Gigli Diary for the Basement

The elastic bands on my drum stick rods were unevenly lined up?
Who notices these things?
Have you (attentive person) also noticed the slight asymmetry of my eyebrows? Or the loose thread protruding from the top button of my jacket?

Now that I think of it, I semiconsciously play with those bands while the rest of the band tunes up. Next show maybe I'll remove one and make it an uneven number and see who in the crowd abruptly shouts "NO!!"

Anyway, to the show...


If I could have been sure that the OrbiTone drums at the Basement were to my liking, I could have leapt off my front steps and done the 100 yard dash to the Basement in under 45 seconds*#
*bear in mind the direction and velocity of the wind that night.
# plus I was wearing fancy clothes and there was ice on the ground

However, I did bring the Gretsch kit to supplement the OrbiTones. Just snare and cymbals/stands and pedal.
(for this Saturday's Lo Fine show there, I'm instructed to use all my stuff)

It was weird using a 5 piece kit--though I used to be a 5 piece guy, I've been a 4 piecer since 2000. Less is more, more or less.

BRIAN, YOU'RE BORING US WITH MUSIC TALK.

Sorry.
I've likened playing at the Basement to what I imagine the NYC jazz clubs of the 50's-60's to be like. Low ceilings, tables and all. Thus, the atmosphere provoked a lighter, er, jazzy touch in my playing.
Though when it's real crowded it also reminds me of a college-era kegger.
I got a Sierra Nevada had a nice chat with Rick after finishing my set up, and while Ning tinkered with the sound.
I saw an unexpected library figure, which kind of threw me for a loop. I don't like when my worlds collide. Thus, I seldom discuss music while at work. Everything goes under the generic mysterious umbrella "the band". And when someone sees me in the paper it's like my cover's blown. But she and her friends were on their way out.
At the same time it's good to see people learn that I know how to do more than help facilitate their interlibrary loan requests. I mean drive a van.

The show got off to a great start. It felt really nice and relaxed, and Tony almost immediately was up to his wandering antics. "There goes ol' crazy T", sez I. "Ain't NO ONE stoppin' him now!" Then I spat into a spitoon and lit my pipe ,remembering how ol' Bessy used to kick in the stalls.

Bezo came up for "Stranger" and Lord Russ for the long forgotten "Bagel Song".
Russ was fresh from a scissors mishap, so let's all wish him a speedy recovery. Or else St. Patriots Day will be RUINED!!

Sometimes I get a little panicky when I feel I'm in a situation where there's no way I can just get up and leave without being noticed (classrooms, meetings, church). Then I fixate on it, making it worse.
For some reason the faintest hint of this feeling kicked in when I realized Henning was serious about not wanting to take a break.
Who are we, Phish?
But I want another beer. And maybe a water. And maybe I gotta use the restroom. And maybe I wanna see what my friend in the corner is doing later. And maybe this fancy outfit's getting hot and I need some air. And maybe my ears are starting to feel funny and I need some silence. For the love of god and the union, I demand a 15 minute break!
Phew.
The second half was awesome--though shorter than the first half.
Singing Familiar Old Sugar, I realized I've lost a little off the top of my range. I did that embarrassing thing where you're not sure if you should go falsetto or go for the real thing--and end up Peter Bradying.

I thought maybe by the end of What Is Life, the ghost of George would have cut the electricity. But, remember---he was an honorary Monty Python so he was probably laughing and appreciating the gesture.

Two awesome telepathic moments:

1) during Tony's "Something European", Ning and I both launched into the "pickpocket in the subway" chorus in harmony. If you closed your eyes, you'd think that we were two formally trained female R&B vocalists.
2) During the finale "Omnivore", Dennis Crommett sauntered? plowed? his way to the stage, threw all the jackets off the piano and started playing along.
At the last verse "But you're durable" usually Tony and Henning stop, leaving the bassline and me doing random accents. But this time, we all stopped, leaving Henning accompanied only by Dennis playing the 2 chords like they were "All Tomorrows Parties".