New Song Underground

Very Interesting TED Talk from Elizabeth Gilbert

2010-06-15T23:16:00.002-06:00

Yes, I know that the gaps between posts are getting longer and longer.

No, I don't have any amazingly good news about the future of Underground.

I do, however, have an interesting video (regarding creativity) for you to watch. Here you go:

An Excellent Quote

2010-04-28T12:18:00.002-06:00

"Any electrical filter on an acoustical device is a spatially invariant solution to a spatially variant problem. As grownups we have to decide what part of the space to tune the solution to and let the others go." -Bob McCarthy

I wanted to post this here so I wouldn't forget it.

If you're not into audio nerdery, you're probably wondering what this means. My personal interpretation of this is as follows:

Your friendly, neighborhood audio technician has a responsibility to deploy the PA system at their disposal in some environment. Inside, outside, whatever. That environment has acoustical properties, and the PA has acoustical properties too. Us PA guys most often use equalization (electronic filters) to make the PA system sound good in the environment where we've got it set up, but that's only a patch on any problems that exist. It's entirely possible for that patch to be very good, but it's still just a patch. It is not truly possible to solve an acoustical problem with an electronic solution. To truly solve an acoustical problem, you have to change the room, or change the PA deployment, or both. However, that's usually not possible, so a professional PA operator needs to decide what compromise will work best for the situation at hand, and go with it.

I don't know if the above is truly in line with Mr. McCarthy's original intent for this quote, but I think that it does fit. (My belief is that Mr. McCarthy is really getting at the issue of not being able to have "perfect" sound everywhere in a performance venue, but I think there are wider implications as well.)

This Was Posted on ProSoundWeb

2010-04-05T10:35:00.006-06:00

All I have to say is (and please pardon the implied bad language) "F!@# YES!"

After-Math (PUN!!)

2010-03-09T19:24:00.004-07:00

I've had these materials sitting on my desktop for months, but haven't had the motivation to post them. In a sense, they don't really matter that much.

Still...

The above is a picture I took after the "Christ-mosh" festival. It was a wild night, with tons of people and tons of bands - yet the good management provided by Fire In The Skies and Matchless Records made the night go off without a single major issue.

Now, this here is a chart showing the relationship between show attendees and the number of bands that played a show. The progression is decidedly non-linear, and I would argue that the "sweet spot" is found with a 4-band show. Even though the 5-band shows had better average attendance, 4-band shows are easier to run (from an audio technician's perspective).

You wouldn't think that cutting out one loading cycle and mid-show changeover would be as big of a deal as it is, but speaking for myself, the impact is very noticeable. I feel like the show is just a better experience for bands when things can be done at an unhurried pace - and when the show is better for the bands, it's almost inevitably better for the fans.

The Last Day At 859

2009-12-31T09:57:00.005-07:00

Yesterday, after a very long day of recording and live music, Underground was officially suspended. My final goodbye to the 859 S. building probably won't be for a few days, but closing out our "public" time there with WMCA was a fine way to wrap things up.

Snow! I think a parking lot is around here somewhere...

Ah, the familiar stairs, with the familiar light over the door...and the familiar smashed-up glass blocks.

Recording session.

In a bit of a jam. (Oh...not that funny? Sorry.)

The view from my "office."

Still comin' down...

The obligatory "shakycam" show picture.

Thanks to all who have ever come out to Underground and shaken things up (even if the shaking was quiet, and folksy). The bands and solo performers in (and out) of this town ARE the music business - a thought which venues should always remember.

Just to update you on the potential for a stopgap/ intermediate solution:

It's being worked on. I have some phone calls to make, starting January 2nd.

Best regards to all!

We'll meet again.

Don't know where, don't know when.

But...I know we'll meet again, some sunny day.

-Ross Parker, Hughie Charles

xkcd Is Awesome

2009-12-02T10:46:00.003-07:00

The webcomic xkcd is near and dear to my heart - even though I don't always understand the details in every comic (I'm not a computer scientist, or a mathematician, so some things go over my head.)

The comic is here: http://xkcd.com/#

Be warned - strong language and some NSFW elements are present at times.

So - why do I think xkcd is awesome? Well, for one thing, there are comics like the one I saw today:

Official Announcement of Suspension on 12/30/09

2009-11-17T12:38:00.003-07:00

In text format:

New Song Underground

v1.0: 7/17/05 - 1/27/07
v2.0: 7/26/08 - 12/30/09
v3.0: ?

Suspended - not closed.
Options are being discussed.
Please stand by.

On 11/15/09, the decision was
made to pursue the idea of
moving New Song Presbyterian
to a temporary location (the
Rowland Hall Chapel).

As a result, we will be suspending
New Song Underground as of
10:00 PM on 12/30/09.

A discussion is in progress as to
how to continue to serve the music
community for the duration of
New Song's occupancy of the
temporary space.

This move is ultimately a good
thing, as it will serve to help the
church transition to a permanent
space - which will hopefully house
a new and improved version of
Underground!

Some Notes On
The Economy Of Grace

An artist being able to express
themselves is a human right, not a
privilege for the rich or well connected.

A venue ought to be a partner to artists,
not a predator.

Every band in the world is "a local
band" somewhere. Local bands and
touring acts are equally valuable.

Art is inherently valuable to the artist.
Whether anybody else likes the work
is just commentary.

Your Eyes Do Not Deceive You

2009-11-05T10:37:00.002-07:00

Yes, that is a 10 piece funk band playing "Thriller." (Not that you would be expected to know that they were playing "Thriller" by looking at the picture, of course.)

Interesting Article Re: The Avalon Theater

2009-11-05T10:27:00.003-07:00

I just read a piece about the Avalon on CityWeekly. It's the kind of thing that makes me wonder, "When are they going to start regulating what notes and chords people can play?"

Let me be clear - I'm all for safety, and people taking care of each other. However, at some point, I have to wonder if people beating the crap out of each other is actually the responsibility of the venue, or not.

That is, if somebody goes out of control and starts smashing into other people, is it the venue's fault, or the fault of the person that's hurling themselves into anything and everything?

Anyway, here's the article: http://www.cityweekly.net/utah/article-9581-the-avalon-vs-south-salt-lake.html

Facilities Issues - Booking Suspended - Existing Shows OK

2009-11-02T09:50:00.000-07:00

So, just as I get out of my booking weirdness from October, I get some news regarding facilities issues.

At the moment, I don't have any shareable details. However, the bottom line is that new bookings are being suspended until I can figure out what is going on.

If you have a show already booked officially, there is no need to panic. I have no reason to believe that existing bookings will be affected at this time.

However, if you are on a waiting list for an "outside the window" date, or have not yet gotten in contact, please be aware that I will need a couple of weeks to do some sorting out of the current issues.

Thanks everyone - updates as I know more!

Indoor Weather

2009-10-28T11:56:00.004-06:00

Crucifixation brought their customary fog system to Underground for the show on Monday.

Now, when I say fog, I'm not talking about little wisps of smoke and haze here and there. I'm talking about "I'm on stage, and I can't find FOH" fog.

Here's a picture:

FOH is about 50 feet "into" the picture, just for reference.

Veritas

2009-10-27T09:59:00.005-06:00

As always, I try to avoid singling out one band for attention - but that gets to be rather hard to live by at times. I believe that, at heart, all live sound techs are "fanboys" in one sense or another.

So...yeah. Veritas. Pretty freakin' sweet.

I was sent this band's way by their booking agent, and I must say, I was hooked after seeing this video:

There's nothing like a cool song, arranged well, with a great hook. (In my case, the killer vocals by Jamie are a song-length hook in and of themselves.) I love a well crafted pairing of guitars and synths, too.

In any case, Veritas seems like a band that "really gets it," and is consistently good at everything. (Further evidence below):

I love the vocal "tag team" action in Monsters.

"Cocktail Girl" has a nice hook, and I also like how (like everything I've heard out of Veritas so far), the music has some dynamic swings. Yay for some negative space!

Anyway - those of you with the opportunity should check out this band before they are HUGE, and doing shows that cost $100 (plus various limbs) to attend. Such an eventuality may not take long, as Veritas definitely understands the value of good production and good promotion. (Who couldn't love videos about the process of making an album? Check those out on Veritas's Youtube account. No, I'm not going to get those for you, too. "Look it up!" as your mama would say.)

http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.aspx?epk_id=94671

http://www.myspace.com/veritasband

http://www.veritaslovesme.com/

"STET" by Anthony Phan

2009-10-21T10:48:00.002-06:00

Just a quick review of a local record for you folks:

This album is an enormous contrast to what we tend to hear these days. In a world of hyper-processed, hyper-compressed, every-musical-space-filled-all-the-time-at-all-frequencies sonic mayhem, Anthony has crafted a fine, honest record with plenty of space for all the sonic elements.

This is a recording that is meant to be taken in as a piece of art, and not simply used to compete with all the background noise around the listener. Cool arrangements, solid production values, and some great bits of whimsy (The Hot Dog You Gave Me, anyone?) make this album a great one to pick up.

Look for it on Itunes,

...or on CdBaby: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/anthonyphan

...or at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Stet-Anthony-Phan/dp/B002PQ7M2G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1256060523&sr=1-1

Behind The Scenes

2009-10-14T11:59:00.006-06:00

It's no secret that most of us want New Song Underground to move to a new space, so there is definitely some hopeful anticipation for New Song Presbyterian to finally get a building. As the process of fundraising and facility selection goes along, there are ongoing discussions about how Underground 3.0 might look.

I thought I'd show off some of the concepts that have been put forward.

The first set of images is the "realistic" concept. It fits in about the same amount of square footage as Underground has now, and has an 8-foot ceiling. It isn't "super wow," but it would still be new.

I took the trouble of doing some global radiosity renders for the above pictures, because I wanted to get a better sense of the light in a small space.

Now - the idealized version of Underground. :) This version takes up a lot more room, is much nicer, and has a much more desirable ceiling height. This plan is out of reach, because the money for an appropriate building just isn't there. Still, it's fun to dream.

Also, if you know any folks with a few million dollars to give us, we could still make this happen. :)

For the audio nerds amongst you, yes - those are double and triple stacked FOH PA systems. No, the stacks are not meant to all be reproducing the same material. The setup is meant to be used in a manner similar to Dave Rat's double-hung line arrays for the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

You can read some of Dave Rat's thoughts here: http://www.ratsound.com/cblog/archives/342-Quest.html I should note that Dave Rat has moved on to a single hung system, but the single hung system is able to meet the needs he has. There are still some things, though, that the double hung system can do that the single hung just can't. Anyway, read the article. :)

Dave Rat is probably an excellent example of what every live sound reinforcement technician should aspire to be: Curious, innovative, highly professional, and a cool person all around.

Falling In Love Again

2009-09-24T18:14:00.003-06:00

You know that recent post where I talked about not being super happy with my Hearos "Musician" earplugs?

Well, one of my usual plugs became misshapen, and it became rather tough to get a good seal with it. I decided to switch back to my Hearos, and...wow! They were easy to insert, and sounded good.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, I suppose.

I still wish the Hearos had higher attenuation, though.

Numbers!

2009-09-16T10:01:00.003-06:00

Hi Everybody,

So, last night I got the urge to get out the database and look at what's been going on so far. This was partly inspired by a desire to go a bit deeper with some of the data used for the "Case For Support" post.

I am, of course, aware that statistics are often used to lie and distort information - but I do think that they can be a useful tool if you know what you're looking at. I will also say that I'm not a statistician, nor am I intimately familiar with the science of statistics in general. However, I do know just enough that some interesting meanings might be extracted from numerical descriptions of what happens at Underground.

Also, it is very important for me to state that any "negative" connotation of terms used in this post is only towards the numbers themselves. It's not a reflection on anyone's show, or their promotional efforts. Indeed, having spoken to a number of folks, I think I have fairly strong anecdotal evidence that "general public" promotion has no appreciable effect on show turnouts - so, save your money, and just tell all your friends to bring their friends. Flyers don't work!

First off, the total number of shows so far this year:

111

...and the total number of attendees (this is derived from the door split, and so is not 100% accurate - but it is close enough for rock, and/ or possibly roll):

4112

If we divide the total attendees by the number of shows, we get an average nightly turnout of:

For the purposes of looking at things further, I think it's wise to establish a "window" for average numbers. That is, it's probably pretty rare that EXACTLY 37 people show up at an event, so we need a bit of wiggle room to get a meaningful count of how many shows were "extremely average." For the purposes of this post, I'm going to define a 5% "swing" around the exact average as still being within average "territory." So, for these numbers, an "average show" might have a range of attendees between:

35 (low side) and 39 (high side)

Moving on, if all the raw turnout data is handed off to a "Standar Deviation, Entire Population" calculator, we get a standard deviation of:

30 people

In my mind, what this means is that the turnout for a "reasonably normal" show has quite a range of possibility. You could have anywhere between 7 and 67 people in attendance, and still have a show that would be reasonably considered to be "ordinary" in terms of turnout.

Now then, if we do some counting, we find the following:

"Average" Shows: 9

"Above Average" Shows: 43

"Below Average" Shows: 59

What's interesting about this is, that if you look at how the turnouts "map" to the different overall show divisions, you see that 39% of the shows (a minority) accounted for 68% of the total turnout this year so far. In fact, if you add up the attendees for shows that were average or below, the total number of people is 1324, which is still less than the number of attendees of shows that had turnouts above average (2788 people).

Let's go a little deeper:

"Uncommonly Small" Turnouts (below 7 people): 10

"Uncommonly Large" Turnouts (between 67 and 97 people): 9

"Rarely This Large" Turnouts (between 97 and 127 people): 4

"Exceptionally Large" Turnouts (more than 127 people): 2

"Normal" Turnouts: 86

This is interesting, because it means that only 14% of all the shows done this year had 35% of the turnout (or, in other terms, 15 "better than normal" shows accounted for 1458 people that showed up).

Fascinating, eh?

A Word On Booking

2009-09-07T11:42:00.002-06:00

There has been a substantial amount of weirdness with booking lately, and I wanted to post something about it.

Very simply, I want to make sure that everybody out there knows that they are NOT being jerked around in any intentional way.

What has happened, though, is that a lot of dates that were planned for quite a while have fallen through, and I have also come under some temporary circumstances that require slowing, or outright freezing of booking. Additionally, bookings that were in force five minutes ago may or may not stay that way.

The bottom line:

I always handle bookings based on what I know at that moment. If something changes in the next moment, it can be frustrating, but I don't have a way of telling the future.

Now, nobody has said anything to me about the goings on - this is just to pre-empt any rampant speculation, as I definitely recognize that Underground may appear to be acting a bit strangely at the moment.

Ear Plugs

2009-09-01T09:16:00.002-06:00

Last week, on a whim, I decided to go back to using my "expensive" ear plugs. They're supposed to preserve the natural frequency balance of the sound entering your ears, even while getting the level down to something "safe."

I used them for a loud show (metal), and was very quickly reminded of why I retired them. They certainly cut quite a bit of broadband level when inserted, but they seem to let through a disproportionately high level of the highest frequencies. Beyond annoying, it's disconcerting, and it's particularly noticeable with metal bands that use lots of cymbal wash (because cymbals have harmonic components that go VERY high). Also, the high-midrange resonance caused by the plugs was downright painful at times, but I won't go into that...

Anyway, the most expensive earplugs that I own are also the ones that I like the least.

I had some Etymotic/ Hearos plugs that I used (and liked a fair bit), but they were tough to clean, and I never felt sure of the balance I was getting. Their supposed "higher accuracy" just made me feel like I wasn't really being protected from the loudest parts of the night.

For quite a while now, I've been back to using earplugs that you can buy at Smith's Marketplace for about $3.00 - and I like them a lot. Even though they really kill off the high frequencies, I somehow feel like I know what's happening when I have them in. (Of course, I might be totally wrong, but I don't get many complaints about my mixes being wildly inappropriate, so...)

Sometimes, the cheap component is the right choice. Notice that I said "sometimes."

New Song Underground - A Case For Support

2009-08-22T14:37:00.011-06:00

Last night, I was sitting at FOH, enjoying the TRAGWAG/ Katie/ Sara Janey/ Nicholas Allen show, and I thought:

"You know, if Underground really is going to get funded, a case has to be made for it all."

My hope is that those of you who read this blog will "spread the word" to as many people as you know. The more people that know about the need, the more chance there is that the need will be met.

I will try to do my best in terms of making this case for support. It is only fair to state that I am the audio technician mentioned in this document, and so I have a vested interest in the future of Underground as it pertains to my own interests. It is also only fair to state that this document is only my own observations and opinions, and not necessarily those of anyone else.

Introduction

At least, by the standards of the regular music business, Underground doesn't work. However, in a sense, the core workings of Underground are not intended to. Underground was not carefully undertaken so as to provide a solid return on investment, experiencing sustainable growth in profitability for its operators. Instead, the whole point of what's being done is to give. The idea is to be as extravagant as possible with time and resources, so that local musicians will benefit from them. There is some offset to this, as local musicians do split the door with the house - but, in the long term, that won't be enough to keep the Underground vision alive.

Underground has, in some way or another, been a part of the local music scene since "the bottom half" of 2005. There have been some fits and starts, and times when Underground was a part of something else, but its identity has always stayed alive (at least a little bit). In 2008, a decision was made to re-ignite that identity, and Underground is currently operating (although with a recent slump) as 2009 begins to wane. During the last year, Underground has had success greater than anyone anticipated. However, Underground is facing rather substantial cost increases over time, mostly in the realms of retaining professional staff, and upgrading its facilities. If Underground is to serve the arts in the long term, these challenges must be met.

Why New Song Underground Is Important

New Song Underground is important because it fills a niche that rarely receives any great attention in the music world. It is a place that is friendly to almost any musician who desires to perform within its confines (both physical and those of "policy"), and also exists to benefit these artists at least as much as itself. The aim of Underground is to supply performing artists with the classiest, and most professional live-music production that can be achieved with the resources available to us.

Underground strives to operate on the premise that every show is important, and so is every performer. This importance is not tied to a performer's notoriety, musical taste, or ability to sell tickets - rather, this importance is inherent in their desire to speak through their art. Underground also strives to operate on the premise that it is far more rewarding to give our best to as many as possible, rather than to reserve our best for a priveliged few. Underground is based on a Christian worldview which espouses an "economy of grace," as outlined in this document:

http://newsongunderground.blogspot.com/2009/05/why-of-new-song-underground.html

The Numbers (Such As They Are)

Because quite a bit of historical data (2007 and previous) was mixed in with other information, it is difficult to extract an accurate picture of exactly what Underground did and did not do in regards to income and costs. However, accurate data is available from 2008 and 2009 (to date). Here is what that data shows, as of this document's creation:

Total Performances:

07/26/2008 - 12/31/2008: 43

01/01/2009 - 08/22/2009: 104

Total Income From Performances:

2008: $3,858

2009: $7,717

Average Income Per Performance:

2008: $89

2009: $74

Audio Technician's Pay From Performances:

2008: $2,874

2009: $6,937

Not shown in this dataset are indirect costs, such as facility rental, utilities, wear and tear on equipment, and expenditures related to miscellaneous costs, such as PRO licensing. These costs have been borne by New Song Presbyterian, and have made Underground possible when it otherwise would not be.

Challenges

There are two main challenges to New Song Underground's long-term viability:

A) New Song Presbyterian and New Song Underground are in a facility that is rapidly becoming inadequate.

B) New Song Underground's ability to retain professional staff is inadequate.

The facility currently occupied by New Song Presbyterian and New Song Underground is simply becoming inadequate for the church's vision. It is not accessible to those with limited mobility, it is difficult to heat and cool, it is not large enough for multiple groups to use the facilities simultaneously, and it does not have the flexibility to allow for a real diversity of outreach projects. Purely from the New Song Underground side, the building's electrical system is inadequate, it can be difficult to load-in performing groups with heavy or bulky equipment, the ceilings are too low, and the building transmits an undesirable amount of sound to the surrounding neighborhood.

Although a capital campaign for funding a new building is currently underway, there is some question as to how large a strain Underground will put on the rest of the project, financially speaking. The build-out (and equipment) costs for a "theater" type space with long term quality and viability will be quite high, and the costs to sustain such a facility will also be significantly higher than what is experienced now.

In terms of retaining staff, Underground is primarily fueled by a personal commitment to its vision. This commitment has made it possible for Underground to have the services of a professional audio technician, full time, for substantially less than the federal minimum wage would require for an ordinary worker. This has been perfectly acceptable to all parties in the past, but this situation can not continue indefinitely.

The Request

New Song Underground needs gifts of all sizes. Small gifts make everyday impacts, whereas major gifts ensure Underground's long term viability. Also, gifts need not be restricted to New Song Underground. A gift made simply to New Song Presbyterian helps to reduce Underground's impact on New Song's budget, and a restricted gift to the building fund also has an implicitly positive impact upon Underground.

Some examples of gift impacts, in powers of 10:

$10 - Can replace a mic cable or other interconnect.

$100 - A new or replacement microphone, or several cables.

$1000 - Upgrades or replacements for audio processors, or for lighting instruments and control. Significant amount towards down payment on new facility.

$10,000 - Extensive upgrades to audio or lighting, or two-thirds of audio technician's salary for 2010. Substantial amount towards down payment on new facility.

$100,000 - Substantial cost of audio and lighting refit for new facility, or audio technician's salary and raises for five years. Significant amount towards total new facility purchase price.

$1,000,000 - Cost of world-class audio and lighting refit for new facility, or audio technician's salary and raises for 24 years. Substantial amount towards total new facility purchase price.

If you would like to discuss Underground in more detail, I would be very happy to do so. You may contact me via Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/newsongunderground, by phone at 801.638.7975, or by e-mail at dmaland0@gmail.com (the character trailing dmaland is the number zero).

If you would like to discuss the particulars of making a gift, such as tax deductions, New Song Presbyterian's mission in general, or other such topics, it is best to speak with a New Song Presbyterian staff member directly (all gifts, whether restricted or not, must be made to New Song Presbyterian Church). The office can be reached at 801.326.4239, or you can e-mail one of the staff members listed in the contact info section of http://newsong.org/.

Thank you very much for reading this case for support, and considering it.

I Haven't Forgotten About This Blog!

2009-08-12T14:16:00.004-06:00

...and, to prove it, here are some pictures from the recent Gorgeous Hussies show.

I wanted to document this show, because it was out of the ordinary. Instead of a standard "rock band" setup, I got to interface a stage and monitor rig (in ear monitors, or IEM's) with Underground's FOH setup. This was pretty sweet, as the band carried everything they needed to make their end of the show happen (like mics, a monitor console, and a passive signal-splitter), and just sent me a bunch of lines to drive FOH with.

Band-mixed IEM's are a great thing, because everybody can have pretty much anything they want in their monitors, delivered directly to their head, and without any realistic possibility of feedback.

There were one or two hums/ buzzes, but nothing that couldn't be cured with a DI box.

Please Help Underground IMMENSELY By Observing The Following:

2009-07-09T10:30:00.002-06:00

Avoid interacting with our neighbors in ANY WAY, including making noise in the parking lot.

Just this week, I had a threat of another call to SLPD, because somebody had hooked up an amp, and was hammering away at their guitar while in the parking lot.

While I can certainly understand that the person involved had a fair amount of time to kill, and was excited to play a bit for their friends, I also have to say that every little issue stacks up against us.

I'm just an audio technician - I can't watch everybody at all times. Please do your part, and keep things contained within the walls of our building.

Thanks!

Mason Jones and the GT's

2009-06-10T08:13:00.002-06:00

So,

After a recent show, Mason told me that he expected a good review on the site.

Now, normally, I've tried not to evaluate the bands when writing show reviews. However, I'm definitely willing to pass along info about a band that I particularly like, and Mason Jones and the GT's definitely fits the bill.

Bottom line:

From the first few notes of the first set that I heard these guys play, I have been in love. This is full throttle, straight ahead, turbocharged American rock. Think along the lines of what would happen if Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp got together for a tour that criss-crossed the Midwest. Mason Jones and the GT's are the soundtrack that plays whenever a classic Ford Mustang (with racing stripes) is fired up.

I urge you to go see a Mason Jones and the GT's show before they become huge, and you have to sacrifice a car payment in order to get a seat at an arena.

Check it out - one cool thing about this video (other than the rock, of course) is you can hear me fumble around with turning up the wrong guitar during the first solo:

Mason Jones and the GT's!

The "Why" Of New Song Underground

2009-05-23T10:42:00.003-06:00

Every so often, somebody will ask about why New Song Underground came to be. Most of the time, I don't really have the luxury of answering the question completely. I have to condense the answer into something that can be delivered while doing a band changeover, or a load in/ out process.

It's been suggested to me that now might just be the time to put a "long form" answer up where people can actually read it. In order to do this quickly, I've excerpted the following from a document I wrote a few months ago. If anything is unclear, I will try to explain (if asked).

=====

I once heard an excellent quote, which I have since modified to describe various encounters that I have had with maturing as a child of God: “When God was holding me over the pit of hell by my neck, shaking me vigorously, He wasn't trying to hurt me, and He wasn't threatening to drop me. He just wanted my undivided attention.”

The end of my involvement with Rising Artists Studios was a moment like this, where an unsettling time allowed for listening to the Spirit, and re-evaluating priorities. It also meant that there was time to re-think what an Underground-esque ministry was really about.

The ultimate aim of Christ's Church is spreading the gospel. It may be argued that spreading the gospel involves both the transmission of a verbal message, and the demonstration of how the power behind that message operates in people who have received it. Underground is a ministry that is mostly focused on the second aspect.

In order to display the transformative power of the gospel, Underground's philosophy is to be in opposition to the "economy of the world" which holds sway over the local music scene. This opposition takes the form of operating as an "economy of grace," which seeks to be welcoming and hospitable - rather than closed-off and self-interested. The way in which this manifests is described in the following assertions:

The economy of grace is an “I'll go first” situation. Logically, if God reaches out to us and takes upon Himself the risks of acting first, it is probably right to model that. One has to initiate actions within the wider community, because waiting for the world to “play nice” will result in a very long wait time!

The economy of grace is, for Underground, based on the idea of “I was a stranger, and you welcomed Me.” The idea of Christian hospitality, manifested in making our facility and equipment available to those desiring to use it, is the basic principle of what is being attempted. Everyone should get our best, because we have received the best ourselves.

The economy of grace demands that such hospitality be, at the very least, risk free to the recipient. A band promoting a show has already taken on risk and cost, so providing facilities for them to use is only hospitable if no additional risk is incurred. The recipient must be able to “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.” Underground may take a door split out of necessity, but that split must always have the possibility of being zero – otherwise, there is greater risk to the band, promoter, production company...you name it.

The economy of grace does not evaluate the recipient before they receive the benefit of the ministry. The band already “rich” in fans should not get preferential treatment over a band with “5 people going to show up, maybe.” This means that whoever books a date first gets that date. Even if the most famous band in the world asks for that date, the least important band in the world should have its booking honored.

The economy of grace is secure in being a light to the world, with that light being undimmed by the recipients of its illumination. If one desires to reach people that others treat like "prostitutes and tax collectors," one must spend time with them and welcome them. It may not always “look good,” but it is necessary. By welcoming people who are not welcomed by the world (or, unfortunately, by other Christians) one is “preaching one's message” to them, and not the other way around.

The economy of grace is an undertaking that deserves seriousness and extensive commitment. It is not a hobby, to be given time and attention only when it is most comfortable. Rather, the attitude ought to be one of high availability – every day other than Sunday being available to the community at large. The Kingdom is not only open on weekends.

So, What's With This "BOTB" Thing?

2009-05-21T12:07:00.003-06:00

Some of you may have noticed a whole bunch of "Best In Utah - BOTB" entries in the show listings - and maybe you're wondering just exactly what it all means.

Here's the deal.

Dave from Happy Time Music got me on the phone, and outlined a pretty major and ambitious plan. He wants to make a big, very positive impact on the local music scene by way of starting a new, first class, all-ages, treat the bands like actual human beings, music venue.

Was that a run on sentence? Probably.

Oh well.

So, Dave wants to do that, and he also wants to get bands playing shows ASAP - you know, make some noise and get attention.

The vehicle for this is a series of shows (a BIG series) in a battle of the bands format, with hopefully a pretty major kickback to the winning band(s) at the end. Of course, the even bigger hope is that there's a kickback for the entire local music scene when Dave is able to finance his main venue - but that will be a little ways off in the distance (not necessarily a long way, just not "right this very second").

Now, normally, I'm a bit leery of Battle Of The Bands thingamajigamas. In this case, though, I'm on board. The reason is that this isn't just a scheme to make money, so that a couple of folks can buy cars, videogame consoles, and HDTV's. No - this is an idea from a guy who wants to make a difference in the scene. I'm willing to take that at face value.

Here's what I need from you, the reader - most likely a person in a band. Please remember that I speak only for myself:

1. Forget about all this competition stuff. Forget about prizes and winning, or who is better at this or that, or who might or might not deserve to do well. Put it out of your mind, because it will just end up making you unhappy. When you're done with that...

2. View this as an opportunity to play sets with other very cool bands. Network like crazy. Get each other's business cards and Myspace pages. Exchange CD's. Set up shows at other places together. Get to know people - as many as you can. Make as many friends as you can possibly keep track of. Use this as an opportunity to build the scene at a grassroots level. Make this thing work for YOU, whether you win or not.

3. Be ready to do everything "festival style." With a lot of bands per night, the sets will be short and so too will be changeover time. You can bet that I will do my best to represent you with the PA, but soundchecking is going to be nonexistent. Sing loud, and get close to the mics. Stay calm. Be excellent to each other. Know your stuff. Be flexible.

4. Help the other bands. This ties in to #2. Be ready to lend picks, straps, cables, amps, kick pedals, etc. Help people load and unload. Go to other people's shows and cheer them on. Tell your fans that this isn't just an excuse to hear you play for 20 minutes - it's a show with multiple bands that they should stay at and enjoy to the fullest.

5. Be patient. Stuff happens. Also, protect your hearing.

There. I've said my piece. Let's see what happens. If you're interested in participating, Dave is the contact guy for this. He's at 801.867.9388

Soundproofing

2009-04-11T10:08:00.003-06:00

The most excellent Nate McNeil put in a ton of work to help get these window coverings made. They seem to block a fair amount of the music - but they can't stop the low end. (Not even the cinderblock really stops that, of course.)

Huge kudos are also due to A Cassandra Utterance, who showed up and put in the winning shot by getting these painted up nicely. They're a way cool band, and way cool people. You should check them out.

With these puppies over the windows, I think we can push things until 9:00 PM pretty safely. (Nobody's complained to me about that yet, and I'm hoping that will stay the way it is...)

Oh yes, before I forget, another venue that seeks to get the locals some money for their efforts has opened. I think more venues are always a good thing - more venues means a community with more music! The new place is called Happy Time Music. If you can't get a show at Underground, I would consider trying to get your show there.

Lookie - A Picture!

2009-04-04T21:41:00.002-06:00

So, the gig reports seem to be getting stale.

Instead, here's a picture of the aftermath of a Crashing At Dawn show. Note the cool use of ropelight on Franz's 4X12. I have an antipathy towards ropelight in general, but I think this idea was an excellent one.

Gig Report: Mar 21

2009-03-26T21:32:00.002-06:00

The Assent

Burnt Orange

It Is This Big

Well attended night. Audio went well. I had several pointers from It Is This Big's usual audio technician, which were quite helpful.

Gig Report: Mar 20

2009-03-26T21:29:00.002-06:00

Burnt Orange

A Cassandra Utterance

Ask For The Future

Well attended night. Tried my best to enjoy the goings on while not running the system too hard. No audio issues that I remember.

Gig Report: Mar 19th

2009-03-26T21:23:00.003-06:00

The Braskies

Suburban Bordumb

Stiney And The Flip Kids

Gypsy Cab

A good night, with a bad outcome. Was satisfied with the way the audio went, but the phone call from the unhappy neighbor undid my cheeryness at the way the night had been going.

Gig Report: Mar 18th

2009-03-26T21:16:00.001-06:00

The Package

Empire Of The Forgotten

Junior Giant

Verona Lane

A pretty solid gig, as I remember. Must've been an okay audio night - nothing jumps out at me as having gone wrong.

Very Bad News - But A Glimmer Of Hope

2009-03-20T09:17:00.001-06:00

Hi Folks,

On 03/19 I had a call from an upset neighbor complaining about Underground. Apparently, a call had also been placed to SLPD, and dispatch sent an officer to investigate.

Underground being a bad neighbor is not a recipe for success. In an effort to salvage the situation, drastic steps must be taken.

Effective immediately, shows must begin at 6:00 PM (or earlier), and end no later than 8:00 PM. I realize that this is an enormous hardship and disappointment, but I am trying desperately to not be in a situation where I have to quit entirely.

Underground has been successful because of the good will of people like you, and also because we have managed to stay on good terms with the neighbors (until today). Although this is frustrating, being able to work within it will allow us to continue to serve the music community until New Song finds a new location.

Thank you for all that you do,

Danny

Gig Report: Mar 14th

2009-03-17T15:07:00.002-06:00

Last The Winter

Burnt Orange

Sean Olyer

Matt Ben Jackson

Another solidly attended night. Uneven in the audio department, though. Felt like I was alternating between good and bad choices. The monitors did not want to cooperate on this show, and I can't say that I know why. (Although having lots of channels with lots of gain applied is certainly harder to manage.) Tripped the PA system's power management breaker again. Time to find one more circuit...

Gig Report: Mar 13th

2009-03-17T15:04:00.002-06:00

KiraMesa

Josaleigh Pollet

Marie Bradshaw

Katie Van Sleen

Solid crowd. Felt like the technical portion of the night went quite smoothly. Mellower night - nice and relaxing!

Gig Report: Mar 12th

2009-03-17T15:02:00.002-06:00

Crashing At Dawn
Seriously Evan

Minimal crowd. Do people know what they're missing? Felt good about the way the mixes turned out. Was especially happy with CaD's sound, as I felt like everything came together in a way that allowed me some meaningful options.

Gig Report: Mar 9th

2009-03-17T14:59:00.003-06:00

Never Before

Separation Of Self

Fatal Remedy

And Embers Rise

A Horrible Night To Have A Curse

Cool night. Felt like it went very well. Sizeable crowd. Got prodded to make the kick drum a much more prominent element in the mix, and felt like the end result made folks happier. I've been loving the current batch of metal vocalists that I've encountered, because they sing loudly enough to be heard over the backline.

Gig Report: Mar. 7th

2009-03-13T09:11:00.002-06:00

Killing Roses

Tempest Storm

Bomber

Drop Dead Julio

Arm The Children

Night went very smoothly from my end, even with a sprinkling of issues (like a broken string) on the stage side. Four out of the five bands wanted a quick mixed recording of their sets, so that helped to offset a night that had fewer folks in the crowd. Was pleased to see that The Resistant (now Killing Roses) is determined to continue after their lineup change. They always do a solid job at putting their shows together, and being organized on "the day of." It makes my life a lot easier.

Gig Report: Mar. 6th

2009-03-13T09:09:00.001-06:00

Farewell Flight

Arienette

A Cassandra Utterance

By Tonight

Pretty smooth night. Was a little bit too conservative on the bass for Arienette, as far as the crowd was concerned.

Gig Report: Mar. 3rd

2009-03-13T09:07:00.001-06:00

Galaxy Down

No show tonight. I think Galaxy had problems on their tour, and had to cut it short - but I'm not entirely sure.

Gig Report: Feb 28th

2009-03-04T14:45:00.002-07:00

Radical Grace Band

Sara Janey

Star To Star

Kayley G

ByNow

Well attended, and for a good cause. Clean water for third world countries is important! Not really my best night, though. I had weird feedback issues that cropped up at inopportune times, and were also hard to solve. Annoying!

Gig Report: Dec 27th

2009-03-04T14:43:00.002-07:00

Dethrone The Sovereign

Breaux

Sons of Perdition

Scandel Plagues

Rise of Athena

Moderately attended night. Went pretty well, technically speaking. Pushed too hard on SOP and tripped the protection on the PA circuit. Dialed back a bit, and everything was happy for the rest of the night.

Gig Report: Feb 26th

2009-03-04T14:40:00.002-07:00

Stag Hare

Ben Kilborne & Kildem Soto

Silver Antlers

Lightly attended night. Not a whole lot to do for sound reinforement overall, as quite a bit was premixed and sent down direct lines to my console. Pretty smooth, no major issues. This kind of music can have a pretty wide dynamic range, so I was sometimes surprised at how loud things were getting.

Gig Report: Feb 21st

2009-02-24T13:43:00.002-07:00

The Sweater Friends

Marci Thorne

Colby Stead

Another "chillaxed hang out" show. Solid turnout. Had some weird moments when I got a mic too close to Marci's guitar. You wouldn't believe the nasty sound that guitar strings against a mic can make - especially with lots of gain applied to the mic! After fixing that problem, everything else ran well.

Gig Report: Feb 20th

2009-02-24T13:34:00.003-07:00

Larusso

By Tonight

Tate Law

A Cassandra Utterance

Blackhounds

Big night - 160 folks. I wish Larusso could release a CD every month! :) Loud night, overall. Felt like I got the monitors right for ACU, but I don't think I got enough meat into their FOH mix. Was glad to have Blackhounds in the room again, but I fear that my mix didn't really do the songs justice. (A compromise here, a compromise there, and then some cool little moment doesn't really come out the way it should.) Hit the console's internal limiter VERY hard throughout the evening.

Despite the issues that popped up, the evening seemed to go down well with the crowd and the performers - and that's the ultimate measure of a night.

Gig Report: Feb 19th

2009-02-24T13:32:00.003-07:00

Peter Harvey

Sarah Songer

Joe

A very relaxed night. Sort of a "family hang out" affair, when it all came down to it. Felt pretty good about the mixes.

Gig Report: Feb 17th

2009-02-24T13:27:00.002-07:00

Salt The Wound
Psyopus
Burning The Masses
Alas The Dreamer

"Bailout" show, because another venue canceled. Pretty much a "no issue" show. I've been surprised lately at how metal bands have started solid self-regulation in the area of stage volume. There's lots of energy in the low-midrange and low frequency ranges, to be sure, but the critical "get the vocals out there" midrange areas seem to be less "trafficed" by heavier bands at this time. Almost all of my highest SPL ratings are coming from indie rock and power pop music, at the moment.

Gig Report: Feb 14th

2009-02-18T18:58:00.003-07:00

The Resistant

Dethrone The Sovereign

The Average

Sons Of Perdition

Arm The Children

Solidly attended show. Mixes happened with minimal fuss. When you win, you win. :)

Gig Report: Feb 13th

2009-02-18T18:51:00.002-07:00

Mason Jones & the GT's

Centrevol

Milquebus

Arienette

A decently attended show that lifted my spirits. Had a bit of a struggle with Centrevol's monitors at first, but their set appeared to come off well in the end. Pretty smooth the rest of the night, although I felt like I was chasing Arienette's keyboards around more than usual. (Sometimes this happens when I'm being extra picky about a mix, and start to fret over a small detail - which is a good thing, because it means that the mix is going well enough for me to be worried about the little bits.)

Gig Report: Feb 11th

2009-02-18T18:49:00.004-07:00

Centrevol

Ben Johnson

Milquebus

The Precinct

Show ultimately canceled, due to Centrevol being out of commission (Pete strained a vocal cord). Yikes!

Gig Report: Feb 10th

2009-02-18T18:45:00.003-07:00

Centrevol

Burnt Orange

Cubworld

Milquebus

Very light audience for this night. Centrevol had the drums up front, seemed to work just fine. Had some up and down moments with the mix during the night, felt like there were times when I just couldn't get the mix to settle down, and was chasing things around in a circle.

Gig Report: Feb 7th

2009-02-11T11:30:00.002-07:00

Mike Boothe's Show N Prove Emcee Battle

YZE

The Bad Apples

Pretty decently attended show. The DJ, Kool Kel made my life incredibly easy by handling all the playback from the stage. This was another night with wireless being carried by the performers, and I felt like the mics just couldn't handle the SPL created by some of the emcees. Still, I think everybody went home happy.

Gig Report: Feb 6th

2009-02-11T11:17:00.002-07:00

Fearsome Poet Group

Birds Without

Jason Perucca

To The Death

Okay show, not much audience, couldn't really get the mix to settle down for Fearsome. Ironic, because I usually feel like I can't get a handle on Birds, but this time around seemed to be relatively easy.

It's not good to blame one's tools, but I think the acoustic properties of Underground can really bite you, with only a tiny bit of provocation. Especially when the room is fairly empty, the "low midrange garble" leads me to build mixes where the drums are swamped in an ocean of guitar roar, and the vocals are pushed as hard as I can push them. My theory is that the intelligibility killing low mid buildup (and the fact that the room reverb smears every transient into elongated mush) makes for situations where you can hear that something is present in the mix, but not actually hear what it's really doing, musically. The only way to get separation is big differences in apparent level - and that makes for LOUD. (It also means that something inevitably gets sacrificed on the altar of something else...)

Gig Report: Feb 3rd

2009-02-11T11:14:00.002-07:00

The Test Dream

Rumiaz

Cody Rigby

Avenue

Milque Bus

I'm wanting to call the attendance for this show "light," but it was a bit better than light, actually. Sort of light-esque. 20 people actually isn't too bad. No real audio problems as I recall, and had a chance meeting with a fellow Conservatory graduate. Pretty okay. :)

Gig Report: Jan 31st

2009-02-04T22:01:00.002-07:00

The Tedronai Project

Garrett

The Skaficionados

Decently attended show, pretty much went without a hitch. Had the bass for Tedronai a bit lower than normal, as per Ky's request. I think it went over well, both on stage and in the house.

Gig Report: Jan 30th

2009-02-04T21:52:00.002-07:00

She Rides and Guests

Well attended show, could actually hear the vocals most of the time(!) Blake did a great job getting the show set up and managed. Was surprised at how mellow the show was, in terms of the overall dynamic. Everybody there seemed to be friends with everybody else there - which is a pretty cool way for a show to happen, actually.

Gig Report: Jan 27th

2009-02-04T21:47:00.003-07:00

Arms Like Yours

Oh Sweet Ransom

As Grace Falls

The Tedronai Project

Very low attendance, but no real audio problems (go figure). Had a little snafu where the lighting rig being carried by ALY got plugged into the PA system's circuit...it suddenly got rather darker and quieter than what had been hoped for. After a couple minutes of fumbling for another circuit, the show went on.

Gig Report: Jan 24th

2009-01-26T16:47:00.002-07:00

1<36335

Mothers Of Sons

The VCR Quintet

Interesting night. The musical style was very different, yet it was still quite comprehensible. The crowd was somewhat small, but very dedicated - "rapt attention" dedicated. This kind of music (what I would call electronic experimental) forces you to listen to what's happening, and try to dissect it. The night went very smoothly for me, although we had a little trouble getting Mothers Of Sons patched in. Once that was fixed, though, everything else was straightforward.

Gig Report: Jan 23rd

2009-01-26T16:41:00.002-07:00

Ben Johnson

Castor and Pollution

Arienette

Michael Gross and the Statuettes

Lightly attended show, which is too bad - I guess people don't know what they're missing when they pass over local talent here in Salt Lake. No real problems on my end, although the theme for the night appeared to be "the troublesome amplifier issue." Had Anthony (Ben Johnsons's band) lose his Peavey to some weird crackling, and MGatS's lead guitarist got into issues with his input jack - so much so that the set had to be cut short. Yikes!

Gig Report: Jan 22nd

2009-01-26T16:39:00.002-07:00

The Dockets

By Tonight

Jeremy Tyler

Ryan Clawson

This was the "Farewell for Two Years" show for The Dockets. Pretty okay attendance, and no audio problems that I was aware of.

Gig Report: Jan 21st

2009-01-26T16:35:00.002-07:00

As Grace Falls

Alas The Dreamer

Short-ish night, lightly attended. Was supposed to have one more band, but they ended up being unable to make it. Actually got the sampler in the right place for the FOH mix, but Alex from AtD ended up not being able to hear himself in the monitors. You win some, you lose some.

Gig Report: Jan 17th

2009-01-20T14:48:00.002-07:00

Rising Artists Studios LLC

Another well attended showcase. Can't say I was wild about the wireless mic provided. It transmitted well enough, but it distorted quite audibly during louder passages. The night also provided one other notable story:

One of the performers was a former monitor tech for Clair Brothers/ Showco. (One of the biggest providers of touring/ event audio in the entire world.) I'll give you one guess as to during whose set I pressed "recall" too early, causing screaming feedback from a mic that had been moved directly in front of the stage right stack.

That's right.

Gig Report: Jan 16th

2009-01-20T14:45:00.002-07:00

Spontaneous Kennie

The Skaficionados

Stiney and the Flip Kids

Suburban Bordumb

Not much to say about the gig. Smooth sailing most of the way through, and a substantial crowd. Had some issues balancing the horns at times. Not sure whether I like my new ear plugs or not - they're comfortable, but I'm not sold on how they sound.

Gig Report: Jan 10th

2009-01-12T16:19:00.002-07:00

Mesa Drive

Burnt Orange

Ask For The Future

A Cassandra Utterance

Solidly attended night. I am now pretty sure that our distortion problem is coming from driving the snot out of the amp for the mid-highs. I have a plan for more PA, but it's somewhat experimental, and requires a fair amount of cash. I had trouble getting the guitar in the right place for Cassandra and Burn Orange, and couldn't quite get enough monitor for Cassandra. Nobody seemed unhappy, though.

Gig Report: Jan 9th

2009-01-12T16:17:00.001-07:00

Katie

Nicholas Allen

Kayley G

Peace Tree

Moderately light attendance. Very relaxed night, as all artists were acoustic. Audio was a breeze to make happen.

Gig Report: Jan 8th

2009-01-12T16:14:00.002-07:00

The Won Twenties

Samson and Goliath

The Tedronai Project

Very fun night. Well attended for being a last-minute gig. Was sad to hear that The Won Twenties will be pretty much unable to play for a while. Got to test my new earplugs. I like the Alpines best overall - very soft and comfy.

Gig Report: Jan 3rd

2009-01-06T14:30:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Empire of the Forgotten

Hotel on Baltic

The Dockets

Alternate Projection

The Sweater Friends

Unknown Anthem

Junior Giant

Huge show. Tons of bands, tons of gear, tons of audience. Alex from Empire did a great job in setting the show up, and then keeping it on track. We actually ran ahead of schedule, which is almost unheard of. My new "monitor method" of basically starting at full throttle for the vocals seemed to work well - I think I'm going to keep it.

Had a pretty substantial equipment failure near the end of Hotel on Baltic's set, because I was running everything very hard. The Furman power management system (just a glorified surge protector with rack ears) popped its internal breaker, and shut down the entire PA. Took a minute to find and diagnose, because every other breaker I've tripped has been at the actual service panel. Another first!

Gig Report: Jan 2nd

2009-01-06T14:27:00.003-07:00

Self Promoted:

Crashing at Dawn

Rainy Lane

The first show of the New Year went off pretty smoothly. Had some technical issues with Rainy Lane's setup, but it all got sorted out. Show seemed reasonably well attended. Didn't quite get the mix for CaD to be "just so," but the critical parts seemed to happen smoothly.

Gig Report: Dec 31st

2009-01-06T14:25:00.003-07:00

Self Promoted:

Cambriah

I expected a pretty relaxed night, and that was what I got. Cambriah did about an hour long set for some family and friends, and then a film crew took the opportunity to shoot a quick scene for an indie film. I got home before midnight. :)

Gig Report: Dec 29th

2009-01-06T14:22:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Postcards From Hell

Thunder Mistress

Suburban Bordumb

This Dying Need

A night of intense, high-octane rock. Seemed to go well, and was decently attended. No major technical problems, although I miscued on a few guitar solos here and there.

Gig Report: Dec 27th

2008-12-30T12:02:00.003-07:00

Junior Giant

Well attended show, and I got to enjoy the chili this time around! I think we have officially reached the point of "not enough PA" for Junior Giant. After the show, Spencer told me that he could barely hear himself...and I was at full throttle on his send! I also drove something at FOH into audible clipping during the heavier vocal parts. I think it's "science project" time again.

Gig Report: Dec 26th

2008-12-30T11:58:00.002-07:00

Wasatch Music Coaching Academy

WMCA decided to have a post Christmas party with food and bands, and I think it was a solid idea. Being a WMCA show meant that the turnout was very strong, and I got to experience some very fun "rock and roll moments."

I think I'm going to try and find some situations where the WMCA Rock Ensemble could open for some folks, as I think it would be fun for the kids (and educational, too.)

Gig Report: Dec 20th

2008-12-22T15:25:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

By Tonight

A Cassandra Utterance

Larusso

Mary May I

The After Autumn

Cool night, went well, reasonably solid turnout. I made a mistake in trying to replace the seized amplifier fan with too little time to spare before load-in, but I ended up having just enough time to get everything in working order when I really needed it. Other than that, my end of the night felt very smooth and comfortable - a great way to end a long week.

Gig Report: Dec 19th

2008-12-22T15:21:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Peter Harvey

Sarah Songer

Show was canceled due to unsafe driving conditions.

I really applaud the decision, actually. There is no show worth being injured over, and so I have to congratulate Peter Harvey on making a very mature and responsible decision. In the words of The Gorgeous Hussies: "Don't rock yourself to death."

Gig Report: Dec 18th

2008-12-22T15:01:00.003-07:00

Self Promoted:

Zach Galanis

John Louviere

Cameron Rafatti

I was anxious for this show, but my anxiousness was unfounded. The long, luxurious soundcheck afforded by Zach's schedule made for the ability to kill lots of gremlins before showtime. The subwoofer amp finally killed the fan on the A channel (10 minutes before soundcheck!), so I had to run both subs off one side. No noticeable problems, though. When you win, you win.

The only thing that really bugged me was how the crowd talked through the sets played by Cameron and John. As much as I try not to let things get under my skin as much as they used to, this kind of thing is sandpaper on my nerves. Here are these guys playing some excellent music, and I've got half the room yapping loudly in my left ear. This really marred the night for me, because it made the truly excellent audience turnout into sort of a bad thing. I would have settled for only having had the 50% of the crowd that actually listened, personally.

Although I've tried to put away my "jaded, mean, cynical audio technician" hat away, I'm going to put it back on now. Underground is not a bar, where bands and solo artists are booked for the purpose of attracting buyers of various alcoholic beverages. Underground is a place to HEAR music. If you just can't be bothered to shut your trap, please find somewhere else to be.

I'm about 99% sure that I'm preaching to the choir with this, but if I'm not, and the preceding paragraph has offended you...GOOD.

There, I feel better now.

Gig Report: Dec 17th

2008-12-22T14:49:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Double or Nothing

Greg Mann

Jebu

Sara Janey

Empire of the Forgotten

Marci Thorne

The Dockets

Okay show, turnout was a bit "eh." Pushed the monitors a bit too hard for (Nick?) from Double or Nothing, and got some unpleasant feedback until I corrected myself. I also got a little confused during the changeover to Sara Janey, and tried to get guitar out of a channel that definitely was not the guitar. Ended up with a weird situation with...Jebu, I think? From what I can gather, they could only just make it down right in time for their set, but we were running long. I guess they had to pack up and leave without playing, which is a bum deal."The best laid plans" and all that, you know.

Still, the show happened, and ultimately the technical issues didn't stop us for more than five minutes at a time.

Gig Report - Dec 13th

2008-12-15T09:31:00.004-07:00

Self Promoted:

Crashing at Dawn

aTiLast

I never would have thought before that a show with only two bands cold be a rough night, but there's a first time for everything. My problems started with alternatively losing one side of Crashing's keyboard, getting that back, and then promptly losing the other. This little exercise chewed up a big chunk of aTiLast's check time, and my issues were further compounded by me not having the good sense to pick a stage layout and snake patch that would give me flexibility. We did eventually find physical and electrical space for everything, but that didn't solve all the problems. I had some weird balance issues amongst the instruments, and I managed to start everything out with a muddy, over-bassy tone. Yikes! Big credit goes to aTiLast for being troopers, and pulling off their set with all the challenges (including some weird shorting issues on the main vocal mic - gremlins, I tell ya). Thankfully, (mercifully, perhaps?) Crashing's set did not suffer from any major problems, although I got some gnarly feedback for myself in a couple places, maybe because I was running on adrenaine all night...

Wow - this post is big enough for two paragraphs!

I think aTiLast's set highlighted another issue, which is hard to have to acknowledge - but it's necessary. There are just times where our FOH PA and monitor rig aren't enough. We could definitely do with more inputs to the mixing console, and more SPL available from FOH - but those weren't the issue for aTiLast. For them, I think the major issue was the linearity of the monitor rig. There are some spendy wedges out there that can get incredibly loud without feedback, but those aren't the ones we have. Consequently, I couldn't apply the gain required to put Taryn in the "right place" monitor wise. I was at full throttle on the sends, but I didn't dare add any global gain, because taking somebody's head off with a screech of feedback is a really bad idea.

Actually, I need a bigger stage AND a monitor engineer...

I guess there is one good thing about having a night where I really struggle - I write bigger posts!

Gig Report - Dec 12th

2008-12-15T09:22:00.003-07:00

Self Promoted:

Spontaneous Kennie

Suburban Bordumb

In Key Drop Outs

Illegal Beagle

2 and a Half White Guys

"Happy Ska-lidays" show. HUGE night - like 180+ people huge. The differing horn arrangements between bands made for some tricky changeovers, but everything seemed to fall into place just in time for the next set to begin. I'm pretty sure we used absolutely every minute between 7 PM and 10:30 PM for this show. Had a little problem when the slamming started a bit too wide - our Christmas tree took some damage, and the stage left mid-high got knocked backwards onto the snake head. Everything was pretty fixable, thankfully, although one of our rope lights eventually got hammered past the point of no return (but that was just wear and tear from changeovers). I'm pretty sure that this was the biggest night ever for Underground. I'm not sure that it can (or even should be) topped, unless there was somehow a system for rotating audience in and out.

Gig Report - Dec 11th

2008-12-15T09:17:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Jahnre

Mason Jones and the GT's (Formerly called The Tangerines)

Great night. Smooth as silk, well attended. Serious, no-holds-barred, fun rock. I had a stupid grin on my face multiple times during the night. Had one not so great spot when I learned that Blackhounds rolled their van while on tour. Yikes. Everybody, please find out how you can support Blackhounds - they're great guys, and it would stink for their music to stop, even for a little while.

Gig Report - Dec. 2nd

2008-12-08T12:08:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

The Resistant

Crudus Nex

Fatal Remedy

As Grace Falls

The Average

This was one of those shows that "got away" a bit. Everything seemed to be going as smooth as silk, the turnout was good...and then I suffered an epic fail when trying to put together a monitor mix for Fatal Remedy. I managed to get them the exact opposite of what they needed, while ripping the head off of the stage right guitar player with a blast of high-end. They troopered through, and seemed to have a pretty solid set in spite of the weirdness. Well done, Fatal Remedy! (And really, well done to all the bands. "Metal" nights can be hard, but this one wasn't - that is, until I managed to bungle my monitor mixes, and that was my own fault.)

Gig Report - Nov. 29th

2008-12-01T12:28:00.003-07:00

Self Promoted:

KiraMesa

Marie Bradford

Good show, well played, somewhat light attendance. Good sound overall, though I should have started with the monitors throttled up a bit more. Didn't have the struggles I usually have with instruments like the cello. Giant reflectors with resonant boxes attached can play real havoc with sound reinforcement, but volumes were very reasonable and the show went smoothly.

Gig Report - Nov 28th

2008-12-01T12:23:00.004-07:00

Self Promoted:

Crashing At Dawn

Junior Giant

Super fun show. Great turnout. Crashing at Dawn did a lot of work on their stage volume between the last show and this one, and so we had far fewer audio problems. There were several times during the show where I just stood at FOH with a big, stupid grin on my face, and simply enjoyed the "big rock cool." Seems like Junior Giant's fan base is starting to re-energize as well.

Gig Report - Nov. 22nd

2008-11-24T12:29:00.002-07:00

Self promoted:

Burnt Orange

Scarlet Lace

Empire of The Forgotten

I think almost all the PA gremlins have been exterminated, or at least in strong cages. Feel like I have a bit more gain after the loudspeaker management stages, meaning that I don't have to run the faders as "hot" on the console. Another slow night, in terms of attendance. I think the merch tables did a little bit of business though. It would be interesting (scientifically speaking) to be able to "copy and paste" a particular show to a different week, and see how the amount of audience changes.

Still, keeping busy is always good for a venue, even if only a few folks show up. Any audience is better than no audience at all.

Gig Report - Nov. 21st

2008-11-24T12:24:00.003-07:00

Self promoted:

Outlet

Blackhounds

Larusso

The Tangerines

Alas The Dreamer

Offsuit

Long show - six bands in one night is a rarity. Seemed to work well, though, and changeovers weren't a problem. Had all the chairs torn down, which luckily made room for all the gear that was in the room all at the same time. Crowd was a little thinner than I thought it would be, especially considering the strength of the bands involved. I swear, if people only knew that they were missing cool shows...

Still debugging the new system tuning. One or two gremlins are still running around.

Gig Report - Nov 15th

2008-11-17T11:54:00.002-07:00

Wasatch Music Coaching Academy

Early show - started at 10 AM. Long day - it was a pair of two-hour performances. It was cool to see the students perform with the teachers. I love Dave Murphy's shell pack - it sounds good no matter what. Recitals like this are more "chill" than the shows, which makes for a less chaotic feel overall. Revised PA tuning performed well.

Gig Report - Nov 11th

2008-11-17T11:51:00.002-07:00

Stone Vista Media:

Birds Without

Jeff Stone

Emily Maher

Geoff Koch

Arienette

The Takeover UK

Alternately good and not so good night. Solid turnout over all, but lots of people took off before Geoff and Takeover took the stage. Was trying a new PA tuning, which sounded pretty good for Geoff, but didn't have the feedback resistance needed for Birds Without. Back to the drawing board...

Gig Report - Nov 8th

2008-11-10T14:14:00.002-07:00

Stone Vista Media:

Maybelle's Music Box

Pony Ride

Parley's Drifters

Bluegrass night. Very light audience - maybe this was just a strange week for shows? Saw the ultimate micing technique for double bass, which is wrapping a mic in something soft, and then wedging it in the tailpiece (pointed up at the bridge). Actually had enough gain on the banjos, which surprised me greatly (usually, I end up not being able to really hear the banjo player, no matter how many strange tricks I try). Of course, I offset that triumph by not quite getting the mandolins right. You win some, you lose some...

Gig Report - Nov 7th

2008-11-10T14:09:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Ben Johnson

Michael Gross and the Statuettes

Nicosia

Fun night, though the crowd was pretty sparse. Felt pretty good about the audio, although I think I've made some kind of fundamental error in the system tuning. I'm always perching the vocal mics right on the edge of the system's point of stability. I think I should knock down all my settings and see if starting over helps. I wasn't really sure of myself with Nicosia's guitar tone, but I did settle on a darker, more middly sound after a couple of songs.

Gig Report - Nov 6th

2008-11-10T14:05:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Crashing at Dawn

Junior Giant

Okay night, lightly attended. Had no trouble getting Junior Giant going in a short amount of time (which maybe is better than when I can sit and fret about every little thing). Felt pretty good about the tones of things all around, but I felt like I never quite got enough vocal for Crashing at Dawn. Luckily, I get to try again in a couple of weeks.

Gig Report - Nov 5th

2008-11-10T14:01:00.002-07:00

Solid Ground Cafe (@ New Song Underground):

Denison Witmer

Emme Packer

Seafinch

Amazing night. Packed house. Lots of waterbags/ portable, self-propelled absorbers (that is to say, humans) made the room sound pretty nice. Along with the relatively low volume of the show, this led to an overall show sound that had pleasant low end, and rich (yet crisp) vocals. I missed a couple of cues when Emme's guitar player did some quiet work with his e-bow, but I eventually caught on.

Gig Report - Nov. 1st

2008-11-03T13:52:00.002-07:00

Rising Artists Studios LLC:

Carma

Codi

Julia

Brodie

Aubree

Excellent show, very well attended. The room really sounds a lot better with lots of people in it - they soak up all the "garble" in the low-mids. Soundcheck was extra long (and actually more of a rehearsal), because it was the first RASllc showcase without a wireless system. Everybody seemed to adapt well, though.

Gig Report - Oct. 31st

2008-11-03T13:49:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Junior Giant

The Halloween bash came off well, although we struggled during soundcheck with getting everything just right. Got another opportunity (with the opener) to try using a "vanilla" mic on a kick drum, and was pleasantly surprised (again). Attendance not as high as hoped, but pretty okay as far as I was concerned.

Gig Report - Oct. 30th

2008-11-03T13:46:00.002-07:00

Self Promoted:

Wasatch Music Coaching Academy

As expected, WMCA put on a great show that was very well attended. A special highlight was "Thriller" being performed by an 11(?) piece funk band. Reasonably solid sound throughout, although the feed from the keyboard amp was noisy, and not every guitar amplifier got a microphone during changeovers. We were also trying to be less loud than last time WMCA came through - I don't know if we succeeded.

Pictures From The Resistant

2008-10-28T10:55:00.002-06:00

They took a lot of them. The whole set is here.

Video From Discard The Day

2008-10-28T10:22:00.005-06:00

This contrasts somewhat with the video from Six Ways To Sunday. ;)

Abomination

Lots Of Videos From Six Ways To Sunday!

2008-10-28T10:04:00.002-06:00

Check it out:

A Woman's Plea

You'd Never Leave

Farmer's Prayer

Redneck Cadillac

Technical Data For New Song Underground

2008-10-27T11:50:00.005-06:00

Because of some questions that have come up in recently in booking discussions, my inner audio nerd decided to get me busy with doing with a technical overview of New Song Underground. There is quite a bit of "audio nerd content" in this, and some of the language may be unwieldy to parse - but I'm trying to be something that reasonably approaches precise.

Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't.

Anyway, here it is:

Technical Data for New Song Underground

This document is an attempt to provide meaningful, quantitative data regarding various aspects of New Song Underground. It does not (and can not) address every possible situation encountered, and the testing discussed is not infallible. However, this document may still be interesting and useful in various cases. Please excuse any spelling or grammatical errors.

PA Equipment

FOH PA System:

Two stacks, each biamplified, consisting of one subwoofer enclosure of one direct radiating 18” low frequency (LF) driver, and one mid-high enclosure of one direct-radiating 15” LF driver, one direct-radiating 15” mid frequency (MF) driver, and one horn-loaded 1” exit high frequency (HF) driver.

The FOH stack style is parallel (one stack on either side of the stage, with the stacks radiating on a line perpendicular to an imaginary, vertical plane intersecting the proscenium).

The FOH PA is configured to operate as a monaural source. One channel is reserved for the mid-high amplification, and one channel is reserved for the subwoofer amplification. These channels are fed from the output of the mixing console in such a fashion that an audio technician can allocate signal between the mid-high and subwoofer systems by way of the pan controls on each mixing console channel.

FOH PA management consists of one “equalization (EQ) emphasis” loudspeaker management system, and one “crossover emphasis” loudspeaker management system, in series.

Stage Monitor System:

Four monitor wedges, each biamplified, each being a mid-high enclosure of one direct-radiating 10” LF driver, and one horn-loaded 1” exit HF driver.

One drum fill, comprising two stacks, each triamplified, each stack consisting of one subwoofer enclosure of one direct radiating 18” LF driver, and one mid-high enclosure of one direct-radiating 15” LF driver, and one horn-loaded 1” exit HF driver.

The stage monitor style is wedges across the downstage lip, and the drum fill centered near the upstage wall.

The stage monitor system is configured to operate as five monaural sources. Mixes for the sources are derived from the first five auxiliaries available on the mixing console channels, typically using console channels configured to be independent of channels used for feeding the FOH PA. (Channels used for feeding the FOH PA can be used to drive the monitor mixes, if independent EQ and compression for monitor sources is not required.)

The stage monitor system's management consists of one parametric equalizer for each wedge, and one graphic equalizer and “crossover emphasis” loudspeaker management system (in series) for the drum fill.

Mixing Console:

One digital mixing console with 32 channels and 16 physical inputs (one usually reserved for a submix of talkback and house music). Typical configuration is channels 1-16 feeding the FOH PA, each channel having four bands of parametric EQ, a gate, and a compressor available. Channels 17-32 are used to derive monitor mixes, each channel having four bands of parametric EQ, and a compressor available. Gates are not available on channels 17-32.

Performance Measurements

Warning! Performance measurements are made in open-loop (no possible feedback) conditions, using pink noise. It should not necessarily be expected that maximum performance can always be obtained in closed-loop conditions, for example, with a microphone, or indeed in any performance situation where multiple, unforseen and potentially uncontrollable factors exist! Also, please be aware that these measurements were not taken using “scientific grade” instruments, and so may not stand up to measurements made with full scientific rigor – they are a guideline only.

Maximum continuous sound pressure level (SPL), FOH PA:

For an observer approximately 1.676 meters (5.5 feet) above the floor, on a line perpendicular to the fourth “panel” from the front on the south wall, and intersecting a plane perpendicular to the floor and the FOH PA stacks, emanating from the south edge of the bottom stage step:

104 dB SPL A (mostly emphasizing midrange) weighted

107 dB SPL C (more low frequencies measured compared to A) weighted

Method:

Pink noise was introduced to a console channel, with the panner centered. Pink noise was increased in level until the “crossover emphasis” system management system was indicating intermittent limiter operation on the high-frequency output. Limiter operation was approximately 5 times per second. Amplification for mid-high enclosures was steadily indicating onset of amplifier limiter operation and/ or clipping.

Maximum continuous SPL, single monitor wedge:

For an observer approximately 1.676 meters (5.5 feet) above the floor, and approximately 1 meter (3.280 feet) from the monitor on a line parallel to the floor and emanating from the approximate geometric center of the monitor's front face:

113 dB SPL A

114 dB SPL C

Method:

Pink noise was introduced to a console channel. Pink noise was increased in level until the monitor's clip/ limit indicator illuminated, and then decreased in 2 dB increments until the indicator no longer illuminated.

Maximum continuous SPL, drum fill:

For an observer approximately 1.676 meters (5.5 feet) above the floor, centered between the drum fill stacks:

110 dB SPL A

115 dB SPL C

Method:

Pink noise was introduced to a console channel. Pink noise was increased in level until the mid-high enclosure's clip/ limit indicator illuminated, and then decreased in 2 dB increments until the indicator no longer illuminated.

Environmental reverb time, full bandwidth:

For an observer approximately 1.737 meters (5.7 feet) above the floor, on a line perpendicular to the fourth “panel” from the front on the south wall, and intersecting a plane perpendicular to the floor and the FOH PA stacks, emanating from the south edge of the bottom stage step:

1.536 seconds

Method:

Pink noise generated from a “region” inside a recording program was introduced to a console channel, with the panner centered. Pink noise was set to an average of 100 dB SPL C as measured at FOH, with both the FOH PA and the monitor system being audible to the observer. A recording was made of the pink noise ending, and the subsequent reverberation. The recording was analyzed to determine the length of time between the end of the pink noise, and the point where the recording level decayed beyond -55 dBFS (decibels referenced to full scale, or the maximum possible input level for the console channel). The PA system was equalized as normal.

Environmental reverb time, in half-octave bands (spectral decay):

Method:

Pink noise generated from a “region” inside a recording program was introduced to a console channel, with the panner centered. To generate the noise passbands, a multiband compressor (set to a 1:1 ratio) was set so that each passband could be reproduced in isolation. Each passband of pink noise was set to an average of 100 dB SPL C as measured at FOH, with both the FOH PA and the monitor system being audible to the observer. A recording was made of the pink noise ending, and the subsequent reverberation. The recording was analyzed to determine the length of time between the end of the pink noise, and the point where the recording level decayed beyond -55 dBFS (decibels referenced to full scale, or the maximum possible input level for the console channel). The PA system was equalized as normal.

Gig Report - Oct. 25th

2008-10-27T11:32:00.003-06:00

Self Promoted:

Discard The Day

Another show where the bill went through massive upheaval. Geppetto ended up not being able to play, but Discard The Day really wanted to do the show. I'm glad they did. It was a cool (yet dark, doomy, and heavy) evening. Turnout was light, but it couldn't be expected to be otherwise. I had to do some quick tweaking on the first song, as I managed to get myself some pretty severe "one note bass," but after focusing on the high end for FOH (and letting monitor world carry the lows and mids), I think things got noticeably better.

Gig Report - Oct. 24th

2008-10-27T11:27:00.002-06:00

Self Promoted:

Outlet

The Resistant

Crudus Nex

Deadwire

I feel bad for Outlet, because their drummer got yanked away to Saint George, so they weren't able to play the gig they themselves booked. Still, Tyler was a good sport, showed up, and handled the door. Another show that was "stupid fun" (remember, "stupid" combined with a positive word is a GOOD thing), because I love metal when it's done well, and the three remaining bands played very well. Turnout was better than I expected with all the upheaval the bill went through.

Gig Report - Oct 23rd

2008-10-27T11:20:00.002-06:00

Self Promoted:

Chris (Mury)

Blackhounds

Mesa Drive

A Cassandra Utterance

Seriously fun show. Big crowd. Great idea on Chris's part - hope we can do it again! I especially liked when the percussionist for Mesa Drive hit (PUN!!) on the idea of putting two foam cups together. Sometimes, I say "stupid" when I think something is dumb, but in this case, the show was "stupid fun," which is a GOOD thing.

Gig Report - Oct. 22nd

2008-10-23T00:52:00.003-06:00

Promoted by Robin:

Reviver

Contrast

Drug Sh*t

Murdock

Think Fast

Hardcore show. I needed three times more PA than what is installed. Was in the limiters all night long - HARD into the limiters, you understand. Definitely had one mic de-spec the capsule, and I'm pretty sure at least one mic cable is not in working order. (Oh well - the weak links get weeded out eventually.) Impressive turnout.

But I still wish I had more PA.

Gig Report - Oct. 20th

2008-10-21T11:14:00.002-06:00

IE Concerts:

Jesse Rogers

The Gorgeous Hussies

Tartufi

Another show for a touring band. Sparse attendance - which surprised me, because somebody said that Kilby sold out the last time Tartufi was in town. I think I need to start shows with a different "monitor assumption," because I'm having trouble getting enough vocal for folks. I also discovered a strange DM-24 software glitch, where sending audio to an internal reverb munges all kinds of mutes and routing, resulting in the output of one channel being sent to all the monitors. Curiouser and curiouser...