The Vinegar Stroke

Maarts, a fellow alumni of the OLD RollingStone.com message board community (and currently active in the Castaways community), has finally brought his impeccable taste in music and engaging writing style into the blogosphere with The Vinegar Stroke. Subtitled "Musical Notes from a Serial Poster", his blog is shaping up to be one of the better album review sites I've come across.
A music retailer from Australia, Maarts knows his subject very well. There really aren't that many "music critics" out there whose opinions I trust implicitly, but if Maarts says it's worth checking out I'm going to check it out.

Somewhat Lost Weekend Update

I wish I could tell you that my performance last Friday evening at VZDs was an unparalleled success...
Unfortunately, the high standard of honesty I've upheld since day one of this blog prevents me from presenting it in such a positive light.
Not that it was a disaster...I don't think anyone would describe it as such. But what do I know?
From my perspective on the stage, it looked like the vast majority of the audience was paying attention and basically appreciating what I was doing (if such can be judged by facial expressions and applause at the end of each song).
Several people who I had never previously met offered what seemed to be sincere compliments, as did those who knew me.
It was suggested by a friend that I may have played for a bit too long, and this is definately a possibility. I had no perception of time while playing, and was waiting for someone in the band to cue me offstage. But no cueing was forthcoming, and so I played right at an hour when 45 minutes would have been more than enough. VZDs is known more as a "band" venue, not a solo guitarist/vocalist, so perhaps it should not have surprised me when I learned later that the bar and wait staff did not care for my set.
I don't know why I let that bother me, but it did...I mean, it's naive and unrealistic to expect EVERYONE to like my music...different tastes, and all that, I shouldn't WANT everyone to "get it".
Maybe I was hoping that the staff there would like it and it shocked me to find out they really didn't.
But there were several there who did, I assure you of that.
I knew going into it that I ventured rejection in daring to do a one-man set at a club that is known to feature some of the better local acts. For what it's worth, I believe it went over, length issues and all, with the vast majority in the audience.
I won't even try to describe the debacle that Mad Laugh's set turned into, for fear of offending friends. Suffice to say it was not one of their best.
I ended up changing my plans...I got lonely for the company of the wife and son is what it all boiled down to...and I did not stay for the Fellowship Students/Little League Hero show...I'm sure it was a stellar double bill, and I regret missing it, but my head just wasn't into it. Next time.

I still think that my songs would fare well with band arrangements...Probably would have made all the difference in the world at VZDs...I'm sure there are other places that are more suitable for the lone performer...would still love to put a band together around them, but in the meantime I am going to do a little gigging with a friend's band. The drummer's real name is Famous Marshall...and I can only hope that they're calling themselves "The Famous Marshall Band", even if Famous does nothing more than play the drums!
Money!
It's about time...
And a lot more RESPECT, too, I'm sure.
Stay tuned for details...

Lost Weekend Impending

Yours truly, 1998, playing the troubadour.
Egads, it's been a stressful week with Roy and I'm glad the weekend is here.
It's going to be a real good one, too, I'm thinking. I'll be spending Friday and Saturday in OKC. I've been asked to perform a 45-60 minute acoustic solo set to open for the Mad Laugh at VZDs tonight. If everyone who has said they were going to make it actually show up it could be a big crowd. My thumb is already sore from practicing so much...I may wind up using a pick.
Hopefully this will be just the beginning of a string of live dates that I'm self-deprecatingly calling the "SUPPORT THE MENTALLY IMBALANCED WORLD TOUR 2006".
Don't really have a set order yet, but I'm thinking of throwing caution to the wind and busting out an acoustic rendition of an old Head tune called "Canned Hamms".
I'm thinking I may open with "Playboy", which will be familiar to everyone who saw me when I was playing bass with Mad Laugh a little over a year ago. I think I do a fairly effective version of it.
On the other hand, I've been contemplating kicking the set off with an improvised number in which I'll name-check several in the crowd...that's assuming there IS a crowd...if not I suppose it'll have to be "Playboy".
Others I'll be bound by duty to perform will be "The Ladder", "The Wait", "Bike Boy", "Heroin Weed", "Songwriter" (if Warty shows up)...Then I've got a couple of new songs that I want to introduce. I've shown "Maranatha" to a few people, but only my son has heard "Offering" (and he likes it, so I am encouraged).
I'll have to bust out some silly songs, so you can count on hearing "The St. Valentine's Massacre Waltz", "Leather Granny" and maybe even "Jim Beam".
I've got a good friend whose going to try to make it out tonight, and if he shows up I'm thinking of doing a cover of Red House Painters' "Mistress", seeing as how he and I are both huge fans of Mark Kozelek.
Otherwise I will probably avoid doing any covers. The only exception might be a rendition of Merle Haggard's "Carolyn", depending upon the mood of the audience.
I have a lot of confidence tonight, and my expectations are high that not only will the show get a favourable response, but I might even get some interest from musicians who might want to arrange/collaborate on these songs.
You may remember a couple of weeks ago I blogged about the possibility of Amanda Roberts and Jacob Becannen being potential partners in this venture (they certainly inspired me to do it)...I haven't heard back from them, and I knew that they both had very busy schedules and most likely wouldn't be able to find time to do it...I', afraid that's how it appears to be at this moment. That could change after tonight, and if not, I have a good feeling that sooner or later I'm going to be able to assemble some quality players.

Then, tommorow night the plan is to see the Fellowship Students/Little League Hero double-bill at the Belle Isle Brewery. LLH's new CD, Gather Ye Rosebuds While Ye May, is top notch. If there is any justice in the music business these guys will be a nationally recognized act before too long.
And the Fellowship Students are always awesome. I have no doubt that they will impress.

And when it's all over I hope to be re-charged and more than able to deal with Roy's drama.

Ha!

Isn't that Michael Jackson on the upper level? :)

"Shadowplay" Reanimated

Not the best performance of Joy Division's "Shadowplay" I've ever heard, but HERE is a really cool "Topographic translation" of a live version of the song...basically, it's a morphing of a television appearance of the band with the album cover for Unknown Pleasures.
Hard to describe, so check it out yourself.

New Year's Resolution

You'd think that my New Year's resolution was to avoid blogging, eh?
But no, I just have not been sufficiently motivated to post so far this year. I've been too busy doing other things, but I imagine I'll find the time to regale you with my exploits before too long. In the meantime, the archives are available for your amusement.
Actually my New Year's resolution included chilling out, not being quite so self-critical (lightening up on myself), becoming more interested in other people and getting out of the house more often to see/hear live music, especially supporting the local bands that I have come to enjoy the most:
Fellowship Students
Little League Hero
Basement Dynasty
Twenty Minutes To Vegas
Oida
Ghost of Monkshood
...and I'm always on the lookout for other worthy acts...Oklahoma really has a great music scene going on right now, but I don't know if even a small segment of the population realizes it. I spoke to a guy who owns and operates a music store in Shawnee and asked him if he'd ever heard of the Fellowship Students (probably my favorite of a very high quality lot) and he had no clue who they were. It's a shame, too, cuz they are the kind of band that makes you wonder why they haven't been signed by a major label and sent on a world tour.
Hopefully I'll also find time to write about these shows here, but I 'm already behind in the game, cuz I saw a great Little League Hero/Basement Dynasty double bill last week and even though I wanted to write it up here I put it off. And right now I really should be touting the amazing TMTV/Fellowship Students show I witnessed last night instead of making excuses for not blogging in the new year.
But I'm still here...the wildfires have not blown towards our house yet (though a couple have come too close for comfort) and the ISP bill is paid, so I imagine you'll hear about it all sooner or later.


(Postscript: It's March 2008 as I write and I have probably gone out to see a live band approximately ZERO times since I made this resolution. - JAC)

"Offering"

Open my mind, let the thoughts pour out
Too far gone to feel ashamed
Open my mouth, loosen my tongue right now
It doesn't matter who is to blame
I have been locked up in my own life for too long
My greedy heart is broken
All I ever had to offer was a song
And these words I've never spoken

Could you help me out? Could you lift me up?
Could you help me find the things I've lost?
Help me pick them up...help me sort them out
Put them back where they belong
I have been running on empty for so long
I could use some company
Someone just like you to come along
To help me find the way back to me

So take my heart...Take my mind, my strength
Take anything you need
Take my crown...take everything
But don't leave me
I have been frozen in my own world for so long
I can't hear what you are saying
All I ever had to offer was a song
But it's a song I'm never playing