1/27/1998

• First Night without Larry M.
• Scott did a great job
• Brotman back for the first time in many weeks.  He had a new sound generator and it sounded pretty good.
• No guests whatsoever.
• There was quite a bit of straying from the list.  It is losing some of its draw.   Kevin explained the algorithm that went into designing the set and by it's very nature it was destined for failure.   He started with an average song in He's gone to symbolize Menaker's leaving for the Four Winds at Crossroads on Friday the 30th.   Anyway he then selected songs that go with it and the subsequent previous song and it achieved nothing more than bad song followed by bad song. 
• I was having amp problems as usual.  On the lead channel it squeal after warming up.  I was able to eliminate the bad hum but it involved eliminating my RP-6.   Hey if it's gotta go, it has to.  I think it isn't its fault but AC power is dirty because the Mutron also causes too much noise there.  Maybe it's a chord.   It involves some more investigation.  I used no RP-6 in the second set.
• It seemed that we sang better than usual.

First Set Comments

• We did the three songs in a row into each other and it was quite a long beginning
• He's Gone was okay, the lead was was a little lost, the ending jam was hot.
• I think Scott sounded especially good during the Throwing Stones, as well as the Greatest Story
• Touch of Grey was the worst song of the night.  Johnny was placing his music in front of Kevin during the second half of the song and he lost it like he used to do 2 years ago.
• I think it was our best Attics ever, real well sung, no musical flaws, nice feeling.
• Big River was okay at best
• Jack-a-Roe was a struggle.  I think Kevin lost it as Johnny was really kicking up and swirling to a distraction.  As a matter fact, he was so distracting to me that if we were playing football he would have been called for an illegal hit from behind.   During the Jack-A-Roe I utilized my newly learned Jerry style fingerpicking and it felt really good.  I think I was right on throughout, steady and correct. It was kind of a bummer when Kevin was being messing up.
• Looks Like Rain was good.  For the first time in my life I felt good with playing the Jerry leads during the vocals.  I was hitting lots of good notes with good sound.
• The Catfish was very good.  Larry batteried the Mutron and sounded really good.   I was able to maintain a perfect fingerpick and the song was rock solid.   Could have been the best song of the night.  I may be a Deadstein first also, I'm not sure.

• Dine-O-Mat: Kevin had a totally burnt burger that went beyond well done.  I had a taco salad which was flavorless and semi-gross.  Quesadillas were pretty good including the bean matter they put in there.  The kind of mix up the salsa, sour creme and guacamole in one little jar and it makes them all gross.  There were steak sandwiches, onion rings, fries, drinks in iced cups.  Dessert was apple cobbler ala mode.  It was the best thing of the night.
• Johnny did a tremendous prejam drink and kasha surprise order for us.  Kosher King.   Stick with the spinach and avoid the kasha and you're fully kinished.

• The Getaway was good
• The Greatest Story was really good.  It was crisp.  Like I said, Scott was right there on that one.
• The Dancin' was surprisingly good, it never really faltered.
• Peter was sweet through and through.
• Music was hot.  It really flew.
• Shining Star was our first in the growing tradition of Gar Band to close but it was no good.