The Great Molini

Gareth’s Gold

I spent my junior year at Trinity College in Dublin in 1993.Â Thanks to Facebook, I’ve been back in touch with several of my Dublin friends including Gareth Dunlop. Last week Gareth notified me:

Hey, Jason, I was recently clearing out some old cassettes and I stumbled across a 35 minute recording of you, a guitar, some songs on an old SONY Walkman professional from my flat in Dublin in 1993! It’s a great trip down memory lane.

I was so pleasantly surprised. And upon listening back I heard again many songs that I had since lost. What gold! Thank you so much Gareth!!!

Here is the mp3 Gareth recorded at his flat on Capel St., Dublin, when I was 21.
jason-molin-dublin-1993.mp3

Waiting for Water to Boil
Billy, Tonight
Black and White
Might As Well Stay
To the One
Lady Across the Way
Mr. Mystery
Without Love
I Believe
World Without End
River Run
By Name
Sunday Morn (alt. version)
Ray’s Song

I didn’t take my guitar to Ireland, because it had been taking too much time away from my studies. But instead of weekly test and papers, Trinity had only lectures and one paper at the end of the semester. Well, I lived alone, and within a few weeks I’d bought a used classical guitar and was spending more time than ever writing songs.

I sang in the Anglican choir, and hung out with some great folks I met through church. There was a particularly youthful pastor everyone called Stocki who always combined his love for the bible with attention to spiritual songwriting like that of U2. He hosted many young musicians every change he got and gave me a venue for sharing my songs.

Concert By Waller Creek – Spring 2010

This was a magical gig. We played a lunchtime gig in a gorgeous, secluded little amphitheater on UT’s campus, tucked away behind the Texas-Exes building, on Waller Creek. Big thanks to the Exes for use of the theatre and parking.

The sun came out after a gray morning. A great group of players assembled: Chris Vestre on guitar, Gray Parsons on drums, Oliver Steck on trumpet, Thomas VanDerBrook on Sax, LIndsay Green on bass, and Derek Morris on keys. We jammed a set of beach songs that we’ll soon record as Fok Dub.

A senior group, who I had given presentations to (about social media and Facebook) were having a luncheon just inside and filled the terrace for cocktails, blew bubbles and cheered me on.

When I watch the Flip cam I set up to record us, I see that the battery started to wear down at the end, just as we start our dub instrumental, so that it starts randomly dropping frames and creating this super cool, perfectly appropriate strobe effect. It’s pretty trippy in full-screen mode.

KLRU’s bonita Sarita brought her camera to film (above) and Austin made it (from an interview) in time to capture the scene (below). Thanks to both.

Great, wonderful gig. Thanks to all who helped put it on, came out, contributed, captured and enjoyed. There are more photos at flickr.

We played some instrumental exit music for our closing number. The video camera was dying so it started skipping frames (about a min in) which created the coolest video effect I never meant to do!