It's been awhile...more gigs

So yes, it has been awhile.

Sub gig
The gig I mentioned earlier for subbing is 'The Robber Bridegroom' which will be running at the Theater Building Chicago from Feb 13th through March 29th. I will be subbing in on the Sunday matinees from Feb 22nd through the end of the run. I'm also filing in on 1-2 other nights. I will be playing my New Standard Cleveland for this show. It's blue grass...I don't know if I'm going to be amped/mic'd or not. I'm not worried. It's a pretty small space and my bass is loud. The instrumentation is 2 fiddles, banjo, guitar, and bass. No drums [sadly]...I think the sound of the band would take on a whole new dimension if that had someone playing snare w/brushes or rods. The only parts of this show that are striking me as 'odd'....the band will be costumed & on stage. I'm a sub. The guy I'm subbing for is a lanky/thin guy. I am no where near thin. Sizable beer belly is a good way to look at it. I'm hoping a plaid shirt & jeans will suffice. The stage part-isn't a big deal to me. I've played in this space before. There is no other place for the band to be, but on stage.

Zombie Prom
I was contacted by Daniel Singer to play for a Jr. High Production. Ok, get the laughs out of the way. This show is fun. The bass books has a lot of freedom and the book as is, is a blast to play. However, the freedom is great so that I can modify the parts to be more 'like me'. I'm not sure who the original player was or how much of the book was written out. There's about 3 fills that happen a ton. I like them, but eh-I've changed them a bit. The kids are great. When I was learning the book, I thought 'are middle school kids really going to pull this off?' I've gotten my answer. Yes they can...it's like the Obama slogan all over again. I live in Chicago and am in the liberalish community-that slogan comes up in a variety of capacities quite often.

The show is out in Glencoe, IL. There's a Metra station about 10mins from the theater/auditorium-so that's how I get out there. Danny brings me home when it's an evening deal and I take Metra home when it's an afternoon deal.

Gear on Zombie Prom
Yes, I am trying to keep the gear part of the blog consistent. Sometimes, I fail. As you all can tell, this concerns me oh so greatly.

When I listened to the 'Zombie Prom' album, I was happy. The bass tone is typical modern theatre bass. More than likely it was recorded on a 'jazz bass on steriods'. Sadowsky, Alleva-Copolla, Lakland w/an active pre, etc. Probably an active bass strung with round wound strings. This is a good thing for me as I have a bass that gets that sound in spades. Surprise!! Yes, I am playing my StingRay5 w/rounds on this show. I'm using the classic smiley EQ on this...on my onboard preamp I have it setup like this: treb slightly boosted, mids flat, bass slightly boosted. I am using the bridge coil w/the dummy coil. I need to have my electronics looked at as this is the only position that is humbucking for me....not good.

Amp-the tried and trusty, SWR WM12. I'm not going direct so I am able to turn it up a bit more. Great sound, reliable, and was easy to take on the train.

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes Closed!
My recap of GPB at Circle Theatre in Forest Park. It was a blast to play. The run was pretty long [November to Jan 31st]. The arrangements that Allison Kane did were beyond amazing. I did 'Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend' at a show case from a piano vocal book...the arrangement was horrible. Allison's version? Wow. I was fine with playing that 3 times a week for a few months. Heck, A lead sheet of it would have the possibility of making it into my Slam set. The other band people were great. I can see myself calling them for work. The actors were extremely nice and appreciative. The theatre staff/tech people were nice . All in a all, a fun time.

I'm Cam, this is my Tie, and we're Cam's Tie.
Yes, I'm still leading a trio backing the Uptown Poetry Slam at the Green Mill. Marc Smith (So What) likes the group. I've got Diana Lawrence on piano and Scott Hirtenstein on drums. I couldn't ask for better people to spend a few hours with. They're both amazing musicians and I am lucky that they have room in their schedule to jam with me. I've been playing 2-3 times a month since October when I subbed in with the Weird Sisters. I owe Bonnie Shadrake and the Weird Sisters& Stranger Brothers a huge thank you for landing this gig for me. Not only was it blast subbing in with you guys, I've never felt more comfortable on a stage than for the Poetry Slam.

The next dates Cam's Tie is backing the Slam at the Green Mill: Feb 15th, March 15th, March 29th. If you come to the Slam and read this, be sure to say hi. I'm the guy with the tie, big bass, and when I'm not on stage....in the back by the exit with a beer in my hand. Yeah, even though I love playing for a packed house, once I'm off the stage the crowd freaks me out a bit when it's uber packed. Hence, near the exit [where it's less crowded] and with a beer [makes the crowd seem easier to be around]. As always, there is a $6 cover and the Green Mill is 21+ only. Preshow music by Cam's Tie starts at approx 6:45PM, Open Mic at 7PM, The Featured Guests at 8PM, and the World's Least Competitive Slam at 9PM. We wrap up around 10PM.

Sorta ties into Cam's Tie...Slam Related
I was asked to back Marc Smith (so what) for a presentation on Uptown & The Slam a few weeks ago. I forget the exact date...it was a Monday afternoon the day after my trio played. That was a lot of fun. It was an information session for some teachers from Loyala Academy...I think they were all working on their Masters Degree. They seemed nice. Marc did some poetry, I backed him up, and life was good. It was a bit weird being at the Green Mill when it was light out...and I think around 1PM.

Next post will include 'Evita' with Theo Ubique, 'Zombie Prom' wrap up, a potential new music toy.