Megan here, reporting live from the Franktuary kitchen.

This weekend, 2/3 of Team Pittsburgh will head out to New Jersey to learn some new songs and program the newest addition to our gear family, a Roland SH-201 synthesizer, which will replace the Roland Jupiter 6 for live performance. (The other third of Team Pittsburgh will remain in town chillin’ with Baby Jack, the newest addition to our people family, who is just hitting double digits of days old.) The new synth weighs something like 6 pounds - the same as Jack! - and can actually be lifted by my own small self. It also has motion control capacity in a gadget called The D Beam. Wave your hand over The D Beam, and you are manipulating volume and frequency. Or at least space and time. Actually, I’m not really sure how it works. Such modern day wizardry!

Mostly I am excited to no longer travel with the Jupe, a piece of analog synth history that has long desired retirement to the safe haven of a recording studio. Now I will be able to load my own gear, and add even more spastic arm and hand movements to our live show. And soon, Steve will build me a giant keyboard that I play with both feet, sort of like Tom Hanks in that movie I wasn’t allowed to watch as a child.

Speaking of our live show, don’t forget that Good Night, States is playing at the Thunderbird with two great bands, Middle Distance Runner and Eulogies, next weekend: Friday, March 27, 9 pm. The Thunderbird has consistently provided us with a great sound experience, the stage is just the right amount of small without being cramped, and the beer selection is pretty great. Arrive early and you can sit in the balcony and throw things at us!