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Thanks bbunks and Aaron, I promise to have fun and AND dance.

Billy, Soul Country opens at 9:30, we kick off at 10:30.

I'm all ears for you my brother, I can feel your spirit already!

Go Billy Go! I think Kenji might be there.

Yes, we sure did have a nice hang! Billy stayed for our entire weirdo set (I won't even get into that . . . and thank you Billy for not critiquing) and he even helped me with some kit problems afterwards.

Kenji and Debbie, Billy confirmed what y'all said last time about not being able to hear my snare and he added the kick to the not-hearing-so-good list as well.

Gear heads, you will want to dig on what Billy had to say about my kit - the good, the bad, and the ugly:

The Good

He loves my 22" Zildjian Dark Ride!!! (This was marketed as Cindy Williams inspired when I bought it.) I have been ambivalent about this cymbal since it's first gig. It really sounds kind of lack luster up close but now I know it sounds great out there where it counts. Further proof that Zildjian knows what it is doing. It is supposed to be a good all around ride for both jazz and rock. I can't tell you how happy this makes me.

My first 10" tom sounds good. This confirms my love affair with that tom.

Billy demonstrated to me how my 2 floor toms were oriented too high in physical location in space relative to my body sitting on the throne. I took them down about an inch and a half for Saturday night and plan for another inch or so next time I set up. I have been having right side elbow and shoulder problems lately and this will help.

The Bad

Hates my 14" Dark K Crash, NOT because it's not doing it's job, but because, in a sense, it is doing it's job TOO well. It's too bright and loud - "clownish" - I think is the word Billy used. It stands out too much, over powers everything in relation, at least I think that's what he was saying. I'm going to look into the same cymbal in a larger size. Way back when, I used an old 14 HH top cymbal as a crash on my left, I think I just like the proportion of a 14" as a size in space or as a target, a silly reason to like a cymbal.

Not impressed with my kick sound. In the past, I have been relying on miking to have this kick sound good but the band doesn't mike kicks in this space so far. I tuned up the resonate head as Billy suggested and it helped quite a bit with a much more focused and clearer note that projects better. OK, confession time, I have been using Aquarian heads lately, I have strayed from the Evans path, but I think I am ready to get back on.

And The Ugly

Not only is my snare not loud enough it's "not happy" to quote Billy. Billy worked on it for about 10 or 15 minutes and couldn't get it to sound good. It hasn't been right since I put Aquarians on it -- the standard coated on top and the clear "Snare" bottom. For this gig I bought an Ambassador for it, which used to sound real good over a Evans Hazy 300. I'm thinking it must be the Aquarian Snare head that is causing the problem. We are talking here a "DW 5.5X13" Solid Maple Craviotto Snare signed inside by the master here, it should sound awesome, I am in love with this drum!

Mainely, well . . . really . . . Billy would have to speak to this, but for me a snare should sound alive and almost magical, at one time this drum had that quality tuned fairly low. I tuned it down after seeing Big Time and it came alive, fellow musicians would often notice it and comment on how much they liked it. Now it just sounds dull and has a secondary note that follows the first primary note that is not pleasing, maybe it's dissonant in some way. One reason Billy likes Evans so much is because their quality is consistent. I should be able to but the hazy on the bottom and a reverse dot on the top and find out for sure whether it's the heads or the drum. It's amazing to me how organic drums are, I guess it's no different from how special some older Fender guitars are, Stradivarius violins, etc., etc.