Platinum travels to St. Simons Island

We were in a tent in the backyard of a very large house on Floyd Street, 1 block from the downtown area where the grand L-shaped pier juts out.  The view and area was priceless.  My rig for this gig goes down as worthless.  My sound cut out so many times I lost count.  Will try to get through the ol' pedalboard this week to figure out the problem.  These kind of issues are a real drag because they typically do not repeat themselves when you (I) try to troubleshoot.  I eventually went straight into the amp.  That worked.  Maybe I should try that more often.

Really, the 2nd set (we only played 2, but they were long ones) went very well.  I didn't have my pedalboard in line, so I couldn't rely on my octave pedal, or any others for that matter.  It changed things up to a certain extent & made me realize how much I do use those gadgets.  The pedalboard was still in place with the power left on.  What interesting about that is I would see it, so I would step on a pedal to engage the effect.  Funny.  Of course, it wouldn't change anything.  The power of suggestion.  This is how it will be for our upcoming gig in San Antonio.  I will have a very nice rig that will be provided, but since I'm flying with a bass, I surely won't have a pedalboard to step on.  For this coming weekend with Martay as well as Platinum, I will use my Boss MB-30 floor unit.  Those all-in-one units are good for no shorts, right?  I don't want to push my luck, but I believe I will be okay.

I rode with Gus & he did a great job getting us there & back, even though his GPS wanted to send us to Statton Island.  He also didn't bug me whatsoever about my unsettling dropouts & lack of effective troubleshooting.  A first class dude, I can tell you that.

What a view!

More wow!

Bassist's POV!

A beautiful & talented opening act!

The sun was beating down on our backs during sound check & the first set...

Much better once the sun set.

You can leave your hat on!

My first gig with Anton.

Michael Little killed it, as always.

Leave them wanting more - that's what we do so well.

A Sunday Evening at Brookhaven's Own Kaleidoscope Bistro & Pub with The MartaY

I have started a new job as a Premises Technician with AT&T.  This blog doesn't really concentrate on that aspect of my life, but I thought a little mention might be good.  I hope the job doesn't keep me from taking gigs, but I have a feeling it might.  It did prevent me from joining my family on a trip to Folly Beach to visit with the Kearneys.  Dang.  Well, they left last Sunday.  To get me through what might have been a depressing night alone, I joined MartaY for a fun little duo gig at a newly opened gastropub calling itself Kaleidoscope.  I was nice to play & there was a great crowd who really appreciated the music.  We didn't do anything special but it went well & the beautiful people danced to our drum machine accompanied beats.  They have great food, I can vouch!  I had a double K-burger & fries, but MartaY's mom LaRae gave me her plate of brussels sprouts & they were delicious!  I ate 'em up - hey, you know I don't waste too many groceries!  I had fun & we got some great tips too!  Must keep the spontanaety going!

Some preliminary shots from that night plus a training shot with at&t!

Platinum/Platinum Soul at the Biltmore

Platinum was double booked, so to speak.  No big deal, really.  This has been handled a few times lately with the addition of the sleek & mobile Platinum Soul, spear headed by former Platinum co-frontperson Dianna Crawford.  Well, this night the 2 bands were interspersed in order to satisfy certain criteria & schedules.  I was with Virginia & Lexxi, along with Michael Ray, Michael Little, Scott Schuman, Anthony Baker, & Mace Hibbard.  We performed in the most-reverberent venue next to Fernbank known as the Biltmore Atlanta.  This was a tough gig since we had certainly all never played together before, which is not ideal for an 8 piece band.  I found it hard to relax!  I did my best to be the anchor & guide us through the repertoire.  I wonder how the other band fared over in Myrtle Beach.
Update here on June 30th.  Finally posting my pics from that night.  I am so into Tony Levin that I look at this as my version of TLev's "Road Photos" book from the 80's, or the King Crimson picture book "CRIMSON Chronicles" volume 1 the 80's.  I like to try to snap some "in the moment" shots while we're playing, meaning that I'm playing as well.  That most likely will be a section that I'll be tapping the bass line with just 1 hand, as opposed to plucking the string, as is the typical method of bass playing.  Then I need to take a good shot, almost exclusively with my Samsung (no hyperlink, but perhaps just as well) Intercept.  It isn't the fastest, but it may be the slowest, which is rather a different distinction.  The pics are most likely unpredictable, so that does lend an artsy edge to these snapshots.  Platinum is a very special band.  When the chemestry (9 folk including our reassurrring sound & lighting engineer David Junius) is on & we're performing, it is simply the best live band anybody could ask for at the moment.  We always strive to live up to that potential, at least.

Achasta Country Club in Dahlonega

Sweetwater Junction had 2 gigs this weekend. I could only do the Friday
night one - a rehearsal dinner in the great hot outdoors from 6 till 10 up
in Dahlonega at a country club. We were set up near the bar so people
couldn't opt to get too far away from us. The father of the groom, who was
the host, was very nice and really seemed to like us. I played my NS WAV
for much of the night. If nothing else, I figured out how to hold it better
when wearing it with the strap attachment. If I loosen the strap a bit,
like almost halfway out, then I can hold it away from my left side enough to
see the neck better. It's going to take a while to figure out what will
ultimately be the optimum position. The 2 parts to the strap hook tended to
rotate, which would distract me enough. I will keep at it and report it. I
switched to the Stingray for the real dance portion of the night, when we
did a 1/2 hour medley mashup in E: Shakey Ground (with Sledgehammer during
guiar solo) --> I Wish --> Play That Funky Music (with Josie + Platinum
climb up during guitar solo) --> Tear the Roof Off the Sucker. Other
highlights were the jazz set of Just Friends, Bye Bye Blackbird, & Song for
My Father and then Ain't No Sunshine and Chris' fine vocal feature on Fly Me
To The Moon. Really, hands down, the best tune of the night was the last
one, a great powerful performance of Panic's All Time Low. The people ate
it up ~ we certainly ended on a high note and left them wanting more! The
food was very good: pulled pork bbq sandwiches with salad or slaw and twice
baked potato with sour cream, bacon, and scallions. And the best sweet tea
I've had in a long long time. We changed in the locker room where some of
the fellas opted for a quick shower. I didn't but it sure was hot out
there.

Here are those pics as promised.  Sound check was just wrong, with the sun beating down on our backs.
The gig itself went better, but my rig crapped out as it had so many times.  Walt said in so many words that the EUB was not appropriate on the electric set.  In several ways, he was very right.  Still, it was sort of fun to try to get through those tunes on it.  Nonetheless, we will curb the tendencies to go overboard in that direction.