Monthly Archive for May, 2008

Antiquated Institution Plans to Install 1950’s Technology

Published
by
Justin
on Friday May 30, 2008
in Local
. 6 Comments

I understand that Virginia Beach Central Library intends to install televisions in the main front area (not the atrium, mind you, but in the actual library) so that people can watch the news and eat and drink whatever they want (food will be allowed into the library when this change takes place).

The reason is apparently so that VBCL can “compete” with the Barnes & Noble across the street. How can a city-funded institution compete– or even want to compete– with a mega empire like Barnes & Noble? Let’s think about this, though: Barnes & Noble doesn’t have televisions (and I’m sure they’ve spent millions trying to decide if having TVs in the stores would increase sales and came to a conclusion similar to the one that I am about to come to), they stay open until 11PM every night and they do not sell music or DVDs (at least not at this B&N). But wait, Planet Music sells DVDs and Music and so library competes by loaning out DVDs and VHS tapes and CDs– but Planet Music also has video games! Maybe the library should just install several XBox 360s and leave them unattended for patrons to play Dance Dance Revolution whenever they like so they can compete with Planet Music! Isn’t that a brilliant idea!?!

Today we have lots of informative resources piped directly into our own homes, thanks to the internet, but I still have to hit libraries to find books I can’t read electronically on the internet or take home for an extended amount of time without purchasing. Also, if I don’t have internet at my home, a public library gives me a way to connect to the web for research, checking my email or even writing in this blog.

The library also allows me to check out other media I may not want to spend money on. The “competition” doesn’t allow me to take books for free and bring them back without any questions asked. The library does. The library is not a book store and thats a good thing. A book store sells merchandise while a library freely distributes information. Virginia Beach Central specifically acts as a meeting center for various community organizations, performers and artists, something else a B&N cannot claim. The traditional role of a library may very well be diminishing but the bottom line is that there is no other alternative to the ingenious concept of taking something home without paying for it and bringing it back before its due date.

I guess it will depend on how the TVs are actually set up when its all said and done and whether closed captioning is turned on or not. No matter how they configure them, I believe installing televisions in the library will invite an element that I don’t think the library really wants to attract. Libraries have always been for resources that one can’t find at home. However, you can’t check out materials or use the public computers without a library card and you can’t apply for a library card without a place of residence. Basically, you need somewhere to live in order to check out books, but anyone can come in and read a book or the newspaper, and now anyone will be able to come in and watch TV. Before I continue… how about a quick poll?

1) How many literate people do you know read the newspaper these days?

2) How many literate people do you know that watch TV?

3) Is the answer for number 2 larger than number 1?

4) Do you think more or less people that are unable to apply for library cards because they lack a place of residence are literate?

I think you see where I am going with this.

Basically VBCL is reinventing itself so that homeless people can come in and watch TV.

Which is fine by me– they’re homeless– what else are they gonna do? Homeless people hang out at the library to get in from the weather and there is nothing wrong with it as far as I am concerned, so long as they aren’t disruptive. Here in Norfolk, the uptight locals have all but set Kirn Public Library on fire because they are terrified of the “sleeping bums.”

Dude. They’re sleeping.

(Just sayin’)

But I digress.

I understand completely the need for libraries to reinvent themselves to stay relevant in the Information Age but installing TVs just seems counter productive, especially since television is basically moving towards the back of the class and becoming old technology as far as the exchange of information is concerned. It’s a leap backwards, a big one, in my opinion and I think most tech savvy people would agree. The news can be obtained on any of the several dozen computers that can already be found in the labs.

I can’t help it wonder where the money is coming from if the city is in the middle of a hiring freeze. I am anxious to know whether or not these TVs are sponsored donations that will pump advertising into yet another institution for learning like they have been doing in public schools for years now. Let’s not go jumping to conclusions though, I was just pondering that.

But, if the TVs really have to be installed, why not put them in the lobby with the Bookmark Cafe and you’d have concept I can get behind: a cafe / lounge inside the library building but not in the work center of the library itself. They do the same thing in museums, and it makes perfect sense, but putting a television in the middle of Chrysler Museum to play the History Channel would be asinine.

Dare To Be Drum Free

Published
by
Justin
on Friday May 30, 2008
in Music
. 2 Comments

Wednesday night I played a show at Scotty Quixx with my new friends Geoff and Rianna. We had a pretty awesome time and I ran into a few familiar faces. We didn’t have a drummer, we rehearsed for only a couple of nights before the show and we still sounded pretty solid in my opinion (I did get lost in the bridge of “Since I’ve Been Loving You” but these things happen).

Playing a gig without a drummer is something you see upright bassists do much more often for some reason and almost never seems to happen with the bass guitar. I know that I’ve done it before with people but this was the first time I’d taken the role so seriously. Geoff and I were struggling at rehearsals to decide what the best way to approach playing drummerless would be. Should we be playing more to fill the absence of drums? Or, should we be playing less to mimic the supporting role of the drums? At different times it seemed like either solution could be the right one, but neither seemed to always be the answer…

…Until we got on stage. Then everything seemed to just lock in place. It was probably one of the better shows I’ve played in a long time and it was 5 songs and we were pretty poorly rehearsed. It’s nice to feel like you are coasting by on sheer skill (no, really, I mean that).

As a bass player, you’ve got to put a feather in your cap when you play a gig without a drummer and you can still see people in the audience moving to the music (even if its just a sway or a little head bob). It’s a feeling of accomplishment I didn’t expect.

“You Know What? I’m Feeling Better By The pound”

Published
by
Justin
on Tuesday May 27, 2008
in Music
. 0 Comments

Awhile back I had made yet another destined-for-failure attempt at working with some people to form a cover band and make a little extra money this summer. At the time I didn’t think it would totally derail, but it seems like my experiences with cover bands have never been very fruitful. It’s not the end of the world, I hate the songs people play around here anyway.

I didn’t completely waste my time though, I befriended the second guitar player in the band, a guy named Geoff, who is not only a great guitar player but also works at damned fine microbrewery in Williamsburg.
We’ve seemed to hit it off both musically and personally and have plans on the horizon to do a project together.

Two weeks ago, though, Geoff calls me and asks me if I want to play a gig with him and a singer friend of his at Scotty Quixx in Norfolk.

“Of course,” I say. “when is it?”

“It’s on the 28th but I am going out of town next week so we won’t be able to get together until after next weekend.” [long pause and then, finally] “Are you still interested?”

“Dude, no one does that shit in Virginia! If you guys know what we’re playing I’m down.”

So that was basically it. I agreed to do a show I knew nothing about, other than a few songs he emailed me at the very last minute and rehearsed only days before the actual gig. It’s something I haven’t done since Berklee and it feels fucking great. It’s business. No time to vex and worry and complain and self-judge and wonder if what I am doing is what the song calls for. It’s totally cut and dry: “show up to the venue, tune the bass, play this song, play the next song, don’t stop to wonder if this particular bass line defines you as a player, play the next three or four songs without fiddling with your amp, tear down, watch the next acts, move on with life.”

This set up would be totally fine with me, but the even better part is that Rianna (the singer) and Geoff are part of this cliquey circle of musicians that revolve around this recording studio in Virginia Beach and they seem to making some great music. Not only does Rianna have a decent voice, but she has excellent taste in music (even making fun of Sara Barielles’ stupid “doot-doot-doot” adlibs mid rehearsal) and she loves soul, funk and classic R&B. Her dad owns this studio (which is still being built and looks fucking great so far) and has apparently been kicking her in the ass to performing more and she seems to want to start a band. I expect that Geoff would be involved but since he lives out Williamsburg I also expect that there could be some issues with that, though I hope not.

It just seems like there is a situation here that I could easily take charge of and get something really awesome together, but I won’t get too antsy until this first gig is under my belt.