2.7.08 12:55 p.m.:: After the Giants took the Patriots' perfect season and flushed it on Sunday, I drove the eight blocks back home, and opened up something of a Pandora's Box.
When I turned ten, my parents gave me a Sega Master System, which profoundly changed my life in a number of ways. I know it sounds geeky to say that a video game system changed my life, but I'm a self-proclaimed geek, and I do have (and always have had) other aspirations which have also changed my life in amazing ways.
As I hadn't listened to much popular music before I turned ten, the Master System drove these little Japanese jingles into my head, and ended up being the original inspiration for the musical journey I had embarked upon less than a year prior. I was a captive audience for the short, repetitive melodies that continued to assail me as I attempted round after round of my new 8-bit obsession.
I remember the day after my birthday, when I was at school, barely able to concentrate, knowing that the equivalent of a video arcade was waiting for me at home, three blocks away.
Over the years, the Master System decreased in popularity (Sega eventually abandoned its platform department, and focused on continuing to make really great games for other platforms. If you can't beat 'em...), and although it became more difficult to find games for the system, I was content with the two-dozen-or-so games I had. They had firmly rooted themselves in my life, leaving an early, indelible impression, not only musically, but visually.
A few years back, I wrote an essay on a particular game, "Alien Syndrome," which had caused all manner of grief during my childhood, but apart from that revisitation, I haven't spent much time with my aging (but still functional) Master System, although the impression of those games continues to draw out inspiration at nearly every turn. In college, after writing a handful of songs on my Roland via MIDI, my peers described it as sounding like "video game music". All things considered, I found that not entirely unbelievable, and almost secretly flattering.
So, on Sunday night, I came home, and began an online pursuit of a Sega Master System emulator. My friend Eric had sent me one on a little CD back in college, which was Windows-based, and contained a few choice games, but I hadn't pulled that out in years. Besides, I'm a Mac guy, and held out hope that an emulator was available for people like me.
Almost immediately, I came across a great emulator for the Mac platform, which very faithfully reproduced the resolution, fluidity of motion, and music for so many of the games I had loved growing up. What amazed me also was that the games, despite their epic scope in the gameplay department, were roughly the size of a decent Word document. A few MIDI files, a color scheme, and whatever else goes into an 8-bit game, and there you have it.
As I relived the initial rush of games like "Quartet" and "Out Run", I was struck by how much I had been influenced by the music. Sega games varied in their musical selections: games like "Wonder Boy" had a musical motif which was almost maddening in its repetition; "Alien Syndrome" was underscored by a dark, slow, nauseating score. However, the good soundtracks were really good. Both "Out Run" and "Quartet" were blessed with great music, and it was the quality of the chord changes and the timbre of the synthesized sounds that influenced my application of music theory, way before I even knew what that was.
Just like their original slogan, "the challenge will always be there", for me, the Master System will always be a key player in the music I make.
A MIDI-LIFE CRISIS?
3.1.07 4:09 p.m.:: In the absence of writing much these days (actually, it's really been since my return to Minneapolis that the dry spell has lasted), I decided to return to my roots, so to speak. There are several reasons for this: first, I have a generous handful of songs that are either on tape or in MIDI format on my old Macintosh G3 computer. I had been convinced that, at some point, that sucker's going to breathe its last, leaving an inert hard drive stuffed with singer-songwriter gold that is utterly inaccessible.
Second, many people don't believe me when I tell them that, between the years of 1994 and 2002, I wrote over 100 songs, with lyrics, but all unrecorded. In reflecting on that statement each time, I realized I couldn't remember how some of the songs went. There was a basic shell of a concept, but nothing specific, nothing I could sit at the piano and plunk out from memory.
This disturbed me, and so began the mission.
A few weekends ago, when Jen was out of town, I descended into the basement with a large chunk of unstructured time, and set out to commit these songs to digital format. The result was something I'd only dreamed about during my freshman year of college in 1996: a CD. Better yet, a boxed set! Oooh! How decadent!
It was interesting revisiting these songs, which I'd been so proud of back in the day. Sonic qualities aside, I found that I'm still quite proud of them. It was like a sponge squeezed out into a keyboard, night after night, all these ideas just pouring into the computer, producing Word document-sized MIDI files packed with 1s and 0s. I pushed my little Roland JV-35 to its polyphonic limit, and it's quite apparent during some of the songs, where crash cymbals abruptly quit, giving way to the next note in sequence. Once you start multitracking, it's amazing how quickly 28 notes of polyphony get used up.
You won't be hearing this CD on iTunes anytime soon, but it is kinda fun to actually have a product in hand, something that ranks in my iTunes library between Massive Attack's "Mezzanine" and Dave Grusin's "Migration".
So, here it is, friends...an album by Charlie Peterson--The Midi Years: 1994-2002.
Email me if you really, really want to hear it.
UNDER TWO
1.9.07 10:48 p.m.::
MICAH, MONSTER OF FOLK
12.15.06 11:10 p.m.:: Just got back from a CD release concert at Concordia University in St. Paul. The artist was none other than one of the Monsters of Folk, Micah Taylor...whose backup band was none other than Put Down The Muffin. It was such a rich experience to play such rootsy, good music with the guys, and with Micah at the helm. It's something I hope to do much, much more of, it was that good.
Micah packed out the theater on the campus, and showed great skills as a raconteur whilst strumming out his tunes. It was so refreshing to let my hands focus on one sound at a time--something I'm very used to not doing. Muffin calls for a variety of sounds to take place simultaneously, and I absolutely love it. But tonight was a chance to let those few notes really count. Thanks, Micah, for the opportunity, and let's reprise it very soon!
DESTINY FULFILLED
9.9.06 12:03 p.m.:: Jen, Lyndi, Laura and I headed down to the Fine Line last night to hear one of my new all-time favorite bands, Zero 7. For a guy like me who LOVES downtempo music, and is also in a band where you can never have too much gear, this was an incredible experience.
We started out at a bar across the street, where we had an excellent view of the nonexistent line outside the door to the club. As the tickets were all general admission, I get a bit intense about getting a good seat, and wanted to make sure I could get there when the line started forming. Fortunately, the weather was pretty good, and there were some cool people in front of me, with whom I talked about Sia (Furler, Zero 7's female vocalist on this tour).
We got in right away, and grabbed the stools on the main floor along the outside wall. Jose Gonzalez opened for them, and then...:
You're My Flame
ENCORE:
...during which she brought "Mr. Bouncy Man" up on stage to dance with her. He was obviously totally enamored with her song choice, as he knew all the words. I'm so glad these guys came to town.
Oh, yeah--the guys! There were probably between six and seven people on stage at all times, most of them moving around to different keyboard stations. Lots of analog synth, and they even had a little acoustic piano up there with them.
I just wanted to see them once. And once is enough.
Okay, maybe not...
OFFICIAL DAN
8.25.06 10:06 a.m.:: Last night, I played at Famous Dave's with Steeling Dan for the first time as one of them. Mr. Michael Dripps, who previously drove the keyboard chair, called me a few weeks back and asked me if I'd like to take over, as he and his wife were expecting their second child. Incredulous, I asked him if he was willing to give it up. He said he'd thought about it long and hard, and that this was the thing to go.
So, I've spent this whole week boning up on Steely Dan songs I'd listened to hundreds of times before, but had never played. And I am glad I did! Donald and Walter have made a career and sold millions of albums off songs which sound so natural, and take the most obtuse routes to get from A to Z. Which is to say that they've done a great job putting a glossy veneer on for the general public, and could teach a master class for those who dare to scratch the surface. I got my tail kicked by them this past week!
State Fair later today! Who's ready for a good time on a stick?
REACHING FOR HIGHER GROUND
8.19.06 11:18 p.m.:: Winsted, MN is a cool place.
I played with Caitlyn Smith at the Higher Ground Festival this afternoon, on what has been a simply wonderful day. The weather was just perfect, and the staff working the event were totally gracious. I was able to pull out Dan Sampson's beautiful ruby-red accordion once again, and play the four chords I know on it during "Crushed And Created".
During our downtime, the festival also went above and beyond by providing RVs for the bands! So, we killed off three or four hours just hanging out in this wonderful RV, provided by one of the local dealerships for our use. Man...thanks!
And later this evening, I carted my Nord Electro over to the other stage, where Joe Rogness was performing. He used it for a few songs, and the mix, under the careful scrutiny of Dave Feil, sounded impeccable. As a musician, you'll often listen to live music, and find holes where you "would have loved to play THAT right THERE!" Tonight, however, it was pure enjoyment. I laid out on the grass with Jen and Kevin King, satisfied that there was nothing I could add to this musical tapestry.
MP3>CDR MIX 034
8.8.06 2:00 p.m.:: N.E.R.D! Dave Barnes! Feist! Spiraling! SEMANTICS! Heck, we even got Spaceship Earth from EPCOT Center!
Perplexed? Satiate.
MATT'S BACK!
7.27.06 4:04 p.m.:: Today, Put Down The Muffin was reconnected with its fourth limb, as Mr. Matt Patrick returned from Slovakia, and descended into Bruce's jam vault for the first glorious four-piece session in over a year. Man, it is good to have you back, Matt!
It started out with Bruce saying, "well, I've seen him...he's actually back", but even those words suspended disbelief for a few minutes, until I went out to my Element to bring in another load of gear, when I noticed a maroon van with a funny-looking mirror sticking off the back roll past me, apparently in search of the entrance. This van had the trademark Slovakia "SK" oval sticker, the Apple sticker, and, naturally, the PDTM logo sticker...leaving little doubt as to who the driver was.
We ran around the building looking for him, but he'd slipped past us,
He pulled his pedalboards out of their cases and spent some bonding
After a fifteen-minute long intro to "Ten Pin", followed by a few of our newer tunes, the four of us walked around the building, which had been host to
We picked up the jam a bit
It feels so wonderful to have a brother back like this. Though I'm sure those in Slovakia whose lives were affected by Matt and Diane's presence there are missing them terribly, it's so awesome to jam again and to dig into each others' lives again. Get ready for a boatload of gigs very soon!
The Muffin is rising...and Matt is our yeast.
I REST MY CASE
6.23.06 3:40 p.m.:: On April 4, the day before my 28th birthday, I picked up a Nord Lead 2X keyboard, and figured I'd order some matching gig bags to go with the new Lead and my Nord Electro.
They arrived three days ago.
But they're beautiful bags, and this thankfully allows me to retire my giant Chili Con Cases
So, I'm stoked. But 12 weeks...c'mon.
SHOELESS JOE AND BLIND
6.16.06 11:55 p.m.:: Jen and I just got back from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, where we went to hear the musical musings of the one, the only Joe Jackson. On my radar since my early days, "Steppin' Out" is the first song I ever remember hearing. In particular, the high piano notes, doubled by the xylophone, served as a crystalline impression in my youthful, impressionable, auditory mind. Joining him on this tour were original bandmates Dave Houghton (dr) and Graham Maby (bs).
However, the real shocker of this show was the opening act. Raul Midon, a name I'd heard many times, but which had never registered until tonight. The man is absolutely amazing. His guitar picking/strumming technique featured his whole hand, and his rhythm was spot-on. His voice is beautiful. He performed completely unaccompanied.
Oh, and he's blind.
Behold, Joe's setlist:
Home Town
Dirty Love
MY GREAT AUNT MAUDE
6.6.06 5:18 p.m.:: After several long years between the time the DVD format was introduced until this day, I have waited for the release of my all-time favorite television show, "The Wild, Wild West". Yes, this is truly a great day!
I set about taping each episode as it aired on network television, acquiring 100 of the 104 episodes over a span of about seven years. I had received the companion book to the series for Christmas in 1990, informing me how many remained until I had amassed the complete series.
In a day and age where you can pick up all four seasons of "Knight Rider" in less than a year for around $120 (which I did), it makes me realize how much less patient I am now when it comes to instant gratification. In many ways, instant gratification really IS possible with the Internet and supply meeting demand in ways such as this. But, at the same time, I waited seven years for this set to come out, so maybe not a whole lot has changed. Maybe it's just the way in which I wait.
It's one of the finest TV-to-DVD sets I've seen, with all the special features and artwork. I also appreciate that, unlike the "Knight Rider" DVDs, these aren't two-sided discs. If you've ever been mesmerized by this show, whether it was 40 years ago or 40 months ago, you'd do well to check this out.
PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE...
4.4.06 12:32 a.m.:: ...and I thank all of you for yours. My apologies for taking such an unplanned and lengthy hiatus from the blog world. During this time, Jen and I bought a house, I've moved in (mostly), and we're now 24 days from the wedding! Let it be here now! We're all ready to go!
And today, I picked up a Nord Lead 2X to augment my Nord setup. After laying my hands on one a month or so back, and having sampled it in the presence of the Muffin, certain other members of the band decide with me that such an instrument was an essential piece of the Muffin dynamic, tantamount to a vital limb, whose absence would surely spell extreme disability, or at least discomfort.
Man, I feel like I should write just to write, since it's been so long! I discovered MySpace since my last entry here, which has been something of a black hole. And, we finally got high-speed at our new house, which allows me to spend time online without doing so at work or elsewhere. It's good to be back...but if you're surfin', let the currents take you here: www.myspace.com/getchazzed.
I hope everyone is well, and that spring is springing in an atmosphere near you. Peace out.
HUNGRY IN SEVEN
1.29.06 3:06 p.m.:: This morning, I led worship out at Oakwood Community Church in Waconia, as is my usual Sunday morning role. This morning, I was joined by drummer experimentale Guy Lemon. We worked our way through the worship material, and then he started laying down this fast, driving, yet very controlled groove. I was planning on singing "Hungry (Falling On My Knees)" for the offering special...so I just started singing it over his groove. When we finished, I told him I'd like to do it that way for the service. Incredulous, he agreed.
After the service concluded, Guy fired up the groove again, and we reprised with the same song instrumentally. At one point, Guy said, "Let's do it in 7," referring to 7/8 time, which was a funny feel, but somehow it worked. I do believe Guy and I made history this morning by being the first ones to do that with "Hungry".
MUFFIN REHEATED
12.22.05 8:15 p.m.:: Yes, that's right, folks....on December 22, 2005, Put Down The Muffin officially had a jam session! After many weeks of scheduling conflicts, job changes, out-of-town gigs, house purchasing/remodeling, urban missionarying, and other assorted madness, Bruce, Zach and I overcame extreme adversity to arrive simultaneously at Bruce's new jam pad in Minneapolis. (There's much more about the space on Bruce's blog.)
The building, affectionately called the Arts Co-op, is where Bruce the musician is now operating from. The space is fabulous, with large spaces for artists to flex their gifts and work their magic, and for a certain uncategorizable three-piece to have their Thursday morning jams. Zach came in with a new tune, and we proceeded to work it down and lay it down in Pro Tools. Now I've got a CD full of polyrhythmic material to study up on!
I'm looking forward to many more jams in this space! Check out the pics for a peek at the Muffin's new digs! Have a merry Christmas, everyone!
GUERILLA ARCHIVING
12.16.05 7:48 a.m.:: When inspiration strikes at the stroke of midnight, I've learned you just have to ride it out and see where it takes you.
I dragged out my old Macintosh G3 and my 4x CD burner to make a digital rendering of
As I was in the process of cleaning the lower level of our house before my parents returned from vacation, it seemed a little counterproductive to pack my room with cables and hardware, but I'm a preservationist, and when things get stale, I look for things to archive. I should have been a librarian.
Sometime around 2:00 am, the mixing process concluded (I had all but gone to sleep by this point).
THE MUSIC KEEPS ON PLAYING
12.9.05 1:49 p.m.:: Just added to the Jukebox: MP3>CDR MIX 031. It took a little time after the last mix, packed with 22 tracks of glistening cheese, came out. This one, once again, brings to the fore a handful of songs which define the soundtrack of my life (for the moment). Check 'em out, and have a great December.
THE MIGHTY CRUSADER
11.29.05 12:58 p.m.:: Jen and I retraced our famous steps down to the Dakota (the destination for our first date, back in January) to catch guitarist Larry Carlton and his band.
He opened up with "Freddie Freeloader", backed up by an impressive group which included a wicked keyboard player covering all additional parts, a deep-pocketed drummer, and his 23-year-old son Travis on bass. He then dove into Fourplay's "Blues Force", Steely Dan's "Josie", "Fingerprints", "Minute By Minute", "Smiles And Smiles To Go", and "Put It Where You Want It", among others, encoring with "Sleepwalk". Throughout the night, the musicianship was phenomenal. Only in jazz clubs can you really explore the range of dynamics, to the point where you're playing so quietly--and everyone's listening so intensely--that you don't need amplification. That trademark tone of his just made the whole night that much sweeter.
THE LITTLE KITTY THAT DID
10.27.05 11:13 a.m.:: I write this with a heavy heart, for, after fifteen years, we sent our cat, Kitty, home to be with God. This really hurts.
We weren't quite sure what to do. Believing that some family was now without their cat, we posted signs up all over the neighborhood, reporting "Cat Found!" Meanwhile, as the signs went unanswered, Kitty made himself more and more at home. My dad and I built an elaborate cat tree later that year, which was an interesting sight in our front porch, but a total playground for the little ball of energy.
Lest you think we're without originality, Kitty was so named because we didn't think we'd be keeping him for long. We assumed that, once the original owners claimed him, he'd be on his way, back to his original identity. Of course, by the time we realized he'd rather be with us, the name was stuck, and this same explanation was given hundreds of times thereafter.
The next year, Kitty came home one night, looking as though he'd been in a serious brawl with another animal. As he was accustomed to being outside, we would let him roam our generally safe St. Louis Park neighborhood. Naturally, he needed to be rushed into the vet, as something was clearly not right. We later came to discover, after my mom discovered a bump on the back of his neck, that Kitty had been shot with a .22. The bullet entered just above his left eye, skidded along the underside of his skull, and lodged harmlessly in the back of his neck. And, despite stumbling out of understandable disorientation, the little guy made it home. We brought him in for an operation to take the bullet out, and he's been fine ever since.
We've always treated pets as full-on members of our family. Kitty had a fantastic personality, to those that knew him (and weren't allergic to him). That's why this day is particularly difficult, just because it feels like I'm losing a younger brother. Kitty was always a companion to us, and he gave us everything he possibly could. It still amazes me, the longevity he enjoyed in his life. I mean, this cat was born in the 80's. He's less than a decade younger than me. God, I hope people love their pets as much as we've loved ours.
It became apparent, of late, that Kitty wasn't doing so well. He was trying to communicate with us in ways we couldn't interpret, and was experiencing some special dietary needs. He'd had several "close calls" in the last couple of years, but he kept hanging on, and continued to give us his good company. We realized this week, with great heartbreak, it was time for us to stop asking him to give.
I know Kitty's with God now, in a place with no pain and suffering, and I'll see him again someday, but this hurts like hell right now, and I couldn't let this day pass without giving tribute and thanks to such a wonderful companion, family member and friend. We're going to miss you, Kitty, but I can't wait to get to Heaven and see you again. We love you so much.
EXCURSIONS & EXPECTORATIONS
10.17.05 1:33 p.m.:: I jumped on the road with me band mates yesterday, and headed down to Spencer, IA, for a show with Jason Gay. We (that is, Ben Gowell [gt], Steve Oakes [bs], and Zach Miller [dr]) met up down at Burnsville Center, and packed Ben's guitar rig in with my keyboard setup in the Element, and started down.
We spent some quality time in the green room right off the stage
Zach wasn't feeling too hot on the return lap, and this prompted a couple of roadside pull-offs. We got pulled over (no tickets--praise), got caught in a serious rain storm, and eventually made it back to the Cities by around 2:30 a.m. I was in bed by 3:15. I'm assuming everyone else made it back safely, though I've only heard from Steve so far....
BACK TO THE FUTUREMAKER
10.11.05 2:59 p.m.:: I was in St. Louis over the past weekend, and took part in the Homecoming festivities of my futuremaker, Webster University. One of the highlights was the presentation of the movie "Back To The Future", one of my all-time faves, followed by a Q&A with writer/producer Bob Gale. It was just a cool connection to make....and what a brilliantly written movie.
After the movie, we crashed in on the mighty Dan Ayres and his lovely bride, chanteuse Debby Lennon-Ayres.
The next day, I headed back to campus during the daylight, and saw what happened to my old house (to quote Joni, they paved paradise and put up a parking lot...). Distraught but not defeated, I met up with Dan Ayres and Dan Jacobs
Later that evening, I got together with my ex (lab co-worker, that is), John Eto, and we hit Washington Avenue for some haute cuisine and a tour of the multitude of lofts that are becoming downtown St. Louis.
To quote Dan Jacobs, "the change is constant, and the constant is change." Indeed.
THE HEART OF WORSHIP
10.3.05 2:57 p.m.:: Last night's Upper Room was a rockfest, in addition to being totally convicting from a life application standpoint. This was the second time we've brought out the Hammond B3, the Fender Rhodes, and my Karma on top. We were joined, fortuitously, by bassist Al Bergstrom, vocalist Nate Johnson and drummer exquisite Tim Zhorne. Man, what a pocket. It didn't hurt that we had an eight-song setlist with lots of space to work, but it's great when the dynamics work in favor of a sound pulled way back to where I'm just playing a synth pad behind an acoustic guitar or even just Hunnicutt's vocals.
F MINUS FOR JOHN
9.27.05 10:36 p.m.:: Immediately after U2's show on Friday night, Jen and I roadtripped to Milwaukee to catch the John Mayer Trio at the Eagles Ballroom. She's a fan, and I appreciate the guitar player he is, and I liked the blues stuff I'd heard, so we made a concert weekend of it.
The show was very cool, although it was standing room only. One inevitably ends up either on their tiptoes by standing in the back, or mashed up against the stage by standing up close. The former was the case with Jen and I, but I believed the situation would be rectified if we could meet him afterward.
The nice thing about these smaller venues is there's no place for the artists to sneak out--they have to exit the building at some point into the public flow. (The Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, by contrast, has an elaborate tunnel system underneath, allowing most artists to slip beneath traffic and be over a mile away by the time their fans exit the arena.) But with theaters and such, you need only find the stage door and comply with the power-tripping security staff.
So, there were about 40 of us waiting out back, several of whom had already been instructed where to stand by security. The anticipation was hot, and I thought it would be cool to have a picture of Jen with John Mayer to toss up on her refrigerator.
Drummer Steve Jordan and bassist Pino Palladino stepped onto the bus with little notice. Minutes later, John jumped onto the bus, behind the mirrored glass, acknowledging no one. There were brief cheers, followed by speculation that a "ringer" had jumped on, and that the real John Mayer was, in fact, still inside the building.
About 20 minutes later, after the bus departed, his road manager came out and swore, on her firstborn or whatever, that John was on his way to Nashville, and that we should go home.
It was a phenomenal weekend regardless--Jen and I had a great window to get out of Dodge, have some quality hang time, and see a new and different city.
As for John, it would behoove him to give a little bit back to the fans who waited around for him--even 15 minutes. Give 'em something to talk about.
LADS ON FILM
9.26.05 11:43 a.m.:: Jen and I caught U2 once again in Minneapolis, this time joined by Justin and Rebecca Sharbono, and a host of folks from the Upper Room. Once again, absolutely dazzling...and quite loud.
Before seeing the Chicago show in May, I looked at my ticket, and took note of the customary "No Cameras/Recorders" designation. I thought, "oh, okay," and left my camera in the car. Naturally, when we got inside and the lights went down, everyone and their brother had a little digi with them. Not so this time around.
The show opened with Dashboard Confessional, who set up their gear in the space remaining on U2's stage.
Then, the Arcade Fire's anthemic "Wake Up" came on, greatly overpowering the Killers and the other bands played over the house system during the interval, and U2 took the stage. From our seats, we had a great birds-eye-view-but-not-too-far-away perspective as everything unfolded.
City Of Blinding Lights
ENCORE I:
ENCORE II:
ENCORE III:
It was phenomenal to hear Passengers' "Miss Sarajevo"--not only for its historical significance and position in U2's oeuvre, but to hear Bono nail the Pavarotti vocal--smashing! I also have loved hearing some "deep cuts" from the "Boy" album during the past two shows. I can't wait to see what they include on the concert DVD.
I've also very rarely seen a band do THREE encores, but they did it...in fact, Edge and Adam came out on opposite sides of the stage, and Edge strapped on Adam's bass, and Adam stepped into Edge's guitar world. Justin's reaction spoke for the vast majority: "Are you serious?" Then, those silly boys realized their mistake and got back to what they do best.
TURNING 30
9.19.05 7:55 p.m.:: Check out the new mix, officially titled MP3>CDR MIX 030. I've made 30 of these frickin' mixes. And one this one, my shame truly knows no bounds.
You're only a click away...
I'LL BE DANNED
9.4.05 2:28 p.m.:: It usually doesn't take 10 years for something to come full-circle. But when it does, it is a sweet thing. Such was the case with last evening. I played a gig with Steeling Dan, the local Steely Dan cover band. This was an opportunity I'd been waiting the last ten years for. I play fairly regularly with the Dan's bass player, Al Bergstrom, at the Upper Room. In fact, the first weekend I played there, we hit it off with Donald Fagen's "New Frontier"...not necessarily a piece you'd expect to connect with someone on, but a defining one nonetheless. After several opportunities failed to congeal, we finally made it happed at a wedding at the Wabasha Caves in St. Paul last night. After a Real Book standards set to kick off the dancing, followed by a mixture of 80's and R&B/funk (Toto's "Rosanna" was among the highlights), we dove into the Steely material and never looked back. Though these guys have been doing this regularly for a few years, and this may have been just another gig, it was a stupendous landmark for yours truly. Thanks to Mr. Michael Dripps, the Dan's keyboardist, for the opportunity.
TO HAVE AND TO HOLD
After she came home from work, I suggested that we go rollerblading (as she lives four blocks from the lake, we've spent quite a bit of time down there, talking and getting exercise at the same time). The weather was fantastic--in the 80s, and nothing but sunshine. We parked the Element, carried our skates across the street, and sat down in a surprisingly secluded area of the lake. As she was putting her skates on, I reached into one of my skates, and pulled out the little box. I said a few words, and asked her to marry me. After a brief spell of disbelief, she replied, "You know I will!"
We chilled in the moment for a bit, and then I announced that we wouldn't actually be rollerblading that day, as we had 6:30 dinner reservations downtown. We headed back to her place, got all spruced up, and cruised down to Zelo on 9th and Nicollet.
OPEN CHANNEL D 7.27.05 4:07 p.m.:: I've always felt that I was born a generation too late. The kind of music I listen to, the artwork I enjoy, the movies I watch...they're all from my parents' era. In particular, I'm a lover of the spy genre, and all of the 1960's TV shows that accompanied and bolstered that movement.
So imagine my elation to discover that Film Score Monthly recently released three 2-disc sets of the soundtrack
A BIG BLAGODARYA TO EVERYONE 7.25.05 4:18 p.m.:: It's been over a week since I got back from Bulgaria with Wooddale Church's music team, and I wanted to wait to write something until I had pictures formatted and ready to show. Problem is, there's about 400 of 'em. Yeah, so those will be coming later, in some form.
We left on Sunday, July 10, immediately following a whirlwind Wooddale weekend. I was playing piano at the services, and planned to sleep on the plane. This proved to be impossible, since I'm not generally accustomed to sleeping in an upright position. We first flew to Chicago, then took a behemoth 777 across the Atlantic to Frankfurt.
Now this stop was exciting. Despite being a bit sleep-deprived, I greatly enjoyed the opportunity to revisit the country my family and I vacationed to 11 years ago...an experience which led me to my faith in Christ. Formerly scared by the language barrier and complete unfamiliarity (see the Faith section for the complete rundown), it was cool to go back, knowing that I was ensconced within a safe group, and kinda bummed that we weren't staying for long.
We got into Sofia, and a fair amount of our luggage was missing. So, some of us had to figure out ways to work with the clothes we had (which, for me, meant the ones I was wearing all day Sunday, on all the flights. Ewww...).
We got checked into the Hotel Jasmin, and I promptly crashed on the bed. The temperature was wonderful--it had been raining, and the air was nice and cool. That said, I slept as well as possible, considering the jet lag, etc.
Tuesday: we got up, packed up the bus, and headed to the city of Plovdiv, where our first concert would take place. There was a Steinway at the concert hall, which greatly delighted our lead piano player, Laura Roberts. I used both her keyboard and my Nord, and the result was terrific.
After the show, a woman bee-lined up to me, and introduced herself as Marina. A moment later, I realized she was a friend and peer of my girlfriend Jen's brother-in-law. Now THIS was getting exciting! We talked for about 45 minutes, and I felt ready to take on this trip head-first after this encounter.
Wednesday: we explored ancient Plovdiv, which has the kind of character that only old Europe can offer. The US is an infant compared to the age and wisdom of these countries.
That evening, we took off for the town of Belozem, and our show was unfortunately rained out. We discovered that night just how quickly we could tear everything down and get it out of the rain!
Thursday: we headed down to the mountain town of Momchilgrad, and ended up at, essentially, a ski resort in the mountains. Absolutely gorgeous. There was a pool outside our rooms, and a forever view in all directions. Since Momchilgrad is a predominantly Muslim town, our emphasis was not overtly on evangelism, but more of just a "concert". This was another outdoor show, but the weather this time was spectacular. And the people were totally into it! There was this group of little girls, probably around 9 or 10 years old, who just wanted their picture taken by everyone. They were enthralled by seeing their picture immediately on everyone's digital cameras.
Friday: We drove all the way back across Bulgaria, stopping a few times for touristy things. This took all day, and it was NIGHT by the time we checked into the Hotel Strouma in the city of Pernik, which would be our last place of lodging for the trip.
Saturday: we did a music/worship clinic at the church of Alexander "Sasho" Ivanov, one of our translators. We went out for pizza afterward.
Sunday: we played at two different churches, and reconnected for lunch. The rest of the day was spent resting, and then preparing for our concert in Pernik's old government building. This was our last one, and it was amazing. The place was packed out, and it was probably over 100 degrees in the room (post-Communist era buildings seldom have air conditioning, or even working fans, it seems). The next day, we packed it up, and journeyed back for the longest Monday ever (what was it....28 hours?).
I'll expand upon all this once I can prepare some pictures for viewing, but it can be said that this trip was an awesome time, with the chance to make some new friends and bring what we do to a place on the other side of the world.
TERRAMARVELOUS 6.4.05 12:59 p.m.:: Jen and Lyndi and I went down to the Nomad World Pub last night, where I finally caught my first Terramara show. Having been a fan since 2002, I'd only heard them play during my friend James' wedding in late summer 2003, so this was a long-awaited moment. Playing to about two dozen people in the shadow of the Crack Stacks on Cedar Ave., the local rock quartet played most of the material from their new album, Four Blocks To Hennepin. It was wonderful to see four such talented musicians doing their thing in perfect harmony (and melody). As keyboardist and lead vocalist Rob Meany was one of the driving forces that led me to purchase my Nord Electro, it was great to see him work his to great effect. Bassist Tom Larson managed to maintain the tight groove even whilst tweaking his amp during "Rise & Fall", guitarist Karl Koopmann offered several beautiful solos during the night, and drummer Dave Thomas hit it hard and solid all night long. Great job, gents.
(I also recently wrote a review of Terramara's new album, which can be found here.)
PROPER SCHOOLED 5.25.05 9:09 a.m.:: So, I met up with bassist Steve Oakes at the Dakota last night to check out a jazz pianist named Hiromi. We walked in, and it had all the essence of a three-piece trio about to lay it down...except for the Nord Lead sitting on top of the piano. I turned to Steve and said, "this should be interesting." The Dakota's MC came out and gave a brief introduction, lavishing praise upon this young musician, and then exited stage left as Hiromi and her band took the stage.
She tore it UP. From the very beginning, the only small thing about this Japanese pianist was her size. Her compositions were harmonically accessible, and totally fierce in their presentation. Her last song of the first set (I did not stay for the second) was titled "Kung Fu World Champion", and featured an equal balance of piano and Nord, with all the Asian musical cliches present...but delivered in such a hip, utterly smashing way.
I mean, damn...
THE BOYS FROM BRITAIN 5.18.05 10:52 a.m.:: Last night, Jen and I went with her friends Lyndi and Laura to check out Keane at Northrop Auditorium. The high-romantic Brit trio was here only a few months ago at the Quest, but this show surpassed its predecessor on several levels: they had more shows under their belt this time round, their lighting setup was superb (although the frequent strobes left me seeing spots afterward), and, since we were seated, for the most part, we could actually see the show. (The Quest show found me in perhaps the highest concentration of people I've ever been.)
DOUBLE THE ELATION 5.12.05 12:04 a.m.:: Just got back from the Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, a perfectly intimate hall known for its legendary hostings of Garrison Keillor. The two musical icons under its roof tonight shared Keillor's wit and biting humor: Joe Jackson and Todd Rundgren, two of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters. The eclectic string quartet Ethel opened. Immediately thereafter, behold:
JOE:
TODD:
JOE w/ ETHEL:
TODD w/ ETHEL:
JOE, TODD & ETHEL:
ENCORE:
Joe's choice of "The Other Me", one of my favorite selections of his, couldn't have been more properly timed or placed. Ethel, left to their pizzicato technique, harmoniously complemented Joe's unique voice and piano. That was a moment to savor.
It was like being at a lecture, the subject matter of which touches your deepest inner being, a hunger to learn that is only satiated by the richest of topics and the most dynamic of proctors. It was a literary experience, without the literature (Todd DID look a bit like a college professor, what with the long locks and wire-rimmed sunglasses). I took a handful of photographs and a boatload of movies, before being put in my place by the good folks at the Fitzgerald.
Joe Jackson - Official Site
WINDY CITY OF BLINDING LIGHTS 5.9.05 8:59 a.m.:: Jen and I saw U2 in Chicago on Saturday night. Absolutely incredible. Herewith, the set:
Love And Peace Or Else
ENCORE I:
ENCORE II:
It was a great time. The band took the stage, waving spotlights everywhere, as the bluesy background vocals of "Love And Peace Or Else" came on, and didn't stop until they left the audience singing "How long..." by themselves. Brilliant.
The weather in Chicago left quite a bit to be desired...considering that Jen and I planned on 72 and sunny--and it ended up being 40 degrees at one point! But, it gave us an opportunity to explore some of Chicago's indoor attractions, namely the Art Institute, followed by Giordano's. (And, of course, the United Center.) Plus, we encountered the highest concentration of Polish folks I've ever seen, at a Polish parade just a few feet from the Art Institute and the statue of Honest Abe.
I'D LIKE TO THANK... 1.15.05 3:52 p.m.:: New mix added. Big Marsh party tonight--mucho pictures to come.
A LITTLE COLD UP NORD 1.13.05 10:47 p.m.:: Goodness gracious....I just picked up a Nord Electro 2 Seventy Three. Let me back up--this is a keyboard, but not just a keyboard.
Oh, and it's frickin' cold outside.
2005 - A SOCIAL ODYSSEY 1.11.05 9:58 p.m.:: Whew. The last couple of days have been Cra-Z. Monday night was rehearsal with Sarah Notley and her handsome group of gents.
MUFFINS 'R' US 1.6.05 6:29 p.m.:: How I love Thursday mornings. For the past two, I've been jamming with Put Down The Muffin (collectively, Matt Patrick [gt], Bruce Balgaard [bs], Zach Miller [dr]). These guys are kicking my butt. It's such a blast to actually get on vintage gear, and not be concerned about getting the authentic sound. We're playing at Mario's Keller Bar (underneath Gasthof's) in Nordeast on Jan. 20, along with a couple other bands. We're on at 10:30pm--hope to see you there!
A BLAST FROM THE PAST 1.5.05 9:01 p.m.:: Last night, my friend Jen and I braved the frigid wind tunnel that is downtown Minneapolis, descending on the Dakota Bar & Grill to catch Erin Bode and her fantastic band in action. I worked with Erin in St. Louis about six years ago, when we were both active participants of Swing Cat Swing! Since then, I made the pilgrimage back north to Minneapolis, and Erin's career as a jazz singer continued to take off. On this particularly chilly night, Erin's voice warmed the air, along with pianist Adam Maness (a young master of the jazz language, who gets better every time I hear him), bassist Syd Rodway, and drummer/percussionist Chris Higginbottom. Really, really stellar stuff. It's nice to see people you know make it.
SUNDAY LOVELY SUNDAY 1.2.05 11:35 p.m.:: Another slammin' night @ the Upper Room. We found ourselves in the presence of bassist Bruce Balgaard laying down our foundation, along with Lance Michael, and Justin Sharbono hauling in the serious gear with his guitar rig and G4 laptop for the "Lord We Come" loop. Very cool stuff. It's also a pleasure doing the whole "dueling pianos" with Hunnicutt, although we're not really in each others' way.
And, of course, great social communing was had at McCoy's shortly thereafter.
HAPPY NEW YEAR 1.1.05 10:22 p.m.:: Man, what happened? Or, more appropriately, why do we live here? I played piano at Wooddale Church tonight, and we could hear the freezing rain hitting the roof. So many of the guys playing tonight had to head off to gigs all over the city--I was supposed to lend keys to a blues gig outfitted by my buddy Grahame (and his dad, brother, and their friend Steve), which was cancelled under most mysterious circumstances. The venue, which shall remain nameless, had us booked for an 8:00pm show, however, as today's a holiday, the establishment closed at 6:00 pm. Now, that's never happened before....
Oh, well--happy new year!
................
©2005 get chazzed
Throw It All Away
Dreaming
This Fine Social Scene
Today
Left Behind
Futures
Distractions
Give It Away
Destiny
The Pageant Of The Bizarre
Seeing Things
Crosses
End Theme
Breathe Me
Somersault
and began loading his gear in through the back. We actually came in through the basement door, and ran right past him before Bruce, with a giant grin upon his face, turned us around and steered us into one of the new art cubes outside the studio. There he was, a few pounds lighter, and just as gnarly lookin' as he did a year ago.
time with them. I set up my Nord Lead next to him, certain that he'd know how to use it better than I do. 
Almost immediately, he started punching buttons on his pedals, and pulled that trademark Muffin wackiness right out of the air. It was the thing we'd all been waiting a year to experience.
several dozen people the weekend before during the Fallout Arts Fest. When we returned, Matt and Zach plopped on the couch, at which point Matt spoke at length about his
time in Slovakia.
more after that, and then hit our favorite Mediterranean restaurant on Eat Street, where Zach's wife Faith, and their daughter Jersey showed up to see Matt again, and meet him for the first
time, respectively.
After 12 weeks, I'm finally able to cart my Lead around with the 
same protection as my other boards. I was incredulous at how long this took, but it apparently had to change a few sets of hands before landing in mine.
flight case for my Electro, which I had custom-ordered last year specifically for my trip to Bulgaria (hence the BG sticker adorning the case). What's more, both of these cases easily convert into backpacks! This is especially convenient for the smaller Nord Lead case, which fits so easily on my back. 
I remember first seeing Ronnie Baker Brooks' keyboardist, Daryl Coutts, stroll into the Whisky Junction with his Nord Electro 61 strapped to his back. Sweet.MELON MIDON
Steppin’ Out
It’s Different For Girls
Invisible Man (new song!)
Another World
Too Tough (new song!)
Obvious Song
Citizen Sane (new song!)
On Your Radio
Goin’ Downtown
Real Men
Drunk Song (new song!)
Life On Mars?
Awkward Age
Take It Like A Man
One More Time
You Can’t Get What You Want ('Til You Know What You Want)
Is She Really Going Out With Him
A Slow Song
I stumbled upon this show during Christmas break, 1988. I was at home, watching TV while the rest of the world worked, and this show came on. In particular, it was an episode jam-packed with gadgets, intrigue and cool characters, prompting the question, "what exactly am I watching here?"
To our great fortune, the folks at Guitar Center happened to have a Nord Lead 2X in their showroom, and was available for pickup. After selling my Kurzweil 88-key weighted stage piano to my brother-in-law-to-be (whose use of it at his church is the second chapter such a dignified board deserves), I was able to procure the Lead, and I will greatly enjoy unleashing it at the Muffin rehearsal on Thursday. Some pics:
Dave Grusin's "Live In Japan" album. Up until last night, this record did not exist on CD. My piano teacher in college, Carolbeth True, made a tape of this concert for me after I expressed interest in Grusin's "Modaji", which opens this album, and which her jazz trio had covered so beautifully in 1997.
I was reminded quite a bit of my college days, especially when I lived alone, and would frequently take on a daunting project sometime after midnight, and wrap it up by four or five in the morning. With no one else in the house, it felt so good to do this again.
I popped a blank CD into the burner, which took 9 minutes to burn a 39-minute disc. And then I went to bed. A fun undertaking, but it's a little too quiet at home right now. To paraphrase Shakespeare, the house must be peopled.
Since his resume includes not only sessions and arranging with Steely Dan and Joni Mitchell, but also his part in the jazz supergroup Fourplay, this was an opportunity to catch a modern legend in an intimate setting.
Afterwards, he was kind enough to meet a few of us outside the green room, and indulge us with autographs and photos.
Thanks, Larry, for a great night, as well as an education. Going to school should always be this entertaining.
Kitty came to our family near the end of September 1990, just after I had started seventh grade. We had seen him around the neighborhood during the previous summer, and on this particular day, when my sister and a friend were outside playing, the cat followed them home, inviting himself right into our house, where he promptly found a couch and fell asleep for two hours. 
Spencer was about four hours away, and we stopped at one point for a pit stop and fun with magnetic words. 
Ben also had an opportunity to perfect his levitation techniques. Needless to say, the Kings 
Rising and Balducci Method were hauntingly convincing.
We arrived in Spencer, played the gig, and all was well. I had the chance to try out my new Ernie Ball stereo volume/pan pedal, to
quickly switch between the Korg X5DR half-rack (for the piano sounds) and the Nord (for everything else). As with our Mankato gig, we rocked most of Jason's new album, and covered Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down" for a good Americana moment.
where we munched on cheeseburgers and cookies. 
We questioned the sanity of starting a four-hour drive at 10:00 p.m. But, we were all feeling pretty sparky, and hence piled in again for the long haul.
I first saw Mindy and Nick Ottiger outside admiring the DeLoreans before the film. 
Inside, I ran into computer whiz/stunt driver Dan Nickolai and his brother Kevin at the screening. 
Several years ago, Dan and I unanimously hailed BTTF as "the perfect movie", and it kinda just brought the whole thing full-circle to see him show up in the Winnifred Moore Auditorium with the rest of us. Afterwards, we made contact with Mr. Gale,
and expressed our gratitude to him for penning such a defining opus for our young minds.
In true, beautiful "Old School" fashion, they both enjoy the luxury of living on campus, along with their gang of kids and cute golden retrievers. 
Debby played her new, unreleased CD for us, featuring Webster's finest musical instructors and performers. It brought me back to the days of old when we would bring our instruments into Dan's basement (at his old house, on campus even then), and jam until unruly hours on Boston, ELP, Elton John, and a potpourri of classic rock classics.
(Mac guru and guitarist for The Dangers and Reckless Endangerment) in Webster Hall, and piled into the Element for some Chinese at Webster Wok, a once-common midday refuge for the denizens of the Webster computer labs. As the story of the splintering of the lab's personnel unfolded, it became very clear that these guys weren't in Kansas anymore. Ayres, as always, was in rare form. It was good to see these guys laughing again. Shortly into our hot-and-sour soup, the newly-married 
Erik and Olivia Palmore stopped by, and I distributed Put Down The Muffin CDs to everyone.
Justin was especially excited to catch these guys, who have had his ear for a few years. This was a remarkable improvement from the intolerable Kings Of Leon, who rocked a little too loud during the first leg of the tour.
The set wrapped, and Justin and I watched the crew strip the stage, followed by the techs, prepping the instruments (namely, Dallas Schoo preparing The Edge's double-rack towers and massive pedal board). In fact, The Edge's Yamaha CP70 electric piano was running through a Divided By Thirteen amp, most visibly
seen on Paul McCartney's tours (used by guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray).
Vertigo
Elevation
Cry / Electric Co.
The Ocean
I Still Haven’t Found What I'm Looking For
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can’t Make It On Your Own
Love And Peace Or Else
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Miss Sarajevo
Pride (In The Name of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
The First Time
Who's Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses
With Or Without You
All Because Of You
Crumbs From Your Table
Yahweh
Vertigo (reprise!)
8.4.05 12:13 p.m.:: I got engaged on Saturday night to the love of my life, Jen Behr. I am officially the happiest and luckiest guy on the planet!
They had a table reserved for us inside, and on it were the roses I had brought down earlier that day. We had a great dinner, and then escaped to Irvine Park in St. Paul--her old stomping grounds--for a little evening walk.
The feet still haven't touched the ground yet...
to "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.", a show I was heavily invested in about ten years ago. I had purchased a CD during college featuring some re-orchestrations of the U.N.C.L.E. music (which are just never as satisfying as the real thing), but had longed for something authentic.
And these guys delivered! I wasted no time in securing these discs, deriving great enjoyment from not only hearing the music on its own, but diving deeper into the series through the exhaustive liner notes compiled by producer Jon Burlingame.
Yes, I am a total geek. But I'm not alone--if you're a fan of the series, I cannot recommend this highly enough to you. Act fast--they're in limited quantity.
Afterwards, we tooled up to the Kitty Cat Club for continued ambience and liquid refreshment. As we kicked back on the velvet couches, the girls tried to discern whether the European-looking guys across the room were, in fact, Keane themselves. After getting a closer look at the band (captured in my camera), it was determined that the gents may have been in a band, but not the band they had hoped. A brush with stardom...missed it by that much.
MUFFIN SHOW NEXT THURSDAY!
PDtM site
Home Town
Steppin' Out
Awkward Age
Take It Like A Man
It's Different For Girls
Obvious Song
Love At First Light
Hello, Hello, Who's Your Lady Friend?
Real Men
Citizen Sane (new song!)
Is She Really Going Out With Him?
Love Of The Common Man
Tiny Demons
I Saw The Light
Black & White
I Don't Want To Tie You Down
Song Of The Viking
Compassion
Hello It's Me
Bang The Drum All Day
You've Got To Hide Your Love Away
Lysistrata
The Other Me
Pretending To Care
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Black Maria
Todd Rundgren - Official Site
Vertigo
Elevation
An Cat Dubh
Into The Heart
City Of Blinding Lights
Beautiful Day
Miracle Drug
Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own
New Year's Day
Sunday Bloody Sunday
Bullet The Blue Sky
Running To Stand Still
Bad
Pride (In The Name Of Love)
Where The Streets Have No Name
One
Zoo Station
The Fly
Mysterious Ways
All Because Of You
Yahweh
40
It's got the most screamin' organ sounds I have ever laid fingers on. Throw enough effects on, and it's like a big bucket of ribs. So, so tasty. It also sports some really, really nice Rhodes sounds, and a killer stereo piano. I'm going to enjoy getting to know this piece of Swedish ingenuity more in the forthcoming hours and years.
This was followed by a late-night excursion down to the airport to pick up my fellow Marshies Heidi, Brittney and Beth...at 1am. Last night saw another screening of "Napoleon Dynamite" with Justin & Rebecca and Jenny.
And tonight, Kai and I threw down the jam at JAM--the junior high ministry at Grace Church (Eden Prairie, not St. Louis).
