ok, so...gene ("hofnerjunkie") and i have been swapping email about recording platforms for Mac. i decided to meet him and hear his band (loaded dreams) tonight here in NYC @ Arlene Grocery.

it's hard to describe how awful the band before gene's was, but it got me thinking:here were a bunch of guys who were technically adept, but not much else. which got me thinking-we all spend time woodshedding, and everyone wants to improve their chops in some way. however, the really hard part is keeping the urge to overplay/overcompose in check. oh, and unless you're funny enough to do stand-up, keep the corny humor out of your songs.

now, i apologize to anyone who may be offended, but this awful band was right out of the jam band/DMB mold (pun intended). for all the melodic minor 64th note triplets and tasteful tone the guitarist displayed, the effect was pretty numbing. sure, he could play, but in the service of what? bad hippie songs about grasshoppers & moonbeams? yikes, it makes the skin crawl, ferchrissake. i'm well aware-different strokes for different folks (the Phish-type folks in the crowd LOVED them), but they just seemed like a very good example of taste, skill, all those "good" attributes. too bad they were as appealing as a 50 gallon drum of mayonaise.


ok, enuff about them-gene's band was really fun to see. his playing is pretty special--great timbre, inventive chord sequences, and unlike those before him, it seemed to me his skills were put to good use, but not ostentatious. ya know, play for the song, dude! anyhow, i'm a blues junkie as well as a fan of the downtown noise bands, and if you live here in the NYC area, i recommend seeing them play. and no, i'm not blowing smoke up his ass because he lent me some software. i'm guessing that unless you live and die by the I IV V, you'll prolly enjoy them. Or you'll email me and tell me that i suck.

anyhow..RAWWWWWWWWK ON!