Just let me go home already. I can't find the motivation/focus to do my work in a timely fashion, I'm not meeting too many folks I like, and it seems I can't even fly thousands of fucking miles without Goucher drama's black tendrils still grabbing ahold of me. Oh yeah, and I'd sell a little finger to be able to play my bass again.
If I could, I'd be working full-time on Bainbridge right now and not have too think to hard about much aside from getting the job done.
Showing posts with label bass. Show all posts
Showing posts with label bass. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Tunes and Travels
Today I booked train tickets for this weekend. I'm heading to London to hang out with Goucher friends also abroad in the country-- Debra on Friday night/Saturday, then Kellene, Rafael, Kevin (visiting from his studies in Berlin) and Sarah from Saturday night to Monday afternoon.
I just got back from a rehearsal space, where I jammed with Ben, Tony, Jon and Vicky, a singer Jon discovered through classifieds. All of us except Ben (who was too busy) picked a song last week and after practicing on our own we jammed them together tonight. Jon picked the Pixies "Gigantic," Tony picked the Libertines' "Don't Look Back into the Sun," Vicky picked the Queens of the Stone Age's "Go With the Flow," and I chose Alice in Chains' "Would."
The rehearsal space is in this killer local rental place and was furnished with bass and guitar amps, a loud PA, and most importantly for me a cheapo beginner Yamaha bass. We began just by jamming for a short bit on a little slap lick I came up with on the spot per Jon's prompting and that was a good time. We started with "Go With the Flow," and we all heard Vicky's voice for the first time-- very solid! Then came "Gigantic" which is about as simple as songs get and it came out just fine. After "Don't Look Back into the Sun" came "Would," which I was stoked on because I really wanted to hear a female voice belt that huge chorus. Vicky sounded quite awesome and it's the only song of the four I play bass with a pick on...very fun but easy bassline.
We ended with a 15-minute-ish jam and agreed it was a good time. I need to pick a tune for next week-- I'm torn between the Foo Fighters' "Everlong," Dinosaur Jr's "Raisans," or the Doughboys "Fix Me."
I got good feedback from the dudes and really felt great playing music with other people. It's something I rarely get to do, and I'm quite grateful to be invited into the fold.
I just got back from a rehearsal space, where I jammed with Ben, Tony, Jon and Vicky, a singer Jon discovered through classifieds. All of us except Ben (who was too busy) picked a song last week and after practicing on our own we jammed them together tonight. Jon picked the Pixies "Gigantic," Tony picked the Libertines' "Don't Look Back into the Sun," Vicky picked the Queens of the Stone Age's "Go With the Flow," and I chose Alice in Chains' "Would."
The rehearsal space is in this killer local rental place and was furnished with bass and guitar amps, a loud PA, and most importantly for me a cheapo beginner Yamaha bass. We began just by jamming for a short bit on a little slap lick I came up with on the spot per Jon's prompting and that was a good time. We started with "Go With the Flow," and we all heard Vicky's voice for the first time-- very solid! Then came "Gigantic" which is about as simple as songs get and it came out just fine. After "Don't Look Back into the Sun" came "Would," which I was stoked on because I really wanted to hear a female voice belt that huge chorus. Vicky sounded quite awesome and it's the only song of the four I play bass with a pick on...very fun but easy bassline.
We ended with a 15-minute-ish jam and agreed it was a good time. I need to pick a tune for next week-- I'm torn between the Foo Fighters' "Everlong," Dinosaur Jr's "Raisans," or the Doughboys "Fix Me."
I got good feedback from the dudes and really felt great playing music with other people. It's something I rarely get to do, and I'm quite grateful to be invited into the fold.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
A Slightly More Eventful Weekend Than Previous
Friday: Got out of class at 5, hit the gym at 6 and then washed up and met up with Shane and his flatmates in Suffolk (the ziggurat dorm area opposite mine) to hit up the town.
Liquid proved to be a better nightclub than Mercy, which isn't exactly a high benchmark in the first place, but come on now. I don't dance and I sure as shit didn't dress properly. Black jeans and a yellow shirt are pretty garish in general, but I'm pretty sure everybody else at the club was wondering if I even knew the meaning of the term "business casual." Pictorial proof:
And no, I'm not drunk here.
Liquid proved to be a better nightclub than Mercy, which isn't exactly a high benchmark in the first place, but come on now. I don't dance and I sure as shit didn't dress properly. Black jeans and a yellow shirt are pretty garish in general, but I'm pretty sure everybody else at the club was wondering if I even knew the meaning of the term "business casual." Pictorial proof:
And no, I'm not drunk here.On the bright side of things, I discovered Smirnoff Ice actually tastes okay. Back on the downside of things, that's the last time I go into town without ear plugs. Haven't had the "cotton ball effect" in my ears since I saw CoC at the Showbox without any ear protection.
Saturday: Woke up nice and late, but couldn't get ahold of my buddy Mike from Goucher-- we were going to head into town to shop. Phoned Ian, who had just headed there, and took a bus by myself for the first time. It wasn't too difficult, haha. Found a tech store and paid the equivalent of 120 USD for a 1-terabyte external hard drive. Just so you're clear on the math: in summer 2006, I paid 150 for a 250-gig one. Less than three years later, I threw down thirty dollars less for four times the storage space. Awesome.
Also awesome: British-made Rotosound bass strings-- made popular by the mighty John Entwhistle and subsequently used by Chris Squire, Steve Harris and numerous other musicians that I love cost 40-some in the US, but only cost 20 here at a really sweet music shop on St. Benedict street. I snatched up a pack and will probably snag a few more before I go home.
I also bought four used movies because sometimes a guy needs ridiculous entertainment. Let's just say that Steven Seagal's Under Siege is one the best investments of time I've made in the past six months.
After Mike endured my taking my time in the video shop, we went to the Waffle House for some eats. Totally delicious! I had the stir-fry waffle with soy and chili sauce. Thanks, Mike.
Today: Just lazed around, really, but what else is new?
Saturday: Woke up nice and late, but couldn't get ahold of my buddy Mike from Goucher-- we were going to head into town to shop. Phoned Ian, who had just headed there, and took a bus by myself for the first time. It wasn't too difficult, haha. Found a tech store and paid the equivalent of 120 USD for a 1-terabyte external hard drive. Just so you're clear on the math: in summer 2006, I paid 150 for a 250-gig one. Less than three years later, I threw down thirty dollars less for four times the storage space. Awesome.
Also awesome: British-made Rotosound bass strings-- made popular by the mighty John Entwhistle and subsequently used by Chris Squire, Steve Harris and numerous other musicians that I love cost 40-some in the US, but only cost 20 here at a really sweet music shop on St. Benedict street. I snatched up a pack and will probably snag a few more before I go home.
I also bought four used movies because sometimes a guy needs ridiculous entertainment. Let's just say that Steven Seagal's Under Siege is one the best investments of time I've made in the past six months.
After Mike endured my taking my time in the video shop, we went to the Waffle House for some eats. Totally delicious! I had the stir-fry waffle with soy and chili sauce. Thanks, Mike.
Today: Just lazed around, really, but what else is new?
Friday, January 9, 2009
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