Coming Soon... 

Nothing to see here yet, but my on-deck position as backup bass player with Harwell-Grice Band has gotten b-u-s-y. https://m.facebook.com/harwellgrice/ They're booking a really heavy schedule this Summer, and I'm looking forward to playing the Alembics out more with them as they do a new-grassy take on the Grateful Dead and a pretty much 'anything goes' mindset.

My own group, New River Bound https://m.facebook.com/NewRiverBound/ (we're calling it 'neo-oldtyme' Appalachian String Quartet) is also getting some good local attention. We're excited to finally get our first recording out there this Spring, and get busy playing corporate and private events, as well as some shows for the U.S. Park Service later on this year.

I'll try to keep some kind of photo journal here... stay tuned. 

The first official gig of 2017 is in the books... just got  back from playing at Sunken City Brewery near Smith Mountain Lake Virginia. http://sunkencitybeer.com/ 

It was a car show/motorcycle ride benefit event. Harwell Grice Band is kinda' the home team in that little community... so lotsa' folks there.

Loaded up the Gig-mobile this morning with my Mesa Walkabout/Scout 15 combo, the Persuader 5-string, and a Tobias Toby Pro V for backup or inclement weather. 

*and a Martin Style 0 ukulele, to pass time with during the long set break. 

I gotta' get somebody to catch some action pictures...

Looks good, Greg, and that's one nice looking bass you have there!

Greg, you bring up a good point; a bass for inclimate weather. I don't really have one of those, although I have an old '67 bass I could possibly use for cold or damp weather (not light rain or mist). Something I need to think about.

Thanks Rob. Yeah... it was windy, and threatening rain/thunderstorms later yesterday afternoon... not an ideal day for an outdoor gig, but it turned out okay, so I didn't need the backup after all. That neck-through Toby Pro V is a fine bass, but doesn't quite measure up to my Persuader 5-string. It really is the closest thing I have to it though, both from a set-up angle and sound-wise. I don't mind toweling it down so much if it got wet, but I'd be a little irritated if one of my Alembics got a bath. 

This coming weekend; 4 gigs in one 24 hour period. 

Harwell-Grice Band is booked at two micro-breweries on Saturday with a private party sandwiched between them, and a church picnic on Sunday... altogether, it'll be 9 hours on stage in one day... an endurance test if ever there was one.

Come to think of it, I need to put fresh batteries in my Alembics. 

4 gigs in 24 hours.  Hope they're all in the same state. 

Mo' power to ya. Yowsa !!


(Private party sandwiches and microbrews...yummy,  )

Oh Wow... stuff hurts.   

It's a little after 3 am, and I just got loaded in... three gigs done, one to go. 

Just set up the gig-rig for a fourth time, and got the Persuader dialed-in for another round. 

Couple pictures from the microbrewery-tour yesterday...

I look pretty fried in that second shot... that was taken right before the last set. I did make my usual Waffle House run afterwards. (had been running on coffee, and chocolate chip cookies all day) 

My buddy Stewart's wife (Ange') caught one of my featured tunes yesterday at the early gig... once each set, the Harwell-Grice guys pull me (drag, really... ) out front from my cozy little happy place in the backline, to sing a Robert Johnson tune.

All done for this weekend... next week - Strawberry Festival in Rocky Mount, Virginia... I'm thinking the Distillate will be #1 for that job. Although I suppose that would have been more appropriate for these brewery gigs! 

What are the effects you're running?

Chorus > Compressor > Amp Input. (I don't ever use the effects loop on the WalkAbout)

The chorus has a flipswitch-able crossover, and the compressor is normally disengaged, except for heavier-hitting tunes where I have to dig in. I could easily just do without it, but I do like a splash of light chorus effect, especially on upright and fretless basses. 

One more picture... nothing music-related, I just thought it was a good picture of us, taken during the second gig load-out yesterday evening about 8:00. We had to run set up again and play three more hours (2 sets) at this point in the day!

Anyway, I really enjoy hanging out and playing music with these guys, it's mutual - and it shows.