Jam | my Steal Your Space book

Jam – 2012-06-04 – Carroll’s

10 Jun 2012 3 Comments

by deadstein in Jams Tags: Carroll's, Jam, Kevin, Larry, StaggerLee

With everyone having busy schedules, these week would be an impossible to one have the entire band there. We couldn’t get all 6 of us together, even 5 was tough and Core-4 wasn’t gonna happen. Having a week without a Deadstein was not an option so what were we to do? We did a Monday night jam as a Hardcore-3 with Lee. There haven’t ben too many times that jams have collapsed into a 3-man Freakshow with Kevin, me and a drummer. but this week was such a week Never-the-matter, Lee, Kevin and I were happy to give it a try. And try we did, and we didn’t shy away from the big, opening up with a Terrapin. Maybe the Terrapin was a bit much to tackle right off the bat, but it got us going and from the start we knew the jam would be far more normal than abnormal.

Something abnormal for me was breaking a B-string during Run for the Roses. It was one of the few string I have broken in my life while playing. It is a very rare occurrence. Too bad, because it was going well. We attempted the Brokedown, at the request of Lindsey, but we had a lot of trouble getting into it. The Birdsong achieved some fun to it as we explored our inner-abilities during it. We started the second set with the help on the Way, and it was a valiant effort. As we strayed into the non-Dead stuff it started well with the Let It Bleed but slowly eroded as we did some of the Who stuff. In any case, we came running through the finish line a 12 o’clock midnight and got in a really good jam. At the end of the night we were all spent fearing what a full week of work facing us after a Monday jam would bring. I know I survived as I am writing this on Sunday morning waiting for this week’s Wednesday night jam when we should have the whole band back together for the 3-ring Freakshow.

Amazingly enough, we had our Core-4 of guests including Lindsey, Steve and Meg Ryan and they hung for most of the night. I think Lee gave Maggie and Ryan a ride home to NJ at the end. Without Rich being there we didn’t have an MP3 recorder but I did capture a few moments on my iPhone4S as a security camera on Lee. Nevertheless, you do get the flavor of the night.

In the world, we lost Doc Watson this week and his soothing soulful music will be missed.

Terrapin Station
Run for the Roses (cut)
Althea
Brokedown Palace
Gomorrah
Birdsong
Looks like rain
Positively Fourth Street
Deal
Help on the Way
Slipknot
Franklin’s Tower
Feel like a stranger
Black Peter
Let it Bleed
Eminence front
Where Not Going To Take It
I’m free
Queen Jane Approximately

Jam – 2012-05-29 – Carroll’s

01 Jun 2012 Leave a comment

by deadstein in Jams Tags: Carroll's, Jam, Kevin, Larry, Rich, StaggerLee, Wikler

This week Scott was on vacation in Sedona and we decided to let Lee earn his stripes and drum solo for Deadstein. Other than Scott being away the rest of us were there to support Lee’s effort. I selected a setlist based on song Lee requested and had a nice night of music set for us to play. We began from a Dead start and entered into a mini Jerry Garcia Band set in the middle of the first set. The second set was filled with a bunch of individual songs. While for the most part the night was filled with individual, non-jammy songs, when we had an opportunity to jam we took it and it made for some very gratifying moments.

The night started a bit weak as Kevin as having bi-amp issues but once we got into the GarBand mode, it propelled us to comfort. Carroll’s set up two drum kits by accident, so Lee seized the opportunity and grabbed all he could from the unused kit and created one giant dream-kit. I have to say the drumming was good all night long. We had the smaller Mackie PA, but I don’t think it was too much of an issue. As far as guests we had Steve and Lindsey and Scott Bayer showed up at then end of the night. A good night that felt like a Monday but was actually a Tuesday. Next week may be tough to assemble so we have to hold on a find out what is our future. Stay tuned and freak out.

To hear what we did, go to the MP3s below:

http://www.deadstein.com/audio/05-28-12/

Jam – 2012-05-21 – Carroll’s

28 May 2012 Leave a comment

by deadstein in Jams Tags: Carroll's, Jam, Kevin, Larry, Rich, Scott, StaggerLee, Wikler

In a rare occurrence for this time of year, we got all six guys together for the week’s jam. Being a Monday night, it should have meant that we are all refreshed and ready from the weekend. This was not the case with me as I didn’t have a setlist selected nor did I have a theme to play. Then it came to us that with the passing of Robin Gibb this week we decided to open with the Grateful Dead’s homage to the Bee Gee, and the Disco era; Shakedown Street. This got us going down the road and and we never turned back. We played the Far From Me the previous week and I wanted to try to keep it fresh but it was one of the low points of the night as it was a tough one for us. With respect to the Birdsong we made a concerted effort not to fall into the Other One trap and it made for a much more interesting Birdsong for it. Much like the Far From Me the Saint Stephen was tough in that it was rutier than I had suspected and I traded in my WD-40 for some duct tape and got stuck. I think the looseness of the subsequent Woman Are Smarted got us going again. We tried the late Morning Dew and as usual it was a disaster as we don’t have the patience and fortitude to play the song, but this is true with most of our songs. Settling in, getting comfortable and saving something for the end of the song when it really counts is not our forte and a major weakness of us and it rears its ugly head most obviously during what should be a simple and enjoyable Morning Dew. After that Dew we were Don’t and the rest was grizzle.

Next week we play the Tuesday after Memorial Day. With Scottie Boy in Sedona getting sucked up into the cosmic vortex greased by Patron, we will be playing with Stagger solo; first time since he joined us a couple of months ago. We have a special setlist prepared for that night so freak out and enjoy the ensuing summer.

To hear what we played go to the MP3 links below:

http://deadstein.com/audio/05-21-12/

Jam – 2012-05-16 – Carroll’s

18 May 2012 1 Comment

by deadstein in Jams Tags: Carroll's, Jam, Kevin, Larry, LLBrent, Scott, StaggerLee

With Rich and Alan both out of town we had to scramble a bit to get the week’s jam together. Kevin and I were in for sure and the Rhythm Doodles, Scott and Lee, were in but we were missing a piano player as well as another guitarist. A keyboardist we never found, but we called Larry Brent in to fill the other empty slot. He showed up a little late with the night’s only guest Craigy. We got a quick Gomorrah in while waiting for them to arrive. There was a lot of traffic getting into the city with the Rangers playing game 2 against the Devils in the Eastern Conference finals at the Garden that evening. They happened to lose that game 3-2.

As far as the night’s jam goes, I selected to play 5-16-80, the Go to Nassau show that was well know to me. So well know apparently that the setlist I selected wasn’t that night’s show but a compilation that made up the CD, or at least the second set was. I didn’t find out about this until the middle of the second set and the value of doing the proposed setlist lost it all, but we finished as planned anyway. I am still not sure what the 1st set from 5-16-80 was. In any case, the setlist I had selected was huge and was going to be a challenge to play and complete. In consideration of the the proposed set list’s length, it is impressive we were able to play it all with and extra song both at the start and at the end. Over 20 songs for the week is a big week of music and quite a work out.

The first set is filled with a slew of big songs. Lazy Lightning is never a good one for us, but the double drummer combo helped us stay in 7-time. The first set’s Far From me was a Deadstein 1st, so that was pretty cool and we made it through that difficult adventure. We played pretty loud and hard for the set and got through it nicely.

For the second set we had the challenge of several combos starting with a Stranger Althea. This went into a Sailor Saint, which we got through okay. The stand along Alabama Getaway that followed was a great example of the drummers sticking to a pocket that provided a comfortable place in which to play. I think we were beginning to lose a little energy for the Playing Uncle Johns as the night grew long and all the songs we played were taking their toll. Some how the drum solo had some energy and kind of boosted us through the finish which is pretty easy for us to play. The Weight encore, with Larry leading it was a Deadstein best in that it maintained our structure.

Let’s hope the Ranger find a way to beat the Devils in this series and continue onto the Stanley Cup finals. Much like this week, it looks like we will be playing once again during the game next Monday. It appears as if we should Rich and Alan back for that jam, so get ready for some more Full-Band Deadstein.

To hear what we played, listen to the MP3s below. Typically, Rich records us, but I was able to borrow an MP3 recorder from work and got the night fully recorded.

http://deadstein.com/audio/05-16-12/

Jam – 2012-05-07 – Carroll’s

16 May 2012 Leave a comment

by deadstein in Jams Tags: Carroll's, Jam, Kevin, Larry, Rich, Scott, StaggerLee, Trister, Wikler

This Monday night jam was like the tale of 2 jams, and both tales were good stories. This week we were scheduled to have everyone back in the studio with the addition of Andy Trister for the first set. For the second set we jumped right in and played a pretty second setty type of first set. I think we were on for the most part and had a very good jam with Andy. While writing this about a week after the jam I do not recall too much about the night except the Music Never Stopped was a killer version and a great way to end our set with Andy. The typical Brokedown to end his segment of the night was all he wrote and he was out of there.We took a little break and and embarked upon our much different feeling and sounding second set. Before we get into it, we only had Stevie as a guest for the night, leaving his entourage behind to miss out of the goodness they we provided. Scott Bayer also showed up for the end of the second set. Lee asked for a little playing of the Truckin’ style jamming for the second set and that got us going down a road that led us to a hot second set and a complete evening of music.

The Truckin’, He’s Gone, Other One was a very natural feeling lineup but the surprise trip into the Dark Star was probably a stunner to most and was the first Dark Star we have played with Lee drumming with us. This led us into some other surprising choices including the Death Don’t Have No Mercy and quick Me and My Uncle and back into the Other One. The transitions were so fast during this part of the night, no one had a chance to complain about the Me and My Uncle. Whart Rat and Sugar Magnolia were fitting closers to the set that provided us the energy to finish strong. Even the encore of Werewolves of London felt good.

While the entire night had a bifurcated feel to it, the entirety of it all was a complete feeling of satisfaction that drive you to showing up once more time. Can’t wait to do it oe more time and freak out.

If you want to hear the music from last week feel free to click on links to the MP3s uploaded by Rich.

http://deadstein.com/audio/05-07-12/

Jam – 2012-05-01 – Carroll’s

03 May 2012 Leave a comment

by lgindoff in Jams Tags: Bill Siegel, Carroll's, Jam, Kevin, Larry, Scott, StaggerLee, Wikler

With Rich out of town, this Tuesday night was highlighted by the presence of Bill Siegel playing the keys and the singing lots of the songs for the night. Having Bill is a nice bonus in and of itself but the sounds of the keyboard in addition to piano sounds are a real nice addition to Deadstein sound. Coupled with not needing to amplify an acoustic piano through the PA system gave us a pretty open sound for the night.

The night started really open because as we started late, around 8:25, with Lee still AWOL. I called him and found out he thought we were playing on Wednesday night, not Tuesday. Clutch as he was, he popped into his car and raced to join us and made it before the end of the first set. In the end, Lee only missed 5 or 6 songs.

We were located in the big studio at Carroll’s as the others studios were filled with Carnegie Hall wanabies and a big group of serious Klemzer musicians. Deadstein fit right in. Rob and Miriam showed up with a big bag of leftover Baja no-so- Fresh catered Mexican food for all of us to munch into. I tried a bite and it was a distraction to me. A great thought though. Also in the room were Stevie and Lindsey as well and Ryan who sat in on the drums for a song or two. Meg was nowhere to be found.

We never really had a distinction between sets as we began a Big River without Kevin and Bill also jammed a Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out without several of us. We then went into the second set and finished strong right at 12:00pm.

We didn’t have a setlist planned and we only used the Randomizer to select the Bertha opener, nevertheless we kept the songs moving and ended playing a healthy 20 songs or so. Without Rich being there we didn’t have a good way to record the night’s music. I got a few moments on my iPhone, but whether it is usable or not, I will have to check out.