Parking in Bitterman Circle

Tue, 15 Feb 2005 01:50:43 GMT

Hey There...

The site has moved to www.bittermancircle.com
and that means the podcast and RSS feed has changed as well...
http://www.bittermancircle.com/rss.xml
so bookmark it and we'll see you there! There will be no further updates here...

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 06:20:49 GMT

The CBC Grammy Wrap Up...

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 05:50:55 GMT

... new podcast- grammy wrap up

If I use the word fabulous in a podcast as many times as I did tonight, fucking kill me.

Click on the speaker icon on the upper right of the post or option/right click to save the mp3 on your very own drive...or of course you can just stick this in your aggregator or not...

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 03:59:08 GMT

...hillbilly skins

Yup, I can see this lying on the bar partially crumpled and forgotten...cross platform marketing at its most dangerous...

From Boing Boing...

Marlboro Lights iPod case. Xeni Jardin: The must-have trash accessory for those who suck down their MP3s in a doublewide: a pack of cigarettes transformed into an iPod holder, now for sale on eBay. Its creator says:"I'm a pretty heavy smoker so the idea was perfect. It is not precisely engineered, but it holds the player snug enough that it won't slip out, but not too tight that you can't remove it... Two or more cigarettes hold the player so you can listen and smoke when out and about."

Link (Thanks, Charles Moore)

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 03:53:26 GMT

...Bonzo's kids were there...

It seems unbelievable that now finally there is a Grammy for Zep...
The Guardian reports that there is a Grammy at last for rock legends. Grammy voters hand members of Led Zeppelin a lifetime achievement award ahead of the ceremony in Los Angeles.

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 03:48:50 GMT

The washington post reports about the change in format... 10 Million iPods, Previewing the CD's End. Your favorite album will soon be an invisible cyberswirl of 1's and 0's. No CD case. No liner notes to flip through. No . . . nothing.

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 03:44:34 GMT

...more grammy goodies

It's an odd thing about Green Day; they have been accepted into the mainstream and yet haven't changed that much. Good record, good performances, a little bit better behaved... 6 or 7 nods for a Grammy? Wow. Punchy single and the loudest drums yet on the show and the only pyro...dig those dragons....

Mon, 14 Feb 2005 02:35:43 GMT

...post Grammy report

Another one is done, even if you're on the west coast and the broadcast is just starting. It went much smoother than the run through, which was a bit choppy. Staples is not the easiest place to work and the ramp up and down with the gear was pretty trashed before the show started.

I thought that it was a pretty interesting production for TV, the five act opening and the pairings were a little schmaltzy but better than usual. I'm watching the west coast feed right now and it sounds and looks good. The Grammys needed this as they had some bad technical moments last year. The set looks frickin' huge on TV, a lot bigger than how it was in real life...typical.

The split stage with moving walls caused a lot of gripes from the stage crew but all the transitions went pretty smooth. Having an artist lounge downstage center in a hole was slick as you could get the talent in and out without putting them in danger.

Melissa was awesome... she is poised for a big comeback this year. Pinetop Perkins got a lifetime achievement award tonight; I hope somebody got him a Sprite to go with his Old Overcoat...

U2 was neat, very white, the song is beautiful but kinda subtle for an awards show....the world's biggest pedalboard was in effect (for guitar snakes 11 patch changes in one song)...

The Southern Rock tribute was ok, mix so so, choice of guests somewhat disjointed...neat to see Skynyrd on TV though...

Sun, 13 Feb 2005 20:57:20 GMT

...afternoon Grammy report

    As it is with these live TV things, the run through this morning was filled with shouting, fast moving risers and things falling over. I am quite surprised to say that it looks like it's going to be a very interesting show performance-wise. The big guns are doing their thing (U2, Green Day, etc.) but the tribute spots and a few other things stick out from the run through. The Melissa Ethridge/Joss Stone tribute to Janis Joplin is great, Bonnie Raitt and Billy Preston's segment is sublime and John Mayer is performing with Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan... very nice.
    It is as always a roadie convention extrordinare, so many old friends that never get to see each other at the same time. If we weren't so wrapped up in our work and they hadn't banned our cameras, it would make an amazing picture.
    It's time for a lunch break... more later as the guitars are polished and the nerves jangle like Cyndi Lauper's bracelets.

Sun, 13 Feb 2005 20:14:14 GMT

... something in common

I feel honored to have a piece of info that I posted at TSHNN berated...I feel like I've arrived.... but being a fan of Billy Connelly for so many years I had to pop in and let him know who it was...it's as if someone had mistaken Sam Kinison for Bill Hicks....I know they're both dead, but Hicks was the man...

Sat, 12 Feb 2005 06:53:50 GMT

...podcasting tip

If you haven't checked out P.W. Fenton(the self proclaimed Ed Sullivan of podcasting) and his podcast Digital Flotsam, do. It's a wonderful melange of old and new and like the future (according to the Firesign Theatre), it's very clean. Find the feed at Digital Flotsam.org

This week he celebrates Black History month....

Sat, 12 Feb 2005 06:39:37 GMT

...cheeseball kapusta bonanza

    I may have found Eldorado for geeks like me, the odd recordings of Buddy Rich and Orson Welles have a home with all the other gems out there at the 365 Days Project.

    All I can say is WOW!

    Thanks to Otis Fodder, bin diver extrordinare...

Sat, 12 Feb 2005 05:43:09 GMT

...LA grammypodcast2 er somethin'...

Friday night in LA with the majority of the music business in town; parties, events, concerts....what is there for a roadie to do? Well, go to the Apple Store
and grab some grub at Poquito Mas....good roadie, eat taco... maybe a short podcast before bed. Click on the speaker icon on the upper right of the post or option/right click to save the mp3 on your very own drive...or of course you can just stick my thingie in your podcast aggregator...don't have one? Well, is pretty damn good and so is

Fri, 11 Feb 2005 21:04:07 GMT

Cory Doctorow does it again... from Boing Boing... More from the ongoing Bit Torrent clamp down and the MPAA leaving their mark on the offending servers...
Who did MPAA rip off "You can click but you can't hide" from?

What is old is new again...who said that?

Fri, 11 Feb 2005 19:02:18 GMT

... "it never rains in..." yeah right.

    Yesterday went pretty smooth at Staples. As with most awards shows (and all TV), you'd better have the hurry up and wait circuit installed. We arrived 2 hours earlier than we were asked and that helped make the workload go easier.

    It's a little strange doing such a big show with rental gear but luckily the providers seriously have their act together (thanks guys!) I've been to this one before but never three days before broadcast. It made it less crazed. We now have today and tomorrow off... surreal actually. We'll go back on Sunday when everyone is tried, grouchy and running around like psychos. It's kind of a drag as some of my friends are rehearsing today and Saturday; we're not actually welcome for security reasons. Roadies by and large are... dangerous.

    These shows present groups just playing their big hit and they also come up with neat ideas for pairings and tributes. Imagine Eminem and Pavarotti doing a duet tribute to Anita Bryant...ok, don't.

    They are not always so contrived but you can still see artists who don't meld well. Our segment has taken some work and should do pretty well. Jeez, just getting everyone able to hear what they need to and not hear what will confuse and infuriate them is work enough. There are one or two other segments that have potential to go either way...

    The Clash tribute two years ago was cool ...

    As much as these shows are a gathering of people who don't get to see each other enough, we're also spread out all over Los Angeles in dozens of different hotels. Ours may not even be in the phone book, though the toilets work and there is free broadband...that may be the two things that decided our location along with the price. The spattering of road people across the city without cars may keep us apart except for on Sunday when we're trying to do our jobs and not run over each other's toes. I'm gonna try to track down some guys tonight... perhaps the rain will let up.

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 23:56:38 GMT

...wasn't that the point?

The CBC reports that the McCartney show sparks complaints to FCC but not for the reasons you'd think...

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 21:17:46 GMT

... new podcast

A report from LA on the Grammys, cheap hotels and a look back at last week in Jacksonville.... click on the speaker icon to the upper right to listen or option/right click to save...

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 06:56:10 GMT

...two tough losses

No links as of yet as I got e-mailed about them but the loss of Jimmy Smith and Keith Knudsen in the past few days are a drag. Jimmy was the King of the organ trio and Keith played with the Doobie Brothers for many years. We'll see you both on the other side...

Thu, 10 Feb 2005 02:06:21 GMT

...old home week

As contrived and train-wrecky as most made for TV conglomerations are, it is often interesting to see musicians from the same generation and genre gather for these things. In my case, I grew up playing these songs on my tape player and in my bands. As often as I've heard original artists play their own songs (over and over again), the first time is always surreal. When you've heard everyone on the planet cover a tune or cop a lick, hearing the originator play it can be illuminating.
Where I grew up was not southern but it was in the country. It doesn't matter. This is American music, a part of my personal history, even if my accent is funny and my hair too short. It is as much a part of me as jazz, fusion, blues and Indian music I was exposed to while I was young. It remains to be seen if this will be something longer term but it hits a note tonight, beyond all the jokes and the drunken hoots and hollers. It's a nice surprise.

...

Wed, 09 Feb 2005 15:26:40 GMT

... last words on the Bowl

As these things usually go, the game is a bit of a let down though my New England roots were pleased to see the Pats rack another one up. The halftime show was a sight to see; the video screen crew had plenty of pressure as far as I can tell. Those things don't work on a good day, let alone driving across a football field in a hurry on it's back. At least if you had to work on it you could lie on the ground!

I spoke with someone involved with that performance and found out some of the details in the how it was done. I bet the average viewer at home doen't know and doesn't care. For an event like that there is much planning, many rehearsals, too many meetings and the wide spread of territorial pissing that comes with the cross section of music, sports, TV and corporate presentation. The guy in charge of the grass can be a putz and cost the show thousands of dollars out of his need to make sure no one yells at him about divots.

I was involved in a show at Texas Stadium which occured after a Cowboys game that was going to be broadcast for Thanksgiving. As a backline guy, it was odd to be affected by so many different layers of concern. The building guy was a control freak; the event manager was in over his head; the set was built out of box truss, plywood and bailing wire; the Cowboy cheerleaders at one point had us remove the entire show off the field so they could practice a routine for 45 minutes; did I mention that most of these events are staffed by volunteers to keep costs down?

Believe me, most major problems will go unnoticed unless your clothes fall off or the sound of you crashing to the ground would effect the mix adversely (Bitterman?) I personally cringe when I hear a guitar out of tune or see fingerprints all over a glossy ax, but most folks go "Isn't that the guy who dates that girl from the OC?" The Ashlee Simpson thing was such an exception to the rule. There were e-mails flying around before 1:00 am on whether they needed a new crew guy, a new drummer or if everyone on that project was looking for a gig because her career was OVER...

One of my road friends (semi-retired) called and said that it was typical for the finger pointing to begin because they were too cheap to hire qualified professionals to insure them from looking like idiots. I guess paying someone a decent wage would seem like a bargan compaired to the loss of revenue from pimping your other daughter out like a Bankok karioke whore. Actually, we're both pretty sure that Dad would still not get it. At least she still has a source of gigs from the acid reflux convention folks... "Don't let acid reflux ruin your career; use Gagamet! Here's a medley of our greatest hit..."

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 21:21:54 GMT

...what goes with cops and BBQ?

A few years back Hayseed Dixie (link) wandered onto my radar. I was invited to a Wild Hog and Chili cook off with some friends and met a group of law enforcement officers who wouldn't stop playing the band's first release. On their debut album A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC, they do AC/DC covers bluegrass-style. They have now two other releases of rock cover tunes done up the same way. These guys can play and it's a hoot to hear "Cat Scratch Fever" on mandolin.
So, With thanks from Boing Boing, for your dancing and dining pleasure, here's a Link to their website for a video of Hayseed Dixie's cover of Motorhead's punk/metal anthem "Ace of Spades,"

This was found as part of Boing Boing's article on "different" cover bands,
Punk cover bands and Motorhead's bluegrass makeover. It's a great read!

Mon, 07 Feb 2005 20:11:32 GMT

...podcasting? Is that what ailen fisherman do?

For those of you who are still not clear on the podcasting thing, Lisa Williams put together a 4 minute tour of what it is and how to listen. Thanks to Dave Winer at Scripting News for the pointer...