Updates, Impatience and the Stunning High of Singing Live

First off, Happy HNT. The blue hair was fun but it fades so quickly. I think next time I'll try another brand of dye. After a week of not refreshing the colour, it had become kind of a moldy green. Initially when I bleached it off, it did exactly what I had hoped which was to be blonde as phuck with neat highlights of green. That too has faded and now its looks like this:



Many things have been progressing in these dreamy endeavors since I last wrote.

Despite a financial crisis as of late, I have been reorganizing priorities and goals. Keeping my heart set on where I want to be. Repairing the classical guitar as I had meant to do, has been put aside for a while. I have replaced this goal with practicing guitar regardless of stupid frets. It has become at least a 30 minute per day activity. Clear tones are still difficult to make but my muscle memory to hit chord changes in time is getting far better. Calluses have begun to develop on the tips of my fingers which really helps with the soreness after practice. With playing around with different chord shapes around the fret board, I have been finding chords I didn't think I knew and in some cases, even recognizing the names thanks to my continued study of music theory while on the public transit system.

Here's a part I am really excited about. With playing simple chord changes without trying to mimic a song, I have found a chord progression that I do not recognize. It has become my first song. It is early stages 100% and certainly not finished but it has begun and it is from my mind and fingers. Now. Every song is ten other songs for sure. I'm not breaking musical ground here. It may be that when someone hears it, they will instantly be reminded of a similar song. So be it. That happens all the time... Unless you're Efrim Menuck. And seriously, if you have time for the second half of this song, by all means, indulge. I'd take the beating of my life to be allowed to sing for this man. I may have linked these before but I don't recall... Anyway, I'm sure you get the tremendous influence that he and his cohorts have impressed upon me.

So, practicing guitar is going well. Also with Jam Nights! The last two jam nights at the Unicorn, just steps away from my house, have been stellar! Two weeks ago, the guitarist, says to me, "Here's my number. Give me a call-- NO! Harass me and tell me what songs you want to do that coming Wednesday." *blink blink* Sweet :D They like me enough that they look forward to playing songs outside their regular set. So I called just a couple days before the Jam that happened a week ago and let him know that I'd really like to do Down in a Hole by Alice in Chains, Sober by Tool and Somebody Told Me by The Killers.

That Wednesday came and during their first set (first of three), normally reserved for just them on stage, they asked for requests to which I shouted, "SUCK MY KISS!" (Chili Peppers for you non rock lovers out there). The bassist looks at me and touches his throat and says, "I can play it but aahh! my voice is a little twitchy today. Do you know the words?" *pff* "You betcha." *internally thinking, "is the pope catholic"* "Well come on up and show us then." *Hubris glee ensues* He adds, "Alright everyone, this is a little out of our normal rotation but y'all gotta hear this guy." I blush as I unwrap the mic from the stand. I missed only the beginning of the second verse but the rest went flawlessly and the growing crowd approved loudly at the end. Immediately following this the guitarist says, "Well as long as we got you here is there something you'd like us to play?" "Down in a Hole, thanks." This one went much better. I love hitting notes like that. Vocal sex.

Following that song, they asked me to do two others that I had either never sang before or at least hadn't sang since I was 17 years old. Black Hole Sun and... fuck what was the other... Ah. Alive by Pearl Jam. Although it was evident that it was my first time singing those last two live, they were still well received by the crowd and the band was delighted that I could complete what they wanted to do.

So last night we covered Sober - Tool, Somebody Told Me - Killers, Down in a Hole - AIC and Black - Pearl Jam. The latter two of the four went very well. Sober, which I really wanted to nail, didn't bomb but didn't connect either. I was so psyched that I actually got to do it that I went from the first verse straight into the chorus skipping the shit out of the bridge. Ah, well. That said, the remainder of the song went the way it should have. Next time Gadget. Next Time.

It really doesn't help that the attractive wait staff and I share similar musical tastes ;) More than this, I love it. Intensely. I love it even more when others love it with me. At the last three jam nights I have attended, I have been asked by different strangers if I am currently singing for a band. So far, I can only reply that no, I am not. I listen for those key parts of conversation that allow for networking and name spreading so that I can rectify that. I also peruse craigslist frequently to see what people are looking for and if it suits what I want to do.

I'm still waiting to hear from the band that I visited a month ago. The interview went well as did the small examples I gave of my singing as the guitarist played his material. I ask if he wants to meet for drinks sometime and quietly slip in the fact that I am waiting to hear back from him and that I am still very interested. This of a sort that isn't over the top. I think once per two weeks is enough to get the point across without annoying the shit out of him. I keep in contact with him because he seems like a straight up kinda guy. I expect that he would tell me if I wasn't in the running because that is exactly what he said he'd do before we even met. It stands that I believe I have a great shot so far for the same reasons - he was impressed and told me so adding that if he wasn't he'd have the balls to say so to my face - but I must admit that I am growing a little impatient. He certainly has as busy a schedule as all of us and he wants to visit all options before making a decision. Fair enough. However, I originally thought that I should let this opportunity pan out before continuing the search for a band. I am beginning to think otherwise. The more folks who hear my singing, the more I realize I'm not starting from the bottom. I have stage presence, excellent pitch and control. And I cannot wait to practice with an original act and play a real show.