A few years ago, my brothers and I got together to play a show at a Charlotte club. It was a Christmas reunion of sorts. The show, the music, and the performance was a real train wreck. At no point were we playing what could resemble the same song. Covers were half-assed. Songs were incomplete. It left me wondering why we did the show to begin with.

Last Friday, the same brothers played what I consider to be the best performance we’ve been capable of. The Garrigan Bros. have come a long way since that fateful, awful holiday performance.

Most of our growth can be attributed to the fact that we’re actually a working band now-a-days. We play at least a show a month and are in the middle of recording a record. The songs are mostly unique to the Garrigan Bros (the exceptions are Jay’s solo songs that were our artistic foundation).

Rick Basdeo, Charlotte’s resident musical expert and shaman, commented to me after the set, “Those first few songs were really tight.” Thanks. The first half of the set contained our more traditional sounding modern rock songs. The second half of our set was a trip into the inane and nihilistic. Songs like “Tom vs. John” and “Eat Together, Shit Alone” are intrinsically ridiculous; however, they are always entertaining.

We closed with an unexpected cover of Metallica’s “For Whom the Bell Tolls.” Although we hadn’t practiced it, it was pretty much required playing in our garage in Fayetteville when we were growing up and learning how to play our instruments. I think the photo above was from that cover. Thanks, Lee for the great photo.

The Garrigan Bros. will return.

Do cover gigs damage one’s artistic integrity?

No. If anything, playing a show where one is encouraged to play a good percentage of cover songs widens accessibility to a narrowing live music audience.

Last Friday, my comrade Mark Kano and I played a lengthy gig at the Piedmont Ale House in Burlington, NC. In speaking with the promoter, it seemed that it would be a good idea to play a wealth of cover songs. You know, things like “Fire and Rain” by James Taylor, or an ever pleasing classic like “Faithfully” by Journey.

An old part of me used to scoff at these kinds of shows. This past weekend, I gleamed a new value from playing a cover style gig. Personally, I loved it. I look forward to playing here again.

The original music market is fading. I wouldn’t say dying, just because people will always be writing songs. And, someday, original music will have a resurgence. Now a days, it’s getting harder and harder to get a show at a club and be able to play all-original songs, all the time.

For me, the value in playing cover songs is in their instant “relate-a-bility.” A passerby stops in for a pint and some chips, hears a song, recognizes it, likes it, and decides to stick around for a few more songs. Eventually, this guy or gal buys a CD, takes it home, and possibly becomes a fan.

At this past weekend’s show, we both sold quite a few CD’s of original music to people who had never heard of either of us, either individually or because of Athenaeum or Collapsis. Although we played some of our originals, most of the sales came right after well-executed cover songs.

Back in the early 1960’s the Beatles used to play 12-hour gigs in Germany. Most of the songs were cover songs. Part of what made them a good band, and later on, good songwriters, was an exposure to a wealth of well-crafted music. 45% of the music on their first four albums was not original (although all of Hard Day’s Night was original).

Cover songs seem like a window into an artist’s soul. The songs a songwriter chooses to cover can show off his influences and tastes.

Cover songs are also a valuable teaching tool. If you want to learn how to write a good song, try playing a couple. Dissect them, study them, and then, when you are ready, allow them to influence your writing.

Does that mean we should all just do cover gigs?

No. But it does help me see the value in doing a few cover songs now and then, especially at shows where very few people may know who I am.

Mark and I had a great time at the Piedmont Ale House last weekend. Thank you to all who supported this fun night. We’ll be back in June.

If I were a bettin’ man, (and, I am), I’d guess that Winston-Salem’s The Garage was once an auto repair garage. Now days, it’s one of North Carolina’s more reputable music venues. There’s an early show and a late show. And, if last Friday’s show with Mark Kano is any indication; my guess is that the venue stays fairly full most nights.

Piedmont blues legend Big Ron Hunter was on stage at 8:45 pm when I arrived to load in. He was a staple at the Speakeasy Jazz open mic nights a few years ago. I went to those jazz nights religiously for a year and a half. When I started constructing my studio, I stopped going with any frequency. I wish I had kept going. Sadly, the Speakeasy is no more.

Big Ron wrapped things up around 9:30 pm. Michael Slawter and the Saving Graces took the stage soon after. They were the first band for the “late” show. This power pop band was one of the best I’ve heard in a while. Great songs. Great delivery. They reminded me of a bit of the Smithereens mixed in with a good dose of originality. It’s no surprise that their records are critically acclaimed. I enjoyed these guys.

Mark Kano Band hit the stage at around 10:30 pm or 11 pm. I can’t remember exactly, but it was a bit later than scheduled. I provided electric guitar, acoustic guitar, background vocals, and organ for the set. Snuzz rocked the bass (rather well, I might add). Nic Brown played drums (also rather well). I hadn’t played a full set with Nic in over 12 years. He’s as good as ever. Did you know he has a book coming out? Here’s a link to it.

The set was
Sad Songs
I’m Still Waiting
Calling Saturn
Baby, I’m Your Man
Walking on Broadway
Where Were You Last Night?
Telling You I Love You
What I Didn’t Know

I had the privilege of having previously played all of these songs with Mark in an acoustic format. Although, some of the electric guitar arrangements were a little more intricate—a few new leads here and there.

I like to record every performance with which I’m involved. I set up an AKG mic and got a direct line from the board. Having a reference of the show will be helpful for the next time we play. I can think of a few things I could improve on from my end.

The room was full. The crowd was supportive and energized. It was a great night.

After the MKB, Jerry Chapman, a nationally renowned songwriter took the stage with his polished band. They played the headlining and final slot of the night. Before the show, Jerry and I were talking 80’s metal. I knew that he knew his stuff because he mentioned knowledge of two of the more ubiquitous producers from the era and genre: Michael Wagner (Double Trouble) and Beau Hill.

As the conversation rolled on, I lamented the fact that I had never bought Badlands on CD when it came out. As a result, the out of print album now goes for between $60 and $100 on Ebay, if you can even find a listing for it. He may have a copy of the record on vinyl that I can borrow. My tape is worn out beyond recognition. Here’s keeping my fingers crossed.

The Mark Kano Band will perform at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC on Friday, June 19th. Mark has quite a few other dates coming up, too. We’re doing a few acoustic duo shows. He’s also performing some solo gigs. Upcoming shows can be found at Mark’s site.

If you haven’t heard Mark Kano’s latest solo album, Walking on Broadway, I recommend it. I’m delighted to have been asked to be a part of his touring band in support of this album. We’ll be at the Garage in Winston-Salem, NC this Friday, April 10. A list of other live dates is available at Mark’s site.

When I’m asked to play in a live support context, the first thing I like to do is meet with the artist. This meeting serves to better familiarize me with what the artist needs. Mark is an old friend, so this meeting was a lot of fun. (In fact, we recorded some of it for the next podcast, but that’s a topic for a different essay).

After consultation, it’s time for me to think of ways to adapt my skills and equipment to meet the needs of the project. This is a great time for me to “rethink my rig.”

I’m a guitarist by trade. I live & breathe guitar, everyday. What Mark needed in his live band was someone who could play the additional guitar parts from the album. He also needed someone who could provide background vocals and possibly piano on a track or two. I am excited to offer what I can to this project.

The first thing we did was determine which parts I would perform, as well as which guitars I would use. On some of the songs, I’m providing ancillary rhythm guitar, on some I’m providing a good portion of the leads, on some I’m playing acoustic guitar. The main consideration is playing for the song. I think we made some good choices.

The next thing, which I had considerable autonomy on, was selecting the amp and effects pedals that would achieve the right blend in the mix. In Athenaeum, we had been achieving success with our mix of live guitar tones. Mark uses a DC-30 Matchless amp. I use a simple Fender Pro Jr. Mark’s tone carries a lot of body to it. My Fender seamlessly cuts through the lushness of the Matchless. It’s a great combination. My other options all include a clumsy, mid-70’s Marshall and a variety of cabinets. I explored this tone in my band Collapsis long ago. It’s a great tone, but it doesn’t seem right for this project.

The pedal board I use is highly adaptable. While I prefer to use authentic pedals in the studio, for the live show, I enjoy the ease and flexibility of the Line 6 effects modelers. The DL-4 pedal is a must. I also use the DM-4, the MM-4, a Hughes and Kettner Rotosphere, and a simple Boss tuner.

I have a few snappy leads in this set. I replaced the “volume swell” effect I use in Athenaeum with a short, “tube echo” sound. This gives the solos a little more character. I also have a longer, analog delay setting that I manipulate with the “tap tempo” feature. If you haven’t messed around with this pedal, I highly recommend it. View the Line 6 link here.

I like to texture my tone with phase and flange. The effects on the MM-4 are great in the live context. I use the Phase-90 simulation on “Last Night” and the analog flange here and there in the set.

My least favorite of the Line-6 modelers is the DM-4. It’s a great pedal, but I’ve always preferred amp distortion to pedal distortion. The one setting I do use for this project is the “Boost/Comp” simulation. It does well to juice up my signal a little. This just makes the tubes work harder. As a result, it rocks more! If you do like pedal distortion, the Tube Screamer and Rat simulations are useful.

Rethinking my rig has been a fun activity for me this weekend. I’m looking forward to the debut show this Friday at the Garage. If you can make it, we’d love to see you there!

It's been a few days since the show, but I thought I'd recap.

On March 7, 2009, I played a solo acoustic show with three other songwriters in Holly Springs, NC at the Holly Springs Cultural Center. Above is the performance schedule.

Playing solo is my least frequented performance format. The last time I played alone on stage was in December. That set was three and a half hours long and mostly all-request. This set was about 40 minutes.

The Cultural Center holds about 200 people. Only 50 or so were present at any given time for this show. The other songwriters (Chris Titchner, Steve Smith, and Jason Adamo) all attracted an even percentage of that number. All in all, it was a fun night and a relatively full and comfortable venue.

Holly Springs, NC is a small town about twenty miles south of downtown Raleigh. You'd think that there wouldn't be much there, but my friends brought me some out-of-this-world wood fired pizza. It was unique; better than just about any gourmet pie I have tried. I'm looking forward to eating there again.

The Cultural Center is a newly built theatre. It was a nice change to play a venue that errs on the side of artistic exposure rather than on food and beverage sales. The dressing room had nice lights and ample space.

I played

October
Home Again
The Door
Happy Birthday/Wonderland
Shine On
Orange
Anesthetic Overcoats/Nightmares
Oceans
Don't Fade Away

The set consisted of a good mix of new and old songs. "The Door" is a song that I don't think has been played on the podcast yet. The other new ones have been aired.

My favorite new song of the night was "Shine On." I messed around with some tempo variations and arrangement ideas. The set generally got better as it went on, with the second half being stronger vocally than the first half.

We've been asked to perform again at this venue in the future.

Mark's album was released today! Check it out at Mark's site.

Anyway, we played a promo spot on our local Fox News affiliate this afternoon. It was a great time!

Shed time.

Athenaeum played a reunion show at Amos' Southend on Saturday, February 7, 2009. Drop D and The Stellas opened the show.

We've been doing about four or five of these get-togethers each year since a few years ago. I've particularly enjoyed playing them. This past engagement was perhaps our best played reunion show, in spite of the complete lack of rehearsal. I'm not sure if it's the "riding a bike" factor or if it's the fact that we all just had a genuinely fun time. Either way, it was a great way to spend a Saturday night.

The set list was something like

Plurabelle
Flat Tire
On My Mind
She Alone
Damage
Spotlight
No One
Unnoticed
Away
Sour Milk
October
Frozen in Time
Wonderland
Hourglass
Comfort
What I Didn't Know
Automatic
Summertime
Sweeter Love
Revolution
Little Red Corvette

...give or take a few songs in probably a different order.

I got a free the Stellas t-shirt, too. I don't mind wearing pink.

Mark posted a few flyers around the club for his new CD. He played it over the PA during the first opening band and second opening band set break. The response was overwhelmingly positive. I walked through the club as it played just to hear it. I got a few photo-ops and autograph requests. I forgot what those were like. I don't mind posing for photos and signing stuff, but it's not my day-to-day reality anymore. I'm still flattered, so thanks for asking.

I enjoyed the tapping solo I did during Little Red Corvette. I recognize its futility. It's just that 80's metal guitar is so completely FUN. Thank you for putting up with me.

All in all, it was a solid two hour set. I didn't get the official count, but in excess of 500 or so were in attendance. I hope everyone had as good of a time as we did.

See you next time!

If you're a musician playing in Chapel Hill, it's only a matter of time before you're walking a little farther than you might have anticipated. I couldn't find any parking, once again, in Chapel Hill before our show on Saturday, January 17th at the Local 506 club on Franklin Street.

Even back in 1993, when I first started gigging regularly, this was a reality. I hoofed it from Morrison Hall to the corner of Columbia and Franklin just about every week, usually for a spot at open mic at the bakery. Here, in 2009, a similar reality reared it's head. I parked on Cameron Ave, about three city blocks from the club, and walked, gear in hand.

But, man, wasn't it worth it? I had a great time at the show. Mark and I did an opening set for Longwave and Aminal. We played as an acoustic duo, of course.

The set was:

Last Night
Hey, Angel
I'm Still Waiting
Two Shadows
Baby, I'm Your Man
October
Walking on Broadway
God Lives in My Backyard
Sad Songs
Automatic
Telling You I Love You

All of Mark's songs were drawn from his forthcoming solo album, Walking on Broadway. My tunes came from my past works. Two songs I'm going to record for my next solo album were played, too.

I'm excited about Mark's new album. I feel a profound sense of possibility. Playing the gig last night, it felt like we were on the verge of a new chapter. I'm thrilled. Can't wait to see what happens.

Mark's website is up and running.

There's a few pictures as well as a blog that has pictures from last November's tracking session for his album. Check it out, if you're interested. I like the new message board, too.

Artistic suicide or new horizon? I wasn't sure about doing an entire set of new and unreleased songs. I did it anyway. On Sunday, December 21, 2008, I played two sets of acoustic music at Deep South the Bar in Raleigh, NC. I greatly enjoyed the venue. It was clean, cool, and all about the music. I like it when venues are about music.

I drew mainly from my "morning pages" writings, a collection of songs that I wrote beginning back in September of 2008. The idea was to write without agenda and just see what happened. Often, the writing was bad. Sometimes, it was quite good. The first set I played was:

Come Alive
The Morning Bird
Home Again
3308
Holes in the Sky
Nightmares
The Door
Shine On
Goodbye
Roller Coaster
Wicked Light
Where There's a Door

Half of the "new" material was taken from the pages. The other half was from demos, projects, fodder, etc, that hasn't been used as of yet, but probably needs to get a fair shake. I still can't figure out why "Nightmares" never made it on to anything yet. It was written just months after "October" and feels like it maybe should have had a similar resonance in my life. I guess some songs make it...some don't. I'm hoping to give that song a good spot on spring.

The second set was an all-request set. It was about two hours long. The only songs I brought to the table were "Automatic" and "On My Way." The others were all by request from anyone who was there. There was at least one song requested from each of my records. "Dirty Wake" and "4 1/2 Days Ago" were memorable requests.

The show was a lot of fun. I hope everyone had a good time.

It was a great weekend of shows. I'll start by recapping the first of the two.

Mark and I played an opening set at the Blind Tiger on December, 20, 2008. We opened for Cravin' Melon, a band who used to play quite a bit around the south east during the mid to late 90's, much like Athenaeum did. It was an honor to be asked to be a part of this show.

We did a bunch of new songs. A cover song (which we will eventually nail down) eluded us at sound check. We're excited about bringing that song to the set.

Our set was:

Last Night
Hey, Angel
I'm Still Waiting
Baby, I'm Your Man
Two Shadows
The Best Is Yet To Come
Automatic
Walking on Broadway
October
Sad Songs
Another Day in Paradise
Telling You I Love You

For those who missed us, we'll be playing on January 17th, 2009 at Local 506 in Chapel Hill, NC opening for Longwave. See you there!

Like the poster says, I'll be doing a solo show on December 21st of this month. I'll be playing at Deep South the Bar in Raleigh, NC at 8 pm on that Sunday night.

I hope to play two sets of material. The first set will be all new songs. The second set will be older, familiar songs; the ones that most people want to hear. I'm looking forward to it.

The night before, on December 20th, Mark and I will be doing an acoustic duo set at the Blind Tiger. We'll be opening for Cravin' Melon. If Bubs and Z hadn't already used the name, wouldn't Two-O-Duo be a great name for an acoustic duo? Giving credit where credit is due, I'm obviously a Homestar Runner fan.

Tonight, of course, is Joe's Cover band explosion. I'll be taking the stage with some new friends to pay tribute to one of the greatest bands of the 80's, The Cult. I have a bizarre dual role as Astbury and Duffy. I am certain pictures will follow. That show is, too, at the Blind Tiger in Greensboro, NC.

The show this weekend was a lot of fun. I think doing the road edition of the podcast enhanced the enjoyment for me.

If you follow the podcast, you probably are aware that they've been a bit late this month. The first podcast didn't make it up until the 8th. This second part didn't make it until the 22nd. I think that's OK. I'm sorry they are late. Better late than never.

I think we had our first good Garrigan Bros. show. We've played four so far. The first few were pretty disorganized, but fun. This past show, we really locked in. We even wrote a song at the rehearsal, "Imaginary Jumpsuit." The song opens the set and is featured on the podcast. It was pretty effortless, which, in terms of writing, is a good thing. I started playing a Genesis-esque synth line, Joe started the drum beat, Jay had some song fragments, I wrote a quick bridge, Joe named the song. Pure collaboration.

I thought it would be mildly interesting to provide some insight into what really goes on at a show. There's a lot of waiting around, a lot of talking, a lot of bs'ing, and even more waiting around. I guess that's why the podcast is twice as long as usual this time. I apologize for some of the bad language and shady situations. I'd be a liar if I didn't include some of that stuff. We've all heard worse. I tagged the podcast as explicit in iTunes. So, please use discretion...I know some folks make it a family event to listen to my podcast.

Enjoy the podcast. As always, please leave feed back on the message board. Thanks!

This should be an interesting show. I don't publicize these as much as my acoustic shows (or the Athenaeum shows) simply because they're like loose cannons...not sure how they'll go off. But, it should be fun. Snug Harbor is in Charlotte, NC.

The Gee Bee's is a band featuring my two brothers, Jay and Joe, as well as myself. We're trying to keep most of the material exclusive (you won't hear any of my traditional songs at this show). I've contributed two songs to the mix.

We got some decent press for our Blind Tiger show. It's good to still be getting good reviews.

Enjoy!

Click here.

On July 19, 2008, Mark and I played the Evening Muse in Charlotte, NC. The Muse is one of my favorite clubs to play in. In spite of perhaps 20 or so less than usually attend our shows at this venue, we had a great show. Thank you for attending.

Lately, I've uncovered the value of recording EVERYTHING we do. From rehearsals to live shows, recording allows our shortcomings to be readily apparent. Conversely, when something works, it's completely obvious. I recorded our set at the Tiger two days prior. An analysis of that set helped me realize some of the vocal and guitar problem spots that I've been having of late. Holly thinks I over analyze things, but I'm almost positive that a thorough study of Thursday helped Saturday's set.

We played an oleo:

I'm Still Waiting
Hey, Angel
Flat Tire
Falling to the Ground
What I Didn't Know
She Alone
Sad Songs
Two Shadows
Baby, I'm Your Man
God Lives in My Backyard
Automatic
Telling You I Love You
Another Day in Paradise
Walking on Broadway
Sour Milk
October
Away
You All Everybody/See You Tonight
Gravity Affects Me
Plurabelle
Sweeter Love

The set must have been over 90 minutes...probably more like 100 minutes. Probably the only two surprising songs were "You All Everybody" (the Driveshaft cover) and "Sweeter Love," a song that we've only done a few times acoustically.

Monty Chandler took some really nice pictures, which can be seen here.

All in all, the set felt relaxed and solid. In the playback, I only hear a few things I might have done a little differently.

Athenaeum will be doing a full band show on August 16th at Charlotte's Amos' Southend. See you there!

A Thursday night when VH-1 is running their latest Rock Honors show isn't the best time to play an opening acoustic set, but this occasion wasn't too bad. I had a great time playing with Civil Twilight, a band originally from South Africa. Mark and I played an acoustic duo set. We played at Greensboro's Blind Tiger.

Thursday night's are prime temporal real estate for me. I don't like to stay out too late. My wife and I went out to dinner at 8 pm at Sticks & Stones. This place was really nice. We ordered a pizza called the Firecracker, a concoction with anchovies, bacon, and peppers. I found out later that all of the pizza varieties are named after Ryan Adams songs.

Mark and I converged on the Tiger right around 9. We did an interview with Yes! Weekly, a local magazine. I look forward to reading this article. It'll be good to have some recent press, too.

After a quick soundcheck, we eventually hit the stage at 10:30. We played for 47 minutes. Our set was

I'm Still Waiting
Hey, Angel
Flat Tire
Falling to the Ground
Sad Songs
Two Shadows
Baby, I'm Your Man
You All Everybody/See You Tonight
Walking on Broadway
Gravity Affects Me

I enjoyed the set. This set was the first time we played "Falling to the Ground," a song I wrote back in 2003. Also, "Baby, I'm Your Man" made it's first appearance in a club show at this set; we had played it at a few weddings. Also, we played the Driveshaft song, "You All Everybody" as a tag in to "See You Tonight." Great song. Driveshaft was a great band. It's a shame that Charlie died.

All in all, it was a great Thursday. Civil Twilight rocked. I wish those guys the best.

The Garrigan Bros. play a show in Charlotte. Read More...

Mark (left) and Mike (right) play a sold-out acoustic show at Charlotte's legendary Evening Muse. Read More...