Quartal Alchemy

Back to normal!

2010-02-22T07:47:00.003-07:00

Alright, it looks like Photobucket decided to get off its ass and start working. I've saved all of the graphic elements on the page so I can salvage them at a moment's notice. I'm so glad this place is back to it's garish, faux-fur covered glory!

Maybe I'll actually post again... Maybe...

I Hate You Photobucket

2009-12-05T16:19:00.001-07:00

I guess we'll be gray here for a bit till I can find a leopard print to my liking...

Thank You, Department of Health and Human Services

2009-08-10T19:42:00.001-06:00

I will answer the bare minimum of your questions anytime!

Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

2009-07-08T10:26:00.003-06:00

It's not just the title of a Brian Eno/David Byrne collaboration, it's the state of my existence. *sigh*

I may be required to move out of my house sooner than expected, trying to buy a house in the next few months, starting a new (possibly temporary) additional job and playing somewhat regularly with a new singer/songwriter. That's just the new stuff. I've still got the radio gig, shows and albums to record with 3 other bands, and general life stuff that's got to be lived.

Anytime change begins to happen in my life, some unknown force has conspired to pile on additional change to the point that, when the dust settles, my new life seems to be rather distant from the old. This happens approximately once per year.

Can I get either stability or gradual change? I'm finding it hard to keep up.

UPDATE:
- Temp job secured.
- Move out date set at Sept. 1st
- Show with Singer/Songwriter this Saturday
- Mortgage lender info acquired, hopefully we'll meet next week...

$11 Absolutely Free!

2009-07-03T08:26:00.002-06:00

Yesterday, I received in the mail a survey from the CDC. It's a survey about immunization, but that is far from the most important thing about it. The most important thing about the survey is that they included a dollar in the envelope. Not a check for a dollar. Not a promise to pay me a dollar at a future date. A real, honest to goodness dollar bill paperclipped to the survey.

To good to be true, right?

It turns out it's even better than that! Not only did they just send me a dollar for the trouble of removing it from the envelope, but the survey says that they'll send me ten more dollars if I fill out the survey and send it back to them. OK, I'll bite and fill out your silly survey for ten dollars...

Question 1:
How many people live in this household?

Question 2:
How many of these people are 18 years of age or older?

Question 3:
How many of these are children under the age of 3 years?

And then a simple set of instructions on how to continue...

If your answer to question 3 is "0," You are finished. Please return the questionnaire in the postage paid envelope.

Easiest $11 I ever made.

The Lies We Tell

2009-06-14T09:30:00.002-06:00

As you may or may not know, I am currently suffering from constant lightheadedness. A visit to the doctor was inconclusive, but it appears that I have either this, or this.

But that is not really why I'm posting today.

Yesterday, I decided to venture out and try foraging for comfort foods at the local food jobber. Popsicles were my main motivation for going out, but if I'm buying comfort foods, that almost always means goldfish crackers. I picked up the largest box I could find of the "whole wheat" variety.

Now due to my dizziness I am very easily distracted, and normal human interaction has been made more difficult than it usually is. I avoided getting in line with the crazy checkout girl and was willing to try my luck with a woman who appeared far less chatty. Even still, I guess the sight of an oversized box of goldfish crackers is enough to start even the most timid of checkers talking.

Lady: "Oh wow, that's a big box of goldfish crackers!"

Me: "Uh, yeah..."

Lady: "Gonna put those in a big bowl?"

Me: "... ... ... ... Yes."

I just didn't have the heart to tell her I'd be ripping open the box and consuming at least half of it in bed while passing out watching episodes of Mythbusters.

Some things are better left unsaid.

In Boston

2009-05-29T22:45:00.002-06:00

Once again, a long time between posts...

Right now I'm in Boston for a dear old friend's wedding. I got in after very long and complicated travel arrangements, including a nasty delay in the lost city of Atlanta.

Most of today was spent preparing food for the rehearsal dinner and folding origami flowers. I also saw lots of old friends, many of whom I haven't seen for a long time. (Hi Megan!)

Time for bed now. Maybe more posts soon. Maybe pictures if I remember my camera.

Act II

2008-10-30T23:08:00.002-06:00

Alright, it's been quite a while since I've posted. That past few months have been very crazy between the move, 2 new roommates and lots of musical projects.

One of them will be finishing up tomorrow night. vee device will be performing Act II of Love Will Tear Us To Shreds at Everyday Joes. The show starts a 7pm.

If you missed Act I two years ago, you won't want to miss this one. If you saw the last show, you know how amazing it will be. We've got an 8 piece orchestra and several guest vocalists! We've got a party scene that is incredible! We've got Russian propaganda cartoons! We've printed programs! We've got me playing accordion and harmonica at the same time!!

If you're in the Fort Collins area, you have no excuse not to come. What, would you rather beg for sugary treats door-to-door? Halloween is once a year; vee device will perform this concert only once a lifetime!

Go West Young Man!

2008-08-01T17:52:00.002-06:00

Ok, not very far west, but in that direction at least a little ways...

I'm moving out of my place at the end of the month. In my original plan, I was planning on staying in the place I'm in now until I had enough money to buy a house. With my half time hours, this is looking like it will be much farther in the future than I anticipated, and I can no longer really afford to live here any more.

I think I'm gonna miss this place. In reality, it's not very nice. It's got a funny smell, old carpet, angry dogs and annoying people who live below me; but still it's home. It's the first place that I've ever lived in by myself and I've loved almost every minute of it.

Living with a roommate means no more mostly naked afternoons. No leaving the bathroom door open. No option to let the cleaning slide for a bit.

Ah well, at least I'm moving in with someone who is pretty laid back. He's a local musician, and hopefully we'll get along reasonably well.

But still...

Bye bye house :(

Bachelor Food

2008-07-17T19:28:00.004-06:00

... or Practical Posta Dishes for the Frugal Man

Let me preface this entire post with the comment that I am not a good cook. Oh sure, I can aspire to mediocrity in my chef-ing skills, but I'll never be as good as the majority of my friends and relatives when it comes to actually preparing a meal.

I'm also incredibly lazy when It comes to cooking, and without a dishwasher at my current place of residence, it usually involves far too much clean up time for my taste. Seriously, I once made instant mac and cheese in a pyrex measuring cup...

Still, cooking is far cheaper than eating out, so I find myself doing it more and more. I've tried to keep myself to a strict $25 a week grocery budget, and mostly succeeded. But as they say, necessity is the mother of strange bedfellows, and my dishes towards the end of the week tend to start becoming increasingly "creative."

So now I present to you what might possibly be the most incredible bachelor recipe of all time:

Tri -Color Pasta With Red Pepper and Steak-Umms

What you'll need:

1 Bag Cheap Tri-Color Pasta (Wacky Mac brand preferred)
2 Red Peppers (Lazily sliced, nice and big)
1 Can Pasta Sauce (Not a bottle. What are we, the emperor of France?)
4 Steak-Umms
1/2 Tbsp of Moms Red Chili Powder

- First off, take off your pants. You won't be needing them for the actual cooking process and you'll be far more comfortable without them. Are they off? Good!

- Wash all the dishes you'll need. They're probably encrusted with filth and sitting next to your sink. You may need to dig around in the pile to find them all.

- Get your pasta water boiling while you cut up the red pepper. Remember, slice them nice and big so you don't have to spend so much damn time. If you "dice" them, you have wasted valuable minutes you can never get back.

- Cook the Steak-Umms according to the instructions on the box. Try to stop yourself from eating them right when they come off the pan. Delicious Steak-Umms...

- Once the Steak-Umms are done, use the grease in the pan to fry up the red peppers. This infuses them with steaky goodness.

- If you forgot about your pasta water, it's probably boiling over at this point. Throw your pasta in and boil it according to the instructions on the bag.

- While the pasta is cooking, open your can of pasta sauce and add it to the pan with the red peppers. Shred up your Steak-Umms and throw them in the pan too. Add your chili powder, mix everything up, and let it heat up on the stove while the pasta finishes.

- When the pasta is done, strain it. A real professional can do this without the use of a collinder.

- Throw the sauce over the pasta, mix, and serve directly out of the pot. If you have a guest over, be sure to have 2 forks ready, and maybe a bowl if they're squeemish.

This dish will probably last you for a few days worth of eating. While you're chowing down, be sure to check out the Streak-Umms FAQ so that you can rest assured that "Steak-umm® Sliced Steaks are made of 100% beef."

Enjoy!

New Tools

2008-06-28T15:12:00.003-06:00

Alright, I made it back from Telluride. The trip was great and I've got lots of pictures if anyone wants to see them. I was low on battery power for the second half of the trip and was unable to post. So it goes when you have to vacate your hotel suite...

I bring you this post today from my second choice coffee shop, and after having to fight through frat boy congested Brewfest traffic. The things I do for this blog!

Alright, if you haven't gotten it already, you should download yourself a copy of Firefox 3. It kicks at least 8 kinds of ass! The smart location bar alone is good enough reason to try it out, but the increased speed is certainly a nice feature as well. I've pimped mine out with ColorfulTabs, Adblock Plus and PicLens to make a truly wonderful browsing experience.

I've also been playing around with a great piece of software called Handbrake. Simply put, it's a program that converts mpeg2 files to mpeg4 files. I've been using it to covert episodes of Connections so that I can easily watch them on my computer.

If you've never seen Connections, check it out! I remember watching it when I was young, and it's probably one of many things that led to my interest in social history, science and technology. It makes you see the world in a very different, but very logical way. Plus, it's hillarious! (In a dry, British kind of way)

Day 2 Part 2: It's My Birthday

2008-06-21T09:26:00.002-06:00

Did i forget to mention that it was my Birthday yesterday? I guess I did...

My pictures dont want to upload today :( I'll add them if I get time later.

The serendipity continues on the 2nd day of Telluride. I got up fairly early, gave the hotel room the once over, (at least 3 times) and vacated it before the hotel folks kicked me out. G-man and Lauren were getting back at some point during the day, but until then I was stuck with 2 bags and a guitar.

Getting up to the press area with all that excess baggage was not something I wanted to do, so I decided to hang out in Elk Park for all the shows there. Besides having to listen to a very dumb Rainbow Family hippie for several shows, it was pretty fun.

I saw the band competition, a song writing workshop from Tift Merrit and Darrell Scott, Abigail Washburn and Bela Fleck, and most of the troubadour competition. Then I got a call from G-man and I was able to dump my bags and guitar in the van.

On the main stage, I saw Tim O'Brien, skipped Paolo Nutuni while set up the tent, and came back for Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby. Wow! They played Mandolin Rain with Chris Thile and Uncle Pen with Sam Bush.

After that, I met up with a friend from the station and a group of her friends to watch part of Leftover Salmon's set. I say part because they had tickets to the Yonder Mountain String Band Show at the Sheridan Opera House; one of the most saught after tickets of the whole festival. A friend of theirs had wandered off with no way to get a hold of her, so they offered me the extra.

How could I say no?

The Yonder shows was awesome! The Sheridan is a pretty small place, with a capacity of only about 250. We danced the night away for several hours of awesome music and celebrated my birthday in style.

I got back to the campsite at about 3. I am tired now, but pumped for the next 2 days.

Day 2: Camping...

2008-06-20T18:48:00.003-06:00

Well, it took forever to get this point, but I've finally set up my tent. Today was a little odd, but I'll tell you about it later. I just wanted to post to show that even camping in the middle of a high school football field, I can find a wireless signal.

Thank you PINHEAD!

Now back to the festival...

Day 1 Part 2: Oh yeah, It's a Music Festival!

2008-06-19T23:07:00.020-06:00

OK, enough talk about hotel rooms. This thing's about the music!

The only main stage performer that I missed today was Darrel Scott, but I needed the beauty rest. ;)

Next up was our roommates, Cadillac Sky:

...who kept their shirts on for most of the performance.

After them, Uncle Earl who put on a great show. They did an awesome version of the ballad "Willie Taylor" and a song that involved a hand clapping game with bass accompniment.

Next was Arlo Gurthire. (Who I took nothing but horrible photos of) For me, the highlight of his set was listening to "Alice's Restaurant" while sitting next to Bela Fleck! Priceless press pass predicament!

They we're followed up by the always fabulous Del McCoury Band. No real shockers from them, just good solid pickin'.

After Del came Ani DiFranco, who I've never really been that into. My attitude has changed! She put on a great set!

And then came Ryan Adams and the Cardinals. I'll admit, I didn't stay for the whole set. It was wonderful, but it was a bit too loud for my liking in the press area. I did my best to snap a bunch of photos because of the horrible lighting. (for photos anyway) I'm so glad that I got a new camera because this one is much, much better in low light.
Here's a few of the choice ones:

Tomorrow might prove a bit wacky. We can stay in the hotel anymore since Cadillac Sky is heading to Washington. G-man and Lauren are taking them to Durango tonight so they can catch a plane in the morning. I'll stay here, check out, and set up my tent tomorrow. I'm not sure what I'll be doing for internet, but if I can't steal it, I'll probably use the free wireless at Baked In Telluride.

Stay tuned, music more is yet to come!

Day 1: The Good Life

2008-06-19T22:40:00.005-06:00

This trip is going much, much smoother than last year. No locking of keys in cars, no late arrivals, just good old fashioned bluegrass festival fun.

Well, with a twist I suppose.

That fact that I got a hotel room for the first 2 nights is pretty awesome. I'm used to slumming it in the campgrounds. For the first time ever, not only do I have a room all to myself, I'm getting the star treatment. This suite of rooms was meant for a group performing at the festival, so they've definitely pulled out all the stops. I should describe the place. It's 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 floors. G-man, Lauren and I are staying on the bottom floor and Andy from Cadillac Sky has the master bedroom on the top floor. There's also a living room/dining room and a kitchen. It's huge. Mega huge. Probably the biggest hotel room I've ever stayed in.

Really though, it's the little things that make it really spectacular:

Getting There

2008-06-18T23:57:00.002-06:00

As every good vacation should, this one has started with a bit of randomness that has resulted with putting me in a far better situation than I had originally planned.

I traveled to Denver this morning to meet up with G-man and his girlfriend Lauren. The original plan was to take Lauren or G-man's car to the festival. Through a roundabout series of phone calls, we found out that the band Cadillac Sky, who is playing the festival, had ended up stranded in Denver and was looking for a way to Telluride. Lauren was able to make arrangements to swap G-man's car for a huge passenger van that could carry us and the band together.

The deal was made.

It's been fun getting to know the band in the drive up here. They're ll nice guys, and jovial traveling companions. Banter was light and spirits remained high for the whole journey.

We got here without any big incident, got the press passes and did our best to figure out our accommodations for the night. My camping passes apparently are at the campsite, and since it was getting dark I wasn't even sure I'd be able to see enough to set up the tent. Amazingly, the Cadillac Sky folks had some extra space in their hotel rooms, so we're staying with them tonight.

I'm in the midst of an all star jam right now: Cadillac Sky, G-man, Dominick Leslie and a few other folks. I'm gonna stop posting and just enjoy myself.

More to come tomorrow!

Telluride Bound

2008-06-17T14:01:00.002-06:00

Once again, I've managed to get a hold of a press pass for the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. Last year's trip was exciting and my guess is that this year's will be even better.

I'll be heading up tomorrow with my good friend G-Man this year and camping amongst the teeming millions. I'll be bringing my laptop with me along with my newer and better camera and an audio recorder. As long as I can steal a wireless signal, I'll blog as much as I'm able to keep you all up to date with the goings on.

I'll post pictures and stories for sure and audio If I can figure out an easy way to serve it...

Musings on an Underground Venue

2008-06-05T16:56:00.002-06:00

The music industry is a fascinating entity that manifests itself in almost every way imaginable. Musicians are constantly making new art and seeking out ways to present that art to the public. Depending on your standing within the industry at large, (your level of experience, fame and any number of other factors) you will find yourself playing gigs at all kinds of different places and events. A few nights ago I found myself experiencing music in a type of venue I really hadn't experienced before as either an audience member or a performer. I took my first trip to an underground venue.

In my life, I've had my fair share of incredible musical experiences in a wide variety of venues. I've seen noise rock shows at art galleries, funk shows in outdoor amphitheaters, opera at the finest concert halls and intimate acoustic shows in living rooms of all sizes. I've had all kinds of musical experiences, but this underground venue was certainly one of the more exciting places I've seen a show, and for a variety of reasons.

For one, the sheer amount of reckless lawlessness was almost unfathomable. I was easily one of the oldest people there. I saw more high school kids in various states of inebriation than I've seen anywhere. (and I've been to plenty of high school theater parties) No one was making any attempt to hide anything from authorities or keep cautious, discrete, and quiet. Any cop passing buy could have made a months worth of arrests in the parking lot alone. If the place had a maximum occupancy rating I'm sure it was exceeded by at least 3 times. There was absolutely no escape in case of an emergency, the floor was buckling under the weight of dancers and people were climbing in and out of windows instead of fighting their way to the single door.

It was amazing!

The music was also quite good. I had been invited by a young guitarist friend of mine who is always fun to see. It was also my chance to see a Denver band I've been hoping to see for several months. Padding out the insanely packed bill was a wide assortment of hip acts from Denver, Boulder and Fort Collins. Hardly the sort of line up you'd expect from a venue of this stature.

This underground venues seemed to break all the rules it possibly could. No venue in it's right mind would pack in that many spectators and bands, especially not on a weeknight. No normal venue would encourage so much underage drinking and drug use. They shouldn't be able to have a "suggested donation" jar actually bring in a fair amount of cash. No where else have I seen an audience actually shut up and watch artists so intently. Denver and Boulder folks *never* seem to come up to Fort Collins for shows, but these band brought plenty of fans with them. By all rights, some sort of law enforcement should have showed up and shut the place down, but they didn't. Somehow by doing everything wrong, the place couldn't have had more go right.

This post is a bit convoluted. I wish I could come to some sort of conclusion that sums everything up in a neat little package, but I can't. The night was incredible, and I can't really say why. I'm still processing everything that happened and probably will be for some time. In any case, it was certainly a singular experience in my life and one that I will remember forever.

My God!

2008-05-28T16:03:00.001-06:00

Ewwww!

I'm at the coffee shop, and some girl has her laptop pointed so I can see it. She's watching some sort of surgery procedure. Very Icky!

Scents and Cent's Ability

2008-05-22T13:17:00.002-06:00

You know...
The coffee's great, but it's the smell of the place that really sticks with you.
No really.
I mean it seems to hang off your clothes indefinitely.
And the thing is
no matter where else you go,
it could be a pickle factory even,
you're gonna fall asleep with that scent
drifting off your shirt
and tucking itself up inside your nostrils
all night long.

Maybe the strangest thing
is that it's not even really a coffee smell.
It's more like
dirt
but not dirt
more like
paint
but
like
It's kinda like tea with black pepper.
I imagine that some far off place,
like Istanbul,
probably smells something like it,
but since
I've never been Istanbul
I can't really say with any certainty.

But that's beside point.
I don't go for the smell.
But it does kinda act as a constant reminder
of the way she shuffles her feet when she sweeps the floor,
or the way that crinkly calico apron clings to her waist,
or fact that she puts extra lettuce on my plate when I order a grilled cheese,
or those big brown, coffee colored eyes
that never seem to sparkle quite enough so that I know
she knows it's me.

You know...
I wonder if my meager tip makes any difference,
cause it's not about the money.
When I throw a couple coins in the jar
I know that she can't help but hear it.
And maybe
when that 37 cents starts ringing in her pockets
while she's walking home,
I've managed to do something
that's gonna stick with her
all night long.

Symphony Hour - The Kairn of Koridwen

2008-05-18T12:06:00.002-06:00

I should probably start a separate Symphony Hour Blog at some point. Maybe when I change the name...

In any case, today I'll be presenting a work by obscure American composer Charles Tomlinson Griffes. If you know him for any work at all, it would be for The Pleasure Dome of Kubla Khan, and if you've heard that I probably lived with you at some point. :)

The piece I'll be playing today is called The Kairn of Koridwen, and it is a chamber ballet that Griffes wrote in 1916. Honestly, I've never heard the piece before, so I'll be listening to it before the show this afternoon. From what I know of the music from my Google-ings, I know that the piece is written using a synthetic scale, which means some very exotic melodies and harmonies.

The piece will be played tonight in Fort Collins at the Trinity Lutheran Church , 7pm. The Front Range Chamber Players will be providing the music with choreography by Ixchel Whitcher from Canyon Concert Ballet. This is a very rare opportunity to see a very unique piece of music here in Fort Collins.

Listen in to the Symphony Hour at 4pm on KRFC, 88.9 fm in Northern Colorado, or online at krfcfm.org

Bass is back!

2008-05-14T15:59:00.002-06:00

Oh, and I almost forgot: my bass is back!

The crack is fixed, the fingerboard has been redressed, the bridge re-shaped and a little cosmetic work was done to clean up a few nicks on the front. The wolf tone is still present, but much less bad than it was, and manageable now with a wolf tone eliminator. I also went ahead and replaced the strings. She's sounding better than ever, especially in the upper register on the lower strings.

Unless you get up very, very close to the bass in bright light, you would never even know there was ever a crack. It even hard to feel it. Wow.

Hooray!!

Job Perks

2008-05-14T15:32:00.002-06:00

In the face of all the changes I've had a work over the past few months, it's easy to lose sight of the really cool stuff that my job provides.

I hosted a band today on the live show and we got into a conversation about albums they have been listening to. The topic ended up turning towards anticipated albums, and the band mentioned 2 albums that I've already listened to. It made for a bit of an awkward moment.

Very rarely do I even look at, let alone remember, an album's release date. In radio, I tend to get albums about a week or 2 in advance of the general public. It's really fun to know that what you're listening to isn't going to reach a wide audience for a little while. This is especially fun when the album kicks serious ass!

Right now I'm completely obsessed with a new album from Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet that doesn't come out till next week. The easiest way to describe it would be as a cross between bluegrass and Chinese folk music with touches of late 20th century art music thrown in. It's probably not for everyone, but I'm completely in love!

So even if my job drives me crazy at times, at least I get to listen to awesome music before anyone else.

Symphony Hour - A Boy and His Mother

2008-05-11T12:27:00.003-06:00

Having a radio show on a Sunday can be kind of fun. Sunday doesn't seem to be a particularly great day for radio audiences, which I have always decided gives me free reign to play whatever the hell I want. I love the freedom to play very experimental classical music and engender a feeling of extreme annoyance amongst the Fort Collins population as a whole.

The other wonderful thing about a Sunday show is that I *always* get to do a Mother's Day show. The past 2 years I have presented a program that features, among other things, a suite taken from the soundtrack to the Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho. It is, after all, a film that focuses on the relationship between a boy and his mother...

Many feel that this is completely inappropriate, but I'm starting to feel that it just wouldn't be Mother's Day without it. I'll be throwing in a bit of Gorecki's Symphony #3 as well. This should have the effect of darkening the mood even more.

If you're interested, the program runs from 4 to 5 PM (MST) today. You can tune in to KRFC 88.9 fm in Northern Colorado, or stream it online from KRFC's website at: www.krfcfm.org/listen.php

Happy Mother's Day!

Growin' A Beard

2008-04-30T17:30:00.005-06:00

Alright, so the one thing that I've been working very hard on in my free time is growin' a beard. This project is nice because it really doesn't take too much time or effort on my part. I'm not terribly adept at growing facial hair of any kind, and my previous attempt was an utter failure, but I'm bound and determined that this time I will at last be successful!

I don't have any photos of myself yet, since the process is still not complete, but I thought I'd try to find an equivalent composer portrait that would give you an idea of what I'm going for.

Right now, I've got the beginnings of a nice Claude Debussy:

If all goes well, I may end up with a full-on Alexander Scriabin in a few weeks:

I probably won't be trying for the Lou Harrison anytime soon:

Let me know what you think!

Bassless

2008-04-29T16:46:00.003-06:00

I'm almost a month into my semi unemployment. In general, I guess things are going ok. After a very shocking "hitting-a-brickwall-esque" transition week and a membership drive, I'm starting to adjust to my new schedule. It's still quite odd to be at home in the middle of the day. I haven't quite figured out how to structure all of my free time, but I'm sure extreme boredom will kick in at some point and give me some motivation. Unfortunately, tragedy seems to strike in unexpected ways.

I recently discovered a crack on the front of my upright bass.

This is bad.

Very bad.

Cracks pretty much have to be taken care of right away or they will spread and you will have truly nasty problems. Most cracks are repairable, and as long as you take care of them in a timely manor and get them fixed by a professional they should have no disastrous consequences and probably no noticeable loss of tone quality. The bad part is the cost. Are you sitting down? Good.

This repair will cost me about $1800.

(You can pick your jaw up off the floor now)

This would be expensive for just about anybody, but for a guy who just lost half his job this is a pretty solid blow to the old bank account. Luckily, I do have plenty of money in savings to cover the cost of the repair, but I hope nothing else very expensive happens to me in the near future. I am also without a bass for the next few weeks which means I can't pick up any gigs with it to offset the bill a little bit.

The good thing about this whole ordeal is that I have the chance to have a few improvements made to the bass while it's apart. My bridge and saddle will be slightly reworked to improve the tone quality. My fingerboard will be redressed and smoothed to make it easier to move on. The biggest thing the repairman hopes to do is eliminate a nasty wolf tone that the bass has right now which makes some notes almost unplayable. If all goes well, I should come out of this whole ordeal with a better sounding and more playable instrument. I'll let you know how it all turns out.

Lost (half of) My Job

2008-03-29T11:53:00.002-06:00

That's right, I lost half my job. Starting on Monday, I will be a half time employee at the radio station. This came quite unexpectedly. Both the news and PA director and myself were told by our boss that our jobs were being cut back to cut costs and that hopefully it's only temporary. We'll see...

I've been spending the better part of the past 2 weeks trying to figure out how I can get my position to even function in 20 hours per week. The big problem is that I often find myself working 50 or more hours in a week. The first thing to go will have to be programming. I can no longer be on he air as much as I have been. The next thing to go is all of my "program director" duties, which have never really been in my job description in the first place. Beyond those big cuts, I'll probably have to stop being such a nice and accommodating helper around the office. I've always been the got-to-guy for all tech and audio related questions. There will simply not be enough time for me to help people out and still get my job done.

The one nice thing is that outside of work I should now have an abundance of free time. I've been working myself to death for almost 2 years at this place and have had virtually no time for friends, music projects and general life sort of stuff. I haven't cleaned my apartment thoroughly for several months.

Anyway, here's a quick list of things I'd like to do now that I have the time:

Finish up Acts 2 and 3 of vee device's rock opera
Record a solo album of exceptionally dark folk music
Start some sort of odd, avant garde chamber ensemble
Write a piece of music for orchestra
Get started on my opera based on a number of British ballads
Fix my bike
Knit a ton of beer cozies
Make a quilt

That should get me started. I'm really in no hury to find another job at this point, though playing a bit more music out and about probably wouldn't hurt my finances any. I'll also be shifting back into poor Dennis mode which means far less eating out and more thrift store shopping. I might also be moving soon or finding a roommate. In any case, while I've got less money, I should also find myself with a lot less stress and and much more free time.

And now it's time for "Lessons Learned"

2008-02-10T15:44:00.000-07:00

I've decided to add a new feature for my blog in 2008. It's called "Lessons Learned." Basically, it will document the lessons I have learned in life the hard way. I will begin with lesson #1:

#1: Never ask out an accountant during tax season

I'm sure this comes as no surprise to anyone. It just goes to show how completely disconnected from reality I am. Given that I know virtually nothing about this girl, I find it humorous that one of the few pieces of information I do have has already had severe implications in my (non)relationship with her. Attraction has an odd way of allowing you to bypass the logic circuits in the brain.

This also shows how little I've really though about my taxes this year. I should really get working on those...

Oh yeah, and I have a Sleep Disorder!

2008-01-26T11:46:00.000-07:00

Writing that last post reminded me of the other thing I discovered recently: I have a sleep disorder! Luckily, it's not terribly serious.

About once a month or so, I experience what is called Sleep Paralysis. I didn't really know what it was until I was talking to a friend of mine at the station who experiences many sleep disorders, including narcolepsy. I guess it's very common in narcoleptics. I was always a little freaked out about it, but it was nice to know that it's reasonably common and not very serious.

Basically what happens to me is that I will kind of wake up and find myself unable to move. I know that I'm dreaming, but no matter what I do I can't wake up. It's hard to say just how long the paralysis lasts, but it can always be broken if I can get myself to move or speak. Sometimes, it is accompanied by some sort of weird, dreamlike hallucination. The last time is happened, I swore that a female ghost was climbing on top of me, which I guess is quite common. Weird!

This site offers some advice on how to cope with it. It looks like it's preventable without medication, and simply knowing what's going on seems to help to get rid of the anxiety that accompanies it. I can probably eliminate it in myself by not sleeping on my back and getting into a more regular sleep pattern. Also, I would not object to a little bit of #10.

First Trip of the New Year

2008-01-26T11:18:00.000-07:00

With my car in working order, (and surprisingly clean) I decided to take a quick trip to Denver to check out a band (with a very cute lead singer). It's funny the things you forget about when you haven't driven a car for a long distance for a long time.

For instance, all of my tires were incredibly flat. Utterly flat. Especially the right rear one. There was so little air in that tire that I actually bought a new tire gauge because I thought the one I had wasn't working. Also, the fan in my dashboard seems to have developed a horrible whining noise that sounds quite a bit like a dentist's drill.

I don't think I've driven any truly long distance since my trip to Telluride last June. I used to drive from Fort Collins to Denver every Saturday for a low paying Irish band gig, so I know that stretch of highway quite well. Then again, any stretch of highway that straight, that flat, and in the dark is really not that hard to get to know. I was quite relieved that I didn't fall asleep on the road, which I have done a handful of times. There is nothing as scary as finding yourself nodding off for a second and finding yourself in the other lane.

In general, the trip was rather uneventful, though I did get to chat with the cute girl for a bit. I can probably count this as the highlight of my 2008 so far.

Whoa! That's so Weird!

2007-12-20T21:25:00.000-07:00

I just found out that my Google double is dead!

www.sacbee.com

It's like reading my own obituary, except whoever wrote it knows nothing about me.

Creepy!

Good thing my other Google double, a James Monroe impersonator, is still alive and kicking. At least as far as I know...

www.dailyprogress.com

2007: A Year of No Awards

2007-12-20T20:48:00.000-07:00

No recognition from Sufjan of the Igloos amazing Christmas Song...

No offical Grammy nod...

I guess I wasn't really expecting anything from either of these, but it still sucks to lose. Always.

Luckily one of my buddies at the radio station bought me a bottle of Black Bush, otherwise this Christmas season would have been a total bust.

Top 10 Albums of 2007 (a list with comments)

2007-12-18T17:33:00.001-07:00

2007 will be rolling to a stop soon, and since this is my first full calendar year working for a radio station, my entire focus has been on albums of the year for the past week or so. I have quite literally listened to at least part of 1000 albums this year, many bad, most thoroughly mediocre, and a few notable gems. In the interest of keeping the public informed, and so that others may benefit from my uniquely trained ear, I present the following list of top the 10 albums of 2007 as picked by yours truly...

10) The Everybodyfields - Nothing is Okay (Ramseur)
www.theeverybodyfields.com

I first heard this album as I was riding across the country on my first long distance train trip. Something about the rhythm of rails mixed with the soft, melancholy of Sam Quinn and Jill Andrews' beautiful voices made for a perfect combination. I know everyone won't have the luxury of a cross country trip to enjoy this one, but it's worth a listen whatever your circumstances allow.

09) Rock Plaza Central - Are We Not Horses (Yep Roc)
www.rockplazacentral.com

Ok, technically this album came out last year, but only in Canada, so it's new to us in the states. It is far more twangy than the band name would suggest. Neutral Milk Hote-esque vocals singing songs about mechanical horses that think they're real horses = amazing album that gets crazier and cooler every time your listen.

08) Fionn Regan - The End of History (Lost Highway)
www.fionnregan.com

This album has a quiet, subtle sweetness to it that makes me want to curl up under a blanket, drink a cup of tea and fall asleep reading a book of Rudyard Kipling poetry... for some reason. The guitar playing and singing are top notch. Also, I'm partial to anything Irish. If you get a chance, I highly recommend watching the video for "Be Good or Be Gone."

07) Linda Thompson - Versatile Heart (Rounder)
www.rounder.com

Wow! I admit, I had no idea who Linda Thompson was before listening to this album. Hard to believe, but it's true. This has a little bit of everything I love: beautiful female vocals, British folk music, concertina, and a haunting duet with Antony Hegarty that was written by Rufus Wainwright. Plus I rescued this from the Americana reject pile at work. Crisis narrowly averted!

06) Gregory Alan Isakov - That Sea, The Gambler (Self)
www.thefreight.net

Gregory is one of a handful of amazing musicians living in and around Boulder, Colorado. I rarely fall in love with male voices, but there's something about his that strikes me. This album is incredibly mellow, but certainly not sleepy. It is probably the most obscure album on this list, but it's worth seeking out.

05) The Bowerbirds - Hymns For A Dark Horse (Self)
www.bowerbirds.org

I got this album as a digital download and I let it sit gathering digital dust for a few weeks. Then I saw this band live and was blown away! Somehow, The Bowerbirds manage to be both dark and optimistic, a combination I've heard few times before. The atmosphere of the recording is incredible, the instrumentation is sparse and the vocals just soar above it all.
"In Our Talons" and "Bur Oak" are 2 of the best songs I've heard all year.

04) Jens Lekman - Night Falls Over Kortedala (Secretly Canadian)
www.jenslekman.com

Sweden has given us many, many reasons to fear it's musical exports. (ABBA anyone?) Thank god they've got Jens Lekman to make up for their prior musical indiscretions. This is an album of incredible pop songs that make you want to laugh as much as cry. "Postcard To Nina" is a fine example. There are few albums that can boast a closing song as incredible as "Friday Night At The Drive In Bingo."

03) Bishop Allen - The Broken String (Dead Oceans)
www.bishopallen.com

I think what I love most about this album is it's wonderful orchestration. Each song has a unique sound. No two are really much alike at all, and yet the album manages to flow seamlessly from song to song. You don't often find clarinet on indie pop albums, but you'll find plenty here. "The Monitor," the album's opening track, is such a great song that I find myself just listening to it continuous repeat.

02) The Eames Era - Heroes and Sheroes (Self)
www.theeamesera.com

I think my feelings towards pop music are much more amiable than they have been in the past. No where has this manifested itself more than in my absolute and utter love for this record. Pop has to have a certain amount of "gee whiz," bob your head kind of feel to it and this delivers in spades. There's also a certain amount of general weirdness to be found in the linking tracks that I appreciate. Check out the video for "When You Were A Millionaire."

01) The Avett Brothers - Emotionalism (Ramseur)
www.theavettbrothers.com

This record won by a landslide this year. The first time listened to this, I laughed out loud with pure joy. Imagine Beatles tunes played by a folk group with bass, guitar and banjo and you'll be close to what these guys sound like. Practically every single song on this album is great, an accomplishment that very few bands achieve. One of my only regrets this year is that I missed seeing these guys' whole set in Telluride. Oh well, I guess there's always next year...

Well, that's it! If you'd rather listen to the opinions of people who are probably much more important than me, check out these lists:

And I'm sure my readers will point to additional lists and maybe compile a few lists of their own. Any takers?

Other odds and ends

2007-12-04T13:50:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm done with the car report, here's some other cool stuff!

I saw a film last night called Plagues and Pleasures on the Saltan Sea. If it's coming to a theater near you, go check it out! It was in Fort Collins for one night only, so sorry everybody here...
The Igloos have recorded a song! Unfortunately, you won't be able to hear it for a bit... They submitted it to a Christmas Song contest held by indie rocker Sufjan Stevens. More info about the contest here. (I sang backup vocals!)
I played 3 gigs with 3 different bands last week. I am exhausted...

My Car

2007-12-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

Everyone who knows me knows that I have a love/hate relationship with my car. Since I've been a registered driver, I've always had the same one: A '89 240DL Volvo station wagon. I've actually driven 2 of these, same year and everything. As far as I'm concerned, they are the best car ever made. I can't imagine my life without one.

On the other hand, my current situation has left me with almost no need of a car at all. When one lives within walking distance of work and the grocery store, there is little reason to start the thing up very often. If I didn't play acoustic bass, I'd probably get rid of my car altogether. This year, I've probably spent about $200 on gas, and that includes my trip to Telluride!

The problem occurs when it come to car maintenance. I always forget about it. Since I only get in my car maybe twice a month at most, thing like oil changes and working turn signals simply slip my mind. Those few times I need my car, it would be nice to have everything running nicely (and legally), but it's always last on my list of needs. Couple that with a crazy work schedule and almost no free time and you've got a recipe for a very lazy car owner.

My mother offered to ride out to the mechanic with me last night, so hopefully everything will be perfect again in the next day or so. I also cleaned up the junk that had accumulated, which I hadn't done since college. (I'm not exaggerating!) I guess this means I'll be able to expand my circle of influence once again, though who knows when I'll have time again. Work is always crazy and music seems to fill up the rest.

Even still, I'll probably keep riding my bike and walking when I can. I get far better gas millage that way ;)

The Coffee Shop

2007-10-24T17:34:00.000-06:00

For those out there who are frequenters of this blog, (all 2 of you) you may be wondering why I've been posting a bit more regularly lately. This is in large part due to the fact that I have found a new coffee shop. Well, OK, it's not really new. I've gone here off and on for a few years. Only recently has it become a part of my routine.

A regular coffee shop is something that every creative person needs. While I do a lot of work at home and in the basement studios, a coffee shop provides a certain something that is not really available at either of those places. I've been a regular at a few places here in Fort Collins, and finding a new one can be a challenge.

The perfect coffee shop for me has been quite elusive. Great places often change management, coffee brands, or little elements that can be hard to define. One great shop downtown recently changed owners, and the overall feel of the whole place has become much less of what I want. For a while recently, I was hanging out at a place that was very close to where I work. While it's location is great, the atmosphere and coffee were not exactly perfect. I still go there if I need a quick cup of coffee, but I find myself in there less and less.

This new place is much more to my liking. While it's a little out of the way, it feels like more of a destination spot. The atmosphere and coffee are top notch. Listening to the music here is like listening to my ipod. Since I don't have internet at home, this place provides me with the ability to check my email, update this blog, and do the web surfing I really don't have time for at work.

I can't say that I'm a regular here yet. I've been coming quite a bit lately, but I still don't really know the employees well yet. I've started to establish a regular table, so I guess I'm off to a good start.

There's also a really cute girl who works here. I see her infrequently, but the possibility of seeing her will probably continue to be a good motivator for frequent visits. ;)

More on that as the story develops...

Grammy Nominated?

2007-10-23T17:27:00.000-06:00

Yes, you heard me right. vee device's newest CD is actually in the running for a Grammy this year! 2 in fact! We are currently up for "Album of the Year" and "Best Pop Vocal Album."

It's still the very early stages of course. Here's how the process works according to the Wikipedia:

The Recording Academy and record companies are responsible for entering the works that they deem most deserving. Once a work is entered, reviewing sessions are held by over 150 experts from the recording industry. This is done only to determine whether or not a work is eligible or entered into the proper category. The nomination process requires that members vote only in their fields of expertise. They may nominate in the four general categories (Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artist) and in no more than nine out of 31 fields on their ballots. Once the nominations are secured, Recording Academy members may then vote in the four general categories and in no more than eight of the 31 fields. Ballots again are tabulated in secrecy by the major independent accounting firm, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu.

Basically, we've made it past the 150 experts and now the ball is in the Recording Academy's hands. I believe that we have to make it to the next round to be offically "Grammy Nominated," but it still feels pretty good to be on the list.

How did we receive this honor you might ask? All I can say is that sometimes it pays to have your own record label. :)

If you know anyone in the Recording Academy, let them know about the album. Hell, we'll send them a copy if they want to hear it! Tell your friends, write your congressman, shout it from the rooftops!

VD is spreading!

Lesson Learned

2007-10-20T10:11:00.000-06:00

I learned a valuable lesson the other day that I'd like to pass on to everyone:

"Don't ride your bicycle while listening to your ipod and drinking a cup of coffee"

I learned this one the hard way...

I was riding home from my new favorite coffee shop the other day with a to-go cup in my right hand. Mulberry is massively under construction right now, so I had to wander around the back streets for a bit to find a place to cross it. One would assume that the unevenness of a road construction zone would be the cause of a horrible cycling accident, but no! I made it past that with ease. About a block past the construction was where I actually had my downfall. (pun strongly intended)

I was slowing to a stop at an intersection, but had not really intended to come to a full stop. Most of the time when I bike through an intersection with a stop sign , I slow down considerably, but don't put my foot down and make a full stop unless there are other vehicles at the intersection. I saw a car coming in from the left a little bit late, so I applied the brake. Under normal circumstances, I probably would have stopped just fine. Unfortunately, with my coffee in my right hand, I applied the front brake, which has a tendency to stop my bike quite quickly. That, coupled with the fact that my right hand was not on the handlebars, lead to a situation that physicist Issac Newton describes in his first law of motion...

I not only fell of my bike, I literally flew over the handlebars, arms outstretched, music playing and coffee still firmly in hand. My memories of this instant are fuzzy, but I seem to remember the bike flipping over it's front wheel, which means that I was probably launched into the air by the seat.

I landed on my left side. The heel of my right hand, my chest and left knee taking most of the impact. There was really no skidding to speak of, and since I was wearing long pants and a thick wool coat I manged to escape this episode with no blood spilled. In fact, there was very little liquid spilled at all since I manged to keep a firm grip on my coffee cup. Besides a few drops on my coat and a small line on the pavement, I spilled practically none of it.

The car made a right turn at the intersection, which means it would have missed me entirely anyway, and the driver seemed to take no notice of what had just transpired. It took me a little bit to gather my wits and get back on the bike, cross the intersection and make my way back to my house.

It's been a few days now. The heel of my hand seems mostly fine, my knee is quite bruised, and my chest hurts. There's no bruise there, but it hurts a bit when I laugh or talk too loud or move too quickly. Hopefully I'll be back to tip top shape soon, but till then, any sympathy I can mine from the depths of your pity would be quite comforting. If you want to lambaste me for my utter stupidity, you are welcome to do that as well.

Classical Music From Beyond the Grave

2007-07-29T17:08:00.000-06:00

As most of you know, I'm crazy about Classical Music. From early music to modernism, I love it all. As you may not know, I have a fascination for creepy spiritualism. I love "true" ghost stories, psychics, and paranormal goings on.

Like nuts and gum, I've finally found a way to put them together at last!

While doing some web trolling, I came across the story of a woman named Rosemary Brown. According to what I've read, she was a medium who channeled the spirits of long dead composers and wrote down their music from the afterlife.

Awesome!

I'm always looking for interesting show ideas for the Symphony Hour, so this seemed perfect! Finding the music took a bit of a search. Rosemary was very active in the 60's and 70's so much of what was released was only available on vinyl. I found one CD, but in order to get it I had to send cash to some woman in Germany after sending a letter... super sketchtastic! Instead I turned to a much more reliable, far less shady venue:

I went to ebay.

I found two records and managed to win both auctions. One is coming from New York, and the other is coming from England.

I can't wait to listen to them! Hopefully they will arrive intact and playable. I receive records in the mail all the time a work, so I'm not overly concerned. I'll probably be unleashing them on the public at large around Halloween.

More about Rosemary Brown can be found at:

Wikipedia
About.com
Rosemary Brown: The Musical Medium
German Website with the only CD I could find (order at your own risk!)

I'm 26 now...

2007-07-01T13:15:00.001-06:00

One thing I forgot to mention in all the Telluride madness (which I have now returned from) is that I turned 26 years old that first night I was up in Peonia. I didn't tell the guys up there about it, and I haven't really celebrated since I've gotten back. This is the first birthday I've had that really passed without much ado.

Much like when I turned 25, I'm finding myself reflecting on the past several years. My post- college years have been mostly successful, but I still feel like I'm really searching for my place in life. I haven't really had the time to completely settle in anywhere. All of the jobs I had have been temporary, except for the current one. I've moved every single year since I've been back here. My love life has consisted of moments either painful or painfully short.

Still, Colorado is a wonderful place to be, and I can't imagine my life anywhere else. Did I really spend 4 years in Missouri? I've been back here almost that long now! Will I really spend the rest of my life here like I've always thought? Is there someplace I'd rather be?

And I still haven't answered the biggest questions of all.

Why am I here?

What am I supposed to do?

Maybe I'll figure them out by next year.

Maybe I won't.

Northern Colorado Rules!

2007-06-23T15:11:00.000-06:00

More specifically Boulder area Colorado Rules, and pretty much only in bluegrass music competitions. They announced the winners of both the band and troubadour competitions this morning. I missed all of the troubadour finals, but I managed to see the final band competition on the main stage. Four bands played three songs apiece.

The bands: Green Mountain Grass, Daybreak Express, Lonesome Traveler Bluegrass Band, and Spring Creek Bluegrass Band.

Green Mountain Grass / Daybreak Express

Lonesome Traveller / Spring Creek

In the end...

Spring Creek took first and Lonesome Traveler took second! Both bands have been on Live @ Lunch in the past year.

The troubadour winner is none other than Gregory Alan Isakov who I hosted on Live @ Lunch just a few weeks ago! He's also from the Boulder area. I'm going of to see his set right now. Pictures will most certainly follow.

In other news, I'm starting to become quiet disgusting. Luckily the anti-bacterial qualities of KRFC's new bamboo t-shirts are working much better than expected. Despite my failure to shower for the past few days and my forgetting to bring any deodorant with me, I don't seem to be smelling too bad. Here's a picture so you can judge for yourselves how much in need of grooming I am.

Crooked Still

2007-06-23T09:29:00.000-06:00

There were lots of great performances yesterday: Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Chris Thile and How to Grow a Band, Guster... But the best by far was Crooked Still

I got in to town too late to see their set on the main stage, but luckily they played another set on a small stage in town. I love going into a show expecting something amazing and I'm blown away. These guys don't disappoint! First off, the music is better than it is on CD. They have an energy that just can't be captured by audio alone. Next, they're all amazing players. Greg, the banjo player, is almost as fast as Bela, and I've never seen anyone literally attack a cello the way Rushad does. Add to those the fact that they play the music I love and that Aoife is beautiful, and you've got me absolutely defeated. Oh yeah, and Cassey Driessen showed up and played most of the set with them too.

I took many pictures and got an audio recording of most of the show. The pictures, as usual, are pretty craptastic, and I'm not sure how well the audio came out, but Ill have lots to share when I get home. For now, here's a couple pictures from yesterday's bands:

Day One: Arrivals and Close Encounters

2007-06-22T12:12:00.000-06:00

My first day in Telluride was an exciting one!

I got in to town about 2:30, just in time to miss Crooked Still, but in time to listen to the Avett Brothers while I set up my tent!

A little bit about the place I'm staying:

I'm camping in the yard of the neighbor of station manager of KOTO fm in Telluride. Carole hooked me up with his name and number and he's been graciously letting me mooch off his neighbors for the whole festival. I'm in a very small tent that my mother loaned me, and my car is park quiet precariously in the driveway. Without a permit, you're not allowed to park anywhere in the city on the street. Luckily, there was just enough room in the drive for me to squeeze in. The house is about a block away from the festival entrance as well. I can hear the main stage audio quiet clearly from my tent.

I got my press pass at the "special" will call tent and made my way inside. The festival grounds are beautiful! Beer is plentiful and not too expensive (if you keep your cup) and most people are friendly. The press pass allows me access not only to the backstage press area, but also to the prime seating right in front of the stage. That's why I'm able to take such close up pictures.

I've been rubbing elbows with artists and their families. I sat next to Abigail Washburn for a few hours yesterday and didn't realize it was her till after she'd left. I almost ran into Casey Driessen, and saw half of the members of Crooked Still a few rows over.

The best set I've seen so far was the Telluride House band, but it was fun to catch Emmilou and the Counting Crows. I left their set early, but I listened to them from the comfort of my tent as a fell asleep. It got pretty cold last night. Good thing my sleeping bag is rated for cold weather!

Internet service is spottier than expected, but it looks like I've got power close by to keep the posts coming! Expect more soon!

How Did I End Up Here?

2007-06-21T19:20:00.000-06:00

So, through a rather bizarre series of events, I now find myself at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. I've been gone from Fort Collins for just over 24 hours now, and I've already had some crazy adventures on the Western Slope. I don't want to go into too much detail right now because I want to get back to the festival. I just want my friends and family to know that I am alive and well, I have a place to stay, my car appears to be safe and I am having a blast!

Press passes rule, by the way. Not only do I have backstage access, I also have a great seat right up front.!Here's a picture I took of the Telluride House Band:

(Darol Anger, Bela Fleck, Edgar Meyer, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Bryan Sutton)

I'll try to keep posting throughout the festival until my laptop batteries die. I may be able to scare up some power from an old friend... more on that later!

I want to get back now to eat and catch a bit of Emmlou Harris. Look for new posts soon!

Why My Parents Are Cooler Than I'll Ever Be

2007-05-11T21:29:00.000-06:00

So my mother just dropped a bomb of a story on me today...

Apparently, in 1969, my mother and father played with a band called the "Mother Pucker Jug Band." They were both in college at Colorado State University, and there band was invited to open for a band at the arena at the college.

It turns out that band was The Rolling Stones.

OK, so there's two questions I have:

1) Why was I never told about this?!
2) Why the hell did the Rolling Stones have a jug band open for them?!?!?

Being a somewhat skeptical person by nature, I decided to do a little research. The Rolling Stones? In Fort Collins? Yeah right.

It turns out, it true! Wikipedia says it was the first stop on their 1969 tour. This website even shows a ticket stub:

I haven't found any evidence of an opener anywhere, but that doesn't mean there wasn't one. A Google search for the "Mother Pucker Jug Band" yields nothing.

My mother claims that the Stones weren't really all that
big in 1969, but clearly she's misinformed. The '69 tour was the one featured in the movie "Gimme Shelter."(Though I don't think the CSU show is shown in the film) She must have been drinking a bit too much of whatever was in the jug before her band decided to play it...

In any case, my parents are clearly much cooler than I ever gave them credit for.

Single Man, Single Malt

2007-04-29T23:03:00.000-06:00

I've never really felt the need in my life for an organized religion. Most belief systems I find either silly or creepy. Even still, my life is fill with rituals, patterns and superstitions. When you live so much of your life inside your own head, you tend to start ascribing to things more weight and meaning than they actually have.

And so it goes with my bottle of Laphroig.

You may remember back to last year when I purchased my first bottle of single malt scotch. It's still with me. I've managed to drink all but the final glass of it. For some reason, I always felt that this bottle could not be finished until I had a good reason to finish it.

Tonight I mark one year of single life. In general, things have gone well. I'm more successful than I was a year ago. I have a much better job, I've done some of the most creative and hard artistic work I've ever done, and I've managed to settle into a life that brings me fulfillment. Even still, I find myself lonely. I had hoped by the time a year had gone by I might find someone new. It looks like I'll still be searching for a while.

So I'm drinking my last glass and toasting to 3 things:

- The one who got away
- The one who will never let me go
- The ability to forget the former and find the latter

Cheers

Pledge Drive Madness!

2007-04-25T18:01:00.000-06:00

As you may or may not know, I am the music director at KRFC fm in Fort Collins Colorado. This is a job I’ve had for a few months, and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying it so far. If you haven’t heard about KRFC before, it is a volunteer run, commercial free, community radio station that serves Northern Colorado with great independent music, local news and public affairs programs by members of the community. I was a volunteer long before I became an employee, and I believe that the station does a wonderful service to by providing news and entertainment that you just can’t get anywhere else.

Getting right to the chase, KRFC is in the midst of it spring membership drive. We’re trying to raise $45,000 this week from listener contributions to help keep the station on the air. It costs about $800 dollars a day to keep a station like KRFC up and running! We doing fine so far, but we’ve still got a long ways to go.

In addition to being the music director at the station, I also act as a DJ on the Morning Mix on Thursdays from 8am to 10am, and the Symphony Hour on Sundays from 4pm to 5pm. Each show has a dollar amount goal that they try to reach, and my goal for the Morning Mix is $725. The Symphony Hour’s time has already come and gone, (and I made my goal) but I think I’m going to need a little help on the Morning Mix. If you’ve got a few extra dollars burning a hole in your pocket, we sure could use them around here! Listen in at 88.9 fm in Northern Colorado, or listen online at krfcfm.org/stream/.

Of course we do give something back to you. Besides the fabulous KRFC programming you get, we do have premiums at the various contribution levels. You can find out more about them here.

You can pledge your support online at krfcfm.org/Donate/member.php or by calling the station at 970-221-5075 or toll free at 1-866-221-5065

Alright, that’s the end of my commercial for non-commercial radio.

Evil Folk Music

2007-04-15T02:42:00.000-06:00

As those who know me well will tell you, I've always had a strong fascination with folk music. What many of my friends may not know is that this enthusiasm is mostly concentrated on the very dark, sinister side of folk. I love murder ballads, songs about lost and unrequited love, demons and other unsavory topics. My dad used to sing me to sleep at night with a song about miners being slowly suffocated to death 2 miles below the earth...

Lately I've been obsessed with the old ballad, "Flora, the Lily of the West." It goes something like this:

When first I came to Louisville, some pleasure there to find,
A damsel there from Lexington was pleasing to my mind.
Her rosy cheeks, her ruby lips, like arrows pierced my breast --
The name she bore was Flora, the Lily of the West.

I courted lovely Flora, some pleasure there to find,
She turned unto another man, which so distressed my mind.
She robbed me of my liberty, deprived me off my rest --
I loved my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.

'Way down in yonder shady grove, a man of low degree
Conversing with my Flora there, it seemed so strange to me.
And the answer that she gave to him, it so did me oppress --
I was betrayed by Flora, the Lily of the West.

I stepped up to my rival, my dagger in my hand.
I seized him by the collar, and I boldly made him stand.
Being mad to desperation, I pierced him in the breast --
I killed a man for Flora, the Lily of the West.

I had to stand my trial, I had to make my plea;
They placed me in the criminal box, and then commenced on me.
Although they swore my life away, deprived me of my rest --
I loved my faithless Flora, the Lily of the West.

I'm currently enjoying the version by Crooked Still, which has the proper amount of ass-kicking drive and bluesy cello that folk music this dark requires.

A new opera in Dennis' future? Possibly. First I have to finish the current vee device project, I suppose. And the other opera I have kicking around in my head. Oh, and that ballet I've got hiding in there somewhere too.

There's just not enough time to write music these days.

I'm too busy listening to it.

Still no internet... But I bought a laptop!

2007-04-08T17:47:00.000-06:00

Hello Everyone!

Once again I've managed to be absent for months... I blame my job. At least I'm now full time so I actually get paid for the hours I put in.

The new job takes up so much of my time that I'm rarely on the internet at all unless I'm doing work related stuff. I still have no stable internet at my house. For a guy who loves his computer as much as I do, I can't believe I survive without it, but some how I manage. I lived without an internet connection at my house for two years in college and I'm well on my way to doing it again. This time, however, I have two new weapons at my disposal: lazy, uneducated, or highly kind neighbors and...

A new laptop!!!

After a conversation with Sam over at flexistentialist.org, it became apparent that my life would not be complete without a sexy new computer of the Apple persuasion. Luckily, Apple's wonderful refurbished section provided a sweet deal, the new job provided the funds, and I'm now the proud owner of a nearly new MacBook!

I've been slipping into the Mac world slowly over the course of many years. My college was outfitted with a whole lab of Macs in the music department, and good friends and roommates of have been showing theirs off for years. Buying an iPod about 2 years ago was the gateway drug that probably sealed the deal. Yes, I am a consumer whore!

Stealing wireless has never been easier! Now instead of banging my head in frustration when my neighbor's signal is bad, I can pop down to the local caffeine vendor, VD HQ, or even my workplace and steal from an entirely new network!

The only thing missing right now is a good name. The best I've come up with so far is "Luna" because I received it the night of a full moon. Any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Once again, I predict less time between posts. Let's see if it comes true!

My Required "Every-Few-Months" Post

2006-11-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

Hello again!

Alright, I've managed to steal some wireless Internet from my kind, and probably technically deficient neighbors and make this post. Aren't you all so happy?

So what's new with me? Basically everything! Huzzah!

- I've been to Spain, and I decided to come back. (too much fish, but the wine is great)
- I've moved. (into the ugliest house on Whedbee street)
- I have a new job in public radio. (3/4 time = 50 hrs per week)
- I walk to work every day. (5 blocks of beautiful fall/winter bliss)
- vee device's album is out. (critics still haven't weighed in)
- We performed the first act of the rock opera. (wow, I sorry if you missed that)
- vee and I got ourselves a Wii. (dubbed the "wii device")
- I had my heart broken once again. (but a much smaller injury this time)
- I've started doing Bikram Yoga. (no health benefits in radioland, but there's yoga!)
- I've seen Joanna Newsom and my life will never be the same. (Why must Harpists be so wonderful?)

So in general I've just replaced every bit of chaos that existed in my life with an entirely different set of chaotic things. Maybe life will settle down eventually...

As soon as I set up some stable Internet access here at the new house maybe I'll post a little bit more. (but don't count on it)

New West Fest (and other new stuff)

2006-08-19T23:41:00.000-06:00

So New West Fest is on right now in Fort Collins. It's my hometown's birthday celebration and we celebrate it with a huge downtown party with lots of hip bands, carnival rides and greasy food. vee device is playing tomorrow right before Nickel Creek, so we should have a nice big crowd.

Besides the Fest which is new, here are some other "new" things in my life:

- I am currently homeless. Technically, I do have a place to stay but it is very temporary. My worldy possessions are at my mothers house and I've been sleeping on vee's couch for the past week or so. What sort of place I move into depends upon...

- The new job I've applied for. It's at the radio station. It involves music. If I get it my yearly salary will double. All good things!

- I have new glasses and a new haircut. Both look incredibly sexy.

- vee device's new CD is almost ready to send off to be pressed. It is very... different, but in a good way.

- The Valkyrie has returned! If you know what that means you are probably vee. For everyone else, explanations are in order, but they will come at a later time...

Fort Collins friends, come see us rock Mountain Ave tomorrow!

Oh Where, Oh Where Have My Glasses Gone?

2006-07-26T14:05:00.000-06:00

Ok, so yesterday was one of the strangest days of my life.

I fell asleep Monday night on my couch watching a movie. I believe that I was wearing my glasses while dozing off, though I may have taken them off just before losing consciousness (as I sometimes do). When I woke up in the morning, my glasses were nowhere to be found…

For those of you who don’t wear glasses, you should know that losing your glasses is one of the most frustrating things that can occur. Trying to find them is an exercise in futility. You just can’t see well enough to do an effective search.

I spent 2 hours looking on my own, and an additional hour searching with my mother to try to find them. We were unsuccessful. We decided that the best option was to get a new pair. My old glasses are about 2 years old, they’re scratched and bent, and I was pretty sure my prescription had changed at least a little bit. We got an emergency appointment and zipped down to the south of town.

Upon my arrival, I was whisked into the back for a quick and dirty eye exam. It turns out that my left eye’s vision has deteriorated a bit, so a new pair of glasses would probably a good thing even if I hadn’t lost them. Now comes the bad news: this eye doctor cannot get me glasses for several days…

The doctor I usually see has changed practices and this new place doesn’t shape lenses on site. Also, the doctor I normally see wasn’t even in. They told me that my only option, if I wanted to be able to see for the next several days, was to get fitted for a pair of contacts.

<rant>Let’s step outside of the story for a bit to rant about how much I have never wanted to get contacts. Ever. The thought of sticking a piece of plastic into my eye is quite unappealing. I have never understood why people would want to do this. Discomfort for the sake of vanity is something I have always sought to fight against. Besides, glasses are hip, and they look good on me. Also, I don’t have to worry about them giving me horrible eye infections. In my opinion, glasses are far superior to contacts.</rant>

Since it was my only option, and they offered to give me a pair for free, I reluctantly agreed. I’m going in for a full eye exam next week, and I’ll probably get a new pair of glasses then, but for now I’m stuck with these blasted contacts! I hate putting them in. I hate taking them out. I hate how they make my eyes feel. I don’t like things touching my eyeball!

I hate contacts with a passion that burns like the unyeiding fire of a thousand suns!

P.S. for those of you who are thinking that my glasses are just hiding in my couch somewhere and that I just haven’t looked hard enough, know this: both vee and my mother and myself have dug through it, turned it up on every end and practically ripped it apart trying to find them. They are not in the couch. They are also not in the trash, the sink, the refrigerator or the freezer, the bathroom, or in my car. I did not eat them, nor are they in my ass.

I have prayed to St. Anthony, and even though I’m not Catholic, I’m sure he can offer me more help than any of you can.

STL here I come...

2006-07-13T23:32:00.000-06:00

...not with a roar, but with a whimper I suppose. I'm leaving in a few hours. I'm not yet packed. I've been up since 2:30 AM. I'm going to a wedding which should be fun. I also have some unfinished affairs to take care of which may not be so fun. My heart and my eyelids are very heavy and in need of rest.

See you Saint Louis folk in a few hours. See you Fort Collins folk in a few days.

My Absence

2006-07-05T21:59:00.000-06:00

vee said something to me in the midst of a long conversation we had today. He said, "you don't post things on the internet unless you expect people to read them!" This is probably the reason why I haven't posted in a while. A lot has happened in my life that I have decided not to share with you all because I fear that you will read it. I'm still very reluctant to talk about it all, and probably will be for sometime.

For those of you hungry for Dennis related news:

1. I'm hoping I can find a new profession soon that does not involve standing in front of a hot oven all day.

2. I bought a bottle of Talisker 10 year old that I've shared with good friends and hope to share with a few more.

3. I'm sleeping as much as I can, which seems to be less and less all the time.

4. I'm 25 now and ready to do something meaningful with my life. I hope to know exactly what that is soon. I'll keep you all posted.

Don't worry about me gentle readers, I have always managed the rough seas of a turbulent life. Worry about yourselves, and I'll be back to normal before you know it!

Final Paddy's Day Results!

2006-03-19T04:02:00.000-07:00

03/18/06

Shows played: 10.5 (though Mouse claims 13... hmmm?)
Shows left: 0

Pints of Guiness consumed: 6
Car Bombs had: 8
Whiskey: 4 Jameson, 1 Laphroaig, 1 whiskey coco
Other: 1 Alaskan Liqueur (whose name I can’t recall), 1 Arrogant Bastard Ale, 1 Camelot mead, 1/2 pitcher of PBR, 1 Strongbow Cider, 1 Gordon Biersch Schwarzbier

Meals that have involved corned beef and/or cabbage: 3

Saint Paddy's Update.

2006-03-17T02:00:00.000-07:00

03/16/06

Shows played: 6.5 (we set up but didn’t play for a parade)
Shows left: 4

Pints of Guiness consumed: 4
Car Bombs had: 6
Whiskey: 3 Jameson, 1 Laphroaig, 1 whiskey coco
Other: 1 Alaskan Liqueur (whose name I can’t recall), 1 Arrogant Bastard Ale, 1 Camelot mead, 1/2 pitcher of PBR

Meals that have involved corned beef and/or cabbage: 3

Happy Holiday!

2006-03-15T14:18:00.000-07:00

It’s that time of year again! Saint Patrick’s Day is coming soon, are you prepared? Have you bought your Guiness, pulled out your green clothing and started corning your brisket? If not you better get on it.

I’ve already had several shows this week. For me and the band, everything kicked off last Wednesday with our annual Paddy’s Week party. In the interest of completeness and to gauge just how much fun I am having, here is my Paddy’s Week stats (so far):

03/15/06

Shows played: 3.5 (we set up but didn’t play for a parade)
Shows left: 7

Pints of Guiness consumed: 3
Car Bombs had: 4
Whiskey: 1 Jameson, 1 Laphroaig, 1 whiskey coco
Other: 1 Alaskan Liqueur (whose name I can’t recall), 1 Arrogant Bastard Ale, 1 Camelot mead

Meals that have involved corned beef and/or cabbage: 3

That’s it for now. Hopefully stats will be updated as I go. Have a great holiday season everyone!

Sláinte!

Penderecki, Wine and the Tao

2006-01-27T23:16:00.000-07:00

I should spend my first post back from California telling you how exciting it was, how I was sick at first and managed to get well quickly, how I woke up one day only a few minutes from the beach, how I woke up another day in the backseat of a car, how I won $12 in Vegas, or how I survived a mild collision with one of the larger mammals of the North American continent. Instead I will tell you about this week, and how it relates to a 20th century Polish composer, fine spirits and the teachings of Lao Tse.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

An old family friend named John makes wine. He is Italian, so I suppose it is in his blood. Now when John makes wine, he doesn’t do it in the way that most people make wine today. People today have a lot of accessories that they use in the wine making process; various devices that measure temperature, alcohol content, and whatnot. John uses none of these things. He simply ferments fruit juice and yeast in a carboy for a while, filters out the bad stuff at the end and, voila, its wine. In fact, I go so far as to say that it is downright excellent wine.

Most wine makers, especially home wine makers, get so caught up in making a particular style of wine and getting it perfect. I find that they are ultimately disappointed. The entire process has so many variables that it is almost impossible to get everything right. They often fail because their expectations are too high, and their goal too specific. If they just went for something less specific, they’d succeed almost every time.

This is very much like how I try to live my life. I try not to set too many specific goals, and I try not to force my life to follow a path of my choosing. I wander through life, take what comes my way, and I am often surprised at the results.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I was awakened early on Tuesday morning by my boss at the bakery. He had forgotten to tell me that they needed me to work that day and he was calling to ask if I would be able to come in to work in about an hour. I said yes, of course, and dragged myself out of bed. Work was fine, though I was a bit groggy. As a pulled into the satellite bakery on my first delivery of the day, I got a phone call. I usually either turn my phone off or put it on silent so I don’t have to worry about being disturbed at work. I pulled my phone out and canceled the call, but not before noticing that it was the director of the local community symphony. This was not anything particularly special. I do a radio program with him on Sundays, and he also directs the local university symphony which I play with occasionally.

I finished my delivery and listened to the message on my way back to the main store. Apparently, one of the bassists for the community symphony was injured in a car accident and was unable to play the concert on Saturday. Normally this would not be too much of a problem, since there are a number of bassists in the symphony, and missing one would not be critical. The only problem is that the symphony is playing a piece by Penderecki called “Threnody for the Victims of Hiroshima” and it requires 52 individual string parts, 8 unique ones for the bass alone! With one bassist missing, the piece simply would not work! The spot was offered to me, as long as I was available for the concert and the rehearsals.

I called back almost immediately and accepted! Somehow, without an audition and without even really trying, I was called to sit 3rd chair in the symphony that I grew up listening to and play one of the greatest works of the 20th century.

When you let life come to you and take whatever opportunities come your way, your life will always be fulfilling, and never boring. Flexibility and patience are the keys to happiness.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

AGAINST TRUSTING IN STRENGTH

Man is born gentle and supple.
At death, his body is brittle and hard.
Living plants are tender,
and filled with life-giving sap,
but at their death they are withered and dry.
The stiff, the hard, and brittle
are harbingers of death,
and gentleness and yielding
are the signs of that which lives.
The warrior who is inflexible
condemns himself to death,
and the tree is easily broken,
which ever refuses to yield.
Thus the hard and brittle will surely fall,
and the soft and supple will overcome.

Lao Tse, “Tao Te Ching”

On the Road

2006-01-04T00:04:00.000-07:00

Ye Old Irish band is hitting the road tomorrow on our exciting trip to California. Woo hoo... I'll be keeping an old fashioned trip journal this week and hopefully that will end up here when I get back to the Fort. If any of you readers happen to be living in any of the towns we are visiting, be sure to avoid the following establishments on the following nights:

Wednesday, January 4th - Burt's Tiki Lounge, Salt Lake City
Thursday, January 5th - Killarney's Irish Pub, Temecula, CA
Friday, January 6th - Tom Giblin's Pub, Carlsbad, CA
Saturday, January 7th - R. O'Sullivan's, Escondido, CA
Sunday, January 8th - Fado Irish Pub, Vegas
Monday, January 9th - Somewhere in Phoenix TBA

Hopefully I'll get back in one piece...

Christmas Wrapup

2005-12-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

Well Christmas is finally over! I worked over 110 hours in the past two weeks and have been enjoying a few wonderful, and, dare I say, well deserved, days off.

Christmas was kind to me. The biggest gift of the year was a new guitar! Hurray! Now I don’t have to go on tour with a family heirloom! I also got some new dishes, lots of treats and money.

The strangest gift I got by far was from Sam and Madalene. They sent me lots of tasty Asian goodies which no doubt came from Seafood City in Saint Louis. The Mr. Brown Blue Mountain Style Iced Coffee drink and The Wahaha Baby drink are both quite creepy, but the creepiest treat is probably the Triko Assorted Fruit Jelly. The assortment consists of 4 flavors: Grape, Apple, Orange and… Aloe Vera!

All of the fruit jellies also contain real fruit, except the aloe vera, (thank goodness!) and they are also vegetarian, as they contain seaweed extract instead of gelatin. (it’s made from hooves you know!)

I’ve only tried the grape so far. Its hideousness is beyond description.

Happy Yule!

2005-12-21T16:10:00.000-07:00

Happy Yule Everyone!

Burn something tonight or the damn days will keep getting shorter!!!!!

I plan to celebrate by drinking scotch, passing out for a few hours and going back to work...

Maybe I'll light a match or something.

Surviving

2005-12-14T18:05:00.000-07:00

I’m feeling much better now.

My body is starting to adjust to crazy Christmas baking. Either that or I’m starting to lose my mind. I was singing along with the Christmas carols on the radio today…

The rest of this week should be OK. Mostly early mornings, but nothing too bad. Next week is when I start coming in at 9 or 10 PM and working all night. Those shifts are killer. At about 3 AM, you start to hate life and get annoyed at the slightest things. Fortunately, when the sun comes up everything becomes good again and you stop being tired. It’s funny how it works.

So everything should be fine as long as I get good sleep, drink my coffee, and nobody asks me what the difference between Cinnamon Burst and Cinnamon Burst Swirl is ever again!

Dennis Sleep Now... Thud!

2005-12-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

Dennis must sleep now.

He has to work in 6 hours.

Bakery bad!

Starting to hate Christmas...

Sentences, losing pronouns, proper syntax...

Maybe more scotch will help...

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

Greatest Day in History?

2005-12-05T08:43:00.001-07:00

Today might just be the greatest day in history! Not only was Prohibition ended on this day in 1933, but today we celebrate the 214th anniversary of the death of Mozart! I think I’ll spend the day getting wasted while listening to Mozart’s Requiem in D minor.

Oh, and I’ll probably be doing it in a ninja suit because today is also the Day of the Ninja!

I heart Wikipedia!

"A mocha with a shot of cinnamon"

2005-11-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

This may seem to be a bit of a pointless post after not posting for a month, but…

Today I decided to go out to lunch down in Old Town. Walking back to my car, which I parked all the way across downtown from where I was eating, I decided to stop in at Starry Night and grab a cup of something to fire me up for another Symphony Hour cramming session.

Starry Night is the kind of place that always makes me feel wonderful when I walk in. I’ve been a fairly regular customer there since I was in high school. The quality of the coffee, espresso and food there are practically unmatched.

I walked up to the counter and gave my order to the barista.

“A mocha with a shot of cinnamon.”

This has been my special drink for many years. I first ordered this drink at a coffee shop in St. Louis called Pony Espresso which is sadly no longer open. It was a cold day in December, finals week of my freshman year of college. At the time, I was into drinking various espresso drinks with a shot of whatever syrup struck my fancy at the moment. After ordering the drink, I remember the barista commenting that it sounded like a good drink for a cold day.

I don’t order this drink often. In fact, I order it quite rarely. The time and place have to be just right for this combination to work. It doesn’t take the bad days and make them good, and it doesn’t take the good days and make them better. Regardless of how the day is going, what this drink does is make everything right. Not just seem right, but be right.

That’s how I felt as I walked back to my car this afternoon. The wind was blowing, the sky was clear. I was wrapped in a wool coat and my purple scarf. I sipped my mocha with cinnamon and at that instant…

Everything was right.

Barista No More

2005-10-24T23:38:00.000-06:00

It's official, my last day as a barista was last Sunday. The owner of the shop where I have been working has been contemplating selling the business for a while now. A buyer was recently found and ownership was transferred on Wednesday. The new owner wants to try to run things himself for the time being, so I was let go.

While I have certainly enjoyed being a barista, I'm not too sorry to see the job go. I wasn't working there terribly often, only a few hours each week, and my normal work day was not ideal. I have a regular gig at a bar on Saturday nights with the Celtic band down in Denver and I would have to go to work at 8:00 on Sunday morning. I can't believe that I did that almost every week for 3 months... Also, I just got a raise at the bakery that mostly covers the money I lose from the coffee shop, so my income will stay basically the same.

Being a barista was one of the most fun jobs I've ever had. I've enjoyed the challenge of making great espresso and coffee for people. I'll miss the regular customers a lot too. The owner was wonderful, and the job was never stressful. I am proud of the knowledge and skills that I gained there, and I hope that I can use them again in the future.

Anyway, at least my Sundays are mostly free now and I'll finally be able to get enough sleep on Saturday nights!

Musical Anarchy and Musical Order

2005-10-21T14:47:00.000-06:00

The past few days have been filled up with contrasting musical experiences. The first involved playing with vee device in an anarchist hangout. The second involved sight reading a Mozart opera.

On Monday, vee and I drove down to Denver to play a show at the Brokedown Book Collective. Basically, this is a place that serves as a gathering place for anarchists, hippies, radicals, poets, artists and other sorts of free thinking crazies. It was awesome! G Man and Charlie Rose joined us onstage for the performance, and while their playing was top notch, most of the nights memorable moments happened offstage. While playing music, I was witness to two different crimes, and a third occurred shortly after we arrived and before we started playing. Descriptions of these events (penned eloquently by vee) can be found here. Audio clips from the performance can be found here.

On the other side of the musical spectrum was my Wednesday night. I play occasionally with the local university symphony, but they’ve been playing Mozart’s Cossi Fan Tutti lately with the opera program and it only requires two bassists. Last week, I got a call from one of the bassists asking me if I could sub for the dress rehearsal.

Now for those of you who may not know me, I’m not a fan of Mr. Mozart. I find his music to be rather annoying for reasons too complicated to describe here. Still, playing an entire opera that you’ve never even read through before seemed to be an entertaining way to spend a night, so I accepted.

The rehearsal went rather well considering I had never seen the music before. The only really horrible mistake I made was because of an improperly marked cut. My playing wasn’t great, or polished, but I got the job done. I’m fairly good at sight reading music, but doing it for two hours was very taxing on my mind. By the end, I was quite glad it was over.

After the performance, the conductor thanked me and asked me what I thought of the experience. To him I said, “let me put it this way: I’m going to go home right now, drink a glass of scotch, and pass out.”

And I did.

In related news, vee device has a show tonight at 7:30 PM at Café Amoré, 255 Linden St. in Old Town Fort Collins. It will just be vee and I, but it promises to be an entertaining evening. Hope to see you there!

Also, in completely unrelated news, a big “Happy Birthday” to Barb!

Jeans or Scotch?

2005-10-12T15:31:00.000-06:00

Jeans or Scotch?

Fashion or Intoxication?

I'm torn here. I've been contemplating buying a bottle of good single-malt scotch recently, but I also recently discovered a rip in one of my pairs of jeans. I've only got money enough for one or the other. I could possibly get one of each, but I fear that I would not have enough money to purchase both items at the quality level that I am looking for.

For Jeans, I'll most likely get some at the Gap. Relaxed boot fit is my jean of choice. For scotches, I'm considering Laphroaig or Lagavulin. I've also Considered Red Breast, but it's an Irish Whiskey so I guess, while it is very good, it's not technically Scotch.

Entering into this discussion is the thought that my mother is fairly likely to buy me a pair of jeans when asked, and less likely to buy me a bottle of scotch (though not completely out of the question, if you know my mother).

Any suggestions on this matter would be greatly appreciated.

Guinness + Gouda = Heaven

2005-10-05T14:23:00.000-06:00

We made Guinness and smoked gouda bread today at the bakery.

It might possibly be the greatest thing I've ever tasted.

I promised vee that I would share it with him. I hope I have the willpower to keep myself from eating it all right now...

If this bread contained pistachios, I would probably die from ultimate flavor overload.

I'm going to melt into a puddle of sweet, sweet ecstasy right now.

Have a great day everyone.

I know I will.

Change of Seasons

2005-09-26T13:58:00.000-06:00

Fall is here! I biked to the radio station today and was almost overwhelmed by how beautiful and comforting Colorado feels right now. I've heard people say that they miss the fall from wherever they grew up. I see how that could easily happen, coming from a place as beautiful as this.

I've been very delinquent in my posting for the past several months. A lot has changed. I have a new job as a baker which means my mornings are earlier than they have ever been, and my nights are shorter. Vee device's CD is out and garnering critical acclaim (and possibly a Grammy nomination!) I've moved to a new house with an old friend and am starting to feel at peace in new surroundings. Love has left my life, but I have hope that it will return soon...

My weekend is now Monday and Tuesday, and today is the first day I've really had to sit back and truly relax. I think I've got some long overdue time in the hammock to get to, but I needed to make this post to let the world know that I am still alive and doing as well as I can.

The future is now a great unknown to me, and while I find little comfort in that, the weather seems to be washing away whatever melancholy I have been feeling. Life has a funny way of balancing things out.

What does it mean to Love?

2005-09-25T20:10:00.000-06:00

“What does it mean to love?” asked The Little Prince.

“It is an act too often neglected,” said The Fox.
“It means to establish ties.
To me you are still nothing more than a little boy
Like a hundred-thousand little boys
And I have no need of you.

And you on your part have no need of me.
To you I am nothing more than a fox
Like a hundred-thousand other foxes.

But if you love me,
Then we shall need each other.
To me you shall be unique in all the world.

Now, here is my secret.
A very simple secret:
It is only with the heart that one can see rightly.
What is essential is invisible to the eye.
It is the time you have wasted for your rose
That makes your rose so important.

You become responsible for what you have loved.”’

-- Antoine de Saint Exupéry

Back From STL…

2005-02-26T02:00:00.000-07:00

...and busy as hell!

My trip couldn’t have been more wonderful. (Unless it was longer) Barb and her family were very gracious hosts for the week. I stayed in her little brother’s room on his very short bed. Barb and I got a lot of time to talk and cuddle, which made me feel very loved. Yay Barb!

I also got all of my work done for the opera company. I stopped by to make sure all of the synths were still working. They were, though I did make a few mistakes in the guide. The thought crossed my mind to leave the inaccuracies in it so that I would be guaranteed a few phone calls or emails, but my morals kicked in and I fixed it. :) The check should be coming in the mail any day now…

I caught up with good ol’ Sam and Madalene. Sam is quite busy doing science demonstrations, growing mushrooms and driving around in his fairly new biodiesel Mercedes. We cooked, played Tetris, watched movies, and generally had a great time.

I stopped by Webster to chat with some old friends and teachers. I got to show a few people some of the stuff that vee device is doing on our new album. Most everybody seems to be doing ok. A few friends are getting married, and one couple I know is spawning a child. Very creepy…

Oh, and I got to ride a Segway!

Anyway, upon my return I’ve had a bunch of rehearsals and a concert with the chamber orchestra. Things got a little hectic on Wednesday since I didn’t know we had a rehearsal until after it had started. I had to speed across town, grab my bass, and get back into town. Thursday’s rehearsal was much less stressful, and the concert was a success.

Today was finally a slack day. I had to mix sound for the live show, but that was basically it. I hung out with Dave for the rest of the day playing games and drinking beer. We also caught a Newcomer’s Hom e show down at Everyday Joe’s. All in all, it was the perfect end to a crazy week.

Back on Top Again

2005-02-10T01:18:00.000-07:00

With the way this week has gone, I can definitely say that I am back on top of my game once again. I’m as busy as ever, making a bit of money, and doing what I love.

The Orchestra tour went fine. I met some interesting people, and hopefully turned some kids on to the idea that they should consider becoming music majors. Additionally, I have been asked to become a full time member of both this chamber symphony, and the larger orchestra that it is a part of. Looks like I’ve still got what it takes to play classical music.

I’ve also been offered the job of co-hosting a radio show about classical music around town with the conductor of this symphony. It’s going to be a lot of work, but I think that it will be an amazing opportunity to meet even more classical musicians in town, which is always a good thing.

Other quick happy things in my life right now:

- The opera company got my synth guide and have offered to pay me $300 for my efforts.

- We celebrated our 500^th live radio show on the air today.

- I’m less than $100 away from buying an iPod.

- I received a wallet sized college diploma today which was promptly inserted into my wallet (right next to my wallet sized high school diploma).

- I can finally sleep in tomorrow.

And best of all, I get to see Barb and my STL friends next week!!!

I hope this trend of happiness continues indefinitely.

New Opportunities

2005-02-06T01:23:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe how much crap I’ve had to do this week. I thought I might have a nice relaxing weekend, but fate has yet again intervened to rob me of precious slack time.

I’ve been doing some work for an opera company in Saint Louis that is a continuation of some work I did last summer. I programmed and set up synthesizers for a modern opera which is now going on tour. I’m basically the only one in the country who knows exactly how to set up the synths, so I got hired to write a little startup guide to help out the new techies as the show travels from city to city. Who knows, maybe I will be shipped of to some far away state to once again hear the strains of minimalist opera. I can only dream…

Anyway, the startup guide has to be done Monday so I can ship it, but the problem is that something has come up and I’ve got to finish it a little earlier than expected.

I heard a rumor that a symphony in town is looking for a bassist ASAP, so I called one of the guys in charge and he confirmed that a bassist was needed. In fact, if all goes according to plan, I’ll have a rehearsal with them at 2:30 and then get on a bus with them and drive to Colorado Springs to spend a few days playing for school kids. I’m a little stressed out about playing classical music again on such short notice. I haven’t played any classical music on bass in 6 months, and though I haven’t lost my chops completely, style, phrasing and perfect intonation are proving quite challenging. If only I had a few more days. At the bar, nobody cares how your bowing looks; at the symphony, they do.

Tonight I also had a gig with the Celtic band at Connor O’Neils. It was a good show but I‘m now exhausted and need sleep. I’ve got to go to the coffee shop tomorrow morning which also doesn’t help my stress and sleep levels, though I’m surprisingly unstressed right now. I guess that’s what Celtic music does to you.

Today’s lessons: Get your work done early, take the opportunities that come your way, and don’t try to learn Bach in 2 days.

Recovering

2005-01-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

The last few days have involved me playing an awful lot of music. From Thursday night through Friday night I basically played almost constantly. It all started with a gig with Dave’s band. It turned out to be a very low energy show with a very small crowd. Thursday night gigs are usually lack luster, so I should have known. I was up till about 2:00 because of that gig and had to get up at about 8:00 to get down to the radio station.

For those of you who don’t know, I volunteer at the local public radio station working as a techie for a radio show that presents live music every weekday. Anyway, a group of us techies decided to play a show of our own. It turned out to be a good day because Friday happened to be the last day we would be broadcasting out of the studio we have been using. A new studio is being built for us on the other side of the station, which is much bigger and better equipped than the old studio. We sang our farewells proudly, and it turned out to be a good show.

After that I had to run up into the mountains to record a few songs with Dave’s band. A lack of energy caused by the previous night’s show mixed with a few bad tracks on the recording made for some very depressing studio time. As much as I’m not fond of the singer/songwriter of the band, I still hope he can get his record done soon so I can get paid…

Next I was off to vee dee headquarters to lay down the final few vocal tracks for the upcoming vee device album. Luckily, this recording went a lot better. We just have a few more tracks for G-Man and I to finish and then we can start editing and mixing the album.

I wish could have had the day off today, but I had to spend it moving stuff at the radio station from the old studio to the new and rehearsing with the Celtic band. Now I’m back at home trying to wind down. I go into the coffee shop tomorrow morning so hopefully I’ll get enough sleep tonight. I guess if I don’t I’ll at least be able to get a decent cup of coffee to wake me up in the morning.

I know that Barb has been busy too. She's in some opera scenes at school this weekend and I'm sure she's been working even harder than me. Wish her luck everyone!!!!

A Good Night

2005-01-25T20:31:00.000-07:00

Had two beers at Celtic band Rehearsal tonight, (Retro Red and Wilburfest if you’re curious) and I’ve just gotten home and poured myself a third (an Abbey). I’ve also cooked up some Dave’s Insanity picante sauce and some chips. I’ll be popping in a movie after I finish writing this. I don’t know why I feel like getting a bit tipsy tonight, being lazy, and eating some super spicy food, but I do.

Hurray for the good life!!!!

Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day!

2005-01-21T14:36:00.000-07:00

While eating lunch, I read in this week’s issue of tidbits that today is Squirrel Appreciation Day. As most of my friends know, I absolutely detest squirrels and will do anything I can to get rid of them. But for today, in honor of Squirrel Appreciation Day, I solemnly swear to refrain from stalking squirrels in my paisley robe and fedora with a suction-cup dart gun. Have a nice day off squirrels, but know that I’ll be back with a vengeance tomorrow.

My Horoscope for this Week

2005-01-19T22:13:00.000-07:00

I would like to thank my friend Sam for pointing out my horoscope in this week's Onion. It is as follows:

Gemini: (May 21—June 21)
Classical musicians worldwide will be out for your blood when you compose the brilliant but torturous-to-play Punishment Symphony For Orchestral Dipshits.

I would like to dedicate this symphony to the wonderful members of the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra. Because the are currently on strike, I may not get to see their performance of Gustav Holst's, The Planets, which they are scheduled to play in February. Thank you SLSO for shattering my dream of seeing The Planets live.

As much as I'd like to be on the musicians' side of this whole ordeal, I just can't justify it. When they are making $70,000+ for a 42 week-a-year contract, do they really need any more money?

Good Thing I Have no Adoring Fans..

2005-01-12T23:20:00.000-07:00

I’m a bad, bad blogger.

I haven’t posted in a while. It’s not that there’s been nothing to post about, in fact I’ve been doing tons of stuff. I guess I was just too busy to post.

Anyway, Christmas happened. It was good overall. I got some nifty bass accessories, like new strings and some crazy synthetic rosin. It is clear and has no discernable smell. Very odd. I also got lots of clothes and a few good books including The Tipping Point and Molvania: A Land Untouched by Modern Dentistry. By far though, the best present of all was having Barb out here to spend the holidays with me.

She flew in on Christmas day and stayed for a about a week and a half. We spent a lot of time watching movies and hanging out, which is really what we both needed. Being in a long distance relationship is tough, so any time that you can spend with your special someone is extremely precious. After her visit I felt closer to her than I have for a long time.

Since she left things have started to return to normal. I’ve been going in to the radio station again for the live show and reconnecting with all of my various bands. I’ve also been working a bit more at the coffee shop, though my hours there are still pretty few and far between. Ah well at least I’m not stressed out about work.

Well, that should pretty much catch everybody up with my life. The two or three of you reading this can fall asleep now knowing that nothing horrible has happened to me.

My Hand Hurts Like Hell!

2004-12-19T02:13:00.000-07:00

So, I played a show with the Celtic band tonight at Connor O'Neils in Fort Collins. The show went pretty well. There were lots of drunken frat boys danicing around to our cheezy pirate medley, so I count that as at least a small measure of success. I didn't drink too much (my mother was there and I had a stomach ache) but I still had a fairly good time. Eddy and I played a couple of tunes by ourselves, which I thought was the highlight of the night.

Anyway, I'm tired and my hand hurts. I've got to work in the morining which is keeping me from writing much more. Please disregard and grammer or spelling mistakes I may have made in this post. Also, it probably doesn't make much sense, so sorry for that too. I'll leave you with the most interesting tidbit I learned tonight:

Murphy's Irish Stout is a great cure for a stomache ache.

Unseasonably Beautiful

2004-12-11T23:14:00.000-07:00

Today, the weather was absolutely gorgeous here. The high was probably somewhere in the low 60’s with very little wind and only a few scattered clouds. I just got back from playing a gig with the celtic band and the thermometer at the house says it’s 53… at 11:00 PM!! I wish everyday in December could be this nice.

As I was bringing my gear into the house I happened to look up in the sky and see the stars. There were absolutely no clouds and the constellations were shining down as brightly as I can remember. The stars here are much different than they are in St. Louis. For one, there seem to be a lot more of them. The constellations actually kind of look like the objects they’re supposed to represent because there’s less air and light pollution here; especially as far outside of town as I live. You can also see the Milky Way on nights like tonight. I can’t believe that for the past four years I’ve been without skies like these.

But as nice as tonight is, there is one thing that could make it better…

I hope the weather is still this nice when Barb gets here.

"Stubble Duck" for dinner

2004-12-10T17:49:00.000-07:00

So, I just finished eating my first pheasant.

When my mom told me she was fixing pheasant for dinner, I was a bit surprised. Isn't pheasant something you get at fancy restaurants where you get 15 forks and everything costs more than what I usually spend on meals for a week? Needless to say, I was excited by this rare treat. Unfortunately after eating it, I am sorry to say that it really wasn't all that special. Sure it was tasty enough, but nowhere near as exotic or decadent as I was expecting.

First of all, pheasants are small. Ours was roughly half the size of an average chicken. When you take into account the amount of bone and tendons present on a typical bird , that translates to even less meat. Now for the taste. While I would say that I think it was a little better than chicken, chicken would probably require about the same amount of preparation work and yield a much larger amount of meat for your trouble. Basically imagine eating slightly dry, but slightly more flavorful chicken and you'll come pretty close to imagining what pheasant tastes like.

Along with the pheasant came the familiar story of my great grandmother and "stubble duck." My mother's side of the family comes mostly from poor peasant stock. As such, they didn't have much to eat around the house. To remedy the situation, my great grandmother would sometimes have to poach pheasants to keep from starving to death out on the prairie. To help keep secret what she was doing, she would refer to pheasant as "stubble duck" to all of her children and grandchildren so that in case they told the wrong person (such as a game warden) what they were having for dinner, they would not arouse suspicion.

Well, all of this worked fine until one of the kids happened to invite the game warden in for stubble duck one evening. Great grandma served it up to him, as she had nothing else to offer. She knew she was caught, but there was nothing she could do now but wait for the inevitable. When the warden finished, he wiped his mouth and stood up. Then, he kind of winked at her in a knowing way and told her that it was certainly the best "stubble duck" he ever had, tipped his hat and went on his way.

It's kind of amazing to think that a dish that is now considered fine cuisine used to be illegally cooked up by my poor great grandmother when there was nothing else available.

New Look

2004-12-05T23:28:00.000-07:00

So I've spent a few hours now updating the look of this site. Templates are ok, but I don't find that they are entirely compatible with my personal style. Anyway, I hope you guys don't get too annoyed by the background... :)

Dennis loves leopard print!

The Things I Do for Money and Beer

2004-12-05T19:53:00.000-07:00

Friday night I had a guest bassist gig with Dave's band. Now, normally this sort of thing would be something that I would enjoy, but this band is a special case. While I love Dave dearly, there is a certain other member of this band that I am less than fond of. Normally I wouldn't play with people that I think are jerks, but the promise of money and free booze was enough to entice me set aside my principles, at least for the night.

To make a long story short, I ended up getting fairly drunk off pints of stout and cider and dancing around like and idiot on stage. Intoxication, and the fact that I had to concentrate very hard to play through the fuzz in my brian, allowed me to ignore any unpleasantness I might have otherwise felt. Everyone at the bar seemed to enjoy the show, so I figure it went well. I also got hit on by a 30-year-old married woman. (What the the hell!? Do I look like I want to stick my bussiness in 30-year-old married woman business!?)

I crashed at Dave's for most of the rest of the night, drove home sometime in the very early morning, and proceeded to sleep in until noon.

Ah, the life of a musician!

Hello World

2004-12-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

Well, Hello World! This is my brand spanking new Blog. Not much here yet, but hopefully more will be coming soon. I wish I had some sort of profound message to start off my bloging carrer, but sadly nothing is coming to mind.