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Bryan Beller



Last Updated: 12/24/2009

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Status: Single
City: NASHVILLE
State: Tennessee
Country: US
Signup Date: 3/30/2006

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Monday, November 30, 2009 
HEY! want these Beller-penned updates to come right to your e-mailbox? Just click here and sign up!

BellerBytes #70: Beyond The Valley Of Metal

www.bryanbeller.com
www.myspace.com/bryanbeller
www.youtube.com/BryanBeller
twitter.com/bryanbeller (@bryanbeller)


Before we get started an important note - I am NOT playing with my band in Cleveland in January 2 at The Winchester. Unfortunately it's already out there on the interwebs and it's hard to put it back in the bottle. Hopefully this will straighten it out from the source.

(New feature - click the chapter title below to go straight to what you want to read! Look ma, anchor links!)


1. December TX/LA & January X-Country House Concerts w/Kira Small
2. Keneally/Beller West Coast January Action - And An Exhortation Of Keneally's Scambot: One
3. Dethklok/Mastodon Tour Wrap-Up (with review links & pix)
4. The New BryanBeller.com - Coming Very, Very Soon!
5. The Official BellerBytes Early Holiday Greeting


If you're new, welcome! It doesn't matter how you got here (Dethklok, Vai, Keneally, Gene Hoglan said he'd kill you if you didn't sign up, etc.), just so long as you're here.

And remember, you can see the whole gig calendar at the bottom of this e-mail. If you ever get there, that is.


**********

1. December TX/LA & January X-Country House Concerts w/Kira Small

Now that the Dethklok/Mastodon tour is finally over (and much more about that below), it's time to get back to some rootsier confines. My adorable wife Kira Small and I have a few choice house concerts and small venue shows lined up for December. It's just the two of us, and we do Kira's righteous soul/R&B material in an intimate setting.

Culture shock, you wonder, going from 3,000-seat Dethklok venues to this kind of action? Sure. The good kind.

Your details, and plenty of 'em:


DECEMBER 2009

DALLAS, TX
Wednesday, 12/9, 8pm
Opening Bell Coffee
1409 S Lamar St # 12
Dallas, TX 75215-6800
(214) 565-0383
Suggested donation: $7

I talked to many folks after our Dallas House Of Blues show with Dethklok who said they'd be coming out to this one. Here's your reminder! It's also a real venue show, a rarity on this tour, so don't lame out and miss it if you're closeby.


AUSTIN, TX
Saturday, 12/12, 7pm
House Concert
(open to public, limited seating available)
Suggested donation: $20

Never been to a house concert? They're not often open to the public, so here's a good chance to see one. Wanna go? Just click here and e-mail me for details.


AUSTIN, TX
Sunday, 12/13, 5pm
House Concert (semi-private)

This one's more of a private party vibe, but if you can't make Saturday night and you really, really want to go, click here and e-mail me for details.


CORPUS CHRISTI, TX
Tuesday, 12/15, 7pm
House/Intimate Venue Concert
(open to public, limited seating available)
Suggested donation: $20


BEAUMONT, TX
Friday, 12/18, 6:30pm
LogOn Cafe 
3805 Calder Avenue
Beaumont, TX 77706
(409) 832-1529
Admission: $8

Also appearing - the one and only Trip Wamsley.(He made this gig happen for us. Gracias, Trip!)


SULPHUR, LA
Saturday, 12/19, 7pm
House Concert w/Trip Wamsley
(open to public, limited seating available)
Suggested donation: $20


And then we go home for a day, off to Arizona for the holidays, back home, for New Year's, and then we start working our way across the country. Why stop, like, ever?

 
JANUARY 2010

COMO, MS (outside Memphis)
Saturday, 1/2/10, 7pm
House Concert
(open to public, limited seating available)
Suggested donation: $20


DENVER, CO
Thursday, 1/7/10, 7pm
House Concert - hosted by the amazing Janet Feder!
(open to public, very limited seating available)
Suggested donation: $15 each person, or two for $25


PARK CITY, UT
Saturday, 1/9/10, 7pm
House Concert
(open to public, limited seating available)
Suggested donation: $20


MONTEREY, CA
Tuesday 1/12/09, 7pm
House Concert w/Steve Uccello
(open to public, very limited seating available)
Suggested donation: $15


Then Kira and I will drive down the coast (yes, on CA-1!) and eventually land in Anaheim for the NAMM show. I'll be there mostly wandering this year - I'm taking a year off from NAMM-whoring, though you'll probably see me in the Mike Lull or SWR booths at some point. If I get any late-breaking details on that, I'll fire them off to you.

Are you wondering why Kira and I aren't doing a house concert closer to where you live? Maybe you wanna do something about that? You know what to do.


**********

2. Keneally/Beller West Coast January Action - And An Exhortation Of Keneally's Scambot: One

The master plan for January reveals itself: Once I have the car armed and ready for house concerts, and I'm in Southern California, how could Mike Keneally and I not do a series of MyKeneally Keneally/Beller duo shows up the West Coast?

That's just what we plan to do in the second half of January, and we'll be revealing details on this shortly. But I can tell you with complete certainty that we're still looking to put something together in the Portland and Seattle areas. If you're not hip to how amazing it is to have that Keneally guy in your home, backyard, or carefully chosen intimate venue, I can only try to be humble when I say - it's amazing. Our last tour was a thrill for both us and our gracious hosts.

So if you're curious as to how this kind of action works, just e-mail the MyKeneally e-hotline and ask those questions you know you've got brewing up waiting to be asked.

Now, I want to say something about Keneally's latest opus, Scambot: One.

I've been fortunate enough to work with Mike for 16 years now, and listened in amazement to every one of his releases. But now that I've had a chance to absorb Scambot in full, I'm more blown away by this disc than anything he's ever done.

One of the things most often said about our friend Mr. K is that each of his records embodies a different, new, seemingly unrelated side of his artistry. It's almost a cliche now to say, "How could the same guy have possibly created these two/three/four albums?" and then to chalk it up to his unique, unclassifiable genius.

But Scambot really defies that, in my view. If ever there was one album that touched every disparate piece of his past influences and future ambitions, this is it. Imagine the brooding darkness of Boil That Dust Speck, the glossy optimism of Dancing, the haunting rustic beauty of Wooden Smoke, the beyond-avant-garde orchestral tapestry of The Universe Will Provide, and the homespun just-plain-weirdness of Nonkertompf, all tied together in an absurd-yet-compelling story about human nature and consciousness that you knew was lurking just beneath the surface of those clever lyrics and liner notes, and you've got the record it took Mike Keneally nearly 50 years to make.

It's beautiful and challenging and overwhelming in ways that are difficult to explain. Now go get it.


**********

3. Dethklok/Mastodon Tour Wrap-Up (with review links & pix)

I knew we'd get here eventually.

I've never had an experience quite like the tour we just did. It surpassed last year's tour in just about every way imaginable. Bigger venues, a better video display, a larger touring entourage, and...

Mastodon. I can't say enough about how amazing they are, both musically and personally. I heard them play Crack The Skye in its entirety 40 times, and I'm still not tired of it. They're, like, real rock stars. They tour eight months a year, and have been for ten years. They get "the road" in ways most musicians will never understand. And they're still incredibly cool and generous and fun to hang out with.  There was a serious Dethklok/Mastodon full-band bromance going on for sure.

I was floored by Brann Dailor's unending, hyper-technical (and yet totally untrained in the formal sense) assault on the drums, as well as Bill Kelliher's and Brent Hinds' super-intricate parts and killer classic guitar tones. And for me, bassist/lead vocalist Troy Sanders went from some scary-looking mountain-man metal dude on the cover of Bass Player Magazine to a sweetheart of a guy who just happened to play rock-solid bass and sing his ass off every night. We had a ritual - every night, before Mastodon started their encore, he'd burst into our dressing room, all sweaty, with his bass and in-ear monitors still on, and yell "Bryan Beller! How you doin', man!" and hug me close enough to get some beard-sweat on my neck. "Great crowd out there, you guys are gonna love it!" And then he'd run back to the stage. Cool dude.

They're having what those oh-so-smart industry folks call a "breakthrough year" and they totally deserve it. So here's my public shout-out to Brann, Troy, Bill and Brent - you guys rule.

And props to the guys in High On Fire and Converge, too. Me being the out-of-touch muzo I apparently am, I didn't know anything about these bands before this tour, and they're both amazing. I may have to pick up Converge's Axe To Fall in the coming weeks.

But what about Dethklok? Well, it was the most fun I've ever had playing a gig. I could go on and on about it (really, Bryan, you?), but how about we just let a bunch of other people in on the fun for a while? Thanks to the intrepid Massie Kitagawa, who gathered up all of these links, you can now check out what the local folks in various cities had to say about the Dethklok tour, in words and pictures. It's actually an interesting journey through the metal scene, one city at a time. Thank you Massie!


Portland

Vancouver

Denver (review)

Denver (slideshow)

Kansas City

Des Moines

St. Paul

Chicago 1

Chicago 2

Milwaukee

Detroit (review)

Detroit (photos)

Buffalo

Albany

Boston 1

Boston 2

New York City

Philadelphia (photos)

Atlanta (photos)

Orlando (review)

Orlando (photos)

Pompano Beach, FL (review)

Pompano Beach, FL (pix)

Dallas

Houston 1

Houston 2

A "special" moment in Austin (happens at 0:41)

Las Cruces, NM

Phoenix

Los Angeles (review)

Los Angeles (photos)

And a bonus for reading this far - a little something about us that aired on [adult swim] the day the tour ended. (HT - @captevilstomper and @deanibean on Twitter.)


Much love to Mike, Gene, Brendon, and the whole crew. Especially Brendon, the only guy I know who works hard enough to make me feel lazy every once in a while. Don't know when it'll happen again, but it can't be soon enough for me.


**********

4. The New BryanBeller.com - Coming Very, Very Soon!

One of the reasons why these BellerBytes e-mails have been such opuses lately is that I don't really have a way to blog on my own website. I mean, I do, but it's not structured to feature it, it's difficult to self-update, blah blah blah. So I've been using Twitter to micro-update, and in the background I've been building the new site.

Well, I'm proud to say that, after 18 months (yes, it was really that long), we're on the doorstep of going live with the NEW bryanbeller.com. Nearly all of the archive content will be carried over, but most will live in a new design that's consistent with what you've seen on the ordering page, and the MySpace page, and the vibe of Thanks In Advance. (Some will still live in an archival state.) The best news is that I'll be able to update every page at will, so you can look forward to much more blogging and updating, and that's thanks to the amazingly talented Web Designer Brad Traweek, who just went live with another totally-new site you may have heard of. We're estimating that the go-live will happen before the end of the year.

This is also a good chance to thank Matt Robbins, the multimedia designer who conceived the look of the new site...as well as the person who custom-designed a website and graphic identity in the summer of 2003 so durable it lasted nearly seven years: Katy Towell. Well done.


**********

5. The Official BellerBytes Early Holiday Greeting

Unless something hot comes up, I won't be writing again until after the holidays. It's been a challenging year for many, and I appreciate more than ever how fortunate Kira and I have been and continue to be. But it all means nothing without people to share it with, no matter what happens in any given year. So please have a wonderful, peaceful, happiness-filled holiday season with all those you hold dear.


Peace and love to all y'all,
Bryan

5:20 PM 
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Saturday, October 24, 2009 
Hey all-

Real quick update from the Dethklok tour in progress (tonight in Buffalo!):

1) The early January 2010 Bryan Beller Band show in Cleveland is off. It was scheduled for 1/2/10 and things just got a little crazy around that time. We'll get back up there soon, promise.

2) Kira Small and I have a few shows coming up in Texas. Check the calendar - right now we've got public shows in Dallas and Beaumont, and a few house concerts as well. But we're looking for a cool place (venue, house, whatever) to play in the Houston area. Any ideas out there?

3) We got to hang out with ANVIL last night in Toronto! They came to the show and hung out afterwards for a while. If you haven't seen Anvil: The Story Of Anvil, you really need to. I talked to Lips for like 10 minutes! Totally epic.

OK then. Need to shower. Like, *really* need to shower.

BB
5:47 PM 
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Wednesday, September 23, 2009 
Yo-

Check the gig listing on my profile page - you'll see Dethklok shows added in

NYC (2nd show)
Norfolk, VA
Charlotte, NC
L.A. (2nd show)
San Jose

and a venue change in St. Paul, MN.

And a new Bryan Beller Band gig in Cleveland on 1/2/10. Yes, 2010.

Plus I'll be hanging out at The Baked Potato on Tuesday 9/29 at the Gryphon Labs gig. It's gonna be some kind of massive jam in the second set. Who knows what will happen!

That's all I got,
BB
3:24 PM 
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Thursday, September 17, 2009 
Bryan Beller Band Sunday Show In San Pedro

 Hey everyone-

 Just wanted to send off a quick reminder that my own band will be playing probably its last show of 2009 this Sunday in San Pedro, CA, at Alvas Showroom.

Lots of folks have asked me when I was going to play some different locations in SoCal - well, here it is, a 75-to-90-minute set in an extremely cool, audiophile-quality listening room that's convenient for L.A., the South Bay, and even the hardy O.C. or San Diego county residents. And it's an early show, so even though it's a school night you'll still get plenty of sleep.

Here are your details:

 Sunday, September 20, 6pm
The Bryan Beller Band
at Alvas Showroom
1417 W. 8th St.
San Pedro, CA 90732
(800) 403-3447
Admission: $15

 The Bryan Beller Band on 9/20 is:

 Rick Musallam - guitar
Jamie Kime (from Zappa Plays Zappa!) - guitar
Mike Keneally - keyboards
Bryan Beller - bass
Joe Travers - drums
 Jamie's filling in for Griff Peters, who's on his honeymoon. Congrats Griff! And it'll be a blast to play with Jamie on a gig for the first time ever.

This is the last Beller Band hit of the year (the Dethklok tour is coming up right behind it!), so if you've been putting it off, now's the time. If you're in SoCal, hope to see you there!

 Best wishes to all,
Bryan Beller
4:08 PM 
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Monday, September 07, 2009 
BellerBytes #69: SoCal Gigs, Dethklok, & Bryan/Kira Now Booking December Around Texas

www.bryanbeller.com
www.myspace.com/bryanbeller
www.youtube.com/BryanBeller
twitter.com/bryanbeller (@bryanbeller)


The rest of the year starts early 'round these parts


1. Duo Gig With Kira Small - 9/10 in Los Angeles at Genghis Cohen
2. Steve Vai DVD Premiere Charity Event - 9/15 in Hollywood at The Egyptian Theatre
3. Bryan Beller Band Gig - 9/20 in San Pedro, CA at Alvas Showroom
4. Dethklok/Mastodon Tour - October/November Across America
5. Kira Small/Bryan Beller Duo Now Booking December House Concerts In & Around Texas


Don't forget, you can see the whole gig calendar at the bottom of this e-mail. Why? Because we love you. (And yes, I know there's some weirdness with the way Reverb Nation lists gigs i.e. who I'm playing with. Don't know how to fix it, so just read along for context.)


**********

1. Duo Gig With Kira Small - 9/10 in Los Angeles

I can't tell you (well, yes I can, here I am doing it) how much fun it's been to do all these gigs with my adorable and talented wife, Kira Small. This year we've been as far north as Boston and as far south as Mobile, AL; we've played relaxed gigs in cozy living rooms and beaten horrific tunnel traffic to play a frenetic New York City gig; and no matter where we've been it's been a thrill and a privilege to play her music for a bunch of new folks and old friends alike. Plus, it's nice to travel with my sweetheart (cue barf bags) rather than travel without her. We've discovered that quality time *can* be had at a truck stop on I-65. (No, not like that. Jeez, you guys.)

This was supposed to be a gig announcement, right? Our last duo gig before the Dethklok tour will be this Thursday night, in my adopted hometown of Los Angeles, at a cool venue we've done before:

Thursday, September 10, 9pm
with Kira Small
at Genghis Cohen
740 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 653-0640
Admission: $7

Special attention to those who'd like to see us in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama & Mississippi: We're hitting Austin in December and booking house concert and small venue gigs along the way and back to Nashville. Interested? Just skip to Item #5 below...



**********

2. Steve Vai Live DVD Premiere Charity Event - 9/15 in Hollywood

There's a new Steve Vai DVD coming out, which is essentially the complete show from the 2007 String Theories tour I was on. To mark the occasion, the almighty Vai is holding a premiere showing at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood on Tuesday, 9/15. From Steve's website: "Attendees will have the rare opportunity to view the concert film in its entirety and also listen to Vai and his band members discuss the making of the film, as well as the behind-the-scenes details of the tour." I've never done anything like this before, so it should be interesting.

It's for a good cause, too. "Proceeds from the event will benefit Hollywood Arts, an arts academy that provides creative and commercial art instruction to homeless and at-risk youth. Vai has been a member of the board of directors for Hollywood Arts since 2007. [www.hollywood-arts.org]" There's going to be a silent auction as well, also for charity. Regular tickets are $25. Here's the deets:

Tuesday, September 15, 7:00 (doors 6:00)
STEVE VAI LIVE IN MINNEAPOLIS: WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE
Premiere Showing at the Egyptian Theatre
6712 Hollywood Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028

Click here for tickets and more information.

Event Schedule:

4:00 p.m. EVO Experience (for premium ticket holders - see the above link for details)
6:00 p.m. Red Carpet Arrivals
6:30 p.m. Address by Steve Vai and Hollywood Arts
7:00 - 10:00 p.m. Screening
10:30 p.m. Silent auction closes

Somehow I don't think I qualify for the "Red Carpet Arrivals" part of the affair, but I'll stop eating right now, just in case.


**********

3. Bryan Beller Band Gig - 9/20 in San Pedro, CA at Alvas Showroom

Yes, the one-year anniversary of the release of my second album Thanks In Advance is nearly upon us. Can you think of a better way to celebrate than with a full-length Beller band gig in Los Angeles on the night before Dethklok tour rehearsals start? I can't:

Sunday, September 20, 6pm
the Bryan Beller Band
at Alvas Showroom
1417 W. 8th St.
San Pedro, CA 90732
Cost: $15

Beller Band lineup:

Rick Musallam - guitar
Jamie Kime - guitar
Mike Keneally - keys
Bryan Beller - bass
Joe Travers - drums

Zappa Plays Zappa's Jamie Kime (who I'm really looking forward to sharing a stage with) is filling for Griff Peters, who will be On. His. Honeymoon! Congrats to Zen Master Griff and his lovely bride Vanessa.


**********

4. Dethklok/Mastodon Tour - October/November Across America

You know about this, right?

Dethklok & Mastodon
with High on Fire and Converge

Oct. 02 Portland, OR     Roseland Theater
Oct. 03 Seattle, WA     WaMu Theater
Oct. 04 Vancouver, BC     Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 06 Calgary, AB     Big Four Building
Oct. 07 Edmonton, AB     Shaw Conference Centre
Oct. 09 Salt Lake, UT     Great Saltair
Oct. 10 Denver, CO     Fillmore Auditorium
Oct. 12 Kansas City, MO     Uptown Theater
Oct. 13 St. Louis, MO     The Pageant
Oct. 14 Des Moines, IA     Val Air Ballroom
Oct. 16 St. Paul, MN     Myth
Oct. 17 Chicago, IL     Aragon Ballroom
Oct. 18 Milwaukee, WI     Eagle's Auditorium
Oct. 20 Columbus, OH     LC Pavilion
Oct. 21 Detroit, MI     The Fillmore
Oct. 23 Toronto, ON     Sound Academy
Oct. 24 Buffalo, NY     The Fairgrounds
Oct. 25 Albany, NY     Armory
Oct. 27 Boston, MA     House of Blues
Oct. 30 New York, NY     Hammerstein Ballroom
Oct. 31 Washington, DC     Patriot Center
Nov. 01 Phila., PA     Electric Factory
Nov. 05 Atlanta, GA     Tabernacle
Nov. 06 Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
Nov. 07 Orlando, FL     Hard Rock Live
Nov. 08 Pompano Beach,FL Pompano Beach Amphitheatre
Nov. 11 Dallas, TX     House of Blues
Nov. 12 Houston, TX     Verizon Wireless Theater
Nov. 13 Austin, TX     Austin City Music Hall
Nov. 14 Tulsa, OK     Brady Theater
Nov. 16 Las Cruces, NM     Pan American Center
Nov. 17 Mesa, AZ     Mesa Amphitheater
Nov. 18 Las Vegas, NV     House of Blues
Nov. 19 Los Angeles, CA     Palladium


Just making sure. :-)

And no, I don't know why we're not playing San Francisco (the place where we almost burned down the venue last time out) or San Diego (the place where the smoke machines set off the fire alarms and cut the power to the stage three times in ten minutes, shutting down the show and nearly causing a riot).

Seriously, I have no idea. Road trip to L.A. or Vegas, people - it'll be worth it.


**********

5. Kira Small/Bryan Beller Duo Now Booking December House Concerts In & Around Texas

Like I said above, Kira and I have booked a couple of shows in Austin - specifically on Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12. And we're driving up and back with the full duo-gig-setup pile of gear in the trusty minivan. So this is one of those times when we're throwing ourselves into the great wide open. If you live in...

West Tennessee
Arkansas
Texas
Alabama
Mississippi
or Louisiana

...and you're interested in hosting a house concert with Kira and I, just reply to this e-mail.

What's it all about, you ask? Well, if you love live music, enjoy entertaining friends in your home, and know 20-30 folks you'd like to share a unique, intimate musical experience with, it's right up your alley. But even if you're just curious, feel free to drop us a line.

Here's a couple of links to video of us performing at a house concert in New Jersey back in June: "I Ain't Never" (some funky stuff)
"Miss You Bad Tonight" (a soulful ballad)

And here's a link to our page at ConcertsInYourHome.com.


**********

Before I head off into the travel vortex (I leave home this Wednesday and don't return until Thanksgiving), I want to take a second and just say THANK YOU to everyone I've seen over the past three months. Things have been moving so fast that it's been tough to do anything but just look ahead to the next week, but I promise that I haven't lost sight of the fact that, whatever I'm up to, it doesn't work without people stopping what they're doing and choosing to spend a little time just enjoying whatever musical project I'm involved in. Whether you came to a show (with Keneally, or Kira, or my own band, or whatever), or hosted a show, or purchased a CD, or helped organize a clinic, or just wrote me an e-mail of encouragement because you wanted to make a show but couldn't: THANK YOU. Really, it's my privilege to be traveling to so many new and different places and playing, and I hope to continue doing it as long as I'm able.

Have a great fall, and hope to see you out on the road somewhere.

Best wishes to all,
Bryan Beller
9:58 PM 
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Tuesday, August 25, 2009 
Hey everyone-

First, it's come to my attention that the kind folks at Bass Player Magazine have launched a new website (www.bassplayer.com), and as part of it they're posting blogs by their writers. So some of the stuff I write here will end up over there. If you're reading this at the BP site already, well, hello!

I just had to share this with. Behold, a beauty shot of the Mike Lull T-Bass that I'll be playing on the Dethklok tour this fall:






I can't tell you how much fun it is to play this thing. Unlike the model that inspired it, it is a DREAM to play. The neck feels amazing, everything feels right on both hands, and it sounds huge. If you ever wanted to play (and, let's admit it, look as cool as those who do play) a vintage T-Bird but just couldn't get over what a dog the actual instrument was, this thing will blow your mind.

I'll be debuting it at two clinics this coming extended weekend:

Saturday, August 29, 1pm sharp
Bass Specialties
2846 Street Rd.
Bensalem, PA 19020
Admission: Free!
Sponsored by Mike Lull Custom Basses and D'addario Strings

Bassists, if you've never been to Bass Specialties and you live near Philly, you are missing out on one of the best bass-only stores in the country. It's worth the trip.

Then:

Monday, August 31, 7:30pm
Bass Forum
Forte Music
1691 Jefferson Davis Hwy.
Fredericksburg, VA 22401
Admission: $10.
More info: lady.bass.music@gmail.com

Virginia bassist Brittany Frompovich is organizing this event, and all props to her for bringing me to central VA for the first time in quite a while.

For those bassists who follow Dethklok and Metalocalpyse closely, I can hear you wondering: why isn't that T-Bass a 5-string, like the one Murderface plays? Well, first, there is no T-Bass 5-string...yet. Second, this bass is strung low and heavy for extra metal power (from low to high): C-F-Bb-Eb. So it's like a 5-string, tuned up a half-step, with no top string, on the body of a 4-string. That's brutal.

And for any gearheads still reading, I just got a Pedaltrain top-of-the-line monster board and built my own damned pedalboard, using cables I cut myself (from the Planet Waves Cable Kit - I've got 13 thumbs and even I could do it), velcro, zip ties, and some of my favorite noise toys. Check it out:






Of course I want more (as you can see, there's room for expansion). I could really use a good filter, tremolo, synth wah, and there's always room for more cool overdrives and distortions. For now it goes like this:

BOSS Volume Pedal
BOSS Chromatic Tuner (side chain)
BOSS Octave (old brown box)
Xotic Effects Bass BB Preamp (main overdrive)
Digitech Bass Driver (second stage distortion, smooth for speed metal)
Dunlop M-80 (third stage distortion, really buzzy and nasty)
Aphex Bass Exciter (on all the time for Dethklok - superfine low end boost)
BOSS Bass Chorus (a really old one, sounds all rich and analog-y)
Digitech Digital Delay
Demeter Opto-Compulator (on all the time no matter what for gain recovery)
Dunlop Bass Wah

and then to the amp. Yeah, I run it straight through in the front of the chain. Got no time for effects loops.

There's your dose of gear porn for the day. Hope you enjoyed, and maybe I'll see you out there soon...

BB
12:50 PM 
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Friday, August 21, 2009 
Everyone-

If you live anywhere near the Attleboro, MA area (that's the MA/RI border), I invite you to participate in this blood drive for my very dear friend Inga Wohlgemuth. Please see the flyer below for details. Thanks so much for considering this!

Best to all,
BB






7:01 PM 
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Sunday, August 02, 2009 
One quick update on the Knoxville house concert with Kira Small on Sat. 8/22 - it was listed as private, but it's now open to the public on a limited basis! If you're in the Knoxville area and want to come out, just e-mail the host at:

buggymaker@aol.com

Admission is $20. We've played there before, and I can tell you the hosts are great folks and it'll be a great time.

OK then!

Best to y'all,
BB
9:26 PM 
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Sunday, August 02, 2009 
All y'all-

Just a quick update before I fly back from Austria (it's been great over here playing Miles Davis material with Mike Keneally, keyboardist Adam Holzman, trumpeter Franz Hackl, and drummer Abe Fogle - killer catz!) and launch into a seriously frenetic August:

1) There's been lots of updates to the details of the August MyKeneally tour appearances. More shows are public than there were before. Check out the calendar on the profile page - we might be near you!

2) The Steve Vai Live CD/DVD "Where The Wild Things Are" - a document of the 2007 String Theories tour - comes out on 9/29. If you were following me on Twitter you'd have a link to a special secret 7-minute video trailer of the DVD already: www.twitter.com/bryanbeller...

3) The new Dethklok CD "Dethalbum II" is done. I've heard it. It's fucking brutal beyond belief. I'm on one track, called "The Gears." It comes out in September as well. And there's a tour announcement about 72 hours away, and you're not going to believe who we're playing with. (Some of you already know - I have to wait just a bit longer before an official announcement.) I can tell you that the tour is from October 1 thru November 21 and it's all North America. More soon.

4) Special gigs coming up: my wife Kira and I in NYC at Rockwood Music Hall on Sun. 8/30 at 5pm...a Beller bass clinic at Bass Specialties in Philly on Sat. 8/29 where I'll show off (for the first time) the new Mike Lull T-Bass I'll be playing on the Dethklok tour...and a new one, a Beller bass clinic on Mon. 8/31 in Fredericksburg, VA at Forte Music, organized by the lovely and talented Brittany Frompovich. I don't get to that part of VA very often, so if you're in DC or central VA, hope to see you there.

This was going to be short. Oh well. I'll send an official BellerBytes about all this soon enough. Had to show the MySpace friends some love...

BB
10:38 AM 
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Saturday, July 25, 2009 
All-

Sorry for the last minute notice on this, but I just realized I had incorrect/incomplete info up on the calendar for tonight's Beller Band gig in Pasadena. Here's the right info:

the Bryan Beller Band
plays the Pasadena Bass Day Concert
at The Pasadena Jazz Institute
260 E. Colorado Blvd., Ste. 206
Pasadena, CA  91101
Set time: 7pm
Admission: $10.

Hope to see you there!


3:34 PM 
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