My name's Ian, and people say I'm a nice guy. I'm smart, creative, educated, and have a sophisticated sense of humor. I'm a little too honest for my own good. I'm a musician, yet I'm also drug-free and have good hygiene and a steady job w/ benefits.

What's not to like?

Apparently I also have a remarkably low enemy percentage with a lot of people on here. If you're curious about that, check out my journal entry on the subject.

(Quickmatch: Jagerklang)

Turning it upside down...

You see, there are two little cartoon characters on my shoulders and I've listened to the wrong one for far too long. You might call one an angel and the other a devil, but I'll refrain from making value judgments here. Let's just say that thus far I listened mostly to the one that told me to go to college, study economics rather than music, get a real job, save up, buy a house, build a career, and continue the daily grind until...

Until what? Until I'm swimming in money and can buy tons of stuff I don't need? Until I hold some sort of super-important post so I can boss people around? Until my kids are all grown up and graduated from college? Hmmm, well actually that last one sounds pretty reasonable... Oh wait: I don't have any kids!

Right, so instead of buying a house or something with my savings, I've been using them toward finding some way to make a more fulfilling living. A couple summers ago I quit my paper-pushing job so that I could do an album release and two small tours (east coast, Canada) with my bands. I've also gotten into luthiery (guitar-building) and homebrewing, with an eye on possibly turning one of them into a profession eventually.

None of that is paying the bills yet, though, so I went back to my old job (they were kinda desperate to have me back) and am currently saving up for possible future musical sabbaticals, or maybe to go back to school for a Master's or something to set up a job in the alternative-energy field if nothing creative pans out. Last summer I had a bunch of shows and another little tour to Canada (with yet another coming this May for another CD release), but I stayed at work and don't foresee quitting again anytime soon (not exactly the best economic climate for that sort of thing right now).

Yup, just playing it by ear...

Shameless plugs:

Vinny Vegas - rocky/poppy/proggy; just released an EP
http://www.myspace.com/vinnyvegas

Madagascar - oddball/balkan-folky; on hiatus
http://www.pandora.com/music/album/madagascar/goodbye+east+goodbye+west

Bass guitar. Thinking too much. Writing. Playing geeky games.

*08/12/09 Update*: Brewing. (People have started offering to buy the stuff, tho of course I'm not quite to the point of commercializing.)

The finely-tuned facial hair. The silly cap I occasionally wear. The weird car-thing that I drive. The fact that I'm rather quiet around people I don't know well, but also friendly and easy to get along with... though not terribly easy to get to KNOW (I have rather high standards for the people I associate with).

I don't like lists like these. I'm not too keen on the idea of defining oneself via media consumption, and it's not like someone isn't cool enough for me if they've never heard of band X or author Y. I also don't really want to get lumped into someone's preconception of "the kind of people who are into THAT stuff." I'll often take a liking to something while rejecting the whole scene that typically goes with it. Anyway:

I. People usually assume that I read a lot, but for a variety of reasons I actually don't anymore. When I do read books, it's typically because friends of mine love one so much that they lend me their copy of it and INSIST I read it. I generally enjoy the things they throw my way, though.

II. My friends haven't tended to be big movie buffs, and since I generally don't watch them by myself, that means I don't see many. In college I hung out with a crowd that watched a lot of anime, so I have a healthy appreciation for that... but I'll go for just about anything, from stupid comedies to pretentious philosophical dramas.

III. Give me a big breast of rock, smothered in some thick funky sauce and sprinkled with exotic world-music spices, with a side of jazz or classical (gotta have some veggies), and maybe a folk or new age soup. And while you may say it's unhealthy, I'm gonna have to go with metal for dessert... Oh, wait, was this paragraph supposed to be the one about music, or food?

IV. I go mostly for hot/spicy/exotic stuff: Indian, Mexican, Cajun, Ethiopian, Mediterranean, Japanese, etc. I'm also fond of places like Panera or Quiznos (but Subway is right out). Italian, Chinese, and burgers all tend to bore me, but I'll eat almost anything... just don't be surprised if I resort to hot sauce in situations that you find inappropriate, even terrifying. I also have a huge sweet tooth, but it doesn't make me fat because I eat like a bird.

*08/12/09 Update*: As the above paragraph implies, I have tended to eat out a lot... but I am now exploring the brave new world of cooking (not just reheating)! Of course, my current repertoire does not extend much further than primitive mishmashes of frozen veggies, canned beans, potato flakes, and excessive spices (a recipe I have named Bachelorgasm, for its unsurpassed ease of purchase, preservation, and preparation), but if my progress with brewing is any indicator I'm sure I will have my own cooking show within a few years. Also, I might mention that I have adopted a form of quasi-vegetarianism (for my own inscrutable reasons).

There are plenty of things I'd never WANT to go without, but, beyond the basics (oxygen, sustenance, etc.), I have trouble thinking of things I truly *COULD NOT*. Here's a shot at a slightly looser interpretation:

(in no particular order)

My flagship bass; my weird car-thing; my family; my lifelong friends; my health; my mind.

Everything... in ways that often seem foreign to everyone else.

Right at this moment, I'm wondering why everyone doesn't just highlight every single word in their profiles, so they can maximize the chance that someone randomly stumbles across them on a Search By Interest.

Practicing with my band, and/or playing a show, going to see one, jamming with some other musicians, or hanging out w/ band folks at some random bar or party.

Or, calling a couple close old friends to see if anything's happening. Then getting together with said friends even though (yet again) nothing is in fact happening. Then chatting 'till 3am.

Or, just staying home because I want to relax.

I'm WAY less sexually experienced than you'd probably expect from a 30-year-old musician. Don't worry, though: I'm a quick learner. :)

1) You are a gal who has been cursed with a good heart and a good mind and would like to meet a guy who shares those same afflictions.

2) You are a musician (or know one) who would like to get together to jam sometime, or network.

3) You want to catch some good live music (check out the band links above for showtimes/places).

and/or 4) You want to help me drink all of this beer and mead that I've been brewing (and now cider and wine, too; I don't drink enough to keep up with my production)!

NOTE: I've been awfully busy lately and haven't been logging in too regularly, plus I'm just about the slowest email-writer ever. So, please accept my apologies in advance if I'm sluggish in getting back to you.