Day Forty Six & Weekend Update

Sorry I didn't have a Friday report, but the band was playing a gig in Eustis that evening.  So I'll just have to squeeze four days worth of crap into one report.
      Friday we played the State Theatre as part of a fund raiser for the Lake County Folk Festival along with Jonathon Hodge, fiddle player extraordinaire accompanied by Larry Dolamore and Cyd Ward, super songstress, doing the solo thing.  It was a fun evening and we wrapped it up with one of those super sonic everyone on stage Ashley Gang sing alongs.   Good times.
    Saturday we hung out at our favorite retreat, Joel and Margie's house of refuge, and ate ourselves into a coma.  Then prepared for our gig at Olivia's Coffee House.  Another wonderful evening of music, car crashes and a lot of laughs.  The folks in Eustis spoiled us rotten, no wonder we love that place.  Make sure to check out Olivia's if your ever in the area, they're not just a coffee house, they have some really great food there as well.
    Then there's today, back to the grind.  I'm still working on the Palm Beach project, but it's nearing completion.  The bad news is once it's done I'll have to go back to the devils lair to deliver it, lord protect me!
   The new microphone arrived today, it's a beautiful thing.  I set it up and ran a test track to make sure it was in good working order, all is well.  I'll need to work with it for a little while to get familiar with it's sound characteristics, but I think it's going to get me a little closer to recording nirvana.
  That's it for now,  here's your daily dose of wisdom:

"If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?"
- Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Day Forty Four

I don't get it, if  4 is spelled f o u r, why is 40 spelled f o r t y, the english language is a mysterious thing.  This is one of the reasons I never excelled in school, my apparent disdain for authority. I just don't like rules, even if they seem to make sense, I just don't like others telling me what to do.  While this independent streak may sound noble, it has caused me nothing but pain.  And still, I seem to have no control over it.  There should be a twelve step program for  the hopelessly independent.  But now that I think about it, I'm sure it wouldn't work out.  As previously stated, the hopelessly independent would never take the good advice that would be necessary to correct their abhorrent behavior.  Besides, in my small but conclusive study on the subject, I have determined that it is a genetic flaw.  And after all, if you can't blame your parents for all of your short comings then what good are they. 
      I think I got off track there, but that's the good thing about this blogging thing, there is no track. 
I have finally had some communication with my E-bay guy, he was starting to make me a bit nervous.  He has assured me that the microphone will be overnighted to me.  So I should have it in my grimey little hands very soon.  My biggest concern is that I'll have to re-record all of the vocal tracks that I've already  finished.
Oh well, it never hurts to get in a little extra vocal exercise. 
  I think I've cleared my mind now, here's your daily dose of wisdom:


Do not be surprised when those who ignore the rules of grammar also ignore the law. After all, the law is just so much grammar. ~Robert Brault

Day Forty Three

We're shifting into high gear now in preparation for the weekend shows.  Everyones accommodations have been taken care of, the set list has been configured, and now we just need to get all our gear together.  It's a lot of work this music thing, and there's not much money in it.  But when you get on stage and see a bunch of folks out in the audience singing along with you, that's the best paycheck your ever going to get.  Now if I could just figure out how to pay the electric bill.
    I'm still in the process of tweaking the drum tracks on the latest tune, but I think I'm getting close to what I want it to sound like.  I've sent it out to the rest of the band for critique, they haven't flamed me yet, so I guess it's working for them.  Being in a band can be a delicate situation, we're all good friends, but occasionally someone will  get their twinkie stepped on.  It's just the nature of things.   Then we do damage control,  have a beer or glass of wine, and put it behind us.  It's just like running a small country, we don't have universal medical care either.
That's about it for today, here's your daily words of wisdom:
  

“Modern music is as dangerous as cocaine”

Pietro Mascagni quotes (Italian operatic Composer. 1863-1945)

  

Day Forty Two

  I was called into service again today on another mission to Palm Beach.  I haven't yet had a change of heart about that place, it still gives me the willies.  I've decided if ever I accidentally become wealthy, I wont flaunt it.  That's just so tacky.

    On the musical front, I'm awaiting the word that my new mic has been shipped.  I've got those waiting on the  E-bay blues.  I'm looking forward to firing that baby up.  Let's hope it meets my expectations.

   I worked on one of my latest creations today, I thought some drums would work well on this tune, so I hunkered down with my computer and put together a drum track.  I'm not well versed at this kind of stuff, but I think it came out pretty well.  I really need to have a drummer come in and tell me what I did right and what's totally screwed up.  Constructive criticism is always a good tool.   

   I guess that's it for today, here's your daily words of wisdom:

Only when the last tree has died and the last river been poisoned and the last fish been caught will we realise we cannot eat money.  ~Cree Indian Proverb

Day Forty one

Another week begins here at Renaissance central.  I can tell it's going to be a winner.  We are gearing up for our monster tour of Eustis this weekend.  The band will be playing two nights over there, Friday at the State Theatre with some of our good friends, to raise funds for the Lake County Folk Festival.  Then Saturday evening will be at Olivia's Coffee House, which is just a stroll away from the theatre. We'll be digging deep into our bag of tricks for this one, we've got three hours to air out some new stuff and the classics.   Eustis, the best small town in America.  As voted by the Ashley Gang.

    In other news, I finally nailed down one of these elusive TLM49 microphones on E-bay.  If this transaction goes through without any hitches we should be upgraded sometime next week.  From what I understand, this mic can even smooth out the dreaded Filet-O-Fish effect.  A major problem for singers who have consumed any number of fast foods before a recording session.  Something about those trans fats that just stick to the vocal chords and wont let go.  They should have a warning label on the wrappers: "Caution this food substitute may cause gooey vocal tracks".  

Well that's it for today, here's your daily dose of wisdom:

  Making mistakes is a lot better than not doing anything. 

Billie Joe Armstrong