Charles Céleste Hutchins – Page 191 – Les said, the better II

Tuning, Bass, Gigs, etc

Since last I typed . . .

I digitized that tape of Tennis Roberts first gig. There’s about 40 minutes of music, but on most of it, the guitars are inaudible. Apparently, the guitar players are shy. Anyway, I’m hoping to be able to pull out more guitar by EQing up the mid range and high end. And then maybe mix in a bit of reverb throughout to hide any artifacts. Maybe this will make it sound worse. I dunno. I tried recording our last practice, with the idea of getting a better demo tape, but mitch saw ProTools running and was inspired to start shouting/sining “happy elves” for several minutes.
I called Tammy about her fretless bass after the gig, because it’s such a great bass. Tammy called back and gave the bass to me. Not sold. Gave. Wow. She said that she wasn’t using it and I was, and so I should have it.
Several weeks ago, I lent a Moog Taurus II “brain” to Zeppie, since I wasn’t using it and I thought he might dig it. He called me back and asked to buy it and I didn’t get back to him. I had been thinking that I could sell it to him and use the cash for a fretless bass (since they’re worth about the same). But I don’t need to buy a bass now and I wasn’t using the Moog and he is, so I think that I’m karmatically obligated to pass the economic benefits of Tammy’s generosity along. I like the idea of musical instruments being traded around in an extra-capitalists, semi-anarchist system of use-based ownership.
I spent a few days trying to figure out why the Java Just Intonation Calculator didn’t make sounds, before I figured out that the answe is to ctrl-click it (equal to a right button mouse click). Unfortunately, this were days actively spent going through the code and futzing with it. So, throwing good time after bad, I added a piano keyboard interface to the program. It’s beta software, released in May of 2000, but folks I suspect were college students. I’m thinking of taking over the project, since they seem to have abandoned it, as it is pretty buggy and has . . . um . . . unusual design principles employed in it. All the heavy lifting is done, I would just do a little redesign and fix problems with layout, GUI, sound, file IO, and object oriented-ness. In the mean time, if you want a GUI piano keyboard add-on, send me email.
Christi wants me to take up the standup bass. She’s inspired by the bassist in Glass Beads and wants me to be equally hip and talented. I suggested that I should just get more tatoos to more closley resemble a professional bassist, but she insisted, so I’m making inquiries into renting a doublebass. Best Music rents them, but with a three month minimum, and I’ll be leaving in two. Forrest’s Music says that the instument is complicated and I’ll want a real symphony-type teacher, not just cheesy lessons in the back of a music store. Perhaps this will all come together this summer.
Speaking of tatoos, Christi says that I should not get an anarchist symbol tatooed on my arm. Nor should I get a small portrait of Che. I didn’t ask about a hammer and sickle. A peace sign is ok, as is a bass clef. These aren’t ultimatiums, but Christi is wiser than I am about body modification. If it were not for her wisdom, I might have gone ahead with plans for a Tazmanian Devil tatoo, that I wanted when I was young and foolish. I would have had to pay royalties for the image to AOL Time Warner. But are Che protraits just a passing fad or a leftist symbol that will stand the test of time?
Jerry Brown’s warehouse is for sale. I think I will try to get a tour of it.
I had practice today with the flute band. Tomorrow, I’m going to 100% memorize everything. And tommorrow is a recption or concert or something for Chen Yi that I failed to RSVP for, but will try to buy tickets for anyway. If that doesn’t work, there’s a protest against Clear Channel in front of thier building at the same time, which I could play tuba at. So my todo list is: get Chen Yi tix, memorize bass parts, find double bass, get tatoos, (maybe) get haircut, write Ratio class for the JJICalc.
Friday, the flute band travels to Eugene for a gig. My first with them. And it’s the first time that I’ve been paid to perform music not composed by me since 1994.
There’s not much else going on around here. Christi’s foot is still broken. The dog is scared of the dark and doesn’t want to go outside at night. Christi is reading a bio of Virginia Woolf. I just read Terrorism and War by Howard Zinn and am currently reading a book of shoirt stories by Phillip K Dick and a nonfiction called Trotskyism After Trotsky. Sometimes I stumble through the Just Intonation Primer and I’ve ordered a book on Smalltalk from Powells, as I continue to try to figure out SuperCollider, the music programming language of choice at Wesleyan. My strategy of late has been to install SuperCollider on computers that other people use, in the hope that those people will start programming in it and share information with me. I put it on Christi’s laptop and the imac that Tiffany uses, but have had no luck so far. Tonight, I tried putting it on Mitch’s computer, but there is a syntax error in some file, so it won’t compile. Alas. Goodnight.

Esperanto Convention

the annual ELNA youth convention will be in Boston around the 4th of July weekend. Boston is only two hours from Middletown and I need to go back there to find housing around then ayway. I wonder if Christi would go for it . . .
On of the Tin Hat Trio cds has a song on it called “esperanto,” but the song has no words. It’s a nice song, though.

you can find some strange things on the internet

From http://www.orionsarm.com/eg/e/Ep-Er.html

The Equivocalist augmented human nation of the TRHN have developed a laguge based on Solresol, invented on Earth in 1829 by Jean-Francois Sudre. This is a language based on combinations of the Tonic scale “doremifasolatido”, which can be sung and spoken, giving them the ability to communicate two diffent messages at the same time,one spoken, the other sung. The Equivocalists call these two messages the voice and countervoice. The custom of the Equivocalist society, however, is that it is normal for each augmented hu to give both sides of any argument at the same time, both thesis and antithesis. Example:
1st individual:
voice “Sophant rights of the individual are paramount.”
countervoice “The resposibilities of any individual to society are most important of all.”
2nd individual
voice “I agree with you.”
countervoice “twerp”
The result is debates are shorter, giving more time for action. These augmented hu are constantly connected to their habitat net, but use Solresol for decision making. It is impolite to say the same thing with both voices except when an extremely important and life threatening subject is being discussed.

Steve Bowers

I love science fiction

Day of Homeland Resistance

so after staying up too late last night wasting my time and money and hours of my life, which I will never have back by watching something on a par with Bulletproof Monk, I got up early this morning to go to a protest outside of San Francisco City Hall. I showed up 15 minutes late and there was no one there. the date on my watch is mis-set, so I became convinced I had the wrong day. I started to leave when someone approached me and asked me where the protest was. so we went looking for it and found some other members of the band. We played one song and the sherrifs said that we had to stop since the protest did not have a permit to be near city hall yet. So we marched and played over to where the rest of the protesters were (by the bart station) and then listened to some stock speeches covering all leftist issues in one breath. We need jstice, housing, healthcare, peace equality, and end to evil and more good. Yes.
then we marched back to city hall, but the band did not play, because the protesters wanted to chant. then we listened to more speaches for good and against evil. then we did not play because the protesters wanted to chant. Then everyone was assembling into a freedom for Palestine march to the Isreal consulate. It was a funeral procession. so we figured out some funeral songs to play. But the protesters started chanting again and I decided that I didn’t want to carry a tuba over to a consulate and not play it. And i don’t know as much as I should about the Isreal/Palestine conflict as I should anyway. I bought a Chomsky book on it, but haven’t read it yet. so I took bart over to Christi’s office
I have recordings of all the speeches and one of the two songs that we played. I also have recordings of comments people made to me about the tuba on bart. the best/wort one, “wow, that’s kind of sexual.” thank you. goodbye.

Longer Movie Review

First, let’s talk about what was cool about the first movie. It was green and oddly timed. The whole thing was shot with this errie greenish, slightly-off feel to it. Everything was kind of decayed. It was awesome. and the soundtrack was really good. the product placement, coupled with the excellent cinematography made it the movie equivalent to reading Wire Magazine We’re all anti-capitalist now, but at the time, it affirmed our dot com lifestyles. The whole movie was like a matephor for working at a startup. Neo works at an office that represses him. The establishment gets him down. But then someone approaches with a crazy plan, they can’t even reveal until he signs an NDA. His personal life sucks after that. He eats gross food and lives in a funny little room, and his clothes are beat up, but none of this matters, because he spends all of his time hacking the matrix. And he gets the cool dot com accessories. He gets the nokia. the super-fast network connection. Um, some machine guns, but you know they’re suppossed to represent palm pilots or something. He becomes the uber-hacker. He’s thinking outside the box. there’s no sex in the movie. Who has time for that when they’re wortking at a startup? The scene at the very end where he takes off like superman, that representes the stock after the IPO.
Ok, now on to the current movie. dot coms crashed. cell phones ar enot as ubiquitous as they were. nobody is buying toys like that anyway. and most importantly, AOL bought time Warner, the company that made the film. and the film people smelled a franchise and brought in some new writers. so the new movie has sex in it. Do you ever need to see whats-his-face that plays Neo’s bare butt? nononononononoNO. but there it is, on the big screen, larger than life. there’s more sex than that too, but it’s pg-13 sex. It’s really pg-14, since the target audience is clearly 14 year old males. and they got rid of most that confusing science fiction stuff. and the women in it were a little too powerful and onconventional, so they fixed that. And the soundtrack was little too alternative and not hollywood schmaltz in the first one, so they fixed that. And wouldn’t it be cool if there was a big fight, like in a medival chalet with a bunch of armor and swords and stuff stuck to the walls, so that people could just grab them and start fighting?? what an original idea! i’ve nevr even heard of that except in 2186731647983624 james bond movies and other lame action films. Oh, and throw in a bad guy that speaks french. they even got rid of the product placement. There’s really not much to say in terms of the plot, since the plot was clearly an afterthought to the really really really long, violent fight scenes. i think if you have over an hour of special effects, you might forget to do some of the finishing touches, like texture mapping. the special effects in the first film were awesome. the ones in the second film were rushed through production or something. it was on a par with some video games that i’ve seen. unrealistic movements. lack of texture on fast parts. bleah. bleah. bleah.
Ok, now I know all of you are going to go see it anyway, becauyse the original was so awesome. It’s not the same movie. It’s got the same actors playing charecters by the same names in an entirely different movie. an action movie. one where the sci-fi component has been dumbed down to Trinity guessing a root password in one try and hacking an entire system in three keystrokes. It provides some unintended comedy.
But you’ll see it anyway because it was shot in Oakland. there is a long long long long long get-up-and-go-to-the-bathroom-come-back-get-popcorn-come-back-go-for-a-smoke-come-back long long chase scene filmed on 880. It’s a whole bunch of car accidents. I think it was about an hour of the movie of car accidents. they keep going back and forth over the same stretch,, but traffic never gets snarled, despite it being in the 880 cooridoor and there being so many accidents. I think maype it was suppossed to look like they were moving forward, but the effect doesn’t work if you know the freeway. I can only imagine what KCBS’s traffic report would sound like. and no news helicopters ever showed up. anyway.
the also tear up and down broadway. and they go in one of the tunnels to alameda. is this why the tunnel was closed every night for months? you can see all sorts of local landmarks. so go and you might recognize a restaurant or something. otherwise, there’s really no reason to see the movie. i want my money back. and it cost $3 for a soda. that’s sugar and water!!!! for three dollars. it’s an outrage. i wish i’d gone to a concert instead.

sunday

So I posted saying that I was going to work on all sorts of things. what did I actually do? spent wayyy too much time trying to figure out why sound doesn’t play on the beta version of Java Just Intonation Calculator. the aduio part isn’t written yet. But the calculating part works. They should put the source at sourceforge so some resourceful person can fix it. then I played with my dog for a while. Then, I figured out how to say/sing “The orphans suffocated” in Solresol. (Listen) Then I got food with Christi. then she wanted to see the Matrix, so we called Amy to see if she wanted to see it to. Amy already had plans to go see another movie for free at a little film festival at the Jupiter bar. So we said ok.
While Christi was getting her sweatshirt to leave, she kicked something and broke her toe. So we were a little late. when we showed up, it was really crowded, so Amy and Christi decided that we should go see the Matrix instead.

Review of The Matrix Reloaded

It sucked.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

First Gig

So Tennis Roberts had it’s first gig last night. We were originally scheduled to play for one half hour at 9:00. But then Jennifer, the client, was talking to the Fez Tones, the band after us, about what time they would start. they had been scheduled for 9:00 and didn’t want to start later than that, Jennifer explained on the phone. Could we play at midnight instead?
This being a graduation party, there was a risk that everyone would leave before midnight, but we agreed to the move, deciding that it meant that we were headlining. Yeah, that’s the ticket. So we hauled our stuff over at 6:00 and then went to get dinner and came back around 8:00 or 9:00 and started drinking beer. I was wearing a blue glitter shirt, silver pants and a fedora. How often do you get to wear silver pants? Ususally Christi won’t let me out of the house with them on. I have to wear them at least 5 more times before they pay for themselves. Anyway, around 11:00, GI Jen showed up with her new girlfriend, who seems to be very nice. Apparently, she’s a Libretarian. We talked about that before she arrived. Mitch says that libretarians are just confused anarchists.
At midnight, the Fez Tones played an encore and then started packing it in. we started setting up our stuff, and they were surprised. “Whoah! There’s a third band??” So they announced that we would be on shortly. We set up and started playing to the 10 or 15 people still at the party. Christi was trying to convince Gi Jen and Nicole, her sweetie, to yell out silly song names and suiggest that we play them. They weren’t going for it, because, apparently, it sounded as if we actually had written songs to play and weren’t just making it up as went along. But they shouted out some rediculous name, like “The Haggis Resistance” and we said ok and exhaustedly played something. It was dern late.
Very soon, though, the only people left were our entourage + Micheal, the guy who works at the cafe and the clean up crew. So we serenaded the clean up crew for an hour and then packed it in when Ian, who is graduating and hence the reason for the party, announced that he was going to bed.
I think we’re the ultimate band to play at a party, since there are no acoustic elements, we can play at any volume. Need something about the level of your stero? We can do that. Need ear-splittingly loud music for a final going-awa-y piss off the damn neighbors party? We can do that.
No rehersal today, which is good, because Friday I played bass for 4 or 5 hours with the flute band, and thursday was Tennis Roberts rehersal and wednesday was four or five hours with the flute band and my back is really starting to get tweaked. I got a lifting belt yesterday so the sousaphone won’t screw up my lower back. Anyway, today is a no bass or tuba day. I’m just going to relax, edit the recordings from last night’s gig and study Just Intontation and maybe try some song writing with solresol. sicne I slept till noon and it’s too late to go to the beach.

Concert Review

Last night, I went to see two bands at 21 Grand. My primary motivation for picking this venue was that it’s a lot closer than the other two that were having shows. And it was awesome, so it was a good choice.
The first band was called Glass Bead Game. They’re a female-fronted quartet. the female front sings and plays guitar. Her male backband is drums, standup bass and a guy that doubles on violin and alto clarinet. Their songs are pop-y, but with definite new music influence. there was a high level of musicianship and the singer has a strong voice. some of the best playing came from the bassist who did some arco lines here and there. some of his bowings got didgeridu-like sounds and nice drones. the whole band had a nice improvisational feel, which may be because, as the singer explained, thay haven’t practiced together in a long time and not everyone knew all the songs. They were very entertaining and had good stage presence and banter. anyway, I would go see this band again. And I’m glad I saw them this time, since I was one of five people in the audience and I think christi and I were the only ones not personally known by anyone in the band.
The headline act was Peoples Bizarre. They play tunes based on Balkans and Eastern European folk songs. They have a stand up bass, a drum kit, an accordian, a cello, a violin and a guy that doubles on clarinet and bass clarinet. The clarinetest looks disturbing like The Onion columnist Jim Anchower, but played really well and wrote at least one of the songs, a nice mellow piece that mostly showcased the strings. the band was solidly good throughout, playing songs they composed. When they talked about the songs, they had a tendency to become academic, describing pentatonic patterns used in Albanian songs, for example. I appreciated the infomration, personally. They finished the set with a cover, which I thought was especially brilliant. The stock surf song that all surf bands play is actually a Hungarian folk song. So on their last piece, which had a section that either was that song or was very similar to it, their drummer switched over to a surf beat. It was awesome. I would definitely see this band again. In fact, I’m on their mailing list and I bought their record.
So I think I ought to strive to see a show (that I’m not playing in) at least once a week.

Update!

So in this last week, I went to go see the Chapel of the Chimes, since Christi will be making music there. And I added it to my list of of cool free tourist attractions in the East Bay. Also this week, Autumn and Steven came to dinner. It was oodles of fun. I’m thinking I should try to have dinner with someone once a week. Autumn has a vibraphone. That’s a marimba-like instrument with a motor attached, which causes it to make a wah-wah-wah sound. It’s cool. It’s a jazz instument, usually.
So yesterday, I was IMing Ellen about her plans to come down here and she mocked me for wanting to see the Matrix. Aren’t there a lot of new music concerts in the Bay Area? she asked. Alas. Thus shamed, I decided that instead of seeing the mainstream, popularly hyped fare, I would free my mind and do something different than those in control wanted me to do. (I like cheesy irony. Really. I took the red pill and saw a concert instead.)

Top 4 free things to do in the East Bay

The Albany Bulb
Located right next to Golden Gate Fields, this old dump now holds a ton of art made out of junk. There are paintings, sculptures, mosaics, installations and more. Even a very small castle. See it now before the city of Albany buldozes it. Open during daylight hours. Indy Media Artcile
Chapel of the Chimes
Located in Oakland on Piedmont Avenue. This is a big building, designed by local architect Julia Morgan, that holds the ashes and remains of many, many people. It’s seperated into a bunch of rooms. Some are tiny. some are medium-sized gardens, some are large chapels. The walls are display cases filled with urns. Floor to high ceiling. Many of the urns are shaped like books, with the name of the person who is inside on the spine like a title. The ceiling is glass, so sunlight filters in. the rooms are very echo-y, given all the hard surfaces and very interestingly resonant, with obvious resonant pitches. some of the glass ceilings slide back to let in a breeze. Many of the garden rooms ahve fountains. Parts of the place are maze-like. Part is big open rooms. There’s something for everyone and it’s really interesting to wander through. Not all of the rooms are accessable. Open 9-5 daily. Official Website
Doggie Diner Heads
This is the largest tourist attraction in Emeryville, except for the Ikea. the dog heads sit on a trailer, just off Ocean avenue, between Hollis and San Pablo. I think they might be in New York right now, though. The Doggie Diner, a local restaurant chain, closed in 1976, but it’s emblem, a mona-lisa like weiner dog head, has enduring fame and is often featured in Zippy the Pinhead. These dog heads used to sit on poled in front of the restaurants. They’re big. They’re weird. They will make you laugh. You can go see them anytime, but they do travel and there’s nobody to call, so it’s hit or miss. Roadside America Article
Indian Rock
It’s a big rock in North Berkeley. Some people practice rock climbing on it, but there’s also a couple of stairways carved into it. It has a terrific view, so you can climb to the top and look at the entire bay area. It’s a great place to look at sunrises (although facing the wrong direction), sunsets, eclipses, meteor showers, stars, whatever. Technically, it’s open during daylight hours, but I’ve seen plenty of people there after dark, especially for unusal celestial events. The rock itself is not accessible, but the park has a little path through it that is. And the route there takes you through one of Berkeley’s three roundabouts. the biggest one! It has a fountain or something in the middle. Berkeley Parks Department Offical webpage about the park