4 posts tagged “guitar”
Last week we had a new addition to the family...after saving up my pennies for many months, and doing research into some different models for longer than that, I walked into my local guitar store (Mass Street Music) and walked out with this beauty:
This is not a flashy guitar - no mother-of-pearl or abalone inlay, no fancy woods like coco bolo (Hubbicula has one of those models) - but it plays like a dream. I tried to demonstrate the difference to my sweetie by playing a song with a lot of tricky chords all over the fretboard that on the Alvarez always sounded like it was being accompanied by a swarm of irritated bees.
"See? No buzzing."
"I like the buzzing. It's one of my favorite things about that song." (Sigh.)
"That's good, then, because the Alvarez is now YOUR guitar." My sweetie is learning to play and has been making do with borrowing my teeny Martin Backpacker guitar, which is a little odd to learn on, since it looks like the result of an unholy mating between an acoustic guitar and a mountain dulcimer (and sounds like the result of an unholy mating between an acoustic guitar and a banjo):
I've had a series of Very Busy Days at work - despite having last Friday off. I'm talking ten-hour days combined with mind-crushingly boring multi-hour meetings, many deadlines, and the soft rabbitty nibbles of a thousand small projects (none of which would take more than an hour or two, but taken together are a bit overwhelming).
Maybe it's just because I'm wearing a black concert t-shirt, but as I looked in the restroom mirror a moment ago, I thought, "It would be a great day to quit my job and become a roadie."
Of course, the bands I like best are unlikely to ever make enough money to be able to hire a roadie (and those that have made that much money are often acoustic solo and duo performers who wouldn't need a roadie, anyway). But still. I could lift and carry heavy things. I could say "Check" into a microphone. I could shovel a drunk/stoned/spaced-out lead singer into the back of a car and get them to the show on time. I can even tune and restring guitars.
Maybe I'll take a sabbatical and look for a temporary roadie gig...or maybe I'll just cart my own damn guitar to the acoustic jam and/or the open mic night right here in town.
There's even a guidebook...at least I can read about being a roadie.
So send all positive cosmic whirlies my way that I will have fun and not play too many wrong notes and that folks will generally have a great time listening.
And the weekend after this, I'll be getting ready for the big move, and the beginning of my peripatetic wanderings, Cain-like, over the face of the earth for six weeks until my apartment is ready. Except mostly I'll be staying with my dear sweetie and Redz.
Deep breath.
I just sent an email to the coordinator for the local Farmers' Market, asking to be scheduled as one of the (free) performers. I've done lots of jams, and lots of standing-up-and-talking presentations to crowds, but it has been awhile since I've performed musically for an audience.
If I get booked, this will be fairly low-stress, I think. People will be strolling by on their way to purchase their weekly veggies; you aren't expected to gather a big crowd or anything, just provide some folksy backdrop to the market day experience.
Anyway, I thought it was time to get back to performing, and this seemed like a good way to get my feet wet. Cross your fingers for me, y'all.
