BWSC at the East Side

We've had a few gigs at Sweet Harmony that were good but nothing really worth writing about.  Last night we played at the East Side Restaurant for the Poulin Grain Christmas party.  The gig started weird, with people still eating, and just kind of looking at us.  About halfway through the first set they got up and started dancing and it turned out to be a great night.  I usually like the sound at the East Side, but the room was SO LOUD before we even started.  Our sound was like soup to me by the end of the night.

I used an ipad instead of a music stand.  It's less bulky and easy to see, but it took me quite a while to get the pdf to look the way I wanted it to look.

SET ONE
Take a little ride - John challenged us to play this one quietly.  We sort of did, but this is where people started dancing.  Then we just got into it.
Watermelon Crawl - Andre forgot the beginning, and gave us a slow countoff.
Little less talk -
Cocaine Blues - Great response to this tune
How I got to be this way- I think I sang it ok, but there was something weird with the chords.  I'd be fine with letting this song go... People told me after that I sang well but was hard to hear
Good hearted woman -- We started the set here, since it's a nice way to ease an eating crowd into the music.  After We Went we started back over with Take a Little Ride.
Born on a Bayou -
Sunshine and Whiskey
Dust on the Bottle
Radio
God bless Texas
We Went

SET TWO

Copperhead Road - Played this with the first set.  I was surprised how many people sang along.

Boot Scootin' Boogie - people sang along with this one too.

Honky Tonk Stomp

Can't You See - 

Drink in my hand - 

Something about a truck was replaced with Fix a Drink - People didn't get into this tune.  Hopefully they will eventually.

Move it on over (E) -

Tulsa Time - 

Friday night -

That's alright momma - 

Dumas Walker - Skipped this one

Six Days on the Road - Hadn't played in a long time but did fine.

SET THREE

Neon light - Included in the second set.  People seemed to like it.

Cruise - Again, lots of people singing along

achy breaky heart - We might have ended the second set with this tune

Aw naw - 

Country Girl - Started a bit before I was ready because I was thinking we were on the next song.  For some reason I played my fill in the second verse starting on a D.  Fixed it quickly, but it's the 2nd time that's happened.  And it keeps "disappearing."

Folsom Prison - 

Blue ain't your color -

Hog Wild - Played on fretless.  I think I could change the fill to fit the instrument better

Wagon Wheel - 

My kind of night -

Some kind of Wonderful - Well-received, and when we switched right into HTW they loved it

Honky Tonk Woman - 

SET FOUR

Save a horse - 

Homegrown Honey - I'm wondering if we should let this song go

*Head over Boots - I think we skipped this one.  

Ain't my fault - 

Big Green Tractor - Something really strange happened after/during the first chorus, and then going into the bridge

5-1-5-0 - 

Born to boogie

Dirt on my boots -

Honky Tonk Be-donk-e-donk -  skipped

Family tradition - skipped

Redneck Life - I was surprised when we still played this new song, since it was so late in the evening to play a new song.  However, it went over great and I think I sang it pretty well.  I played all quarter notes instead of eighths.  There's no way I could have kept the tempo by that time of night.

Boys 'round here - Stu almost went right into this.  It was a great way to do it.  I still switched to fretless, since there's a long time before I play.

We added Sweet Home Alabama somewhere, and ended with Roller Derby Queen.  I think those were both requests.  In the middle of a song someone asked me if we could play a slow song and then left before we even had the chance to play it.

Jazz Band at the Celebration of Community

The jazz band played at the NCUHS Celebration of Community tonight.  Three students were late, so we could not start on time, which was very frustrating.  It was VERY hot in the student lounge - we should have set up outside!  Our bass player was gone to a funeral so I had to play bass.  Oh darn,  I had to play!  Very proud of these students for performing so early in the year.

1. Blue Warmup - Bluesstart - I felt better when we finished this one. They sounded really good, and Mr. Wing helped lighten the mood.
2. Blue Train - Jack played flute. Joe took a solo.
3. Manteca - Jack soloed on flute. Well done piece.
4. Tomorrow is Always a good Day - Joe was featured on this.
5. Buckjump - This was a tune from last year. Students new this year picked it up quickly. I got to tune down to D.
6. Starboy - Carlo came over and played drums for us. AS he was saying "I don't know what to play" I counted it off. He did fine. It's actually a pep band piece.
7. Work Song - Joe played flute. Don't recall who soloed.
8. Sing - Another pep band tune. Carlo played drums again.
9. Mercy Mercy Mercy - We've adjusted this so it's more hard bop and less over-the-top Buddy Rich big band style. Tori soloed on vibes.

We performed this on Facebook Live. Check it out:

BWSC at Shrindeom 2017 (not)

I haven't posted in well over a year, but I have to post this one before I forget the details.  Every gig is unique, and I'm quite sure there won't be another Shrinedom.

I heard rumors about a year ago about Shrinedom and I looked online.  Some hair bands, including Ratt, were going to be performing in Irasburg.  I considered buying tickets but immediately doubted its legitimacy.  The website didn't look professional, this was several big groups, and...Irasburg?  At a gig near the start of 2017 we met the promoter and he talked big.  We signed a contract to be the backup band for Shrinedom.  Our job was to be there and play if any local bands didn't show. We knew we wouldn't be playing, but we could get in free and meet the bands. If we did play, it would be a half-hour set, for $1000.  Cool!

Maybe a month before Shrinedom we were told he had a problem with the Hit Men - allegedly they weren't holding up their end of the contract - and that we'd be playing.  He hadn't told them yet.  Sounded fishy, but okay, we'd be playing!  Posters were put up, we publicized.  About a week before the gig we were told the Hit Men would be playing.  This was more vague, but it sounded like the the promoter wasn't happy about it but was forced to let them play.  He really shouldn't have told us we were playing but hey, that was our contract.  We didn't really expect to play but it'll be fun.

Remember I wanted to see Ratt?  They'd backed out way back, maybe February.  Notice also that this poster says "charity concert."  The Shriners fronted a bunch of money for this and supposedly took out a big loan.  This was supposed to raise a bunch of money for the kid they help.

As the backup band we were told to be there at 7:00am.  John arrives at 6:45.  Promoter waves him in to park at the main building (a farmhouse in the middle of nowhere).  "You guys are playing!  Where's your band?" John tells him we're on our way.  "Not good, not good."  This implies somehow that we're unprofessional?  Anyhow, Stu & I were there at 7:00, and they parked us somewhere different, a bit further away.  When Gail & Andre arrived at like 7:02 they didn't believe that they were with the band!

So we're playing!  But not on the big stage.  The big acts don't want us using their stuff.  Or there's a problem with power.  Or the stage owner doesn't want us using it.  Honestly, any of those reason could have been valid.  The stage was huge, the equipment was really expensive, and it must have cost many thousands of dollars just to rent.

"We're bringing a trailer to set up as a stage."

"We're bringing a second trailer to add to the stage."  Guess they thought one trailer wasn't enough.

"Things are running late, so you won't be playing but I'll introduce you to the artists that came up from Boston"

So we met Caroline Gray, the Southern City Band and Alec MacGillivary.  They all looked like they were about 20 years old.  We had a good chat with Alec.  I think he was the one who told us that the GPS brought them on about six miles of dirt roads to get there. He had a time limit so he could get back to another gig, so the delay was bothering him for sure.  Caroline Gray is a great singer and she played country and rock.  Her band had really good musicians too.  The Southern City Band sounded good and their singers were talented, but they had no bass player - they used an iPod for the basslines.

Alec MacGillivary is another great singer.  He was country but his band was not!  The bass player kept adding effects and the guitarist and drummer were WAY over the top.  We had a good conversation with Alec, and he's a good talented guy.

I feel really bad for the Southern City Band - during their set there was a sound check on the main stage right behind them.  Vince Neil's band (Slaughter without the singer) played two Motley Crue songs.  The sound system on the trailers wasn't quiet, but the main stage had to have been ten times louder.  Devastatingly loud.  They almost started between songs but then had to stop again.  They looked so depressed.  They started back up again, had power issues and said that's all the time they had.  Their lead singer stayed positive but had to have been upset.

At some point during these bands I heard from Raized on Radio that the local bands weren't getting paid.  Not enough ticket sales.  Also during those bands I did see a plume of smoke from behind the stage.  I left around 1:00, along with John & Stu.  I had a headache and was thinking about everything I should be doing at home.  I didn't really care to see the old hair bands, although hearing that sound check made me a little interested.  

When I got a text from John about going back to play in place of the big acts I thought he was kidding.  I told him I'd get my spandex on.  But he was serious.  Apparently no one was getting paid and Warrant and Lita Ford had showed up but left when they weren't getting paid.  I don't blame them - if I showed up for work and they told me that today was a volunteer day I'd quit.  If it had been arranged ahead of time to be charity, that would have been different but they shouldn't have been put in that position.  I thought it was a bad idea for us to play, because the crowd wasn't going to want us to play.  I kinda wish we'd been there to play, but local band Mindtrap was playing when the power was cut and they began tearing down the stage.  So we wouldn't have been on there.  It was nice tha.

the local bands Mindtrap and Raized on Radio played even though they knew they wouldn't be paid.

I believe they did have a generator issue but they also had a money issue.  The details simply weren't worked out all the way through.  It almost seems like the promoter was just doing this to prove that he could do it.  Unfortunately it didn't work out.  I hope the Shriners aren't out too many thousands of dollars.  Apparently many people who stayed until the end actually donated money to the Shriners to try and help them out.  Many other people though were very upset that their ticket purchases were a "charitable donation" and really aren't subject to a refund.  I can see both points of view there.

Hopefully there isn't too much opinion in here.  I tried to just write what I saw, but I'm sure there is some speculation.  What a weekend.  At least we got some great pictures...