Date: Tue, 09 Apr 1996 23:25:37 EST
From: Jim
To: Aaron, Tom, Anthony, tomclu@aol.com
Subject: stuff

Fellas,

This time, my wife *really* might come to watch practice on Friday night. (She was gonna last week, but wasn't feeling well.) Aaron: I told her about the gin and tonics and she was like "I'm there!" :-)

Talked with Doc Watson lady. (Actually, I left her a message and then she left me a message back.) We can talk more on Friday about it. Some quick things:

We open. There is one other band (called The Zealots). They go on about 11:30 or midnight. We go on about 10:00. But the lady said to hold off until 10:15 or 10:30 if there is not one there.

She said we get either two 40 minute sets or one 1 hour set. She also gave me the phone number of the Zealots in case we want to get together with them and share amps or drums or mics and micstands. (By the way, Tom, I bought a Shure SM-58 mic one sale at Sam Ash the other week. It is *the* standard live mic.)

I *don't* think, though, that we should try to share stuff. I can just see the other band not showing up until later. And there we are with no equipment. Conversely, if we let them use of OUR stuff, then we have to wait around until they're done (1 a.m.?).

I'll assume we'll just mic Tom and perhaps Ant, too. But let's go natural for the rest of the amps and drums. (I guess; I've never seen the place.)

What should I say on the postcards? We start at 10:00 sharp? Or, 9:30? (Too early.) Or 9:45? Fuck it, I'll say 10:00 and we'll figure to get on about 10:15 or so.

What do we want? A 1 hour set? Or, divide our set into two halves? I lean towards one longer set (our usual set, plus . . . if we want we can sneak in one or two new things). We'll try to time ourselves on Friday.

Ant, can you email me the chord charts for the last few chords on your new F# song? I have NO CLUE what you're doing.

Ummmm ... I guess that's all for now.

--Jim

Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 02:01:22 EST
From: Jim
To: Aaron, Tom, Anthony, tomclu@aol.com
Subject: Philly gig

Aaron,

I hope you get this email. I tried to call you a few times on Tuesday night. What is the deal with Wed night? Do you have to go to class? Did you get out of it?

Let us know ASAP.

If you *have* to go to class, when can you leave it? Can you have your drums already loaded in the car (if not in the parking lot of school than at least in another car in your driveway)? That would save you a LOT of time.

Basically, what time can you be in Philly? Load time is 8:30 at the bar (but, I think as long as we're in before 9:00, we're OK). But, I don't want the booker getting worried (not to mention us, either).

We'll probably get to your house about 7:45. Will you be there? If not, will your parents be there?! Important: let them know we're coming by to pick up the amps. We'll then meet you in Philly.

The bar is Doc Watson's Pub. It is at 216 South 11th Street (between Walnut and Locust streets). Best way to get there is to go south on 295. Then get on Route 70 and/or Route 30 West (head towards the Ben Franklin Bridge). Once you go over the Ben Franklin bridge, get onto the Vine Street Expressway (or just plain old Vine Street).

Then, go south (left) onto Broad St (the main north/south street in Center City Philly). Go *around* City Hall (staying on Broad Street). About 4 blocks south of Broad Street, make a left (you'll be heading east) onto Locust Street. Go to 11th Street (about 4 blocks). Make a left. The bar should be on that block. Phone # of the bar is (215) 922-3427.

Many of those streets are one-way, so don't improvise if you don't have to. I've given you the streets taking into account one-wayness.

Here is an attempt at a picture. If your email reader makes these characters in a proportional font (like Times Roman or something) it will come out shitty. Try to make your screen fonts Courier.

 ------Vine Street / Vine St. Expressway----====Ben Franklin
      +                                           Bridge
      + /(city hall)
      +/                   +      +
   ---O---Market Street----+------+-----+----
      +                    +      +     +
  ---------Chestnut Street-+------+-----+-------
      +                    +      +     +
   ---------Sansom Street--+------+-----+---
      +                    +      +     +
  ----------Walnut Street--+------+-----+----------
      +                    +      +  THE+BAR! 
   ------Locust Street-----+------+-----+---
                           +      +     +
                        13th St.  +   11th St.

                              12th St.

Let me know one way or the other what is going on, Aaron. Call me at home (I'll check my answering machine). Or send me an email.

P.S. By the way, get psyched. This will be a fun gig; we're got a pretty good set going, I think.

-- Jim

Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 12:09:35 -0400
From: Anthony Marchese
To: Jim Robertson
Subj: Re: Philly gig

we will clearly be playing sans drummer tonight. "...it says here, the unions will never learn. and it says here..."

ak,

woops, ajm, i mean.

Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 01:03:26 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Oravec's email account
To: Lisa (on Jim's email account)
Subject: the gig

Hello Lisa,

Met an awsome babe with huge tits . . . (that's Amy talking).

No, really, the gig went well. Amy and John and Sam and Mizi. Monica and two of her sisters. That was all for us, BUT there were a bunch of other people for the other band, so it wasn't crickets and tumbleweeds.

50 minute set. Ant say, "let's not push our luck with extending it" so we ended after our fixed set. Very tight, very energetic, sound system and balance very good. It dragged a little in the middle (e.g., 150 Miles dragged . . .thought Sam said it was his by far favorite of the night). Then . . . just after we finished and packed up our amps and were getting some final beers . . . Keith and his friend John and girlfriend (----) show up.

So . . . good to see him/them. But too bad they missed it. Nonetheless, they are interested in MLS soccer game with us sometime soon. And they will try to make the May 4 LoveSEXy gig.

Bryan couldn't make it cause he has a new job in Warton that starts at 7 in the morning (computer operated lathe operator . . . or something like that . . . K says he loves it).

After all our worrying, Aaron was on time. Oh, Amy reminded me that Mizi said I was the sexiest band member. I thought she was standing a little close to me when we were looking at janda Bermuda pix in the kitchen.

Hmmm what else? I miss you. :-(

The band after us sux, but they had a bunch of dancing fools for fans. All in all a fun time. And a success . . . I think. I have to de-brief with the fellas. But janda said it sounded better than LoveSEXY.

OK, see you tonight. I'll tape your friends and seiny for you if I get there in time. I call Friday night is landji night.

--Hey, Bobby Simone . . . you geddin any berginer?

P.S. Don;t delete this.

Date: 18-APR-1996 10:04:28.45
From: Tom Rosko
To: Jim, Anthony
CC: Aaron
Subj: good work

hey fellas,

nice job last night. and once again very fun. hey jim and aaron, did you stay for the zealots whole set? how were they? (i wasn't very fond of their opener). ant and i rolled into hillsborough around 1:30 last night and up at 6:30 to get to work (it's not going to be a fun day). later.

shirley

Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 10:18:04 -0400 (EDT)
From: Anthony J. Marchese
To: Aaron Potocny, Jim Robertson, Anthony J. Marchese, Tom Rosko

hey boys,

good gig. solid. aaron, i dn't know how you do it, but the less we pratice the better you play.

jim, you were good and sweaty.

ajm

Date: Sat, 20 Apr 1996 18:14:22 -0400 (EDT)
From: John Oravec's email account
To: Jim Robertson's email account
Subject: RE: the gig

Hi,

You didn't mention anything about Kim's car, Lisa.

Did your boss say that he was thinking of promoting you? Is this a $raise$?

Sam said that about Jim, too - that he is a good song writer. Well, Jim must really be good, if a musical expert like Sam says so.

John and I don't need to go to Ct on the 11th, because we'll have seen M&D on the 4th when they come here. It's closer for you than us.(CT that is). I won't schlep John there until the summer.

We're going to see "flirtingW/ disaster" Gotta run

Amy

FROM: Jim Robertson's email account
To: Anthony Marchewse
CC: ROBERTSON
Subj: hellooo

hey antny:

here's my two cents on the tape: listened to it last weekend laying on a park bench in the sun, so results may be skewed (to the positive). my street is definately the song to open with. did jim tell you about my dream about it? in a bar, band on stage, opening riffs to my street. in the dream i was really psyched because it sounded so good. looking around, other patrons also into it. then a band member (you or jim) leaves the stage. goes to side to vomit. doesn't come back. instruments drop out one by one. awkward silence.

rest of tape: 150 miles dragged. but we all know that. Good driver 8, though i prefer american girl. i think patrons will prefer driver 8. lorain great. you're quite the song writer. Hazel and the rest very good. definately sounded like the best performance so far. really.

looking forward to saturday. passed out some cards at work (law students mostly). i think my paralegal will come.

hawaii!!!!!!!!! most excellent. :) happy for you. jealous for me.

most go aerobecize. class started in january. 30 people. i'm now one of six. painful.

later, lisa

Date: Thu, 02 May 96 11:42:22 EDT
From: Tom Rosko
To: Jim Robertson
Subj: doc watson's comments

hey jim,

i got the tape and comments from anthony yesterday. good comments good tape (especially considering it was a walkman in front of your bass). what's lovesexy address again? stitch said he was coming and supposedly he will be bringing about 4-6 friends.

comments: general- nice job, very tight set, limited mistakes (nothing at all glaring except the roseland 3/4 part) overall much better than d-bar as far as consistancy. yes, too much nonsense inbetween songs, but we are getting better. set is good (maybe flipflop lorain and driver 8). as far as people getting sick of hearing the same songs by us or even the same set, i don't think that's going to happen. yes, we've heard the songs 100s of times and played the set dozens of times (including practices) but those who have heard us more than once (which aren't that many (i think monica tops the list with 4 times)), won't get sick of hearing the same songs, but i think quite the opposite, I think they'll like them better because they'll become recognizable. Especially since the songs are kinda muddy and escpecially since my voice is incomprehensible (as far as understanding what i'm saying) i think our "fans" enjoy it more the more they hear it (unless they think a song really sucks (which can't be) and even then maybe it would grow on them).

my street: great opener and very tight ; it's nice to sound immediately warm. yeah, that's aaron's new snare (i forgot he bought a new one and didn't really notice it at the gig).

instrumental e: ,always good and a pleasure to sit back and listen to.

hazel eyes: good as usual, however i've notice that we've (you, ant and aaron), never come in exactly together after the count (usually ant is a little ant (sorry ant for my jerkiness)).

roseland: a little tough on the 3/4 but well done; my last "ignored" I stepped away from the mic in disgust for dramatic flair and effect so my voice trails off (i do the same thing on "smolderinnnnggggggg").

lne: good

150 miles: i think it sounds great! seriously. during the gig i thought oh, man this is dragging., but upong listening to the tape i think it sounded great. i liked aaron's drum beat. and as sam recognized, you gotta love that taffy pulling beat. could have stood for more building (softer to louder gradually throughout the song), but who has time to work out those kind of nuiances.

lorain: just a great song, and we do it justice. no you didn't mess me up jim with your singing. during the "sweet lorain" scream i did the colin hay/bachelor party gravel voice kid mic thing (i put the stand way up high and tilted down the mic and sang to the ceiling in order for maximum air intake).

GSB: i was thinking partridge family but came out with vinnie, rueben, looked at you and said "sandy", and "i'm shirley".guitar out of tune but sounds o.k. another great song to which we do justice. i love your voice ant (i don't know who else would concur with me, but) "i'd rip open my chest and cleave my heart in two so that the spurting blood would spill..." nice ice scream (i like the doubling of screeeeeeeeeee eeeee aaaaaeeeeeemmmmmmmm.

driver 8: solid. never a strong singing song for me (it's a lower register and less inflected (also i try to stay away from the country twang it could have 'cause i don't do it well) and it was at the end of the set.

pearl: always a joy to play and to listen and dance to.

nice job all around. gotta run. later.please get me the lovesexy address if you have it jim, thanks. and please forward this to anthony.

tjr

Jim's comments about the Doc Watson's gig tape (Wed, April 17, 1996)

1. MY STREET

It should be: "Good evening, we are alt.sex.dentist. I hope you like the show-we do." Immediately, "1, 2, 3, 4 . . ." CRASH! CRASH! We can make it more dramatic by doing it directly.

Sound quality pretty good for just putting my recording Walkman on the piano in front of me. Guitar a little soft, but bass nice and strong.

Good vocal work. Lisa said you sound immediately warm, Tom. Nice consistent backup, Ant.

Aaron's snare sounds so crisp! Listen to it during Ant's solo. Rosk: "subways" again during the last verse! : Nice pork barrel lyricism (Delaware and Skuykill). Can hear Ant counting off the ending. GREAT guitar riff to end. SOLID ending.

2. INSTRUMENTAL E

Nice transition into this. Guitar a little soft to really hear the nice wicka wickas. Live it was probably good, just on the tape it's a little soft.

Nice powerful first break part. I might have gone to the second break part earlier than usual. I think Ant and I made eye contact, but Aaron lags behind. Not too bad.

3. HAZEL EYES

Nice tight version. Good vocals. Nice guitar on the "take down" during the third verse. You let it ring, Ant, and then got some feedback before turning up the notch. Very cool!

Aaron does some funny (but good) drumming during the second part of the third verse. Kind of syncopated.

4. ROSELAND

There is a built-in break before this song. We need to shorten it. Ant, as SOON as you are done tuning, start hitting the G(weird) chord. I'll count it. Aaron waits for me. I'll be there. Don't wait.. Tune and start playing.

Early on I hit a slightly wrong note. No bid deal.

In first ¾ part it is a little awkward. I think Ant and I are there, but Aaron is lost. Luckily, we all hung in there.

Same problem in the second ¾ part, too.

Ant, not enough distortion and volume during the solo/instrumental verse. D-Bar was better for distortion and volume during this.

Nice vox work, Tom. But you might have run out of air on the last "ignored." :

5. LEAVING NEW ENGLAND

Hey! Not a bad transition! We went in pretty quickly!

A couple of times (beginning of second verse) Aaron does some "half-time" drums (hits the snare every OTHER time or something). But what can I say? We can do this song in our sleep.

Nice feedback at the end, Ant, but does this song leave a little hanging (as opposed to crashing to an end)?

6. 150 MILES

You can hear Tom yell for the bossa nova before this song. You can also hear me abort an attempt to accompany Tom on the birthday theme.

Again, too long of a pause here. We need to shorten this down time.

Ant: I thought you were going to start the song with four measures of C, and then the first C would be the FIRST C of the song. Instead you went right into the first verse. Nice job holding back, Tom. Do you hear the bass cue I gave you (bum, bum, bum).

Aaron did a completely new way of drumming in this song. When he kicks in it sounds good, but most of the rest of it drags to me. I liked what he did better in rehearsal. When we were playing this I just buried my face in my hair and started at the neck of my bass. I didn't want to look into the audience. If we want to continue this song, we need to work on it.

Interestingly, Sam told me afterwards that it was by far and away his favorite of the evening and the song he thought most interesting. He liked the push-pull of the song, and seemed to think that Ant and I were playing contrary part (on purpose and to a good effect). Then again, he likes free-form jazz.

Ant, when you kick back in NOT ENOUGH DISTORTION and VOLUME. When we kick back in we want the audience to feel it in their chests.

Aaron and I didn't really hook up well for the last BUM that ends the song.

Who was that who screamed after the song? And Rosk, your reaction was vintage "thank you, we try" material. Not too much time goes by before we start LORAIN, but we could still have shortened it.

7. LORAIN

Oft-times my favorite. I think we do this version justice. Nice "crack" vox, Tom. I tried to join you vocally for one "then you walked around the flats" part. I can't discern it on tape. Did I fuck you up or was it OK?

LOVE the "CUYahoga . . . CuyaHOGa" lyrics (writing and delivery). Had never really listened to it closely before.

Does this ending work? I like it, but does it provide a good ending for the fans?

8. GARDEN STATE BUILDING

Too much pause before this. Who the hell did you intro us as? Vinnie, Ruben, Sandy, and Shirley?

Did it start a little slow and then did we try to pick it up during the first chorus (instrumental) part? Ant, you can hear the slight out-of-tuneness of your guitar in the beginning. Nice on-the-fly work.

Nice "ice cream," Ant. I think we were all expecting to end about five seconds before we did. Nice recover, I suppose.

9. DRIVER 8

We waited too long to start it. I know Ant had to tune up. But you can hear he was done BEFORE I started bossa noving. Ant, ALWAYS interrupt me. Even if I'm diddly-doing around, just yell "1, 2, 3, 4!" and start. I'll be there!

A solid version. Tom, is your vox going? Ending weak.

10. PEARL / TOYKO SALSA

Now, Ant, at the end of DRIVER 8, you guitar kind of hangs there sustaining. IMMEDIATLEY start the D strum of PEARL. We've got plenty of intro to DRIVER 8 for Rosk to say it's our final song. Go RIGHT AWAY. Don't rest; play right in. Let the chord sustain for a few seconds, but don't mute it. Go from sustain to D strum.

Nice energetic PART II. Decent ending. I still think we should perhaps extend the last C chord a little longer. (You know how we extend the last D chord of HAZEL EYES? D D D D D D D D bum, bum, A . . .)

Always plug the next gig, Tom. Always! :

GENERAL COMMENTS:

You can see that it times out to EXACTLY 45:00 minutes. Which is good, actually. It is right where we want to be.

A very solid effort. Very tight. Very few mistakes. It, again, tended to get a little bogged down in the middle (150 MILES was a big culprit). And we still need to tighten transitions. Yes, we were better than the D-Bar, but still too much fucking around.

I had a lot of fun, too. It was cool to play for some other people who were there early for the other band. I think we held our own.

The stage was SMALL (I almost rammed Aaron and Tom a couple of time with my bass neck). But the sound system was good! I could hear you guys vocally better than in past gigs, and I think you could hear yourselves, too. Amy and John said the sound balance (volume and mixing) was MUCH better than LoveSEXY.

I'd like to try to fit in two new songs for LoveSEXY. If we cut down on transition, that will free up 3:00 for one song. And, if 150 MILES cannot be revived that is space for another. Or . . . we can take out DRIVER 8.

ALL the other songs are very good. We could do this exact set at LoveSEXY and sound great. But, we still want to keep it interesting for ourselves. Plus, people like Monica will have heard basically the same set three or four times now.

What are your comments about the tape and the songs?