Gig Report - Dr Thumpenstein @ Thumpenstein's basement

I am a bass player. I like hanging out in the back and getting a groove on with a drummer and guitar as much as almost anything I can think of. I can carry a tune and performed in HS a few times but I am sincerely not a vocalist. I will play a little rhythm guitar once in a while but I don't consider myself a guitarist. But Mrs Thumpenstein gave me her Christmas wish: she asked me to sing to her, "All I Want for Christmas is You" by Mariah Carey, for her Christmas present.

I had about 3 weeks. My first reaction was, "Baby, it's been an ok year, what about a necklace or a nice bracelet or something?" LOTS of conflicts on the calendar this time of year. And a buddy needed a place to crash for a week in there while he planned his next move, so I lost a few days. And for me, it's a hard freakin song! But I persevered and had a solo reggae version that I did what I could to make my own, and hers.

The gig was delayed due to my transitional friend, and went off a couple of days after Christmas. Let me preface the actual details by saying that I've played in front of crowds between 20 and 1500 people. I've felt more excited than nervous every time. Until the 12/27 show @ Thumpenstein's basement.

The atrocity of the singing was exceeded only by the discordant clamfest that was my playing. I was a bag of nerves!

I was able to make eye contact with every member of the audience, although generally at the cost of a chord or some fret buzz. Nevertheless, the audience was amazing, and as an artist I have rarely been as gratified by the crowd's reception as I was that night.

I'm pleased to be back in the low end for good. I'm thinking next year she'll probably go for the necklace.

 

Okay, busted. That post was already too long for me. Here you go.

Load in was a breeze. No stairs, double doors, laid back house.

Room festive, reeked of xmas cheer.

Plenty rig mon.

No booze before a big show.

The Hopefully Not Annual Thumpenstein Holiday Clam Festival:

And of course the lovely Mrs Thumpenstein, who for reasons that should be obvious, wishes to remain unidentified.

 

PS
And yes, that's the new WD-800 in the background. So close but yet so far.

 

Gotta match the rig to the gig. I was going for that muted "chika-chika" thing like Marley on "Stir It Up." That's maxed out treble with a delay. I couldn't squeeze that out of my cab, and I don't have any guitar pedals.

With that EQ, the WD works great with that guitar, but with that cab it was just too husky. LP tone of course contributes there. But I did try, thanks for asking

That was the last dance for that amp, it's going to one of my business partners who just started taking guitar lessons. It went out in a blaze of glory.

 

Thanks. Indeed she was, and it was the eye contact that saved the show. Good lesson for me about connecting with the people.