I was thinking today how the Pixies thing just captured my imagination so thoroughly and quickly...and I thought maybe that's just how I am with things. But I'm realizing that's really not the case. I was happy to play the Flaming Lips, but I haven't had any interest at all in listening to them or learning more of their songs now that we're done with it. Love and Rockets will be the same I can tell. And then I realized...I haven't gone looking for Frank Black tunes either. And that seems quite odd.
I find it quite sad to say that clearly a cute girl has to be involved or else I don't pay attention. Correction...a girl who's cute in a certain way. Girls who are cute in the traditional way don't interest me (I've been happy to let go of Blondie once we were done and never even formed an attachment). This makes me a terrible stereotype and everything that I hate about people who come to our shows to marvel at the "female musician". But what can I say. It's always about a girl. Always has been and I guess it always will be.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Love and Rockets
So I find myself compelled by external forces to investigate the bass stylings of David J. Why I can't say yet.
Love and Rockets is a band that I never paid much attention to. I was aware, as everyone was, of the song So Alive...and when pressed after the fact I suppose I had also heard No New Tale to Tell.
My biggest memory of Love and Rockets though is that there was the gang of half a dozen guys that I went to high school with. It was unclear if they were goths or druggies or what. But they made a big show out of being cool. One of them, who's name I forget but who always had long diagonal cut blond bangs hanging in his face, had a t-shirt that had the cover of Love and Rockets Earth Sun Moon album on it. That's how I remember him. Always.
Other than that I ignored the band. I knew that they were an off-shoot of Bauhaus...and that Peter Murphy was involved somehow. But that's it. And that's pretty much true...in that Love and Rockets is essentially Bauhaus without Peter Murphy. And a little poppier and brighter.
A quick listen and I don't think the bass lines will trip me up...and if they do we live in an age where you can learn to play a song from a video game:
Love and Rockets is a band that I never paid much attention to. I was aware, as everyone was, of the song So Alive...and when pressed after the fact I suppose I had also heard No New Tale to Tell.
My biggest memory of Love and Rockets though is that there was the gang of half a dozen guys that I went to high school with. It was unclear if they were goths or druggies or what. But they made a big show out of being cool. One of them, who's name I forget but who always had long diagonal cut blond bangs hanging in his face, had a t-shirt that had the cover of Love and Rockets Earth Sun Moon album on it. That's how I remember him. Always.
Other than that I ignored the band. I knew that they were an off-shoot of Bauhaus...and that Peter Murphy was involved somehow. But that's it. And that's pretty much true...in that Love and Rockets is essentially Bauhaus without Peter Murphy. And a little poppier and brighter.
A quick listen and I don't think the bass lines will trip me up...and if they do we live in an age where you can learn to play a song from a video game:
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Fundamentals Week 12
Cha Cha and nine stroke roll.
I've checked out. The most interesting thing about this week is that I've been playing cha cha in a TD song and didn't know it.
I turned in all the evaluations and told them I was disappointed in the course and wouldn't be taking more.
I've checked out. The most interesting thing about this week is that I've been playing cha cha in a TD song and didn't know it.
I turned in all the evaluations and told them I was disappointed in the course and wouldn't be taking more.
Monday, March 26, 2012
CJ, Mickey's, 3/24/2012
Got a late start setting up the new PA at Mickey's (so we had to cut our set). The Flips from Chicago opened for us. The bar cleared out towards the end of their set so we were worried...but it seemed everyone from the patio came in to listen to us, so it was full and hopping. Lots of compliments. Sold tshirts for first time (only a few). It was a good show. Got $230 ($20 of which was tips rest was cut of bar) and we gave $120 to Flips since they had driven up from Chicago (even though they played less than us). I couldn't hear my vocals well but I'm told they were fine. The new PA configuration was a little bit crowded (my mic faces speaker which is behind my head...so feeds back and you have to scoot towards bar) and I kept stepping on my cables and tuner and such and being too close to RS. The speaker behind my head kind of blew my hearing (too loud).
Set1:
Cecilia Ann
Rock Music
Bone Machine
Allison
Isla
Broken
Velvety
Dead
Monkey
Bird
Space
Subb
Distance = Rxt
La La Love
Ed
Vamos
Caribou
I Bleed
Holiday
Wave
Set2:
In Heaven
Wave UK
Debaser
River
Planet of Sound, Alec Eiffel, Is She Weird (all cut for time)
Ana
Crackity Jones
Something Against You
Blown Away
Gigantic
Manta Ray
Hey
Here Comes Your Man
Nimrod (cut for time)
Where is My Mind
Gouge Away
Tame
(originally planned Gouge and Tame in opposite order...but got told only one more song and let audience pick which. Then bar allowed an encore).
Set1:
Cecilia Ann
Rock Music
Bone Machine
Allison
Isla
Broken
Velvety
Dead
Monkey
Bird
Space
Subb
Distance = Rxt
La La Love
Ed
Vamos
Caribou
I Bleed
Holiday
Wave
Set2:
In Heaven
Wave UK
Debaser
River
Planet of Sound, Alec Eiffel, Is She Weird (all cut for time)
Ana
Crackity Jones
Something Against You
Blown Away
Gigantic
Manta Ray
Hey
Here Comes Your Man
Nimrod (cut for time)
Where is My Mind
Gouge Away
Tame
(originally planned Gouge and Tame in opposite order...but got told only one more song and let audience pick which. Then bar allowed an encore).
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Two Years
I feel like I've already posted about this but I can't find it. It is possible that I posted about my trip to sxsw in my other blog and I'm confusing things.
On April 24, 2010 CJ had its first gig. If memory serves correctly, our first rehearsal together as a four piece was March 24, 2010...a Wednesday. It was the Wednesday after I returned from sxsw. I THINK that it was on 12/19/2009 that the idea was first brought up about doing the Pixies tribute thing to me. I thought it was in January, but looking at my records, I know that it was at a SSW gig at High Noon that the subject came up. I knew that the Escapists had fired their bass player, and in that way that I sometimes do things without really thinking about it...I asked RS if I could join Escapists on bass. It wasn't something I'd thought about much before that night. It was an off-handed kind of thing and I have no idea what possessed me to ask. RS said, no, no they were just going to be a three piece and that they didn't want a replacement bass player and that, anyway, they didn't really even know what they were doing or if they would continue. Except...except...well they'd tossed around the idea of playing Pixies songs, and if they did that than they would need a female bass player. I filed this information.
And I promptly went out and bought the Pixies greatest hits and started seeing if I could play and sing the songs. The first song I learned was Nimrod's Son. I listened to it on my mp3 player on the bus ride home from work...got home...picked up the bass and played it by ear. Huh. Thought I. Maybe I can do this.
So I quietly learned to play all the songs on that cd and, every so often, would say to RS...so...any movement on that Pixies idea? And he'd say, no, no, we don't know what we are doing yet. And so it was when I left for sxsw.
But not long before I left, at a SSW rehearsal, RS started noodling and playing the bass line to Gigantic. And I started singing along. And what was that all about asked JG...nothing...just something we're throwing around about doing. I'm pretty sure that was my audition...though none of us knew it.
While I was gone at sxsw I got an email from RS...JG had an all covers show coming up he was booking and could we play Pixies at it. "I know it's crazy and there's probably no way we could do it" was the gist of the email. I think I replied by saying something like...well I only know 20 songs...
So I got back from sxsw like on a Monday or Tuesday...we had our first rehearsal on Wednesday...and a month later we played Surfer Rosa in total for an audience. And it went really, really well...and we were off and running.
We now know 61 Pixies songs. There are only 8 more album tracks left to learn...and only 21 more songs besides those even if you count ever cover and weird b-side.
The experience has been a revelation for me. It got me back playing the bass...which might just be where I'm meant to be in the end. Really, before Pixies, I'd never played bass. I'd played at bass. But now...sure, I'll say I'm a bass player, though a very basic kind of bass player. My vocals have really changed and improved and strengthened. I've had so much fun and it has done so much for my confidence to do something and actually be halfway good at it. I'm not used to feeling like I can do anything right. But I feel like, on balance, I get the Pixies right. I really can't even begin to say all that this band has meant to me.
I hold on to it lightly, because I know that the way to get hurt is to hold to tightly to the things that we love. I am grateful, oh so grateful. I hope for more to come...but am just glad for each additional practice and each additional gig and each additional song.
On Saturday we will perform probably about 40 or so songs on the anniversary of the first time the four of us played together. And that's pretty cool.
On April 24, 2010 CJ had its first gig. If memory serves correctly, our first rehearsal together as a four piece was March 24, 2010...a Wednesday. It was the Wednesday after I returned from sxsw. I THINK that it was on 12/19/2009 that the idea was first brought up about doing the Pixies tribute thing to me. I thought it was in January, but looking at my records, I know that it was at a SSW gig at High Noon that the subject came up. I knew that the Escapists had fired their bass player, and in that way that I sometimes do things without really thinking about it...I asked RS if I could join Escapists on bass. It wasn't something I'd thought about much before that night. It was an off-handed kind of thing and I have no idea what possessed me to ask. RS said, no, no they were just going to be a three piece and that they didn't want a replacement bass player and that, anyway, they didn't really even know what they were doing or if they would continue. Except...except...well they'd tossed around the idea of playing Pixies songs, and if they did that than they would need a female bass player. I filed this information.
And I promptly went out and bought the Pixies greatest hits and started seeing if I could play and sing the songs. The first song I learned was Nimrod's Son. I listened to it on my mp3 player on the bus ride home from work...got home...picked up the bass and played it by ear. Huh. Thought I. Maybe I can do this.
So I quietly learned to play all the songs on that cd and, every so often, would say to RS...so...any movement on that Pixies idea? And he'd say, no, no, we don't know what we are doing yet. And so it was when I left for sxsw.
But not long before I left, at a SSW rehearsal, RS started noodling and playing the bass line to Gigantic. And I started singing along. And what was that all about asked JG...nothing...just something we're throwing around about doing. I'm pretty sure that was my audition...though none of us knew it.
While I was gone at sxsw I got an email from RS...JG had an all covers show coming up he was booking and could we play Pixies at it. "I know it's crazy and there's probably no way we could do it" was the gist of the email. I think I replied by saying something like...well I only know 20 songs...
So I got back from sxsw like on a Monday or Tuesday...we had our first rehearsal on Wednesday...and a month later we played Surfer Rosa in total for an audience. And it went really, really well...and we were off and running.
We now know 61 Pixies songs. There are only 8 more album tracks left to learn...and only 21 more songs besides those even if you count ever cover and weird b-side.
The experience has been a revelation for me. It got me back playing the bass...which might just be where I'm meant to be in the end. Really, before Pixies, I'd never played bass. I'd played at bass. But now...sure, I'll say I'm a bass player, though a very basic kind of bass player. My vocals have really changed and improved and strengthened. I've had so much fun and it has done so much for my confidence to do something and actually be halfway good at it. I'm not used to feeling like I can do anything right. But I feel like, on balance, I get the Pixies right. I really can't even begin to say all that this band has meant to me.
I hold on to it lightly, because I know that the way to get hurt is to hold to tightly to the things that we love. I am grateful, oh so grateful. I hope for more to come...but am just glad for each additional practice and each additional gig and each additional song.
On Saturday we will perform probably about 40 or so songs on the anniversary of the first time the four of us played together. And that's pretty cool.
Monday, March 19, 2012
Madison Set
We should play this setn sometime...
01/25/92 Barrymore Theater - Madison, WI
Length = 75 Min - Complete
Quality = A- (audience analog)
Generation = ANA2 > CDR1
Setlist = Velvety Instrumental / Something Against You / Brick Is Red / Cecilia Ann / Levitate Me/Stormy Weather / Allison / Velouria / The Happening / Bird Dream Of Olypmus Mons /Planet Of Sound / Gouge Away / Dead / River Euphrates / Letter To Memphis / Palace Of The Brine / Subbacultcha / Here Comes Your Man / The Sad Punk /Motorway To Roswell / Crackity Jones / Distance Equals Rate Times Time /Trompe Le Monde / Wave Of Mutilation / Caribou / Head On / U-Mass
From http://www.smallclone.de/pixies.htm
01/25/92 Barrymore Theater - Madison, WI
Length = 75 Min - Complete
Quality = A- (audience analog)
Generation = ANA2 > CDR1
Setlist = Velvety Instrumental / Something Against You / Brick Is Red / Cecilia Ann / Levitate Me/Stormy Weather / Allison / Velouria / The Happening / Bird Dream Of Olypmus Mons /Planet Of Sound / Gouge Away / Dead / River Euphrates / Letter To Memphis / Palace Of The Brine / Subbacultcha / Here Comes Your Man / The Sad Punk /Motorway To Roswell / Crackity Jones / Distance Equals Rate Times Time /Trompe Le Monde / Wave Of Mutilation / Caribou / Head On / U-Mass
From http://www.smallclone.de/pixies.htm
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