Richmond, Charlottesville, and Philly with Justin Jones this week.

We're playing Highwater at Toad's Place in Richmond tomorrow, Tues. Nov. 11th.  Show is free and starts at 9:30pm.
  The place serves great food. Dinner service starts at 4:30. Happy hour also starts at 4:30 and lasts until 8.


There's a website:
http://www. highwaterrva. com/

This is the address:
140 Virginia Street
Richmond, VA

We'll be playing Fry's Spring Beach Club in Charlottesville, Va on Friday Nov. 14th. The only info I have is a 10pm showtime and this address: 2512 Jefferson Park Avenue, Charlottesville, Va.  

And we'll be at World Cafe Live (upstairs) in Philadelphia, Pa on Saturday Nov.
15th.  Playing with headliner Transistor Rodeo, and The Goodes.  Show starts at 9pm, admission is $9. 

There's a website:
http://www.worldcafelive.com/

World Cafe Live address:
3025 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA

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There is a Paul Michel show in Brooklyn this Sunday (Oct. 19)

Paul's been too busy to update his calendar, but there is a show in Brooklyn this Sunday Oct. 19.  We're playing a place called Lost and Found.  I think he said it was in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn.

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Playing Black Cat with Paul Michel this Thurs (Oct 16)

Playing electric bass with Paul Michel and the Bad Touch on the Black Cat's Backstage.

$8 cover.  Show starts at 9pm

Lucia Lucia, and TypeFighter are sharing the bill.

Also playing two other shows with Paul this week. 

Playing an Obama Rally at Mary Washington University in Fredericksburg, Va Saturday Oct. 18.  Action starts at 5pm.  Not sure where on campus.  Follow the noise I guess.

And I've heard rumors of a show in Brooklyn this Sunday, but it's not on Paul's site.  Hmmm, maybe that fell through.  Will get back to you on that one.

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Playing trombone with Justin Jones in Richmond Thurs Oct 9

We're playing a free show in Richmond at a joint called Highwater at Toad's Place. Doors open at 8pm. Show starts at 9pm.


The club has a weird name but it's a pretty cool spot.
Check it out:
http://www. highwaterrva. com/

The street address is:
140 Virginia Street, Richmond, Virginia

See you there.

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Playing w/Paul Michel @ Bar Matchless in BKLN Thursday Oct. 2nd

Playing electric bass with Paul Michel in Brooklyn at Bar Matchless Thursday Oct. 2nd.

Don't have a lot of details except for the address:
557 Manhattan Ave @ Driggs, Brooklyn, New York 11222

Sometimes when we play in NYC we go on as early as 8pm.  I guess they didn't get the memo about Paul Michel being the next big thing.  Oh well.  Come out and say hi if you're in the neighborhood.  Chances are I've been missing you...

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Playing stand up bass at DC9 this Monday (Sept. 30)

This Monday I'm playing stand up bass with an artist called Sunchild at DC9.  Doors @ 8pm, Show @ 9, $5 cover.

You can find out more about him here:
http://www.myspace.com/sunchildmusic

My friend Chaim, formerly of the band Monopoli, will be playing an acoustic set at 9pm to open the show.  Sunchild's set starts at 10pm.

T

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Invisibles show this Friday (Sept 19) Red and Black DC

Our friends in the band the band E.I.R. asked us to play a last minute show with them this Friday at The Red and The Black.

It's last minute but we practiced and we killed it so don't be afraid.

I play bass and sing for The Invisibles.  The music is predominately loud and fast punk influenced rock with pop sensibilities.  You don't have to be an art student to appreciate it.  It's music for the proverbial "everyman".  And we promise no one in the band will be squeezing our regular man sized asses into tiny little girl jeans.  We wouldn't do that to you.

This Friday Sept. 19th
www.redandblackbar.com
The Red and The Black
21+ $8 Doors@8:30 Show@9
Don't know if Invisibles are first or second so come at 9 if you want to be sure to see the set.

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The Discipline of DE

Have you ever read The Exterminator by William S. Burroughs?

In a chapter titled "The Discipline of DE" a character named Colonel Sutton Smith outlines an approach for living that he developed.  It's called "The Discipline of DE".  DE stands for "do easy".

DE is defined as:

"...a way of doing.  It is a way of doing everything you do.  DE simply means doing whatever you do in the easiest most relaxed way you can manage which is also the quickest and most efficient way as you will find as you advance in DE."

Burroughs no doubt adapted this concept from the Taoist concept of Wu-Wei.  Wu-Wei has many translations.  The definition of wu-wei that is most similar to Burroughs concept of DE is "effortless doing".  Wikipedia has an extensive entry on Wu-Wei if you want to know more.

So what's the point of this blog?  Why am I boring you with these definitions? Because one of the things that Colonel Sutton Smith recommends for the beginner of DE is to always throw trash into the trash can effortlessly.  I read this book a year or two ago while I was on tour with Paul Michel.  After reading that chapter I started always attempting to throw my trash into the trash can.  And I have to say it is one of my favorite little pleasures of life.  I'm getting pretty good at it.  From just about anywhere in my room I can hit the trashcan with anything.  Even things that don't fly straight.  It's good times.  No matter how bummed out you are when you sink a "three pointer" wad of trash threading the needle over the fan and under the corner of the desk it gives you a little rush. 

Try it out for yourself.  At first you'll miss a lot, and you'll have to walk over and pick it up.  But don't give up.  Eventually you'll get the hang of it, and it'll make everyday that much more fun.

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Hitting the highs

After warming up for about 40 minutes I sang a note one half step higher than I've ever hit before.  I was able to hit it relatively clean before the timber of my voice got super raspy and distorted.  I've always labored under the misguided assumption that vocal range was basically set after your voice changes.  But I've added three half steps to the top and one half step to the bottom of my range in the past six months.  It's pretty sweet to still be discovering personal bests after so many years. 
 

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Added a new note to my vocal range

Until yesterday the lowest note I could sing was an E flat.  That's the E flat that sits one line below the lowest line of the bass clef.  But yesterday after warming up for about 15 minutes I was able to hit the low D, a half step lower that my previous lowest note.

I added a couple of notes on the top end of my vocal range too, but the timbre is so distorted and nasty I use them sparingly. 

Just thought that was kind of interesting.  Most people don't seem to realize that you can add range to your voice if you try.

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