Mash-Up 1: Rush On Down the Line (B.A.D. II / Leatherbag)

The first of many, I hope! After all, I do have a long list. I'm still figuring out the right way to do it so I am still experiencing some synchronization issues, but it was fun putting together so I'll probably do more. What I hope is that by combining songs from more well known bands with lesser known bands, listeners may become curious about the lesser known bands and check 'em out. I'm also wondering how the bands would react, if they ever heard it. I saw Leatherbag at Hole in the Wall the weekend before last.

Rush On Down The Line

My list is at least five mash-ups long, and I add to it whenever one song I have in my head reminds me of another. It turns out that all that means is that the two songs are in close to the same key and are close to the same tempo. That still results in some otherwise random combinations, but at least the songs will fit together well.

Hole in the Wall Saturday

I've seen a Leatherbag video on ME so I went to go see them at The Hole in the Wall Saturday night. I hadn't been there in awhile and since I've been there they've decided to move the stage from the front room to the back room. There is a little more room in the back so I guess that's a good idea. However, the way they had the chairs and tables set up discouraged people from standing in front of the stage, because it would block the view of all the lazy bastards who were sitting down.

The band started late they said, which is good because they were just starting to play when I got there. In addition to the usual stuff (guitar, bass, drums, nord electro 2), they had a violin player who also played a Hohner Pianet, an instrument I don't think I've ever seen before. I'm not sure what the band lineup really is cause I guess they joined up with Golden Bear for this set. The lead singer broke a string and was able to borrow a guitar from the previous band. He is a tall gangly looking guy who hunched over the microphone--it looked a little uncomfortable, actually. Their music had a lot of choppy pound on the keyboard quarter note kinda stuff, but their video song (which they played last) is all guitar. I'm going to use that song in a mash-up I've been working on. I could probably post it now but I'm going to tweak it for another hour or two. So, you may hear it later this week.

Chris Brecht was the last band. While I only intended on staying for a few songs since I was tired from earlier drinking and eating (thanks TJ that sushi was great!), it was just the right mix of not too slow soft acoustic stuff to fit my mellow mood. So, I stayed for the whole set. They had acoustic guitar, drums, bass, and accordion/toy piano. The toy piano was really hard to hear, and every time he played it I looked up to the sound guy to see if he was paying attention, and every single time I looked he wasn't looking at the stage but talking to a girl instead. The band complained at one point about not being able to hear it through the monitors. Maybe the sound guy fixed that, but the PA mix still could've used some more. At least the sound guy can dance to the beat I noticed, as he and the girl danced to a few songs late in the set. The previous two-stepping couple were completely off tempo--hard to watch. They played some Dylan tune I didn't know, and I noticed that harmonica harness technology has advanced in the last fifteen years, as the one he used was much smaller and less noticeable than the one I have.

Ah! Wings!

"Ah! Leah!" / Donnie Iris

The strange thing about this song for me is that it came out in 1980 and I never heard it until I moved to Orlando in 1994. Even though I listened to radio stations that should've played it in Madison, none of them did. Anyway, I really liked this song from my first listen. The duetted lead vocals, steady eighth-note staccato bass line, and smooth three part backup vocals all make this song great. The chord progression doesn't seem that incredible at first, but I think the resolution to the I after every phrase of the verse and the lack of resolution through the four chords of the chorus might be what makes this song distinctive. Points also go to the punctuated voice tone synth used after the chorus, which are palatable because they aren't used to excess. The exclamation points in the song title also push the limit for song titles without being over the top.

Waco Gig

It went very well. I think we were lucky to play on a Tuesday night, because the bar has an everything's $2 special during the summer, and that brought in a lot of people--maybe even more than on a Friday or Saturday. The sound guy was great and quite an entertaining character. Some of the other guys in the band were questioning his methods but we probably ended up with the best on-stage and off-stage mix we've every had. We were also paid very well. A highlight may have been during Legs when the frontmen used their furry spinning guitars for the first time. There was a noticeable gasp from the audience--they were clearly impressed.

Waco

Tomorrow night I have my first gig in Waco. Until tonight I really wasn't looking forward to it, but I am now trying to cast it in the crazy-adventure-road-trip-who-knows-what-will-happen kind of light. I might just be doing that to make sure I'll go, because the thought of having to drive back to Austin at 2 am (to bed by 4?) then having to go to work which I can't skip because I have a big meeting is not very appealing.

Hug Saturday

Yep--saw some music Saturday. Hug had a DVD release party at Room 710. I've been seeing this band for years, as they are LJ regulars and are played on the LJ jukebox often. It's probably a good thing Trojan didn't come along cause I don't think she would've been impressed by the nudity at the show. Oops, forgot about that part. Anyway I bought their second CD and, though I wasn't planning to, I bought the DVD because I'm afraid I might be on it. I haven't checked yet.

Parish LAST Friday

Man it's been a busy week. I was at work 10+ hours more than normal. On the bright side, it's nice to feel needed and appreciated. I was too tired to do anything last night and crashed real early. But, I never did post about LAST Friday.

As I mentioned previously, I've been wanting to see Future Clouds & Radar and Built by Snow for awhile, so it was great that I could see them both the same night at a great venue, The Parish.

I only caught part of the four-piece opening band, Model United Nations. They were solid. Interestingly, they had the hi-hat w/tambourine set up in front of the bass player in center stage. The lead singer/guitar player was on the left. They got a lot of their Dallas friends to come down for the show so they had a nice crowd. I'm starting to pay more attention to guitar equipment, particularly the amps since I'm in the market for one. They used a Vox and a Fender.

I didn't take too many notes on Future Clouds & Radar probably because I was enjoying their set too much. At several points the lead singer encouraged everyone to not be shy and come up to the front of the stage. Of course it took my additional hand waving and leading by example to get everyone to finally do it. The red-head keyboard player had a triton used for horn parts and a nord. The guitar player/lead singer is quite talented and played the closest I've heard to classical guitar in a rock band. The promoter got a great lighting guy. There were beams of light reflecting off the big bass guitar pegs that looked cool, and rotating lights making a ring around the lead singer. At times it may have been a bit too much actually! They didn't play the songs off the two videos I've seen which I thought was unusual, but it didn't bother me.

Built by Snow was less mellow and reminded me of another band that I couldn't place. Then, they played a song that totally reminded me of Weezer, in the song structure and in the singer's voice. Then, they played a Weezer cover from Pinkerton so I knew for sure Weezer was an influence. This band was heavier and faster than FCAR, and they describe their music as rock music for smart kids, weird kids, rocket scientists, etc. They use some beepy-boopy keyboard stuff through an Alesis Micron with a Pac-man sticker on it.

After the show I talked a little with either someone in Built by Snow or someone who made their video. All I remember saying is that I was too old to catch some of their video game references.

I managed to leave the show with *5* CD's, though I think I only paid $25 for them. The Model UN EP was free, the FCAR double CD came with a free EP, and the BBS EP was $5. I've only been able to listen halfway through one of the FCAR CDs so far.