Random Ramblings

We worked with H&R Block for our taxes last year and this year (mainly because we sold a house and bought a house last year).

I bought a cool single speaker portable PA to start doing some shows as a single artist.  Not being able to find musicians has been an excuse for far too long.  I ordered some foot drum pads and hope to get out and play wherever I can.

Sweet! Let us know how it goes and if you ever play St Louis, get me some backstage passes!

I've already played 2 or 3 things at the same time with bands… kick drum, bass, and harmony vocals. Or, when we have a bass player, I play kick drum, cajon, djembe, and marimba, as well as harmony vocals. It's fun.

Driven wrote:

I've already played 2 or 3 things at the same time with bands… kick drum, bass, and harmony vocals. Or, when we have a bass player, I play kick drum, cajon, djembe, and marimba, as well as harmony vocals. It's fun.

But have you done everything by yourself so that you ARE the band?  That's my goal for now:  to become a solo act of vocals, guitar, and foot drums.  I should be able to do this as I did all the leads on the blues album.  I just have to relearn some of them as I haven't played them since I recorded the songs in the studio.

I will, with this new PA setup, to be able to do small venues and even some street busking if I so choose.  It will open up a whole new world for me, but it will also make me have to prove that I really want to do this.  I won't be able to mope around because I can't find musicians anymore as I won't need them.

I may even build a couple of new cigar box guitars with a single string bass built into it.  It would have to have a separate one string pickup with separate output.  Seeing that most CBGS are open tuning, I could have a simplistic bass going while I was playing.  That would be cool but would be hard to maintain while attempting to play lead.  So, I might not be able to do that.

You could open for Mac Powell and Toby Mac

Guilty/Forgiven wrote:

You could open for Mac Powell and Toby Mac

If only I could get on a tour like that!

alldatndensum wrote:

Driven wrote:

I've already played 2 or 3 things at the same time with bands… kick drum, bass, and harmony vocals. Or, when we have a bass player, I play kick drum, cajon, djembe, and marimba, as well as harmony vocals. It's fun.

But have you done everything by yourself so that you ARE the band?  That's my goal for now:  to become a solo act of vocals, guitar, and foot drums.  I should be able to do this as I did all the leads on the blues album.  I just have to relearn some of them as I haven't played them since I recorded the songs in the studio.

I will, with this new PA setup, to be able to do small venues and even some street busking if I so choose.  It will open up a whole new world for me, but it will also make me have to prove that I really want to do this.  I won't be able to mope around because I can't find musicians anymore as I won't need them.

I may even build a couple of new cigar box guitars with a single string bass built into it.  It would have to have a separate one string pickup with separate output.  Seeing that most CBGS are open tuning, I could have a simplistic bass going while I was playing.  That would be cool but would be hard to maintain while attempting to play lead.  So, I might not be able to do that.

You could even put in three bass strings if you were ambitious, one for each of your main chords (G, C, and D, for instance). It would be a lot to take care of, but hey, why stop at one?

It is less than 2 weeks until spring and we got our first measurable snow for the season.  What is bad is that it hit 80 here two days ago before all the thunderstorms hit.  We have had all 4 seasons this week!!!

.....and it melted off in just a few hours in traditional Tennessee fashion!

It was bitter cold today. With the windchill, not very far from -30. Ugh.

I did some practicing today on my cigar box guitars with the new amp and Salgo foot drums I bought.  I've got a ways to go before I am ready to be a solo act, but it was a first step taken in practice today.  I will get there!!!

Practice, practice, practice!

I saw a picture of someone in shorts and it got me to daydreaming about warm temperatures.

We're supposed to be in the mid-40's all week.

Does that help?

Flew up to Memphis, TX last Thursday and drove to Corinth, MS.  Good to be back in the Houston area

Xid wrote:

We're supposed to be in the mid-40's all week.

Does that help?

But then do you go back to being in your late 40s?

Oh, you a funny man!

A wise old song had a line in it:

"You're born and then you grow up, and then turn 35"

Age rushes upon you while you're young, my friend.  And then all of a sudden you have hair growing out of your nose.

Foot in the kitchen, foot in the door
The foot in your mouth is so you don't get bored

While it melts off quick in typical Tennessee fashion, we've had more snow here this week than we have all winter.  So much for SPRING break from school, huh?

Beware the Ides of March!!!

I got an email this morning from consulgaiusjuliusceaser (sic.) with the title "Contione senatus Idibus Martiis"

It's been in the 80s here for the last 4 days... sweating like Hillary on trial over here

26 this morning here in this part of Florida. Not our typical March weather. It was 80 on Saturday.

2 or 3 feet of snow later…