The sun having no choice

shone down on the nothing new. - First line in Samuel Beckett's Murphy

Well I don't have much to say really other than wondering just why we have a democratic party in the first place. 25 Senators voted to confirm Hayden as head of the CIA despite their own sqwakings about Haydens role in the NSA's continued prying to the life of each and every american on the planet on the off chance they will find something useful. Worthless toads to the last. Sure he was going to win the GOP has a robot majority in the Senate but hell did you have to agree with them. What's the point of an opposition party that doesn't oppose anything?

Some one wrote to the effect that the measure of a political figure is the issues (or issues) he's willing to lose an election over - frankly I'm not sure if any of these clowns have one. If they do it sure as hell ain't the idea of Consitutional goverment.

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Political rant off - off for the weekend but band will be going forward. Found a cello (sp?) player at the coffee shop open mike night. we've been kicking around adding strings to Someone Else but the violin's tone was right. But when we heard the cello I looked over at the enemy below and said "that's the sound" and he said "yes"

which is why I love this band - I didn't have to explain a damn thing he knew exactly what I was talking about the instant I said it.

So when we finally get our butts into the studio - we'll have quite the cast - Me, the enemy Below, Carrie, the Cello player and maybe two more people for a chorus effect on the song.

Also we're gonna try out for a CUNY tv show "art or something like it" - if nothing else nice publicity we can put on the fact sheet.

And now we are not recording

We were going to go into the stuido tomorrow and "lay down tacks" for the cd but outside events have prevented us for the moment. I was looking forward to this but if the stuido guy can't do it he can't do it.

I feel like a fighter who's fight has been canceled - I'm not a natural in the studio - in front of an audicnce I get a pull from them - in the studio I'm the only one expending any psychic energy. It's damn draining. How the hell Elvis was able to do 21 takes of "Hound Dog" unitl they decided that No. 17 was the one is beyond me. Course I'm not Elvis.

I'm not much for Sigmund Freud but I think he was one to something with the superego idea - no sooner than I wrote "Of course I'm not Elvis" I hear this snarky voice inside my head saying "got that right. duhhhh."

I hate it when it does that and it does that all the time.

by the way that's our button above

More crude graphics as time allows.

Last thing - Reviews of the DaVinci code say that Tom Hanks was miscast - everybody now (including my superego) : Duhhhhhhhhhhh.

THE BAND DOES AN OPEN MIKE NIGHT - 5/3/06

Short Version: We (Bob Muir & the Enemy Below) do an open mike at a coffee shop. People are shocked. Report follows.

If you’re starting out and the band doesn’t have a regular gig – open mikes serve a vital function – it’s gets your butt up in front of people and gives you a chance to see what works and what doesn’t .

But there is a down side: while good places to try stuff out, they can be depressing backbiting dens of ins and outs petty politics and favoritism all the more depressing because there is so little at stake.

Last night we were at Waltz-Astoria’s Open Mike (www.Waltz-Astoira.com) It’s a new coffee shop/wine/beer place in the neighborhood that has been open for about a year. A little upscale fussy/nice looking place with tables and chairs and books and games on the shelves – coffee machines desserts and beer and wine. The look said Boho with cash.

When we walked in there was one guy who looked the serious artist type cup of coffee at the table writing away in a fancy note book, and the guy that seems to be required at all coffee shops the man with the laptop.

“This ain’t our kind of place” I said.

The Enemy Below agreed. But we both knew that going in – the listed performers at the venue tended to the wounded dove/arty end of the music spectrum where as out stuff comes from the music and words as blunt instruments school. We’re punk – not all our songs are punk but that’s where we to quote Howling Wolf “get our pull from”. That a strong sense of the ridiculous or Dada depending on how pompous I want to be that day.

God I can go on can’t I? New to the Blogging bit so please excuse me that. Will you? Gee thanks.

Okay back to the gig – we signed up and grabbed a beer each – as the others came in they had coffee – another sign we weren’t in Kansas anymore.

We were debating about what songs to do as the crowd shuffled in

“We have to do Stacy”

I wasn’t sure – hell Someone Else and People with Insect heads was going to be far enough outside these poor peoples expectations that Stacy (which combines a hideous lyrical idea about an extremely unnatural sex act with a catchy ear worm ) would make their heads explode.

That was until first singer went on.

She was one of the standard wounded dove school of female singers – and dear lord we’ve both heard about a thousand of these each. As I listened to another heartbreak being sung, a dangerous wildness came over me. The desire to jangle these bastards right down to their spleens – it was nothing personal it -- just the sociopath in me coming out. Show them something they had never dreamed existed.

“Screw it” I said, “We do Stacy”

Not that the first two songs of the set were normal earnest folkie stuff – or any kind – “Someone Else” is a cut to the chase lost love lament in the spirit Napoleon the XIV’s “They’re coming to take me away” . And Insect Heads is batshit crazy.

(No I am not going to do the lyrics just yet – we’re going to record soon so if you want to hear the songs – get the CD or the downloads or come to the shows)

And then we did Stacy – People looked like they had been hit in the face with a fish when we launched into chorus. I will always treasure the way one guy’s eyebrow arched upwards like spock’s when I sang – the funny thing is one woman in the back was in hysterics during the song (which people are supposed to me – these are jokes) while her date sat stone-faced. No accounting for taste I guess. But I live for those moments – not the laughter so much as the WTF? OH MY GOD! DID HE JUST SAY THAT!!???!?? Expressions that are equally balanced between shock and helpless laughter.

I must say we had a good time – I’m not so sure about the audience – the applause was a little muted but we expected that.

And people couldn’t stop talking about Stacy.

“You know they are going to be singing it on their way home” the enemy below said to me as we listed to the next two performers, each of whom mentioned “Stacy”. (It’s open mike etiquette you don’t dash out once you’re done – its bad you might miss something very good or very bad.

Afterwards someone said something very interesting to me – “It’s amazing that not only did you have the balls to sing that song, you found someone else to sing with you.”

I know. And I’m glad I did. Makes for good times very good times indeed.

RANDOM JOTTINGS:

From Hell It Came is just as god awful film as I remembered it being

We will be recording soon, so look out America.