More from the Westgate Cavern

Today is Scott Hutchinson's birthday. I'm doing my part, with clumsy fingers, to keep Frightened Rabbit's music alive.

To distract myself from the violence

I first saw this band during Holler last March. A couple of things impressed my about this Columbus band: they write their own songs, play no covers, and they do not suck.

What I thought was missing was one key song. The arrogant A&R guy in my wondered where the hit was.

They're getting closer, a lot closer.



Good stuff here.

In other music news I bought an Ibanez AS73 on eBay a couple of weeks ago on a very good auction win. Took it in to my guitar teacher and he went nuts over the instrument. He was very impressed.

Had my lesson tonight and the luthiers in the shop told me he bought an Ibanez they brought in this week. Not the model I have, but an upgrade. I went to the practice room, saw it on the stand and asked him if I should get a referral fee from Ibanez.

Then we worked on Downtown. Yes, the Petula Clark song.

Had a blast tonight. Needed it.

Me and J.K. Simmons get together on Wednesdays

After the crazy horror show that has been running the past few years, this year I've decided to bring some sense of joy back into my life. It was there all along, but the arsenal is increasing.

I bought the Rickenbacker 330 back in May to fulfill a dream I had, bought an little amp to go with it and the hobby has worked out. So much that I started taking lessons a couple of months ago with a highly qualified teacher who smacks me in the head when my finger placement is wrong. I need this, my training for the last 35 years of playing a guitar was nil. So here were are and I look forward to the half hour each week.

Also decided to get my beat up acoustic guitar, that I have had since the late eighties, a new set up. The folks at Guitar House Workshop fixed the bridge and nut, lowered the action and put new strings on. It's like I have a brand new guitar. It has never played so well, not even when new.

While this was happening I bought a better amp.

After that happened this happened.



It's a Hofner Verythin. Very cool Chinese made guitar with German origins. As its name says, it is very thin. I love how light it is and the thin neck. Sounds very versatile and takes the effects pedal well. I had never played one before purchase, so it was an unknown. But my wife said if I did not like it, I could always sell it.

I'm not selling it.

As far as my ability, some of it is going slow. It's hard for me to remember the note changes, and learning the tablature language is difficult for me. But there is improvement, and the fun is there.

Remember the fun people!

Because life is too short.

Tonight in parenting

I am very self conscious about my guitar playing. I think I suck and there is very little that would convince me otherwise. When my son was younger, I'd break out my acoustic and play it. He would come up to me and put his hand on the strings and mute them with a very earnest 'stop playing, Dad' look on his face.

My neighbors have noticed me playing back there. One of them told me his dad was quite the musician back in the day. Very versatile, played a lot of different instruments. I said I hoped it was not too loud. He said he could not really hear me play, but could see me. Is that a sign for me to crank it up?

Recently I had my acoustic fixed. It's been cleaned, restrung and had bridge and nut work done so it is a lot easier to play. It's like I have a brand new guitar, it never sounded this good before.

Tonight I was playing the electric in the back room when my Son wandered into the kitchen and looked toward me. I invited him back to sit, and he did. I played a bit on the guitar and he remained seated, whatever I was playing did not seem to be harming him or he would have left the room.

I put on some records as he's still listening to what I put on his iPad. Since he's been listening to I Want You Bad by NRBQ I put that on, and he sat and listened. Then I put the Left Banke on as he's still really enjoying Pretty Ballerina and seems to like She Will Call You Up Tonight.

Put a new one on for him. I know he likes the acoustic stuff so I put Mumford & Sons 'Sigh No More' on for him and he really reacted positively to it. He was listening intently, rocking front to back in the chair. Real connection. So I put it on his iPad while he was still in the back room. As he picked up his iPad to go upstairs I told him I put the Mumford & Sons on there for him.

I returned to the back room and about ten minutes later my wife came back to say she could hear Winter Winds coming from his room.



This kid amazes me.

Was I surprised, yeah, was I surprised, no not at all

After my son's six year old iPad finally broke I replaced it. The music that was on the old one did not transfer over for whatever reasons so I ended up doing the selection all over again.

I know some of what he listens to, but most of it was a guess and, I admit, projection on my end. So, yes, I loaded his iTunes with what I would have liked to listen to in 1978.

Who can say what a non-verbal, fourteen year old kid with autism will play? He likes acoustic numbers, or acoustic guitars with jangly electric. Nothing really loud, heavy or punk. He likes watching the early Beatles material on DVD. Yes, this type is very familiar to me.

He's been playing Walking in the Rain by The Ronettes on repeat. I caught him listening to it a few weeks back and he had a very sad look on his face. All I said was, "Yes, that's a beautiful song." This morning's playlist was the opening bars of Badfinger's Come and Get It, the opening riff of Tom Petty's American Girl and Maryanne With the Shaky Hands by The Who.

The huge surprise is his love of Pretty Ballerina, the other hit by the Left Banke. He will play this one over and over. I put a fan made video on for him and he watched it. I even found a copy of the album AND the 45 and played it for him in the backroom, where he sat and patiently listened as he rocked himself back to front while looking at the album cover.

I do not know what's happening in his head, but I am honored that he likes some of the music I do. We are thrilled that he is listening to music that is more grown up. He also does not come up to me when I am playing guitar anymore, the times he stopped me from playing by putting his hand on the strings with a look that said, "Stop Dad." Maybe he likes my rendition of Eight Days A Week on the Rickenbacker?

Life is too short, so I did it

For a minute I was worried the world would blow up while a dream was in transit. I looked in local pawn shops and the guy at Sam's was very cool with good banter as he let me play the 360 they had. Also the people at Sam Ash were kind enough to let me play a new 360 even though it was not what I wanted to pay. Found it on ebay, from a guitar shop in Phoenix who did a great job packing and shipping the instrument.



Rickenbacker 330. It's new, and it's mine. Wife said she was not going to stand in my way. My Aunt's planning made it possible, and she would have agreed too. So there it is. Wanted one for about 40 years and now I can play one whenever I want. It's lovely, I'm building my callouses again and it's what I wanted. (Although the Epiphone Casino is pretty sweet)

I like the amp too. Stereo loud. I have no plans on upgrading the amp to annoy the neighbors but am looking at pedals.

It has me playing again, with noted improvement over the last three days and I walk around the house with it.



But mostly, since I have no plans on going to the studio or touring, it's for The Back Room.