Yo,
Last night I went to my friend Joe’s place to chill out and catch up on music news. For those of you who don’t know Joe is an old roommate and current band mate of my other friend Jerm whom I have mentioned in other posts. Anyways, I went over there expecting just to talk for a bit and maybe have a beer or two, but I was in for a surprise. Joe had invited a couple of his other band mates over for a jam session. These two men named Archie and Jason, are two accomplished musicians and can jam on almost any instrument proficiently. The reason I was so excited for this meeting was because it was a chance to see musicians do what they do best…..create.
Listening to music is a passion of mine and I do listen to a diverse and large range of music. There is something else beyond that though, watching music is an entirely different experience all together. I have been to some big concerts and music fests, but there is something else experienced in a small basement show. What I witnessed last is more like the latter. I like to listen to these guys’ recorded music, but watching them play live (and a jam session on top of that) is truly an experience. There is something surreal about watching an artist create, especially if you like the artists and their works.
Jason had brought along an acoustic guitar and had used a custom tuning (I cant remember all 6 string notes exactly but it was custom) that sounded brilliant when he began playing riffs he had come up with earlier in the day. He could easily drop into something that sounded like chugging metal and instantly switch into a slower, more melodic pattern without making it sound forced. Archie’s main prowess is on the electric guitar which he played most of the night, but he also jumped on some bongos and the bass for a time. Joe’s set-up is an electric piano and drum machines but once he had a few patterns to play with he also jumped on guitar.
It was truly a delight to watch these guys work. Although it didn’t always sound great you knew it was cool because it had never been played before. Everything done last night was completely original and improvised. It’s the equivalent of watching a rapper freestyle over a beat they had never heard before. These are the experiences I live for. Even if the music is not always the best, it still gets me going to know that I saw and heard something that only the others in the room will ever witness again.
HERE is a link to one of Joe’s projects called Circuit Jerkis. And Here is the link for one of the first bands with Joe and Archie called Fight Like Sinatra (now disbanded).
If anyone has similar experiences and would like to share drop me a line at brian@indierecon.com.
