Bass-ically Speaking

EC No More

I've taken down my EntreCard.  If your toolbar brought you here, just know that they will eventually get around to taking me out of the system. 

Eventually.

I'm Thinkin' I Got Gigged Here

Three gigs with two bands in one day.

Saturday was pretty intense.  Back up the boat a bit. 

Rehearsal Thursday with Church Chix.  Friday set up and do a run-through for a gig Saturday morning - again with Church Chix.  Play the event Saturday (the speaker was 1975's Miss America - FUNNY lady!).  Break it down, load it up, unload it at an other location to play Saturday evening. 

Saturday evening, set up THREE bands.  Play with the first band (a friend's blues band), take down his stuff, help my daughter's band take the stage, video them, help them take down their stuff, take the stage with Church Chix, break down and load all that stuff, drive to the studio and unload.  Go home and die!

Intense. Toldya.

Here's the irony behind all of that:

I play with my friend's blues band, right?  His bassist couldn't play that gig AND get to the gig they had later that evening in the Big City, so I filled in. That was fun.  Blues. Outdoor thing. Not as cold as we thought it would be, so that was good.  I held down the low end for him okay.  Some friends showed up.  Shoppers walking around doing the Christmas stuff.  Food.  Folks riding around in horse drawn wagons.  Little kids dancing. I enjoyed it.

While I'm helping him take his stuff down and helping my daughter's little fledgling band take the stage, I notice the crowd growing.  By the time the girls started playing, it was actually getting a bit thick. Bunch of kids and high schoolers and even a good number of adults. The girls did a great job and I really enjoyed hearing them do their six little pop songs.  Seemed like they were having fun, too. 

So, they finish and I help them bring down their amps and things.  I get on stage with Church Chix and look up.  The crowd was...uh...thinner.  By much. 

 I tell ya!  You can play with all these great, seasoned musicians and not pull nearly the crowd five cute teenage girls who can barely tune their guitars can draw. 

It just doesn't seem right.

I console myself by remembering Miss America didn't have as large a crowd as my girl's band did, either.  Very comforting.

Speaking Louder Than Before

 If you are a Christian at all familiar with Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) then you have heard of Jeremy Camp.

When contacted and asked to review Jeremy's latest CD, Speaking Louder Than Before, I was both excited and not.  I like Jeremy's music and respect him as both an artist and a godly man.  I'd be thrilled to receive a copy of his new release and give it a listen. 

But, aside from occasionally interviewing musicians, I don't really blog about them and their work.  You won't find much in the way of music reviews and announcements about new releases and so forth here.  That is intentional.  There are plenty of blogs out there covering those bases and I don't want this to be one more.  Besides, having no experience with it, I'm sure I'm no good at writing music reviews.

I'm making an exception.

Nor do I blog about CCM.  Even though one of the bands I play in is a Christian band, I don't particularly like a lot of what is played on Christian radio.  Much of what I hear there is vapid and cliche', shallow and hardly distinguishable from secular music.  There are exceptions to this and I search hard (and pray a lot) before our band covers a song.

Jeremy  Camp's earlier work appeals greatly to my youthful, rock tastes in music.  I'm sure that's what my kids and their teen peers like about him, too.  He rocks.  His music is just edgy enough without grating on my middle-aged nerves.  His lyrics don't skim his personal faith, but dig into it in a way to which young people can relate.  His passion for Jesus has always been reflected in both the message of his songs and in the raw dynamic of his arrangements.

In this respect, Speaking Louder Than Before does not disappoint.

There is one thing about this album that seems to be the CCM rule rather than the exception, however.  It's the primary complaint I have with the bulk of CCM these days and I'm not going to let it slide here.  Jeremy's peeps asked me for a review and I'm going to be honest.  Because I'm Jeremy's sister, I'm called to hold him accountable and that's what I'm-a gonna do. 

It's the lyrical over-use of the words "I" and "me."

While singing about God's work in our lives, about His grace towards us, about what He means to us, we often focus so much on ourselves that we lose sight of Him.  We get caught up in what I think and what I feel what I did and how I bowed my knee, and me, me, me.  There is precious little out there pointing to Him and who He is.

Of the twelve songs on the album, seven begin with the word "I".  Tracks 5 and 6 are entitled, "I Know Who I Am" and "I'm Alive".  They're good songs.  I like them.  They are heartfelt and transparent.  It's good work. 

What I would like to hear are songs entitled "I Know Who You Are" and "You're Alive."  Less focus on the self and more focus on the Savior.  I realize that's a tall order.  It's something that comes with spiritual maturity - something I certainly don't claim to have an abundance of.  When we die to self and live for Him, our focus changes.  It's also something today's CCM artists have got to wrap their lyrics around.

People are noticing. 

Musically, Speaking Louder Than Before rocks!  Catchy tunes, toe-tappers, just enough edge to keep me from developing the auditory diabetes induced by today's sugar-pop tunes.  Like I said before, I like the album. 

Can I recommend the album?  Yes.  If you're a Christian with tastes in music edgier than The Gaithers and tamer than Underoath I think you'll like it, too.  It certainly has mass appeal.  I've already called my friend who owns a Christian book/music store to tell her to get some copies in.  And, at rehearsal last night, I told the Church Chix to give it a listen.  (We all love Jeremy!)

I am definitely looking forward to hearing more from Jeremy in years to come.  There is no doubt in my mind that he loves the Lord and is using his gifts for God's good purpose.

Keep rockin' for Jesus, Bro!

Friday Free Jam #12

Looks like I missed a couple of Fridays.  I'm so bloated full of turkey right now, I should probably just stay in bed all day and complete the digestive process.

Nah....LET'S JAM!!!

Bassist Wanted is a comic strip.  About bands.  And I'm loving it.  But it looks like the author has been off for a while.   Leave him a comment and maybe he'll crank things back up again.  

Top 5 Musical Things on my Christmas Wish List

1. Beatles songs on iTunes.  I know it's coming.  I just need to be patient.
2. Zeppelin songs on iTunes.  I know it'll never happen.  I just need to be realistic.  I just can't figure out what Page's issue is.  I mean, everyone on the planet can cover their songs, but nobody gets to purchase them unless it's on CD?
3. My own Bose L1 Model 1 (or model 2, I'm not picky).
4. Fender American Standard Precision 5 String.  (Wish list, right?  Not the "Could actually happen" list.)
5. Go on tour with Heart.  (Note: I do not have to go onstage with them;  I'd be happy hauling gear.)

So, my daughter turned me on to this little gem.  I think it's hysterical.  Enjoy!

You Know You're a Bass-aholic When . . .

Some of the following were taken from the Talk Bass Forum.  Some are mine.

• You're watching School of Rock and get mad when everyone gets a solo except the bassist
• Your bass collection is worth more than your car
• You wake up in the morning with your bass in your bed and your husband on the floor
• You walk by the frozen section and out of the corner of your eye you SWEAR you saw a box of "Bartolini" pasta before realizing it says "Bertoli"...
• When your Personal license plate on your car just says E,A,D,G
• You into Bass Pro shop and go looking for the Fenders
• You've purchased clothing items just because they match the finish on your bass
• You get irritated when the only music related earrings you can find have treble clefs on them
• You ask your husband to renew your subscription to Bass Player magazine. . . as your Valentine's Day gift
• Your car stereo settings look like this:
      Treble: |
      Bass: |||||||
• You hear the words "G-string" and don't think about pole dancers
• When you're typing, you slap the spacebar every single time.
• You name all your pets Jaco
• You remove the armrests on all the chairs in your house so you can be more comfortable sitting with your bass in your lap
• While at the paint store selecting colors for your house, you search for " Fender Vintage Sunburst"
• You paint a quilt top faux finish on all your walls
• You don't know squat about the band, but could write the bassist's biography
• Your pedal board is bigger than your guitarist's
• You remove all the round knobs on your light dimmer switches and replace them with Fender control knobs.
• You refuse to wear belts because they might scratch your finish
• You don't wear your wedding ring because it interferes with your playing
• Your cell phone's predictive text automatically enters the word "bass" when you touch the number 2
• Your ring tone is a Victor Wooten bass solo
• Someone tells you they dented their fender and you ask if it was p or jazz
• You ask your jewelry making friends to design things out of bass strings
• You get angry watching a Who concert because they show Daltrey and Townshend more than Entwistle

Got one?  I'll add it here with a link.

Tips for Playing in Cold Weather

I have several outdoor gigs scheduled between now and February.  I managed to avoid them last year, but it seems I'll make up for it this winter. 

I did play guitar on a cold, cold night while out Christmas Caroling in days of yore and it weren't fun, folks.  What little I could feel of my fingers hurt like hail!  And my playing truly did succoth.  So I just stopped playing about half way through the caroling experience. 

While searching the 'net for tips on keeping the fingers warm in cold weather while playing stringed instruments, I found a few semi-worthy suggestions:

• Soak hands in cold water.  Okay, except I'll be playing. Outside.  In the cold. So, do I do a soak between every song?  Seems like that'd make for one slow set.  Especially if I take time to dry.
• Space heaters.  One of the venues I'll be playing provides those 7-ft. tall butane heaters that radiate downwards.  They're great for keeping the head and shoulders warm (not so much the knees and toes).  But, they don't do a lot for the fingers. Heat rises and doesn't seem to make it down to the hands area before doing so.
• Pocket hand warmers.  My friend (they keyboardist) offered this idea.  She said she bought some once for an outdoor gig and ended up not needing them.  So, she's not sure how helpful they'd be since you only get to enjoy their blissfully comforting pocket-warmth for a few seconds between songs.  Better than nothing, is what I'm thinking.
• Gloves.  Am I the only one who sees a problem with this?  I guess I'm in a much better position than the lead guitarist in that I can, if I absolutely have to, get away with just holding down the roots, but I'm inclined towards finger-picking.  How will gloves affect my technique, exactly?
• Gloves, but cut out the fingertips.  That's starting to make a little more sense.  I'm still a bit concerned about speed, though.  Should I be?  I mean, will my semi-frozen audience care?  (Will there even be an audience if it's cold out?)
• Surgical gloves with the fingertips cut out.  Actually, this is my own idea.  I guess the nurse in me sees this as a viable option.  I remember those stinkin' latex gloves making my hands all sweaty when I had to wear them for more than five minutes.  And I don't sweat easily.  I'd have to be careful to get the ones that fit snugly and not the baggy ones.
• Two space heaters.  Also my idea.  One like I mentioned above, and one of those that sits on the ground, angled to point straight at my hands.
• While soaking in water.  Kidding!  Don't worry.
• Pray.  This is Texas. In other words, the weather here is mighty fickle.  Maybe it will be warm the night of December 6th?  February 21st?  I'm just sayin'.
• Combination of some of the above?  Man, I don't know.

What do you think?  Have you ever successfully played a stringed instrument in cold weather?  (Keyword:  successfully.)   I'd be most appreciative of any tips you can offer that actually work.

Update

My poor, neglected blog!  How 'bout a little update?

Church Chix is loaning Elixir one of their Bose towers to try out at rehearsal tonight.  That should help Elixir decide whether to go Bose or no.  If no, we're looking at a Yamaha system.  Personally, I don't care either way, as long as we sound good.  (Which has a lot to do with why we need rehearsals, right?)

Good Chix rehearsal yesterday.  Got a couple of troublesome endings and transitions ironed out and got a song list together for a local Christmas event we're doing in December.  (Two weeks?  December is in two weeks?!?!  Jimminee!)

I'm subbing in for a friend's bass player - blues band - at that same Christmas event.  So, two weeks to learn 20 songs.  Will there be a rehearsal?  Wholly smokes, but I hope so.  Could go either way, though.

Same friend has invited me to be in rotation with his bassist once/month.  Which would be tons of fun if he didn't play in smokey bars.  Last time I subbed in for him, everything I owned reeked for days.  Even my guitar stand stunk. Stank. Whatever.  Had to leave much gear on the back patio for a couple of days to air out. (And I guess that's why they call it the blues?) Thank goodness for fresh air!  And that it wasn't raining. 

My daughter's band (with the two JV cheerleaders?) may also be playing that event, depending how the JV team does in playoffs.  It slays me how much of my life depends on what's happening on a football field!  Go team!  Umm. . . unless the girls want to play that event, then maybe not.

And I am, for some reason, habitually neglecting to unplug my chord from my active bass lately.  Which means, I'm burning through 9V batteries like Wilie Coyote running through dynamite.  (Where does he get the money to order all that stuff from ACME, d'you suppose?) 

That's all that's musical in my world at the moment. 

Rock on!

Friday Free Jam #11

The Rock Week in Rear View

Church Chix lost a gig because the venue decided it wanted teen bands.  We are clearly not.  My daughter's band got the gig.

Elixir lost a gig because our drummer has a perennial need to kill birds this time of year and is slated to go dove hunting that day.  Church Chix got the gig.

Elixir was asked to play a birthday party for a lady who is turning 90.  Our bird-killing drummer asked her, "Are you sure?  We're a loud rock band." To which she replied with an emphatic, "Good!"  (If she's not deaf already . . . )

Elixir is going to borrow Church Chix's Bose L1 for the 90th birthday party.  We'll see how well it holds up for the wailing sax.  If we like it and buy a pair, that will make 5 of those systems I've "sold" for GC.  I should get commission.

A couple of the guys in Elixir met up at Guitar Center to look at sound systems.  One of them pointed to the Bose L1 on display and said, "That the thing Carol was talking about."  The sales guy overheard and asked, "You mean Carol Moxley?"  For someone who is not on their payroll, I clearly spend way too much time in Guitar Center.

  This week's Top Five on Friday:  Top 5 Country or Alt-Country songs.

Country as in "the U.S.A" or country as in "there really is a genre of music other than rock?"   Here goes:

1. Whiskey River - Willie Nelson
2. Jambalaya - Hank Williams, Sr.
3. Crazy - Patsy Cline
4. Ring of Fire - Johnny Cash
5. Battle of New Orleans - Nitty Gritty Dirt Band

Yeah, I know; there's just no accounting for some people's taste, right?  Well, my eclectic-tastin' readers - What country songs would YOU choose for your own Top 5?

With that, I leave you with this:  Betty Boop Jams Jambalaya. Why not?

Bose L1 Review

Elixir is out to replace our existing sound system.  It works okay, but the amp is underpowered for our honkin' (borrowed) JBL speakers.

One of the options we considered is the Bose L1 PAS, which just happens to be what Church Chix uses, so I do have experience with it.  Not sure if it's appropriate for Elixir, though.

Several years ago, when Church Chix finally stopped using borrowed PA's, one of our members purchased a Bose L1 Model 1.  We ran all vocals and the violin through it and kept the other instruments on their own amps.  Later, another member purchased another Bose L1 Model 1 and we plugged everything but bass into the dual system.  It fit our needs to a T. 

Here's why:

1. Portability.  Church Chix is all girls.  We don't want to haul a bunch of 140 lb. speakers, plus monitors, plus amp and sound board, plus instument amps in addition to all the mic stands, cables, instruments and so forth.  It's just a lot of stuff to schlep around and none of us is eager to tow a trailer in which to haul it all.  The Bose system breaks down to almost nothing.  The entire band - every single thing including instruments, mics, stands, two Bose L1s - everything for our six-piece band (except the drum kit) fits right into the back of my Suburban Assault Vehicle. 
2. Sets up and breaks down quickly and easily.  Unzip the cases, fit the two pieces of the tower into the base, plug in a few lines, flip the switch and it's ready to go.  We can easily set it up without breaking our backs or asking for husbandly help.  Easy breezy!
3. No monitors.  The towers stand behind us so we hear exactly what the audience hears.  Each musician hears the exact same thing.
4. Fewer items strung together.  Hence, fewer cables, fewer things to have to trouble-shoot and fewer potential troubles to shoot.
5. Visual appeal.  The towers are tall, narrow and sleek-looking.  Nothing stands out in front of the band to block the audience's view.
6. No dead spots. Each tower disperses the sound in almost a 180 degree cone.  With two of them pointed directly ahead, the entire room is filled.  We've played some pretty good sized rooms, the largest being a little bigger than a large gymnasium, and there was no sound fall off at the back of the room. None at all.
7. Clear sound.  I'm talking crystal clear.  Nice and crisp, great detail. Which could actually be a disadvantage if you're trying to cover up for less-than-great vocals because nothing at all is lost with this system.
8. Even sound.  No sound blast from standing directly in front of an amp.
9. Versitile.  We're a six-piece using two towers.  I'd love to add a third tower to the mix.  When Bose designed the system, they had in mind for each member to have their own tower, with all towers daisy chained together.  The more towers you add, the more power you add to the mix.
10. Perfect for small ensembles.  Solo acts, duos, acoustic acts and such seem to love this thing!  I've heard several such acts running through the Bose L1 and the sound was mah-velous.
11. Avoid house systems.  I hate sounding good in the studio, then sounding like crap in some over-abused house system.  (See #1)
12. Great bass!  Bass components can be added separately, as many as you'd like.  The low end is fat, round and solid.  We use one bass component.  I run my rig directly into the component, which is about the size of a small duffle bag, then run out of the component directly into the system.  This allows me to control my sound from my amp.  So my bass sound actually comes out of my amp as well as out of the L1 and it's plenty.

Cons:

1. Pricey!!  Not so bad with just two towers, really.  Piece together a new, quality system with mains, monitors, amp and mixer from scratch and you're coming out about the same.  If you go with the newer Model II system, adding in the Tone Match audio engine (which I've never used, but think is a way cool idea for eliminating a mixer) the price does go up.  And Bose has things set so retailers can NOT offer any discounts on this system AT ALL.  If each band member ran through their own tower, it would be cost prohibitive.
2. Tinny highs.  I have not experienced this personally, but reviews done by other folks say the extreme highs sound bad.  Keyboards, violins, harmonicas, alto saxes. . . some instruments may be affected by this.  Church Chix runs keys and violins directly into the Bose L1 and it sounds great.  YMMV
3. Feeback issues.  I've read complaints from other reviewers that feeback is a problem because the speakers sit behind the mics.  Church Chix resolved it by turning the speakers out just a little rather than pointed straight ahead. Because of the near 180deg sound cone, that works for us.  I don't know what would happen if we added a third column.  My guess is that, with each additional unit, the volume we'd need per unit could be lowered, reducing the feedback potential that way.  Just a guess. I'd love to try it.
4. Not for everyone.  I don't know that death metal bands would get the ear-bleed effect they strive for using the Bose L1 unless they add a bunch of towers. 
5. Not for large venues.  While the L1 could still provide excellent service as monitors, if the venue is large enough to seat 500 or more, you'll still need piles of giant mains.
6. Don't know about outdoor gigs.  I haven't read any reviews by loud bands using the L1 for large outdoor gigs.  I have personally seen it used by small acts for cosy outdoor events and it did fine.  Church Chix used it in a store parking lot for a summer music program once.  The sound reached 50 yards away without any fall off.   Don't know if it would have reached farther.
7. The Bose Name.  I know people who despise Bose.  And I know people who love everything about it.  The former group tends to be more passionate and outspoken than the latter, which has resulted in a negative reputation for all things Bose.  My question:  Why? When they consistently pack tons of sound into itty, bitty pieces of equipment. Why aren't the other companies following suit?

Right now, Elixir is leaning away from the Bose L1 system.  We have a trailer, we have guys to set up and haul things.  Which means we can deal with the big, cumbersom sound systems that take forever to set up and are a fact of band life.

If money were no object, I'd push for the Bose, though.  Yeah, I'm spoiled.

I'm really interested to hear others' experiences with the Bose L1.  Have you ever played through one?  Have you ever heard a band that used them?  What are your thoughts/likes/dislikes? 

And please do throw in your .02 for what Elixir should look for as we shop for sound.  Budget is $3K-ish.  We're a five-man:  guitar/vox, guitar/sax, keys/vox, bass/vox, drums/vox.    We do a lot of small-to-medium indoor and outdoor venues.  We have a trailer and we're not afraid to use it. 

Any equipment preferences that we should consider?

Bass Player Live

Bass Player Live was held this past weekend in L.A.   I, of course, did not get to attend.  And I, believe it or not, was also not being honored for Bass Player Magazine's Lifetime Achievement award.  That's the other Carol. 

I am looking forward to workshops and highlights being made available at BassPlayer.com.   Past BPL clinics are available on BassPlayerTV. 

Enjoy, my low end friends!