ALB Returns to HUC
Boston
Rockets
The ALB edition of The Rocket Shop Radio Hour is now online to stream ’till you can’t no more:
Halvorsons
The ALB did it’s first Halvorson’s Courtyard Music Series gig of the Summer tonight and raised a bunch of funds for the Afterglow Foundation (for suicide awareness and prevention). Hottest night of the year (so far) but well-attended. Good to be back and jammin’ on familiar turf and made even better by helping a worthy cause. Thanks to Jason Lenihan and our new favorite waitress Maddy! Andrew and I will be back here with The Rough Suspects in July and the ALB will return for a Fall date.
Stone Document Repercussions
The “revisiting old territory whilst looking forward” frenzy continued with a visit to Garnerville, NY and the Roundtable Brewery to play a gig with longtime co-conspirator Dennis Tirch and new friend Dominic Calabrese. Most acurately described as taking all of the elements of our current musical pursuits (prog+jam+gypsy+jazz+ambient) and approaching an evening of music incorporating them into a performance that used composed classics as springboards for improvisation.
It was the first time Dennis and I played together in front of an audience in about 14 years (although we have played together a lot in that time). Another fantastic weekend of musical exploration. Many discoveries were made regarding how I approach collaboration and my relationship to, and use of, certain instruments and equipment (more on that later). Dom is a great drummer and an attentive collaborator so he was the perfect for this. I am lobbying heavily to get this trio into the studio (with a little rehearsal and prep).
Ghosts
Had a weekend of “let’s throw some paint at the canvas and see if a picture appears”-type jamming and writing with Kevin Peckham (Ghost Ghost) and Mike DeBois (Hijack the Disco and Ghost Ghost touring drummer). Heaps of fun and intermittently cacophonic and even a little productive.
It was all done under the guise of Kevin and Mike’s 25-year college reunion so there was lots of glancing towards the past whilst considering the next steps forward. We also took a little time to visit WRMC 91.1 FM and found the artwork for our Sepomana gig (back when I was auxiliary guitarist) as well as other bits of memorabilia.
And… We’re Back
While life continues to throw hurdles and potholes in my path, it is becoming clearer and clearer that playing music is what will keep me moving forward (and breathing). Knocking the dust off and beginning again (wherever I am) is becoming a re-occurring but necessary practice. So, here’s what’s next:
- Promotional appearances and performances for the Arty LaVigne Band’s new disc The Getaway [local TV and radio] – details soon!
- Continuing work on recording with Dennis Tirch on next post-Stone Document release
- A solo appearance or two
- Hitting local venues with The Rough Suspects!
The Getaway
The Arty LaVigne Band’s new album The Getaway is out now and available online wherever you get your music!
Details here.
Tank, Day 4
Final planned tracking day (5/28).
Today’s tools:
Silvertone lap steel [C6 tuning]
TC Electronics EQ/Sustain
Boss Volume Pedal
Akai Headrush delay
Walrus Audio Slo reverb
Victoria Amplifier Reverberato
Into both a 1964 Fender Princeton Reverb amp and a 1954 Fender Deluxe amp
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One of my favorite aspects of working in the studio is you can play and layer multiple instruments on a given song. So I have already managed to get multiple layers of guitars of varying degrees of weirdness (6 and 12 string electric guitars plus Nashville and regular tuned acoustics). So today is the day for the lap steel. I love this instrument. It was a gift from my college professor and dear friend Bill Morse and I think of him (and his impact on my musical life) every time I play it.
It went down like this: Ben and I established a pattern:
• Do a couple passes of a song (the second take is always better but there might be a flash or two from the first take we could steal)
• While Ben sets up next song, I tweak my effects for it. I was all over the place sound-wise; bridging the gap between music and sound effects some times, other parts trying to sound more “traditional”.
• repeat
Two spontaneous events were the highlight for me:
- When tweaking my effects in preparation for the next song, I pushed one preset to a sort of extreme and a mental lightbulb flashed! “This sound won’t work for the song I’m doing next, but it conjures something up for The Getaway.” We track the next song and then I ask him to cue up The Getaway, I had an idea I wanted to try. Thus, a 2 pass attempt at a lap-steel/e-bow/volume-swell/delay+reverb outfreakage. For me, it paints the twilight sky over the titular getaway (YMMV).
- After the experience of the above, I felt like I had exhausted my lap-steel palette. Then Arty asked about Take Me In Your Arms needing something. I told him everything that was coming to mind for a lap-steel part is reminiscent of something I just did so…. “Um, is that Strat still here? Yeah? Okay, let me see how it sounds through the lap rig.” [listen to the forthcoming album to find out!]
Tank, Day 3
4/23
Today was mostly dedicated to tracking lead vocals and miscellaneous auxiliary and/or foundational guitars (electric 12-string, Nashville acoustic, etc.).
A particularly enjoyable day.
