Apr
07
2012

Ghost Ship Sailors

(Add / View Comments) (0)Saturday, April 7, 2012 - 11:27:04 pm
(Posted Under: Tempe Music Scene Tempe Music Scene, This Desert Life This Desert Life)
With some clouds in the sky, I decided that it was a good opportunity for round two of photo shoots for my new website. So we quickly got our shit together, and headed out to San Tan Mountain.

Admittedly I didn't remember / realize just how far it was. If I had, I may have suggested somewhere else instead, since I wasn't planning this to take all day. Which it absolutely did. Not only because it was an hour away, but because I decided to make the most of it. To the tune of 600 or so photos. I've got to imagine that the perfect photo for what I want is in there. At least I hope it is. Definitely the location was much closer to my vision that where we went in North Scottsdale last week.

I was also much more prepared, with tripod, lens hood, plastic bags to kneel on, and a good sense of how to get the shot I wanted. All lessons learnt from last weekend's attempt. It was a glorious day, given we're now in April. But that doesn't change the fact that when you're standing out in the desert for 4+ hours it's pretty freakin' hot. And although I was prepared with bags to kneel on as not to scrape up my knees or jeans, it was still hard work getting up and down off the road for 4 hours in the desert heat. There wasn't anything half assed about this attempt. And despite it feeling like hard work, it was really nice being out there today. Like the last time we went out there, amazing silence.

We finished up and took the long trek home as the afternoon got on to 5 o'clock. Just leaving enough time to have a shower and then head out to see The Persuaders and Tempe Marketplace. With a quick stop at
Pete's Fish & Chips
for dinner while we watched the band. Pete's benefit was two fold. It was primary thanks to our annoying fridge / freezer problem, we saw us throwing out a bunch of food last night. But even if it weren't for that, we literally would have had no time to have dinner between the time we got home and the time we had to head out to the show.

Tonight was an amazing April night, which Lawrence mentioned from stage several times. Warm, but not hot, with that "electric" feeling in the air, and a large bright moon behind us. After spending the day in the desert, the situation in which I found myself: an amazing April night, Pete's Fish & Chips in front of me and The Persuaders playing in the relaxing (key word) setting of Tempe Marketplace, this was perfect. The solid accent on what has been a pretty awesome day.

For a band that we're used to seeing on a weekly basis, it's been a while since we've seen these guys. Which even Lawrence had noticed when I spoke to him on one of the breaks. Which is why I'd be looking forward to tonight. When you see a band with almost obsessive frequency, and miss them after not seeing them for a few weeks, you have a great band. It's been our first time seeing them since the departure of Swafford also. Rather than filling up the part of the set normally reserved for N.A.P.P songs with covers, it seemed like there were a lot of new Persuaders songs. Rad.

Of particular note is one about being a loser. Or not being a loser. It's probably the former, knowing typical self deprecating nature of the band which speaks to me. The riff Thomas started playing, combined with Scotty's bass part had me a "hello". New favorite song. Maybe. I know that will probably be a given with a few more listens. It's just another example of why I love this band.

On the break I went over to pick up the CD. Had a great talk with Lawrence about it, the fact the mixes/mastering is different to what they've had on the website on the past; about the upcoming release show; and about shared sadness about Teakwoods.

Picking up the CD was another reason why I'd been very much looking forward to tonight. I clearly remember one of the first times I saw these guys. Back when they were going operating as "Stellanova". I think it was at 910 Live. Standing there with these amazing songs being pushed towards me. Standing in front of the stage, with the intense feeling of "these songs NEED to be on a CD". It's interesting to think back to that - because I've known for quite some time that they were going to be. But there actually was a time when the idea of an album was merely a desperate hope in my head. Two years later, that hope is now a realization in my hand, in CD form. This is a day I've really been looking forward.

The content thereof is nothing I haven't had (and been spinning) for quite some time. Whether it be from early pre mastered versions from the band, or rips I've made from the other various YouTube videos that are out there. All the same, I've been dying to replace my suspect lossy compressed versions for the real thing. And lately, as the album release has become more imminent, moreso. Getting to play Just The Same without terrible lossy compression artifacts is nothing short of great. Same goes for all the other tracks I snagged from YouTube.

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