The Bunny Hunter

Posted in family with tags on November 22, 2009 by Chris

Just 3 months after the passing of Sam, our beloved dog Duke has passed to the Rainbow Bridge to chase rabbits with his best buddy.

Duke was a sable Rough Collie who, at one point, topped the 110 lb. mark.  He was the most gentle animal I’ve ever known, and always happy!  Duke suffered from a couple of things over the years, including testicular cancer and a diagnosis of Cushing’s disease.  Though the Cushings never manifest, it may have been at the root of Duke’s last battle.  For the last half of the year, Duke had been coughing and regurgitating flem (not vomit).  The vets could not diagnose the problem, and chalked it up to food allergies.  The emergency vet diagnosed mega-esophagus along with aspiration pneumonia in the beginning of November of 2009.  It was a back and forth battle, as the mega esophagus caused him to aspirate food and saliva into his lungs, causing the pneumonia.  We were able to manage the pneumonia to some degree, but he would not eat and had to be placed on IV fluids and hospitalized.  Sadly, they were unable to reduce the fever or isolate the mega-esophagus cause.  During this he developed sepsis.  In a brutally agonizing moment we had to put him down on Sunday, November 15th at 12 and a half years old.

Dukey was a great brother to Sam, and an inspiration to me.  He will be deeply missed.  I hope to see them both again some day.

You’re a good boy, Peanut. :)

Lastest Guitars

Posted in guitar on November 14, 2009 by Chris

Guitar CollectionHere’s a picture of my current guitars.  If I had to guess, I’d say I’ve owned over 100 guitars in my life, though this is the most I’ve ever had at one time.  From L to R: ‘91 Fender American Standard Telecaster, ‘97 Gibson SST Chet Atkins, ‘02 Martin Vintage D-18, ‘95 Fender Strat Plus, ‘00 Paul Reed Smith Custom 24, ‘80 Burny 59RI, ‘78 Yamaha G-245S Concert.  Not shown is an Ibanez SG-400 bass.

The PRS and Tele are my main stage guitars, with the Chet Atkins and Strat normally along as well.  The Burny is an excellent Japanese built Les Paul, actual blueprint copy of a ‘59 with a slim neck – great for jam parties, etc.

Over the Bridge

Posted in family with tags on October 23, 2009 by Chris

My great friend Sam crossed over the Rainbow Bridge this fall at just over 12 years old.  He is deeply missed.DSCN0051

Sam was a rescue from the Humane Society.  I found him when he was just 13 weeks.   At about 1 year, Sam was diagnosed with canine idiopathic epilepsy.  Untreated, he could suffer as many as 20 grand mall seizures a day.  After some time, his disease was regulated by medications and diet.  We got down to 1 seizure per month or so.  Sam went on for many years living the dream.  He was a stellar Frisbee dog and was loved by all at the dog park and family gatherings.  The vet who originally diagnosed Sam’s epilepsy gave him 6 or 7 years to live, figuring the medications would slowly take their toll on the liver and kidney.  At about 7 years old Sam developed canine diabetes.  Talk about getting dealt a raw hand!  This too was regulated, as Sam learned to live with 2 shots of insulin per day and more diet restrictions.  An effect of the diabetes, his eye site was lost to cataract around 10 years old. None of this stopped Sam.  He loved, laughed and howled.  He never missed an opportunity to steal a pillow or kick you off of ‘his’ couch.  Sam was the toughest living thing I’ve ever known.  I learned so much about taking on life’s challenges from this dog.  Sam will be forever loved and remembered.

You’re a good boy, squishy. :)

4th of July

Posted in bands, gigs on July 10, 2009 by Chris

Miller-61Had a great 4th performing at Summerfest this year.  Jet was the headliner, along with Royal Bliss, Billy Boy on Poison and then us as the evening line up.  It was a bit hectic getting loaded in and out, but turned out to be worth the effort. The crowd was excellent, and the weather was good.  Lot’s of old friends came out, and we met some new ones as well.

We spent a little time with the musicians, wives and girlfriends of Royal Bliss.  Very cool folks, and hard working. I caught their show after ours, and liked their music very much.   They played much of their newest CD, Life In Between.CJ_Web-9

Rockin’ Summerfest!

Posted in gear, gigs, live sound on June 27, 2009 by Chris

CJ on PRS Custom 24

We had a great show at Summerfest today. The weather was killer, and the crowd as great. I met Brent Wilson and Jason Ostrander.  They are both touring guitarists for Sara Evans who was the headliner on our stage.  They were interested in my Mesa Boogie F-30.  It’s always a surprise for a lot folks when they see me playing a small combo at a big outdoor show.  Truth be told, with a good mic, soundman and monitor mix, my little El84 giant killer is all I need.  Anyways, always great to meet some other guitarists and talk gear!  I heard them do their sound check (with Sara’s sister Ashley on vocals) and they sounded awesome.  What a great day.

Summerfest 2009

Posted in bands, gigs on May 28, 2009 by Chris

Miller Rythym and Brews RevueI’ll be performing with the Miller Rythym and Brews Revue at Summerfest this year.  We’ve got 2 dates – June 27th we play at noon at the Miller Lite Oasis stage, with another show on July 4th at the Brigg’s Big Backyard stage at 5 PM.  Should be a hoot.  See you there!

In Search of the Grail Tone…

Posted in gear with tags , on March 25, 2009 by Chris

Boogie down...It’s amazing how much you can learn about an amp if you’re interested.  Recently, I began to explore the Mark IIC+ in greater depth.  This amp has quite a bit to offer, but you must get past any pre-determined tones.  I’ve moved away from all of the sounds that I normally dial up, and forced myself to try extreme tonal variations.  Wow…sounds that I always wondered how some of the great players got start to come to life.  Of course, best accomplished with a simple set up. In my case, I ran the guitar straight into the amp.  Advice to any guitarist: Play your amp straight before you make decisions as to what it can and cannot do.  Explore the subtle nuances.

Rhythm and Brews Shows Added

Posted in Uncategorized on March 6, 2009 by Chris

I’ve added some Rhythm and Brews (great band!) shows this summer.  I’ll be joining the gang for a couple of SummerfestRhythm and Brews shows as well as the Wisconsin State Fair opener.  Check back for dates and times as the R&B contracts get finalized.

2009: Sharpening the Saw

Posted in Recording, gigs with tags , , , , , , on January 3, 2009 by Chris

dscn3109

 

 There were a lot of live shows in 2008, which I really enjoyed, but just not enough songwriting opportunities.  Plans for 2009 include sharpening the saw: Creating new music and exploring the guitar and it’s theory in greater depth.  I will, of course, play some live work, but for the most part I intend to focus on new material.  

Additionally, I’m planning to get back to my physical regimens.  I’ve been a long time practitioner of Shorin-Ryu Karate and Okinawan Kobudo.  This year I’ll plan to spend much more time in the dojo keeping my skills up and enjoying some great friendships; both new and old.

kobudoka rocks

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Posted in bands, gigs on December 24, 2008 by Chris

I’m glad to see 2009 on the horizon, and hope everyone has a very safe and wonderful holiday season to welcome it in!

If you’re in need of some great classic rock covers, stop by the Sullivan Saloon on New Year’s Eve to catch my last show with the BuzzToyz.  The Saloon is a great place to play, and a fun place to ring in the New Year!