midwayfair 15

@midwayfair 

21218 US   Feb 2013

www.midwayfair.org  

Artist Bio

Influences:   Mark Knopfler, Josh Ritter, Tom Waits, The Waterboys, Richard Thompson, Gillian Welch, Indigo Girls, Sam Cooke, Marquez, Calvino, Eco, and many many others

My name's Jon. My band is Midway Fair, which includes Joe Scala (@joetime), who encouraged me to do FAWM starting in 2013; Rick Vaeder, who gave FAWM a shot a few years ago; and Tim Taormino.

2022: Well, I just dropped off the completed tracks for an album so I guess it's time to write another one. Yes this is the same thing that was in this spot last year. I will once again be lapping an official band release …

I've spent a lot of time practicing over the last year, especially drums. I got my dream kit last summer, too!

Good luck to everyone!

Gear's pretty nonstandard, so here's some geek notes:
RME Fireface UCX interface -> Logic Pro X.
Pres: ART Pro MPAII and some FET+Germanium pres I designed & built.
Rack comp: DIY Stereo 1176.
Mics: Lots of DIY stuff, mostly 47 or 12 flavored, some DIY ribbons, and various other nonsense.
Acoustic guitars: Koa Larrivee D5, Crafters of Tennessee D18, and a pretty handmade Japanese guitar my dad gave me in 2020.
Electric Guitars: Red tele w/ Kinmans, the Don Quixotecaster, and a Sheraton 50th anniversary.
Keys: Roland FP5
Bass: Epiphone Viola bass with rewound pickups by John Benson & some tinkering with the wiring by me.
Other: Weber Mandolin, Gold Tone banjo
Drums: Sakae Trilogy, various Istanbul/Avedis/Bosphorus/vintage zillies.

Soundboard

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  • @wrenarcher  Mar 2022

    Hi Jon! Thanks for taking the time to listen to a couple of my songs and especially for the thoughtful comment on “Winter of 1891”. I really appreciate the advice on what I could add to it to distance myself a little from it sounding too much like a DMB song.

    I’m going to explore how to incorporate those suggestions into it in the “off-season”. Thanks again.

  • @orfeodream  Mar 2022

    Thank you so much for your kind words about my fiddle playing. Usually, I produce electronic music for FAWM, but this year I decided to try something different, hence the many fiddle tunes. By the way, I've been enjoying listening to your tunes.

  • @burrsettles  Feb 2022

    hey just saw your comment on the 4-track collab asking about what's on the guitar... you'll have to wait until the video comes out! :) but seriously, it's a homemade fuzz factory clone with germanium transistors and an added tone control to tame some of the shrill highs. :)

  • @jsini  Feb 2022

    Thanks for the comment on I Didn't Want To Kill Her... that is a funny comment and Suzanne asked if she should be worried when she heard the song the first time. I said, "Yes." :)

  • @bethdesombre  Feb 2022

    Thanks. Your comments are spot on for Bay of Biscay. (The end of the chorus was kind of a placeholder.) The problem with naming the boat (I considered it, maybe in a bridge?) is because its name is a name of an entirely different ocean, and I thought that would be confusing. (and the town also has a strange Basque name . . .). I probably will revise, and will take your suggestions to heart!

  • @prsongsmith  Feb 2022

    Thanks for taking the time to listen to "Coming Attractions" (twice!) -- I certainly take your point about the verse melody (Haye's Carll's "Drunken Poet's Dream" is one likely source) I'll definitely work on making the verse melody live up to the chorus/bridge as I develop it further. Thanks again for the feedback.

  • @whispermouse  Feb 2022

    Some kind of small drumset is definitely in my future.

    Thanks for the comments on "The Rainmaker" - I'm planning to re-record that one after FAWM, mostly with the same arrangement, maybe some cleaner takes - including not hitting a sour note a few beats into the reverb guitar part which then rings through the reverb for 30 seconds :D

  • @sheamiejay  Feb 2022

    You can’t be my bodyguard, then.

  • @celineellis  Feb 2022

    Thanks so much for your comments and suggestions on my track ‘it’s been a while’. Totally agree with what you said and given more time, I will definitely be looking at the sparse arrangement and how I can make little changes like you suggest on the hi hats to bridge sections and make it slightly less ‘samey’ cheers

  • @gardeningangel1  Jan 2022

    Aww, thank you :)
    May have to take you up on that offer of Tom Waits-y vocals, after I change the oil on my bone machine and put new strings on the dumpsterlelle. ;)

  • @gardeningangel1  Jan 2022

    Hi Jon, congrats on the new kit. Happy FAWMing!!!

  • @zecoop  Jan 2022

    I got you on a tape I am starting now - all US, haha. We do have some international tapes in there, but things have to get in the mail fast obviously. Glad you are a part of it! :)

  • @aeye Jan 2022

    Hope you have a great FAWM. (Baltimore represent!)

  • @zecoop  Jan 2022

    Hey there! Checking in from last year's posts. I hope you have a great FAWM! Any interest in 4-tracking? We have a good amount of people this year both US and UK and we'd love to have you take part. Let me know or check into the thread. Tags are not working this year so I am checking in here... :)
    https://fawm.org/forums/topic/12033/