I had a fun time this past Friday playing with my friends in Axemunkee – I’m hoping to play a lot of bass this year, and the opportunity to sub for my buddy Chris was irresistible. Especially since the gig was downstairs at the Cantab Lounge, a legendary Cambridge dive with ambiance to spare.

They’ve dubbed the room “Club Bohemia,” and it’s appropriate. The management is lucky there are no windows in the basement, because I’m sure in the harsh light of day the place looks every inch the grubby hole that it is. But this place works. It’s got vibe, man! They have these little round tables where all too often I’ve found a lot of empty floor space. It’s really kind of inviting, as if to say “Hey you, here’s a stiff chair and a sticky table on which to rest your stiff drink. Sit. Relax. Enjoy.” So people do, and around the tables other folks stand, dance, hit on each other, and so on…and it seems like everyone there is genuinely into the music.

It felt great to be onstage with a bass again. When singing or playing guitar, I often feel like I’m gliding on top of everything, just sailing along. I lose all sense of time. When I’m playing bass, I feel like I’m controlling time. I’m driving the bus, and if I take a turn, the band turns with me. That throbbing sensation that starts in the soles of your shoes and shimmies its way up through your pants and into your spine? That’s me bumpin’ and grindin’ my way into the unconscious part of your brain that instinctively taps your foot and wiggles your ass. I like it.