Subject: Re: Subject: [Harp-L] Re: Loud extreme amps/ Subject Re: Jason Ricc

[EGS1217@xxxxxxx]

fjm responds to my post about not finding JR&NB's sound levels  painful:
 
"Time to drag out that old saw and say that the denial isn't just a  river 
in Egypt.  The several times I've seen JR&NB the house  volume was far in 
excess of 110 dB and anything post 85 dB sustained  damages your hearing. 
As bands go I've seen louder but I've  also seen a whole lot quieter. 
I'm glad your love of the artist has  somehow granted you a form of 
special dispensation.  Me a mere  mortal, I'm sticking with my abstemious 
behaviours and 25 dB cut  custom earplugs.  Of course I wear hearing 
protection to the  movies.  Gillian Welch and David Rawlings didn't 
require any  hearing protection to listen to 2 out of the 3 times I've 
seen them  live.  The 3rd time I saw them at Chastain Amphitheatre which 
is  a large venue and they were right at the edge.  Whether we know it or  
not we ALL have sensitive ears.  It's just a matter of time and  
exposure.  fjm"
 
Perhaps you're talking about a convention where I don't find the  acoustics 
in any way satisfactory either?  Not sure if it was on this  list..but Smo-Joe 
addressed that not so long ago...talking about the type  of wall panels that 
seem to be a major part of the problem in these  hotels.
 
Have YOU ever seen JR play at one of his local gigs/shows?   That's what I 
was talking about.
 
So.....call it what you will, but I've attended most  of JR&NB shows in my 
neck of the woods with my spouse who's not  at all a fan of "loud" OR Harmonica 
music...and he doesn't find it the  least bit painful to listen to either.  
Contrarily...at 2005 SPAH, I  was forced to leave the Ballroom....(sitting 2/3 
of the way back) when one  band in particular (not New Blood) took over the 
stage because their  decibel level was much too high and "clangy" for my ears, 
and I  thought I might actually be physically ill.  I did have an  incipient 
migraine...so I've no doubt that played into it as well.
 
 Perhaps it really is all in one's perception?  
 
Also, perhaps if one expects "loud" and/or has some disdain  towards a 
particular sound or band...one will hear 'loud"?   At  one of the Jazz jams at Spah 
2006, I witnessed someone clapping hands over  ears and actually running from 
the room the moment Chris  Michalek began playing his diatonic, when no one 
else reacted that way at  all.  Everyone before him had been playing chromatics, 
so was it  purely because he was playing a diatonic?  I've no idea, and won't 
 speculate. Not my call.
 
I wouldn't have written what I did if I believed my feelings for  Jason 
played into this, especially after almost losing my hearing several  years ago.  
I'd certainly be the first one buying ear plugs for his  gigs if I felt my 
hearing was remotely at risk.  The fact that I  can still hear the tiniest sound 
anywhere, anytime at my age kind of  proves my point...to me anyway.  I 
certainly don't claim to speak for  everyone, but I've had this very conversation  
with several people who all tend to agree about JR's  shows.
 
   To each his/her own...but do me a favor and kindly don't  place labels of 
"denial" where they don't fit.
 
Elizabeth