NELS CLINE TRIO - Alligator Lounge Santa Monica on-stage audio by Dean - 11/15/93

This is the first (and probably best) of several cassettes recorded by "Dean the Taping Machine" in the early 1990s: a full-length set from NCT headlining Nels' "New Music Mondays" at the Alligator Lounge in Santa Monica. Dean's unusual technique involved sitting on the stage and recording through headphones "in reverse" (instead of mics), and is represented (although not precisely correct) in the still image provided by ChatGPT. I believe Dean actually used open-ear headphones and had them taped upside-down to a short mic stand. Aside from being way cheaper than good microphones, the headphones acted essentially as a large-diaphram dynamic mics, and were apparently able to handle the high sound levels without distortion. In fact, I would say Dean's technique produced a highly-detailed, delicate, and most of all, musical sound, that can never be duplicated by mics in the room. Setlist and band members: Space Improv- Coastal Scrub Pants Rumpus Room Bass Solo 2 1/2 Chord Stomp Dark Birthday Beardism Bath Nels Cline - guitar Bob Mair - bass Michael Preussner - drums