Cheevyjames’ Musical Roundhouse

Happy Monday!

Julie and I had a fun weekend, we decided to head to the beach and go camping. We haven’t camped since our disastrous time at Caddo Lake back in 2003. Even though it’s still hot out, we wanted to go this weekend and have some fun. We left Chapel Hill Saturday afternoon after she was done with her yoga class and drove east on I-40 pretty much until we hit the ocean. First off, I think it’s incredibly cool that I live 2.5 hours away from the OCEAN. The Atlantic. So cool.

We camped at Carolina Beach State Park and that was a nice place. We had a good site with no one on either side of us. I always prefer that. After getting our site and setting up the tent (in record time) we headed to the beach for a bit and then to grab some food. We ended up going to Kure Beach (the town right next to Carolina Beach) and walked in the ocean for a bit before grabbing some food at a place called Jack Mackerel’s. It wasn’t *right* on the ocean like we hoped to find, but it was a block away so that’s close enough. The food was REALLY good. I had some fried shrimp and Julie had a Mahi-Mahi sandwich. We both loved our food. What we noticed, esp. with my shrimp, was how it tasted so *fresh*. Yes, we were right by the ocean, but it was more than that. Fresh shrimp in Texas doesn’t taste like that. We honestly believe that it’s because the water is much better (cleaner) in the atlantic than on the Gulf. I guess I’ve always thought the Gulf of Mexico to be pretty nasty, even though that’s all we had in Texas. The food from the Gulf can’t compare to that of the Atlantic OR the Pacific.

After the meal we headed back to the campsite, put the All Dah-veed mix on the iPod and drank beer and just talked all night. Very good conversation for the whole night. That’s something that we’ve always had, even from our first date. I love that she’s incredibly easy to talk to and even after nearly 10 years together, we never bore of talking to each other.

The most annoying part of the whole trip, actually the only annoying thing, was our attempt at sleep. It’s still too hot out to properly camp and be comfortable so we sweated our butts off during the whole night and didn’t sleep very well. That next morning I just wanted to get in the water and refresh. After getting up the next morning and eating breakfast we headed to the beach. Once again, it was a beautiful day and felt great to play around in the water. There’s just something so immensely fun about playing in the ocean. And I love just looking out there to the expanse of never-ending-water and thinking about what’s on the other side of the ocean (and how we were on that other side of the ocean a few weeks ago). I thought a lot about not only is it so gorgeous there on the beach (and peaceful), but also wonder what it was like when Europeans first came there around 400 years before. What did it look like then on this exact spot?

After the swims and laying out we finally decided to head back to the reality of Chapel Hill. Back home. We stopped at the Tastee Freeze on the way back to the car and had some ice cream. I had no idea that Tastee Freeze’s existed out here; I just thought they were something that was in the Mid-West. Of course once I saw it, I couldn’t get that damn song out of my head. Good stuff and I talked football with the dude at the counter.

So yeah, fun weekend. It was great to go to the beach again.

Current Location: work, where else?

Current Mood: peaceful

Current Music: Bryan Dunn - Shackle Melodic

I was wondering how the conference would turn out today and they made the decision a little bit ago:

Pluto is no longer a planet.

That headline is painful to read: “Pluto Loses Status as a Planet - Astronomers meeting in the Czech capital have voted to strip Pluto of its status as a planet.”

That’s just harsh.

I’m actually really sad about this. I like Pluto. It’s always been there. I don’t know why I’m sad about it, because it’s just a planet WAAAAAY out there that can’t support life and is pretty dang cold. I know there’s really no one else qualified for such things, but it still irks me that a bunch of astronomers can just change the rules of what constitutes a “planet” and can thus “strip Pluto of its status as a planet.” I think I would feel better if they added those extra 3 planets (and gave planet 2003 UB313 a proper name) and brought the total up to 12 rather than degrading Pluto to “Dwarf Planet”.

In some strange way, it feels like I’ve lost a friend I’ve always known.

8 planets in the solar system…FEH! Pluto will always be a planet to me.

Current Location: work

Current Mood: sad

Current Music: Frank Zappa - G-Spot Tornado

The subject has nothing to do with the topic of this post, just of my first thoughts as I type. And that would be the song playing on my iPod right now - 3 Penny Opera’s Figure 8. This is one that was written after I was out of the band, but I really like it. It’s a nice tune and different from most of the rest of the band’s music. I started (to finish) the cassette transfers from the Old Bands last week or so. I have done 3 3PO shows so far (including my last one with the band…a good one for a TV recording. I think it’s fitting the last song I played with the group was Sunshine) and last night I decided to switch gears and do a Megalo one. I wasn’t in Megalo, but we shared drummers and I saw them live about 50 times probably. The show I transferred last night (6-2-97) was a good one and I’m sure I was in the audience. Good stuff, I listened to it again this morning when I came in. This project has been lingering since January and I really need to finish it.

About actual FINISHED projects - yesterday I finished mixing the final Protean Mean track, Surrounded by Trees. I only ended up doing 2 lines of myself singing as the low harmony just wasn’t happening for me. I didn’t get a good take on Friday so I spent a long time on Saturday getting it right. Eventually I did and mixed it on Saturday and Sunday. The track’s posted at the myspace and last night I delivered a 3 song CD to Jenn of our 3 creations. She’s been having problems with her home internet, and she can’t listen at work so I brought her the CD. We’re scheduled to practice on Weds (new day) with Thurs being dedicated to working with Eric on the press kit and the main website. I want to get our submission into SXSW asap. What’s the chance on someone getting in on their first try? We’ll see.

Friday’s Flecktones/Umphreys/Mark Broussard show was really cool. All three groups sat in with every body else and they actually had “transition jams” on the songs separating the different sets. It was literally 4 hours of solid and continuous music. Does that make any sense? Well, I’ll try to do the full review later (on my website) if I have time. It was a great show though.

OK, Maiden’s ending so I’ll close for now. Work calls.

Current Location: work

Current Mood: happy

Current Music: 3PO/Twang/Marley/Maiden

So, evidently I look like Brad Pitt. Sorta. I was told this by a woman yesterday while making a delivery on campus. She said while driving into the lot I looked like him. I’ve definitely never been told that. When I was in high school I was told I looked like Alec Baldwin in a way.

I really don’t agree with either of these assessments, but what the hell.

I had a good week this week. 2 band practices and I get to see a kick ass concert tonight. More on that in a sec.

Jenn and I practiced both last night and Wednesday night. Making up for the lost time with no practices the past few weeks. Wednesday’s was nice. We decided to put off recording until last night and thus just focus on actual rehearsal for Weds. A big chunk of time was dedicated to working on Toad the Wet Sprocket’s Amnesia. It’s a cool track and Jenn sounds great singing it. It’s gonna rip. We touched on a few other songs, including Discovery of the West, the first song we ever started writing together. It’s still unfinished, but in figuring out what else needs to be there, it’s really not that much. I do really like the song and I can’t wait until it’s done. As usual, Jenn sings a kick ass melody. I’m definitely spoiled by having her as my singer. Discovery is an interesting song though. I started writing the music for it back in…damn, I gotta think here…1994 I think. It might have been ‘93. Something like that. Anyway, it started life called Oblivious to All, which was a horrible love song written about this chick I liked back in high school. Yes, it had lyrics too. They were the awful part. Even though I “poured my heart out” (gag me!), I never really liked the lyrics and I always wanted to dump them and re-write the song. I liked *most* of the music for it.

This song swam around in my mind for many years until 2003 when I gave Jenn the opening riff and told her to write something to it. She wasn’t having much luck with it so sometime either in 2003 or 2004 I picked it up again and the rest of it just poured out. Well, the main part of the song - verses, choruses, pre-choruses, all that. So that’s when I sent Jenn and copy of the newly written tune (called Western Discovery…that’s what the music reminded me of) and a few weeks later I called her from work and she sang me some of the lyrics over the phone. Oh man, it just sent this shiver through my body and it was yet another HUGE reminder that I had to really play music with this girl. Remember, at this time I was in Dallas and Jenn was out here in Carolina. That summer Jenn and Eric visited us in Texas and we played through the new version of the song (which used a huge chunk of the original music as the middle section(s)) and it was great to play it live with her. Once again, it strengthened my desire to *really* work with her. And a year and a half later, I moved out here.

So yeah, Discovery of the West is a really important song to me and I can’t wait until it’s done. It’s going to be so excellent.

Last night’s practice was spent recording Jenn’s vocals for Surrounded by Trees, the first song we wrote after I moved back here in Feburary. She’s always had trouble with singing the chorus, but after a few attempts she finally got it. The rest of the vocals came pretty easily and since the music’s done, all that’s left is for me to record my 4 small vocal lines and then I’ll get to work on mixing it. I’m aiming to have it up on the website by early next week, maybe even sooner. I should have some time this afternoon before the concert to record those vocals. I hope.

Even more than with Discovery, I’m SUPER excited to get Surrounded by Trees out there. I love this song. It’s definitely one of my favorites that I’ve written so far. And of course Jenn out did herself on it. Lryics and vocals and melodies are just fantastic. I can’t wait for other people to hear it.

Since we finished up the song pretty quickly we decided to take the rest of the night off and watch a Dream Theater DVD - Images and Words live in Tokyo. I love her comment about John Petrucci, “I bet his guitar teacher is very proud!” Ain’t that the truth. We both laughed at singer James LaBrie’s singing/screaming and dropped our jaws at the playing of Petrucci and Myung in particular. All those guys are so immensely talented…the crap Petrucci does still fries my brain. There’s that one sweep that he does…and I can’t even THINK that fast. It’s insane. You know, I *LOVE* that Jenn digs Dream Theater as much as I do. It’s not something you’d really expect (she might be the only female on the planet that likes DT!), but it just makes me appreciate her that much more.

So, on to tonight: Julie and I are going to see Bela Fleck and the Flecktones & Umphreys McGee out in Cary. I am so excited about this concert. Ever since they first announced this tour, my head’s just been exploding. First Umphreys. I saw these guys in Dallas last year, just on a whim since I’d heard their name around, and I was totally blown away. They’re definitely the best young band out there, especially live. And then the Flecktones…the only time I’ve seen them live was 10 years ago in Austin with my friend Brandon. Neither of us really had any idea who they were, but he heard that “their bassist is supposed to be pretty good” and so we went.

Ha!

“Pretty good”…

Oh my gosh. Victor Wooten is ABSOLUTELY the best bassist on the planet. No doubt in my mind. And if you forgot, I’m a bassist, so I’m qualified to judge. The Flecktones put on one of the best shows I’ve ever seen and they’re all amazing musicians, but Victor is still the main thing. To say I’m excited to watch and listen to the best bassist in the world tonight is an understatement. I am GIDDY!

And practice the past 2 days definitely didn’t hurt my mood any, either.

“That Chord” from A Hard Day’s Night just came on the iPod…I must hear it again.

Ah, I love it!

I’ll report about concert next week. Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

Current Location: work, still

Current Mood: giddy

Current Music: Beatles - A Hard Day’s Night

Leave your name, and…

1. I’ll respond with something random about you
2. I’ll challenge you to try something
3. I’ll pick a colour that I associate with you
4. I’ll tell you something I like about you
5. I’ll tell you my first/clearest memory of you
6. I’ll tell you what animal you remind me of
7. I’ll ask you something I’ve always wanted to ask you
8. If I do this for you, you must post this on yours

Current Location: work

Current Mood: excited for tonight’s show!

Current Music: Phish - Runaway Jim

It’s amazing how much nutty stuff can be crammed into 5 days. The trip to Wales was wonderful in general, while parts (getting there) were horrible and the worst airline/flying experiences I’ve ever had. I think once we got on Welsh soil, all was good. Scratch that, all was EXCELLENT.

We had a blast.

I’ll try to update more tomorrow at work (whee!) but I just thought I’d post a small bit.

Current Location: home

Current Mood: happy and tired

Current Music: Den Fule - Quake