electricity for performers in the square

[chillguru.livejournal.com]

my band is thinking about coming down into the square to play in the plaza in front of JP licks tomorrow evening. conveniently, Somerville doesn't require performance permits, but we are a bit concerned about power. i know i've seen people with amps down there, and i've seen there are power outlets on the the trees, so i'm guessing this is where we could plug in the things that need power. does anyone have any experience with this or know who to contact to make sure we don't blow a fuse for the whole block or something? :)

Comments

[heliograph.livejournal.com]

You could try calling the city: 311 on your Somerville phone.

[gib.livejournal.com]

i don't know anything about the public electricity at the park in front of JP licks, but ...

if you only have a cell phone, the alternative to 311 is 617-666-3311.

i'm interested in what you ultimately discover. good luck.

[xuth.livejournal.com]

I don't think I've ever seen anybody plug in to the lights for performances. The standard way of getting power for your amps and the like is to use a marine/deep cycle battery plus a power inverter and plug into that. Since the battery and connections don't look all that pretty and is a pain to carry around, most performers hide this in a toolbox. An inverter plus battery enough to run a smallish amp or two the better part of the day can be had for just under $100 and you should be able to get both at any decent auto parts store though it'll probably cost a bit more there. I don't know what type of wattage your amps need but I would guess a 75 amp hour battery and a 300 or 400 watt inverter should be adequate for an amp and incidentals. There is at least one or two members of ENSMB who probably even have at least the inverter. There are some members of the "circus" troupe you performed with on April 29 who I know to have such things (along with at least one damn near silent generator that will provide more than adequate power for your several amps) (specifically the couple who did the aerial silks). I don't know LJ names for most of these people hence I'm being somewhat circuitous in identifying them here.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

Just be careful... Last year, at Art Beat, the poor Ramoniacs blew out their power source in the first 5 minutes of performing, and they had gotten a special hookup and everything the city could offer them. Granted, they were down by Diva, but still, it's definitely something to be wary of.

Could you do an unplugged set? =)

[ron_newman]

Someone at the Somerville Arts Council might know. Try giving them a call today.

[ceo]

Said couple are klingonlandlady and frobzwiththingz.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

311 also magically works on T-mobile phones if you're in Somerville. Not sure how it knows, and I haven't tried testing exactly what happens when I'm right on the border.

[mattdm.livejournal.com]

(I assume it's triangulating offa the towers you're accessing.)

[turil.livejournal.com]

There are often plugs inside the light poles. You might need permission to use them, though.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I'd like to request a hard rock rendition of any genesis song.

[kelmit.livejournal.com]

hey! I just walked right by your band and really enjoyed it! Wish I could have stopped to listen longer... when can I catch you next?

[chillguru.livejournal.com]

that was indeed us! i'm glad you enjoyed it. you can check out our myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/ensmb) for future gig info, and if you send me your email i can put it on our mailing list. just send it to me username at LJ.

we really had a good time, so you can definitely expect to see us out there again! :)