ericcoleman | Entries tagged with convergence

This started with a flippant comment on

philady's LJ, but it seems to have escalated, so I feel I should discuss it.

As some of you know, I do not attend Convergence

( But the recent history first. )

So, a bit more on hanging out and playing with Andy

We went to dinner at Good Earth saturday night. Oh man I needed something other than road and con food by that point.

We chattered about music and art and life and playing and whatever. It was great.

As for the show, he, as usual, berated me for not knowing what key my songs are in (I'll work that out, I promise). But expected it. Made at least one terrible joke solely for my benefit (even with the vocal mike) and played beautifully (when I didn't confuse him ... and me)

The entire set was great, but highlights to me were How Can I Miss You, between his playing and the audience singing it was the best that song had ever been. Color Of Your Eyes. I may have to record this a third time just to have his playing on it, maybe a live set sometime.

And of course ... Hides. There will never be a time when we play together that we will not do Hides. It was perfect.

More or less in order, since I pulled the list from the website so I didn't forget anything

Riverfolk
They were delightful as usual. And I got the CD finally (yeah, it's been out two weeks) and it is wonderful. More on that later

The Great Luke Ski
I love the new songs (and it's great to hear new songs) and Carrie was wonderful. I am hoping though that the one mike thing was necessity not choice. It would be a much better show (and it was a great one) if you could both move around.

3 Pints Gone
With an expanded lineup even. With three people they sound like a dozen, with 5 they sound like an army. A great show

Adam Stemple & Elizabeth Hall
I became a fan of Adam's incindiary guitar playing last year, his solo CD was my fave thing I picked up through my journeys. Elizabeth is amazing. A gorgeous voice and a wicked sense of humor (that well matches Adam's) made for a blast of a show.

David Perry
a killer version of Dire Straights Tunnel Of Love

Janti
The find of the weekend for me. Bangladeshi/Hindustani/space rock/fusion. Amazing stuff.

The Nick Atoms
You guys just get better and better and tighter and tighter every time I see you. As ShoEboX might say ... you rocked like a rocking thing that rocks. Wyngarde talked to me briefly about the what would you like to do with me meme and I have some ideas too ... we'll talk after I get the next CD done

Misplaced
You guys have come so far. Your harmonies are amazing, your playing is great, your song choice is wonderful. I am really looking forward to seeing more of you. It was a great way to end the weekend and I am so glad I stayed.

or

They’re crazy people.

I didn't stay as last last night. I had a show and had to be out of the hotel at noon. But it was a fun night. I did three songs under the influence of too much caffiene. Consider the first two to be the Eric equivilent of speed metal versions.

Trophy Wife
Color Of Your Eyes
How Can I Miss You

I honestly don't remember much, and only remember those because I wrote them down as soon as I got back to my room.

I got some sleep. Housekeeping started banging on my door at 10:30, this after getting to sleep at around 4:30.

I headed off for some food and to stop and chat with my friend C (see song 3 below) and then got back to the hotel in time to get set up and play.

Andy played fiddle. I made him use a vocal mike, so he was only moderately louder than chirosinger.

So the show was ... with many interruptions ...

Standards
Hey Dad
Color Of Your Eyes (Andy's soloing
Bang My Bald Spot
Woman I Want
Jordan Cochran (I needed the lyrics ...

bonz_lizard and

chirosinger kept taking them away from me)
How Can I Miss You?
Hides (amazing)

It was a wonderful show. I confused Andy a little on Woman I Want, but hey ... he didnt need to know where I was going did he ???

It was a great weekend ... a great show ... great circle ... played a dice game with chirosinger ... and I won ... that will never happen again. I always win games the first time ...

or

WiFi works in the Harmonic Convergence room.

Cool

I wrote some of this this afternoon ... so there

3 Pints Gone just got off stage, their usual rousing performance.

Now I am waiting for them to work out the buzz on Adam Stemple’s guitar.

I was at a panel called Filk For Idiots or some such thing. It was a beginners guide for … well … a lot of folks who knew all about filk. David Romm was more or less the moderator. I didn’t know three of the rest, but Lukeski was also on the panel and played a bunch of stuff by himself and other folks (got to hear Inner Voice again, I need to get that CD, but money has not allowed).

It was a good time, and I ended up missing Folk Underground’s set. Bummer.

So the singer with Adam is incredible. This is going to be fun.

More as it goes along.

Back to now ... 10 pm in the HC room.

I'm watching David Perry, great stuff. I'm going to head up to Connies shortly to see some of Luke's set. I want to see some of Janti, sounds like they could be cool. And then the Nick Atoms later. funfunfun

More later, everyone having a good night ???

Andy Anda will be playing with me tomorrow, you might want to get in your cars and head to MN to see this.

These are always the most fun shows. And I am making sure he has a vocal mike this time. You all have to suffer the way I do.

update and a question Any requests ???

or

Andy, play the blues for a sheep

The music circle started just a little after I posted. I was still brain dead and tanked completely on The Woman I Want. I mean completely. I got out my book and staggered through it. What I played last night was …

The Woman I Want (the what-are-the-words-of-a-song-I-should-know version)
How Can I Miss You (folks sang along, I hope you all feel dirty now)
Gun Sale At The Church – Buddy Blue/Beat Farmers (in response to the song before)
Bang My Bald Spot
Things You Never Know (which I had not done in ages, went well too)
Perfect Moments (no one had heard this song, a nice ending)

I do, as is frequently the case, have to commend the ever so wonderful Andy Anda (who will be playing with me Sunday) for his sterling work. I tried to give him plenty of room to play and man did he take advantage of it. It was a blast.

Chirosinger was fading through the night, but was still wonderful. Chasophonic was so smooth. Wylderwolf (or do I still have you two confused?) and his partner in crime have come so far in a year and were deeply wonderful. The SCA fellow whose name I didn’t get was brilliant. I hope he is there tonight too. The young woman who sang acapella was great. Freeimprov is getting better and better and more and more twisted.

This was a night when I was NOT the most twisted person in the circle. I had to fight to keep up actually.

Oh, some words on the drummers. Man I had fun with you guys last night.

So I am about to head back to the hotel for the afternoon.

I just got voicemail from the guy who ran the standup comedy contest thanking me for being in it. Lewis is a cool guy and he is doing something really major for the central IA area. I highly recommend coming out when the open mike starts up again in September.

Ok, heading back … how are you folks ???

The start of the weekend.

I headed off around 1 after getting some stuff I needed for my travel bag and drove straight through. No stops. The drive to MN is so much easier than the drive to the Chicago area. Well … shorter anyway. It was gerbil city out on the road today. The Iowa speed limit had just gone to 70 mph today so folks were either unaware of it or taking it as a dare. I kept getting stuck between them. Funfunfun.

I found the place that I am staying with little difficulty. It’s amusing that I am staying at a Motel 6 considering … well … not all of you have heard the song yet.

I slept for a few hours and headed off to the convention hotel. I like the space and hope some year to be able to afford to stay here. It is the most expensive rooms of any hotel I have been in the last couple of years. You would think that considering how many people this con brings in they could get a better room rate. Maybe next year I can find some folks to room with.

Anyway … I digress (really ???)

I got my badge (a story unto itself, it would not be politic to go into it though) and wandered around a bit when the fire alarms went off. At the time I was in the opening ceremonies and we all got chased out. I started heading for the door, but went by the Harmonic Convergence room and saw that Riverfolk were indeed on at 8:30. I wandered in 15 minutes into their set and saw the rest. Wonderful as always and it was

chirosinger who tried to set a capo wrong (see, it’s not always

chasophonic !!!)

I saw various folk I know, a couple who have LJs that I have to look up names on before I post this (let’s see if I remember, I still haven’t worked out if this hotel has WiFi anywhere). (yes indeed it does, but I am too lazy to go find names right now)

I suppose that a problem that I have with the MN cons is that I still don’t know a lot of folks around here. I’m getting to, but considering that (and yeah, go ahead and scoff) I do tend to be a little shy, it’s taking me time.

I ran into a fair amount of folks I know though, and finally decided to head to the bit atrium here and type for a bit.

One nifty thing, I was next door at the DQ getting a burger (the face that they take plastic will help my cash problems a lot, it’s gonna be a rough weekend) and a couple of folk who had seen me at Marscon came up and chatted for a few minutes. I needed that.

I’m listening to the various music that is going on all around me, between the stuff in the Space Lounge and the music at the parties and the music that is coming from the dance, it’s an odd mix. I kinda like it. Hearing some of this makes me want to get out my synths again and make some music with them. Yeah, when I have time. I miss that in a way though. There is a chance that my old synth band might do something again. Between us we have the ability to finally get the sound we always wanted, as compared to the sound that we settled for 2 decades ago. Or I might just go ahead and do something on my own. We’ll see.

Well, more later. The music circle starts in an hour or so, the part of the weekend I am most looking forward to. Now I need caffeine.

Tomorrow I am in the finals of the Comedy Showdown 2005 in Des Moines. We'll see how it goes, I am fairly certain I know who the top 3 will be, but there are several wildcards in there who could mess things up.

This weekend I am in Minneapolis for Convergence. I am playing a show sunday afternoon and will also be in the music circles till oh-my-god:30 in the morning.

Hope to see some of you at one or the other.

If you see this and are at either, say howdy (especially if I don't know you all that well)

So, the place I usually stay is not available that weekend (she already has a housefull of folks)

I'm looking for folks who might need another roommate, I'm a good person to room with ... really ...

I took off about a half hour before I had planned …( WEIRD )

So ... I'm heading to Kansas City today for my first time at a KC con. I think I am doing some panels, I don't know if I am getting a space to play or not.

CONvergence asked me for a short blurb, so I sent some stuff for them to choose from ...

Eric is a wise-acre (since I would assume that we can't use the word ass in the program) songwriter/singer from Iowa ... well ... he lives in Iowa but he's not really FROM there. He's fat, furry (but not A furry) and somewhere in his 40s. CONvergence is con #7 for him this year on his Slow Motion Midwestern Fanboy Tour (5 states in 6 months). He's been compared (much to his amazement and disbelief) to Richard Thompson and Loudon Wainwright (by the same person even, but not at the same time). He stays up too late playing music at cons, he has a story about every song, he is still a little amazed that fannish folk like his music, since it has little to do with fandom (even though a lot of the songs are about fannish folk). He has NOT been told that he is out of tune by Nate Bucklin, HAS been heckled by Lojo Russo and shamelessly forced Chaz Somdahl to play Gloria so he could perform his one and only filk song last year at Duckon. He has been played by Dr Demento (once), and even performed in his Festival Of Dementia (once). CONvergence will be his 2nd Minneapolis area con, but not his last unless they catch him at the border next time.

You can also get my wildy inaccurate bio at my website below. Feel free to steal wildly from it.