Jan, Feb, March, April '05
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Old Shit
4/30/05
On the plane now going to Paris. Not my fav place on earth but it's nice to be touring again no matter where it is. I'm looking forward to meeting some of you Euros that have been posting and emailing me.
It is weird leaving the studio behind unfinished.... not by much though. Just some finishing touches here and there. That place has a vast majority of the last 9 months of my life. It doesn't sound like much but it is when it's seven days a week and at least 12 hours a day. That nine months turns into what feels like a couple of years. Anyway I took a couple of photos yesterday to post.
here's the finished Control room exterior...
... and the other side of the same room...
...the completed live room ceiling acoustic clouds...
...the current state of the control room, close, but still not complete...
... and finally our completed mezzanine storage facility.
These pics just don't do justice to the amazing finish work of Geoff Templeton. The detail of the wood in the clouds in the live room and especially the wood in the CR is amazing. Geoff's joinery is flawless. two, three, or four pieces of wood that look like one. Grain matched and perfectly stained. The man is very very talented.
4/29/05
So... at about 3pm yesterday, tour manager Gus Brandt called and said "Crusty, the band wants to play a show at Paladino's tonight. 8 pm load in and 10:30 show". Well Paladino's is a small club in the San Fernando valley. It's capacity is I'm guessing about 250. The clientele is bikers, haggard porn industry workers, and mullet bearing heshers. Apparently, there were already four bands booked and they were sliding us in the middle of all of it. at the last minute. What club owner would refuse? Hmmm... Sean and Geoff (guitar and bass tech) had gone back to Portland already, Ian (monitor engineer) had gone back to Indiana, and Brian (FOH engineer) had gone back to Arizona. Two days previous we sent all of our gear to Europe... luckily, we have a recording studio... I put together a couple of retired guitars (including Dave's black explorer he used to play all the time) and a couple of extra amps and Yeti our new drum tech pieced together a kit from the many drums on the drum shelf. I dialed up some sounds and changed some strings then we threw half the shit in Scotts truck (new studio manager) and half the shit in my van aka "the rape wagon" (I know... that's bad) and headed down there. No load in, no parking, and no stage hands to hump gear (boo hoo... I know, I'm spoiled). It's a good thing we had the help of ex-drumtech Wiley, and Incubus/Deftones drumtech Sean Bates (I love that guy). Even Gus lent a hand and move a couple of cymbal stands. Sometime in between 3pm when we booked the show and 8pm when we loaded in someone (probably the club owner) called KROQ and they announced it on the radio. What could have been a nightmare gig was magically smooth. The boys had fun and played pretty good albeit fucking fast seeing as it was the first show in a long time. They packed house was excited but relatively tame and to my disappointment no porn boobies were flashed. As a matter of fact no one hardly ever flashes at Foo shows... It's a damn shame. What the hell is rock -n- roll coming to? All in all a good show... mission fucking accomplished.
Today, I'm packing my shit up to go to Europe tomorrow for a couple weeks to do promo and a couple of shows. Should be fun. I'll post a little more often from here on out.
4/27/05
Sorry it's been awhile since I've written y'all. I hit kind of a rocky stretch in combination with the workload never really letting up... actually got busier... if that's even possible. With the Foo record complete they've moved into promo-mode which means piles of interviews and photo shoots which is a lot tougher than it sounds. I really feel for those guys during this phase of the record release. We've also moved into rehearsal mode. They're sounding great right off the bat.
We did the fist video today. I will not comment on the specifics except only to say that you all will love it.
So I'm gonna post a couple of songs OF MINE. It's strange for me to post songs that aren't yet complete but we're leaving to Europe on Saturday and it doesn't look like I'm gonna get mush time to work on my shit for a few months at least so I'm just gonna throw 'em up. When you listen to these, keep in mind I recorded these in my bedroom at my LA house.
The first song is the Foo cover I said I'd post. "Next Year" ala bluegrass. I need to find a ripping banjo player to lay down a track and put down some real drums and comedic percussion like washboard or something which shouldn't be too hard seeing as I'm surrounded by great drummers (Mr. Grohl, Mr. Hawkins, and my favorite Adam Willard). Paul Brainard plays Dobro, Geoff Templeton (studio wood god) plays upright bass and the rest is my dumb ass.
The next song is one I wrote called Tree Chopper and is a little less done. Real drums are a must... I also want a hammond/leslie combo, a fiddle, and I need to write a good guitar or fiddle solo for verse four. I dunno... work in progress. Paul is playing the pedal steel... the rest is me. This little ditty leans country pop but also has a little Pink Floyd flavor. I'm a very confused songwriter.
Remember... these were done in my bedroom in my very rare free time.
3/9/05
I spent my day installing this cool gadget called a Dolby Fax. It's a digital encoder and decoder that works over an ISDN line. You can record and listen real time and high quality from a remote location anywhere in the world that has these same pieces of gear. Pretty cool. Other than that I've been talking on the damn phone all day. I'll be posting some new songs soon (of mine) if anyone cares. I've got a pretty nice Pro Tools TDM system in my bedroom and I've been inspired lately. Music comes pretty easy for me but lyrics are hard. So that's the hold up as of now. I'm gonna also record a bluegrass version of the Foos "Next Year". For all you Foo Post board freaks that went off on that silly forklift string... here's a couple pictures of the boss .
I'm running out of shirts... if you want one send me an email.
3/7/05
I just got back to LA after a week at home back in Portland. I think I slept the entire week. Well, mostly. I did work on a couple of songs I'm writing and I uncharacteristically went hiking with Sean Cox to Waklella falls. I went home to have a new engine put in my van. A very unnecessary, expensive, stupid powerful engine. I am evolving into the hair farming, dirt rocker that I always wanted to be. Some Engine specs are:
383 stroker (350 engine bored out to 383ci)
high nickel block
H beam rods
Aluminum heads
All roller cam
roller rockers
air gap intake
750 CFM carburetor
10:1 compression
This thing will eventually put out almost 500 hp. Right now it's tuned for break in but once I get the valves opened up a bit and re-jet the carburetor it will be dumb. Last month I put a beefed up corvette transmission in it and before that I put a 3.73 Posi rear end in it. Why do I want this ridiculous version of a van? As early as 4th grade I was obsessed with vans... I'm a freak. Some call my van "the Stabbin' Cabin" other have called it "the Rape Wagon" but I prefer "the Third Base Mobile".
I truly believe that one of the most valuable relationships you can find in your life is a good, honest mechanic. I have been lucky enough to find a few of them throughout my life but none as great as my current mechanic. If anyone needs automotive work in Portland, OR you have to use Turton's Automotive. They're over on NE Killingsworth and like 45th or something. The owner is Bob Turton and his right hand man is Marcelle. These guys will take the time to explain anything you don't understand in depth and teach you about your car. They are over the top honest and master mechanics. There is a talking parrot named turbo in the office and big sweet rottweiler named Axel in the shop. They don't need the business... they are always busy... but YOU NEED THEM. So call ahead and tell 'em BB sent ya and they'll squeeze you in. Call 'em 503-281-5300.
3/2/05
Saw a movie... "Sideways". I've never hated a really good movie quite this much. The acting was top notch and the story was rich but the subject matter was so totally and utterly offensive to me. Two middle aged morons going through a comparative mid-life crisis in wine country, California. I hate wine snobbery with a passion and even though this movie makes a clear definition of what wine snobbery is... it goes so far as to draw similes to wine making and life's trials and tribulations. Example... the Pinot Noir grape needs a special set of circumstances to grow and to cultivate it requires a very understanding and nurturing hand. It's skin is very thin so it absorbs much more of it's surroundings but is much more fragile for the same reason. YAK! Although I am sort of middle aged and I definitely have been through my own "mid life crises" I could not and did not relate with any of it. If you enjoy uncomfortable situation comedy like Curb Your Enthusiasm or Meet the Parents and maybe even Along Came Polly you will love this movie... maybe. This movie is nothing like those I've just mentioned although there were a few "on purpose" funny bits written. By the end of this movie I wanted to put a gun in my mouth... but what I wish is that the main characters would have done that at the beginning of the movie so I didn't have to waste two hours. Fuck wine... it's booze that either tastes good or bad and that's it.
Sorry... but I'm not gonna give any studio or foo updates for awhile or D shit for that matter... my website has really been taken out of context and I'm a little bummed about it. What did I expect?
2/20/05
YEEEEEEHAAAAAAAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I finally beat Dave at pong. A few days ago I went out and bought my own paddle (god that's nerdy) and I played all day Thursday and all day Friday and I mean all day... like 100 games I think. Anyway, all the practice paid off... my game has gone to the next level. Dave was mad too. Right now I'm king of the mountain. hehe. The last time I was this obsessed about a stupid game was over Foosball. I wasted way more time on that... I got super good for awhile... I even considered competing. God that's lame. I need to get a life.
BB and his F.O.B. show almost confirmed in the middle of march... we'll be playing with Richmond Fontaine and Freddy Trujillo. It'll be a fun night. I'll post the date once it's solid.
Here's what the T-shirts look like
C'mon y'all... you know you want one.... only 14 bucks plus shipping... represent yo.
2/13/05
I had dinner at a kickass little Italian diner called Maria's that's down the street from the studio yesterday. I sat next to a table full of deaf people. They were signing to each other in what seemed to me a frenzied pace. It was probably just normal slow banter for them. There were six of them all smiling and paying attention to each other. The restaurant was noisy and crowded. I looked around at everyone else talking and ignoring each other at the same time, stuffing they're faces with pasta. There was an overwhelming vacuum of sound around the signers table. It's hard to explain. It was just so noticeable to me. the directionality of the silence. But more importantly how they interacted with each other. It seemed so genuine, heartfelt, and easy. It was a unique perspective I'm very thankful for. It's funny how such a small observation can change your life.
Life at the studio is alot better these days. Our lounge/office area is almost complete with a functional kitchen, big ass couch, plasma tv, and an awesome surround sound system that I installed a few days ago. The control room is coming along nicely as well. Sean and Geoff have been working opposite hours from the band so as not to hinder the recording process. They come in at about 4am just as the band is usually leaving and work until 1 or 2 in the afternoon when they show up then go home and sleep. I've hired a few runners and an assistant to help me run the place. So I'm not as stressed all the time. Also our Mezzanine will be complete in a couple days... well be able to actually store some gear so we're not so clusterfucked up like we've been.
This is my new assistant Scott and our engineer M.T.
Here's some fairly recent photos.
Ping Pong... Oh my god... Ping Pong. it's been getting so intense. Everybody is getting so good... especially Dave. People are actually getting mad if they get beat... it's funny. Here are some photos and little mpegs to download.
After a good game Dave usually takes a nap.
I got a new transmission put in my van. It's a beefed up 700r4... basically a super duper corvette tranny. One that will stand up to the engine I'm eventually putting in it. A 500 hp, all roller cam, 383 stroker, with a high nickel block and aluminum heads. It shifts so firm now. It actually chirps sometimes going into second gear... a van with an automatic tranny... hehe. The best part is that I can now drive it on the freeway without winding out. I put a geared up posi rear end in it a while ago that kinda screwed me up.
For anyone in Portland, I think my band is gonna play a show at Dante's in March sometime. Keep an eye out and please come out and see us. Also I made some pretty kickass t-shirts if anyone wants one. Hanes Beefy T's, all sizes, black w/white bb fist logo. I gotta get 14 plus a couple of bucks for shipping. Paypal or check/money order. email me if you want one. We'll figure it out.
1/20/05
So I'm back to the daily grind... the studio continues to make progress while the boys continue to make progress on the record. I'm trying to go home a little earlier and take at least one day off every week. I'm also hiring an assistant to help me keep my shit straight. I even had time last week to record a new song of my own on my TDM Pro Tools rig that I've recently acquired. I had Paul Brainard down from Portland to work on our studio network (kickass pedal steel player and mad genius networking dude) and to buy Shifflett a pedal steel and give him a lesson. So I forced Paul to play dobro on this bluegrass song I wrote... I post it as soon as I put some singing on it. I got roommate and wood god Geoff Templeton to play his standup bass on it.
Here's Chris on his new toy.
A couple of days ago I worked a show at the Wiltern Theatre here in LA. A Tsunami benefit with an all star lineup. The D, Grohl, Josh Homme, Eddie Vedder, Beck, Chris Rock, and Will Ferrell all did a great job not getting too fucked up to entertain. A night that had potential disaster written all over it was virtually seamless. All I've got to say is... Will Ferrell... Oh my god... Funny as fuck. For Sean, Geoff, and I it was a brutal day. Started at 6 am and finished at 2:30 am with no down time at all. I'm to old for that shit. 20 hour day... jeez. The next morning I woke up so sore.
Here are some photos from that evening.
Now about these photos that I post here on my site... Recently Kerrang magazine published a photo that they just stole off my site... I'm not so concerned about getting money for it (although that would be nice), but they didn't even credit my site. Lame. Please boycott that mag. Now any of y'all that want to take and use photos off my site... for whatever, (your own sites, etc.) ...go ahead... but at least be courteous enough to credit me or my site. If it's for commercial use please ask my permission. We'll work something out.
Drive Safe everyone.
Love,
BB
1/1/05
Happy New Year everyone.
I'm on the plane on my way back home... well, not really home... LA. Our New Years Eve show in Melbourne went well. It was at a place called Luna Park. An old school amusement park ala Coney Island. They boast the oldest wooden roller coaster in the world. The ride attendant actually rides the roller with the riders. He stands up in the middle of the six coaster cars that look like a dragon and operates a hand brake. Crazy. To get in to the park you have to walk through a giant, scary, Day-Glo, smiling clown mouth.
In four years of working with the D I have never seen Jack have more than a couple of drinks at a time. I've never seen him drunk. Come to think of it... I've never seen KG drunk either. But last night Jack pounded about six beers in six songs. It was pretty funny. Jack started the midnight countdown at 666 seconds until he realized that it's over ten minutes. Then later we did it for real at 13 seconds out with a big fireworks show at zero.
The best part of our trip to Melbourne was my damn hotel room. The Park Hiatt Melbourne is my new Favorite hotel. The Westin Grand in D.C. just got bumped. The best thing about the room is the shower. Three shower heads at different heights, But the best part is that when you turn the water on, the water pressure is so strong that wind blows your hair back. Check these pics out.
