NYE Report
js
and can't get back to sleep. So maybe posting this will make me sleepy.
To recap, I booked a NYE gig in my hometown of Buffalo NY. I got the gig by
reaching out to a buddy of mine from back in the day. I assumed he had long
since booked his NYE and I was looking for contacts, but he made me an offer
to play with his band.
It was decent money, but with the plane fare and everything, I pretty much
broke even. If I had more notice I could have got a Super Saver, but
whatever. Still better than sitting home alone and gigless though.
I hadn't played with this guy in almost 20 years, and I knew the drummer
from back in he day, but had only played with him briefly a couple times as
we were on different circuits.
The gig started out as a Stevie Ray Vaughn Tribute thing, about 25 tunes,
which was cool. I can play that stuff in my sleep. Easy.
Then the tunes started coming. I get a list of 20 more tunes that I need to
learn - and transpose 1/2 step from the original. All of them were either
"nonstandard" blues, or R&B things.
Then there are 10 more tunes from a newly added vocalist. Great. I know how
picky this guy can be, So I spent 2 weeks making charts for everything in
Finale and transposing everything.
I've explained my problems with tuning down 1/2 step before. With the SRV is
no that much of a problem, but with all the other stuff, it would make me
nuts, so I decided to take the 6 string.
Getting the bass on the plane was surprisingly easy. I took off all the
panels, took out the battery, ad stashed them and an allen wrench in the
upper compartment of the bag. I also packed my clothes in the bass bag, so
I'd have one less thing to carry. Sailed right through the scanner both
times.
When I got to the gate, they wanted me to force check both times, but I
showed them the "Special Items" waiver that I had printed from their
website, and they reluctantly agreed to let me take the bass on board.
Stashed it up front the first time, in the overhead on the way back.
We had a rehearsal on Wed, that was really more like Old Home Week. Lots of
catching up and reminiscing.
The gig was as I remember his gigs being - rather chaotic, lots of overkill,
wit 90% of the stuff that we worked on going unused. I played through an SWR
combo which I wasn't crazy about, but it was free so what the hell? No major
train wrecks, and people seemed to enjoy it. Auld Lang Syne went off without
a hitch.
The REAL treat of the evening though was seeing the "East Side Wonders".
We were alternating sets with this black band from the East Side, most of
whom I grew up either idolizing or playing with back in the day. These guys
have played with Rick James, New Edition, P Funk, etc - just MONSTER players
who are legends not just in the city, but among R&B/gospel players around
the country.
The bassist/singer Rodney Appleby, is one of the players I idolized growing
up. He came over to sing "I Wish" with us, and I got to play behind him.
Awesome.
(Incidentally, I saw Rodney doing the Wooten thumb thing at least a decade
before Wooten made it popular. That's how he always plays. Just saying)
The trip was seriously worth it just to see them in action. There's nothing
that even compares to that in Charlotte or anywhere in the Southeast I can
think of.
They were playing funk tunes at ear splitting volume, and people were
massively digging it. If that had been here, the Yuppies and Buppies would
have knocked over their Chardonnay heading for the exits after the first
drum hit. But Buffalo being Buffalo, people refused to leave. When I left,
they were on their second or third encore.
Made it out just before a big storm front was rolling in. It was 8 degrees
when I left.
Overall, I had a lot of fun. It would have been a lot better if I had just
showed up and we jammed on some tunes we all knew, but hey, it wasn't my
gig.
My New Years resolution? MAKE SOME FUCKING MONEY!!!!!!
JoeSpareBedroom
news:hhq2p3$kia$1...@news.eternal-september.org...
> They were playing funk tunes at ear splitting volume, and people were
> massively digging it. If that had been here, the Yuppies and Buppies would
> have knocked over their Chardonnay heading for the exits after the first
> drum hit. But Buffalo being Buffalo, people refused to leave. When I left,
> they were on their second or third encore.
Sounds like "the word" hasn't reached Buffalo (or some Rochester clubs) yet.
Ear-splitting volume levels are indicative of stupidity raised to an art
form.
js
It's amazing how refreshing it is to actually FEEL the music when you spend
most of your time playing at the threshold of human hearing.
"JoeSpareBedroom" <news...@frontiernet.net> wrote in message
news:xi20n.4261$Gf3....@newsfe22.iad...
Steve Freides
It's still what most people like.
-S-
JoeSpareBedroom
news:7qc69d...@mid.individual.net...
....along with Velveeta, Coors Lite, and lots of other awful shit.
bassman2
..So maybe posting this will make me sleepy.
>
Had a good sleep, after, then? :-)
Man, that's a long way to travel for 1 gig, but it looks like you got
some positives out of it...
"(Incidentally, I saw Rodney doing the Wooten thumb thing at least a
decade
before Wooten made it popular. That's how he always plays. Just
saying) " - don't tell me you threw in some poppin'&slappin' as well?
Good luck with the new year resolution, you could always switch the
last two words if the original doesn't work out for you...:-))
Les Cargill
Dunno about that. I most sincerely wish it were true, but ...
data says otherwise. When people had *money*, they wanted
it louder.
--
Les Cargill
Steve Freides
OK.
-S-