Difference between revisions of "The Stick"

Revision as of 12:31, 28 September 2008

John Flansburgh holding The Stick during a performance of "Lie Still, Little Bottle."

The Stick is a tall, thick, cylindrical wooden pole with an omni-directional microphone duct-taped just above the bottom. Dimensions of The Stick are roughly six feet tall with a six inch diameter. Thumping The Stick on any solid surface would make a deep bass sound. Using a small amount of reverb, The Stick produced a resulting sound akin to a very deep bass drum, similar to the one used by marching bands.

The sound of The Stick is very similar in tone to the deep bass drum played at the beginning of "Put Your Hand Inside The Puppet Head," though that sound is almost certainly made by a drum machine pitched down.

The Stick is referenced in Gigantic (A Tale of Two Johns), where early fans relate how The Stick was an infamous part of the bands shows at Darinka circa 1987.

It is uncertain if The Stick is used in any studio recordings. It has appeared in concert as recently as TMBG's 2008 tour, and is often carried in the tour equipment truck even on tours when it does not make any on-stage appearances. It is worth noting that the later stick used may not be the exact same stick as the one that appeared in the Darinka shows, but the appearance is very similar.

This instrument is not to be confused with the Chapman Stick.