I haven't posted a gig report in a while because I have been too busy working, gigging and life-ing. But after last night's interesting gig, a couple of others, and having some free time today I thought these 3 may be worth posting.
Gig 1: BYOC
One of our regular venues started bringing all of the tables and chairs outside for shows as the world reopened from COVID. Since then, if the band requests it and weather permits it, they will drag all of the bar furniture outside. We found that we get a much larger crowd outdoors and have fun playing in the cool night air.
2 days before our outside gig the owner emailed us to say that she was tired of dragging all of the furniture out and if we still wanted to play outdoors people would have to bring their own chairs - BYOC. OK. We got the word out through our email list and FB posts. It worked. Nearly everyone brought a chair and some people brought extras to share with people who didn't get the message. A few of our fans said that it made the show feel like a festival kind of thing. We had a good, enthusiastic crowd, people danced and had a great time.
Played my Lakland HB-30 and usual LM II and 2x10 rig, mando and steel guitar
Here is the 'best' pic from that gig. Awful lighting and lots of people dancing, but you can get a glimpse of us through the crowd.
Gig # 2: Sort of Opening for a Legend and a Domestic Dispute
There is a bar about 45-60 minutes away that we play 2-3 times/year. The weekend bartender likes us and they pay pretty well.
The bar is in an aging strip mall in a community where everyone seems to be related in one way or another. It is next door to a sandwich shop that makes huge sandwiches (my joke while guitarist is tuning: what is the difference between one of these sandwiches and a musician? This sandwich can feed a family of 4). I think the bar used to be a retail store of some kind looking at the layout and the floor to ceiling windows in front.
As we are setting up a couple of crowds come in. They ask when we start playing. 8PM? Too bad, everyone will be leaving then to see Eric Clapton who is playing at the arena about 10 minutes away. They came in for the Miller Lite special and to pre-game so they could avoid buying the $18 beers in the arena. Oh well - I guess we opened for Clapton. But we still had some friends and a few regulars, including "dancing in her chair lady" who likes to sit on a swivel bar stool and gyrate along to the music.
Near the end of the 1st set a woman who was sitting at the bar playing with her phone jumps up, runs out and gets into her car. A car pulls out right behind her blocking her. She gets out of her car and starts yelling as the driver of the other car, an older man, gets out of his and starts yelling at her. Another car screeches into the parking lot and a younger man gets out and also yells at them. As we are finishing a song our drummer looks out into the parking lot, jumps off stage and runs out Ito the parking lot waving his drumsticks. Bartender walks out holding up his phone and we hear him yelling that everyone has until 9 - 1 - 1 to clear out.. All 3 get into their cars and drive away. Bartender puts his arm around the dummer as they walk back in. We finish the set, sit at the band table and try to figure out what just happened.
Bartender brings us beers and tells us the story.... the young woman bought the car from her uncle, but stopped paying the agreed monthly payments. Uncle heard she was at the bar and decided to repossess the car. Her brother called her to warn her, and was the 2nd car that showed up. No fights or police were involved, so the bartender was OK with it. I thought she ran out on her tab, but the bartender said that the stupid [foiul word] left her credit card on the bar. We told the drummer that it was very noble of him to run out a protect the young woman. He shook his head and said no, he ran out because one of the guys almost hit his car. He offered a drumstick colonoscopy to anyone who touched his car.
The post- Clapton crowds returned as we finished for the night. Oh well.
Gig #3: Acoustic Rock, Artichokes & Alvarihno
A local grocery store is hosting live music in their cafe section Thursday nights in the fall, with people allowed to BYOB. The events organizer asked me if I wanted to do a solo acoustic show. I don't sing very well so I countered with a playing with my band. She was looking for some acoustic, laid back - NO DRUMS - stuff and I told her we could do that. This would be the 2nd time we did an 'unplugged' show.
A small but appreciative crowd was there and some grocery shoppers came by for a few songs, most with their grocery carts and bags. The employees seemed to enjoy our music. We had been talking about working up 'Layla' since 'opening for Clapton' so we tried out the acoustic unplugged version.
I played my Guild 240EF ABG, mando and brass body dobro All instruments ran through the PA. We used our amps as DI boxes.
Yes we sinned by wearing our own band t-shirts as the event organizer requested
Gig 1: BYOC
One of our regular venues started bringing all of the tables and chairs outside for shows as the world reopened from COVID. Since then, if the band requests it and weather permits it, they will drag all of the bar furniture outside. We found that we get a much larger crowd outdoors and have fun playing in the cool night air.
2 days before our outside gig the owner emailed us to say that she was tired of dragging all of the furniture out and if we still wanted to play outdoors people would have to bring their own chairs - BYOC. OK. We got the word out through our email list and FB posts. It worked. Nearly everyone brought a chair and some people brought extras to share with people who didn't get the message. A few of our fans said that it made the show feel like a festival kind of thing. We had a good, enthusiastic crowd, people danced and had a great time.
Played my Lakland HB-30 and usual LM II and 2x10 rig, mando and steel guitar
Here is the 'best' pic from that gig. Awful lighting and lots of people dancing, but you can get a glimpse of us through the crowd.
Gig # 2: Sort of Opening for a Legend and a Domestic Dispute
There is a bar about 45-60 minutes away that we play 2-3 times/year. The weekend bartender likes us and they pay pretty well.
The bar is in an aging strip mall in a community where everyone seems to be related in one way or another. It is next door to a sandwich shop that makes huge sandwiches (my joke while guitarist is tuning: what is the difference between one of these sandwiches and a musician? This sandwich can feed a family of 4). I think the bar used to be a retail store of some kind looking at the layout and the floor to ceiling windows in front.
As we are setting up a couple of crowds come in. They ask when we start playing. 8PM? Too bad, everyone will be leaving then to see Eric Clapton who is playing at the arena about 10 minutes away. They came in for the Miller Lite special and to pre-game so they could avoid buying the $18 beers in the arena. Oh well - I guess we opened for Clapton. But we still had some friends and a few regulars, including "dancing in her chair lady" who likes to sit on a swivel bar stool and gyrate along to the music.
Near the end of the 1st set a woman who was sitting at the bar playing with her phone jumps up, runs out and gets into her car. A car pulls out right behind her blocking her. She gets out of her car and starts yelling as the driver of the other car, an older man, gets out of his and starts yelling at her. Another car screeches into the parking lot and a younger man gets out and also yells at them. As we are finishing a song our drummer looks out into the parking lot, jumps off stage and runs out Ito the parking lot waving his drumsticks. Bartender walks out holding up his phone and we hear him yelling that everyone has until 9 - 1 - 1 to clear out.. All 3 get into their cars and drive away. Bartender puts his arm around the dummer as they walk back in. We finish the set, sit at the band table and try to figure out what just happened.
Bartender brings us beers and tells us the story.... the young woman bought the car from her uncle, but stopped paying the agreed monthly payments. Uncle heard she was at the bar and decided to repossess the car. Her brother called her to warn her, and was the 2nd car that showed up. No fights or police were involved, so the bartender was OK with it. I thought she ran out on her tab, but the bartender said that the stupid [foiul word] left her credit card on the bar. We told the drummer that it was very noble of him to run out a protect the young woman. He shook his head and said no, he ran out because one of the guys almost hit his car. He offered a drumstick colonoscopy to anyone who touched his car.
The post- Clapton crowds returned as we finished for the night. Oh well.
Gig #3: Acoustic Rock, Artichokes & Alvarihno
A local grocery store is hosting live music in their cafe section Thursday nights in the fall, with people allowed to BYOB. The events organizer asked me if I wanted to do a solo acoustic show. I don't sing very well so I countered with a playing with my band. She was looking for some acoustic, laid back - NO DRUMS - stuff and I told her we could do that. This would be the 2nd time we did an 'unplugged' show.
A small but appreciative crowd was there and some grocery shoppers came by for a few songs, most with their grocery carts and bags. The employees seemed to enjoy our music. We had been talking about working up 'Layla' since 'opening for Clapton' so we tried out the acoustic unplugged version.
I played my Guild 240EF ABG, mando and brass body dobro All instruments ran through the PA. We used our amps as DI boxes.
Yes we sinned by wearing our own band t-shirts as the event organizer requested
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