Acoustic Pixies

Last night CJ tried playing acoustic. It was the first time we've done this other than a drunken impromptu set at beer fest last year in which I played drums. Last night again we were sans drummer due to illness, but we solidered on and I (mostly) stuck to bass. We are prepping for a busking event in about three and a half weeks...and a likely acoustic summer show at some local coffee house in town. It was also just on our to-do list. "1)Learn all album tracks 2)play a Doolittle show 3)play a set in alpha order 4)play acoustic show"...ya know, just trying to keep up with all the little gimmicks the kids have tried. We try to be loyal to our source material whenever possible.

I had been worried that it would be hard to hear the bass and that I'd strain my voice, but neither turned out to be true. It mostly went well. Of course...with drums and playing outside and with street noise...all bets are off. But I guess we're in better shape than I'd feared.

Playing acoustic is interesting because it changes the way you hear the songs. I found this to be the case last summer when SSW went unplugged. It made me realize times when the bass is key and times when we are all doubling parts. It made me notice places where there is opportunity for dynamics. It made me notice when the drums are important and when they aren't. Overall I was glad that we had a chance to run things once without drums because I was really able to hear so many things that I've never heard before and that will surely be covered up a bit by drums, no matter how delicately the drums are played.

Given the choice I think I'll always want to be amplified, but playing unplugged is an interesting exercise and it probably a good thing for anyone to try here and there.