Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
- 23,079
- 46,038
- Disclosures
- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Wednesday was pretty crazy for me. My first gig was at 9AM for a scenic train ride event for ~ 275 people. We were scheduled to play outside, right next to the steam engine as the people boarded the train. So naturally we had the only rainy day of the summer, with forecasts of hail, lightning, and winds to 50 mph...
So inside the station we go, to a very cavernous sounding situation. This is just great for intimate jazz, right?
The singer forgot the preamp for her violin, so she decided that using the vocal mike for that as well would be OK. Strike two? I forget, it was pretty early for me and lots was going on, like the heart attack someone suffered in the parking lot. Ambulances, a few sirens, good times. We get told to play for 25 minutes, then take a break for some speeches. Hmmm. no sign of all the TV and radio media we were promised.
We play to ONE old geezer for most of the set, and 85 people traipse in just as we are finishing the set. It turns out that two bus loads of passengers are stuck in Portland, an hour away, and won't arrive in time for the trip We play like two songs for the 85 people, then watch the steam engine depart in a huge cloud that washes over the very spot we were originally supposed to set up in. We do two tunes for the staff and pack up. Better than the freebie I did with these guys last month, but subbing is starting to get a bit old.
On to the local club at 7 to mix a cool funk/jazz/grass band. I've jammed with the guitarist before, and he pinged me on MySpace asking me to bring a bass along and sit in. I normally never do this when I'm mixing, but the club manager thought it would be cool and offered to watch the board if need be. We have a nice first set for a weeknight, and during the break we go over the tunes I'm sitting in on, which are both originals. We are going with two bassists, the leader thinks it'll be good for the rookie bass player in their band.
Two choruses, then everyone drops out and looks at me...bass solo! I do a few stunts, morph to "Third Stone From The Sun", and hand off to the other bassist. He does pretty well, morphs back to the original tune, and they call another bass solo for me. I pull out a Medeski, Martin, Wood feel this time, since I'm enjoying playing my EUB with a big dub sound, which I rarely get to do. People are dancing and grooving, no worries. The second tune is similar, only I use "Smoke On The Water" as my funk motif, LOL.
Back to the board, another half hour, and the band packs up for a 10 hour all night drive to Montana. I make the same as the entire band take, which happens occasionally on quieter nights. The club covers my fee and the doorman's in this situation, at least.
Oh yeah: the band closed with "The Sign" by Ace Of Base. I used to cover that one too, but these guys really nailed the vocal parts beautifully. Mixing is a ton of fun when you have 3 part harmonies to work with.
This weekend is art festival/winery gig time. Quartet Sat., trio on Sun for a 4 hour gig, which means maybe 30 bass solos I think. That describes pretty much every weekend through Labor Day for me, actually. Trying to prepare for outdoor gigs is always a bit challenging, eh?
So inside the station we go, to a very cavernous sounding situation. This is just great for intimate jazz, right? The singer forgot the preamp for her violin, so she decided that using the vocal mike for that as well would be OK. Strike two? I forget, it was pretty early for me and lots was going on, like the heart attack someone suffered in the parking lot. Ambulances, a few sirens, good times. We get told to play for 25 minutes, then take a break for some speeches. Hmmm. no sign of all the TV and radio media we were promised.
We play to ONE old geezer for most of the set, and 85 people traipse in just as we are finishing the set. It turns out that two bus loads of passengers are stuck in Portland, an hour away, and won't arrive in time for the trip We play like two songs for the 85 people, then watch the steam engine depart in a huge cloud that washes over the very spot we were originally supposed to set up in. We do two tunes for the staff and pack up. Better than the freebie I did with these guys last month, but subbing is starting to get a bit old.
On to the local club at 7 to mix a cool funk/jazz/grass band. I've jammed with the guitarist before, and he pinged me on MySpace asking me to bring a bass along and sit in. I normally never do this when I'm mixing, but the club manager thought it would be cool and offered to watch the board if need be. We have a nice first set for a weeknight, and during the break we go over the tunes I'm sitting in on, which are both originals. We are going with two bassists, the leader thinks it'll be good for the rookie bass player in their band.
Two choruses, then everyone drops out and looks at me...bass solo! I do a few stunts, morph to "Third Stone From The Sun", and hand off to the other bassist. He does pretty well, morphs back to the original tune, and they call another bass solo for me. I pull out a Medeski, Martin, Wood feel this time, since I'm enjoying playing my EUB with a big dub sound, which I rarely get to do. People are dancing and grooving, no worries. The second tune is similar, only I use "Smoke On The Water" as my funk motif, LOL.
Back to the board, another half hour, and the band packs up for a 10 hour all night drive to Montana. I make the same as the entire band take, which happens occasionally on quieter nights. The club covers my fee and the doorman's in this situation, at least.
Oh yeah: the band closed with "The Sign" by Ace Of Base. I used to cover that one too, but these guys really nailed the vocal parts beautifully. Mixing is a ton of fun when you have 3 part harmonies to work with.
This weekend is art festival/winery gig time. Quartet Sat., trio on Sun for a 4 hour gig, which means maybe 30 bass solos I think. That describes pretty much every weekend through Labor Day for me, actually. Trying to prepare for outdoor gigs is always a bit challenging, eh?
