A Bad Think, a musical project led by prolific singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and GRAMMY®-nominated artist Michael Marquart, recently held exclusive VIP listening events of the band’s newly released eleventh LP Short Street in immersive Dolby Atmos® playback in Nashville and Los Angeles. The Nashville event took place on Wednesday, August 23, at Blackbird Studio in the city’s Berry Hill neighborhood (a hub for musicians the studio pros). The Los Angeles event took place less than a week later, on Monday, August 28, at Apogee Studio, located in the heart of Santa Monica. The sessions, which showcased the album’s sonic beauty via its beautifully rendered Dolby Atmos immersive mix, as well as in Stereo, were attended by a who’s-who of the Nashville and Los Angeles recording communities.
Aside from Marquart, the guests of honor at both events were multi-GRAMMY-winning producer/engineer Dave Way (Fiona Apple, Echo In The Canyon, Michael Jackson, Macy Gray), who co-produced the album with Marquart; and multi-platinum award-winning mix engineer Bob Clearmountain (Bruce Springsteen, Bryan Adams, David Bowie, The Cure, INXS), who expertly mixed the album’s sonic textures and intricately layered instrumentation in stereo and Dolby Atmos. This trio previously collaborated on A Bad Think’s 2019 release The Savior (which garnered a GRAMMY nomination for Best Immersive Album), as well as its follow-ups.In attendance at the Nashville event were the following acclaimed producers, engineers, and/or audio educators: Ben Fowler, Chuck Ainlay, Brian Foraker, F. Reid Shippen, George Massenburg, Jeff Balding, Jim Kaiser, John McBride, Michael Janas, Russ Long, Steve O’Brien, Vance Powell, and several others.
Los Angeles saw an equally impressive guest list: Rafa Sardina, Kim Bullard, Dean Parks, Lenise Bent, Larry Klein, Matthew Wilder, Paula Salvatore, Ralph Sutton, Gregg Field, Herb Trawick, Michael Frondelli, Dave Schiffman, Dillon O’Brian, Nathaniel Kunkel, Eric Bettelli, Phil Wagner, Becki Barabas, JD Andrew, Barry Rudolph, Geoff Pearlman and more. At both events, the evening kicked off with co-producer/engineer Dave Way welcoming the crowd and thanking Michael Marquart and Bob Clearmountain for their work on the album. Marquart then took the mic and thanked Dave, Bob and everyone in attendance. Clearmountain added how Michael’s music really lends itself to the Atmos format and how much he has enjoyed working with Way and Marquart on the last four projects. Guests were treated to a wide selection of hors d’oeuvres and drinks, and as the evening progressed, small groups of attendees took turns going into the control rooms to listen to A Bad Think’s Short Street in Dolby Atmos, while others spent time in the tracking room/event space catching up with friends and associates whom they have not seen in months due to the pandemic.
At the Apogee Studio event in L.A., Dave Way began the evening by thanking Betty and Bob Clearmountain for the use of their studio, which was the followed by a live musical performance by Marquart, accompanied by Kirk Hellie on guitars and Dan Rothchild on bass, featuring three songs from the album: “Diamond In The Sky,” “Sophie’s Choice” and “Pages Of The Past.” Attendees were then invited by Clearmountain into the control room for the Atmos playback. At Blackbird Studio in Nashville, guests were able to hear the stereo mix in the control room of Studio D, while the Atmos mix was played back in the 9.1.6 reference room (Studio C), which was originally designed by multiple GRAMMY and TEC Award-winner, producer, engineer and inventor George Massenburg (in attendance that night) and Dr. Peter D'Antonio, founder of RPG Diffusor Systems, Inc.
At both events, both Clearmountain and Way joined Marquart in the control room, playing through the entirety of Short Street to rave reviews and the accolades from the attendees.“I’m so happy that our attendees in both Nashville and L.A. got to hear and experience Short Street in a true Atmos environment,” stated Michael Marquart. “Listening on a great pair of headphones or speakers to the stereo version is not bad either (he laughs), but to be able to sit in that sweet spot and experience my music mixed exactly the way Bob intended it to be heard, is just breathtaking. I thank Bob, Dave and all the musicians on this record for helping to make my vision of Short Street a reality.”
More about Short Street:
Inspired by Marquart’s childhood in a small town in Wisconsin, the album weaves together a tapestry of introspection, vulnerability, and the resilience of the human spirit. With 12 beautiful tracks, Marquart’s poetic lyrics evoke a sense of longing, reminding us that even in the darkest of times, there is a glimmer of hope that can guide us through. Short Streetwas mastered in stereo by multi-GRAMMY winner Bob Ludwig (Led Zeppelin, Queen, Jimi Hendrix), and mastered for immersive Dolby Atmos by GRAMMY winner Emily Lazar and GRAMMY nominated Chris Allgood at The Lodge.
The album is now available for high-resolution stereo streaming on all major platforms; find the lossless Dolby Atmos download on ImmersiveAudioAlbum.com. Additionally, a video for the album’s single “Hammer and the Plow” is now available – view it at https://youtu.be/BAl7jEbgxeI. To learn more about A Bad Think and their album Short Street, please visit abadthink.com, Vevo/YouTube or check out @abadthink on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.
About A Bad Think:
A Bad Think is a musical project led by prolific singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Michael Marquart, creating deeply introspective and emotionally charged experimental rock music. Marquart has an illustrious musical background, having collaborated with industry giants and garnering particular acclaim for the surround sound album The Savior, which garnered a 2020 GRAMMY nomination for Best Immersive Audio Album. His unwavering commitment to his craft has resulted in his latest album, Short Street, a beautifully personal record that pushes the boundaries of technology with the Dolby Atmos format.
Photo (L-R)): Leading members of the audio community gathered at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, TN on August 23, 2023, for an exclusive Dolby Atmos®listening event of the artist A Bad Think’s latest LP Short Street. Shown L-R are John McBride (Blackbird Studio owner/founder) Michael Marquart (A Bad Think/producer/engineer), Dave Way (producer/engineer) and Bob Clearmountain (mixer). Photo by Angela Talley/Red Studio. © 2023 |
