Guitartoon

I've been hard at work making graphics to use on band posters.   I want to see how it will look to use cartoonized versions of the players and their instruments instead of photos.   Here's one element:  Mike's guitar.

G&L S-500

A fellow blogger posted the pic I used as a basis for the graphic.

Awesome pickin'

The pickin' was AWESOME, as awesome as a pint of summer on the ides of March.   Fresh as green grass and clear as a quick brook, the low notes kept time as the trebles cascaded, slow and sweet, then faster, and faster.   Wheee!

Permanent sitters on the southwest bench

We both thought he was a student when he asked our go-ahead to play banjo on a bench northwest of the gazebo.   We were relaxing in the shade on the northeast bench after a late afternoon lunch.   The other shady bench, southwest and under the trees, was occupied by more than the bronze statue of a man and boy when we arrived.   A woman sat on the southeast corner ~ each of us held our own sweet slice of space on that perfect afternoon.

"Sure, yes, that would be great," we said, happy for a fellow musician to garnish the air with his music.   Then we continued our conversation about skateboards and their riders, trying to define the elusive quality of skateboarders that bothered authorities enough to target them for special persecution.   We figured it must be the "cool" factor, the 'tude.

"At least here it's not like Iowa City," I told my daughter.   "That ped mall has prohibitions posted on signs and painted on sidewalks, against skateboards and bikes, skates, and other stuff, too.   It's ugly, and it's a constant reminder of how controlled it is."

Wheels are outlawed on Fairfield's downtown sidewalks, too (unfortunately), but not strictly enforced.   From where I sat, I could see two bicyclists and three skateboarders wheeling around the sidewalks, bothering no one, and chatting with their friends on foot.

But back to the music.   The banjo player was no beginner, and although it sounded a little like bluegrass, it was more than that.   More glide, maybe, more dynamism.

A couple walked by, dropped some bills in his open case, and I heard the player ask what they wanted to hear.   They stood and listened.   I had been listening carefully all along, too, because the pickin' was just AWESOME.

His name is Jon Eric, he lives in Iowa City, and he had something to add to the ped mall convo.

"They don't allow this kind of thing, playing music outside like this ~ they have an anti-busking law."   (No open cases or coffee cans, but public pianos?)

I told him that our Open Mic might give him an audience of 50+ local music lovers (like the night before) as an introduction to our scene.   It's a long drive from Iowa City .... but Fairfield has a draw.

"I love this," he swept his arm over the square, "playing in the open air, sharing the love of music.   Bless you all for keeping the music free.   It's all about sharing the love."

A *Cavern* for Fairfield

I made it to the jam in Revelations' basement.   I learned from Jon Estrin why it was called a jam when I asked him the name of the band:  "No name right now.   The poster billed it as Jam because we do not rehearse so it is essentially a jam with a set list."   John Schirmer organized it, and the other members are John Huff on bass, Eric Henderson on drums, and Steve Swygard on keyboard.   Estrin and Schirmer play guitar.

A view of Revelations' storefront shows the entrance door at left.
After your journey through the main room and the side room,
a stairway takes you downstairs at the right of the pic.
You can see the staircase from the sidewalk, and sometimes hear the music, too.

They are the house band for the Cavern, the new venue in the basement of Revelations bookstore.   The name is a nod to the legacy of the Beatles along with the feeling of down-low: low ceiling, low lighting, minimal decor, minimal gate.   Revelations owner Betsy Howland says, "I just wanted a place where I can dance!"   The jam was the Cavern's first act and she is already booked to mid-June, open for odd Saturdays only ~ first and third Saturdays of the month.

With books lining the walls, acoustics are decent.   I'm impressed with the changes since a year ago, thank you Freddy Fonseca, and more changes are coming.   The ceiling had been torn out near the "stage" area to make room for a staircase.   That will improve circulation and make it easier to have a performance in the side room at the same time as a jam in the basement, since right now one has to walk the length of the side room to get to the basement stair.   It would make toting around food and drink easier, too.   Beer, wine, chips and dip were for sale Saturday at the foot of the stairs just before the door to the Cavern, and a donation jar sat beside the door waiting for tips for the band.

Each band decides whether to ask for donations or to charge cover:  Van and the Movers is scheduled next, and they're planning a $5 cover.   [Update: actual cover was $8]

Several musicians were checking out the place when I stopped in.   They like the sound, they like the funky low-down feel, and they are planning to play there.   Looks like Fairfield has a brand-new hot spot!

Jam in Revs basement tonight

Mike'll be there checking out the scene. 

I hope to get to the jam tonight in the basement of Revelations ~ a big meet-up for a bunch of great musicians.   I heard John Schirmer (guitar, vocals) and Jon Estrin (guitar) are going.   I sang with them at the Boogie Shack 3 years ago when Tim Duffy was organizing us into the Los Armadillos group.

Heard "muscular blues" ~ tight, loud, powerful ~ from the reincarnation of Van and the Movers in their debut last night in the photography studio at Josie Hannes Design/Flair Vintage Décor.   Great venue, but she said she's not planning to rent it out.   She cleared almost all of her photography stuff out of there as a favor for her father-in-law's band.

Lo-Cal taste of Sugar Blues

the West African drumming group Foliba
played at the February 22 Open Mic

Coolio musicians meet friendly audiences at Open Mic in Fairfield.   I enjoyed three of these after they started up again in January at Cafe Paradiso.   That alchemy combined with Tuesday's practice when we were developing a new Celtic-bardic-ballad-sounding song and somebody said it might sound nice with just guitar and voice.   The cauldron brewed until Wednesday evening when a new idea wafted up, so I emailed Mike about Open Mic and the notion that he and I could duo as a low-tech taste of our band.

Open Mic that night was beautiful and touching with storytelling, poetry, and singer/songwriter sounds.   Mike liked it and we're getting songs ready for some time soon.

Update, March 12, 2013: We did perform that Celtic-bardic-ballad-sounding song at Open Mic on April 4, 2012.   We call it Would You Catch Me.