25th anniversary

We had a gig this past weekend. Outside. The contract called for full PA and soundman. Way out on a farm in the hills of Western Mass. Sounds nice. The prospect of this gig pleased me no end, as it is so nice to get out of the smoky bars and out into the fresh air. After mapquesting the directions from the internet I loaded up the bus and head westward.

Internet maps leave a lot to be desired. The directions I downloaded, while technically accurate, were terrible. Left for 1.2 mi, then slight right for .32 mi, then right for 1.5 mi, etc, etc. It all sounds good until the reality comes up and bites you in the hindquarters. This particular bite in the butt came via a missing road sign: I missed my turn and was off on my merry way, in a completely wrong direction. Eventually, I put things together and arrived at the gig, with plenty of time to set up all of my gear. I am going to grab another regular map for the next trip, though.

Here's the turn, it's marked by a tiny cardboard sign with an arrow pointing into the woods. Cool. I'm on it, and soon I am driving by rows of campers and tents, until I see a bandstand set up by a lake. Yeah, this will do, I'm thinking to myself. I see families, people tossing frisbees. There were kids jumping off the raft in the center of the lake, and other kids were taking turns paddling a rowboat around the lake. Off to one side they had a BBQ pit with three porkers on spits browning up nicely.

They also had built a little tiki bar by the lake , and set up a well stocked bar inside. It was quite the place for a party. It turns out that they have been having a party every summer for the last twenty-five years!

Playing outside can be a lot of fun. Having the big PA system set up with all the instruments mic'ed up just added to the happy factor. I got things set up quickly, and I discovered two bad cables in the process.We had a ball playing for them, and were very happy to be a part of their twenty-fifth bash!
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submitted by ®acy

When Everything falls into place.

As a performing musician, I live for those special moments when everyone in the band is in that special space, a place where the individual band members are feeling the magic, and the band becomes much more than the sum of its parts.

Performing live can be such a magical experience: the rhythm section locks together, and the soloists fly, dragging the perceptive audience members along for a wonderful roller coaster ride. For me, very few things in life can approach the high of those moments, and I live for them.

That magic feeling is an elusive thing, too. It doesn't automatically happen everytime I perform, yet it's always lurking around the next corner, ready to put in an appearance on its own terms. It cares not of the particular venue I happen to be in that night, nor who might be in the audience. It stands defiantly, needing no one. Catch it if you can: there is no map to follow, voodoo doesn't help, and you can't buy it nor bottle it when it finally puts in an appearance. You can only ride it, in a fashion similar to that person with the surf board catching the ultimate wave and riding it all the way home.

The variables of live performance can be daunting: Creating music is a collaborative effort, and every person in the band has a huge influence on the outcome. If a bandmember has had a less than stellar day, that can affect the music in a negative way. On the other hand, if one has a great day, the music can fly high and free. There are, of course, exceptions to every rule, yet I have observed the highest highs when my day has gone well, and vice-versa.

So get out there and support live music. Take a chance on a band that you aren't familiar with. When they ask you for the five dollars or whatever at the door, just pay it and invest some time. Usually the musicians will perform with everything they have, and you will be a happy camper. If they moved you, buy one of their CDs in a show of support. Your efforts will not go unnoticed. If the sun and stars happen to line up on that day you might be a participant on the best roller coaster ride of all time.

And if they didn't move you that night, you will still have the satisfaction of knowing that you did something to support your music scene. If you don't, that "scene" might someday sound like the junk that you hear on your car radio...

Posted by ®acy

A record has an influence in the world way beyond yourself and your realm. As an artist, I think you just put the best work out that you can and it will be meaningful for the people who need to find it. Those people will find it. And it will change people's lives. That's the best thing you could hope for. It's the process, you know? It's the path. I finally realized after trying to push things through for so long, that this is what you get. You get to perform. You get to play music for people. That's what you get. You don't get anything else. If you want to get money, then you have to be a businessperson. If you want to get famous, that's a whole industry networking game. But if you want to be a musician, you get to play music. That's what you get. You get that experience with the audience. That's the deal.

Posted by ®acy