amp project film blog (from now on "flog") entry #1

Industrial folk

A few nights ago we wandered in to a speakeasy that our friend Greggory Stockert told us about. We'll leave the name out so it can keep its word of mouth stature. Nevertheless, we witnessed some amazing performances and we knew we had to set up a session with them.
One of those musicians was Dusty Santanmaria who asked us to set up in a great open building down in the industrial area.
We arrived and set up while the man who owned the place, Dylan Lee Johnston warmed the room with his music. As the night went on we started drawing the attention of more and more great musicians. Also on the list was the haunting Tasche De La Rocha, Jesse Nelson, and Galen Ballinger. Dylan's space was wonderful but the sound really came out in to the large open space that we moved in to later. We recorded late in to the night, well...morning, with the aid of the sound of that room and a couple bottles of red wine. Once we finally cut, Dylan's space opened up again for an incredibly spooky impromptu jam session. A very late but also very successful evening for the ampp team. Kipper out dy

David coffin

<p>Amp has been very blessed with fantastic musicians to record over these past few weeks. We have done sessions in warehouses, kitchens, dining rooms, and at parties. And during our time out, one name has been brought up by multiple musicians. That name is David coffin.</p>
<p>Well after a few weeks of phone calls to his friends we got the elusive David Coffin. This man has refused to be on tape for over 40 years. We don't blame him. Sometimes the steril environment of a studio can be very counterproductive to the musical process.

Here is where we come in. Our ability to bring a studio to the musician, in an environment that they are comfortable with, is the reason why Mr. Coffin agreed to record with us.

On a side note, a puppet theater across the street was doing face paintings.
Baddacat out.

The journey has begun!

We have left our home in the rogue valley and started our journey. It has been a bit of a rough start. We have been faced with car problems, and a total complete computer failure. But here at amp, we see problems like these, as priceless footage for our documentary. So after we fixed our car on the side of the highway, and spent a day building a brand new computer, we got out and started recording. We have had the pleasure of recording a few great musicians already. Our system is working well and the sessions are sounding great. We are in the process of editing some footage, as well as updating our website. So keep checking in, because the show has just begun. Baddacat out.

The Logo that changed everything.

Yesterday the AMPP team hand painted a logo on our trailer. Everyone we talked to said, "you should go out and pay to have someone cut it out of vinyl." 

Now what is the fun in that?

Here at AMPP we are all about doing things the hard way and let me tell you everything from drawing the rough outline to applying the pigment is hard when corrugated aluminum is your canvas.

  

Luckily we were able to talk Hilary Clare Swain into driving down from Portland to help us. Hilary is extremely skilled. She is a educated interior architect, industrial designer, and artist. 

Once we had the outline drawn, and we were confident the placement was worth making it permanent, we started. Scott, a bit against his will, even helped apply the oil. (I think Hilary, and her stone hand, scared  him..... it scared me and I think I'm awesome at large format painting.)

We painted through the day until it got to 100 degrees, then we walked down to the river and toyed with the idea of getting in. 

There is something about the Rogue River that makes you rethink your judgement of the ambient temperature. It feels like a brain freeze, only in the very marrow of your bones.  

Thank you Hilary for lending us one of your many talents. We couldn't have pulled off that little URL font without you. You are a truly amazing individual. 

All I have left to do on it is add a few more details and go over the drawing with a sharp ink line. That helps to tighten up the overall look.

When I am done I think people are going to ask me, "Where did you get vinyl this big cut?" 

Yes. 

Joshua

THE TRAILER

Here is a picture of our trailer.

Yesterday we installed wood floors in it.

They look wonderful.

We are going to build the console table tomorrow.

We will begin installing our equipment this week.

The AMPP trailer will be streaming sound within days.

Rock and Roll.

Guess what we got? (hint: it has eight wheels and is 48 feet long)

WE HAVE DONE IT!!!!

Yes that is right...... WE HAVE DONE IT!!!!!!

Scott, Jessica, and I have been absent for a little while.
Where did they go?
Well that is a good question reader and the answer is EVERYWHERE.

The drama began 4 weeks ago. As you might have seen in our movies, we got a trailer from Jim B. of B and S construction. We thought it would do, and you couldn't beat the price (free! thank you Jim).
We worked day after day on Big Jodi (our nickname for the trailer), trying to desperately to breathe life back into her old messy molded bones. For a while we thought she was going to work, then we found the big D.R.(That's short for Dry Rot, which is long for the Devil).

I think it was Scott who intentionally pushed the index finger of his left hand through the front of the trailer (Wall, studs, insulation, and all.) Following the AMPP rule book that clearly states "do not go on a 10,000 mile trip with a trailer you can put your index finger through", we admitted temporary defeat and parked Big Jodi up by the road, with a sad sad sign that read plainly 'FREE'. (On a side note, Big Jodi is now the house of a guy named Clark. She was tired and ready for sleep. She will meet the end of her days in a trailer park many moons from now. Clark said he is going to strengthen the walls with a few tube of silicone. Way to go Clark!)

We started our search for a replacement to Big Jodi in Southern Oregon. We soon found that our little valley didn't hold a trailer worthy of the AMP project (to be honest there were trailers worthy, but not any under the price of 10,000 dollars).

We spread our wings and search out to Redding through Eugene....... no go.

We looked wider, Salem to Chico........ Nope.

Seattle to San Francisco?..... Sorry AMPP.

We began to contemplate defeat. Days passed and nothing. Weeks began to grow, all the while we held hands in circles and prayed for a break in the storm.... then it happened.

BOOM!!!!!!

You could hear the posting of a 1977 Terry dual axle travel trailer (original owner) far and wide,  like a binary gun shot in the silence of cyber space. We, with the help of Jeanna who spotted it, called 2 hours after it posted, but  the voice mail was already full. Everyone knew it was rad, and everyone wanted it. I called again, and again, and again. 32 times in total the first night. No answer.

We saw it was posted from a small town in washington. We woke the next day and drove to the town, arriving at 6:30 in the morning. During entire drive my mind was filled with the garage sale mentality. Early bird buys everything for a nickel. We drove through the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of the rarest of trailers.... the Terry..... the white whale of the road. Nothing.

I called again at 7:00 am. Mailbox full, no answer. I knew someone had already bought it.

That is when I decided that enough was enough. This wasn't a trailer for me to look cool in at the lake. This trailer was for America. Thats when I started calling...... only for reals this time. Ring,ring,ring "I'm sorry the Voice Mail of xxx-xxxx is currently full, click. Ring, ring, ring 'I'm sorry the', click. Ring, ring, ring, RING, RING, RING, RING!!!!!"

I can't, with total accuracy tell you how many times I dialed that number, in a row, but I can with confidence tell you that I have never, in my life called the same number so many times.

Some where around my 30-50th call the impossible happened. Instead of the regular answer machine voice I heard what sounded like a cough....My heart sank... oh no, I have just made this guy really angry. After all it is 7:38 in the morning on a saturday.

"Hello?"
"WHAT IS IT YOU WANT?"
"I'm calling about the trailer on Craig's List.... do you still have it?"
"yes I still have it."
"I want your trailer. Can I come buy it?"
"....(pause)......I have someone coming to look at it. If you get here first you can have it. Where are you at right now?"
"I'm in washington"
"Bummer man, I'm in Salem Oregon"

Sear terror raced up my spine like pumping antifreeze through my marrow.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!... Did I mention this trailer isn't for us.... It is for America? America needs this man. Are you a patriot?"
"Yes."
"Then you owe it, as your civic duty, to sell us that trailer and not the guy who is coming to see it."
"...(pause).....O.K. see you in a second"

and that was how it happened. Just like that. That is how we got adopted Little Jackie to our Family.

When I got there the guy said he held it for me because I called so many times. He said anyone who would call 70 times in under 24 hours obviously wanted it the most.

To be honest....I had no faith that my whole battle dialing approach was going to work.... but the world works in mysterious ways.

Thank you world...or whoever pulled those strings for us. Without that we would have been..... well lets not talk about that.

Joshua