Laid back jam night

Last Monday night I was privileged to sit alongside five talented guitarists for the first meeting of a guitarists’ group we had been planning to organize here in Davao City. Dante Arevalo, guitarist of the band Punch 9, had graciously allowed us to use his home for the first gig when plans to use a popular night spot failed to materialize, but I think it made for a more laid back atmosphere that allowed us not to perform but simply to jam and enjoy the music.

I arrived a little late for the blues jam and found Dante, George Tujan (guitarist of 9Volt Lemonade and was the one who actually invited me to be part of the group), Louie Avenido, Josh Nerez, and Carlo Jose Garcia already wailing on their respective electric guitars. I hesitated before taking out my acoustic guitar from its case because all the other instruments were electric (an Aria Pro and two Washburns), but since it was a guitarists’ meeting I had no choice.

The jamming was done over some backing tracks provided by Dante through his Palm Tungsten T5 (right) hooked up to a karaoke machine. It was my first time to play with such skilled guitarists in a long time, and I must say it pushed my playing to a new level. Not that I played well, just that I was in a different zone that night.

I tried to set up my Line 6 DL4 Delay Modeler to show off its looping and multitracking capabilities, but I was dismayed when it wouldn’t power up. I was afraid I had broken it somehow, having left it inside our car for the better part of the day Sunday when it was very hot outside, but I was assured by my fellow guitarists that that wouldn’t have been a problem. The jamming went on just the same, but at the back of my mind I was already calculating how much it would cost to have my gadget fixed.

Finally, when I was about to place it back in its bag, Dante suggested that I adjust the voltage of my power adapter to a higher number: crossing my fingers, I did that and plugged it in. Lo and behold, my DL4 powered up, and I happily showed it off to the gang.

I did some loops and showed the group how the gadget works and how I use it in live situations. I was hoping I could spread the “looping gospel” through that, and I guess I’ll have to wait a while before I see any results.

The night ended quietly, with the group pledging to meet on the third Monday of June, this time bringing other recruits. The next meeting should be a little more exciting, and if you’re a guitar player here in Davao City, drop me an email so we can place you in the loop.