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VOM 19 -- Virtual Open Mic @ HCAG, Second Sunday, August 9, 2009


Stackabones

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Some good stuff here this month and proud to be part of it. :thu:

I've only gotten about halfway through. So....

Fussenkuh - That was very good. Quite creative on your part to rearrange this piece as you did. And you played it flawlessly. Well done.

Michael Martin - Another masterpiece, Michael. You're a genius with the pen.

Garthman - Very beautiful, Gareth. I think I like your version better.

jandrew - Man, I had never heard that one before, but that was way cool. I love the way you made that sound on your guitar. And a great voice too. Well done.

C70man - A very brave performance. I cringed when I heard that first slide up in the beginning. Very well done. I've gotta learn me some Prine.

pschaafs - I liked the overdubbing of the second vocals. Or was that someone else singing? It seemed the only effect missing was the popping of the pine in the fire.

RogueGnome - Well done on what sounds like a tough song to do. A little choppy here and there, but you still did it well.

Kwakatak - Great vocals, Kwak. I see what you mean about singing and playing this one at the same time. You pulled it off though. It came out great.

bigald18 - Great job, Al. The guitar sounds good too.

Galabar - nicely done. I'd never heard that piece before but I thought you did beautifully.

Stackabones - Stack, you've got such attitude with that voice. You pull off songs like this so well. I love it! Great little lead in there too.

guitarist21 - Excellent song and the guitar work was superb. You are one of the masters.

Oldskool Texas - Wow! What a production. And the song is awesome too. Had me going from the first couple of beats. Sounded fantastic.

tbryson - Interesting song. Kind of a "I'm so much cooler online" sorta song. Well done though. Well put together.

chriscarnucci - That was a beautiful song. I love your voice too. Well done.

g6120 - Awesome song, Gil. The harp is cool. And the harmonies really work. Outstanding.

More tomorrow!

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Whew! I've had a bad day practicing. Nothing went right. Been listening to everyone. There's some good music on here. I'll try to comment on some of them later.

 

I threw this recording together this evening. I've actually done this a whole lot better. I really didn't think it was fit to put on, but what the hell. Pleeeease forgive the major screwup at 2:29. :facepalm:

Last Thing On My Mind by Tom Paxton

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I can't itemize all the wonderful performances I've heard here this weekend, but there have been some truly great surprises. Brokepick, Frets, Chris, Michael and C70 are the standouts that immediately come to mind, but honestly everyone should be really proud of this VOM session. I'll be frequenting the annex to listen to all of these again. It's pretty damn humbling to be in the company of such talent!

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I've been blowing this off for 3 or 4 months (got a kid on the way and the wife always finds "important things" for us to do on Sundays), but I tried to commit myself to doing this for August. I got caught up in stuff tonight, but managed to squeeze in one almost acceptable take of Giuliani's (Galabar beat me to him this month) Folies d'Espagna Variations. I realized after getting up to Youtube that the shareware program I downloaded to convert it to mpeg4 screwed up the tone, so any suggestions on a good (and free) program to do that would be appreciated. But for what it's worth:

[YOUTUBE][/YOUTUBE]

Edit - I re-converted it, and it's a bit better. The mistakes and chair squeaks are still there, though.

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Fuss: always dig your stuff. I never got into Metallica, mainly because they were big while I wasn't paying attention. So I don't know this tune, but I love your version. Excellent guit sound. Well-wrought piece. Sheesh, you even hold a plectrum the way Mel Bay says you should.

Michael Martin: Damn, man...Pete Townshend is way prettier than you! And he's homely as hell!

Rhancox: Nice guit, big full sound--Alvarez? Enjoyed this especially for your use of power chords. I admire that in an acoustic guitarist!

Garthman: One of my fave Dylan tunes, which is saying a lot. :thu: I've always dreamed of covering this one, but never liked what happened when I aped Dylan's version. You have inspired me--excellent translation. BTW, I read a bio of Bruce Springesteen awhile back which noted that he did a version of this song way back when as a fixture of his live set. Always have wanted to hear that version.

jandrew: Nice. Not familiar with this song or artist. Big woody guit sound is fabulous. So much so, in fact, that it kinda overwhelms your voice. This happens to me, and I just have to remember to sing "stronger" (from the gut). Or could be it's a recording balance thing.

C70man: Way to go--play through the pain! Love Prine. Didn't know of the connection with Goodman. Nice fingerstyle. As with jandrew, I recommend: push the vocals harder or more gain for vocals on the recording.

pschaafs: Always thought that was a Cash creation...how 'bout that. I do love that song--makes me want to cover it--I love VOM for its many inspirations! But: are your vocals doubled? I wasn't sure, but in places it seemed so--and can't say that helps. I've heard George Martin would have Lennon do that sometimes, but every time I've tried it it comes out weird, kinda distracting. Not a big huge deal, but not needed IMHO. If that's not what I'm hearing, please disregard! :facepalm:

RogueGnome: Not familiar with "Carnival"--nice, nuanced FS. Intricate and evocative. Sweetly played. BTW, your avatar gives me nightmares. :eek:

Kwak: Yeah. Lost my dad not long ago. Odd that he never kept music going as an adult. Like me, he could pick out anything by ear on a piano. Anyway: good job, guit and vocals. You have the rangey plaintive voice for this song. I have always coveted Fogelberg's range, and now yours! And I can SO relate about late-night recording in a house full of sleeping people! :mad:

more later I hope.
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Sangemon wrote:

tbryson - Nothing wrong with your guitar playing, and the song is cute and funny. I love the backing vocals, but I didn't think you needed that drum track. Try a mix without it. And thanks for posting the lyrics and chords.

I will, thanks for the constructive help.

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Well, by my clock it's almost closing time ... but you know what? If it's still Second Sunday where you live, keep posting. Even it's a bit past Second Sunday and Monday Morning is blinking its bright eyes in your face ...

post 'em if you got 'em!

 




The mic is still on if you need it ...

 

 

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- AND -


I think the archive is up to date. Please check to confirm your entry was included and is correct.


 

Joe--I made (very) minor edits to my original post earlier today that didn't make it into the archive--not a big deal at all, just a bit more info on the recording gear/process. No problem at all if it's a pain to fix. Otherwise, perfect! Thanks zillions for all your work to make this happen.

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Joe--I made (very) minor edits to my original post earlier today that didn't make it into the archive--not a big deal at all, just a bit more info on the recording gear/process. No problem at all if it's a pain to fix. Otherwise, perfect! Thanks zillions for all your work to make this happen.

 

 

Check that Michael, I think I got you covered.

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Big Al: How impressive that you constructed a guitar. I cannot imagine. It sounds great, although to my admittedly bad ears it sounded like one string was significantly out of tune. Anyway, cool song.

Galabar: Beautiful. Moody and powerful. Short and sweet--in fact too short. I wanted it to keep going.

BoneStacker: GREAT original song. Extremely groovy. I mean that wholeheartedly. Nice soloing (he says, enviously)

Guit21: I remain to this day a Fastball fanboy. It's funny: that was the band I got into in the late 90s just as I was rediscovering the surpassing joys of music and guitar playing after many long years in the desert of musical abstinence. I lament the demise of Fastball. What an excellent pop tune band they were. They wrote and played like they really meant it. BTW, I have young friends who do an absolutely killer version of Fastball's mega-hit "The Way". Would love to hear you do that, or even better, my fave FB song, "Vampires". If I could play guitar like you, I would cover Vampires in a heartbeat. Anyway: I loved this completely. I'd kinda forgotten about that song. Congrats on the fancy black-attire gig. And thanks for staying up; I speak on behalf of your considerable fan base hereabouts.

OldSkool TX: Wow. Very pro. Multi-instrumentalist goodness all-around! Sounds like great movie-soundtrack music.

tbryson: Ha. Interesting premise. I think there's a whole social-media universe out there that begs attention from songwriters. But thematically, I'd say: up the ante. Either go total pathetic--as in, be the complete grasping desperate loser--or go the scary bad-news psycho cyber-stalker route. Personally, I'd opt for the latter (that's not me, but I would enjoy "playing" him in a song). As it is, you seem half-hearted and lack the requisite obsessive conviction of your constrained and mediated desires. Too weak of a presentation as a character. BUT I did enjoy the arrangement a lot--backing vocals a cool idea, something I've never pulled off successfully. The la-la part is positively Beatle-esque!

Chris Carducci: This is one sweet original song. I was hooked by the progression right off. Quite well-crafted as a song. Like your vocal range too--I'd kill to be able to climb up there before falsetto kicks in. And someday, I will be in a position to write a song that celebrates non-unrequited or non-imaginary intimacy/love. :love:

more later I hope
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Here we go. This is a long one:

 

Fussenkuh: Tough one to pull off on acoustic! A very interesting choice. I think I would have liked it better if the second guitar was playing the chords instead of doubling all the riffs. Anyway, it was sure fun to listen to since I've only ever heard it with big electric guitars. You're clearly getting better every time you post. Nice work!

 

MM: I always love your chords!! Ahh this one was no exception. The second chord of the song, the F minor, was my favorite this time. The melody fit perfectly around the fun chord changes and I loved your voice too, especially when you sing low. It's got a nice rumble.

 

rhancox: I'm an avid country music fan, but one newer country artist I haven't been able to get into is Darius Rucker. I'm just not a fan. However, I thought your version was incredibly sincere and it really breathed new life into the song for me. Great job.

 

garthman: I was pretty impressed with the quality of the recording, give the equipment used. Did you throw some reverb on there or something? I like how it turned out.

 

jandrew: That L-07 sounds great in dropped-D. I especially loved the intro; it sounded very full.

 

C70: Is your finger injury on the fretting hand or the picking hand? (Forgive me if this is common knowledge.) That's a bummer either way. But it sounded excellent anyway! I just hope you don't hurt it more by playing!

 

pschaafs: I can tell why this was a campfire favorite. Very singable melodies. Your fingerpicking was solid throughout, very nice. I kind of wished that the vocals weren't doubled the whole time, because they seemed to clash sometimes. But other than that, I was fan. Especially because I can't fingerpick to save my life.

 

RogueGnome: I wish my cheap beater sounded that good. Maybe it's the player. :rolleyes: That's a tough tune and you did a great rendition. Great work!

 

kwak: I can see why that would be hard to play and sing at the same time. I don't think I could even play that one reliably, without singing. It's also a tough song to sing- it sounded a little high for you but you hit all the notes. Very nice.

 

bigald18: Dead strings? Couldn't tell. Great sound. I think that new interface was a good purchase!

 

Galabar: I envy your ability to play this style of music with consistency. You were like a metronome, which I think is great.

 

Stack: I liked the percussiveness of your electric playing a lot. I did occasionally wish you guys had a drummer or djembe/cajon/conga player, but your percussive rhythm playing made me not worry about it. Great electric solo too!

 

Oldskool: Great slide tone! I was very impressed.

 

tbryson: More strumming patterns will come the longer you play. You'll pick up ideas from other players. The way you strum now is solid, consistent, and rhythmic- that's something a lot of players neglect. IMO, it's more important to have good rhythm than a lot of different strumming patterns. So I think you're on the right track. Also, I liked the "la la la" background vox.

 

chriscarnucci: Welcome to HCAG and VOM! What a great first entry. You took some very familiar chord progressions and they didn't sound tired at all- you made them your own. Nice job!

 

Gil: I loved the harmonica oh so very much. Your harmonica playing is really good and it complements your guitar style well.

 

My fellow college basketball enthusiast, illinihoops: I can't believe that was recorded on an iPhone. Wow. Also, I haven't heard the new Wilco album, but this definitely makes me want to check it out. :thu:

 

Frets: You are hilarious, first of all. Second, you're a great player. It was a lovely rendition of a beautiful song and bet your niece will love it. Excellent job!

 

rogers: Great recording quality! And that's some impressive looper work as well. I liked your very unique take on such a classic. I really enjoyed the song in a new way.

 

Okieslims: This certainly was fun! I liked the way your voice added some grit to the tune. It was a pleasure to rock out to.

 

Shamus: For being $99, that guitar sounds awesome. Great recording quality overall, really. Nice job!

 

Sangemon: How do you like that Apogee Duet? I saw one at the store the other day and was curious about it. And thanks for the detail of your recording setup. It's clear that added effort produces way better recordings. I ought to take note. :rolleyes:

 

TS: I loved how much energy this one had. Very nice!

 

dak: Great a cappella beginning! It takes a good ear to hold the key for that long without accompaniment. I was really impressed.

 

missedmyexit: I think your guitar may have been a tiny bit out of tune. But the singing was really solid and in tune (even when it goes up that octave!), and the whole thing had a nice pulse. Very soulful, I dug it.

 

hypocollector: Nice job on Stack's tune, first off. Regarding the tune, what a great story-song! I loved the attention to detail (the integrity of the bun?) and it was certainly an enjoyable listen.

 

BlackHatHunter: I love this song, and your bouncy feel was really fun, especially with the steel pan stuff. Adorable kid noises are always a plus as well. They cracked me up. :thu:

 

littlemilo: You can't sing?? I don't know what you're talking about. You can sing very well, in tune, and realllllly low! Which is like my favorite thing! That rumbling low D you sing in there was awesome.

 

Brokepick: The main adjective I can think of here is "sincere." It really sounded like you meant what you were singing. I liked the guitar solo breaks, and hardly even noticed the "major screwup," since you played right through it.

 

gthom: Superb playing. I'm so impressed. Can't help with the conversion process, but FWIW I dug it even though it was a little fuzzy.

 

chordchunker: You two sound great together! That was so much fun to listen to. Do you guys play together a lot? I hope so.

 

Someone said this is a VOM to be proud of, and I agree. Great job, everyone!!

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First, I want to thank everyone for their kind comments. And Yeah, that first slide was a killer, didn't know how it would go. As usual I had my H4 on a table in front of me and just played and sang from about 3-4 feet away. I use the middle mic setting and mp3 mode. No retouches. And the bad finger is on my left hand. At first I played it with a bandaide on, but had to take it off...killed the high e and really got in the way. So I just worked around using that finger as much I could. Actually its healing a lot faster than I thought.

There were so many great entries this week and new people as well, which makes it great listening. I submitted early, because I was scheduled out of town this weekend. My plans ultimately changed, but stayed too busy to be able to listen to everyone until today. I hope to get my comments up as soon as I finish.

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Just finished listening to the remaining entries.

illinihoops - Never heard this one before. In fact, I've never heard of Wilco either (sorry). I liked the song though. Cool lyrics. I think you pulled it off very well. And the quality you got out of recording with an iPhone is just amazing.

Frets99 - I saw this the other day on U2b. Loved it. I wanna learn me that one. As always, a great entertainer you are.

rogers6210 - Wow, very creative. That was impressive.

Okieslims - Very cool. I think you nailed it. I think ol' Johnny had a few occasions of forgotten lyrics. It otherwise sounded pretty cool.

Shamuspizzbutt - Now that was smokin'. I love the sound of that Wiess-a-what'cha'callit.

Sangemon - Welcome to TX, Tom. Kudos to you for doing this one at an open mic. Sounds a bit tough to pull off. You did it well.

TSMusic - That was definitely some fire. Well done, Tony.

Daklander - Love it, Dak. You've got the perfect voice for this kind of stuff. I loved the acapella beginning too. Excellent.

missedmyexit - Great vocals. Guitar was a little out of tune though. Otherwise a great rendition. Passed Zzyzx Rd many a time on the way to/from Vegas.

hypocollector - Quite the imagination, Paul. What a song and what a story. Genius.

BlackHatHunter - Awesome song. Great production. Love the steel drum sound. Nice touch with your kids at the end. They did an excellent job. I think this one is my favorite this month.

littlemilo - Cool blues rock song. Never heard it before, but I like your rendition. Put together well too. Gotta get me a Tascam too.

Brokepick - Great guitar work. I want to play like that (well, without the mistake :p). You have a great voice for this kind of song as well. Beautifully done.

gthom - Very good. That was a long piece to go through. You did it very well. No wine on the table though?

Chordchunker - Another smokin' tune! This one's gonna be in my head all day. Great job.

Some great stuff here this month and some new folks to boot. Can't wait for next month.

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rhancox:
I'm an avid country music fan, but one newer country artist I haven't been able to get into is Darius Rucker. I'm just not a fan. However, I thought your version was incredibly sincere and it really breathed new life into the song for me. Great job.

 

 

I've always liked Hootie and the Blowfish stuff, I've just never learned any. I still don't consider Darius Rucker a country singer, and this song doesn't sound country either. I liked the tune of this one as I heard it on the radio but it wasn't until I read the words that I knew I had to learn it. Thank you, too, for the kind words. I'm glad you liked it.

 

 

 

Thank you to all, as well, for listening to my submission. This is always a lot of fun. I hated having to miss last month and even submitting an old recording the previous month. I hope not to miss anymore.

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I'd like to thank Joe and Chris for the wonderful job they did on the VOM and for tolerating me picking on them because they always start an hour late.:lol:

To all those who so kindly praised my guitar playing and the guitar, please have your hearing tested.

I think everyone sounded absolutely wonderful and it is a humbling experience to play amongst such fine poerformers.

BigAl :):thu:

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Fussenkuh: Good idea to try something as unexpected as Metallica on an acoustic, and you pulled it off quite well.

 

Michael Murphy: Nice lyrics, Michael. Pretty melody.

 

rhancox: Good, Rob. Relax into it a bit more, and enjoy it.

 

garthman: This is what Dylan would have souded like, had he been born 300 years ago on the other side of the Atlantic. Well Done, Sir.

 

jandrew: Bedlam's 'Harvest Moon' was new to me. Very well done Nice production. Intonation and timing very good.

 

C70: I'm thinking of cutting my fingers up so I can play like that. Good on you.

 

pschaafs: One of my favorite tunes. Well played. I would remove one vocal track if I were you.

 

kwak: Pretty, old song. Liked it a lot but production on the vocals, (chorus effects) I guess was distracting.

 

bigald18: That's so cool that you built your own guitar, Al. Extra points for that, man. great!

 

Galabar: Beautiful nylon melody, Galabar. Sad, and ancient and evocative of old Europe, lost love. Very well executed.

 

Stack: Beautiful in its simplicity. Thumbs up, times two.

 

Guitarist21: How Nice! Great soloing too, between verses. Makes me wonder why I ever gave up listening to pop music.

 

OldSkool Texas: Great all around. And you did all that? This was my favorite.

 

tbryson: Nice. A song for our times, to be sure. Your timing is really good, so why worry about the strumming?

 

chriscarnucci: Wow. Your first one is a hit. And an original, to boot. Fine job.

 

G6120: That is some really sweet harp playing there, Sir. And that NY influence is present even way back then, lyrically and in the melody as well.

 

illinihoops: So if I get an iPhone, I could do that? I don't think so. Super.

 

Frets: You are a funny guy, and you go some chops, too. Sounds like a very old song, before we were born. Enjoy your niece's wedding. Nice you can do that for her.

 

rogers6210: Nice jazzy intro. Good use of hardware and software. Classic tune. You're no rooky, man.

 

Okieslims: Can't go wrong with a Johnny Cash song. Good one.

 

Shamuspizzbutt: You nailed it. I love this. No, really, I love this. No really.

 

Sangemon: Congratulations on your first open mike, and at Nazfest! The pressure must be pretty intense there. YOU have a really good voice.

 

TSMusic: You can get 'em up and on their feet, Sir!

 

daklander: Good, old timey feel to it.

 

missedmyexit: I think somebody else mentioned that you were out of tune and I have to agree. You have a good voice.

 

hypocollector: Macho Burger, huh? All that reverb and four-chord progression was a trip down memory lane with a song I never heard before; just like a step back into the late 50s/early 60s. I was in that old time diner.

 

BlackHatHunter: Love the Marley tune & the steel drum sampling gives it that extra island feel to it. Well done.

 

littlemilo: I don't know, man, I thought your voice sounded pretty good. Nice mix of all the parts.

 

Brokepick: I am reminded of Norman Blake, both in vocals and playing. I was actually listening for "the major screwup at 2:29". I couldn't hear it. You sir, do not know "major screwup". I could teach you that much only.

 

gthom: Your playing is so smooth, you appear so relaxed. The music so complex and beautiful. Only the actual recording suffers. Sounds like it was recorded 75 years ago. You deserve better reproduction.

 

chordchunker: Well, that one was a lot of fun. The doghouse bass was a nice addition. This tune almost has a Texas swing sound to it. Good!

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First, my thanks for all the kind words, especially about the kids. I am trying to get them into this music thing, so that they understand what daddy does in the guitar room all those hours. I hope also that they will get to enjoy it and will spend more time down the studio with me :)

 

This past week end, I had them man the digital recorded while I recorded some tracks... it was a ton of fun to share that time with them.

 

On to the feedback:

 

FussenKuh: What a great idea to adapt it to the acoustic guitar! I haven't listened to Metallica in what seems ages. Great job as always.

 

Michael Martin: Man I always dig your stuff. Your voice is so distinctive. Seeing the news lately, the line about choppers falling out of the sky was a bit chilling!

 

rhancox: Great song choice. I love the Alvarez!

 

garthman: Bob Dylan... so many great songs to choose from, and you nailed the right vibe for it.

 

jandrew: Great, now I have to go watch Reservoir Dogs again :D Great job!

 

C70man: Dang, I wish I could play that well, let alone w/ busted fingers! You may recall how much of a Prine and Goodman fan I am, so of course this was right up my alley. Great work.

 

pschaafs: Must have been a fun campfire night! I didn't know this song. Thanks for making me discover it.

 

RogueGnome: Black Orpheus... I don't think I have ever seen that. Another one added to the list. Man, some great pickin' in there!

 

kwakatak: I love your voice. It fits this song perfectly. And as someone who wrote a song when my father died, I feel for your friends.

 

bigald18: I dug the spoken intro! And that guitar does sound great.

 

Galabar: Man, I can only imagine the chord shapes you had to put your fingers into to play that - because damn if I know that many! :)

 

Stackabones: Brother Bones, I always look forward to your stuff, and you never disappoint! I love the groove on this one. What electric did you use?

 

guitarist21: Never heard of fastball, so thanks for the intro :) Though I did know the song. I think it used to play at the movie theater before the previews when I lived in England. Fun memories. I enjoyed that very much!

 

Oldskool Texas: Killer groove, I love the tone of that slide.

 

tbryson: Thanks for posting the lyrics and chords. Very cool. Man, a 12" screen? IN these days and ages? Really? The lyrics cracked me up. Great job! So anyway, that's my reply ;)

 

chriscarnucci: Welcome! It's great to have new blood around. I wish I could also say that I had the chance to jam with Stack, but not so far :( You did a great job with setting the vibe for this song between the way you sung it and the guitar tones and strumming. Thanks for posting!

 

g6120: I dug the strumming/rhythmic pattern. Cool harmonica too!

 

illinihoops: I didn't know that song. Recroded using your iPhone? That's damn cool!

 

Frets99: Funny stuff as always, though when you get to the actual tune, it's always great stuff too. Oh yeah, and there's nothing like some headbangin' right before going to Church :D

 

rogers6210: Dang man, you nailed it!

 

Okieslims: One of my favorite Johnny Cash songs. Thanks for that!

 

Shamuspizzbutt: Man, you made me want to learn how to play with the guitar on the lap. Great job!

 

Sangemon: I love that song. And to think that I thought for years that it was a John Prine song... oh man. What can I say? :facepalm: And congrats on the first live performance!

 

TSMusic: Very powerful performance!

 

daklander: Very interesting singing style. I enjoyed that very much.

 

missedmyexit: Another strong vocal performance. Man, I wish I could sing like that.

 

hypcollector: I think you beat the world record for how many times the words "Macho burger" appeared in a song :)

 

littlemilo: Man, you voice has some serious range!Gorgeous guitar on your avatar btw...

 

 

Brokepick: Very enjoyable!

 

gthom: Classical guitar always intimidates me. Great job, man!

 

Chordchunker: One word: cool. OK , two words: damn cool :)

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