tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90749302046837304892024-03-05T13:09:25.282-08:00The beef, the bass, and the bullMarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-38837080151082170512009-10-03T22:31:00.000-07:002009-10-03T23:04:02.501-07:00Well, an update......but I don't know where to start...Gina and I are doing fine. We have our little squabbles and whatnot, but that's okay - couples do that. On the whole, we're really doing pretty well (6 year anniversary coming up - YAY!!).<br /> Since quitting the band, I've been at loose ends, somewhat. I'm supposed to go over and jam with a friend sometime this week or next, in hopes of putting together a band or something...but I'm not sure if I'm feeling it...today while Gina was gone (to her friend Crystal's house for Halloween Decorating and such) I played on the GarageBand app on our Mac Mini. It's basically a virtual studio, and you can make mp3s and whatnot. I made an mp3 out of a song I wrote years ago. The mix is a bit wonky and I haven't yet learned how to program my drum machine (just let it play) so the drum track is a little skewed - well, okay, the whole production is a bit of a mess. But it was more fun and more liberating working on that song and having it come out the way it did than it was playing bass in the band the last year or so...even beforehand, really. I actually worked on two songs today. I 'finished' one (got a basic drum-guitar-bass guitar-vocal mix on it, anyway - the song is called 'Concrete Garden') and am almost done with the other (a song I've had lying around for about 20 years called 'Feeling Better') except for the lead guitar track...in every <span style="font-style: italic;">band</span> I've been in, I've always had to struggle to bring the fruits of my creative labor to the table. Every time, however, that I work with <span style="font-style: italic;">one</span> other person (my good friend Amy Clinkscales; or the redoubtable Jim Kelly of 'Concrete Rhino' fame, also a good friend of mine), I not only have better luck doing my own thing (so to speak), but I find myself listening more to her/him and putting forth more of an effort towards actually collaborating. As for my solo works, the only one that gets in the way is me (for better or worse).<br /> More and more, I'm starting to think that a band w/any more than 3 people total is a bad idea...tomorrow I believe I'll work on 'Feeling Better' some more, and maybe another song after that...we'll just have to see how it goes...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-57923932633774266712009-09-20T20:54:00.000-07:002009-09-20T21:01:19.760-07:00Well, I'm out of the band. I kicked myself out. I simply had my fill of the crap. So I put my official notice in, and played my last 'official' gig with them last Thursday...of course, I'll still play w/them until their new bass player ( a fellow named Josh, who, from what I can tell, is a cool dude) has all the songs under his belt. I might leak details out later on in this blog; suffice it to say that I really thought things would get better, but given the chemistry of the band as it stood, I should have known better.MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-43211848825403192632009-05-03T11:40:00.000-07:002009-05-03T12:53:10.715-07:00At long last, an update...Well, it has been a while, hasn't it? I've been reading over my past entries and saw that my last entry was posted on 12/27/08...well, here's what's up...<br />First, the band. As it turns out, our old lead vocalist (let's call him 'Corey') knew (pretty much all along) that we'd been advertising on Craigslist. Which, I'm sure, prompted him to go audition with another band or two. As far as I know, nothing came of it. On our end, we were practicing on Tuesday nights and auditioning singers on Wednesday nights. This process went on for quite some time, and it looked as though we had it narrowed down to a couple of people...then it happened. No, Corey did not find out and get all 'chainsaw' on everyone...the 'it' that happened was this - our <span style="font-style: italic;">old</span> lead singer came back into the fold. Here's the scoop for those not in the know - the band originally was comprised of K and Z (mentioned in my last blog), another guitarist (he was actually the driving force behind this incarnation - we'll call him 'Sam'), and a singer (we'll refer to him as 'Jake') who kicked ass. Jake and Sam really didn't get on too well, for myriad reasons, so we had a 'band meeting' (yes - every time we seem to have a 'band meeting', it means that someone is either gonna get kicked out or someone is in danger of it and we gotta address it) and decided that Sam had to go - he wanted to go into a different direction from us, and he wanted more control over the band than we were ultimately willing to give him. There was no animosity other than what had already existed between Sam and Jake (and they didn't HATEHATEHATE each other so much as the chemistry was , uh, volatile), and Sam went on to form another band that gigs in the Metro area and is readying a CD. Well, Jake was all set to go with us, but he had other coals in the fire as well. From what I understand, he had to get ready to move at a moment's notice - either to New York or L.A. (he's an actor by trade and does all sorts of voice-over work to pay the bills). So, we had to find a new lead singer. Hence the entrance of Corey into the picture. Well, after over a year and a half; Jake came back into the picture, after we'd been auditioning people on the sly (but only sort-of on the sly, as it turns out) for about 2 or 3 months. So, we took Jake back and K told Corey that he was out...which Corey more or less had a feeling about anyway. He could tell from our general vibe that something was up, and the Craigslist ads weren't as oblique as one might have hoped (they kept getting flagged for removal and K believes that Corey was behing it). We were gonna have one last gig with Corey if he wanted to, to say Goodbye once and for all to the band as it existed, but Corey nixed the idea, stating that it was best to just call it quits if that's the way we wanted it...so we got Jake ready for the upcoming gigs (many which Corey had booked), and we've been booking more gigs (we're booked until August)...The thing is, Jake wants to do originals. One of the reasons that the first incarnation of the band split the way it did was because Sam had all these originals he wanted the band to do. So we became strictly a cover band. This should be an interesting few months ahead...<br />Switching gears to the pet front - if you've been following Poo Corner, you should know that we have a new kitty! She's not new anymore, I suppose...we got her at PetSmart in December. She was sitting in the little cage they have, and she had a little mat at the back of her head, just behind her ear. I didn't quite think we were ready for a new kitty, having just dealt with the passing of Scout. It was a Saturday, and I told Gina,'If she's still there next Saturday, we'll get her'. Well, the week went by, and the little kitty (who had a penchant for doing the 'happy paws', much like Scout) would not leave my mind. I was starting to fear that we'd dropped the ball and that we'd go to PetSmart and someone else would have her. I couldn't wait for Saturday. Well, that Saturday did indeed come, and we did indeed go to Petsmart, and - she was still in that little cage...needless to say, we got her...she's been with us for about 5 months now. We gave her the name Mary J. (after the singer Mary J. Blige), and we figured out that her birthday falls more or less on May 1, so we gave a nice celebration for her involving cattoys, gushy food (for Mary J. and Bill) and angel food cake (for the humans in the house)...there is more, I'm sure, for me to go on about, but I'm getting blogger's cramp, so here's a good place to stop...I'll try to be more forthcoming with the blogs in the future...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-102037281170843282008-12-27T23:29:00.000-08:002008-12-28T00:19:16.175-08:00We never should have settled for him, that's all...we never should have picked him - we should have been more patient and chosen someone with more style, more talent - someone who fits us better...but, no - we chose him. About a year after that, we 'had a band meeting' and told him he had to straighten up - change his hair, work on his timing, ditch the Springsteen wardrobe...and so he did...but he still has timing issues ("Mrs. Robinson" has never come out right as far as timing is concerned) and he's not really a rock front man...K and Z are now both wanting to kick him out, and an ad has been placed in Craigslist - obliquely, of course...here it is, end of 2008, and there's all this talk about kicking him out again. It seems to me that the time to kick him out would have been in March or April - hell, even May - "Well, we gave it one more shot, but it's just not happenin'"...now it's a little too late in my estimation...I suppose I get more worried about the fact that he set up the website and the MySpace and the Filesharing and does all the bookings and does all this work for the band <span style="font-style: italic;">because he likes it</span> and what a shitty way to treat him after all this time..."We never really liked your style or anything, but thanks anyway..." - not even a gold watch...I suppose I don't like the ad in Craigslist either - the fact that K just went ahead and did it without asking (or at least giving me a head's up before he did, like he didn't want to bother with me or like my opinion in the band doesn't matter) <span style="font-style: italic;">and </span>the fact that the ad itself is a bit disingenuous (no one is leaving town to <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> knowledge)...I just think that it's gonna get ugly and that there are gonna be a lot of hurt feelings...it all makes me wanna quit the whole fuckin' thing. I like K - quite a lot, in fact - but I don't like the way he approaches things sometimes...maybe I just don't like the fact that he treats this as though it's <span style="font-style: italic;">his</span> band. In a very real sense, it is. But, in just as real a sense, it's the other fellow's band as well...and I like to think that I'm more than just a sideman. Honestly, I simply dread the inevitability of it all, and I want to go hide away from it; which I'm sure is where I get this feeling of wanting to leave the band. I suppose we'll see on Tuesday, when we have our next practice, what transpires...I know I'm gonna be one surly sonofabitch - to K and Z, for wanting to kick this guy to the curb, and to this guy, who really does need to be kicked to the curb but, because of his dedication to the band, deserves better...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-41358150249378250282008-09-27T17:32:00.000-07:002008-09-27T18:04:28.278-07:00Scout<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1Wp_N8_-YZKuW-PaHwl8ZVZlVSrVwJKt8PX1ee9VgK_NINokpS3KAID8ayGer0wjIjDFPCyDebWl_dvEQ_U05dpDleT3fP2aXulgBrJGOaKSNx9ghRwU9Lj88pDVlzrPrEOw3pc-c-I/s1600-h/Sleepy+Scout.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1Wp_N8_-YZKuW-PaHwl8ZVZlVSrVwJKt8PX1ee9VgK_NINokpS3KAID8ayGer0wjIjDFPCyDebWl_dvEQ_U05dpDleT3fP2aXulgBrJGOaKSNx9ghRwU9Lj88pDVlzrPrEOw3pc-c-I/s200/Sleepy+Scout.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250871324788767506" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCku-yyMR4Wk5HbV3s8a7Or7zMjvSFCEDvyhDJXpbbhYBu178xEdC__6QXNxG_-fE47-jTJgggU47gnCWxFMw6t3M5ecbtKgBSKzDYy6yqdMlHrMq0lDS9Khzx312qX73QASc_MZWy3_I/s1600-h/DSCI0003.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCku-yyMR4Wk5HbV3s8a7Or7zMjvSFCEDvyhDJXpbbhYBu178xEdC__6QXNxG_-fE47-jTJgggU47gnCWxFMw6t3M5ecbtKgBSKzDYy6yqdMlHrMq0lDS9Khzx312qX73QASc_MZWy3_I/s200/DSCI0003.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5250871326514512482" border="0" /></a><br />For those of you who don't know, Scout is our little calico cat. The missus has had her for 11 years, and as a consequence, I've known her as long as I've known Gina (said missus). On Tuesday night we'd noticed a sore on Scout that we hadn't noticed before, on her right side. Well, after some deliberation, we'd decided to take her into the vet the next morning. Gina dropped me off at work Wednesday at 7:30 in the morning, and then went home to prepare Scout for her appointment at 9:30. At about 10:30, I'd called Gina on her cell phone to find out how our little Scout was.<br />Well, as it turns out, our little Scout has cancer and is going to die. It's mammary cancer, and has spread out into her lymph nodes. Needless to say, Gina took the rest of the day off.<br />To quote from Gina's blog..."The doctor said we could get it operated on, but then she'd have two weeks of recovery from the operation, and since it has spread to her lymph nodes, she would only gain about 5 months from the whole thing anyway. Two of them would be spent in chemo, which would cause the usual vomiting, hair loss and misery."...so we have opted to make the rest of her days here with us as comfortable as possible. The doctor have us a couple of antibiotics for the sores on her side (one oral, one topical), and she has one of those 'martini' collars on her to keep her from licking herself raw (and to keep some of that antibiotic on her). We take it off periodically to let her stretch her neck and to bathe. Our other cat, Bill, really freaked out when Scout came back from the vet, evidently. Even later that evening, when I was home, he'd hissed at her as if he didn't know who or what she was. I suppose if Gina had come back from the hospital with a big ol' collar around her neck and her head shaved and all smelling like medicine, I wouldn't know how to act either (I wouldn't hiss at her, though...probably kiss her bald head and welcome her home)...anyway, Bill has mellowed. He isn't quite as chummy w/Scout now, but neither is he so freaked out, either...<br />It simply hurts my heart. I want to cry, but sometimes I can't, and sometimes I simply won't. If I start, I don't know if/when it will stop. I suppose it never really does stop...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-60867749322269353732008-09-20T08:40:00.000-07:002008-09-20T09:08:53.867-07:00I took my wife out on a date last night - a real, honest-do-goodness date...we live in such a cool part of town that we can actually walk to movie theaters and restaurants and such, so I thought I'd take her on a walking date...we first ambled over to a restaurant called 'The Hornet', on 1st and Broadway. It's a <span style="font-style: italic;">little</span> upscale, but not intimidatingly so...they have a few Mexican dishes, sandwiches and burgers, and some comfort-food favorites ...Gina had the Poblano Tamales and I had the Penne Creole - and it was good. I highly recommed it. We then went to the Mayan Theatre - on the opposite corner of 1st and Broadway - to see what was playing...well, we'd gotten out of The Hornet at around 7:30, and the earliest movie didn't start until 9:20...hmmmmm...so I suggested (for lack of actual <span style="font-style: italic;">planning</span>) that we go to the Big Lots across the street to kill some time. Gina was skeptical - mainly because she didn't think that we'd be able to kill an hour and a half at Big Lots (of course she was dead on) -but I really didn't have to twist her arm (she found some cupcake cups there). I kinda thought that the date was steadily going down the shitter ("Hey, baby, let's go over to Big Lots and the Goodwill and get all crazy tonight") - indeed, we were headed in the direction of the Goodwill - when we stumbled onto a coffee shop/wine bar in between Ellsworth and Bayaud on Broadway. I forget what it was called, but it was set up to look like an old-time Italian coffee bar and not without a certain charm. The date was back on track. We went in and had some coffee drinks ( I had a Mocha, I believe) and just shot the bull for a while. We went back to the Mayan and saw a movie called "In Search of the Midnight Kiss", an indie film shot in black-and-white about a struggling screenwriter, recently moved to LA, who reluctantly (at the behest of his friend) places a want a on Craigslist. The woman who answers the ad...I won't throw any spoilers atcha, but it's a really groovy movie...we then had a nice, leisurely stroll home (we only live about 9 blocks away)...Date nights are fun. I recommend them for those of you who have potential dates...I suppose that's all for now - see ya soon...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-49035427052958185612008-09-17T15:39:00.000-07:002008-09-17T16:34:02.277-07:00My day didn't go to bad, actually...Me and the missus got up to the alarm, hit the snooze a couple o'times, and got ready for the day...I got to work, didn't have too much on my plate, and I created a spreadsheet for use in 2009...had lunch at my desk, finished out my day, not too bad of a day...when I got out to walk home, I decided I didn't really want to walk home, so I took the bus home...I caught the #6. The driver asked if I needed a transfer, I said,'No, thanks" and took my seat. I took the bus up to Corona and 6th, where I was going to connect with the #12, which goes down Corona, then crosses Speer onto Downing (the same street at that point). I got off the bus and began to cross Corona when I realized - I told the bus driver 'no, thanks'...I needed a transfer and I told the bus driver 'no, thanks'...<br />Aw, shit.<br />Well, I realized I had options. I could either walk home from 6th and Corona (not a terrible walk, actually), or I could get on the bus - and shell out another $1.75 for fare...I am now $1.75 poorer (I really didn't feel like walking home today)...<br />I've been looking for work via the 'net. I've blogged here about my current work situation, so you, my faithful readers (all five of you), know how much I hate that place...I do get scared that I'll leave a bad situation into something worse, and I realize at this point, I might have to work my way up (a little bit, at least) to my current wage. I am sick of caring. With all the backbiting and snitching that goes on there, I don't care anymore. Here's the latest shit so far...there are two full-time clerks - me and Doug (we'll call him Doug). Well, our team lead Annie (we'll call her...) had evidently come up to Doug and told him that she was checking out a rumor that one of the clerks was drinking on the job. According to him, he told him (I paraphrase a bit) 'Don't worry - it's not you - I just want to let you know - but don't you tell a soul or else!' Of course, he came and told me right away...as if I didn't need <span style="font-style: italic;">another </span>reason to kiss that sorry place goodbye...Now, she hasn't mentioned a word of this supposed rumor to me, and I don't want to say anything to <span style="font-style: italic;">her</span>, 'cause then she'll know that I let the cat out of the hat...so I've been eating lunch at my desk, to show her (without saying anything) that I'm at least stationary and not going anywhere during my lunch break to suckle at the rum teat. Of course, I theoretically could go take a quick nip in the stairwell or even slide a mini-bottle down my gullet at my desk while no one's looking. There's one flaw in that theory, however. That is, <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">I DON'T DRINK ANYMORE! </span></span>Since my <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">PANCREATITIS</span></span> attack in early May, I've maybe had 8 ounces of beer. 4 ounces at a band practice in late June (4 almost-instantly regrettable ounces), and 2 long sips of beer out of Gina's cup at a gig we had this weekend. Never mind that in the days when I did drink, I waited <span style="font-style: italic;">until I got home</span> before enjoying libations. <span style="font-style: italic;">Until I got home. </span>Whoever has the balls to drink at work or on their lunch<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>break has got very huge brass ones indeed - about 10 of 'em...So, yeah, I'm a little pissed off at the work situation these days - in fact, today was such a good day at work, I almost forgot why I want to leave. Then I started blogging...<br />I love my iPod, by the way. I've been listening to it this whole time, and I've gone through Muddy Waters, Kyuss, Abba, Danzig, Ray Charles, Hank Williams Sr, and Zoot Sims, just to name a few...bye for now...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-64846820633861340582008-08-27T22:23:00.000-07:002008-08-27T22:33:18.222-07:00Record Ramble - Saturation by Urge Overkill<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbfuvax-8D-oAWK23BrJPSQfwAb9sigYxF98kN_omT_FatGQ7x9Ofb_4PvolUvabx9Jkmdwu2QpY8yuNjlpX4NLalA3O5EByZwW4eV-vKvC9ro_A6swvA-rK6v8zXN7DO0AAZidMXZi4/s1600-h/Urge_Overkill_Saturation.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwbfuvax-8D-oAWK23BrJPSQfwAb9sigYxF98kN_omT_FatGQ7x9Ofb_4PvolUvabx9Jkmdwu2QpY8yuNjlpX4NLalA3O5EByZwW4eV-vKvC9ro_A6swvA-rK6v8zXN7DO0AAZidMXZi4/s200/Urge_Overkill_Saturation.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239437360640321426" border="0" /></a><br />I first heard about Urge Overkill in 1993 when their video for the single "Sister Havana" came out. I didn't think much of the video itself (it was, to my mind, typical of the day), but I really dug the song. I had thought that they would become huge stars; indeed, they did land their version of Neil Diamond's "Girl, You'll Be a Woman Soon" onto the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. They then released their second major-label release, <span style="font-style: italic;">Enter the Dragon</span>, which more or less tanked (many blame Geffen Records for not giving the album the push it needed; others say that the darker, somber tone of the record itself alienated listeners). The subsequent tour saw the band fighting and basically imploding, like so many bands do. And, well, I promptly forgot about them. That is, until 2004, when I bought a copy of Mojo Magazine and read an article about "The 67 Lost Albums You Must Own". Urge Overkill's <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturation</span> (Their major-label debut - the record containing "Sister Havana"!) was on that list. Reading that article planted a seed in my head. Sure enough, I saw <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturation</span> at a CD store. In a bargain bin. For $2.99. SOLD!<br />Of course once I bought the thing, it took me a year and a half to bring myself to listen to anything but "Sister Havana" (that song is so good, the rest of the album must kinda suck in comparison...). Once I finally got around to it, however, I was/am really impressed...<br />At its best, <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturation</span> combines tight playing, catchy hooks and choruses, unique song structuring, and a 70s arena-rock sensibility to create a work that's close to masterpiece. Easily half the CD should have been on the charts, beginning with "Sister Havana", the obvious hit single/signature tune, with its opening riff, tight production (courtesy of the Butcher Bros.), and lyrics combining romance and a plot to kill Castro (no, really). Other standouts include "Tequila Sundae", "Positive Bleeding", "Back On Me", "Bottle of Fur", "Crackbabies", "Erica Kane" ("...another Emmy's passed you by..."), and "Nite and Grey". Some of the touches seem a little hokey (a farty synth note cropping up in the chorus of "Tequila Sundae", the soap-opera keyboard theme at the beginning of "Crackbabies") or contrived (various bits of studio dialogue), but overall, this is a good-to-great album, because the best songs on here override all the junk (the bridges to each aforementioned song are worth the price of the recording sessions, in my opinion).<br />It was the best $2.99 I ever spent.MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-43692129559176183362008-08-22T18:40:00.000-07:002008-08-22T18:53:21.533-07:00I just wanna give a big ol' shoutout to Taki, a Japanese fast food restaurant on Colfax and Logan, here in the Mile High City. They rock. Me and the missus (the lovely Gina, for those who aren't in the know) went there for dinner tonight. I had the veggie tempura bowl, and Gina had this dish called the Yakisoba, which looked like it had noodles, veggie tempura, raw veggies, and chicken (the other choices were beef, shrimp, and tofu). Umm Yum!! This place is all laid back - you walk in and order and the manager (I assume?) is all friendly and everything, and for the two of us it was under $17.00...Gina loves it and so do I...<br />And now for something completely different...I'm going to be reviewing albums on this blog soon...not new ones, necessarily; just ones in my collection. I'm trying to decide which album to start with...I've got it narrowed down to <span style="font-style: italic;">Danzig</span> by Danzig, <span style="font-style: italic;">Feel Good Hit of the Summer</span> by Queens of the Stone Age, <span style="font-style: italic;">Franz Ferdinand</span> by Franz Ferdinand, and <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturation</span> by Urge Overkill. If anyone has an opinion, please let me know...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-91127142561837777222008-08-18T16:07:00.000-07:002008-08-18T17:03:37.250-07:00Howdy...Yeah, I know it's been a while...I didn't want this blog to turn into a rant & rave type of thing, so I figured I would wait until I got inspired by something happy...of course, I realized that when I'm in the middle of something good or happy, I don't want to write about it - I simply want to <span style="font-style: italic;">enjoy</span> it...if I'm feeling blue or bugged about something, well, of course I'm more inclined to write about it, because that's my way of processing it, digesting it, and, well, crapping it out (a rather crude - yet effective - way of putting it, I think)...so on with the rant...<br />There are times I really hate being in a band. All the little egos and personalities all clashing, just like Rush Limbaugh and Keith Olbermann at a cocktail party...there are a lot of specifics to deal with in this particular band, but what it comes down to is this: I really hope we don't chase our new guitarist away...he seems like a good guy, and I really like the way he plays. However, due to circumstances not really beyond our control (I mad-dogged him for an entire song for stepping all over my intro, and our other guitarist and I keep trying to goad him to put on more of a stage show by running into him and whatnot - with predictably mixed results), he may be thinking about whether he wants to be in the band...or not. The other guitarist is all about putting on a wild stage show and keeps pushing it onto the new guy. Granted, he was told that he would be expected to get kinda wild onstage, and he said he'd be into it...now, he's got a wireless setup, and is still rooted to the same spot...I'm thinking that he still feels rather new (his very first gig w/us was in May) and is still kinda learning the material (material that 4/5 of the band have been doing for about a year now). I would think that he'd have the songs down by now and would be thinking about his stage show, but maybe he's just not into the whole 'let's-run-around-and-hang-from-the-ceiling' school of performing...<br />And our singer/booking agent wants our lives to be booked five months ahead of time so he can book the band four months ahead of time...boo...I understand that most club owners need to have things booked ahead of schedule so they can CTA, but - boo...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-82516804274171165112008-07-30T17:54:00.000-07:002008-07-30T18:38:28.439-07:00This fellow I work with is having a birthday tomorrow. Over the last couple of days, he and the people he usually hangs out with started making plans to go out and have Chinese take-out on Thursday to help celebrate his birthday. They'd started asking everyone else to go in with them for Chinese - 'hey, we're gonna go do Chinese take-out for Dave's (not his real name) birthday - ya wanna join in?'<br /> No one had asked me.<br /> Really, I shouldn't be upset - I mean, here is this clique, supposedly 'keeping an eye on' me for some supposed transgression or other, doing whatever they do - I normally don't get invited to dine with them (nor do my lunch buds really reach out to them normally), so why does it bug me so much that I got excluded from their little soiree?<br /> Well, I think it's because my usual lunch partners, Bridget and Sophie (also, NTRN), were asked as well...am I being taught some kind of lesson? Do they not really wish to dine with me or have me around? Does it really matter in the long run?<br /> Naah - I'm just pissed because they'd asked Bridget and Sophie and not me - and they've had two days to ask me...I think the part of me that is the most wounded by this is the part of me that never had the 'cool kids' pay much attention to me (unless they wanted answers to a History or English class question) and never had the 'pretty girls' liking me in "that special way"...that high school kid inside of me was making a lot of noise inside my head...however, I've had a meal whilst writing this; needless to say, that little high scool kid inside of me is now well fed and realizing that A) he really IS the cool kid (how many of those apeheads are in a band, anyway?) and B) he happened to <span style="font-style: italic;">marry </span>the prettiest girl...<br /> I suspect they might (or might not) ask me tomorrow go in with them...I'll just have to tell them that I've other plans for lunch. If they don't ask, I won't tell...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-13362883427406083782008-07-22T17:55:00.000-07:002008-07-22T18:44:59.625-07:00At the moment (at most all moments, actually), my thoughts overwhelm me...<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ghhodd</span>...I hate my job...I'm a clerk for an insurance company (I won't say which one), and it's my job to send out denial letters and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">pre</span>-ex investigation letters pretty much all day...it seems like insurance companies (this one, anyhow) sell insurance and then try to find ways in which to deny the benefits of said insurance. I suppose some insurance companies are good (the insurance Gina and I are on, for example), but not the geezers I work for...anyway, the work itself, though less-than-inspiring, would almost be tolerable if not for the snake-pit of human offal I happen to rub elbows with on a daily basis...I work with a couple of other clerks - one temp and one permanent (?) hire, and they are cool - the permanent hire and I, in fact, clown each other all day and generally have a good time. It's certainly a welcome distraction from the general madness that goes on otherwise...don't get me wrong - not <span style="font-weight: bold;">everybody</span> is a full-blown freak. I work with clerks and nurses. The clerks, as I said, are cool (of course, I'm a clerk as well, so that could cloud my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">judg</span>...nah! They're cool people). Of the nurses, I'm friends with two. I 'get along' with all of them, but there's a cabal amongst them that always picks people apart, monitors behavior (lunchtimes, etc.), and generally behaves as though they run the show. Our 'team lead' is one of those people who always has too much on their plate, trains people in a shorthand that you're expected to know from the get-go, and often dines with these people at lunch. My manager has a hands-off style of management. That's good if you just want to do your job without micro-management issues getting in the way. It's bad, however, if you need someone of power to act in your behalf for any reason or if you need any type of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">guidance</span> whatsoever. He's really concerned that the nurses meet their numbers, that we get our letters all sent out in a timely fashion (today! today! today!), that everything looks good on paper. He's also rather abrupt, refuses to listen to any side of the story save his own, and generally behaves as though he's too important to bother with you if you have concerns...he also dines, on occasion, with the aforementioned 'cabal', which bothers me somewhat; if only because, by his dining with them, he reinforces the idea that he's on their side in any dispute. Granted, he's known some of those nurses for a very long time (a few of them worked with him at another company altogether), but it strikes me as very unprofessional to fraternize with the people who work for you. And HR would side with him (they almost always side with management - I've seen it happen here too many times with other employees)...look - I know I'm simply rambling, and I should quit and go find something else...I merely felt the need to get it out and in the blog so I can actually see it so maybe I can get off my ass and go find another job or go to school so I can actually do something with the considerable intelligence I have at my disposal...I do believe I'll have more later, but for now, my thoughts overwhelm me again...<br /><br />PS - Ellipses rule...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-4635823125518453382008-07-20T19:06:00.000-07:002008-07-20T19:12:10.994-07:00Here we go again...Well, this is a whole new blog...it's basically my old blog, but...what happened was this. After quite a while, I was reminded by the lovely Gina (my wife, for those not in the know...come to think of it, for those <span style="font-style: italic;">in</span> the know as well) that I hadn't posted in my blog for QUITE a while...well, I finally got off my lazy ass to do so...only to discover that it had been so long since I posted that I completely forgot the e-mail address I'd set up for this account. COMPLETELY. FORGOT. Just gone...So now I've set up another account/blog. Hopefully I'll remember this one...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-50925258012918960682008-07-20T19:03:00.000-07:002008-07-20T19:05:55.412-07:00<a name="7282708663216936175"></a> (originally posted on 'The Beef, the Bass, and the Booze...' on May 27, 2008)<br />Well, here we are - three weeks into this thing called pancreatitis recovery, and all seems okay. I still get a slight throb every now and again, but I honestly think that comes when I don't drink enough fluids ( a glass of water or water-Gatorade and I'm a-ok). The alcohol thing really doesn't bother me as much as I initially thought it would, though I must admit I still miss a few cold brews now and again. In September, Stifler's Mom (the band I play bass for) will be playing an outdoor event at a campground; this event will be sponsored by New Belgium Brewing Company. I hope to partake by then...<br />Speaking of Stifler's Mom, we played another duff gig this past Saturday. No big drama like the gig at the beginning of May - just a dead-space gig. To be fair, it <span style="font-style: italic;">was</span> Memorial Day Weekend; people just weren't out at the bars this weekend, I suppose. I sure hope June turns out to be a better gigging month than May was; we'll be playing a couple of familiar haunts, so we'll see...<br />Back to my gut...the hard part of this lifestyle change isn't the alcohol so much as it is the fatty foods part. When Gina and myself went out to eat for the first time after my attack (almost two weeks later), we went to this Greek/Mediterranean place in the Cherry Creek Mall, where I proceeded to order the Falafel plate. Falafel is deep-fried. My pancreas decided to remind me in no uncertain terms that falafel is, indeed, deep-fried. Since then, I've been more careful. I've introduced proteins, tomato, and onion back into my diet with no ill effects other than the aforementioned slight throb (actually just a sensation - not quite pain - to remind me that I do have a pancreas and I might want to be aware of that), but I'm still leery of going to Benny's and ordering the Sloppy Burrito w/beans and chicharrones...that's not gonna happen for a <span style="font-style: italic;">good</span> while...<br />I think that's it for now...time to go shave my head...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-86355186916708225252008-07-20T19:01:00.000-07:002008-07-20T19:03:01.177-07:00...it burns, it burns...(originally posted on 'The Beef, the Bass, and the Booze...' on May 17, 2008)<br />Early on May 5th, I was struck with a sharp pain in my side. I woke Gina up and told her,"...now, don't panic, but...". Of course, if she were to wake me up and look at me and say those words, I'd panic...we had to rush me to the emergency room at 1 in the morning and they x-rayed me, stuck me w/an IV...I was in massive pain (like my gall bladder pain a few years back), bazooka barfing, the whole works! Anyway, I thought it might be kidney stones...turned out to be pancreatitis...they gave me the option to stay in the emergency room or get home care. We chose home care. So they discharged me an gave me instructions; part of which stated that I was to eat small more frequent meals rather than large meals...finally got an appointment w/the gastroenterologist on Thursday(the 8th), and he put me on an all-liquid diet; indeed, he was rather surprised that I was not already on a liquid diet. Anyway, it was water, juice, popsicles, Jell-o, and broth until Tuesday (the 13th), when I finally got the blessing to eat bland, mostly solid foods (white toast, applesauce, rice, etc.)...I've been steadily but slowly building up my belly for regular food, I've been drinking plenty of juices and water, and things are feeling better inside my gut...apparently, one of the main causes of pancreatitis is excessive alcohol use. Ergo, as of early May 5th (Cinco de Mayo, go figure!), I have effectively stopped drinking alcohol. I suppose sometime further on down the line, I could have a beer or two, but that really is further down the line (6 months to a year minimum), and I'm not even 100% sure about that...I pretty much have to cut down on high fat foods...I suppose in a way, it's a blessing in disguise. My senses of taste and smell, however, don't agree...<br />So I'm grinning and bearing it...all things considered, it could be worse. I suppose that's it for now...I will let you know how things pan out...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-78627047007892317602008-07-20T18:59:00.001-07:002008-07-20T19:01:10.437-07:00Ouch...(originally posted on 'The Beef, The Bass, and the Booze...' on May 8, 2008)<br />On early Monday morning I was diagnosed with pancreatitis. Further developments as they occur.MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-75417758736274938972008-07-20T18:53:00.000-07:002008-07-20T18:58:25.355-07:00Well, the weekend...<a href="http://bassbeefbooze.blogspot.com/2008/05/well-weekend.html"> </a><h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3>(originally posted on 'The Beef, the Bass, and the Booze..." on May 4, 2008)<br />This past Friday, our band played at a place called The Rock & Roll Grill, an all-ages non-alcoholic club in the heart of Downtown. Gina (my lovely wife) had dropped me off at the place (actually, in the $10.00 parking lot at the end of the block) and I took out my equipment and shambled over. I'd met Mitch (our singer) at the door and proceeded to go in, and the doorman (whom I later found out was part-owner) stopped me and asked, as I attempted to simultaneously drag my bass amp, bass guitar, and gig bag into the 'venue' (more on that later) "Are you with a band?" I thought it was funny, actually. I chuckled a d told him, "Stifler's Mom", and Mitch corroborated my statement. So I went in (got my hand stamped, though maybe that occurred before I left to forage for food), took my equipment downstairs (with Mitch and his son Ian helping out), and surveyed the area. Yes, we were playing downstairs (The R&R G has 2 stages - upstairs and downstairs - and Stifler's Mom had the downstairs area). Let me give you a little more background on the type of gig this was. This was a benefit for a couple of organizations called Sick Gurlz and Sox Place, charities that help street kids. The name of the event itself was 'Punk's Alive', and was supposed to be an 8-band event, with an $8 cover charge, which I thought was going to charity...When I got there, I'd noticed that the cover charge was $10...not $8 as originally agreed upon, but $10. So we went downstairs with my stuff. Evidently, the place was an old speakeasy back in the good ol' days, w/the metal doors and everything. Evidently, the place hadn't been swept since the end of Prohibition. Evidently, the stage for the bands was 'constructed' that afternoon. More on that later. No, really.<br />Anyway, I got my equipment situated, and went to go eat. I came back, and the place was starting to fill up. As I'd stated before, this is an all-ages non-alcoholic venue. This means that the majority of the patrons were ages 10-16. I felt like a chaperone. Now, the event was supposed to start at 7:30, but didn't get going until about 8:15 or so. Fair enough - a lot of shows start late, no big deal. Gina had shown up at about 9 ish or so with our friend Holly, who uses forearm crutches to get around. Going downstairs was a real treat for her, I'm sure (there was no elevator, and the stairs themselves were a bit rickety, and the handrail wasn't connected at the top - only at the bottom and the middle), but she managed. They caught the band 'Ill Will', who came on right before us (both 'Ill Will' and 'Fulcrum', the first band to play downstairs, were awesome). So then we went up. I started putting my stuff on the stage, and I notice it's made of particle board. I really didn't think about it - I just was taping my cords down and trying to get set up. So we started ("Ace of Spades") and things seemed to go fairly smoothly, but after that first song, my amp cut out. No sound from it whatsoever. So...we ran my bass through the PA system the place had down there, and we soldiered on...well, by the fourth or fifth song, my foot went right through the stage. I should point out at this point that we are a fairly energetic band and that we jump around a lot on stage. Well, I guess I hit the weak spot on the stage. My foot went right through. For a split second I thought I had to go to the emergency room, but I took a brief assessment of the situation, and, since I felt no wrenching pain (only the slightest twinge), I figured I was okay. So I kept playing (our guitarist Mike, in fact, joined me in the hole for a brief time). We went on with our set, and I noticed that the space in front of the hole was rather weak as well. It was <span style="font-style: italic;">particle board</span>, and ready to fall apart. Needless to say, the hole just bigger (I'm a big guy, and we're a high energy act - what can I say?), and then we ended. Right away, I knew there would be trouble because the doorman (1/2 owner) started asking about 'What happened? Who did this?" Well, we tried to explain what went on as far as my falling through the stage, etc., but he didn't care. Evidently, there was another plank on the stage that was supposed to cover up that whole weak spot. Well, there was a plank, but it wasn't covering much up - it evidently had gotten moved off to the side as each band got on, played, and got off the stage. By the time we got on, it was just there, a bit in the way (no one told us what its purpose was until afterwards, and no one from the venue felt it necessary to check to make sure it hadn't gotten loose - again, until afterwards). So the guy starts taking pictures of the hole w/his cell phone, as do the other employees. And he starts rumbling about, 'Well, we need to take care of this', etc. At one point, Gina had offered to go to Home Depot to buy them some particle board, and he said, "That's not the point!" He was all concerned about who had moved that second plank. As if a plank of wood/particle board, improperly affixed and secured, could withstand four hours of punk rock bands...No, punchy, I think the point is that you had a stage made out of <span style="font-style: italic;">PARTICLE BOARD</span>, covered by planks of wood/particle board that looked that they'd been haphazardly screwed into the stage to begin with...I very well could have broken my leg on that ramshackle construction; THAT'S the point! Anyway, we just left. I mean, the whole band just left. Fuck all that, anyway...I'd later found out that the ladies from the charities had shown up and the bouncer/owner had wanted them to pay full cover. Needless to say, they left. Hell, they even wanted to make Mitch pay for his son! I think it's safe to say that we'll never play there again. Of course, I was worried that some trouble would come out of it (Gina took a chunk of the 'stage' with her; partly as a souvenir, partly as 'Exhibit A', just in case), so I didn't get much sleep over it. Saturday was a better day over all - I hung out at home, and in the evening Gina and I went to go see Margaret Cho at the Paramount Theatre. We took the light rail, and got there in plenty of time. Her opening act, Ian Harvie, was born a woman but feels like he was born in the wrong body. Needless to say, he struck a comedic goldmine with his routine. Funny as hell. As, of course, was Margaret Cho. Afterwards, we went to The Rock Bottom Bar & Grill and had food & libations (beer & nachos), then went home. On the light rail. I love the light rail...today we went for Indian food and shopped for groceries...that's it for this weekend, I suppose - if I think of anything else, I'll let ya know...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-71679258569324751982008-07-20T18:50:00.000-07:002008-07-20T18:57:40.769-07:00Randomness, I think...<a href="http://bassbeefbooze.blogspot.com/2008/05/randomness-i-think.html"></a><h3 class="post-title entry-title"> </h3>(originally posted on 'The Beef, The Bass, and the Booze...' on May 1, 2008)<br />I just ate a whole lemon. By myself. Of course, 2/3 of it was consumed as part of two (2) massive hot toddies (I didn't say 'by <span style="font-style: italic;">it</span>self')...<br />I really abhor being ill. Right after my birthday, I'd caught this nasty headcold-type bug, which mutated into a horrible sore throat bug (the painful swallowing, my head felt the size of Australia, etc.). It finally went away around the middle of April; just in time for our vacation, wherein we ventured out to Las Vegas, NV! Of course, once I got back, it was only a few days before I started having that rundown feeling again. Nothing hurts as much as it did a month ago (my throat feels a little sore; but only a little, like when you don't drink anything all day, +1), but I still hate it (hot toddies help - no, really - and they help you forget that you're, uh...forget that you're, um...yeah...).<br />I really should be practicing right now. We have a gig tomorrow (at some place called the Rock & Roll Grill); it's called "Punk's Alive", a 'punk festival' of sorts, with 8 bands and 2 stages, Our band, Stifler's Mom, is the ostensible headliner. And why do I use the word 'ostensible'? Well, The R&R Grill is an all-ages club that does not sell liquor. I'm all for that - younger folk need a few places to rock out to as well. Thing is, there's a 10 PM curfew for underagers in this city (I just found this out)...I don't think Stifler's Mom goes on until about 11PM...hmmmmm...this should pan out well...in addition to that, it'll be our first gig w/our new guitarist, Dylan. Dylan is a cool dude, from what I can tell (he is, after all the <span style="font-style: italic;">new</span> guitarist, and there will be that 'getting-to-know-you' phase), and he sure plays a mean guitar (I'm not sure about his pinball skills). Here's the deal, though. we were supposed to have a full band rehearsal with him on Sunday night. Our drummer, Brian, never made it (he works in a hospital, on-call on weekends, and, uh, he got called in). Sooooo...we've all played with him as a band twice before (both times w/Bob, our soon-to-be ex-guitarist, playing as well). This ought to be interesting. At least we're not playing on Saturday. We would have, but none of us had actually seen the place (Mitch, our booking agent/singer, had made arrangement w/the guy over the web/phone or whatever). So after practice on Sunday night, I went there to check it out. I got there to find the parking lot <span style="font-style: italic;">completely</span> empty (save my own increasingly vulnerable vehicle - not the best part of town), and a hand-lettered sing on the door which read, in part, "Due 2 liquor violation, we will be closed Friday, Saturday, and Sunday...Grand Re-Opening Monday, Apr. 28 2 PM". I looked at the hand-lettered-with-colored-pencils sign and thought to myself,' Is the owner a Prince fan?'; then I tried to peek through the windows. The windows were tinted all to hell, and I couldn't see a <span style="font-style: italic;">damn</span> thing. I called Mike (our other guitarist - one of the coolest guys you'll ever meet, if you do indeed meet him) and told him what I saw, and we'd made tentative plans to go there the following day. Well, he called the following day not too long after I'd gotten off of work, and he told me that, since he was in the neighborhood anyway, he'd just go down there and call me to give a lowdown. Well...evidently, there were six (6) men in the joint, all in jeans and wife-beaters, all suckin' down suds...the owner comes out and is very officious - 'yes sir - how can I help you?' and all that (Mike was in his work clothes, which consisted of shirtsleeves and slacks - I suppose the owner thought he was from the city {all city employees are required to wear shirtsleeve and slacks, but no shirt}). Mike says,'I'm in the band'. The owner queries, 'What band?' And I'm sure you can imagine all the hilarity that ensues. Mike told him we were a Southern Rock band, just to make things interesting (we are <span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">NOT</span></span> a Southern Rock band)...needless to say, we're not playing this place on Saturday...anyway, that's all for now...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9074930204683730489.post-39014077520018132982008-07-20T18:48:00.000-07:002008-07-20T18:56:59.553-07:00(originally posted on 'The beef, the bass, and the booze...' on April 28th, 2008)<br />First of all, my thanks to Beer & Burritos for inspiring the name of this blog (I hope there are no copyright laws I'm violating w/this)...It's true - I've been playing bass for about 25 years now, and I'm a meat eater and imbiber of liquor...some say that it's not really healthy, but I don't care - playing the bass hasn't killed me yet...Stay tuned for further outbursts as they develop...MarcosGhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10955639151440204026noreply@blogger.com0