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Monday, February 14, 2005 |
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Sunday, February 13, 2005 |
...hillbilly skins
Yup, I can see this lying on the bar partially
crumpled and forgotten...cross platform marketing at its most
dangerous...
From Boing Boing...
Marlboro Lights iPod case. Xeni Jardin:
 The
must-have trash accessory for those who suck down their MP3s in a
doublewide: a pack of cigarettes transformed into an iPod holder, now
for sale on eBay. Its creator says:"I'm a pretty heavy smoker so the
idea was perfect. It is not precisely engineered, but it holds the
player snug enough that it won't slip out, but not too tight that you
can't remove it... Two or more cigarettes hold the player so you can
listen and smoke when out and about."
Link (Thanks, Charles Moore)
9:59:08 PM 
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...Bonzo's kids were there...
It seems unbelievable that now finally there is a Grammy for Zep...
The Guardian reports that there is a Grammy at last for rock legends. Grammy voters hand members of Led Zeppelin a lifetime achievement award ahead of the ceremony in Los Angeles.
9:53:26 PM
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...more grammy goodies
It's an odd thing about Green Day; they have
been accepted into the mainstream and yet haven't changed that much.
Good record, good performances, a little bit better behaved... 6 or 7
nods for a Grammy? Wow. Punchy single and the loudest drums yet on the
show and the only pyro...dig those dragons....
9:44:34 PM
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...post Grammy report
Another one is done, even if you're on the
west coast and the broadcast is just starting. It went much smoother
than the run through, which was a bit choppy. Staples is not the
easiest place to work and the ramp up and down with the gear was pretty
trashed before the show started.
I thought that it was a pretty interesting
production for TV, the five act opening and the pairings were a little
schmaltzy but better than usual. I'm watching the west coast feed right
now and it sounds and looks good. The Grammys needed this as they had
some bad technical moments last year. The set looks frickin' huge on
TV, a lot bigger than how it was in real life...typical.
The split stage with moving walls caused a lot
of gripes from the stage crew but all the transitions went pretty
smooth. Having an artist lounge downstage center in a hole was slick as
you could get the talent in and out without putting them in danger.
Melissa was awesome... she is poised for a big
comeback this year. Pinetop Perkins got a lifetime achievement award
tonight; I hope somebody got him a Sprite to go with his Old Overcoat...
U2 was neat, very white, the song is beautiful but
kinda subtle for an awards show....the world's biggest pedalboard was
in effect (for guitar snakes 11 patch changes in one song)...
The Southern Rock tribute was ok, mix so so, choice
of guests somewhat disjointed...neat to see Skynyrd on TV though...
8:35:43 PM
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...afternoon Grammy report
As it is with these live TV things, the run
through this morning was filled with shouting, fast moving risers and
things falling over. I am quite surprised to say that it looks like
it's going to be a very interesting show performance-wise. The big guns
are doing their thing (U2, Green Day, etc.) but the tribute spots and a
few other things stick out from the run through. The Melissa
Ethridge/Joss Stone tribute to Janis Joplin is great, Bonnie Raitt and
Billy Preston's segment is sublime and John Mayer is performing with
Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan... very nice.
It is as always a roadie convention extrordinare, so
many old friends that never get to see each other at the same time. If
we weren't so wrapped up in our work and they hadn't banned our
cameras, it would make an amazing picture.
It's time for a lunch break... more later as the
guitars are polished and the nerves jangle like Cyndi Lauper's
bracelets.
2:57:20 PM
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... something in common
I feel honored to have a piece of info that I posted at TSHNN
berated...I feel like I've arrived.... but being a fan of Billy
Connelly for so many years I had to pop in and let him know who it
was...it's as if someone had mistaken Sam Kinison for Bill Hicks....I
know they're both dead, but Hicks was the man...
2:14:14 PM
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Saturday, February 12, 2005 |
...podcasting tip
If you haven't checked out P.W. Fenton(the self proclaimed Ed Sullivan of podcasting) and his
podcast Digital Flotsam, do. It's a wonderful melange of old and new
and like the future (according to the Firesign Theatre), it's very
clean. Find the feed at Digital Flotsam.org
This week he celebrates Black History month....
12:53:50 AM
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...cheeseball kapusta bonanza
I may have found Eldorado for geeks like me,
the odd recordings of Buddy Rich and Orson Welles have a home with all
the other gems out there at the 365 Days Project.
All I can say is WOW!
Thanks to Otis Fodder, bin diver extrordinare...
12:39:37 AM
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Friday, February 11, 2005 |
... "it never rains in..." yeah right.
Yesterday went pretty smooth at Staples. As
with most awards shows (and all TV), you'd better have the hurry up and
wait circuit installed. We arrived 2 hours earlier than we were asked
and that helped make the workload go easier.
It's a little strange doing such a big show with
rental gear but luckily the providers seriously have their act together
(thanks guys!) I've been to
this one before but never three days before broadcast. It made it less
crazed. We now have today and tomorrow off... surreal actually. We'll
go back on Sunday when everyone is tried, grouchy and running around
like psychos. It's kind of a drag as some of my friends are rehearsing
today and Saturday; we're not actually welcome for security reasons.
Roadies by and large are... dangerous.
These shows present groups just playing their big
hit and they also come up with neat ideas for pairings and tributes.
Imagine Eminem and Pavarotti doing a duet tribute to Anita Bryant...ok,
don't.
They are not always so contrived but you can still
see artists who don't meld well. Our segment has taken some work and
should do pretty well. Jeez, just getting everyone able to hear what
they need to and not hear what will confuse and infuriate them is work
enough. There are one or two other segments that have potential to go
either way...
The Clash tribute two years ago was cool ...
As much as these shows are a gathering of people who
don't get to see each other enough, we're also spread out all over Los
Angeles in dozens of different hotels. Ours may not even be in the
phone book, though the toilets work and there is free broadband...that
may be the two things that decided our location along with the price.
The spattering of road people across the city without cars may keep us
apart except for on Sunday when we're trying to do our jobs and not run
over each other's toes. I'm gonna try to track down some guys
tonight... perhaps the rain will let up.
1:02:18 PM
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Thursday, February 10, 2005 |
... new podcast
A report from LA on the Grammys, cheap hotels
and a look back at last week in Jacksonville.... click on the speaker
icon to the upper right to listen or option/right click to save...
3:17:46 PM
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...two tough losses
No links as of yet as I got e-mailed about
them but the loss of Jimmy Smith and Keith Knudsen in the past few days
are a drag. Jimmy was the King of the organ trio and Keith played with
the Doobie Brothers for many years. We'll see you both on the other
side...
12:56:10 AM
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Wednesday, February 9, 2005 |
...old home week
As contrived and train-wrecky as most made
for TV conglomerations are, it is often interesting to see musicians
from the same generation and genre gather for these things. In my case,
I grew up playing these songs on my tape player and in my bands. As
often as I've heard original artists play their own songs (over and
over again), the first time is always surreal. When you've heard
everyone on the planet cover a tune or cop a lick, hearing the
originator play it can be illuminating.
Where I grew up was not southern but it was in the country. It doesn't
matter. This is American music, a part of my personal history, even if
my accent is funny and my hair too short. It is as much a part of me as
jazz, fusion, blues and Indian music I was exposed to while I was
young. It remains to be seen if this will be something longer term but
it hits a note tonight, beyond all the jokes and the drunken hoots and
hollers. It's a nice surprise.
8:06:21 PM
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... last words on the Bowl
As these
things usually go, the game is a bit of a let down though my New
England roots were pleased to see the Pats rack another one up. The
halftime show was a sight to see; the video screen crew had plenty of
pressure as far as I can tell. Those things don't work on a good day,
let alone driving across a football field in a hurry on it's back. At
least if you had to work on it you could lie on the ground!
I spoke with someone involved with that performance
and found out some of the details in the how it was done. I bet the
average viewer at home doen't know and doesn't care. For an event like
that there is much planning, many rehearsals, too many meetings and the
wide spread of territorial pissing that comes with the cross section of
music, sports, TV and corporate presentation. The guy in charge of the
grass can be a putz and cost the show thousands of dollars out of his need to make sure no one yells at him about divots.
I was involved in a show at Texas Stadium which
occured after a Cowboys game that was going to be broadcast for
Thanksgiving. As a backline guy, it was odd to be affected by so many
different layers of concern. The building guy was a control freak; the
event manager was in over his head; the set was built out of box truss,
plywood and bailing wire; the Cowboy cheerleaders at one point had us
remove the entire show off the field so they could practice a routine
for 45 minutes; did I mention that most of these events are staffed by
volunteers to keep costs down?
Believe me, most major problems will go unnoticed
unless your clothes fall off or the sound of you crashing to the ground
would effect the mix adversely (Bitterman?) I personally cringe when I
hear a guitar out of tune or see fingerprints all over a glossy ax, but
most folks go "Isn't that the guy who dates that girl from the OC?" The
Ashlee Simpson thing was such an exception to the rule. There were
e-mails flying around before 1:00 am on whether they needed a new crew
guy, a new drummer or if everyone on that project was looking for a gig
because her career was OVER...
One of my road friends (semi-retired) called and
said that it was typical for the finger pointing to begin because they
were too cheap to hire qualified professionals to insure them from
looking like idiots. I guess paying someone a decent wage would seem
like a bargan compaired to the loss of revenue from pimping your other
daughter out like a Bankok karioke whore. Actually, we're both pretty
sure that Dad would still not get it. At least she still has a source
of gigs from the acid reflux convention folks... "Don't let acid
reflux ruin your career; use Gagamet! Here's a medley of our greatest
hit..."
9:26:40 AM
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Monday, February 7, 2005 |
...what goes with cops and BBQ?
A few years back Hayseed Dixie (link)
wandered onto my radar. I was invited to a Wild Hog and Chili cook off
with some friends and met a group of law enforcement officers who
wouldn't stop playing the band's first release. On their debut album A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC,
they do AC/DC covers bluegrass-style. They have now two other releases
of rock cover tunes done up the same way. These guys can play and it's
a hoot to hear "Cat Scratch Fever" on mandolin.
So, With thanks from Boing Boing, for your dancing and dining pleasure, here's a Link to their website for a video of Hayseed Dixie's cover of Motorhead's punk/metal anthem "Ace of Spades,"
This was found as part of Boing Boing's article on "different" cover bands,
Punk cover bands and Motorhead's bluegrass makeover. It's a great read!
3:21:54 PM
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...podcasting? Is that what ailen fisherman do?
For those of you who are still not clear on the podcasting thing, Lisa Williams put together a 4 minute tour of what it is and how to listen. Thanks to Dave Winer at Scripting News for the pointer...
2:11:32 PM
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© Copyright 2005 Aron Michalski.
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