Gorevette Ann Arbor CD release party + jamming with Ivan Kral.

I had a fun weekend.
It started off on Friday night when Theresa and I went out to dinner with her folks. We are watching their little dog Izzy for a month while they are out in Palau.



After dinner we relaxed at home with Izzy for the rest of the night and watched TV.

Saturday morning I watched the animated movie Planet Hulk. It was a good flick. You get to see the Hulk fight as a gladiator on some far away planet where he does pretty much nothing except beat the shit out of anyone who fucks with him and then he becomes the king of the place. Someday I'll get around to reading the comics that the movie is based on. After that Theresa and I watched a documentary about Zombies in popular culture.

Later that night Theresa and I went out to the Gorevette EP release party at Goodnite Gracie's. I've lived most of my adult life here in Ann Arbor and that bar is one of the places I've managed to avoid. It always seemed to posh for my taste. I tend to prefer the dive bar. Then again I never really gave it a chance did I? It was a nice little spot. Not as lame as I imagined. Except they don't serve any cheap beer, so don't ask for a PBR or Rolling Rock unless you want a scornful look from the bartender. To me it seemed like an unusual place for a local rock show. I don't remember them ever having local bands perform there before. Someone told me they sometimes have jazz bands play there or DJs. The Gorevette show was moved there last minute due to the Heidelberg being turned into seven night a week poker night venue (?) virtually overnight. The bummer part being that the Heidelberg owners didn't inform anyone including the booking agent till the last minute and all the shows that had been booked had to be moved to a new venue. Enter Goodnite Gracie's. Good for them. I hope they continue to have bands play there.

Anyway, our friends Ryan and Casey, who used to be in the Riots were opening the show as part of a new band with singer Freddy Fortune called The United Space League.



I loved them right off the bat. The group plays a mix of 60's psych sounding jams with two guitars, one playing a cleaner tone while the other is fuzzed out, while also throwing some nice vibrato sounds into the mix. Freddy is a great front man with a loud commanding voice. It reminded me of the rocking side of the 13th floor Elevators musically with a Sonics like vocal delivery. Ryan said they should have a 7" coming out soon. Watch for it. These guys and girl know how to rock.

Up next was Silverghost. I've seen them play a few times now. They are a two piece featuring Marcie Bolen on guitar and vocals, and Deleano Acevedo on keyboards, vocals and drum machine. Normally not my type of thing, but I actually enjoy their music. The vibe is playful, quirky and new wave sounding. I like the way their two voices go together. They did a Devo cover of Mongoloid that was great.



After Silverghost it was time for Gorevette.



The ladies and dude got up there and wasted little time blasting out their girl-pop-rock 'n' roll. The songs flowed out one after the other with sparse stage banter, mostly just drummer Al King snapping out the count on his sticks and launching the band into another rocking tune.



The crowd loved it. I thought the band played very well. I heard they sold a lot of copies their new EP although I forgot to pick one up (Doh!). Two of the tracks on the EP feature Deniz Tek on guitar.
After the show we had a few friends over for drinks and stayed up way to late.

Earlier on Saturday afternoon Retro Kimmer rang up and asked if Al King and I would like to participate in a little jam session on Sunday with the legendary songwriter/guitar player Ivan Kral, along with Mark Sisto, singer from the Visitors, and guitarist Gary Quackenbush from the 60's Ann Arbor rock group SRC. It sounded like something cool to do on a Sunday afternoon. The only catch being we would have to do it at the Bang studio, which wasn't a big deal. It actually made it easier for me. I knew who all those dudes are, so I agreed right away.


(left-right, Gary, Chris, Mark, Al)

Before Ivan showed up, the group got to know each other and then warmed up by learning an old SRC song. After jamming a bit, Ivan and his wife Cindy showed up with some pizza and soda for us and then we learned a few of his songs.




I'm not sure what this collaboration might lead too, but I really enjoyed playing music with all these guys.

After the session I went home and crashed out in preparation for the coming work week.

The Bang workshop + band rehearsal space.

Hi Folks,

As some of you might already know, I work for Team Bang. That is the group that does the set up for the Bang!, the monthly mix tape dance party that has been going on for the last 8 years in Ann Arbor. It started out at the Halfway Inn then moved over to the Blind Pig where it's been packing the bar ever since. It's run by two creative masterminds, Jeremy Wheeler and Jason Gibner. I started working for them around Oct 2003 I think. Originally my brother Mike and I were brought on board to help amp up the over all Bang experience by building a light table and running overhead projectors and other light effects during the party. We also became the Bang carpenters and set designers. We started building sets to accompany the various Bang themes. For instance when we threw the Space Bang, we built a rocket ship cockpit that people could take photos in. We also began painting large backdrops and other assorted decorations to go along with whatever type of Bang was being put on. After a few years we had to rent out a storage unit to store all the Bang props and sets. Eventually after outgrowing two storage units and being in desperate need of a larger work space, we lucked into a nice warehouse space neatly tucked away in an industrial area of Ann Arbor.


My wife actually suggested the place to us. She works in real estate and had heard about a local business that was looking for tenets to rent a small warehouse space on their back lot. After taking a tour or the building, we had the space within a few weeks and we moved in by the end of that month. Part of the deal in order to make it affordable for the Bang, was that I bring in my bands to rehearse in the smaller of the two rooms that make up the space. That plan fit perfect for me since the bands were rehearsing in my basement and my wife and neighbors were getting sick of it.
When you first enter the space you encounter the office/lounge area.


On the desk to the right is the audio visual editing station where Jeremy creates parts of the videos that are played during the Bang. On the left is a nice table and chair set where we hold meetings and eat pizza.


This is a photo of the office ceiling, which is covered with Bang posters.


Here is the chalkboard that divides the room in half. As you can see we're going to be busy for the next few months.


On the other side of the chalkboard is the other half of the room which is set aside for band rehearsal space.


I hung up a couple of black lights and then brought in my vintage Third Eye Marvel black light posters and few other nice ones to decorate the band side of the room.


So far we've got City Center, Mazinga, Scott Morgan and Blue Snaggletooth all rehearsing in the space.

In the adjacent larger room is the workshop space.


This is the area where we build and store all the stuff we use to make the Bang happen. There is a bathroom and a mini fridge, fully stocked of course.


We also have a nice large garage door for easy loading & unloading. Here is what it looks like from the outside.

Yes, that is Clint Eastwood keeping an eye on things.

So last Wednesday night we started building mock ups of the decoration ideas for the upcoming Ann Arbor Film festival. The Bang crew has been hired for a second year to decorate the theater for the Festival.

First, we do some prep work before the actual work begins.


Warning! Don't climb the ladder to the loft after drinking!


There is a great loft space above the office. It's were we store big set pieces like the giant cassette tape.


My brother Mike enjoys some bread sticks. ?


Jeremy hard at work on a mock up of a hanging piece for the film fest.

Here is how it turned out.

It's going to end up being back lit somehow. We are still figuring it all out.
I'm glad we have such a nice place to work in.

So there you go. I hope you enjoyed this quick inside look at the Bang workshop.

Recording Scott Morgan's new record.

Hey folks,
We finished basic tracks on the new Scott Morgan album last night. I think the recording has turned out fantastic so far. We recorded a mix of originals and some killer soul, R&B covers. The process of recording the songs was very spontaneous and free form. Most the original tunes we made up or learned on the spot. They were mostly based on the vocal melodies and ideas Scott would bring in. When it came to the covers, we would listen to them, pick a key, play through it once or twice to get the arrangement and then put it to tape. Normally with my other bands we practice our asses off for a month, get the songs as tight as we can, and then go record them as fast as we can in order to save money and get in, get out. I've always felt so under the gun in the studio because the budget is always so tight. This time around, we would walk in not knowing exactly what we were going to record each night. I have to say it worried me, until after the first night. I saw right away that the other guys had the skills to just pull the stuff right out of thin air. I was surprised when we got through 4 songs in the first night and it sounded really good. After that I wasn't worried. I just went with it, and it was a lot of fun.

Playing guitar along side Matt, Dave, Jim and Scott has been a joy. Those guys are such pros! They are so laid back about the process that any worries I had about being unfamiliar with the tunes was quickly laid to rest. During the sessions I was constantly impressed by Matthew Smith's guitar playing. Most of the time I would just lay back on the tracks and vibe off of what he was doing, but he also left plenty of room for me to throw some licks in. Our guitars meshed together beautifully. Here is a photo of Matt's awesome guitar.

It's a 1968 Fender Jaguar.


And here is mine. It's a 1965 Epiphone Wilshire.


Matt is also a solid piano player. He put down some great sounding piano parts on a few of the tracks.


Here is a photo of Jim's 24 track machine.


Jim's studio is in downtown Detroit. You would never know it's there unless someone told you. He has a nice living space with the huge studio room in the back. Here is a photo of the stairs leading up to the place and a photo of Jim's motorcycle. These are the first things you see when you walk in.



We did five sessions total. Most of the time we started around 8pm and would finish around midnight. We did a Sunday session that went from noon till 11:30pm.
Doug Coombe came down last night and took band photos. If you haven't checked out his work then you should. He's the go to guy around these parts and for good reason. He's really good at what he does and he's one of the nicest dudes you'll ever meet. I look forward to seeing how the photos turned out. Here is Doug listening to a playback.


Scott Morgan sang his butt off. He'll be going back down tonight to do a few more vocal overdubs and some final touches. There is still the entire job of mixing to complete. I probably won't be going down for that. I'm very confident that Matt and Jim are the ones who know how to handle it best. Tonight Eddie Baranek from the Sights is supposed to come down and add some guitar and vocals to one of the tracks. I can't wait to hear how that turns out.
Here is a photo of Jim and Scott discussing a take.


Here is Scott leaving the studio after a long night of recording.


That is all I've got for now.
Stay tuned for more updates on Scott's album and other band news.
I took all the photos for this post.
Didn't want you folks to think Doug took these. His will be way better.

January Rock 'N' Roll update.

Howdy folks,
Things are moving fast right now. Lots of music writing and recording going on.
Last Friday night Scott Morgan and I went down to Detroit, to Jim Diamond's studio. The band did basic tracks on 4 songs. We were all having a great time. The atmosphere at Ghetto Recorders is very laid back. Jim has some nice little guitar amps to record with. I played through an old univox.

I went for an over driven dirty amp sound, but one that would still allow me to lay back when needed. I didn't use any distortion pedals or effects. I did get to play some fun wahwah on one of the tunes. Overall the session went great. I was in a good mood until I went outside and found the window smashed out on the passenger side of my car. Luckily someone from the bar down the street heard the sound of the glass breaking and chased the thief away, so nothing was stolen. I called my insurance company and made a claim right then. While I was on the phone, Jim cleaned up some of the glass and taped a piece of plastic on the window for me. That was super cool of him. The ride back to Ann Arbor was LOUD! As soon as we hit the freeway and got up to speed, the plastic started to tear off and vibrate extremely loud. So loud in fact that Scott and I had to yell to hear each other speak. I kept telling him to just rip it down because the sound was becoming unbearable, but he refused. It was hilarious. He held the plastic over the window the whole way home. I swear I lost some hearing from the sound of the plastic shrieking. So far its ended up costing me $200 because my insurance company is fucking with me. They are about to lose a costumer. Tonight Scott and I will be returning to Detroit to record another batch of tunes. This time we're taking his car. The plan is to record for the next three days.

The rest of last weekend went better. Blue Snaggletooth had practice on Sunday. We've got two new songs we've been working on for a little while now. One of them, Jess and I wrote over a year ago, but we're just getting it finished off now. I'm still working on the lyrics to both tunes. I've been able to come up with vocal melodies over the last few practices but actual lyrics are tough. We'll be playing both songs tomorrow at the Elbow Room when we play with Ganon and the Octopus. I've heard nothing but good things about these two bands, although I have yet to see either of them play.


On Tuesday, I had Mazinga Rehearsal. We've mostly taken a little break since the Rock 'N' Roll revival show back in December. The goal is to have a new record out this summer. We've got some new tunes we've been working on for a while. Al came in last time with a great set of riffs. I added a riff for the chorus and it was sounding pretty tight. We don't have any shows booked for a while. Our next confirmed show is March 13th. We'll be rocking for the A2 Skate Park during their skate competition. We're really looking forward to that.

That's about all for now. I'll be recording and rocking for the rest of the weekend. I'll try to take some photos and post some more updates next week.

New Year, new outlook, big plans!

Hey folks,
After the Dec 18th show I took two weeks off from work and all band business. Here are a few great reviews from the Rock Revival show.
Deniz Tek's review
Retro Kimmer's review
AnnArbor.com's review

Big thanks to Kim Maki for all her help making the show a huge success.

I survived another new years eve working at the Bang. The pics are over here. It was a good time but exhausting.

2010 is here and I've got big goals.
First off, my wife and I want to have a baby this year. We weren't so lucky with that in 2009, but if at first you don't succeed...

I would really like to get in shape this year and lose 20 pounds. It would be awesome to get on a healthy diet and start eating better healthier foods. In the spring Theresa and I want to get a garden started. You never know, it could happen.

As far as music goes, I want to record three albums this year.
Up first will be the IrRationals album with Scott Morgan. I'm really looking forward to this one. We'll be recording it at Jim Diamond's Ghetto Recorders at the end of Jan/early Feb. I love playing with those guys cause they are all such great musicians and the best part is we've got a label to put it out and we get paid to record it!
Shortly after that in the early spring I hope to get Mazinga into the studio over at Pete Bankert's place. We've been writing new material for a while now. Both Marc and Alex have contributed two really good songs. We're shooting for 12 songs. If everything works out we should have Deniz Tek appearing on a track or two as special guest guitar player.
Also coming down the pipe sometime this year is a debut recording from my newest group Blue Snaggletooth. the band's music sounds like Hawkwind mixed with a dash of early speed metal and 70's glam rock. I'm singing and playing guitar with that group. So far it's been a blast and the songs we've written are really fun to play. I enjoy writing songs about ancient epic barbarian battles, getting wasted, and my favorite board game Fireball Island.
Besides all the recording plans, I hope to see the three groups doing bigger better shows outside of the Ann Arbor area.

So there you go. That is just a taste of what 2010 has in store for me.
Hope you all have a great new year!

Nice Write up for the A2 Rock Revival

Check out the AnnArbor.com pre-show review for the upcoming Ann Arbor Rock 'N' Roll Revival taking place this Friday at the Blind Pig. If you haven't already, you should head over to the Blind Pig web site and buy your tickets now before the show sells out!

Ann Arbor Rock 'N' Roll Revival, 2009

I've got an awesome show coming up at the Blind Pig on December 18th, The Ann Arbor Rock 'N' Roll Revival for 2009. It's hosted by Stanley the Madhatter and will feature, Deniz Tek (from Radio Birdman), Scott Morgan and the IrRationals, Gorevette and Mazinga. Hiawatha Bailey (from the Cult Heroes) will also be joining Deniz and Scott during their set to perform a few Stooges songs in honor of the late Ron Asheton. DJ Jeremy Wheeler of the Bang Dance party will be spinning records inbetween bands. He also designed the amazing hand drawn limited editon poster which will be avalible for purchase at the show.
It's only $10, doors are at 9:30, Mazinga goes on at 10pm. Advanced tickets can be purchased on the Blind Pig Web site. Don't miss this show. It's going to rule.