Totally random thread

[ousdahl]

So I’ve been playing music with a group of doods.

So far, it’s just been totally random weeknight “jams” for which everyone repeats the chord progressions to a few basic tunes while we take turns practicing solos, more or less.

I’ve been pushing for a more pragmatic approach, actually rehearsing actual song arrangements, and at least try to put together a performing outfit, since so many bars and breweries and festivals and such offer so many venues for live music around here - and are looking for talent to book.

But, the whole act is sort of at the mercy of the dood who has the practice space. He’s seems content with, even preferential to, the “jam” format as some end game within itself tho.

Among other issues, I’ve also pushed to try and dial in a lineup of personnel. And, without excluding anyone who wants to give it an honest effort, I’ve suggested less-is-more when it comes to managing creative talent.

It’s easier to get a power trio on the same page for a set list, than it is to get bro’s preferred approach of inviting anyone and everyone who wants to come “jam:” 2-3 drummers, a flaky bassist who either doesn’t show up to practice or shows up too intoxicated to play, a keyboard player with a little Best Buy keyboard you can’t even hear, and like 9 different guitarists, half of whom are old ass hippies with names like “Crusty” and “Bones” and shit.

I digress.

The reason I bring it up, is cuz I’ve also mentioned, we kinda need a singer.

So the dood with the practice space says he went out and got us a singer!

Oh great! Who is it?!

This way super talented chick singer, you’ll dig her bro.

Is her name Ke$ha?

Nope. Actually, it’s some…HIGH SCHOOL CHICK?! She’s fucking 17! Fresh from choir practice!

jfc bro. We’re a bunch of doods in our 30s, not counting those geriatric hippy guitarists you managed to shake out of the woodwork.

And, now, somehow, some way, a HIGH SCHOOL CHICK. I almost don’t even wanna ask how you met her. Did you remember to get a fucking permission slip from her parents?

But he insists, it’s cool, don’t worry, she’s got pipes! She sounds like Janis Joplin!

While that may be, what good does it do to recruit a singer to complete a performing act if the singer isn’t even old enough to get into the bar where we perform!

I also suggested changing our band name to Jailbait Janis and the statutory rapists.

[japhy]

So it seems to be that time of the year again. It’s old buildings getting soaked in rain and going to shit season. Keep in mind it takes years/decades of water infiltration for things to go to shit. But it just takes a couple of bricks falling off a parapet in a storm for neighbors and the City to get really finally serious about it.

On Friday I head up to a small town about 100 miles north of KC to look at a building for an Owner. They sent a couple of photos of the back wall before my visit. There are some cracks coming off the corners of window at the lintel edge near the now exposed common wall where another building was demolished a couple of decades ago. The City would like to have this building demolished as well cuz it’s dangerous. I meet the Owner and am told we have to enter through the back of the building, we stop and look at the crack. I have seen worse.

We go inside, because there is a “hole in the floor” they would like me to look at as well. Once the door opens I can smell the scent of a lake in the basement. The air is so thick you can feel it condense on your skin. When we get to the front of the building it is obvious why we can’t come in the front door. The floor has collapsed on one half of the front section of the building. I start to cautiously make my way out onto the remaining portion of the floor, it has a feel I call “spongy”. Imagine stepping on a piece of plywood sitting on top of a wet sponge. It sinks a little and then bounces back slowly as you reduce weight in it. The Owner looks at me and says, “it’s safe you can walk on it, I shored it”. I tell them “it is my practice to look at floors like this from below first then I decide if I want to walk on it”.

If you have ever fallen through rotten floor framing into a crawl space or basement below, you know it is exciting. But no matter how shallow the space below, it always fuckin hurts and it leaves marks. Every time it happens, you make a mental note of shit to avoid next time faced with this opportunity. The floor I was looking at, has three large iron barber chairs sitting loose on the tile floor near the bearing end. Any collapse would mean those big bastards would slide down the floor on top of me. I would likely survive, but it would be a long ride home.

The Owner says there is a hatch in the back to access the shallow basement. We head back there. At this point I am testing every other footstep to see if the floor is sound. When we get to the hatch, there are short wooden stairs down to the dirt floor. The Owner says, “it’s OK, these stairs are safe” and they start quickly down the stairs. As they drop their full weight onto the second step there is a crack and then all hell breaks loose. If you have never fallen through a rotten wooden staircase, there is an art to it. First bend your knees slightly. This will help cushion the landing a bit. Second, immediately lean your weight backwards. Falling down onto a pile of broken wood with exposed nails, face first, is a bad thing. The Owner rode it down well for their first time.

When the yelling stops the Owner dusts off and determines no bones are broken. “I don’t know what I am gonna do, I don’t have a ladder in the building”, are the first words uttered. The third rule of having old wooden stairs leading into a damp soggy basement are, “Always have a ladder in the building.” No worries, I have one in my truck for just such an occasion! “Wait down there”, I say with no sense of irony. I get my ladder out of the truck and join the Owner in the dank musty basement.

As soon as I get down there I can see that the floor joists are soaked and glisten in the headlamp. We get to the “shoring”, I have to assume this has been there for years. The original framing was either 2x10’s or 2x8’s joists spanning 20 feet. I didn’t dare scratch around too much to see if it was set down into the joist space or set on top, but there was a 3 inch mortar bed set on top of the joists and decking, and then there was another inch of grout and ceramic tile. The Owner said these joists had been sagging so they added the shoring beam in the middle of the span. From what I could tell this “beam” consisted of what had once been a 6x6 timber. Where the beam sat on top of the temporary steel posts it had been compressed down to a 3x6. The joists themselves where they sat on the beam, had compressed down from an original 10 or 8 inches to about 6 inches in depth. Where the floor collapsed, the joists had sheared off at the edge of the beam. Once again I was told it “was safe down here”. I replied that I would not be walking on top of this floor framing and the owner should stay back, away from this area. I took my photos to document the condition and then we left the basement.

So on Monday I will write a letter to the City to let them know that the crack on the back wall is not the problem that they think it is.

[DrPepper]

I enjoy these stories. I sure thought there was going to be snakes.

[Shirley]

I enjoy these stories. I sure thought there was going to be snakes.

^^^

A great story.

In my experience, japhy is full of it.

[TDub]

I enjoy these stories. I sure thought there was going to be snakes.

I need a roof repair update ....Im invested in the storyline now. haha

[jhawks99]

So I’ve been playing music with a group of doods.

So far, it’s just been totally random weeknight “jams” for which everyone repeats the chord progressions to a few basic tunes while we take turns practicing solos, more or less.

I’ve been pushing for a more pragmatic approach, actually rehearsing actual song arrangements, and at least try to put together a performing outfit, since so many bars and breweries and festivals and such offer so many venues for live music around here - and are looking for talent to book.

But, the whole act is sort of at the mercy of the dood who has the practice space. He’s seems content with, even preferential to, the “jam” format as some end game within itself tho.

Among other issues, I’ve also pushed to try and dial in a lineup of personnel. And, without excluding anyone who wants to give it an honest effort, I’ve suggested less-is-more when it comes to managing creative talent.

It’s easier to get a power trio on the same page for a set list, than it is to get bro’s preferred approach of inviting anyone and everyone who wants to come “jam:” 2-3 drummers, a flaky bassist who either doesn’t show up to practice or shows up too intoxicated to play, a keyboard player with a little Best Buy keyboard you can’t even hear, and like 9 different guitarists, half of whom are old ass hippies with names like “Crusty” and “Bones” and shit.

I digress.

The reason I bring it up, is cuz I’ve also mentioned, we kinda need a singer.

So the dood with the practice space says he went out and got us a singer!

Oh great! Who is it?!

This way super talented chick singer, you’ll dig her bro.

Is her name Ke$ha?

Nope. Actually, it’s some…HIGH SCHOOL CHICK?! She’s fucking 17! Fresh from choir practice!

jfc bro. We’re a bunch of doods in our 30s, not counting those geriatric hippy guitarists you managed to shake out of the woodwork.

And, now, somehow, some way, a HIGH SCHOOL CHICK. I almost don’t even wanna ask how you met her. Did you remember to get a fucking permission slip from her parents?

But he insists, it’s cool, don’t worry, she’s got pipes! She sounds like Janis Joplin!

While that may be, what good does it do to recruit a singer to complete a performing act if the singer isn’t even old enough to get into the bar where we perform!

I also suggested changing our band name to Jailbait Janis and the statutory rapists.

Steal Gutter's girlfriend to Yoko that band.

[RainbowsandUnicorns]

So I’ve been playing music with a group of doods.

So far, it’s just been totally random weeknight “jams” for which everyone repeats the chord progressions to a few basic tunes while we take turns practicing solos, more or less.

I’ve been pushing for a more pragmatic approach, actually rehearsing actual song arrangements, and at least try to put together a performing outfit, since so many bars and breweries and festivals and such offer so many venues for live music around here - and are looking for talent to book.

But, the whole act is sort of at the mercy of the dood who has the practice space. He’s seems content with, even preferential to, the “jam” format as some end game within itself tho.

Among other issues, I’ve also pushed to try and dial in a lineup of personnel. And, without excluding anyone who wants to give it an honest effort, I’ve suggested less-is-more when it comes to managing creative talent.

It’s easier to get a power trio on the same page for a set list, than it is to get bro’s preferred approach of inviting anyone and everyone who wants to come “jam:” 2-3 drummers, a flaky bassist who either doesn’t show up to practice or shows up too intoxicated to play, a keyboard player with a little Best Buy keyboard you can’t even hear, and like 9 different guitarists, half of whom are old ass hippies with names like “Crusty” and “Bones” and shit.

I digress.

The reason I bring it up, is cuz I’ve also mentioned, we kinda need a singer.

So the dood with the practice space says he went out and got us a singer!

Oh great! Who is it?!

This way super talented chick singer, you’ll dig her bro.

Is her name Ke$ha?

Nope. Actually, it’s some…HIGH SCHOOL CHICK?! She’s fucking 17! Fresh from choir practice!

jfc bro. We’re a bunch of doods in our 30s, not counting those geriatric hippy guitarists you managed to shake out of the woodwork.

And, now, somehow, some way, a HIGH SCHOOL CHICK. I almost don’t even wanna ask how you met her. Did you remember to get a fucking permission slip from her parents?

But he insists, it’s cool, don’t worry, she’s got pipes! She sounds like Janis Joplin!

While that may be, what good does it do to recruit a singer to complete a performing act if the singer isn’t even old enough to get into the bar where we perform!

I also suggested changing our band name to Jailbait Janis and the statutory rapists.

Steal Gutter's girlfriend to Yoko that band.

I'm still waiting to know the reason the dood with the practice space knows her.
That and how many of her father's friends have banged her.




On a semi related side note.....

There are two young girls/women (I'm guess 18, 19, or 20) who moved in down the hall from me last week. Theoretically, I'm old enough to be their grandfather. I met one of their father's last week when they were moving in. Nice guy. Younger than me. I got the vibe that he was trying to figure out if he should be thinking it's cool there is a decent harmless older ugly guy living on her floor so that's only less person for him to worry about - or OH FUCK! Gutter lives in the building and on her floor?!?!

[ousdahl]

Well gutter, that depends…at the time you met the dad were you wearing your banana hammock?

Btw the dood apparently knows her I think cuz it’s his friend’s daughter? And his friend was talking up her pipes

[TDub]

maybe it's the Kansan in me....but, there's something peaceful and very calming watching expansive fields of wheat blow and wave in the wind.

[pdub]

Here's a more kansascrimson friendly edit - i.e. getting to the meat of the content and not getting into TLDR territory:

So I’ve been playing music with a group of doods.
Pretty casual, mostly jam, but i'd like to ramp up practices etc.

But, the whole act is sort of at the mercy of the dood who has the practice space. He’s seems content with, even preferential to, the “jam” format as some end game within itself tho.
But we kinda need a singer. So the guy who has the practice space said he's found us one.

Turns out, it’s some…HIGH SCHOOL CHICK?! She’s fucking 17! Fresh from choir practice!
jfc bro. We’re a bunch of doods in our 30s, not counting those geriatric hippy guitarists you managed to shake out of the woodwork.

[ousdahl]

Can’t believe you left out Crusty and Bones

[Shirley]

I wish Leawood were here, she seems like his type:

[Shirley]

Today In: Things it would have been good to know:

[KUTradition]

https://myamericanstories.com/a-mountain-of-a-man/

Finis Mitchell was a Mountain of a Man

[jhawks99]

Seems that I landed in the middle of something called Busker Fest in Lawrence

[pdub]

Wtf

http://www.lawrencebuskerfest.com/

[Shirley]

Wtf

http://www.lawrencebuskerfest.com/

Thanks.

One of my mountain biking buddies helps organize the buskerfest every year and was in that video at least twice.

[jhawks99]

I'd never heard of it. They had a bunch of streets shut down. Made it a bitch yo get to the hotel.

Lotsa fun though.

[Shirley]

I'd never heard of it. They had a bunch of streets shut down. Made it a bitch yo get to the hotel.

Lotsa fun though.

My aversion to uncertainty, like, not knowing where my next paycheck is coming from, wouldn't allow me to ever consider busking as a livelihood.

busking: Etymology. The term busking was first noted in the English language around the middle 1860s in Great Britain. The verb to busk, from the word busker, comes from the Spanish root word buscar, with the meaning "to seek".

Street performance or busking is the act of performing in public places for gratuities. In many countries, the rewards are generally in the form of money but other gratuities such as food, drink or gifts may be given. Street performance is practiced all over the world and dates back to antiquity.

He eats fire, swallows swords, performs magic tricks, walks on stilts, has a running comical commentary of some kind going all the time which often plays off people in the crowd, especially kids, and likely other talents I'm not aware of.

He began as a street performer dependent on gratuities but over time as his reputation spread he's been able to mitigate the uncertainty by traveling all over the country often as a circuit attending fairs and festivals and events(think annual Renaissance-type festivals...vomit), as a paid attraction. He drives a van to carry all his stuff and takes his mountain bike along with him if there are any good ones in the areas he's traveling to/through*. He lives in Lawrence and has played a big part in starting and continuing the Busker festival there.

*One time years ago he was riding alone at Landahl Park in Blue Springs E of KC. He is all about adrenaline and a challenge, so he picked a trail with a feature we call the "death drop", because it's a 3-4' downhill drop-off which continues to be downhill after you land, but you have only 15-20' to make a sharp L turn to continue downhill and avoid crashing into trees. The key is to maintain enough momentum that you don't nose-dive and crash because you went over the drop too slowly, but you can't go too fast or you'll run into the trees after landing. One afternoon he was there alone and crashed going over the drop and broke both of his wrists, and had to call a friend to come get him and carry his bike out.

(If there's anything else you don't care about you want me to expound on, let me know.)

[japhy]

I could imagine he and Sister Cindy Smock being an entertaining pair if teamed up.