Folk Musician Greg Brown - A Prairie Home Companion

By TOM BOWSER

I mixed live sound for folk musician Greg Brown during his sold out performance at the University of Wisconsin's "Music Hall" back in the later 1980's. I'd never heard of him before. I've not forgotten him since that show. You never know where life will take you.

Greg Brown was a recurring performer on the weekly, nationally broadcast, radio variety show A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor.

At the time Greg was recording for the independent record label Red House Records in St. Paul, Minnesota.

I hope Greg Brown's song The Iowa Waltz brings you PEACE and JOY in the new year. Listen Below

Members of the band:

• Greg Brown - vocals, guitar
• Dave Hansen - bass
• Dave Moore - harmonica
• Al Murphy - fiddle
• Mike Watts - drums
• John Welstead - drums
• David Williams - banjo, guitar, mandolin

No One Does Funky Like The Ohio Players

By TOM BOWSER

Start with a base of signature vocals. Add a tight funky rhythm and horn section! Sprinkle in a little period wah-wah pedal to taste. A pinch of early string and other synth sounds. Top it all off with interesting arranging, recording and mixing. No one does funky like the Ohio Players.

PINK FLOYD - Live Sound In The 70s

By TOM BOWSER

A couple of high school friends and I went to see the 1977 PINK FLOYD Animals/In The Flesh concert at Milwaukee County Stadium in Wisconsin. Our friend Jim McNamara scored us "Field Passes". We sat on the grass about 150 feet in front of the sound systems front of house mix position. What I experienced that night is one of the reasons I got involved in audio production (Thanks Jim!).

Years later I was fortunate to work as part of the crew to setup Pink Floyd on 2 different tours, A Momentary Lapse of Reason, May 20, 1988, and The Division Bell, July 3, 1994 when they played Camp Randall Stadium in Madison Wisconsin.

Hard core Pink Floyd fans & tech heads may enjoy this look inside the technology behind Pink Floyds concert sound in those early years.