tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92090485107907692552024-03-13T06:33:58.495-05:00Door To Door MusicThe further adventures (and non-adventures) of singer-songwriter Jim PellingerJim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-17873035968806970022021-04-27T11:19:00.001-05:002021-04-27T11:19:21.817-05:00My new single, New Face on the World, comes out May 7.<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/fjnNFyb5luo" width="480"></iframe><div>My new single, New Face on the World, comes out May 7. Presave on Spotify today. </div><h2 class="ng-binding" style="box-sizing: inherit; caret-color: rgb(59, 53, 71); color: #3b3547; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px;"><a class="ng-binding" href="https://show.co/DUljfVw" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #de546d;" target="_blank">https://show.co/DUljfVw</a></h2>Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-54988195559240935712019-01-15T20:00:00.000-06:002019-01-15T20:00:59.618-06:00How I Wound Up Playing For The New York Yankees<h2>
<span style="font-size: 20px; font-weight: normal;">Guitar, Not Third Base</span></h2>
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I guess I’m a dual-career sort of guy. I’m a musician/singer/songwriter/guitarist of course. But I also work in live sports TV broadcasting. Occasionally this presents some musical opportunities.<br />
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The Yankees were in Minneapolis for a series with the Twins. I was working on the Yankees broadcast. I also had a gig coming up at a club in Minneapolis called The Fine Line. So I put up a few posters around the TV truck in the hopes of luring some of my TV co-workers to the show. Leon, the producer for Yankees TV on Madison Square Garden Television noticed my poster and asked if I had my guitar with me. I didn’t, but I said I could go home and get it.<br />
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Leon told me that their usual play by play announcer Al Trautwig could not make the trip, and Mike Crispino was filling in. Leon asked “could you write a song about it?” Of course, why not!<br />
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So I got in my car and drove the three miles home to get my guitar. Along the way I had a notebook on the passenger seat so I could write the song as I was driving. By the time I got back to the Metrodome, the song was written.<br />
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We shot the open for the broadcast outside in front of the Metrodome. Mike Crispino said something along the lines of “sometimes words just aren’t enough”, and the camera pans over to me and I start singing “The Ballad of Al Trautwig”. Mike interrupts me several times, and I add more to the song each time. By the time the song is over, I’m getting pretty annoyed by Mike’s interruptions.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/J02YxsgLycc/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/J02YxsgLycc?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
Leon loved it, and the next two times the Yankees came back to town, they asked me for a song. I did a couple more songs for them, written on the spot. They lost interest when I started asking about money.<br />
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But while I didn't make any money, I learned that I could write a song on the spot if I had to. </div>
Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-60186789896819656992018-11-04T17:02:00.001-06:002018-11-04T17:05:03.677-06:00Physical Media or Digital Streaming, Which Do You Prefer?The above headline is essentially the entire post--do you stream music, via Apple Music or Spotify or some other provider, or do you prefer physical media such as CDs or vinyl? It's something I've been wondering about, particularly for my audience, as it would be good for me to know which way the people who like my music prefer to consume music.
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By all accounts streaming music is growing in popularity. I recently read a stat that stated that it accounts for about 41% of music consumption in the world. And there's lots to like about it. For roughly $10/month you can listen to practically every piece of music ever recorded. That is just incredible to comprehend. The Beatles to Hank Williams to Enrico Caruso to the band down the street, and everything in between. You can listen to it all. Many times I've used Apple Music or Spotify to check out the music of a band I was reading about that I had never heard. $10/month is a small price to pay for that sort of access in my opinion. And on Spotify you can access everything for free as long as you don't mind listening to ads. Another bonus is you have access to the world's music, and you don't have to build an addition onto your house to store it!
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The downside, for some, is the fidelity. Streaming just isn't as good, in some people's opinions, as CD quality audio. But I think it's pretty close for a high bit rate file, and for some people the difference wouldn't be that noticeable.
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Then there is the teeny-tiny royalty rate paid to the artist for a stream on Spotify or Apple Music. The last time I checked, I was getting paid .005 cents for one stream on Spotify. That's $0.00005 per stream. So I would have to have 20,000 streams to make one dollar. (Note: anyone who wants to help out can find me <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/4r1AqCV1h5rfynU4QsfyfY?si=7TWJ6pkbQBudQ5tGLHnpUA"><a href="spotify:artist:4r1AqCV1h5rfynU4QsfyfY">here</a></a> on Spotify.)
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But that is the world we live in, and it's best to go with the flow, as you can't win fighting it. So at live gigs I have been conducting informal polls, asking who in the audience listens to Spotify or Apple Music. I have to say that so far, it's not a lot of people.
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So how about you? Do you primarily stream music, or do you prefer CDs or vinyl?
Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-73036530706588147652018-08-30T23:19:00.000-05:002018-08-30T23:19:26.478-05:00The New Single Is Out!July 16 was the release date for my new single, "Procrastination". I spent a lot of time on it, recording, mixing, and mastering. You can see the video of it below.
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<iframe src="https://show.co/bundle/0RAvupmkFbaWU3jbvupUV8/widget" width=300 height=300 frameborder=0></iframe>Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-83370420225713626512018-01-03T11:27:00.001-06:002018-01-03T11:27:11.399-06:00Happy New Year!Well, it looks like I post about one to four times a year in this blog. Not too impressive. I suppose I should up my game a bit here. Maybe I will, maybe I won't.
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Recorded a bit this morning. I re-recorded an acoustic guitar track for an old song of mine called "New Face On The World". I wrote it a million years ago and have been playing it live ever since. I actually recorded and "released" it once before, on a 1996 cassette-only release called "All Dressed Up And All Stressed Out", which got excellent reviews I might add (a couple anyway). But "All Dressed Up..." was recorded on a Tascam Portastudio, just so I would have something to pedal at live gigs, and I always felt that "New Face..." deserved a better recording. So I am trying to give it the treatment it deserves.
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So I set up an X-Y stereo pair with my Rode C5 mics. It sounded OK, but I thought "what if I add a direct feed from my pickup, through my Body Rez pedal?" So I created another track and recorded the stereo pair plus another track for the pickup. This sounded pretty good!
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Once I had a good performance recorded I got another idea. There's a couple of spots in the recording where I always feel like clapping along. So I decided to record four tracks of that clapping, using the stereo pair I had already set up. That turned out pretty good as well, and it added a bit of rhythmic stability. I may run it through a doubler when I mix it to see if I can get it to sound like even more hands clapping. We'll see.
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This song will be released on a new acoustic EP that I want to have finished before I go off to Kansas City in February for Folk Alliance. I think it will be an EP anyway; it will depend on how much I can get done in January. Maybe it will be a full-length CD. Again, we'll see.
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Oh yeah, Happy New Year! Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-81287778427641214062017-11-09T14:55:00.000-06:002017-11-09T14:55:37.308-06:00My Review of My Favorite Songwriting PodcastsI love podcasts. I listen to several on a regular basis. There are podcasts seemingly on every possible subject, something for everyone no matter what the interest. My interests, of course, are music related, whether it's about the business of music, the art of recording, or songwriting.
Happily there seems to have been an explosion of songwriting podcasts, and I never tire of listening to them. Three of my favorites are <a href="https://www.sodajerker.com/podcast/">Sodajerker on Songwriting</a>, <a href="http://www.andthewriteris.com">And The Writer Is...</a>, and <a href="http://joepugmusic.com/podcast/">The Working Songwriter</a>. These are in no order of preference, but in the order that I discovered them.
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<a href="https://www.sodajerker.com/podcast/">Sodajerker On Songwriting</a> is hosted by two Liverpudlian songwriters (not the two you are thinking of), Simon Barber and Brian O'Connor. The first thing to know about these guys is that they are themselves songwriters. Therefore they ask better questions than your average journalist would ask. You can hear the effect this has on the subjects of their interviews, finally hearing intelligent questions that could only come from a fellow songwriter.
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I discovered this podcast Googling one of my favorite songwriters, Andy Partridge of XTC. Lo and behold, the Sodajerker fellas had <a href="https://www.sodajerker.com/episode-8-andy-partridge/">had already interviewed Andy!</a> And what a great interview it was. Real insights into Andy's methods and inspiration; real nuts and bolts stuff. I was intrigued. I went back to the beginning with an interview with Billy Stienberg, followed by Todd Rundgren. I was hooked and the binge listening began. The list of songwriters these guys have interviewed is impressive. Legends like Jimmy Webb, Mike Stoller, Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, Neil Sedaka, Carole Bayer Sager, Paul Simon and more. Billy Bragg, Glenn Tilbrook, Chris Difford, Neil Finn, the list goes on and on. Simon and Brian have just released their 106th episode, Yusef Cat Stevens. There were 90 episodes or so when I discovered the podcast, so it was a summer of binge listening for me.
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Besides the aforementioned good questions from Simon and Brian, two other factors make this podcast enjoyable to listen to as well as informative. First, they have that dry Liverpudlian humor and wit. It's almost like listening to the Fab Four quipping away in "Hard Day's Night". And second, they have a genuine reverence and respect for their subjects, which I'm sure plays no small role in their gaining access to so many big names. They are true fans of songwriting and songwriters. I hope very much that they land an interview with that other Liverpudlian songwriter, Paul McCartney. Sir Paul, if you're reading this, you should talk to these guys.
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<a href="http://www.andthewriteris.com">And The Writer Is...</a> is hosted by hit songwriter Ross Golan, and is a look into the world of today's hit pop and country songwriters. We're talking big sales/airplay and Grammy nominations here.
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Ross' interview style is like eavesdropping on a couple of old friends as they talk about the songwriting biz. Most of his subjects are people he has known and worked with, and Ross asks them about their start in the business and general career path. As they are contemporaries they know all the same people and swap stories, like a couple of friends out having a beer.
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This podcast is fascinating to me because, even though I consider myself a songwriter, they talk about things I know nothing about. I had no idea what a <a href="http://blog.sonicbids.com/whats-the-difference-between-a-songwriter-and-a-topline-writer">topliner</a> is. Golan talks about "song math" without explaining what it is. (I suspect it's related to song structure, verse-chorus-bridge stuff.) I had never heard of Max Martin, or how influential Swedes are in popular music. They talk about songs seemingly created by a committee, with one person creating the beats, another person creating the verses, yet another creating the choruses, and the topliner writing the song over all that. Songwriting to me has always been sitting in a room with a guitar on your lap and an empty notebook in front of you. But here was another way!
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Ross Golan sounds like a great guy, and I too would like to have a beer with him and shoot the shit about songwriting. I'm sure I would learn a lot, as I'm sure there's lots to learn. And I would remind him that in season one, Desmond Childs tells him he should never call himself a topliner.
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I still haven't listened to all the episodes, and he's cranking out season two at a one per week rate. So I've got a lot of listening to do.
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Last, but in no way least, is <a href="http://joepugmusic.com/podcast/">The Working Songwriter</a>, hosted by singer-songwriter Joe Pug. This is songwriting that I'm familiar with, complete with the guitar and the long-stared-at blank notebook page.
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<a href="http://joepugmusic.com/podcast/">The Working Songwriter</a> is aptly named, as it focuses on the day-to-day of the working performing songwriter. Joe himself is a touring songwriter, and he talks to his subjects at length about the highs and lows of being out on the road, playing to full (or empty) houses. In episode one, Joe talks to Joe Ely about being on David Letterman one night, and sleeping out in a corn field the next. And Joe Pug goes deep with his subjects, asking interesting questions that only someone with similar life experiences would know to ask. Of the three podcasts reviewed here, this might be the one that hits closest to home for me.
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Joe starts his podcast with an intro that states the show is "an iron clad excuse to put off actually writing" and finishes with the reminder that "reverb is not a song". Words to live by. He also starts off each episode listing his upcoming tour dates, so go see him. I will be doing just that when he hits St. Paul in December.
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Each of these podcasts features a Spotify playlist of songs written by that episode's guest. So even when podcast is over, it's not over. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some podcasts to listen to...Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-40604248059371888052016-10-20T10:42:00.001-05:002016-10-20T10:42:48.376-05:00FARM 2016 Coming Up Soon!In one week I'll be headed to Iowa City for the Folk Alliance Regional Midwest (FARM) 2016 conference. I attended Folk Alliance International in Kansas City last year, and I have to say it was a blast. Even though I had serious doubts as to whether or not the music I perform constitutes "folk music", and to be frank I still have those doubts, it seemed to me that I fit into that genre in some sense, if only for the fact that I almost always perform solo without a band. People see you alone with an acoustic guitar and jump to the "folk" conclusion. Last year I saw plenty of solo singer-songwriters in Kansas City whose music, to me anyway, was not in the traditional folk vein. So maybe I do fit in there somehow. Though I would suspect a folk purist would disagree.
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Here's a solo acoustic version of a song of mine called "Son Or Daughter". You can download it for free if you'd like, or if you're more inclined to support independent music you can <a href="http://paypal.me/jimpellingermusic">pay what you want</a>
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<iframe width="100%" height="166" scrolling="no" frameborder="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/285904643&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false"></iframe>
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I hope you enjoy it. To me, it's a pop/rock song performed solo. What do you think? Is it folky enough? Leave a comment please!Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-16748111401916417772016-10-02T21:12:00.000-05:002016-10-02T21:12:55.081-05:00Gotta Write A BioSo I have to write a 50 word bio for my Folk Alliance International Official Showcase Application. This might be the toughest thing any musician ever has to do. It's harder than writing good songs, it's harder than playing gigs, it's harder than driving to gigs.
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I think this might be the most hated job any musician ever has to do. I know I hate it.
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Just what does one write about one's self?
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Of course a more established musician would hire someone else to write it. Or his manager would hire someone. Well, I am not yet at that level. Still. And being a chronic procrastinator does not help.
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So here's what I've come up with so far, after staring at the screen for a couple hours, trying a few things, erasing a few things:
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<i>With songs ranging from the personal to the political and everywhere in between, singer/songwriter Jim Pellinger has performed for audiences throughout the upper Midwest. An energetic solo performer, singer, and talented guitarist, Jim’s shows lie somewhere between a rocker with an acoustic guitar and a folkie with a Stratocaster.</i>
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I think that's fairly accurate; I wanted to avoid hyperbole.
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And it only took all evening.
Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-2161413821568355952016-03-24T19:47:00.001-05:002016-03-24T21:13:56.866-05:00Folk Alliance: The ReportA month ago I went to Folk Alliance International, and at the time I thought I would blog about it while I was there. What a silly idea that was! The fact of the matter is there simply isn't time as there is so much going on. Stopping to blog just wasn't going to happen. <div><br></div><div>But now that I'm settled back home I will take a shot at it, with the aim that maybe it will help someone who is pondering making the trip. I know I was combing the web looking for anything that would give me an idea of what FAI is all about. </div><div><br></div><div>So here is a typical day at FAI. Music camp sessions start at 10 am, and features workshops on a variety of playing styles on various instruments, songwriting, performing techniques, etc. From 1 pm to 5 pm there are panel discussions dedicated to various music business topics such as publishing, promotion, touring, etc. From 6:15 to about 10:30pm there are official showcases, a different act every half hour in 10 ballrooms of the Westin Hotel. And at 10:30 pm everyone moves up to floors 5, 6, and 7 for "private showcases", roughly a different act every half hour in every room on three floors. This goes until 3am. Do the math, that's a lot of music. </div><div><br></div><div>And the next day it starts all over again. From Wednesday thru Saturday. </div><div><br></div><div>Along the way there are lots of opportunities to mingle, meet other artists, industry people, radio DJs, and venue representatives. In fact the mingling is a major reason for the conference, so everyone is super approachable. I met a lot of really great people there, and I wasn't even trying. </div><div><br></div><div>And the music--I can't tell you how great the music was. Just fantastic. </div><div><br></div><div>To sum it up--if you're a musician or band that plays music that could be loosely described as "folk", you should seriously consider going. I perform solo, vocals and guitar, and while I don't consider my music "folk" I can see why people may lump me into that category. People like labels, and that's the label they put on you when they see you alone with a guitar. But I don't think a folk purist would consider my music folk. So I was wondering if I would fit. I soon came to the conclusion that this is exactly where I do fit. </div><div><br></div><div>I left Kansas City invigorated, inspired, a bit tired, and already planning for next year. </div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gfRDmw6zvjc/VvSe4x26KgI/AAAAAAAAAEY/NGBC-7BD4-o/s640/blogger-image-1218206042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-gfRDmw6zvjc/VvSe4x26KgI/AAAAAAAAAEY/NGBC-7BD4-o/s640/blogger-image-1218206042.jpg"></a></div>Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-71610770517557663252016-02-13T15:12:00.001-06:002016-03-24T19:33:36.382-05:00Folk Alliance Here I ComeAs the headline states, I'm off to Folk Alliance's annual shindig in Kansas City come Wednesday. I'm not sure what to expect, other than it sounds like one big sleep deprivation clinic--lots of informative panels everyday and live music all night. Fun. I'm not performing--I didn't get an official showcase and I didn't really decide to go till the last possible minute, so I didn't get any unofficial showcases either. But I'm bringing my guitar in case an opportunity arises. <div><br></div><div>Hopefully I'll have time amidst all the activity to post here about it all. That is the plan anyway. Stay tuned...</div>Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-42609160694392581622015-04-22T11:21:00.000-05:002015-04-22T11:22:57.909-05:00Today's SongWriters write, and this one has been spending too much time doing other things. Lately it's been a newspaper reading habit. I get up in the morning, have some breakfast, and walk down to the corner to put quarters in a box and bring home the morning paper. Then it's an hour or two of reading the paper. Great for staying abreast of what's going on in the world, which I think is important. But it ain't songwriting. And it's no wonder the CD I've been working on still isn't finished.
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So I've been trying to cut back on things that keep me away from writing, from recording, from booking shows. Today I woke up at 4:30 AM, and spent almost an hour and a half trying to get back to sleep. I'd like to say it was the songwriting muse keeping me awake, but in reality I don't know what it was. So up I was at 5:55 AM, not feeling the least bit tired even though I didn't crash till 12 AM last night.
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So I had breakfast, and...went out to buy a paper. Yeah, I know. But my theory was I had time to read it since I was up so early. But as I was walking home, some lyrics occurred to me:
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<i>20,000 days, some people, that's all they get
<br>20,000 days and I ain't done nothing yet</i>
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As soon as I got home I went to my studio, grabbed the guitar, and started writing. In 45 minutes or so, I had a new song. And it was just after 7 AM. I don't know if it's a <i>good</i> song or not, but that's not the point. The point is, writers write. And tomorrow I hope to do it again. But hopefully on more sleep. Cuz right now I could use a nap.
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What did you write today?
<p>Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-68658245141057222352015-04-14T11:25:00.000-05:002015-04-14T11:25:58.666-05:00Getting The Band Back TogetherFirst off, when signing in to this blog today I was struck with the stat I saw--over 3700 views? A tiny drop in the bucket by internet standards, admittedly. But still, who are these people who have viewed this blog? Have I looked at it that many times myself? That doesn't seem possible.
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With that out of the way, I tackle the topic at hand. Yes, our band,<a href="http://www.jimpellinger.com/poptones.html"> The Poptones</a> (must change that name), is getting back together for a gig in August, an outdoor show at Minnehaha Park in Minneapolis. The date will be August 27, for those of you who care not to read further. I'll be expecting to see you there.
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Our last show was June 6, 2012 at that same park in Minneapolis. The most notable aspect of that show from my point of view is that it was the best onstage monitor mix I had ever heard. Rick, who runs the sound there, really knows what he is doing. I could hear myself perfectly--for the first three songs. Then the skies opened up and the rain came down and the show was over.
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Soon after bass player Dave's wife was expecting a child and, being a parent myself, I knew the band was going to take a back seat to more important responsibilities. This is as it should be.
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Drummer Mitch and I kicked around the idea of looking for another bass player, for about two seconds. Neither one of us really felt like tackling that task, and it wouldn't be The Poptones (must change that name) without Dave, would it? There was even the idea (mine) of going out as a drums/guitar duo, á la The White Stripes or The Black Keys. That would make naming the band easier--obviously the format for naming a drums/guitar duo is the word "The" followed by a color and a noun. Simple. But the idea didn't have any traction and I know both of us would miss that bottom in the sound.
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So back to solo gigs I went. It's what I've always done, after all. But around January of this year, when it was time to go fishing for Minneapolis Parks gigs, I put out a feeler to the other Poptones (MCTN)--anybody interested in a one-off gig at the parks this summer?
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Somewhat to my surprise, Dave was in and so was Mitch. Great! So last week there we were in Mitch's basement, brushing off the cobwebs and blowing off the dust. It was a blast, and there was even talk of booking more shows. And we'll finally get to go back and finish that rained out show at Minnehaha Park, August 27. I can't wait to hear the monitor mix!Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-64553828604211587862014-02-23T22:53:00.002-06:002014-02-23T22:53:52.735-06:00Last Night's ShowLet me tell you, it's cold here in Minneapolis. We are in the season of the "Polar Vortex", and my last show was not too well attended because, well, it was just too damn cold out! The hi was like -5 degrees F. How could I blame anyone for wanting to stay in? Even I almost would've rather not had to go out anywhere.<P>
So it was with that in mind and still in the icy grip of winter that I loaded up my gear and drove to last night's show at the Riverview Cafe & Wine Bar in Minneapolis. I call the Riverview "Home Base", because it is two blocks from my house. Call me lazy, but it's one of my favorite places to play for that reason. Plus, everybody knows me there--the owners, the staff, everyone. For that reason I avoid the usual BS that sometimes accompanies booking a show. I text Dave my open dates for the next few months, and he texts back which dates he wants me to play. It's just too damn easy, and I usually opt for the path of least resistance.<P>
Anyway, as I was traveling the two blocks to the show and, recalling the last show there, I was really wondering how this one was going to turn out. Not just because of the weather, but also because over the past year Dave has run into some zoning issues with the city of Minneapolis, the result of which he wasn't able to have music at the Riv. Now over the years Dave has built up a reputation for the Riverview as a music destination. I've played there since the place first opened, and let me tell you it took a while to get that reputation. And you can feel it. There's a distinct "before and after" when it comes to the music destination rep. The difference is, with a reputation for having live music people who want to hear music show up and they are much easier to play for. Before, people would look up from what they were doing, see a musician, and go back to what they were doing. It was a tough crowd. And now with the zoning problem, those days seemed to be coming back. At least it seemed like that at my last show there. And it was cold.<P>
So I got to the Riv and set my gear up. I was traveling light since the lock on my trunk on my '97 Bonneville is broken and I have to load everything in the back seat. So I only brought one guitar--left the 12 string at home. Too often I'll bring the 12 and maybe and electric as well. It looks cool, I'm surrounded by guitars onstage. But then I'll play most of the show with the acoustic 6 string and not touch the 12 till late in the show when I think "I better play it since I brought it." But as it happened I was traveling a bit too light. I was all set up with 20 minutes to go till show time when I realized I'd forgotten my capo. Here's where the beauty of playing 2 blocks from home really comes into play, because I was able to walk home and get the capo and be back in time for the show.<P>
So I got back with the capo and it was show time. Paul and Laurie were there, they're on my mailing list, so I knew I was going to have to play Townes Van Zandt's "Pancho & Lefty". But not right away. I was going to make them ait a little bit. My buddy PK showed up. He's also on the list. Nice when that works out. As for the rest of the house, I was pleased to see that it was full--all the seats taken. And even better, they were there to listen.<P>
I kicked it off with a song I wrote when my daughter was born, "New Face On The World". That went over well, and since I was in drop D tuning I stuck with it for the next tune, playing Steely Dan's "Do It Again". I play that one well, but it didn't get as big a reaction as New Face, so I took that as an indication that I should play more original material. Which I was more than happy to do as I launched into "Son Or Daughter", followed by "Your Favorite Song".<P>
What I did after that I really don't remember. I have a set list that I only loosely follow. It's more of a suggestion list. Long story longer, it was a great show, the audience was great, my PA sounded great. The highlight might have been when a little 4 year old girl came up and asked me to play "Old MacDonald". I said sure, but only if she would play the egg shaker with me. So she did. And she was good! She started when I started, stopped when I stopped, and kept a pretty good beat. She was as good as some drummers I've worked with.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnIhiK-5elA/UwrLGn0TXXI/AAAAAAAAACg/sVN0Zgcp2ho/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GnIhiK-5elA/UwrLGn0TXXI/AAAAAAAAACg/sVN0Zgcp2ho/s320/photo.JPG" /></a></div>
I asked her if she knew any Bob Dylan, and she nodded "yes". So we played "It's All Over Now Baby Blue". She stayed up there for another 10 songs or so--some of mine, some covers. She really nailed the "na na na na na na nas" on "Hey Jude", which she requested. Four years old! Gives you hope for the future. The crowd loved her. And that's what it's all about, right?<P>
Now, what was it I was worried about? Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-25759123459417109582011-09-23T14:18:00.000-05:002011-09-23T14:18:16.492-05:00John Lennon Was Right, or How I Got Into The Baseball Hall of Fame<i>"Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans"</i> sang John Lennon in his song "Beautiful Boy". I could not agree more.
<P>
Like all musicians, I'm susceptible to all the usual musician's daydreams. Sold out shows, hit songs, hit albums, Grammy awards, world-wide tours, etc. These sorts of daydreams usually strike when you are younger, when the whole world of possibilities is in front of you. You think "if I do this and this and this, then that will happen", but it usually doesn't. The so-called "experts" tell you to set goals and plan in order to steer your career in the direction you intend it to go.
<P>
The reality is practically all of it is beyond your control. My "day job" is in TV sports broadcasting, and one day back in the '90s I had a gig coming up at a local club. A couple nights before the show I was working on the Yankees broadcast of a Twins/Yankees game, and I put a poster advertising my gig up near the production truck. The Yankees TV producer saw the poster, and asked if I could write a song for the show about how host <a href="http://www.msg.com/tv/network-talent/al-trautwig">Al Trautwig</a> was off and <a href="http://www.msg.com/tv/network-talent/mike-crispino">Mike Crispino</a> was sitting in for him. I had to go home to get my guitar, and I wrote the song as I drove. When I got back we taped the song for the open of the pregame show. I guess it went well, because I did two more songs for them the next time the Yankees were in town. When I started working Twins home shows, the producers said I should do a song for their show, but there was nothing seriously proposed and I didn't have any ideas anyway.
<P>
In 2002 Twins TV analyst <a href="http://www.bertblyleven.com/">Bert Blyleven</a> began circling people with the telestrator, which is a device which is used as a "drawing board" so to speak. John Madden first started using it on NFL broadcasts to illustrate the development of a football play. Bert started circling fans at the ballpark, and a craze was born. Soon people started bringing all sorts of "Circle Me Bert" signs to the games. So I wrote a song called "Circle Me Bert" and brought it to the Twins TV producers. They liked it, and we shot a video for the song in front of the Metrodome. The video was of a fictional band (think Spinal Tap or The Rutles), which included me, Fox Sports North sideline reporter Clay Matvick, and Bert Blyleven in a wig playing tambourine. The video aired on the Twins pregame show. The Twins saw it, liked the song, and decided to give away CDs of "Circle Me Bert" to the first 10,000 fans in attendance at a Twins game. I got a little $ for that, and I figured that was pretty much the beginning and end of "Circle Me Bert" for me.
<P>
Fast forward to 2011. <a href="http://www.bertblyleven.com/">Bert Blyleven</a> is inducted into the <a href="http://baseballhall.org/">Baseball Hall of Fame</a>. A month or so later, I got an email from the Hall asking for a copy of "Circle Me Bert" for their library. This was a big surprise, certainly nothing I envisioned or planned, and, frankly, kind of cool. I just spoke to Tim Wiles at the Hall today, and he told me that "Circle Me Bert" will be there as long as the <a href="http://baseballhall.org/">Baseball Hall of Fame</a> exists. And I suppose hundreds of years from now, someone may take a listen to it and wonder "who the hell is this?" So if it's 2111 and you are reading this, that's the story.
<P>
Life is definitely what happens when you're making other plans.
Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-8746052292772761132011-07-26T11:39:00.005-05:002011-07-26T12:23:30.805-05:00Rain, Russians and Belly DancersSaturday night I was booked for a private party. I played for this particular client before, and I was happy to find out that they hunted me down for another gig. It shouldn't have been that hard to find me--Google will take you to the <a href="http://www.jimpellinger.com">website</a>, and on the website is a <a href="http://www.jimpellinger.com/contact.html">contact link</a>. And I really should've made it easy for them by sending them a letter with some biz cards after the first time I played for them. That was my aim anyway, but I didn't know how to spell the wife's first name (Terry? Teri? Terri?) and I wound up not sending anything at all.<br /><br />Luckily they hunted me down through a mutual contact. The client, a well-to-do chiropractor, seemed pretty loose about the start time so I got there around 8 PM and began setting my gear up on the patio. Of course, as soon as I got set up it began to sprinkle, then a downpour, and with the help of a few party attendees I managed to move my PA to a dry overhang under the house. 12 or 15 miles away at TCF Bank Stadium U2 was being rained on as well, but they played in the rain. I could not afford for my gear to get ruined, plus nobody was going to stand out in the rain with me anyway.<br /><br />So I waited. I joined the party in the house, having a beer or two and marveling at the decor. A driveway full of vintage cars, motorcycles for knickknacks in the basement. So, this is what studying hard and doing well in school can get you, I thought. Maybe I should've tried harder, stopped writing songs durning class, not gotten kicked out of engineering school. Yeah, right!<br /><br />Besides me, they had hired a psychic (who I never saw) and a couple of belly dancers (who I did see). I downed two or three Stellas and waited for the rain to stop. The belly dancers would do their thing, then take a break. I decided I might as well play acoustically between their sets, so I went outside under the house and got my guitar and did just that. So I would play a set, then the belly dancers would come out and do theirs. I had never worked with belly dancers before, and I have to say I liked it.<br /><br />While the dancers danced, I had an interesting conversation with a Russian fellow named Raulf (spelling?, again). Raulf was at the party the last time I had played there, about two years ago, and then, like now, I was not quite sure what his role in everything was. He seemed to be in charge of the caterers, in charge of the household in fact. He is probably mid 50's to early 60s, with a thick Russian accent, and had lived in the US for 16 years. We spoke about our favorite musical artists, and found we both loved the Beatles. It was interesting to hear how risky it was to even own a Beatles album in the Soviet Union when he was young, how his father took great risks in getting it for Raulf, and how he couldn't even take a chance of sharing it with his friends.<br /><br />The dancers took a break, and I played another set, playing as many Beatles tunes as I could remember. You just can't go wrong with the Beatles.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-82041481986447959992011-02-26T11:55:00.003-06:002011-02-26T12:13:40.868-06:00New BandLast September my drumming buddy Mitch Griffin sent me a Facebook message entitled "basement playing" and "you game. what's your sked?" in the text. Mitch and I had played together about 10 years ago in a band with various names--"Tools For Tots" is one that comes to mind--that eventually morphed into "Jim Pellinger and the Folkups". Anyway, it sounded like a good idea and I said yeah let's do it.<br /><br />So Mitch and I got together in his basement and kicked around a few of my songs with just drums and guitar. It was cool, but I thought it would be really cool with a bass. As luck would have it I had already been jamming with former Folkup bassist Dave Meier, so it wasn't hard to get him involved in the new project.<br /><br />To date we've managed to have a semi-regular practice schedule, as semi-regular as our schedules will allow anyway. And I have to say it's been sounding pretty good. We started kicking around the old Folkups material, which we fell into pretty easily, and I have a bunch of new songs since then which I feel we have begun to nail.<br /><br />So far the toughest part has been coming up with a name for this outfit. I won't list the candidates here, because I don't want some other bands to snag them. But I think we're zeroing in on a name. Stay tuned.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-18654283360402875982010-10-21T13:49:00.005-05:002010-10-21T15:04:18.466-05:00Twins Song: The ReportIt's been quite nearly a month since I was hired to write and perform a song for the Minnesota Twins. If you're wondering what that is all about, you can read my last post and catch up. I'll wait.<br /><br />OK, now that you're up to speed I'll let you know how the whole thing went. The party for the team was thrown at the Chambers Hotel in Minneapolis the evening of Sunday September 19. I got there around 5, but it was way too early as the guests were not to arrive till around 6:30. So I called my buddy Joe, who happened to be nearby at a bar, and stopped by the bar and had a couple of beers. This may or may not have been a good idea.<br /><br />So after a couple beers it was getting close to 6:30 and I headed back to the Chambers. The first person I ran into was Jim Thome, in the Men's Room no less. "Hey, Jim Thome!" I said, cleverly enough. An awesome homerun hitter--he's number 8 on the MLB all time home run list. Number 5, if you don't count the steroid users, which I don't. In other words, he's a big deal. As we were leaving the men's room I noticed he had a bit of a hitch in his gait, so with that and the fact that he's 40 years old I felt a little twinge of guilt that in the first verse of my song I was making fun of the way he runs.<br /><br />My instructions were that the song had to be funny, and I think it's kind of funny the way he runs "like a Rock'em Sock'em Robot."<br /><br />Anyway party guests began trickling in. Members of the team, coaches, front office people, big shots from FSN, FSN talent, and of course the Pohlad family.<br /><br />The plan was that I would perform the song right before dessert. They were serving a four or five course meal, so I had lots of time to get uncomfortable. Basically I was hanging around--in the lobby, in the courtyard, here and there--just waiting. As I was wandering about I ran into Twins play-by-play announcer Dick Bremer, who was having a conversation with Twins infielder Nick Punto and his (Nick's) wife. Dick introduced me to the Puntos, and explained that I was there to perform a song about the team. I mentioned to Nick that he is in the song, and he got all serious and said "What do you MEAN, I'm in the song?" And Mrs. Punto asked "Am I going to have to throw a shoe at you?" And so now I had that to think about.<br /><br />Later while wandering about I ran into the Twins CEO Jim Pohlad. Mr. Pohlad explained that his niece, Sarah, has a lovely singing voice and thought I should ask her to join me in singing Happy Birthday to Twins players Danny Valencia and Scott Baker. So Jim took me over to Sarah's table where she was sitting with her husband Joe. (This is where I realized that there are more Pohlads than I even knew. I had seen Joe in the pressbox many times and always thought he was an intern. He's young.) Anyway Jim Pohlad introduced me to Sarah and Joe, and I sat down. I mentioned that her uncle had said she was a very good singer, and would she care to join me later in singing Happy Birthday? Well she was absolutely not interested, and I said of course that's fine, I understand. And Jim Pohlad, who was standing right there, said "No you don't. Keep trying," which I was not comfortable doing, but I made a half-hearted attempt anyway. Joe was not amused with my second attempt and signaled that we were through by saying "Nice talking to you Jim," and turning away from me. Wellll, THAT was kind of awkward.<br /><br />Later I ran into Twins President Dave St. Peter, who had a big smile on his face and asked "how did that go?" Clearly Dave had witnessed the exchange and knew quite well how it went.<br /><br />Jim Pohlad had said that I should have some food, which I hadn't done up to that point because seeing as that I was the hired help I didn't think I was invited to sit down and eat with all the guests. But by then I was not too hungry, and though it was a very gracious offer I declined and continued to wait to perform. <br /><br />Ocassionally while I was waiting I went "backstage", behind a little partition in the dining room, to go over the song. I have to confess that since I had just wrote it I was not entirely comfortable with the song. I was, in a sense, learning it myself even though I had written it. So after going over the song again, I came out from behind the partition and ran into William Pohlad, who I regard as the coolest Pohlad. <br /> He said to me "You're that guy!"<br />And I said, "Yes I am."<br />He put out his hand and said "Bill Pohlad. They're looking for you."<br />And so it was showtime.<br /><br />I was glad it was Danny and Scott's birthday, because at least that gave me an opening song I was familiar with. I noticed Jim Thome out there, and I made a little speech about running into Jim, thinking "wow, that's Jim Thome!", and then apologizing for the first verse. And Nick Punto was right up front, but I didn't notice his wife anywhere. So without further ado I launched into the song. And while I don't remember much about the performance, I can tell you that the Jim Thome verse got a big laugh, as did the verse about Ron Gardenhire. Other than that, it's a blank. I've performed lots of shows at lots of places and I don't get nervous, but I have to say that this night as soon as I started singing my mouth went as dry as a desert. Lips sticking to teeth, cheeks sticking to gums--I had to enunciate with as much precision as I could muster to make sure the song was intelligible. That may have been a good thing. Why the nerves? Maybe it was due to singing a song I wasn't yet comfortable with that is supposed to be funny in front of the people I was singing about? Maybe I was looking for a flying shoe?<br /><br />But I guess it all went well, at least that's what people have told me. Though Twins bullpen coach Ron Stelmaszek said I was a bit rough on Thome.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-22383510310569717352010-09-15T16:27:00.002-05:002010-09-15T16:44:52.205-05:00A Very Different Writing AssignmentJust yesterday I got a call from Patrick Klinger, VP of Marketing for the Minnesota Twins. It seems the Pohlad family, owners of the Twins, are throwing a dinner party for the team. As Patrick told me, Donna Pohlad thought it would be nice to have an original song about the team written and performed at the party. So Patrick wondered if I'd be interested.<br /><br />"Of course", I said. "When is the party?"<br />"This Sunday," said Patrick.<br /><br />This was on Tuesday. Four or five days to write a song? No problem! I can do that. I wrote one that afternoon in fact. I'll write another one tomorrow. And a third on Friday. Then I can pick the best one.<br /><br />Oh, and they want it to be humerous. And I have to say I am struggling a bit with that. Not that I can't do it, but I'm wondering what's funny about this team? The song I wrote has some funny bits in it. But I think it's mostly inspirational, uplifting--with a bit of humor.<br /><br />Joe Mauer's unoffical nickname, Baby Jesus, is funny. At least I think so. A drummer I know, Connor McRae, calls Target Field "the manger" because of Mauer's nickname. I've been advised that I can make reference to Baby Jesus, but only once. That's OK. I'm not going to write a whole song just about Baby Jesus. It's been done.<br /><br />I almost wish the party were tomorrow, so I wouldn't have all this time to overthink the song. Then I'd write the best song I could come up with, and go with it.<br /><br />The real story of this season, in my opinion, is the new stadium. And the 40,000+ fans that are there every night.<br /><br />Anyway, I got my writing shoes on. I'm going to work.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-67913733169430952682010-09-06T22:03:00.002-05:002010-09-06T22:11:01.063-05:00Free MusicHey, step right up--it's free! For a limited time I have decided to give songs away. Yep, that's right, totally free. All you have to do is go <a href="http://members.bitstream.net/~jpell/free.html">here</a>, enter your name and email address, and choose a song. If you'd like you can preview songs <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jim-pellinger/id7445351">here</a>.<br /><br />And if you know someone who may like my music, you can send them a song as well. There is a space on the form for your friend's email address, and you can either choose a song for them or I will email them with the great news that they have been given a free song and let them know how they can choose one.<br /><br />So c'mon! <a href="http://members.bitstream.net/~jpell/free.html">Get your free music!</a><br /><br />One song per customer please.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-31487836177100708352010-08-14T12:51:00.003-05:002010-08-14T12:58:58.471-05:00A Flurry of Upcoming GigsJust like the headline says, I've got a flurry of upcoming shows at the end of August. August 26 and 27 I'll be at the French Crepes Stage at the Minnesota State Fair. I still don't know what the set times are for those shows, but I'm guessing late afternoon/early evening, happy hourish. <br /><br />Then August 28 I'm back in the neighborhood for a show at the Riverview Cafe & Wine Bar. This gig starts at 8 PM and finishes promptly at 10 PM, if weather allows me to play outside. In the event of rain I'll be inside and play till around 10:30 PM<br /><br />Then the 29th and 30th I'm back at the French Crepes Stage for a couple more happy hourish gigs.<br /><br />Get more info <a href="http://members.bitstream.net/~jpell">here</a>.<br /><br />Yeah, I gotta update that url.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-91458128916989262582009-12-19T11:49:00.004-06:002009-12-19T11:55:44.750-06:00Other BlogsMy friend Rachel has a blog, I just discovered. I don't think she knows I have one, but that's not important. She's very talented, probably more than she realizes. I like the quirky way she looks at simple, everyday things. She definitely approaches subjects from an alternative point of view. <a href="http://wildbirdvintage.blogspot.com/">Check it out.</a> <br /><br />Not everything I post here has to be about me and my music, does it?Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-53419086178039694032009-12-11T11:44:00.004-06:002009-12-11T11:50:16.915-06:00Sick AgainI'm canceling the second show in a row, due to whatever bug I have. I hate canceling shows. But the fact is I'm hoarse and raspy and prone to coughing fits when I take a deep breath. And you have to take deep breaths to sing, and hoarse and raspy is not my singing style. If it were, I'd be there tonight. <br /><br />What I really hate is that this is the second cancelation in a row. The last being two weeks ago, when I had most of the same symptoms plus a fever. I know they say "the show must go on", but who the hell are "they" anyway? And why do they want me to perform when I'm sick?Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-12787596303922946182009-11-01T13:04:00.004-06:002009-11-01T13:27:15.179-06:00Halloween GigI played a Halloween show at the Riverview last night. In the spirit of the holiday I wore zombie make-up. I wanted to wear a costume that allowed me to sing and play, so a mask or anything that interfered with my guitar playing was out. So I got some liquid latex, nose putty, and some make-up and created my zombie look. It turned out pretty good, and it was easy to perform. And I got used to the tightness of the latex on my face after a while.<br /><br />The gig itself was pretty good--started slow but the place filled up in time. It was a solo gig--I never got an answer from Conor about playing, and I didn't even bother asking Dennis because I knew he'd be out trick-or-treating with Ruby. I like the freedom of playing a solo gig--I can do whatever I feel like doing. I had some fun with the looping pedal, layering sounds, starting with a bass line using the octave pedal, add an acoustic guitar, then a little shaker, then switch to the strat for another part, then play a little harmonica solo on top of that.<br /><br />And I debuted a new "tool"--I bought a Shadow stombbox--which is a small wooden box with a pickup in it that you play with your foot. You plug it right into the PA, and it adds a kick drum effect to your sound. I ran it through a gated reverb on some songs--sounded pretty cool. It was a little fatiguing to play though. You always had to be in one place tapping it with your foot. I found it better to turn it around and hit it with my heal, which feels more natural for me. "Wow, that's really boring, Jim" I hear you saying.<br /><br />But the gig was fun--Kelly kept bringing me beers before I finished the one I was on, so I had two going most of the night. Nothing wrong with that.<br /><br />By the way, wearing liquid latex, nose putty, and make-up for seven hours is not that great of an idea. This morning my face is all red--looks and feels just like a sunburn.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-76937598654680372372009-07-24T12:25:00.004-05:002009-11-01T13:26:04.677-06:00Private PartyOK, I've been fairly inactive this summer. I'll admit it. The usual summer parks gigs did not materialize, for some reason. I can't help but think that it might be because I'm friends with the booker's <span style="font-style:italic;">ex</span>-boyfriend, but would she really be that way? Nah--I don't think so. But none the less, I sent in my dates available (at her request) and nothing became of it. Oh well. It's not like those gigs pay much, if anything. It was more of an exposure opportunity.<br /><br />Tomorrow I have a private party to play. I have been playing benefits for Wishes And More the past few years, and someone who saw me at one of those shows contacted me to play their party. So off I go. My first thought was to get Dennis to play sax with me, but he's not available. And I thought about getting Connor to play percussion, but I'm guessing he's booked with his other band. And this would be VERY short notice. So I'll play the show solo, which is what they are expecting anyway.<br /><br />Four hours solo! Haven't done that in a long time. Not since college anyway.Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9209048510790769255.post-78002973167160556912009-03-11T22:52:00.004-05:002009-03-11T22:56:04.646-05:00To Twitter or not to Twitter, that is the question...Well, it's the latest fad. People are twittering their every action, or inaction as the case may be. And it is highly recommended to musicians by The People Who Know, as a way of connecting with the public. But I can't help but wonder "who the hell cares?" Are there really people who follow this stuff?Jim Pellingerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04607701131875966924noreply@blogger.com0