played tonightwith Jason Voss at the Dreamland, a puppet show in Depot Town, the gentrified part of Ypsilanti. Although it was a public event, only Jason, I and the two promoters showed up. I don't blame anyone for not coming - it was pouring down rain and my car was sliding all over the road.
Jason was really good, doing looping with a pedal, a guitar and violin. Same sort of thing I've seen Dan Williams do at his home. Very nice music - I like the roughness of his guitar - guys who use delay to loop the guitar often opt for a smooth sound. Jason's playing is full of splinters, and they cycle through the delay in an intriguing and musical way.
I decided that since I had a new audience of just three I would devote most of the evening to untried, experimental versions of songs. First try was "Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire" which is about a month old. Although I wrecked the first chorus, the rest of the long song seemed to go well.
The next was "She is the Soggy Biscuit," a folksy song about internet porn spam that's about 2 years old. It's about a full verse too short, and the ending was weak, but the early part of the song went over very well.
Then I wrapped up the new material with a number that's been rolling around in my head for at least ten years, a song which, for now, we will title "Grimoire Groundmoth Grumlator Worms."
I don't quite have the chords to this down, but it's a very funny song, and they "got it" towards the end. It was half a verse short, and I improvised a lyric that said something like "Well I'm really very sorry/I have no ending for this song/But if you let me come back again/By that time I will have the ending figured out." Good save - I hope to play there again in February.
Then I did Jackie and JFK, and rediscovered precisely why I should not play these songs on an acoustic guitar. But other wise it was a fun night.
Uncle Dave Lewis
uncledavelewis@hotmail.com