Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    

Great review!

But:  who is Alan Jinx Chamberlain?!
  

    

I don't know!  Alan <axon> Chamberlain engineered one song on the CD, so
he's listed in the credits.  I guess someone at AllMusic thought axon was
Jinx.
  

    
Oh, I figured he had done the engineering, and the Jinx was for good luck!

Is it possible that someone at All Music knows Alan, and is playing a 
little joke?

Doing a search on "Alan Jinx Chamberlain" on Google has led me to discover 
that jinx is a member of Milk'n'2 Sugars, one of London's hottest 
underground dance nights.   He was also manager of the legendary marshall 
jefferson (whoever that is!) 

Jinx seems to lead a charmed London existence!
  

    
If you click on the link to A.J. Chamberlain, you get to a page about him
that shows two ofher CD projects besides mine.
  

    

A note on travel, prompted by a discussing elsewhere in the WELL:


I do have an Anvil-style ATA rated case (a Calton), and I usually have to
sign the waiver anyway.

The airlines are inconsistent as hell.

I travel with my guitar in that Calton case, and I also have a wheelie suit-
case full of small electronic devices, a big ol' metal volume pedal, a
weapons-grade Konig & Meyer guitar stand, a music stand, etc.  And lots of
cables, short and long.  Can you imagine what that looks like going through
the x-ray machine?

Last time I flew, I begged the ticket sgant agent to let me check three
pieces (the two items mentioned above and my soft suitcase).  Rather than do
that, she told me I could take my guitar case on board with me.  Sure enough,
it fit in the overhead bins without a problem.  (I did have to surrender my
stubby little philips-head screwdriver, though.)

Return trip, same airline: must check that guitar!  Getting the suitcase full
of scary objects through security wasn't as bad as I feared it would be.

I am flying again on March 14, and I am not looking forward to the bullshit.

BTW, these Calton cases are very good for the purpose: the insides are molded
to the exact dimensions of the instrument, and there is support behind the
peghead.  I don't worry about it when it goes as checked baggage.




(My tour itinerary is at http://www.dgans.com/gigs.html)
  

    

Are they expensive?  P's got a very good hard case for her Taylor 914, but
she wouldn't dream of checking it.
  

    

They are pretty expensive -- $650-700 last time I bought one -- but well
worth it to protect a $2500 instrument.
  

    
yeah, taylor makes great solid cases for their guitars. i won't check mine
either though. on my few out of town trips i use a thin epiphone acousto
electric with a smokey amp in my pocket, although yes i am glad to see
you...
  

    



I had great trepidations about going out to Fairfax to play at 19
Broadway last night.  For one thing, my mailing list software had been
fucked up for a week and none of my mailings ever got out.  Plus,
because I am not such a relentless self-promoter as I am made out to be
in some circles, I hadn't even announced my own gig on DTTW recently.

When I got there, I learned that no provisions had been made for a
sound system for me.  I was to play in the bar rather than in the
showroom.  The bartender pointed me at the equipment, and I figured out
what I had to do and got it set up (he helped me move the big speaks).
Not optimal, but acceptable.

Bob Cogswell showed up to tape.  The booking guy was really friendly
and glad to have me there.  So I got started, with a dozen or so people
in the bar.

It was great.  I started out easy, with "Our Lady of the Well," and
almost without thinking found myself singing "Take It Easy" -- a
reverse medley that I used to do all the time.  Then smoothly right
into "Return of the Grievous Angel."

I introduced "Impressionist Two-Step" here.  I've been wanting to do
this song for a while, and finally got it into my head and hands when
Eric Thompson sang it with Wake the Dog.  Fun song.  Three originals in
a row, and These Apartments went right into Brokedown Palace.  Then
another original, Desert of Love.  I had two dozen people in the bar,
all listening and responding.  A good feeling, and the music flowed
nicely.

Then I got a request for "River and Drown."  I was patient with it,
building some instrumental layers before I sang at all, and not going
over the top with the fuzz guitar.  Rather than ending on the C chord
as I have done most of the time in recent years, I came out on the E,
and added a percussive layer to the loop by strumming on damped
strings.  It was a Not Fade Away-type beat, over which I sang "Within
You Without You."  I ended it after the first bridge.  Then I played
"In Another World," again pacing myself and keeping the guitar part
uncluttered and playing some nice leads.  Closed the first set with
"Who Killed Uncle John?"

That's all I've heard on the playback so far.

It felt good, and I drew a decent crowd with virtually no direct
marketing on my own.  I'l be back there next month; I think they want
me to play there once a month.

A perfect warmup for the tour.
  

    







SPRING TOUR part 1: southeast --

Saturday, March 16:  Tate Street Coffee House, Greensboro NC
   special guest: Al Feldstein of the Reptiles
Sunday, March 17:  with Nth Degree at Fat City Deli, Charlotte NC
   special guest: Al Feldstein of the Reptiles
Tuesday, March 19:  Cumberland's, Charleston SC
Wednesday, March 20: opening for Richie and Jennie Stearns at Jake's
Roadhouse, Decatur GA

Thu-Sun, March 21-24:  Suwannee SpringFest at the Spirit of Suwannee Music
Park near Live Oak FL.  Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Doc Watson, Donna the
Buffalo, Guy Clark, Railroad Earth, and many more.  A great annual event!
www.magmusic.com

Thursday, March 28:  Kool Beanz, Cocoa Village FL
Friday, March 29:  with Crazy Fingers at Fisherman's Wharf, Pompano Beach
FL954-941-5522
Saturday, March 30:  The Pharm, Dunedin FL



BACK HOME IN APRIL --

Saturday, April 6: Ashland OR (details TBA)
Sunday, April 7, 9:00 pm: Plaza Grill, Arcata CA
Friday, April 12: The Lodge at Skylonda, Woodside CA (For lodge guests only)
Monday, April 15, 9:00 pm:  19 Broadway, Fairfax CA



SPRING TOUR part 2: midwest --

Friday, May 3: DG opens for Jake's Leg at Cicero's, St. Louis MO
Tuesday, May 7: Ken's Bar, Madison WI
Thursday, May 9: The Cabooze, Minneapolis MN
Friday, May 10: Witz End, Stevens Point WI
Saturday & Sunday, May 11 & 12: Heartland Cafe, Chicago IL

Thursday, May 23: Mystic Hot Springs, Monroe UT

Saturday, June 1: opening for Buffalo Roam at the Oakland Metro (Oakland CA)

Friday & Saturday, June 7 & 8: Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, Nelson OH
Monday, June 10: Twice Told Coffee House, Louisville KY
Tuesday, June 11: Stanley's Pub, Cincinnati OH



MORE DATES TO BE ANNOUNCED!

The schedule is always up to date (details, links, addresses, ticket info,
phone numbers, etc.) at http://www.dgans.com/gigs.html


=====  IN THE NEWS:


 I was a media star last Friday:


  http://www.music-reviewer.com/03_02/gans.htm

  [FOUR stars!]

  Gans is already a familiar figure among Deadheads, having journaled a
  pair of biographies about the Grateful Dead and assembling their
  comprehensive "So Many Roads" box set.  Add his "Dead To The World"
  radio show to the resume, and Gans is the consummate, go-to Dead geek
  for authoritative answers and revelations about the band.  In his
  effort to preach among the choir, Gans's performing career has often
  focused on several of the Dead's lesser efforts and obscurities ("Lady
  With a Fan," "Brokedown Palace") among a laid-back set list that also
  includes tunes from Gram Parsons and Steve Goodman.  In recent years,
  however, Gans has wisely chosen to wean himself from the Dead's
  material and feature his own intriguing work - a pastiche of Burrito
  Brothers' musical charm and John Prine's moody text.

  "Solo Acoustic" features Gans on tour by himself, bringing the jams
  back down to a more intimate level, but still inspired by Garcia and
  company.  Maybe that's why some of the most interesting performances
  are the series of medleys that weave Gans's work (like the pensive
  "Trying") among the Dead's "Black Peter" and Traffic's "Dear Mr.
  Fantasy" for hypnotic effect.

  While Gans's tunes tend to be  more narrative, like the settings for
  "An American Family" and "Sovereign Soul," they do fit into that
  gregarious vibe consistent with those times.  Oddly, Gans's best work
  is the disturbing "Who Killed Uncle John?," a biting track, aimed at
  the complacency of Jerry Garcia's friends that allowed the guitarist's
  excesses to do him in.  Some Deadheads might find that notion
  disrespectful, but Gans is a musical journalist without peer.

   -- Shannon McNally


  And a profile in the Oakland Tribune:

   http://www.oaklandtribune.com/Stories/0,1002,1812%257E451222,00.html



  Plus, Rolling Stone gives "Postcards of the Hanging" (which I produced) 3.5
  stars:

   http://www.rollingstone.com/recordings/review.asp?aid=2043717&cf=343
  

    
Four stars?  Very cool!!
  

    
Ah, the Cabooze in MN. I've been there a number of times. Good pizza
is to be had in the adjacent building.
  

    

I have finally gotten some of my lyrics up on the web
(http://www.trufun.com/lyrics.html).  More to come.
  

    



My SOLO ELECTRIC tour comes to the midwest in May:


Thursday, May 2 - Music Cafe, Columbia MO
Friday, May 3 - Cicero's, St. Louis MO
Saturday, May 4 - Davey's Uptown, Kansas City MO
Tuesday, May 7 - Ken's Bar, Madison, WI
Wednesday, May 8 - Beaners Central, Duluth MN
Thursday, May 9 - The Cabooze, Minneapolis MN
Friday, May 10 - Witz End, Stevens Point WI
Saturday & Sunday, May 11 & 12 - Heartland Cafe, Chicago IL


Also confirmed (more to come):


Thursday, May 23 - Mystic Hot Springs, Monroe UT

Saturday, June 1 - Oakland Metro, Oakland CA

Thursday, June 6 - Royal Oak Theater, Royal Oak MI
Friday & Saturday, June 7 & 8 - Nelson Ledges Quarry Park
Monday, June 10 - Twice Told Coffee House, Louisville KY
Tuesday, June 11 - Stanley's Pub, Cincinnati OH

Monday, June 17 - 19 Broadway, Fairfax CA

Friday, July 26 - Camp Creek, Mariaville NY

Thursday, August 1 - Moe's Alley, Santa Cruz CA



More information on all these shows -- including phone numbers and links --
at http://www.dgans.com/gigs.html
  

    <scribbled by tnf Tue 28 May 02 17:45>
  

    
As a gig?
  

    



I am playing a "Solo Electric" show this Saturday, June 1 at the Oakland
Metro, 201 Broadway in Oakland.  I will open the show (9:30-ish, I think),
and then Buffalo Roam will play a set, and then we will play a set together.
We had a really fun rehearsal the other night, and this event will mark the
first time my Robert Hunter collaboration "Shut Up and Listen" will be played
in the raunchy electric arrangement it so richly deserves.
  

    


David Gans SOLO ELECTRIC
tour update

Saturday, June 1:  With Buffalo Roam at the Oakland Metro, 201 Broadway,
Oakland CA. 510-763-1146.  www.buffaloroam.org.  DG opens, the Roam plays a
set, and then we all play together.

Thursday, June 6, 8:00 pm:  DG opens for the Dark Star Orchestra at the Royal
Oak Theater, 318 W. 4th Street, Royal Oak MI. 248-544-7949

Friday & Saturday, June 7 & 8:  Nelson Ledges Quarry Park, Nelson OH, with
Dark Star Orchestra and others.  www.nlqp.com

Monday, June 10, 8:30 pm:  Twice Told Coffee House, 1604 Bardstown Road,
Louisville KY. $5. 502-456-0507

Tuesday, June 11, 9:00 pm:  Stanley's Pub, 323 Stanley Ave., Cincinnati OH.
$5. 513-871-6249

Monday, June 17, 9:00 pm:  19 Broadway, Fairfax CA. NO COVER!

Friday and Saturday, July 12-13:  Legfest, with Jake's Leg et al. DG plays a
set each day and emcees the event.  Bearcat Getaway/Black River Amphitheater,
Lesterville MO.  888-356-2844.  www.jakesleg.com

Wednesday, July 24, 7:30 pm:  Lion's Den, 214 Sullivan Street (Between
Bleecker & Third Streets), New York City. $8. 212-477-2782

Thursday, July 25, 9:00 pm:  Stanhope House, 45 Main Street, Stanhope NJ. $8.
973-347-0458

Friday, July 26:  Camp Creek, Indian Lookout Country Club, Mariaville NY. DG
Opens the Friday show with a 60-minute set starting at 5:45 pm.
www.campcreek2002.com

Thursday, August 1, 8:30 pm:  Moe's Alley, 1535 Commercial Way, Santa Cruz
CA. $10.  831-479-1854

Thursday-Sunday October 17-20:  MagnoliaFest at the Spirit of the Suwannee
Music Park, Live Oak FL. www.magmusic.com

Saturday, November 9, 9:00 pm:  Kuli Loach's 17th Annual Loachfest, Ballard
VFW Hall, Seattle WA

More dates TBA...
  

    

Last night I went to see David perform at the Oakland Metro, right around 
the corner in, well, Oakland!  This is a very low-key, low-profile club 
right in the midst of swirls of humanity making their way from venue to 
venue around Jack London Square.

I was the first person to arrive.  As I was paying the cover charge, I saw 
a guy on stage and asked the guy at the door who that was.  "Oh, it's just 
a sound check," he said.  So I went in and sat down to listen, but I 
didn't applaud because it was just a sound check, right?  Not so!  It 
turned out to be the opening act, Vince Charming.  Great name, what?  He 
played mostly his own songs and sang, and even threw in a Ricky Nelson 
song, and he was pretty good.

But then, David went up on stage and started singing, and my whole face 
lit up and my mouth turned up into a big smile, completely involuntarily.  
David sounds SO good!

I think I have a little bit of perspective on this:  the first time I 
heard David perform was on July 10, 1992 at a short-lived club in San 
Rafael called Club 101.  The reason I remember the date is that David gave 
me a tape of the performance, which I still keep in my car, and which I 
listened to almost constantly back then.  He did some covers, but largely 
his own material, including Desert of Love and Hooker River, both of which 
he did last night, too.

All I can say is that David just keeps getting better and better, at 
singing, and songwriting, and guitar playing.  He has a sense of fun, a 
smooth charm, a sly, quick sense of humor that he displays in banter with 
his audience, and his audience loves him!

I just hope that someday he gets the kind of recognition he deserves.  
He's got a couple of CDs available, and he plays at clubs all over the
country.  Keep an eye on his schedule, and don't miss him when he plays a
club near you!
  

    
Jeez, if David is better than he used to be, he must be unbelievably good!
  

    
One wonders when David will find his way to Austin!
  

    
David is planning to attand SXSW next year.
  

    
Too long to wait, d00d. Do we need to do some Groundwork?
  

    
If you book it, I will come!
  

    
I'll poke around!