A couple of BIG things....

1.) I'm playing in black mountain tomorrow night come visit....8-10 or thereabouts. White Horse Black mOuntain.

2.) "The most ambitious 3d TV programming in history"....well, that's how 3net describes the show listing that includes my new show starting this month. Hillbilly Blood. Tell your friends, find out who actually owns a 3d tv, maybe someone will see it!!!!! lol

3.) Playing in Atlanta in two days.....wanna ride with me? Just holler I'll take a tag along.

Grove Park this weekend and White Horse later this month!

I'll be playin with the redHOT Kat Williams at Grove Park Inn this weekend, stop by for wine or hot chocolate, enjoy the massive fires...also White Horse Black Mtn on the 30th with Current Invention, originals, groovy jazz, dance tunes, and other good stuff! Love 2 c ya

At orange peel in 1 hour

Thursday, Pack Square - Asheville

Jamming out in Pack Square this Thursday 4-6 pm. That's October 6th. Downtown Asheville. Come holler! Woohoo!!

You gotta be freakn kidding - im playin outside. Its snowing. Wind like 50

Inspiration

Well, last night I think I played the best solo ever in my life. It was really emotional, which is weird. The trio was rockin out Armando's Rhumba which has extended solos for piano, bass, and drums. Part of me wished it was recorded but then again, perhaps it was just some treat for the memory. I don't know if it was playing in the All Soul's Church in Biltmore, which was designed for music and the art by the same guy who designed the Biltmore House (GENIUS!). The sound quality was like playing in one of Enya's reverb units or something, which has the potential to be a drumming nightmare, but it was def. a dream instead. Maybe it was feeling like I was playing to heavenly hosts. Or perhaps even the increased artistic appreciation and musical perception that the audience might had, reflected back to the performers. Perhaps it was the perfect weather, or something larger and more universal that has been going on the past few days. Even the wonderful church service I myself was a part of earlier in the day. Either way, there were no cobwebs in the mind, absolutely nothing stood between me and the perfect note; speed and clarity, space and timing, dynamics and accuracy - I've never played so freely and musically in my life. That's saying a lot I assure you! :D So all in all, thanks to those who came out to the benefit yesterday, Sunday. It was a climactic experience for both the listeners and the players of instruments. Kat sounded spectacular in there as well....of course!

UNC-A Quad Saturday!

Come out for a day of...some sort of environmental protest or something! I'll be playing with Daniel Barber at 5:30, and then again a little louder at 8pm. On Sunday there is a benefit concert with Kat Williams at All Souls Crescent Church in Biltmore. We're performing some classic jazz and female vocal pieces from 4-6pm. Stop by, both events are open to the public.

On stage. Stop by!

We Remember

9-11-01

Never let the dry wit of dark sarcasm to lessen the appreciation of all those who serve! The 'truth' is less important than being what you want to see, sharing that with others, and changing the world in a positive way one moment at a time. :D

Fun gig last night, late tho....

Gotta love soundchecks on the fly :D

Clemson here we come

at least we get a van - rawr!

NC state fair next week

the 15th is Thursday, I'll be jammin with RTR on the Bojangles Stage. Come say HI, drum solo in the first set.

Drum Solo, distant Pulsars, Piano, guitar solo, nice mix, deep bass

could all describe one of my recent single releases, "Last Call".
For sale here http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/last-call-single/id452757388 or free under the music tab above :)

Mackie HD1501 update

I continue to be in love with the active subwoofer for my live kit. And twice now the new inclusion has saved the show, no really! A few weeks ago there was a miscommunication between the performers and the stage crew, they expected us to have our own sound system - at a 500 person theater - DOH!!! Ouch. Not good. We didn't bring it. But since I was carrying the 12 channel mixer that I run the Sub through we were able to patch into the main sound system there and make it work. Good thing too. Then the other night the band used the little mixer again in a pinch. I don't like the sound going directo from mic to speaker, not a great idea, low gain, poor tone. But running through the mixers preamps with very little eq adjustment and then on the the HD1501 is a wonderful thing.

Latest Electronic work, "Only What you Say", will be available in the next week!!! The epic work hails from the genre of Progressive House / Trance. Youtube version up in the next couple of days, see Windrider707 link in FRIENDS (below, to right).

NC Mountain State Fair

I'll be playing at 5pm at the Bojangles Stage, Friday, September 15th I believe.....will update. Gnarly drum solo included - :)

Wnc ag center-

killer tenors Blue Devil Drumline

Well, round these parts drumline gets rocking tomorrow morning 9 am. Here's an either inspiring or depressing look at a killer tenor line - and bass - and snare - well, everything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zk11f4ZB41c&feature=related

This Saturday, Brevard High School

Rockin some civil rights era tunes at BHS this Saturday with Kat Williams. Also featuring various keynote speakers and conversations on race relations, including one woman who was in the Birmingham Church when it was bombed back in the day! I think you can get tickets at 828-884-2091.

"Soetoro", with live vid of drum track recording

Soetoro

The song "Soetoro", released this week, will be available for download SOON.  It takes a few days to show up on itunes and others.  Check back.  Other tunes available under the MUSIC tab.

To watch the live drum recording click this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HViXx7v0aTM

First Show with Mackie HD1501 Sub

I would have waited until I had more time in with this speaker system, but it sounded so good tonight I wanted to post it.  It's just what I hoped it would be.  I was spoiled by the impossible-to-transport older Mackie sub box, the 18".  But the 15" is real nice for that desperately needed bass.  Mic placement seems to be the key factor in the whole setup.  I was running at 70% power, just barely running into the yellow light on the subwoofer, and playing outdoors for maybe 200-250 people.  It tightened up the band, saved my foot a lot of work, and kept folks on their feet for the duration.  It even took a few specks of rain - but thankfully I wasn't the only one wondering about how well cymbals conduct electricity.  Or otherwise influence lightning.  But we setup immediately under cover and kept going.  The sound wasn't as perfect for lack of time to fine tune, but it was still great, and simple.  Just be careful, if someone moves your eq be sure to check the trim knob before turning on...

Kick Drum help

Two misconceptions about kick drum sound and mic-ing. One; turning up the low end on the eq will solve a 'lack of bass' problem.  In fact, a good drum with a good mic in the right place will sound full and great with minor tweaks on the eq.  Two; a looser bass drum batter head means lower, punchier sound.  In fact, the words punchy and low are two distinct frequencies, complementing one another.  Experiment with a tighter batter head and various light muffling of the resonant head to reduce overtones. 

A punchy bass with a head tight enough to bounce the kick pedal on, combined with a well placed mic with minor eq tweaking (off mids, a little high boost, maybe a 'little' low) means one thing - killer live sound.

Of course, then you need a good system. :/

p.s. - opinions on kick drum tuning mics and eq and fx are like....well, everyone has one.  Of course, some ARE better than others.

Musician = canary in the coal mine?

Well, I don't have to listen to the economic news it seems.  As folks debate budget gaps, deficits, rich taxes, poor entitlements, and the endless array of political jargon available on your T.V. anytime of day - I say look closer to home.  Musicians feel the winds of economics quickly; weddings pared down, parties less extravagant, travel more constricted.  We are affected by gas prices and are often the first thing to "go" when a formerly wealthy household starts trimming around the edges.  We are also the first thing back.  So, for whatever it's worth, 2011 isn't so bad.  I mean, I've seen more jubilation this year than in the last five; all accompanied by players who were paid to show up and provide high quality live music.  Then again, perhaps music is simply a cheaper/less destructive way to avoid depression, and the feeling is more akin to dancing while Rome burns...only time will tell.

Why this blog?

You may ask yourself the same question I did, and still do, a little.  Why this blog?  Why not just a website where I can send prospective employers to?  Well...here are a few things I came up with.  One, it's cheap.  This blog costs nothing, really, and is much easier to maintain than websites I've had in the past.  Second, my gigging world is a mostly private affair.  WNC has an uber elite network of private clubs, resorts, and second (3rd, 4th, 5th) homes which hold grand parties, great music, but which are unknown to mere commoners.  I truly am curious about other gigging drummers around the world?  Where do you play, who do you meet, what's it like?  I'd love to know - if you ever find this site send me a note.  Until then I'll shed some light on what it's like here in the mountains of North Carolina.  Personally I love playing here.  While it does lack some of the bling of larger city locales, and fewer opportunities especially for starting musicians, we still have waterfalls, creeks, trails, and lots of room to roam. 

I have some ideas for articles to help younger drummers/musicians and to reflect on mistakes and positives made over the years too.  So, think of this blog as a journal of sorts.  If no one else reads it then perhaps I, one day, will find it fascinating and enjoy looking back at the dates and remembering.

Things went well tonight.  I did get into a massive rainstorm and had drums in the back of my truck, but what's a few minutes wait under a closed gas store canopy with good music?   Enjoy this old school track featuring Bernard Purdie & Dizzie G.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKUDANj9G2o&feature=related

nice article on general kick drum tuning - heads

http://home.earthlink.net/~prof.sound/id6.html

This Saturday, Biltmore Park (Arden/I-26)

I will be playing on the green near the Movie Theater and Biltmore Park shopping area (there is a Y over there somewhere) this Saturday from 7-pm with Kat Williams.  Come check us out.  They say it's a really good sound system.  Turn up the kick!

song used in video

This is kind of cool, someone on youtube did an outdoor film project with one of my songs - check it out here;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZBONOB4fFo

(kayaking, nature)

New powered subwoofer

Well, I always dislike the lack of bottom end available at small venues.  No more perhaps!  I just purchased a Mackie 1501 HD subwoofer for kick drum support, small to medium venue gigs.  Stay tuned for a review.

as promised

http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/legendary-song/id447600249?i=447600250

support independent music!

New Music Release by Spencer 4th July, 2011

Reservations Behind, a small collection of similarly themed songs, is being released in honor of this drum page being created.  No really, drumming is something that's been in the background of my life, for, my whole life.  Being a gigging musician is a real trip, the different ways that your passion comes out over years, what you saw in the beginning, in the middle, where you see it now and where it's going.  Having this page as a central point for my visible drumming energies is a success for me.  So, here's a sample tune off of the new CD, available on amazon and itunes, napster and others worldwide as of this week sometime.  They are different, I'm just putting a sample on here for you.  More at Windrider. (see friends)

youtube friend sent this

Nice artwork and cool electro remix....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vaxkll82m8c

"Dream"

New site launched

Well folks...this is a fun outlet for those times when I want to send a funny update from a show but no one at my other businesses could care!  Also it's a portal for potential clients to have easy access for booking and what not.  I look forward to seeing where it goes -