The Bass Geek

The run-up to Thanksgiving inevitably means a flurry of activity, but today was a record, I think.  Amongst the various and sundry chores that pop up when you take an extra day off of work, I had to make an amp run to Uncle Albert’s this morning.  It has nothing to do with the Cursed Venue, but I have a new amp that requires a little work.  Other than a noisy preamp pot and a little associated static, this Trace Elliot 2×10 combo sounds fantastic, and between it and the Ampeg B15N, I think I’m good on amps for a nice, long time.  Here’s hoping I get it back soon - I’ve always liked the sound and compactness of a 2×10 combo, and I want to start using it ASAP.

Especially considering we’re in tech week for the ACT’s Country Christmas Cabaret, where my old amp will be residing for the next month or so.  Rehearsals have been going fairly easy, as the material isn’t that challenging, but there are still the little kicks and endings to hash out.

The holiday podcast is also ready following a rush job - recorded, edited and uploaded (well, uploading at the time of this writing) all in one day (with the appropriate attention to detail and quality, of course).  I’ve been playing with some of the compression and effects settings to hopefully make the podcast sound even better.  Now that I’m submitting WAV files to the radio station, there’s a little more room to enhance the sound quality.

And, just in time for the air travel, my music and tech magazine subscriptions flowed in en masse today.  I am ready for the travel.  Everything’s coming up Bass Geek!

Tonic Ball VII is this very evening, spanning the vast distance between Radio Radio and the Fountain Square Theater.  Enjoy songs from Elvis and Queen tonight.  Tomorrow, Mandy Marie and the Cool Hand Lukes play Radio Radio.  Although they’re also playing tonight.  Probably just sleeping on Radio Radio’s couches tonight.

Sam’s Saloon has Ten Foot Blues Band, Chet O’Keefe, Gary Applegate, and Terry Hickman tonight. Save The Radio and the ubiquitous TBA take the stage tomorrow.

Deano’s Vino hosts the Shirtless Biddles tonight and the Last Drop Juggers tomorrow.

Off to Tonic Ball, then.  I’m looking forward to seeing how everybody interprets Freddie Mercury.  Maybe Elvis.  Definitely Freddie Mercury as Elvis.

Feel free to sample the new Indianapolismusic.net Podcast or listen at the site or WFYI.

Incidentally, WFYI’s HD2 channel has officially been branded “The Point,” and they’ve got a full list of programming and social network goodness available here.

Finally, there’s a really good article on one of Indy’s living legends of jazz courtesy of Nuvo. Dick Dickinson threw a few gigs my way when I first got into town and was more than kind and generous in doing so.  Cheers!

Just a quick thought regarding The Roots. Within the past year, this band has:

• Recorded a song featuring the singer from Fall Out Boy and made a video for it starring a porn star
• Recorded a track and appearance for the kid’s show Yo Gabba Gabba
• Likely accepted the house band gig for the Jimmy Fallon show, which replaces Conan O’Brien this March

This time, it was my handheld tuner that died - the battery wires separated from the connecting socket, forcing me to hold the wire in place with one hand while trying to tune with the other.  Time to do some shopping and find a new one.  I have a pedal-based tuner, but I keep it in a pedalboard, so its individual portability is limited.

Otherwise, we finished the first rehearsal for the new ACT show yesterday, and the Playboy Psychonauts recorded basic tracks for three songs in hopes of putting out a vinyl release at some point.  It’ll be interesting to see how the basic basement tracks turn out - some external mixing and/or mastering help might be in order, if only for the fresh pair of ears.