Opening for Poco on Fri,. Feb. 10

Undertoad • Jan 12, 2006 1:32 pm
Poco is the original musician's band, still around from the 70s. They will be playing the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville on Fri., February 10. Opening for Poco will be singer-songwriter-guitarist Tom Hampton. Playing bass for Tom will be your own Undertoad.

(why yes i am very excited about it thanks for asking!)
wolf • Jan 12, 2006 2:07 pm
You dah man.

And you gots some major chops, bro.
dar512 • Jan 12, 2006 4:54 pm
Very cool UT. Have someone take pictures. When you're old and gray, you're going to want to remember that one.
Beestie • Jan 12, 2006 10:12 pm
That really rocks, UT.

I want pics.

And first-hand accounts of the post-performance debauchery.

And more pics. Of the debauchery.
xoxoxoBruce • Jan 12, 2006 11:09 pm
Break a leg. :thumb:
SteveDallas • Jan 13, 2006 1:36 am
That's awesome!!
Griff • Jan 13, 2006 6:34 am
Yah, baby!
Elspode • Jan 13, 2006 2:45 pm
:3way: Have you had the groupies talk with Jacquelita yet?
marichiko • Jan 13, 2006 5:29 pm
YAY, UT! I bet you're psyched! So can we order your CD thru CD Baby and get one of those cute reply envoices? :bass: :thumb:
xoxoxoBruce • Jan 13, 2006 9:27 pm
Do you know what their camera policy is, UT? :confused:
Undertoad • Jan 14, 2006 1:09 am
Don't know! I'll find out.
Nothing But Net • Jan 14, 2006 3:19 am
Whoa, dude, just fuckin' hoo-holla!

Too effin' cool and we gotta see pix!
capnhowdy • Jan 14, 2006 9:43 am
You go UT!
Way cool...... I envy you.
richlevy • Jan 14, 2006 10:45 am
Congratulations. What kind of music does Mr. Hampton write?

Elspode wrote:
:3way: Have you had the groupies talk with Jacquelita yet?
Does anyone remember the scene with Jennifer Aniston's character and the other band wives in 'Rock Star'?
capnhowdy • Jan 14, 2006 2:50 pm
I know better, but I'll ask anyway......

What are the odds of Timothy B Schmidt thickstringing for Poco?

Now that would be cool. I wonder what he's doing in his post Eagle days.
Undertoad • Jan 14, 2006 3:36 pm
Not since 1977 capn, but good catch anyway!!!
Undertoad • Jan 15, 2006 6:48 pm
What kind of music does Mr. Hampton write?
I didn't answer this earlier? It's light country-ish, modern Nashville but not very commercial, kind of similar to the Poco vein of things. Americana/country/light southern rock, but not so totally simple as most of the genre.

Tom is a total guitar fiend, and loves complicated arrangements with specialty guitars and mandolins and lap steels and americana-ish keyboards.

Hey I'll put up some samples later!
xoxoxoBruce • Jan 15, 2006 8:51 pm
UT, I went to link you gave for Tom Hampton 3 times before I figured out there are links in that page to Hear him or read his blogs one and two ....doh. :smack:
xoxoxoBruce • Jan 16, 2006 4:11 am
At the POCO site there's an amazing story that gives you an insight on touring and how hectic it is. Good read. :thumbsup:
Undertoad • Jan 17, 2006 9:47 am
Two Tom samples, these lean towards the vaguely southern soft-rock variety.

They stream, so don't go clicking on these if you're on a modem... sorry.

<a href="http://cellar.org/2006/2.m3u">Savannah Rain</a>

<a href="http://cellar.org/2006/1.m3u">Strange Way</a>
capnhowdy • Jan 17, 2006 6:22 pm
I hate modem.
Sometimes living in the country AINT so good. Oh well.

Could one buy the CD?
Undertoad • Jan 17, 2006 6:57 pm
Well I guess you could retrieve just one song directly (right-click to download) to find out if you liked it. It's available at CD Baby.

"Those who like this sort of thing will find this is the sort of thing they like."

I didn't play on the album. But if you like it enough and are willing to pay, we could probably come down there and play it for you live. :D
richlevy • Jan 17, 2006 9:10 pm
Someone must not have told Ticketmaster. They don't list the show.
xoxoxoBruce • Jan 17, 2006 9:13 pm
Just out of curiosity, what would it cost to have you guys come play the songs on the album…..um…..wearing blindfolds. :blush:
Undertoad • Jan 17, 2006 9:39 pm
We'd never get there wearing blindfolds!
Undertoad • Jan 17, 2006 9:40 pm
As far as Ticketbastard, they don't book by tour... they book by who is promoting the show. So some Poco shows are on it, some aren't.
xoxoxoBruce • Jan 17, 2006 11:13 pm
Ticketweb, Rich. ;)
mrnoodle • Jan 18, 2006 1:35 pm
Nice, UT! I remember my sister playing Poco records when I was a yoot. I had a tape of them (one of the "Best of's"), but I didn't appreciate their coolness at the time....

Get autographs and pics if you can -- I hear they're cool about that stuff.
barefoot serpent • Jan 18, 2006 2:24 pm
Undertoad wrote:
Playing bass for Tom will be your own Undertoad.

(why yes i am very excited about it thanks for asking!)


cool! 4- or 5-string?
Undertoad • Jan 18, 2006 2:30 pm
The chicks dig me, because I'm a 4 player.

:D

E was low enough for the last five centuries and it's low enough for me.

:D
xoxoxoBruce • Jan 19, 2006 7:01 am
Save lower for necklines and taxes. ;)
mrnoodle • Jan 19, 2006 10:39 am
Yes, but thanks to evolution, our balls hang much lower now. D is where it's at. B is overdoing it a bit, i'll grant you.
Undertoad • Jan 19, 2006 12:04 pm
D's fine, but if I had a song that would work with it, I would just tune down. A lot of bassists are using fives so they can fret everything further up the neck. My theory is that this puts too many notes on a really thick string that turns them to mud.

I have short arms but I can reach. Also, I have no problem moving my hand position to make big stretches. I kind of like that.
wolf • Jan 20, 2006 12:26 am
So do the ladies.
mrnoodle • Jan 23, 2006 12:37 pm
So how did this go, UT?
Undertoad • Jan 23, 2006 12:44 pm
Still 17 days away sir!

The first rehearsal went *great* though! :thumb: :p Our drummer has an all-electronic kit, which made it so simple to rehearse at low volumes in my living room.
Jacquelita • Jan 23, 2006 8:46 pm
wolf wrote:
So do the ladies.


Oh yeah :p
capnhowdy • Jan 23, 2006 9:04 pm
Undertoad wrote:
Still 17 days away sir!

The first rehearsal went *great* though! :thumb: :p Our drummer has an all-electronic kit, which made it so simple to rehearse at low volumes in my living room.


How the hell'd ya get the front man to turn the PA down?

Oh!.... for the good old days. :cool:
Undertoad • Jan 23, 2006 9:16 pm
It's easy. I don't have a PA!

First rehearsal is two guys with acoustics, me on bass and the drummer on his electronic kit. Most of it is just seeing how the songs go. Tom was very happy with the first time through. The hardest part is working out the harmonies.

Having a short set to do, maybe seven songs, makes it easier. Once a song is completely in my brain, things go effortlessly. Tom's songs grow on me very much over time.
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 11, 2006 2:52 am
I went to the Colonial theater in Phoenixville, PA.
I won’t bother describing the grand old place because you’ve all seen it.
Sure you have...... you saw Steeve McQueen run out of there in The Blob. Yeah, that theater.

When I got there, the hotel next door was having karaoke night. Hmmm....... decisions, decisions.
After mulling it over I decided to go to the Undertoad show, featuring Tom Hampton with special guests, POCO.
I made the right choice as the show was great. UT spent the entire time looking like :D. If he was a baby, I’d swear he had gas.
Jax will back up my story, she’s got the pictures to prove it.

And POCO? Well, they’re ......POCO. They’re fucking Icons for a good reason plus they have the repertoire and casual banter that only 40 something years of performing can produce. Their drummer blew me away, first class chops.

I would have bought you a tee shirt, but I didn't know your size. ;)
Undertoad • Feb 11, 2006 9:03 am
Amen brother. Poco was just awesome!

And what's more, they don't travel with their own backline. Except for the instruments, all that gear was ours... that drummer was playing on Rob Carburetor's kit, bassist was playing through my rig, etc. So they're good enough that they can pack up and fly to their destination, without knowing what'll be there when they arrive... and just playing. Good lord.

Rusty was going to join us on pedal steel for that one song, but it turns out they were out negotiating to cancel tonight's show, which would have been in Asbury Park. Facing down a snow storm they convinced the promoter to cancel. Life on the road.

As for me, I'm a grinning nut on stage :D :D :D, because I was meant to play bass and I love it, I would rather do nothing else... and it turns out you are able to get back if you forget your path in life.

Thanks for coming out Bruce I hope you were entertained!!!!
wolf • Feb 11, 2006 11:44 am
Hopefully next time I won't be working.

Hugs to Bobby from me. It would have been nice to see him someplace other than a funeral.
Undertoad • Feb 11, 2006 2:41 pm
Image

The photographic evidence, images courtesy Jacquelita.

Image

Here we are lit in purple.
Nothing But Net • Feb 12, 2006 5:43 am
Keeping with the theme, here's a classic pic I got last night:
xoxoxoBruce • Feb 12, 2006 3:50 pm
Oh, I forgot to mention the Toad sang too, as shown in Jax's second picture. :D

NBN, whozat?
warch • Feb 27, 2006 8:30 pm
I've been away for a bit and just saw this- Toad, I'm so proud of ya!
Griff • Feb 27, 2006 9:43 pm
Ya know I still have your birthday disk here somewhere... I wonder what I put on it?