Here's the deal O. You have a great smile. Roy

quote:

I think I'm too much of an introvert (sober, reserved, withdrawn) to be in this extrovert business.

Well O, I get at least 1 out of the 3 right. (Sober)

You can't really hit those high notes, when your toasted.

Unfortunately, watching the audience overindulge is a real issue.

If they don't buy drinks, the owner complains he can't make any money, if they drink too much, they are a hazard to themselves and others, (Although, I think they tip better, I'd rather see them more sober).

I actually ENJOY singing Margaritaville.

I play around with the words a little bit, Buffett does too. I've never been 100% suave and debonaire with the "Lost Verse", but ...

"With nothin to show but this big ol' tattoo - it is a dandy - a hooker named Brandi - how it got on Chuck's ankle I haven't a clue"

... that always works...

You know, I enjoy playing Margaritaville too.

The first time of the evening.

It was probably requested 20 times. I did it twice, plus played it over and over along with the porchboard while the "costumed" ladies danced with the "main" man while others judged their "moves and costumes" as they competed for the big prize of $75 in gift certificates for dinner at the BIG dinning room.

Wasting away again in Margaritaville ....... truer words were never written.

Been there, done that.

Again.

O..

quote:

tell us what you think are the existing, big, profound, unsolved problems in a musician's life, and yours in particular. I'm talking about The Big Ones here.

Record companies,the way music is forced upon the general public.... I do believe it is in a state of collapse.No one can say it better then Joni Mitchell in a interview with Rolling Stone mag back in 2002...I believe her comments are still relevant in 2008...

(Question ).....Has the music business changed very much in your lifetime?

( Joni Mitchell) .....Well, no, I've been screwed from the beginning. There wasn't any bidding war for me in the beginning. It was like I was like Rachmaninoff, a late romantic or something -- what I was doing was already over, you know. Nobody wanted to really take a chance on me, so the deal that I got was just atrocious. I mean, it was like slave labor, really -- no points, no budget. And I've never really had a good deal in the business. So I would never take another deal in the record business, which means I may not record again, or I have to figure out a way to sell over the Net or do something else. But I'd be damned if I'll line their pockets.

( Question)...So how do you feel when some people say the whole business is going down the crapper?
( Joni Mitchell)...I hope it all goes down the crapper. It's top-heavy, it's wasteful. It's an insane business. Now, this is all calculated music. It's calculated for sales, it's sonically calculated, it's rudely calculated. I'm ashamed to be a part of the music business. You know, I just think it's a cesspool.

Dancing Dog Muse

Ya gotta love Joni. She's right, the record industry has put a damper on creativity, but thanks to that, live music is coming back.

quote:

... tell us what you think are the existing, big, profound, unsolved problems in a musician's life, and yours in particular. I'm talking about The Big Ones here...

This question has been rolling around inside my head for a while (lots of space for it! ). I'm going to look at this question from a couple of different perspectives:

Prospective musicians: Those folks who are just starting to learn the "language of music" and the joy of being a part of the creation of "something special".

Amateur musicians: ... and by that I'm thinking about 'amateur' in the same sense that Olympic athletes are amateurs; there are a vast number of people in that continuum from the 'first-timers' through the 'excellent amateurs' to the professional musicians.

What they share is the roadblock of technology, complexity and expense, getting in the way of learning how to create -- or "be a part of" -- that "immersive, lost in the sublime, touching the deepest part of joy -- and sorrow" musical experience.

Learning is a key point ... and the more accurate the 'sound at the ears' matches what the performer is attempting, the faster they can learn. In one sense, perhaps, the "really Big One" is to make it easier for everyone to learn the "language" and "heart" of music; the technology has to focus on enabling that process, not hindering it.

If a goal is encouraging live music -- "living music" -- then, it seems to me, a part of that goal is to enable & encourage people at all skill levels with the same quality where it matters:

-- at the ears --

The L1 Systems are a major step in helping that "quality of amplified sound" and is a good step toward lowering the technology complexity for the musician.

Expense always will be a big issue for these folks, whether it is just to 'try it out for a while' (before committing to it as a profession) or because they work for non-profit groups, or it's just a passionate hobby ... or they'd like to see if it can become a 'passionate hobby'.

Hmmmm ... to recap in somewhat different words ...
-- don't look at pricing from the perspective of a professional musician.
-- don't compromise on quality of the sound in seeking to reduce costs.
-- when you have to trade off simplicity and flexibility, allow the purchaser to opt for simplicity. (... and recognize that simplicity can often lead to flexibility!).

Perhaps said still another way:

If I start with a cheap instrument, and have a cheap technology to make it louder, and I don't like the sound, what do I replace first? Perhaps, ideally, the cost of improving the technology is low enough for that to be the first upgrade I make -- and it then enables me to both make that 'cheap instrument' sound better AND to hear the difference when I try out various upgrades to the instrument. (and that 'instrument' may be voice, too.)

Being in an all orginal band can be very rough. My band plays covers, but is in it more for writing our own music.

We recently opened up for a Iron Maiden tribute band, who didn't bring a big draw of people themselvs this night.

We figured that given the headliner the audience would appreciate our originals more than our covers. So, we played an orginal heavy set. I think we only did three covers the whole hour.

Between every song you could hear a pin drop. Very little applause, like we were just being ignored. Couldn't really see peoples faces as the lights were in my eyes. So, we just soldiered on and finished our set with as much enthusiasm as we could.

It was the funniest thing. Barely any reaction when we were on stage, but had about eight people I never met before come up to me specifically and complement me on my singing and how tight the band was and asking about us.

I thought it was just us. I thought when the tribute band came on stage the place would get fuller and light up. the headliner only had handful more people in the place than when we were on stage.

I've found the best formula for my band is playing 1 for 1. That is one cover for one original. Like others here have said, we don't try to be a copy of the cover we put our own blatent jist on it

Other (not so big) issues:

Floor space.

And aesthetics.

Especially for 'honking big bass'.

Again ... the L1 is a big step in the right direction on these, but I don't think for a moment it is the 'end point'.

The organist in me wants to re-create the sound and feel of a 32' pedal Bombarde with a portable system.

Dan,

That is why my first guitar when getting back to playing after about 15 years, was a Taylor 414 CE.

I want a good instrument, but also something that would make me want to learn to be better and practice.

I knew about 6 chords when I bought it, and now I consider my self an adequate player.

I knew I wasn't going to throw a $1400 instrument in the corner of the basement and never play it.

The motivation of having a great sounding guitar made me want to utilize it's full potential, and even though I am the limiting factor in it's potential, I want to get better just so I can hear what it can do.

The same with the Bose.

It makes me a better player and singer because I love to hear myself through it.

I actually can listen to the music I am making and enjoy it along with the audience.

I am a performer, because I love music, and love to create. Now I can be entertained while entertaining.

Two things of note for me.... just got back from FINALLY putting all of my previous PA equipment on consignment. Commented to Richie as I unloaded the car: "Y'know, I don't miss this one bit" to which he said "but think of all the exercise you've missed out on" and I said "yeah" with a big smile.

We did a gig a while back which was outside in a courtyard at a yacht club. We were cranked fairly loud and everything sounded fine. There were about 500 people milling about and many of them congregated in the yard in front of us.

At intermission, I cranked on the IPOD at roughly the same volume we'd been playing at. I then went inside to grab a drink. When I returned, I stood about 50 feet in front of the sound system and couldn't actually "see" the system due to all the people in front of me (I'm 6'-3")

The problem is that I couldn't tell what song was playing either. The throng of bodies musta absorbed the sound.

So, my wish is a cure for this problem....short of milkcrates.

JD

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Neil-at-Bose,