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More than 30 people plan to attend our First Annual Times Square New Year's Eve Jam, and there's room for a few more to enjoy a bird's eye view of all the mayhem. Our guests will be particularly close to the Pontiac Garage, a rooftop stage that will feature performances by P.O.D. ("Alive", "Boom") and the very-hot My Chemical Romance ("Welcome To The Black Parade"). Our $20 BYOB gathering also includes complimentary snacks and an open jam session in our studios. RSVP ASAP if you want in on the action. |
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I usually leave guitar repair and modification to the pros, but over the weekend I got curious and dropped a new set of Planet Waves Auto Trim Tuners into a recently-acquired Hofner acoustic/electric. It couldn't have been easier: Take off a string, unscrew/unbolt a peg, pop the replacement in, screw/bolt the replacement down, restring. Locking tuners are one of the few universally-applauded advances in guitar technology in the last 50 odd years, and the Steinberger- designed Auto Trims offers the significant improvement of automatically cutting off your excess string. Beautiful. |
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May the Hardest Working Man In Show Business rest in peace: James Brown, 73, passed away yesterday. His musical influence is towering: As a deeply soulful singer, incredible dancer, much-sampled architect of Hip Hop, and beloved Father of Funk. Words can't do his legacy justice, so I suggest a more fitting tribute: Love Power Peace: Live at the Olympia, Paris 1971. A performance that sat in the vaults for 20 years, LPP documents the short-lived first-incarnation of the JBs, whose guitar-heavy approach makes for an incendiary set of funk and soul classics. Unique, unparalleled, and unforgettable - like James Brown himself. |
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Tuesday (12/26): Newbie/Kwanzaa Jam at The Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W), from 6:00 to 8:30 pm. Join us for a professionally- facilitated open jam session specifically geared to newcomers - but where all are welcome. $10 for Jam members, $15 for non- members, all gear included. Thursday (12/28): The Human Karaoke Experience (pictured above) rocks O'Flanagan's (1215 1st Ave, between 65th and 66th). Free! Friday (12/29): Open Blues and Rock Jam from 6 to 10 pm at The Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W). $15 for Jam members, $25 for everyone else, all gear included. Saturday (11/30): Open Rock Jam at The Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W), 4 to 8 pm. $15 for Jam members, $25 for non-members, all gear included. Sunday (11/31): First Annual Times Square New Year's Eve Jam (701 7th Ave., 7W), 8 pm to 1 am. $20 per person, BYOB. Free jamming and snacks. RSVP required! |
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The Jam will be closed on Monday, January 1, in observance of New Year's Day. I think it says much about us as a people that we start a new year, and immediately take a day off. There will be no Newbie Jam the week of January 1. Our first 2007 Showcase happens on Thursday, January 4 at Red Lion, and features: Planet Girl unplugged, Frisky Business, Princess Rainbow & The Crown Victorians, The Contractors (pictured above), No Mersey, and The Rolling Bones. |
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If you're making musical resolutions for the new year, here are a few suggestions: 1. I will join/start a band. 2. I will practice at least a few minutes every day. 3. I will rehearse/jam more frequently. 4. I will take some lessons. And if all those seem like too much, how about this one: I will join the Jam. Much like joining a gym, it's the important first step of commitment - a way to feel a sense of accomplishment without actually expending any effort. Go for it! |
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"Each gig should be unique. You're always treading that line between keeping yourself fresh and giving people something they want to hear." -Brian May Jam Master G a/k/a Gregg Raybin |
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