MP3.Conversation – April 24, 2000
by Bing Futch
[As I was sitting here, pondering what to type, Von Ra bassist Dave “Boo” Rhea IMed me through AOL. Halfway through our conversation, I realized that it would make a fine column entry. The following is a completely unedited transcript of the conversation.]
UFBOO: hey man.. come see our show satuurday
UFBOO: sapphire…. it’ll be killa
Darkstud1: Don’t know that I can–we’ve got recording and schtuff.
UFBOO: oh. aight den.
Darkstud1: You could always leave two at the door and perhaps, maybe??
UFBOO: if it were a definite, definately.
UFBOO: 🙂
Darkstud1: What time are you playing?
UFBOO: probably at 11
Darkstud1: Okay, hook me and my girl up. We’ll be there, earlier even.
UFBOO: coolness
Darkstud1: I don’t think you’ve met her. She’s quite the gal.
UFBOO: that chick from Old Navy?
Darkstud1: Stole her from another musician, ala Clapton/Harrison.
Darkstud1: No, that was Georgette–I’m talking about Chinesa.
UFBOO: all’s fair in Rock n Roll and War
Darkstud1: It’s pretty wierd shit, but man, my life is so much more interesting now.
UFBOO: good. interresting is good.
Darkstud1: Hey, do you guys have an MP3.com site?
UFBOO: not yet, but we are revamping the site… it will be completely different very soon.
Darkstud1: [raising an eyebrow], it doesn’t take long–you could put “Pow” up there at least, and get paid for it.
UFBOO: we are planning on the mp3 section.
UFBOO: it’ll be cool.
Darkstud1: Don’t delay, it takes like a day. Oh my, I’m rhyming. Anyway, check out our sites, I’ve got two things going on over there. Mohave is www.mp3.com/mohave and then there’s El Radio, just go to the main site and enter “El Radio”, it’ll take you to a station page that’s mostly Florida bands. Sort of like WWRR, but not really…play on demand.
UFBOO: right on. i have been drawing up a business plan for a local website… I have an enormous amount of local insider contacts… so i thought about doing a local UBL type site.
Darkstud1: I just checked it, it’s not up yet, the El Radio station. Four hour delay, doh! UBL?
UFBOO: you as the designer? hey now!
UFBOO: ultimate band list.
UFBOO: www.ubl.com
Darkstud1: I’d be up for that–I’ve been looking for a graphics-based gig.
Darkstud1: The future of poor musicians everywhere, telecommuting creatively.
UFBOO: this site would have a netwoork of registered members… with updates from the bands/venues that Iwould post on thier persoanl page
Darkstud1: What are you going to do, sell advertising space?
UFBOO: once I can show that many people are relying on this site (# of hits) I can get advertisers to go along and then we can start collecting some pimpin cash
UFBOO: it’ss be a one-stop place to see what’s happening … I’ll give the bands registration for a year for free.. to get the thing going.
Darkstud1: Then how much after that?
UFBOO: for bands?.. i was thinking like $15/month. something small. I want the majority of the revenue to come from advertising.
UFBOO: and I’d hook up the venues for free maybe. have a big opening page with venue supporter logos or something.
UFBOO: and a section of editorial, where people like me and you can have a “front page” or “back page” to put out OUR views on the chemestry of the Scene.
Darkstud1: Just what the world needs, more of our views. LOL. Affordable. I’ve always wanted to create a chain of Dark Studios locations where musicians could get low-budget digital recording done, one in every town run by a well-mannered dood.
UFBOO: yeah.. to add in the website, we can get a “jukebox” with a single from each member band.. you can go in and choose a list of songs to hear while you’re surfing the site… eh?
Darkstud1: My daughter’s mom has just come from the MP3.com site–she’s diggin’ it. High quality, CD quality audio.
Darkstud1: That’s what El Radio is, it features a single from a number of bands, like Gargamel, Precious, PopCanon, Thrust Supersonic, etc. I’ll rotate them, and give the bands with music on MP3.com some added exposure, because you know I’m a promotional motherfucker.
UFBOO: maybe we can merge. Make El Radio part of the local UBL thing.
UFBOO: I am thinking that I can get JHMP, Sapphire, House of Blues Orlando Rocks, etc… to sponcor the thing.
UFBOO: i mean right off the bat, becasue they all know me.
Darkstud1: Gotta read all that fine print included in the agreement and see if that violates any kind of article held therein, etcetera, etcetera, man–that’s a lot of reading–I don’t think I caught all of it–it’s pretty overwhelming. They have a section on the main page that deals exclusively with current litigations. MP3.controversial.
UFBOO: it’s a matter of designing the thing, then talking the bands into going for it.
UFBOO: yeah, i hear ya
Darkstud1: Well, let me know–I’m open, I could use some more income from somewhere. Just got my hard drive since Jam finally paid me. Since December, dude, they owed me! Anyway–I’ll be able to work with Cakewalk and start snagging some scoring gigs, edit some video, broaden the scope a little. So, keep me in mind for your multimedia needs. I’ll be designing CD ROMS in a few weeks time. Director 6.0, Macromedia. Rocks the bells.
UFBOO: cool.. I have cakewalk home studio 9 if you need it
Darkstud1: Yowsa. I’ll be right over.
Darkstud1: I need more memory, and a faster processor.
UFBOO: yeah, thats my problema too.. I need a bettre soundcard too
Darkstud1: I got the kick-ass soundcard, and a pair of Creative Labs cubes with a sub-woofer, that AOL door-slam for the Buddy List? It sounds like cannon-fire, makes you wanna duck. I’ve been listening to music, so the other sound effects, unfortunately, are all amplified.
Darkstud1: That Instant Message sound is particularly annoying while you’re trying to listen to “Bi-Curious George.”
UFBOO: well, i was thinking about you becasue you are all in the scene anyways…and you do a lot of internet design and promo and stuff… and we are both jours
Darkstud1: Jours?
Darkstud1: Du jours, writers du jour.
UFBOO: journalists
UFBOO: uf j-school slang.. heh heh
Darkstud1: Or something like that. You went to school for this stuff, I didn’t. Thanks to Ian for letting me sneak in under the radar.
UFBOO: heh heh.. well, you gots the skills. that is what is important.
Darkstud1: Well, thanks. Hey, I played the Willie dulcimer at Johnny’s Rockin’ Bistro Saturday night. It’s gotten a mellower sound since he signed it.
UFBOO: i’ll let you see the business draft when I get it set up. you could be a real valuable dude in the start-up of this thing if I can pull it off.
UFBOO: did you see my Hindu Cowboys article in Axis? I used my autographed Willie backstage pass as a graphic!
UFBOO: hahah.. very limited edition pass, that is
UFBOO: almost as killer as our parking spot!
Darkstud1: Yeah, I saw that. Totally left me out of the article, like the news this week. Chinesa and I were interviewed for Channel 6, I think? Anyway, all you saw was my hand in the shot, but someone saw it later and said that I was on screen, but didn’t say anything. I guess my comment about wanting to see Horizons implode wasn’t something they wanted to air.
UFBOO: hahah
Darkstud1: It was for the announcement of the new ride at Epcot, Mission: Space. They were going to implode the old Horizons building but were worried about bits flying off and hitting the people on Test Track, who honestly have more pressing concerns of their own.
UFBOO: whoops!
Darkstud1: They cheesed out, they’ll take it apart bit by bit starting this week.
UFBOO: i mentioned 7m3 becasue I eventually got around to quoting Mr. Former Hindu Cowboy, Giti Khasla from 7m3
Darkstud1: I noticed the picture, you got over that whole “they’re backstage, they get hassled enough” thing. Speaking of which, do you mind if I use this verbatim for my Monday “Dark’s Corner” column for Ink 19 online?
Darkstud1: The cyber-equivalent of Candid Camera, this was–but you weren’t caught with your pants down. You’re scrolling up to see if you said anything incriminating aren’t you?
Darkstud1: Ha-haaahaaa.
UFBOO: i am trying to figure out exactly what you are saying 🙂
UFBOO: you want to… what again?
Darkstud1: I was about to write my column and you IMed me, and it just seemed to fit what I was going for. And we’re both handsome young musicians in the scene, so why not impudently throw this out there as a slice of what our day to day is like?
Darkstud1: {big cheesy smile}
Darkstud1: It reads well.
Darkstud1: And I”d leave your typos untouched for realism.
UFBOO: i think i am going to have to smoke a nug to figure it out… but it sounds good to me… go for it
Darkstud1: I’ve beaten you to that nug, so I”ll post it now.
UFBOO: send me a copy
Darkstud1: And smoke another.
Darkstud1: Sending now. Thanks for the invite, I will see you there at Sapphire on Saturday night. Von Ra, kicking it with the jams. Mr. Boo, five-string boom-meister. Thanks, I only knew half-way through that I was going to use this, so you figure it out. When it cheeses, that’s when it becomes entertainment. LOL.
UFBOO: hahahaa. I hear you man
UFBOO: i’m goin in for the nuggs…. back in 5
Darkstud1: Later…..
