"The only one in the entire festival who questioned our position was Bob Dylan. Maybe he didn't put it in the best way. Maybe he was rude. But he shook us. And that is why we have poets and artists." -- Jim Rooney, describing Bob Dylan's shocking use of electric guitars at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.

"The outbursts at Newport that ( Read more... )

+ I can play whole-step bends on the bass guitar at the third fret and hit the pitches I was aiming for (including the pre-bends), but ...

- Yow, is that rough on the fingertips when I haven't done it in a while! (Time to get the digits in shape.) Still ...

+ It sounds wicked cool in the tune I was doing it in, even though ...

- It was recently ( Read more... )

I've got the song "Signs" (at least I think that's the title) stuck in my head and I've no idea what put it there today.
The sign said, longhairfreakypeople need not apply
So I tucked my hair up under my hat and I went in to ask them why ...

( 'Paid attention in high school' quizmeme )

"I love music because it has better special effects than either movies or books." -- ( Read more... )

My prettiest guitar is also, alas, also the least versatile of my guitars. So I don't use it much. I got to use it today, and I think it'll be a good sound for an upcoming performance. This pleases me.

I got through the day (which started late afternoon), and it ( Read more... )

I am very tired. I'd like to try to do something more productive/interesting/fun than just trying to make sure I'm somewhat rested up by tomorrow afternoon, but I'd better not push.

I started the day pretty tired, and felt various kinds of crappy at several points during the day, but not constantly and I managed to get through my day without ( Read more... )

Made it to pharmacy. Made it to nail salon after very annoying wait for wrong bus due to misinformation. Stopped at Appalachian Bluegrass for a nut blank because the slot for the bottom string on the mandolin I was practicing on while waiting for buses crumbled. (Blank is way bigger than I need; gonna have to cut it lengthwiseAnybody local have ( Read more... )

The good and bad: I finally felt well enough to go to the doctor. That's mostly good, but it means I'm now incredibly exhausted on a rehearsal night.Oh. Never mind. My ride to rehearsal tonight fell through -- I got the phone call while I was writing this.

The inconvenient: Lots and lots and lots ( Read more... )

My house usually gets insanely hot in the summer, refusing to cool down once it's heated up, and often winding up warmer than outdoors.

Today the temperature reported on the news is insanely hot ( Read more... )