I played my monthly Mocha Match Coffee Bar gig last Friday. That gig is the first Friday of every month by the way. Anyway, my good friends Ryan Taylor and Alex Landry kicked off the evening with some pretty dang nifty solo bass debauchery.
It’s really inspiring to see these younger fellows testing
the waters as solo bassists, and I’m excited to see these guys developing a voice in this aspect of the instrument. A lot
of folks don’t realize how difficult of a process that is especially with an instrument that has been dogmatically relegated
to the background in a lot of circles. Not that it’s wrong for an electric bass guitar to do the supportive “bass” role. Indeed
that is a cool and satisfying role to play. But if an electric bass wasn’t meant to be used in a solo format that every “complete”
instrument utilizes, how come such wonderful music results from doing so? If a young person’s decision is to be an acoustic
guitar playing singer songwriter, nary an eyebrow is raise. If you say you’re going to have a go with a bass, though, that
tends to stick in a few people’s crawls or results in a resounding apathy. Why?
Kudos to Ryan and Alex for taking a few steps down the
solo bass path. I think you both did an excellent job, and I expect much groovy-ness coming from your general vicinity in
the near future. I challenge you to carve a unique niche for your music and keep trying to make your own personal statement.
Your effects will broaden the playing field for us all. Do you think you can do it?
As for my set that night, it was okay. The crowd was pretty
thin when I took the stage. I had fun playing, but I wished for more people to show. I should have been more specific with
my wish, because about 20 more people walked through the door toward the end of my first set. I quickly went from being the
focus of the room to being brow beaten to the background ambience. There chatter was so loud that I couldn’t even hear myself,
and I’m pretty darn amplified!
To try to gain the focus back on the music, I played “Mr.
Skin” which is a pretty loud live piece. That just made everyone talk even louder! One fellow even came up to the stage to
request I lower my volume so they could hold a conversation. Well, he didn’t ask that nicely, but that’s beside the point.
So I honored the request, tucked tail, and became background music. I felt like I was playing the bars again. Fun. I tried
to lower my dynamics to regain focus, but I might as well have been reciting War and
Peace to a brick wall. What’s funny is that when I really feel like I’m trying to play music with a positive message,
the folks that really need that message have the deafest ears. Needless to say it ruined what was left of my set. After abandoning
my stuff, I coaxed Ryan and Alex back to the stage to jam with me. I had a blast. Everything was laid back and groovy. Thanks
guys turning it around for me.
Later that evening while I reflected (or brooded depending
upon one’s perspective) on the events of the night, I realized that perhaps I was dealt an ego-check and I should be grateful.
I’ve been spoiled by the bass-centered gigs of late, great Montana Skies gigs, and really responsive audiences that make you
think the whole world sees the beauty of music. The truer reality is that most folks probably care more about their bank statements
and the price of GAP jeans. I’m not being negative—I’m just trying to be realistic. On this re-realized backdrop, I will continue
to practice my art and share what I’m trying to say. No worries, and thanks for the ego-check. Big thanks also to the lovely
folks of Mocha Match for letting me do my thing.
Anyway, for those of you less interested in GAP jeans,
I’ll be back at Mocha Match on April 7th. You GAP enthusiasts are more than welcome. I will probably just be playing
easily ignorable background music to your liking. If you want to feel something from it, that’s up to you.
So also on the docket, I’ve pretty much decided NOT to
hold BassUp! this year. Even though last year’s event was stellar, lack of funding and general apathy by the
community this year are to blame for my decision. If you Atlanta-area bass-aholics really want a show, I’ll need some emails
from each of you saying you want a show this year. Otherwise I’m not going to bother with the stress and time demands of finding
the money and players to put another show together for 2006. I’m not trying to make you guys beg, but if you want it you got
to let me know. Otherwise I’m going to focus on the other mountains I’ve got to climb this year.
That’s all for now. Until next we speak, may your days
be filled with rainbows, butterflies, and sausages (vegan ones if that’s your bag)! Take care.
