Musing (read: meandering)

Cody plays slide guitar so fast
that cameras are powerless to record it

Played 9 Muses Saturday night to "a small but appreciative crowd" (read: Brian Costello). The sound was very "hot" (read: unspeakably loud) since Mick wanted to "bring people in off the street" (read: scare away werewolves). It was nonetheless a "loose" (read: fun) show with a lot of "interaction" (read: speaking directly to Brian). This was one of those gigs where --for whatever reason-- I just felt in the groove and confident to explore the songs a little more, and I'm actually very keen to review the video. There should be some good versions of "I'll Never Be Far from Your Side," "Best of Days," "Goodbye, Dream," and "24 Bad Ones" (a new song I'm trying out for size).



Near the end of my set, the members of Huge Sally showed up as substitutes for a last-minute cancellation. One of them (spacing names, here) said that they were thinking about doing a set of all covers. "Go on," he says, "name me some covers."


"Hmm. I don't know, what stuff do you play?"


"C'mon, just name anything. What music do you listen to?"


(Pause) "Jeez, I just can't think of anything right now." Now that was a lie. I could think of something. I could think of the dulcet tones of Motley Crue's Dr. Feelgood. That's what I could think of. That and nothing else. But somehow, I didn't think that Huge Sally had a ready-made version of that particular tune prepared for our listening pleasure. Plus, it is the general consensus of articles in peer-reviewed journals that other people don't typically enjoy Motley Crue as much as me.


"Well how about them?" (pointing to my King's X shirt) "Who is that?" (squinting dramatically) "Oh, King's X! Yeah, I don't know any King's X, but every time I hear them or hear about them, I respect them."


"Yeah. They're probably my favorite band right now. I guess it's hard to suggest a cover because all I'm really listening to right now is King's X, Audioslave, and stuff like that."


"Well, I don't know any Audioslave but.... King's X is kind of one of the first reggae rock bands, right?"


(pause) "I don't know if I've ever thought of them that way. More like progressive hard rock meets gospel?"


"Modern alternative? How about some Sublime?"


"How about you just hit us with your best shot?" They ended up playing some of their own material instead.


It's not fair to say this because how could he have known? Something about Sublime has always rubbed me the wrong way (read: I can't stand Sublime). And if you can't read my blog because of it, I hope we can still be friends (read: I can still send you promotional marketing materials). Look forward to seeing you at the next bank of shows, you crazy readers (read: Eric), you!

I Don't Know How To Blog

I don't know how to blog. I know even a caveman can do it, and the lessons of Geico have taught me that it is insensitive and wrong to state it that way, but nonetheless, I am incapable of that which a sophisticated international neanderthal (interanderthal?) globetrotter with the confident tennis sweater has no doubt been doing since aught-four. There, see, I dragged us back in time again. I'm so reprehensibly backwards. It's inexcusable. Aught-four. Speaking of time travel, I played at the Twin Paradox last Friday. It was the first time my daughters Cara (3) & Hadley (1.5) had ever seen me play live (where they weren't able to push their way onto my lap and seize control of my guitar), and they.... well.... they rocked out. There was --I feel I can safely say this even though I didn't really measure it on the Rockometer(tm)-- more out-of-control dancing and (thanks to Hadley the human bowling ball) moshing than at any other show I've ever had. What? The kids don't call it moshing any more? What do they do now? The Robot? Sweet. My time machine works. This was also the first gig where I played any live piano since the old Mercury Cafe days. Before returning home for bedtime, Cara came up and sang one of her own songs, "Knocking." Open the door/Somebody's knocking/There's nobody there/The tree is still broken/And we can't fix it/We can't fix it anymore." Vaunne remarked that Cara was clearly imitating my "teeth-clenched not moving your lips" style instead of her usual full-throated showtune-belting technique. For the record, that's not my style, Vaunne.




Sometime soon, I'll post an mp3 from the show for you --and I mean Eric-- to download free. Good versions of "And You Say," "Lucky Man," "Up To Her," "At First Sight," among the obscura.