The Bass Geek

Best Buy is taking pre-orders for the new Guns & Roses album “Chinese Democracy.”  Like AC/DC, The Eagles, and Garth Brooks before it, it will only be sold in a large consumer store (although GnR is going through Best Buy, while the rest watch the prices fall at Wal-Mart).  So that’s the EXCLUSIVE location.

EXCEPT that I saw an ad at iTunes offering a pre-sale for the tracks in the iTunes store.  So, now for my questions:

1. If it’s an exclusive, why is the album available at more than one location (yes, I know they’re technically two different formats, but the “exclusive” was never qualified)?
2. Why would you pre-order downloaded files?  I can personally guarantee that the lines will not be too long.

Also, a quick aside – if the AC/DC album is Wal-Mart only, why did a see a new, sealed copy available at a local record store last week?

27+ hours writing this weekend.  I think.  There were breaks for dinner, and I think I left the house once for some Taco Bell.  Other than that, it was all Google Small Business Solutions All-In-One For Dummies.  All the time.  Even during the stupid, stupid Steelers loss.

Why is it better to write just a few pages a day?  This weekend is ample proof.

The majority of the work gets done before ACT starts rehearsals for the Christmas show this weekend, though, so I’m spared that.  This is going to be a revue-type show, so we’re looking at getting approximately 60 songs together for this show.

Starting the day after Thanksgiving.

And the entire time, I can feel the XBox calling me.  Forever calling . . .

The good folks at Radio Radio and IMC present Shindig and Same As Sunday this evening.  Bloomington-based (but Indy-loved) Gentleman Caller celebrate the release of their new CD “Gentleman Caller Vs. The Elephant” with a Saturday evening show.

Sam’s Saloon has STATE, Avero, The Last Good Year, and Chemcoma take the stage tonight, while bassist extraordinaire Will Woodrow, Chained Fate, and Vertigo play Saturday.

Big Car Gallery previews the Tonic Gallery this evening – not sure if there’s music tonight, but it’s linked to the larger Tonic Ball event that takes place on the 21st.

Deano’s Vino has Andy DeCarlo & The Travelin’ Hillbillies tonight and Luke Austin Daugherty & Ann McWilliams Saturday.

I’m going into hermit mode this weekend – lotta pages to finish before Monday’s deadline.  If you see me out this at any time, order me back home post-haste.

The new IMN podcast is up – download it directly from here or listen at the site or WFYI.

This is the last time I get the chance to use this picture, and it seemed appropriate to use it here because of the mention on the podcast. As is sometimes the case with tape-delayed (or hard drive-delayed, as the case may be) broadcasting, we had to do the show before the election results were known. Hence, the stupid foolishness at the beginning. In light of the actual outcome, it seems a little out-of-place now. Think of it as a quick glance back before we move forward.

Speaking of quick glances back, I’ve been working my way through Jef Lee Johnson’s Hype Factory the past couple days, and I’m just staggered on how it fits in so well right now, seven years after it was released. The songs aren’t tightly structured (some border on repetitious, others meander amiably), but there’s so much virtuosic ear candy thrown in that it’s impossible to set aside. Not rip-your-head-off, poo-down-your-throat shredding, but little flourishes from bass, guitar and vocals that compliment the song so well that, despite being small touches, they make the song. I remember being excited about getting the album if/when it ever came out quite a few years ago, but it took a chance reminder on eMusic to make it happen.

Why this was on the telephone pole behind my house, I have no idea. Maybe the sign was just as awed as the rest of the country last night.

I’m not a member of any political party, and I don’t usually like discussing politics on the Internet.

So no discussion. Just a thank you to the nation for choosing to live without fear.

And I realize it wasn’t a campaign promise, but can we have Stevie Wonder as Secretary of Fine Arts now?

There was actually a line.  For the first time I can remember at just about any polling place I’ve been to.  We got there about 5 minutes before the doors opened, and the line was about a block long.  It was still going strong when we left a half-hour later, too.  The surprise at actually seeing people at the polling place caused me to utter an expletive in front of a couple of old ladies.

Between voting and breakfast, we passed a giant dancing Obama head in the Fountain Square area.  Never have I seen an election that so inspired both huge voter turnout and random acts of paper mache.  Amazing.

Friday night found us playing for theater folk in a re-purposed church, opening for a female impersonator/magician.  Saturday afternoon tossed a line of 8 or so kids in front of us (until they were distracted by the cornhole tourney going on) at a Fountain Square block party.  Saturday night placed us in Lafayette’s Knickerbocker Saloon, where the opening acoustic act bonded over Helicopter Helicopter (he’d played a gig for the band and had added their entire catalog to his act – I didn’t get the chance to test his knowledge, but I believe him).

Random enough, I suppose.  The shows themselves went fine, even with the hastily added extra material we tossed in the set list.  We’ve got another show coming up December 7th at the Melody Inn, complete with our newest members, dancers Betty and Veronica.

Until then, I’ve got the new Google book at the upcoming ACT production to keep me busy.  Joy!