Yesterday marked a return to performing live after a long break. I played four sets from 4-8 PM to an appreciative rotating audience of mead drinkers at Clear Skies Meadery on a warm evening in the Kentlands community in Gaithersburg, MD. Playing long sets gives a musician the freedom to stretch songs out and explore new ideas and textures.
I also had a chance to try out my new effects pedalboard and amplifier live for the first. I cannot say heap enough praise on the Genzler Acoustic Array Pro Amplifier and how good the Chapman Stick sounded through it. The sound was warm and clear without any brittleness in the high end. The amp is small and lightweight (27 lbs) with plenty of clear low end for the bass side of the Chapman Stick.
My new Earthboard Pedalboard was easy to set up and sturdy. The key feature of the pedalboard is the ability to power the pedals on a rail rather than having to install a power supply and associated cables as with other pedalboards. The pedals are held to "gravity boots" by velcro and attach to the board with strong magnets. Although I can run it only battery power, I plugged it in to avoid any power issues. The only issue I experienced was my freeze sustain pedal coming off the board if I pressed it too hard. I need to work on rearranging the pedals - at the moment, it is a tight squeeze.
Once I have everything squared away with the new pedalboard, I will look into selling my bigger floor effects unit, a Line 6 Helix. I am using the Helix Stomp now with my other pedals and this may be the solution going into this year.
I return to Clear Skies on June 18th and hope to see you there!
