Funk-a-rific
The new album is titled "Soul Circus," so you can imagine the slight cheese factor that follows..... but the show was great fun, and Vic is damn talented. Have you listened to the bootleg yet? http://www.ampeg.com/bootlegBass/bootlegbass.html --- #5, "Show of Hands."
The gist of the concert (and stage decoration) was that Vic was a circus freak, with "eight arms" (all the bass player magazines/reviews say that about him because he can play so amazingly fast). That was cute, but with such a small stage, it was a little cheesy to have so much fanfare. Whatever, he played to those high expectations....
was more of a showcase for Vic's band members ("circus"...sharin' the love). The drummer (shoot, I can't remember his name. Damiko?) was A BEAST; he kicked the bass drum so fast it sounded like a snare. If we hadn't talked to him afterward, we would have left thinking he had a double bass pedal. Another highlight: the rapper/bassist, "Divinity." She pulled the crowd into the palm of her hand. I wouldn't be surprised if she has her own following in 5 years. Vic's bros Regi and Joe were, of course, talented (esp Regi on guitar) but their performances were over the top; it felt a little like they were trying to steal the show. The Wootens have been touring together since they were 5, so there's probably some envy there that Vic is famous and they're.... Anyway, their stage interactions were cool - in the encore number, Vic and Regi held their instruments horizontally, side-by-side, and each played the other's instrument like a piano. Who else can do that??
(their sound engineer) again. He was essentially married to my mom for a few years of my childhood, and we lived with him and the Wootens. Strange to sit and talk to them now that 15 years have passed, but it is always so deliriously nice to be fawned over by people who haven't seen you since you were a kid. Everything you're doing as an adult seems that much more fabulous. When they were, uh, raising me, I was the age of Vic's now oldest daughter, Kyla, who is 8 - a very strange thought. This was before anyone had kids, though, so I was the village's child. Vic's wife, Holly was commenting on how "beautiful" I turned out, which she thought funny, because I was "a goofy-looking kid." Thanks. ;) It was interesting to watch Vic and Holly's oldest kids; they're so shy and calm - a far cry from their performer parents/uncles - just like I was and am. Ah, musicians: building introverted children at every turn.
It's nice to reminisce about that part of my life, though I'm sure I do romanticize it a bit from what it was (long nights backstage, constant pizza and packaged foods in recording studios...). More than the glory of all that recording/performing stuff (though some of it was cool, I admit), I remember living room jam sessions, hikes in the woods, Cherokee pow-wows, juggling, playing chess, learning algebra, being pulled around on a crappy yellow skateboard by a rope. There are so few stretches of my childhood that I actually like thinking about - the good times are always the ones where I had a "village" of "parents." Ages 7-9 were definitely the glory days. Hearing REALLY talented people play (even if it's not the Wootens or country stars or whoever it was I knew back then) really brings me back to the solace and utter happiness that I found in that time. It's disappointing and even sort of a hit to my identity that I can't be "the musician's kid" anymore. Now if I follow talented musicians around, I'm a groupie.
I wish the Flecktones would tour up here more often. I like feeling connected to my childhood, even if I *am* choosing parts.
I WAS SO GLAD THAT motospeedfreek WAS THERE WITH ME. Her enthusiasm is so contagious; her energy lifted my spirits even higher than they already were. All the guys (and Holly) loved her and I could almost see in the air my SURGE of pride to be sharing this life with her. Oh s i g h ....
In other, completely unrelated news, GOOGLE is *so* cool today. But, not cool, The Atlantic Monthly is moving from Boston to Washington D.C., so that probably means that my poetry prof is going, too. :( :( :(
The gist of the concert (and stage decoration) was that Vic was a circus freak, with "eight arms" (all the bass player magazines/reviews say that about him because he can play so amazingly fast). That was cute, but with such a small stage, it was a little cheesy to have so much fanfare. Whatever, he played to those high expectations....
was more of a showcase for Vic's band members ("circus"...sharin' the love). The drummer (shoot, I can't remember his name. Damiko?) was A BEAST; he kicked the bass drum so fast it sounded like a snare. If we hadn't talked to him afterward, we would have left thinking he had a double bass pedal. Another highlight: the rapper/bassist, "Divinity." She pulled the crowd into the palm of her hand. I wouldn't be surprised if she has her own following in 5 years. Vic's bros Regi and Joe were, of course, talented (esp Regi on guitar) but their performances were over the top; it felt a little like they were trying to steal the show. The Wootens have been touring together since they were 5, so there's probably some envy there that Vic is famous and they're.... Anyway, their stage interactions were cool - in the encore number, Vic and Regi held their instruments horizontally, side-by-side, and each played the other's instrument like a piano. Who else can do that??
(their sound engineer) again. He was essentially married to my mom for a few years of my childhood, and we lived with him and the Wootens. Strange to sit and talk to them now that 15 years have passed, but it is always so deliriously nice to be fawned over by people who haven't seen you since you were a kid. Everything you're doing as an adult seems that much more fabulous. When they were, uh, raising me, I was the age of Vic's now oldest daughter, Kyla, who is 8 - a very strange thought. This was before anyone had kids, though, so I was the village's child. Vic's wife, Holly was commenting on how "beautiful" I turned out, which she thought funny, because I was "a goofy-looking kid." Thanks. ;) It was interesting to watch Vic and Holly's oldest kids; they're so shy and calm - a far cry from their performer parents/uncles - just like I was and am. Ah, musicians: building introverted children at every turn.
It's nice to reminisce about that part of my life, though I'm sure I do romanticize it a bit from what it was (long nights backstage, constant pizza and packaged foods in recording studios...). More than the glory of all that recording/performing stuff (though some of it was cool, I admit), I remember living room jam sessions, hikes in the woods, Cherokee pow-wows, juggling, playing chess, learning algebra, being pulled around on a crappy yellow skateboard by a rope. There are so few stretches of my childhood that I actually like thinking about - the good times are always the ones where I had a "village" of "parents." Ages 7-9 were definitely the glory days. Hearing REALLY talented people play (even if it's not the Wootens or country stars or whoever it was I knew back then) really brings me back to the solace and utter happiness that I found in that time. It's disappointing and even sort of a hit to my identity that I can't be "the musician's kid" anymore. Now if I follow talented musicians around, I'm a groupie.
I wish the Flecktones would tour up here more often. I like feeling connected to my childhood, even if I *am* choosing parts.
I WAS SO GLAD THAT motospeedfreek WAS THERE WITH ME. Her enthusiasm is so contagious; her energy lifted my spirits even higher than they already were. All the guys (and Holly) loved her and I could almost see in the air my SURGE of pride to be sharing this life with her. Oh s i g h ....
In other, completely unrelated news, GOOGLE is *so* cool today. But, not cool, The Atlantic Monthly is moving from Boston to Washington D.C., so that probably means that my poetry prof is going, too. :( :( :(