Dining, dancing, romancing—I'm told all of these were quite popular while I was slaving away at a hot audio console during the '80s.

Not that there wasn't fun to be had. A typical audio apprenticeship making dubs and editing commercial spots led to a stint assisting Rolling Stones producer and noted maniac Andrew Loog Oldham on a 13-disk early-60s pop rerelease project (Chubby Checker, Bobby Rydell, ? and the Mysterians, etc.). Then off to Burlington, VT, where I produced a 6-song EP for Pinhead, "Vermont's Premiere New Wave Band." (And perhaps not the first group denied success by an inopportune name.)

I began live sound mixing for They Might Be Giants in 1983. In addition to producing and engineering most of the audio material for their stage show, which consisted of the two Johns playing along to their own prerecorded rhythm tracks, I produced their first two albums and three EPs.

I produced the album "One" for The Ordinaires, and mixed "Love You 'Til I Don't" for Otis Ball. The Jickets, fronted by the inimitable Chett Grant, graciously allowed me to work with them both in the studio and as live sound engineer.

In my copious free time I found freelance work doing both live and studio engineering around New York City. Venues included the Knitting Factory, the Pyramid Club, CBGB and others.