I know, I know, it's been over a month since my last entry. Things have been busy! The new album, Reality Show, was released on March 10th and I've been doing what I can to get the word out to radio, print media, and the world at large (I've only scratched the surface - there's still so much to do).
It's also time to start shifting into gigging mode. I hadn't even started looking for additional musicians or done any real planning yet when, very unexpectedly, an invitation to play at the Bearapalooza festival in Nashville in July came my way. I'm kind of hoping I might have another player or two on board by then, but I guess if I have to take the stage all by my lonesome and play to backing tracks, that's what I'll do! I think it's going to be a lot of fun, and after all the time I've spent holed up in my home studio recording the new CD, I'm looking forward to being out there playing live this summer.
In gearing up to gig, I knew I needed to start playing a 5-string bass to reproduce the bass parts on Reality Show live (I just tuned down my 4-string when recording, but that's not as practical a solution for live gigs). I picked up a Steinberger XT-25 5-string, which I expected would just be a "learning" bass, but despite the fact that it cost less than 1/3 of what I paid for my other basses , I love the thing! Mastering the changes in technique needed to play a 5-string is going to take some woodshedding on my part, but what the hey, I love a good challenge. If the "love affair" continues, I'll probably use Steinbergers for all my gigging and very likely on the next album as well. They really are cool instruments and not only look different, they have a very distinctive sound too.
What else is new? Uhm, let's see...I've also been getting more exercise, breaking a good sweat on the elliptical machine almost every day and using the Bowflex a few days a week too. I was WAY too inactive all winter and it's time to get back into shape a little bit (even if it kills me!).
Think that's it for now. I'll try not to let another six weeks go by before I write in here again, hehe. Talk to ya soon, gang!
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