getting ready for a big weekend

So today I'm going to be getting ready for this weekend's Caedmon's shows. We're playing pretty good slots of two of the country's biggest music festivals, Creation East, in Pennsylvania, and Celebrate Freedom in Dallas. Todd, Garett and I met yesterday to come up with a set-list and work out arrangements so that we can emphasize the more energetic and visually interesting part or our set for the festival crowds, a lot of whom probably have no idea we're the kind of band we really are. Tomorrow night, at Creation, they're estimating almost 100,000 people, and the festival in Dallas is apparently the largest annual music festival in the world now, with attendences up to 300,000. Needless to say, I'm pretty psyched to get to play to these crowds. I think the largest crowd I've been in front of is about 15,000, and that seemed huge to me. I'm also excited because this will be the inaugural gig for my new big pedal board. I usually just fly the smaller one, but for shows this big, I want to make sure I have every possibility sonically. If anybody reading this is going to either of these festivals, please try and say hello. I have to be at the airport at 4:30 tomorrow morning, though, to get there in time for our sound check, so if I try to sleep on you, just walk away...

Oh, also, if any of you were planning on coming to see us play in Georgia on the 3rd, don't. There was apparently some screw-up in the booking, and only three or four of the thirty bands scheduled are going to be there, and we're not one of them. I'm sorry if you already bought your tickets, it was out of our control, believe me, and we'll try to get to Georgia soon to make up for it. I don't know how to go about getting refunds, but I would imagine you could call the place you got them from in the first place and they could help you out. Sorry!

Air-Conditioning!

So three years ago, the AC in my car stopped working. I took it in to get it recharged, and they said that my car had an out-of-date system and needed to be replaced to be legal. They told me this would cost around $800. So I've spent the last three summers with my windows down, telling myself that I would cough it up next year. Frankly, that's about as much as my car is worth, and I'm just too cheap when it comes to this stuff to spend that much money on just being comfortable.

Then last week, it went out on Alison's car, too. We both drive old Volvo's. Mine is a 1990 station wagon that is continually on the verge of meltdown, and hers is a '94 sedan that still seems almost new. But they're both old, and I assumed that if my car had an out-of-date AC system, then so did hers. It might not be worth it to fix the climate control on my car, but Alison's car has the baby seat in it, and that's the one we use for long trips, and frankly, I'm not so cheap that I'll make my wife and daughter drive around in the South with no air-conditioning. For the baby, that's downright dangerous.

WELL, thanks to our good friend the internet, I did a little research and found out that you can convert your system very easily, and very cheaply. They sell kits for like 50 bucks at every auto parts store in the country. So I bought two of them. This morning, I get up knowing I am about to be a hero by restoring the gift of frigidity to my sweltering family, only to see stickers all over the AC systems of BOTH cars telling me that they have already been converted.

Using the first kit I was able to recharge both cars in surprisingly little time, and with startling ease. On the way back to the auto store to get my money back for the second kit I begin to think two different thoughts.

1. Those people at the shop three years ago lied to me. They didn't have to redo my system. That was already done. They were going to charge me eight hundred bucks for thirty dollars worth of freon. Crooks.

2. I've wasted a lot of sweat. I have driven that car all over Nashville for three years in the heat, and could have fixed it so cheaply any time. Newman!!

Anyway, today I did a ton of errands, drove all over town, and felt like the happiest eskimo in the world. I mean, I had that thing cranked to the max. It was about 12 degrees in that car and I couldn't have been grinning any bigger.

So, the moral of the story is: um, well, I guess, it's... go to AutoZone and ask them first before you go to the shop. And if you have a Suburban that you would like to donate, my wife really wants one.

The End.

tired

It's only quarter after midnight, but I am so beat. Just a quick update for the week. I've been at Paul Eckberg's house all week, where he just finished building his drum studio. We recorded drums and bass with he and Aaron Sands on both Greg Adkins' and Kevin Lawson's records. Paul also played a track for Chris Mason's EP and threw down some love on my new tune "white dove" after the sessions were over. We had a great time. Paul's new place is killer and we got great sounds. Aaron and I actually went to the same high school, but never met until years later here in Nashville. We got to know each other while I was touring with Jars of Clay and he was playing bass with them. Both great guys and we had a lot of fun. Now we're back at my studio and tomorrow will be working with Greg Adkins again, starting the guitars and keyboards.

In other news, The BBC version of the Office is amazing. I'm only four episodes into it, but I've watched that fourth episode five times. I can't stop. I'm going to Houston for two days this weekend. Caedmon's will be a part of Second Baptist's Missions Weekend. We'll be putting in a few appearances on the behalf of the Dalit Freedom Network. Speaking of, I just put some gear up on Ebay, and they have a new option where a portion of your final price can go to a charity. So part of all my auctions is going to Dalit Freedom Network. I was pretty excited to see they were a part of it.

Other than that, I go to the toe doctor again in the morning. We'll see how I'm shaping up. I'm getting around a lot better these days. I don't think of it unless I'm walking a good distance, on stairs, or at the end of the day. Oh, and last weekend, Garett wheel-chaired me through Midway Airport in Chicago. That was fun.

My dear, sweet wife is having an interesting week trying to teach our daughter how to nap. Unfortunately, we think Ella has some of her father's insomnia and she doesn't like taking naps during the day. Alison has been great, putting her on a nice, tight schedule so she'll get in the habit of sleeping an hour or two every three hours. It's pretty grueling for Alison, though, and I hope I'm more of a help than a hindrance when I get off work and want to be with both of them. It's so amazing watching this new side of my wife develop. Even though it's really tough and tiring, she's such a natural and is so patient and loving with Ella, and it's incredible to watch. And for those of you who've had babies, we think Ella has started "finding her hands" this week, and that's been a blast to watch. "Hey, look at that thing! If I try really hard I can make it hit that other thing! This is so cool! I should stick it in my mouth!"

Well, I'm obviously too tired to be writing. Hopefully I'll see a few of you in Houston, you'll all go bid on my ebay stuff and we'll all have nice, restful weekends and easy slack-off Friday afternoons. Sleep well...

about to put some gear on ebay

This will be a quick little post. I've got a few pieces of recording gear I'm about to put on ebay, but I thought I would see if any of you wanted them, and I could avoid ebay. There are three pieces.

1. Presonus Blue Tube 2-channel tube pre-amp. it's got phantom and DI as well as just regular mic pre. It would sound great for home recording. I did all the electric guitars, and just about everything else, on "Photographs" through them. I'll sell it for $100 bucks, shipping included.

2. Lexicon MPX 110 effects processor. Here's a link to it: http://www.lexiconpro.com/mpx110/index.asp It's a GREAT sounding reverb, delay, phase, flange and other weird sounds. I know some people have used it in a guitar rig, but it's more well-suited for live sound or recording. It will also take MIDI in to sync with tempos. If you're using a hard disk, tape, or low-end digital recorder, this would be perfect. I just got some new plug-ins for my ProTools that do most of this stuff, the rest I can do with my pedal board. It's in perfect shape and I have the original box and power supply and manual and all of that. I'll sell it for $125, shipping included.

3. Yamaha D1030 Digital Delay Processor. This is one of the best delay units ever made. Here's a link to it: http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/D1030/ It has one input and three outputs, each with its own delay time and EQ. They list new for $1400 and sell for $1150. This one is missing a button front, (the button still works) and is a little beat-up. I got it from a sound company after a tour. I haven't really used it, because I have so many delay pedals that I'm more familiar with, but it seems to work fine. And I'm sure it sounds way better. It would be great for a racked guitar rig, for recording, or for live sound. I'll sell it for $700 or best offer.

If you're interested at all in any of these, just send me an e-mail: andrew@andrewosenga.com Thanks so much!

first show in a long time

Well, I'm in a Holiday Inn outside of Chicago, about to go to sleep. Caedmon's played their first show tonight in over three months. It was a lot of fun. I was worried that we would be pretty rusty, but if came very naturally and was a really fun show. My parents drove up, and some other family, who I haven't seen in quite a while, came out. It was good see them. I played two songs in the middle of the set, High School Band, and New Beginning, which is a tune I'm working on for my next record.

It's always fun to fly to shows because you have to limit yourself to the instruments you can take on a plane and then use the amps provided for you. We request certain items, (drums, amps, Hammond organ, etc...) and probably get what we request 3/4 of the time. I used to always get a Vox AC30 and a Fender Twin, but I switched that Twin to a Fender Blues Deville on our newest rider. Tonight was the first night I played through one, and man, it sounded incredibly. So much warmer and deep than the Twin. I also got to use my new flight board for the first time. It all worked well and sounded great.

I had a great time playing. It was really fun to be with the band again. Cliff and Danielle's new baby boy, Benjamin, is six weeks old and he can't really be apart from Danielle yet, so he came with them. He is SO cute. It was kind of weird to see another baby's face. I'm so used to Ella's on a little baby body like that. He was really adorable, though, and makes the cutest little noises.

The church we played at tonight had a little pile of gear over in the corner of our dressing room. There was a Rhodes electric piano, a small 6-channel mixer, some speakers and a little case of Boss pedals. Ben Shive had left his Rhodes at my studio for a while, and I was using it all over the place. He came and got it last week and it got me started looking for one of my own. I asked someone from the church if it got used, and if they would think about selling it. He went and asked around and came back to tell me that it, and the whole pile of gear, was mine. I was pretty floored. Since my parents came to the show, I threw the stuff in their car and will get it in a few weeks when we see them again. I'm so excited. Todd is going to take the mixer and use it for some small recordings in his basement. I might use the speakers as amp cabinets, or playback speakers in my tracking room. It was a pretty huge gift, and I'm very thankful.

Well, I've got to try and get some sleep. We've got to get up fairly early to make our flight. Thanks to everybody who came to the show tonight, And remember, call your dad's today, it's Father's Day.