Black and White Ball
This was a first for me: I was playing outdoors, close to midnight, with no roof over the stage. It was a clear chilly night and the dew was so thick that when I came onstage my equipment was completely soaked. My fingers splashed across the keys. And the venue had no towels–none! My head was steaming in the night air and I could see my breath. I almost felt like I was back in England. It would have been a great night to sing ‘Airwaves’…. ‘Knee-deep in water/under a pylon/how still my heartbeat, how this the air I’m breathing in.’
(Well okay I know *any* night would be a good one for me to sing ‘Airwaves’ as far as many of you are concerned. Sooner or later…..)
“(Well okay I know *any* night would be a good one for me to sing ‘Airwaves’ as far as many of you are concerned. Sooner or later…..)”
Amen, mah brutha! Seriously!
From what the Colorado contingent is saying, you may have an even more chilly experience on stage in Boulder. Can you put some sort of PolarFleece snuggly over your headset? Perhaps cannibalize some earmuffs? ;=) Noggin steamin’ in the chilly air…
Hope everything’s dried out today, and Mother Nature hasn’t done anything nefarious to your equipment.
How about in December, when I fly down to see you and BT in Orlando?
Dew + Electronic gear = short circuit. You must have been sweating that one inspite of the chilly weather…
)
(Well okay I know *any* night would be a good one for me to sing ‘Airwaves’ as far as many of you are concerned. Sooner or later…..)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Yes please!!!
Whenever you’re ready, of course.
We will quite happily accept *whatever* music you’re willing to give us in the meantime, mind you!
Love and chocolate-covered bits of fruit,
Kara…
glad all was ok with the show and gear in the end thomas.your reference to england was spot on.went for a beer on sat night in hurricane conditions! that said we euros must keep up the pressure on mr d for some shows on our shores!
..”cable them to me”…
I like the sound of that Sooner or Later
Cripes – hope the equipment survived intact with no unscheduled pyrotechnics!
Sounds like an intriguing if not unique experience – some good inspiration there for a new song, eh? Like everyone going all misty eyed over Airwaves I suspect you went all misty goggled in that night air – time to retrofit the gogs with a demist function I’d have thought
Gosh… not the ideal conditions for a show. I would think it would be difficult to summon up the proper amount of enthusiasm when it’s too wet and cold to keep your fingers movin’ smoothly. Oudoor venues are always hit-or-miss. I’m sorry to hear this wasn’t a hit (though I’m sure you had an appreciative audience, nonetheless!).
Hopefully with the excessive moisture it was a glitch free show. I can’t imagine you throwing t-shirts for a black tie affair. However, it would be fun to see people in formal dress scrambling like crazy for a free t-shirt.
Thomas,
With the looks of the weather here this week, it is a good thing you have a nice warm outer coat for the show. You may opt to keep it on the full set for this show. I hope the weather works out or there is an indoor alternative if needed.
Peek in to Monday Night Football tonight to see what we are getting.
Rain/snow or dry, I plan on being there anyway.
-Keith
Yeah, the air might be distinctly chilly here on Thursday night, though the high that day is supposed to be in the lower 50s, so hopefully not totally miserable that evening. Still, weather forecasting here is an incredibly difficult job, so the outlook could change quite a bit between now and then!
But I’ll be there too, regardless (though I may be bundled up such that it is hard to tell). And I wish I could advise you on whether the venue has a roof, but since you’ll be the first person to ever play there and us mere mortals haven’t been allowed in yet, you probably know more about it than I do!
-Beth
I expect you all to be SERIOUSLY getting down and getting your groove on during the show to keep warm, Colorado folks.
EEP! I just so glad you didn’t get hurt!
I’m with HollyG–I just couldn’t bring myself to think about what
Pretty dang lucky too,
could’ve happened until now. Eep indeed!! You’re a brave man, Thomas…as I’m sure we all agree!!!
perhaps…That whole water + electricity thing reminds me of an article I read in a computer magazine a few years back, about how to water-cool your PC. An “extreme mod”, as it were. I was like, “Yeah, RIGHT!!!!!” Awesome idea in theory–the distilled water [contained in well-sealed plastic tubing] leached heat away from the test computer’s CPU very efficiently, apparently, but my gut-level reaction was, “Not in MY bloomin’ computer.”
I somehow just don’t think many people ordered that kit.
Love and strange situations,
Kara the Techie
Hi there
are there any plans for a TORONTO date…we made the trip to Detroit to see you (10 hours driving was well worth it!) lst time without the band- really looking forward to a new show.
Who is the band again? LTP? I think I heard LTP.. GREAT , but boy would I love to hear kevin and Matthew seligman!
Graham
graham.maureen@sympatico.ca
Lunesse: Oh, we will be. But keep in mind, some other moms from my kids’ school may be volunteering at this event. So if someone drinks too much, acts like an idiot or yells “FREEBIRD!!!”….
…it’s probably not me.
Just so you know.
This real-life scene you describe reminds me of the Airwaves video which is included in the Golden Age of Video collection I still have on VHS. I recall there was some kind of communications device you were lugging around in that video, or was that Dissidents — I’ll have to re-watch. It occurred to me at the Club Cafe show that you haven’t forgone renovating old devices. I’m curious — do you still have that mammoth device used in the Europa video and on the Blinded by Science EP cover? You mentioned a few years ago on the Flat Earth site that you still had it. — Rich
Speaking of the Club Cafe gig you did in Pittsburgh, I, as well as many fellow Dolby-philes will welcome your return to the Steel City. We’re also looking forward to the upcoming DVD. Will there also be a CD w/a lot of your more obscure tracks on it like: “Fieldwork”? Can’t get enough of your music, chico. You put out a CD of you clearing your throat, & 1,000s of us lunatics’ll snap it up. Am I right, People??
Keep it real, TD, & Happy Birthday from HTD in PGH.
“Right-O, Right-O,” HTD! Fieldwork was on one of Silk Pajamas EPs (disc 1 of the two disc set if memory serves) that came out at the time of Astronauts & Heretics. Both Silk PJs discs are very rare though. TMDR, good luck at the gig, and how about another video from the performance tonight if you would again be so generous. The Sept 29th “I Live in a Suitcase” performance has us all jonesing for the live DVD and audio CD!! I would welcome e-mail from Steel City Dolby fans, or any others who believe the Earth is flat, at richbetsch@verizon.net.
What Thomas doesn’t mention is that when he started playing, the dance floor filled up – with people in tuxedos and formal dresses dancing…and *loving* his music (of course!). It was great to see the enthusiasm for and attention to the music and musicians, given all the other stimulus at the event (food, drink, other bands playing, socializing) that seems like it can be a bit a bit tricky. I thought it was fantastic – as per usual.
The Athenian Arts…
…an interesting post over at . …..