More pics!

I finally got my camera back from Saimhein - unfortunately I thought I had at least one full-body shot taken that night but I can't find it. So you don't get to see my make-shift hooves (boots I taped faux-fur to). But here's me and Dee (from think13):


N here's me w. her albino king snake, Adam:

(total cuddle-bug)

We went to some massive halloween party that was held in the house Jimi Hendrix lived in on Haight/Ashbury, and ate some fungus. That was one of the most incredible rides home ahve evah had.

Last weekend my cousin Zak (who has snowboarded in the Deaflympics on the USA team twice) was in town for a conference so we got a chance to hang out. It had probably been about 20 years since we'd seen each other. We had a blast - tha highlight fer both of us prolly bein on Friday when I took him to my practice space and he banged around on my drums/played my bass. He can't hear anything, but he could feel the vibrations and it was a very cool experience:


Then ah took him to all tha bars in my immediate neighborhood that ah frequent (4 of them). Aftahwerds we ended up at some random house up on a hill and stayed up way too late drinking even more.


Good times.

Ahm headed back East fer a short spell ta come ta terms w. tha fact that my folks really are sellin tha house ah grew up in. N ah will be hangin out w. some good people who ah dont see much anymore (cuz none of them have come to visit yet, grumble grumble).

Oh, n here's anutha pic of tha backyard - thars still some junk that needs ta be cleared out but it's really comin along!

Thoughts on being a Musician/Being in Bands

Bands are weird. When I was a teenager, I just thought that bands were a combination of talented musicians who rocked - and that it came naturally to them ("that" being kind of an unknown to me - I didn't start thinking about the songwriting process until I was actually in school. Even when writing songs as a teenager, I didn't see it as a process - it just happened.)

Nevermind the concept of ego and personality. Or drug abuse. Or not doing a damn thing for the band. All this stuff didn't exist - people in bands were just better at playing their instrument or singing or something then I was. At least when I was a teenager.

Howevah, as ah gawt oldah, more experienced, more perceptive, ah started realizin that a band is a family. N like any family, thar are always issues. Sometimes thar minor, sometimes thar nawt, but tha big thang is you have no control over them.

You don't - who knows where yer drummer is coming from? Who knows what the lead singers 2nd grade gym coach said to them? Who knows what yer gawna hafta deal with next? N is it even manageable?

From these kinds of points, ah started to piece togetha that a successful band is nawt just a combination of a few great musicians. It is also tha example of a great fit (or lack thereof) of personalities and vision. The bassist might be the best damn funk bassist on the planet but if he's stuck playing rap-metal, it's likely tha band won't make it above tha local scene. Or even last, especially if tha drummer keeps going through shit w. his girlfriend and/or methamphetamines. It's a total crapshoot!

This ties intae somethang ah also noticed in musick skool - that many of tha cats ah met were intae individuals, nawt bands. Ah've always liked bands - ah think ah responded ta meldin of tha minds, tha group effort, n tha combination of them all bein great playahs who in some instances had been rawkin out togetha fer decades.

Individuals have a great chance in many ways - once they've been established as someone worth working with. Also bein hot n makin money on tha tour circuit doesn't hurt.

It's as all these pieces were startin ta come togetha that ah started double-thinkin my initial plans as a musick student. Originally, ahd wanted ta be a professional musician. Howeveah ah was beginnin ta realize this meant one of two thangs: 1)Find a band that works and stick with it (meanin, git a shite job ta pay fer it) er 2)Find someone with connections n gae on tour/in tha studio w. them (which means givin up a lawt of control ovah tha type of musick as makin).

Neitha of these were thangs ah COULDN'T dae, but ah realized (ratha quickly) that ah DIDN'T WANT TO! Apparently ah would ratha have a standard, borin job of some sort that did nawt feed me emotionally, musickally, spiritually, etc., so that ah could keep my musick as personal n somethang ah cared about.

This is all pretty idealistic in my opinion now - especially cuz ah've realized ahm STILL playin intae one of those two paradigms. Findin musicians ta werk with is NAWT EASY. At least good ones that ah like hangin out with AND enjoy tha musick we're creatin. N even in my best case scenarios, ahm still comprimisin.

Ah play in two pop-ish bands rite now - n ah like em. Ah like it a fair amount actually - but a part of that is that as people, we mesh. Logistically, it is doable fer me (ah git rides n borrow amps n git cheaper rent - it's sorta ridiculous tha measures they gae thru fer me), and ah dae like tha musick. Howevah, ah think tha people almost outweigh that in many places fer me (while nawt entirely). Ahm currently searchin fer my own backup band - n ahve already started comprimising. It's a big pain in tha ass, this makin musick w. otha people. But ah like tha alternative less - makin musick by myself. Borin n hard.

Thars nawt a point ta this blogpost - ah haven't figured it out. Ah just have a lawt of thoughts n especially perspective on musick/bands/band dynamics/tha musick biz n every once in a while need ta express them apparently. Thas why ah have a blog. Git yer own!

Whoevah thought ahd be this excited about gaein ta LA?

But gawdamm ah am!!

Yep, aftah a 4 year hiatus, ahll be having a long-awaited Reunion Gig w. The Mysterious Odors, my old Bawstan Punk Band. Ah've had tha opportunity ta hang out w. some of tha Odors this last year er so here in SF, but this time it will be ALL of them, n we'll have guitars!!!

It's been a long time comin, n ah really cannot wait ta touch down in LA tonite n head ovah ta practice w. these guys. FULL SPARKS AHEAD!

You know ahll have some fun pictures from this trip. Onward mofos!


May 13, 2005 - last Mysterious Odors gig in Boston

Sunny Days in San Francisco

The weatha has been freakin unbelievable tha last few days - we had some rain early on last week, which prompted me ta FINALLY BUY A FAWKIN BUMPER FER MY BIKE. What ah really should've done is just gawt tha rack installed like ahve needed ta ferevah so ah ken start transportin shit on my ride, but, ah didn't. Sue me.

This weekend was relatively quiet actually - ah mean, yes, ah did gae to a party on Friday, n then Saturday nite ah supported my UU friend n Neighbor Melanie as she Went to the Other Side, followed up by drinks n UU-typed convo. N of kerse ah werked in my backyard n ah have lettuce comin up n basil in a pot.

But what really happened is Tha Wee the Band debut album "Have Another" is finished! It will still be a few weeks before we have any final product, but tha final mix was made (not-perfect, but close), tha artwork is apparently all done, n we are just about ready ta gae ta print w. this shit. YES! We've also gawt a band photo scheduled for next weekend, thangs are fallin intae place.

Melanie's friend Aaron tipped me off to The Sixty One, a pretty cool website that allows you to upload yer own tunes, vote on others, and track your favorite groups progress. Ah uploaded a few tunes, and highly encourage everyone ta check out tha site (n give Wee the Band some frickin love!)

So - if you would like a free copy of tha CD, please make sure ah have yer mailin address. Ah will gladly send out copies to anyone who wants it - n if you want ta help offset tha cost of shipping on my end, feel free to paypal it to me. However, if you want to buy the album and support tha whole band, ah will refer you all to our itunes site when it is set up.

We already have a bunch of gigs set up this summer, ah fricken LOVE how audible my bass is, and we have been hard at werk writin some very cool stuff that will BLOW YER MIND. This disc is pretty conservative - n ahm glad we've recorded a lawt of these songs cuz it means we git ta move on from them.

Wee the Band - Have Another is COMING SOON!!!!

A weekend at tha Recordin Studio....

Considering tha last recordin session that ah took part in (otha then some solo stuffs in my bedroom) was tha Mysterious Odors - Dead Homies Don't Drink Sparks session in April of 2005, I can safely say that it has been a DAMN long time since ah recorded anything. This isn't necessarily a bad thang, b.c ah pretty much hate recording, but ah think it speaks to how hard it is ta git shit done/play in a band/etc. when you are moving around all tha time (especially if yer stop-ovah includes livin in NoVA).

Howevah, Wee the Band had been planning on recording as soon as possible (meaning, once they replaced their old shitty bass playah n gawt tha new one up ta speed), n that time has come. We spent Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at Studio 401 in Bernal Heights laying down rhythm tracks fer tha upcomin album. Tha location was great, as it was literally half a mile up tha street from my house, n tha settin was pretty relaxed. All in all, tha session went about as good as ah could've expected - altho we only gawt through 6 songs (n ah was really hopin fer 7).


Severe in tha studio!

Like ah said, it went about as good as ah could've hoped fer - tha stuff sounds good, tha musick is in time, ah love about 95% of my bass lines, n ah feel comfortable that aftah its all mixed n done, we are gaein ta have a solid first album. N it really feels like a first album - tha tunes we did are tha least ambitious, tha easiest ta listen ta, n tha most borin (in a mostly-good way). It also gave us an opportunity ta see how we werk togetha in tha studio, which again, was pretty good fer tha most part.


Andy(engineer), Sean, and Jamie (left to right)

It also means ah don't hafta play those gawdamn fawkin songs anymore fer at least a couple weeks which is awesome. Time fer tha singahs ta dae some werk fer once!

Also, this picture doesn't capture it very well, but Dan (drums) on tha left reminds me of Dave Smooth (they have similar mannerisms as well sometimes).


Glass of Wine

Then ah gawt back ta werk on Monday n everythang was crazy, n skipped yoga tonite cuz ah don't like tha teacher. But - ah might be gaein fer 30 classes in 30 days startin on Thursday (altho ah doubt ahll actually be able ta accomplish that, but 20 in 30 would still be pretty awesome!)

Et tu, bass?

So we know ah trashed my bass cab, which is good n bad.

Yestahday ah went out to Emeryville to Ex'pressions College for Digital Arts to do a free live recording w. my new band, Wee the Band last nite. It was webcast n recorded by some students n we gawt goodies ta promote w. - everyone wins.

Howevah, my bass was not werkin. Ahd played it tha nite before, same as always. This is my cheapo 4-string, featured in most of my solo-pics on myspace. Ah love this bass, picked up fer an even hundred bux off a student of my old teachers, complete w. gig bag, strap, cord, n stand. It plays a lil rough, n doesn't sing like a bird, but man ah love ta beat tha crap outta it. N while a lil shaky, it has been thar fer me - tha only repair ahve needed in 7 years was when ah dropped it n broke a piece of plastic off tha top of it, which cost 50 bux to fix. And some input jacks, which is normal.

Tha problem is one ahm nawt familiar w., n ah cant place tha problem. It just emits loud hum, independant of tha volume knob. Tha show was saved, one of tha students had a bass in her car (that looked, altho did nawt play, almost exactly like mine), so it went on, n went pretty well. Ahm werkin on gittin some of tha videos uploaded, etc. tonite.

This sucks tho, cuz ah love my bass, AND b/c ah need ta buy a new bass cab. Also, ahd planned on givin my baby a checkup at tha geetar docktah anyway, but was postponin that until ahftah my amplification problem was ovah, n ah had some time ta save up fer a real tune-up: new pickups, new bridge, pickguard, cleanin, maybe even some fretboard reshapin. You know, drop some cash but have a geetar that would still be useful in 10 years (Even tho what that will cost could easily buy me a much nicer bass, used, or even new).

Ah hafta git it fixed, n mite as well upgrade it now so it doesn't hafta gae undah tha knife again anytime soon. Ahm just bummed.

Please nuthin else ah need ta use break on me soon?

Pretty good last 24 hours....

Yeah, ah can't really complain. Last evenin aftah werk ah went ovah fer a last-minute think13 band practice (considering our singahs been out schmoozin in LA, it was long ovahdue), n then to tha Rockit Room! nearby. A staggering 5 bands were on tha FREE bill last evenin, as some folks apparently backed out. Opening was a guy n his friend playin shitty bass, followed by what ah guess is usually a pretty heavy band but was acoustic this evening. Thar star attraction was this massive pirate-looking guy (down to beaded facial hair, it was kinda intense) who played a really REALLY rawkin 6-string, 12-string, AND mandolin. There are few occasions in life ta see a really big dude playin tha shit outta a tiny mandolin, n ahm glad ah had one last evening. Even if every single one of thar songs was like 6-8 minutes long, at least half of which was guitar solos.

think13 had a last minute sound-check as part of a break, n we learned a few lessons. One of them is to ALWAYS play at full-volume fer at least 40 seconds before accepting a mix. We made this mistake last evenin, n thangs suffered. Howevah, we had a total blast on stage, n sounded decent ah guess. Ahm nawt used ta nawt havin a mic in front of me apparently!

Aftah that was Dirty Orange Sun who are friends of ours, and make some pretty rawkin musick. They sounded phenomenal, as well they should, aftah a half-hour soundcheck earlier that evenin. Ah had ta head it back to tha Cerrito early, as per my usual, so ah missed half thar set n tha last band, whoevah they were. Tha only downside of tha evenin was someone who ah was supposed ta hang out w. bailing out n then continuing ta flake out a bit, which is frustrating but ah guess nawt too surprising. Lame situation, but a lesson learned from it.

This mornin ah was outta bed around 10 am, n on my bike fer 11 am Bikram, w. my favorite instructor (who in addition to being one of tha tougher ones, is also supah hawt, n takes a slightly more active interest in my practice then most of tha othas). Saturday mornin yoga is tha yoga ah dae because ah NEED ta, nawt b/c ah want ta.

Then shortly aftah think13 piled intae my basement fer an aftahnoon of pure rawk, havin some nice surprises show up in tha mix. One of our hand percussionists played kit drum (thars two drumsets in my basement) which added a much-needed backbone to tha tunes. Tha more ah dae w. these folks tha more excited about tha future ah am.

This evenin will have me watchin a movie since ahve been totally neglectin my netflix. Excitin, ah know!