The other guy in the background is one typical example of “guitar-think”. Several times he made the comment that “playing bass was easy” and that he could “jam to anything”. Like most guitarists, he was saying he knew how to make every possible mistake and that he has no clue of how real bass is played. Guitar riffs on a bass do not a bass player make. Most guitarists totally suck on the bass. Big time. And they are the only ones who don’t think so.Then I biked home, got my bass, and biked up to Hollywood Johnny’s for a mini-gig until we got rained out. Next, I ducked inside to find a terrific band whose bass player was late, so I filled in with them for a half-hour, stopping at Buddy’s Place on the way home. Buddy’s pal’s friend’s brother-in-law’s neighbor’s son’s band was playing there. And they were fantastic, packing the house. Nix that gig for me, those guys were studio trained and managed.
I was out at Pine Mall this afternoon, where I picked up another $10 for trying on a t-shirt. Testing these products makes one curious, but the studies are so blind even the staff is not sure what is being measured. Actually, you try on two shirts which are basically identical, but one of them was incredibly weightless. It was also incredibly soft and comfortable, looking like fine threaded glossy cotton. It seems the marketing company is swamped by females, but are short males in my age demographic. I gave them my phone number.
Jack’s idea is kind of novel. For appreciation, first look at the problem, then the solution. He is right that this depression/recession is different, in that it is not the unskilled laborers losing their jobs. I can identify closely, because when I lost mine, I had no idea about anything except unemployment. I did not know about Food Stamps, Disability, Primary Care or any of these programs. Well, as my lawyer said, “That’s because you didn’t grow up in the ghetto.”
Jack would like to put together a web page that tells ordinary people how to get help. That’s a great concept. I remember how slow it took me to get answers out of government offices and the blind way I had to wade through the entire process. You see, not only did I not know, I didn’t associate with anybody who did, either. Jack would like to see a web page that tells taxpayers, that is, people who were at least for part of their lives net contributors, how to get the things they’ve been paying for when they need it. I told him I’d help on that one. To this day, I still don’t understand some of the forms I filled out two years ago and that ain’t right.
High point of the day was when I ducked in the back door of Hollywood Johnny’s, formerly Boston Johhny’s. I was waiting for the rain to let up, and there was a three piece group standing on the stage doing nothing. The lead singer said their bassist was late. Serendipity. You see, my bass is custom made and looks like I’m carrying an ordinary guitar. These guys were in their early 20s, but had a whole set of classics, including “Proud Mary”, “Folsom Prison”, and even “Last Kiss”.
For me it was a trip down memory lane, and I really laid it on. A half hour later, I packed up to leave. To the band, it looked like what it was, a fully trained bass player, with a tuned instrument, walking in the back door at precisely the right moment, ready to play, and knowing all their material The singer was still stunned, shaking his head and saying over the mic, “What are the odds of that?”
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