Blog: Current July '09 - October '09

March 19, 2010 - A spring time artist update

Eden artist Mike Gordon from Phish, just finished a successful solo tour of the NE and on Monday performed with Phish for the Rock'N'Roll Hall of Fame induction of Genesis. They performed two Genesis tunes, "Watcher of the Skies", and "No Reply at All". Mike ran an all Eden rig for this performance including a WT800, two D410XLT8 cabs, sitting on top of two D118XL8 cabs. He sounded incredible and performed the tribute songs flawlessly. Phish has also just announced there summer tour dates. Please check out http://summer2010.phish.com/tourdates for the dates.

Eden artist Mike Rutherford from Genesis was inducted into the Rock'N'Roll Hall of fame Monday by Phish's Trey Anastasio. Mike uses two WT1205's with two D410XLT8 cabs.

Eden artist Matt Hayes from the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey has been on a month long European tour using a WT550 and a D410XLT8. He's also been busy in the studio. JFJO is releasing a double vinyl soon to be preceded by a 7 inch single and followed by two more vinyl releases- all on their label, Kinnara.

Matt just recently recorded a kid's album for the Midtown School of Performing Arts in Tulsa (with Combs, and Raymer from JFJO and Brian Lee from Leon Russell's band) and used his WT-800 and it sounds incredible. They should be cutting another one next month.

As far as myself, I've been busy with Fifth World, our debut CD Sitting on the Dark Rift should be released in early summer. Please go to http://www.fifthworldmusic.com/index.php?dest=calendar for our tour dates. Life is wonderful and I'm excited about spring, it's been in the 60's for the last 8 days in the Chicago land area. I feel like I'm alive again.

That's it for this week,
We will our reality
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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March 10, 2010 - Going Further

Last Tuesday and Wed I went out to see Eden Artist Phil Lesh play with his new band Further. This band features Phil Lesh and Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead with Joe Russo (DUO), Jay Lane (Primus, Charlie Hunter, Ratdog), Jeff Chimenti (Ratdog, the Dead), and John Kadlecik (Dark Star Orchestra). They are doing mostly Dead material, but with new life and a hint of the old. The drummers really give the group new life and John sounds eerily like Jerry Garcia both vocally and on his guitar leads.

Phil was using his Eden rig consisting of three WT800'S (ONE AS A BACK UP) and four D410XLT8 cabs. His tone sounded fantastic, the fact that the Auditorium Theater in Chicago has near perfect acoustics didn't hurt either.

I brought my wife Melissa and three year old son Nyjah with as guests. We where in a special VIP viewing section, on the rear of the stage near the drums. My son Nyjah who plays drums was transfixed. It was really cool because Jay Lane (percussion) approached my son mid set and handed him a drum stick. After the gig Jou Russo (drummer) played with my son and gave him some sticks in the backstage catering area. What a great night it was for us McCarthys!!

I'm looking forward to seeing this band in action this summer as well. Did I mention Phil is turning 70 on March 12th. I tell yeah, he plays like he's turning 30.

Until next time…

We will our reality,
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy

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February 10, 2010

Howdy Edenites!!

I hope winter hasn't brought yawl down. I Know I shoveled my driveway 4 times last night and still woke up with a couple of inches of snow on it. The good news is I've been busy playing music with Fifth World. We just finished recording our first CD "Sitting on the Dark Rift". It was recorded at Groove Master studios in Chicago with Asim Ali engineering (Anthrax,Mudvayne). We're thrilled with the results and hope to be releasing the disc in spring. The band's been playing weekly since the beginning of the year and already have over 20 gigs booked for 2010. We're playing Thursday 2/11/10 at Chicago's Double Door opening for Popadosio.

In Eden news, I just signed Phil Risko up as an artist. You guys may know Phil from his work with the band The Recipe. He just signed as the bassist for Ekoostik Hookah. Hookah has been playing since 1991, and host a biannual festival in OH called Hookahville drawing around 15,000 people per fest. Phil is using our WT800 head and is planning on getting D series cabs in the near future.

We'll it's almost time to shovel the drive way again……

We will our Reality,
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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February 3, 2010

Howdy guys, sorry it"s been a while since the last post. We recently unveiled our new compact 300w EX110 and EX112 cabs with stamped coaxial speakers at NAMM. These are nice and small/ light and ready for the traveling musician. We also have revamped an old friend and have the WTX264 which is essentially the ENX260 but in gold.

We're working hard on R&D for some new products this year as well. I can't say too much at this time but there is some great new gear coming down the Pike.

Fifth World has been finishing up our debut CD "Sitting o the Dark Rift". We spent last weekend in Groove Master Studio in Chicago, with recording engineer Asim Ali (ANTHRAX/Mudvayne). The disc is four songs and 30 minutes. I can"t wait to have this baby all wrapped up. We've been playing weekly so life is good and musical!!

In other news, my wife Melissa and I are expecting our second child. We're very excited, she's 6 week right now.

We will our reality
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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December 9, 2009

I met up with Eden artist Robby Emerson from the Jake Owens Band last Friday in Chicago. They where playing Joes on Weed St. I was delivering his WT800 to him; he sent it in to have two pots replaced, not bad for an amp that's been in the field for over ten years!! Robby is a class A guy and so was the rest of the band. I had a field day checking out all of their pedal boards. For a country act they sure had some space ship controls on the floor. After hanging for 40 minutes I drove over to my gig at the Kinetic Playground.

So my gig with Fifth World was a huge success Friday night at the Kinetic Playground. We opened for the Werks from OH. Everyone was dancing and having a great time and that includes the band and I. We opened up on the improv sections like never before. It really was a musical conversation!!! Its gigs like this that we musicians all long for. We're done for 2009, but our next gig is at the Double Door in Chicago on Friday, Jan 8th with the Steez featuring Eden artist Chris Sell, the New Fuse, and Old Shoe. I'm really looking forward to this one.

I've seen the new Eden products to be released at NAMM however; I've been sworn to secrecy. A few more weeks guys and gals.

Until next time,
We Will our Reality!!!
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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December 2, 2009 - Holidays are upon us

Hi everyone, it's been a few weeks since my last blog, and what do you know, it's the holiday season.

It's looking like we're going to stick with ADI 12" speakers and should have some D112XLT and D212XLT cabs in stock early next year. We're bustling with a few new items to be unveiled at NAMM next month so be patient.

Regarding artist news, we recently added Robby Emerson from the Jake Owens Band to the roster. He's a long time Eden user. (WT800, and two D410XLT cabs). There's a great video showcasing his Eden rig on their website.

I went out last weekend and saw Eden artist Mike Gordon from the band Phish perform two nights in Cincinnati. Wow these guys are back in full force; these two shows are defiantly in my top 10 list of Phish shows out of the 63 I've seen.

I'll be performing with Fifth World this Friday at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago so if you're in that neck of the woods, come on out and say hi.

Talk to y'all next week.
We will our reality
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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November 4, 2009 - A Bluesy Chi Town Halloween

I spent Thursday evening hanging out at Buddy Guy's Legends. My buddy Carlos Johnson was nominated for a grammy and the Chicago blues awards was going on there. It was really awesome to see Chicago blues royalty every where I looked. John Primer, Nick Moss, Lil Ed, Felton Crews, and even Derek Trucks was there! It felt great to be around so many legends. I'll be heading back up there this Thursday to see Carlos Johnson performing with Bill "the Buddha" Dickens on bass. If you've never been to Buddy Guy's I highly suggest you spend at least a night there next time you're in Chicago.

Halloween was a lot of fun. I took my son Nyjah out trick or treating. He was a dragon and in the evening my wife and I headed to the Auditorium Theater in Chicago and danced to the Disco Biscuits (electro trans fusion jam band). It was a very enjoyable evening.

I was very pleased Monday when I was looking at photos of Phish's Halloween show and Eden artist Mike Gordon is still using the D210XST8 cab I gave him last August. I was also pleasantly surprised when I noticed he was using a Washburn acoustic bass for their acoustic set. (Eden and Washburn are both part of the US Music Corp).

Not much else to say so as always,
We will our reality
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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October 28, 2009 - A Late Night

So last Saturday was a fun one. I rehearsed with Fifth World for three hours and then headed up for the Riviera Theater in Chicago to see and hang with the Jackie Green Band. They where opening for Gov't Mule. (Both bands tore it up). Jeremy Plog is the bassist for the Jackie Greene Band. He tried the E300T out with a D610XLT6. This wasn't quite his sound, so we where discussing him using a WT800 instead. The guys in his band are all great players and real fun to kick it with. It's always cool to be in the same room with Warren Haynes as well! I got the great opportunity to watch the Mule from the side of the stage and man do they lay down a nasty blues.

After caching that show I headed across the street to The Kinetic Playground to see Chicago's Liquid Soul headed by Mars Williams (Psychedelic Furs sax player). They have a great fusion Chicago sound with a dj and various MCs. Then came the greatest part of the night (for me anyways) Eden artist Matt Hayes laid it down with JFJO. This was the final night of their tour and their record release party for "One Day in Brooklyn". I've seen these guys a bunch this year (opened a few gigs for them as well) and wow have they fallen deep into the pocket. This show was a true highlight as improve MC, Dirty MF sat in for a few tunes. Dirty is considered by many to be the greatest freestyler in the business (sit down Jay Z). I can't wait to get a copy of that show. To top it off I was given a copy of JFJO's new CD, and it sounds fantastic as well. It's been in my car on heavy rotation since Sunday morning.

It was a fun late night; I forgot to mention the Kinetic Playground was open until 5 AM.

I'm looking forward to this Saturday as well Halloween. I'm getting ready for a spooky evening of trick or treating with my wife and son Nyjah (almost 3 years old), and then seeing the Disco Biscuits at the Auditorium Theater in Chicago.

Until next week,
We Will our Reality
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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October 21, 2009 - Steez Grooves and a Day in Brooklyn

Last Thursday I delivered a new rig to Eden artist Chris Sell from the Madison creepfunk group Steez.

Chris picked up a WT1205, D212XLT8 and a D210XST8. Chris and I met last April at the Kinetic Playground in Chicago. I was very impressed with his playing and the group over all. Once I did a bit of research I learned that they where based out of the college town of Madison WI, and had been hitting the road and the summer festival scene hard. (Rothbury, 10K Lakes, and Summer Camp)

Chris first played though Eden at a show we did together at the Kinetic Playground over the summer, where we back lined my rig (WT1205, D212XLT8, & a D210XST8). Apparently he loved the tone as he purchased the exact same rig!!! (Who could blame him, right?)

I'm looking forward to seeing Chris and Steez with his new rig.

This coming up weekend will be exciting as well. I have Fifth World rehearsal from 2-6, then I'm meeting up with Jeremy Plog, bassist from the Jackie GreenE Band (guitarist from Phil and Friends) at the Riviera Theater where they are opening for Gov't Mule. After that show I'll be walking across the street to The Kinetic Playground (the club is open until 5am) to hang with Eden artist Matt Hayes from JFJO.

 

This will be the album release show for their new album "One Day in Brooklyn". They have Chicago's own Liquid Soul opening the evening up. It should be an incredible evening of music and Eden tone.

All I need to do is stay awake the whole time.

Until next week,
We Will Our Reality
Timothy "Smu" McCarthy III

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