Thursday, June 28, 2007
Excellent. We just came back from our fifth gig, this one at the Smiling Buddah on College. It went really well, I think even better than our one at the Supermarket. The three of us biked there, and carried all our stuff on a bike trailer. I was so impressed.
All you need is a good bike, and old fluorescent orange bike trailer, and a dolly, and you can carry all your equipment. This time we had half a drumset, a guitar, my weighted 88-key keyboard (which I can barely lift) and keyboard stand. Carrying it on a bike was actually remarkably easy. Sometimes it was tricky turning corners; I had to adjust the connection to make sure the keyboard/dolly combo could swivel enough, else I'd end up in the middle of the road.
This gig was held by The Commune. We were the last of three bands that played, and people seemed to really love us. They said we were tight! It's so nice to hear that, because I always felt we were loose. So great response. A guy there called the bike trailer combo SICK! Twice.
All you need is a good bike, and old fluorescent orange bike trailer, and a dolly, and you can carry all your equipment. This time we had half a drumset, a guitar, my weighted 88-key keyboard (which I can barely lift) and keyboard stand. Carrying it on a bike was actually remarkably easy. Sometimes it was tricky turning corners; I had to adjust the connection to make sure the keyboard/dolly combo could swivel enough, else I'd end up in the middle of the road.
This gig was held by The Commune. We were the last of three bands that played, and people seemed to really love us. They said we were tight! It's so nice to hear that, because I always felt we were loose. So great response. A guy there called the bike trailer combo SICK! Twice.
Labels: bike trailer, cowboy mimes, live show, music
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Some photos of the Cowboy Mimes' last show in Alderville for the Wiersma barn fundraiser:
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| Cowboy Mimes Live Shows |
Labels: cowboy mimes, live show, music
Monday, May 21, 2007
Phew.
We just played our second show as the Cowboy Mimes! It was a good experience, but I felt a little off with my playing. I think the problem was that I could hardly hear myself, because we couldn't figure out how to properly wire up the monitor speakers so that they were at the right levels. The sound equipment they had there was very, very confusing, and there was nobody there with any technical audio experience to tell us how to use it. We managed to get a decent enough sound out of the main speakers, but the monitors were really quiet, and I could hardly tell what notes I was playing sometimes. It makes you feel a lot more nervous about playing chords if you can't tell if they're right or not! That's why we need an experienced audio professional (like my dad!) to get everything sounding right. That or someone who's paid by the club to do that sort of thing. (Supposedly there's a sound guy who will help us set up at the Supermarket, where we're playing our next gig on June 6.)
I was prepared to sing at this one, but we only have 2 stage microphones, and I believe it's not wise to use recording mikes (of which we have 2) for performance purposes. Chris thought the Concord would have provided a couple mikes, but I guess they're not quite upscale enough. We got by anyway.
The turnout was a little disappointing; for some reason I thought the place was going to be packed with friends. Plus one always hopes that people who weren't explicitly invited would find their way to the show through word of mouth, MySpace or Facebook. But I probably would have felt even weirder about my uncertain playing if there'd been more people listening to it. I think we did end the show pretty well with Calico Chromium, a song that Meta and Chris wrote together. We should record that one soon and get it up on MySpace.
We just played our second show as the Cowboy Mimes! It was a good experience, but I felt a little off with my playing. I think the problem was that I could hardly hear myself, because we couldn't figure out how to properly wire up the monitor speakers so that they were at the right levels. The sound equipment they had there was very, very confusing, and there was nobody there with any technical audio experience to tell us how to use it. We managed to get a decent enough sound out of the main speakers, but the monitors were really quiet, and I could hardly tell what notes I was playing sometimes. It makes you feel a lot more nervous about playing chords if you can't tell if they're right or not! That's why we need an experienced audio professional (like my dad!) to get everything sounding right. That or someone who's paid by the club to do that sort of thing. (Supposedly there's a sound guy who will help us set up at the Supermarket, where we're playing our next gig on June 6.)
I was prepared to sing at this one, but we only have 2 stage microphones, and I believe it's not wise to use recording mikes (of which we have 2) for performance purposes. Chris thought the Concord would have provided a couple mikes, but I guess they're not quite upscale enough. We got by anyway.
The turnout was a little disappointing; for some reason I thought the place was going to be packed with friends. Plus one always hopes that people who weren't explicitly invited would find their way to the show through word of mouth, MySpace or Facebook. But I probably would have felt even weirder about my uncertain playing if there'd been more people listening to it. I think we did end the show pretty well with Calico Chromium, a song that Meta and Chris wrote together. We should record that one soon and get it up on MySpace.
Labels: cowboy mimes, live show, music
Friday, May 18, 2007
I've been spending the last week jamming almost every day with Meta and Chris. In case you didn't know, we are the Cowboy Mimes and we're performing at the Concord Café this Sunday, at 9:35pm. It's exciting, because we've got a few songs that I think are really good. Hopefully we'll have a chance to record some of them soon so we can put them up on our MySpace page.
Besides that, I've been working on a website for my old high school and taking care of the daily greenhouse duties. Fun stuff. :)
Besides that, I've been working on a website for my old high school and taking care of the daily greenhouse duties. Fun stuff. :)
Labels: cowboy mimes, music
Saturday, April 28, 2007
My favourite backpacker Nick Alexandrov wrote a review of the Cowboy Mimes in Yale's student newspaper!!! Check it out: The Yale Herald - April 27, 2007 - Cowboy Mimes (or if they take it off, I PDF'd it here).
I can't get over the fact that he even mentioned the cold frame! I haven't seen him in over a year.
I can't get over the fact that he even mentioned the cold frame! I haven't seen him in over a year.
Labels: cowboy mimes, music
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
The Cowboy Mimes play at the Press Club!
So the three of us - Meta, Chris and myself - performed live for the first time. It wasn't the biggest turnout (damn you, maybe-sayers ;-) but that just made it all the easier for us to play (low pressure, you see). Meta played guitar and sang, Chris played snare and hi-hat and sang, and I played tambourine, shakers and triangle and sang harmonies. Many thanks go to Meta's good friend Kirsten and her partner Cameron for the ride, the wine, and the awesome support. Also thanks go to Press Club for hosting us. And to the small but supportive audience for coming out on such a chilly Easter!
Next show - rumour has it that there might be one coming up at the end of May at the Local...
 |
| Cowboy Mimes Live Shows |
So the three of us - Meta, Chris and myself - performed live for the first time. It wasn't the biggest turnout (damn you, maybe-sayers ;-) but that just made it all the easier for us to play (low pressure, you see). Meta played guitar and sang, Chris played snare and hi-hat and sang, and I played tambourine, shakers and triangle and sang harmonies. Many thanks go to Meta's good friend Kirsten and her partner Cameron for the ride, the wine, and the awesome support. Also thanks go to Press Club for hosting us. And to the small but supportive audience for coming out on such a chilly Easter!
Next show - rumour has it that there might be one coming up at the end of May at the Local...
Labels: cowboy mimes, live show, music
Saturday, April 07, 2007
All of you probably know this already, but the Cowboy Mimes are going to be playing at the Press Club this Sunday, at 9:30pm. It sounds like we'll have a fairly decent turnout, but it is a tiny club. I haven't been able to dedicate much time to jamming or practicing, so I won't be playing the keyboard yet. But I will be playing shakers and other percussive toys, and singing harmonies.
And I just had a huge pile of compost dumped onto my backyard. I guess this means I'm serious about gardening here this summer! Well, I really am. I'll to do whatever it takes to fit vegetable gardening into my busy schedule. Seriously, I have to walk the talk. I feel very strongly about it. I think we should all begin taking our individual oil addictions into serious question, especially in light of the already underway effects of climate change and peak oil. Otherwise we're pretty fucked, friends, and we don't have to be.
Plus, freshly picked lettuce, basil and tomatoes are just unequaled.
And I just had a huge pile of compost dumped onto my backyard. I guess this means I'm serious about gardening here this summer! Well, I really am. I'll to do whatever it takes to fit vegetable gardening into my busy schedule. Seriously, I have to walk the talk. I feel very strongly about it. I think we should all begin taking our individual oil addictions into serious question, especially in light of the already underway effects of climate change and peak oil. Otherwise we're pretty fucked, friends, and we don't have to be.
Plus, freshly picked lettuce, basil and tomatoes are just unequaled.
Labels: climate change, cowboy mimes, gardening, music, peak oil, sustainability
Monday, March 05, 2007
Meta and Chris just recorded two more songs: Aphrodite's Feather, and The Owl Flies Out Tomorrow. Check 'em out on their Cowboy Mimes page on MySpace.
Labels: cowboy mimes, music
Monday, February 19, 2007
Holy moly. I'm so in love with this song: The Daddies. Meta just wrote it and recorded it. I've played it so many times and I haven't gotten tired of it. Beautiful.
Labels: cowboy mimes, meta, music
Thursday, December 28, 2006
I've been helping Meta and Chris get their entry ready for a Scandinavian Tour music contest. If they win, they get an all-expense tour of Scandinavia to show off their music and 1000 retail-ready CDs of their music. Sounds pretty rad, but it's probably a long shot.
I actually recorded a vocals track yesterday for the first time. I think it sounds pretty funny.
I actually recorded a vocals track yesterday for the first time. I think it sounds pretty funny.
Labels: cowboy mimes, music
Monday, December 18, 2006
And so... I've been doing great here in Cobourg. Here are some photos of people I have been spending time with out here:
I'm moving to Toronto in January, with Meta and Chris, and Jen from Everdale. There I'm supposedly going to be in a band with Meta and Chris, playing the keyboard. I hope we actually get to perform. We're working on a demo CD right now. It would be cool to be doing that as a serious thing. I think we could; we (I) just have to be dedicated, I think.
I'm moving to Toronto in January, with Meta and Chris, and Jen from Everdale. There I'm supposedly going to be in a band with Meta and Chris, playing the keyboard. I hope we actually get to perform. We're working on a demo CD right now. It would be cool to be doing that as a serious thing. I think we could; we (I) just have to be dedicated, I think.
Labels: cowboy mimes, music
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