Tuesday
Dec132005
The Ryman, the Joining, and the New New Mexico
Tuesday, December 13, 2005 at 11:48AM
Well, the Ryman show went great, I thought. Everybody seemed to have a good time, and the musicians all seemed to play really well. A few highlights for me were Pierce Pettis playing a Mark Heard song, then being lovably crazy when he broke a string and had to borrow Andy Gullahorn's guitar, Chris Weigel stepping back in on bass on "Pass Over Us", and just the amazingness of getting to play at the Ryman again. It is so amazing there. Oh, and backstage dinner was great.
It was really fun joining the church Sunday morning. They had all the new folks get up and they read a verse that each one of us picked out and then other people in the community got up to pray for us. It was so cool to see so many good friends come up to state they were parts of our fellowship. It was really neat and meant a lot.
I played electric guitar over at my friend Mitch's studio on Koo Chung's new record. They're getting some great sounds over there and it was nice to get to be a part of another of Koo's projects.
Last night I stayed up way too late and did a bulk of the track for a new version of "New Mexico" for the Photographs re-release. I based this one around piano, as opposed to guitar, and am playing everything on it but the drums, which we'll do at Paul Eckberg's either today or Saturday. It really is turning out cool, a lot more full and with some late-night ambience. This track features the debut recording of my new (old) Hammond organ and I could not have been happier with how it sounded. It has a stunning tone, and I'm not a great organ player by any stretch, so I was doubly pleased that it felt so good. Anyway, this version will be one of two bonus songs on the new pressing. The Portland Studio guys are doing some beautiful artwork for it, really capturing the tone and vibe of the project, and I can't wait to have it out. I won't make it in time for Christmas, but it should be out early next year.
Well, I'm sitting here with Ella, who's just jabbering away, and I should probably get going. We leave for three more AP Christmas shows tonight, and Cason and I are going to work on the new record in the afternoon. Garett's going to come over and take some family Christmas card shots today too, which will be fun. I think that's all for now, but I'll write again once we're out on the road. Feel free to say hello or share your favorite moments from the Ryman show. Until next time...
It was really fun joining the church Sunday morning. They had all the new folks get up and they read a verse that each one of us picked out and then other people in the community got up to pray for us. It was so cool to see so many good friends come up to state they were parts of our fellowship. It was really neat and meant a lot.
I played electric guitar over at my friend Mitch's studio on Koo Chung's new record. They're getting some great sounds over there and it was nice to get to be a part of another of Koo's projects.
Last night I stayed up way too late and did a bulk of the track for a new version of "New Mexico" for the Photographs re-release. I based this one around piano, as opposed to guitar, and am playing everything on it but the drums, which we'll do at Paul Eckberg's either today or Saturday. It really is turning out cool, a lot more full and with some late-night ambience. This track features the debut recording of my new (old) Hammond organ and I could not have been happier with how it sounded. It has a stunning tone, and I'm not a great organ player by any stretch, so I was doubly pleased that it felt so good. Anyway, this version will be one of two bonus songs on the new pressing. The Portland Studio guys are doing some beautiful artwork for it, really capturing the tone and vibe of the project, and I can't wait to have it out. I won't make it in time for Christmas, but it should be out early next year.
Well, I'm sitting here with Ella, who's just jabbering away, and I should probably get going. We leave for three more AP Christmas shows tonight, and Cason and I are going to work on the new record in the afternoon. Garett's going to come over and take some family Christmas card shots today too, which will be fun. I think that's all for now, but I'll write again once we're out on the road. Feel free to say hello or share your favorite moments from the Ryman show. Until next time...
Reader Comments (10)
Whoa, whoa, whoa. RE-release?! Back up the bus, Osenga! ;)
It was good to see you on Sunday. I'll be up sometime next month.
Hi Andy. Woo from Gardendale here. Very much looking forward to seeing you and the gang Sunday night in Trussville. Been watching the DVD (which you might should mention here on your site) and loving it. The commentary is hysterical, and only serves to reinforce my love for you guys.
favorite Ryman moments:
1. the instrumental "holly & ivy". I think that one really showed off everybody's musical talent. It was fun watching that.
2. Osenga almost literally juggling guitars. I swear, every time I looked, he either had just swapped or was in the middle of swapping to another.
3. Ron Block in the round, and Ron Block on banjo during "Matthew's Begats"
4. Pierce Pettis just being there.
5. I thought the sound was really good. I'm no musical guru, but I could distictly hear the vocals from Osenga, and from the 2 microphones to the left of AP. I'm not always able to hear all the voices like that, and it was a really nice plus.
Andy:
I sat almost directly in front of you for morning worship. I'm kicking myself for being a tool and not introducing my friends and I. We traveled from Virginia and had heard good things about Midtown.
my favorite ryman moments were:
1. jill phillips singing labor of love
2. The way you shemmied on Early in the morning (no i'm not gay)
3. Thinking to myself "i'm not gay" when madiera asked for the gay guys to join in on harmony
4. Your pastors illustrations in the sunday morning service. (And you and the girl beside you having the same verse)
Andrew Peterson's voice was in the best form I've heard it for the opening song, Lay Me Down.
Hey man,
The Ryman show really was great. It was great to get to be there and be a part of it.
Loud part in "early in the morning" always gives me chills. you killed it.
"while shepherds watched their flocks" made me want to stand up and yell.
I don't know if anyone else notices this, but everyone who sits in the chairs during the round rocks out with the head bob. Seriously, you can keep time if you get lost by watching the heads on stage. It's like someone is standing behind them and moving them all at the same time. Good stuff. Also, Garett Buell is an amazing drummer.
The show was amazing. I love the electric guitar part in "So Long Moses"... gives me goose bumps. Didn't Keaggy play on that last year also? I remember him doing a killer solo at the end of the song. Guess I ought to buy the DVD and watch it! I liked the green guitar, I hadn't seen that one before and small blue twelve string (mando-guitar?)
This was my second Christmas show and it was every bit as good as last year's for me.
Hey Andy.
Top 5 favorite Ryman show moments:
1. Gullahorn's song about your severed toe. Hilarious and strangely moving. Is it sad that this was my favorite moment of the night?
2. "The Theme of My Song." It's easily my favorite track off the album, and it was infinitely more powerful live.
3. "Early in the Morning." I was really sad that you didn't get to do the normal two songs, even though all the other artists were fantastic. You should definitely do a live album one of these days.
4. Being introduced to several artists that I wasn't previously familiar with like Andy Gullahorn, Pierce Pettis, and Jill Phillips. It's always good to find new music to get excited about.
5. The massive amounts of witty monologuing that everyone seemed to be doing.
It was the best show I've been to in a long time. Glad you guys do it every year.
next year i have all but vowed to be there. i can't miss another one of these friggers.