Shinybass Journal Entry 05-11-21

The Answers

Welcome back!

Well, I say welcome back like you’ve actually been somewhere lately. The truth of the matter is that whereas we have been “here” riding out this storm, my website has been hanging out. Literally just sitting there, waiting for the admin (THAT WOULD BE ME) to update the software (OF WHICH I WAS SENT NO LESS THAN TEN REMINDER EMAILS), and here I am, just plugging away, waiting for news or work or something, and then, when there is a little light peeking through, I was going to update and BAM. Nothing. It’s like finally getting a driver’s license and getting ready to drive to a friend’s house for the first time and the car won’t start. So what do you do?

That’s right – we call a friend who tirelessly labors for a weekend to get it all up and running again. So, I cannot sleep well at night knowing that there is much to talk about and catch up on and NOT tell y’all. So here’s to friends: old, craggy, jaded, bitter, and mad at me for not backing up my website enough-type friends who take precious time to get my ship back on course, and friends who are genuinely interested in what I have so say on here. So here I am, baby. Here I am.

I played my first live show when I was 13 years old. I knew half of three different songs, and we set up in the living room at a friend’s house for a pool party. Here are a couple of side notes about that gig. for my amp, I plugged into a stereo with a Radio Shack Y-adapter in the input and the cassette player on ‘REC/Pause’ at the same time. I used a pawn shop bass, a short scale bass I’ve never seen since. I miss that bass, of which I would love to find one like it. Anywhoo… I am still in touch with some of the people who were there that day, which blows my mind. You know what else blows my mind? That I have lived on the road for the better part of 25 years, and in 15 months I’ve had 2 in-person shows. Talk about a fish just flopping around out of water. But you know what? I am certainly not the only one dealing with this odd feeling, but it’s also made me take some long looks around. At first glance, I realized how lucky I am on so many levels to do what I do, and to have the tools I need to make great music. For that I am extremely grateful.

I like to tour, I like to play music. It’s fun. You know what’s NOT fun about it all? Port-a-potties. Yeah, I said it. The ugly truth. We are rock stars, but at the end of the day, you know what we want in the middle of July? A real air-conditioned bathroom. Something we just can’t seem to get. Now, that’s not every show and every night and every town. At its core, every player on every level has pined for the same thing at some point. It’s out common bond. The 140-degree festival sweatbox. And you know what? I won’t get better. I mean, it just won’t. So you want truth and answers here? There’s truth.

I think that’s about it. I mean, when I am on the road, I truly try and take in everything a town has to offer, with my only restrictions being time and topography. I can’t lead a horse to water nor make them drink, however, I really hope that we (a collective touring group of people) take in more than just the inside of the bus during the course of the day. All the hotels look the same. Get out and see the world!

OK, that’s my two cents on our gigs. But what about you? Once we open up fully where are you going? Are you on a food tour? A ‘see the old high school friends’ tour? If I had an unlimited amount of time and unlimited funds, I would get an RV and see as many National Parks as I could in 3 weeks’ time and document the whole thing. Hmmmm. Anyone want to start my Go Fund Me? I could direct a Netflix show about this right about now.

I had a dream about touring last night. I was sitting around with some touring friends and we were talking about the process in a light-hearted, yet sadly serious string of questions about experience in this world. I remember we were gauging experience in a series of related ‘time stamps’ and references. We were the ‘old guard’ sitting around talking and when I woke up, it got me thinking of a comedy sketch of sorts. To be truthful, daily life as a touring musician is a comedy sketch. We would ask questions like ‘What was your first touring vehicle: Station Wagon, 15-passenger van, or Sprinter Van?’, If someone said Sprinter, we’d all erupt with the “Awww, you ain’t done your time!’ laughter. We talked of paper maps vs. Mapquest vs. Apple Maps, and all about hotels. Ugh, the hotels.

Now shift that back 120 years when musicians were in horse-drawn wagons and amenities like electricity and vehicles started popping up. I’m sure the traveling players of the day saw the younger kids not having to light candles next to the music stands and saying ‘Y’all don’t know how good you got it!’ And look at your fancy promo photos! We had to scribble our faces on animal hides and hand them out…uphill both ways.

To be honest, as crazy as things are, right here, right now is a tremendous time to be alive. I know we watch the news and think otherwise, but I’m sure it was better than the news from 1942 as most of the men were gearing to leave for a place from which they would never return. If you are reading this, then you are here, and that is the most important part. Make a great use of this gift you have been given. It is called the present, isn’t it? So there’s the Answer. Use this gift every day. It’s so simple, right?

So as we ease from crazy to crazy, try and take time for yourself, and remember that with that smart phone and a little savvy, you too can conquer the world. We honestly don’t realize how good we have it. Except when it comes to the old #2. That hasn’t changed much for us musicians since outhouse days, has it? Ahh, well, I’ll be here at home writing music and designing a new festival bathroom option if you need me. So that’s 3 Go Fund Me’s I’ll need now. I can’t even keep up…

See you on the road! (SOON?)

(And special thanks to OSD, Esq, for getting this site back online).