We have been pulling the trailer with a Toyota Tundra for a little over a year now with little or no incident until about three weeks ago. In fact, the Tundra has been and continues to be a fabulous vehicle for our purposes. Unfortunately, we have had three minor mishaps in the past three weeks that have added some new contours to the body of our truck.
1) At speeds of less than 5 MPH,” we” caught a patch of ice navigating snow banks and a narrow passage as “we” attempted a left-hand turn. The front wheels of the truck turned and began negotiating the turn while the back wheels hit the ice and slide into a tight jack-knife with the trailer. So tight in fact that the trailer and hitch system put a more than noticeable dent in the rear bumper and driver-side rear panel of the truck. Luckily, it did not damage the taillight or any major functional part of the truck.
2) While in Wyoming recently “we” managed to hang the front passenger side of the truck up on a small boulder. “We” were driving on and around the sidewalks at the University of Wyoming en route to our load-in site at the theater. In the process of making a left-hand turn, “we” swung the truck out far to the right to avoid hitting a large wall on the left with our trailer. Again at less than 5 MPH, the front of the truck leaped into the air and abruptly stopped. “We” hopped out of the truck and found the license plate rumpled on ground and the truck lodged on a small boulder that marked the intersection of two sidewalks. Fortunately, there was little damage to the working components of the truck. If I could only say the same for “our” ego.
3) The final episode occurred again on the ice, this time with the addition of a roundabout. As “we” attempted to slow down and follow to curve of the roundabout, “we” caught the ice and could not slow down and only slightly turn. As if in slow motion (and not far from it) “we” collided with the curb of the roundabout and once again the trailer and truck slide into a firm jack-knife – only on the opposite side of the vehicle this time because “we” were attempting to follow the roundabout to the right. By the Grace of God, there were no other cars in or near the roundabout at the time and “we” were able to drive away with little more than a matching dent in the rear bumper and passenger-side rear panel of the truck. Nice! (-:
Nearly one year after the selling our front-of-house digital mixing board and replacing it with a MacBook Pro, MainStage 2 software and an Apogee Ensemble (8/8 Firewire Digital I/O), we have no serious glitches or meltdowns to report. The software and plug-ins function beautifully and the platform offers freedom and flexibility that can’t be touched by even the latest digital consoles. Imagine being able to remove every fader and knob on a mixing console that was simply taking up space and either replacing it with a useful function or nothing at all. Then move those faders and knobs around the board to suit your needs for a particular concert, tour, recording session, etc. With a virtual front-of-house console and infinite patching options the sky is the limit (Disclaimer – Keep in mind, as the need for additional inputs/outputs grow so does the requirement for additional processing power, outboard digital I/O’s and available funds). After the virtual console is designed and the patches are made, walk away from the desk and access all the console controls with an iPad, MacBook or other similar device via WiFi and remote computer access. We have discovered this connection can be established over the internet with programs like GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, Webex PCNow, etc. or, when an internet connection is not available, a VNC (Virtual Network Connection) that simply requires a wireless router and some basic software.
As remarkable as this is (and the advances in technology are truly remarkable), there are still some issues that require minor workarounds and don’t necessarily qualify as glitches or meltdowns as much as annoying realities. The first being latency. This deals with the delay of the audio signal from the time it enters the computer to the time it leaves the computer. Though generally measured in milliseconds, latency can produced an undesired effect as instrumentalists or vocalists are met with a monitor feed that is slightly behind what they are actually playing or singing. There are a couple of workarounds for this issue. The first being computer processing power, the higher the specs of computer processor(s) the lower the latency. If the computer can handle the demand the latency can be set to zero in the Mainstage 2 application. Our current MacBook (which is no slouch) can process audio at very low latency but not consistently at zero latency. I am hoping that quad-core processing and the latest and greatest in processing will render latency obsolete. The second, being the wireless connection between the MacBook Pro running the Mainstage 2 software(Server) and the remote access laptop (Viewer). Initially, I thought the VNC connection would be ideal because no internet connection is required, just a wireless router that connects the two computers. Ironically, the speed of the VNC connection is slower and noisier than connecting through the same wireless router and the internet with a program such as GoToMyPC. To date, the best connection has been through the internet with Verizon’s HotSpot Card and LogMeIn remote access software. With both computers wirelessly tethered to the HotSpot, the connection was quiet and the keystrokes and mouse commands from the Viewer to the Server were instantaneous. The catch is that not one of these options works everywhere and/or consistently. This could be due to the various locations in which we perform, the local wireless configuration, structural inhibitors to wireless or cell tower access (for the HotSpot). It could be due the computers we are using, a new MacBook and a slightly older Windows based laptop. The workaround at this point is having each method at the ready in case the other is not functioning properly.
All things considered, the addition of the MacBook Pro, Mainstage 2 software and the Apogee Ensemble to our audio rig has been evolutionary. We will continue to upgrade our gear as we can and refine the process that makes it all work together seamlessly.
I bet you’re sitting around right now thinking to yourself “boy, I hope that dreaded Rhinelander Hodag doesn’t come back and start scaring the townfolk again!” No? Alright, perhaps it would be a bit weird if you were, but unfortunately, these are the thoughts that plague the minds of Rhinelanders to this day. No again? Fine, I was just trying to find an interesting way to lead in to the story of the Great Black Hodag of the North!!!!! Rhinelander, WI, to be exact.
Once upon a time, it was a dark and dreary night, and nary a light could be seen nor the voice of kinfolk heard for miles……actually, I’m not sure of the weather that night, or even if it was at night (I didn’t get that part of the story), but I do know this story happened in the lush timbers around Rhinelander…..
In 1893 newspapers reported the discovery of a Hodag in Rhinelander, Wisconsin. It had “the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end”. The reports were instigated by well-known Wisconsin timber cruiser and prankster Eugene Shepard, who rounded up a group of local people to capture the animal. The group reported that they needed to use dynamite to kill the beast. A photograph of the remains of the charred beast was released to the media. It was “the fiercest, strangest, most frightening monster ever to set razor sharp claws on the earth. It became extinct after its main food source, all white bulldogs became scarce in the area.”
Shepard claimed to have captured another Hodag in 1896, and this one was captured alive. According to Shepard’s reports, he and several bear wrestlers placed chloroform on the end of a long pole, which they worked into the cave of the creature where it was overcome. He displayed this Hodag at the first Oneida County fair. Thousands of people came to see the Hodag at the fair or at Shepard’s display in a shanty at his house. Having connected wires to it, Shepard would occasionally move the creature, which would typically send the already-skittish viewers fleeing the display. As newspapers locally, statewide, and then nationally began picking up the story of the apparently remarkable, living creature, a small group of scientists from the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. announced they would be traveling to Rhinelander to inspect the apparent discovery. Their mere announcement spelled the end, as Shepard was then forced to admit that the Hodag was a hoax.
Bummer.
Although it apparently wasn’t meant to be that the aforementioned creature who dined on all white bulldogs (kinda would’ve tipped you off right there don’t you think?) was indeed real, the Hodag still lives on in our hearts…..and in front of the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce in a fiberglass form.
Kinda looks like Jared before coffee when I pick him up for work in the mornings.
Off to Nashville to write songs this week. Tin Pan South happens over the next few days where songwriters from all over the world get together to share stories, swap tips and perform hits. I’m still working on the latter. And though I haven’t written for months, I have a thousand ideas bottled up inside and it’s a perfect time to peel back the proverbial onion, get rid of a hundred crappy songs, and find the gem that is most likely in all of us. Thank you to everyone who sends their support. I will surely be holed up in a studio, but that is a place that is familiar and comforting and I am happy to return. I look forward to revisiting with old friends and returning with renewed vigor (or at least a bit of inspiration). On another note, I have once again eluded a ticket. I am not sure how that happens…just dumb luck. Thank you County Road Eight police officer. Oh, and as I was falling asleep last night I caught part of “The Hangover”… must say I didn’t care much for it the first time (though most of America loved it) but I laughed out loud when I saw it a second time…
With a few strategic turns, Mark and Greg managed to inject themselves into the St. Patrick’s Day parade, and even garner scrutiny as they passed by the judge’s stand. Anyone got the number of a good mobile wash?
Can someone please tell us the name of the bird in this video? And no, we’re not talking about the obvious Jared Dove, or the Mark “Sandgrouse” McGowan, or the Greg “Blue-footed booby” Bannwarth seen at the beginning of the video. We are referring to the more slender feathered friend hanging around half-way through the video, trying to edge his (or her) way into the shot. Are they dangerous? Are they endangered? Do they taste like chicken? Would Greg have contracted the bird-flu if, hypothetically, after the camera was shut off, he attempted to catch it and was pecked numerous times about the head and neck before escaping unharmed? (The bird escaped unharmed, not Greg.)
We have a new iphone app that we’re working on, and will hopefully be available within the next few weeks. The new app will provide more material, better up-to-date concert information, and an overall happiness felt when using it. Our previous app is no longer available on itunes, and while the previous version will still work on your phone, updates will no longer be made to it. Sorry for any inconvenience, or disappointment brought to you by this sad news. Send your complaints to Mark via our contact page.
As we approach St. Patrick’s day, I’m reminded of a line in a song by one of the most famous, revered, and oft quoted Irish musical groups of all time – House of Pain. “I came to get down, I came to get down, so get out your seat and jump around, jump around, jump around, jump around, jump up, jump up and get down.” I think what House of Pain meant by these timeless lyrics is that we have but one life to live, and very little time to live it, so don’t live on the sidelines – get out there and jump around. Only then can you get down. Amazing.
So, in honor of these “words to live by”, we here at Tonic Sol-fa are planning to do just that! We have lots of cool new shows coming in as well as some great return dates throughout the year, and we want to make the most out of every one of them! Why, just the other night, we performed in Orchestra Hall with 2 of the gentlemen (Colin and Brad) from the hit television show “Whose Line is it Anyway?” They were gracious enough to let us film some interaction with them (to be unleashed at a later date), and a good time was had by all. Another way we’ve been “jumping up” is by seeing just how much abuse our new Toyota Tundra can take – I believe both back quarter panels and the kick plate underneath could use a little TLC these days…..speaking of TLC, I wonder why they never teamed up with House of Pain to do some megamix mash up? Can you imagine Everlast belting out “Don’t go chasing waterfalls” while T-Boz, Chilli, and Left-Eye are kicking it in Celtics jerseys? I know – too hype, right? Yeah, boy. (to be yelled like Flavor Flav)
No matter how you choose to live your life, just make sure it involves us, and maybe a shamrock shake or two – no Mark, that’s not a dance move, no matter how hard you try to make it happen – and always, no matter what, remember to “pack it up, pack it in, let me begin, I came to win, I don’t think that’s a sin.”
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