The OutLaw Chronicles: Drum Fever

Dang it all, I done started a gig report blog about that show we did at Polo's On Bethel last week, and I haven't been able to get it written.  I keep getting interrupted and then I lose my train of thought.  Anyway, the show was a good time as usual, even if we didn't get every single one of them Hank Jr fans out to see us after Andy and Ian flyered their windshields.  Polo's is a cool room, though.  They've got two bars, and a couple pool tables, and a beefy PA and a pretty sweet smoking patio, so give 'em a shot.  Eric got us a damn fine on-stage sound, too.  I had an actual monitor with vox and kick drum in it.  That right there is almost as good as a slab of short ends, for my money. 

We were back at The Underground on Monday, tryna get some more stuff demoed up for online consumption.  I was feeling pretty wiped out, so I think some of my perfomances were a little workmanlike, but maybe that's what's needed on a demo sometimes.  Really, a drummer just needs to keep a good steady beat, stay in the pocket and don't get all uppity.  Back when I first started back on drums, after playing guitar for all those years, my chops were so unreliable that I never did any fills or much of anything but time-keeping.  Now I'm back there for a few years and I feel more confident, I have to remember not to get all fancy.  Maybe in a trio a drummer has to fill more space, but in this band I really just have to stay home and count to four, maybe open them hi-hats a little just before the chorus.  Really, there's nothing better.

You know who's getting to be a decent time-keeper?  Old Andy, man.  He gets behind the drums from time to time and you can tell he's been working on it.  He's got a coupla' moves.  He'll be recording a Todd Rundgren kind of Something/Anything double LP pretty soon, playing all the instruments himself down there in the dimly lit, smoke-filled Underground recording lair, working until the sun comes up.  That's fine with me.  He still needs a drummer when he tours behind the album.

The other emerging drummer in the OutLaw fold is Baby OutLaw Matt Monta.  When we break during practice, you can see Matt's eyes glaze over and he sort of drifts across the room toward the drums, like he's in a trance.  He can't help it.  He's got Drum Fever.  He gets back there and keeps a beat, counts to four real good.  I think he has promise.  I've told him, and I'm telling you all now: Put your money in the cymbals.  And get Andy to tune your tubs.  He's good.

You know KJ has a beautiful daughter who will be going to college pretty soon, so he's dialing down his gear acquisition protocol.  Gotta pay tuition, right?  Turns out the bastard sold his fretless bass.  Man, I'm gonna miss that thing, even though he didn't bust it out all that frequently.  It was cool when he did, though.  KJ has good gear, though, and between the Fender, the G&L and the Phillipino Thunder Bass, I think he'll be fine.  Now he just needs to get that SansAmp fixed. 

So, I reckon the jams have been good overall lately.  Seems like Christine is keeping her pipes in good order. She struggles with the sort of respiratory afflictions most singers have to deal with, but then she's gotta sing over top of some serious chooglin' most of the time; I don't know how she does it.   It's nice to Monta on harp here and there, and Josh hasn't fucked up his fret-hand ring finger in a while, so we should be in good shape for The Rack come May third.  Yes, indeed- Home Sweet Rack..... See y'all there.