The ORIGINAL "Basement" set

I bring you this little “Flashback”, because: Today, the GEOFF SCOTT WEBSITE turns 14 years old! Born out of necessity (the mother of local-rock invention, like duct tape) as a way to post clips, photos and links to bands we were talking to each Sunday night  and every show. (that stations website never changed in the 5 years we ran this thing) But for ME… “if it’s on the air, you’ll find it there” has always been the key.

The website, in it’s original form, was housed on AOL Hometown and therefore was afforded just FIVE MEASLY MEGABYTES of internet world. We rotated graphics, made a little “chat” blog, and posted very tiny clips and announcements based on the current show and next week’s shows, etc. I even, for a time, produced a “streaming” video content that was actually (I can tell you now) nothing more than a series of .GIF images I shot while recording the show, and then constantly updated to the Hometown server at just the right time… as it played back on-air. But then there was this 4 track Akai Reel To Reel I to tow with me everywhere I went (including the station)

Rock 106 & a YES t-shirt... ahh good times!

Now…  sure have come a long way together since the old days of my first Windows 95 computer (75 MHZ, 697MB hard-drive, 8mb of RAM= $3,000) and My mom’s old Apple2 on the dining room table back in Junior High; the “Commodore-64 Kids” could only gawk at.

after 20 years Rocking this place and decades more… to come

-=Gs=-

Meanwhile, back at the radio-ranch, I’d been running a small “covert” operation, keeping me on my toes and doubly busy with additional pre-weekend duties. On Thursday, I actually (sorry!) pre-recorded my show and was escorted to a top-secret location on Fairchild AirForce base, where we provided live entertainment for 500 troops!

Beer-Goggle Run

It was awesome- all the E-1′s – E-4′s have some good memories with ROCK 94.5 on-base. I was SLIGHTLY humbled, as always, to work with these fine men & women who often give so much to protect our nations freedoms~ yet, seek so little in return. (And to think I complain when the traffic holds me up ten minutes in construction)

Food Is Served!

…So we played the AC/DC “WE SALUTE YOU”, as I tried to convey my personal feelings of gratitude the best I could; Mudvayne, Lamb Of God, and Killswitch CDs & DVD’s. There was the “Pie-in-the-face” of the Captain, The “Beer Goggles” obstacle course, The giant-Inflatable boxing-ring, and the ice-cold “dunk tank”.  Airman Roberts would be “dunked” like a trooper multiple times throughout the course of the breezy-cool & very dusty pre-fall afternoon. And all this, while sargents & command cooked the hamburgers, serving the long staggered feed-line. “better than M.R.E.’s, eh?”  Special thanks to the FIRST-FOUR program, SNAP (Ron Hardin), and Sr. Airman Peters for bringing us in for that truly memorable “company” event.

Its CAMO time

*** I actually miss hosting their “Open House” like I used to (for about ten years), so this was a great way to get back in touch with some of those old-fond memories I have of being a guest, in base-life. And, also, on a personal note: I was deeply touched by the many airmen who came up to me, took me aside, and mentioned how “you guys got me through~” or “When i was overseas, there was no base, but there was YOU guys online…” Or, “you’re my lifeline when i am not home”

Winners

… i kind of had no Idea. I know we stream online and the computer in the back of the room just sits there spitting out packets of music and program, while lights blink on and off below~ but I never really think of those on the other end like that, maybe I’ll start paying a little more attention to what’s going down that worldwide pipeline. JUST KNOW THAT WE REALLY REALLY DO…

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

-=Gs=-

Smak-attack

GODSMACK RECAP: *Phew* finally got the DJ voice back, after an incredible show with GODSMACK sunday night at “the Factory”. It was a lean-mean somewhat stripped down show put pure GodSmack with all the essentials. (see set list below)  Prepared to open for Motley crue the very next day for Cruefest II, it was Sully, Robbie, Tony, and Shannon alone. No “Voodoo-girls”, No Pyros, No 20 minute Sully and Shannon Drum-off, or acoustic interlude. Like a machine, they came out pounding and kept the crowd pushing forward bouncing in a giant unison as if “the factory” floor had giant springs beneath it! Higlights included seeing Sully do the guitar solo (that’s new) and the crowd singing VOODOO so loud nobody noticed that Robbie’s bass had stopped working and he stood on stage pounding it looking at the stage mix crew waiting for them to outfit him with another in mid-song. Instictively, the band played on without seeming to even notice, masterfully Tony adopting the bass-parts betwen his etheral guitar chords (of all songs for this to happen on) to this bass-heavy song! Good job Tony!!! We fealt maybe Robbie wasnt having a good night but we loved him just the same~ the entire band was ontop of their game after too long of an inland-Northwest hiatus.  And the crowd showed it, with a crowd-surfer-to-mosher ratio of about 22:1. We saw some people get lifted forward across the sea of head, and tossed up over the barricades five or six times …and they were coming at a rate of six – ten a minute!  (PHOTOS)

mondo-jenn-geoff

100 YEARS OF MOTORCYCLES: G.A. is ‘the man” on this anual celebration of all things loud and shiney at the fairgrounds, but it’s safe to say the show this year was extra loud and shiney.

First Lady jenn

I have some shots i’ll post to my HOTSPOTS gallery later on~ but it was great to see all those bikes and bikers gathered in one location and the local bands, “battle-cage”, booths, the Inland-helicopter specially painted R-44, 100yr biker girls, and all those sweet sweet customs and classics~ I hadn’t planned on going to an exceptionally tight schedual this week (see next post) but was personally invited by “the First lady” Jennifer Scott, and therefore, like being invited to the Royal Tea-Party by the queen- one isnt actually being INVITED… but summonsed, and one must drop whatevere it was they were doing.  So, I arrived shortly after the appointed time and was treated to lunch with the world-famous master-chopper builder MONDO, followed by “some quality time” alone with the queen… I mean the FIRST LADY! woo-hoo!!  (PHOTOS)

THE TORCH: My wife had said “Honey, this is your anniversary gift.. so go have fun at the UH-UH bar.”  Enough said. Carmen, we hope to see you in our Miss Rock-Hard comp later~

Bullride Test pilots

WITH YOUR PNEUMATIC SHOES! (PHOTOS)

GODSMACK SET-LIST:

1. Whiskey
2. Faceless
3. Bad Religion
4. Straight Outta
5. Re-align
6. Awake
7. Time Bomb
8. Moonbaby
9. Enemy
10. Keep Away (with sully guitar intro)
11. Speak
12. Voodoo
13. Drum Solo
14. Whatever
15. encore: Good Times / Bad Times
16. I Stand Alone

…And the summer’s just begun!  -=GS=-

Lacuna Coil

AND all those Bi-planes at the Great NorthWest Biplane Fly-In this weekend at Felts Feild (Spokane, Wa) I’ve added the PICTURES HERE (on my HOTWINGS site).

There is nothing more romantic than seeing classic airplanes across an old grass strip for as far as the eye can see! Sweet-wings, and great pilots, most of whom flew off at various times up to Deer Park for the landing competition. So it was a morning of non-stop fly-bys and vintage wings. Addison Pemberton got to show off his Stearman, the Speedmail, and even the now-world famous Boeing 40C. He is a very cool guy with obviously WAY TOO MUCH TIME and PARTS on his hands ;P

Then it was off to CARTOYS for the weekend’s giant tent sale in the 95 degree heat~ Where we talked stereo, hung out with all types of Rock listeners, showed off some shiney wheels and then had a surprise visit from non-other than the “Track Offical” of Rock 94&1/2′s FREEWAY500 – Deputy Craig!

(to show us the proper way to fry an egg on a harley seat) Pictures are posted on the GEOFF SCOTT *LIVE ACTION* CAM page from both fun-filled sunny days on our CARTOYS TOUR.

On a personal note: I have been very busy in the production-kitchen, cooking up our GODSMACK weekend for the show warm-up and for thre days you’ll be hearing ALOT of Godsmack and “Smak-Backs” on the air AS WE NEAR SHOWTIME.

-=Gs=-

Thanks to everyone for coming (that’s you!) and to our incredible line-up of bands, anyone of which, ALONE, I would have gladly paid $40 to go to see headlining the show. But here we got them all together for one incredible night of solid stage to stage action-packed excitement that never saw a break in the action. You didn’t want to leave your space on the grass for an instant, to get a drink, or even go to the bathroom, in the fear you’d miss something! Yes it was THAT good.

Behind the scenes, just so you know~ the F-N-G worked his F-N-Tail off, to mkake this show happen and so he deserves (along with Mark at Knitting Factory) all the cudos for making such a memorable night for everyone. We had so much fun on the air leading up to the show with SEVENDUST who gave us a special treat in the studio with two rare acoustic performances (Sorry our “Bikini Island” parking lot wasn’t big enough for your limo) The guys were packed into the studio so tight we could barely get JP in there to shoot THESE PHOTOS FOR YOU. I’m going to get the interview posted to ROCK945.COM in the next few days but it’s fairly long and needs to be broken up into segments… Morgan, I have not forgot about the tapes from when you guys came and DJ’d last time, I’ll be sending those off shortly as well.

In This Moment was a delectable surprise, I had heard from Krazy Aunt Karla’s THE PIT interviews how nice she was and it turned out that was no “Put on” she is 100% as were the rest of the band. Special thanks also to Chris, Jesse and Maria whom I got to spend some quality time with not only in the Rock studios but also backstage at the event! She gave me a big hug after their set, so I think everybody was happy with things. If you get a chance sometime, DO check out her INKED magazine interview she has quite a story to tell and you’ll see why DREAMS is a fairly apropos title for the bands new CD. Thanks for the strength, Maria, and may your DREAMS continue to come true. I have posted my own set of full-sized photos from I.T.M. on my HOT ROCKS pages for you.

And I could go on all day about how tight Seether was, and Hurt’s steaming set, and how impressed I am with Morgan’s drumming in Sevendust…But I think I’ll just have to save it for the radio show~ because it’s time to go…THANK YOU SPOKANE (and Post Falls!) for making us your BEST ROCK for a decade and the only station able to pull off such a top notch event.

We couldn’t have done any of this, without your continued support

.

-=Gs=-

There was no question about it this weekend, Father’s day, and the sun blasting puffy clouds popping up like popcorn dotting the skies. Early in the Morning Aaron and I went flying up to Deer Park do so some touch n’ goes (Those pics will be posted HERE) in the 152 but we had to keep our place in line with all the sailplanes using the other runway. The little “Pawnee” tow plane would tow them up to 5,000′ and pull then Northwest of the airport where they’d find pockets of lift below those drifting clouds and start their tight circles under powerless flight, up, UP! Like giant Eagles (or Turkey Hawks) in quiet ghostlike movement. The gliders are always a beautiful sight, and, *as the first aircraft I flew back when I was barely knee-high-to-a-grapefruit, it always makes me a little jealous I am not up there finding the “mother lift” and soaring that cloud street as far and as long as Nature’s furnace (And a good lift resource strategy) will allow you to go. If you ever get a chance to do this, you should not pass it up. Once you’ve been in a Glider, and you pull that red knob and release from tow-rope and pull up and away from the tow-plane, you never forget that sound of rushing air, alone, and the seagulls who fly with you in their own quiet respect (or is it in awe?) of this giant white silent bird.

The pattern practice and soft-field technique training went well for the day and we tried to stay out of their way, performed our own little “crop duster” salute down the runway at high-speed barely four feet up… but then it was time to come back to Spokane Airways and we were greeted by the wonderful news that Dale Jr. had actually won his first race in two seasons! And then, when I got home, there were the kids with some great cards and a small gift I intend you use everyday. What a perfect father’s day (Flying, Racing, The well behaving kids, Summer WX, The wife’s “special dinner”, and all those Classic Cars!!!) weekend.

Which brings me back to reality, and, the next two “Natural disasters” we’ve yet to survive this summer: SUN-meggedon … and (if we make it) finally, BEER-Meggeddon. ahhhhhh. We must be prepared… .

.

So, I’m stocking up now.
-=Gs=-

I am reminded how lucky we are to live in such a fantastic area where there is so much going on and so many things to do just about any direction you choose to travel. Fishing and hunting and backpacking, skiing (this year until September) , bike riding, walking along the river, camping at the lake, Riverfront park, all those theatres and concert halls, the Gorge and the malls, Mountain Biking trails and historic little landmarks hidden in the sleepy hollows of the inland Northwest, the farms and the markets, the grasslands and the places like Steptoe where you can just go and feel TOTALLY ALONE if you want to. (See my HOTSPOTS photo pages for a few of these) But it’s even BETTER when you DON’T have travel so far for something so BIG and here it is right at our backdoors.

Especially if gas is going to be $9 a gallon for the foreseeable future. I have bought Big Wheel’s for the entire family (the touring version) and i think this may be the best bet to get ’round town for the daily errands and excursions. So all we ask is if you see us cruisin’, AFTER you’re done laughing for a few minutes, be sure to ask yourself; “wow, what do you suppose Geoff is going to do with all that extra cash they must have???” (right!)

Answer: saving it for the fall when we have to fill our home heating oil tank.

-=Gs=-

But the COOLEST part for me was that we tried a new way to GET to the Gorge this time… we FLEW in a small airplane piloted by AOPA “Project Pilot” mentor Blake McKinnley, and this turned out to be a MAJOR time saver, if not, a lot of fun! Sure there were “air pockets” and the lengthy pre-flight, and then having to have someone (John) come pick up at the airport once they find it (2hrs) and the fact you have to have $200,000 for an airplane and $250 for the Av-Gas and the weather has be just “so” …But STILL.

Pictures from our journey:
http://picasaweb.google.com/geoff945/Flyboy

“It’s $200 in Av-Gas and 1:40 in flyin’ time, or $70 in diesel and 7 hours drivin’ time… what is your time worth?” In the words of our great pilot extrodinaire Blake. Thanks RUSH, and good luck on the rest of the tour, wich left us all wanting more and wiping the “Chicken” from our faces.

More of the RUSH highlights at Fan-site POWERWINDOWS.

-=Gs=-