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Walkin' through the turnstyles of life


patrick_dont_fret

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Ok, so I get my job back at the sub shop I was at (before I quit :freak: ). Anyway, I went up there to tell the manager when I can work (this was a couple of weeks ago), and I told him that on MWF I get out of school at 10, and TR at 11. He snapped back that I won't be working lunches because he doesn't want me to "flip out" again. Fine and dandy for me...

 

Anyway, last night, the assistant manager called me and said that if he calls me while I'm in class and leaves a message, if I'll be able to come in and work lunch...I said sure, I'm a team player (I'm this guy's savior, on many counts anyway). But this morning when I get there, the manager asks me when I get out of school, and if I can work lunches the days I get out at 10. Being the same team player, I say sure. He also asked me how many hours I wanted "Around 30 or so?". I say "give or take a few".

 

Is that not a complete turnaround or what? Life seems to be back in order.

 

As for the band situation, I've got a few friends that just went into the studio to lay down some tracks...hip hop kinda stuff, I can diggit. So of course I asked him if he needs a bassist... It's a possibility... :) .

 

As for the female companion situation, well, what can I say. Three years apart is a long time, but it's getting to the point now that I really think I can wait. I want to, really. But, I must respect her wishes and "not wait up for her", at least while she's gone. But you know where I'm gonna be spring break...driving up to see her... Road trip!

 

But, alas, life is well. Once I get the repairs for my car paid off, it looks like a new rig for me!!! :D Oh happy days.

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Life has lots of ups and downs, and has lots of stuff that just goes on like always. The trick is to only make waves (big changes) when you want the excitement, and deal with it when it doesn't work out like you wanted. There are times when you might want to suck it up to keep things flowing smoothly. How do you know which things to hold and which to change? Hey - I'm not that old !! But try to think clearly, plan a little, and you can (maybe) avoid some upset. IF that is your goal - some folks like the roller coaster!!

man mode>

 

Glad to hear things are going better. Be patient and open to the musical opportunities - it's lots of fun!!

 

Tom

www.stoneflyrocks.com

Acoustic Color

 

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt

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Yeah, the musical opportunities are looking up with this UPDATE.

 

A guy popped up on my AIM thing today saying that he needed a bassist for his band. It is an original alt-rock band. He said that they sound a bit like Chevelle, of which I'm not too familiar. I'm still up for trying out, though.

 

Then, of course, he said what I'd never expected to hear, and I quote: "I love to get up there and put on a high energy show and express every bit of emotion through my lyrics".

 

Oh my God!!! This is going to be on stage? A stage...with people watching? And me on that stage (potentially)?

 

Good Lord, I dunno if I'm ready for that. I've never played in front of more than 30 or so people, and however funky we were, we were only goofing around. This is going to be weird, man.

 

I'm going to do my best to learn the stuff, and have a positive mental outlook and everything else. This will definitely be an endeavour to remember...

 

CMDN, some help please...

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Originally posted by patrick_dont_fret:

Oh my God!!! This is going to be on stage? A stage...with people watching? And me on that stage (potentially)?

 

Relax. Take a deep breath. You are ready. You can handle it.

RobT

 

Famous Musical Quotes: "I would rather play Chiquita Banana and have my swimming pool than play Bach and starve" - Xavier Cugat

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Originally posted by RobT:

Originally posted by patrick_dont_fret:

Oh my God!!! This is going to be on stage? A stage...with people watching? And me on that stage (potentially)?

 

Relax. Take a deep breath. You are ready. You can handle it.
I know...it's just gonna be a new experience. The only other time I've been in front of people playing was ata keg party...I was heavily intoxicated and we were just goofing around. Of course, the intoxication allowed me to get rid of all the people...

 

:idea: , I can be drunk onstage!!! That'll solve the problem!!!

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Hey Patrick.. Chill, my man. You can do this.

 

First, some info about Chevelle .

 

In more basic terms, bands who are "into" Chevelle tend to sound kinda like Tool, but are way more poppy and less progressive. There will probably be some animated performance elements (think musical grimacing) and some slightly (or not so slightly) screamy vocals. The guitar will probably be kinda loud and mostly distorted. You will most likely be playing in "dropped-d" tuning or lower. You'll definitely be rocking a good bit harder than you have in your previous experiences, but it's nothing you can't handle.

 

Stop over to audition... hang out. Listen to the music. See how it feels to play this kind of music with these fellas. Most importantly, see how you feel about spending time with those guys. Keep an open mind, and you'll be fine. Remember... you're auditioning THEM as much as they're auditioning you.

 

As far as the stage thing goes... Well... With any luck you'll have a bit of time to be totally prepared with the music before you have to play in front of anyone on a professional basis. If you have your tunes down, you have no worries about playing the music correctly onstage. When the time comes to rock, make like a sneaker and just do it. There's no reason to fear -- you'll be onstage with your boys (your friends), you'll know your shit and be ready to rule the world. No need to be worried at all.

 

Just play the parts with heart, and don't sweat anything else. If you fuck up, keep playing. Only the rest of your band will know for sure that an error was made. You're all human -- it happens. You can all laugh about it later.

 

When it comes to performing, take a cue from the other guys and try to match their energy levels. Nothing is lamer than seeing a band rock out only 75% or, inversely, seeing only 25% of the band rocking. Lock in with your boys and forget everyone else. At the end of the day, you may never see the audience again, but you'll see the rest of the band at your next rehearsal. Play your ass off for your boys and yourself -- you guys are the only ones you need to impress.

 

At the very worst, remember this: Non-musician audience members tend to focus on the singer more than anyone else in the band, so you will not be the center of attention for most of the crowd.

 

Um... and ...Oh yeah... HAVE FUN, dammit.

\m/

Erik

"To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

--Sun Tzu

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CMDN, some sound advice. Thanks. I find out today that they are all hippie jamband listeners too, but they like to play rock to get their point across.

 

I've got absolutely nothing to lose by trying out, so I'm gonna go ahead. We've got a jam/audition thing Saturday at 12, which is perfect for me, too...

 

Anyway, I'll definitely let you guys know how it went. Thanks again, Erik.

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Ok, so I went over there today around 12:30 as planned. Pretty cool guys, for sure. Plenty of piercings and tatoos. They said they sounded like STP and Tool a bit, but for a more accurate representation of what they sound like, check out the album "Chamber Music" by Coal Chamber.

 

Yeah, I know. That's a bit rough for me. I can listen to it on occasion, but not to the extent that I would be playing it. I'm a hippie. I told them I was more of a Phish/Widespread guy, but they said to come on over to see what I could do.

 

So, they started playing one of their songs, and I dug it, no doubt. Wasn't bad, I have to admit. But for me, it wasn't going to really be that enjoyable. So, all in all, I ended up leaving with nothing but having jammed with a few guys in a room upstairs.

 

Like I said, I have nothing to lose, and I lost nothing but a couple of hours that I would've otherwise spent doing absolutely nothing.

 

Oh well, so much for that. These were definitely your kind of guys, Erik...I need to find me a band of hippies.

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Originally posted by matt C:

My former drummer used to work at subway- some crazy s*it went on there in the back, or so he said...

You know, for a second there I was trying to find the relevance to this thread, but then I saw former drummer. I guess I'll let it slide. :D

 

But it's all good. But the girl I was going out with that's in the army called me while I was on my way home, and she said that after she graduates, she'll be going to S Korea for a year. Wow, I know. But at least she graduates when I'm on spring break...ROAD TRIP!!!!

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Originally posted by patrick_dont_fret:

Like I said, I have nothing to lose, and I lost nothing but a couple of hours that I would've otherwise spent doing absolutely nothing.

Oh really? Sounds like you met some musicians that were not complete pains. Sounds like you had to learn some new material on the spot. Sounds like you made a decent impression (though you aren't too clear on that).

 

Lost a couple of hours? Sounds like it was all gain for you. It just wasn't a gig you wanted!!

 

Tom

www.stoneflyrocks.com

Acoustic Color

 

Be practical as well as generous in your ideals. Keep your eyes on the stars and keep your feet on the ground. - Theodore Roosevelt

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Originally posted by Tom Capasso:

Originally posted by patrick_dont_fret:

Like I said, I have nothing to lose, and I lost nothing but a couple of hours that I would've otherwise spent doing absolutely nothing.

Oh really? Sounds like you met some musicians that were not complete pains. Sounds like you had to learn some new material on the spot. Sounds like you made a decent impression (though you aren't too clear on that).

 

Lost a couple of hours? Sounds like it was all gain for you. It just wasn't a gig you wanted!!

 

Tom

Yeah, it was a good experience for me. We just weren't compatible musically, since most of my background has been in jambands, and they could definitely tell in my playing. I did a whole lot of rests, and that really isn't a good thing for this heavy rock stuff.

 

But that's cool, anyway. I might help my friend out with a hip hop project he's working on right now. Or, a bass duo with one of my other friends...the possibilities are endless. At least when they're famous, I'll be able to say I played with them for a couple of hours, and I won't be lying.

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Hey Patrick...

Yeah, I had a feeling about this one. I was pretty sure you weren't coming over to the heavy side of things anytime soon. However, it's definitely a good thing that you checked it out. At the very least, you now have some new musician friends. You could always try to snag the drummer and guitarist for jamming purposes in the future.

 

Or not.

 

The point is that you gave it a shot.

 

Something will come up for you eventually, my tie-dyed friend.

\m/

Erik

"To fight and conquer in all your battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists of breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting."

--Sun Tzu

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Yeah, CMDN, I didn't think it would work out either. I dunno, they said that if I ever get into something else, they wouldn't mind playing with us. I still enjoy heavy rock, but not to the extent as I do the jambands.

 

It's good they let me give it a shot, even though I told the guy I wasn't that great and that I'm more of a hippie. He could've said, "No, nevermind," but he didn't. Cool guys, definitely. I'm think I'm gonna chill back and see what comes up my way again. No sense in trying to hyperextend myself...I'm in no hurry to get famous.

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hey dude about your woman thing i have a girl i havent seen in 2 years she comes back from brazil and has a boyfriend!!! And i know what its like to work at shady jobs. I clean carpets and sometimes find myself thinking il be there forever. But all us bassplayers have 1 thing, faith!(and pimpery)
What yaaaal doin
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