Two dozen guitars, one hangover

So last night, in keeping with the journey through my past I seem to have undertaken lately (see the blog below about sorting, purging, and sneezing, etc.), I joined the singer for my first band and a few other guys, some I've known for years, others new to me (one of whom, in a pretty darn funny isn't-it-a-small world coincidence, is the son of my Junior High School Social Studies teacher), in a loud, messy, occasionally inspired, often hilarious (intentionally and otherwise) jam session on the mezzanine of a giant bicycle parts warehouse situated in an industrial part of the East Bay, near where I grew up. Now, if you've ever been in a band, I should tell you this is absolutely the dream rehearsal space. My second band rehearsed in a little honeycomb of mildewy spaces carved out of a decaying building which was apparently once the "Turko Persian Rug Factory" (if you went by the giant chipped and fading painted letters on the outside of the building). It was in the foggiest, foggiest part of San Francisco (and that's saying something), and we had to haul our heavy equipment up and down fetid cement steps, listen to bleed-through from the metal band in the space next to ours, and pay something like—$150? $300?— a month for the privilege. My amp smelled like the Turko Persian Rug Factory for years thereafter.

So to get to the bicycle warehouse mezzanine you had to go up a long ladder flush with the wall—seriously, about as perpendicular as any ladder can get—but I was equal to the challenge as Josh gallantly hauled my guitar up. It's a wonderland up there—cords and equipment everywhere. And there was like this laundry cart full of guitars. I mean—fabulous guitars. The world's best toybox for grownups. It took me back to music day in kindergarten, when we were allowed to poke through a box filled with triangles, sticks and blocks, jingle bells and tambourines. Picking one out always gave me a little thrill. LOL. I brought my '63 Epiphone Melody Maker with me, but I played one of Josh's guitars, a Gibson SG (see the guitar up in the left corner), perhaps most commonly known as the guitar preferred by Angus Young of AC/DC fame. :) And though I was tempted, no, I did not roll about on the carpet, bob my head frantically, or kick my legs about, a la Angus. I rocked with relative dignity. My preferred guitar sound is usually pretty clean and jangly—but last night, I confess, was primarily about crunch. Noise can be delicious.

I'm pretty bloody sedate these days. In fact, disappointing as this may seem, though I've had a lot of fun in my day, I've never been truly wild, band life notwithstanding. I mean someone had to be sober and organized to herd the hairy boys to the gigs, and that was usually me. Plus I usually  had some sort of intense corporate-esque job. Last night, overcome by the heady rock n' roll atmosphere, I drank two whole Miller Lites, which constitutes debauchery for me—I'm all about the Green Tea and Earl Grey. Today I actually have kind of a hangover, for which I've been soundly mocked by Josh Morgon, my singer/friend.

Speaking of Josh: entertaining runs in Josh's family, for sure. His uncle Tim Morgon (yep, Morgon is spelled with an "o" in their case)  was a famous folk singer in his day—people like Steve Martin, David Letterman and Lily Tomlin opened for him at Southern California clubs back in the day. Now, Steve Martin is on my (confusingly eclectic, or so I've been accused) hot guys list—he's handome, hilarious, cerebral, multi-talented and a wee bit tweaked in a pleasant and elegant way. And in Steve Martin's new book, Born Standing Up, he talks about his early days as a performer and mentions opening for a "charismatic, sandal-clad folk singer named Tim Morgon who was so popular that for several months in Southern California his record outsold The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night.”  He's got a lovely voice—if you check out that link, you can hear a little of his music.

And Josh's cousin is the hunky Ted McGinley. If you've ever watched TV in your life, he's kind of hard to miss. You've doubtless seen him on something—Happy Days, Married with Children, The West Wing, Hope & Faith, etc.

Pretty interesting, eh? Says something about genetics. Or something. Josh is a great singer, and his bro Eric is, too, and both are good musicians. Well, we're all decent musicians...in the loosest sense of the word. :) 

I'm  not about to hit the road and play music with any regularity again, or anything. I rather love my writing career, particularly the sitting, writing and drinking tea part of it. But playing music is undeniably fun, and guitars are gorgeous (and they smell good! Did you know guitars have a smell?? As do the men who play them. Ha!) and we're thinking we might record some stuff en masse, and Josh might videotape us. If we do, and it's not too humiliating, I'll post it here and on MySpace, etc. I'm into spreading the joy. Stay tuned! (<---ha! musician pun!). And now it's back to writing The Dangers of Desire. I'm just about to lead my hero and heroine into temptation...and that's some serious fun.

Comments

[Diana]

That is a lovely-looking guitar. I wish I could play the guitar. In elementary school, I played the violin, and in middle school I played the flute in band. I wasn't particularly good at either instrument. :P

Anywho, it'd be neat to see you rock out, Julie.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

[Lareign]

You know what I think is fun? Band names. Heck I just googled "worst band names" and got tons of fun stuff. Band names I don't like: Nickelback, Puddle of Mudd, Goo Goo Dolls, Panic! at the Disco! Limp Bizkit. Awful.

And this article is so hilarious and mean and sarcastic, I must link:

http://www.cracked.com/article_15118_25-most-ridiculous-band-names-in-rock-history.html

Names I like, perhaps because I like the bands: Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie, Arcade Fire.

And I have a running list of things I'd name a band if I had a band to name. Right now, I like "Not Mississippi." Which probably means it's a terrible name. But I got it after thinking "You know, I'd move to just about any state except one..." There ya go.

So, the big question: What were your band names?

[Julie Anne Long]

Hey Diana! Kudos on being able to play the violin and flute. LOL. it's never too late to learn guitar! Actually, the world seems to have a dearth of bass players, so I recommend that. LOL. I feel like *everyone* should be able to play at least one instrument a little bit -- making music (or something that *approaches* music) is a nice feeling. I made a few violin and cello attempts over the years. :) Once you learn one thing with frets, it becomes a sort of transferable skill. LOL. I would love to be proficient at either of them -- particularly the cello. Have a groovy weekend! Enjoy listening to the rain! FINALLY we get a significant amount -- we've needed it.

Band name! Oh man, that's a great link, Lareign. What a crackup most of those are! Some of those band names I actually kind of like, though, like Toad the Wet Sprocket (I met those guys at Rough Trade records in the Haight -- they were quite pleasant.) How could they leave out Milli Vanilli (or did they count as a band??) What about The Baby's?? What a terribly odd name for a band. A band I actually liked. LOL. Or Men Without Hats? Confusing band name: Boards of Canada, who are basically two guys from Scotland (cool band.) I always kind of liked Panic! at the Disco, apart from the weird punctuation. It's very evocative. LOL. I love the band (and the name of the band) Guided by Voices. Maybe I'd name a band after the Jane's Addiction song, "Standing in the Shower, Thinking." LOL. I like the idea of a random comma in a band name.

Band naming is unbelievably difficult, boy. I remember the naming summit for my first band. Lord. Things like "The Scrubbing Bubbles" and "Screaming Blue Hats" and several other QUITE unmentionable names were bandied about. We became The Examples. It was a name no one hated, which also meant it was a name no one really loved, but that's how it goes. I cannot for the life of me remember how we came up with that. My second band was called Orphan Choir, after a record found in a thrift store. I like your band name!! It's way cool. Might have to steal it (though I have no idea how i feel about Mississippi.) I think I'll call a band The Perils of Pleasure. :) It's all about the tie-in, you see.

[Kathy K]

LOL... Hmm, how does a contemporary rock band tie in with Regency historical? Sounds like it'd be a *very* interesting connection ~ if one could be made. Of course THE PERILS OF PLEASURE would be a dandy band name!

As for playing music I spent 4 years, or so, learning piano but, along with my sister, complained loudly and long enough that my mom finally gave in. Of course years later we told her how much we regretted that so when my youngest brother started with the piano, mom and dad kept at him to continue... of course I think some of it was due to his incredible talent. Now of course Jon plays nearly any instrument going ~ although he says that the violin isn't at all a cooperative instrument. Playing, and knowing, music the way he does enabled him to get a job teaching music in England ~ where he's been now for 2+ years already. Nice if you can get the work.... *sniff*

Aaannnyway ... Loved the link Lareign ~ sure had a lot of uh, interesting? comments. And some of those names were pretty odd ~ but I, too, liked a number of the bands listed.
All's I can say is it's a good thing that I never had to come up with a name for a band or a title for a book... I suck!

[Kathy K]

Oh, BTW ~ and I can't believe I forgot about it ~ I'd LOVE to see any video clips of you and the band... that'd be awesome!

[Diana]

For a period (very, very brief one) I attempted to learn the bass guitar on my own. Needless to say, I was unsuccessful. It didn't help that I rarely practiced. :P

Although we do need rain here, I don't like it. I'm glad it'll be nice weather-wise for a while. I hope it stays nice next Friday (my birthday). :)

[Julie Anne Long]

You're right, Kathy -- that'll take some acrobatic thinking to tie in a loud band with a Regency book! LOL. Although...both DO have passion, drama, humor and men (make that *people* -- if we include me) with unruly hair. :) What was that movie some years ago -- First Knight?? I'm just guessing at the title, but i know i was Heath Ledger, in I think some sort of Lancelot story, with a modern rock soundtrack? I never saw it, but I remember thinking at the time, "what a goofy idea." LOL.

Cool about your brother, too!! Some people are like that -- they just pick up instruments and AWAY they go. And I admire him for being good enough to consistently teach instruments! I don't consider myself an expert, per se, at any instrument -- virtuosity was never really my goal. I *desperately* wanted to write songs and play them, so I taught myself and sort of dove right in. So I'm probably a *competent* guitar player (perhaps a little better than competent), and I can play piano, bass a little, drums a little, just about anything else a *little.* LOL. The concepts are the same once you get your hands on an instrument, and you can kind of figure it out and torture some kind of music out of it. Oh -- but I just don't seem to have enough wind for saxophone. I'm better with frets and strings and things you thump. LOL.

Funny re the bass, Diana. :) I have a friend who once said to me, "I want to *know* how to play bass. I don't want to *learn* how to play bass." LOL. Cold here tonight, isn't it?? And happy almost birthday, December girl!! Where are you going to dinner for your birthday (because I know you'll be going out to a dinner or two!!)?? :) you'll have to post a little review of the meal here. LOL.

[Diana]

Hey, Julie. I'll be having dinner on my birthday at a Japanese restaurant in the Richmond neighborhood called Chin's and probably just have lunch at California Pizza Kitchen the next day--nothing too fancy schmancy.

[Office 2010]

I’ve been opened to listen and understand what the bible says..god