I also thought what FM Penningtron thought when I had a lucid second to consider Steve's passing - what he had to say about John Grabski III and about how he wanted things to go when his time came. Paraphrased - irons in the fire, appointments made, a session in-progress. Momentum with no signs of slowdown. Perhaps the only thing finished was probably his second or third fluffy coffee of the day.

I can't prove that part, I couldn’t bring myself to look around Studio A when I got in Wednesday morning, but I know he was operating the espresso machine last I saw him on Tuesday afternoon. I was busy, he was busy, we had a quick exchange while filling our mug and glass with tea for me and espresso for him. I was grouchy. He was peppy. A quick water-cooler exchange about how's-your-session. I didn't say "ok well see you later", I just walked off when there was a lull. Me back to my session, he to finish making his drink. At first - after finding out about what happened to him - I thought I was upset because I knew I didn't formally end the conversation with a "well, see you later". I know now I was upset because I didn't get a chance to say "goodbye" or "thanks for everything" or "I'll miss you" or "you know I cared, right?". I don't think it matters what I did or didn't say, it wouldn't have felt like enough.

I'll probably never remember any specific story or joke or annoyance I was trying to convey on any given break on any given Tuesday. I do know sometimes I said something funny enough that we'd riff on it for a minute or he'd let out a laugh that indicated he'd made a mental picture of whatever it was I was describing and found it amusing. In waves, I kept thinking over the last little while about what a delight it was to see what amused Steve, and it's been helpful to share some of that with friends as well over the last few days.

I'll share one:

I had to go to the hardware store later in the day for a part, so I wrote "TOILET HOSE" on a post-it, and tended to some other thing. Steve didn't have his own desk until a few months ago, so he used to just go to an open desk, didn't matter whose, and set up shop for a few hours to do emails or whatever. I came back hours later, no clue he'd dropped by, found my list, and turned it into a riff on bands that might share a bill with newly imagined band TOILET HOSE. The only one I can think of right now that he added was "BONG SUITCASE" but there were a good half-dozen new band names he'd written down on the post-it for me to find. I loved that shit.

There's a lot I want to put here. About what it meant to have him as a boss, a mentor, a friend. Easy guy to work for/with if you're not a dumbass. Would explain the same concept to you six different ways and draw you a picture if you're having trouble understanding a tricky concept or signal chain or whatever.

He got into the "sad five" for a while. You see it, right?
Person 1 says something sad that happened.
Persons 1 and 2 hi-five over it: normal intensity, but also solemn.

Nothing sad really ever happened so it was all theoretical.

Finally, something sad happened, and I thought "let's not let the opportunity go to waste here" and figured he'd commit to the bit. I thought, "let's be assholes for just a minute, and we'll just let the fact that we did something ridiculous take the sting out of my sad thing".

I told him my marriage ended that morning. And, what I wanted was the pick-me-up of him committing to the bit, the stone nuts of sad-fives. Which he did, dutifully. But he didn't laugh. He gave me a hug. He saw I was hurt, and wouldn't let me even pretend to be ok about it. We talked at length about it. His consolation and support were so meaningful to me in that moment.

Early on, as an intern, I’d have to get Steve’s attention for one thing or another (can you sign this thing for Novotny, can I go fetch this dingus from Center Field, whatever). I ultimately found a spot where my presence in the room would be neutral, not a distraction in-take or during a mix. I found that spot in each studio, and before long I just got used to it, and I kept at it because it was an easy place to stand around and wait and be low-key. He revealed a year or so ago that while he couldn’t see me before turning around, he could tell it was me just from where in his peripheral vision I appeared. That somehow felt comforting.

I’ll miss tearing down sessions with him. Sometimes we’d bullshit. Sometimes we’d talk about work in-progress. Sometimes we’d say nothing. Didn’t matter.

I’ve talked with everyone, practically everyone I know, this week about it. Much of what we talked about, including those who felt less close to him, was how hard they were hit with his passing. I’ve been unpacking it, slowly. The consequences of his work, his personality, his presence, his level of care with other people, affected so many of us. Shaped many of our lives. Some in the sense of “these records I liked spoke to me and would have sounded different and felt different, even if slightly, made by someone else.” This is true with me, decades before I ever met the man. Or even knew what he looked like*

*I met him when interviewing for my internship. He was so kind and goofy and succinct that when Chad introduced me, I thought he was some unlisted technician, a second guy named Steve. Maybe it was the way Chad was so casual about it. Maybe it’s because Steve wasn’t too busy to skate over and say hey. I don’t know, but I thought someone that big of a deal couldn’t act like that guy.

… anyway, I don’t have the bandwidth to consider all the ways he was a big deal for people. His music, his way of communicating with musicians in-session, his ability and willingness to actively re-consider the world around him, his work with Heather on LTS every year…

I want to tell every story I can remember about him. I want to make sure I don’t forget any given exchange we had on any given Tuesday. Many will just fall off over time, and that’s some of the sadness for me. You don’t want any one small part of a loved one’s spirit to disappear, to not be available or enjoyed or appreciated for as long as possible. If we’re gonna look at it that way, there’s plenty that he’s done - in print, in others’ music, in his own, in lecture and panel and ASSSSCAT and how-to videos, in basically every podcast that bothered to ask him for time - that will survive.

Time is hard for me to wrap my arms around. But the reality of it is, as long as we have plastic and a planet at under 140 degrees, Steve’s work and legacy will span a LONG time. And we were lucky to share the part of his history where he was here. It’s a gift.

Working for Steve has been an honor. Peeling a few hundred bucks off of him at the poker table was a treat. Listening to him carp about the coils on the goddamned air handler was a chore (though fair). Watching his glee when the Pro Tools rig frustrated one of us made up for the air handler. Being called his friend has been my world.

Steve, I miss you, and I’m grateful for so many ways to be able to remember you.

Your friend,
Jon
JSP-WTF

MoreSpaceEcho wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 5:04 pm The best was one William Wittman, whose resume includes such PRF staples as Cindi Lauper and the Hooters. He really didn't like Steve and never missed a chance to say something negative. Once Steve got on the forum he only ever referred to William as "Hooters guy".

haha I remember Hooters guy. Even 20 years ago his biggest credits (listed in his signature, of course) seemed embarrassingly dated.

Good piece in The Reader featuring a lot of familiar forum and studio faces.

strontiumtom wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 4:47 am Alright everyone.

Another old face popping by to say hello.
Not much I feel I can add right now.

What an absolute cunt of a thing to happen.

Love to you all xx

Tommy!

dontfeartheringo wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 4:10 pm
It's been, fuck I dunno, ten years or more? Every day I wake my daughter up for school and make her breakfast and reach out to the poster than FM Jay Ryan made for the fundraiser and tap it once for luck as I head out the door.

I have that poster hanging in my daughter's room. Every time I look at it I get the warm and fuzzies, and explaining the background of it still chokes me up. Doing so recently confused my daughter a bit when her main questions were just what kind of animals are all of these things supposed to be in the 10,000 Bird Machine prints we have adorning our walls, and when I mentioned that I know Jay, what does he look like (she was surprised he was tall.)

But it ended up being a pretty deep conversation with my 7 year old daughter about adoption, community, making a big difference by doing something small (buying a cool poster). All because 30 years ago, teenage me read about this guy that recorded my favorite album and I became a fan. Wild.

1993 fairly-technical interview with Michael Fremer:
https://trackingangle.com/features/the- ... eve-albini

JSP wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 6:06 pmI had to go to the hardware store later in the day for a part, so I wrote "TOILET HOSE" on a post-it, and tended to some other thing. Steve didn't have his own desk until a few months ago, so he used to just go to an open desk, didn't matter whose, and set up shop for a few hours to do emails or whatever. I came back hours later, no clue he'd dropped by, found my list, and turned it into a riff on bands that might share a bill with newly imagined band TOILET HOSE. The only one I can think of right now that he added was "BONG SUITCASE" but there were a good half-dozen new band names he'd written down on the post-it for me to find. I loved that shit.

Take your time to grieve and heal, but when you feel up to it, consider adding some of them to the "Take my band name" thread.

JSP wrote: Mon May 13, 2024 6:06 pmI want to tell every story I can remember about him. I want to make sure I don’t forget any given exchange we had on any given Tuesday. Many will just fall off over time, and that’s some of the sadness for me. You don’t want any one small part of a loved one’s spirit to disappear, to not be available or enjoyed or appreciated for as long as possible.

By giving us this forum he's created a place where part of that spirit remains, in its literally electrical form.

As much as the reason sucks I'm loving seeing the old faces pop in.

Please stick around, for as long as this is still a thing anyway.

Yeah it's nice to see the old faces and I'm glad to hear Marsup is doing well, some of his posts were amongst the funniest shit I've ever read.

El Protoolio wrote: Sat May 11, 2024 10:32 am FM Dave Grohl dedicated "My Hero" to FM steve the other night. This might seem cheesy and corny and who knows what FM steve would have thought but I think it's sweet and classy and sincere. I guess he has played this and dedicated it to others in the past but who cares? This time it was for FM steve.

[youtube][/youtube]

Damn, that is great. Probably the only Foo Fighters song that I know, and I really like that song. Wonderfully sombre rendition of it.

Stumbled back on this video, some of the only footage I've seen of the Francisco St studio he had in his basement and attic before EA. Also David Sims bass rig, Nash Kato's Orange full stack, and based on the comments the drum kit is Britt Walford's: