My Influences:
Wags Macklin
Bass (Washtub), Strange Ad Writer, so much more
I moved to Austin in late 1999 with the hopes of meeting new musicianers and learning more about my craft. As it turns out, there were others looking about for new musicianers, as well.
In the back of The Chronicle, under Musician References, read and ad that started exactly like this: "Bass: (washtub) ..." The ad went on to ask for any parties interested in old-timey and jug-band music to reply.
Whoever would run such an ad must be worth at least a phone conversation!
As it turns out, the conversation led to a wonderful friendship with a very interesting musicianer and cosmopolitan adventurer.
Wags Macklin hails from parts-unknown-to-me. I know just a little about his history. He was a cliff diver of some renown at some point, a famous bare-knuckle boxer from 1860 through 1871, a sponge-maker and tester in the late 1960s and early 1970s and, of course, the reason he and I met and the most interesting part of his story: he spent a great deal of time in Japan, in a hidden fortress, studying the martial art of wash-tub (sentakudarairyu) (I'm not sure of the dates on that one - he is very guarded about the secrets of the art and the training period he experienced.)
Wags has been seen about town in many different bands - he is a highly sought-after wash-tub bassist, a string bassist and a saxomaphonist (not to mention a number of other instruments upon which he can and does wail.)
You'd be wise to catch him in action. Wags has given me great hope and continues to give me great smiles! He will surely do the same for you!
All my best old man! I thank you for the music and amazing thing you spawned by your clever use of bold-faced print and parentheses! You are a king among men!
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"All men having power ought to be mistrusted."
~James Madison
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