Bar owners are an interesting group of people to work with. There are lots of bars around Cincy that have live music. Some of them are very successful and some…not so much. But there is a trend in area bars lately that is discouraging for musicians and, I believe, reflective of a growing number of clueless bar owners. Years ago when a band made an arrangement to play at a bar, the understanding was that the bar brought in the crowd, and the band’s responsibility was to keep the crowd. Sure, the bar owner wanted the band to draw a few more people than their regulars, but all in all, the ratio was somewhere around 75% of the crowd belonging to the bar and 25% coming because of the band. Lately, there are more and more bar owners that expect the band to come in and fill their club.
We played at a bar not too long ago that we never played at before. As with most bar owners, the owner of this place asked us how our crowds are at other bars when he booked us. We told him we do pretty well everywhere we go (even in the part of town this bar is in). We rarely play to less than 50 people and usually have over 100. On the night we played at his place, only 29 people came through the entire night. It was definitely a small crowd, especially for a bar that holds 225. To us, it was just one of those fluke nights. A lot of our regular followers didn’t come because we were on our 4th week in a row playing and because the bar was far out of the loop. Let’s face it, as supportive as our friends and family can be, it’s hard to get motivated to drive a long way to go see the band you just saw the last three weekends. So the crowd we brought was small and the bar’s regulars didn’t exist. The manager of the place shut us down after our second set and paid us much less than our agreed upon amount. We could have been jerks about it but it doesn’t do us any good if a bar owner loses money on a night we play there so we let it go. We’ve always been willing to give the bar owner a break if they have a tough night (unlike most bands), but we usually draw enough people that it’s never come up. While we were packing up, one of the bartenders and the manager that night (who I think is also a co-owner) came up to us and said we were one of the best bands to ever play there. The next day, the owner of the bar calls and says we aren’t welcome back there and blamed us for the worst night he’s ever had. Go figure. Again, we could have been jerks but instead just told him “do what you gotta do.”
I’ve played in lots of bars in my life and I’ve known many bar owners. I’ve seen what it takes to make a bar successful and I’ve seen mistakes that unsuccessful bar owners make. When you rely on your entertainment to bring in 100% of your crowd, you are in trouble. That is one of the sure signs that a bar is dying. Bar’s are supposed to be places that have an atmosphere that make people want to come and hang out with their friends. It’s the bar that brings them there and the band that keeps them there. A place that only brings people in because of their entertainment isn’t a bar, it’s a theater. There are definitely some bar owners and managers out there that know their shit and do what it takes to make their bars successful. Rick’s Tavern, Putters, and Drew’s On The River are a few. They realize that you have to create an inviting atmosphere and let people know about it. They spend money on marketing, they work out advertising deals with liquor vendors, they hold special events, they know that they have to do more than just open their front door to bring people in. This guy that blamed us for his worst night ever is trying to be successful without doing any of that. He bought a bar that already had a reputation for being a problem. He changed the name to something that sounds like a seedy biker hangout. He doesn’t put anything into marketing (people that live within 5 miles of the place didn’t even know about it when I mentioned it). And he expects the bands to bring in all the people. He’s putting his fate into the hands of a bunch of musicians who really don’t have a vested interest in his place (and let’s not forget that many musicians aren’t the most upstanding, responsible people). I’ll bet by next summer the place is closed.
It’s frustrating. There are a lot of bars out there that are like that now. They come and go in less than a year. They look promising when they first open and then you play there and realize that they are run by people who didn’t want to get a real job and are too lazy to do what it takes to make the place a hit. I guess it’s up to us to find the good bars and stick with them – to not try to play everywhere, but to find a few that are professional and know how to run a club.
So to the good bar owners we have worked for: Drew’s On The River, Putters, The Mason Pub, we say thanks! To all the others…well, you won’t be around long anyway so it doesn’t really matter.
Post Category: Gig Commentary
August 16th, 2007 at 04:27pmMD
I don’t usually blog … it’s not my thing for some reason. However, I was sitting here thinking about where Twistlock has come from and how far we’ve come in just a short amount of time. July was a milestone for us. Although, three of the original members of the band have been together for about 1 ½ years, the four of us that play now have been together for a little over a year. July marked one year of the band playing out to the public and we’ve had a blast!
For those who have been in a band or know people who have, you can appreciate where I’m coming from. Most bands implode in about 3 months, due to a variety of things from egos to the frustration of individual playing. Now, I’m not going to say that there are no egos in this band, but the thing about being a little older is that we all understand that if we were good enough to be rock stars, we’d be just that. Last I checked, we weren’t packing 20,000 people in any of the bars that we play at … although, at our last gig, we had about 18,000 … well, I was seeing triple by the end of the night from the shots that “someone” kept buying me. Personally, I want my band members to know how much I appreciate them and the time that we’ve had thus far. Yes, behind the scenes, we bitch and complain to each other like a bunch of kids, but it boils down to us trying to keep each other up to par for you, our loyal fans, as well as, ourselves as musicians. Keep in mind, that it is very hard to set aside time, when you have a family or a job that keeps you traveling or a farm needing constant work or promotions at work, etc. But, somehow, someway, we manage to find time. AND it is YOU that keeps us going.
But wait, there’s more thanks to give … the bar owners and managers, who have given us the opportunity to play at their establishments. They all took a chance on a brand new band in the market called “Twistlock”. Who? They are used to many new and old unprofessional, imploding (fly by night) bands that don’t do what they say they will and put the bars in compromising positions. You have to remember, it’s their livelihood. They’re relying on “us” to bring a great show, but it really boils down to profits. If they don’t profit, we don’t play. Which, again, brings me back to the fans. If you come to our shows … the bar makes money … and we get to come back time and again.
So, to all of our “fans”, who come to see us whenever they can, THANK YOU. If you ever have any suggestions on how we can improve our song list or our show, please feel free to email us or talk to us at any of our gigs. The schedule, for the remainder of 2007, looks great. I have a feeling that 2008 is even going to be better!
~CB
Post Category: Uncategorized
August 4th, 2007 at 03:01pmMD
How stupid are these people that go to bars and look for trouble? We played at a bar last weekend (I’m omitting the name because I don’t want them to get a bad reputation) and during our show, three different incidents of physical violence occurred. The first one happened between our second and third sets (around 12:30 am). We were sitting at some tables taking a break and suddenly, the back of the bar erupts with chaos. Apparently two guys got into some altercation over a woman (what a surprise…alcohol + men + women + more alcohol + testosterone = manly feats of stupidity). It took the bar staff about 10 minutes to get everything under control and then things seemed to settle down. We played our third set and at the end, another fight broke out on the back deck of the place (this one apparently required the presence of the police and a life squad). Then, when we were packing up at the end of the night, some muscle-bound jackass starts smacking his girlfriend around starting another chaotic melee. Needless to say, our regulars left right after the first fight happened. Who wants to be around that crap? You never know when some idiot is going to pull out a gun and start shooting. So the place went from about 100 people to about 25 people within 10 minutes.
I talked to the bartenders and waitresses at the end of the night and according to them, the same group of guys comes in week after week, gets drunk, and starts trouble. They complained about having to baby-sit these guys all night and how frustrating it is to have to put up with that every week. It seemed to me like a simple thing to fix so I asked them why the guys aren’t just banned from coming there. According to them, the troublemakers are friends with the manager (who, by the way, wasn’t at the bar that night) and I guess they feel entitled to come back week after week and act like complete jackasses. It all seems like a sure-fire recipe for liability if you ask me. You also have to wonder how these fights affect their business. We watched a crowd of about 100 paying customers turn into a crowd of 25 with an hour of drinking time left in the night. How much money in alcohol sales would 75 people generate in an hour? If you conservatively figure two drinks per person at $4 per drink…that’s $600. Thanks to the fight, they sacrificed that money. It was funny, when we first arrived, I asked one of the waitresses what size crowd the place usually draws. She said that they used to bring in a lot of people but the “smoking ban” has really hurt their business. I’m guessing the rednecks starting fist fights every weekend have something to do with their low numbers too. Maybe they should try a drunken jerk ban. I hope they don’t expect us to draw in a big crowd the next time we play there because I’m pretty sure most of our regulars won’t come (and I don’t blame them). I wouldn’t want my wife, friends, and family in the middle of that crap. I think we’ll bring our own chicken wire next time.
~MD
Post Category: Gig Commentary
May 21st, 2007 at 10:43pmMD
Brad Delp, the lead singer of Boston, died in his home Friday night, March 9, 2007. The band website posted a short statement, “We just lost the nicest guy in rock and roll.”
It seems like Boston’s music was so integral in my life growing up. As songs like “More Than a Feeling” and “Long Time” swept the charts in my pre-teen and teen years, they became associated with all of those great moments that you have during that time in your life. First dates, first kiss, and as an aspiring young rock star wannabe, dreams of being able to hit the high notes like Brad some day. I can honestly say that Boston’s music was a large motivator for my own journey down a musical path. I have always been a huge Boston fan and I always will be. I was fortunate enough to see them in concert when they toured for thier second album “Don’t Look Back” and I saw them again 10 years later when they toured with “Third Stage.” Both times were magical experiences that I will never forget.
My thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family of a man who was a great inspiration to me and my own musical career. He will never be replaced in the music world and he will be sorely missed. Hit the high notes in heaven Brad!
~MD
Post Category: Music Commentary
March 10th, 2007 at 11:56pmMD
I’m probably going to lose the favor of many of our smoking fans but I have to admit that it was so nice to play in a smoke free club. Usually, by the third set, my eyes are burning and my voice is straining but last night, I felt like I could have sang another 4 hours. I have to say, Putters has handled the Ohio smoking ban very well. They’ve created special areas outside to accommodate their smokers and most people don’t seem to mind. It sucks coming home from a gig, unloading all of your gear, and then having to strip off your smoke bomb clothes and hang them outside so they don’t stink up the house, followed by a shower so your sheets don’t end up smelling like an ashtray. All of that may not seem like a big deal, but at 4am when you are dead tired and you just want to go to sleep, it’s definitely no fun.
It’s a tough line to walk as a band. All of us really appreciate performing in a smoke free environment. However, we’ve all been doing this long enough to know, that’s just the bar environment and if you don’t like it, don’t be in a band and play in bars. It’s hard to balance your own wants with your overall convictions sometimes. I would love it if the whole world were smoke free. I lost my mother to lung cancer from her 2 pack a day habit and I think it’s a vile, dirty, unattractive habit. However, I also believe in the constitution and feel like people should have the right to establish a business that allows and welcomes smokers. No one is forcing me to play in those places and no one is forcing customers to go to those places. My feelings about the smoking ban are mixed and I am cautious about giving the government too much power to make choices for people.
It will be interesting to see where the smoking ban goes. Putters enforced it as soon as it became law. Other places we play are holding out until they see if it’s going to be enforced or not. I think that as soon as one club gets slapped with a heavy fine or a lawsuit, then everyone will quickly get with the program and start banning it. The question is, who will the example be made of. One club owner told me that if he can’t smoke in his own place, he’d close. When the law was voted in, he did just that.
Most of our fans are non-smokers so we do pretty well with our crowd in the smoke free places. Actually, we probably bring more people to the smoke free gigs than to the smoky gigs. But many club owners still swear that their business would drop dramatically if they enforced the smoking ban. I’m not so sure I agree. A lot of the people who come to our smoke free gigs are the kind of people that would probably go to bars if it weren’t for the smoke. I think that when the bars finally all enforce the ban, their business may drop some at first, but you will see a new group of patrons start to grow. 30% of Americans are smokers. That means 70% are not. Based on those statistics, the largest patron base is among the non-smokers, not the smokers. It seems like a no-brainer for clubs, but then it’s easy for me to preach when my livelihood isn’t tied to the number of customers in my bar. I know many bars barely break even as it is without introducing a risk like the smoking ban.
So, the selfish side of me says “Thanks Putters for enforcing the smoking ban” and the side that wants to continue to get gigs in clubs around here says “be careful and handle it smartly.” There are too many alternatives for bar goers these days.
~MD
Post Category: Gig Commentary
March 4th, 2007 at 09:45pmMD
We were back at The Mason Pub again on Friday, 2/23 doing our thing. It was nice to get back out there after two months off. Chris had surgery in January and wasn’t able to be as active as playing in a band requires. But thanks to two months of rest and recent advances in medication, Chris was ready to go…well, almost. Chris discovered that some of the meds he took made him a little forgetful, which made the kickoffs of a couple of songs…well…interesting. I got a kick out of Chris’ comment to me on our first break “how the hell do these rock stars go out and play when they’re all drugged up?” It must be sheer repetition. Chris struggled throughout the night as the effects of the meds made him forgetful and lethargic at first, and then nauseas later in the night. We ended one song and before I could take a breath, he was off the stage and headed for the can. But like a true professional, he stuck with it and finished the night. The show must go on. Good job man.
Aside from Chris’ medicated moments, we played ok. The crowd at The Mason Pub is strange in that they don’t really dance (except to the hip hop and techno stuff they play between sets) or even get into the band. They sit out there and drink and carry on their own conversations. The weird thing though is that on the breaks, everyone is stopping you and telling you what a good job you’re doing so they must be listening. I guess we’re just a live jukebox. Those are the kind of gigs where you just have to look at it like a paid practice and get the most out of it. It’s just hard to get pumped up when the crowd is dead.
This gig was our second outing with our new sound guy (hopefully) Jeff. Having Jeff is a very good thing with many more benefits than just “real time” control over levels. Jeff has a slow and steady diagnostic approach to running sound. He doesn’t rush to extremes in trying to solve problems. He takes small steps and makes sure he understands everything along the way. When we finally get all of our sound issues ironed out, we will be very solid as a result of his approach. We are definitely much farther ahead than we were before Jeff came around. Feedback was a non-issue last night and for the most part, everyone said they could hear everything ok. So, we’re getting there. The frustrating thing is that we’ve got some really nice gear and we’re just to the point of it sounding like a decent boom box instead of a $10,000 sound system. I know that our PA is capable of so much more. But with Jeff at the helm, I know we’ll get there. I just hope he sticks with us. Jeff has a tenuous agreement with another group that is probably breaking up. If/when they do, Jeff will become our full time soundman. We’ve all got our fingers crossed.
Having Jeff around also has other advantages. First and foremost, it unchains Chris from the soundboard and lets him focus on playing. That’s a huge advantage as Chris distracted is almost as bad as Chris medicated. It also helps having an extra pair of hands during set up and teardown. Jeff even switches into superhero mode from time to time, diving through the legs of drunk chicks who decided dancing on the table where the sound board was sitting was a good idea. Nice save Jeff! How was the view from down there 
?
Overall, it’s nice to see the band evolving. Our sound is slowly but surely coming around and we’re slowly but surely getting tighter. We all are eager to be one of the best bands in the city but we still have a way to go. There is no substitute for paying your dues and that’s what we’re doing. Most people don’t realize how much work goes into making a band “good.” It’s almost like making a marriage and a job work at the same time, except instead of two people, you have four (five if Jeff sticks with us). It will definitely be interesting to see where we are 6 months from now. I think we are on the verge of some good positive growth. Once we overcome our soundboard and mix issues, a big door will open for us and I think we will start getting better by leaps and bounds. We just have to be patient. It’s easy to get frustrated during these “growth” times, when things aren’t as good as they could be – especially when you know your potential and talent calls for so much more than you are. It’s easy to point fingers and blame someone else. These are the times when many bands fly apart. But if you can weather the storm, you come out of it strong and polished. I’ve been through it before and it’s a great thing if you have the stamina. I believe we do.
As usual, we’d like to thank our loyal supporters for coming. Being in a band really let’s you know who your true friends are. People like Chris’ Mom, my sister Laura, and our friends like Chris Wood that show up at every gig. Between the four of us, we end up inviting over 100 people to every gig, 40 of which assure us they’ll be there, about 12 of which actually show. Those 12 are the ones who are consistently there. They are the friends and family we are very lucky to have.
We’d also like to thank Kevin and Chon and the crew at The Mason Pub. We have worked with some bad club owners in our day but they are not among them. They have an integrity that is more often than not, missing from people in the entertainments biz. It’s a pleasure to work with them.
~MD
Post Category: Gig Commentary
February 25th, 2007 at 09:22pmMD
We went into this gig not really knowing what to expect. Kevin, the owner, had been super cool to us over the phone so we were pretty optimistic. However, the club itself has had a pretty spotted history and we weren’t completely sure what we’d gotten ourselves into.
The first time I ever stepped foot into the bar was in 1994. Back then it was Merida’s – a country bar that attracted some decent local talent. At the time it was one of the better country bars to play at if you were a local band. Being in a country band at that time, it was a privilege for me to get to play at such a well-known place on the same stage as bands like Stagger Lee and Danny Frasier and the Lunatic Cowboys.
Over the years, the bar went downhill at a pretty steady pace. By 1998 it had gotten a reputation as being a pretty rough place and somewhere around the year 2000 it became more of a headache for the owners than it was worth and they bailed out. Since then it has been through several iterations but no matter what the flavor of the month was, it seemed to be a magnet for barflies and white trash.
The current owners of the Mason Pub have really done a lot to pull the place out of its seedy past. We could instantly tell that they are trying to make it a cool place for decent people to hang out. I really think they are headed in the right direction. The staff was super cool and the place seemed like it was well managed. The crowd was having a good time but never got out of control (except for Mark from The Myths who knocked over a table trying to put a “Myths” sticker on a one-legged midget woman - shameless). We had a really good time and enjoyed playing there.
We struggled a lot with feedback in the beginning but thanks to our temporary (and hopefully soon to be full time) soundman Jeff, we quickly got those problems under control. It also helped to have a true expert in the house, Chuck from the band Nightlife, to give us suggestions and help us tweak our setup. Between Chuck and Jeff, the feedback was under control early in the first set. We all agreed that we are finally starting to get to the point where we feel like we are resolving some of the persistent sound issues that have been dogging us since the beginning.
Speaking of other bands, I want to thank Scot, Mark and Bill from The Myths, and Chuck, Melissa and Doug from Nightlife for coming to support us. If you ever get a chance to hear either of these bands, you should definitely do it. The Myths are an emerging original band that writes and performs some really good stuff and Nightlife is honestly one of the top cover bands (top 3 in my book – and I don’t count Twistlock in that top 3) within a hundred mile radius. It was a privilege to perform in front of such talent (and not get laughed at). I even put Melissa on the spot and had her come up and sing a song she hadn’t sung in many years and of course, she kicked ass and the place went crazy.
So, overall, it was a great gig. Kevin, you are the coolest. Thanks for having us at your place and we are definitely looking forward to coming back in February. Thanks to all who came to hear us – Chris’ awesome family, my sister and her friends (especially Stan), Dave and his wife, Jessie and his group, Greg’s family and friends (one of which brought an extremely hot date that we all enjoyed being distracted by – Chris wants to know how you landed her), and the staff at the Mason Pub for making us feel like family. We can’t wait to come back.
~MD
Post Category: Gig Commentary
January 7th, 2007 at 03:34pmMD
Our gig last night presented us with a challenge. We were required to set up all of our gear and do our sound checks in 2.5 hours or less but we had never done it in less than 3.5 hours in the past. We continue to have problems with our mixing board and last night was no exception. So by the time we showed up to set up for the gig last night, we were all feeling the stress of needing to get our act together quickly.
As usual, my friend Chris Wood came along to help us out. Not only has he been to every gig to support me and the band, but he acts as our official band photographer, our graphic designer, and lends a hand setting up every time. He doesn’t get paid, he just does it out of friendship. He puts up with our usual crap and always does a fantastic job in whatever he assists with. Last night must have been exceptionally intolerable for him since we were all stressed out and barking orders at him. In retrospect, I know we didn’t treat him with the respect he deserved. But he remained patient and, as usual, did a great job.
So, I though it was necessary to write this entry to say… Chris, you are a great friend and a great help to me and the whole band. We all agreed last night that we consider you part of the band like all of us. You may not play an instrument but you are always there and what you do contribute is a huge value to us. We are all very fortunate to have your help and dedication and I am extremely luck to have a friend like you.
So on behalf of Chris B., Greg, Dave, and myself…thanks for your help and your patience. We are a better band just having you around.
~MD
Post Category: Uncategorized
December 16th, 2006 at 06:54pmMD
What started as a sequence of problems and technical glitches ended up being a pretty good gig…well, at least that’s what people said. It all started when we pulled into the parking lot and discovered that we were listed as “Twistknot” on their sign. We all got a good chuckle out of that and took a few pictures for the scrapbook. The parking lot was very full since Putters does a booming dinner business and we were wondering how we were going to get Chris’ truck and the band trailer into a position where we could unload. As luck would have it two spots (end to end) opened up. My friend Chris Wood and I each stood in a spot so that no one took them while Chris Brown went and got the truck. While we were waiting for Chris, a woman pulled in and wanted to park in one of the spots we were holding. Chris Wood very politely explained what we were doing but the woman was not pleased. It turns out that this woman wanting to park in one of the spots was the owner. She wasn’t happy about us holding spots, she wasn’t happy about us getting there as early as we did (they typically don’t let bands start setting up until after 7:30pm so they don’t bother their dinner group), and she wasn’t happy about the fact that we had so much equipment that we needed a truck and a trailer to haul it. “Most bands that play here have a couple of pickup trucks,” she told us. We got the truck parked and she found another spot but man…talk about starting off on the wrong foot. We wanted nothing more than to impress the hell out of the people at Putters (this being our first gig for them) and we end up irritating the owner. Nice. But Angie, the manager who booked us, was EXTREMELY cool and smoothed everything over for us so there were no hard feelings. We all certainly understood where the owner was coming from. If I were one of her regular dinner patrons, I wouldn’t want a group of musicians propping a door open, letting the cold in and bumping past my table with a bunch of heavy gear. Her first responsibility is to her customers.
We had 2.5 hours to set everything up and do our sound checks. We were all very worried about the small time frame given the ongoing issues we’ve been having with our mixing board. This gig was no exception. We got all the gear set up pretty quickly but as soon as we started doing sound checks, we had problem after problem. Chris had a loud buzz in the left channel of his guitar rig and the bass dumps had an annoying hum to them. We tried everything we knew to do and nothing fixed it. So, we finally masked the noise with some technological hocus pocus and trudged forward. The whole night, we battled feedback and balance issues. On stage, it sounded like crap. Most people said it sounded good out front but I couldn’t go out there to listen while we were playing due to extreme feedback every time I walked off the stage with my wireless mic. I guess every band has those nights where nothing works right. This must have been ours. Despite our technical difficulties, Putters is an awesome place to play. The woman who owns it really knows how to run it. The place was clean, the staff was friendly, and the food was awesome. We’ve played some crappy dives but Putters is definitely not among them. The only thing that was odd for us was the reaction of the crowd to the music. We heard going in that the Putters - West Chester crowd isn’t really a dancing crowd and that was definitely the case. We had some dancers most of the night, but not the large numbers we usually have. Instead, people sat tat their tables, drinking their drinks, singing along to the music. So they were definitely into it, it just wasn’t the same as we are used to. You don’t pick up on as much energy if people aren’t on the dance floor. I guess we need to learn to live with it.
We got lots of compliments on the show. Several of the employees said we were one of the best bands they’ve had there. Surprising, given every song was drowning in feedback. Angie, the manager who booked us, was absolutely awesome to work with and all the bartenders and servers were super cool. In fact, I could easily say it was the best group of people we’ve ever worked with. We wish every bar could be like Putters from that perspective. All told, we had a crowd of about 200 - way more than I expected. I would guess the band brought about 25 and the rest were all “natives.” The nightlife in Liberty Township was much more active than I expected. Most bars start clearing out around 12:30 but Putters stayed busy until they closed. When we quit playing at 1:45am, the crowd had thinned a little but there were still a good number of people there. They finally had to chase everyone out so they could clean up.
So, aside from our technical issues, it was a great gig. Thanks to Putters - West Chester, Jan, the staff, and especially Angie for being so cool. We’re happy to work for you anytime and we are looking forward to the Putters - Milford gig in March. Thanks to the boys from 10 Miles High and The Myths for coming out to hear us. Thanks also to our regular crowd of family and friends who always support us. You guys are awesome. We couldn’t do it without you. See you all at the next gig, January 5 at the Mason Pub!
~MD
Post Category: Gig Commentary
December 16th, 2006 at 06:53pmMD
So, The “N” Spot turned out to be a pretty good gig. We were a little wary going in because the way things unfolded up until the gig. We booked this job through a booking agent (which is new to us) and the rule was that you had to bring at least 30 people or you wouldn’t get paid or be asked back. We accepted those terms because we were pretty confident that we could bring 30. Hell, my sister brings that many every time she comes (thanks Laura). A week before the gig, we got an e-mail saying that we couldn’t play because we violated some club policy about not bringing flyers to hang up the weekend before. We were bummed. We had discussed flyers with the booking agent but we never knew they were a requirement to play. But Bob and Barbie at The “N” Spot were very understanding and overlooked it and said we could play as long as we brought some flyers out ASAP (which we did). All seemed good. Then, four days before the gig, we got an e-mail from the booking agent guy saying the show was canceled. Are you kidding me? He apparently had some “differences” with the people at The “N” Spot and cancelled all of the acts he had booked in there for the next few months. Crap! We discussed it as a group and decided we would contact the club owners and see if we could play anyway. We didn’t want to be caught in the middle of any business dispute and certainly didn’t want to take sides. However, as a new band, we felt it was vital to play and get some exposure so we called Bob and talked to him and ended up playing anyway. The gig started a little slow. When we started playing at 9:30pm, there were probably only 20 or so people there and some of them were holdovers from the Ohio State / Michigan game. No one danced the entire first set, though there was some clapping occasionally. I don’t think people who come to see bands realize how addictive their energy is when they are into the show and how draining it is when they aren’t. Playing to a crowd that just sits there and half pays attention over their own conversations is taxing. We thought we were in for a long night. But, by the end of the first set, more and more people started showing up and we ended the first set with a few dancers. As usual, our second set brought them out of the woodwork. We’ve got some really good songs packed into set 2 and people always dance in that set. From the beginning of the set through the rest of the night, the place was alive and the crowd was into the music. We had a couple of post OSU parties and show up to celebrate the victory and a birthday party group showed up as well. More of our friends and family showed up and by the end of set 2, we had close to a hundred people in the bar (according the the woman working the door). Not bad. I was actually a little nervous about this gig. At the River Saloon show, the smoke really got to me and I started losing my voice early. I had to really push it to hit some of my notes and I ended up straining my voice pretty good. I have been nursing my voice for two weeks and hoping for the best. The morning of the gig, I woke up with a pretty good sore throat and thought I was screwed. But to my surprise, I actually sang better than I did at the last gig and stayed strong and in good voice all night. Chris and Dave were both struggling with colds and throat problems and I know the night wasn’t easy on them. We had a few songs that lacked harmonies, but overall, they did pretty good and no one noticed any problems with the singing. As usual Chris, Greg, and Dave played superbly and despite yet another episode of “What the F*#K’s Wrong With This Mixing Board,” we ended up getting the sound balanced pretty well and it sounded great.
As usual, thanks so much for all of our supporters. Thanks especially to Chris’ family who faithfully supports him despite how big of a pain in the ass he is, and to all of my people, especially my sister, my friends Chris W. and Adam, and my wife and the St. Michael’s soccer crew for coming and bringing a good group of people. We are nothing without all of you. Thanks also to the “N” Spot crew for being very cool. We had a great time and we would absolutely come back there again. We’re off for a month or so but we are still trying to put something together for January and February. Check the website or our MySpace often for updates and show times. Happy holidays everyone and thanks again for all of your support. MD
Post Category: Gig Commentary
November 19th, 2006 at 03:43pmMD
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