Roger, Roll

Additional Promotion

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT

In addition to the video promotion for the album, I've done some other, smaller bits around the campus here at DU. Smallest, of course, are the stickers which were designed by Nick, and simply point people to The Blackwell Gate website.

Another one was a giant poster made up of a grid of 64 8.5"x11" sheets (made with the help of Courtney) which just points people to this website. It's large enough that I was able to hang it up in my window, which faces High street just north of Iliff, and it succeeded in convincing one person to visit the site and become a fan. As a result, I decided it would be worth a try, moving it to someone else's room. The above photo was taken at its current location directly next to the entrance of the building. If you're here because of that, feel free to comment in.

The Blackwell Gate

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 00:00:00 PDT

The Blackwell Gate, our first album, will be up for sale beginning May 1st. You'll be able to pick up the album right here. $10 for the 9-song vinyl edition, or name your own price for the 5-song digital version.

To promote the album, our friend Kevin Bell put together a (mock) documentary about the band and the album, featuring interviews with band members, as well as band manager and spiritual guru Rutherford "Rusty" Coynes. View it below.

While most of the video is fictional, it is true that Patrick Kelly moved to Boston about a week ago. Pamela Gilpatric and Nicholas Cox also dropped out for other (amicable) reasons. They didn't marry, though. But! Don't fret. Courtney Strauss remains on board, and I've invited many others to fill out the new sound which, as the video indicates, is completely danceable. Details on this change will come after the new record has settled a bit!

What'll it Take?

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PDT

The Blackwell Gate has been a long time coming. The first whispers came during a forty-five minute telephone conversation with an excited Patrick Kelly that straddled the border between February 25th and 26th, 2007. A couple days later, he expounded upon, solidified (and unwittingly named) the idea which would eventually become the album.

Afterward, I did some planning with Patrick. Almost exactly one year ago, I holed myself up and began tracking. While mixing, tracking new takes, and otherwise generally editing the album, we formed a band, played some shows, released an EP. It feels like it's been a lot longer than a year. I'm glad the record will finally be out next month. I'm excited.

Reading back over the initial formulation (it's weird, being able to trace the creation of the album through blogs), I realize that there's basically only one thing I want out of this whole experience: I want my album to be in your record collection, on your shelf, or in your iTunes library. I want to know who it slides between when it's organized.

What I don't know is what it's going to take for my record to reside there. How can I get you to throw it up on the shelf and import it to your music collection?

New Website, Album Soon

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PDT

I'd like to introduce you to the new Roger, Roll website: much less a personal blog and much more a central location for all of your Roger, Roll needs. As cross-compatible with different OSs and different browsers as possible, and as Web 2.0 as you can handle. Here's a brief list of features:

1. Centralized music page with discography and free mp3s.
2. Shows list with last.fm integration.
3. Media page with your photos from Flickr and video from YouTube.
4. Plus RSS feeds for news, the blog (or both), and shows.

So, if you've snapped some photos of us at shows, upload them to your Flickr account and tag them as "Roger, Roll." They'll automatically show up right here. The same goes for YouTube videos.

Wait, Did You Say New Album Soon?
Yes! Tonight, we're announcing our debut album, The Blackwell Gate. It will be released in April, and available digitally, or with bonus material on limited edition vinyl. Details can be found on the music page.

Art, Sound

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PDT

As part of the website redesign, I've split news into official "band news" and just my personal blog, which will still remain primarily music related. The main page will default to band news, but there are separate feeds, and a separate section for just the blog. Subscribe and read accordingly.

Tonight, we had to reschedule rehearsal because of a lot of conflicts. Finals for those of us still in school. Meetings for those of us who work. Instead, we've got a 9:00am Sunday practice lined up. In lieu of rehearsal, Courtney and I went to an art studio downtown, for an interesting event. Musicians (duos specifically) were asked to compose pieces to accompany a painting. The painting was projected onto a wall, while the musicians performed in front of it. A couple of her friends, Mark and Quinn, were set to perform.
It was a typical art studio, near Larimer and Downing. The performances were in the back, in what appeared to be a combination office/loading dock. Drinks and some great food were had out front in an office/gallery area. There were some people I recognized. Suzi, from The Psuedo Dates, and possibly the younger of the Dellinger sisters. The crowd, which barely fit into the loading dock area, was mixed. Half-art snob, half-music officianado. Old Apple monitors from the '80s were placed around the concrete floor, and some people sat on them. The rest stood.

We arrived just before the first duo performed. I don't remember much of it. There was a drum kit, and it was mic'd, and looped (echoed?) faintly in the background. I think maybe there was also a bass guitar. Immediately afterward was the second duo. A harp player, and another guy, who played a few different instruments. Courtney and I agreed that it wasn't very balanced. There was a guiding noise track in the background, coming from a 12" PowerBook. It got a little too abstract for me when the harp player started peddling an upturned bike by hand while the gentleman put a ruler through the spokes. The ending was probably the best part. The gentleman was playing a sky-blue, plastic contraption. It had buttons like an accordian, but laid flat on his lap. I wish I knew what it was. Then, intermission. Everyone went outside to smoke.

Mark and Quinn were up next. An interesting assortment of instruments were set up: Vibraphone, glockenspiel, piano, Rhodes, a gong, a tambourine, some kind of eight-stringed instrument (like a mandolin with a long neck), some kind of saxophone, assorted cymbals, and maybe a floor tom. There was a loop pedal on the floor, and it got a lot of use. I was pleased. It started (and ended) with Mark taking a bass bow to the low C on the vibes (bowing up and down the edge). He also bowed the gong, which made a really eerie squeal. Like the other performances, a lot of it was abstract, and chaotic. But there were more moments of clarity in this one than the others. Some interesting piano/vibes duo portions where Quinn kind of freaked out on the piano, but on some really interesting chords--probably jazz-influenced. Both were extremely expressive when they played. Also attentive to detail. Mark moved the tambourine from atop the rhodes (where it rattled) to the seat on a couple of occasions. Both extremely talented. A surprisingly moving set. Inspiring.

Afterward, Courtney and I headed back to campus. There were two more, but she has an early start, heading toward Santa Fe, and I had a paper to write. I don't think I could take myself seriously, composing pieces like those played. I could screw with a loop pedal for hours, but it would just be a bunch of cool sounds. It wouldn't have any meaning to me. The three duos we'd seen were obviously well rehearsed (especially considering how hard it is to work with loop pedals), so they must have put a good deal of thought into it. It was still just very weird and abstract and kind of represented all of the things I hate about art culture in general. A worthwhile evening, nonetheless.

Test Press

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

We opened last night for Grand Archives. We were second on the bill; before us was Three Cheers Faraday. Those guys were awesome. Really solid, tight performance. Great guitar tones. All of us had some pretty pleasant discourse with all of the members at one point or another during the night. Talking about never getting to do the rock moves you plan on stage. Band histories. We both want to set up a show in Boulder in the next couple of months, and we're excited for that.

Grand Archives was also pretty awesome. They played most of their songs pretty much lick-for-lick from the record. Which was a little disappointing. But the record's good, so no complaints. It was enjoyable. Matthew (Till) pointed out to me that all but one of them were wearing western plaid shirts.

Patrick and I talked about how opening for touring bands has been kind of weird. There's just such a disconnect between the touring and local bands. I spoke briefly with some of the members of Colour Revolt. But otherwise, they tend to just finish their set, get off stage, and hit the bar. Perhaps we'll get to see what this is like from the touring band perspective this summer [hint].

As for our performance, I was very disappointed. It was just kind of sloppy, and didn't feel right at all. The sound on stage was awful (way too much bass, way too much of my vocals, couldn't hear the drums at all). Also just a lot of stupid mistakes. Too loose. I think it was just the night. The rehearsal we had last Thursday felt amazing.

In the meantime, we're preparing some new songs for our March 20th show at the Bluebird. I also just got word that a package arrived at my house today. Feels heavy and is about twelve inches square. Very exciting.

Sleepdriving

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 00:00:00 PST

Oh. So I guess we played that acoustic show. And... Everyone agreed that it was weird and that we should never do that again. I mean... It can work. The rehearsals we did with just the three of us at DU sounded really good. But something about that night was just off. We'll work on it.

Three-fifths of the band also participated in and successfully completed February Album Writing Month. You can check out demos for Nick's Dr. Scientist project, Pat's Osharenistas project, and a few possible Roger, Roll demos here:

Roger, Roll Demos
Osharenistas Demos
Dr. Scientist Demos

In other news, we're opening for Grand Archives on Tuesday at the Hi-Dive. I'm really excited about that one, because I've been listening to their album a lot, and it's awfully good.

We're also confirmed to headline a show at the Bluebird Theater on March 20th.

The Best of Months/Worst of Months

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 PST

Last night, we played the Larimer Lounge's "Bands to Know in 2008" show (for which we got a surprise mention in Westword by Tom Murphy). Despite a debilitating bout of flu, I think we rocked it pretty well. It was Courtney's first show with us, and the cello just layers beautifully.

February is always awful for me. It's February Album Writing Month, and I'm attempting two again this year. Additionally, Nicholas and Patrick are working on their own FAWMs. This in addition to school, work, and the usual February sickness.

Even still! We've got tons of shows lined up soon. Tomorrow, some call it Valentine's Day, we're playing the Donnybrook Writing Academy's Broken Heart Valentine's Day soiree with the Kissing Party at the Meadowlark. Next Saturday, we're playing a "Street Medics" benefit at the Roxy (a nice acoustic set with two guitars and cello). March 4th, we're opening for Grand Archives and Three Cheers Faraday. March 20th, we're rumored to be playing at the Bluebird. Exciting times, these!

Is Coming Soon

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

I just got off the phone with our new cellist. She was a little worried about her performance during the tryout on Saturday. How ridiculous of her. Patrick and I were both very impressed. Long story short, please welcome Courtney Strauss to the Roger, Roll natural good time family band solution.

Beforehand, I treated Pat to the Nelson dining hall experience (he'd skipped out on the dorm life during college and went straight to apartment life). He was into the unlimited buffet aspect. Afterward, we headed up to the Newman Center, where we met Courtney, and she took us to one of the virtual practice rooms. These things are incredibly cool in that you can simulate any acoustic setting from completely dead to as live as an empty grain silo. All in just a small little room.

The night before, I'd jotted down some sloppy lead sheets and chord charts for a few songs we'd try out. She was more than capable in reading them. What most impressed me, though, was her ability to chord on the fly. I named off the chords for The Essence of Things (one of the more playful, chordy songs), and she was able to double-stop away at full-tempo right off the bat. Her knowledge of theory is well beyond my own, and she can pick up on melodies and counter melodies without any assistance at all.

She and her cello abilities will prove incredibly valuable, I think. Whereas previously, there was a definite limit on the growth of the band (not necessarily in individual performance, but also just in the fact that there's only so much one can do with two guitars, a bass, and drums), now, I fear there's a problem of a whole new nature. That is to say, I feel I'm simply not a good enough musician/writer to appease the creative needs of our new member. I know I'll grow immensely as a musician, playing with her, but I fear I can't return the favor. Intimidating, to an extent.

Our first rehearsal as a full quintet will be this Thursday. I can't really contain my excitement. Don't forget about our recent release [click here], new pictures from our last show taken by Laurie Scavo [click here], and our upcoming show at the Larimer Lounge [on the shows page].

Gate

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

Tonight's show at the Lion's Lair was probably my favorite. To begin, the Lair is just a really divey bar. Leopard skin curtains. Typical punk rock bathroom. Plus it's on Colfax. The whole shebang. Mike Dellinger, who was kind enough to attend, put it best when he said that dive bars hold a special place in his heart. I can't help but agree. There's something special about that place. I also mentioned to him how he's either getting drunk or getting me drunk in my dreams. To which he replied, "Dreams are your destiny."

When we were loading in, immediately, there was a drunken fight which was broken up and tossed out. Alex Roling, who was also kind enough to attend, commented on how he was afraid of being caught in the crossfire.

I was very satisfied with our set. The last quarter (or so) of it felt a little iffier, but the first half was solid and tight. It gelled. And beyond the performance and good company (and surprisingly good turnout), Sarah (the Lair's booker) was just generally on top of her game and was a pleasure to work with.

We announced the release of "Dodging and Burning, a digital EP, which is a compilation of two previous EPs/demos we've put out on CD-R. You can read details about it on our MySpace, or just go straight to the source.

And finally, this Saturday, Patrick and I will be trying out a cellist for the band. Exciting all around.

Well

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

We played tonight at the Skylark Lounge with Hunter Dragon and The Pseudo Dates. I enjoyed it quite a bit (after the show, while we were helping Nick load his car, we all agreed that it just "felt" good. And then we all subsequently agreed that such a feeling was awfully hippie of us). I was very impressed with the Pseudo Dates, in particular. Pat noted that he hasn't seen a band with that sound in some time in Denver. Sort of a '60s pop/rock feel to it. I swear the guitarist, Nathan, looks like Paul McCartney, but Pat claims an Elliot Smith resemblance.

We played a new one tonight. No New Messages. It's not new, per se, but it's new live. I like how it turned out. The recording lacks guitars entirely (and opts instead for organs and strings), but it works well with washed out guitar and feedback. The rest of the set went well, I think, if not for the technical difficulties I was having with my vocals. Thanks go to Greg (of The Kissing Party) for helping us sort out the sound issues.

Afterward, we spoke with a gentlemen who was taking pictures of the bands during performance (the flash so bright I caught red sparks behind my closed eyelids). Patrick said he's seen him all around, photographing bands of local and national grandeur. He introduced himself as Tom, and that he was glad to have finally seen us. Patrick introduced himself, and Tom mentioned that they'd corresponded before. He also said he knew Erin Barnes (of Donnybrook Writing Academy fame), and worked in the same field. Pat was wracking his brain this whole time trying to figure out where from he'd known this Tom. It wasn't until a minute or so after the conversation that he realized it was Tom Murphy of Westword fame. Sorry, Tom, for not recognizing you initially. Later, we supposed it would be a little strange to introduce himself to everyone as Tom Murphy. But that's just how everyone seems to know him. Real nice, sincere guy.

Next Thursday, we play the Lion's Lair with former Skylark companions Maple Tigers, and Greg and his aforementioned party of kissers.

Black

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 PST

Oh. I guess it's 2008 now. We've got tons of shows coming up. And some pretty exciting things going on. This Thursday, January 17th at the Skylark Lounge, we'll be playing with Hunter Dragon and The Pseudo Dates. The next Thursday, January 24th at the Lion's Lair, we'll be playing with Kissing Party and Maple Tigers. We also have two more shows planned for February and March which are very exciting indeed. Check out the shows page (or our MySpace page) for full details.

Also, we've gone and jumped ahead of ourselves a little bit and sold out to The Man. And by The Man, I mean Brad (who truly is the man). He made a sweet commercial for POM Tea, and our song Knowing Your Place is featured in it. Check it out here.

Dodge / Burn

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

I took a couple hours the other day to update Roger, Roll's presence across the Intarwebs. It's all up-to-date. If you're a member of any of these, please do become a fan/friend/whatever. But don't lie about it.

MySpace
Facebook
iLike + FB App
Purevolume

We've also got a couple of shows coming up. December 6th, we're playing a little one at the Skylark Lounge with Instance of Gazelle and Maple Tigers. Then on December 11th, we're playing with Astrophagus and Colour Revolt at the Larimer Lounge. I'm pretty excited about that one. Colour Revolt is a pretty sweet band on Tiny Evil. They've toured with Manchester Orchestra (who I went to see play with Annuals and The New Frontiers this past Monday). It should be a lot of fun. Unfortunately both of those are 21+. Details on the shows page.

In the meantime, my guitar is in the shop. Getting itself fixed up.

Travel by Train

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 00:00:00 PST

A lot of exciting things, really. We played our show at the Hi-Dive last Sunday. Despite a lot of problems (for all bands), it was a lot of fun. Velella Velella broke down somewhere between Salt Lake City and Denver and were unable to make it to the show at all (really hope their tour continues onward without as much trouble). When we pulled in to sound check, I discovered the tuning peg on my high-E had been snapped clean off, so I had to borrow Lucas (of Action Packed Thrill Ride)'s guitar. On which I broke the low-E string on the first song, necessitating the borrowing of Mark's guitar. (Incidentally, it was the best guitar I've ever played.) APTR had similar problems, involving strings, straps, and the kick-drum mic.

But! It was still a lot of fun, and thanks to everyone who came out to the show, despite it being a Sunday night. There are also some other things to be discussed, which I've gone ahead and enumerated.

1. There's a really awesome little blurb in this week's edition of The Clarion about the show and the band. Which is nice. We're finally amassing some quotes for those confangled Press Kits we're rumored to be working on.

2. Speaking of Press Kits we're rumored to be working on, our friend Nina Barry (and Danny, there for moral support, and serving as the honorary "guy holding that flash thing") took some photos of us at Union Station. They're ridiculously sweet and worth a gander. Check 'em (and Nina's other fantastic work) out at their Flickr page.

3. We'll be releasing two things here within the next few months. One will be a double-EP on Rope Swing Cities, which is meant to precede a more glorious and not-quite-but-still-basically secretive project. Stay tuned!

Any Idea How Little of an Idea

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PDT

Oh. So I guess new posts are in order. Since the last one reflects fairly old news (Larimer Show, which was fun, and FAWM compilation, which will be awesome). Otherwise, the band's all over the place. I'm just getting into the university groove, and Pat's getting ready to graduate after this semester.

Awhile ago, I updated the shows page with a new show. We're playing the Hi-Dive on the 4th with buddies APTR, and Seattle's Velella Velella. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I'm very excited, because I'm a big fan of the Hi-Dive. Check the shows page, or our MySpace for details.

I've also been thinking a lot about music lately. And you know, things under that general umbrella. Thoughts on the "OiNK Sting." Open-source distribution and marketing. The way in which music as an industry and as an art works.

From my admittedly limited, but fairly broad experience as a participant in its rumbling belly, I've come to the conclusion that very few people have any idea what they're doing. I'm in a band, and things are happening to it that I'm in surprisingly little control over. I work at a college radio station, and no one there really knows what they're doing. And record labels obviously don't know that we don't, because they keep wasting money sending us CDs that we just throw into a bin. I'm also a consumer, and even then, I really just don't know.

The problem, I think, is that there's a mass distribution of knowledge. No one knows everything, and no one knows very much. In fact, everyone really only knows as much as they need to know. Bands know how to write music. Producers and engineers know how to record music. Lawyers know how to read contracts. Manufacturers know how to make physical products. Marketers know how to promote. Distributors know how to distribute. Venues know how to put on shows. Listeners know what they like. There are too many players. It's too complicated. There has to be a better way of doing it.

A Difference of 128

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 00:00:00 PDT

There are two bits of information that you might want to become aware of. (Of which you might want to become aware--pardon my prepositions.) The first is something you should already know. We're playing a show this Thursday at the Larimer Lounge at 8:00pm. Free tickets can be had here. We'll be playing a toned-down set of sorts. Just Pat and I. I'll be playing drums. And also guitar and vocals. Sort of like Bob Log III. Except probably fewer women bouncing up and down on my knees as I play the bass drum and hi-hat.

New to you may be the fact that a Roger, Roll song will be featured on the 2008 FAWM Comp. "14 Songs in 28 Days Vol.3." Our song "Into the Pavement with Light" was chosen to be track 3. You can read up about all of that at the official FAWM website.

Here's Some Stuff

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 00:00:00 PDT

First order of business is that we've got a show coming up at the Larimer Lounge. We're excited about this one. Because we get to play with friends Action Packed Thrill Ride. Also on the bill are The Tanukis and The Beebs, so if you're over twenty-one, you ought to check it out. It's Thursday October 11th at 8:00pm. See the shows page for more details

Next on the agenda, is a nice article that Joshua Smith of The Metropolitan wrote about us. He says some pretty awesome things, so do check it out.

And finally, awhile back, I submitted a story to Haiku for You at the behest of Patrick. And they took my story and turned it into a haiku with some nice artwork. So if you've ever wondered what our song Eighty-One would be if it were a haiku, then here's your answer. (Also check out the rest of the haikus they have up. It's a quality project they've got going on, there.)

Pretty Oh So Excited.

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PDT

I'm here at Leela. We're playing here in a few hours. Just waiting on the arrival of fellow bandmates. Should be quite a turnout and quite a show.

We had our last practice last night. Ended on a very good note. One of the best versions of Far Things Feel Near we've done, I'd say. If you ever need any objective evidence that Nick rocks fucking awesomely, the evidence lies in the fact that he broke both a drum stick and a drum head. I broke a guitar string. All of this transpired over the course of All Faculties Intact. Since we were only about half-way through practice, we had to do something about the snare, so we stuck one of those body-less congas over it. It's still got a snare sound, but it's very much treble and crisp. Nick commented that it had a mind of its own. It forced him to speed up and turn our songs into ska songs. Over the course of the last week or so we've accidentally stumbled upon a few nuggets of variation. Including a Gogol Bordello-esque rendition of The Essence of Things. As well as a bossa version. Good times, all around.

I guess I'm feeling pretty nervous about the show, but I really shouldn't. It's going to rock, and it's going to be fun, and I won't remember it at all anyway. Kevin's taking some high-resolution video and Jenny's taking some high-quality photos. It should be a good time. Wish you were here.

You Will Be Safe.

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PDT

We've been pushing real hard for a couple of things lately. Our show this Friday, which is going to be pretty killer, I can already tell. In addition to the possibility of playing the Monolith Festival. So, I'll go ahead and just regurgitate those to you again.

Roger, Roll at Leela This Friday
Come see us play with Kansas City's The Winter Wake Up. Also on the bill is the live debut of indie hip-hopster Dr. Scientist and pop machine Osharenistas. Show is free and all ages.

Roger, Roll at Monolith - Your Help Appreciated
1. If you don't have one already, sign up for an account on bebo.com.

2. Become a fan of the Monolith Festival right here. There's a button that says "become a fan" right below their little image/poster to the left there.

3. Post a comment on their page that promotes Roger, Roll, making sure to include a link to our bebo page (http://www.bebo.com/rogerroll). It doesn't matter what you say. It could be something as simple as "Roger, Roll's real rad and I think they should play at Monolith!" Just make sure to include the link to the Roger, Roll page on Bebo (http://www.bebo.com/rogerroll) at the bottom of your comment.

4. And finally, don't forget to become a fan of Roger, Roll on Bebo! The more fans we have there, the better chance we've got.

Thanks all.

Lunar E.

eric@rogerroll.net (Eric Peterson) — Tue, 28 Aug 2007 00:00:00 PDT

It's 3:58 now. I've been on my roof for the past hour, watching the moon move into the Earth's shadow. It was pretty stellar. Your eyes have a tendency of changing focus Staring at the moon, it's difficult to gauge what percentage has been covered, since the light/dark border appears as though it's receding due to the re-focusing. This was annoying at first, but when it got very near totality, it made it appear as though there were a space capsule re-entering the atmosphere. White-hot plasma on its underside, glowing red all over elsewhere. Now it's a dark-red/gray ball. Without the usual light, there are tons more stars visible. I would almost dare say I could see some of the whisps if the Milky Way. That might just be my imagination and my tired. It probably would have been better were it not for light pollution. And if it hadn't rained just a few hours before (the roof was still wet and unpleasant). I recorded a quick tune while I was up there. It's a variation. On a theme. You've heard a version or two of it before. Maybe you'll hear this one soon.