The Bass Geek

Confidential to one of the bands I saw Friday night: if you invite me to use the door during the intro to one of your songs, and you’re just not all that good, I’m gonna take you up on it.

Otherwise, I spent most of the weekend going through the score for the musical Victor/Victoria, for which I’ll be playing bass in April and May at the American Cabaret Theater. It doesn’t look too hard - it’s just been a long time since I’ve had to read through an actual score, so I’m trying to get as familiar as I can with it before rehearsals start in about a month.

I also had the chance to toy with recording MIDI to Sibelius, and the process was light years ahead of what I went through when writing the bass book about a year-and-a-half ago. It tracked well, looked good, and it only required minimal manual correction. Sibelius is my new best friend. It’s sad I’ll say that about software, but it’s true. I’m now looking for things to notate just so I have an excuse to do so.

Monster acoustic guitarists (monster in talent, not in intentions or appearance, although I would most certainly pay to see zombie guitarists . . . at a distance) Andy McKee and Nicholas Barron return to Radio Radio this Saturday. I’m seeing Radio Radio host more and more of these type of events, so keep checking back with them if you like this sort of virtuosic playing.

If you prefer louder fare, Sam’s Saloon hosts a night of metal Saturday night featuring Solomon Grundy (he broke up with the Legion of Doom and went solo, evidently), Pulse 8, Piss Off, and Black Stone Ritual.

Since the previous shows take place Saturday, you’ve got room to learn some swing dancing at the Fountain Square Theater with the Indianapolis Jazz Orchestra. You could also take in Jude’s Jugs Band tonight at Deano’s Vino, or wait for John Harden Pope tomorrow.

Incidently, this whole weekend seems to be ramping up to St. Patrick’s Day on Monday, with a fun run/walk this weekend (fun for some, I suppose) and multiple events courtest of Deano’s Vino. They’re even shoving shamrocks in the fountain. I’ll do my part by blasting some Black 47, I suppose.

The new IMN podcast is up - listen here or download it directly, should you desire.

I already geeked out a bit on the show, but I’m really looking forward to the Mike Doughty show next Wednesday. Soul Coughing hooked me, and I guess I’ve been along for the ride since then. I’m guessing this show won’t be as loud as the SC days (where a Vogue visit required a prayer to the feedback gods after experiencing possibly the loudest blast of unintentional noise I’ve ever heard - full PA squeal at concert volume) but engaging nonetheless.

I’m lusting for a bass overdrive pedal right now.  Something that just cranks and snarls and generally makes a blasted noisy mess of itself.  It makes no sense for any of the shows or projects I have coming up - explaining its presence in an A.C.T. show would be nigh on impossible, and it would probably drown out anything in the other two groups.  It’s not the least practical, and yet I want one.

Gear acquisition syndrome makes no sense.

Sometime last week, I got my copy of “Composing Digital Music For Dummies” in the mail - I’ve just had the briefest time to flip through it, but it looks remarkably like it did when I knew it as conglomeration of pixels.  And that’s pretty good.

I’m also going to get to test the “lifetime warranty” of one of my cables.  I’d gotten used to throwing these things out, but none of my previous cables ever made me any promises.  It was a strictly at-will affair.  This cable, though - this one will be held to its word.

This might be the perfect lead-in for a treatise on disposable culture, but I’m actually seeing some companies stand behind their products with a minimum of effort on the customers’ part, and I like it.  This process will then serve to reinforce my current glad feelings or tip the scales in the direction of vast corporate misconduct.  All this rides on a little cord.