Very Interesting TED Talk from Elizabeth Gilbert

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

"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

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

After-Math (PUN!!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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:

37

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

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

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

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!

...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.