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Lou's Interests
General
Music, Golf, Football, Baseball, Reading, Scrabble, Backgammon, rearranging my sock drawer....but mainly, coming up with an analogy for everything and everyone!
Music
There is music that moves me and music that doesn't. This box isn't nearly big enough......
Led Zeppelin is my favorite band of all time, case closed. Pink Floyd is second.
Honestly, I like much of what I grew up listening to. As a kid, I liked top 40 stuff from the early to mid-70's, and I still love it. Classic Rock and Motown are what I like listening to most, but I have a pretty diverse CD collection of stuff ranging from Dave Brubek, ABBA, Frank Sinatra, Stone Temple Pilots, The Smiths, The Grease Soundtrack, The Carpenters, Jeff Beck, Pat Travers, and The Waitresses.
For the most part, I actually detest 80's hair metal. I thought some of it was well done in the beginning, but then everyone grew their hair long, started using Aqua-Net and put holes in their jeans, and it looked like a circus...pretty soon, everyone looked like Bon Jovi. And record labels just fell over themselves to sign every one of them, whether they could play well or not. And listening back to some of that crap - no dynamics and not a lot of diversity - there's a reason why much of it never gets any airplay.
I liked Motley Crue's early stuff, early Quiet Riot, Iron Maiden, and Ozzy's first two Albums.
The greatest musical moment I ever witnessed was Pink Floyd at the Live 8 concert in 2005. I almost didn't want to believe that Waters and Gilmour were finally going to play together after 25 years, at the risk of disappointing myself....I was actually nervous to the point where my heart was beating through my chest right up to when the first chords to Breathe were hit. When the camera cut to a close up of Roger Waters, and then a nice side view of Gilmour and Waters, my eyes were actually watering.
That's what it means to have passion for music. When one song, one band, or just one musical moment can bring you to a place that you thought didn't previously exist.
I can be a little bit of a sap sometimes....LOL!
Movies
Anything starring or directed by Clint Eastwood. I have all of his movies on DVD.
I love all the Movies Harold Ramis wrote/cowrote - Animal House, Caddyshack, Meatballs, Stripes, Ghostbusters....most people would love to have just written one!
Spinal Tap, Airplane, Clerks, Standing in the Shadows of Motown, Almost Famous, Grease, Vision Quest, The Big Chill, Fast Times at Ridgemont High....If you've seen the Hollywood Knights, that's reason right there for you to be OK in my book!
I'm big on comedies, but one of my favorties was Notting HIll - a chick flick! And Clint Eastwood's Bridges of Madison County was light and sappy, but a great flick as well.
Television
NFL, MLB, NHL, and All in the Family...
Books
I have about 200 books in my room, I have to climb over them to get into bed...Most of them are biographies/autobiographies, ranging from sports and music to people like John Belushi, Ron Wood, Brian Wilson, the Wright Brothers and Clint Eastwood.
Heroes
Cameron Crowe....the guy flew around the country with Led Zeppelin and other bands before he was 20, and nowadays wakes up every morning next to Nancy Wilson.
He had to have sold his soul to the devil to get THAT kind of deal!
Who am I....Why am I here?
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I'm available for live shows and studio work. For a sample of my playing, my gear listing, my shoe size (OK....not my shoe size) and an up to date discography, visit my website, www.louiespag.com.
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< - - - -Whatever song is here, I played bass on it.....a quick example of what I play like!
About me....I learn songs fast and accurately, and I show up on time knowing the material, and you'll either find me hilariously funny or clinically insane right off the bat. I can certainly overplay like the best of them, but a fat pocket and good groove is where it's at for me....Think John Paul Jones, James Jamerson, Paul McCartney, etc.
In other words, I don't slap and I don't tap, and I don't solo while the singer is trying to sing - I'd rather play like Kenny Aaronson or Bob Glaub, guys who stand out without sticking out. Nor do I care if I'm the best player around or the worst - all I care about is that you're happy with the job you hired me for, and that I have a good time doing it!
Like anyone else, when I have a bad night I'm about as talented as the guy checking ID's at the door and wonder why I'm still in this crazy business. When I have a good night, I'm smiling a lot, and l know I'm in this business because I have a ton of passion for music, and just love to play!
I've been a member of the band FORTUNE (www.fortune-music.com) for the last dozen years, and you can catch me playing shows with THE FOOLS (www.thefools-band.com) as well. I've also been recording for the past 8 years with MIKE VERGE (www.mikeverge.com).
I also do a lot of fill in work....in the past I've done shows with Mugsy, Sass/West, Brian Maes, Jordan Knight, Last Laugh, Moonshine, Mixed Nuts, The Herland Brothers, The Kristen Fonseca Band, Tangerine, Wilder Road, The Lisa Love Experience, and many others.
Over the past eight years, I've received calls for bass work at many studios. Some of the artists I've recorded with are Brad Delp/ Barry Goudreau (Boston), Leo Mellace, Chris Emerson, Tribe of Eden, Stryper, Michael Sweet, Kristin Fonseca, New Remorse, Drive Like Carson, an unused Gary Cherone track, Mike Verge, and many others. I have played funk, metal, pop, and R&B. Don't assume I'm not right for your project until you've given me the opportunity to show you otherwise. I have never once let anyone down - personally or professionally.
Music is a large part of my life, but I don't live to be known as "The Bass Player for -insert band name-". I golf a lot, and do non-music related things with some close friends who aren't in the music business. I also like to write blogs, and try to gather some thoughts together to put one up every week. Don't be shy, read them and comment!
Who I'd like to meet:
People who have the ability to step into another dimension of performance when nothing less will get the job done. Anyone who has a deep passion for music. The girl in Dido's song "Thank You". Listen to the words....everyone should be lucky enough to feel what she is feeling. And I should be lucky enough to meet her.
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WHO I DON'T WANT TO MEET:
1. Whiny people who know nothing about politics.
2. Whiny people who think they know all about politics.
Face it....we're all in the dark, and we're all misinformed. Stop pretending you're an expert because you listen to some blowhard on talk radio.
One thing I really detest is this trip the world is on with celebrities and "famous" people. Some can't even do the job that makes them millions even marginally well, yet they are continuously shoved down the throat of the public in every way, shape, or form.
If people would only stop watching, they'd go away!
FORTUNE - Foreplay/Longtime, Live at MMTV, Melrose, MA
FORTUNE - Latin Thing, Live at The Claddagh, Lawrence, MA
Hey Lou, I saw you at Rain last nite, you guys were great! I will definetly you play again in boston, and on the booze cruise, nee info on the tickets though.
King Louis the first. The baddest bassist I've ever heard. Thanks for adding me. Oh yeah, by bad, I mean good. So, um, the goodest bassist....no that doesn't sound right....Hello? Is this thing on?
Loved your blog on Working as a musician. I love playing music but sometimes you have to play in a window like a couple of mannequins with some clown busting balls outside like the man behind the curtain. Ever have one of those???...oh wait you were the guy behind the curtain doing what you do best...Bust chops! Thanks for coming out!!!! Later
From the bottom of my heart thank you for your support dude. You are without a doubt one of the good ones with a pure heart. I wish you nothing but the best and you all have afree place to crash if ever you are down in the Florida Keys.
