"Check In" here before and after your gigs this weekend!

[Lazylion]

My country band has a 2-nighter at my favorite club, Addy's in beautiful Manassas VA. We've got a couple of new songs to try tonight, I actually practiced them at home for once, and I'll be debuting my new Shure wireless for the bass. Look out ladies, I'll be offstage and in your face!

 

[mimaz]

The Benders at The Mountaineer tonite, usually a loud and rowdy crowd..........let's hope so! Let ya know later.

 

[HolmeBass]

My country band has a 2-nighter at my favorite club, Addy's in beautiful Manassas VA. We've got a couple of new songs to try tonight, I actually practiced them at home for once, and I'll be debuting my new Shure wireless for the bass. Look out ladies, I'll be offstage and in your face!

Cool- I grew up in Herndon, Va, not too far from Manassas- are you guys based in Northern VA or do you just tour through a lot? I live in Charlottesville now, do you ever gig down here? Anyway have a great gig tonight.

I'll be playing tonight (3/9/07) with William Walter & Co. @ Poe's Pub in Richmond VA, show starts at 9:30 PM. Come on by and *you will* be asked to sit in on a tune/jam, although Willie may make you wait until later when the crowd gets bombed. He's pretty serious about this music stuff, me I just want to play!

 

[Esquillama]

The ShackShakers will be onstage tonight at The Kro Bar
in Brule, Wisconsin. I'll be trying my first 5 string onstage
for the first time. I'm a little nervous, but I've been practicing
so we'll see how it goes. I'm bringing the 4 string for sure, in
case my playing isn't up to snuff on the 5.

I'll report back when I get home tonight.

 

[xshawnxearthx]

Wow, this thread is quiet! Isn't anyone gigging this weekend?

I'm heading out for my first one now.......

our "fill in" drummer was blown off of a ladder and dislocated his shoulder so neither of my bands can play.

 

[Esquillama]

The ShackShakers will be onstage tonight at The Kro Bar
in Brule, Wisconsin. I'll be trying my first 5 string onstage
for the first time. I'm a little nervous, but I've been practicing
so we'll see how it goes. I'm bringing the 4 string for sure, in
case my playing isn't up to snuff on the 5.

I'll report back when I get home tonight.

OK. It's now after 4:00AM thanks to daylight savings time.
I made it back from the gig. The 5 string went well. Of course
I made the expected blunders, but for the most part it went better
than I thought it would.

Gigging with the 5 string is definitely different than practicing with it.
I found myself actually muting the ringing strings better at the
gig than I had been at home, and I was able to move positions
in the middle of a song so I could use the 5th string and still play
a "pattern" that I was used to on a 4 string( I hope that makes sense).

Anyway, my bandmates all agreed after the first set that my
other bass sounded more defined. I made a few adjustments
and the 5 string was strong and clear. You never know how a
bass is going to sound in the mix until you actually get it in the mix.

We kept a decent crowd there all night, and they danced and
had a good time. We loaded in and out quickly and got paid.
Now I just have to try and stop my kids from waking me up in
2 hours...

 

[sedan_dad]

Just finnished up a 4 nighter in Datona Beach ,Fla. at the FULL MOON SALOON .We do this every year for Daytona Beach Bike Week.Always a good time.Back to Ohio on Monday.

 

[Lazylion]

Cool- I grew up in Herndon, Va, not too far from Manassas- are you guys based in Northern VA or do you just tour through a lot? I live in Charlottesville now, do you ever gig down here?

Half the band lives in Frederick MD, and the others live in Sterling, Ashburn and Berryville VA. We don't tour, everybody has day jobs. We haven't been to Charlottesville yet, but I have a cousin who used to live there years ago, and he was in a band called Hammond Eggs.

So, on to the gig report. Friday night sucked. I set up my new wireless, and it was cutting in and out. So it went back in the box. I'll have to fool with it at home this week. The crowd was weak. I screwed up both of the new songs, even though I'd practiced at home beforehand. Once in a while, I wish we would rehearse! We got to the point where the band members are introduced, and the band leader made an insulting remark about me while intro'ing me. Gee thanks. Then after I had sung my last song of the night, the keyboard player got on the mike and said "I like that song... wait, no I don't!" It was a Dwight Yoakam song, I didn't write it, but still, was that necessary? It would never occur to me to get on the mike after a song and proclaim that I didn't like it! Even if it was "Achy Breaky Heart"! So by the end of the night, I was feeling and wondering if I shouldn't ditch this group. Wondering if 6 years is long enough, time to move on? Maybe a bit of overreaction, I was tired & fussy.
Last night was much better. Much bigger crowd, and I did better on the new tunes. Luckily, I completely forgot that it was the 17th anniversary of the biggest mistake I've made in the last 30 years, getting married. Well, not the getting married part, but WHO I married. Better not start on that, I could go on for days.
We don't play again for 3 weeks.

 

[Loose Cannon]

Our band played last night at The Boat House over in Stockton, Missouri. We've been there several times, but I think it was one of the best crowds yet. Since it's near a lake, it gets busier in the warm months.

We had a guy from a music store where we've bought a lot of equipment come to help set the PA. It seems like the drummer and guitar player, who own the PA, have had a lot of trouble getting it set right every time and were looking for pointers. Having a guy there who is a long-time musician made me feel self-concious, but in the second set he left after everything was in order. After that we started turning the instruments up a little and I thought it started sounding really good, but that guy sure did get the vocals sounding killer!

All in all, most of the songs we did last night went great, and it was so much fun that today my wife wondered why I was in such a good mood. ("Did you do something ELSE last night I should know about?!?")

We have gigs the next two weekends, and I'm really looking forward to them.

 

[HolmeBass]

Half the band lives in Frederick MD, and the others live in Sterling, Ashburn and Berryville VA. We don't tour, everybody has day jobs. We haven't been to Charlottesville yet, but I have a cousin who used to live there years ago, and he was in a band called Hammond Eggs.

Hammond Eggs is Charlotteville band dynasty, just below Skip Castro and The Casuals! A lot of those folks went on to the Kokomotions. Pretty cool. I left Herndon in 1982 and only go back up there to visit my folks, who live in Centreville now.

As for our gig on Friday night at Poe's Pub- it did not go very well. First off our leader was not feeling up for the full electric scene and did 5 acoustic numbers to start the show- then during the 1st full band number the power went dead. It turned out that it was just the breaker on the power strip, and it also turned out that our young somewhat inexperienced soundman did not realize that (I noticed it at the end of the night during load out). It took 5 minutes to get a new power strip back up (I also told them not to run the whole band and lights off of one outlet- but I get ignored a lot by the young turks. Experience is always the only teacher.)

But Willie was spooked by that and did another 4 numbers solo before having us back up, and by that time we were pretty stiff and uninspired. It just never jelled, never got flowing. After the set break it was better, and we actually hit a decent jam where we took an original into a little jam and then took that into "All Along The Watchtower", but after that we only had time for one other song and it was over.

My friends noticed, asking me what was up. I said sometimes you just don't have that hot of a night. But then the rest of the crowd was oblivious, in that they acted like we were killing it- we sold 7 CDs, there these 5 girls (and a few guys now and then) dancing through the end of first set and for all of the second set (and this is a small club with tables, its not a dance club at all), and three of these girls were really flirting up a storm after the gig, basically hitting on us all (I'm happily married so I passed). One of the 2 Mellissa's was hitting on our lead singer/song writer guy (Willie). It goes to show you sometimes the folks are ready to get down, almost no matter what-- and other times, you can play your heart out and just rock it and the crowd barely notices. Go figure.

 

[Lazylion]

I also told them not to run the whole band and lights off of one outlet- but I get ignored a lot by the young turks. Experience is always the only teacher.

LOL Good advice! At least you tried.

...sometimes you just don't have that hot of a night... It goes to show you sometimes the folks are ready to get down, almost no matter what-- and other times, you can play your heart out and just rock it and the crowd barely notices. Go figure.

Ain't that the truth! Next gig will be better.

 

[roger winkler]

Our band played a two nighter this weekend at a casino and it was tough. The load in and out was absolutely a gut check. The gig went really well and we held the audience for both nights to the very last song. Our contract stipulated free rooms for both nights, which made it easier, but some of us had to come back on the second night. While driving home at 2:30 that morning we realised that daylight savings time started at 2:00 a.m. Well duh, now it's 3:30 a.m. and we're all saying, are we idiots or what? All in all, it was a fun weekend and we gained a whole new group of fans, and impressed the casino management enough to be asked back.

 

[mimaz]

I usually like to poke around on TalkBass during the wee hours after a gig, but this weekend (and the time change, perhaps) wore me out.

2 gigs, Friday night at a small club, pretty well packed, crowd got stronger all night long right up to the very end. Saturday night, a bigger club, a smaller crowd, and the band was "on". Why does it always happen like that? Oh well, still a good weekend.

Now the hard part........I'm off for the next 2 weekends.........but only by choice, 'cuz I'm taking the family to Disney........my kids are 5 and 6 1/2 years old, should be a perfect time. I've never been there either, so I think I'll just put it all aside for a week and have a great time with the family.

 

[Lazylion]

...I'm taking the family to Disney........my kids are 5 and 6 1/2 years old, should be a perfect time. I've never been there either, so I think I'll just put it all aside for a week and have a great time with the family.

Yup, perfect time, while they can still be wide-eyed about it. Take lots of pictures, don't forget your camera! And take all your money, you'll need it! LOL it's worth it, though.

 

[MrRumble]

The ShackShakers will be onstage tonight at The Kro Bar
in Brule, Wisconsin. I'll be trying my first 5 string onstage
for the first time. I'm a little nervous, but I've been practicing
so we'll see how it goes. I'm bringing the 4 string for sure, in
case my playing isn't up to snuff on the 5.

I'll report back when I get home tonight.

Hey, I see by your website that you are playing at Sabins in Chisholm at the end of the month. My band, Power Plant (we are in Mpls.) is playing there in June. Can you give me any heads up about the place or the crowds? Thanks...

 

[Esquillama]

Hey, I see by your website that you are playing at Sabins in Chisholm at the end of the month. My band, Power Plant (we are in Mpls.) is playing there in June. Can you give me any heads up about the place or the crowds? Thanks...

I haven't played there in about 12 years, and it's under new management now.
I'll let you know as soon as we play there this month.

From what I remember it's got a decent sized stage and the layout
of the seating (tables) is kind of L shaped with the majority of the
crowd & the bar in front of the stage.

I just did a quick google to see if I could find any pictures of the place,
and your band is listed. I hope it goes well for you.
Here's the link:
Link Removed

 

[MrRumble]

I haven't played there in about 12 years, and it's under new management now.
I'll let you know as soon as we play there this month.

From what I remember it's got a decent sized stage and the layout
of the seating (tables) is kind of L shaped with the majority of the
crowd & the bar in front of the stage.

I just did a quick google to see if I could find any pictures of the place,
and your band is listed. I hope it goes well for you.
Here's the link:
Link Removed

Thanks for the update. I heard there is a new owner and apparently he wants to hear AC/DC! Glad to see you are a Led Zep fan. We are playing plenty of it. Cant wait for your post after the gig.

 

[enderwaves]

mimaz, i'll be playing yesterday's in wheeling april 21st. i've got this weekend off, finally!

 

[SBassman]

Subscribing.

 

[IanStephenson]

Got the first "real" gig with my new Karaoke band project tonight... Really excited, and a bit nervous. We all gig regularly in other bands, but we're putting ourselves out there with this project a bit, by welcoming all commers on stage to sing.

We did a trial gig last year and it was a blast, and the guys in the band are AWESOME, but when you KNOW there are going to be big screwups in every song it gives everything a bit of an edge...

We'll have our big ears on.

Ian