Author: Admin

In Like A Lion…

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…Out like a lamb.

The Zoysia tour is over. Last two shows, last weekend. First, Phil Vickman’s guitar shop, in Northbrook, Illinois, Fat Tone Guitars, grand opening, Fun gig, with a rocky start, as Keith’s microphone was “intermittent”, to say the least. Once we got that under control, it was smooth sailin’. It’s fun to take the Trashpicker into a guitar shop, ’cause nobody knows what it is. Guitarists had many questions about the 7 knobbed, 4 pickuped, 3 switched wonder. I tried to explain, but, that’s a lot of information to take in, at a party that was serving booze. Couldn’t resist the opportunity to play the Gretsch Billy Bo for the encores. It’s modeled after Bo Diddley’s custom Gretsch, and, is the model Billy F. Gibbons currently favors. Weird guitar. I guess if you think Trashpicker’s normal, ANY guitar seems weird, in comparison, but, the Billy Bo was WAY “out there”. Pretty awkward, but, I managed to half-ass my way through “Waitin’ On The Bus”, and LaGrange, before calling it a night.

Met the main dude from St. Blues Guitars, who claimed he’d give me one, on some kinda endorsement deal. They are KILLER guitars, but, as time has passed, I feel less inclined to call him up. I can’t cheat on Trashpicker. I’m satisfied with a guitar, for the first time in my life, this is no time to confuse matters. “Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery…”

Next, onto the Skokie Backlot Bash, in Skokie, Illinois. Outdoor gig, on a BEE-YOO-TEE-FULL evening. Perfect weather, I didn’t even sweat. Nice gig. A solid, good show, a solid, good time.

The Zoysia tour started out with a bang, in June of ’06, went around North America twice, once to Europe, and, dwindled down to a couple of easy goin’ shows in northern Illinois. No mob scenes by Northbrook and Skokie. We probably were out too long. Started to see the diminishing returns this summer, BUT, the fans who showed up for the late era shows, definitely got to see the hottest version of the band. The crowds got smaller, but, the band got bigger. Maybe we rocked so HUGE, we blew people out the doors? It’s all good, overall, a very successful touring cycle. The strategy will be different, next year. I’ll leave it at that.

Next band function? Recording a new album.

Stay tuned…
Brian

New Feature!!!

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Hello, Friends,

I’m gonna start a “Weekend Update”, which, may, or, may not, fall on the weekend (I’m a busy man…), anyway… It WILL be a weekly event. Here’s the first installment…

Back from a weekend run. Chicago, and, our friend, Cara Woods’ birthday party. Chicago was great. Beat Kitchen, one of my fave clubs in the Windy City. Weather was perfect, crowd was the usual Chicago awesome, load in/out was the “Beat Kitchen Standard” piece of cake. We’ve been on the road for so long now, I can’t tell a good show, from a not so good one anymore, but, I THINK this was a good one (I’m talkin’ “technical end” here, ALL shows are good ones, musically speaking, that’s just the way we do things…). Had a crazy new distortion pedal, that was kickin’ my ass. I fought the pedal, and the pedal won. It was all good though. I had another one to fall back on. The greatest accomplishment of the night, was keepin’ Cara’s, next night, birthday party a secret (she was at the show, front and center…). We pulled off the “secret”, rocked like Scorpions, and had another great Chicago night. Thanks, Chicago!

Now, on to the party… Located in a corn field, somewhere near DeKalb, Illinois. Cara arrived, TOTALLY surprised to find us there. Mission accomplished. Cara’s husband, Chris, has the wildest guitar collection I’ve ever seen. All ’80’s, hair metal, pointy, jaggedy, shred machines, along with many other “curiosities”. We decided it would be fun to play some of Chris’ guitars at this show. We told him to surprise us. John got a Kramer. Richie Sambora model. Droopy headstock, 3 humbuckers, star inlays, Floyd Rose whammy bar. Keith got a B.C. Rich bass, pointy, jaggedy, leopard skin paint job. I got the Artist Formerly Known As, The Artist Formerly Known As Prince, “Cloud Guitar”. These are instruments, us “vintage nazis” like to laugh at. So garish, so outrageous, so bordering on just plain stupid, UNTIL… You plug them in! Yowza!!! It was the most fun I ever had, playing guitar onstage. I haven’t heard the band sound this ass kickin’ in a long, long, time. What a beautiful contrast, ridiculous guitars, with 8 foot high cornstalks, as a backdrop. I came away from it, understanding the mind of Billy F. Gibbons, a little bit better. Ate some VERY Atkins-unfriendly birthday cake, slightly unwillingly returned Chris’, awesome beyond words, shred machines, and called it a night. Last long run of the tour starts Thursday, in, Maumee, Ohio, then, it’s time off, to get to work on the next album. Stay tuned for reports from the “We Finally See The Finish Line” leg of the Zoysia tour…

Brian