Ed of H gigs; 2023

[edwardofhuncote]

Wait... what?!

Yeah... I have been on a forced medical hiatus for a year and change now. I broke the silence and played for a wedding right before reporting to the hospital for surgery in June - and it just about killed me. I crawled from the car to the door that night leaving my bass, amp, and everything for the next morning. Slept in my clothes. That was Sat. June 24th, but someone very special to me was gettin' hitched, and she asked me to play. The following Wednesday, June 28th I was on an operating table.

The long road back started when I woke up. Didn't play a note for about a month, but I thought about it a lot... and when it was time, I found that for the most part, things were right where I had left them. What do you know - the ones still fall exactly where I expect them too. Melody lines haven't changed, so my parts still fit. My hands still can find their way around the neck of an instrument after they finally woke up from a long nap. Playing the music is very much like driving through the streets of a town I know well, but haven't been to in a little while. Oh yeah, turn right here, hit the brakes here, long curve coming up... now floor it.

I'm not going back to any band anytime soon... maybe next year, depending on my work schedule, how I feel, and how things progress. I plan to woodshed really hard this Fall/Winter and get back is sharp shape mentally, get back to a place where the act of playing is more automatic. Try to unlearn some bad technical habits. Then we'll think about taking a few gigs with a band.

I did accept an invitation to guest on bass this weekend with the Wayfarin' Whistlepigs, for a Country Barn Dance. I had a hand in the genesis of this oldtyme string band a while back. Awfully proud of this bunch, and quite honored that they've asked me to sit-in on bass. Deb will move from bass over to percussion (she plays a mean cajón box) which makes playing bass doubly fun for me.

I'll post some pics from the Dance next week.

*There may be another entry or two in here before '23 runs out. We'll see...

[KR]

Glad to read this, Greg. Back in the saddle again.

[rv_bass]

Great news, have fun!

[David Houck]

Enjoy!

[edwardofhuncote]

It was a good time. 

Caleb, from New River Bound, jumped in on second fiddle making for some really nice moments. He and Kat(herine) had the same fiddle teacher, and many of the same influences, so musically, they think and play a lot alike anyway, and often sub for each other in their respective bands. (if you look back far enough in my threads, you'll see Kat actually played fiddle with New River Bound at Caleb's wedding... and he returned the favor this year) Having them fiddle together produces some wild results, so good in fact, that a couple times the charm tickled the rest of the band.

I was tired afterward, but not exhausted. Nothing like back in June. I put my own things away while the guys loaded-out the PA. I even stayed around for a late-night jam with the band.

I hear there's a buncha' pictures on Facebook and such, but I don't see any of that. We took a quick Band Selfie, and somebody caught us from behind at soundcheck, pretty soon it was time to GO. The fisheye lens effect I think must be a capture from a video. No idea who climbed up there for that shot... I was busy! 

[David Houck]

Other end of the hall looks a half mile away.

[hieronymous]

This thread is so great! Glad to see you reemerging!!!

[edwardofhuncote]

I filled-in on bass guitar with my friends, the Whistlepigs last weekend at a Fall Festival in Fincastle, Virginia... one of the oldest towns in the continental United States. It was rainy and cold, so we played on the porch of the County Clerk's office, a building that dates to the 1700's. (most of the buildings on the square do...)

[edwardofhuncote]

Felt really weird, but in a good way, backing up to the porch to load up for a gig tomorrow. I hadn't used my big-rig in well over a year, so I thought it might be a good idea to fire it up here in the house first, and try everything out, test all the components. All was just like I left it, so I boxed it all up and packed into the gig-mobile.

I have decided to bring along #77-621, and my '67 Starfire, as they make a good pair to switch off. After playing on it a little while, I decided to swap out the TI Jazz Rounds for the Jazz Flats on the old Series bass. This is a 10-min job, even if I need to tweak the intonation, thanks to the ingenious design. I just won't need the extra *zing* tomorrow.

It's supposed to get down pretty chilly here in Virginia tonight, so I won't load the basses until time to head out. Maybe some pics of the band and the fun stuff tomorrow night. Anxious to see how I feel after load-in, two sets, load-out, and drive home. It's a good hour and a half up the road. Soundcheck is 4:00, downbeat is 5:00.

[rv_bass]

Great to see you out there playing, have fun and have a great gig!

[lbpesq]

Have a great gig, Greg!

Bill, tgo

[edwardofhuncote]

I had a pretty good time. The Appomattox Suite is a nice banquet room at the Lexington Horse Center, and it's always good to play music. I think two sets is going to be about the limit for me... I was tired, but not completely beat when we were done. I broke down the stack here, and loaded up, and generally relaxed for the drive home.

I heard there are some pics of the band on somebody else's phone. They'll all wake up and start chatting afterwhile, and sharing them around. In true bass player fashion, I'm sure to be hidden in back... so I asked Soundgirl Lizzie to take this one of me and the old Series I, ready for business. 

[David Houck]

     

[KR]

Glad to see you out playing. I bet any players there watching were surprised to see a Series 1.

[edwardofhuncote]

If there were any players there, they didn't identify Keith, but I sure love playing that bass. It's just such a natural fit.

One funny story; this actually happens quite a bit anymore... while we were breaking down the PA and packing up, there was this one guy who knew me better than I knew him, (or so he thought). He came up and went on and on to Soundgirl Lizzie about that Honeycutt guy who used to play bass with the Buzzards. Liz can keep a straight face better than most, so she just calmly kept wrapping cables and nodding, and went with it... yeah, she said, he was okay, but man... his girlfriend was nuts. I'm talkin' kicked offa' YouTube fer postin' chicken coop rat killins... This poor guy is starting to wonder what he started here. Meanwhile Jacob and me are just about to bust... as he's walking away, she winks at us and says, y'all owe me for that one.

I'm probably about half the size I was the last time this cat saw me. And he looks familiar but I don't know where from. Hard to say, cause I've played around here for years. Like I said, it happens a lot, with folks who know me a lot better.

We don't get to play much anymore, but the Luv Buzzards have existed in some configuration for about 25 years. I started the band as an outlet for side-gigs. Originally I played guitar, and Ted played mandolin, occasionally we'd switch-hit. Lee has always been the #1 banjo player, but there have been subs. Recently Jacob has taken over mandolin duty. Caleb on fiddle here is often subbed for by Lizzie's sister Katherine. My late buddy Curt Baker used to play resonator guitar with us years ago. It's good to be adaptable and modular.