRP.

The quickest I can get this injection done would be January 24th, 2025. The recovery time for PRP is 6 weeks, possibly more. The cost is pretty significant too.

So the good news is that surgery isn’t needed and the tear is “normal”.

The bad news is that the “liquid” that’s built up is causing the issues with the joint and the tendons. The PRP Injection won’t be covered by insurance and it’s not guaranteed to work.

As of right now I’ve done everything I can to improve the pain/situation: Medication, Rest, Ice/Heat, tens unit, 8+ weeks of physical therapy, massage, and much more. Nothing is helping. I’m still having the same pain when I’m holding the guitar for a significant amount of time.

I’m really caught in between a rock and a hard place with this situation…but I’m not giving up.

If PRP doesn’t help, I’ll try shockwave, if that doesn’t help…I’ll look into HGH and Peptides, if those don’t help then I’m going to have to have a serious talk with myself about what will happen next.

More info soon.

ALSO….

9/16/2024:

Hey! Things have been a bit quiet over here but I assure you I’m prepping for something BIG.

I thought I’d give you all a small update as to what is going on with me, the new EP, and the future.

I’ll be brief…

1) My left arm stop functioning after the Joey Harkum show in April. I started having severe pain in my elbow and within a few weeks I lost all function of my arm. I had to cancel a few gigs, stop rehearsing, and I’ve been resting ever since. I got an X-ray, MRI, saw a hand specialist/surgeon, and more.

The results are that I have a small tear in my elbow (which isn’t a big deal apparently), and I have a lot of fluid built up in my arm/elbow, which is basically inflammation. As some of you know I have suffered from tendonitis in my right arm for years, and now it looks like I have the same issue happening to my left arm. I got a cortisone shot done but that didn’t help.

When I saw the hand specialist/surgeon they said the following: “The tear in the elbow isn’t an issue, it’s not going to get worse and your tendon isn’t going to just fly off the bone, but the inflammation is the issue. I can perform surgery but I don’t want to. We could cause more issues, it is a 50/50 chance it will help, the recovery time could be months, etc. I would suggest a lot of rest and look into PRP Injections if you can financially do it.”

PRP injections are not covered by insurance. I’ve gotten quotes ranging from $500 a shot to $1,400 a shot (some places suggest you do 1 to 4 shots). The kicker, even PRP isn’t guaranteed to work.

The bright side: I’ve dealt with this before so I have some prior knowledge and experience. I’m resting as much as I can. Time will heal this issue, proper PT (which I’m on a waiting list to go to a new physical therapist), massage, and more will help the issue.

2) As of today, The new FULL BAND EP/Acoustic EP is finally at the finish line. The mixes are 99.8% done, the producer has a small list of final changes to do, then mastering (which in theory shouldn’t take long), and then it is done. Additionally the merchandise is finally done too, the last batch of items are being shipped to me this week for review.

I still have a lot of unanswered questions to tackle, legal things to do, finalize video work, print the music, and more…but things are moving my friends. I’ll keep saying it over and over till you’re sick of hearing it, thank you for being patient. I really think you guys are going to be insanely happy to see this launch. This project is definitely a labor of love, created and crafted by many people. I couldn’t have done this alone. Time, blood, sweat, tears, money, and MORE BLOOD have been put into this EP. Looking back it is funny to think that this small idea has snowballed into something this big. I’m excited. Seeing it come to the finish line is amazing. I can not wait to show you guys what we have been working on.

Lastly, this album cycle is going to be much different from anything I’ve done in the past. I’m starting at zero again, I’m marketing something that will be much “different”, and I’m not the young pup I once was. I will need the help of fans more than I ever have.

If YOU want me to come play music in your town/city, send me an email: Justin@JustinYates.net.

3) Something fun to report, today I launched a brand new interview for a website I run -> https://www.TeamOrel.com.

The interview is with the hilarious, kind hearted, & amazingly talented Carolyn Lawrence - Carolyn Lawrence (Orel Puppington from Moral Orel, Sandy Cheeks from SpongeBob SquarePants, & Cindy Vortex from Jimmy Neutron). Carolyn and I sit down to chat about the new Sandy Cheeks movie “Saving Bikini Bottom”, Carolyn’s career, and all things Moral Orel! We are absolutely thrilled to have the honor to chat with Carolyn. ARE YOU READY KIDS? I SAID ARE YOU READY? It was a great conversation. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did. Thank you so much Carolyn for making the time to chat, being a part of a show I hold very close to my heart, and being just plain awesome.

Check out the video here: https://youtu.be/YvUf05wpbyI