elmerthegreat

There are gigs where things do not go exactly as planned. There are power outages, busted rigs, and traffic delays. Hopefully, the problems are easily remedied and the audience is none the wiser. If your lucky, the problem in localized to one person.

This was Ricky Blues’ first gig at Johnny’s Bar and Grill. The audience enjoyed the band, and the owners were happy. For me, it was not my finest gig.

This was one of those gigs where I could not seem to get out of my own way. I felt confused for the better part of the gig, wondering where the next change was coming, what came next, and where I was in the song. I was not tired. I was completely sober. I was just confused. Like any professional, I soldiered on. Luckily, I don’t think that my guffaws were too noticeable.

I don’t know if any musician is perfect. I don’t know if there is any musician who has never had a bad night. When I have a bad night, I use it as a learning experience. Figuring out ways to recover from mistakes, slips, or lapses of concentration is an essential part of live performance. I remember a comment Will Calhoun made one night, “If you hear a wrong note, have another beer. If you hear two wrong notes, it’s not wrong, it’s jazz.”

Our good buddy and sometimes drummer Rick Donato was in town, on break from his Chorus Line tour. He sat in for a few songs and it was a blast to work with him again.

We took our time starting the gig. The Yankees were playing the Red Sox, and the game was in extra innings with a 0-0 score.  We waited for the 12th to get started. When big sporting events are going on, the audience will tend to have an eye on the game and an ear on the band. Mercifully, this was a regular season game. Post season? Forget it. Football game? Really forget it.

Nevertheless, we were well received and will hopefully play this venue again. Here are some pictures from the show:

Created with flickr slideshow.

Once again the boys of Ricky Blues rocked the Mediterranean Taverna. It was an enjoyable night, as always. There were a few guest spots with a gentleman coming up to blow harp on a few blues tunes and our good buddy Mike Williams taking the microphone for Roadhouse Blues.

I dropped our sax player Alex Violette at the train after the show. We both had to get up early for church services, different churches, but same deal. It is rough to get up early the morning after a show, especially if you’re lugging gear. We both agreed that they’re great gigs, people are into the music, they’re excited, and everybody sings along. Great stuff.

As tiring as it may be to do late night gigs and wake up early the next morning, they’re good. There’s a slideshow below with shots from the show, but one picture really sums it all up.

ROCKIN!

Enjoy the pics from the show:

Created with flickr slideshow.

Last night’s event for the World Heritage Cultural Center was fun. As always, playing with Moonspank was a blast. We were part of a bill that feature music and dance from countries around the globe. There was African drumming, Indian dancing, Bollywood pop, and all sorts of other artists and disciplines.

My good buddy, Ricky Blues did a solo acoustic performance. Excellent job. Though Change the World would not be my go-to song on a Clapton playlist, it fit the feel of the event, and the crowd enjoyed singing and clapping along.

As with any event of this size, with over 25 acts on the bill, the inaugural event can be a trial by fire. Communication is difficult. Artists can be temperamental. Though we were slated to play at 8pm, we did not take the stage until 10:45pm. However, since this is a charity event, no one was terribly upset, just a little tired.

The organizers were pleasant, the crowd was appreciative, and it turned out to be a blast. Every member of the band received some positive feedback, which is always a pleasure.

In another case of the ever shrinking world, I had another run-in. Turns out that Casey Howard, who played wonderful sax for the set, was also in the Leslie Casey band I played in the other night. Small planet, indeed. Since we finished much later than anticipated, I offered to give him a ride home. Along the way, we discussed woodshedding, different methods for getting out of slumps, our opinions of horns in popular music, and other musical musings. Playing and conversing with him were both a treat. I hope to do some more work with him in the future.

Here are some photos from the evening:

Created with flickr slideshow.

The first time I heard Stinking Lizaveta was at the Knitting Factory. I went to see John Zorn perform with Mike Patton and Ikue Mori, the combo that would eventually perform under the name Hemophiliac. After their show, I went down a flight of stairs to the other bar, when I heard a sound coming from the Alterknit Theatre. That sound was Stinking Lizaveta, an instrumental group comprised of electric guitar, drums, and upright bass. From that moment on, I have been a huge fan.

Based out of Philadelphia, I try to catch them every time they come to New York. I have never been disappointed with their performance. I find them truly inspiring. They combine a hard rock/heavy metal feel with a virtuosity that few possess. They were so loud that they could kill grass, and I appreciated every squeal, stomp, smash, hoot, and holler.

A surprise in the set was when Yanni asked the crowd, “Do you wanna’ hear some Hendrix?” I thought he was kidding, but they blazed through a vicious cover of Power of Soul. Absolutely incredible.

Cake Shop is a great venue. The upstairs is a coffee shop and record store. Downstairs are the bands and the bar.

Whatever city you may live in, try to see them when they come anywhere withing driving distance.

Additional Links:
Stinking Lizaveta on myspace
Hemophiliac on youtube

It’s not very often that I get to jump from Judas Priest to Bob Seeger. When I get the chance to do so, I relish in the opportunity.

I met Guy (the guitarist) a year or so ago and we just clicked. We just wanted to play a few bars, make a few bucks, and drink a few beers. It’s what a rock n’ roll cover band should be about. That’s what we did and do. Luckily we found a drummer in Joe who is of like mind.

Our most recent gig was at Mr. Vigg’s in Riverdale. That’s a section of The Bronx for people who don’t like to say that they are from The Bronx. It was a near-last minute booking. We had a week to do final preparation, which meant one practice. Since we are all familiar with the material, do our homework, and have some general musical sensitivity, it was just fine.

Mr. Vigg’s is a quintessential neighborhood bar. Situated between a laundromat and pizzeria in the midst of a residential area, it’s a quaint little joint. However, also do to this placement, volume control is a must. Luckily, we are not an obnoxiously loud group, so this did not pose a problem. The only drawback to being between two other buildings is the lack of opportunity to open windows. The place was HOT. Not oppressively hot, but under stage lights, playing, crammed next to other musicians, it does get to be a challenge by the end of the second set.

Once you’re sweating on stage, it becomes like any other vigorous physical activity. As your body looses sodium, you begin to feel drained. Your hands are more likely to cramp. A lethargy creeps into your legs. Singing takes more out of your body. How to compensate? Drink beer. This may not be the best medical advice, but in the realm of rock musicians, it’s approved.

Enjoy some pictures from the show:

Created with flickr slideshow.