You Ol' Lug...

Hi. Miss ya. Anyway…

Few quick things. I realized the other day that I’ve been doing this drum thing for quite a while. How did I realize this? Check this out:

standard drum key

This is a standard drum key. It’s what you use to tighten and loosen the lugs on the side of a drum, so that you can tune the head, or remove it completely. It’s a steel key with a square notch on the bottom. That's a side view, and here's a head on view of the notch of a new key.

Notch side. Notice the well defined center square. Kinda like Paul Linde.

This then- is the key that came with my the very first drumset that I bought in 1987.

Geo's 1st drum key bought at Manny's Music Store in NYC, 1987. No shit.

I still have that drum kit too, seeing as I only bought my second kit three years ago. (I’m really NOT a gear head.) Anyway… THIS key has been strapped to my keychain since I started carrying car / house keys. I was playing a gig last Sunday, and while trying to adjust a loosened lug (during a song of course... what’s the sense of tightening things BEFORE you start playing… duh) I noticed that the lug just wasn’t catching the key. Weird… I looked at the key and saw why.

Geo's old worn out key. Notice the lack of a well defined center square.
This also happens to be the exact size of Geo's eurethra. Go figure.

For some perspective, here’s the OLD key next to a NEW key.


Piece of shit key… only lasted 20 years. I kinda felt like Andy Dufresne in Shawshank...

I do have to say though- looking at the worn out key, I felt kinda proud. Here was physical proof that I'm doing what I want to be doing... and wearing out pieces of steel in the process. Nice.

Anyway.

S’more stuff.

I’m doing a reading for the Public Words project in Philadelphia this TUESDAY, July 3rd. It’s at 8:00 pm at BINDLESTIFF BOOKS.

Bindlestiff Books
4530 Baltimore Ave.
Philadelphia PA.
215-222-2432
www.bindlestiffbooks.com

There’s a bio and brief write up here: www.publicwords.org

Come check it out if you’re anywhere close to Philly. Should be fun. I might even play a tune or two as well.

The next day The Philadelphia Funk Authority is playing at Duke Island Park in Bridgewater NJ for a big 4th of July Concert. Be ready for lots of loud explosions, fire-engulfed concussions, and flaming pieces of detritus.

There should also be fireworks.

Directions here

Come on out!

PLUS: Go HERE to see lots and lots of footage of me performing at BALTICON. It's been posted on Lulu.tv by the fabulous Paul Fisher. You might need to register to check it out, but it's free and worth it. There's over an hour's worth of material here. Be sure when you register that you click "mature content" or whatever the hell they call it- seeing as I use the word "POO" once. Yup.

N. Joy.