This week we had trouble coordinating anight togethera and in addition, Carroll’s is pretty booked. As such we will be playing from 9-12 instead of the typical 8-12. Not that this is too big of a deal since Kevin works late on Thursday nights and usually cannot get there until 8:30 or so. Jason has some type of gig so he plans on joining us for the last hour and for the first two it seems as if we will have Bruce again. This time I know who he is.
While it is a beautiful day outside as the last gasp of summer pricks my finger, the outside world is falling apart. All the banks and insurance companies are going belly up as the stock market is tumbling into freefall. Good thing I don’t have much to lose, so I feel relatively richer this week. The more that you gather, it’s just more that you can lose.
Bruce and his Paul Reed Smith
It worked out to be a nice evening starting at the late hour of 9:00pm and all. I was first to arrive, then Kevin and we watched the variety of young Asian women vacate the studio we were soon to occupy. They were done about 20 minutes earlier than planned so the bearded Carroll’s tech guy, Mr. Knoer and his bald buddy, could get the room set for some Deadstein freakiness. They prepared the room earlier for us by having the equipment ready so setup, with Kevin and my help, was quick and easy. We had the good PA this week, although with tiny speakers, and Rich had the good Yamaha Piano. Scott, Rich and Bruce Tanis arrived just around 9:00 together and away we went. Scott had a nice new red set of Yamaha drums. The rest of us had our typical Fender twin reverb reissue amps.
I started the festivities with the Brothers and Sisters and then we played the Let It Rock. We had difficult getting away from playing 1-4-5 in A and it seemed like every song was in that vein. It was a bluesy night in middle-September as Bruce has a tendency toward the blues and with Rich by his side; it was to be a blue filled night.
Bruce and Jason playing the blues 9-18-2008
Jason, showed up, wearing a sports coat and Brooklyn T-shirt about half way through the night, and that brought the energy to a different level. We played several songs that were “Tits” including the ever-so uplifting Death Don’t Have no Mercy. Just kidding, it was a moving rendition. I started a ‘79 version of Good Loving at some point late in the night, I think it was following the Going Down the Road where we ended going E to D over and over again and ended up in C, but Jason ended the Good Loving with a 68 version so it stopped there. That was too bad because it was the Good Lovin’ that was our song we were transmitting via the cellular network to Carol. This was just after Scott Bayer arrived for his 2 songs, but he was looking freakier than usual and hopefully I got a good picture of him to show him in all his freakiness.
Scott Bayer in all his glory
Scott, sign the CD and give it to me already.
Rich also had us all sign his new CD compilation which were songs that we have transmitted via cell phone to Carol over the previous year. See the previous post for more information about this CD.
We ended the night with the long and slow Lucky ol Sun into something pretty quick. I don’t remember now and may have to wait until I see the set list that Rich posts. I had a lot of Smartees for everyone to gobble on and that is about it.
The 24-Track Mackie returns after a long hiatus for this jam.
This week it is Wednesday and for the first time in a long time I am bringing in my Mackie 24-track multitrack recorder to hopefully capture some hot Deadstein moments that I can remix into something really good. I hope it all goes well and it’s gonna be a driving night for me trying to carry all this crap, getting it set up, jamming and taken down. Post jam comments coming up later.
It was mentally a stressful jam for me. I was so intent on recording that I had to get home after work, load the equipment bag, though it was preloaded for the most part, and get the Mackie rolling, 24 tracks to roll-no more. Here Comes Deadstein. Here Comes Deadstein.
Results of the Multi-Track recording are provided below. In addition, Rich has uploaded his track recordings from his new Tascam 2-track all-in-one recorder. Thanks to Rich for doing that as always.
Now for the great quality multitrack stuff, the folder is located at: http://deadstein.com/audio/09-10-08-Multitrack/ or you can listen to it immediately below. I know Kevin was a little interested in this stuff so I show a print screen of my 2 monitors containing the tracks on the right and some of the effects on the left. I think if you click on the picture you will be able to get a closeup of the screen shot. UAD-1 DSP Effects and Reaper Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) software. I love it. I hope you do also.
Mixing in Reaper and Using UAD Audio Effects.
01 Bertha
02 Mama Tried
03 China Doll
04 Hard To Handle
05 Beat It On Down the Line
Scott check 1-2 at the 9-10-08 Jam
So I was the first one in the room and lo-and-behold, they gave us the all-in-one, 8 channel mackiePA/mixer. We had been getting the great PA system setup for the last year consistently, so I was certain we would get it this week. It was a bummer, only 8-tracks and the bad PA to boot. Apparently, there were a lot of 9-11 ceremonies planned for the next day and Carroll’s had all their equipment preloaded into trucks ready to roll. Luckily, Chris was clutch and was able to get me another Mackie PA/Mixer so I had enough channel for the night. All I had we 12 and it’s really all needed. So I got it all set up and it worked nicely and easily. The quality of the pre-amps and all isn’t all that important in our hideous acoustic environment, they are the least of our worries. In addition, I have to admit the PA was adequate. It was the larger Studio 3 instead of the standard Studio 2 we usually play in. David Byrne had studio 2 booked with a lot of equipment. Almost as much as me. Just kidding, but it was quite a load to carry.
06 It Must Have Been the Roses
07 Passenger
08 Shakedown Street
09 Looks Like Rain
10 Morning Dew
If you want to see the warm up, tune up, etc to the jam it is available. I’m just not promising anything exciting.
Woo-head
So the recording seemed to work, the PA was there, Scott Bayer showed for the beginning and we launch into the easy opening Bertha and I didn’t feel too comfortable and or confident with the guitar in my hand. for most of the night. The Mama Tried felt pretty solid and I was able to hold my shit together OK for the first few songs. I think we played solidly for the majority of the night and I just wasn’t there for too much of it and able to get it out. Not to worry, it is a team game and the rest of you schmegheggies pulled me through. And knowing that I have the band to count on also pulls me through in the tougher times. I had some bone-head mistakes throughout the night that I’m gonna have to cut out of the mix, fortunately, I’ll be able to do so except for some of my bogus time mishaps. That’s why there is always next week.
11 Might As Well
12 Estimated Prophet
13 Thrill Is Gone
14 Hell in a Bucket
Butt-head
We played lots of songs. Did a little work on a Bucket and tried to play it a second time, but to no avail. Jason and Kevin did some nice work on the Morning Dew pre-lead accent/descent and that part was pulled off nicely in the song itself.
As I start to mix the music I will get a little closer to this jam and hopefully find the beauty in it. Time will tell with it. I think Scott stayed up and survived the entire jam and even ended with the Box of Rain to close ot the night. Well maybe the end was hijacked a little by Jason as he broke out the Wave that Flag into I know You Rider. It was two more songs than I wanted to do considering the take down of equipment I still had to do but thanks to Kevin’s great cord wrapping abilities we were out of there in a jiffy.
Butt-heads pedal board
So I get home with the hard drive recording, pop the disk out of my Mackie and plop it into my PC , copy the files and I think I am off to the races, but no! I get no sound. What the fuck! I’m telling you. My computer decides to die on me. Now I don’t mean software die, I mean hardware die so I got the computer booted and running but I am now scared to turn it off cause it may never come back. In any case, I finally got the thing rebooted and was able to listen to the recording and it all sounds good with respect to the recording. The playing the on the hand still needs to be determined.
15 Box of Rain
16 Wave the Flag
17 I Know You Rider
Now that the mixdowns I made of the night’s recordings are on the site and hopefully you have had a chance to listen to these multitrack recordings so it now leads to this weeks poll. Judging bass levels is the most difficult thing to do since we all have greatly different speakers and listening environment. With that said let me know what you think of the recordings from a frequency perspective. You feedback will hopefully lead to better recordings.
It’s Thursday, Labor Day has come and gone, the summer for all intents and purposes is over and Deadstein continues along. We are back with Jason this week and from the feel of it, I’m sensing good things. It’s Thursday so the week is almost over yet it seems so young. A Monday holiday will do that.
Scotty early on in the night was play so hot he was smoking
Not focusing on what is important in the Fall, we are playing on Thursday night but it is also the opening game in this year’s NFL season and to boot, the Giants are playing and I’m gonna miss it. I hope the wireless signal is strong at Carroll’s tonight so my Slingbox on my AT&T Tilt works. I have a special treat to bring in tonight, some chocolate chip cookies someone baked fro me, so bring your appetites.
Rich behind the keys
Well the jam is over, Friday is upon us and the Giants won the season opener against the Redskins at home, 16-7. I don’t miss too many Giant games but for a good night of Deadstein it is well worth it.
Kevin was working late so we actually played a Stella Blue at the beginning of the night without him. Did the Jerry-Bob-Jerry thing for most of the first set. Opening with a Rhapsody and closing with a Saturday Night. The was a Rooster in there, Stagger Lee, Next Time You see Me, Dark Hollow, and a few more. We actually got to play 3 Garband songs through the night, giving me a chance to video tape some of it since there isn’t much of a Bob role in the Garband. We had the Catfish John. Finally we even worked out some nice stuff and rhythms, from my perspective on the Me and My Uncle. It sounded good.
Look who is playing in Studio 2. Elvis, no, it is Deadstein.
For the second set we did the Terrapin and Kevin really like it but I played poorly during it. We cooked the birdsong, “tits” as Jason says. Did the Throwing Stones and Not Fade Away Other One Around and Around and it was over a 12:00. I even sang a Hard to Handle while Rich was accompanying Scott home, or something. We of course played live from Hell;s Kitchen to Carol over the cell phone. There was a Knockin in there toward the end. Scott may not remember all of the second set as he was asleep during a nice chunk of it, duirng the Other One.
We here is the setlist below from the other night. I thinkk all the links should work and thanks to Rich for recording it. It is with his new Tascam, solid state 2 track recorder with built in microphones.
Stella Blue
Rhapsody in Red
Little Red Rooster
Deal
Dark Hollow
Stagger Lee
Next Time You See Me
Catfish John
Me and My Uncle
Birdsong
One More Saturday Night
Terrapin Station
Throwing Stones
Not Fade Away
The Other One
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
Around and Around
Jason rockin in the second set.
Speaking of video, Rich showed us his film project he has undertaken with Scott Bayer which is a documentary about Scott’s journeys and recordings of film festivals, like the Tribecca, from the past. It was really interesting, and with Scott as the main star, a little spooky yet uplifting.
Kevin playing the Modulus on 9-4-2008
Well, it was an interesting week of politics this week as the Republican National Convention got underway. Nominee, John McCain suprised the world by choosing an unknown conservative Governor from Alaska, Sarah Palin, as his running mate. In her acceptance speech last night she compared Barack Obama to John McClain by stating, “Some use change to promote their careers while others, like John McClain, use their careers to promote change.” This clever quote leads me, pardon the pun, to our poll for this week as it relates to the Grateful Dead.
Let’s see a few moments that I caught on video for the night. First is the video of the ever so enjabale “Check One-Two” featuring Scott, this is followed by an enchanting story told by Kevin of skirting his way through a red light and a traffic ticket and finally are a few moments from the opening number, Rhapsody in Red.
This next video is most of the Catfish John
Now it just seems like it’s just before we started so get into the elevatorand say “so long.”
After a week off without jamming Deadstein is getting back together to play a few song. This week we finally get Scott’s friend Bruce Tanis in to play guitar for us. It promises to be a slightly freakier week in a different sense, but it will be a Deadstein jam nevertheless. Look forward to the post jam recap. I’m taking a camera in so I will hopefully get a few good shots to post. In addition, I assume we will also get the Brotpen recording. Yoinks Away!
Well, I was the first one to arrive by a good 10 minutes, and I wasn’t early. When Scott and Rich walked in with Bruce his existence became apparent to me. As Kevin said, he’s the Les Paul guy, and that he was, the guy with the beautiful Les Paul.
No use whining over spilled wine
We started with the simple blues of a Mystery Train and continued through the night. Rich was a in “Yes, and thanks for asking” type of mood and it was a foggy night thereafter. Rich tilted up the piano and there went Bruce’s bottle of wine. We got into a nice full Playing in the Band that worked well. I sang a Shakedown which was I hadn’t often done. There was plenty of other good stuff. Let us not forget the Positively 4th Street.. Was it hot? I forget and it was the last song. Oh well, at least I made it home.
Scott Bayer was there for a song or two and we played over the cellular network to Carol down the street. Scott’s leg was tingling and Kevin’s heads was also fizzy.
Bruce and his Les Paul
In the world it was another nice night capping off what was a beautiful August 2008. Was a bit depressing in the fact that it was getting dark by the time I arrived at Carroll’s at 7:45.
In the world, the Mets are hanging on to a one-half game lead over the Phillies and the Yankees are like in free fall looking like they will not make the playoffs for the first time in like 15 years. The Democratic convention is going on and Obama is holding on to like a 1/2 point lead over McCain. That leads to today’s poll.
Brotpen and Scott are preparing the Deadstein cellular simulcast to Carol
It’s rare, but we just couldn’t get it together this week. Kevin and Scott being away usually means I don’t play. That’s okay. It’s been a beautiful August to date so riding around town, walking the dogs has been just as fun. Not!
WTF, no jam. Come-on guys. wimps. Not!
WFT, enjoy a week off. Not!
Can’t wait to get together again. Can’t say I’ve played too much. The new piano has gotten in the way. That’s been a lot of fun, the tuner knew what he was doing. I can’t wait to call him back in 2 weeks so he can earn his $95 for tuning my piano so me and my dog Rags can sing together. Remember Rags can play keyboards as you can see in the you tube video below. I know you all have seen this video but I have to keep lugging it. It is that cute.
my Steal Your Space book 