I Thought We Were Through With This ...

Sorry I missed yesterday - Wife stayed home sick. She arguably had a better day than I did.

It turns out I am not quite the judge of character I had hoped I was. Yesterday morning was a planned road trip for bandmates JD, MG and myself up to Fredericksburg to check out some new gear, upgrading our PA and lights for the upcoming year. JD arrives first, and promptly shows me an email he received from AV, our chick singer. She has flipped out again and quit the band. Second time this month. Glad we aren't playing tonight - not sure what's going on for next week yet.

Now I liked AV, and was arguably one of her strongest supporters when she came into the band, based largely on my perception of her stability and professionalism. Clearly I was mistaken. At the risk of playing armchair psychologist, she seems to have some major insecurity and trust issues, undoubtedly stemming from her recent divorce (at age 28). About 90% of what she has freaked out over is entirely imaginary; the final straw was an ad she saw on craig's list for a band looking for a singer, which she assumed to be us surreptitiously trying to replace her. Obviously, it wasn't; but in her mind it was JD or MG, using a fake name and phone number she didn't recognize - classic conspiracy-theorist paranoia. I know people get crazy around the holidays, particularly fresh divorcees, surrounded by family and memories of what is no more, but this is ridiculous. We had no intention of throwing her under the bus, regardless of whatever overwrought scenario she fabricated for herself.

Bah.

My next task, as the One Stuck In The Middle, is to convince the new bass player not to bolt with her - he had rather become her teammate in the recent Us vs. Them stalemate I mentioned earlier. The biggest challenge in convincing him to stay is, frankly, convincing myself to stay. I am quickly losing patience with these amateur psychos, and not at all looking forward to the prospect of having to audition yet another one.

Enough of this - Happy Friday, have a great weekend, and prospero año nuevo

This is teh Suck

Looks like I get a few days off in the kitchen, after deep frying my thumb last night. Wasn't even on the menu ...

On the upside, the new bread turned out decent, and dinner itself was most acceptable - Eastern Shore grilled cheese with bistro fries. This, my attempt to replicate a fave from a local restaurant. The sandwich itself is lump crab meat, sauteed mushrooms and assorted white cheeses; the fries are basic french fries, twice immersed in a mix of canola oil and rendered duck fat with an hour in the fridge between. It was on the second round that the 375°F oil splattered up on me, eliciting an impressive stream of profanity and sending me running for the first aid kit. The subsequent blister is horrifying - I'll spare you the picture. The fries were good, though - I guess it's time to invest in a new deep fryer.

Rambling

Drawing a blank this morning. I could always blame the NyQuil, I suppose.

Let's see - temps climbing, snow is almost gone. My recovery continues, now to that most unpleasant phase of unproductive coughing fits, where it feels like you are ripping the lining out of your throat and your sternum is about to crack. Joy.

No immediate plans for New Year's Eve. Still pondering my aim for the coming year, probably something along the lines of definition and focus.

Trying a new bread recipe today. Might be a good time for grilled cheese for dinner.

Maybe I should just go back to bed ...

God Hates the Vikings

As a brief follow up to last week - heat was restored on Friday, but was out just long enough for me to get a cold, as predicted. Christmas day was enjoyable and modest, though the night was dreadful, being unable to either breathe or sleep, which made for a Sunday spent on the couch. Recovery is underway, now entering the brutal expectoration phase - it's going to be another long day.

Sunday on the couch means, of course, football. Last week I made the prediction, privately, that Detroit would win out the season - wish I had done it publicly now. In a story largely ignored because of the bigger playoff picture, the Lions have racked up three wins in a row, including two consecutive road victories, all guided by their second- and third-string quarterbacks. They have a long way to go, and an enormous hole to dig themselves out of, but progress is being made. A victory next week over Minnesota is looking even more likely, with the Vikes being handed a short week.

Now, I haven't paid that much attention over the years, but I don't recall any games being rescheduled because of weather - aside from Hurricane Katrina, of course - and this is the second one this year. Granted, the first one was more weather-related that the weather itself, but still. And both times it has happened to Minnesota. Coincidence? One has to wonder.

I lived in Indiana long enough to become a legitimate Colts fan, and remain so, but the truth is I am a Lions man by birth. It hasn't been easy, lord knows, but they didn't always suck - they were as good as anyone else in the early 70's. It's time for their star to rise once more, and I am committing now. I believe. Next week they finish 6-10 at home, and build from there.

Jeebus, Not Again

The last three months or so have been quiet, and nearly enjoyable, in the wake of ousting a pair of band members who were at the hub of an inordinate amount of drama and b.s. Their respective replacements were more talented and, most importantly, more psychologically stable - or at least as stable as one can be in this line of work.

Sadly, this was not to last, and in the last few weeks a whole new season of soap opera has manifested. At the root of it all, in addition to the usual stubbornness and overreaction of most parties involved, is our 16-year-old sound guy, who has been in contact with one of the ex-members. Now, I understand that this isn't entirely intentional; he is a kid, after all, and like most Kids These Days, has no concept whatsoever of privacy or discretion. His entire world is a three-inch screen, and he seems to think that everybody wants to know every single minute detail of his life, down to what he reads while wanking in the bathroom. He has, in fact, just posted his new phone number on FB. You get the idea - everything is fair game for publication, including band meetings. Immediately this alerts our ex-Drama Queen, who begins asking him questions, which he happily answers; she, in turn, begins texting and emailing all of us, stirring the pot even further. Sigh ...

I can honestly see this whole thing imploding soon. And, honestly, I don't much care at this point. The aforementioned band meeting was a complete waste of time, as band meetings usually are - everybody complains, nobody listens, and two hours later nothing has changed. The worst part is it seems to be devolving into an Us vs. Them scenario, between the two founding members and the two new members, with me stuck in the middle. I can guarantee that this is the quickest way to lose my interest and support for the project.

On the upside, a Performance Challenge. I have a gig this afternoon. A total pick-up group playing at a company Christmas party. Drummer JD knows a guy at his dayjob who is in another band, and somebody got the bright idea of having them play. Being short a few bodies, JD called me to sit in. I don't know anybody else, we've never practiced, and I just got the song list last night - it's mostly old R 'n' B. So, we're going in pretty much completely cold. Should be fun :D

Decisions

Morning earworm: Give Blood, Pete Townshend. Just did over the weekend, but that has nothing to do with it. I've always dug this song; David Gilmour (Pink Floyd) on second guitar.



So - last night's band meeting was pretty much all I expected, and less. Band meetings are, traditionally, miserable and wretched affairs that most people look forward to with as much enthusiasm as a hot coffee enema. A lot of talking, opinions offered, suggestions made, and nothing productive accomplished. I can see this not lasting much longer. I can also see it devolving into an Us vs. Them scenario between MG / JD and AV / JB, with me stuck in the middle. Whatever.

Another decision which rather snuck up on me regards what we refer to around here as the Other Site. There are about a dozen or so people I had hoped to keep in touch with when I left previously, and that really hasn't happened. The break was necessary, for numerous reasons, but I think it may be time to return, albeit on a more limited basis. I believe that I have my head straightened out sufficiently to do this without it becoming the albatross it had grown into previously. I recognize that part of this may well be ego, having apparently only one person follow me here, but in truth I do miss trolling their blogs as well. So, we'll see how it goes.

Act in private as if your behaviour were known in public.

Cliffhanger

Morning earworm: Jack Frost and the Hooded Crow, Jethro Tull. Probably my favorite Christmas song - lol.



Quite a bit going on here lately, in terms of pondering the future. Amid all of this, my other blog ended yesterday. It will resume after a couple weeks off, just as a break and reset sort of thing. Traditionally, this particular practice of journaling (properly not blogging) is undertaken as, among other things, an exercise in commitment, for a period of 1,000 days. I think it is safe to say, after eight and a half years, my commitment is reasonably established; indeed, it has arguably become more habit than discipline. So, a few weeks off before the next undertaking, to begin on New Year's Day (1.1.11) - a quick estimate will bring the new cycle to a close on or about 26 Sept 2013.

This document will remain, at least as long as I stay interested, during the hiatus. I noted in the final entry last night that with all of my contemplation on the future, my continued involvement with the band and Guitar Craft (or not) it was something of a cliffhanger ending to this cycle. Truth be told, it came to me in the real Morning Pages today that most of these decisions had already been made, possibly before the questions were even asked. This is not uncommon - A beginning is invisible, as we say.

Somewhat unrelated, it also came to me that the new year properly begins tomorrow, with the Winter Solstice (23:38 GMT). There are any number of arbitrary points by which we may mark our laps around the sun, but this one seems more appropriate to me, as a physical actuality as well as a symbolic point of reference.

Speaking of blogs / journals, the Saturday performance in NYC has been posted by the performer.

Local events have global repercussions.

Still Technically Morning

Morning earworm: Scuttle Buttin', Stevie Ray Vaughn. Rousing.



Ended up with only a couple of inches yesterday, but still enough to be inconvenient:



Wife ended up parking at the end of the road last night, so I joined her in the morning walk back, to check the mail. There was none, of course - the whole "Neither Rain Nor Sleet Nor Snow" thing apparently doesn't apply here. At any rate, I was out in this at 7:00 this morning. Ugh.

Being a good day to stay in yesterday, I did. Productive work in the Bunker, finally solving a nagging problem with the new rig, which as usual ended up being operator error. Who knew those footswitches were programmable? As is becoming the routine, all afternoon was spent in the kitchen again; the bread ended up being an all-day project, but was well worth the wait. In the interim, a bratwurst pizza was produced for dinner - fabbo, as always, if I do say so myself.

Needless to say, the band meeting was canceled, with no reschedule date yet. Works for me. I really need to get ahold of some people and put together a side project.

For now, at least the sun is out, and the temps promise to cross the freezing mark ascending. Word is the streets are clear, other than our little Back 40.

"Tomorrow" is the first lie of the Devil.

Fluffy White Evil

Morning earworm: Right Here Right Now, Jesus Jones. Heard it on the radio the other day.



Winter is at last upon us, beginning about an hour ago:

One upside - the only one, I'll venture - is that this may put a damper on tonight's band meeting. One can only hope.

Done a fair amount of soul searching over the last few days, questioning my direction, my future, and specifically my continued involvement in Guitar Craft. There are many factors at work here; the main challenge is that I am being called to do other things musically, and the growing rift I feel with many of my fellow Crafties, who are proving to be an ever more vocal bunch of bleeding-heart pinkos. I can't understand how it is that everything we have been taught is so easily abandoned when politics enters the picture. At any rate, I have a sense that it may be time to move on. Robert himself has said "For some, Guitar Craft is the Way; for others, it is a way to the Way." It would seem that I have moved into the latter category.

Ironically, it is much the same situation as with politics itself - the philosophy and system are sound, but it's practitioners have fallen woefully short.

Good habit is necessary, bad habit is inevitable.

Pass

I would refer to this as a contractually-obligated post, but there is actually no contract. Another morning derailed by the idiotic political spewing of my leftist friends. I simply cannot understand it - we've all read the same books, studied the same teachings, and yet they draw completely different conclusions than I do, most of them dangerously wrong. That isn't to say that my right-wing friends aren't just as misguided, but they typically are operating from a different base philosophy from the outset.

I have to say, for a party calling itself pro-choice, they sure like their mandates. (This in contrast to the pro-life party, which supports capital punishment and endless war).

The whole left / right, Dem / Rep thing is a simple dyad, a two term system. They are opposite sides of the same coin (which they think we owe them), two ends of the same stick - and at the end of the day, I don't much notice any difference which end of the stick is being jammed up my ...

Just When You Thought It Was Safe ...

Morning earworm: Games People Play, the Alan Parsons Project. A subliminal message, perhaps?



So, Saturday. Woke up feeling much better than Friday, but still opted to take it easy before the final show of the year. Or so I thought. Weirdness was already brewing on Friday - apparently word on the Web was that former vocalist JV wanted to come to Saturday's show and possibly sit in. Awkward, but not unheard of. We did extend the offer when she left, but it was kind of one of those polite things you just say, reasonably certain that they will never take you up on it. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Current vocalist AV did, it seems, and by mid-afternoon Saturday she had flaked out and bailed on the gig. A few texts were exchanged between her and JD & MG, and I eventually got a Facebook message from her, to the effect that Sorry, but I can't go through (the campground debacle) again, please don't hate me. So, after a few phone calls, we ended up canceling at the last minute. JV, incidentally, later texted that she wouldn't be there after all, completely oblivious to all of this. So, a night off. This is, of course, putting the good face on the fact that I lost a paycheck and we'll probably never play that room again. I thought we were through with the drama ...

To say that I am disappointed is an understatement. I understand her position, and indeed can fully appreciate it; but I had expected better from her. There is the dreaded Band Meeting on Thursday, when hopefully everyone can get everything out in the open and get things squared away. Unfortunately, I have the sense that this is going to involve the Grizzled Veteran Gigster / Voice of Reason and Experience (i.e. me) delivering the lecture on How Things Work. To everyone.

There are no guarantees in this line of work, especially in these times of economic woe. Our current trajectory of playing the animal clubs is decent money, but ultimately a dead end, and we have very nearly already reached it. There are no appropriate venues for us to play here in town unless we play for next to nothing, which I am not willing to do no matter how many of your friends will show up. And several other Unfortunate Truths about the music business at the bottom of the food chain.

We have three rights: the right to work, the right to pay to work, and the right to suffer the consequences of our work.
We have three obligations: the obligation to work, the obligation to pay to work, and the obligation to suffer the consequences of our work.

Roll With The Changes

Morning earworm: I'll Find My Way, the Derek Trucks Band. Bit of a mood shift, but still cool.



A rough day yesterday all around. Woke up feeling like total crap - nose running like a faucet, pounding headache, long brutal sneezing fits. Ugh. Always on a gig night, too. My first thought is ginger tea, but we have no ginger. Lemon-honey tea, then. No lemons, either. I had already loaded the van and hooked up the trailer, so I wasn't going to the store. We have limes, so let's see how lime-honey tea works. I don't recommend it - kind of like a hot margarita. Still, the vitamin C was there. Finally, in a fit of desperation, a half-shot of NyQuil before an extended nap. Some combination of all of these things worked, and I was feeling almost human by the time I arrived at the gig.

The challenges remained, though, spending much of the night wrestling with dead batteries and broken strings. These were met with surprising aplomb, considering that it is not something I often have to endure, thanks to regular gear maintenance. Well, that and it's been a long time since I've used anything that took batteries - I see a power supply in my near future.

Back in the day, as a young gigster, these sort of pitfalls were commonplace; you learn to deal with them and move on. Swapping out dead pedals in mid-song was just another job skill you developed, as was finishing the set on five strings. Or so I thought. Apparently nobody else in the band has ever seen this, and was totally gobsmacked that I did the last three songs of the night without a B string. It is a bit tricky, but as I mentioned yesterday, you just have to turn of the auto-pilot. All of the notes are still there, they just aren't where you are used to them being, so you have to pay attention to what you're doing. Some people even do stuff like this on purpose, just to keep themselves fresh - drummer Bill Bruford used to have his roadie set his kit up differently very night, to avoid getting into a habit / rut. I'll admit that's a bit extreme, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared for the curve ball that is inevitably going to come your way :D

The highest quality of attention we may give is love.

Pre-Game Ritual

Morning earworm: Peruvian Skies, Dream Theater. A top-10 all-time fave.




I don't much like the new widgets - too big and obtrusive. Once more, a steaming pile handed to us and called an upgrade.

So, Friday again. The final two shows of the 2010 season. While updating the website yesterday, I discovered that we have 18 gigs booked for next year already - in the 21st Century, this is job security.

For lack of anything better this morning, a discussion of the Pregame Ritual. It is commonly known in sports circles that many players superstitiously go through a set routine before games. I confess I do this as well on gig days, though more from practicality (and habit) as superstition. To begin, we ask the question When does the performance begin? It is, in fact, well before hitting the stage. For me, it begins sometime that morning. I tend to do very little on that day, since I am ordinarily a morning person and I know it will be a late night, usually with significant driving involved; so, take it easy. At some point between 10:00 and noon, I go down to the Bunker and pack up my gear. Make sure I have everything - even as stripped down as my rig is currently, it remains of sufficient complexity that one missing piece will scuttle the whole thing. Plus, it is an exercise in focus, the beginning of the mental process for the performance. From there, loading out to the van. Again, focus - it is a bit like moving, a bit like a jigsaw puzzle; there is a certain way everything goes in to maximize space available. As long as I am out, I usually hook up the trailer at this point too, so everything is ready for departure.

Once this is done, a light lunch, an optional Epsom salt bath and a nap. Upon arising, a shower and personal grooming. This is the point that I am "on". Get dressed, including black underwear for the gig. Not superstition, but symbolic - I don't normally wear this, so it is part of the uniform, and more importantly an act of intention. Deliberately disengaging the autopilot we usually go through life on. Grab the stage clothes (never set up in what you are going to wear, it will only get dirty) and guitar (which doesn't get left in the vehicle under any circumstances, even at home, and especially in this weather) and head out the door, stepping over the threshold with the left foot first. Again, an act of intention - it doesn't matter so much what you do, just that you do it consciously and deliberately. This is also how I step onto the stage. It is all about focus. There are nights when one gets distracted, or just ignores the process, and suddenly you realize you are halfway through the third song of the set and you don't even realize how you got there. Recovery is possible, but the opportunity for a proper beginning is lost.

There are, of course, variations on this - usually if somebody is riding with me - but for the most part, this is a typical Friday here at Lake Arecibo.

Begin with the possible and move gradually towards the impossible.

Elegant Simplicity

Morning earworm: The Sound of Muzak, Porcupine Tree - a great song, though painfully true.



Much time both yesterday and this morning pondering further gear issues; I'll spare you the details, as your heads are probably still spinning from yesterday's post - lol. Let's just say that a potential trainwreck had appeared, and during the wee hours a simple and elegant solution presented itself, which means yet another week spent rewiring my looping rig. So it goes. I'm sure I've mentioned elsewhere that I secretly have as much fun doing this as I do playing.

Equally elegant and simple: last night's dinner. Specifically, I think I have finally mastered gravy. I have also mentioned elsewhere my curious history, in that I mostly learned to cook from watching tv, which has produced somewhat lopsided results - I can do tea-smoked duck legs and mushroom-orzo ragout in my sleep, but simple stuff like salads are a complete mystery to me. Up until now, gravies have fallen into the latter category. I have a functional knowledge of the process, but have only just now gotten the ratio / recipe right - 2 Tbsp each butter and flour for the roux to 1½ cups of stock, beef in this case. And seasoning, of course; something of a secret weapon there is that I have gotten wonderful results using my garlicky ancho chile spice rub, of all things. Combined with the steamed-and-riced method for mashed potatoes, I had a side dish that nearly overshadowed the venison meatloaf, it was so good.

Now, I am faced with what to do tonight. After some consideration, I am leaning toward buffalo shrimp, though it may involve making a fresh batch of mojo de ajo. It doesn't necessarily, but I need to anyway, and it does make it even better :D

Discard the superfluous.

Another Rambling Gear Post

Morning earworm: Bridge of Sighs, Robin Trower. This one has been lurking around in my head for a few days now, and for a reason. That distinctive swirling, trippy guitar sound comes from an oddball pedal known as the Univox Uni-Vibe. A curious thing, the Uni-Vibe - it isn't really a chorus, or a phaser, or a rotary speaker simulator, but some weird hybrid of them all, with its own unique sound. Trower is most readily identified with it; Hendrix had one, and a few others.

And I just scored one on eBay :D

OK, actually I got a newer model made by Voodoo Labs, a faithful reproduction but of much sturdier and more reliable construction - this was 1960's technology, after all. Still, it represents among other things the final piece of my new pedalboard, which will hopefully be up and running when we resume gigging next month.

Looking back, I notice with some amusement that I have come full circle with my stage rig. Twenty-five years ago I hit the road with a 1976 Fender Strat, a homemade pedalboard containing a volume pedal, Vox CryBaby Wah, Ibanez Tube Screamer, MXR Flanger, and an old Univox tape delay, run into a MusicMan HD-130 Reverb amp with a MusicMan 4x12 cabinet. Over the years this has evolved through a variety of guitars, amps, and multi-fx units, including several which ran direct to the PA, using no amp at all. Today - technically within the next month - I have assembled what I consider the best sounding system to date: a 1996 Fender Deluxe Strat Plus, a homemade pedalboard containing a volume pedal, Vox 847A Wah, Boss CS-3 Compressor, Soundblox Classic Distortion (set on the Tube Screamer model), Voodoo Labs Micro-Vibe, and a Boss RC-20 Loop Station, running into a Digitech TSR-24S multi-fx (for modulation and delay), feeding into the very same 30-year-old MusicMan HD-130 Reverb amp with a Peavey 4x12 cabinet.

I realize this means absolutely nothing to most of you - lol - but I am stoked. Maybe I should do a little video when I get this all together to explain what all of these gadgets do. In the meantime, thanks for your patience :D

The musician has three disciplines: the disciplines of the hands, the head and the heart.

Off the Road Again

Morning earworm: a new section of Shape of the World, to be worked on this week. Can't provide a link, as it doesn't exist outside of my head yet. It could be worse - yesterday I woke up with Les Paul & Mary Ford's Mockingbird Hill on the endless loop. That'll get on your nerves in a hurry - lol.

So, it was quite a weekend. Seems crazy in retrospect - 300 miles for a one hour show - but it was worth it in so many ways. Catching up and reconnecting with a number of old friends, some of whom traveled even farther that we did. There was, of course, a measure of adventure involved - I don't know that I'm ready for The Amazing Race, but my skills seem to be intact, despite not traveling much in recent years. The drive up was pretty uneventful; it still amazes me how close together everything is on this side of the country. Having spent my adult life either on the Left Coast or in the vast plains of the Midwest, I have difficulty grasping that DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia and NYC are all on the same highway and only 1-2 hours apart.

Travel time is relative, though. It was nearly 1.5 hours from our hotel to the show, and the venue was nearly visible from our room. The map said it was ten miles. Working the system, we caught the free shuttle from the hotel to Newark Airport; from there, another shuttle bus into midtown Manhattan, a walk of a few blocks and finally a city bus downtown. Adventurous I may be, but I am quite glad that I chose not to drive that particular leg of the journey. My initial impression of the Big Apple is that it is claustrophobic. The legendary "concrete canyons" are as oppressive as they are imposing; everything is packed in so tightly and is so congested with both foot and vehicular traffic that it almost feels like a Third World city. Granted, this was Times Square, which rivals anything in Las Vegas for sensory overload. It wasn't quite as bad when we got downtown to the Financial District; being a Saturday, this was almost deserted by comparison. Indeed, the World Financial Center (the show venue) nearly looked closed, and may of the shops inside were. We were finally able to locate an open restaurant, on the recommendation of a friend we encountered there; a great meal with a delightful view of the harbor.

The performance itself, in the WFC Winter Garden, was exceptional, though the room itself was a bit challenging - it would be a bit like playing at a Mall; there was a fair amount of foot traffic through the space, mostly respectful but there were a few clueless individuals as always. One woman in particular comes to mind, charging through directly behind us during an especially quiet passage in heels that made her sound like a team of Clydesdales. Still, an amazing show, as always. There was surprisingly little weird energy, which I thought might be a bit of a concern, inasmuch as the far end of the performance space is a huge window looking out over the crater and constructions sight of Ground Zero.

On second thought, I can at least provide some sense of the performance.

I could see going back sometime and doing some tourist stuff, when the weather warms up, but all in all, if I feel the need for the Big City experience, I feel much more at home in Chicago.

Yoiks! and Away!

Morning earworm: Don't Let the Rain Come Down, the Serendipity Singers. It's Pledge Drive time again in PBS world, and I made the mistake of watching their Brief History of Folk Music the other night. Amid the protest songs and no less than three different versions of Turn! Turn! Turn!, we were subjected to this silliness from the early days. Please make it stop!

http://listen.grooveshark.com/s/Don_t_Let_The_Rain_Come_Down/22T8DP

It seems Grooveshark has changed their interface - and as with most upgrades, it doesn't seem to be an improvement. So it goes.

Hoping for a quiet day today, occupied mostly with laundry and packing. I generally go for this on gig days anyway, because I'm just that way; adding the final travel arrangements to the mix shouldn't be too much trouble. Fortunately, tonight will be relatively early - with a good load-out we should be out by midnight, which would ideally get me to bed around 1:30, enough for an early rise and out the door by 7:00. If the gods of travel and traffic smile upon us, we should make the room around 14:00, which would allow a brief nap before navigating the public transit connections to the show, with enough time for a bit of touristry and dinner beforehand. With that many Crafties in one place, I imagine there will be some sort of gathering afterward. The big question currently is Sunday - there is a good chance that the Wife may not have to work Monday, which would allow us an extra day there. There is also a rumor that TG will be holding a workshop on Sunday, which would be uber-cool, but potentially involve stranding the Wife for part of the day, which is not so cool, though she could potentially attend as well. We'll see what happens.

The quality of the question determines the quality of the answer.

The Reward For This Work Is More Work

Morning earworm: Acid Rain, Liquid Tension Experiment - this is why I have a 7-string.



In an unusual burst of ambition, I got most everything done yesterday that I have been dragging on for the last week - the work room in the Bunker is cleaned and organized, the bass loops on Shape have been recorded. I now find myself faced with a bit of "Now what?" Been procrastinating for so long that the next step has become obscured - lol.

There is plenty to be done today though. Reasonably-priced lodging has been secured for the weekend, and I now find myself poring over transportation options. A cab from the hotel to the venue is going to run around $50 by all accounts; there is a shuttle bus for half that, but it only stops in Midtown, which is some thirty-two blocks from our destination. And apparently the City That Never Sleeps also doesn't run their ferries on the weekends - what's up with that? Guess I check the city bus schedule next. I could always drive, too, but God only knows what parking is going to be like there. But hey - we're going, so I shouldn't complain too much :D

We may do whatever we like, providing we can pay the bill.

December Already?

Morning earworm: Closer to the Heart, Rush. Going to be a good day :)



Much as expected, not a lot accomplished yesterday, but for once I'm not complaining. It was, if anything, what a weekend day is like when you aren't too fried to enjoy it. Feeling sufficiently energized now to get on with it today.

An added bonus - the Wife seemed amenable to my spur of the moment idea of a road trip to New York this weekend. Not as capricious as it may sound; my Teacher is playing a rare solo show, and upon checking out, I discovered it isn't quite as far as I had thought - a mere 6.5 hour drive. Considering I have friends flying in from Chicago and even Austin to attend the event, that isn't so bad, even after a Friday night gig in Richmond. We will just be heading up on Saturday, and probably only catch the final show, but it is still worth it. Word on the street is that Tony G will be doing a workshop on Sunday; this too would be worth attending, if it meshes with the schedule. Will have to catch up with some of the other attendees for details.

Signposts are useful when you know where you're going.

Distractions

Morning earworm: Sweet Emotion, Aerosmith. There is a story involved ...



A dream during the night; I am sitting in with a band, testing out some new experimental piece of gear. They decide to play this. As I'm adjusting my sound, they take off into it, in the wrong key. Nothing new there, so I transpose and join in, waking up around the second verse. I wonder how many other earworms are dream hangovers like this? It isn't the first time here, either.

Didn't get much done that I had hoped to yesterday, largely by allowing myself to get sucked into an online game. I confess a bit of self-indulgence there; as part of the morning routine I usually go a few rounds on something like Minesweeper or Spider Solitaire as part of the waking up / engage the brain process before getting down to business. Occasionally I will wander over to MSN and hit the Game page, knowing that these tend to take a bit longer to get through. Yesterday I opted for a round of Jewel Quest, which typically goes 15-20 minutes, timing out after 40,000 points on average. Once, a few days back, I passed this and got stuck for over an hour, finally letting it time out at around 170,000. Sure enough, I got that one again. Normally, these free online versions stop at a certain level - apparently this one doesn't. Again, I let it go entirely too long and finally gave up, letting it time out after I hit 300,000 points and squandered nearly two hours. Not my most productive morning.

Time is limited today as well - the Wife is only working a half day, so anything I want to get done in the Bunker will necessarily occur within the next few hours. Not that I am complaining, mind you - the prospect of distraction here is far more interesting than any computer game ;-)

The attitude that life owes us something, if not everything, encourages life to thwart our endeavours.

Backfill

Morning earworm: Sleepless, King Crimson. Probably because I am.



It has been an interesting holiday weekend, as always. Seven hours in the kitchen on Thursday, ending in another culinary triumph - Turkey roll stuffed with homemade venison sausage, mashed potatoes with turkey gravy, cornbread and venison sausage dressing, green bean casserole, and cranberry sauce. Ended up passing on dessert, which is just as well, as we were stuffed beyond capacity as it was.

Friday and Saturday were both quiet, in the standard pre-gig fashion. I tend to prefer a day of inactivity before playing, whenever possible; part of the pre-game ritual, which is worth a post of its own one of these days. The respective shows were decent, though both began slowly and without a great deal of energy - possibly the downside of taking time off. We did eventually get on track. Hopefully this will carry us through our last three shows of the year over the next two weeks, after which we are off for a month. That time will be devoted to rehearsal and learning some new material.

Yesterday, a Day Off. I'm finding that in my advancing years, a full day of recovery is becoming necessary after a working weekend. Well, maybe not necessary, but certainly beneficial.

Today, a return to the Bunker, addressing both practicalities and creative work. My aim for the day is to lay down a few new bass parts on Shape of the World, which I have been putting off for the last week or so. Beyond that, continued clean up of the work space and possibly some more tweaking on the new live rig. Considering the option of a pedalboard next, preferably with a built-in power supply - I am discovering that my fuzz box eats batteries like crazy, and I am quickly going to go broke unless I plug it in. In other words, back to business as usual here :)

If we can define our aim, we are halfway to achieving it.

Thanksgiving

Morning earworm: Fat Bottomed Girls, Queen. A subtle inference to today's holiday repast, perhaps?



With that, much time in the kitchen yesterday. Planning / review brought to light that the turkey roll had to sit overnight - surprise! - so that got added to the list. This actually offers several advantages, including freeing up some time today, as well as another unexpected bonus - there were no boneless turkey breasts to be had on shopping day, so I ended up getting a whole one and cutting the breast meat off; upon finishing this rather odious task, it dawned on me that I had enough of a carcass remaining to make a batch of turkey stock, and did so - looks like we get gravy today, too :)

I am anticipating entering the kitchen at 9:00 a.m. to begin the process. Rolls and cornbread go first, needing the latter for the dressing; cranberry sauce and miscellaneous food prep during the rise time, such as trimming and tailing the green beans. Chorizo for the dressing will fry up as the bread bakes. I anticipate doing the dishes at least once during the process, possibly twice. The turkey roll should hit the oven between 13:30 - 13:45, probably finishing on the grill, just because I am reasonably certain my cheapo oven won't actually achieve 500°F. Dressing also goes in the oven; potatoes and green bean casserole are stove top, as is the gravy. Dessert is oven also, but I may just hold off a bit, since we will be stuffed beyond capacity after dinner as it is - lol. My aim is to dine around 16:00.

So, off to it, then. Happy Thanksgiving to all.

We know others to the extent that we know ourselves.

A Rough Night In My Head

Morning earworm: Your Mama Don't Dance, Loggins & Messina. From the show last weekend.




Yesterday ended up being pretty much a bust. Coffee, meds, and lying on the floor provided no relief until mid-afternoon. Did get most of the shopping done, with only a few items remaining to be secured this morning, probably as soon as I finish typing this. Just like my other holiday shopping - a surgical strike; get in early, secure the merch, and get out quickly. Pay no attention to the funny looks one gets from buying beer at 7:30 in the morning.

I had a truly bizarre nightmare last night, of the classic horror movie variety. This doesn't happen often, and leads to much pondering on the whole process. In my dreams, at least, I often find that things which would normally make no sense at all do; mostly in context, as it usually involves a rather long and elaborate backstory, which for some odd reason I know at the time, like a sort of bulk-downloaded footnote. Last night, for example, when the red-hooded figure appeared behind me in the darkened house, it was not merely the startle which caused the panic, but knowing who / what it was, in vivid detail. Definitely a Blair Witch moment, one of those where you lie awake for some time after, contemplating the seeming reality of the incident, and really not wanting to get up and go to the bathroom - one of those rare times when living in so secluded an area isn't quite as idyllic as it normally is.

No matter - a busy day ahead in the kitchen. Today: making more sausage, and various breads. Need to get the cornbread starter going, make at least the dough for the rolls, and probably some pizza crust while I'm at it for tonight. It seems like coming up with something the few days before the big meal is the most difficult part. I was completely at a loss yesterday, contemplating going out for dinner, before inspiration hit and I ended up inventing the Cordon Bleu Chimichanga - leftover chicken breast diced up with some ham and cheese filling, fried in a tortilla. A keeper, surprisingly, for something literally thrown together nearly at random. Sometimes you just get lucky :D

Duration is subjective.

Sausage Shootout

Morning earworm: From the Beginning, Emerson, Lake & Palmer - can't go wrong there.



Awoke this morning with a godawful screaming headache, of unknown origin. It is radiating down the left side of my neck, far enough that I suspect it might be of physical origin, rather than the usual caffeine depletion. I see some time on the mat today.

Yesterday saw an afternoon of kitchen R & D, in my first foray into sausage making. Four small batches were produced, all venison-based. I was surprised to find that most of the venison sausage recipes I have are half pork; I guess it is an easy way to include the requisite fat. Personally, I would be more inclined to just add some fatback, to more precisely monitor the fat : meat ratio - perhaps in the future, once I know what I'm doing.

Our contestants were bratwurst, chorizo, breakfast sausage and a straight venison sausage. A small patty of each was fried up for a sampler along with dinner. The Breakfast sausage was a clear winner, the chorizo a fair second. The brat was, surprisingly, rather lame - I didn't mind it, but my Wisconsin-native wife was unimpressed. The straight venison wasn't bad, but a bit dry, despite my allowing for it being virtually fat-free and cooking it in a bit of extra confit oil.

Today, larger batches for Thursday. I'm thinking of using the breakfast sausage in the cornbread dressing, and probably the chorizo with the turkey. The recipe chosen this year calls for Boudin, but that appears to be impossible to find here, as are several of the ingredients to make it, most notably pork liver. Probably just as well. I hope the throbbing in my skull subsides soon, so I can get out and do the rest of the grocering today - the store is to be avoided at all costs tomorrow, being Black Wednesday.

We all know about Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when all of the retail outlets are turned into a war zone by rabid, bloodthirsty consumers whipped into a feeding frenzy by the commercials. What I have found out is that on the Wednesday before, they do a live-fire practice run in the grocery stores, testing their battle readiness by clearing the shelves, prepared to fight to the death over that last can of pumpkin or fried onions. It is the ideal place not to be.

Honour the role.
Respect the person.

Monday Again

Morning earworm: Signify, Porcupine Tree. What a great beginning to the week :D



It was an interesting weekend, to say the least. More fun than profit, much as expected, but even this is an improvement - quite often it is neither. It was cool little room; an actual theater with 120 seats, most of them empty. Nice stage, though, and good acoustics - perhaps a bit too good for our volume, but we managed:



Much of the aforementioned fun occurred before anyone showed up, while I took the opportunity to bang on the house piano for awhile, which ended up as in impromptu jam with the opening act, who also later sat in with us at the end of our set. It is a bit of a shock when you find yourself enjoying playing, and realize that it is an unaccustomed feeling.

So, a new week. Focus on recording, and cleaning up the Bunker a bit - all of the work down there lately has left it a bit disorganized (read trashed). And, of course, some serious kitchen work. Venison currently thawing for some sausage-making experiments; hopefully I can find a keeper in time for the cornbread-sausage dressing on Thursday. Doing a turkey breast this year, just because I have several recipes to try. Also discovered a new technique for mashed potatoes, courtesy of Cooks Country, where they are steamed and rinsed halfway through, rather than boiled; this significantly reduces the amount of starch, which is what makes them turn to wallpaper paste if overworked. Also, running them through a ricer rather than the usual mashing technique yields a much fluffier result. I tried it with the food mill last night, and there was a noticeable improvement, but they still got worked over pretty good, so it looks like I need to break down and get another ricer, having broken the old one a few years back.

Performance is impersonal yet intimate.

Old School

Morning earworm: First Train Home, Imogen Heap. Was listening to this yesterday while working in the Bunker.



The new rig is up and running, about 99% functional - a bit of programming and a final bug or two to work out today, and it debuts tomorrow night. That contact cleaner is amazing stuff - worth the 60 mile drive to get it - lol. This whole process represents stepping simultaneously forward and back - an upgrade to old school :D In many ways it is casting off option anxiety; my rigs have traditionally been rather elaborate affairs, able to create myriad sounds and effects that I virtually never used. When I got into the current band, I deliberately stripped way down - one guitar, one multi-processor and one amp. This latest incarnation, while technically larger, is actually simpler still; with only a few stomp boxes (individual effects on the floor) and an older muli-processor. It doesn't make every sound under the sun, just a few absolutely killer ones. The tones are so fabbo, it makes me want to play, and that may be the biggest plus of all.

OK, enough with the gear slut talk - lol. In other news, I spent some equally enlightening time in the kitchen the last few days. I had JD leave "my" deer partly intact, to learn some basic butchery on my own. I have a functional working knowledge of the front shoulder now -chuck tender, shoulder roast, and shank meat, most of which is probably going to end up as stew or jerky. Today I get to tackle the south end - rump roast, top and bottom round, etc. Who knows, by next year I might be doing all of the cutting. Let him gut and skin it, and I'll take over from there.

Finally, on a more pleasant food-related note, this month's Saveur produced a quick and easy mustard-cream sauce which goes really well with both steak and venison, and probably anything else you care to slather it on. Heat up 1 Tbsp butter and 1 Tbsp canola oil in a cast iron skillet. Season your steak of choice with salt and pepper, and pan fry to desired doneness. Remove the meat. Deglaze the pan with 4½ Tbsp cognac or brandy, scraping up the yummy bits and cook for about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat. Add ¼ cup heavy cream, and 1½ Tbsp dijon mustard, whisking until the sauce just comes together. Stir in another 1½ Tbsp cognac / brandy, pour over the steaks, and serve. Garnish with pepper and fresh parsley.

Have a great weekend :D

There are three kinds of repercussions: the necessary, the unnecessary and the inevitable.

Skip Day

Super busy day yesterday - amp maintenance, road trip, field dressing a pair of deer. Today, more of the same - so I'm off to it:)

Extended Opportunity

Morning earworm: Jazz is the Teacher (Funk is the Preacher), Screaming Headless Torsos. Not sure what dredged this up, but a good morning for it - lol.



It turns out that there will be no rehearsal again this week. While there is a bit of concern for the weekend's show, I am mainly glad for the extra time to work on my own stuff. This makes for a busy day today - there are one or two more avenues to explore with the Frankenstack, before I turn my attention back to writing / recording. One final piece of the gear puzzle stubbornly refuses to play nice with the rest of the pile, and there is no reason I can find for this, beyond possibly its physical placement in the signal chain. Whatever the case, I should get down there and get to it - even with this extra few days, there are practicalities to be addressed as well, so the schedule for the week is going to be a tight one.

The way we describe our world shows how we think of our world. How we think of our world governs how we interpret our world.
How we interpret our world directs how we participate in the world. How we participate in the world shapes the world.

When Worlds Collide

Morning earworm: Big Bad Moon, Joe Satriani. One of the most amazing guitarist on the planet, but admittedly not much of a singer - lol.



A day of practical work and experimentation in the Bunker. A number of random and not entirely related cognitive threads came together in the notion that I might want to consider a larger amp system for the occasional larger venue we play, such as this weekend; this in turn led me to an afternoon of playing mix-and-match with various pieces of gear, in the elusive quest for that killer sound, which ended up making quite a mess and reassembling the Frankenstack:



Contemplating this today, I find that I may once again have too many irons in the fire, and the conflict of interest is setting in. After having a couple of weeks to myself, working undisturbed on my own material, band work resumes; I can almost feel the creative fire going out. Part of the above process was admittedly an exercise in finding my sound, my own voice, which tends to get lost when doing a money gig for any length of time. This was further complicated by the unusual direction that the latest creative impulse took - I initially set out with the aim of coming up with some new looped / soundscape material, but the Muse instead chose to serve me up a bunch of group-oriented music instead. I'm certainly not complaining, but there is the small matter of the group needed to execute this material isn't the group I'm working with.

This, briefly, is why my Teacher discourages people from becoming professional musicians - my calling to play is coming into conflict with my other obligations; it is the most bitter of ironies that my job as a musician is actually interfering with my being a musician. And this isn't the first time. Just as I am picking up steam heading down one path, I now have to tear everything down and reset for rehearsal tonight. Most of the time I am able to keep these things compartmentalized, but when everything is firing on all cylinders - which doesn't happen often - it becomes an inconvenience, and a source of mounting frustration. Such is life, though. We bear it and persevere.

Some things protect themselves by being what they are.

Here We Go Again ...

Morning earworm: Beck's Bolero, Jeff Beck. Picked up a live DVD over the weekend, and this was his opening number. I will be spending some quality time studying this disc :D



Let's see how this works ...

Friday's gig was much as I expected - the first set was pretty rough, but we did eventually lock in and turn in a decent performance. Also, a slight return to the drama scene, but fortunately the band itself was only peripherally involved. We have lately been in talks with a local promoter, who has had some promising things to offer - but then, they all do. He had booked us a show next weekend, a theater gig up in New Market, with the prospect of a decent paycheck, something our previous agent never quite managed. Everything is lined up, including an opening act. As an aside, we came upon this guy by virtue of the fact that he is dating MG's daughter.

So, according to MG, he was over visiting one night last week, when there is a rather loud knock on the door, after which a carload of federal marshals come in and haul Mr. Promoter off for some undisclosed parole violation. Alrighty then. Now, the aforementioned decent paycheck is entirely contingent upon Mr. Promoter promoting the show, which will be of limited effectiveness with him in stir. I don't expect that the place will be entirely empty, as our openers have a decent following in the area, and they're friends of ours, but it remains looking like this will be more for fun than profit. So it goes.

On a brighter note, looking over the books for this year, the Wife has suggested, much to my surprise, that I may need to buy another guitar or some studio gear, to get myself in the red for tax purposes. I won't argue ;-)

If we can't play away from the instrument, we can't play with the instrument.

Once More Unto the Breach

Morning earworm: There's a Spy (In the House of Love), Animal Logic. One of the strangest and least-heralded supergroups of the Eighties - an unlikely trio of country singer /songwriter Deborah Holland, jazz / fusion bass pioneer Stanley Clarke, and ex-Police drummer Stewart Copeland; this track ups the ante even further with guest guitarist Steve Howe of Yes, arguably the only guy around who can play country, jazz, and rock simultaneously - lol.

It turns out that yesterday's disruption via political ranting was less intrusive than anticipated. Once I finally made it down to the Bunker, I began working on a bass part for the heavier song (working title Shape of the World) - with all of that anger and aggression simmering, it really sounds like Tool now - lol. Guess I need to fire up the Marshall next week and redo the guitar parts.

I've spent some time over the last few days organizing and gathering up some of the more recent demo files and tapes floating around here, and am quite surprised to find than I have nearly an album's worth of material already, at least conceptually - the surprise stemming from the fact that prior to last month, I've only written 2½ songs since leaving Indiana, and one of those was a keyboard improv that I had completely forgotten about until I found it yesterday. Granted, only a couple of these are anywhere near fully realized, but it is still quite a bit to work with. That said, it is going to be a pretty strange record, given the vast amount of ground covered by this material; but I would expect no less of me :D

Somewhere amid all of that, I even took a few minutes out to learn one of the songs we were supposed to have ready for rehearsal last month, which was the last time we rehearsed. Nothing again last night, including being told there would be nothing. I don't mind, since I have better other things to do right now, but we do need to get back to it one of these days. It is the money gig, after all. Tonight should be interesting, to say the least.

Finally, a word on the links. Grooveshark is a cool site, but it takes forever to load, so a bit of patience is needed. Maybe one of these days I will figure out some way to embed the songs here, but in the meantime it is still a step in the right direction. Have a great weekend :)

The foundation of learning is play.

When Will I Learn?

Morning earworm: Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood, Gary Moore. A scorching cover of the old Zombies classic, from his early days.

I once again made the mistake of stopping by Facebook before coming here, and was rewarded by yet another idiotic post by a bunch of my supposedly enlightened flaming Liberal friends. I can respect that we don't share some core beliefs, but there are times when it still pisses me off to no end, especially when one of them has the cojones to invoke "fiscal responsibility". $14,000,000,000,000, and he's only halfway through one term - but then, this is exactly the sort of fiscal responsibility one should expect from a bunch of people with six figure incomes and unlimited expense accounts. F***ing Communist pinheads - AARRRGGGHHHH!!

Sorry ... where was I?

Guess I'll be working on the heavy song today - lol. This has been a challenging week, having two totally different pieces vying for brain space. Definitely feast or famine. I need to enjoy this while I can, as band work resumes either tonight or tomorrow, occupying the next six weekends. It will be an interesting gig tomorrow, having largely purged my system of country music over the last few weeks. Then again, it might actually be easier than it is now, divided between a capella folk music and cinematic tribal metal - juggling three balls is not nearly as difficult as juggling only two.

Speaking of cinematic - part of my admittedly weird listening habits includes old movie soundtracks. I had quite a few of these in my record collection as a kid, and every now and then their influence shows up. One particular favorite was Michel Legrand's soundtrack from The Three Musketeers (1973), partly just because it was such a great movie. I also had soundtrack albums from most of the James Bond movies, Connery / Moore era; educational in many ways. While most of these were scored by John Barry, I think my personal favorite was Sir George Martin's work on Live and Let Die - but one would expect no less from him. There are even some hints of that particular work showing up in one of my current songs - no telling what one might assimilate over the years :)

If nothing else, at least I am in a better mood now - thanks, Morning Pages! =))

The musician has three disciplines: the disciplines of the hands, the head and the heart.

Coming Up For Air

Morning earworm: Midnight Shuffle, an old original fragment. This was just a working title, honoring the late hour at which it was written. That is one thing I do miss about the old house - it was a two story thing, and I could work all night down in the basement without disturbing the wife sleeping upstairs.

Feeling the mid-week sag here. I confess it's been awhile since I've done this much creative work in so focused a time; it is exhausting, in a different way than sustained physical labor. Yeah, I know - whine whine snivel. Still much to be done, but I think I will be focusing a bit more on the practical aspects for today; hardware, signal routing, and such, giving the creative side of the brain a little time to digest and process this massive and multi-faceted download.

I can't help but notice that I went into this with the intention of generating some new material for the solo gig, and yet most of what is appearing is full-production band material, largely undoable in my solo context. So it goes - as I have said before, I have no real control over the process; I ask the Muse what needs to be played, and this is what I am getting. Arguing is pointless - I am grateful to be taken into Music's confidence at all.

A test of our understanding is whether we can apply it in practice.

Immediate Payoff

Morning earworm: Vicarious, Tool. That'll get you going - lol.

The deed is done. "Arecibo" was taken off line and deleted at 9:07 yesterday. Not the easiest choice in the world, but a necessary one. I suspect that it is not entirely coincidental that yesterday was one of my most productive and creative days in a long time - housework and chores done, and not one but two song fragments appeared. As if that weren't enough, the two ideas are about as different as they can possibly be, to the point that they might not even belong on the same CD. One is sort of an experimental vocal piece, coming from some other listening over the weekend; the other, a strangely odd-metered tribal instrumental, which is evolving some Tool overtones, possibly resulting in this morning's earworm.

Continuing on yesterday's discussion of unusual listening - I quite by chance caught a piece on NPR Sunday morning discussing a new album by Jan Garbarek and the Hilliard Ensemble, featuring a capella arrangements of early Armenian folk songs and church hymns with sax improvisations over the top. I can't help it, I just find this sort of thing so unspeakably cool. It almost immediately brought to mind the Bulgarian Women's Choir and pop chanteuse Imogen Heap, with their dense harmonies and Eastern European influence. Naturally, I thought this would be something cool to explore, and soon remembered that I have a stack of lyrics buried somewhere in the Bunker awaiting music - not mine, of course, but from an old collaborator / writing partner. One of these immediately suggested itself for such an application. While I do have the tech to pull it off, it is so far outside both my experience and comfort zone that the challenge is too great to pass up.

The downside is purely of a practical nature -work on both of these is revealing shortcomings in the current studio set-up, admittedly still under construction; which means I'm looking at at least a half-day of physically rearranging and rewiring stuff. The continuous upgrade - a necessary evil. It needs doing, but can potentially disrupt the creative momentum, even though it involves a measure of creativity all its own. Oh, the challenges I face - lol.

And somewhere in there I have to make dinner, too. Sure hope we aren't rehearsing tonight - there are a couple of songs I need to learn for the band, and that would prove a significant disruption :)

Be very careful about the beginning.
Then, be very careful about the end.
Then, be very careful about the middle.

The Next Chapter

Morning earworm: Honey Sweating, Polytown. I couldn't even begin to describe this - fallout from some odd listening over the weekend. Found some cool new stuff, which led associatively to some cool old stuff, bringing all manner of inspiration - one can ask for little more.

Music, I think, is no different than any other specialized craft or trade. There are some things that everyone can do, and times when you need to call in an expert - lol. Part of my job as an "expert" is researching and learning deeper and further afield than the average lay person, finding and exploring the exotic, unusual, and sometimes just plain weird which goes unnoticed by the mainstream. Some of this is exactly that - research. You hear something cool, and ask Who is that? What else have they done? The aforementioned Polytown was that sort of find. A mid-nineties project done by David Torn with Mick Karn and Terry Bozzio. I've long been a fan of Torn, and was familiar with Bozzio's work with Jeff Beck and Frank Zappa; Karn was an unknown to me, so a little digging was done. Turns out he was the bassist with Japan, a moderately successful art-pop act from the eighties. Naturally, I had to check them out - it is some pretty cool and cutting-edge stuff, especially for eighties pop. The band also featured vocalist David Sylvian, who has gone on to a respectable solo career, and keyboardist Richard Barbieri, another favorite of mine from his subsequent work with Porcupine Tree. After awhile it almost becomes a six-degrees type game, because it seems like everybody has played with everybody else somewhere along the way.

To completely change the subject, this is a little odd. After 2½ years at the other venue, this is going to take a bit of getting used to - but I'll manage :D There are a couple of major advantages to being here which immediately present themselves - I don't need to be quite as discreet, and I can now post links. Who know, you might even be able to hear some of these earworms for yourself before long, and find out just what I've been babbling about all this time.

Listening is a craft.
Hearing is an art.

Place Holder

Yes, this is it :D

Just blowing the dust off and tidying up a bit, after letting this sit idle for six months. Semi-regular posting to commence next week ... probably.

Recapping

It has been a rather busy and tense couple of weeks here. Those who follow my other blogs are by now familiar with - and probably sick of hearing about - the ongoing fiasco of the studio project. This has had me wound a little tight, to say the least; additional factors have only added unnecessary stress to the mix - a tight cash week, car repairs, property taxes, and surprise dental work, to name a few. Tension began rising to a fever pitch, and finally broke this week. During the intervening time, the band neither played nor practiced at all, and had not even decided which songs to do for the studio project. A desperate last-minute rehearsal was scheduled for Tuesday night, then canceled on Monday. No reason given. For once, I didn't mind, as I was at the dentist first thing Tuesday morning, having two teeth pulled. This alone went a long way to improving my outlook on life, even without the meds.

Last night, the moment of truth. We finally entered the studio, and things went surprisingly well. A considerable amount of what I had gotten myself worked into a tizzy over did not materialize, though largely because my biggest concern was finally addressed and recognized to be right - we went in without the click track, and had everything tracked in two or three takes. Smooth sailing for there. My few overdubbed solos were all first and second takes, and we even made it to the vocals on two of the five songs. Despite my initial misgivings, this should turn out pretty good. Yes, I am publicly admitting I was wrong in many of my assumptions, realizing that they were exactly that - I assumed, I projected, I jumped to conclusions. I'm an idiot. Even though I was partly right ;-)

And so, the weight of the world has been lifted for the moment. Next to be addressed - work on the car, and a gig Friday. Business as usual, in short.

Wound a Little Tight

Moodiness, angst and frustration are the order of the day. The band is preparing to go into the studio and record a demo. Next week. Last night was the first of two rehearsals for this project. And I'm here to tell you they are going about it all wrong. This is going to be such a freaking trainwreck that I don't even know where to begin describing it.

It is the classic scenario of a little knowledge being a dangerous thing. Our other guitarist, who is an expert on every aspect of the music business, is pushing this through with his usual end-gaining haste. He's been in the studio twice before, and knows how things are done there. I, on the other hand, know nothing, in spite of the stack of CD's sitting here with my name on them as producer and / or engineer from the ten-plus years I spent as owner / operator of a studio. But, you can't tell him anything, so I just shake my head and try to get on with it.

This whole thing is a recipe for disaster. He is planning for failure, and doing everything possible to assure that outcome. Change everything at the last minute, practice it once or twice, then go in and rush through the first parts and go back to fix them later. I have only briefly met the engineer, and he seems like a good guy, and is by all reports knowledgeable, but I find myself a little leery of his insistence that we use a click track, especially given his reasoning. We have never played with a click before, and this is no time to start. It didn't go particularly well last night. And there is no faster way to suck the life out of a song than to lock it in to a click track. The whole line of thinking is that if we have one, it will make it easier to go in and fix our mistakes on the computer. It is already assumed we are going to screw up, and so we take steps to guarantee it. Rule number one: we aren't there to make his job easier, he's there to make us sound good.

I could go on for days about this, but it would only bore you and frustrate me more - lol. I'm hoping that I am reading into this, and it doesn't prove to be a case of somebody who is so enamored / addicted to Pro Tools that they forget the nuts and bolts of how to do things. The computer should not be what dictates how the session is run. It is easy sometimes to get so wrapped up in how to do things that we forget why we do them, and that sometimes a different approach is needed.

I really hope I'm just being paranoid, but I kind of doubt it.

Just Passing Through

It has been a long and trying week, with my Mother-in-law visiting. On line access restricted, and that's the least of it. She is a decent person and all, but I have learned a great deal about my wife's family dynamics these last few days, and it is more than a little disturbing. More later, when time permits.

Just letting you know I'm still alive - lol.

Catching Up

It is taking a little time getting used to a third blog - lol.

Let's see - the NYC trip fell through, but the opportunity remains open for future excursions.

Had quite a weekend - at Friday night's gig I recognized the bartender from the (cough) other site (cough). We had exchanged emails about a year ago, but it never went anywhere. Not sure if she recognized me or not; nothing was said either way. On Sunday I went up to DC for the monthly get-together with my acoustic group. We met at another of the players' house; while there, the neighbor across the street backed into my van, putting a sizable dent in the driver side door. Insurance was exchanged, and one more thing I have to mess with on the vehicle - I already need to replace the windshield for state inspection this month.

Hopefully things will look up this week - next week is already half shot, with my mother-in-law visiting from WI. She's not a bad person or anything, but it's a pretty small house even without an extra body to entertain for five days.

Maybe I Do ...

After some consideration, I think I am in fact going to make this blog its own entity. The notion of simply mirroring posts from the other site seems rather pointless, since most of my current readers (both of you - lol) are either still there, or leaving for a reason. If we're leaving, why drag the old site with us?

So, to catch up ...

It's been a busy few days here. Atop that list is a possible last-minute trip to New York - tomorrow! - which is occupying a great deal of time in managing the logistics just to make it happen. This, in addition to the monthly run up to DC this weekend.

Plenty of band business as well. Two high-profile gigs booked for the summer; a large biker rally in early June, and a night show at the Albemarle County Fair in August. Both of these on top of being out nearly every weekend on our regular appearances on the animal club circuit. Almost like a job :D

How Many Blogs Does It Take?

Morning earworm: People of the South Wind, Kansas. I always liked the cover of that album - a painting of a native american, in full tribal dress, wearing a space helmet with bison horns on it.

The exodus from A.F.F.continues. In an effort to maintain contact with some friends I have made there, I now find myself with blogs on four different sites, counting this one and my own. For me, two is plenty - my own and that one. So far the other two have just been mirrors for this, but I am beginning to rethink that approach. One of the departing groups in particular seems to typically chat and exchange things of a nature that really doesn't warrant an adult content warning; indeed, they could easily post anywhere - they just happened to meet there. The other, while more adult-themed, still is not oriented to blogging as supplemental hook-up opportunities. Inasmuch as they are both making the break from A.F.F., is there any reason that I should drag it along with me? Do I want / need a third? I'll figure something out - trust the process, as we say.

I see that my rooster pic from yesterday still has not appeared. No real surprise. A shame, too - that was a fine looking Rhode Island Red, and will probably make somebody a wonderful Sunday dinner some day :D As I mentioned there, their criteria for photo censorship leave me bewildered - people engaged in acts of unspeakable depravity are fine, but a simple barnyard animal is taboo? In what universe does that make any sense at all?

On the subject of photos, have you ever come across profile pics of what appears to be a good / great body, only to find out it is topped by a face that only a mother could love? It seems all too common at A.F.F. - makes me think that privacy is not the real reason most pics are cropped at the neck :D However, I am compelled to report that during an email exchange with a blog buddy there, she unexpectedly sent a face pic; opening it, I was stunned to find that she is, in fact, drop-dead gorgeous. I am very fortunate that all of my friends there are head-turners, in addition to being witty and personable ;) but this one actually made me stop and stare. Almost made me embarrassed to send one of my own back - lol.

Wishing a happy and wonderful Easter weekend to all :)

A Wild Hare

Morning earworm: Back in NYC, Genesis. It eventually segued into Hairless Heart, just like on the album.

Gorgeous weather abounds. Even got a bit of naked hammock time in yesterday, partly just to be able to say I've done it in March - lol. Current prediction is that we'll be in the 80°s for the next few days. Sweet.

So, another April Fool's Day is upon us. Everyone run down to BK and get your free left-handed Whopper. I will be celebrating more privately here at home, with a listen to one of my favorite cd's - Bugs Bunny on Broadway. This is not a gag - google it or check it out on amazon. Those of sufficient age or interest in the history of animation are aware that those old Looney Tune cartoons we grew up with on Saturday morning are actually much older, and were originally made for theatrical release. Somebody at Warner Bros. decided that a new generation needed to appreciate these as they were meant to be seen and heard, and conceived of this show - brand new prints made of the original films, accompanied not by the recorded music but by a live orchestra, playing from Carl Stalling's original scores. Even just having the audio, this is epic. Stalling was an unheralded genius, and hearing his work in full glorious digital stereo reveals the depth of his brilliance as never before. And it is still hysterically funny, too - Kill the Wab-bit, kill the wab-bit ... =))

Reviewing / Woolgathering

Morning earworm: Subdivisions, Rush.

The brain does not seem to be firing on all cylinders. A number of small but telling gaffs in the kitchen yesterday and this morning, which is unusual. It began with a batch of hummus, where I forgot to add the lemon juice - still good, but a bit dry. Shortly thereafter, while gathering components for dinner, I noticed that the package of prosciutto I had thawed was in fact Smithfield ham. So much for attention. Luckily, it worked just as well in the recipe - grilled paninis with ham, fresh mozzarella and royal fig jam. Finally, I remembered to take a venison loin out of the freezer last night to thaw for tonight's repast, only to be reminded by my wife that it has to marinate overnight. So, great dinner planned for tomorrow. Tonight? I'll think of something.

Spending considerable time on line today. The participants from the Course last week have returned, some of them even with their luggage, and blogs are being back-posted of the experience. There is a lot of ground to cover there. My Teacher's blog tends to run a week or two behind, so I still have that to look forward to as well.

Had another chat this morning with the network friend preparing for a major shift at home. This invariably dredges up memories of my own final days with the ex. I am pleased to observe that finally, twenty years after the fact, there is very little acrimony generated by these recollections. It was a difficult and painful time, to be sure, but it seems that the scars have finally healed. Hopefully this will make it easier to access that period of my life, that others may profit from my experience and mistakes.

On the subject of anniversaries (we were, really) - I note in passing that I rolled over two years here on A.F.F. over the weekend. While I remain among the vast majority who has never gotten laid here, it has been an educational and worthwhile experience, in ways A.F.F. probably never intended. It has been a journey of self-discovery more than self-indulgence, and against all odds may well have been a positive contribution to my marriage. My humble thanks to all whom I have the privilege to call Friends here :D

Computers

Morning earworm: Tiny Dancer, Elton John. Don't ask - I have no control over this. A though flew by yesterday, following a comment that readers don't know many (if any) of these songs or artists. I might have to make a mix disc of some of these tracks, just for laughs.

So far, beyond sitting and breakfast, the entire morning has gone to waste, locked in battle with a pair of stoopid f&%# computers. All I want to do is print out a couple of pages of a .pdf file. What could be simpler? Cutting down the largest tree in the forest with a herring, for starters.

I had not net installed the printer on the laptop since the Great Reboot, so I went to do so. Two tries, two fails. It has worked fine for a couple of years, but now it won't even install. Fine - I'll just do it on the StudioBeast downstairs. Sounds good in theory, except for the part that the StudioBeast doesn't seem to have Adobe Reader installed. So, I go to download that. Three tries, each ending in an aborted download and crash. Frustration mounts. I can see right where my day is going ... weren't computers supposed to make our lives easier?

On the bright side - literally - it looks like the projected rains for the day may not happen, and we are supposed to be up to 85°F by the weekend, which I have off. The hammock beckons :D

Next

Morning earworm: Money, Pink Floyd. Ah, the classics ...

Things are pretty quiet so far today. Had a brief chat with a friend who is in a transition period of her own. Not sure I did anything other than take her mind off it for a few minutes, but even that is probably of some help. Finished catching up on weekend blogs between last night and this morning. The weather is currently crap, but we are told it will be in the 80°s later this week - sounds like a good time for a little road trip. Who's up for lunch?

For that matter, what's for dinner tonight? I don't have a clue yet. I still have a ton of groceries from last week, as we ended up eating out more than expected. Maybe that barbecued tempeh dish. Ironic, as the vegetarian week is over, but what the heck - it's still good stuff. And the bacon at breakfast was thoroughly enjoyed :D I need to make bread today, too. Good thing it's still early.

Completion

Morning earworm: Gravity Eyelids, Porcupine Tree. Makes you want to just stay in bed and listen to it. So I did. :D

Pausing now to reflect on the last week. The Course has ended, probably some five or six hours ago in real time; I declared my own participation complete at 21:46. There were a number of things I had hoped to accomplish during this time, and not all of them happened. We learn from this, too. What I do have is a better understanding of how the Work, and my Craft, fit into everyday life, and the adjustments each has to make to accommodate the other. My studio space is functionally up and running, and my practice now has a clarity of purpose and direction that was previously missing. As I revisit my aim for the Course, I find it was met, yet not quite how I expected. Nothing new there - lol. So, onward - tomorrow is a new beginning, and the future awaits. May I be open and available to it.

Feels Like Sunday

Morning earworm: Black Velvet again. We're supposed to be learning it, so there is a legitimate excuse for the rerun.

A decent performance last night; sound was good in a difficult room, and the crowd was better than usual. The high point, of course, was picking up the new trailer and loading it, instead of the van. Somewhat less enjoyable was dragging it back over the mountain, but I'll get used to it.

Up early today, and much work done before the band arrived. The Bunker is as clean as it is going to get, short of emptying it completely and hosing it down (which I do intend to do, once the weather is more consistently cooperative). Everything not in the trailer is set up and ready to go for rehearsal.

... Which ended up not happening. Not a total loss, actually - we ended up spending the entire day outside working on the trailer and related gear items. Drummer and bassist went over the trailer itself, replacing several lights and wiring in a few new ones, while the other guitarist put the signage up on one side (still need to get the other side done) before he and I built a case for the mixing board. Still a few items to be fixed up, but for the most part it is ready to roll. Rehearsal has been rescheduled for an upcoming weekday.

As a passing note, I ended up just eating leftovers yesterday; thanks to the many replies, I still had a taste for some falafel, so I went there for dinner tonight instead. A good choice. Also, everyone ended up bringing hot dogs instead of hamburger, which was much easier to turn down and remain meat-free for the day. That said, there is some serious sausage waiting for breakfast on Monday :D

Black Light Syndrome

Morning earworm: Endless, Bozzio Levin Stevens. I could spent the whole post just rambling on about this; it's been a quiet few days, so I just might - lol. One of the cool things about most prog rock bands is that they are always doing side projects with each other - Transatlantic, Liquid Tension Experiment, heck, even Asia started out this way. BLS is another one of these, being the combined talents of drummer Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck, Polytown), bassist Tony Levin (King Crimson, Peter Gabriel - actually, he's played with just about everyone) and guitarist Steve Stevens (Billy Idol, the Atomic Playboys). Stevens is especially surprising on this album - having only heard his work with Billy Idol, I never thought much of him, but after hearing this, there is clearly far more to him than we realized. I would encourage anyone interested to check out the album Situation Dangerous, for some amazing instrumental work by three world-class musicians.

Back in the agreed-upon real world ...

She Who Lights My Soul has left on vacation for a few weeks, leaving a gaping hole in both my heart and morning chat schedule. Plenty to do to keep myself occupied, but Her absence is already felt.

Gig tonight, not particularly looking forward to - the crowd is usually decent, but the room is horrible. The Course Team in Italy has a performance tonight as well; given the choice, I would rather be at that show.

Needing to decide what to do for dinner. My usual stop at Burger King on the way to the gig isn't going to fly tonight. Might just leave early and stop at the falafal stand instead.

Also have to remember to repost this on the new mirror site at Blogspot. In the wake of the recent advertising scandal at AFF a number of disgruntled friends are jumping ship and moving their blogs in a mass exodus; I have opted to post there as well, to keep in touch.

A happy weekend to all :D