Alembic Guitars Club
Connecting => Miscellaneous => Topic started by: smokin_dave on November 09, 2008, 03:39:29 PM
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It's been a good long while since I posted here on the forum but I will now.
I have had to put my music career on hold(it came to a grinding halt actually)and do something else to make money.The economy got so bad for yours truly I had to switch careers.
Now I'm a trucker and I'm typing this from a crummy truck stop,crawling with lot lizard's,in Hattiesburg LA.
What a mind blowing thing to do since I had been earning a living mostly from playing gigs my whole adult life.But it won't pay the bills anymore so I had to get re-educated to earn some real money which I am doing now but it really sucks giving up my two big loves,playing gigs with my Alembics and doing up the sometimes midnight toke.
Not to worry though.I have six more months of a years servitude left with the company that hired me and I hope to get a local job and free up my weekends again.I'm home only four day's a month
so I need to free up some room in this rolling tin can to bring along my Epic at the very least and go back to playing along with CD's and the like.
Anyhooo,I'll try to do a little better about posting(when I find wi-fi hotspots)and keep the good club members informed on my whereabouts.
Plus I would be very interested in hearing from any club members who are OTR drivers.
Ciao
S.Dave
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I used to live an hour away from my band's practice space. I would stick the neck of my bass out of the car window and practice through head phones while driving down the interstate (I steered with my knee). Please don't do that.
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Dave,
I wondered where you had got to. I played music for a living for several years, and now I don't know that I'd want to go back. Playing for fun on weekends is far more fulfilling for me, and you may discover that to be the case for you as well.
Be safe on the road (and off) and post when you can!
John
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Good to hear from you Dave. I thought I got screwed 18 months ago when the parent company decided they would restructure and my position got cut with no warning. Luckily, a spot opened up six weeks later in a related company that was sold off five years previously in the same town, and I got hired on there at a 33% cut in pay. These daze I see how incredibly lucky I was. No back to school, learn new tricks, or the dreaded, Can I supersize that for ya?! Decent jobs here in the wasteland are far and few in-between! In time, both you and I will get paid better.
Home 4 days out of the month? I feel for you. I really hope things go well for you, and you can get back to at least playing for fun. Weekend gigging with friends can be greatly satisfying. Sounds like you need a Steinberger and pocket amp for truckin around with. I hope things get better quickly for ya.
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Ahhhh,the lot lizards are rollin' again tonight.They can be real pest's at times.Good to hear from you Nigel,Mike and John.Still stuck in Hattiesbug MS.since I had a breakdown with my truck but it's fixed and I should be rollin' again tomorrow this time to Lakeland FL.I do have a pocket amp with headphones but I may go and buy a POD and hook it up to my laptop and bring along my Epic and jam here in the truck during downtimes.Load this sucker up with a bunch of music and keep thumping.
I may as well keep this thread open and post on my whereabouts cause' they keep me criss-crossing the country.Loads of coffee from New Orleans to L.A. and kitty litter from L.A. to Atlanta GA.I haul all kinds of crap.
And as far as playing a steinberger,fine instrument that but I've played nothing but Alembic since 1994 and I aint gonna stop now for nothing else.Not even this truck won't stop me.So my Epic is going to have to get used to bouncing around a bit in my sleeper.
Till next time.....
S.Dave
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I drove for Atlas Van Lines for a couple of years in the mid '80s. Fall in Vermont, winter in Milwaukee, summer in Miami, spring in Greenville, Mississippi, and all points in between. I absolutely loved that job; and the only reason a quit driving was that I blew out the L5 disk and the doctor that did the back surgery said I couldn't drive anymore. Of course household isn't like hauling freight. There were times when I would load furniture from eight in the morning to midnight, and then get in the cab and start driving. Household is also seasonal; we would work all summer, but in the winter we would usually just work five days a week. I didn't really care for driving in New York City, or the northeast in general. Back then there was no place to pull off 95 in Philadelphia, and the New Jersey turnpike wasn't a lot of fun. The loop around DC was a challenge, especially on the southside were you get off the loop and head south on 95. But Vermont in the fall was beautiful, as was the Pennsylvania turnpike, and Kentucky and Tennessee. The mountains between Knoxville and Asheville on ice and/or in fog was a rush. In addition to household, we had contracts to haul mainframe computers and CT scanners, and had the occasional office move. It was hard work, and the pool tables, refrigerators, washers, and boxes of books day after day eventually took its toll; but I loved it. And after all the physical work, getting in the cab and putting in 500 miles of windshield time was a wonderful feeling.
And here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJuqMzBJYV4) is one of my favorite tunes from that time.
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Dave,
Also one of my faves, I dug the Commander Cody version, though. That album always said Spring to me, a new dawn. Thanks for the rush. I always sang that song to my sax players mom, she made great coffee.
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Yes, the Commander Cody version is the classic. Off of Hot Licks, Cold Steel & Truckers' Favorites!
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Son, you're gonna' drive me to drinkin'
If you don't stop drivin' that Hot ... Rod ... Lincoln!
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I loved that Commander Cody album. The first arena concert I went to was to see the Commander and the Lost Planet Airmen, with Andy Stein on fiddle and sax and Bill Kirchen on his tele. And Buffalo Bruce Barlow on bass. I think Lookin' At The World Through A Windshield was my favourite.
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Hey, S. Dave, I feel your pain. I did the music-biz-to-trucking transition 24 years ago. Did it for 17, then got laid off & went back to college. Unlike Brother Houck, I hated every minute of it. When people ask if miss the music thing, my standard answer is Usually only when I'm awake. Always had a Red Sovine tape handy because, well, it's just the right thing to do, but my favorite trucking song is this one (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DyesPp6OUY&feature=related).
Drive safe.
Peter
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My favorite trucking song is this one. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPNgjA4i6gM)
Bill, tgo
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I love Willin'! Haven't heard it in a while; thanks!
And well, of course Bill!
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Little Feat was just through Portland a couple of weeks ago and I got to hear Willin' again. Of course, it's not the same without Lowell, but they still do a kickin' version. I've always been a total junkie for the rhythm section of Kenny Gradney, Richie Hayward and Sam Clayton. Long live the Feat!
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Waiting for Columbus is one of my all time favorites, and the groove on that album is big! Here's Time Loves A Hero (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK_hftXn4dk); great groove!
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Of course, that's just the warm up. Here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc_QFGzTl7g) is the really big groove!
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Oh man, Spanish Moon always slayed me. The first time I ever saw somebody play slap bass was Kenny, taking a solo at the end of Spanish Moon during the '78 Little Feat tour. It blew my mind. I didn't know at the time what he was doing and always referred to his solo as, this flamenco bass solo Kenny Gradney took. LOL
I had Waiting For Columbus in the car earlier this week, I never tire of that album.
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+1 for Waiting for Columbus.
I also really love The Last Record Album. That recording of Long Distance Love is one of my all-time fav. songs
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Hey modder dave,I downloaded your beautiful new six string as wall paper on my laptop.What a beauty.I know all to well about driving in the norteast.Don't like it as well and I'm headed that way in the morning to south Philly on 95.Have to do that route through south D.C. and up to B.More.fortunatly I get to avoid the dreaded NJ T.Pike but I am getting to like this job a little more as time moves on.Thank God for XM/Sirrius radio and the great Theme Time Radio Hourwith Bob Dylan hosting.Lots of good stuff on sat.radio and alot of good music.Tom Pettys show is great as well as Marty Stuarts.
Just north of Richmond VA right now,stopped for the night and I'm going to go get some Flying J grub and a shower.
On down the road 'till next time...
S.Dave
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Wow, Flying J grub. I've pulled some pizza out of those places out of sheer desperation which turned out to be not that bad. Just don't ever get the Chinese food from them, especially from the one on I-70 xit 122 east of Columbus,Oh. It's absolutely wretched! North of Richmond,Va.?, you must be at xit 104 on I-95. Not a bad stop and was always where my band would stop for fuel on our way down from Philly as it was cheapest there until you got to N. Carolina. We have'nt traveled that trek in quite a while since me and my singer moved south. Don't miss it either. I-95 is just a pain in the A** from Miami to Portland, Maine.
We use to play this club in downtown Baltimore called the Funk Box(a.k.a. 8x10 Club...the size of the room!) and since they were kind enough to let us play there we got the wonderful privelege of finding our own hotel accomadations, which happened to be across the Scott Key bridge(toll both ways to do the gig and if I remember correctly, 15 miles round trip in Baltimore traffic!) at the Travel Lodge truck stop. man I miss being treated like total s**t.
However a job that allows you to travel is not one to be missed if you don't mind constant displacement-which I certainly don't. Dave, it sounds like you actually enjoy your job and that's what's important.
I drove 8+ hours by-myself today from Cleveland, Oh.to home (Knoxville, Tn.) and enjoyed every I-Pod laden second of it!
I would like to know where I can get one of those No Lot Lizards stickers at?
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Just a happy ending story and testament to the good spirits that surround us. In 1987 the first nice bass that I ever had,(I saved bits of my fair/Elks club/casino circuit for two years to buy an '82 Spoiler that changed my life)was stolen, on Christmas Eve. no less. About a month ago, what to my wondering eyes should appear, but my old friend the Spoiler. I knew every little mark and burl on that bass, not to mention the non-original case that it was in when I bought it. I was so happy to see it after 22 years, the fact that I had to buy it back barely entered my mind. The seller was obviously totally unaware of the basses history and as a matter of fact, was 6 years old when it was stolen. I think he was as excited to be part of the reunion as I was. My old buddy and I are getting to know each other again and I can still barely believe it. Here's to synchronicity and trusting in the universe and those who create it moment by moment. Cabwilliams P.S. a little nod to ebay is in order too.
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Hello Kevin,
Welcome to the board. Wow! you must been depositing in your karma account at double speed to have this happy story. Congrats on getting your Spoiler back and enjoy yourself.
Mike
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Hi Kevin, welcome to the board! Wow! That's great that you've been reunited with your Spoiler! And, you're playing with Merle Haggard? The Merle Haggard? White Line Fever and all that?
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Kevin:
Great story and welcome to the club. I saw Merle open for Bob Dylan a few years back at the Paramount in Oakland, California. Great show. Merle's band seemed like they've been playing together for 30+ years. Were you part of that tour?
ANOTHER TRUCK DRIVING SONG:
Drug Store Truck Driving Man from Dr. Byrds & Mr. Hyde.
Bill, tgo
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S.Dave here(cb handle,cotton balls c'mon)reporting from the Petro on I57 just south of Chicago and heading toward Milwaukee WI in the morn(I think thats how you spell it,one L or two?).I have seen the no lot lizardssticker a couple of places,keep yer eye out for them.Not a whole lot to report as I listen to the Prarie Home Companionand picking up free Wi-Fi from a hotel 'cross the street.Long,boring drive up through Arkansas,MO and Illinois today and my thoughts are turning towards Thanksgiving and hoping I get to my family by Thursday although I'm having doubts about that.My company ignores my home time request's and I've currently been steady on the road since 11/4.I dread the thought of possibly eating truck stop turkey and dressing but hey,it is what it is.So lets all hope I get home for T'day and I hope all my fellow club members enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving holliday(uh..one L or two?).
Till next time...
S.Dave
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Prairie Home Companion is wonderful radio!
And cafepress.com has all kinds of stickers.
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Hey S.Dave, sounds like you're really hitting the rough times. Hope it's only for a few more months. I've never trucked but I spent 25 years on the road selling lumber to good folks like Alembic in other parts of the country and Canada. A lot of holidays away over the years. One thing that may help you on regular times away - wherever you are try to see the country side when you have down times and aren't thumping & posting. This is a unique little pearl we are riding through the universe on-sharing it with local folks is great fun and makes wonderful memories.
Happy Thanksgiving, Roger
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Hey all,
Happy Thanksgiving to all Club members and the familys of such.I did make it home for T.Giving and for that I am truly thankful.I going to do nothing but relax,eat some great food and enjoy my loved ones for the next two or three day's or so and I hope everybody here is able to do the same.So once again,HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all club members and the entire Alembic staff/family at the mother ship.
Till next time,
S.Dave
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Thanks S.Dave! Wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving with your loved ones!
Art
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Happy Thanksgiving Dave; welcome back.
Carl